Travel Agent Specializing in Africa

November 6, 2008 2:30 PM

Can anyone recommend a trustworthy travel agent that specializes in Africa and is located in New York City?
posted by Falconetti to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (4 answers total)

Where? When? Your budget? Define your expectations of what your budget is. One person's idea of luxury is not another's. How many people will be traveling with you? That may affect the price. Interested in a cultural or wildlife trip? That may affect location. A private tour or with a group? If a group, large or small?

I'm a tour operator and often travel agents come to us with clients like you. These are the kinds of questions they should be asking you. You said "located in NYC." Location of a tour operator should not matter. I work with clients around the world on different time zones and different budgets. My clients choose me because I know a destination inside and out.

Ask whoever you work with - have they been there? Do they sub-contract to an African operator or operate their own vehicles, camps, etc.? What awards / credentials do they have? What do they do in Africa to support wildlife or community involvement? Why should you pick them vs. another operator?

I do know of some good people you could work with, but who to recommend would depend on your answers.
posted by HeyAllie at 4:09 PM on November 6, 2008

Response by poster: Basically, we are trying to book internal flights within Tanzania for early January and the people we are working with there seem to be ripping us off on the price of the flights. We just wanted to check with someone else to see whether the price quotes we are getting for the flights, which differ from what we have determined they are independently, are accurate or not. We already have our trip pretty much planned, so we only need someone for this minor task.
posted by Falconetti at 4:15 PM on November 6, 2008

I've used Muthaiga Travel (based in Nairobi) for Africa travel:
Muthaiga Travel Ltd.
Tel: [phone]
Tel / Fax: [phone]
Cell phone: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

(these details are for their office at the Fairview Hotel).

I'm sure they could give you a quote. Mostly they have been good, except for one hotel in a very difficult to book location where I ended up paying quite a bit above what the hotel charged people booking direct.
posted by AnnaRat at 5:46 PM on November 6, 2008

Whoever you end up going with (especially if its Air Tanzania, the worthless bastards), be sure to call either your agent or the airline a week or so before the flight and then again a day or two before it to confirm that its not canceled. The regional liners there tend to do this on a regular basis (fuel shortage, broken plane, no demand, what have you).

Trust me you don't want to spend a day in Kilimanjaro that you weren't planning on, fly to Dar to stay the night in some shady downtown hotel, then fly all the way back to Entebbe the next day, because they sold you a flight from Kili to Entebbe that, surprise: never actually existed.

Where are you flying to/from there? I can let you know if it sounds reasonable. Can even check my corporate travel agent that I book through and tell you what I'm getting.
posted by allkindsoftime at 4:19 PM on November 7, 2008