spy

Hello all. I am with a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 girls ages 11 and 13). I have done a bunch of research and read many accounts and tried to come up with a reasonable itinerary for all. I am really looking for some comments on our proposed itinerary and any changes we should make before finalizing in the next week or two

We fly into JRO and want to stay in Arusha for 2 nights to sleep and regroup. I've narrowed it down to the Outpost(seems eco friendly and quiet but perhaps out of the way) or Arusha Crown Hotel(closer to the center of things, looks modern but may be noisy). Any thoughts oh what might be better..... I was investigating Karama lodge, but my husband thinks its too far away.

For safari we have the following itinerary:

Day 1: 09h00, P/up from residence/hotel in Arusha and depart for Lake Manyara National Park, picnic lunch and afternoon gamedrive in Lake Manyara National Park, dinner and overnight, Lake Manyara Hotel.

Day 2: Early morning gamedrive in Lake Manyara National Park, lunch at your lodge and afternoon visit the Mto-wa-Mbu Market in Lake Manyara, dinner and overnight, Lake Manyara Hotel.

Day 3: After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro with picnic lunch and afternoon descend to the Crater floor for gamedrive, ascend to the rim, dinner and overnight, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge.

Day 4: After breakfast descend to the Crater floor for full day gamedrive, lunch at hippo pool picnic site, ascend to the rim, dinner and overnight, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge.

Day 5: After breakfast depart for Serengeti National Park, via Olduvai Gorge, en-route gamedrive, picnic lunch and afternoon gamedrive in Serengeti National Park, dinner and overnight, Seronera Wildlife Lodge.
Day 6: After breakfast full day in Serengeti National Park(early morning, mid and afternoon gamedrives), all meals and overnight, Seronera Wildlife Lodge.
Day 7: Early morning gamedrive in Serengeti National Park, breakfast and transfer to Seronera Airport for your flight to Zanzibar via Arusha dept 10h30 arrival Znz at 14h00 End of Services.

In Zanzibar we are debating a possible nice mid range place (Clove Hotel) vs a very unlikely big spurge (236 Harumzi) for 2 days, and up North on the beach in Kendwa (Kendwa Rocks which I 've heard mostly good, but occasional terrible reviews about) vs. White Sands which seems to have no email capability.

Any thoughts on this potential itinerary would be so much appreciated.

ShayTay

What time of year are you considering going? I like Tarangire better than Lake Manyara, depending on the time of year. If you can work in one tented camp, that will be the highlight of your safari! I don't think 236 Harumzi is worth the extra money. You could stay at Tembo House, which is on the water and has a pool.

spy

We are going mid April this year. We have gone back and forth about Tarangire vs. Manyara but with rains, our safari company proposed bypassing Tarangire. Are they wrong? Thanks for your thoughts about 236 Harumzi. Tembo is in between this luxury spot and Clove Hotel(still TWICE the price for 4 of us). I am hoping to go with Clove if someone can confirm that its OK, but will spend the money on Tembo if enough folks think its worth it.

Again, I really appreciate any thought s folks have. Planning a once in a life time trip like this on a budget is a full time job which is gettinga bit overwhelming.

atravelynn

I know what you mean about the full time job. The extra time in Arusha up front is good, especially with kids.

Hope you do at least an afternoon trip to Arusha National park on your second day. It will offer a different environment than the rest of your trip and maybe Colobus Monkeys.

Sorry no advice on the accommodations there.

For April, looks fine. Bring some rain gear in case you are caught in a shower.

spy

I'll look into Arusha National Park. Thanks for the idea. It seems to be in a different direction then the rest of our safari, and I've read lots of posts about nixing too much travel time and concentrating on more time in less parks. . Is it worth the diversionary time.

Any other ideas people? Thanks as always.

Leely

I haven't been in April, so I'm just guessing here, but I think you should add a day to the Serengeti. It's probably going to be mighty rainy and the driving could be slow going in the park. I'd cut either the extra night in Arusha or possibly the 1 of the 2 nights Manyara or 1 of the 2 Crater nights.

