Fodor's New Safari Book--Any Thoughts?
 

I just received the new Fodor's Safari Planning Book--it looks like it is very well written with lots of good travel advice. Anyone else got opinions for us first timers on this this book?

Yes, I found it much, much more useful than their previous smaller guide, and this guide looks like a natural first stop for someone undertaking their first safari. Aside from Mark Nolting's book, I can't think of any general book for help in planning a safari, and the Fodors guide will be much easier to find than the Nolting book. They seem to have filled a gap, and hopefully it will direct others to the forum.

Katie, or Alexis, if you are out there is there a 'were you quoted' from this book ?

I am sure we will know all of the names on that 'were you quoted' list!

I was at Borders a couple of weeks ago and had picked this up to look at it. I dropped it off with my husband while I went to look for some more books. When I came back, he said 'Did you know you're in this book?' I didn't believe him at first, but that have one of my comments about our visit to Tarangire. So naturally I had to buy the book! Now I've been quoted in a safari book and a wine book, which is pretty funny, considering that I'm a freelance writer who specializes in pets.

Kmania: That is hilarious. What is the name of the wine book and where does one get to read your specialized pet writing?

thit_cho: Glad you made it safely home. I guess I will look to see if you have added to your thread some time when the forum is back up after the outage. It must have been interesting to hear the thoughts on the situation from your contacts.

Kmania, it was always my understanding that, if you are quoted from the forums in one of their books, you can request that they send you a free copy.

I am also a first timer and found the book provided a very good overview of the various countries and their highlights, as well as some helpful planning tips and general advice. It helped me narrow my focus a bit so I had a (slight) clue of what I was interested in when I started to do some further digging and made inquiries of operators. I actually had picked up the book a few week ends ago on the way to the cottage so I could to do some preliminary reading for a safari my sister and I hope to do in 2009 and then got so excited about going I couldn't wait and decided to try something on my own this fall [I leave Oct 1!!]

whiskey

I was the lucky winner of this book at the Toronto Fodors GTG and as I am leaving for Kenya and Tanzania in Sept
I have been reading it daily. Seems quite thorough and the price was right!

irecommend I am also from TO, doing kenya and tanzania in Oct. What's your itinerary? (sorry to hijack the thread)

whiskey

Hi Denbasking,

The wine book is the Wall Street Journal Guide To Wine: New and Improved, in which I'm quoted on how I have a soft spot for white zin because that's what got me started drinking wine. I write the pet column (Creature Comforts) for MSNBC.com and I write for dog and cat magazines such as Dog World, Catnip, and Your Dog. I have an article on freestyle (dancing with dogs) in the current issue of Dog World.

whisky,
Flying to Nairobi Oct 4.
Ten days in Kenya, next 10 days in Tanzania with the last four in Zanzibar. I will see if I can pull up the full itinerary. What about you?

where can i have a look at that book......cannot trace it here

thx

div

divine54 I found it at a Chapters book store (similar to Barnes and Noble in the US I guess) in the travel guide section.

irecommend I leave TO Oct 1, a night in London and then to Nairobi Oct 3. I am doing a fairly short trip - just 9 nights in total. Have a great time.

Hello! I'm sorry that I did not see this thread earlier. I'm so glad that those of you who have checked the guide out so far are pleased.

We should be placing an announcement of members quoted in recent guides up on the site next week.

But... I can post the names for the Safari book here shortly. Just give me one moment...

Kmania-- congratulations on being quoted. We do extend an offer of a complimentary guide to quoted members; you'll be able to request a Safari guide or another guide of your choosing.

Here's the list:

richardfh
hamishbear
Mohammed
santharamhari
Novak
Patty
saridder
acabot
dhruvgupta
MyDogKyle
rsnyder
Hick
Traveller88
Kmania
jenack
ShayTay
Jocilen
HariS
Celia
ekscrunchy
Bert
atravelynn
canadian_robin
Gardyloo
WildDogs
Tropical_gal
Kavey
MisterAviator
jasher
Fabio

If you see your name here, drop me an email at [email protected] with your mailing address.

Kudos to everyone, quoted or not, for making this particular forum here on Fodor's the resource that it is.

whiskey - thank you very much!

div

Thanks, Katie, looks like I am off to buy the book!

Got the book a week ago, and really wished it had been around when I first thought about traveling to South Africa; it would have been quite helpful. Good job!

