Guide on how to Book a Safari in Tanzania : In different blogs, search engines and social platforms, Tanzania appears to be a thrilling holiday destination in Africa. It attracts different visitors who have different interests and hobbies. Mountain climbers, birders, archaeologists, historians, wildlife viewers, adventurists, botanists, culture tourists and many others have their special sites in Tanzania. Tanzania is home to various unique attractions including the Serengeti Migration, Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, Selous Game Reserve (Nyerere National Park), Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains National Parks, Maasai Tribe, Zanzibar Beaches, Stone Town and many others. These attractions hold a record in Africa and in the world. Serengeti Migration is the world’s largest migration. It is also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of African. This spectacular event happens in the Serengeti Ecosystem covering two national parks from two countries, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Masai Mara National Reserve. However, most of the events takes place in the Serengeti. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera on earth said to have been formed about three million years ago. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain on earth and one of the Seven Summits. It is the highest peak in Africa and one of the Seven Wonders of Africa. Mount Meru is the fifth highest peak in Africa. Selous Game Reserve hold the title of the largest wildlife sanctuary in Africa. It is the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains National Parks are two parks bordering the shores of the deepest lake in Africa, Lake Tanganyika. These parks are home to large concentration of chimpanzees in the world. Jane Goodall, the famous primatologist spent a decade studying the behavior of chimpanzees in Gombe.
Other splendid attractions in Tanzania include the Hadzabe and Maasai tribes. The former live in the African bush up to now practicing hunting and gathering. Efforts to convert such communities by the government have proved failure. They are less social. The latter are semi-nomadic pastoralists living close to the Ngorongoro Crater. They pose no harm to wild animals because they never eat wild meat. Instead they eat meat from their livestock. Other spectacular cultural ethnic groups in Tanzania include the Chagga, Sukuma, Ha, Nyakyusa, Gogo, Zaramo and many others.
I have given you a short summary of few attractions to come for in Tanzania. Now, I can say that you have every reason to plan a visit to this beautiful country. However, some safari goers who have never visited Africa or Tanzania find it difficult to plan a trip. Point to note is that there is no fixed formula for planning a trip to Tanzania. Am going to give some important guidelines which will simplify your plans.
Before planning a trip, you should ask yourself these questions. What do you want to do in Tanzania? As I said earlier there are many attractions and activities to do in Tanzania. You have to be specific in planning your safari. Some of things to do are Tanzania wildlife safari, hiking, cultural visits, beach extensions, cycling, swimming, birding, climbing and so on. All these activities can be done in different locations of Tanzania.
After deciding what to do in Tanzania the next step to know the cost of your safari. The cost of a Tanzania safari depends on the following factors:
Your traveling dates. Due to seasonality of the tourism in Tanzania, you should note that the prices differs from one season to another. There four seasons; namely high season, low season, mid-season and peak season.
High Season. The high season is always between June and August. During this time, the parks receives high number of tourists. The roads are passable due to little or no rainfall at all. High number of visitors drive the cost of the safaris high. For instance, the accommodation facilities are costlier in this season so do the entrance fees. If you are book a safari during this season, you must be aware of the higher prices which you will encounter thus Guide on how to Book a Safari in Tanzania.
Mid-season. This starts from around September to October when the number of visitors begin to decline. During this time, you will enjoy little discount in accessing various services like accommodation, guides and others.
Peak Season. This season is between December and March when the prices of safaris go up during the Christmas and New Year Holidays. In this season, the tour operator companies and accommodation facilities try to surprise their clients with packages or supplements for holidays.
Low Season. This is the rainy season when most park roads are impassable due to accumulation of mud. Most of seasonal campsites and mobile camps close during this season. The remaining ones drops the price in order to attract as many visitors as possible. Low season is between April and May. Note that: birders and ornithologists better choose to come during the peak and low seasons. They enjoy the presence of migratory birds in their nests.
The duration of your trip. If you have decided on your best season to visit Tanzania, take time to think on how many days will you spend in this country. This will depend on how many places will you visit. Every place has various activities to be performed there which in return add cost to your safari. For instance, a combo safari from Serengeti to Mount Kilimanjaro would costlier than a combo safari from Arusha National Park to Tarangire National Park. A 7-day Mount Kilimanjaro climb will be expensive than 7-day stay at Serengeti. Your activities are significant in planning your safari.
Number of people in your group. Probably you may have planned a visit with your family, friends, fellow workers or colleagues. The cost of such safari is much dependent on the size of the group. How many adults are there in a group? How many kids? The cost also depends on how you will be sharing the rooms. You should also note that; the transport fee is payable per head. The higher the number of people the lower the fee per head. However, for a family group this would mean high price to parents.
Accommodation type. The type of accommodation which you will using in your trip is much significant in planning your trip. Public campsites found inside or outside the park are cheap than private ones. You will have to travel with your Canvas tents, chairs and table as well as a private cook and safari driver. This type of accommodation is very flexible for families and other related groups. Tented camps and lodges are costlier than the public campsites. They can be grouped into budget, mid-range, luxury and super luxury. Their prices increase from budget onwards to the super luxury which tops the price table. You should note that Tented camps have similar price as Lodges.
Staying in the parks is advantageous because you are not limited to the vehicles available in the parks. You will also enjoy the sounds of African wilderness in your bed. In the morning, you will be awakened up by stunning bird songs. Camps and Lodges offer splendid experiences to their visitors. The former will enable you to hear the voices of the wild while the former will enable to enjoy swimming and going into the gym.
After setting your budget, your next step is to book a safari. You may do so directly or through a tour operator who will organize the whole thing for you. If you want to book a safari by yourself go straight to the park’s website a contact them. Most websites have contact details like emails, WhatsApp numbers, social medias and hotlines. Everything is possible in this digital world. Therefore, you can book everything by just searching and clicking on their websites thus Guide on how to Book a Safari in Tanzania.
The most comfortable and advisable way is through the use of tour operators who will organize your trip at least two weeks before your arrival. Many tour companies organize from transfers, flights to accommodations and Tanzania safaris. You have to search for some trusted tour operators by reviewing the feedback of their previous customers. Contact your operator through emails or any means. Most of the operators will tell you to pay a service fees which is always small. You may ask for price amendments if you are not satisfied. After being satisfied, the last step is paying. Some operators do you ask to pay at least 30% of the total amount for reserving accommodation and other services like flights. You may also pay the whole cost before your arrival or after your arrival.
Now, you have a descriptive guide of how to book a safari in Tanzania. I hope nothing will hold you back from planning a trip to Tanzania. Good luck!
