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Trip Report - Zimbabwe & Tanzania 2022
I had organized a group of hunters for a 10 day hunt in Zimbabwe and then fairly last minute for me I booked a hunt in Tanzania as well. It would be another 10 day hunt immediately following the Zimbabwe hunt. This made for an interesting flight itinerary. It would be 11 flights in total!
We waited until January to make our flight plans for this August safari as we were waiting to see if the cost of the flights would go down. We were flying Qatar Airlines from Dallas (DFW) to Doha (DOH) with a 4 hour layover and then to Harare (HRE). On the advice of our travel agent, Patrick with TWG, we were waiting for the lower priced fare classes to be released. Working with a travel agent is nice because they can see all the fare classes and flight loads on all the flight options and advise on everything.
I was to depart on American Airlines from San Angelo, Texas (SJT) to Dallas (DFW) on August 17th but just after noon the flight was pushed back 2 hours which for me meant basically it was cancelled. Luckily my friend and hunting companion was driving to DFW and I would only need to have my wife drive me a couple of hours to meet him. This worked out well and although I had a long drive I didn't have to deal with AA and their antics when it comes to checking in guns. We arrived at DFW Terminal D and went straight to the Qatar counter which was not yet open for our 10:55PM flight. We were first in line when the nice Qatar staff arrived and I immediately recognized one of the gentlemen who had helped me and my group back in May on our way to South Africa. We had our Qatar rifle paperwork handy as well as the rest of the usual travel documents. They did ask to weigh my ammo which rarely occurs in my experience. We got checked in and headed to the TSA folks to give them our rifles. All went well and we headed to security. Most everything works well in DFW compared to other airports in my experience. After security we were to meet the other hunters and go to a lounge. They were in the American Express Centurion lounge but as we were headed up the elevator to meet them they called and said it had just closed. What! Instead we went to the AA Admirals Club lounge and the lady there said those of us in Business Class could use the AA Flagship First Class lounge and we could take a friend so we were in. It is quite a step up from the Admirals Club lounge and we had some nice food and conversation about the hunt.
International flights often board an hour early so we went to the gate to see what the chaos was going to look like. It was not a full flight but there were still quite a few people lined up to board the Boeing 777. I was seated in 4B in the QSuite Business Class seat. This is a forward facing seat that I prefer. It is not bad sitting rearward but I don’t care for it personally. Qatar in Business Class is amazing! The seat lies flat, has a door, plenty of storage, and a huge TV or IFE (in flight entertainment) screen. You get pajamas and an amenity kit with various travel items in it. Lately east bound the amenity kit is just a box and west bound it is a nice leather toiletry bag of various styles. The food and drink selection was excellent and I was able to sleep very well on this flight. We arrived in DOH and had just enough time to run though the duty free shop and visit the lounge for a bit. Those of us in business class could go to the Al Mourjan lounge which is reportedly the best business class lounge in the world. Unfortunately our economy class cohorts could not upgrade for a fee for some reason this time. We had time for dinner and a shower in the lounge and then off to find our gate for the flight to HRE. I love the DOH airport and it certainly has the best of some things but it in no way deserved to be called “The best airport in the world” as it claims. The gate areas are small and crowded and many of the flights deplane and board by bus. If you use a bus at your airport it is not the best in the world, I am sorry to say. On the return flights the additional security screening to depart to the US is ridiculous and they go through everyone’s bags it seems. I guess it is all offset by the fact that you can buy a McLaren sports car for $1 million? The flight to HRE was on a Boeing 787 which did not have the QSuite but the standard business class. Let me tell you once you’ve been in the QSuite everything else may as well be coach! The flight was fine and I did manage to sleep and have some very nice food. This route makes a technical stop in Lusaka, Zambia for passengers and fuel and it adds about 2 hours to the route. We arrived in HRE at 11:05AM. The entry was typical but possibly a bit slower than usual as the visa line was just not moving. We got through all of that and began getting our bags and then waiting for our guns. The people from our charter flight company met us and helped us get through all the gun paperwork which was slow but very straight forward. We then left the international airport and walked down to the domestic terminal and had to do the gun hustle again before taking a break in the little lounge there for a drink. In short order we were headed out on the tarmac to load and board our Cessna Caravan which would take us to Croc Farm Airstrip in the Omay in the Zambezi Valley where we would be for our 10 day hunt. The flight was just about an hour in the air and we could tell when we left the farm land and entered the valley. The terrain changes to very rugged hills and valleys this area is known for. We flew over the airstrip as is customary and circled back to land. Wow we were in Zimbabwe finally! We met all of our PH’s and staff and went on a short drive to Ume camp.
