snowy

Hi,
I have a few questions I hope you can help with:

Can anyone recommend accommadation in Nungwi, Zanzibar that has air con (that works all night)decent ensuite shower that isnt one of the more expensive ones -(RAs nungwi etc.)

Can anyone also tell me which internal airlines do arusha to seronera flights and lake manyara to zanzibar? Quotes would be useful.

Has anyone ever gone throught Avocet Tanzania Safairis. I have booked a car with driver from them.

One more question. CAn anyone recommend a decent hotel as near as possible to DAr es Salaam airport?

Any other tips or advie you want to share would be gratefully apreciated.

Thanks

Queenie

Hi Snowy,

In Nungwi, try this link:
http://www.encounterzanzibar.com/north.htm

Looks like there are some air conditioned lodging on the North Coast in the $30 range.

Internal airline between Arusha and Zanz would be Precision Air.
www.precisionairtz.com
You can get price quotes and book flights on line.

Air Tanzania also flies these routes, but it looks like their website is presently under construction. You may be able to email for a quote.
www.airtanzania.com

Of the two, I think Precision is better.

I have not used Avocet, but have heard of them. I would post that question on the Lonely Planet - Thorn Tree website.

For a hotel in Dar, there is no hotel near the airport - you will need to take a cab. But the closest and least expensive (above the hostel range that is) is the Peacock.
www.peacock-hotel.co.tz

It is about $70 for a single.

sandi

snowy - haven't heard of Avocet, but if you have arranged a driver thru them, have them book your air as well and they can also do the hotels in Zanzibar and Dar. That way, they can also arrange your transfers between airports and hotels. It may cost a few extra dollars (not much), but you won't have to muddle thru transfers on your own.

Precision air (a division of KenyaAir) does the run between Kili/Arushu to Lake Manyara, Seronera, Serengeti. You will find the daily schedule and fares on their site. Your flight to Zanzibar will have to depart from Kili (not Lake Manyara).

The site Queenie listed for accommodations in Zanzibar is excellent and you should be able to find something with a/c in your price range.

Since you don't list your itinerary, it's kind of difficult to provide tips or advise - it is apparent that you are planning on doing some touring in the Northern Circuit, (gather this is where you are using the driver); if you'd like feedback on your accommodatons, we can provide. Then I gather you are heading to Zanzibar, but where does the Dar come in? Is this where you're arriving, departing, visiting the off-shore islands? And how are you traveling between Zanzibar and Dar? Also important - what time of year will you be traveling.

Queenie

Just want to clarify one thing.
Arusha and Kili (JRO) are 2 different airports about 1 hours drive apart.

The Zanzibar flight is out of Arusha, not Kili. Arusha is a small airstrip about 5 minutes from the center of Arusha town. Precision does not fly Kili-Zanz.

Also, sounds like you are going Zanz-Dar before flying home from Dar.

I would recommend flying from Zanz to Dar over taking the ferry. The ferry takes much longer, and is not much cheaper ($20?).

If you do take the ferry, spend the extra $5 for first class. It is air conditioned.

The only thing the ferry has going for it is that it drops you off right in Dar. From the port you could walk to the New Africa hotel and overnight there. There is a good Thai restaurant on the roof, and nice view of the city.

snowy

Thanx for your advice Queenie and Sandi but I actually checked precision air's web site for those flights and it kept telling me it was unavailable. I tried emailing a couple of times but no response yet. But aslong as I know they definately do them.
Thanks for your Peacock suggestion I shall check that out.
I have checked out loads of web sites for nunwi accomadation but I wandered if any one could recommend from experience or word of mouth.



Hers my itinary for Mid December 2004
Fly into Kili
stay overnight at
Fly to seronera in the morning
day at serengeti staying at Ikoma
Day at serengeti styaing at ndutu
day in ngorongoro crater staying at Plantation lodge.
Morning at lake manyara
Afternoon flight to Zanzibar.
2 days in Sone town At Chavda/ Dhow palace (not yet booked)
8 days at nungwi
transfer to Dar for flight home.


