Feedback on Kenya safari itinerary please

Forgot two things:

1. I think they are going to try to add a gorilla trek (probably Rwanda) to the above itinerary.

2. Here is a list of their values for this trip:

(I would also add a bit of romance would be nice as I'm thinking they might start planning a family after they get back! Though I think a trip to Kenya will be super romantic in general.)

Ok, her words:

Goals/ values for Africa adventure (in approximate order of priority) :
- Reasonably comfortable weather
- Lots of big game viewing (including mountain gorillas if possible), less bird watching
- Not too crowded/ touristy (happy to avoid big cities and lots of people/ minivans at the animal sitings)
- Variety of terrain
- Variety of modes of travel including vehicle, boat, and walking/ trekking (high activity is great)
- Some cultural immersion
- More green/ trees/ mountains/ plains/ water
- Less desert/ sand dunes, no need to spend time on the coast or ocean activities
- Not too much traveling between locations. We'd prefer to stay at least 3 nights at each camp and have a relaxing experience.
- If it's available, we would be very interested in a couple days of community service (computer training, house/ school building, tree planting, etc)
- A good balance of price to value (we don't want to skimp, but of course, would love to find ways to keep costs as low as is reasonable). This may include splurging on some medium/ high luxury camps, intermixed with some more adventurer/ lower cost camps.

Reasonably comfortable weather

It could be fairly hot in Samburu in Dec/Jan. We went in early Dec and lucked out in that heavy rains that year had cooled things down. The other destinations are at high enough elevation that they're comfortable year round and cool off at night.

Not too crowded/ touristy

Not sure if this is possible in the more popular parks like Samburu, Nakuru and Mara over the holidays as lots of residents will also be on vacation. I don't think Lewa will be crowded since there are a limited number of accommodations.

As Patty mentions, Dec/Jan is going into "summer" in Kenya. Samburu will be relatively hot (can be in the 90s) and there is no air conditioning. However, mornings and nights are cool and comfy for sleeping. Four (4) night though at Samburu is more than most visitors spend; usually 3/nts max.

Intrepid's and Explorer are sister properties of Heritage Hotels. Explorer the more expensive. Lewa Safari is a Cheli & Peacock property. Loldia House is a Governor's property.

I believe that flight from Lewa to Lk. Nakuru is a private charter, not a "scheduled" flight.

Also, over the Christmas/New Year's holiday, besides this being peak-season with highest prices (they do go down after 2nd Jan), many local residents holiday. Doubt a stay at Intrepid's at Samburu (with 25/tents) will be that romantic. You might want to consider a smaller camp: Larsen's, Elephant Bedroom, Saruni or SaSaab. The latter two aren't in Samburu proper, but each on their own private conservation lands where bush walks, meals and night game drives can be done, as well as game drives in the Reserve. They're also smaller... read: romantic.

Lewa won't be all that crowded.

Once down in the Mara, Explorer is a small camp (10/tents) and well situated, so that's good. Rekero is another small camp and not far from Explorer. Serian is on the opposite side of the Mara, also small... benefit is they provide private vehicle/guide per tent, so no sharing with other guests for game drives. Other options to consider: Olonana on the Western side of the Mara or Ol Seki to the East; Bushtops to the Northeast from Explorer is another good choice... all are small and romantic! If 5/days, they may want to split their time between the Middle and/or the East or West.

We didn't find that it cooled off that much at night in Samburu at that time of year, not like at higher elevations where there's a really noticeable temperature drop. We were glad to have a fan in our tent for sleeping

PerpetualStudent, I think if you contact Lewa directly they may help you with community activities as they have lots of school and local community projects.

Meant to say, your friend could contact Lewa.

Hi
a. this is s really nice itinerary (personally i'd love it)
b. it hardly answers to 50% of what she states she wants

put in more Mountains and forests ("trees") - i would add a 4X4 transfer to Met Station on Mt. Kenya (3000m / 10,000 feet) + a nice walk from the Montane forest to the Afro-alpine belt
{that's what i'd call a "Variety of terrain" }
i'd add a night in the Ark or another night-viewing lodge

Samburu is a semi-arid environment, a person who thinks about a 'desert' using (the Walt Disney concept :-})of sand-dunes, may define it as some kind of desert (no sand dunes of course, as is the case in the majority of desert areas on earth)
One may decide to stay near the river ("water"), but mind you - the Uaso Nyiru has dried up a few times in recent years - and it may happen again;

there are no "lower cost camps" in this itinerary...

"community projects" twaffle has recommended, and i believe there are whole threads on the subject

Thanks so much everyone! Really great input. I'm going to do some more digging for her, based on your suggestions...

Hi everyone-

I'm perpetual_student's friend in question here. Thanks so much for all the amazing advice in this thread and countless others! It really helped us plan our trip. Here's the itinerary we ended up booking, just last week. We worked with Bert at Fish Eagle Safaris, who booked us through Origins.

