Tanzania and Kenya, July 2012
Finally, after a year and a half of careful research, I have put together a FANTASTIC trip to East Africa. My criteria are safety, physical comfort, top-rate photo opportunities (although non photographers are welcome, too) and a good price for a quality adventure. I am holding bookings for a couple of months for lodges in the heart of the most amazing game reserves in East Africa: Manyara, Ndutu (where we have the rare opportunity to get off-road for three days), Serengeti, Ngorogoro and Tarangire. Access to the Tanzania lodges is limited and therefore they are much in demand, which is why we have to plan now.
The Itinerary
I have planned at least 13 days in-country, as access for most of us is via long and grueling international flights. So as long as we're here, let's do it right! I suggest breaking up the flights into two legs (a) from the U.S. to Europe and then (b) to East Africa. Plan a break of at couple of days in Europe (London and Amsterdam are important travel hubs, for example) to acclimate to time zones and recover a bit from jet lag. For those who want it, I am planning to book an extra day at the beginning of the trip at Mountain Village Serena Lodge just for sleeping and relaxing. I am planning on doing this myself, as I have come to respect jet lag and travel fatigue.
We will be staying in luxurious lodges. They are environmentally responsible, especially with their water treatment systems. Most of the Serena lodges were built by the Aga Khan in very beautiful locations inside or alongside the parks. The Aga Khan family also built many hospitals and schools in both Tanzania and Kenya, giving them a very good relationship with the governments of both countries. Most of the time we will be staying at elevations of about 4,000 to 5,000 feet, so that temperatures are not too hot.
Prices
Yes, East Africa is an expensive place. Much of the money we pay goes for national park service fees/permits. We stay in luxurious resorts that were once used by big game hunters. Without our tourist dollars we wouldn't have these magnificent game parks. You can travel less cheaply than this, typically by going to the country at the last minute to see if leftover bookings are available. This can prove chancy, however, with bait and switch schemes and other issues. We are booking through a long-time, proven tour operator, Wildersun Safaris. I am keeping costs as low as possible, making little or no profit in this endeavor. I have specified that we use Toyota safari vehicles with no more than three to four passengers per vehicle. This adds slightly more to the cost but provides a better-quality experience.
Cost: $6499 (double occupancy), plus airfare and smaller costs such as gratuities, visa fees, etc. Because we've decided to limit occupancy of each vehicle to three or four, we're adding a $700 fee to make this possible. A single supplement costs $630. Do some research, and you'll find that this price is far less than for most tours of this type.
Although I have reserved spaces for up to 6 people (double occupancy). I need at least four people to make the trip a "go." If more people are interested, all the better.
I'll have a lot more info to come, particularly on photography. Meanwhile, here are some links that provide a lot of information:
Africa Information and Pre-Trip Planning