Trish Strain

I am scheduled to travel to Kenya and Tanzania March 9 through 25, 1998. I have heard a great deal about the unusual rains and resulting flooding there. The tour company (Park East Tours -- any experience with these guys?)) is still sending groups over and has no plans to cancel the trip, but I figure they have a vested interest in making the trip regardless. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and I would like to be sure that I make the most of it! I would appreciate it if anyone who has been there recently could give me a first hand report of how bad this really is and how it affected the ability to travel through the national parks. In particular I am interested in any impact (positive or negative) this unusual weather has on the potential for wildlife viewing. I have only a limited time in which to make the decision to cancel the trip, so any information provided will be sincerely appreciated. Thanks!

Jackie

Dear Trish-see if you can locate the travel section
of the LATimes for Sunday 1/25. There is an
article on current weather conditions in Kenya.
It is my impression that they said that the masai
mara & amboseli were impassable at this time, and the animals have gone away too.
My husband & I were greatly helped last year on our
trip by Vincent at Lets Go Travel in Nairobi. Why not give him a call or a fax to check it out. He is
in the main office-not the westland office. You can find his number in one of the guidebooks, I have
loaned mine to a friend so I can't give it to you.
Kenya and Tanzania are really very exciting and somewhat primitive so I would delay your trip if
there is any doubt. The most difficult part of
travel there is the horrible roads and wildly over
crowded buses. Get a good driver and pray for
dry weather.

Stephen

Trish,

I was on a Park East 17 day Safari last january. Although I can not comment on this year's weather, the staff from Park East were excellent.
The drivers were extremely knowledgible (sp?) about the animal's habits as well as the culture of the various tribes. The highlight for me was the Ngorongoro Crater. Hurry up and go there before all the tourists ruin it. The accomodations were excellent too. We stayed in Serena Lodges and each one was more magnificent than the last.
Enjoy!

Nils

I have just returned from a 2 weeks holiday in Kenya. My wife and I stayed at KIWI travellers hotel about 30 kilometers south of Mombasa and we had a really nice holiday!. The weather was fine, but it rained the last two days. I read in the kenyan papers that the weather in Tanzania has been bad the last weeks and that they have considerable problems with their roads and railways. Also in Kenya the roads are in a bad condition. But it is possible to travel around most places. Malaria is widespread so it is absolute a must to take malaria tablets. It is not recommendable to drive after dark becaus of armed gangs. The kenyan people are really friendly. But the have hard times because of the brutal and corrupt regime (which is not solving the tribal problems, but which seems to stand behind much of the violence). I still mean that we should visit Kenya in solidarity with the friendly and poor "common people". Nils

Mike Brown

I was in Kenya and Tanzania 3 years ago in March, just as the rains were starting. I don't know what these rains are live now but I would imagine that the more water the better the viewing of the animals. At this time of year you should not miss the Wildebeast migration- it is amazing. Dont miss it. I didn't book before I left and paid much less that if I had booked a safari at home. There are lots of companies that do these trips and many are great, some are bad.

Cliff Jensen

Just returned from two weeks in Kenya and Tanzania. We used Lion's Safari in Tanzania and had a 4 wheel drive vehicle. The only place we went to in Kenya was Little Governor's Camp in the Masai Mara. The rains were more an inconvenience than anything else. The two wheel drive vans were getting stuck quite a bit, but someone in a 4-wheel drive would come along and pull them out. One of the camps we were scheduled to stay at was flooded out (Maji Moto in Lake Manyara), but they had already arranged for us to stay at another. I wouldn't worry, and you should have a good time. Everything is green and beautiful.

Michele Burgess

I would disregard half of what you read in the papers regarding what's going on in Kenya. If you believe everything you read, you'll get Rift Valley fever, malaria, cholera, and severe bites from the Nairobi fly. You'll be flooded out, caught up in tribal violence, and won't be able to get into the game parks. I do an annual Kenya photo safari and am constantly in touch with my Nairobi tour operator. She says she had clients in Amboseli who saw "tons of elephants" and even a leopard, which I've never seen in 11 years. In Masai Mara they saw the Big Five. The only problem was that they had to go in the North Gate at Samburu rather than the South Gate due to a washed-out road. The Mombasa tour operator quoted in the Los Angeles Times was speaking from his perspective, that of getting clients from Mombasa to the game parks, and that highway is certainly washed out. However, most safaris come from the Nairobi side. Another Times reporter said the ethnic violence could affect Kenya's premiere game park, the Masai Mara, because it's in the Rift Valley. Sorry, but the problems at Nakuru are nowhere near Masai Mara. She should have looked at a map before she wrote her story. Go to Kenya/Tanzania and have a great time! You'll love it. My first trip was in 1974 and I was hooked.

Jan

Trish, <BR>My teenage daughter & I will be going to Tanzania in late Dec.-mid Jan. 99. How was your trip? I'd appreciate any info you could provide. Was it safe, did you have any problems, how was the food, etc. <BR>Thanks!