I am interested in a Safari or climbing Kilimanjaro? What is my next step?
You can book a suggested Itinerary from our website. These trips offer the convenience of a pre-set itinerary and a fixed price, with flexible scheduling. Travel dates are up to you. You can book into a Group Departure trip that fits your interests, joining a small group of travelers. A group Departure trip gives you the convenience of a fixed price and a pre-set itinerary. Or you can start from scratch and work with us to develop a totally customized itinerary and schedule. We are enthusiastically open to side trips, detours, special needs and special plans.
What do the trip prices include?
Full board lodging (3 meals a day) on Safari or Kilimanjaro, whether in hotels, lodges, tented camps, mobile tented camps, or bush camps as specified in your itinerary
Half board (2 meals a day on Zanzibar)
All your park and game reserves fees, including conservation fees
Unlimited game drives in our safari vehicles-window seat guaranteed
All in-country transportation as specified in your itinerary, whether by vehicle or bush plane
One of our experienced in-country safari and Kilimanjaro guides.
Excursions, as specified in your itinerary
'Flying doctors' insurance
Unlimited bottled water in our safari vehicles
All transport – 4WD safari vehicles
Bottles of red and white wines, beers and sodas during camping on the Africa VIP Travel private luxury mobile camp, except in lodges and hotels
What is not included in the trip price?
International and regional airfare.
Any expenses incurred in conjunction with this trip while in your home country.
Cost of obtaining required passports or visas: Tanzania US$50pp, Kenya US$50pp.
Airport departure taxes: Tanzania/Zanzibar domestic departure tax US$5pp one way, Tanzania/Zanzibar international departure tax US$30pp - payable direct in cash on departure if it is not yet included in your ticket).
Travel Insurance. Please make sure that you obtain a convenient travel insurance in your home country
Excess baggage fees. Note: Baggage is restricted to 33lbs/15kgs Kenya/Tanzania per person in a soft sided bag on all charter flights. Maximum weight per person on charter flights is 90kg/ 198lbs; it is the responsibility of the client to advise African Portfolio if this limit is exceeded as extra costs may be incurred.
Medical expenses, meals or activities not specified or indicated as optional;
Gratuities to drivers/guides/tour leaders. Note: Tipping is discretionary based on services provided; Tipping guidelines are: $10-$15 per day for professional safari guides/tour leaders; $5-$10 per day for camp staff, e.g. waiters, housekeepers, which is a communal tip that is shared among the staff); porters - $1; driver/guides - $5 -$10); restaurant waiters/waitresses – 10% of bill; hotel housekeeping - $2 per day.
How does our pricing work?
Our trips use tiered pricing
based on logistics. Getting people into remote areas where the best
game viewing exists is more costly when there are only two people
in the Land Rover, rather than four or five. Economies of scale
result in lower pricing for four or five people traveling together
as opposed to pricing for a couple traveling alone. As well, the
logistics of moving gear around for a walking safari with numerous
bush camps is more complicated and costly than a trip that involves
simply staying at a lodge. Our pricing structure is tiered so you
pay for the costs of your safari and don't subsidize other groups.
Our trips have no hidden costs. We don’t quote you a low price
and then tell you that, in addition you have to pay your park fees
or that in-country transportation is extra. When we quote you a
trip price it includes almost everything while you are in-country.
The few items not included like gratuities, passport and visa fees,
tips and beverages are set forth above.
Our trip prices
range over a wide scale. The price depend of:
The number of people traveling in the group
Whether your in-country transportation is by bush plane
or Land Rover
Whether you choose to stay in lodges or smaller tented camps
How remote you want to go
Whether you want to view game from a mobile tented camp
Whether you want to participate in walking safaris that
involve remote bush camps
We can work with you to bring your safari within your budget range.
Most of our trips are Suggested Itineraries, but you can vary them
as you want. Let us know what your budget is and we will do our
best to design a trip that gives you the experiences you want within
the budget you set.
What are the payment requirements?
You can wire a down payment to our account at CRDB Bank in Tanzania.
We require a deposit so we can start booking your hotels.
How far in advance to I need to book?
There is no cutoff. However, flights into Kenya and Tanzania are
limited and you will find that there can be problems getting seats
on British Airways or KLM if you try to schedule less than two months
ahead of time. Peak seasons also book up as far as nine months ahead
of time. Mid to late December is a busy time in both Kenya and Tanzania.
Outside of peak seasons, you should have no trouble booking if you
schedule your safari at least six to eight months in advance.
When is the best time of year to visit Tanzania?
Let's start with when not to travel: November, April and May. This is the rainy season in East Africa and it becomes pretty hard to get around in the remote places our guests want to explore. The mass migration moves from Kenya into the Serengeti in Tanzania in December, January, February, and
March. That can be a spectacular time to travel in Tanzania. Climate
changes are triggering some changes in the timing of the migration,
so check with us if you are interested in traveling on the edges
of the normal migratory months.
This doesn't mean that there isn't great game viewing at other times.
June, July, August, September and October can be a very relaxing
time. The lodges are less crowded and the game reserves not involved
in the migratory pathways have as much game as normal. It's all
a matter of what you want. Check with us if you have specific time
frames in mind for your travel and we can help you plan where to
be so you get the best possible game viewing experiences.
