Tanzania & Kenya, January 2008 Trip Report
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Tanzania & Kenya, January 2008 Trip Report
Since I'm going back to Tanzania next month (yeah!), I figured I'd better get the trip report for last month's safari posted sooner rather than later.
I was on a package tour to Tanzania and Kenya in 2003. It was great, but I wanted a different experience this time. Because I am a dedicated amateur photographer, I wanted to be able to go on game drives near sunrise and sunset and to spend whatever time I wanted waiting for a photo opportunity. I was willing to forego ticking off animals if it meant I could spend the time to get the kind of photo I wanted. Although it wasn’t planned this way, I had been on my own on my first trip, which was why I was able to wait two hours one afternoon for a wildebeest herd to cross the Mara River. A photo I got that day turned out to be one of the ones people liked best.
I wanted to go back to Tanzania and Kenya to some of the same parks, but visit a couple of new ones as well. My final itinerary was Arusha National Park/Lake Eyasi/Ndutu/Southern Serengeti/Lake Manyara/Amboseli/Tsavo West.
Arusha
Arrived at JRO evening of January 10. There was a long wait for visas and thanks to my TA, I was one of the few Americans who knew that the visa fee had increased to $100. After I purchased my visa, I waited in another long line to file a baggage claim, as my checked bag had gone missing. Finally, I was free to meet the driver who was picking up me and two other clients for the ride into Arusha and the Kibo Palace.
The next day, I met my guide Tesha, went to the Roy Safaris office for a briefing and then to Arusha National Park for the day. When we pulled into the parking lot near the gate, Mount Kilimanjaro was visible. This was rather exciting, as it had been hidden by clouds when I was there in 2003. Then it was off to the ranger station and a guided walk with a ranger named John.
I don’t know how to describe the walk other than to say it was like walking into a story. There was something very different about being at ground level and not in a vehicle. At one point, I was quite close to a male giraffe - other giraffes had moved away when they saw us coming, but this one stayed where he was. Maybe the tree he was eating from was too good to leave or the stream between us made him feel protected, but I was able to take lots of pictures. We also saw Cape buffalo and warthogs, including baby warthogs. This was proof that all baby animals are cute since they were adorable!
After lunch, we went to the lakes and drove up into the hills on a successful quest to see colobus monkeys, a new animal for me. It was also a good bird day. At home, I am not a birder, but I like watching and taking pictures of the birds in East Africa (what can I say - grey crowned crane vs pigeon). I saw a white-throated bee eater, a hamerkop (new bird), grey-crowned cranes (one of my favorites), a saddle-billed stork and a sacred ibis.
Then it was back to the Kibo Palace. Thankfully, my bag showed up on the evening flight from AMS and was delivered to the hotel in the early hours of the morning.
Next: Lake Eyasi.
I was on a package tour to Tanzania and Kenya in 2003. It was great, but I wanted a different experience this time. Because I am a dedicated amateur photographer, I wanted to be able to go on game drives near sunrise and sunset and to spend whatever time I wanted waiting for a photo opportunity. I was willing to forego ticking off animals if it meant I could spend the time to get the kind of photo I wanted. Although it wasn’t planned this way, I had been on my own on my first trip, which was why I was able to wait two hours one afternoon for a wildebeest herd to cross the Mara River. A photo I got that day turned out to be one of the ones people liked best.
I wanted to go back to Tanzania and Kenya to some of the same parks, but visit a couple of new ones as well. My final itinerary was Arusha National Park/Lake Eyasi/Ndutu/Southern Serengeti/Lake Manyara/Amboseli/Tsavo West.
Arusha
Arrived at JRO evening of January 10. There was a long wait for visas and thanks to my TA, I was one of the few Americans who knew that the visa fee had increased to $100. After I purchased my visa, I waited in another long line to file a baggage claim, as my checked bag had gone missing. Finally, I was free to meet the driver who was picking up me and two other clients for the ride into Arusha and the Kibo Palace.
The next day, I met my guide Tesha, went to the Roy Safaris office for a briefing and then to Arusha National Park for the day. When we pulled into the parking lot near the gate, Mount Kilimanjaro was visible. This was rather exciting, as it had been hidden by clouds when I was there in 2003. Then it was off to the ranger station and a guided walk with a ranger named John.
