TerryThor

I have a good amount of time, almost a month. Instead of getting a tour operator right away, this is what I've decided so far. I will fly into Nairobi. Spend the first two nights at the Fairmont Norfolk. I have a long trip so I want to relax and get over jet lag. But I wonder if there is something I should do on the next day in Nairobi. I want to book a car to the hotel from the airport. Is this safe? The hotel charges $160 which seems insane for a 25 min. drive. I thought I could get a car back to the airport and then fly to Masai Mara, again staying at the Fairmont tents on the river. I get full food and board along with two game drives and it seemed a great deal compared to tour operators. Is it reasonable to do this on my own so far? I will stay at Masai for four nights.
Then I have 16 more days for Kenya and Tanzania. At this point I'd like to pick up a tour. But most will have already gone to Masai Mara or have it as part of their tour. I can book a private safari but that doesn't seem like much fun by myself. I don't mind paying for a single supplement but most jeeps hve 4-6 people and it may be hard to find a tour that allows singles.
How much time do people like to spend on game drives each day? I am an avid animal watcher and could observe for hours. I also heard of the "Bird Watcher's Paradise with a suggestion to stay at Flamingo Hill Camp. I think the first leg of the trip will save me a lot of money compared to days of an organized tour. But for the rest of the trip to avoid hassles I would be willing to hook up with a tour. What I want most is to be on safari, scenic sites too. I like a bit of luxury but like rustic too if its the right place.
Ideas?

amyb

Don't contact a tour operator, contact a safari planner. They will book all of your independent accommodations and transfers, likely at an even better price than you are seeing. They know the logistics (schedules of flights to the bush) and may have better deals and accommodations for you than the Fairmont. Two game rides a day and all meals are standard, btw. I've done two safaris in Kenya as a single and sometimes had the vehicle to myself and sometimes have joined 2 or 3 other travelers. That is very common and you meet a lot of interesting people that way. It's VERY common to see single travelers on safari, believe me.

Try Access2Tanzania, Gamewatchers Safaris for TZ and Kenya. They will customize your trip, including your time in Nairobi. All you will have to do is get to Nairobi, they take it from there.

How long you stay out on game drives is up to you if you go independently. Sometimes I go out before dawn and come back for dinner, taking breakfast and lunch with me. Sometimes I go out until lunch, take a siesta midday and go out again until dinner. If you go with a tour, you're at their whim and also can't stay on sightings that interest you if the rest of the group moves on. I highly, highly recommend going independently on safari. I couldn't imagine doing it with a group and trying to satisfy everyone's interests successfully. Try to maximize how long you're in each camp. Packing up and moving on eats up the better part of the day (at least one if not two game drives). I don't stay anywhere less than 3 nights.

ekscrunchy

I agree 100% with AmyB.

Have a safari planner draw up a trip for you; stay away from those group tours.

KathBC

I'm in my 60s and always safari solo and never with a tour group so don't worry about being on your own.

It is a luxury to have a vehicle all to yourself and I've found it happens quite a bit without requesting and paying extra for one.

You can also research camps that have communal dining so you're not sitting at a table by yourself.

Also agree that a tour operator is who you should be contacting to put together an itinerary that suits your budget and wishes.

Contact Kennedy Muthoka at [email protected] and ask him to give you a quote on what you're looking for. Several on here besides myself have used him and he's very reliable. He's just flying back to Kenya from Canada today so give him a few days to respond and tell him KathBC sent ya.

Don't overlook including Samburu in your itinerary, it's a beautiful area and you'll see species of wildlife found nowhere else such as reticulated giraffe, grevy zebra & gerenuk.

Have fun planning!

KathBC

Sorry I meant to say that a "safari planner" is who you should be contacting.

TerryThor

Thank you. I guess I kind of figured out to go in that direction. Will have my own guide and 4x4. The idea about communal dining is great. By safari planner do you mean different than a company like Kensington that does all the arrangements? Because what they've shown me so far is really expensive. I like a bit of luxury (cool lodges and tents) Would a safari planner be different than that? What is a reasonable daily budget to consider, moderate to high end rather than cheap, to spend on a great private trip in this area?
I'll try the Muthoka guy you mention. But can these guys go to both Kenya and Tanznia?

