An African Safari - What Dreams Are Made Of!
Mar 31 '02
The Bottom Line The ultimate Safari experience - Aberdare, Amboseli, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Masai Mara - unforgettable!
Ever since I was a little girl, I've been fascinated with animals and nature. More often than not, and to my mother's horror, I could be found in the woods, all alone, watching deer or just a squirrel, or merely listening to the sounds of the birds or smelling the fragrant scent of gently swaying forest pines. I was always at peace there, just me and Mother Nature, the best teacher one could ever hope for.
Then, along came movies such as 'Serengeti Shall Not Die', 'Born Free' and later, 'Out of Africa', not to mention countless enlightening documentaries, all fueling my desire to some day venture all the way to that distant continent, where so many magnificent animals still roam in the wild.
Well, dreams do come true and our recent 'Safari' trip to Africa can attest to that. With this review, I hope to be able to help all those with similar aspirations. Perhaps our experiences will point the way for you and give you a glimpse into a world so different from ours.
The biggest challenge, or course, is to put such a trip together and to find an itinerary which can fulfill all of your hopes and wishes. Not having an idea where to start, we decided to put our fate into the hands of an experienced tour operator, only to find that there are many, offering everything from budget to luxury travel. Not feeling altogether comfortable with 'budget' travel in Africa, we set our stakes higher and investigated some of the higher end trips with tour operators such as Tauck, Micato, Abercrombie & Kent, and Big Five. The latter came highly recommended by fellow epinionator Judith Norman, who urged me to check out their website, www.bigfive.com, and was kind enough to recount her Safari experiences via e-mail.
As it turned out, Big Five had just the itinerary we were hoping to find. Their 'Golden Shadows, Flying Hooves' tour includes six National Parks and Game Reserves in both Kenya and Tanzania, the diversity we were looking for. As an add-on, we decided to spend two days at Victoria Falls before returning home.
Travel to Africa requires some precautionary measures, such as inoculations against various diseases (Typhoid and Yellow Fever are mandatory, Hepatitis A & B at your option but recommended). Believe me, I felt like a pin cushion after that experience, but luckily there were no ill effects. You might want to contact your local Health Department, the cost there is much less than at your physician's office! You will also need a prescription for Malaria pills. We opted for the new pill 'Malarone' which is taken daily but has little or no side effects, versus those which are taken weekly but can cause hallucinations. Malarone is expensive and costs a whopping $169 per person for a 4 week supply.
Your tour operator will arrange for the required visas, an ever changing scenario depending on the country you visit, so whatever I would quote you here might not be applicable by the time you travel. Be prepared to pay anywhere between $20 and $50 per country, this does not include the departure tax which is payable in cash (U.S.Dollars) at the time you exit a country, usually $20 or $30 pp.
Based in Stuart, Florida, Big Five has conducted African Safaris for 27 years and deservedly earned a reputation as one of the top 20 tour operators in the world. Their excellent all-inclusive tours take you to some of the finest game viewing regions, provide you with experienced guides and unique lodgings, from celebrated hotels to environmentally sensitive rustic lodges and tented camps. Big Five's policy of a maximum of just 14 travelers per tour was particularly appealing to us, and as luck would have it, there were only six on our tour (six of us from the same town and long time friends!), joined by a couple from India during the Tanzania part of the trip.
International air travel is arranged with Swiss Air (now just called 'Swiss') via Zurich, where we enjoyed a day room before continuing on to Nairobi, Kenya. Yes, it is a very long trip, 8 hrs to Zurich from the East Coast of the U.S., then another 8 hrs to Nairobi, but with those few hours to recuperate in Zurich, it was tolerable. Our trip also included a total of 7 internal flights, some with just a small single engine puddle jumper, landing on dirt strips littered with elephant dung! Amazingly, everything went off without a glitch and in a timely fashion. There is some merit to just stepping out of a vehicle and getting into a plane, without the required 2 hour check-in, endless security checks, long wait at ticket counters and gates, etc. Oftentimes, the only building in sight was a makeshift toilet, with just the African bush beyond!
We found temperatures to be pleasant (March), 70 to 80 during the day, at times dropping into the 50's at night. The rainy season started a bit early, but rain fell mostly at night and never interfered with any activities. Although it caused some muddy conditions, it also kept dust a bay!
Insects were never a problem. Most lodges supplied insect repelling lotion, but we rarely used it.
Credit cards are widely accepted as are U.S. Dollars. Small bills are best since change is usually given in local money. Tips are very much appreciated and even a $1 tip will bring a big smile! Pack pens, pencils and paper, you can barter with them or just hand them out to thankful children! If you have T-shirts you no longer wear, take them along. They make great gifts! Baseball hats make the greatest hit, they are light weight, so take a few along.
Finally, and appropriately for this review category, I would like to focus on the itinerary of this particular trip. Upcoming reviews will give specifics on each Game Park separately, along with information about transportation, lodging, and food.
We begin in Nairobi, Kenya, where the first night was spent at the Norfolk Hotel, a fabulous establishment with a long history. Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway planned their Safaris here, and hallways are decorated with pictures from their many adventures. Jetlag quickly fades away as you swim in the heated outdoor pool, enjoy the tropical gardens, dine inside or out and marvel at their excellent cuisine and service. Rooms are magnificent with mahogany decor, marble baths and garden views. What better way to start your trip!