I don’t know how to describe the walk other than to say it was like walking into a story. There was something very different about being at ground level and not in a vehicle. At one point, I was quite close to a male giraffe - other giraffes had moved away when they saw us coming, but this one stayed where he was. Maybe the tree he was eating from was too good to leave or the stream between us made him feel protected, but I was able to take lots of pictures. We also saw Cape buffalo and warthogs, including baby warthogs. This was proof that all baby animals are cute since they were adorable!
After lunch, we went to the lakes and drove up into the hills on a successful quest to see colobus monkeys, a new animal for me. It was also a good bird day. At home, I am not a birder, but I like watching and taking pictures of the birds in East Africa (what can I say - grey crowned crane vs pigeon). I saw a white-throated bee eater, a hamerkop (new bird), grey-crowned cranes (one of my favorites), a saddle-billed stork and a sacred ibis.
Then it was back to the Kibo Palace. Thankfully, my bag showed up on the evening flight from AMS and was delivered to the hotel in the early hours of the morning.
Next: Lake Eyasi.
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Lake Eyasi
The next day, we drove to Lake Eyasi. I have mixed feelings about this stop. I was told I needed to break up the drive to Ndutu by making an overnight stop, but Lake Eyasi was out of the way. Also, the planned activity was to go hunting with the Hadzabe people. It turned out this could only be done early in the morning, not in the afternoon time slot allotted for it. Instead we made a visit to the Hadzabe and Datoga people.
This is just my personal feeling, but I am very uncomfortable with this kind of visit. I feel like the tribe members become a sideshow and are being exploited. I have talked to other people about this and I understand that for some tribes, this is a way to make the money they need for goods and services they could not obtain without it. Again, this is just my personal feeling. And to be honest, while I was uncomfortable taking pictures (in general, I don’t take pictures of people I don’t know), it didn’t stop me from including a picture of a Hadzabe woman and child in my slideshow.
All that said, the lake and Kisima Ngeda tented camp were beautiful. There was a lovely breeze blowing off the lake, which felt great since it had been a hot afternoon. A rain shower moved through at sunset and the light before and during was fantastic. I went out with my tripod (thank you to those of you who said to take it) and managed to keep the camera dry, although I got a little wet. I was also able to use the tripod the next day, when I climbed the escarpment behind the camp to take pictures of the sunrise. Chris, one of the owners, arranged for one of his staff to accompany me for which I was grateful since the path was quite steep in places (or maybe it seemed that way because it was so early!).
Next: Ndutu and the Serengeti.
The next day, we drove to Lake Eyasi. I have mixed feelings about this stop. I was told I needed to break up the drive to Ndutu by making an overnight stop, but Lake Eyasi was out of the way. Also, the planned activity was to go hunting with the Hadzabe people. It turned out this could only be done early in the morning, not in the afternoon time slot allotted for it. Instead we made a visit to the Hadzabe and Datoga people.
This is just my personal feeling, but I am very uncomfortable with this kind of visit. I feel like the tribe members become a sideshow and are being exploited. I have talked to other people about this and I understand that for some tribes, this is a way to make the money they need for goods and services they could not obtain without it. Again, this is just my personal feeling. And to be honest, while I was uncomfortable taking pictures (in general, I don’t take pictures of people I don’t know), it didn’t stop me from including a picture of a Hadzabe woman and child in my slideshow.
All that said, the lake and Kisima Ngeda tented camp were beautiful. There was a lovely breeze blowing off the lake, which felt great since it had been a hot afternoon. A rain shower moved through at sunset and the light before and during was fantastic. I went out with my tripod (thank you to those of you who said to take it) and managed to keep the camera dry, although I got a little wet. I was also able to use the tripod the next day, when I climbed the escarpment behind the camp to take pictures of the sunrise. Chris, one of the owners, arranged for one of his staff to accompany me for which I was grateful since the path was quite steep in places (or maybe it seemed that way because it was so early!).
Next: Ndutu and the Serengeti.
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Ndutu
From Lake Eyasi, we drove to Ndutu Safari Lodge. On that evening’s game drive, we drove along the shore of Lake Masek. In the distance, we could see other vehicles, which turned out to have been watching lions with a wildebeest carcass. By the time we reached them, the lions had disappeared and one of the vehicles was stuck in the mud. While Tesha went to see if he could help, I took pictures of the sunset, incuding what for me is one of the iconic images of Africa - acacia trees against the sky.
