patatrac

Hello,
We are going to Tanzania in January of next year. We're finalizing our itinerary and would appreciate any advice or comments from anyone who've visited Tanzania on a similar trip and esp from people who've visited in the winter months.

our itinerary:
3 days Tarangire (Kikoti Camp)
3 days Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
3 days Serengeti Luxury Private Mobile Camp (setting up camp in the Ndutu area)
1 night at the Serengeti Serena or Mbuzi Mawe (expressly for the purpose of doing balloon ride the following morning)
leave after balloon ride on a scheduled charter flight to Arusha

I feel like I'm not doing "the" serengeti justice by only giving it 3 days etc etc. all the maybe's-- they never end.

We really want to make this special but find it very difficult to know what to do or where to go from just reading guidebooks -- we've certainly received a lot of input from our safari agents but would really appreciate some opinions from travelers.

GovernorPhil

We recently returned from a similar trip. Kikoti Camp is extremely pleasant. You'll dine with your guide, giving you a good chance to get to know each other and how the drives should be focussed. Tarangire is a beautiful park - you may be lucky enough to spot the tree-climbing lions.

We stayed at the Serena Lodge at the Crater so I can't comment on your more upmarket accommodation. I do however think that 3 nights may be one too many, even though the game viewing can be spectacular. It is a very popular place, so you're unlikely to experience any "wilderness" feeling there.

Serengeti is wonderful. We had 4 nights at the Serena, although most people limit themselves to 2 or 3. We didn't regret the extra time there and the hotel made us a special cake on our last night. They also sang to us!!

No doubt you'll have lots more suggestions and advice. Whichever set of options you decide upon, I am sure you will be awed by the beauty of Tanzania.

Once you've finalised your itinerary, please let us all know, so that we can share our envy of you!

one2travel

In regards to your itinerary, I concur with GovernorPhil. I think you should spend 2 nights at Ngorongoro and the extra night in the Serengeti. It is magical.

Just my two cents....

sandi

... a few more pennies. Two nights is sufficient for Ngorongoro Crater. And the extra day in the Serengeti is a good idea. As far as Tarangire is concerned, while this is one of my favorite Parks, January isn't the most ideal time here. Tarangire is best between mid-June thru October when they have a mini-migration. Not knowing whether you are set in the number of days you have for your holiday, you might want to consider concluding your safari with a few days at Mnemba Island, off the coast of Zanzibar.

phil16

You might want to search this forum for "Mbuzi Mawe" as there was some feedback when I posted my itinerary for the same time of year.
I found it quite helpful and made a few changes that I'm sure have resulted in a better trip.