Tanzania safari
Discussion
I am looking into a safari in Tanzania.
A few questions, firstly the Northern circuit is obviously the most popular and has the rebound national parks where as the southern circuit seems to be less touristy and as much or if not more wildlife.
Has anyone done both, will I miss out on anything doing one ver the other.
Secondly the Mrs is a veggie, will she just get bread and butter for ten days?
Thirdly most itenraries seem to start from arusha, the best route there? Can only find flights with 2 changes!
A few questions, firstly the Northern circuit is obviously the most popular and has the rebound national parks where as the southern circuit seems to be less touristy and as much or if not more wildlife.
Has anyone done both, will I miss out on anything doing one ver the other.
Secondly the Mrs is a veggie, will she just get bread and butter for ten days?
Thirdly most itenraries seem to start from arusha, the best route there? Can only find flights with 2 changes!
Can't comment on the North but chose the South a few years back to get away from too many tourists.
Traveled around Selous and Ruaha and most days you never saw another group of tourists.
Plenty of wildlife and felt more like being out in the wild, No guides calling each other because they have spotted some animals and the area becoming "packed" with other tourists.
No problem with food, was quite amazed at what was on offer.
Traveled around Selous and Ruaha and most days you never saw another group of tourists.
Plenty of wildlife and felt more like being out in the wild, No guides calling each other because they have spotted some animals and the area becoming "packed" with other tourists.
No problem with food, was quite amazed at what was on offer.
We went to Tanzania about 3 years ago and it was great. We went to Nairobi and then onto Kili before starting our 5 day safari.... (Make sure you put your malaria tablets in your hand luggage as both of our bags took a couple of days to arrive)
It was amazing!!! I´m not really into animals, but the sites we saw included:
A pride of young lionesses playing, elephants shagging, zebra everywhere, lions, in fact it´s pointless to start as there were so many great memories and I would not hesitate to go back.
I enjoyed the Ngorogoro crater, but there were a lot of cars in it , but the serengeti was magnificent and seeing Zebra grazing on a small runway as a plane was landing was a little surreal.
Not sure who we booked with, but Kate at Inspired Travel (based in Hinckley) did everything for us by phone and was brilliant
Edited to add.... the eagles we saw were just magnificent and I loved seeing Girafes
It was amazing!!! I´m not really into animals, but the sites we saw included:
A pride of young lionesses playing, elephants shagging, zebra everywhere, lions, in fact it´s pointless to start as there were so many great memories and I would not hesitate to go back.
I enjoyed the Ngorogoro crater, but there were a lot of cars in it , but the serengeti was magnificent and seeing Zebra grazing on a small runway as a plane was landing was a little surreal.
Not sure who we booked with, but Kate at Inspired Travel (based in Hinckley) did everything for us by phone and was brilliant
Edited to add.... the eagles we saw were just magnificent and I loved seeing Girafes
Edited by The jiffle king on Tuesday 9th July 13:08
It depends on what you want really. We were in a car made for 6-8 with only us and another couple and we all wanted the authentic experience, so our guide did just that for us. We went off the beaten track a lot more, and sat patiently instead of chasing the radio´s which many people do. Seeing the young lionesses playing one morning was just incredible though.
I´d call a couple of companies to ask their opinion as I´ve only been once to Tanzania
I´d call a couple of companies to ask their opinion as I´ve only been once to Tanzania
Edited by The jiffle king on Tuesday 9th July 15:03
We did the Northern Circuit last October - absolutely breathtaking experience that surpassed all expectations. Best of all, most safaris in this area are 'overland' meaning you have a guide and vehicle to yourself for the duration so if you want to spend an hour watching a warthog you can, without some American demanding to be taken to see Simba.
Regarding flights, we flew Kenyan Airways from LHR to Nairobi and then to Kilimanjaro. The other option many people use is KLM to Amsterdam and then on direct to Kili but the timings of the Nairobi route suited us better.
Regarding flights, we flew Kenyan Airways from LHR to Nairobi and then to Kilimanjaro. The other option many people use is KLM to Amsterdam and then on direct to Kili but the timings of the Nairobi route suited us better.
We did a trip with Exodus 4 years ago. It's their Kenya and Tanzania Adventure and we saw as much if not more than we expected. It's an overlander trip so it's a no frills trip but all the better for it. You spend 10 days in the back of a converted lorry (just short of 2000km overall), pitching a tent each evening and packing it again the next day - mostly before sunrise so you can get out and maximise the time on the road. And to finish off with there's 4 days relaxing on Zanzibar to recover. Well worth the effort and we saw a lot more wildlife than we would have seen on a lodge type holiday for a lot less money. You also get to know your travelling companions very well - which isn't always a good thing.
Most meals were cooked on site and they catered very well for veggies. You do have to help out with the washing up etc. afterwards.