Our 10 days of adventure went by very quickly it seemed and we were packed up and ready to head out. There is actually a lounge at the Croc Farm airstrip! We had one little issue and that is that they didn't send the Caravan to pick us up at the airstrip but the very nice, but smaller as far as cargo goes, twin engine Navajo. It took some creativity to get everything loaded for 5 big guys plus their luggage and gun cases! The flight was fine and in no time we were getting close to Harare. There were a few alarms that went off and what sounded like an engine sputtering but no on else seemed to notice so I pretended I didn’t notice either. About two months before our trip Qatar cancelled our return flight and we had to have Patrick book us on Airlink HRE-Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) and then get on Qatar. Luckily Airlink and Qatar are now partners and we could check luggage and guns all the way to our final destination. Our lovely lady charter pilot stayed with us and helped us get all checked in for our flight. Three of us made it through before the computers went down. The other two barely made it through security in time to board. On arrival in JNB we were met by a concierge that I evidently had paid for so our group would have no issues in the airport. He was helpful as we waited for the right Qatar personnel to help with gun paperwork. The “right person” never came so this young man with Qatar just got on the phone and with our help got all 5 of us done with no further issues. I had to get the concierge to walk me to the stupid covid testing area outside of security for my onward journey to Tanzania. We hoofed it for quite a ways and I would have never found this place! All done and headed back though security. I finally met up with the guys in the Sholongolo Lounge for a bit of food and drinks. I was hungry by this time and found the chicken wings with a light curry sauce and proceeded to tear into them. I sat by myself as I am sure curry sauce was flying since these wings were really fantastic. As we got to the gate it was more chaos than normal but this is Africa(TIA). The staff had no idea how to board a plane and let coach go first then somewhere randomly in the middle business class boarded and then back to coach. What a mess but I was in my beloved QSuite once again. In DOH I had to say goodbye to my 4 friends as we all had to head directly to our respective gates for departure. I was going to Kilmanjaro (JRO) Airport which is just outside of the town of Arusha while three of them were headed to DFW and one home to Atlanta. This JRO flight also makes a technical stop in Dar es Salaam. On arrival in Tanzania the most chaos of the trip was encountered. Firstly I showed my emailed covid test results to the “health screening” lady but she took me to a temporary room and insisted I take another test. I told her she didn’t know her own country’s rules! Vax card or PCR test and that is all that is required. I was about to get surly with her when she said I could go. Then the visa process made Zim look like a cake walk. Fingerprints of both hands, photo, passport, & paperwork! What else do they want a blood sample? Finally I was out of there and off to get my luggage and then I was met by my outfitters manager who helped me through the police office with my pre-approved rifle permit. We went to KIA Airport Lodge for a drink and to wait on my PH to arrive. It was a rustic place but certainly an African resort feel to it. I would not mind staying there. It was a 3 hour drive to camp with a lot of traffic near Arusha and arrival was fairly late.
As my 10 day Massailand, Tanzania safari came to an end I was getting homesick and could not wait to go home. I was feeling badly and had sinus trouble from all the smoke in Zim and dust in Tanzania so that didn't help matters when you have 3 days to get home!
