Kenneth Hieber: Hi Tricia - Yes, the choice of safari operators can be overwhelming. Choose a company that focuses on Africa only, rather than the whole world. Check out a few websites. Talk to safari consultants to see how well they know the destination. Ultimately, a well versed consultant will guide you to what is right for YOU, and therein lies the value for your money. A good company will also offer you to customize an itinerary specifically for you. You will need a minimum of 2 nights in a wildlife reserve to make the game viewing worthwhile -- 3 nights or more would be better if budget permits.
Accommodations in the Kruger Park area are staggering, but any we recommend are clean and comfortable with en-suite bathroom. While technically you can rent a car and drive through the park yourself, if you don't know what signs to look for, you may not see many animals. Also, if the grass is fairly tall, and you are in a car, rather than a higher-off-the-ground vehicle, your view is limited.
Choosing your accommodations has more to do with the type of wildlife experience you are going to have. In Kruger National Park, the roads are paved, vehicles may not go off-road and you cannot do night game drives. There is a 3 to 4-fold price difference for staying at a PRIVATE game reserve BORDERING Kruger National Park, where you CAN go off-road and up close to the animals, do night game drives and you'll not only have an experienced driver/guide, but also a tracker (animal spotter). There are no fences between the National Park and any of the private reserves, so you will have all the same animals as within the park boundaries themselves. The only thing you cannot do in a private reserve, is drive yourself.
Is a private reserve worth the money? Isn't the wildlife the main reason you choose to go to Africa? Wouldn't you therefore want it to be the best it could be?
Be prepared for an experience of a lifetime!

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Tacoma, WA: Grandma, parents, and 2 kids, ages 8 and 10, will travel to Tanzania to visit friends in July 2007. Grandma travels from Seattle, the family from Madison, WI. Besides visiting our friends, we want a 5-7 day safari focused on Serengeti, Olduvai Gorge, and Ngorongoru crater, if all can be seen without drives in excess of five hours. Kids will be fine on game drives AM and PM, but long drives between parks should be avoided. We may be joined on safari by our friends, 2 adults and 2 kids the same ages as ours.

Kenneth Hieber: Thank you for your question. Within East Africa it is inevitable to have at least one or two long drives between locations. For instance, between Arusha and the Serengeti it is approximately 7 hours. The other transfers are a bit shorter, but average about 4 hours. The main issue is that often times you are traveling within the national parks and there are speed limits and the roads are not paved, making for sometimes bumpy rides.
There is always the option to fly between the parks, however with a family traveling together this often times does get expensive. Most charter flights between locations range between $200 to $350 per person and the rising fuel costs are not helping to keep these costs down.
My best suggestion would be since you will be traveling together is to book your own safari vehicle with your tour company. This will allow you the option to stop along the way, if you need to. Most companies will allow up to 7 people per safari vehicle, so if your friends will be joining you -- you would need to look at 2 separate vehicles traveling together.
Enjoy your trip!

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Washington, DC: I was wondering if you had any advice for mixed-race groups and couples traveling to Africa. I've traveled a few times to West Africa and did a study abroad in South Africa 7 years ago. On previous trips, I noticed that white travelers were sometimes quoted higher prices for transporation, souvenirs, money exchange commission, and tours. My partner and I are planning her first trip to Africa and would like to visit a game park next year, probably in the fall. We're thinking Kenya or South Africa. She's white, I'm black. My question is, are we likely to run into any difficulties as an interacial couple? Will we end up paying more for cabs, tours etc?

Kenneth Hieber: Hello. I'm glad you are thinking of sharing the safari experience with your partner and particularly in the fall when East African safaris in Tanzania and Kenya enjoy beautiful dry savannah weather.
In my experience of many trips and safaris, the courtesies and warmth extended to safari travelers and American travelers in particular is really what defines the interactions between tourists - of any race - and your hosts. The idea that tourist (hospitality) industry people would actually express judgments towards an interracial couple should be of very little concern to you - though I respect your trying to over-anticipate anything that would diminish the good feelings and expectations of your trip.
If racial tensions may forever remain a difficulty in the world, I think you will find that they are in fact quite lessened among the people you will meet - from hoteliers to gas stations attendants, from local shopkeepers to waitresses - on your safari. Will individuals judge? I hate to think in terms of judging others -- but probably this answer would be yes. However will those judgments rise to the level of ill treatment or suspicion or price-gouging, absolutely not! There is a spirit of integrity in Africa (I am proud to add) and I know that you can, and should travel with confidence -- AND you will without doubt see an incredible change in South Africa from when you were last there 7 years ago. It makes me very proud to be South African by nativity when I see my fellow countrymen and women NOW, just 11 short years into a new country.
Go confidently and have the most wonderful journey!
Ken

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Niceville, FL: Is there one park in Africa, or a combination of two different places, where a person can see the greatest variety of wildlife, including birds?

Kenneth Hieber: Easy but equally difficult question to answer due to the migratory pattern of the wildlife BUT, for a well rounded experience year round, no hesitation in recommending that your safari should include the Mt. Kenya Forest areas as well as Lake Nakuru National Park . . . get further afield however for a full safari experience and include the Tanzania northern circuit...the best place for viewing most animals and plenty of birds (Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park and the Lake Manyara area as well as (time permitting), Tarangire National Park. Hope that this has been helpful to you.
KEN

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Novato, CA: What game viewing areas are not as badly affected by drought at this time?