Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PLANNING
Booking a Safari
Arusha is the best place to organise a visit to the northern parks. Mwanza-based operators
also organise safaris into western Serengeti. For the southern parks, there's no comparable
hub, although most southern-focused operators have offices in Dar es Salaam. For Gombe
and Mahale Mountains, Kigoma is the base for independent and budget travellers, while
most upper-end safaris to these parks, and to Katavi, are organised out of Arusha as fly-in
packages or - for Mahale and Katavi - as fly-in add-ons to a Ruaha safari. Mwanza and
Bukoba are the starting points for Rubondo Island National Park.
Booking and paying for a safari before arriving in Tanzania is recommended if you'll be
travelling in popular areas during the high season. While costs may be 5% to 10% higher at
the budget level for pre-booked safaris, advance booking enables you to minimise dealings
with safari touts. They're not all bad guys, but many are aggressive, slippery or both, and the
whole experience can be somewhat intimidating. Pre-booking also minimises the amount of
cash that you'll need to carry.
If you wait to book your safari once in Tanzania, allow time to shop around and don't rush
into any deals.
Costs
Most safari quotes include park entrance fees, accommodation and transport costs to/from
the park and within the park, but confirm before paying. Drinks (alcoholic or not) are gener-
ally excluded, although many operators provide one bottle of water daily. Budget camping
safari prices usually exclude sleeping bag rental (US$5 per day to US$20 per trip).
If accommodation-only prices apply, you'll need to pay extra to actually go out looking
for wildlife, either on wildlife drives, boat safaris or walks. There is usually the chance for
two of these 'activities' per day (each about two to three hours). Costs range from about
US$30 per person per activity up to US$250 per day per vehicle for wildlife drives.
BUDGET SAFARIS
Most budget safaris are camping safaris. To minimise costs, you'll likely camp outside na-
tional park areas (thereby saving park admission and camping fees) or stay in budget gues-
thouses. Budget operators also save costs by working with larger groups to minimise per-
person transport costs, and by keeping to a no-frills setup with basic meals and a minimum
number of staff. Most budget and many midrange safaris place daily kilometre limits on the
vehicles.
Expect to pay from US$150 to US$200 per person per day for a budget safari with a re-
gistered operator. To save money, bring drinks with you, especially bottled water, as it's ex-
pensive in and near the parks. Snacks, extra food and toilet paper are other worthwhile take-
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