The next morning, we went back to where the carcass had been the night before. We were the only vehicle there and within minutes, a male lion came walking towards us. Soon a female joined him and it was obvious they had been eating as there was blood on their faces, chests and front legs. Then we saw that another lioness was in the brush with the carcass. I wanted to get a better shot of the lioness in the brush, and I have to admit my gut reaction was ‘I’ll just get out of the vehicle, move into the brush a bit and I’ll have a great shot.’ Trust me, I know that’s not permitted, but I couldn’t help thinking it.
The four days in Ndutu were incredible. This may have been the first time I understood the meaning of the phrase ‘teeming with life’. I saw more wildebeests and zebras than I thought existed on the earth, including so many zebra foals I lost count. My first trip, I saw one dik-dik, this trip I saw at least a dozen. Giraffe were everywhere, I saw bat-eared foxes for the first time and I made a start on the Little Five when I saw a leopard tortoise. One morning, we saw a cheetah mother and four somewhat grown cubs, then wildebeest calves, then another cheetah and cub. Everyone seemed to be eating well all along the food chain - the wildebeests and zebras, the cats, the hyenas and jackals, and the vultures. There were also spectacular sunsets and a dramatic thunderstorm one afternoon.
On one of the days, we drove into the Serengeti. It was the place that resonated with me on my first trip and the place I dreamed of when I thought of going back to East Africa. I know it’s all part of the same ecosystem, and I know it’s just a line on a map, but still, I wanted to get into the Serengeti again.
That day was a ‘lion’ day. As we drove towards a kopje, we saw a male lion sitting on a mound some distance away. When we got to the kopje, there were several females and cubs. Some were sleeping or dozing on the rocks, while others were half-hidden by the brush on top of the kopje.
After I took a zillion pictures, we drove towards Seronera. We came across another lion stretched out on a downed tree. She was calling and when she sat up, we could see that she was nursing. We stayed several minutes, but no other lions appeared, so it’s possible she was calling for a cub that was dead.
When we drove back into the Ndutu area, we saw a lioness with a wildebeest calf. She did not kill it right away - we saw her carry it into the brush, then the wildebeest calf ran out and she came after it and grabbed it again. We found out from people in other vehicles that this had been going on for several minutes.
It was in Ndutu that I had a photography crisis. I shoot RAW, which takes up a lot of space. Having calculated how much memory I would need for a two week trip, I decided to buy a storage device and purchased the Epson P3000, thinking that 40 gb of space would be enough. What I didn’t take into account is that I would take more pictures when moving creatures were involved (I’m more used to landscapes). A week into the trip, I went to download that day’s photos and got an ‘out of space’ message. Ruh roh! On the plus side, I got a headstart on editing and I met some nice people sitting at the bar, which is where I had to plug in the Epson.
Next: Lake Manyara.
From Lake Eyasi, we drove to Ndutu Safari Lodge. On that evening’s game drive, we drove along the shore of Lake Masek. In the distance, we could see other vehicles, which turned out to have been watching lions with a wildebeest carcass. By the time we reached them, the lions had disappeared and one of the vehicles was stuck in the mud. While Tesha went to see if he could help, I took pictures of the sunset, incuding what for me is one of the iconic images of Africa - acacia trees against the sky.
The next morning, we went back to where the carcass had been the night before. We were the only vehicle there and within minutes, a male lion came walking towards us. Soon a female joined him and it was obvious they had been eating as there was blood on their faces, chests and front legs. Then we saw that another lioness was in the brush with the carcass. I wanted to get a better shot of the lioness in the brush, and I have to admit my gut reaction was ‘I’ll just get out of the vehicle, move into the brush a bit and I’ll have a great shot.’ Trust me, I know that’s not permitted, but I couldn’t help thinking it.
