Tanzania Feb 2011 Itinerary - Review Requested
 

Hello, 5 years after our last safari to Botswana, I'm finally getting around to planning our 2nd one!

We're thinking about going Feb 2011 to the Southern Serengeti. I would really like to experience something different from Botswana, where we saw an incredible number of animals (video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVriTCMVUU0 ). Therefore, we really want to see massive herds of the migration (plus I would love to see some flamingos. never seen a (non-plastic) flamingo :).

Here's our tentative itinerary:

- 2 days at Ngorogoro Crater (crater lodge)
- 4-5 days mobile camping in Southern Serengeti and/or Lolindo Reserve
- 2 days at Lake Manyara
- 2-3 days Zanzibar (Mnemba Island, maybe one night at Stones Town).

So, here are the questions:

1) Mobile camping:
- We didn't do this in Botswana and I really would like to do it. Problem is that I'm a city girl and non-camper. Will 5 days be too much for me?
- The camp choices we are considering are Olakira and CC Africa's Serengeti Under Canvas. Any others? The more luxurious the better!
- Eben from Kiliwarriors suggests that we combine Olakira with Suyan in the Lolindo Reserve. Is this a lot of moving around? should we just stick with one camp? We saw a lot of wild dogs at Duma Tau, so are not particularly rabid about finding the dogs again.

2) Lake Manyara:
- Is this area worth it during Feb? What are the main attractions, besides the Tree Lodge, which looks great?

3) We'll be flying in/out of Nairobi. What is the best place to begin our safari?

4) Should we pay extra to fly between camps or drive? In Botswana we flew and it was great. Even had a helicopter once! We really want to minimize unnecessary driving given dust/heat.

5) How's the weather in Tanzania in Feb? Very hot? Rain? Eben says even if it rains it'll be ok.

6) Any other advice?

Your help greatly appreciated!!

Judy

I just came back in Feb 2010 from TZ.

Here's my 2 cents:

Skip Lake Manyara,go straight to the Crater and then to Southern Serengeti.
Stay near Ndutu area (Ldutu Lodge or Olakira), if your aim is to see massive herds.
Crater won't disappoint ( I visited it for 4 days)
The weather was anywhere from 50-75 degrees F
Heavy rains had fallen in Jan, the area is currently lush green. Occasional showers were encountered, but nothing major.
It dries up pretty quickly,I noticed. But the rains do remove tire tracks and can make it harder for the drivers to follow routes/directions (especially in the dark hours of early morning).

Thanks, TigerPhotog. I looked up your trip report and saw that you stayed at Olakira and it rained torrentially one night. How was the mobile camp overall? What was it like during the rain? I'm a bit worried about that part.

The camps you're referring to aren't truly "mobile" rather "seasonal" - Staying at a particular area for a few months depending on season/where the migration is found.

Another option in Serengeti, a sister property of Olakira would be Dunia Camp. The choices you indicate will all serve you well.

As to Manyara, which is reportedly better that Tarangire* in Feb, if it's only for the Tree Lodge, be aware that it's located at the farthest south end of this small park - a park that can generally be covered in 2-3/hrs. Would be a minimum 2/hr drive to/from. Though they do do night game drives.

*of late, visitors are reporting otherwise with plenty of ellees and game, besides the amazing baobab tree landscape. Options here can be Treetops, Olivers or Swala Camps.

You can drive to Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti; the fly back via Arusha to Zanzibar. At the Serengeti camps, you can continue to use the guide you have on FB-full-board basis or use camp guides on a GP-game package basis.

There are scheduled flights from Arusha to Manyara, but not to Ngorongoro (though an airstrip, rarely used as often fogged in). For Ngorongoro it would have to be a road transfer. And, from Ngo, no flight to Serengeti, you'd have to drive back (2.5/hrs) to Manyara airport. As the saying goes "you can't get there from here!"

I'm sure you'll get it worked out as Feb is great time to visit.

Your itinerary would suit a city girl just fine. Looks good.

If you want flamingos, can you count on them at the crater? I'd put in 2 flamingo destinations of Manyara and crater in case weather conditions at one or the other aren't ideal for flamingos or in case the birds just take off.

Tiger, 4 days at the crater! Lots of animal action.

The temps in February can get quite hot. It hit 100 degrees in February 2005 when we were there. Finally, the heat broke with the onset of some thunderstorms. The storms hit after we had left the Serengeti. The rain was coming down so hard it was coming through closed windows into our room at the Farmhouse. Still, you can never say exactly what kind of weather you'll have in advance. February is considered to be a prime time to visit northern Tanzania.

