Where to begin for planning a safari?

Old Jan 19th, 2011, 08:59 PM
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Where to begin for planning a safari?

I'm at the very beginning stages of planning a safari for next December and would really appreciate any advice for planning. Are there any guidebooks that people have found really useful? I've been lurking and reading trip reports and clicking every photo link I see. Unfortunately that doesn't necessarily help narrow down my options but just makes me with I had the time and budget to go NOW for the next 6 months or so.

My time frame is late December 2011. I'll be leaving between Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 and returning on Jan 1. My total budget is about $7,000 (including airfare). A quick look at airfare yields results of $1,500 - $2,000, leaving me around $5,000 in my budget. What can I do with $5,000? I want to spend as much time as I reasonably can, but I'd rather have an amazing two weeks than try to stretch my budget further than I should and let that impact the quality of the trip. I don't need anything fancy, but I don't want to miss out on something purely to save money and be there longer.

I know I want a good chunk of time on Mara, and someone's photos of the Samburu tribe were amazing. I've been following another trip report that focuses on the Porini camps and all of the camps sound fantastic. Basically if you tell me there will be wildlife and landscapes, I'd probably be happy with just about anything. Lions, elephants and giraffes are the ones I think I'd drool over the most, but again, just about anything will probably knock my socks off.

I've read a lot of comments about operators. Is there a listing of various operators somewhere, or is just using google and noting names from trip reports my best bet? Someone mentioned regularly scheduled flights within the country, is there a listing of this sort of information somewhere (I'm used to traveling to large citites where your transport options are subway, taxi or train and you go to a website to find the correct route).

What else do I need to be figuring out? I know so little that I don't even know what I need to be learning.

Thank you for any help!
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 12:22 AM
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Given your interest in E Africa this could be a good starting point (and you can see which operators people used too)

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...omment-4208167
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 12:28 AM
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Oops sorry, wasn't meant to go to my comment, but you can scroll up!
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 05:19 AM
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Take a look at Go2Africa's website. They provide info on a broad range of possibilities.

http://www.go2africa.com/
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 05:45 AM
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Thanks guys!
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 07:07 AM
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Just remember that if you plan to be in-country from Dec 20th, you go into "peak" season for pricing as over the Christmas/New Year's holiday.

Otherwise, check the link Kavey provided for names of the various used by those who visited.

go2africa is a reputable outfitter, but South African based. Better to go with someone who specializes in Kenya and/or East Africa only.
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 07:21 AM
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Good advice here, as always.

My only suggestion is to submit requests (with budget and time limitations, any exclusivity preferences, etc.) to multiple outfitters, as some may surprise you with a deal others might not have. I used Go2Africa for Kenya, myself, and thought they did a great job; they assigned me to one of their travel consultants who used to live in the area and still goes back regularly to check properties. But it's always possible that you'll find a better deal with local specialists, so it never hurts to request multiple quotes, then follow up with more research on places that sound promising to you.
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Old Jan 20th, 2011, 08:18 AM
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Here are two past threads on researching an initial trip. The one started by aknards ends up with aknards giving some advice after going on her first trip.

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...-did-i-dre.cfm


http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ng-my-trip.cfm

Guidebooks: The Complete African Safari Planner by Fodors and Africa’s Top Wildlife Countries by Mark Nolting

To see what $5000 would do at Lion Porini (which has been mentioned very favorably and a place I hope to go) during your travel timeframe:

If you travel Nov 1 to Dec 19, the cost is at a low of about $1825 per person sharing for 3 nts.

From Dec. 19 to Jan 2 for 3 nts it is about $2400 per person based on shared accommodations with an added $35 surcharge for days right around the holidays. That was last year’s pricing.

Single supplements are about $100 per day.

http://www.porini.com/kenya.html?sub=porini-lion-camp

I found that Eastern & Southern Safaris had good pricing for a private trip for one person during the most expensive time of the year, with about half the trip in the (more expensive) Mara.

KATO site—list of operators in Kenya
http://www.katokenya.org/katomembers.asp

TATO site—list of operators in Tanzania
http://www.tatotz.org/members-directory

INTERNAL FLIGHTS
Kenya
http://www.flysafarilink.com/
http://www.airkenya.com/destination_Nanyuki.asp

It is typical to let your safari provider (the camp you are staying at or the company that will drive you from place to place) book your flights internal flights.

Check out some companies on the East Africa Index link Kavey posted and follow WindowlessOffice's advice.

“I don't need anything fancy, but I don't want to miss out on something purely to save money.” Consider the Kenya Wildlife Service bandas. I loved the bandas I stayed in during my Sept. visit and listed their similarities with $1000 a night luxury accommodations in a report titled, “Sept Private Drive-Fly: # of Cars/Sighting, Budget KWS Bandas, Birds & More”

Although it is more expensive, Tanzania might offer a better destination during the late December timeframe. The wildebeest and zebra migration is usually nearing Tanzania's Southern Serengeti at that time. The herds would have left the Maasai Mara in Kenya by December. But there are always resident herds of wildes and zebra in the Mara.

When just starting out it may seem as if there are all these options and your job is to find the one right one, as if the others are all inferior. There are many good possibilities and if you scan the reports, you'll see no matter what people choose, they come back happy--and ready to return.

Keep us posted on your plans.
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