What kind of weather can I expect on Safari?
Most of East Africa is savannah, comparable to the high plateau, semi-desert areas of Colorado or
New Mexico. Altitude ranges from 3,000 to 7,000 feet. (Obviously
Kilimanjaro climbers will experience much higher altitudes.) Temperatures
during the day range from 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Nights are
cool with temperatures dipping as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit in
some areas (Ngorongoro Crater, for example). Even though you will
be traveling near the equator, please take our packing recommendations
seriously and take along a light jacket or sweatshirt, sweater,
and a fleece pullover. Additionally, bring something warm to sleep
in at night. Humidity is low. If you don't travel near the rainy
season, it usually doesn't rain.
What kind of shape do I need to be in?
You get to choose the activity level of your safari. Traditional Land Rover safaris require little or no physical activity, although you can add all kinds of active adventures to your safari, including an afternoon walking safari.
Our Walking Safari, and Kilimanjaro Climb, are quite active. These
trips include 8 to 10 walking days. Each walking day involves 3
to 6 hours on foot, with a Land Rover shadowing the group so you
can walk as much of that time as you want and ride the rest of the
way. On these trips, you also spend some time in a traditional Land
Rover safari, but these safaris are definitely for people who want
to be more active.
INSURANCE
Whether or not you purchase travel insurance is strictly up to you,
but we have provided couple sites that provide information; Travel
Guard (www.insuredvacation.com) and Travel Insurance Services (www.travelinsure.com)
We suggest that you check your health insurance policy to make sure
you are covered in cases of illness or accident in a foreign country.
What if someone cancels at the last minute due to illness or unavoidable circumstances?
By that time, the hotels, guides and porters have been paid so we
cannot offer a refund. We would recommend trip insurance, please
refer above for a couple links.
Gear Packing list for Safaris, Walking
Safari and Kilimanjaro climbs refer to the general information.
What kind of medical care do I need before I go to Tanzania?
Before you leave for an international destination you should consult your physician. You will also need to decide on a malaria prevention medication. It is advised to take malaria prophylaxis.
Vaccination for Yellow Fever is not obligatory anymore. Other vaccinations
like hepatitis, tetanus are recommended. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel/eafrica) has great information
on recommended vaccines and further health-related advice for travel
in East Africa.
What is the safety for Kilimanjaro trekkers?
For each or our climbs we have a medically trained guide to monitor
for early AMS or Acute Mountain Sickness. We are trained for detection
and appropriate treatment if necessary. For all of our climbs we
carry safety equipment: oxygen, Gamow bag, Pulse-oximeter and appropriate
medication and cell phone. The Gamow bag or portable hyperbaric
chamber is used in advancing acute mountain sickness with either
HACE or high altitude cerebral edema or HAPE or high altitude pulmonary
edema. An oxygen bottle and mask are also used for emergencies of
AMS. Our pulse-oximeter helps us monitor your response to treatment.
When you climb with us, we will try our best to make sure you will
be safe, comfortable and have an enjoyable climb.
Visa
Visitors from most countries require a visa in order to enter Tanzania.
Some visitors can purchase a visa at the point of entry, but some
nationalities are required to obtain the visa in advance in their
home country. Please check the current situation with your local
Tanzanian diplomatic mission. If you intend to fly to Nairobi and
then travel on to Tanzania, remember that you may also require a
multiple entry visa to enter Kenya, even if it is only for a few
hours. January 2006 the Visa for Kenya and Tanzania is 50 US$ per
person for each country.
Photography
Some of the happiest travelers I have met are those that don't take a camera with them and just enjoy what they see, but most people want a record of some of the fantastic sights along the way. You will get fairly close to a lot of the wildlife, but a good 35 mm camera with a 75-300 zoom lens will certainly help you take some great shots. It is always best to buy your film before you travel, because film here is expensive and not as fresh. 100 – 200 ASA is a good speed for general photography here. Though it can get bright, you might want to be able to get some action shots and the higher speed film will be helpful. Some people also like to use 400 ASA for fast moving animals and evening shots. A beanbag is much better than a tripod for photos from the car. (The safari vehicle should have a pop-up or removable roof to make photography
easier.) A cable release is useful to get shots without camera motion.
Also, a flash can help with indoor and campfire shots. Remember
to bring extra batteries for your camera equipment. Most people
find they take 2 to 3 rolls of film per day whilst on safari.
If you bring a video camera, don't forget the tapes (very expensive
here) and the recharging accessories. You can generally recharge
the camera at lodges and from the vehicle.
Tipping
Tipping driver-guides, porters, cooks and waiters is regarded as
normal but only if you have received good service. On safari or
treks, it is usual to give the tips to your guide on the last day
to disperse amongst the team. At Forsters, all staff are paid above
the going rate however if you would like to leave a tip then it
will definitely be greatly appreciated!
Money Matters
The unit of local currency is the Tanzania Shilling (Tsh). American
dollars in cash or travelers-cheques are acceptable in many places
around town (note: AMEX Travellers-cheques are often not accepted).
Credit cards are accepted only in big hotels, and if you do manage
to find a place to use them there will usually be a surcharge of
at least 10%.