The flamingos at Lake Manyara are usually so far out that they are just a pink haze on the horizon. You'll usually get better, up-close views in the Crater.

Personally, I prefer Tarangire over Lake Manyara, even in February. We saw over 200 eles in one day there. As Sandi notes, LM is good for a 2 to 3 hour visit.

Maybe several days at the crater for those pink birds then.

If you liked the helicopter, then I'd opt for flights whenever possible. You'll be doing lots of driving in the Serengeti just looking for animals. That may be enough for you.

That may be enough for you. Enough was referring to enough driving around.

Thanks for all the responses!

Sandi, I'm interested in your comment that you prefer Tarangire over Manyara. Can you elaborate on why?

Also, one thing Botswana taught me is that we enjoyed the landscape/birds (almost) as much as the "big 5". Which areas in Tanzania are the prettiest?

Linjudy,
My observations about Flamingoes in the crater. If you want to "see" them, sure, you will see them in thousands at the soda lake. However, there's no close access to them from the road. So you end up seeing them as dots on the horizon or via your binoculars. They do make up for good backgrounds in pictures. Just don't expect to see them up-close, fyi.

Agree with Sandi, Olakira is a seasonal camp, with ~8 guest tents located within 10 yards of each other ( Nomad's was much more private, we noticed, we went there searching for Olakira).There are 2 hospitality tents (1 for serving drinks/paperwork and the other for bf/lunch/dinner). The tents are made of canvas and are fully protected against rain. Don't worry about that. Food and personal service was great. You do have a quota for daily supply of water, just fyi. 20 lit/ person/day for bathing, 10 lit/person for the sink, unlimited for flush :). The interior of the tents is very nice and comfortable.
After the rains, the pathways did get just a bit muddy but nothing major. Don't worry too much about it, enjoy the experience of grazing buffaloes right outside your tent in the night. Nothing comes close...lodging experience does not give that feel.

Lake Manyara is like going to a wooded grassland safari in India. There's not many open plains and it's very different than the Africa/Serengeti grasslands you see on TV. I did see a black mamba on a tree looking for bird eggs. We spent 2 hrs at Manyara and rushed to the crater (which will BLOW your mind). A view of the crater panorama from a vista point at the top before entering it should get you in the mood.:). I am pretty sure you should skip it and rush to the crater so you can get in asap for the afternoon round. There's just way too much wildlife there. Lighting in the crater is also very nice due to the cloud cover or patchy beams of light, so even a mid-day safari feels pleasant.

@Atravelynn, yes it was well worth it, we fell in love with the Crater, did 2 days initially, then 2 more at the end before winding up the trip. We saw mating lions, lots of black rhinos, that huge tusker whose tusks touch the ground, buffaloes,hippos and other stuff. Did not see a kill...maybe next time :). We did see a wildebeest calf right after birth and stayed with him till he got up and ran like the wind in 20 minutes of birth.

You should skip it...I meant, skip Lake Manyara if you are searching for beautiful scapes.

linjudy -

<i>"Sandi, I'm interested in your comment that you prefer Tarangire over Manyara. Can you elaborate on why?"</i>

It's not just me, but most visitors truly enjoy this gem of a park. Besides the large elephant herds and other game, as well as, predators, the baobab tree landscape is unique; also lots of birds. It's got a few diverse eco-areas to discover especially on full-day game drives as the park is large enough (vs Manyara) to stay out. And, if staying at accommodations outside the park boundaries, bush walks and night game drives.

Bear in mind, nothing wrong with Manyara and as mentioned, different times of the year, one is "supposed" to be better than the other. However, with the strange weather patterns and rains (or lack of) these past years, who knows... so it's a matter of choice.

If the budget can handle Tree Lodge's price (which apparently from the other accommodations shown, you can) and you feel "I must" then stop here. Do the game drive thru the park, enjoy at leisure the lux of Tree Lodge during afternoon, do the night drive; next morning 2+/hr game drive out towards Manyara airport for flight to ZNZ, as I wouldn't necessarily spend 2/nts when during Feb "I'd rather be in the Serengeti!"

Thanks for the responses!

