ub44

Hi,

I am new here and new to Africa. I am getting married on November 19 and am thinking on a safari + zanzibar. I asked ATR a proposal and here is what they sent:

21NOV2005 Arrival Nairobi / Kilimanjaro / Dar Es Salaam?

21NOV2005 Arusha : Moivaro Coffee Lodge
22NOV2005 Safari : Tarangire Mawe Ninga Lodge
23NOV2005 Safari : Tarangire Mawe Ninga Lodge
24NOV2005 Safari : Serengeti Olduvai Camp
25NOV2005 Safari : Serengeti Ronjo Fly-camp
26NOV2005 Safari : Serengeti Ronjo Fly-camp

27NOV2005 Fly : Manyara to Zanzibar

27NOV2005 Zanzibar : Matemwe Bungalows
28NOV2005 Zanzibar : Matemwe Bungalows
29NOV2005 Zanzibar : Matemwe Bungalows
30NOV2005 Zanzibar : Matemwe Bungalows
01DEC2005 Zanzibar : Matemwe Bungalows
02DEC2005 Zanzibar : Matemwe Bungalows

Price per pax: USD$ 3.400 (excluding internation flights)

I have been looking aroun and I also see that CCAfrica has some nice offers, like Wonders of Tanzania and Treasures of Tanzania, but they are more expensive.

Can someone give me some lights here? Is there any other lodge you would suggest? We, of course, will like to be quiet (not with large groups) and avoid group trips. We prefer genuine, cool, small lodgings rather than the touristic package trips but would like it to be confortable and with nice design considering the nature of the trip.

This is just the first step, but any help is really welcome!!!

Thanks,
ub44

lisa

For the safari portion, since it is your honeymoon, I would just be sure that you and your intended are OK with the bathroom situation in the tented accommodations you are looking at (long drop/chemical toilets & bladder/bucket showers). Assuming you are both fine with that then this looks OK to me. There are certainly more luxurious tented options in both Tarangire and in the Serengeti, but maybe you prefer more rustic accommodations. Do you have a budget? The only thing I would say is that I personally would spend a bit less time in Zanzibar and a bit more on safari, but that is just me and everyone is different.

For some reason it seems like ATR strongly prefers these accommodations over others, because they show up often on their itineraries.

Patty

Others will be able to better advise, but it seems to me that those locations wouldn't provide the best game viewing for your time of year. From what I understand Tarangire is best during the dry season (Jun-Oct) and the northern Serengeti offers the best opportunity to catch the migration in late November, though nothing is ever guaranteed.

Ditto lisa's comments about the rusticity of the camps but perhaps that's exactly what you're looking for. I'd also want more than 5 nights on safari.

Why do they have you flying from Manyara instead of the Serengeti on Nov 27?

ub44

Lisa / Pati

Thanks for the comments. I really do not want long drop/chemical toilets & bladder/bucket showers! We are looking for something better, since we really want a great quality safari.
I asked CCAfrica and they have 2 safaris staying at Swala Camp (2), Serengeti Serena Safari L. (3) and Ngorongoro Serena L (2), for $2.500 and another sleeping at Lake Manyara Tree L (2) Leins Kamp or Grumeti River Camp (3) and Ngorongoro Carater Lodge (2).
The second lot of lodges seems very good and this is about the time I will have for the safari (7 nights) because we will also be visiting Malawi.
I do not know it these prices are reasonable and if you have any other suggestion, considering we want excellent quality lodges and not rustica accomodations.

Bye,
ub44

Patty

ub44,
What's the price for the 2nd itinerary from CCAFrica? Other luxury tented camps you can consider in the Serengeti are Migration Camp and Mbuzi Mawe -

http://www.elewana.com

http://www.serenahotels.com/tanzania/mbuzi/home.htm

See if you like the way they look.

Also take a look at Eben's album for some recent photos of Serengeti lodges and camps -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34645281

What's your budget for the safari portion? The Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is the luxury option there but is very expensive. Likewise Manyara Tree Lodge is the most luxurious accomodation there but with steep prices. I believe another poster, JazzDrew, recently stayed at Manyara Tree Lodge and had very favorable comments.

Here are 2 more threads with recent photos and discussion of accomodation options around Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire that might help -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34644982

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34644805

You may want to email a few Tanzania based safari operators and have them put together a custom itinerary with your choice of accomodations for price comparison. They should be able to book you into any of the CCAfrica camps too. If you do a search on this board you should find some recommended operators. Hope this helps.

lisa

We are going at roughly the same time as you and after doing a lot of research and getting a lot of advice, we decided to fly directly from Arusha to Serengeti to try to catch the migration. If I were you, with only 7 nights, in late November, I think I would focus on Serengeti, with a night or two at Ngorongoro, and probably save Tarangire and Manyara for another time, although it depends on your preferences. Maybe look at:

2-3 nights in the northern Serengeti (Klein's or Migration Camp -- Migration Camp supposedly has a great honeymoon tent!),
2-3 nights in central Serengeti (maybe at Mbuzi Mawe),
1-2 nights at Ngorongoro (since it's your honeymoon, go for Crater Lodge if your budget allows -- otherwise Ngorongoro Serena).
If you have the time & money and don't mind moving around too much, you could add 2 nights at the end, at either Lake Manyara Tree Lodge or Swala in Tarangire -- but I would think the game viewing would be better in Serengeti, plus on your honeymoon you may not want to pack up and move so often.
Then fly to Zanzibar. That's what I would do. Get prices from several different outfitters (if you read some of the other Tanzania posts you will get plenty of recommendations) and tell them you want to do a customized itinerary for a private safari for 2 people. Tell each of them the accommodations you want and ask them to price it out for you, and see what they come back with.

Have fun planning.

ub44

Patty / Lisa,

Thanks again (sorry for the delay, was out for a few days). The second itinerary of CCA price is $3.700, but I will check with locals to see what they can do.
Lisa, I think your suggestion of trying to catch the migration is very usefull.

Thanks, I will plan it well!
ub44