Most meals were cooked on site and they catered very well for veggies. You do have to help out with the washing up etc. afterwards.
If you're doing northern circuit (we did in 2009, 8-day safari + Zanzibar), then I'd probably go outside of peak season (i.e. when the Great Migration is in Kenya), as otherwise it (Serengeti especially) CAN become a bit of a circus - heard stories of 20-30 jeeps all round a big cat with a kill.
We went in October, private jeep safari, mid-range accomodation, and had a great time. Only saw occasional vehicles in passing in Tarangire and L. Manyara parks (I'd skip the second), and the same in northern S'geti (near Lobo). Ngorongoro was a little more crowded but that's a relative term - usually we couldn't even SEE another jeep! Max was 4-5 jeeps around a pride of lions with a zebra kill, so not that bad. Central S'geti still felt OK too, only time it felt 'wrong' was maybe a dozen jeeps around a cheetah chase/kill which a lion then stole.
Photos here...but a couple of PHers have better ones too...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48052912@N05/sets/721...
Not done southern circuit, but I believe it's more £££ and longer to get to, so you'll probably sacrifice 1 or 2 days for the same budget, I guess. But it will be quieter / more private...
Do a search on here - there's been a few safari threads.
Also do searches on both TripAdvisor and Fodors forums - both give recommendations for tour operators (UK-based and TZ locals), plus handy tips.
PS - best advice we had was to do a private tour, as then you control the itinerary and can stop/stay/go when you want, not on someone else's timetable.
We went in October, private jeep safari, mid-range accomodation, and had a great time. Only saw occasional vehicles in passing in Tarangire and L. Manyara parks (I'd skip the second), and the same in northern S'geti (near Lobo). Ngorongoro was a little more crowded but that's a relative term - usually we couldn't even SEE another jeep! Max was 4-5 jeeps around a pride of lions with a zebra kill, so not that bad. Central S'geti still felt OK too, only time it felt 'wrong' was maybe a dozen jeeps around a cheetah chase/kill which a lion then stole.
Photos here...but a couple of PHers have better ones too...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48052912@N05/sets/721...
Not done southern circuit, but I believe it's more £££ and longer to get to, so you'll probably sacrifice 1 or 2 days for the same budget, I guess. But it will be quieter / more private...
Do a search on here - there's been a few safari threads.
Also do searches on both TripAdvisor and Fodors forums - both give recommendations for tour operators (UK-based and TZ locals), plus handy tips.
PS - best advice we had was to do a private tour, as then you control the itinerary and can stop/stay/go when you want, not on someone else's timetable.
tighnamara said:
Can't comment on the North but chose the South a few years back to get away from too many tourists.
Traveled around Selous and Ruaha and most days you never saw another group of tourists.
Plenty of wildlife and felt more like being out in the wild, No guides calling each other because they have spotted some animals and the area becoming "packed" with other tourists.
No problem with food, was quite amazed at what was on offer.
/\ This.Traveled around Selous and Ruaha and most days you never saw another group of tourists.
Plenty of wildlife and felt more like being out in the wild, No guides calling each other because they have spotted some animals and the area becoming "packed" with other tourists.
No problem with food, was quite amazed at what was on offer.
I've just returned from Selous, Ruaha and Mikumi.
All three were very different and excellent.
Choosing when to go is difficult in terms of the trade-off between climate and ease of finding game.
We flew Swiss, changing in Zurich.
Everybody will have a different opinion though;
we went with friends who have been to Tanzania five times before and hated the
'circus' of the northern circuit, yet my daughter didn't find the north too busy
except for the Crater.
Tsetse fly can be a problem in the north but having said that, there were lots in Mikumi.
I've only been to the south and that was this time 5 years ago (bloody hell time flies!) and at that it was only two days I spent in Ruaha.
It was fantastic and we got to see a lot of wildlife. I was in a group from school of around 18 and we had 3 different Land Rovers, each one a bit different. There was plenty of wildlife about and next to nobody else aside from our group.
We saw a lot of Giraffes which I sort of got bored of quickly
as well as quite a few elephants, lions and other animals which truth be told I couldn't name!
It was fantastic and we got to see a lot of wildlife. I was in a group from school of around 18 and we had 3 different Land Rovers, each one a bit different. There was plenty of wildlife about and next to nobody else aside from our group.
We saw a lot of Giraffes which I sort of got bored of quickly
as well as quite a few elephants, lions and other animals which truth be told I couldn't name!Dreadful website but these people own lodges and the 'airline'
and so all the transits from Dar, and to and from the various camps went VERY smoothly: http://www.tanzaniasafaris.info/
and so all the transits from Dar, and to and from the various camps went VERY smoothly: http://www.tanzaniasafaris.info/
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