Michel_Paris

I just got back yesterday from a 3 week stay in Tanzania. We did a 7-day lodge safari of Tangerere, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We were three people. We picked this time of year based on our availability and not on animal movements (but it worked out very well)

We used Tropical Trails and were very satisfied. Professional staff, friendly, responsive and our guide was very knowledgeable. We did not want high end, so had triple rooms for the safari (but did a couple of upgrades). Cost workd out to ~$1500 per person

Accomodations were ideal, and the meals provided were always at least good.

They are based in Arusha. We arranged everything via email, made a 1/3 deposit (VISA, add on a 5% fee), and paid balance in traveller's cheques ($US).

At some point I will post a trip report. Still jet-lagged

KWTXUSA

I can second the recommendation from ShayTay regarding Allen Mnyenye. We were on safari with him in late February, and had a wonderful time, with the wildebeest migration just beginning in the Southern Serengeti/Ndutu area. As was mentioned above it's great to book with a local company and know the dollars stay in the region, but the offset is you usually have to deal with wire transfers directly to them (not many take credit cards). But I can vouch for Allen's integrity and guiding skills (I also used his services on another safari years ago). There are a lot of options for places to stay, where to go, how much to spend, etc. and he will work with you to give you the safari you want. Again, his web site is:

www.allentanzaniasafaris.com.

sangeeta

I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth about TWS. While it's true that the commissions paid to the company probably stay in the US, Johan, it is also true that Bill is involved in a couple of predator research projects that I believe he self-funds to an extent. A better use of my safari $$ I cannot think of...

Tanya, I too am booked with Deo this July through TWS, and am as excited about the trip as you seem to be

TC

If you want to see Tanzania without hordes of other people, excellent accommodations and value pricing, consider Southern Tanzania. You can read my trip report on Selous and Ruaha for details, but it was one of the very best trips we've done anywhere. I know everyone wants to see the crater, but it is my personal opinion that it's just not "all that" and the number of vehicles is really too much.

tanya_1976

Sangeeta, I would love to hear more about your Serengeti mobile trip in July and also any research/decisions you come up on your Botswana mobile for 2012.

sangeeta

Tanya - we are spending 12 nights in the Serengeti altogether - July 9-22. Starting with 3 nights at the Moru Kopjes special campsite, then 3 nights at the Grumeti River special campsite, followed by 3 nights each at the Wogakuria and Bologonja special campsites. It was quite hard putting together a mobile when my requirements were so specific & budget relatively limited, but Bill was terrific, bless him, & in fact, went so far as to specifically create his all new Safaribeest Mobile so we could have exactly what we wanted. Deo was the very big icing on the cake.

More on this when I get back, but your own itinerary sounds wonderful too - remember reading it with a great deal of envy

About Bots - it's a pity we can't PM each other here on F. Are you a member of ST? We could chat there. I'm planning 2 trips for 2012 - one to Zim (high season, with a fellow STer) and one to Botswana (green season & solo so far). No decisions yet, but hope to get things sorted out after TZ.

tanya_1976

I'll PM u on ST after you are back, am looking at the green season again too for 2012 and would love to discuss with you!

Brayan

I & my familly We would like to say many thanks to Wildness safari (T) ltd team,for the wonderfully trip you made for us,we enjoyed our holiday for all 9days to selous,ruaha and udzungwa mountain,my daughter christina still remembering udzungwa waterfalls,we had nothing to recommend much but we promise to come back with our friend on february 2013.We will recomend to our friend to go safari with you.
Thanks again wildness safari(T) ltd.
(Baba)Brayan.

StanKase

Thanks to all for your information. It will be helpful in my planning but I must admit it also is so much I have a lot of sorting to do. I know for sure we will go the second or third week of Feb.2012. What I am sure we want Serena Lodges and mobile camps and maybe slightly above accommodations. Since it is just my wife and I should we spend 7, 8 or 9 FULL DAYS on safari. I do tend to get bored with more of the same and without a small group to socialize the drives to observe the animal life have to be intense. I also know that $450/person/day is likely the minimum I will pay.