Sounds like the consensus is to skip Manyara. That said, I do feel that it would be nice to end the safari at a luxurious permenant camp. But ideally it should also be a highlight in terms of wildlife. For example, in Bots we did Duma Tau, Kwetsani, and ended at Mombo, which I thought was the perfect order. Duma Tau was good intro, Kwetsani was relaxing during the middle, and Mombo was lux and incredible animals.

So, perhaps we should end at the Crater if it's going to be so spectacular? If so, where should we start? I don't really want to start day #1 of our safari camping in the Serengeti, given jet lag, etc. What's a good way to ease into it without sacraficing maximum safari time (ie, I don't want to hang out in Nairobi or Arusha just to recover).

Tiger,

This might be helpful to you too, Linjudy, if you decide on more driving. You mentioned going to the crater for 2 nts and then again for 2 nts at the end of the trip. I've thought about an itinerary that stops at the crater on the way into and out of the Serengeti, as a good use of time. Is that what you did?

Atravelynn,
Yes, that's exactly what we did. As you know, the crater is ~4 hours drive time(if you start early morning from Arusha or vicinity),an afternoon round is guaranteed, that way.If one tries to reach Serengeti by road directly from Arusha, that would be a lot of driving on a first day. I just wanted a bulletproof itinerary where I was maximizing game viewing and the crater was the only thing that was not too far (and full of potential) going in either direction. It worked out very well. Believe it or not, we loved the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and it's location/easy access going in/out.

PS: For photographers, my observations about the crater, no matter what time of day it is, the lighting can get sweet any moment due to the cloud cover or rains or any bizzare phenomenon :), it's just magical.No need of waiting for good light, it can happen anytime in the crater. :)

Wow, 4 hrs drive time to the Crater, and even longer to the Serengeti... that seems like a lot of driving.

How about flying one way and driving out? The only air strip I've seen is Lake Manyara. Are there others? Is there a website that has this info?

Any recommendation for camps in the Tarangire?

I've not done much research into lodges at Crater. But seems like Sopa and Serena are also options. Any thoughts on whether Crater Lodge is worth the $$?

There's an airstrip at Ndutu as well...

Everyone knows I'm a fan of "save the best for last" - thus the migration/calving in Ndutu/Serengeti. From here you can fly back to Arusha to connect to flight to ZNZ.

Why not consider
Tarangire 2/nts - Treetops is absolutely lovely. Outside the park so walks and night drives can be done. Tarangire is a larger park than Manyara with diverse eco systems. If not Treetops, there's Oliver's in the southern part of the park; also Swala down the way as Oliver's. Eben will probably say Oliver's. So that will have to be up to you.

Ngorongoro 2/nts - Crater Lodge or Lemala Camp. Crater Lodge is over-the-top and while I'm the "lux gal" this one is a bit much for me... simply out of place and recent reviews haven't praised the food (though can be individual preference). Lemala is a lux camp on the side of rim as Sopa so has nearby access road into crater.

Ndutu/Serengeti - 4-5/nts - Serengeti Under Canvas, Dunia, Serian's Maswa Camps - all good choices

Fly from Ndutu airstrip to Arusha; onto ZNZ.

You can find flight schedules on

http://www.regionaltanzania.com/

http://www.airexcelonline.com/

http://www.coastal.cc/

TigerPhotog, you can actually get quite close to flamingos in the Crater if your guide knows which pond to go to. Of course, that can change depending on the time of year. I've always gotten close enough to get good photos.

As for ending your safari in a luxury tented camp, consider Tanganyika Wilderness Camps' Lake Masek Tented Camp in the southern Serengeti. That would be a perfect location for February. Having stayed at TWC camps, I'm sure that this camp would be a great place to end your safari in style.

http://www.tanganyikawildernesscamps...sektentedcamp/

We feel like we saved the best for last on our April safari with Kiliwarriors! We did an all driving safari with George and loved every minute. We did a morning drive through Lake Manyara on our trip out of Arusha..the scenery was different from what we saw later and it was interesting, but we could have skipped it too.

We then drove to the Serengeti and were right in the middle of the migration at the main gate. After time moving around watching cats and the migration while staying at the Senergeti Sopa Lodge (Eben's suggestion since we couldn't get my husband to do a mobile camp because it was the rainy season), we then drove back for three nights at the Carter Lodge.

We loved our time in the Crater and at the Lodge. We could have easily spent more days there. If you like scenery you will love the time at the Lodge, the views out over the crater are to die for. We loved watching the fog clear and reveal the Crater floor one section at a time. Watching the rain clouds move across the crater in the late afternoon was spectacular! The time we spent with the wildlife on the Crater flood was fabulous. The Lodge itself is a wonderful experience and was wotth every penny.

