mailmama

We would like to take a luxury tour to Kenya and Tanzania this fall. We have contacted several of the well known tour operators-Micato, National Geographic Expeditions, Abercrombie and Kent. WE would love some feedback on people who have been on any of these tours and any others that might be recommended.
Thanks.
Mailmama

LyndaS

We travelled last May with Micato, and in a nutshell - I really can't say enough great things about them - we LOVED it!

They are a first class company, with what I would consider first class service - and, if I could afford it, I would travel with them always in Africa.

It is a group trip though, so if you are not into being with people, as many people are not, then it will not be for you. We really enjoy travelling with people, as we now run a business together, we look forward to being with other people and enjoy this kind of travel. That being said though, we didn't want TOO big of a group, and as Micato closes most of their tours at 18 participants, we thought this was a nice number - and it was.

We liked the 'no surprises' kind of trip they offered, and the ease of planning the trip - mainly just looking through a brochure, picking a safari, giving them a credit card and a few basic things about ourselves, purchase two visas, visit the travel clinic for recommened pills & shots, pack and go.

(well, as everyone on this board can attest to, the 'pack' was not so easy for me!)

We had a 24 x 7 concierge that was there with us to solve or prevent any little problems that presented itself, which made us feel very at ease.

They literally picked us up at the airport, and took care of us from start to finish until they dropped us off 12 days later at the airport to go home (or Zanzibar in our case). In between, had we not wanted to buy souvenirs, do laundry or have an adult beverage, we would not have had to even take our wallets out of our pockets.

We loved the flying in between most camps/lodges, and we enjoyed all of the accomodations they chose. In the case of the safari (Stanley Wing) we chose, they were not all 'absolute top of the line' small luxury lodges/camps, but they were all comfortable, clean & the food was great. The size of the lodges or the camps never bothered us - more people for us to meet.

Anyhow, I could go on and on, but for more details I have written a VERY detailed report at:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34822022

I don't think there is any reports on any of the others you mentioned, but you can check in the East Africa Trip report Index at:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34860283

Hope this helps!

mailmama

Thanks for all your information. They are definitely one of the groups we are looking at. Did you have any naturalists with you and did you have lectures every night? I know that National Geographic does that. We also love meeting people and find that it adds to the enjoyment of our vacation.
Again, thanks for your help.
Mailmama

nevermind

We traveled with Intrav, a company out of St. Louis. We felt our safari was first rate. We were met at the airport in Arusha and taken care of every step of the way until our departure 10 days later. There were 10 people, in two Land Rovers on our safari. Our drivers were both knowledgable and personable. An Intrav employee also traveled with us, took care of all details, and ensured that everything went smoothly.

Intrav also arranged extra things for us, such as a bush lunch in the Ngorongoro Crater (instead of a boxed lunch), a bush dinner at another lodge, and a birthday celebration for my husband.

Several years ago we toured China with Intrav and were very pleased with our trip there as well. Last year we took a river cruise with them. My parents traveled to Australia and South America with Intrav. In all of our experiences, we have been delighted with them. They are consistant with the quality of the tours, details are well attended to, the quality of accommodations is first class, and there is always an Intrav tour guide (in addition to local guides) to keep things running smoothly. All you need to do is wake up in the morning and present yourself to the appointed place!

I believe Intrav has a Kenya/Tanzania safari scheduled for next year. You can take a look at what they offer: http://www.intrav.com/index_f.asp

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful time. We loved our experience in Africa.

LyndaS

mailmama- There's wans't a naturalist, so to speak, but our concierge had an INCREDIBLE amount of knowledge on the wildlife (Micato requires all of their guides and safari directors to be very knowledgeable), the culture and most other aspects of both Kenya and Tanzania.

There wasn't any set lectures though, but Daniel was always available for questions, etc.

Nevermind - I am just reading your report now! (it will be next one up in the index) It sounds like an incredible trip, I hadn't read yet who you went with, or even that it was a group trip, that will be a great addition to the index. I'm glad I saw this post before posting your summary to the index! I looked on their website you posted above, did you do Wings over East Africa?

nevermind

Lynda, our safari was called Tanzania Wildlife Safari. I don't think they are offering it next year, but the Wings Over Kilimanjaro looks similar, except, perhaps, more glamorous, with more destinations. On our safari, we drove in then flew out.

sels

I highly recommend A&K. We have taken several trips with them including our first Africa trip. We will be going to Botswana and SA next summer with A&K. We have also taken their trips to Thailand and South America. They have the best guides, and take care of every small detail to ensure the best trips for their patrons. Enjoy!

stephanie1957

I just booked with Vacations To Go, who uses Brendan tours. This is probably not at a luxury level but I heard it is wonderful. We are going on a Safari to Keyna & Tanzania for 15 days and leaving 7/6/07. Have fun.