EAST AFRICA 2017
In August 2017, we finally set off for our long anticipated African adventure. It was truly an amazing experience and I am so excited to share our experiences :)
OUR ROUTE
1. Kigali/Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
2. Northern Serengeti, Tanzania
3. Central Serengeti, Tanzania
4. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
5. Tarangire Park /Arusha, Tanzania
BACKGROUND
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda was 100% for the Gorilla Trek. To read more about that experience click HERE.
As for Tanzania, we were praying on catching the Wilderbeest Migration. First off, there are so many ways to do an African safari. Like region – South vs East Africa? Totally different experiences so do your research! Next, the method of travelling can range from a) booking with a local tour company and have the same guide drive you throughout all the camps, b) booking directly with a resort and do a “Fly-In” Safaris where you fly from camp to camp and have the local resort’s guide take you out on safari or c) doing a Self-Drive & DIY free camping. Of course, there are further varieties but I’d say those are the main categories. Pros & Cons to all the categories – just choose what works best for you.
Disclaimer : I am absolutely not an expert on the migration but to the best of my knowledge, the wilderbeest migration occurs in a clockwise manner surrounding the Serengeti (Tanzania) & Masai Mara (Kenya). At the time of our trip (late August), the best guess at the time assumed the migration would be around the Northern Serengeti. So, when trip planning, keep in mind WHEN you want to go and WHERE you want to go. It’s not a perfect science but the two elements have to align to create the best experience. For example, it would not make much sense to be in the Masai Mara in mid-late August because the migration would have likely already passed. You’d end up seeing a bunch of grasslands and maybe a couple lions.
With the migration, the assumption is that as tens of thousands of wilderbeest migrate chasing the grasslands, along with the zebras, antelopes and other herbivore animals, the other animals dependent on these animals *cough predators* will follow suit. Think Circle of Life. So the best action is alongside the wilderbeest migration because that’s when you’ll catch the most. And that we did. AMAZING.
To read more about the African Safari, click HERE.
TYPE OF TRAVEL
There are a variety of ways to travel on a Safari. There is ULTRA luxury ( ~ $1K CAD per night range), Mid-Luxury (~ $500 CAD per night), BASIC to straight up CAMPING. So there is truly a way for everyone to visit East Africa. We opted for the mid luxury range because a) we wanted to truly enjoy ourselves and b) we wanted the peace of mind of extra security.
COST SUMMARY
We booked our travels with a local tour company in Vancouver, BC called Safari Partners. Highly recommend! It was such a joy working with them. Safari Partners offers a variety of pre-made packages that make the trip much more cost efficient [our trip was very similar to the pre-made “Gorillas & Game” trip which was about $3-4K CAD cheaper than our trip per person. Just FYI. At the end of the day, we opted to create our own itinerary made from scratch. We probably went through 5-6 different versions and Chris’ honest feedback was greatly appreciated.
Tour (incl: tour guide, transportation, accommodation, foods, 1 local flight)
International Flight
Visa Fees
Tipping
TOTAL COSTS
= $10K CAD pp
= $2K CAD pp
= $30USD extra for Rwanda & $50USD for Tanzania
= $35USD extra for Rwanda & $135USD for Tanzania.
Recommendation is $5-$10 per day for camp staff and
$10-$15 per day for your guide.
= $12.5K CAD pp for 13D/12N itinerary
ACCOMMODATION
Lemigo Hotel, Kigali
Being less than 10 minutes away from the airport made it super convenient for us as we pretty much stayed in Kigali just to/from the Volcanoes National Park. Lemigo Hotel aspires to be a 4 star western style hotel but at best, it is a dated 3 star. But with the basic functions of a good washroom & decent wifi – we were happy campers. [Note: we had lunch one day at the Hotel des Mille Collines nearby and for the same price point as Lemigo Hotel, we’d recommend staying there if Kigali is a focus point of the trip. Hotel des Milles Collines is rather famous being depicted in the movie “Hotel Rwanda” re: the 1994 genocide between the Tutsis & Hutus]
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Volcanoes National Park
The main lodge is cozy and everything you’d imagine in a Lodge. On arrival, we were greeted by the sounds of African drums along with local singing & dancing. Superb. However, our individual cottage was a bit dodgy. The bathroom had an abundance of creepy crawlers (they give you shower slippers for a reason) and our bedsheets felt permanently wet. Yuck. Of course I assume this has to do with the cooler climate in the area. Nonetheless the lodge is perfectly situated for the following morning’s very early gorilla tracking.
Mara Under Canvas, Northern Serengeti
AH-MA-ZING. Truly an authentic African experience with the perfect combination of comfort, intimacy and isolation. Trading WIFI as entertainment for beautiful views of the African Savannah, the camp made us really appreciate the beauty of simplicity. If you need your wifi and standard western amenities, this camp is likely not for you. But we loved the ecofriendly, solar powered, canvas tents fully equipped with a bed, western style toilet and make shift shower. Superb.
Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge, Central Serengeti
Our favorite camp of the trip. It seems Central Serengeti has the nicest resorts available given that the famous Four Seasons was just around the corner (maybe next time). Kubu Kubu is a newly built camp with tents built on a wooden platform. The views are absolutely killer and the cottages were fit for royalty. Extra bonuses = infinity pool overlooking the Savannah, amazing outdoor showers again overlooking the Savannah and beds that could keep me asleep for days.
Neptune Ngorongoro Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater
Although this was by far the most luxurious camp of the trip (the Serena Safari Lodge was full), it was my least favorite. Depending on your objective of travelling to East Africa, this lodge may be the perfect place for you. However, we felt the lodge forcibly isolated guests from the local beauty and flavor Ngorongoro has to offer hoping to lead you into thinking you were at the Hilton in Oahu. We prefer embracing and incorporating the local aspects rather than staying in a lodge that was decorated with the mindset of a Hunter’s cabin in Banff, Alberta. Mind you, we were likely jaded as the staff would not let our guide dine with us (instead trying to charge him $40USD for a meal). Ridiculous.
Maramboi Tented Lodge, Tarangire Park
Having been absolutely spoilt up to this point, Maramboi had the unfortunate luck of being our last camp of the trip. To sum it up – it is definitely basic. The camp has a very open concept so you and the mosquitoes are one. Our bodies were devoured despite all attempts at applying repellent and using mosquito nettings. The cottages are parallel to a hostel aka basic. But waking up with zebras and wilderbeest at your doorstep is unforgettable. Being on ground level and so exposed, the camp offers endless views of the golden grasslands and Manyara Lake.
PACKING LIST / CLOTHING ATTIRE
SUMMARY
Overall, this trip was perfection. For those who know me, you know those words are rare. Truly, everything exceeded my expectation and our tour guide (Francis Kembo) was amazing. Our local tour operator was African Horizons. They only have a fleet of about 40 trucks versus Leopard Tour who has over 400 trucks. With that, I believe African Horizons focuses more on quality and authenticity. There are many other operators who are cheaper but the guides are not properly trained and the trucks are ill-equipped. If Harrison Ford is happy with Francis Kembo from African Horizon, it is more than good enough for me! ;)
Extra thoughts:
- Insect repellant is key. The si-si flies are relentless
- My coworkers joked about buying adult diapers. I seriously considered it. Driving to/from camps can be many hours. Daily safari rides can also be many hours. While it is important to stay hydrated, another huge concern was the washroom facilities. There isn't an outhouse available so if you DO need to go (which only occurred once), you will need to go VERY QUICKLY. Just a thought.
- Luggage restrictions. They were very strict. It had to be duffle bags (no wheels).
PHOTOS