KathBC

It does get a bit confusing regarding tour operator and safari planner. I think we were mainly trying to steer you away from a group tour and companies that focus mainly on groups where you tend to spend more time travelling between places rather than on a game drive.

A safari planner or tour operator can make all arrangements for you such as flights and transfers.

Is the Kensington you're referring to out of the UK? There are some companies such as Micato that focus on high end safaris. Having said that safaris in general can be pricey.

Accommodation on my first safari was a mix of tented camps and lodges to keep the price down as tented camps cost more than lodges. A lot of camps offer deals like stay 3 nights and only pay for 2. Try staying a minimum of 2 nights if not more at each camp as packing and moving every day can be a pain especially if using a duffel bag.

What time of year were you thinking of going? I usually travel the shoulder season in May or June when there are fewer people and prices are a bit lower.

Check out the Africa Travel Resource website and have a look at various accommodations in the areas you're looking at. You'll get an idea of pricing on the site as well.

For my first safari to Kenya & Tanzania I flew into several camps in Kenya and then had a driver and vehicle for 6 days on the northern circuit of Tanzania and capped it off with a week in Zanzibar.

Must dos in Nairobi - Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, check their website for background, you can even foster an ele and come back later in the afternoon & help put your orphan to bed.
Giraffe Centre cause there's nothing like kissing a giraffe!

susiesan

Be very careful when booking a safari through an agent to be sure you are not using someone involved in game hunting. There is an excellent thread on TA posting out the TO's and camps that are connected with game hunting. ATR is on the list of someone who subcontracts to companies on the list. be sure to read through the whole thread as some upf=dates have been added since it was started.

amyb

No worries, susiesan, game hunting is illegal in Kenya where terry is going.

ekscrunchy

Susie, please provide the TA link to what you are discussing. thanks!

CaliNurse

Crunchy, I'm taking the liberty of answering, even though I'm not Susie. I checked this out immediately after seeing her post. Lots ofdiscussion in this thread, including from the owner of ATR.

http://tinyurl.com/y9e848pr

TerryThor

Amyb, I just put another post up asking if more than 10-12 days is too long to be on safari. I hadn't even thought of that until a safari operator mentioned it. But it seems like my plan is like what you described above. Taking 3-4 nights in one place and not rush around. I will be in Kenya and Tanzania for a full three weeks.What do you think?

TerryThor

Kath BC, Gamewatchers told me that we can go to a place that has similar animals as Sambaru but not as far. Does this make sense? I'll have to ask the safari operator which part it is.

amyb

Terry, I'd be curious to hear what they offer that's just like Samburu.

Also, I replied to the other thread but I think 10-12 days is about right if you're doing more than one camp or region. You'll see why I think that in the other post.

KathBC

I'm wondering if Gamewatchers is referring to Laikipia cause don't they have a camp there?

CaliNurse

Curious too about the place with animals similar to Samburu's butnot as far. Maybe Meru? there is an inexpensive but well-reviewed camp nearby called Ikweta (Equator in Swahili). Still---nowhere is quite like Samburu. . Note: there is a difference between "similar " and "just like."

lorilouise

I agree with the folks recommending that you contact a safari planner -- I highly recommend Adele Roux at Eyes on Africa, she did a great job planning for us. We stayed at Little Governor's Camp in Masai Mara and thought it was paradise. We loved the Norfolk in Nairobi, wish we had more time there. We did take the hotel car service, but we split it. Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage is a must-see in Nairobi, and they are only open to the public for 1 hour every week; I highly recommend Nairobi National Park if you want to see both black and white rhinos. Also went to Nairobi Central Market and Nairobi National Museum and AFEW Giraffe Center.

amyb

Correction lorilouise, Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage is open for public visitation at 11 a.m. every day, to people who have fostered elephants at 5 p.m. every day.

TerryThor

Thanks Lori. I have already shopped about four safari planners and think at this point will stick with Gamewatchers. However, I wasn't sure about Nairobi park so thank you.