The first step in planning your safari or vacation is deciding where
you are going, when you are going and how much time you have for the
safari. Where you want to go in East Africa depends on your
objectives and personal circumstances. Is it a vacation with a
loved one to celebrate romance? or is it adventure? or a family
bonding trip? or just an educational trip?. It is best to decide at
least six months prior to leaving.
Use a resident tour operator (in the country where
you are traveling to) for the best destination package based on
your needs and budget. Get a detailed itinerary for your safari
vacation. Please note that the cost for a safari vacation varies
with seasons as indicated in the
Planning a safari section below.
Once you have decided where to go, the next step is how to get
there. This really depends on where your home is from your chosen
destination and how much time off from work you are taking.
From US & North America and Europe
Daily Flights to Nairobi , Kenya leave from JFK, New York, via
either London, Amsterdam or Dubai, depending on the airline you
take. Airlines serving the North America to Kenya Via Europe are as
below:
Note:
Daily flights available to Nairobi,
Kenya from London, Amsterdam and Zurich. Certain airlines such as
British Airways fly direct from London Heathrow to Nairobi. Flight
time is 10 hours + 2 hours for Airlines serving Europe to East Africa route.
From Asia, Far East & Australia
Regular flights into Nairobi from India and the Far East, including
Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Thailand. Flights from Sydney are
routed via Singapore or Dubai. Airlines serving these routes include
the following as well as Kenya Airways:
The main
airport in East Africa is Jomo Kenyatta International (JKIA) airport
in Nairobi. Onwards flights from here to Uganda, Tanzania and
Zanzibar are readily available.
Making
Reservations
Now that you know where you are going and how you are getting there,
start making all necessary reservations. If you reserve airline
tickets, rental cars, and hotel/lodge accommodations early, they are
usually cheaper. Anything you can reserve early-Do it!. It is
advisable to It will save you a lot of hassles later. Seek
information from your destination management company (tour operator)
on how much deposit is required for making the reservation. Once you
have made reservations, keep all the information in a handy place.
Note:
Find out also from your tour operator how you may send the money
because paying online using your credit card may not be a supported
option in most of East Africa.
Now you can decide how much money needs to be available for the trip
and start a savings plan. Set aside a certain amount every month in
preparation for the trip.
Also, decide who will take care of your pets because you may not be
able to travel with pets.
Ask a trustworthy neighbour or family member to collect your mail
and newspapers or have them held while you are away. If you have
houseplants that are easy to care for, you can leave them in a
bathtub with an inch or two of standing water while you are away. If
your plants are complicated, you may ask a neighbour or family
member to plant sit.
About one or two weeks before the trip, begin reconfirming all
reservations to ensure everything is in order. Now is the time to
remind neighbours/family members about watering your plants or
collecting your mail. If you choose to have mail and newspapers
held, this would be the time to set that up.
Today
traveller's cheques are not very widely accepted. Try to
carry about some cash in US dollars for buying snacks
and small souvenirs and tips.
Get out your luggage to decide what you need for each family member.
If you are travelling by plane, choose what you think will really
occupy your children as the carry-on bag will have to be smaller.
Packing to make sure you don't forget anything is simple. Go into
each room of your house and think about what you use on a daily
basis from that room. This will ensure that you will not miss any
common items such as a toothbrush.
Visualize a wardrobe for every family member taking into
consideration the climate of your vacation destination. East Africa
is generally warm but the nights can be chilly. Even if you travel
to a warm destination always bring at least one warm outfit and a
light jacket in case the temperature drops unexpectedly.
>>>>Some Information to help you in
1. What Type of a Safari ?
Our experienced tour consultants can offer you a variety of safari
packages ranging, from luxury safaris with deluxe accommodation and
internal flights to camping safaris where you sleep in tents out in the
open, with only the basic amenities available. Also, you can choose to
add a variety of activities into your tour, such as walking safaris,
mountain climbing, or more luxury options such as golf, fishing and
water sports.
2. How Do I then get a Suitable
Safari:
The best thing is to ask us to tailor a safari to suit your needs. We
don't charge any extra fee for this, and we simply need to know what
your preferences are, how many days you have available and how much you
are looking to spend. Within a day or two many clients manage to get
tailored itinerary with us.