Itinerary for Kenya & Rwanda Trip: December 09-January '10

Fly in to Nairobi, 1 night at Norfolk
Morning flight to Samburu, 3 nights at Intrepids
Drive to Lewa Downs, 3 nights Lewa Safari Camp
Morning flight to Maasai Mara, 5 nights Intrepids
Fly Nairobi, fly Kigali
2 days gorilla trek (1 night Gorilla Mountain View Lodge in the middle, 1 night Kigali Serena on either end)
Fly Nairobi, Fly home

We have private drivers/ car throughout (I am mostly positive about this).

A couple questions for you folks:
- Any suggestions for special requests we should make at any of these camps? We have already requested to be placed in a more remote tent at Mara Intrepids after reading about some of them being close together.

- I need to buy a new camera. I would prefer a small, point and shoot, but don't want to compromise quality. I have read very good things about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (10MP, 12x optical zoom, HD video). Has anyone heard good/ bad things about using this on a safari trip?

- Anything that's a must see/do while on this itinerary?

We'll definitely write up the trip report and share photos when we return!

Thanks so much!

Maybe you want to consider a ballooning while in the Massai Mara (roughyl 420US$pp) . If it's your cup of tea: book in advance with the camp/TO.

Have a great trip!

SV

Can't comment specifically about the Panny you mention, but many cameras are now offering higher Optical zooms w/stabilization (up to 20x) you might want to inquire.

As it appears you're traveling over the holidays, with many local Kenyans also taking holiday, I concur with SV that you pre-book the balloon safari, if interested. If you choose to select a day, don't make it your last morning, just in case, due to weather it might be cancelled.

Re DMC-ZS3, here is a comparison test of it and 5 other compact super zoom cameras by dpreview-
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q209grouplongzoom/

regards -tom

Newbie and Perpetual,

I really like your itinerary and you may have both Aby and me joining you if you are not careful. I agree with the comments about being prepared for local travelers, about the high end nature of the trip--not a budget option, and that the current itinerary does not offer forest habitat.

What do you mean you are "mostly positive about this?"

Origins is a very top notch company and I have used them. They started as a bird watching outfit and are still a choice for birders, so if you have any interest at all in birds, your guide will be happy and well qualified to assist you. If you don't care anything about birds, I would still suggest taking about an hour or two in each of your locations and devote it to bird watching to use the expertise of your guide. You might be surprised that you develop an ornithological interest. I'm not suggesting you ignore mammals and concentrate only on birds for a several hours, but just to utilize the resources you are paying for to get the most out of your safari. If you are a perpetual student, then any suggestion I make to expand your horizons is preaching to the choir. You may want to get your own bird book, but if not, that's fine, the guide will certainly have one and on a private trip you will both be able to see it easily.

Requests you should make: In the past, Origins was closely linked to Primate Safaris in Rwanda and I think they still are. So see if that's your Rwandan company. If it is, request Theogene as your guide. He is a wonderful guide and a leader in his profession. He is involved in setting standards for all safari guides and acts as a mentor to them. He is a truly dear man who you will enjoy and learn from if you ask him to share his personal history as a Rwandan. If Primates is not your company in Rwanda, please let us know what is because I may have another guide recommendation.

Unless it is already offered during some part of your stay, you could ask for a traditional meal that your guide would typically eat. It would probably include ugali, something like a cornmeal base with meat or vegetable on top. Eaten traditionally would be without using silverware. Of course if that's not appealing to you, then nix the idea. You don't need to set this up in advance, just tell your guide once you get there, if this is of interest.

You might also consider a bush dinner where you eat out away from your camp but with all the amenities and service of back at camp. Sometimes this is done just for your party and costs extra. I saw "romance" above and a bush dinner usually would be considered an intimate, romantic dinner when it is done for a small party or for just two.

Often if you are at a camp for several nights, it is done for all the guests one night of the stay at no extra charge. You may want to ask your agent before leaving home about a bush dinner. It is a good experience.

At least one of your days in the Mara and maybe Samburu you could take a breakfast and/or lunch box with you so you can stay out longer or get to places that are farther away. If you find this is a good plan, you can do more boxed meals. Boxed meals vary greatly in quality and can be several steps below what is served in camp. But the view while you are eating makes up for it.


At Lewa there are lots of possibilities besides the traditional game drive, that you may be made aware of before leaving home. Your interest in community activities may be one reason Lewa was included because it has Il Ngwesi, a community-run operation. A trip there from Lewa takes several hours and there are some game viewing areas enroute. Also at Lewa you can go horseback riding, which I did not. The best camel riding I ever did in Kenya was at Lewa. It is a great eco-activity because the camels are (or at least were) owned by local Samburu men who lead you on the safari. In comparison to other places where the camel ride was really more of a RIDE, at Lewa it was a several hour safari where we saw animals. We had to detour slightly from 3 white rhino in the distance, plus we saw eles, giraffe, various anteople and a hyena. There is a blind/hide near the water where you can watch birds and maybe some mammals. It is the only place I’ve had a good look at the rare aquatic antelope, the sitatunga. There is also a blind/hide that is on the grounds that guests can walk to with sweeping views of the terrain and often animals to look at too. You can do escorted walks at Lewa. As a rhino sanctuary, there may be a young rhino or two that you can interact with. You may also be able to meet and visit with the Craigs, Lewa’s founders. They graciously received my party and offered some fascinating background and insight into the location.

