CarrieT

Just wondering if there is anyone else out there planning Tanzania this October? I'm going the 13th-27th with Good Earth Tours and staying at mainly "budget" accommodations with the exception of Swala tented camp.

My trip planning started almost two years ago with help from this forum and here it is only 4 months away! I'm getting very excited and I always come back here to read all the trip reports and tips. Thank you to everyone for your advice on everything from tour operators to laundry. Keep those posts going - they really help 1st timers!

I have to tell you that after reading all the trip reports and the experiences you have had that I've already starting planning my NEXT trip in my mind - without even having gone on my first one yet!

I've got my yellow fever vaccination, hand wipes, malarone, and cipro so I'm ready to go! I also have my Nikon D80, lots of memory cards, a portable storage device, and 3 or 4 back-up batteries and my hands are almost quivering in anticipation of taking my first game drive shots! I'll be sure to post any worthwhile photos along with a trip report.

4 months seems a ways away but I know it will be here before I know it. Can't wait!!!

CJ

JNG

Have fun. Why don't you post your itinerary?

CarrieT

Sure, here is my itinerary courtesy of Good Earth Tours. I booked this as a private safari so it will just be me and a friend going:

Day 1 (October 13th, 2008): arrive JRO, met and transfer to overnight Kia Lodge

Day 2 (Oct 14) morning flight to northern Serengeti, game drive, overnight Lobo Wildlife Lodge

Day 3 (Oct 15)full day game drive, overnight Lobo Wildlife Lodge

Day 4 (Oct 16) full day game drive, overnight Lobo Wildlife Lodge

Day 5 (Oct 17) full day game drive, overnight Seronera Wildlife Lodge

Day 6 (Oct 18)full day game drive, overnight Seronera Wildlife Lodge

Day 7 (Oct 19) balloon ride, full day game drive, overnight Seronera Wildlife Lodge

Day 8 (Oct 20) full day game drive, overnight Seronera Wildlife Lodge

Day 9 (Oct 21) full day game drive, overnight Ndutu Lodge

Day 10 (Oct 22) visit Olduvai Gorge, Shifting Sands, Masai village, overnight Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge

Day 11 (Oct 23) full day crater game drive (there is a possibility of not being able to do full day game drives because of park’s limitation of one game drive a day starting July 1st.), overnight Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge

Day 12 (Oct 24) full day game drive, overnight Lake Manyara Hotel

Day 13 (Oct 25) full day game drive, Lake Manyara 7am to 1:00pm, drive to Tarangire,
game drive in afternoon on way to Swala, overnight Swala.

Day 14 (Oct 26) full day game drive, overnight Swala in Tarangire.

Day 15 (Oct 27) morning game drive, drive to Arusha, day room & dinner Kia Lodge, depart JRO 10:25 pm.

uhoh_busted

That sounds fabulous. I'm really getting the bug to do another safari trip. I redid our slideshows from our 2004 Botswana trip (Sandibe, Savute, Nxebega - through CCAfrica) in widescreen format with some really good music (I love my Mac) and watching and reliving those memories so vividly -- well here I am, reading trip reports and plans on Fodors again

I think we want to do Tanzania or Zambia. If a good deal pops up, we can go just about any time as all our shots are current, and we only need to start malaria meds.

I'll checkout your Good Earth Tours folks.

Feistybrit

Hi Carrie T.
My daughter and I are going on our first ever safari to Tanzania in Ocobter but we don't go till the end of October. We are going with Killiwarriors.
4 months away and you are way ahead of us regarding being ready. My daughter is in England and I am in the States so coordinating was a bit more difficult.
I have looked into the jabs we need and I thought I would get mine about 5-6 weeks before we go. Now I am wondering whether I should get them earlier. You are showing me up big time, being ready so far ahead.

I have absolutely nothing else ready. I have always been a last minute packer and have no clue what camera to get to take with us or anythng else. I will be perusing these pages more frequently now. Oh I have bought a bag and a backpack. That is a miracle for me! If I were more organized, I would be, well,..... more organized!
Anyway, just wanted to say Hi and I hope you have a fantastic trip. I hope we do to.
We are having a private safari and I am so excited!

rsnyder

Feistybrit and Carrie T,
Please, please, please give us reports and pics when you return! And, like many of us, you will come down with "Africanicus returnicus" fever, so you might as well be saving for the return. Budget accommodations or not, you will have great sightings and other good times.
Enjoy the "rush" as the departure approaches.
Dick

CarrieT

Feistybrit,

What is your itinerary? Are you just visiting Tanzania or are you also going to Kenya?

