Safari tips
Nov 1st, 2008, 01:07 PM
#1
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Safari tips
I have been back from Kenya Tanzania for a week and will have to get my head together for a complete trip report. The trip exceeded all expectations from start to finish.
Here are just a few notes :
I wore my contact lenses every day. I have Accu Vue lenses that are great for my dry eyes and had no problems with them at all in the dust. Great relief as I didnt want to wear my glasses.
If you bring wipes ( good idea), which come in handy make sure they are not scented. Some have way too much scent for a safari vehicle.
Do not bring three rolls of toilet paper as suggested in the packing list here. There are very few opportunities for bush stops unless you want to get eaten . Each morning before we left the hotel we just put a small wad of tp from the hotel room in our pocket for washrooms without tp.
A safari vest is not necessary.
Quick dry socks and underwear are a good idea. Some places may be dry but some are damp . I washed my socks in Nairobi and they werent dry for four days of traveling.
Bring lots and lots of snacks. We were late for meals many times and others in the vehicle had not brought any snacks so if we wanted a granola bar, we felt it was necessary to offer them around as others were hungry too.
We did not use any bug repellent in our 20 days of traveling. So I brought home all the stuff we had purchased.
The children love to receive simple things like pens.
I raided my grown childrens rooms for pens, stickers hats etc.
A blow up neck pillow is great for when you are bumping around. Depending on your height you may not be able to rest your head or their may not be a head rest.
A pashmina or scarf is great for evening dining to dress up an outfit without taking up too much space . We found that our group of 39 tended to dress up for the evening meals.
Our safari vehicle had six people of varying heights.
We rotated daily but had to be vigilent about making sure the short people were able to get the views and shots that the tall people did.
Pack light. Some peoples bags were ridiculous and every time the drivers packed the vehicle they had a real issue. Bring one zip off pants that are quick dry and one or two shirts for the days that are quick dry.
Sunscreen is very important.
Your hair will be blown to smithereens. Pop a cap on for photo ops.
Bring your patience and good humor. These go a long way in making the trip enjoyable.
Here are just a few notes :
I wore my contact lenses every day. I have Accu Vue lenses that are great for my dry eyes and had no problems with them at all in the dust. Great relief as I didnt want to wear my glasses.
If you bring wipes ( good idea), which come in handy make sure they are not scented. Some have way too much scent for a safari vehicle.
Do not bring three rolls of toilet paper as suggested in the packing list here. There are very few opportunities for bush stops unless you want to get eaten . Each morning before we left the hotel we just put a small wad of tp from the hotel room in our pocket for washrooms without tp.
A safari vest is not necessary.
Quick dry socks and underwear are a good idea. Some places may be dry but some are damp . I washed my socks in Nairobi and they werent dry for four days of traveling.
Bring lots and lots of snacks. We were late for meals many times and others in the vehicle had not brought any snacks so if we wanted a granola bar, we felt it was necessary to offer them around as others were hungry too.
We did not use any bug repellent in our 20 days of traveling. So I brought home all the stuff we had purchased.
The children love to receive simple things like pens.
I raided my grown childrens rooms for pens, stickers hats etc.
A blow up neck pillow is great for when you are bumping around. Depending on your height you may not be able to rest your head or their may not be a head rest.
A pashmina or scarf is great for evening dining to dress up an outfit without taking up too much space . We found that our group of 39 tended to dress up for the evening meals.
Our safari vehicle had six people of varying heights.
We rotated daily but had to be vigilent about making sure the short people were able to get the views and shots that the tall people did.
Pack light. Some peoples bags were ridiculous and every time the drivers packed the vehicle they had a real issue. Bring one zip off pants that are quick dry and one or two shirts for the days that are quick dry.
Sunscreen is very important.
Your hair will be blown to smithereens. Pop a cap on for photo ops.
Bring your patience and good humor. These go a long way in making the trip enjoyable.
Nov 2nd, 2008, 05:56 AM
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Nice hints.
3 rolls of tp? I cannot imagine anyone suggestion 3 rolls. With a cardboard roll taking up so much room, I'd go with a few sheets of tissue or as you mentioned a few lengths of tp from any hotel.
I never thought about strong scents in wipes. That's an excellent point. I prefer the small bottles of liquid soap for hand washing.
I agree about not needing a safari vest while on safari. But I have found them handy for carrying belongings on the plane so everything fits in the carryon.
Darn, I don't like that dress-up trend you mentioned. But a scarf is a good idea to change safari-wear to evening wear.
Even though the kids adore the gifts, I am always hesitant to hand them out directly. I fear it encourages begging, sometimes to the point of avoiding school in order to seek out foreign visitors. But donating to a school or giving the items to an elder to distribute is a great idea.
Many of us bring a blowup pillow for the international flights. It takes no room if you pack it for your daily safari outings. What a good idea.
Take your time getting your head together and your photo albums together for the full report.
3 rolls of tp? I cannot imagine anyone suggestion 3 rolls. With a cardboard roll taking up so much room, I'd go with a few sheets of tissue or as you mentioned a few lengths of tp from any hotel.
I never thought about strong scents in wipes. That's an excellent point. I prefer the small bottles of liquid soap for hand washing.
I agree about not needing a safari vest while on safari. But I have found them handy for carrying belongings on the plane so everything fits in the carryon.
Darn, I don't like that dress-up trend you mentioned. But a scarf is a good idea to change safari-wear to evening wear.
Even though the kids adore the gifts, I am always hesitant to hand them out directly. I fear it encourages begging, sometimes to the point of avoiding school in order to seek out foreign visitors. But donating to a school or giving the items to an elder to distribute is a great idea.
Many of us bring a blowup pillow for the international flights. It takes no room if you pack it for your daily safari outings. What a good idea.
Take your time getting your head together and your photo albums together for the full report.
Nov 3rd, 2008, 04:43 AM
#6
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Another thing that came to me was to take a lot of US $1 bills. You should tip at meals $1 to the servers but most hotels are short of these bills so they are hard to get.
I would take about 50 next time.
I would take about 50 next time.
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