The four days in Ndutu were incredible. This may have been the first time I understood the meaning of the phrase ‘teeming with life’. I saw more wildebeests and zebras than I thought existed on the earth, including so many zebra foals I lost count. My first trip, I saw one dik-dik, this trip I saw at least a dozen. Giraffe were everywhere, I saw bat-eared foxes for the first time and I made a start on the Little Five when I saw a leopard tortoise. One morning, we saw a cheetah mother and four somewhat grown cubs, then wildebeest calves, then another cheetah and cub. Everyone seemed to be eating well all along the food chain - the wildebeests and zebras, the cats, the hyenas and jackals, and the vultures. There were also spectacular sunsets and a dramatic thunderstorm one afternoon.
On one of the days, we drove into the Serengeti. It was the place that resonated with me on my first trip and the place I dreamed of when I thought of going back to East Africa. I know it’s all part of the same ecosystem, and I know it’s just a line on a map, but still, I wanted to get into the Serengeti again.
That day was a ‘lion’ day. As we drove towards a kopje, we saw a male lion sitting on a mound some distance away. When we got to the kopje, there were several females and cubs. Some were sleeping or dozing on the rocks, while others were half-hidden by the brush on top of the kopje.
After I took a zillion pictures, we drove towards Seronera. We came across another lion stretched out on a downed tree. She was calling and when she sat up, we could see that she was nursing. We stayed several minutes, but no other lions appeared, so it’s possible she was calling for a cub that was dead.
When we drove back into the Ndutu area, we saw a lioness with a wildebeest calf. She did not kill it right away - we saw her carry it into the brush, then the wildebeest calf ran out and she came after it and grabbed it again. We found out from people in other vehicles that this had been going on for several minutes.
It was in Ndutu that I had a photography crisis. I shoot RAW, which takes up a lot of space. Having calculated how much memory I would need for a two week trip, I decided to buy a storage device and purchased the Epson P3000, thinking that 40 gb of space would be enough. What I didn’t take into account is that I would take more pictures when moving creatures were involved (I’m more used to landscapes). A week into the trip, I went to download that day’s photos and got an ‘out of space’ message. Ruh roh! On the plus side, I got a headstart on editing and I met some nice people sitting at the bar, which is where I had to plug in the Epson.
Next: Lake Manyara.
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Lake Manyara
The last stop in Tanzania was Lake Manyara for an afternoon. I was looking forward to this stop for the elephants, which are my favorite. Within minutes of leaving the visitors center at the gate, we came to a group of elephants and eventually saw several groups, including babies and a couple of young elephants sparring. We also saw a black mamba crossing the road.
After a stop at the lake to see pelicans, we went in search of a barbet whose call we could hear. We didn’t find the barbet, but we did find a leopard! We were there for 30 minutes and towards the end of that time, I suggested that we move on because it didn’t look like the leopard was going to do anything but shift position, but Tesha said it would probably move. Lesson learned: if your experience has led you to trust your guide, keep trusting him! The leopard eventually stood up, stretched, yawned and started down the tree. I was lucky enough to get a picture as it came down the tree.
After a night at E Unoto Retreat, it was back to Arusha for a debriefing at Roy Safaris, then the drive to Namanga, where I met my guide for Kenya.
Next: Amboseli.
The last stop in Tanzania was Lake Manyara for an afternoon. I was looking forward to this stop for the elephants, which are my favorite. Within minutes of leaving the visitors center at the gate, we came to a group of elephants and eventually saw several groups, including babies and a couple of young elephants sparring. We also saw a black mamba crossing the road.
After a stop at the lake to see pelicans, we went in search of a barbet whose call we could hear. We didn’t find the barbet, but we did find a leopard! We were there for 30 minutes and towards the end of that time, I suggested that we move on because it didn’t look like the leopard was going to do anything but shift position, but Tesha said it would probably move. Lesson learned: if your experience has led you to trust your guide, keep trusting him! The leopard eventually stood up, stretched, yawned and started down the tree. I was lucky enough to get a picture as it came down the tree.
After a night at E Unoto Retreat, it was back to Arusha for a debriefing at Roy Safaris, then the drive to Namanga, where I met my guide for Kenya.
Next: Amboseli.
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Amboseli
I was in Amboseli for the elephants, so the first evening game drive was all about them. We were positioned on the road with a group of elephants in the swamp on one side and Kilimanjaro on the other. It was wonderful watching them come out of the swamp with mud halfway up their bodies and crossing the road near us as they moved towards the mountain for the night. I saw two young elephants play fighting over a bush and a baby nursing.
