Hi there,
First expereince of safaris We all stay in the UK... Myself and 2 friends are booking a Safari trip and some chillout time in Zanzibar. We have booked our flights and checked out some itienaries.
we wondered if we could do it ourselves by hiring a landrover/guide but were unsure about food. We are unsure if we hire someone for that? Is it best to do it ourselves? Book just the safari part with company? Or book the whole thing with the company? If we could we were wanting 1 night in 3 say in a lodge rather than a tent?
Here is the suggested itienary:

Day 1: Arrive Dar. Transit overnight at Sleep Inn Hotel. BB mealplan
Day 2: Transfer to bus stand for bus transfer to Arusha. Transfer to Mc Elly’s Hotel or similar upon arrival. BB mealpan
Day 3: drive to Tarangire Park game drive with picnic lunch. Evening dinner & overnight at Kigongoni Campsite Tarangire. FB mealplan
Day 4: Full-day game drive Tarangire Park game drive with picnic lunch. FB mealplan
Day 5: After breakfast drive to Lake Manyara Park game drive with picnic lunch. Evening dinner & overnight at Twiga Campsite Manyara. FB mealplan
Day 6: Full-day game drive Manyara Park with picnic lunch. Dinner & overnight at Twiga Campsite Manyara. FB mealplan
Day 7: Morning drive to Serengeti through Ngorongoro highlands to enter Serengeti Park. Full-day game drive with picnic lunch, to arrive evening at Dik Dik Campsite for Dinner & overnight. FB mealplan
Day 8: Full-day game drive Serengeti Park, lunch. Dinner & overnight at Dik Dik Campsite. FB mealplan
Day 9: Early morning game drive return for breakfast, after full-day game drive lunch. Dinner & overnight at Dik Dik Campsite. FB mealplan
Day 10: After breakfast drive enroute game drive through Serengeti Park via Olduvai Gorge with picnic lunch, to arrive Ngorongoro Simba Campsite for dinner & overnight. FB mealplan
Day 11: Early breakfast descend into Ngorongoro Crater full-day game drive with picnic lunch. Dinner & overnight at Simba Campsite. FB mealplan
Day 12: After breakfast drive through rift valley, masai village, snake park, to arrive Arusha and transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for departure flight to Zanzibar. Pick up and transfer to Dhow Palace Hotel in stonetown. BB mealplan.
Day 13: Full day spice and city tour with local lunch. Overnight at Dhow Palace Hotel. BB Mealplan
Day 14: Transfer to Coral Rock Hotel for 4nights on HB basis.
Day 18: Transfer to Zanzibar port and boat transfer back to Dar es Salaam. Transfer to Sleep Inn Hotel for overnight on BB mealplan.
Day 19: Transfer to the airport for flight back home.
Cost: US$2,600 per person.£1659
Unsure if this is good price each?

Cost Includes:
- All airport/bus stand, seaport and between hotels transfers.
- Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary.
- Meals as mentioned.
- Park fees and crater fees.
- Game drives.
- Exclusive vehicle / Driver/Guide and his allowance.
- Flight from Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar.
- Bus from Dar – Arusha.
- Boat from ZNZ - DAR
- Spice and city tours.
- Camping fees and equipment.

When are you traveling? Month?
Why are you flying into DAR when your safari commences out of the north or nearby JRO airport. You can certainly depart from DAR after leaving Zanzibar.
BA flies into/out of DAR, but BA doesn't fly into JRO.
KLM* does, however, fly into/out of both JRO and DAR.
*AMSterdam is the hub in Europe.

Drive from DAR to JRO/Arusha is 10-12/hrs. = a full day
No need to spend 2/nts at Lake Manyara... it's a small park that can be covered in a few hours. Crater Tours are limited to 6/hrs, not full-days (these were discontinued 2+/yrs ago).

Appears to be a budget camping safari, on public campsites with shared facilities (bathrooms/showers and hopefully sufficient hot water), having your own guide and cook.

Admittedly the price looks good, but at $2,600 for 18/days = $145/person/day. When you consider that daily park fees avg. $50/person, and guide/vehicle daily (about $200/day total or $66/person) doesn't leave much for even the least expensive campsite/tent/sleeping bags, etc.; entry into the crater (based on 3/pp) is $70/each.. and then including flight JRO/ZNZ (about $200/person).

I certainly wouldn't try booking this myself, and neither should you... but I would suggest you get quotes from a few outfitters for comparison.

Good luck!

Thanks for your reply.
It's November...
As I mentioned the flights are already booked from the uk.
This itienary is only a suggestion and not set in stone.
Any recommendations on safari companies that are reasonable and helpful would be good?

This is a typical itinerary that includes the safari highlights. I don't know anything about Zanzibar.

How many people in each vehicle and do you each have a window? Is this participation camping where you assist in putting up the tents and cooking the food? That's a good question to ask.

Lodges vs tents - well, the above has you staying in tents for the safari segment. And, at that price it's probably a 'group' departure, so if this is what you are seeking, as lynn mentions, ask:
- will the itinerary go out if only the 3 of you and if so
--- how much additional do you pay?
- otherwise, how many people total?
- how many people per vehicle, all with 'window' seats?
- participation in having to put up tents and preparing food?

But, if you want 'lodges' you'll have to look for a different type of itinerary... though you should have at least a few nights 'under canvas' for a true safari experience.

Apparently, you got the above itinerary from some outfitter/web site (are they located in UK or in Tanzania?), so start by asking them the questions. Otherwise, there are many outfitters who do 'group' and/or 'private' camping safaris,
OR
Choose to design your own itinerary, with similar routing, but choosing the type of lodgings/camps you'd prefer to meet your budget. But know that the price will increase.

Hi there,
thanks for your advice so far.
I have emailed Leopard Tours,Wild Trek safaris,Dorobo Tours and safaris,Easytravel,southern cross safaris and Eastern & Southern safaris.
I have one reply back who is forwarding info onto Nairobo office from Wild trek safaris.
Any other travel agent/safari operators recommendations?

I agree one day in Manyara is sufficient. I found it the least exciting of all places we went to. We used another company but I would suggest looking at Good Earth Tours, they seemed to have good prices and not much more for a private safari. My husband and I did a private safari and would not want to do one with a bunch of 'strangers' as we could call the shots how long we stayed at each place.

We stayed at the Dhow Palace in Stone town and liked it.

Coral Rock is in Jambiani. The water is warm and clear and fantastic. It is an isolated village but a great place to unwind and relax at the end of your journey. The locals are lovely. Stop by my friends place for lunch, it is an NGO school and clinic for locals called Alibis Well. It is just down the beach and everyone in Jambiani knows Mama Pat and Ali Baba from Canada.

we also arranged a 'safari blue cruise' for snorelling and enjoyed it alot.