daisyatl

Are all the internal flights on really small turboprops? I don't find flying on turboprops but get claustrophobic on the real small ones. Also, do any of the planes have lavatories? Not that you ever have to go, but in case you get sick.

sandi

The smallest scheduled flight plane had 12 seats, then 18, then about 35-40. Believe the latter had a lav. If the others had, we didn't notice. If you get sick, there are "barf" bags in the seat pockets - just like the big guys. Most flights aren't but an hour within Kenya or Tanzania. A little longer if flying to the coasts of either. These planes don't fly all that high, though do have a jacket or sweater as they tend to get chilly up there. There is heat, but he pilots tend to forget to put on as it would make them sleepy... and we don't want that. It's not like they're in an enclosed cockpit (except on the 35/40 seaters.

Only the private charters can be rather small with seats for 4, 6, 8 and no lavs here.

We survived the close quarters as they got us wherever we were going. It's not really all that tight.

daisyatl

Thanks. I think I may fly from Nairobi to Amboseli and back. From what I have read, it seems that many people choose to fly this route.

NoFlyZone

They will generally use a size of plane which will accommodate the number of passengers booked. So it is very possible that you could be on a scheduled flight in a 4, 6 or 8 seat aircraft.

And Sandi is correct in that they fly as high as 10000 feet so it can get pretty chilly.

sandi

NoFlyZone -

Thanks for the reminder... you are correct in the the seating capacity/number of people. While many are 18 seaters, when we flew (our very first safari) from Amboseli (with Cynthia Moss) we were in a 6-seater. On our recent trip we noticed that the plane capacity for flights was based on number of pax they expected to fill the seats. Maybe in our case, on scheduled flights, we always had average (18-pax) seating capacity planes... though our private charter was only 4-pax.

JanGoss

daisyat:

You will enjoy the flight to Amboseli. Usually it will be in a 12 seater plane. However, if the lodges are as booked this summer as I am lead to believe, they might indeed put a larger plane on. The flight always leaves Wilson Airport at 7:30 a.m. and you are usually on the landing strip collecting you luggage and being met by representatives from your lodge at 8:00 a.m.

The flight is nice in that you are low enough that you can look below and see the small farms, manyattas and sometimes wildlife. If you are really lucky, there will be no clouds so that you might also see Kilimanjaro

Enjoy!

Jan