Advice on safari please

[ouch321]

All advice on safari is appreciated.

I (and one friend) am looking to take a safari - probably mid/late July or early/mid August, not due to school holidays but as I understand this is the time when you are likely to see the most, I appreciate that pushes the price up.

We would like to go to either Kenya or Tanzania but see so much conflicting advice about which is better. I think we'd be looking at 7 days (5 out and about and 2 for flying) or possibly a little more.

I'm not really one for roughing it so looking for decent accommodation with decent bathrooms etc.

Can anyone teach me a bit about their experiences in either (or possibly both countries) and pros/cons of choosing each one.

Can anyone recommend or un-recommend (not a real word I know) a tour operator?

Last but not least if you've been and there's something you would do differently next time, what would that be?

I am planning on combing TripAdvisor as well.

Many thanks

[ouch321]

@ListeningQuietly

Yes, I'd like to find a provider that does open sided jeeps. I was flicking on safaribookings.com and they all seem to use vans (like a builder's work van) or the sort of 4x4 where you have to stand up and take pics through a roof canopy.

[ouch321]

@pontiouspilates
@lazydog

Yes, am rather tempted to go take a private drive though it will push the cost up!!

[ouch321]

@Hermie12
@Lokie

Thank you for your kind offer.
I'll drop you a line...

[pontiouspilates]

Whatever you decide, I am sure you will love it. We are fairly well traveled, but our safari was absolutely our best trip. Enjoy!

[TartanHare]

We booked a private safari with a company called natural world safaris who are based in Nairobi. I found them on trip advisor. I cannot recommend them enough. Our driver was amazing and we left with a friend We visited Amboseli, Naivaisha and the maasai mara.
It was everything I dreamed of and more.

The Sheldrick elephant orphanage is wonderful, I adopted and elephant around a year before our visit and booked to go back in the evening for the bedtime visit. We adopted a second while we were there.

If you can get a space Giraffe Manor is amazing but the centre over the road is great too and you can get really close to and feed the giraffes.
We are now planning our second visit!

[ListeningQuietly]

OP
Look at the link I posted on Sunday

[ouch321]

Listening

I tried the link but I think I'm minded to go to Kenya and I couldn't see any options for Kenya.

[bottlenose301]

Check out Somak. I used them in 2018 to go on safari in Kenya. They look after you from the moment you step off the plane to when you board it go home.

We stayed in a lodge (as part of the somak package) in the Masai Marai. Beautiful large tents , didn't feel I was roughing it at all.

Stayed a few nights here and went on daily drives with the guide. Saw everything. We even saw a leopard kill (poor gazelle).

Then for the last few days we flew to Mombasa to stay in a hotel and chill in the sun before going home. All part of the package.

Had a great trip!