Starting to plan a trip to East Africa.
Apr 9, 2013, 5:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: AA PLT MM, BA, UA, AC
Posts: 798
Starting to plan a trip to East Africa.
I am starting to plan a trip to East Africa. I plan on flying in/out of NBO. I would like to visit Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. The main sights I am interested in are Killimanjaro in Tanzania and gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda. Had been on safaris some years ago in Southern Africa and don't care for them. I have looked at flight schedules and I really don't know what the best routing is for a trip to these countries. I am not a patient traveller and have no desire to travel overland between these places. Can FTers who have travelled in this region please advise what route is best and which are the better airlines for travel within this region.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Apr 9, 2013, 5:26 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,993
Time to talk to a travel agent or do some research of airlines in the area. Looking at airport web sites and working backwards is the way I do this. Consider airports other than NBO. Why in & out of NBO ?
On that basis East Africa is not the place for you. Patience is needed in East Africa. Transport options are limited
On that basis East Africa is not the place for you. Patience is needed in East Africa. Transport options are limited
Apr 9, 2013, 6:44 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: AA PLT MM, BA, UA, AC
Posts: 798
I would rather fly a OW airline for the long haul flights, as I would like to requalify for status on OW. BA is my best bet as I would like a stopover in LHR. The only two BA destinations in the region are EBB and NBO, now that flights to DAR have been discontinued. Ideally an open jaw in to EBB and out of NBO or vice versa would be best - I'm not confident BA will not axe the EBB flight and think NBO is a safer bet.
Apr 9, 2013, 8:17 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: AL
Programs: All of the Above
Posts: 1,374
Time to talk to a travel agent or do some research of airlines in the area. Looking at airport web sites and working backwards is the way I do this. Consider airports other than NBO. Why in & out of NBO ?
On that basis East Africa is not the place for you. Patience is needed in East Africa. Transport options are limited
On that basis East Africa is not the place for you. Patience is needed in East Africa. Transport options are limited
Keep in mind if you're flying BA via Avios there's some hefty fuel surcharges you're going to have to pay. If revenue ticket then it doesn't matter.
KQ will probably get you anywhere in the region you want to go, but they aren't OW, and you probably can't do it as OJ's, maybe stopovers though. You could go into NBO - stop - EBB (destination), then back.
Apr 9, 2013, 8:50 pm
#5
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
I would rather fly a OW airline for the long haul flights.... BA is my best bet as I would like a stopover in LHR. The only two BA destinations in the region are EBB and NBO, now that flights to DAR have been discontinued. Ideally an open jaw in to EBB and out of NBO or vice versa would be best - I'm not confident BA will not axe the EBB flight and think NBO is a safer bet.
AB flies to Mombasa from Munich.
BA flies to Abuja, Accra, Lusaka, Lagos, and Luanda from LHR.
IB flies to Luanda, Accra, Lagos, and Malabo from Madrid.
RJ flies to Khartoum from Amman.
Apr 11, 2013, 9:04 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: PA
Posts: 82
Tanzania and Kenya to me are all about the safari and traveling overland. One of the most awesome experiences of my life was staying at a lodge on the edge of Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania.
If you aren't into that stuff, there are bigger mountains to be seen in more comfortable countries than Kili. Why not just do Rwanda/Uganda for the gorillas?
If you aren't into that stuff, there are bigger mountains to be seen in more comfortable countries than Kili. Why not just do Rwanda/Uganda for the gorillas?
Apr 13, 2013, 2:09 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Programs: Qatar Plat
Posts: 235
Stick to Kenya airways for regional flights. But I have to wonder, why travel to all those countries if all you want to see are the gorillas and Killimanjaro? You can only visit the gorillas briefly, and trekking Killimanjaro takes about a week to get acclimatized..
Apr 16, 2013, 10:11 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: in transit
Programs: Delta DM, *A Plat
Posts: 322
I am starting to plan a trip to East Africa. I plan on flying in/out of NBO. I would like to visit Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. The main sights I am interested in are Killimanjaro in Tanzania and gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda. Had been on safaris some years ago in Southern Africa and don't care for them. I have looked at flight schedules and I really don't know what the best routing is for a trip to these countries. I am not a patient traveller and have no desire to travel overland between these places. Can FTers who have travelled in this region please advise what route is best and which are the better airlines for travel within this region.
Thanks.
Thanks.
As others have said KQ is a good option for all your flights and I generally stick with them as much as I can on my travels. To and from Rwanda you can take Rwandair, which is fine.
You could do one trip NBO-KGL then KGL-EBB then EBB-NBO, and then a trip separately to Tanzania.
Enjoy.
Apr 24, 2013, 9:58 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: PA
Posts: 82
I've flown Precision a few times and I was actually pleasantly surprised at the quality and professionalism of their staff and aircraft.
Apr 29, 2013, 3:36 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Programs: Qatar Plat
Posts: 235
Safety is a relative term in Africa. I say Kenya Airways, or even Precision is the safest as they are known to have high international standards. Airlines come and go in Africa, any wealthy politician or businessman can start their own airline, but it's the standards for maintenance, pilot training, and safety that are most important.