The little costs.

A good friend is organizing a group of hikers for a trip to Tanzania Africa for the opportunity of hiking Mount Kilimanjaro. The trip will also include a six day safari in the Serengeti National Park. What an opportunity of a lifetime to participate in one of the adventures but to accomplish both in one trip. The cost of the trip is estimated at $5,000. The cost is significant especially for a person in school full time, but is manageable without going into debt.

The group of fourteen met for the first time this past weekend to discuss the details of the trip. The first item was the cost break down. The hike will cost $1,550 and the safari will cost $1820. The airline cost will range from $1,000 to $1,800 due to the option of flying into Kenya or Tanzania. Flying into Kenya is cheaper but requires a five hour bus ride. The bus ride could be a nice prelude to the safari and time to acclimate to the altitude. The travel visas will cost about $150. These cost were what was expected and came close to the $5,000 estimate but only covered the significant cost for the trip.

The presentation covered additional expenses associated with the trip and individually are not very much but combined represented an additional 30 percent to the cost. Traveling to undeveloped countries requires vaccinations to protect the traveler from diseases normally not exposed to. The vaccinations include yellow fever, tetanus booster, hepatitis A and B, malaria, and typhoid. The cost for the vaccines will be about $600 with the cost of the Doctor consultation included. Travel insurance at a cost of $160 is needed for hospital care in the possibility of injury or sickness while on the trip. The expenditure most surprising are the tips required to pay the guides, cooks, porters, and drivers who accompany us on the two trips. Maybe not required but highly suggested at $500 total between the two trips.

The last expenditures is on equipment needed but is considered a one time purchase. A zero degree sleeping bag is required, a day backpack and duffel bag, a good pair of hiking boots, hiking poles, dark sunglasses or glacier glasses, and clothing to keep warm and dry. The cost of the equipment varies from $300 to $500 but at least it will be used again. At what point does a trip become cost prohibitive? This trip is approaching that limit but I am still on the list to go.