For our pictures and a trip report of our time in Tanzania with Kiliwarriors got to:

www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com

Click on April on the righthand side and scroll down to Arpil 6 and read up to April 13 for our time in Tanzania.

Have a great tiip!

The Masek Camp as ShayTay mentions is a wonderful new option in the Ndutu area and priced right in mid-range. However, the others mentioned - SUC, Dunia, Serian's Maswe and even Lemala has a camp here - definitely more lux in services and price.

Decisions, decisions, decisions... it's in your court now linjudy!

<i>"Any thoughts on whether Crater Lodge is worth the $$?"</i>

Depends on how much you have. If money were no object, I'd still prefer Sopa's own road, moreso in wet Feb than other months. Though I really liked Sopa, Lemala is a step up at the crater and a tented experience (with in tent heaters, I think) and also provides that private road perk.

Personally I'd never consider Crater Lodge and therefore have no firsthand personal experience. But you may want to get the interary costed with and without Crater and then decide if the difference would allow you to do something you could otherwise could not afford.

Thanks Sandi for some distinctions on various camps.

Wow, more great suggestions!

Sandi, Lake Masek camp looks very nice, a great option! I would like to end at a place where I can take a proper shower after camping.

Atravelynn, what's the advantage with the private road? Will we encounter traffic on our safari?! Sopa seems nice but really a hotel... Maybe there are some advantages to beginning in a hotel, but seems weird to stay at a hotel on safari...

Has any of you been to Lolindo? Eben suggests Suyan, but Ndutu area looks so great. Should we just spend all our time there?

Thanks so much for all your help! I feel we're zero-ing on the perfect trip.

linjudy -

Believe me you will NOT BE CAMPING! All the properties shown have "proper" showers. Some might be bladder showers, but still sufficient water. Regardless, water is precious and shouldn't be used for other than what it's needed. No hanging out under the nozzle for 30/min. Wet/wash/rinse... and a few extra minutes if have to do the hair!

As to Suyan which is lovely, few tourists/vehicle, but known for wild-dogs (still no guarantee), if as you've indicated... have seen them before and not a priority... I'd stick with Ndutu and/or Southeast Serengeti.

Lemala is a lux camp option at Ngo if not wanting to blow the budget on Crater Lodge. It's also on the same side as Sopa, east, with great sunset views in the west!

Get the itinerary priced with the options at Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Ndutu/Serengeti... then decide what/which works for you (and your pocket). It will be hi, but you've selected all lux/hi-end properties, and that doesn't even include Mnemba.

Linjudy, what you need to remember about Tanzania is that you are your wildlife viewing in national parks and conservation areas. No matter where you stay, you'll be going on game drives alongside everyone else staying in the same area, no matter what type of accommodation they are staying in. You'll be in the Crater with people from Crater Lodge, Sopa, Gibbs Farm, etc. Therefore, it's mainly a matter of how much you want to spend on the lodging... do you want butlers and chandeliers at the Crater Lodge? Or will a good, basic lodge like the Sopa do?

The other posters have made a good point about your location on the Crater rim, though. It's mainly a matter of how early you can get into the Crater. As for the Sopa and Lemala vs. Crater Lodge and Serena in terms of location, the difference is the descent/ascent access. Think of the crater as a clock face. The road from Karatu leading up to the rim of the Crater is at 5 o'clock. The Sopa and Lemala are at 2 o'clock. Right next to them is a road leading down into the Crater and is two-way, unless that's been changed. The Crater Lodge and Wildlife Lodge are at 7 o'clock and the Serena at 8 o'clock. These lodges and almost everyone coming up from the Karatu area go down the descent road (one way) at 10 o'clock, so they have to circle around the Crater rim for some distance. The ascent road is at 6 o'clock and is also only one way. You'll want to get into the Crater as soon as possible as there is more action in the earlier hours, so that's why location on the Crater rim can be important. Have I totally confused you now? :-)

ShayTay,
That's a great post for someone like myself that has researched Ngo for an upcoming trip but never been before. I thought I fully understood the ascent/descent roads but this post makes it far clearer in my head. Thanks!

I don't mean to come across as obsessing about the quality of the lodging. I know we'll hardly be in the tent except to sleep. It's just that I really hate camping (bugs, lack of proper showers, etc). Not sure if I can deal w/more than 4-5 days of bucket showers!

