sundowner

amyb, I've had Ping as a guide when I stayed at Mara Plains in 2013 and I think I'll have him a couple of days at Enaidura. He's amazing! Tirian Koya was also at Mara Plains at that time and is also great. And Fred Ronko at Topi House - so hoping to have him again. I can't wait. August. When are you going?

Leely2

lauramsgarden, sundowner knows her stuff. Though I've not been on nearly as many safaris to nearly as many countries as she has, Kenya has somehow captured my heart as well.

amyb

sundowner I'm going in November, taking advantage of the new direct service on KQ out of JFK. Combining Emakoko in Nairobi with Enaidura and Offbeat Mara in the Mara. I generally don't repeat stays anywhere as a rule, but the sightings and comfort of Emakoko in NNP are incredible and the guide-spotter combo I had at Offbeat was the best I'd ever seen so I'm eager to return to them. Hope you have a great trip as well!

Leely2

I got an email from Kicheche this morning. They have a stay 4 nights, pay for 3 sale happening if you book Valley Camp. (I've never stayed at Valley Camp.)

sundowner

I think I'm going in August, Amy. Have to go before my daughter is back in school.
I don't mind staying at the same camps again if the sightings were good. I will not give bad places a 2nd chance, though. Poor Tanzania. (And bad me for painting the whole country with the same brush ) I had the worst safari there and doubt I'll ever return because of it. Same with a couple of camps in Kenya. It's such a large investment (for me) (both time and money) and I like to go to tried and true places.

isabel

Wow, such a lot of great responses with useful information. My trip to Africia won't be for at least a year or two (I do like to plan well in advance) and I'm currently working on this summer's five week trip to Europe, but I've bookmarked all the replies for for when I get serious into planning the safari. And it sounds like there are lots of others out there with the same questions I have.

mowmow

I did my Kilimanjaro climb with a great outfit, then met an Overseas Adventure Travel tour in Arusha. As a single woman at the time, it was nice to be part of a group. We stayed in nice lodges and camps. Our guides were excellent and had previously worked for a luxury safari operator and I felt pretty pampered. We saw all the animals and visited a Masai boma and a coffee plantation. I did a post-trip to Rwanda to visit the gorillas.

I enjoyed being with the 14 person group, and not having to organize everything. I had enough to do with the training for my Kili climb. It was a stress free and reasonably priced safari vacation.