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Tanzania - August 16

DrbostonDrboston
in Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar
Anyone going on the August 16 trip to Tanzania? I am a solo traveler leaving a day early thru Amsterdam to Arusha and arriving on the 15th.

Comments

  • catsupbottlecatsupbottle
    My wife and I arrive the same day. We are flying out of Tampa to Detroit to Amsterdam to Arusha
  • DrbostonDrboston
    Great. Looking forward to meeting you. I am a 60 yr old women with a red rolling backpack. I am excited as I have tried to read a lot I for the trip thru the forums and some books, etc., but now it is time to experience it for myself.
  • leepinto2924leepinto2924
    Hi, we are on the August 16th trip, I am travelling with my 40 year old son, 40 year old son-in-law and 14 year old grandson. Just Grammy and the guys! I was in Sourh Africa 22 years ago, can't wait! 3 of us r flying from JFK thru Amsterdam and my son flys from LAX, then thru Amsterdam. We will get there a day early in the early evening. Looking forward to meeting all of you, wonder how many of us there are?
  • DrbostonDrboston
    What a wonderful trip for the 4 of you!

    I spoke to Tauck last week and they said it was half full, about 12 people. Right here, we have 7, it looks like all on the same flight from Amsterdam to Arusha .
  • BritishBritish
    Wow, it looks as if the recent possible terrorist bombings have really scared people off these safari tours, such a shame to miss trips of a lifetime. At one time you had to book almost years in advance. Have a wonderful time in Tanzania, it's one of my favorite places on earth!
  • dgordon622dgordon622
    We are going on the Tanzania-Zanzibar tour on Sept. 27. Could you please explain your comment about terrorist bombings?Thanks!
  • skipboskipbo
    My husband and I are also going to be on the flight from Amsterdam to Arusha on the 15th, flying out of ATL initially.
  • BritishBritish
    dgordon622 wrote:
    We are going on the Tanzania-Zanzibar tour on Sept. 27. Could you please explain your comment about terrorist bombings?Thanks!

    There was a bomb at a mosque in Zanzibar a couple of months ago and a bomb thrown into an Indian restaurant in Arusha in July while we were on tour, that caused over the top reporting and was probably a local conflict. The Duluti hotel is in the sticks not in Arusha, it did not worry us. As Tanzania is probably my favorite country to visit, it did not deter us, we feel we are more likely to die on the way to the airport right here or have some gunman shoot us down at our Mall and we told our children before we left that if anything happened to us we were in a place we loved and they would get a great inheritance!
  • jdurkinjdurkin
    British wrote:
    we feel we are more likely to die on the way to the airport right here or have some gunman shoot us down at our Mall
    I'm with you, British … sort of. I've considered just your points every time I've visited the States. We don't have a gun mentality in Australia. Every visit to the States is a walk on the wild side with the possibility of lifetime memories I'd rather not have. Despite the realities of Homeland dangers, I've spent many months travelling through the States over the past 10 years or so. I try to take sensible precautions and do my best not to go anywhere near schools. I do my best to remain alert to my surroundings. I make sure I have a high level of travel insurance. I always register with the equivalent of your State Department. Some counties are safer than the States. Some are more dangerous. I guess people adjust their reality to their own surroundings. Compared to the US, Tanzania is a walk in the park. I hope there are others who are able to pick up this last minute, trip of a lifetime experience.
  • sunnycaliforniasunnycalifornia
    I think jdurkin's comments a bit over the top, especially coming from a respected contributor and world traveler.

    I am obviously a US resident, but I was born in another country, and have lived extensively in very diverse countries because of my parent's and my husband's past work.

    I was in Istanbul a year ago when everyone said I was crazy to go to that part of the world because of the border conflict with Syria. It was a fabulous trip, and peaceful, and friendly beyond expectations.

    To say you stay away from schools in the US is just beyond rationale. Do you really think all American parents are irresponsible sending their kiddies off each morning with a hug and kiss? . Perhaps one needs to think more carefully about what one thrusts before perhaps, the unwitting, and also the extremely knowledgeable, in this forum.

  • jdurkinjdurkin
    Of course I do not think American parents love their children less than other parents. What a thing to say. I have no business going to US schools, so I stay away. I think the teachers are brave and professional beyond measure. I am appalled that teachers have to be brave. Sadly, horrifically, tragically many US schools have been very dangerous places in the past, and continue to be. Every time I hear that another child has been shot in an American school I cry, as do my fellow Australians. We all shake our heads with disbelief. It is just so awful. Please, God, why is it so? Why do we need to be so terrible to our fellow human beings?

    When you went to Turkey, did you purposely go to the Syrian border … many thousands of miles from Istanbul? You say you enjoyed your visit to the city, but you didn't put yourself needlessly in harm's way, did you? And yes, the people are delightful. Did you not expect that they would be?

    My point was that your reality is different to mine. And that you are possibly safer in Tanzania than in some parts of the world, including the US. When we travel, we always need to be mindful of our personal surroundings. No matter where in the world we travel. To be otherwise is foolhardy and inviting trouble. Being sensible doesn't mean ruining the travel experience. You just have to choose your destinations with reason and care.

    Jan
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