will we see migration with this itinerary?
 

Hi Everyone, My husband and I are planning a 2 week safari in mid July and are hoping to see the migration. Can you tell me if this itinerary will get us to the right migration places? We want mostly mobile camping and this is what Naipenda suggested:
Day 1 - Arumeru River Lodge for overnight

Day 2/3 - To Tarangire National Park - private mobile tented camping outside the boundary of the park

Day 4 - To Lake Manyara National Park for game drive, Overnight Kirurumu Permanent Tented Lodge atop the Rift Valley Escarpment Wall.

Day 5/6/7 - Private Mobile camping atop the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 8 - To Serengeti National Park via Ol'duvai Gorge , overnight Ndutu Safari Lodge

Day 9/10/11 - Private Mobile tented camping along the Grumeti River -

Day 12 - Overnight one night at Mbuzi Mawe Permanent Tented Camp

Day 13/14 - To Lobo area - overnights private mobile tented campsite in Northern Serengeti

My other option is to try one of the 'under canvas' safaris....

Hello,

We had been to Tanzania and Kenya from June 28-July 10, 2006. We landed in Kenya and left for Arusha, Tanzania right away. Around July 1, we were in Lake Manyara (didn't see too many animals there at all). Then we went to Serengeti and stayed at the Mbuzi Mawi around July 3rd. Our driver said that it was a bit out of the way from the "normal viewing" areas... but it was really worth the extra drive. Then we went to the Grumeti river area and saw a lot of migrating animals there. They were all headed to the Masai mara area. We then went back to Ngorongoro area and stayed overnight and then to Arusha to Nairobi. The next day we flew to Masai Mara where the animals were starting to come in from the Serengeti area.
So basically, around June end-july 10, the migration was crossing over from Serengeti to Masai Mara in 2006. This is just to give you an idea.
I am curious about your 3 day stay in the Ngorongoro area. What's your plan for those 3 days, if you don't mind sharing.

Oh forgot to post this: http://www.hillmanwonders.com/safari/
May be a little helpful...

Three days at Ngorongoro in tents is a long time with cold nights at 7,000'. You can only do 6/hr visits to the crater floor, so 2/nts make sense with back-to-back crater visits. An afternoon and following morning. Unless they have some hiking/trekking to Olmoti Crater, which can be done one afternoon, 3rd night not really necessary.

The stop at Ndutu for 1/nt when there isn't much happening (the herds have already moved north) doesn't make sense. It's only a 3-3.5/hr drive to Central Serengeti... no need to stop at Ndutu.

By mid-July, the herds are usually well set in the West around Grumeti and heading thru the northwest Serengeti towards to Mara. The 3/nts in this area and even Mbuzi Mawe (only 2/hrs) away are good. In/around Mbuzi Mawe in Central Serengeti there is resident game.

I wouldn't, however, head to Lobo. The area is beautiful and some resident game, but the migrating herds don't pass this way when going north. They do pass this way when returning in Oct/Nov.

Of course, for the migration specifically, all is subject to the rains and can be off by a week or so.

You might want to consider at the beginning a day at Arusha Natl Park, with walking and canoe safaris. Also, between Manyara and Ngorongoro, a visit to Lake Eyasi to visit with the Hadzabe tribes.

You gave Naipenda 14/days which they seem to be filling up, but not always at the best spots.

And, from your other post, as you're heading into Kenya, I'd suggest you take some of the Tanzania days and add them to Kenya - Amboseli, the Mara, Nakuru and/or Sweetwaters. Even a day in Nairobi.

What do you have planned for the 3 days at the crater? I have spent 3 nights there, but not camping. It was indeed very cold. One of our 3 days was hiking, are you hiking? Are you doing a couple of trips into the crater? That would be good, even if you paid a premium to do so.

I’m puzzled by Ndutu also. I’m sure it is a good price, but that’s not the time of year you want to be there. I am wondering if in your zeal to cover the Serengeti with hopes of seeing the migration, you requested to stay a in each region of the Serengeti. Then Ndutu would make sense per your wishes. It still wouldn't make sense per the migration.

That is what I thought and why I asked. This itinerary is Naipenda's recommendations, and I wanted to have the Fodorite 'experts' check it out. I can change it any way I like, and that is exactly what I am going to do!I will eliminate Ndutu, add on to Kenya, and reduce to 2 nights at the crater. Can you tell me what I should be asking for in terms of what I should be doing at the crater? (Sorry to be such a novice!)