We drove to Arusha and stayed at Mount Meru Hotel because I had an early AM flight the next day. It was a truly beautiful hotel and a welcomed reprieve from the two safari camps I had been staying in for nearly 3 weeks. I had an 8:50AM flight from JRO-DOH so of course I was there three hours early and of course no one was at the counter until 2 hours before departure. This is one thing I hate about African airports. They never open the ticket counter until 2 hours before departure and then it is all a mad rush for everyone. The Qatar staff were slow but dutiful in getting me checked in. I found one of the neatest little lounges in the Kilmanjaro Airport called Twiga Lounge. It had very little in the way of food and beverages but It had what appeared to be all new furniture and the best view of the runways. I sat and looked at the planes and went through many of my photos from this big trip and longed for home. I boarded this Boeing 787 Dreamliner and found my business class seat. I dressed lazily for my return flight and had shorts and a camoflage t-shirt on. Dressed like an African hunter I struck up conversation after conversation with people along the way home. I may have changed my mind about intentionally not wearing hunting clothes while traveling. I was going to have a long 8 hour layover in DOH so I arrived and went to see if I could get in, for a fee, to the first class lounge. I was able to pay to get in and again it is something to see. As I mentioned I was not feeling my best so I decided to head to the spa and have a massage. I was sure I would have to book a time and wait but I was wrong. One of the nice ladies at the counter checked me in and off we went. After a shower and a massage things were looking up and I headed to the lounge restaurant and had a nice meal and then found a comfy chair and just rested the balance of the time. We boarded after 1AM for our 2AM departure to DFW and thankfully this route always has the QSuite in business class for this 16 hour flight. I was finally feeling a bit better but certainly not hungry this late and especially after just eating but I took a look at the menu and changed my mind. Lobster for an appetizer and entree! Now I was really going to try to sleep the rest of the way if possible. I did sleep well on this flight and watched a movie or two and I was back in Texas! DFW is never a problem with luggage and guns and everyone was helpful along the way. When you have a rifle case a porter goes with you with a cart with all your belongings all the way to customs. I had just enough time for a burger and jumped on the AA flight home to SJT.
It was a very long trip to two countries and although it was tiring I really enjoyed all the people I met and certainly the wildlife and the scenery. My only regret was that I didn't get to spend a day at Lake Natron to see the flamingos. I did see them one day from a very long way off however.
My next safaris will be in Namibia and then directly to South Africa. I’ll fly on Delta next time due to various reasons but I hope to be on Qatar again very
soon!
I had organized a group of hunters for a 10 day hunt in Zimbabwe and then fairly last minute for me I booked a hunt in Tanzania as well. It would be another 10 day hunt immediately following the Zimbabwe hunt. This made for an interesting flight itinerary. It would be 11 flights in total!
We waited until January to make our flight plans for this August safari as we were waiting to see if the cost of the flights would go down. We were flying Qatar Airlines from Dallas (DFW) to Doha (DOH) with a 4 hour layover and then to Harare (HRE). On the advice of our travel agent, Patrick with TWG, we were waiting for the lower priced fare classes to be released. Working with a travel agent is nice because they can see all the fare classes and flight loads on all the flight options and advise on everything.
I was to depart on American Airlines from San Angelo, Texas (SJT) to Dallas (DFW) on August 17th but just after noon the flight was pushed back 2 hours which for me meant basically it was cancelled. Luckily my friend and hunting companion was driving to DFW and I would only need to have my wife drive me a couple of hours to meet him. This worked out well and although I had a long drive I didn't have to deal with AA and their antics when it comes to checking in guns. We arrived at DFW Terminal D and went straight to the Qatar counter which was not yet open for our 10:55PM flight. We were first in line when the nice Qatar staff arrived and I immediately recognized one of the gentlemen who had helped me and my group back in May on our way to South Africa. We had our Qatar rifle paperwork handy as well as the rest of the usual travel documents. They did ask to weigh my ammo which rarely occurs in my experience. We got checked in and headed to the TSA folks to give them our rifles. All went well and we headed to security. Most everything works well in DFW compared to other airports in my experience. After security we were to meet the other hunters and go to a lounge. They were in the American Express Centurion lounge but as we were headed up the elevator to meet them they called and said it had just closed. What! Instead we went to the AA Admirals Club lounge and the lady there said those of us in Business Class could use the AA Flagship First Class lounge and we could take a friend so we were in. It is quite a step up from the Admirals Club lounge and we had some nice food and conversation about the hunt.
