Hello all,

As my trip nears (Kenya - Tanzania 6/28 - 7/8), I am started to get excited, as well as nervous.
I was wondering if there are guards near the tented camps and lodges who are there on watch. I am not talking about people who are willing to escort you to your room, I am speaking of guards who are stationed at regular intervals.
Is there any such thing. My husband thinks that I am mad to think the tents are going to left unguarded (permanent stationary guards outside tents) but there are no permanent guards, right?
Here's where we are going to be staying:

June 30: Travel to Arusha and Lake onwards to Lake Manyara - Manyara Serena Lodge - OK
July 1: To Serengeti - Mbuzi Mawe Serena (tented camp) - OK
July 2: Full day Serengeti - Mbuzi Mawe Serena - OK
July 3: To Ngorongoro - Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge - OK
July 4: Crater Tour - Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge - OK
July 5: Back to Nairobi via Arusha - Nairobi Safari Club - OK
July 6: To Maasai Mara - Mara Sopa Lodge - OK
July 7: Full day Maasai Mara - Mara Sopa Lodge - OK

Please let me know about the guard situation.

Hello Africatravel,
I’ve never seen stationary guards outside tents. My experience is that night watchmen start moving around the bushes at sunset, and after everyone except I has retired to their tents they come and sit by the campfire. Usually the same people work for the whole 12-hour night and they don’t always manage to stay awake. Stay in your tent, don’t walk around camp at night - and you’ll be safe.

In Kenya, all camps and lodges have an electric fence around them. In Tanzania, they do not, they prefer to let the animals go where they will. But, rest assured that your safety is always first on their mind - we stayed mostly at Sopa Lodges and there were always guards stationed along the paths from the lodges to the rooms - which is the only place that you would be at night. In addition to this, if you look closely you will see grates on these paths, my guess is that the animals will not cross a grate. In one place there was a huge grated moat - can't remember which one this was, but it may have been Tarangire Sopa. There are warning signs up everywhere at all lodges that we stayed at telling you to use common sense when outside.
Not once do I remember feeling nervous anywhere, but I was very careful to read all of the signs, to pay attention to what our safari director told us, and to always walk with an escort, especially in Tanzania at night along ONLY the paths from the lodge to the rooms. There are many security personal on those paths - at regular intervals.

Thanks for your responses. I am most concerned about the Mbuzi Mawe Serena tented camps. I was looking at some pictures (http://gallery.ethosmarketing.co.uk/..._View_of_Tents) and noticed that the camps are quite far from each other and there is no fence.

Lynda,
Fortunately not all camps and lodges in Kenya are fenced. I’ve only stayed at one fenced camp – Samburu Intrepids – it was unfenced at the riverside, but it was quite frustrating anyway. Grates? I think I’ll avoid Sopa Lodges.

Africatravel,
Mbuzi Mawe looks lovely. You’ll be accompanied to your tent at night. Then stay there until the morning. Hakuna matata.

we had a guard in a little guardhouse at LRL and he was supposed to keep an eye on all the chalets through the night. one night he had a bag of mangoes with him and fell asleep...an elephant tore off the grate on the door, wrecked the light fixture and found the mangoes. the guard slept through it and the next morning when asked what happened he replied to the manager "no maam, i didn't have any mangoes in the guardhouse and didn't see any elephants!"

Though Rocco was freaked out hearing the lions while at Mbuze Mawe... feeling they may have been too close... can't recall anyone else commenting about this.

Most camps do have askari who escort guests to/from dinner (anywhere after dark) and they do monitor the camp grounds during the night. Whether any one askari stays up during the entire night I can't say... I was sleeping, but once in your tent at night, that's where you should stay. It just makes sense. There is no reason to be outside.

Though many properties have electric fences (a wire about 6" -8" off the ground), many animals have learned how to circumvent them... they're pretty smart.

I recall about 10-years ago, having been inside out tent after having been escorted back, my partner was so in awe of the sky wanted to just sit on the deck. As soon as he unzipped the tent, the askari was there asking "what he wanted?" If nothing inportant he should just stay inside.

Follow the instructions and use your common sense and you'll be quite safe.

Nyamera-

I didn't quite get the comment about the grates? They wern't big, just small ones across the paths every so often - why would that be a negative?

We stayed at one camp and one lodge in Kenya (Kichwa Tembo in the Mara and Amboseli Serena) - both had the electric fence around them, but, we were, as Sandi mentioned, told that some animals can still jump the fences.