At Lewa do you keep your Origins guide and vehicle or do you use one of the camps?

“A must try to see” in Samburu are some of the unique species up there, that also may be present in Lewa, but they are easier to find in Samburu. Those are the Grevy Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Besai Oryx, Gerenuk. The last 2 are antelope. If you can see the Gerenuk on its hind legs with its front legs up in the brush, that is a classic view.

I've seen nice comments and photos from the Luminix. Those super zooms with image stabilization are great. That's what I use.

Have a great trip.

Above I wrote:
"I agree with the comments about being prepared for local travelers, about the high end nature of the trip--not a budget option, and that the current itinerary does not offer forest habitat."

The mountain gorillas certainly live in the forest and you'll be in it with them. So you will have forest habitat in Rwanda.

I should have qualified the no forest habitat comment by stating "no safari forest habitat in Kenya." In other words no Aberdare Forests with the possiblity of Gaint Forest Hogs or Colobus Monkeys.

Here is another recommendation, this one for after a gorilla visit. You can go there right after the gorillas and your hiking attire is fine. You could also return to your lodge, freshen up, and then go. I copied this info. from a trip report I just did.

Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village:
More info at:

http://www.yoursafeplanet.co.uk/dynamic/?pageId=37&templateId=1

http://www.rwandaecotours.com/ibyi.html

I asked about doing something cultural while in Kinigi and Kirenga suggested Iby’Iwacu. This project offers an opportunity to local people who may not directly benefit from Volcanoes National Park and who may have been involved in poaching. It also allows young Rwandans a way to learn about their own culture in the process of sharing it with visitors.

A guide for the village escorted me to various stations to meet a traditional healer and learn about his herbs, to see how millet was ground and give it a go, to watch a bow and arrow demo and take a shot, and to visit the king’s palace. It was under construction by numerous skilled workmen but some of the interior rooms had been completed and I was given a tour and explanation of those.

There were items for sale spread out on a blanket but no vendors were present and no need for bargaining. I bought a basket.

The gentleman who oversaw the the bow and arrow shooting was extremely enthused about his demonstration as well as the upcoming drumming and dancing. He added his own animated narration to the explanations of the village guide. Later he got to play the part of the gorilla in the final interpretive dance. It was worth going to the village just to give him the opportunity to participate in the activities and have such a good time.

When I got home and reviewed the video Kirenga had shot and narrated of some of the events at the village, I learned this enthusiastic archer and gorilla portrayer used to be one of the most successful poachers in the area.

The staged activities and demos were interesting, but what I found most fascinating was the traditional drumming and dancing. The participants dressed in traditional costumes, like those I had seen at the National Museum, which included flowing straw lion manes. The performers were very talented and put tremendous energy into their drumming and dancing. Some of the bystanders even joined in and then I was summoned to participate as well. That was fun and completely optional. I got to drum too. They were outstanding performers and it was a privilege to see them.

At the end there was an opportunity for a donation. Later I found out there was a cost to visit, but Kirenga covered that for me because he likes to support this project. I can recommend supporting it too! Bring your dancing shoes or dancing gorilla tracking boots.

This is a link to 84 photos. The village shots appears around #60 or so.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=k8fpf01.69ae5kv9&x=1&y=71c8yj&localeid=en_US

These are fantastic recommendations! Thanks so much. I am waiting to hear back on the questions about drivers and who Origins partners with in Rwanda. Will write again soon.

The cultural village in Rwanda sounds great. I loved your photos atravelynn. The gorilla shots are incredible. Mating! wow. Nice recommendations in Lewa Downs. I had a bad experience on a camel in morocco, so I may stick to the walking safaris, but I really look forward to getting out of the vehicles when possible. We are hoping to do a hot air balloon ride, I will look into booking in advance now. I LOVE the idea of romantic bush dinners and will definitely try at least 1 boxed lunch so we can go farther and see more in a day. Maybe many days. We're definitely up for trying a traditional meal, thanks for the recommendation!

Also, good camera feedback/ reference links all.

Thanks again for all the useful info. We're getting very excited about the trip!

atravelynn,
I love your rec's for things to do in Rwanda that get you a bit closer to the culture of the country. I'm going to fwd this to my family. We (mom, dad, brother and I) leave in two weeks! My friend, frica_newbie (hi!) is doing a very similar trip to ours; it's fun! I think we might need to look into the hot air balloon ride too. I just did that in Turkey. Absolutely amazing, beautiful, peaceful. Our pilot, from Australia, said that the best places to balloon are that spot in Turkey, in Kenya/Tanzania, and Napa Valley in CA.
I was surprised how "into" birds I got on our last safari to Zambia/Botswana. Our guide told great stories that made the birds really interesting. And he quizzed us to I.D. birds each day; I love a good test =p
Thanks all for the input! (for both my friend and I )
I will bring back a trip report in December!