International flights often board an hour early so we went to the gate to see what the chaos was going to look like. It was not a full flight but there were still quite a few people lined up to board the Boeing 777. I was seated in 4B in the QSuite Business Class seat. This is a forward facing seat that I prefer. It is not bad sitting rearward but I don’t care for it personally. Qatar in Business Class is amazing! The seat lies flat, has a door, plenty of storage, and a huge TV or IFE (in flight entertainment) screen. You get pajamas and an amenity kit with various travel items in it. Lately east bound the amenity kit is just a box and west bound it is a nice leather toiletry bag of various styles. The food and drink selection was excellent and I was able to sleep very well on this flight. We arrived in DOH and had just enough time to run though the duty free shop and visit the lounge for a bit. Those of us in business class could go to the Al Mourjan lounge which is reportedly the best business class lounge in the world. Unfortunately our economy class cohorts could not upgrade for a fee for some reason this time. We had time for dinner and a shower in the lounge and then off to find our gate for the flight to HRE. I love the DOH airport and it certainly has the best of some things but it in no way deserved to be called “The best airport in the world” as it claims. The gate areas are small and crowded and many of the flights deplane and board by bus. If you use a bus at your airport it is not the best in the world, I am sorry to say. On the return flights the additional security screening to depart to the US is ridiculous and they go through everyone’s bags it seems. I guess it is all offset by the fact that you can buy a McLaren sports car for $1 million? The flight to HRE was on a Boeing 787 which did not have the QSuite but the standard business class. Let me tell you once you’ve been in the QSuite everything else may as well be coach! The flight was fine and I did manage to sleep and have some very nice food. This route makes a technical stop in Lusaka, Zambia for passengers and fuel and it adds about 2 hours to the route. We arrived in HRE at 11:05AM. The entry was typical but possibly a bit slower than usual as the visa line was just not moving. We got through all of that and began getting our bags and then waiting for our guns. The people from our charter flight company met us and helped us get through all the gun paperwork which was slow but very straight forward. We then left the international airport and walked down to the domestic terminal and had to do the gun hustle again before taking a break in the little lounge there for a drink. In short order we were headed out on the tarmac to load and board our Cessna Caravan which would take us to Croc Farm Airstrip in the Omay in the Zambezi Valley where we would be for our 10 day hunt. The flight was just about an hour in the air and we could tell when we left the farm land and entered the valley. The terrain changes to very rugged hills and valleys this area is known for. We flew over the airstrip as is customary and circled back to land. Wow we were in Zimbabwe finally! We met all of our PH’s and staff and went on a short drive to Ume camp.
Our 10 days of adventure went by very quickly it seemed and we were packed up and ready to head out. There is actually a lounge at the Croc Farm airstrip! We had one little issue and that is that they didn't send the Caravan to pick us up at the airstrip but the very nice, but smaller as far as cargo goes, twin engine Navajo. It took some creativity to get everything loaded for 5 big guys plus their luggage and gun cases! The flight was fine and in no time we were getting close to Harare. There were a few alarms that went off and what sounded like an engine sputtering but no on else seemed to notice so I pretended I didn’t notice either. About two months before our trip Qatar cancelled our return flight and we had to have Patrick book us on Airlink HRE-Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) and then get on Qatar. Luckily Airlink and Qatar are now partners and we could check luggage and guns all the way to our final destination. Our lovely lady charter pilot stayed with us and helped us get all checked in for our flight. Three of us made it through before the computers went down. The other two barely made it through security in time to board. On arrival in JNB we were met by a concierge that I evidently had paid for so our group would have no issues in the airport. He was helpful as we waited for the right Qatar personnel to help with gun paperwork. The “right person” never came so this young man with Qatar just got on the phone and with our help got all 5 of us done with no further issues. I had to get the concierge to walk me to the stupid covid testing area outside of security for my onward journey to Tanzania. We hoofed it for quite a ways and I would have never found this place! All done and headed back though security. I finally met up with the guys in the Sholongolo Lounge for a bit of food and drinks. I was hungry by this time and found the chicken wings with a