Shaytay, the clock face analogy is great. To make sure I fully understand: this mean at Crater Lodge (7 o'clock), we would need to drive to the descent road (10 o'clock) in the morning, and return from the ascend road (6 o'clock) at night. So, driving from 7-10 o'clock, nearly a quarter of the rim. where staying at Sopa or Lemala, the road is right next to the lodge and therefore better. Have I got it?

Yep, linjudy, you've got it. Of course, if you're driving on to the Serengeti the next day from the Sopa, you've got to circle the rim from 2 o'clock to 10 o'clock because the road drops off the crater rim near the descent road to head out onto the Serengeti plains. The rim road is the only way to get to the Serengeti, so it's busy with all sorts of traffic: safari vehicles, trucks, even buses. Then, there's the wildlife that may be blocking the road, such as buffalo or elephants. You just never know what you'll (nearly) run into.

The clock is a wonderful analogy. Tiger and I both like Sopa.

ShayTay, your last entry on getting to the Serengeti emphasizes that "life is an adventure" statement you commented on earlier.

linjudy, if your intention is to view wildlife in the crater and you need unlimited hot water, book the SOPA for easy access to H20 and wildlife !

Continuing with the easy access issue, I found the tree hyrax to be highly accessible and photographable at Sopa, though I might not have been quite so successful with these adorable creatures had it not been for a friendly staff member who showed me about.

I'm having second thoughts about going to Zanzibar after doing some reading. Sounds like it will be very humid/hot during Feb, and we're not really beach people. Perhaps a few more days on safari would be better.

I was looking at the Asilia website, and thinking about Sayari Camp. Has anyone stayed there? There's a north and a south camp. The south is very close to Olakira. Is it going to be too similar? How would the North Camp be during Feb?

I'm thinking maybe we should do all Asilia camps, plus Sopa at the Crater

- Oliver's in Tarangire
- Suyan
- Olakira
- Maybe Sayari?
- Sopa at the Crater

If we did something like this, what would be the best order to minimize driving?

Linjudy
For what it's worth, Lake Manyara was one of our favorite spots when we did Tanzania. Loved it! Although Sandi is correct, the tree Lodge, (which is truly spectacular) is at the far end of the park. We saw some of our best game during our two nights in Manyara and very few vehicles, which I loved. We liked Tarrangire, but when we were there at the end of jan 07 the tse-tse's were really bad. Not sure if that was because of the unusually wet weather. We had never experienced any bugs as bad as this. As for the crater, I am glad we saw it but very glad we only spent one day. Far too much traffic down there for me, It seemed there were never less than 7 trucks at a good sighting. I would have preferred more time in the Serengeti. We did cc africa mobile camping in ndutu and loved it-even in the rain. You will not be roughing it.

nancie

Asilia site may not have been updated, so note:

1) Sayari North which is now a permanent camp and best visited Aug-Oct/Nov. No reason to be heading that far north in Feb when the migration is in the Southeast/Ndutu area. Kogatende airstrip.

2) Sayari South has been replaced by Dunia Camp (as mentioned above) which in Feb will be where Sayari So had been and move a bit farther north towards Central from June (near/between Moru Kopjes and Serengeti Sopa) Serena airstrip.

3) Olakira, which price is a bit lower than Dunia, will also be in the Southeast/Ndutu area in Feb (Ndutu airstrip) and from July-Nov east of Sayari North before moving south again. Kogatende airstrip.

4) Suyan currently at Piaya (east of Seronera), will move south as Dec 2010-Mar 2011, with closest airstrip being Ndutu.

If you do an "all" (or mostly) Asilia safari, you'll no doubt be entitled to some discount, at least these are being offered for 2010.

And, even if you're not beach people, after bumping around on safari it's nice to have some R&R, but Mnemba will be a heavy nut ($$$$$) to crack for this. There are other options at somewhat lower prices. So I wouldn't discount the coast completely.

Consider:
Tarangire @ Olivers or Swala - 2-3/nts
Crater @ Sopa Lodge or Lemala Camp - 2/nts
Serengeti (split 3/nts Dunia & 2-3/nts andBeyond SUC)
Zanzibar @ Matemwe Retreat, Kilindi, Blue Bay (recently refurbished) 2-3/nts
Stone Town @ Serena Inn, Beyt al Chai, Zanzibar Palace - 1/nt

Hope this helps.