No worries, Iowa_Redhead, I just figured I'd ask in case you knew offhand. I can certainly do a bit o' research myself. J.R. Liggett does a line of solid shampoos/conditioners, too, so I have a couple of things I can check out.

And don't apologize for adding questions here, KathBC; I'm loving all the tips people are leaving. Even if I don't use them now, if I enjoy this safari half as well as I expect to, I'll probably go back. And who knows what information might come in handy at that point?

nycjv, I have paper copies of a couple of animal guides -- I have the Audubon <i>Field Guide to African Wildlife</i> and the Withers and Hosking <i>Wildlife of East Africa</i>. I actually have one of those Barnes & Noble Nook readers that I plan on bringing for the plane and any free afternoons that I'd like to fill, but I wanted to get the actual photos from the paper copies of the guides, so I'll be lugging them all along. I don't have an iPhone and I refuse to bring that wretched Blackberry my office assigned me -- they'll think I'm available for work if I do that! -- so I'm going to have to content myself with those resources. I expect they'll serve me well enough, so long as the battery holds out. Are there any other books people would recommend? I'm a huge bookworm and am always happy to add to my "to read" list.

I've been traveling and have just resurfaced. Can't believe you've gotten FORTY replies in 24 hours. This certainly is a hot topic.

I'm torn between reading everyone's responses, answering you comprehensively, or finishing my own trip report before I'm banished from this board altogether.

I will start with answering your questions and then will read everyone else's answers, so excuse me if I'm repetitive.

1) Visa: We got ours in advance in LA, but many people from our flight got them upon arrival at 10pm.

2) Charging: Mr. C was in charge of charging. He always seemed to be sneaking off to various huts to do this, but it worked and everything was always charged. The freakiest part of this was that our Blackberry's worked perfectly - not at the camps, but as soon as we arrived into the middle of nowhere on our game drives.

3) Shedrick's: Just email them in advance and they will set everything up. I think you can only go at 5pm, which is a little early for bedtime, but you will catch the little ones in time for their evening bottle.

4) Photo Memory Cards: We are not "real" photographers, but took five cameras (two more serious point and shoots), and some little ones, with just one card for each camera. We also brought an old, small laptap and uploaded photos nightly.

5) Toiletries:
- Conditioner (2-3 small bottles)
- Sunscreen (two small tubes)
- Repellent (small roll-on)
- Deodorant (great sample sizes in Heathrow)
- Toothpaste/brush
- moisturizer (small bottle), face wash (get sample sizes of skin products from your dermatologist)
- Lip Balm
- Alleve, Pepto Bismol (didn't use), Immodium (didn't use), Antibiotics (didn't use), Malarone, band aids and neosporin
- You don't need shampoo, body lotion or even repellent - they have plenty of that

6) Tipping: I can't remember - I think we gave a little more than the suggested amount of $10pp per day. We did have to scrounge around a bit and steal some cash from our children because some of our bills were too old.

I am now going to try and find my packing list - I posted it on someone else's thread. But, truly, don't stress too much. Most of the time time it will be too dark or too dusty for anyone to see what you're wearing.

I am going to look for my packing list. I know I posted it on someone else's thread. But the bottom line is not to worry about the packing - you can benefit from all our stressful experiences.

Here is the thread with my packing list:

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...m#last-comment

It is much more abbreviated than Lynda's.

Second camera is a great idea and I always take at least 2.

Visa folks have always been present, even for late arrivals. In Sept there were 4 visa purchase lines and one have-the-visa line. I prefer to buy mine upon arrival.

Hints for one carryon: If packing another pair of shoes, tie them on the outside of your duffel for more room inside. You can use the shampoo from your NBO hotel instead of packing your own. Get a safari vest and stuff it with heavy items that might fit in your bag, but could make it overweight. If needed, you can wear your binoculars as an accessory in order to carry them on. I find the overnight flights to be very cold so wearing 2 pairs of trousers works well not only to minimize packed luggage.

Other hints: Take a few envelopes in which to put your tips. As a solo, I tip as if I were a couple (for good service) so my guide is not at a disadvantage for taking just one. It adds to the expense for sure.

In Sept the plastic ziplock that BA required for liquids was a tad bigger than a sandwich bag, not the gallon size in the US.

Good luck for a wonderful trip.

Windowless,

I've just skimmed all these posts and I'm pleased to see that everyone agrees with me about conditioner. I wouldn't waste time looking for cash in all the broken ATM's - just bring lots of small US bills. Porini also provides warm ponchos, so you probably don't even need a rain jacket, although we all brought gortexes which we did use (not sure what the weather is in December).