One thing that bothered me is that as soon as we stopped and I started taking pictures, my guide got on his cellphone and proceeded to make a series of phone calls. While I appreciate the usefulness of cellphones in an emergency, in general, I find their use counter to what I want on a game drive - as much as possible, I want to hear nature's soundtrack. If I want to listen to people talking loudly into their phones, I can do that at home. I realize I’m a bit of a curmudgeon about this, but does anyone else feel the same way?
The next day, we drove to Normatior and I climbed to the top. The view was beautiful, but it was soooo windy. After I rejoined my guide, we drove through the swampy area, eventually parking on a narrow causeway. I was busily taking pictures of kingfishers and jacanas when I became aware that a vehicle was waiting to pass. Whoops! Turned out to be a ranger who was checking passes.
On our way out of the park next morning, we stopped to watch two cheetahs who were crossing an open area and a group of elephants taking a dust bath, both great sightings.
Tsavo West
The next day, we drove to Tsavo West. We left Amboseli in convoy with two other vehicles, one of which carried a guard with a gun. Once at Tsavo, the convoy split up and we headed to Finch Hattons. I’m not going to try to describe it other than to say it was wonderful. My tent was so comfortable, the dining room beautiful, and the food fantastic.
That afternoon, we drove to Mzima Springs. As we left the FH property, a guard with a gun joined us. I thought this was a bit odd, but was told it was for security and something they always did. Due to a road being washed out, we had to take the long way around to the springs, crossing the Shetani Lava Flow to get to the Chyulu gate. Once at the springs, I had a chance to walk around with the guard and see the hippos.
The next morning, we drove down the other road as far as possible before the washed-out portion. We parked near a stream where we saw several kinds of birds. Then we turned around and went back to the road we’d been on the previous afternoon. When we got to the Shetani Lava Flow, the guide stopped and said that we could not go further because of poachers. Apparently, the guides are told not to cross this area unless there is an armed guard with them or if they are there at a time when they know other vehicles are in the area, e.g., the convoy to or from Amboseli is around. (Humorous side note: when he first mentioned poachers, I thought he said pushers and was thinking to myself, who the heck is there to sell drugs to out here?)
The restriction on that road, the washed-out road and the location of Finch Hattons outside the gate limited my game drives. I did, however, see two animals I had not seen before, a suni and a kudu. On our way out of the park the next morning, I had two of my best bird sightings - a lilac breasted roller and a Eurasian roller, the former quite close.
Next: Nairobi; photo links.
I was in Amboseli for the elephants, so the first evening game drive was all about them. We were positioned on the road with a group of elephants in the swamp on one side and Kilimanjaro on the other. It was wonderful watching them come out of the swamp with mud halfway up their bodies and crossing the road near us as they moved towards the mountain for the night. I saw two young elephants play fighting over a bush and a baby nursing.
One thing that bothered me is that as soon as we stopped and I started taking pictures, my guide got on his cellphone and proceeded to make a series of phone calls. While I appreciate the usefulness of cellphones in an emergency, in general, I find their use counter to what I want on a game drive - as much as possible, I want to hear nature's soundtrack. If I want to listen to people talking loudly into their phones, I can do that at home. I realize I’m a bit of a curmudgeon about this, but does anyone else feel the same way?
The next day, we drove to Normatior and I climbed to the top. The view was beautiful, but it was soooo windy. After I rejoined my guide, we drove through the swampy area, eventually parking on a narrow causeway. I was busily taking pictures of kingfishers and jacanas when I became aware that a vehicle was waiting to pass. Whoops! Turned out to be a ranger who was checking passes.
On our way out of the park next morning, we stopped to watch two cheetahs who were crossing an open area and a group of elephants taking a dust bath, both great sightings.
Tsavo West
The next day, we drove to Tsavo West. We left Amboseli in convoy with two other vehicles, one of which carried a guard with a gun. Once at Tsavo, the convoy split up and we headed to Finch Hattons. I’m not going to try to describe it other than to say it was wonderful. My tent was so comfortable, the dining room beautiful, and the food fantastic.
That afternoon, we drove to Mzima Springs. As we left the FH property, a guard with a gun joined us. I thought this was a bit odd, but was told it was for security and something they always did. Due to a road being washed out, we had to take the long way around to the springs, crossing the Shetani Lava Flow to get to the Chyulu gate. Once at the springs, I had a chance to walk around with the guard and see the hippos.