Hi everyone. Speaking as the editor of this guide, I can't help but be a proud parent. This book was a joy, and at times a killer, but to hear all of you talking about it's helpfulness and validity, well I'm just smiling from ear to ear (and speechless).

As it was Fodor's first full-color book, it was a bit of a leap for the powers-that-be to go with this as the lead, but I think it has proven to be a smart, beautiful choice. I only wish we could have done a photo contest with this book. There are so many gorgeous images posted in this forum; they were great inspiration for me. Hopefully we can entertain that possiblity for the next edition.

I'm glad to hear that you feel the book was well-written. Kate Turkington is a very knowledgable writer and long-time safari goer and wrote great prose. I'll be sure to forward your thoughts to her.

And remember to keep the reports, advice, questions, and pictures coming. There will be another guide and we will be looking to all of you again for advice and guidance.

I like the book, but I am surprised that they don´t cover Uganda and Zambia. I wonder what made them leave those 2 countries out. I also would have liked Zimbabwe to be included even though I understand that there are no reasons to write about a country that hardly any will visit.

Thanks for the question jesron. We decided to stick with covering the Big 5 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia) because when first time safari goers are planning their trip, these are the countries they are interested in. While Zambia is becoming a major player in terms of safaris, we decided for this first edition it was best to cover it as part of the Vic Falls package with Zimbabwe. For the next edition, I do hope to explore the possibility of including a full chapter on Zambia. However, unless things change drastically in Zimbabwe, I don't think we will be able to give it coverage outside of Vic Falls.

Thanks for the tip-off about the book. It's excellent for a first-timer like me. And I was so pleased to see Namibia included, as I'm planning to go to both SA and Namibia.

Oooh, I didn't know I was quoted too. Katie, I've just got back from Africa today, so will contact you to request a book, which titles can we choose from? Thanks!

Thank you for the reminder on who gave quotes for the book. Received my free copy today.

I received my copy too, thanks!

I've only read the Kenya section so far and while I think it gives a good overview especially for first timers, I found a few errors in the placement of lodges and camps on the maps and also an inaccurate description of the location of one lodge in the accommodation listings.

I'm also curious as to the thoughts behind having no Samburu accommodations listed and the placement of Samburu under the Laikipia Plateau section.

Patty- it would be great to receive your feedback. Feel free to drop me a note at [email protected] and I'll be sure the editor Alexis receives it.

We're also about to make a more formal announcement about all of those quoted in our new color guides, including the safari book---I had posted the names in the Africa forum because I know some of you noted that it was already out.

Katie-

I tried to order it through this website, and it won't recognize any other country than US. (I live north of the border in Canada)

Can you make a suggestion to the powers that be that people in other countries want to read this too?

I'm dying to read it!

Thanks,
Lynda

Katie, you could have "knocked me over" so to speak when I saw my name on the list!! Shortly after seeing this thread I visited the local B&N book store and purchased the new book. Am still reading it. As we hope to be able to return to East Africa next year, it has already been a great planing aid. Realizing the different audiences intended and the breadth of the coverage included I can certainly understand why some of my favorite parks let alone lodges and companies could not be covered. Thanks Fodors for a job well done! Dick

Katie, received my copy in the post, many thanks indeed!

On the whole the book looks good and I would imagine it would be quite handy for first time safari planners.

I find some of the camp choices odd though - Little Governor's and Il Moran are included but, unless I missed it, no mention of Governor's main camp. Not that it's to my tastes but since some of the larger lodges are listed, there's no reason to miss that one out. The choices often seem a bit arbitrary!

And it seems that a sloppy editing job has been done - I've only flicked through it and noticed a number of typos already. Overall, looks like a good book, though I'd personally recommend folks wait for the 2nd edition, with some of the errors ironed out! :)

Oh my. Lots of editing mistakes? Enought to wait for the 2nd edition? Yikes. I'd love to hear your thoughts Kavey and find out exactly where you noticed problems so that I can add them to my notes for the next edition.

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. It was truly a labor of love. Please do let me know where we can improve, be it listings, etc.

By the way, there was so much great advice on the forums that it was hard to pick the Word of Mouths. Thanks again for making our forums the best out there.

Sorry, I'm probably exaggerating, it's just that I picked only 4 or 5 pages to read, based on my recent safari, so I could assess what was written and two of those handful of pages had mistakes on them... so it just SEEMED high. It could be I stumbled onto two of only few pages with errors. I'll have to dig out book to check (it arrived just as we were leaving for a weekend away so I shoved it into the luggage and took it along).