All you really need (besides a lot of conditioner) are 2-3 day outfits (including convertible pants and workout pants) and 2 night outfits, pajamas, lightweight trail runners, shower shoes, plus a fleece and a sweater. I believe Porini Rhino will do your laundry for you.

We brought Obama pens and Silly Bandz for the kids - these turned out to be perfect gifts.

So envious of your trip. We also stayed at Macushla. Happy to answer more questions.

What great suggestions! And yes, bring much more memory than you anticipate needing. I'm still editing. And I've been home over a month.

Windowless,
A friend wisely recommended West with the Night by Beryl Markham and it was a great read especially while I was traveling in Kenya. Beryl Markham was a pilot in the early days of aviation and she lived quite an interesting life in Kenya. Only challenge with this book is that it isn't on kindle or nook but it isn't too bulky and it was the only real book I took with me on my trip.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wes.../9780865471184

A few other books that are entertaining and/or insightful are "Whatever you do, don't run, adventures of a safari guide". (it's currently on sale for Nook), "To Hell Holes and Back" by Chuck Thompson and When Elephants Weep, the emotional life of animals - See Links below

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble....t%20run&pos=-1

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble....%20back&pos=-1

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble....%20weep&pos=-1

Virtual hugs for you all -- this is such helpful info!

crosscheck, thanks very much for chiming in; I got such a kick out of reading your adventures. Your crack about the clothing palette ("reticulated pythons"!) struck a real chord. I'd been buying a lot of clothes since most of what I own is either business casual stuff or black pants and t-shirts, and I had actually complained to one of my friends not long before reading your post that I couldn't believe I had to pack for an entire trip in clothing intended to make me look like a manilla envelope. I later bought a deep red shirt to bring along, out of sheer obstinacy.

atravelynn and tinydancer, thanks to you two also for confirming all the great advice from the others. And tips for packing light are certainly welcome -- I had some major back issues earlier in the year, and while they've improved out of all measure, I don't want throw anything out of whack again by overloading myself. I do NOT want to have to spend my entire safari hopped up on Vicodin.

And book suggestions -- thank you so much nyctv! I have actually already read <i>West with the Night</i>, which I really enjoyed. Ms. Markham was a remarkable woman. I've also been re-reading some of the other books I have around the apartment (the usual suspects like <i>Out of Africa</i>, <i>The Flame Trees of Thika</i>, some Hemingway) and I picked up a few memoirs, too. Kuki Gallman's <i>I Dreamed of Africa</i>, Wangari Maathai's <i>Unbowed</i>, and one called <i>The White Masai</i> by an author whose name I've forgotten, possibly because I found her so irritating. I've also got a copy of <i>Imperial Reckoning</i> on my counter now, although I'm not sure whether I'll get to it before I need to return it to the library. It's so good to get additional suggestions, though, both for now and for things to read once I'm back. I'll bet that <i>Whatever You Do, Don't Run</i> book was hilarious; I haven't read it yet, but I read <i>Don't Look Behind You</i>, which is by the same man and was a great read.

It's hard to attend to mundane things (making sure I've got all the correct paperwork, calling my credit card companies, putting in the stop on my mail) when all these more enjoyable prospects beckon!

Thanks for the book list!! :)

Adding:

- We used a Lowepro camera bag. While we had two fairly large cameras and lens, if you don't fill it up, the bags make great carry-alls. They come in lots of sizes and the nice part is how they sit on your body. Unlike a backpack, the <u>"SlingShot"</u> bags fit under your arm and across the body in a way that makes it easy to access from the front. http://products.lowepro.com/catalog/Sling-bags,4.htm

- We made sure to <u>change out our memory cards every day</u> and keep the extras in a very safe place. Rather than use one until it was full before changing, we changed every day. That way if something happened to one card -- lost, stolen, or malfunction -- you still have some of your photos. Not all would be lost.

- <u>Best to take several smaller memory cards,</u> rather than two or three really big ones for the same reasons.

- I don't think you'll need two field guides. <u>Pick one guide</u> and take it. Too much weight to take two.

- For gifts, we took a tube of <u>glow-in-the-dark light stick bracelets</u>. What a hit at the campfires and with kids. They weigh nothing, are cheap, and take up no space in luggage.