No, no...I just had to go get my shots when I had a day off. You're fine with 6-8 weeks ahead as far as what the travel literature says.

And I'm probably opposite of you as far as the planning and packing aspect goes ;-)

You and your daughter are going to have a great time! I'm jealous that you get to go with family. I'm basically going with a stranger because I needed to share a room for cost reasons and no one I knew really wanted to go (imagine that?!)

And yes, Dick, I'll be sure and post a detailed report (which reminds me, I still need to get a small journal...I have one but it is a little to big...only 33 pounds for luggage!).

CJ

rachel_gb

Hi Carrie T. I am planning a safari for 2 people for mid-September and was thinking about Good Earth. What was it like planning with them? Did you choose your own accommodations etc. and were they amenable to personal requests? Was it much more expensive to do a private safari? I am going with my boyfriend and would much prefer a private trip but thought it would be too expensive. I also was wondering if I could do a mix of budget camping and higher-end lodges...any info on that?
Thanks so much and have a great time!

Leely2

I <i>wish</i> I was going this October! You will have to post some photos and a (brief, long, emotional, dry, whatever) trip report when you return. Looks like a nice long trip, lots of time in the Serengeti.

mazj

To rachel_gb,

We went with Good Earth in Feb/Mar this year. Planning with Narry in America was very easy by email.They are very amenable to personal requests and accommodation suggestions.

A private safari (the only way to go IMHO) cost us US$150pp extra. We had a mixture of accommodations and it is very easily done. Just checkout their website and write to Narry with your thoughts and questions. Couldn't be easier and we couldn't be happier.

Our trip report is hidden somewhere on this site, but I can't find it anymore. I think it was in the 800s. Can't wait to read your report.

CarrieT

rachel_gb:

I'm going to confirm what mazj said. Narry from Good Earth tours has been wonderful to work with. He was extremely responsive to questions (and I had many, many, many questions!). As far as personal requests go, I didn't have many but he is going to make sure there is a bean bag in the land rover for me to use with my camera - that's nice! I also asked for specific guides when I booked so we'll see how that goes.

I planned my own trip completely, including accommodation, and then sent it to different companies for pricing quotes. Good Earth was among the lowest and had the best ratings and reviews ($4,460 for 15 days including the flight and day room at the end). From what I can tell they charge less for a private safari than most companies charge for a group safari.

I found a web site that was extremely helpful in planning my trip. Unfortunately, I couldn't book with this company due to the higher prices, but their web site is incredible: http://www.africadreamsafaris.com/
You can even put in the number of nights you want and it will give you detailed suggestions on where the best places to be are for the month you are planning to be there.

Good luck with your planning!

mazj: I'm going to go look for your trip report now.

Leely2: Yes, I figure if I'm going to spend two days on airplanes to get somewhere I'm going to make sure I'm there long enough to enjoy it I am doing a 1 night layover in Amsterdam on the way and two nights on the way back, but it's still a long time in the air.

rachel_gb

Thanks so much for your replies CarrieT and mazj. This is really encouraging as organizing our own private safari sounds like a dream!
I have one more question for everyone out there: we cannot, cannot, cannot seem to find an affordable flight that goes straight to Kilimanjaro, and I think we are going to have to fly into Dar instead--what a pain. We are flying from NYC. KLM's flight is for some reason around $4000 right now (we have to fly weekend to weekend due to work/vacation time constraints). We tried to purchase one of the Virgin Atlantic/Precision Air combos through Nairobi but it kept getting unconfirmed and then canceled. Does anyone know any tricks to getting a cheaper KLM flight or any good travel agents to do this?
Thanks again so much!

rsnyder

CJ, you will be surprised how much you can get in a bag and stay within the 33 lb limit. Cost to do laundry is very reasonable and even free at some camps. Plus, I wore a large &quot;fishing vest&quot; into which I stuffed numerous items. Dick

mazj

Carrie T,
My trip report was titled: It's hard NOT to love Africa (except for some parts!) I found it by clicking on my own name at the top but it didn't give it a number or anything.

Perhaps this is something the site could help organise better or is there another way to find someone else's trip report you may be interested in?

Feistybrit

Carrie T and Dick. Thanks for your replies.
Here is the itinerary we finally went with and it was such a hard decision. We almost went with African Dream Safaris but in the end I chose Eben and Kiliwarriors.
We are going to Tanzania only.

