My new reality

On Tuesday we went for a very early game drive to see what animals might be up before breakfast.  At dawn we came upon a pride of lions with 3 or 4 cubs.  There were only a few jeeps and everyone kept their distance. Later we saw a few male lions reclining on kopjes (rock outcroppings).  With a few elephants along the way we were happy and headed back for a late breakfast.  The midday was spent lounging or reading poolside and getting a massage back at the resort and also a fun water aerobics class with my fellow safarians.  We enjoyed a quiet afternoon game drive in the endless grassy plains area and found an older male lion with an injury.  He was stately but limped.  The park vets were on their way to check on him and may have treated him, or may remove him to a sanctuary, or may leave him to the hyenas.  We may get squeamish but that’s how it works in the wild.  A beautiful rainbow appeared as we watched the evening rain approach from nearby Lake Victoria. This has been an amazing trip.

We returned to Nairobi by AirKenya, this time a DC8 (4 prop) plane, saving a 6 hour drive.  Oh the traffic in Nairobi!  I already miss the clean air and open spaces.  Our small group of 10 celebrated the end of our wonderful tour with George, our tour manager, dining at Ankole Grill.  This great group of people contributed to a most excellent adventure. 

Although we will be continuing on to a post- extension tour in Mt Kenya the next day, I’d like to share a few thoughts and suggestions here for anyone considering a safari trip to Africa.

We visited Amboseli, Manyara, Ngorogoro, Serengeti, and Maasai Mara in the off season (early February).  The weather was fine with a few rainy evenings.  The wildebeests were birthing in the Ngorogoro region and were not yet migrating.  High season, July and August, they’ll be in Maasai Mara, but so will 10x more tourists.  On our game drives we’d see other jeeps but usually no more than 10 or so would assemble for something exciting. At most 25, which I hated. I can’t imagine having 10x more than that

We didn’t convert to Kenyan shillings since all of our meals were included.  For tips and purchases we used USD.  The current exchange rate is 1:155.

We had jeeps that seated 6 with sliding windows and a top that raised up.  We were able to move around within when stopped for better viewing angles.  For dusty roads and possibility of rain these models worked great. We drove 1,000 miles on mostly dirt roads.  We saw the stadium seating open jeeps but there was no moving around and were open to dust and rain.  There were Toyota minivans with raised roofs but for groups it would be tight.  Also, the roads could be very bumpy like ‘fall out of your seat bumpy’ so beware if you can’t sit for long stretches, get car sick, or have a bad back.  There is a bit of a step up into/out of the jeeps.  Don’t be alarmed but what looks like a game of chicken among oncoming jeeps on narrow roads is a polite, delicate system of passing and being passed.

Everyone wore the requisite khaki and green uniform from Columbia, REI, Eddie Bauer, etc. Lodges had laundry services but also the quick dry fabrics were great for sink or shower washing.  Temps ranged from 50’s F at night to mid 80’s F daytime.

Tsetse flies and mosquitoes were not an issue this time of year. Generic flies were around. Still, bring a little bug spray.  I used permethrin wipes as necessary (easier for airline regulations) and some of the lodges had them available as part of your toiletry items.

We didn’t walk very much at all (Lions! Leopards! Buffalo!) Smart watches still recorded over 10,000 steps with all the Jeep jostling.

We were at elevations around 4,000-8,000 feet if that is of interest to you.  I couldn’t tell if I was winded from eating too much or from the elevation.

Our tours took us to restrooms usually every 2 hours.  Restroom quality varied significantly though they were all ‘clean’.  If you’re squeamish, you don’t have to go bad enough.  Bring tissues just in case.  Hand wipes or sanitizer too.

With the local flights we were restricted to a 33 lbs checked luggage limit in soft sided duffel bags and 1 carryon each.  My packing list for 2 weeks (avoid blue or black colors for areas with tsetse flies):

1 pair low hiking shoes though sneakers would be fine, 1 pair sandals for dinner, 1 pair flip flops for pool.

2 pair quick dry hiking pants (1 pr zip off which I never unzipped).  Probably could have used only 1 pair.

2 pair shorts, 2 skorts.  Only used 1 pr shorts.

5 short sleeve tees, 3 long sleeve, a couple nicer shirts for dinner.  1 light collared shirt for over shirt.

1 light jacket, 1 rain jacket.

3 pair socks, several bras, undies, 1 PJs, 1 swim suit.

1 brimmed hat and baseball cap.

Chargers, adapters (get a universal adapter, we mostly used type ‘C’ or USB), toiletries, Cipro for stomach issues, eye drops for dust, solid shampoo and conditioner in tins, sunscreen, bug spray or wipes.

Binoculars!

Zip lock and disposable bags are prohibited in Kenya; I used clear zippered toiletry bags. And packing cubes.

Yellow fever vaccination is required for visiting Tanzania. 

Bring an attitude of “let’s see what we see” instead of “where are we going or what’s there or when?”  Be on time and be considerate of the group.  Mix up who you sit with at dinner or where you sit on the Jeep. Be respectful of others’ opinions.  Let the tour manager make the decisions and listen to what he/she has to say.  Questions may be asked multiple times due to hearing or attention issues; be patient and don’t answer for the guide.  Relax!  Hakuna matata!