Glad you are on AH!
March will be cheaper on airfare but warmer hunting if that is an issue with you. For EC hunting you should check out Frontier Safaris. AH is great but there is nothing like meeting folks you may hunt with at DSC or SCI Conventions. Booking at conventions for the current year can be tricky as most are partially or fully booked by then.
For travel plans you should take your own gun and you should use a travel agent. You will read all kinds of stories on here of people say just book it yourself and save a few bucks and you also read of so many that didn’t take are a gun because “it was too much hassle”. Don’t take his wrong but if when planning a safari, an epic adventure of a lifetime, a $200 travel agent fee is a financial issue maybe folks should stick to deer hunting. Point is hunting is expensive, travel is expensive, but having a custom gun confiscated (AH Story) is just sad.
That all said a few questions will determine if you can possibly go it alone on plane tickets: 1. Where will your departure airport be? 2. Will you have to transfer between airlines? 3. Where is your final destination?
I hope you enjoy planning your 2021 Safari! It’s never too early to start planning.
Regards,
Philip