Who is this itinerary with? A 9am start is getting you on the road pretty late that first day, although perhaps the experts have other thoughts.

This is a breakneck itinerary but it's actually not too much shorter than my first trip--which I thought was perfect in every way imaginable!

How many days exactly do you have on Zanzibar?

spy

We will be in Zanzibar for 4 nights . Arriving by plane 2 pm the first day and leaving late late late from Dar in the 5th night (the infamous 11 pm KLM flight). Trying to figure out how to use our time wisely.... go beach first for 2 nights, and save Stone town et all for the end... to be closer to the airport for departure, or vice versa with the beach at the end of our trip. Not at all sure which is better, but wanting to make a decision! ANy guidance would be appreciated.

Dose anyone have any thoughts about our 2 nights at Manyara which includes stop at Mto-wa-Mbu. For us and especially the kids we love the idea of a BIT of culture, but don't want it to be completly tacky.

Our tour operator will most likely be Sunny, though we are still waiting of a reply from Roys.

sandi

Well, April is a wet month, but it's also very green during this time vs the rather dry/yellow at most other times.

Like others, I prefer Tarangire over Manyara, but with time short, and to move in the most direct route, it can be Manyara, but doesn't have to be 2/nts; nor 2/nts at Ngorongoro.

While the migrating herds are in the Serengeti, this is the areas I would concentrate. The herds may very well still be in the Ndutu area, some on their way to the central Serengeti, where the current itinerary has you positioned.

I'd consider:
Day 1 - Arusha Natl Park, walking and canoe safaris; if time allows later afternoon to visit N'gresi village (everyone enjoys this) - o/n Arusha
Day 2 - 8-8:30am drive (2.5/hrs) to Lake Manyara; lunch; afternoon game drive - o/n
Day 3 - Manyara; early game drive; drive (2.5/hrs) to Ngorongoro; afternoon crater tour - o/n
Day 4 - Ngo; early morning crater tour*; w/picnic lunch drive via Oldupai Gorge (w/stop) - 2.5/hrs, to Ndutu area - o/n Ndutu Lodge

*crater tours limited to 6/hrs only, so you can do one on afternoon of arrival and then another next morning.

Day 5 - Ndutu; morning game drive; w/lunch drive to Central Serengeti; afternoon game drive - o/n Wildlife
Day 6 - Central Serengeti - o/n
Day 7 - Fly via Arusha to ZNZ; transfer to beach resort - o/n
Day 8 - Beach, at leisure - o/n
Day 9 - Transfer to Stone Town; town tour, Jozani Forest tour - o/n
Day 10 - Stone Town, at leisure till 5pm flight to DAR, to connect to KLM

There is an 8pm flight to DAR, but of late, this is regularly cancelled, why I suggest the earlier flight. Yes, a longer layover and not much to do at airport, but you can taxi into town for dinner at one of the hotels.

Note: Zanzibar is coastal, so besides being hot, is also humid. All bungalows, resorts, hotels have ceiling fans, but many visitors prefer air conditioning. Personal decision, of course; Clove Hotel does NOT have a/c. Tembo Hotel does have a/c.

ShayTay

I'd also recommend Arusha NP your first full day. It's a beautiful park and you'll probably see the black and white colobus monkeys that you won't see elsewhere. To get over the effects of jet lag, you'll need to stay up during the day and sleep at night to reset your biological clocks...might as well enjoy that day.

In Zanzibar, you might consider staying at the beach all of your nights. On the day that you're scheduled to depart, you could book and driver/guide to take you into StoneTown, have a tour, go shopping, etc. Then, they could take you to the airport in time for your afternoon flight. Your luggage could stay with the van all day.

