Kenneth Hieber: First off -- most companies like us will accommodate 4 passengers as a private safari so in theory, you call the shots! (No pun intended :-) You're right about the OVERWHELMING . . . consider this! Since your primary goal is to view wildlife, you should focus on East Africa as your primary destination. Next -- if you can afford 14-days away, I would have NO hesitation in recommending UNITED STATES/NAIROBI/ SERENA MOUNTAIN LODGE @ MT. KENYA (1 NIGHT)/LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK (1 NIGHT)/ MAASAI MARA NATIONAL PARK (2 NIGHTS)/ SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (2 NIGHTS)/NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA (2 NIGHTS)/TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK (1 NIGHT) . . . and then back to Nairobi for the return journey to the US. Once added up, you will easily see that you will maximize on the safari experience, waste little time and allocate the remaining days to the international travel portion of your journey. Hope this helps!

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Los Angeles, CA: Hi Kenneth, I'm planning a trip for me and my family (my parents and my older brother) to West Africa next spring. We would like to go to Senegal, Mali, and Gambia, although Senegal and Mali are top priority. I'm having some difficulty finding tour companies who specialize in trips to those areas. Do you have any suggestions?

Kenneth Hieber: I recently returned from West Africa where I experienced a fascinating world of colors, cultures, tastes and religions. Senegal has the famous Goree Island and its slave house (infamous door of no return) as well as some fantastic national parks where literally millions of birds congregate. Many of Europe's migratory species winter over there. I always try the local cuisine and Dakar has some excellent restaurants, including many that specialize in African dishes (many spicy stews with rice, fish, chicken, vegetables, etc.). The French soldiers stationed there are a good barometers on where the good places to dine can be found.
Gambia, a former English colony, helped as far as the language barrier (in Senegal the lingua franca is French). Bird watching is a specialty here, too, and hundreds of forest species have been catalogued there. My favorite was the red-cheeked cordon bleu! Gambia is also famous, of course, as being the birthplace of Kunta Kinte, Alex Haley's ancestor, and you can actually visit his home village.
Mali, on the other hand, is a world unto itself. The desert nomadic culture, where the legendary Timbuktu is found, provides a completely different experience from Senegambia. In addition to the famous mosque in Djenne (constructed completely from mud) the country has recently become noted for its annual desert music festival. Supposedly American blues can find its roots in Mali and local musicians have incorporated some of the American electric guitar sound into traditional music. It's a wonderful blend of cultures and a desert safari is the way to go. Local guides are quite proficient at finding their way through what, to my eyes, looked like a trackless vista to the horizon.
All three countries are Muslim but I experienced no problems as is the case in other parts of North/West Africa. Dakar and Banjul (the capital of Gambia) have several Christian churches where Sunday worship is held. In addition, the women in Senegal, in their colorful native dress, jewelry and French perfumes are something to behold. I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the region. There's certainly a lot to see and do! When your time permits, you may email me for a comprehensive list of Operators who specialize in the region.

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West Palm Beach, FL: Hi Mr. Hieber, Several friends have been on safaris. They told of seeing huge herds...of safari vehicles! Sometimes they said 4 or 5 vehicles from different tour groups would surround a solitary animal. How can I make sure my once-in-a-lifetime safari experience isn't shared by so many others at the same time? Or is this the reality?

Kenneth Hieber: Sadly in most cases -- this IS the reality I am afraid! You see, when someone spots something unique in the bush (E.G., a hunt), they tend to gravitate to the common area and that's what causes the gridlock . . . BUT, people get 'over-it' rapidly and move on so while it appears as if there are several vehicles converging on one common area at a time, the crowd(s) dissipate as quickly as they come. One thing that we insist on here at 2AFRIKA with our driver/guides is that they try and avoid the gridlock situation to the best of their ability, and they do! But oftentimes you're going to want to be at the point of action . . . then move on! In the bigger parks in East Africa where space is endless this is less likely to happen (E.G. In the Serengeti where you can see beyond the horizon). It is for this reason that Tanzania Wildlife Services have now mandated a rule allowing for a ½ day safari game viewing drive into the Crater at the Ngorongoro Conservation area. I am glad that they took that stance.

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Seattle, WA:: My boyfriend and I are planning on spending 3 weeks in South Africa and Zimbabwe. We are overwhelmed by the number of tour companies offering Safaris. How do we know which is a good deal for the money?

We would like to do something overnight (1-3 nights) which gets us to see the animals (prefer the big 5). We don't want luxurious accomodations but don't want to sleep on the floor of a tent either. We also heard you can drive in yourself and rent accomodations. Is it worth it to do a guided Safari?

Our trip dates are November 7-26th. We are hoping to find a good Safari in Kruger National Park. Can you help us? There are so many choices how do we know what to do?

Tricia