light curry sauce and proceeded to tear into them. I sat by myself as I am sure curry sauce was flying since these wings were really fantastic. As we got to the gate it was more chaos than normal but this is Africa(TIA). The staff had no idea how to board a plane and let coach go first then somewhere randomly in the middle business class boarded and then back to coach. What a mess but I was in my beloved QSuite once again. In DOH I had to say goodbye to my 4 friends as we all had to head directly to our respective gates for departure. I was going to Kilmanjaro (JRO) Airport which is just outside of the town of Arusha while three of them were headed to DFW and one home to Atlanta. This JRO flight also makes a technical stop in Dar es Salaam. On arrival in Tanzania the most chaos of the trip was encountered. Firstly I showed my emailed covid test results to the “health screening” lady but she took me to a temporary room and insisted I take another test. I told her she didn’t know her own country’s rules! Vax card or PCR test and that is all that is required. I was about to get surly with her when she said I could go. Then the visa process made Zim look like a cake walk. Fingerprints of both hands, photo, passport, & paperwork! What else do they want a blood sample? Finally I was out of there and off to get my luggage and then I was met by my outfitters manager who helped me through the police office with my pre-approved rifle permit. We went to KIA Airport Lodge for a drink and to wait on my PH to arrive. It was a rustic place but certainly an African resort feel to it. I would not mind staying there. It was a 3 hour drive to camp with a lot of traffic near Arusha and arrival was fairly late.
As my 10 day Massailand, Tanzania safari came to an end I was getting homesick and could not wait to go home. I was feeling badly and had sinus trouble from all the smoke in Zim and dust in Tanzania so that didn't help matters when you have 3 days to get home!
We drove to Arusha and stayed at Mount Meru Hotel because I had an early AM flight the next day. It was a truly beautiful hotel and a welcomed reprieve from the two safari camps I had been staying in for nearly 3 weeks. I had an 8:50AM flight from JRO-DOH so of course I was there three hours early and of course no one was at the counter until 2 hours before departure. This is one thing I hate about African airports. They never open the ticket counter until 2 hours before departure and then it is all a mad rush for everyone. The Qatar staff were slow but dutiful in getting me checked in. I found one of the neatest little lounges in the Kilmanjaro Airport called Twiga Lounge. It had very little in the way of food and beverages but It had what appeared to be all new furniture and the best view of the runways. I sat and looked at the planes and went through many of my photos from this big trip and longed for home. I boarded this Boeing 787 Dreamliner and found my business class seat. I dressed lazily for my return flight and had shorts and a camoflage t-shirt on. Dressed like an African hunter I struck up conversation after conversation with people along the way home. I may have changed my mind about intentionally not wearing hunting clothes while traveling. I was going to have a long 8 hour layover in DOH so I arrived and went to see if I could get in, for a fee, to the first class lounge. I was able to pay to get in and again it is something to see. As I mentioned I was not feeling my best so I decided to head to the spa and have a massage. I was sure I would have to book a time and wait but I was wrong. One of the nice ladies at the counter checked me in and off we went. After a shower and a massage things were looking up and I headed to the lounge restaurant and had a nice meal and then found a comfy chair and just rested the balance of the time. We boarded after 1AM for our 2AM departure to DFW and thankfully this route always has the QSuite in business class for this 16 hour flight. I was finally feeling a bit better but certainly not hungry this late and especially after just eating but I took a look at the menu and changed my mind. Lobster for an appetizer and entree! Now I was really going to try to sleep the rest of the way if possible. I did sleep well on this flight and watched a movie or two and I was back in Texas! DFW is never a problem with luggage and guns and everyone was helpful along the way. When you have a rifle case a porter goes with you with a cart with all your belongings all the way to customs. I had just enough time for a burger and jumped on the AA flight home to SJT.
It was a very long trip to two countries and although it was tiring I really enjoyed all the people I met and certainly the wildlife and the scenery. My only regret was that I didn't get to spend a day at Lake Natron to see the flamingos. I did see them one day from a very long way off however.
My next safaris will be in Namibia and then directly to South Africa. I’ll fly on Delta next time due to various reasons but I hope to be on Qatar again very
soon!
Last edited by a moderator:
I think I would have driven from the Omay to Tanzania after all that 