- <u>Ladies Packing:</u>
We packed in the large size LL Bean duffel bags. They are cheap, well made, can be monogrammed with your name for ID and weigh practically nothing. Laundry was done for free in all our camps. I packed enough clothes for four+ days and had laundry done along the way. Here’s what I took <u>for 22 days.</u>

· 2 linen long sleeve safari/camp style shirts (great for sun protection and wind in the open vehicles)
· 2 pair of the zip leg safari style pants. (They wash and dry like a dream – mine came from Lands End)
· 2 pair of very lightweight linen long pants for dinners
· 2 pair of cotton Capri length pants
· 2 skorts from Lands End in the same material as the zip leg pants. (I don’t do shorts)
· 4 very loose sleeveless tops
· 4 camis
· 2 long sleeve very lightweight tee shirts –for mosi protection.
· 1 lightweight fleece (Lands End)
· A lightweight rain parka
· 1 pair of pajamas
· My Chacos-Zongs and my Keen-Newport H2 shoes + one pair of cheap “blingy” flip flops for dressing up.
· A big, wide brimmed hat.
· A swimsuit
· 3 bras
· 4 undies
· 2 pair of socks
· A couple of bandannas

I may well end up leaving one of the guides behind, TC; they do add to the weight. I suspect my packing list (purely a mental list at this point) will undergo significant changes before all's said and done; I'd be a fool to have collected all this great advice and not take any of it to heart. I wanted to go ahead and make sure to have the gear on hand for now, as I'd far rather be pulling stuff out of my luggage at the last minute than to discover when it's too late that I've forgotten to pick up something necessary, but I'm sure some things will stay home as I head off on my adventures.

I'm still trying to find a hat I like. I ordered one of the Tilley ones, but I don't really love it. While I'm hardly expecting to be any kind of fashion plate on this trip, I don't much fancy wearing a hat that makes my face look like a big round wheel of cheese for the whole time. So ... the shopping continues.

Boy, by the time I'm done, I think REI and Sierra Trading Post (and other online stores) will have gotten almost as much from me as I paid Go2Africa. I should quit my stultifyingly boring job and open a shop that rents out safari gear to people. How many people going on their first/only safaris might be in need of wildlife guides, binoculars, clothing in various shades of "mud", etc.?

Hats, hats, hats! I think I bought three before I decided. The one I took and loved the most was one I found at a tent in NY at the 9th Ave.Street Fair. It is a very fine "straw-like" material, but has a hidden wire inside the outer edge of the brim. That wire allows one to shape the brim and it will stay. I loved it because I could flip the front of the brim up while I was using my camera. Some very floppy hats can really be a pain in that regard. This particular hat cost about $10. I found another dark green safari style hat for $10 at TJ Maxx. It was also a nice shape and being made of fabric would smash flat. It looks just like something from Tilley without the high price tag.

The green one from TJ Maxx was very similar to this:
http://www.e4hats.com/_e/UV_Sun_Prot..._Hat_Olive.htm

The straw one from NY looked very similar to this. Mine has a narrow leather head band instead of the tie.
http://www.e4hats.com/_e/5_inch_ML_W..._Hat_Khaki.htm

TravelSmith has some nice hats.

I take Tide packets to hand wash laundry. Conditioner is a must, and the solid conditioner bars look like a good solution if you can find unscented or lightly scented ones. There are bug spray wipes to save on liquid space.

What I wear on the plane is what I use for "dressy" clothes. Usually comfortable pull-on pants, nice T-shirt, one of the long sleeved linen shirts or cardigans you need, and the fleece. The fleece jacket makes a good pillow on the plane. Wear the heaviest shoes.

I bought a lot of new stuff for the first safari, too. All I really needed was the binocs and a pair of shoes. I could have found everything I needed to take in my closet. Just no white, black or bright colors. Take a scarf/pashmina to dress up and cover your shoulders if it's chilly or too sunny.

Don't forget to hit the ATM in the airport when you land. Sometimes it's your last chance to get local currency.

I like my Tilley hat because it can fall in the water or get stomped on by an elephant and it just bounces back. Just wore it on a hike here...and it is reasonably photogenic. But I didn't really need it that much in Africa because it was winter.

BOOKS - SLIGHTLY OFF-TOPIC
I too had previously read all the usual suspects about Africa, so I took Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari to read on the plane. He was not a happy camper traveling overland from Cairo to Capetown in chicken buses at the age of 60, especially because he had once been in the Peace Corps and optimistic about Africa's future. But, in spite of his grumpiness, I found it a worthwhile read and got a lot of perspective about the continent.