MyDogKyle

Here's another vote for considering adding Arusha National Park. It's a small park so you can see it all in a day, with the chance to see colobus monkeys and LOTS of giraffes, and it's a really beautiful landscape. Also a nice place for a picnic lunch.

We stayed at Karama Lodge and loved it. But yes, it is a bit of a drive from the town center, if that's important to you to be able to walk downtown. Personally, I liked the seclusion, and the style of the "treehouse"-like cabins and lounge was really neat and different. We had bush babies jumping down onto our porch in the middle of the night, and lots of bird activity. There was also a really nice resident dog. It seemed like a good location for getting to Arusha NP, and has a lovely view of Mt. Meru. I suppose it might be a bit dull for kids, depending on how your kids like to spend their time, but it's a pretty neat place to start a safari.

spy

Can't thank you all enough for all your thoughts on this trip. I REALLY appreciate it. No one commented on the Mto-wa-Mbu visit... is this worth the "cultural" aspects??

I will think again about Karama. I have almost settled on Outpost as a compromise of culture and kids , but I see the advantages of Karama.

I need to get back to the safari company about Arusha National Park option. They are probably getting sick of my back and forth questions! The idea of doing some walking or canoeing is appealing... do I need to use a special company for this ??

If we stick with Sunny or go with Roy, anyone have specific guides to recommend or not (no one there named Ben, I hope !!!)

Interesting idea about staying at the beach the whole time... If we were just adults, I'd go for it... but I am close to being set at the Clove Hotel which seems like a nice spot and (for kids) being able to do spontaneous walking around town leaving a couple of folks behind is appealing!

Thanks for the info on flights to DAR... the later flight is tempting, but a no go if it gets cancelled.... I assume there would NOT be enough time to catch a ferry and still get there in time for a 11 pm flight on KLM???

Thanks again for all your great ideas!

ShayTay

I don't know what they do in the Mto cultural visit. If it's just walking through the market, that shouldn't take long. You should try to visit a Maasai village somewhere along the way...much more interesting.

In Arusha NP, there is a walk you can do to a waterfall. You go with an armed ranger from the park, and it's set up by your outfitter. It's a nice walk and you'll see wildlife along the way, such as giraffes. There are a LOT of giraffes in this park!

The ferry between Zanzibar and Dar is not a good option. Did you see the "Amazing Race" episode where they took the ferry in the opposite direction? They were all throwing up, due to the rough seas. Take the late afternoon flight and go into Dar for dinner.

atravelynn

or pack Bonine for the voyage.

spy

My easily car sick children than k you for that great bit of advice! We'll stick with an earlier flight and head into Dar for dinner. Any good suggestions there?

Will look into a maasai village visit Couldn't really get thru the email communication exactly what this other village visit would entail, which is why I was wondering if anyone else has been there. Maybe I'll post a separate question about that one.

Now that we already have a quote from out tour company, I feel like I"m bugging them , and feel a bit like its hard to genuinely communicate questions and thoughts on changing things. I should have don't more research to establish an itinerary before asking for quotes. Oh well. We don't leave until April so I still have time to get it right.

BTW, does anyone know what is happening to tourism in general give n the mess in Kenya. Are people staying away from the region altogether or are folks switching from Kenya to Tanzania?

sandi

A Masai Manyatta visit can be done at various places along your itinerary. Unlike the Masai visit, Mto-wa-Mbu is a community of various ethnic groups that is quite interesting. Speaking of The Amazing Race, on one of their trips some years back, they stopped here also. A visit here is a nice break for a walk-thru, speak with the towns folk, make some purchases. Those with children seem to enjoy this.

As the comment above, take the earlier flight vs the ferry, which can be long and choppy waters.

Don't worry much about inquiring of your outfitters, they're used to it and with the information you've received here, have substantive questions. And, be sure to ask for a guide who is good with children; most are, but good to be specific.

spy

I am so thankful for all your help, folks. I will definitely check in about guides that are good with kids.

