SAFARI BRIEFING -

WHAT TO EXPECT ON AN AFRICAN TRIP.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT AN AFRICAN SAFARI IS NOT A STROLL THROUGH THE PARK, OR A LEISURELY DRIVE TO THE BEACH.

ITINERARIES ARE GIVEN AS A GUIDE AND WHAT WE STRIVE TO ACHIEVE,
BUT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL BE ACHIEVED.

ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS IN KENYA ARE BAD AND PUSH BOTH VEHICLE AND DRIVER BEYOND THEIR LIMITS.

IN THE EVENT OF A PROBLEM, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH THE MINIMUM OF DELAY AND INCONVENIENCE TO OUR GUESTS, BUT CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CONDITIONS OVER WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL.

WEATHER AND SEASONS

IN THE PAST, WE COULD ADVISE GUESTS ON WHAT WEATHER TO EXPECT AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF YEAR, BUT NOW THE EFFECTS OF WORLD CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE HIT KENYA. THE SEASONS AS WE KNEW THEM SEEM TO HAVE GONE TOTALLY CRAZY AND WE CAN NO LONGER PREDICT WHEN THE RAINS ARE GOING TO COME.

VEHICLES

IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE RAINS AND THE MUD WHEN THEY COME, WE ONLY USE 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. EVEN IF WE HAVE TO HIRE IN ADDITIONAL VEHICLES DURING HIGH SEASON, WE WILL ONLY USE 4 WHEEL DRIVE.

OUR OWN FLEET ARE LAND ROVERS, RANGE ROVERS AND AN EX MILITARY BEDFORD 4X4 TRUCK. ALL VEHICLES ARE SPECIALLY PREPARED FOR SAFARIS, WITH OPENING ROOFS FOR GAME VIEWING. SEATING CAPACITIES, (NOT INCLUDING DRIVER), ARE:

RANGE ROVERS, 4. 110 LAND ROVERS, 6. 130 LAND ROVERS, 7. BEDFORD, 20.

WE DO NOT HOWEVER, LOAD TO THESE CAPACITIES. OUR MAXIMUMS ARE:

RANGE ROVERS, 3. 110 LAND ROVERS, 4. 130 LAND ROVERS, 6. BEDFORD, 14

WHEN BOOKING FOR A SAFARI WITH OUR ASSOCIATES, GAMETRACKERS, YOU CAN ALSO BE ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE A 4 WHEEL DRIVE SAFARI PREPARED VEHICLE..

VISAS

VISAS FOR ALL EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES, KENYA, TANZANIA AND UGANDA CAN BE OBTAINED AT THE RELATIVE BORDERS AND AIRPORTS UPON ARRIVAL. THE EAST AFRICAN UNION, AS THESE COUNTRIES ARE KNOWN, HAS AN AGREEMENT THAT ALLOWS MOVEMENT BETWEEN THESE COUNTRIES WITH A SINGLE ENTRY VISA ONLY, FOR EXAMPLE YOU CAN COME TO KENYA, GO TO UGANDA, THEN BACK TO KENYA, BACK TO UGANDA AND BACK AGAIN TO KENYA, WITH JUST A SINGLE ENTRY VISA FOR KENYA AND A SINGLE ENTRY VISA FOR UGANDA..

MALARIA AND YELLOW FEVER

MALARIA IS STILL PRESENT IN MOST OF THE LOWER REGIONS OF KENYA, ESPECIALLY THE COAST, SO PREVENTATIVE MEDICATION IS ADVISEABLE FOR THOSE STAYING LESS THAN 3 MONTHS. THE MOST COMMON TABLETS ARE MALARONE, LARIAM AND DOXICYCLIN.

MALARONE IS THE BEST AND WITH LESS SIDE EFFECTS, BUT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE. IT IS HOWEVER AVAILABLE IN NAIROBI AND IS CHEAPER THAN IN EUROPE.

LARIAM IS OK, BUT SEVERAL PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF UNPLEASANT SIDE EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY BAD DREAMS.

DOXICYCLIN REDUCES PEOPLES ABILITY TO STAND THE SUN, SO PARTICULAR CARE WITH SUNSCREEN IS NEEDED BY PEOPLE TAKING THIS TABLET.

