Great thread - I'll save all the info for my trip next Sept.

crosscheck: "1) Visa: We got ours in advance in LA" - can one just walk in to the Consulate and apply for a Visa? How long did it take? I've done that in SF for visas for China and Viet Nam - took one day, as I recall.

Thanks.

Lots of great info here, just wanted to add my 2 cents:

--loved my hat (well, actually baseball style cap) to keep hair out of my face on those wind in your face game drives
--so glad I brought my "UGHS" boots for those cool early morning drives and chilly nights (I was there late August 2010)
--equally important were my slippers (otherwise known as "flip-flops" everywhere except where I live)which I would change into when the temp warmed up on the am game drive. Very convenient for slipping on and off when going in and out of your tent (see why we call em slippers???)
--agree with the recommendation to bring a mini mag lite. Yes, the camps have flashlights, but you never know--the first night we arrived, the electrical power at the hotel (and a very nice one at that!) in Nairobi went out more than once and I was glad to have it.
--nailclippers as a carry-on. I know, this sounds strange, but they came in very handy. My carry-on luggage made it all the way to Amsterdam where they decided I needed to check it. Got to the hotel in Nairobi and that little plastic locking device they secured my bag with was preventing my entry (not a good thing after traveling ~20+hrs).
--fingernail file---hate those raggedy broken nails
--totally agree with the washcloth recommendation. Better yet, take a Japanese wash cloth--less space, dries quickly and lathers better!
--as far as snacks....the camps fed us so well I didn't really need any. But, glad my sister had her bag of nuts with her when we met a young boy on the street in Nairobi who was hungary and very grateful for the handful she gave him.
--those little travel-sized toothpastes don't last more than 7 days max--take 2 or 3!
--The special time designated for those who adopt an elephant at Sheldrick's is great, but don't miss the hour long daytime visit open to everyone--it's the best!
--didn't care for the lunch at Karen Blixen's--took forever to get our food that wasn't very good
--did NOT like the roadside stops at the curios shops-too much pressure to buy stuff that looked mass produced. Had much better luck at camp gift shops and Utamaduni craft center
--cipro for traveller's diarrhea. Fortunately didn't need it for that, but my traveling partner got a urinary tract infection and it worked great for that!

Have a great trip--it's a magical place and I am so looking forward to my next one!

Guess I'm simply not "a hat person" but sure have collected many from my years of visits whether in Southern Africa where vehicles are completely open or those in East Africa where most all are protected above for the Equatoria sun.

Also, always have my mini-Maglite regardless where I travel. At roadside curios, I do a quick pit stop and then back to the vehicle; no time to get caught up in buying stuff... I have more than enough.

As with the Maglite, Cipro is always taken though never used... have enough of a supply to open a small pharmacy

WDLO - think you've go a good handle of the many items/things we've all done to accommodate ourselves in safari situations, whether indoors, sleeping, during game drives, general attire, miscellaneous... you should be well prepared.

... and yes, that White Masai women, most annoying! Thankfully, there haven't been many comments about the movie (yup, there was one and probably available on DVD); second book (there might even have been a third), which it appears no one read ... wonder why?

Preface this by saying; "I'm not a doctor", but, here's an update on meds.

In preparation for our last trip to Africa our travel doc prescribed Azithromiacin instead of Cipro for travelers revenge. She said they now prefer AZ over CP because you only need to take one or two tablets for a cure. As soon as the symptoms subside, one can stop. We found that only one pill did the trick. If you have a supply of Cipro, I'm sure its fine, <u>although it does have a short shelf life.</u> I had a bad UTI which got very bad because I tried to self medicate with an old prescription of Cipro. Thank heavens I wasn't traveling at the time. So check those dates, Sandi.

Visa in LA: Mr Crosscheck took care of this. He downloaded the paperwork, showed up at the consulate with passports and a cashier's check (no appointment), paid $20 extra for expediting, and was given the visas 30 minutes later.

The only glitch was that the website stated that our then-16-year did not need a visa. This was not the case, and Mr C, who luckily had our son's passport with him, had to go to a 7-11 and purchase an additional money order.

Delightful, that's what you people are. Helpful, generous with your expertise, and thoroughly delightful.

I'm definitely bringing a flashlight; I have to say that that's probably my favorite new "toy" for this trip, so far. I bought myself a 4Sevens Quark MiNi AA (I read about it here http://www.onebag.com/packing-list-tools.html), and I love it. It really is about the size of a AA battery, and it's very lightweight and cool. A bit silly, how tickled I was when I tried it out, but I'll take my kicks where I can get them.

I think I'm just about at the end of the list of things I need to purchase; I'm down to the polarizing filter for my camera, possibly a different hat, and whatever I decide on for gifts. I picked up a few more bandanas and "bush break" items while shopping today, and I tossed a couple of washcloths onto my pile o' packables. I'm beginning to eye that pile with trepidation; I'll be culling it down before the final packing's through, but it's a bit daunting at the moment. Still not sure whether I'll be able to pull off the carry-on only idea or not.

As for gifts, I'm considering something like those fabric frisbees or soft Koosh balls (if I can find some before I go); do you all think that would go over well with the kids? I like the SillyBandz and balloon and pen ideas, too, I just thought I should at least attempt to come up with something original before shamelessly copycatting the brilliance of prior visitors. For those who have brought things like balls to inflate upon arrival, how many gifts do you generally leave at each place? It occurs to me now that I have no idea how many children I should expect to see on village visits.

Thanks again for all the feedback on this; I was at a little class today learning about some tricks my camera does (I now know what F-stops are!), and it was so much fun seeing even more new replies when I got home.

P.S. I can't believe they made a movie of <i>The White Masai</i>. Horrors!