3. How Long should a safari be?
Obviously the longer you are on safari the more you see at a relaxed
pace of travel. However, we offer safaris ranging from 3 days to 30 days
in length. The general rule is to allow at least 2 nights [3 days] at
each safari location, though there are locations where 1 night [2 days]
is practical. The minimum suggested length of safari in any African
country is at least 7 days. A more complete trip would need at least 14
days.
4. When To Come on a Safari:
Kenya and Tanzania generally have a mild, tropical climate, with
moderate changes of temperature throughout the year. There are no
winters or summers as such for the whole of East Africa and parts of
Southern Africa. There are 2 distinct rainy seasons, one from April to
early June and the other from October to November. December to February
are generally warm and sunny. However, due to the great climate in East
Africa, visitors can enjoy a safari or beach holiday virtually all year
round without the climate being a factor.
In terms of wildlife, July to October presents a good time to see the
annual wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara in Kenya when the reserve
is literally teeming with wildlife. However other times of the year
yield great wildlife sighting too, not least in part because other parks
and reserves do not experience fluctuations in animals numbers due to
migration.
In terms of prices, the annual low season from 1st April to end of June
is the cheapest time to travel as can be seen in the table below;
|
Season |
Period |
Cost bracket |
|
Low season |
01 April - 15 June / 01 November -14 December |
Budget Pricing |
|
Peak Season |
16 June - 31 October |
Premium Pricing |
|
High season |
01January - 31 March /15 December - 31
December |
Moderate pricing |
5. Which Locations Do I choose ?
The great thing about an African Safari is that virtually all national
parks offer rewarding and different sights to the traveller. However,
there are some better than others. In Kenya, the Masai Mara,
Lake
Nakuru, Samburu and
Amboseli are recommended while
in Tanzania the Serengeti,
Ngorongoro and
Lake Manyara make for good
safari locations. Locations such as Lake Baringo and Tsavo in Kenya,
Selous and Ruaha in Tanzania are such off the circuit locations which
offer scenic beauty, wildlife and basic tourist facilities.
6. Private Safari or a Group Tour.
A group tour is often cheaper but then cannot be customized to your
needs and does not offer the flexibility and personal freedom that one
will find with a private safari. With a private safari you will enjoy a
much better safari experience - you literally have the chance to really
take in the sights and sounds of Africa at your own pace. You get to
select your safari locations, accommodation and duration. Keep in mind
also that with a private safari you can for example change your game
drive timings, or stop along the way to take snaps, or just for a brief
stop to enjoy a cold drink and admire the view-whenever you feel like
-within reason of course !
7. How do I choose the Hotels and Lodges:
We have a whole section dedicated to Hotels and Lodges with a
description and pictures to aid you in your choice. However, we are in
the best position to recommend you a safari lodge or a hotel. Our staff
have visited and inspected the facilities and can give you first hand
feedback. Take advantage of our experience and local knowledge and let
us suggest the right accommodation for your trip - that's why we are
here!. Admittedly though, there are many lodges and hotels which offer
equally good quality accommodation - however what we offer you depends
on your budget and specific needs. There are
deluxe tented camps priced
at US$ 500+ per person per night, Top end safari camps priced at US$
350+ per person per night and there are also some good , award winning
lodges priced at US$ 200 per person per night. With such a range
available, we try and get you into the accommodation closest to your
budget while meeting your needs - quality is never on compromise and we
do not offer sub standard accommodation to our clients.
8. How Do I
Confirm my Trip and Pay:
We will be with you every step of the way as you plan your safari. As
soon as you are satisfied with your itinerary and the cost, let us know
and we will confirm the tour and send you a detailed trip itinerary. We
accept payment by bank transfer. The procedures are simple ! We will
explain these to you and will assist in every way possible. Recently
Kenya was added in the list of countries where credit card
payments can be made via pay pal. More information will be available on
this.
9. FAQ:
Please refer to general questions ranging from clothing to power supply
and more in the FAQ section.
10. I need Help and Information:
Feel welcome and
write to us for any information you may need and we
will be happy to help !
Kenya