Late June Budget Safari Nairobi to Arusha - Advice Needed

Ps. Do I need to post this in the Tanzania Forum to get both Kenyan and Tanzanian experts to see this or is that considered overkill?

Hello Jeremy
1.Would you plan the safari to go from Nairobi to Masai Mara and cross the border at Isibania and then back into the Serengeti (seeing the migration) and then to Ngorongoro Crater and finally onto Arusha.................(Yes it possible to plan the safari from Nairobi-Masai Mara then you cross the border via isebania but when you do this on the Tanzania side you will be forced to do a private safari.

2.Would you skip the Masai Mara and head to Amboseli national park so that we could see Mt Kilimanjaro/do a safari there and then head into Tanzania at the Namanga crossing to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater?...................(You can also go to Tanzania via the Namanga border crossing to Serengeti and Ngorongoro. As for me I would advice you not to miss Masai Mara, but if you if you fill you cant miss to see Mt Kili and you have less days then you can go ahead and skip Mara and instead go to Amboseli. But if you have more days you can visit both parks.

3.Do you have any good recommendations for reputable budget tour companies who do safaris in both Kenya and Tanzania?.........................( There are tpour operatours who operate both on the Kenyan and also Tanzania side)

4.About the cost for the Kenyan side you cant miss group were by you can pay between $120-$150 per person per day but on the Tanzania side via isebania you will be doing a private safari which can cost you between $300-$350 per person per day.

You'll find lots of advice on TT, but a couple of points here:

Amboseli and Kili: unless the air is clear and ideally it's rained recently, you probably won't get great shots of the mountain. During the dry season (it could still be the long rainy season at the end of June, but it's more likely to be the start of the dry season, though climate is so unpredictable these days), the mountain can be swathed in high grey cloud cover for days on end and hardly ever makes an appearance.

Budget group safaris. Anyone taking mini-buses of travellers to the parks and claiming to do it for $120-$150 per day is possibly exaggerating ;) Bearing in mind daily park fees alone of $80 per person per 24 hours, you need to get everything in writing very clearly upfront before signing up. The general rule of thumb is that $200 ppper day is about the cheapest feasible price for a packed minibus and a proper safari that doesn't cut corners or rip people off. Very hard to do it for less and make any money when food, water, fuel, park fees and staff wages are taken into account.

Be sure to get the following in writing as a commitment.

1) how many 24 hour park fees, and for which parks/reserves?
2) which campsites will be used (names and locations)?
3) exact route, and park gates to be used (on a google map if necessary)?
4) number and duration of actual game drives (ie when you leave camp, with staff left behind to guard tents, and venture out to actually watch wildlife - normally twice a day from 6.30–9/10 and from 3.30–6.30)?

A common ruse is to sell a "3-day safari" which consists of 2 nights, and only 1 24-hour park ticket.

Caveat emptor!

This would be an ideal program (budget around US$ 300 per person per night on private)
Day 1 Nairobi
Day 2 Masai Mara
Day 3 Masai Mara
Day 4 Serengeti (Please note this will be along drive 8-9hrs)
Day 5 Serengeti
Day 6 Ngorongoro
Day 7 Ngorongoro
Day 8 Drive to Arusha and fly to Zanzibar

The program will give you high chances with migration, in Serengeti stay at camp/lodges near Mara river, if you can afford you can fly from Masai Mara to Serengeti with scheduled flight it will cost you about US$ 400 but you will safe a day..flight timings 0910Hrs/1105Hrs.
All the best!

Richard the$120-$150 per person per day is normally price for budget group joining camping safaris.If you get to inquire from different tour companies you will get the same quote for budget safari.Remember in some parks like Masai Mara there is re-entry but in some parks like Nakuru there is no re-entry.Thanks

Another couple questions I had after researching a bit and getting prices back are:

Is it cheaper to book a Nairobi to Masai Mara NP to Isibania trip through a Kenyan Tour operator. And then book a Isibania - Serengeti NP - Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha trip through a Tanzania Tour operator?

Or is that too much hassle with not enough upside? Basically, am I leaving more opportunity for this to go wrong by doing that for very little savings? Does it even change the price doing them separately and not having the tour company organize something that flows through both countries?

Also, is $300 usd per person per day expensive for a private budget camping safari?

Thoughts? Thanks to those who have already replied.

So I've gotten quotes for "budget camping" around $300 usd per person per day, with a very similar schedule. This is for basic camping safari (i think we set up the tents each night and sleep on the the ground rather than a pre-set up tent with a cot in it). Does that seem high to you? Do you think I can get camp/lodges for that price? Or is that on point for a budget camping safari?

Also that was for a private safari, not a group.

Whether $300pppd is a good price depends how many people are on the trip, how many nights away, how many 24-hour park fees, and which parks/reserves/conservancies (fees vary). Then it depends whether you're staying on private campsites (known in the national parks as "Special Campsites") where you book the whole site (or rather your operator does) or using public campsites where it's first come first served and rates are much lower. And then it depends on the vehicle (comfortable?, new? rattling? faulty?) and your driver-guide, the guy behind the wheel (a seasoned pro, with qualifications and lots of experience, or a man with a vehicle and not much idea. And it depends if your trip is just clients-plus-driver or there are one or two other crew as well. So, lots of factors. You do need to get everything in writing, in detail. Good luck!