Revised! Migration is looking better:
Day 1 - Arusha NP

Day 2/3 - To Tarangire National Park - private mobile tented camping outside the boundary of the park

Day 4 - To Lake Manyara National Park for game drive, Overnight Kirurumu Permanent Tented Lodge atop the Rift Valley Escarpment Wall.

Day 5 - Lake Eyasi/Hadzabe tribes.

Day 6/7 Private Mobile camping atop the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 8/9 - Mbuzi Mawe Permanent Tented Camp

Day 9/10/11 - Private Mobile tented camping along the Grumeti River -

Day 12/13 - Mobile camping in Northern Serengeti

Day 13/14/15 - Drive To Mara, Governor's Camp

Day 16 - Drive to Lake Nakuru, Lion Hill Lodge

Day 17, 18 - Drive to Samburu, mobile camping

Day 19/20/21- Fly to Amboseli, Tortilis Camp

Day 22 - Nairobi
How'd I do?

I see your two week safari turned into three! Good for you, it sounds like a great trip.

I think Tarangire and Manyara should be good this time of year, although I am not commenting from personal experience.

I see you've cut out Ndutu and reduced your nights at the Crater to two nights. Glad you followed those suggestions.

I think the combination of Mbuzi Mawe in the Central Serengeti and a mobile along the Grumeti in the Western Corridor is a great combination. Depending on where you will be in the Northern Serengeti, you could have an excellent itinerary for the migration. I think you probably want to be in the northwestern section of the Northern Serengeti, but others may have better/more detailed information that I do. Lastly, if for any chance those unpredictable wildies are well ahead of schedule, you have the Mara following Tanzania, so this is the correct order for this time of year.

I'm not sure how long the drive is to Lake Nukuru, then Samburu. Perhaps others can respond.

I would ask about the road transfer from the Serengeti to the Mara. Unless something has changed recently, it's not as easy as one would think when looking at a map. I could be wrong here because I did this in the other direction.

It looks like your plans are shaping up. Congratulations.

>>Day 6/7 Private Mobile camping atop the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.
Day 8/9 - Mbuzi Mawe Permanent Tented Camp
Day 9/10/11 - Private Mobile tented camping along the Grumeti River -
Day 12/13 - Mobile camping in Northern Serengeti
Day 13/14/15 - Drive To Mara, Governor's Camp
Day 16 - Drive to Lake Nakuru, Lion Hill Lodge
Day 17, 18 - Drive to Samburu, mobile camping
Day 19/20/21- Fly to Amboseli, Tortilis Camp
Day 22 - Nairobi<<

On Day 6, you arrive Ngorongoro in time for afternoon crater tour; on Day 7, you can do morning crater tour and in afternoon a crater rim walk with a naturalist, or trek to the Olmoti crater, or relax
Days 8 - 11 - OK
Days 12/13 - should be in the Northwest Serengeti or put these days towards Kenya. Reason: game may not have reached this area yet; if they have and when you're ready to depart, if you plan to head to the Masai Mara, the next day will be a very long drive to Kenya. A recent thread above, indicated their drive took about 15/hrs done in 1/day (leaving 5am, not arriving the Mara till 8:30pm). They would have been better overnighting at Speke Bay on Lake Victoria.

Before I go further, let me mention that on this latest itinerary you're including three parks that are especially known for elephants. If elephants are your favorite, I say go for it, as all three parks are different. These parks being: Tarangire, Amboseli and Samburu. All offer ellees, but also at Tarangire the baobab tree landscape and birds; Amboseli with possible views of Mt.Kili; Samburu with species not found elsewhere as reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, gerenuk antelope, Beisa Oryx, Somali ostrich.

If you plan to go to the Mara, it's recommended you fly (from North, West... wherever you conclude in Serengeti... via Arusha to Wilson/NBO and connect to a flight to Masai Mara, arriving about 4pm in time for afternoon game drive.

Or, fly to Arusha, here to meet driver/vehicle to drive to Namanga border where you meet a Kenyan guide/vehicle for drive to Amboseli, arriving late afternoon. After concluding at Amboseli, fly to Wilson, for connecting flight to the Masai Mara (for 3-4/nts). Fly to Nairobi, to meet guide/vehicle for drive to Lake Nakuaru for o/n, next day at Nakuru and o/n. To get to Samburu by road, it a long drive of about 6/hrs, so be prepared. Then, once concluding time at Samburu fly (or drive will be 6+ hrs) back to NBO.

