Late June Budget Safari Nairobi to Arusha - Advice Needed

Hello,

My wife and I are planning our honeymoon and would appreciate some advice on how to best use our time in Kenya and Tanzania.

We will be arrive in Nairobi on the 25th of June and would like to the start a 8day/7night safari the next day. Our plan is to make our way south and fly out of Arusha to Zanzibar on July 3rd.

We would like to see the wildebeest migration but have heard that at that time, it will still be fully in the Serengeti. My first question is:

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.

or

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?

I know that it will be personal preference and I know that the Masai Mara is a must see but I am leaning towards going to Amboseli. My thinking is that in late June/early July the migration will be in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara will not be as "full" of animals and I'd also really like to take some pictures in Amboseli with Mt Kilimanjaro as the backdrop. Will I kick myself for this decision? Any advice from people who have done a similar trip would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, we really like to do a budget safari as we like the idea of sleeping in tents and also to save some money as we don't want to waste money on accommodation and put it toward experiences there. Do you have any good recommendations for reputable budget tour companies who do safaris in both Kenya and Tanzania? Or is it easier/cheaper to do the Ambroseli or Masai Mara safari through a Kenyan Tour operator (please again offer some recommendations for tour companies) and the Serengeti/Ngorongoro Crater safari through a Tanzanian Safari Operator (recommendations of tour companies?)?

Lastly, what is the rule of thumb price wise for a budget tour in Kenya and Tanzania? (like $150/day per person or more like $200/day or more?) Just so I have a general idea if a company is quoting too high for a budget tour.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to answer all or some of my questions. I really appreciate it.

Jeremy

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!

Hey . For the Kenya sector --Mara i know a company which can offer budget accomm at Olmoran Tented Camp per day with transportation using a shared minivan vehicle and park fees per day included at a cost of USD 280per person per day . The driver is experienced and i have recomended other guys who have used this company and has been excellent . The accommodation is on full board basis which is ensuite rooms These can organize the Kenya sector pretty well and maybe if you also approach them they could as well do Tanz . There contacts are info@bisonsafaris.co.ke . You may reach them on that contact .

All the best ,

I just got back from a wonderful safari in Kenya at both Amboseli and Maasai Mara.

I won't address all your questions, especially as relates to Tanzania as I didn't go there (except we did technically cross the invisible border while at Maasai Mara!).

The wildebeest migration is at Mara right now. I saw the crossing. It was spectacular. I am thinking that if the crossing in the Maasai Mara is in September this year then the reverse side in Tanzania is probably going to be earlier than June/July, but anyone can feel free to correct me (and I'm also aware that the actual timing of the migration varies from year to year and is always unpredictable, but my parents did go to Tanzania/Serengeti in July two years ago and saw plenty of wildebeests but they weren't making the "crossing" either). But another point to consider is that while you may be around during migration season, whether in Tanzania or Kenya, it doesn't guarantee that you'll see the river crossing. The herds may stay on one side of the river and wait a day or two before making the crossing. The guides just can't guarantee that you'll see the crossing, although you will certainly see the herds. Case point is that with my safari company, people saw the crossing the day before I arrived at the Mara, on the day I arrived at the Mara, and on the day I went into the park itself, but not the day afterwards!

Amboseli was wonderful but the other comment about visibility of Mount Kilimanjaro is on target. It's not a crystal clear view of the mountain. The outlines were visible as was the remains of the snow capped peak, but for the most part it's hazy. But for me the real glory was the ecosystem at Amboseli, not the mountain, and the herds of elephants and hippos and amazing birds.

Safaris seem to be one of those activities where the more you spend, the more you do really get out of it. While not universal, but I have picked up that the more you spend with a proven, reputable company, the much better guides you get (and a good guide is extremely important in tracking the animals as the top guides all keep in touch with each other and will relay the important discoveries and sightings to each other). The better guides will also be much more knowledgable about the animals themselves. The better the location of the camp sites/lodges will be with greater wildlife numbers. The fewer people will be crammed into your safari vehicle and the vehicle itself will be better, instead of a cramped minibus you get a proper open air land cruiser. Instead of taking long, 8-10 hour bus rides from one park to another, you take short flights on tiny planes or the slightly larger SafariLinks plane with wonderful views of Kenya from above.

I did my safari through Gamewatchers, a subsidiary of the luxury Porini group which offers luxury camping safaris. Gamewatchers offers everything Porini does at their main camps except that you sleep in basic traditional tents and your facilities are a bit more rustic (but still have proper toilets and camp showers available). For the first half of the safari I stayed at Gamewatcher's camp in their private conservancy adjoining Amboseli and it was truly wonderful, I saw a leopard walk by the camp! We had a whole day inside Amboseli itself. For this I paid 350/night (estimate) inclusive of everything, and this included a singles supplement. I was supposed to stay at the Gamewatchers camp at Mara too, but at the last minute received a free! upgrade to the Porini luxury camp itself, which was fabulous although in terms of food, quality of the guides and the wonderful open air land cruiser vehicles it was the same, with only the tents being different (larger, proper beds, lovely decorated a la a fancy safari from 1905). At Porini's Mara conservancy (where both the luxury camp and the basic Gamewatcher's camp are located) I saw a pride of 10 lions and cubs, plus two male lions, a leopard, two different cheetahs with their cubs, elephants, herds of zebras, giraffes and wildebeest and gazelles plus assorted nocturnal animals.

Based on my experiences with Gamewatchers, I would really strongly advise you try to up your budget a bit to stay in the Gamewatchers camps because the quality of the guides and experience was just wonderful. The other advantage to Gamewatchers/Porini is that they generally don't have set dates for the safaris the way most safari companies do. They take bookings based on availability at their camps with guaranteed multiple drives every day and at least one all day visit to the main park itself during your stay. This flexibility worked perfectly for me as none of the quoted dates from other safari companies worked for me (most safari companies are really safari brokers, who book accommodation/vehicles as needed for a group and will combine you with other people, unlike Porini/Gamewatchers, who own their own facilities).

I may sound like a shill for Gamewatchers, but after doing careful research into safaris in Kenya and initially balking at the prospect of spending quite a lot of money just to sleep in a basic tent, my experiences with Gamewatchers showed why it was well worth the money and why I was right to avoid taking cheaper safaris. While definitely doable to find cheaper companies, you won't get quite the same intimate experience that made such a wonderful difference to my trip. I'm aware of budget constraints and I do have budgets of my own and this was probably the most expensive trip I took based on a per day basis, but frankly, if you can come up with an extra thousand dollars between you and your wife to bump you up to the better levels of safaris, you will not regret it. At all.

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