Oct 30 - Arrive Kilimanjaro - Mountain Village
Oct 31 - Arusha, Canoe safari, cultural visits.
Nov 1 - 2 - Tarangire - Tarangire safari lodge
Nov 3-4 - Ngorongoro, Sopa Lodge
Nov 5- Manyara air strip to Serengeti.
Nov 5-9 Serengeti, Sayari and Suyan camps.
Nov 10- Kleins airstrip to Kilimanjaro.

I wanted to go for more camps than lodges, but my daughter didn't. So, I let her have her way because if she's miserable then so is everyone else.
I had no one else to go on safari with. Carrie I wish I had known about you, we could have gone together!
I am not saying I don't want to take my daughter, but this is my dream, not hers. She is just along for the ride.

We have our own driver and can pretty much go out when we want without having to follow a schedule. It's flexible too so we are not completely structured, so I like that.

I know Sopa lodges are not getting as good reviews as others, but for me it's not about where I stay, it's about what I am going to see and who I am going to meet. I would be happy in a tent, (as long as there were no spiders in it, or in my bed anyway)
I really don't care where I stay, I just want to see Africa and the animals. I cannot wait.
The packing and stuff is secondary to me, I am the type of person who hopes everything will fall into place and it usually does. If I forget something, oh well, I am sure it will work out.
It was a choice of complete luxury and less time, a group safari and less money, or a mix of things.
Isn't it hard choosing which company to go with!? I have never had such a difficult time choosing anything in my life!
Take care.
I love this website. Everyone is so helpful and informative.

Sue

rsnyder

Sue,
We have enjoyed the Sopa at the Crater on each of our three stays there. If you have done a search on my name and in particular the post from our June 2007 trip you can read up on stays there as well as Tarangire Safari Lodge. While tents there are a bit close we also enjoyed stay there and if back would again like the one furtherst from the lodge facing the river. Dick

Feistybrit

Dick, thanks for the info. I will look up your post regarding the lodges.
I will be happy with a bed. I don't intend on spending much time there if I can help it. I don't need luxury. Although if I could afford luxury it would be nice and I wouldn't say no if someone offered to put me up in luxury.
I am going to read your posts Dick.
Again thanks.

Sue

Patty

mazj,
If you hover your mouse over the thread title and right click, then select Copy Shortcut (or something similar depending on the browser you're using), you can then paste a direct link to that particular thread such as your trip report http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35116440

Lynda has done a great job on the East Africa trip report index and yours will be eventually added to it http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34860283

CarrieT

Feistybrit, your itinerary looks great! I agree with you, I'd be happy in a tent. I'll be looking forward to hearing how your daughter likes it since she's only along for the ride ;-) Yes, maybe we should start a posting called &quot;Tanzania and Africa Travel Partners&quot; so we can get matched up with people who want to visit the same areas. I might need that for the next one!

Dick, my travel company says the weight limit is 33 pounds including any carry-on items. I'm only worried about the limit and packing this early because I need to make sure I'm going to have enough pounds left to at least have 3 changes of clothes (I'd like to try for 4 so I only need to wash every 5 days or so). My camera equipment alone weighs over 10 pounds and if they really include that in the 33lbs. then I have to pack very, very light. I did get one of those vests! I think I read that somewhere on here too...very handy this forum!

rachel_gb, about flights - I panicked at one point because mine went up very high, but I waited a week or so and it came down. I noticed with NWA (online anyway) that the days of the week make a huge difference sometimes. Also, everything is up now (I assume because of gas prices?) and I checked the ticket I bought now and it's doubled in price. I'm wondering if flying into Nairobi and taking the shuttle down to Tanzania mgiht be more cost effective? I don't know, but I was considering that option when the flight prices jumped and I know it was cheaper for me.

mazj, I just clicked on your name and got it - it lists all the message strings you've posted in. Thanks! It's good to know you recommend Good Earth Tours.

Carrie

giblum

We leave on our Good Earth Safari in two weeks. We picked the Migration Safari and spent the extra to make it private. We chose an itinerary that was totally by jeep, so we would not have the weight restrictions of the smaller planes. Our camera equipment weighs close to 75 pounds, and we have two Lowepro wheelaboard carryons in which to put all our camera backs and lenses. My husband loves his photography, so we are taking a 600mm,400, and 300mm lenses, in addition to a few smaller ones. He even bought a special mounting so he can place the camera with the 600mm lens securely on the side of the roof hatch.
We are counting the days.