Any tips advice on this itinary would be gratefully recieved.

sandi

snowy -

The site info I have for air transfers over the Northern Route is via Regional Air a division of AirKenya (my error in former post). Check this site for schedules:

www.airkenya.com/docs/regairsched.htm

and fares at:

www.airkenya/com/docs/regairfares.htm

Flight leaves daily from Arusha at 8:45am, stopping at Lk. Manyara, then onto Seronera arriving 9:20am; fare is $145 plus taxes (about $6, and $2 War Risk surcharge).

Since your last stop will be Ngorongoro, you have to use the Lk.Manyara airport to return to Arusha/Kili for flight to Zanzibar. However, depending on when your flight to Zanzibar departs, you can actually, by leaving early, drive to Kili. But if you choose to fly, the schedule is:

Leaves Lk.Mayara 12N, arriving Arusha 12:20pm, but you have to go onto Kili for Zanz flight, so you'll arrive 12.45pm - fare is USD$85 plus taxes (about $6 and $2 War Risk surcharge)

Use the www.encounterzanzibar.com site for hotels at Nungwi, there is a selection from which to choose, but know that since you will be there over the Christmas holiday, many facilities are likely to apply a holiday surcharge.

I gather the transfer from Zanzibar to Dar has been arranged; what type of plane and are there any weight limits for luggage? I believe there is a Holiday Inn here, which might be close to the airport.

As to tips - there is a luggage weight limit on the flights of Regional Air - 15Kgs. (about 33lbs.) If you have separate clothing for your time in Zanzibar (in excess of the 33lbs), suggest you pack two (2) duffle bags - one for safari, the other for Zanzibar - and if no limit on flight from Zanzibar to Dar, see if you can arrange with Avocet to hold the Zanzibar bag and meet you at the airport when departing and you can take both duffles to Dar and then home. If there is a weight limit, then 33lbs is it for the entire trip.

Weather should be warm to hot in Northern Tanzania, but mornings and evenings can be chilly, so have a jacket, sweather or shawl. The coastal area will be lovely.

Hope this helps and have a wonderful holiday. Do try to post a trip report upon your return.

Queenie

You probably can't get on line reservations with Precision Air more than 3 months out of departure date. Wait a while, or better still, just have Avocet do the reserving for you.

Regarding Zanzibar, I did stay at the Dhow Palace in November. It was fine. Clean and inexpensive; you can walk to everything. Best still is that it is air conditioned.
I made my reservations through their internet site, but just a word of warning, when I got there they had no record of it. When I produced a copy of the email, they did find me a nice room.

Zanzibar will be very hot in December. Do your touring early. Between 11 am and about 4 pm you probably will not be able to move - there is no breeze in Stone Town.

Be sure to go down to Foodhani Gardens for dinner. That is the main park by Reds restaurant.

My favorite activities there were the fish market, and seeing the slave market. East Africa dealt with many more slaves to Asia/ mid East than the West African Euro/American slave trade, and the slave trade lasted well over 1000 years.

Don't pay more than $10 from Zanz airport to Stone Town. And be prepared to show your passport at the airport. Even though it is part of TZ, I have had my passport stamped.

sandi

snowy -

If you are in fact leaving from Arusha to Zanzibar, then my post

Since your last stop will be Ngorongoro, you have to use the Lk.Manyara airport to return to Arusha/Kili for flight to Zanzibar. However, depending on when your flight to Zanzibar departs, you can actually, by leaving early, drive to Kili. But if you choose to fly, the schedule is:

>>Leaves Lk.Mayara 12N, arriving Arusha 12:20pm, but you have to go onto Kili for Zanz flight, so you'll arrive 12.45pm - fare is USD$85 plus taxes (about $6 and $2 War Risk surcharge)<<

is in error. You only have to get to Arusha, and the fare would be less then the $85 indicate. Again, if you have an afternoon flight to Zanzibar, it actually makes sense to drive from Ngorongoro to Arusha and use the money saved for drinks to keep you cool!

snowy

Wow thanks for your help Queenie and Sandi. Your advice is really useful.