Oh I like the look of the Quark mini!!
But will it light up a room or provide enough light @ 5:00am when you're trying to put a bit of makeup on? (yes I still plan to, altho that could quickly change after say day 3!)

<i>5:00am when you're trying to put a bit of makeup on?</i>

I gave up on that idea right quick! No one is awake enough to care. LOL

... and I'm still sleeping at 5am because I don't do morning game drives. I wake at about 7am when there's already light, so if it's not bright enough inside a tent, I retreat outside to enjoy my coffee along with a mirror to see what I'm doing to the face.

As is obvious from all the great input above, we all seem to figure out what works best, regardless what it is to survive in the bush!

Hee hee -- KathBC, I plan on making my "makeup regimen" consist of sunscreen and lip balm, so I have to confess that I haven't worried too much about the illumination required to apply it. But the chart on the page I linked to does lay out some of the various lumens output options, so it might boil down to how badly you want to make yourself up and whether you'll need additional AAs, should you decide to go with the Quark.

sandi, I had to laugh at your entry because I'm that way, exactly, when I'm at home. A morning person, I'm not! But luckily for me, I'm usually so excited about my rare opportunities for travel that I have no trouble getting out of bed. (Well, it was lucky except for that time I was in Spain and couldn't make myself sleep in until things actually started to open up ....)

Asante sana, y'all; you're absolute lifesavers for us lost at sea newbies.

I am just someone who doesn't bother with conditioner on safari. Then I met Sandi for drinks at the Norfolk and she looked lovely and I looked like one of the warthogs at Sheldrick.

But still, I am pretty much a ponytail wearer on game drives and even dinner, for better or for worse. I was also part of a thread here years ago about conditioner and we were all upbraided re: water conservation in areas that often experience extreme drought so...yeah, I decided I could live without conditioner while on safari. Just something to consider.

I used all my Cipro last trip but I think that's because someone cooked some crazy kuku. I have been glad to have at least some of my meds/bandaids/walking pharmacy on my trips.

Anyway, have a great trip! Please post something about your adventures after you return.

<i>... you "like a warthog"</i> No way Leely! ROTFL!

No worries there, Leely, I'm sure I'll want to talk about my trip more than anyone will want to listen.

Thanks again, everyone.

One more thing to consider, WindowlessOffice, is to try to get a couple of shots to enlarge and put on your wall so you have something to look at since you are without windows.

Bookmarking- hoping for the day...great tips

You bet, atravelynn! I'd like to bring back some good photos for both my apartment and my office, as both are in dire need of makeovers.

I've upped the number of memory cards (and cameras) I had originally planned to bring, so here's hoping for a successful outcome.

What an amazing thread! There's an absolute trawl of great information here.

But about "The White Maasai" by Corinne Hoffman.

crosscheck: I'm sure I occasionally suffer from very poor lapses of taste (just ask my wife!) but my actual review said: "Equally ridiculed and revered, an extraordinary account, effectively a journal, of a Swiss woman's extended love affair with a Samburu man, and her life in Barsaloi in the early 1990s." Personally I found it absolutely fascinating and incredibly annoying at the same time, and like you and Windowless Office and sandi, I was baffled by her clumsiness and naiveté. But I do think partly it was the quality of the translation, or a lack of empathy on the translator's part.

But there's a worse book that I couldn't bring myself to recommend in the Rough Guide at all: "I Dreamed of Africa" by Kuki Gallman (WO, you mention it, but without comment. I completely agree wit you about Beryl Markham, by the way - wonderful). I don't want to be rude to the lady, who I've never met, but I just couldn't believe the number of tragic accidents that take place in the first few pages and the whole tone – suffering rich white people in a beautiful land of simple tribes – I found just sick-inducing. Is that unfair? What do others think?

Richard - I stand corrected: Your review was absolutely spot on. And getting absorbed in that bizarre book (with its excessive exclamation marks and complaints about Masai lovemaking techniques) actually enhanced my Kenyan experience.

Also, as I've told you on another travel site, I am a big fan of YOUR writing as well. Your guide is far superior to all of the others. Wish you would start an African book club.

Hi, Richard, thanks for chiming in on the impromptu book talk!

You know, it's odd, but I ended up liking <i>I Dreamed of Africa</i> more than I expected to (the fact that a movie made from it starred Kim Basinger was NOT a mark in its favor, in my opinion). I absolutely understand your complaint about her tone and evident social status or background, but -- possibly because I read it at about the same time as I was re-reading Dinesen, Huxley, and Hemingway? -- I found it easy to take her privileged perspective with a grain of salt. I could appreciate her depiction of her adopted country without buying into the social structure, much as I did with the colonial era writers. I can't say I adored the rest of the book uncritically, either; there were definitely points at which I found the foreshadowing of the tragedies to be heavy-handed and relentless. But on balance, I thought it was worth reading.

To be fair about <i>The White Masai</i>, there were interesting tidbits scattered about even in that book, although I maintain that Ms. Hoffman's constant tearful breakdowns were headache-inducing. crosscheck mentioned the "fish out of water" aspect of the story above; there were examples of that that I found interesting (if not necessarily enjoyable). If nothing else, it reinforced my intention to learn what I could about Kenya before I visited; I don't want to be as clueless as she was!

I guess one could say that I liked <i>I Dreamed of Africa</i> in spite of some of its author's more troubling aspects, while <i>The White Masai</i> failed for me because I couldn't get past my impatience for its author.

But if anyone asked me for recommendations in the memoir category, <i>West with the Night</i> and <i>Unbowed</i> would stand head and shoulders above either Gallmann's or Hoffman's books.

My favorite book regarding Africa is "Cry the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton. It is an amazing human story. Although I think originally published in the early 50s, it is still resonate.