Fabio

First timers to Tanzania and East Africa, I have read some positive reports on Base Camp Tanzania, suitable for our budget. We do not need luxury. Planning the trip for this end of august/early september, their 8-9 days itinerary on the northern circuit sounds as follows:

day 1 flight arrival to Arusha and overnight
day 2 Tarangire
day 3 AM Tarangire, PM Lake Manyara
day 4 Serengeti
day 5 Serengeti
day 6 AM Serengeti, PM Ngorongoro via Oldupai Gorge
day 7 Ngorongoro
day 8 enroute to Arusha with some stops
day 9 transfer to Kili airport

they do this itinerary either as lodge based or camping based.

Do you think there is enough time for each spot ? If you had 2-3 more days what would you add ? other spots or staying longer in one of the mentioned location ? Maybe half a bit longer time in Lake Manyara ? We both like wildlife viewing but also scenery.

I am not considering any part of Kenya or climb the Kili on this trip.
Any other suggested budget operator ?

Thank you !!!
fabio

atravelynn

Where will you be in the Serengeti? The northern part is best that time of year.

If you have 2-3 more days, you could

* check out Kambi Y Tembo
http://www.safaris.com/camps.asp-SUB...AMPNO-TANSINYA

Never been, but I'm very interested.

* stop for 2 nts in Lake Eyasi and visit the Hadzabe Bushmen and maybe go on a hunt with them.

* stay a little longer in the Serengeti to have time in the Seronera area (with resident game due to permanent water) as well as time further north.

I would not spend more time in Manyara that time of year. I would consider staying in Tarangire the whole time and omitting Lake Manyara. But a visit there for variety and scenery (even though better wildlife in Tarangire that time of year) is ok.

Good luck in your planning.

Fabio

Hi Lynn !!

nice to hear from you here !! thank you ! Your suggestions are great as usual !

By the way I could now add up to 5 days for a total of 13/14 days. I know that migration is in the Kenya Masai Mara at that time but I am concerned now to fix anything in that country due to the current situation so I am trying to get the best out of Tanzania. I know that Kenya situation could be improved or completely solved by this august, but who knows now ?
Base Camp Tanzania seems to have great rates. On top they are all private safaris !! No groups but just me, my 13 yrs old son and the guide/driver.

Tarangire/Lake Manyara
I would leave them as they are, keeping the lake trying to see at least some pink flamingos that we missed last year in Walvis Bay, Namibia (only a few in the long distance)

Ngorongoro Crater
I would add 1 full day, so 3 nights 2 full days in total

Serengeti
Planned overnight is actually 2 nights at Seronera camp site, or Seronera or Lobo Wildlife Lodge.
I would add 4 full days in the north-northwest area in the hope that maybe part of the migration to Masai Mara is later than usual this year !

Do I miss something in this way ?
We are not going to climb Mt Kili or hiking and not much interested in Zanzibar.
I will check now your link to safaris.com as well !

sandi

The crater is very expensive; $200 each time the vehicle goes down to the crater floor, plus your daily fee. Besides, you're only permitted half-day visits. 2/nts max would be my suggestion, visiting the crater floor first afternoon on arrival and then next morning. On afternoon of 2nd day you can do a Crater Rim walk with a naturalist who explains all the plantlife and their uses. If you want more adventure, maybe a trek to Olmoti crater. Ask about these.

For August, in the northern Serengeti, the area in the west where the Mara River enters the Serengeti, you're likely to see a river crossing of those wildebeests who don't make it into the Masai Mara. The area in the northwest near Lobo is beautiful, but not quite as good for game vs the western area. See what Basecamp can offer for camping here.

hguy47

Fabio,
As you said, as usual Lynn has some good ideas. We went to Kambi Ya Tembo in late February and game was not as abundant as in other places (most of the elephants had already headed towards Amboseli), but it was nice to be close to Kili and the Maasai interaction was genuine. Game viewing should be better there in September. After some of the other areas, Sinya might be a little anti-climatic. It is east of Arusha, whereas everywhere else is west. We went there first for 2 nights (along with a good day in Arusha National Park).

We did not do Lake Eyasi and the Hadzabe Bushmen, but would have liked to.

I think 2 nights at Ngorongoro are plenty, a third could be spent better elsewhere. I would keep one day at Lake Manyara, we enjoyed it (again, in February), and you can do a night game drive there (extra cost).

Fabio

thanks sandi

have just written back to Achmed for all these options. The period would probably be 27aug-9sep and looks very good for the northwest corner of the northern Serengeti !

Fabio

hguy47

thank you, too !

I am at the very beginning of planning this trip so I will put everything together before coming to a final plan. thanks a lot !