2doglove

Stan,
Whatever you decide, I would encourage you to act as quickly as possible because lodging in the Ndutu area in the 2nd or 3rd week of February fills up quickly.

sandi

Yup, as 2doglove... if Ndutu for mid-Feb, better lock in your space as soon as.

kimburu

@StanKase... Note Serena are "owned/controlled" (it's a listed company though) by the Aga Khan rather than being local, if you do want to take that into consideration.

If you go for camps/ mobile camps you would need to share the vehicle so you wouldm't need to worry about socializing - although I expect the wildlife and guide will make that a non-issue between them.

Ask anyone around here and they'll point you to the higher figure of 9 - me too - doesn't make us right but having gone all that way....

StanKase

Kimkuru; I though the same thing. When we go to Asia and shoot almost 24 hours each way in travel to say nothing of the jet lag so we go for 18-24 days based on itinerary.
We may even go to Premba Island near Zanzibar for diving after the safari for 5 days.
This may be a foolish question but when we bed down at 9-10 PM what is the temperature like assuming we go in mid to late Feb. I am spoiled having been raised on A/C since a teen though now in my 60's. But in the daytime I have endured Thailand on 3 visits because we were was focused on an activity.

DonTopaz

Although I would probably be in the "9 is better than 7" camp, I will add a "maybe" to the answer. (I'd also state up-front that I enjoy safaris more than any other type of vacation, and I'm in the same mid-60s geriatric category as several others here.)

One thing to consider is the typical schedule of a day at a safari camp. You'll be wakened very early (around 6), and you'll begin a game drive before sunrise so that you might have the opportunity for photographs during those precious minutes when the sun is at an ideal angle for photography ("golden light"). In the evening, dinner is likely to begin around 8 or 8:30, and you usually won't get back to your tent/accommodation until fairly late. I find that after 3 or 4 days of this routine I start to need a fuller night's sleep (even if I take a midday nap), and I'd wind up skipping a morning game drive. That's by no means an awful thing -- many camps are absolutely delightful, and it can be enjoyable to have the whole place more or less to yourself -- but it can also be kinda expensive to pay for game drives that you don't take.

So recently I've begun to break up my safari itineraries where I'll spend 3 or 4 days in camps, followed by a day or two at less expensive venues. (This is much easier in some places than in others -- it's very easy in So Africa where you can hire your own car to go from place to place, but more challenging in Botswana, for example. I don't have experience w/Tanzania.)

StanKase

rizzuto; How are you able to take a mid-day nap with temperatures around 86-88 and the humidity at 90%. I was just so pleased to learn that by 9 PM the temperatures in Feb. drop to 65F so sleeping without A/C should not be an issue for someone raised on that environmentally unfriendly system.

DonTopaz

StanKase,

In all of the safari camps where I've been, the tents (or other accommodations) have always been in shaded areas, with screened openings on at least 3 sides. Some also had ceiling fans, but I've never found them to be absolutely necessary. I don't do well in high heat, and I don't ever recall being unable to get comfortable for an afternoon nap.

That said, I did in one case find that staying out too long on a game drive on a hot day was a problem. This was in Botswana, where the vehicles are typically more open (and thus less protected from the sun) than in Tanzania.

ShayTay

Stan, while the temps in February will most likely be high, it's not humid in the safari areas, certainly not in the 90% range. You can get an occasional thunderstorm that cools things off, even during this "dry window" in February. In Zanzibar, however, expect high humidity and temps, although if you're at the beach, there's a nice seabreeze. You might want to book a lodge with A/C there.

Artsfan2

Stan, We had a private safari of the Northern Circuit in February and, while we loved it, by the end of the 7th day we were safari'd out and ready for a different type of activity. This might be because we're used to being more active. We found the heat was mostly comfortable on safari but that Zanzibar was very hot and humid. We were in the water several times a day at the beach and in our pool in Stonetown.

KTtravel

Why resurrect a 4 year old posting? I would imagine the OP has already had his trip.