Does anyone have any experience to share regarding the pros/cons of using a Tz-based tour company vs. U.S.-based...aside from the obvious price differences. I've communicated with Sunny and Leopard and a few in the U.S. They all seem good! We are planning an October 2008 trip...our first to Africa. Thanks!

If you use a reputable Tanzanian company, you should be fine. Make sure that all your communications are received and understood. Don't be hesitant about asking questions. Also make sure that you know all their terms and conditions for refunds, etc. These points are all true of US-based companies, as well.

I've traveled with Kibo Guides in Tanzania three times and am now planning my fourth trip with them this September, since Kenya is out for this year. October is about the only month that a portion of the Migration is usually not in the Serengeti... any reason why you're traveling to Tanzania then? Of course, the weather is changing and so are the migration patterns.

I highly recommend Thomson Safaris and with them you get both--a US based company that has deep roots in Tanzania. http://www.thomsonsafaris.com/ Their employees are Tanzanians. The owners lived in Tanzania for many years. They contribute to the educational and medical needs of the country. The government has recognized them for their humanitarian efforts. I really can not praise them enough. If you go to the following link, you can read of our experience and see lots of photos.
http://www.janeandken.com/Tanzania_P...and_Words.html

We loved our experience with Roy Safari. Their US based person, Susan Wood, made travel planning a piece of cake. Best of both worlds. Their service, prices, and personnel were excellent, including a personable, knowledgeable safari driver who really made our trip. (See report: Safari for Photography with Roy and also site for photos: www.pbase.com/pattyroth

Check out GoodEarth Tours, www.goodearthtours.com. They are based in Florida and have a wonderful contact/office in Arusha. GoodLuck was our guide and we wanted for nothing. Everything, and I mean everything, was as it was described. Goodluck is so very friendly and knowledgeable, we left with a greater wealth of information than we thought possible. Narry was our ctc in Florida, and although we never met, we did speak on the phone often. His patience was endless with what we thought at the time to be frivilous questions.
Have a wonderful Safari

We just returned from safari and were extremely pleased with Naipenda www.naipenda.com. The US contact is Jo Bertone.

We had a private guide for 11 days -- with camp in Ndutu for 5 nights (and all kinds of wildlife traipsing through), luxury lodges, and an oceanside villa in Zanzibar for significantly less than it would have cost for a group tour with US company. It was nice to have our own vehicle for game drives -- not having to worry about sitting in the third back row of seats with my husband's motion sickness!

The entire trip went beautifully and without a single snag. We were also able to spend a couple of days in Nairobi, when we first arrived from overseas, at Giraffe Manor. Naipenda contracted with a local company for all our services in Kenya. Happy planning!