Nicely written. Am enjoying. Keep it up.
Enjoyed the first photos too. Thanks.

BTW - Tried to connect to Andy Biggs site with your link - I also have questions abouit KLM carry-on luggage - but all of the html links seem to be broken?

Indeed; seems his website has some issues. Strange. You may want to try again later.

About KLM; you can ask here as well, I'll try to answer.

Note (to everyone else as well); of course I'll be answering questions here too. No need to register @ Aardvark if you don't want to.

Pixelpower,
Thanks for the very informative and entertaining start of your report, and the lovely pictures. Is the gecko going to attack the stick insect? The missed luggage is one of my worst nightmares. I’m looking forward to reading about Ikoma.

Thanks, pixelpower! I like the way you've organized the report.

A great start, pixelpower. I enjoyed all of the background info too. Loved the champagne in the shoebox to start the trip. Looking forward to the next installment and wondering when you'll get your luggage

Thanks for the offer. Here goes.
I am leaving in just 3 weeks on a camping safari. Have only 50 minutes to change planes in AMS. I *know* that they will not manage it, so I want to take only one carry-on backpack and wear the rest in pockets of my safari (camera-type) vest, or slung around my neck.

~ Will they get upset if there is a bottle of disinfectent sticking out of my pocket? It weighs 1/2 kilo and I don't want to pack it.

~ I know that I am allowed up to 8 kilo. Is KLM 'fussy' or might I get away with 9 or 10 kilo?

~ Is there also a 'dimensions' parameter for carry-on luggage, or just weight?

- If I am carrying a sleep sack seperately too is that considered 2 carry-on items? Are two permitted?

- What about if I am wearing a day-pack (small) seperately? Would that be considered to much for carry-on together with the 45 liter back pack and sleep sack?

TIA!!

According to the KLM website, you're allowed 10 kg with max dimensions of 55 x 35 x 25 cm. In addition, you're allowed some personal items and a camera bag but I don't know if a sleep sack would qualify.

http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/travel_information/baggage/baggage_allowance/index.htm

Thanks Patty. Wonder why my TA told me 8 kilo?? I will have to call her again and see if things have changed...

BTW - If I am reading tht correctly on Resstricted items I cannot carry a cigarette lighter, but safety matches are all right?

UGH - apologies for the typos. It is 4.30 in the morning here

Welcome home! Looking forward to the scoop in the lens cap & everything else.

@Nyamera: I don't think it was going to attack. They were both just sitting there, under a lamp outside a bungalow. I guess they were just "keeping warm".

It was the only bungalow with electricity. Apparently a very obese American woman stayed there, and she needed electricity all night for some sort of oxygen mask. At the time we took the shots, she had already drained the batteries of her bungalow, so she was waiting while staff installed a generator. IMHO people like that shouldn't go to Africa. But that's another discussion.

@Leely; thanks.

@Patty: IF we get the luggage at all!

@Africnow: Patty already summarized the official rules, but in reality: they hardly check at all. At least it was like that in our case.

Weight; some of our photo bags weighed 15kg. But luckily, all of them ar rather compact, so it doesn't show from the outside. I guess it helps if you walk around with your bag pretending it's as light as a feather.

Something sticking out of your pocket; no KLM won't mind I think. We all wore photo vests, some with filled pockets; some empty. The only thing that is annoying with filled pockets in your vest is the inbetween airport checks (non-KLM, but security crew). Here they scan everything, so it's better to take out the vest completely at such a checkpoint, and not to start emptying your pockets.

Carrying two items; normally you are allowed to bring hand-luggage and a small purse. In reality I saw a lot of people combining two bags. But they were always small, not big (like a laptop and a backpack). My wife carried a backpack and her purse too. No questions were asked. The most extreme example; one of us (Willy) had a photo bag, but sinced that bag had a lot of pockets on the outside, he put another, normal sportsbag (leather) over it. His reason for doing so; he didn't want anything stolen out of those outside pockets. This made the whole thing seem fairly big. But on top of that, he took a 2nd bag. A smaller camera bag for body+wide lens. Looked kinda like a small backpack, the type kids often wear to school. Well; he passed fine when boarding the KLM flight in Belgium. In AMS, one guy DID make a remark, but Willy answered that he had already passed the checkpoint in Brussels and that 2 itmers were allowed after all ...and he could proceed. Nobody asked us any questions after that, not on the way back, not on the local flights either.

