BYoung4u2

Hi all..started plans for this trip some time ago but then had to postpone as it appeared that we would not be able to do it this year....fortunately all issues have been resolved and now I feel totally behind the power curve. Have read alot of your postings and ideas originally provided to me and am hoping to put together a 3 week (less flight times)trip to include 4/5 days in Rwanda. We want to do a small (10-15) group trip and hope to use FFM to travel between the US West Coast and Africa. We have budgeted between $7-8,000/person for the trip and hope to travel late August to mid Sept.07. I have sifted through any number of itineraries and have come up with the following companies that seem to offer what we want:
MICATO (Stanley Wing)-16 days
African Adv. co.-17 days
Travel Wizard (2007 K/Tz)-17 days
African Safari Co.-15 days
Inter.Exped.-17 days
United Travel Gp.-16 days

For the Rwanda portion of the trip we are looking at:
Magic Safaris (4days)
World Primates (5days)
Volcano Safaris (4days)
R&N Explorer (4/5days)
Deeper Africa (4days)
Travel Lust (4days)
I apologize for the length of this posting but would appreciate any comments good or bad concerning any of these operators and/or any other suggestions you might have in getting this trip put together. Thanks so much, Bob

waynehazle

Well I am the unofficial supporter of R&N Travel. I used them in 2005 and was quite happy.

Feel free to contact me off list. Glad you are going to Rwanda.

atravelynn

Not familiar with
AfricaN Adv Co. (But Africa Adv Co is a well known/reliable)
Not familiar with Travel Wizard, African Safari Co, or United Travel Group.

Micato & Int Exped are well known/reliable.

If you wanted to post any the itineraries or provide a link to the itineraries, then you could get comments on the specifics of the trip and not just the company.

For Rwanda
Magic has received one negative pre-trip comment and was not chosen and I cannot recall any trip reports with Magic.

Not familiar with World Primates or Travel Lust.

Volcano has a good rep with Fodorites.

R&N Explorer-There was somebody besides Wayne that was happy with them.

Deeper Africa-Off this board I got one mixed report by someone who used them, but they were not doing gorillas.

Great Lakes has also been used with success by Fodorites for gorillas.

Good luck.

Toshi

We just got back from a trip and the Rwanda portion was booked with R&N. Everything went exactly as planned and we had a great driver, Vicky.

I've just started by trip report, but you can see it here:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34924325

BYoung4u2

Thanks to Toshi, Atravelyn and Wayne for your comments. I am working with Andre, Africa Adventure Co, and they have proposed a 21 day itinerary that we like very much which includes both a flying portion in Kenya and ground portion in Tanzania. As follows:
Day 1-2 Travel to Nairobi( Norfolk Hotel)
3-4 Fly to Samburu (Samburu tented Camp)
5-6 Fly to Rift Valley (Rift Valley Lodge)
7-8 Fly to Masai Mara (Mara Intrepids)
9 Afternoon flight to Kilimanjaro (Mountain Lodge)
10-12 Fly to Serengeti (Serena L.)
13-14 Travel to Ngorongoro (Serena L.)
15 To Lake Manyara (Serena L.)
16-17 Tarangire (Kikoti Tented Camp)
18-19 Amboseli(Tortilis Camp)
20-21 fly to Nairobi/Rtn US
Trip will include numerous cultural exchanges, safari walks and some night drives. Cost is $8,350.00 We are also working with R/N Exp., Volcano, Safari Express and Magic Safaris for the Gorilla Trekking/Golden Monkey portion of the trip and would appreciate any comments concerning the value of up grading to Virunga Lodge vs Mnt.Gorilla/ Novotel vs Milles Collines in Kigali. I have also read many good comments about Francois as a trekking guide and one certainly worth trying to get...Hope this posting hasn't been too long but wanted to get in as much as possible. Thanks in advance for any comments/recommendations. Bob

sandi

For late Aug/Sep you should be spending more time in the Masai Mara. Even with flights in/out, you only have 1-1/2 days for this reserve which ordinarily deserves 3/days... during Migration a minimum or 3, 4 if you have the time. You can actually forego the Serengeti and Lake Manyara to find the days. Now for a small group, finding enough rooms should be interesting!

atravelynn

Sandi's comments on extending Mara time at the expense of Serengeti and maybe Manyara were my exact thoughts. I'd do 4 nights in the Maasai Mara at this time of year--last Aug to mid-Sept.

I am assuming this is a private trip. To examine costs, you could try to match these accommodations with what e-gnu.com states. Their rates tend to be high and they do not show all properties, nor do they include transport, but it is a start.

You can also see what this itinerary, with the suggested changes, costs from other operators.

Combining this and gorillas is a marvelous East Africa safari.