Thanks for your responses. Looks like I will be escorted to my tent, and I definitely plan on staying there until dawn.
Question: since the tents are quite far apart, how do I alert the guards if something happens. Are there some alarm bells in the room that I can ring or something?

Africatravel
You shall be perfectly safe !!
if u need personal experience, i've had by my tent all 'dangerous' animals - Buffaloes, Hippos, Lion, Hyena, Elephant, ...
Hunderds of thousands have stayed in tents , in the last 25 years all accidents i've heard of involved walking in the bush (mostly Buffaloes attacks, & Hippo, rarely lion) & a case of tourists in a car, without local driver, who had a fatal misunderstanding with an Elephant.
Do not take a walking safari without a professional guide & U r much safer than in the U.S.

Lynda,
The grates just conveyed an image that too much effort was made to keep animals out and also that there were too many permanent structures around. Though if nothing small, unfenced and reasonably priced were available, I wouldn’t think twice about staying at Sopa Lodges.

For alerting staff of a problem in your tent, there usually is an air horn, whistle or something similar. At one camp in Uganda, we had a walkie-talkie, that was also used to order drinks, but that is rare.

In a real emergency you could yell help. I've never heard the air horn, whistle, or a cry for help.

If you were very concerned you could take your own whistle.

The grates are sewer drains. The only thing you have to concern yourself with is something crawling out from these.

Well, did I guess wrong on what the grates were for! Sewer drains, I can't believe I didn't think of that! Thanks Sandi, I guess I was looking for the exotic in something plain and ordinary...

Yes, i've seen those air horn things at both wilderness and Kwando camps, where there are no guards at night. Just someone to walk u to your tent after dinner (usually one of the guides)

Hari

Sandi,

I believe I must have been "freaked out" for good reason given that the hotel thought it serious enough to call in the park ranger, armed with an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. While the jolly old guys and gals doing their initial foray into Africa with OAT may have thought this was a hoot, I viewed it a little more seriously. There were lions literally outside our tents and walking through the camp each day and night...this is NOT the norm at safari camps/lodges.

Of course, this may not be the norm at Mbuzi Mawe, but I believe it must be far more common than at other places since it is built right up against some very prominent kopjes.

I have no problem sharing a camp with hippos (feeding at night), elephants or even buffalo, but there is something very unsettling about sharing a camp with a pride of lions.

Rocco -

You had good reason to be "freaked" with the cats so near; can't imagine why the others were clueless or thought this "a hoot." I mentioned this incident only as I hadn't seen similar comments from other staying here.

In the end, regardless where any of us visit, we have to remember these areas belong to the animals... we're simply visitors and should follow instructions and for unusual or possibly dangerous situations, notify management.

I think a few pointers here will be useful. I have considerable personal expereince with safari camps over several years.

Firstly camps (which are not lodges - lodges are small hotels) are generally not fenced for guests safety. As the numbers of people are very limited in camps this is not an issue for control. Lodges and hotels have limited direct personal control and therefore resort to other measures.

Secondly fenced areas are MORE dangerous than unfenced for at least 3 reasons.

1. Animals (almost any animal not just big toothed ones) trapped inside a fence (especially an electric one) are much more dangerous than animals that can run away easily where there is no fence.
2. Guests and staff are not lulled into a false sense of safety.
3. Someone always leaves the gate open - see number 1 !!

While it is true that many animals are potentially dangerous, it is not true that a safari is a risky adventure. What kills and injures more safari travellers each year are car accidents - so be afraid of people and cars - but remember more accidents take place within 5 miles of your home than anywhere else!!

There are rules for crossing the road and their rules in camps too. The normal "let the buyer beware" warnings apply - choose your camp and the company carefully as many are expereinced safari operators but too many now days are not. They are hotel people chasing a buck literally and have no experience or knowledge about the bush.

When in doubt make sure that a safari person is in charge of the business, not a hotelier or enthuiastic amatuer or worst of all an accountant ;-(

The short cut is to use and expereinced tour operator - they know who runs the safari company - in person often. I am not a tour operator in case you were wondering.

We are Staying at Richard's Camp in September, and I think this camp is not fenced, which I'm glad about. I haven't heard of any tourists being carried off from their tents at night, while on safari, or even when dashing to the bathroom. Or am I in LaLa land?