PS Katie has my email address (which I sent with my address) so feel free to prod me if I forget to come back to you with examples...

PPS I hope you don't think me rude for feeding back? I have always been honest with my feedback on this forum whether it be about accommodation, guides or even guide books so I figured only fair to do same.

It does look like a very useful resource.

I WILL get it back out and give some concrete examples, which would be more helpful, if you prefer I can email them.

Katie/Alexis,
I sent 2 emails on Friday with my comments/corrections. Kavey is right. There are also a number of typos which I neglected to mention in my emails. If you want those, I can send another email with the ones I spotted.

PS - I'm referring to the Kenya chapter only (I haven't read the others yet).

Will corrections be posted somewhere on this site?

I, for one, have found the Safari book to be a delight. Any insignificant copyediting errors that may have crept in do not affect the quality of the book, which is excellent. The organization makes sense, the special boxes and such add a touch of whimsy, and the photos are quite stunning.

Congrats!

Thanks for the feedback-- Patty, I did see your email and I'm sorry to have not replied sooner.

In the near future we will have the information from this new guide on the site; when we do we can then look at the possibility of establishing a place there for members to post feedback (or post feedback like yours that we have received). In the meantime, all feedback we receive is very helpful and of course, is appreciated as we go to produce a 2nd edition.

After reading Moondoggie and Thit Cho's favourable reviews, I headed to a nearby bookstore to have a look at the book. Imagine my surprise when I found myself quoted in the South African section.

I was pleased to discover that the book covers Tanzania and Kenya as, although just back from 6 weeks in Southern Africa, my husband and I are already planning our next trip. Having visited South Africa (3X), Namibia (3X) and Botswana (1X), we feel it is time to head further afield. We certainly want to return to Botswana, having been there only once, and we are thinking of combining a return visit there with a visit to Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania. We will once again be self-driving. Like Jesron, I wish Zambia had been included in the book but, having read Katie's comments, I understand why it wasn't. I have little doubt that the book will be most useful as we plan this next trip. The Fodor's Namibia and Botswana books are excellent, and we used them extensively when planning the trip from which we have just returned.

I would like to thank eveyone on this forum who contributed to what was another wonderful visit to Southern Africa. Although I think the South African section of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park remains our favourite park/reserve, Moremi and Chobe were amazing. We loved them both and we loved the roof top tent! I am currently writing up a trip report, which I will post when it is complete.

The tips that we received on this forum, when we were in the planning stages of our trip, certainly contributed to its success. It is amazing how the simplest advice can have such a huge impact. Our favourite tip came from Luangwablondes, who responded to my query about what to do about the baboons and monkeys that are known to be such a nuisance in the campsites in Moremi and Chobe. Luangwablondes responded that we should take a slingshot. I suggested that, since I can't hit the broad side of a barn with a snowball, I would be of little use with a slingshot. Luangwablondes immediately responded that I didn't need to be able to hit the baboons or monkeys because they would flee at the mere sight of a slingshot. I was a tad skeptical, but went and purchased one at my local hardware store anyway. Imagine our surprise, when besieged by baboons and monkeys at North Gate campsite, to have them scatter in all directions at the sight of the slingshot. We simply had to wave it about and the pesky beasts would disappear and not return for the duration of the meal. The Germans on the neighbouring site were so impressed, that they came and borrowed it! Thanks Luangwablondes - we owe many relaxed meals to you!

As for the book - my apologies, I got way off topic - at first glance, it looks great - well organized, beautifully illustrated and packed full of info. My only concern is that I wish there were more information and tips for self-drivers (ie. there is nothing about the campsites in Moremi and Chobe, like Third Bridge and Ihaha), but that is after only a cursory glance - there may well be lots of input for self-drivers that I haven't found yet. I am off to make a cup of tea and have a good read right now.
Robin

Wow! You guys are great. Your feedback has been amazing. Please do keep it coming, as it will only make the 2nd edition better.

Katie has sent all the emails to me, which I am keeping in my "folder for the next edition."

Patty, Kavey, Robin, and Dick: Thanks for taking the time to email us. It's much appreciated.

We are planning an African safari next year, and I picked up the new book, African Safari Planner and i have a question. The book has plenty of information about Kenya, how come the same information is not available on Fodor's website. The only African destinations available online are South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco.
Is there a reason why? Thanks and would be glad to hear some responses.