Don't get me started on the "White Masai." I bought it in the Giraffe Center after I saw it on a list of books recommended by guy who wrote the Rough Guide to Kenya. (He posts on TA and is reasonably literate, but he had a serious lapse of judgment with this recommendation). You're right...the author is one of the most annoying people I have ever come across in a book.

For those of you who are not familiar with the book, it is the story of a Swiss woman who goes on vacation to a Kenyan beach. There she seduces a Masai warrior, then marries him, lives in his hut and has his child. In the course of the story she almost dies often...from malaria, starvation, weekly car breakdowns with no water in the car, and even cruel sexism. The book was ridiculously episodic ("I almost died, then we broke down, then we killed a goat, then we broke down again.") It was truly the worst-written book with the least sympathetic antagonist that I have ever finished...or possibly it was just an unbearable translation. It made People magazine seem like a literary masterpiece.

Having said that, "The White Masai" did have some anthropological merit and I must disclose that I developed a sick fascination with the fish out of water aspect of the story and couldn't put it down. I ended up giving it to our guide at Lion Porini, who was very interested to see how his culture was depicted by a European.

<i>"Just no white, black or bright colors."</i>

Christabir, I <u>respectfully</u> disagree with this statement. There has been many a post on this web site regarding the wearing of color on safari. I read a wonderful article in a copy of Africa Geographic on animal eyesight while we were in Tanzania. I'll quote a bit of it here:

<i>"Mammals have evolved from nocturnal ancestors, in which rod photoreceptor dominated in the retina and color vision was secondary. Whereas most human can see four principal colors (blue, green, yellow and red) and combinations thereof, the majority of mammals have only two types of cone receptors, giving them color vision similar to that of people who are red-green color blind. Animals with dichromatic vision, as it is called, only see two primary colors - blue and yellow and no intermediate colors, such as orange or violet. Instead, they see desaturated versions of blue and yellow, and shades of gray."</i>

No need to soak clothing in any chemical as protection from mossies. Just cover up during dusk/dawn, apply repellent to any exposed skin (not face or back of neck) and you'll be fine. Of course,take your malaria meds as prescribed and with food.

Hat! Never once in 16/years have I worn one. Unless you're out on a game walk for a few hours, rest of time is in a vehicle and you're pretty much protected.

crosscheck - "White Masai" - ugh! Only because it was selling for $2 (Barnes & Noble sale) did I buy and that was a waste of $2. Actually took it with me in 2008, but why I read it thru when at the part she mentioned that even the sex wasn't good, I should have just tossed it! :) Sad woman!

Have a friend here in NYC who is married to a Masai and he managed to read some segments of the book when she wasn't... he got a good chuckle and also wondered "who is this very very strange woman?"

Sandi, The need or not for a hat depends on the type of vehicle. We were in open vehicles on our last safari and I wore my hat every single day. Both morning sunrise and evening sunset, as the sun was coming and going, the hat was indispensable. In a closed vehicle, not such a big deal as you say. We also did some boat safaris and again, couldn't have gotten along without.

You all are the best.

I'm chuckling over here while reading the reactions to <i>The White Masai</i>; I'm so glad I'm not the only one who found its popularity baffling. I was annoyed by almost everything I read in it -- did she not bother with antimalarials? she didn't know enough about the etiquette to avoid eating with her left hand? -- and wouldn't have bothered finishing it if it hadn't been such a quick read. And the author's tendency to burst into tears whenever something didn't go her way ... well, it tried <i>my</i> patience, and I wasn't the one who had to live with her!

I'll check out hats at TravelSmith and TJ Maxx; thanks for the suggestions. I think most of the trouble is that I just have a hard time finding hats that fit correctly; I'm sure Tilley makes one that I'd like, but I have to do most of my shopping online, and not being able to try things on ahead of time is a big drawback. I'd be tempted to forego the hat altogether (particularly given sandi's input), but I know I'm not nearly diligent enough about reapplying sunscreen to my face for that to be a good idea. Even if I have to settle for a hat that I don't love, I do think the additional sun protection will be important.

TC - the colors are about dust/dirt and tse tse flies, not the animals. I was in a vehicle with a guy in a bright orange shirt, and he just looked out of place. Just to clarify.

"guy in a bright orange shirt, and he just looked out of place"

I agree. It's nice to see guests in the safari mood. A bright colored "J LO" or "Lakers" fan T-shirt simply looks strange.

regards - tom