The adventure of a lifetime!
Feb 3rd, 2005, 10:40 AM
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The adventure of a lifetime!
My husband and I are back from our 15 days in Kenya and Tanzania. the advice I recieved from all of you was more helpful than you will know. We booked our adventure through Friendly Planet. They gave us the most bang for our buck and the guides, vehicles, lodgings and general services were flawless. this is the first we have traveled with them and were so pleased that we are booking 2 more trips with them.
I don't want to repeat what I saw or did because they have been said here so many times but I do have some of my own observations;
If you think you are prepared for bad roads, think again. The roads look like the country has been bombed! There are times you need to drive in a field because the road is impassable. I wouldn't have missed it-it was part of the adventure.
Zip off pants were the best items I packed. When we left on a game drive at 6am, it was a little cool. By the time we returned, the bottoms were zipped off.
I wish I had taken more warm weather clothes. I was prepared for very cool evenings that never happened.
Whoever said not to wear bright colors because they are not found in nature and scare the animals has never been on a safari! People were wearing every color of the rainbow and if all those safari vehicles(also not found in nature) dont scare off the animals, a red Tshirt certainly won't!
The local beer-Tusker- is good. We had a cooler in our vehicle and kept some beer in it. Our driver would fill it with ice in the morning so that we would have a cold one on the way back from the late afternoon game drive (he was probably the best tipped driver that week.
All of our lodges kept us supplied with bottles of water.
We only saw 1 mosquito in 15 days.
The balloon ride was awesome.
The ngorongoro crater was more awesome.
We took 23 rolls of film and 2 hours of video.
After seeing the animals frolic,mate,kill etc. there is no way you will ever want to go to a zoo.
We did not see any leopard but were within 5 feet of a black mamba!
My husband and I travel quite a bit. We are not "travel snobs". We take our trips where the itinerary fits our purposes. We started this trip in the very quaint Outspan and ended it in the very posh Windsor Country Club. What I am saying is that no matter if you take your trip through a top of the line company, or stay in the cheapest hotels, all of the safari vehicles visit the same animals and thats basically what you came to see!
Nancy
I don't want to repeat what I saw or did because they have been said here so many times but I do have some of my own observations;
If you think you are prepared for bad roads, think again. The roads look like the country has been bombed! There are times you need to drive in a field because the road is impassable. I wouldn't have missed it-it was part of the adventure.
Zip off pants were the best items I packed. When we left on a game drive at 6am, it was a little cool. By the time we returned, the bottoms were zipped off.
I wish I had taken more warm weather clothes. I was prepared for very cool evenings that never happened.
Whoever said not to wear bright colors because they are not found in nature and scare the animals has never been on a safari! People were wearing every color of the rainbow and if all those safari vehicles(also not found in nature) dont scare off the animals, a red Tshirt certainly won't!
The local beer-Tusker- is good. We had a cooler in our vehicle and kept some beer in it. Our driver would fill it with ice in the morning so that we would have a cold one on the way back from the late afternoon game drive (he was probably the best tipped driver that week.
All of our lodges kept us supplied with bottles of water.
We only saw 1 mosquito in 15 days.
The balloon ride was awesome.
The ngorongoro crater was more awesome.
We took 23 rolls of film and 2 hours of video.
After seeing the animals frolic,mate,kill etc. there is no way you will ever want to go to a zoo.
We did not see any leopard but were within 5 feet of a black mamba!
My husband and I travel quite a bit. We are not "travel snobs". We take our trips where the itinerary fits our purposes. We started this trip in the very quaint Outspan and ended it in the very posh Windsor Country Club. What I am saying is that no matter if you take your trip through a top of the line company, or stay in the cheapest hotels, all of the safari vehicles visit the same animals and thats basically what you came to see!
Nancy
Feb 3rd, 2005, 11:30 AM
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I'm glad you had a great trip and would love to hear more regardless of what's previously been posted.
But "those people" who said not to wear bright colours certainly have been on safari and several times.
The fact that some areas are full of tourists who either don't know or ignore that advice doesn't negate it. Certainly in areas of HIGH tourist presence the animals are just going to be used to lots of colour, noise and intrusion.
In more remote areas where animals are not bombarded by lots of vehicles, people, colours and noises everyday (and especially on walking safaris where the advice is most relevant) bright colours MAY disturb an animal that may otherwise have stayed around and allowed the visitor a closer look.
But "those people" who said not to wear bright colours certainly have been on safari and several times.
The fact that some areas are full of tourists who either don't know or ignore that advice doesn't negate it. Certainly in areas of HIGH tourist presence the animals are just going to be used to lots of colour, noise and intrusion.
In more remote areas where animals are not bombarded by lots of vehicles, people, colours and noises everyday (and especially on walking safaris where the advice is most relevant) bright colours MAY disturb an animal that may otherwise have stayed around and allowed the visitor a closer look.
Feb 3rd, 2005, 12:02 PM
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Rolngstn-
Remember when you were planning your trip? Trip reports are real welcome no matter how many times you think you read one. They are each and everyone unique and well received by those of us at home.
I chuckled when I read your report about the bright colors. In East Africa that is very true. I was always shocked by folks attire. In South Africa and Botswana, I never saw such attire on safari. I think folks are much more conscious of those things and most safaris there are private safaris by more travelled folk I'd say. Kenya and Tanzania go for the numbers and bringing people in from Mombasa and cruise ships and they wear very colorful flowery things.
I'd still stress neutral colors but I have to agree with you on what people do in East Africa.
Still please consider a trip report with details of things and countryside, etc. Liz
Remember when you were planning your trip? Trip reports are real welcome no matter how many times you think you read one. They are each and everyone unique and well received by those of us at home.
I chuckled when I read your report about the bright colors. In East Africa that is very true. I was always shocked by folks attire. In South Africa and Botswana, I never saw such attire on safari. I think folks are much more conscious of those things and most safaris there are private safaris by more travelled folk I'd say. Kenya and Tanzania go for the numbers and bringing people in from Mombasa and cruise ships and they wear very colorful flowery things.
I'd still stress neutral colors but I have to agree with you on what people do in East Africa.
Still please consider a trip report with details of things and countryside, etc. Liz
Feb 3rd, 2005, 12:13 PM
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Glad you had such a great time.
I, too, would like to hear more, if you're so disposed.
I have an aversion to khaki myself; it's just not me. Settled on olives and "dusty"/neutral-ish pastels (dusty lavender T-shirt, dusty blue T-shirt, etc.). They started out dusty in spirit and ended up dustier in fact.
Congrats on what I imagine was a dream-come-true trip!
