Tanzania safari 2012
 

We are planning a trip for next july/aug. Can anyone help with my itinerary, good, bad, fair ? We have travelled a lot in SA, Bots, Zambia and Zimbabwe but only been to Kenya in the East. We will be flying in from Johannesburg to Tanzania. I believe we will have to go into Kilimanjaro and then transfer to Arusha.
1 night Onsea house , Arusha. Drive to
2 nights Serena Ngorongora, Fly 2
3 nights Lamala or Sayari camp. Fly to Kativa
3 nights Chada or Katuma. Fly to Arusha
1 night Arusha coffee shop. Fly to Kigali
1 night Kigali Serena.Drive to
2 night Gorillas Nest
Does anyone know if we can fly direct back to Johannesburg from Kigali
Price given US 10 to 11.500 depending on which camps we go with, includes 1 gorilla pass.
We like rustic bush camps, remote areas.
Any thoughts, ideas gratefully recieved.
Best wishes
Polly

Why are you flying into Jo'burg? That's certainly out of the way and seems to add a lot of extra expense. Are you using Frequent Flier miles? If so, what airline? There may be better options.

If wishing time at Lemala or Sayari Camps, in the Northern Serengeti, suggest you concentrate of mid- to late-August. July would be too early in this area.

Long flight from No. Serengeti to Katavi, but nice choice.

Returning from here to Arusha for stay at Arusha Coffee Lodge, good choice, then to Kigali.

You're covering all bases, but as ShayTay, why are you flying from JNB? Is that where you live?

From JNB there are flights that go into Dar-es-Salaam/DAR in southern Tanzania, closer to Katavi. If arriving DAR, then a connecting flight to Arusha/ARK (the domestic airport) or into Kilimanjaro/JRO (the international airport). Or from JNB into Nairobi/NBO, Kenya from where you can take a 1/hr flight to Kilimanjaro/JRO Tanzania... from here a 1/hr road transfer to Arusha. None of the international flights from JNB fly into JRO.

We are using Quantas air miles but we also thought we would spend a week around the Kruger area and visit friends. Our other route seems to Emirates to Dubai then Nairobi or Air Mauritius to Nairobi. Have not looked at flights as yet.
Mid August sounds like the right time.

Go to oneworld.com for your FF options/possible routes with Qantas miles.

JNB makes sense, now that I see you're probably coming from Australia or NZ. Mid-August should be great for Katavi. I was there in September and heard from the camp managers that August was their favorite time. Sandi has given you your OneWorld flight options for East Africa.