In message <1110229184.735788.168360@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>
"IndyHazle" wrote:
> The last few years I have tried to go to Afica, something goes wrong,
> this year is my last year before my wife and I start having children.
> $$$ are a little tighter, but there are certain things I want to see
> before I get wrapped up in childrearing for the next 15 years.
^^^^^^^^ that's optimistic!
> We want to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda/Uganda & also classic safari
> in Kenya/Tanzania. Many tours we priced landed at $6000 - $10,000 per
> person which is out of the questions.
>
> We are trying to get things more at $4000 per person, not including
> airfare from the States. So the key I guess is to cut things. Better
> to do a few things than nothing at all.
I'm astonished that you can't get an upper-mid range trip doing what you
want for $4000 pp + airfare, particularly in October: although you mention
you wouldn't mind roughing it, the price you've been quoted is more like
absolute top of the range.
I can't be more specific, hopefully someone can suggest a less-expensive but
reliable company based in the States: I only have to hand UK brochures, and
you can search the web as well as I can!
> My wife just found out she can get off the time from work during the
> first 3 weeks of October.
I'm a bit uncertain: do you mean you want a 3-week trip, or is that just the
window inside which you can slot a shorter trip? You might have problems
getting 3 weeks for $4000, but not if...[1]
> If you can give us some thoughts on how feasible you think this is, let
> me know. I am used to roughing it a bit, so if there are ways to cut
> corners and save. We don't have to stick with the one tour company the
> whole time. I could see having one company for Ngorongoro, then
> catching the plane on our own to Rwanda, getting our own hotel for a
> day or two then meeting up with the next compnay for gorillas. I would
> do this to save the $$$. I have roughed it in India, Cambodia and
> Thailand.
>
> All thoughts appreciated.
[1] Have you thought of joining an Overlanding trip? There are quite a few
apparently reliable overland companies operating out of the UK and
presumably there must be some American ones too? Someone will hopefully be
able to advise on overlanding. Trouble with that is it might take time to
find the trip whose itinerary most closely matches what you want to do.
Good luck!
Slainte
Liz
--
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