Remember many of the distances in Kenya are long on some lousy roads, but there are scheduled flights, so you may be able to design these Kenyan days based on such scheduled flights; driving only the shortest distances.

Hope this wasn't too confusing. :)

Where do you stay on Day 5? There's a small tented camp at Lake Eyasi called Kisima Ngeda. Some of your days on the new itinerary are duplicated - Day 9 Mbuzi Mawe or Grumeti camping? Day 13 - Northern Serengeti camping or Governors?

There's no easy way to cross from the Serengeti to the Mara. You have to exit the park and cross at Isebania which takes all day. Also the drive from the Mara to Nakuru and Nakuru to Samburu will both be about 6 hours each. If you decide to keep it a driving itinerary, I'd stay 2 nights at Nakuru as the back to back long drives with a 1 nighter in between can be tiring. You can cut Amboseli down to 2 nights if necessary to achieve this.

But I like Sandi's idea of flying from the Serengeti to Arusha and driving to Amboseli as your first Kenya stop better. Then I'd fly Amboseli-Nairobi, drive Nairobi-Nakuru, drive Nakuru-Samburu, fly Samburu-Mara, and fly Mara-Nairobi.

I made a few changes...they look great! Patty, didn't quite understand your comments about Days 9 and 13....prolly cause I just don't know that area very well. As far as migration, should I put Mara on front end or rear end of Kenya?
Day 1 - Arusha NP

Day 2/3 - To Tarangire National Park - private mobile tented camping outside the boundary of the park

Day 4 - To Lake Manyara National Park for game drive, Overnight Kirurumu Permanent Tented Lodge atop the Rift Valley Escarpment Wall.

Day 5 - Lake Eyasi/Hadzabe tribes. Camp at Kisima Ngeda

Day 6/7 Private Mobile camping atop the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 8/9 - Mbuzi Mawe Permanent Tented Camp

Day 9/10/11 - Private Mobile tented camping along the Grumeti River -

Day 12/13 - Mobile camping in Northernwestern Serengeti

Day 13 – fly to Arusha, meet guide, drive to Amboseli, Tortilis Camp

Day 14/15 – Tortilis Camp

Day 15 – Fly to Mara, Governors Camp

Day 16/17 –Mara

Day 17 – Fly to NBO and drive on to Nakuru, Lion Hill Lodge

Day 18 – morning at Nakuru, drive to Samburu, private mobile camping (too ambitious?)

Day 18/19 - Samburu, private mobile camping

Day 19/20/21- Fly to Amboseli, Tortilis Camp

Day 22 - Nairobi

My question is are you staying 1 or 2 nights at Mbuzi Mawe? I think it's 1 night and then you move on to Grumeti camping for 3 nights, right?

Same with Northern Serengeti camping, it looks like that would only be 1 night since you fly to Arusha on Day 13. If so, I'd probably just drop this 1 nighter altogether.

And now you've listed Amboseli twice and it looks like only 2 nights are spent in the Mara (but I assume that will get corrected when you remove the 2nd stay at Amboseli). I think Mara at the end of Kenya would be better for migration.

How about -

Day 1 - Arusha
Day 2/3 - Tarangire/camping
Day 4 - Manyara/Kirurumu
Day 5 - Eyasi/Kisima Ngeda
Day 6/7 - Ngorongoro/camping
Day 8 - Serengeti/Mbuzi Mawe
Day 9/10/11 - Western Serengeti(Grumeti)/camping
Day 12 - Fly to Arusha, drive to Amboseli/Tortilis
Day 13 - Amboseli/Tortilis
Day 14 - Fly to Nairobi, drive to Nakuru/Lion Hill
Day 15 - Drive to Samburu/camping
Day 16/17 - Samburu/camping
Day 18 - Fly to Mara/Governors
Day 19/20/21 - Mara/Governors
Day 22 - Fly to Nairobi

Patty has it spot on.

I also noticed the two stays at Amboseli and wondered "what?" Up and back again? No!

Hysterical! I guess I REALLY must have liked Amboseli!I love Patty's itinerary and shall use it!I am so excited to have this hamnmered down, you have no idea! You two have been invaluable and I could not have done this without you. Thank you so much; I feel so much better. :)

Oh, Africatravel, didn't mean to ignore your question. I haven't researched what we are going to do at the crater yet.I start that tonight!