About local flights; on our Air Excel tickets (Seronera airstrip -> Arusha -> Zanzibar) was written; "luggage weight (including hand luggage): max 15kg". Woops. Well... The let us stow away our bags ourselves, and no questions were asked or remarks were made. Not that I could spot any balance @ Seronera airstrip.

pixelpower

Thank you! You make me feel much better.
If I get through the TLV airport, AMS should be a breeze

Welcome back, Jochen! I trust that you had a wonderful time. I will head over and read your report from your adventure.

By the way, my link doesn't work because there is a period (.) in the wrong place in the link. Just an FYI.



As a side note, reading all of these Africa posts today really makes me homesick for Tanzania right now. I have only been back home for about 1 month, and cannot wait to get back in early September.

Hey Andy. Indeed! I added a space to separate the full stop from the link.

In september eh? Can I carry your luggage?

OK, the day with the lenscap-story is on. I will continue wriing after the WE.

Have fun reading, but please be patient for the rest. It may be monday or tuesday before I can continue.

Love the lens cap story. I'm anxiously awaiting the rest of your report.

pixelpower:
Enjoying your report and it's great to have the pictures interspersed. I, too, am very interested in hearing your impressions of Ikoma.

Hi bat,


You'll have to wait until mid next week for that.

Today, I just finished processing all my RAW's. Up next; putting them into chronological order and making the pano's. After that, one last Photoshop-treatment (crops, removing dust in skies, ...).

A lot of work, but I like doing it!

@Carrie; thanks!

The Empakai visit, incl. boma-visit is up now...

Wonderful! Thank you.

Loved the lens cap pics! How long did it take to hike down into and out of Empakai crater?

Thanks. Empakai took about 40 minutes to the bottom. Double that on the way up.

Added the last day of safari. Next wee Zanzibar.

Question for fodorites; anyone can help me out identifying the one animal that I do not know? (read day 09 report)

Thanks!

I was thinking springhare too but looks like someone beat me to it. Did it hop on its hind legs?

I'm really enjoying your humorous trip report. What a coincidence that you and lifelist crossed paths.

Hi Patty,

Johan came over to my place yesterday and it's definitely a springhare.

And he also showed me a lot - and I do mean A LOT - of his picture. Well... it made me want to throw mine straight into the trash bin.

I can assure you this, and I'm not exagerating one bit here: the day Johan finishes his book, he's gonna make even Nigel Dennis look pale. OMFG! In my opinion, only people who dedicate a lifetime to the bush (Lanting, Scott family, etc...) can top his shots.

Hi there,

I am truly enjoying your report. I must say that I "enjoyed" your pictures and telling of the boma the most. I guess all of us need a wake-up call about reality sometimes.

Thanks for sharing
siro

Thanks siro!

I must admit I hadn't finished all of your report when I wrote the last post, now I have....

Interesting thoughts on Zanzibar and the Islamic culture and religion there. I'll be travelling a larger part of the Swahilicoast next summer and look forward to compare for instance Lamu with Zanzibar, hoping the former is more "authentic".

Being an European myself I fall right into your category "about every European thinks the same" .

Got a bit of a scare though, reading about KLM. As far as I know one has no choice if flying directly to Kili from Europe...

Siro,

KLM is maybe the only one flying to Kili, but I guess one should be able to find non-KLM flights to Arusha, or to Dar.

Arusha airport is fairly small, so I think it unlikely that they'll accept a lot of international flights.

I flew into NBO from LHR on Kenya Airways. From NBO, I caught a connecting Precision Air flight to JRO. So, there are alternatives to KLM. However, Kenya Airways has the same luggage restrictions as KLM, though perhaps not as well enforced.

About the only other major airline besides KLM going into Kilimanjaro Airport is Ethiopian. I believe you can connect with them via Lufthansa in Addis Ababa. Nairobi and Dar are alternatives, but getting a flight from those locations to Kili on the same day is difficult, as the last flight from NBO to JRO is 6 pm. The Swiss flight, for example, arrives at NBO at 6:15 pm.