The Holy Adventure: the beginning

 It all began 2.5 weeks ago when I precipitately started my online research to book the best possible safari deal. First option was to set my own dates and go have my holly adventure, but never mind, prices for a private safari are horrendously expensive, hence the second and only other option was to find a group to join. After an extensive search of a myriad of safari companies, I finally found “Holy Adventure Safari”, a company that could join me with a group of ‘estrangers’ going on safari during dates that would work for me. The "budget safari", which is far from cheap anyways, included game rides and camping at the Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Tarangire National Park.

Having all prepared, I then embarked to Arusha, the renowned capital of safaris. The manager of the safari company, Alfa, was kind enough to pick me up at the shuttle station in Arusha, where you arrive after taking an hour bus ride from Kilimanjaro Airport. Nevertheless, Alfa was less kind to warn me about the last minute change of plans! Hmmm… We went to his “office”, now called “African Joy”, to discuss the details of the changes. When we got there, a couple others, Clinton and Fred, were waiting to “negotiate’ a new deal. Turns out, the group I was supposed to join had left two days earlier than expected and therefore I had two new options:

Option 1: Loose the money for the hotel reservation I have made for the first night in Arusha, and instead go to Twiga campsite in Mto wa Mbu town to join my runaway group for the rest of the journey. This meant safari in two parks instead of four, find a hotel room for Sunday night in Arusha instead of camping at the national park, and wait all Monday long in Arusha for my return flight to Dar at 10pm instead of doing safari that day. Oh, plus only USD$45 in refund (not worth saying what an insignificant proportion of the sum I paid this was) and no refund for the hotel reservation I have made!

Option 2: Stay in a hotel the first night as planned, join a safari group going to Serengeti and Ngorongoro, them to join another safari group to continue my journey in Ngorongoro and Serengeti. As you can tell, this deal covered the same number of days I have booked, but only two parks instead of four!

Well, they certainly didn’t know whom they were dealing with, I guess. I said so for the way they were joking and calling me “Latina, Latina”, you know how to negotiate! To be honest, I was quite pissed off, but kept the tone super friendly, just pushing it enough when I felt it was needed. They were really nice and fun people indeed, and at times, it felt good to be having that experience. I could also understand why small and local safari companies, like the one I used, don’t want to loose business and try to team up when they have a few clients. But boy, it was more frustrating to be siting there for about three hours until they finally agreed with option 3:

Option 3: Head for Twiga campsite the first night to join a safari group that was leaving for Serengeti and Ngorongoro the next day. After that, the safari guide – Fred – would come for me to take on a private safari in Lake Manyara and Tarangire. Now, it took me getting really serious to not be charged extra for the private safari. They also refunded me for the hotel reservation I have made. 

 

To compensate for the trouble caused, Fred kindly took me to the Masai market and then to picnic bar, where I could get some food. But the gesture was soon spoiled when we got back to the office to pick my camping gear and head for the campsite, just to find out that Alfa was hoping to send me in public transport!  An hour later, Fred was taking me to the campsite in one of the company’s car... I was quite tired at this point, but with enough energy to enjoy the views. Plus a nice surprise was waiting for me at Twyga campsite: among all people I could have potentially joined for safari, they turned out to be Colombians!

Should have warned you that this post would look to you as one of those reviews you’d find on tripadvisor.com … Pole sana, but more fun news and pictures on the holy adventure are coming your way!