It seems like we really should do a cultural tourism 1/2 or full day. I guess my only dilemmna now is weather I should do a tour form Arusha or add it to the middle of our safari. Is there any reason we really need/should have a day to look around Arusha itself? I was mainly counting on the day for us to recover from jet lag, but I wonder if using that day for a tour might be a good use of time. Mulala and Ng'iresi both look interesting. Any thoughts onf this? Should we still give ourselves an unscheduled day in Arusha and cut our 7 day safari to 6. OR should we set this up for our first and only day in Arusha and be exhausted?

atravelynn

If you can afford it with your time and money, a buffer day in Arusha makes sense, especially with younger kids who may not be as predictable and may not be able to handle jet lag discomfort with a good attitude as well as adults. You want to start off on a good note with your family and with your guide. If you are exhausted and if the kids are exhausted they are more susceptible to illness and won't get as much out of your activities.

If it were just you adults, I think a buffer day is nice, but not as important.

I have talked with other agents (I believe Green Footprint and Good Earth) that mentioned they could do a variety of activities around Arusha and Lake Manyara from visiting hospitals to schools to government road construction projects. Maybe your agent could do this too. Some of the better cultural visits I've done in Africa and elsewhere were not the scheduled stops, but just casual visits.

Green Footprints will do day trips out of Arusha or Lake Manyara and you don't have to have your whole trip with them.

It is not hard to do a village stop during the safari, even if it is decided enroute. Near the crater, for example, or elsewhere. Those visits are usually less than half a day--anywhere from about 30 minutes to 2 hours or more and you decide.

sandi

While Green Footprints actually conducts activities in Arusha Natl Park and night game drives at Lake Manyara, any of the outfitters you are considering can book these for you.

However, as jet-lag maybe an issue with the girls, maybe on Day 1, don't plan anything for the morning... get up whenever leisurely, have breakfast. Then schedule the N'gresi village (or other cultural) for the afternoon... can be a school, walking about town. These activities aren't all that long, maybe 3/hrs max. Return to your lodging when you've had enough.

Then commence actual safari on Day 2 heading to Manyara; Mto-wa-Mbu is between Manyara/Karatu... so easy to fill in. Also, as you're on a private safari, you can pretty much set your own schedule. As example: morning game drives go out at 6-6:30am, but if you prefer an hour or so later, and stay out all day... your guide can work with you. The only time you have to keep to schedule is when traveling from one area to another... the guide knows how long the drive and time needed.

I certainly wouldn't eliminate Ngorongoro or time in the Serengeti.

climbhighsleeplow

Spy

So far the advice given here is all good but rather generic.

First of all, are you thinking of using Sunny Safaris or Sunny Adventures? Two different companies with different cars, etc.

Secondly, the cultural tours are all very different! I can tell you that some are quite boring for kids. Some are tough and long hiking on steep slopes at a rather fast pace. On others you may pass by butcher shops and the reality of meat processing is not easy to see.

Many are actually a lot of fun - for example the kids can harvest their own coffee beans and then grind these in the old-fashioned way and drink their own brew afterwards! Or they can learn to make cheese old-style, etc, etc.

You need to ask your outfitter for a list of activities at each stop and then decide yourself which is most interesting for your kids. List the tours and discuss them with your kids!

Taking children on safari is different than the regular.

With kids you should ask for specifics - it not enough to get a generic "cultural visit" on your itinerary!

spy

Thank you for the ideas. I am naive enough to have found all the generic advice very helpful. But I am hoping that my trip can still end up exciting and and fun. VERY good point about the kids. I was assume that the animals will be so cool that there meer presence will keep them entertained since they are 11 and 13. But I can easily see how miserable the adults will be if the kids are not fully engaged. Do you have any specific advice about tour operators or or how to get more specific info... I have not been able to get anything specific out of my tour operator (all communication is email) BTW its Sunny Safari and someone named Ally is my contact. I am not exactly sure how good her English is. Maybe I need dto have higher expectations.