The next morning, we drove down the other road as far as possible before the washed-out portion. We parked near a stream where we saw several kinds of birds. Then we turned around and went back to the road we’d been on the previous afternoon. When we got to the Shetani Lava Flow, the guide stopped and said that we could not go further because of poachers. Apparently, the guides are told not to cross this area unless there is an armed guard with them or if they are there at a time when they know other vehicles are in the area, e.g., the convoy to or from Amboseli is around. (Humorous side note: when he first mentioned poachers, I thought he said pushers and was thinking to myself, who the heck is there to sell drugs to out here?)
The restriction on that road, the washed-out road and the location of Finch Hattons outside the gate limited my game drives. I did, however, see two animals I had not seen before, a suni and a kudu. On our way out of the park the next morning, I had two of my best bird sightings - a lilac breasted roller and a Eurasian roller, the former quite close.
Next: Nairobi; photo links.
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Nairobi
I’m not keen on small planes, but if I had realized how long and dusty the drive from Tsavo West to Nairobi would be, I might have flown. When we finally got to the Panari Hotel, I had only about three hours to enjoy my day room. I did get a chance to shower, repack my bags and enjoy a lovely dinner.
Now I’m going to get cranky about KLM. When I got to the airport, I found out that KLM was still routing the NBO-AMS flight through Dar. Understood why, but thought they could have notified passengers ahead of time. When I pointed this out to an agent, he said they must not have had my email address. Funny, that was one account I checked regularly during my trip because I was worried the flight would be cancelled and they were able to send me five promotional messages during that time.
The rerouting meant I would miss my morning connection in Amsterdam, so I was rebooked on an afternoon flight. We actually made it to AMS in time for me to catch my original flight, but because I had checked a bag, I was not allowed to board due to security regulations. My layover went from three hours to nine and a half hours. I asked at the service desk if they would give me a pass to the business lounge; another passenger from my flight was next to me asking the same question. The agent said ‘oh no, no, no’ in a tone that implied letting coach passengers into the lounge would contaminate it. Needless to say, I was not impressed with KLM.
Photos
At one point, I told Tesha that I would be satisfied if I averaged one good shot for every day I was on safari. Having said that, I felt obligated to see if I could put together a slideshow of 13 shots that encapsulated Tanzania and Kenya for me. Here is the link to that slideshow:
http://picasaweb.google.com/corcoran...ey=YbJ6gYeylTs
If you want to see more, here is the link to a longer, more narrative slideshow:
http://picasaweb.google.com/corcoran...ey=zgo1eSxKQBk
I’m not keen on small planes, but if I had realized how long and dusty the drive from Tsavo West to Nairobi would be, I might have flown. When we finally got to the Panari Hotel, I had only about three hours to enjoy my day room. I did get a chance to shower, repack my bags and enjoy a lovely dinner.
Now I’m going to get cranky about KLM. When I got to the airport, I found out that KLM was still routing the NBO-AMS flight through Dar. Understood why, but thought they could have notified passengers ahead of time. When I pointed this out to an agent, he said they must not have had my email address. Funny, that was one account I checked regularly during my trip because I was worried the flight would be cancelled and they were able to send me five promotional messages during that time.
The rerouting meant I would miss my morning connection in Amsterdam, so I was rebooked on an afternoon flight. We actually made it to AMS in time for me to catch my original flight, but because I had checked a bag, I was not allowed to board due to security regulations. My layover went from three hours to nine and a half hours. I asked at the service desk if they would give me a pass to the business lounge; another passenger from my flight was next to me asking the same question. The agent said ‘oh no, no, no’ in a tone that implied letting coach passengers into the lounge would contaminate it. Needless to say, I was not impressed with KLM.
Photos
At one point, I told Tesha that I would be satisfied if I averaged one good shot for every day I was on safari. Having said that, I felt obligated to see if I could put together a slideshow of 13 shots that encapsulated Tanzania and Kenya for me. Here is the link to that slideshow:
http://picasaweb.google.com/corcoran...ey=YbJ6gYeylTs
If you want to see more, here is the link to a longer, more narrative slideshow:
http://picasaweb.google.com/corcoran...ey=zgo1eSxKQBk
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Good report, thanks. Lucky you, back next month to Tz.
