>pjbphd wrote:
>
> I'm putting together a trip to Kenya and Tanzania for a group of about a
> dozen friends from the United States. We've never been to Africa before and
> I'm looking for some help.
I haven't been to Kenya but was in Tanzania twice this year, 14 days in
January (dry season, wildebeest migration) and 10 days in April (wet
season ... very VERY wet for us). Going back for 13 days next January
...
> We traveled together before and don't mind going a little rough, a tent
> safari will be fine.
These are relatively inexpensive if you stay in the mass campgrounds,
which can be noisy and unsanitary (or so I hear ... we stayed in
mid-range lodges). Camping can be more expensive if you get a private
camping outfit, but is the way to go if you want to camp in comfort and
can afford this.
> If we're going that far I hope to spend several weeks
> so I'm thinking between 20 and 25 days for the trip.
That would be a wonderful trip! I'm jealous ...
> My first question is pretty open - where to go, or at lest concentrate our
> time? I hear lots of wonderful things about Arusha, Ngorogono, and of
> course the Serengeti. Is it realistic to see them all ion only three weeks
> or will we spend our entire time traveling?
You can certainly see the northern circuit in Tanzania in two weeks
(fly to Arusha, then hit Tarangire and/or Lake Manyara, then Ngorongoro
Crater -- which will be the most densely populated with tourists-- then
Serengeti. These are all relatively close to each other.
Then the other ten days or so either in southern Tanzania or in Kenya.
> if you had never been to Africa and had three weeks,
> where would you go?
Serengeti between mid-January and mid-March for the height of the
wildebeest migration for 10 days or so, with another week split between
Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. This is exactly our itinerary for next
January (except only 7 days in the Serengeti).
> Next is probably related to the above question; when to go?
If the migration is the main thing you wish to see then the 'typical'
best dates for Serengeti are what I mentioned above, when the zebras
and wildebeest are on the short grass plains, or August - October in
Kenya's Masai Mara, when the bulk of the migration is up there.
If the migration isn't the main thing you wish to see then the typical
advice is to avoid November (moderate rains) and April - May (heavy
rains) but all the other months have things worth seeing. But we had a
good time last April, especially for birds.
> I realize most tourists go in the summer dry season and I
> assume that's because the
> wildlife is concentrated at the waterholes.
Also kids are out of school ...
> I also read that the Serengeti
> is better in the early winter for mass migrations.
This is definitely true, at least for the area between say Ndutu and
Seronera. This is where I'll be.
> Finally I'd like any recommendations for safari companies. I've heard some
> good things about Bushback Safaris and Djoser. The latter is a Dutch
> Company but they do have a U.S. office. Of course with the internet that's
> not even really important. Thompson and Robin Hurt have also been
> recommended but they seem pretty expensive. Any good, bad or other
> experiences with these or other companies?
For Tanzania we used Roy Safaris, a mid-sized company (I think 20-25
jeeps) with a reputation for good gear and excellent well-trained
guides. I would recommend them highly. You can see their camping
options on their web pages. They are relatively low-cost.
Of the ones you mention Thomson's has an excellent reputation but is
more expensive. I don't know the other three. Sunny's has a pretty
good reputation as a low budget, camping outfit (check you are getting
'unlimited mileage'). Leopard Tours is one of the largest, with I
think 120 or so jeeps, and their best guides are very good but they
have a lot of turnover so you might end up with a newbie guide.
Between Sunny and Leopard and Roy's and Thomson's you should be able to
put together a great trip. All of these are based in Arusha.
Asking for a guide who 'knows the birds' will usually get you an
experienced guide since it takes a while to learn birds well.
Here are some photos we took on our two trips ... April was good for
birds but I wouldn't camp in April due to the rains ...
http://members.aol.com/bhilton665/africa/
Bill
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