Fabio

Just received a reply from BCT regarding the camping safari, summarized as follows:

DAY 1 Arrival to Arusha and transfer to a lodge.
DAY 2 Tarangire
DAY 3 AM Tarangire, PM enroute to Lake Manyara
DAY 4 Serengeti, camping near Seronera River inside the park
DAY 5-6-7-8-9 Serengeti, camp at Seronera campsite
DAY 10 AM Serengeti, PM enroute to Ngorongoro via Oldupai Gorge, camp on the rim of the crater at 2300m
DAY 11-12 Ngorongoro, 6 hrs max gamedriving each day, Karatu campsite, just outside the conservation area
DAY 13 drive to Hadzapi Bushmen/Lake Eyasi, Karatu campsite
DAY 14 enroute to Arusha with some stops, overnight in lodge
DAY 15 early transfer to Kili airport

Now the next issue is the Serengeti overnight. I have requested a focus on predator cheetah gameviewing and Achmed tells that the best area is from Central Serengeti to Western Corridor. As we have now also to combine with the north/northwest part around the Mara River, as you also mentioned, he suggests to base our stay in Seronera campsite and doing day trips to north to where the mirgration or to west with packed lunches. Do you think it is a good compromise or better to split some nights in Seronera and some nights in some northern campsites ?

Fabio

Achmed was again very fast to reply today, on sunday !!

He says there are many campsite at Seronera area and only one in the north, in Lobo, so we can be flexible and act according to migration.

sandi

If staying the entire time in Seronera, the drives to the Northwest (where Mara River and wildies found) will be about 4-4.5/hrs each way; to Northeast (Lobo) will be about 3-3.5/hrs each way.

Driving in the Serengeti you have to keep to the roads, so no shortcuts.

I'd still try to get a few days in the north, so you don't have to drive back-n-forth daily.

Fabio

so it would be better 3 nights in Seronera area for the central/western day trips and 3 nights in Lobo area for the northwest day trips ??!!

atravelynn

I like your latest plan, Fabio of 3 and 3.

Hguy47, when do you think Kambi Ya Tembo is at its best?

Fabio

or, if that is the case according to the current position of the migration, 3 nights in Seronera area and 3 nights in the Masai Mara ! I think that camping safari vs. lodge safari could allow this kind of flexibily and what I should do is just adding a Kenya visa and a double entry visa for Tanzania or a surface transfer from Masai Mara to Nairobi, flying back home from there, provided that we leave the Masai Mara at the very end of the whole revised itinerary !!

atravelynn

Can you get from Seronera to the Mara in one day? Or were you planning on an overnight in Nairobi as part of the transit between the two locations?

With your son going, I can understand your caution to avoid Kenya. But Seronera & Mara looks like the best combo yet from strictly a wildlife perspective.

One more tidbit for thought: I talked with a woman who did a mobile in Sept in the Serengeti and they spent the whole day with a lion pride. They would have seen a kill too if they hadn't decided to depart for a quick pit stop.

sandi

You can get from Seronera to the Mara in one by AIR, not by road. Road is long, about 10/hrs. You'd fly from Seronera to Arusha, connect to flight to Wilson (domestic) airport in NBO, connect to 3pm flight to Mara. Or you can overnight in NBO and leave by road (5-6/hrs) next morning to the Mara.

You'd need a Visa for Tanzania and one for Kenya, both of which can be purchased in-country on arrival. KLM flies direct to JRO (via Amsterdam); can return home from NBO, also on KLM via AMS.

Leely

Hi Fabio, I confess I didn't read all the posts carefully, but I will join in what is probably a chorus of people saying, YES, split your nights in the Serengeti, 3 central and 3 north or 3 Mara if it's viable for you.

Have fun planning. A beautiful area. Our first safari we had a cheetah on the hood of the Rover, so I hope you get the same.

Fabio

thanks Lynn and sandi

wow !! It looks a bit complicated all these transfers to reach the Masai Mara area from Seronera by flying, taking probably more than the 10 hours drive in total! I could probably consider to break the drive with an overnight in Lobo inbetween. I know the combo Masai Mara/Serengeti is the best option !

Leely were you on that Rover with the cheetah on the hood which is on Youtube ?? Anyway, how lucky you were !! Thanks for your input.

Patty

I think that you actually have to exit the Serengeti through one of the western gates for the drive to the Sirari/Isebania border crossing (which is outside of and to the west of both the Serengeti and the Mara), so Lobo wouldn't really be in between or on the way. You may want to consider overnighting in Western Serengeti or Speke Bay along Lake Victoria. Also most tour operator vehicles do not cross over, so they need to arrange to have a Kenyan vehicle and guide meet you on the other side of the border. I would ask Basecamp if that's what they would normally do.