I very much agree with you about cell phone chatter. And constant idle chatter in general. I want to hear nature or an occasional comment by the guide. Otherwise, how do you rate Roy Safaris? Was the guide knowledgeable about finding his way about and finding game? Are you using them also for Tz next month? I'm planning on using Roy for a Tz safari in Feb 2009.
regards - tom
I very much agree with you about cell phone chatter. And constant idle chatter in general. I want to hear nature or an occasional comment by the guide. Otherwise, how do you rate Roy Safaris? Was the guide knowledgeable about finding his way about and finding game? Are you using them also for Tz next month? I'm planning on using Roy for a Tz safari in Feb 2009.
regards - tom
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Tom, I was impressed with Roy Safaris - very professional company. There were a couple of minor issues and I liked the way they handled them and the fact that they listened to what I had to say. I am using them next month and my going back so soon was contingent on Tesha being available. He seemed quite knowledgeable to me and quickly caught on to what I wanted from a photography standpoint. From what I've heard, I think you'll be good with any of their guides.
Just to be clear, the cellphone-using guide was from Wildtrek Safaris in Kenya.
Just to be clear, the cellphone-using guide was from Wildtrek Safaris in Kenya.
#10
Join Date: Nov 2004
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I've gone through Tanzania with you.
Walking into a story is a great way to describe your walking safari.
I recall that feeling of wanting to hop out of the vehicle for a better shot. It’s just a natural reaction.
Ruh roh! I’ve never seen that expression. Or is that an error message on the camera? At least you found a way around the problem.
I appreciate your sharing your take on Lake Eyasi.
If you are choosing Roy’s again, that’s a thumbs up for them.
Walking into a story is a great way to describe your walking safari.
I recall that feeling of wanting to hop out of the vehicle for a better shot. It’s just a natural reaction.
Ruh roh! I’ve never seen that expression. Or is that an error message on the camera? At least you found a way around the problem.
I appreciate your sharing your take on Lake Eyasi.
If you are choosing Roy’s again, that’s a thumbs up for them.
#14
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Join Date: Jun 2003
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raelond, the roads don't usually bother me, but must admit the road from Karatu to Kisima Ngeda was pretty bad. I regretted not following the advice often posted here about wearing a sports bra! I did on the return trip.
It sounds like we'll be in Tanzania around the same time.
It sounds like we'll be in Tanzania around the same time.
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
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Thanks for your report! You have some beautiful photos. You must have been at Finch Hattons just before us. Normally, you wouldn't pass through a gate when going on game drives from Finch Hattons, but it sounds like you had to take some kind of detour because of road conditions. Have a great trip to Tanzania next month!
#16
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You are preaching to the choir with the cellphone business. Thanks for clarifying who was doing the talking and that it was not Roy's.
A suni is a rare find!
Your selection of your best shots is outstanding! The cheetah cub is my favorite.
Thanks for getting your report in under the wire before the next trip.
A suni is a rare find!
Your selection of your best shots is outstanding! The cheetah cub is my favorite.
Thanks for getting your report in under the wire before the next trip.
#18
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Join Date: Jun 2003
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Glad y'all liked the cheetah picture - they were so appealing, it was hard to choose just one.
Patty, was Finch Hatton's almost empty when you were there? There were eight people one night and ten the next night when I was there. One of the staff told me they were going to have to start sending staff home if business didn't pick up.
Patty, was Finch Hatton's almost empty when you were there? There were eight people one night and ten the next night when I was there. One of the staff told me they were going to have to start sending staff home if business didn't pick up.
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
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Finch Hattons actually had the most guests of any place we stayed. They had 16-20 both nights and elsewhere we were either the only guests or there was only one other party besides us. We had stayed at Finch Hattons back in Feb 2005 and the guest count for the 3 nights we were there then was about the same, so it was the only camp that seemed "normal".
#20
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Beautiful pictures! I also love to take tons of pictures. How did you mamage to take a tripod and I believe a printer with you with the weight restrictions. I have been getting so paranoid about packing for our trip knowing can only take 1 suitcase around 30 lbs.?? Plan to take camera and video in the carry on back pack. Also using Roy's when we go August 2008 so glad to hear you liked them.