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Safaris in Tanzania and KenyaIn organising safaris on the mainland of Africa we aim to minimise time spent travelling between parks, and maximise the amount of time viewing game.
Safaris are not only about the magic of seeing animals in their natural habitat; nights under the vast African skies are to be savoured, and provide life-long memories of brilliant moonlight and star filled skies, the silence broken only by the sound of animals.
"Excellent! Everything went as planned. The safari was my favourite - definitely recommend it." A. Clohosey - September 2002 "Our safari guide, Omary, was fantastic with an obvious passion for animals and huge enthusiasm for his work - and a wicked sense of humour. Our lodges could not be faulted." Andrew Barton - July 2007 Northern Tanzania Parks include the unique extinct volcanic Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, the vast savannah of the Serengeti National Park as well as the smaller Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park set at the foot of the Great Rift Valley. We book flights with KLM to Kilimanjaro International Airport, just a short distance from Arusha, the gateway to the parks. This avoids the long drive from Nairobi. The first night is spent at an hotel or lodge in/near Arusha.
The Serengeti National Park has been popularised by many TV natural history/wildlife documentaries, particularly the migration of millions of animals looking for the best feeding grounds. It is the farthest park to get to so we suggest people fly either there or back. A popular itinerary is a 5 - 6 night safari combining the Serengeti with the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park We do not book budget accommodation. Such establishments are often uncomfortable and the financial savings are not worth the discomfort. We use small lodges such as Gibbs Farm, Kirurumu Tented Lodge and Plantation Lodge as well as the larger hotel type lodges such as the Serena Lodges at Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater, the former with its dramatic setting on summit of the Rift Valley escarpment and the latter perched on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. After the safari, flights from Arusha to Zanzibar take approximately 1.5 hours and there are several flights each day.
The most accessible is the Selous Game Reserve, relatively untouched by visitors and is the largest protected wildlife sanctuary in Africa. There are very few camps in this vast Reserve and most are located in the banks of the Rufiji River where game come to drink throughout the year. The lodges are small with en-suite tents which have a verandah. An advantage of visiting the Selous is that visitors have a choice of drive safari, river safari or a guided walk. There is also the possibility of "fly camping", spending the night away from the lodge with a tent and a guide/cook who prepares your dinner and breakfast camp style. The Ruaha National Park is farther afield. This is the destination for serious safari seekers with vast open landscapes, relatively few humans but a wide variety of animals. As with the Selous, visitors tend to stay at one of the few camps/lodge striking out each day to different parts according where the best game viewing is on that day. The Great Ruaha River is the central artery where animals are drawn for their water. Mikumi National Park is 300 kilometers from Dar es Salaam and accessible by road. It is the 3rd largest national park in Tanzania and is predominantly woodland, grassland and swamp areas with and surrounded by two mountain ranges. There is a wide range of animals and over 300 species of birds have been observed in the Park. Safaris in Kenya fit in well either on the way to or back from Zanzibar.
Most people for whom we book safaris in Kenya optimise the time of a short safari by flying from Nairobi to the Masai Mara National Reserve where they spend a few days in one camp/lodge. Each day there are game drives to different parts of the Masai Mara and the guides at the camps will know which are the best locations for game viewing. Between drives there is the possibility to take guided walks and visits to Masai villages. Indicative Prices for a short safari (approximately 4 - 5 days) and 9 - 10 days on Zanzibar depend on many things including, time spent on safari, grade of lodges/camps and hotels on Zanzibar as well as the time of year and flight prices. However, as an indication: Kenya Safari & Zanzibar: £1,880.00 - £2,400.00 Northern Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar: £2,150.00 - £2,700.00
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Most people for whom we book safaris prefer to have their own vehicle. In this way we can tailor itineraries according to what people want. However, we can also arrange safaris on a shared vehicle basis, but this does mean fitting in to a set schedule and often involves quite long drives between parks.
For people wanting good game viewing, and to see the amazing land forms of the Rift Valley and Ngorongoro Crater, we suggest visiting Tarangiri National Park, Lake Manyara National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. All of these are within a couple of hours drive of each other, avoiding long drives between locations.
Southern Tanzania Parks are very accessible to Zanzibar with daily flights taking just over 1 hour. 3 or 4 night safaris based in 1 lodge is the usual duration as one does not have "down-time" moving between parks or lodges. This gives all day, every day, for excursions and game viewing.
We can arrange safaris which take in many of the popular parks including Tsavo National Park, Amboselli National Park in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, the Abedares and Nakuru National Park as well as the famous Masai Mara National Reserve.