YELLOW FEVER CERTIFICATES ARE VERY RARELY CHECKED THESE DAYS, BUT IT IS STILL ADVISEABLE TO HAVE AN UP TO DATE VACCINATION AND CARD.

TIPS ON WHAT TO BRING

CAMERAS -

NOWADAYS, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN USING ONE. FIRSTLY, MOST OF THE TIME IN THE BUSH, YOU MAY NOT FIND MAINS ELECTRICITY, SO IF THE CAMERA IS RE-CHARGEABLE, CONSIDER BRINGING A CHARGER THAT WORKS ON 12 VOLTS, FROM THE VEHICLE.

THE COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS ARE VERY CONVENIENT, BUT LIMITED WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING DISTANCE SHOTS OF THE WILDLIFE, BECAUSE OF THEIR VERY SMALL ZOOM. THE SLR DIGITALS ARE EXPENSIVE BUT EXCELLENT FOR SAFARIS. IF YOU HAVE A COMPACT DIGITAL AND STILL HAVE YOUR OLD 35 MM, BRING IT AS WELL, WITH A ZOOM LENSE, PREFERABLY UP TO 300mm. FILM IS READILY AVAILABLE.

BINOCULARS -

REMEMBER, THE ANIMALS ARE NOT IN A ZOO. THEY MAY BE CLOSE, OR THEY MAY BE 200 METRES AWAY AND DRIVING OFF THE TRACKS IS NOT PERMITTED, OTHERWISE THE GAME PARKS WOULD BE DESTROYED.

TORCH -

A TORCH OF SOME DESCRIPTION IS ESSENTIAL AND THE MOST USEFUL IS THE TYPE WORN ON THE HEAD.

CELLPHONE -

SIMCARDS FOR THE LOCAL NETWORKS ARE VERY CHEAP HERE, SO IF YOUR TELEPHONE IS NOT BLOCKED FOR ONE SERVICE, BRING IT AND USE THE LOCAL NETWORK.

CLOTHING -

ALTHOUGH THE CLIMATE HERE CAN BE HOT, THE EVENINGS CAN BE QUITE COOL, PLUS IF YOU WISH TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN, TEMPERATURES ARE OFTEN BELOW ZERO, SO BRING SOMETHING WARM, PLUS WATERPROOF JACKET AND TROUSERS. GOOD BOOTS ARE ALSO AN ESSENTIAL FOR AFRICA. MANY MOUNTAIN ROUTES CAN BE LOOSE SCREE AND STEEP, SO CLIMBING STICKS CAN BE AN ADVANTAGE. IF YOU ARE DOING LOTS OF TRAVEL AND DON'T WANT TO CARRY TOO MUCH, OUTDOOR AND CLIMBING SUPPLIES CAN BE BOUGHT OR HIRED HERE.

OTHER USEFUL ITEMS -

SUNSCREEN, AFTER SUN, INSECT REPELLENT, ANTIHYSTEMINE CREAM AND TABLETS, SUNGLASSES, SUN HAT AND WATER SHOES, (MANY OF THE COASTAL AREAS HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF SEA URCHINS, WHICH GIVE A NASTY STING IF YOU STAND ON THEM). BATTERIES, (THEY ARE EXPENSIVE HERE).SLEEPING BAG - 3 SEASON OR 4 FOR MOUNTAINS.

WE HOPE THAT THIS BRIEFING WILL ADEQUATELY PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR TRIP TO AFRICA AND WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF GENERAL ENQUIRIES WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING BY E-MAIL. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO SPEND MORE TIME ANSWERING YOUR MORE DETAILED SAFARI ENQUIRIES AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES US TO REPLY TO YOUR MORE IMPORTANT E-MAILS.

IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE EVEN MORE, WE HAVE JUST INTRODUCED A NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR SAFARI ENQUIRIES ONLY, WHICH WILL BE HANDLED BY A DEDICATED TEAM ON A SEPERATE COMPUTER. THE ADDRESS IS: safari@nairobibackpackers.com