The city of Nairobi can only be described as chaotic, 3 million people, traffic is a mess, cars and buses emitting black plumes of Diesel fumes are overloaded with passengers, and there is an endless sea of pedestrians wherever you look. Unemployment is high and crime rampant, widespread slums are made of makeshift shacks, without running water and who knows what kind of sewage facilities, attesting to just how poor conditions are. Vendors line the roadways peddling their wares, from produce to worn sneakers and used clothing, even old tires and furniture, some of which is carved right there on the spot amidst a mountain of wood shavings. When it rains all is turned into a sea of mud, which doesn't seem to interfere with the usual daily activities. There is no descent infrastructure and, as we were soon to find out, paved roads are a luxury. Not all of Nairobi is poor, of course, there are plenty of affluent suburbs with gated estates, beautiful gardens and high priced mansions, and the downtown area has its share of modern high rises and business centers.
We spent some time visiting author Bette Melville's Giraffe Center, home of the magnificent Rothchild Giraffes, which roam freely in this Game Reserve. Be prepared for an up close and personal encounter as you can feed these long legged beauties at your leisure. Their tongues almost equal the size of their heads in length and are manoeuvred with great accuracy (and some slobbering) to extract morsels from your hand. We also visited the estate of Baroness Karen von Blixen, which is now a museum. It was used during the filming of the movie 'Out of Africa', from which plenty of memorabilia was left behind. Then there is shopping at the Utamaduni Craft Center offering beautiful local crafts. Look, but don't buy here. Prices are high and not negotiable, unlike later on during the trip when similar merchandise can be had at a fraction of the cost.
'Jumbo' will soon ring in your ear, the hearty Swahili 'Hello', delivered with a big smile by most everyone, including our driver/guide who, the next morning, whisked us off to Aberdare National Park, a 1300 acre wildlife sanctuary, located about a 3 hour drive from Nairobi. This is also home of 'The Ark', a rustic chalet-style lodge situated in the dense woodlands of the Park and right next to a waterhole and salt lick, attracting a never ending parade of animals, day and night. Cape Buffalo, elephants, bushbuck, hyena and even the elusive black rhino could be seen, along with an astounding number of beautiful and unusual birds. Mongoose and the small gennet with its leopard-like markings dashed in and out of sight, there was never a dull moment. The waterhole is floodlit at night and you guessed it, no sleep for me that night, as I stayed up to watch from various observation decks, even an underground bunker. What an experience!
Off to Nanyuki (Mount Kenya) the next day to visit the Mt. Kenya Safari Club, the famous retreat of late Actor William Holden. Set on the Equator, this is a true sanctuary with over 100 acres of wonderful gardens, ponds, beautiful accommodations in individual cottages with fireplaces, even a Animal Orphanage and the opportunity to horseback ride, swim, golf, play tennis, or get a royal treatment at the spa. All with snow capped Mt. Kenya looming in the background! And, yes, the water does drain clockwise north of the Equator, counter clockwise south of the Equator, and right on the Equator, it goes straight down with no circular motion at all!! Quite amazing, really!
The next day, our real Safari experience was to begin. After a short flight back to Nairobi, we set off for Amboseli National Park, a long drive, mostly on rough roads. Nothing could have prepared us for what awaited us there. Amboseli, at the foot of magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro, is perhaps one of the most spectacular spots in all of Africa. We were greeted by large numbers of game, giraffes, big herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra, impala, gazelle, and even spotted a python winding its way through the grass!
Our home for two nights was the Tortilis Camp, one of our favorites of the whole trip. Words can't even begin to describe the setting for this 'tented' camp, overlooking the plains, with Kilimanjaro always in sight. Yes, we stayed in 'tents', huge tents equipped with private baths, and with all the amenities found in an exclusive hotel room, but with wild game roaming just a few hundred feet away! The sights and sounds at night were truly amazing, as you can hear the animals and are mesmerized by a sky illuminated by billions of the brightest stars. It's a magical place and we shall never forget it. Morning and afternoon game drives took us to all parts of this great Park, with its varied terrain and abundance of water, thanks to Kilimanjaro's melting snow.
This is also the land of the Masai people, a tribe whose lifestyle (at least in this area) has not changed much for thousands of years. They are herdsmen, proud people with a culture far removed from ours. Their amazing ability to coexist with the many dangerous animals in the wild speaks volumes. We visited one of their villages and after their traditional welcome dance, Chief 'Stanley' invited us into one of their homes, a small hut built out of sticks and cow dung, consisting of three small rooms with dirt floors.
Cooking takes place over an open fire in the main room. Their diet consists of cow blood, milk and meat (beef, sheep and goat). They don't hunt game, in fact, we were very surprised at how concerned all African people are with conservation! These Masai people don't eat vegetables or fruits, yet manage to live a full life in generally good health. Most are tall and lean (not thin), proud to wear their colorful garb of red cloth and many beaded adornments.
They are good looking people with bright smiles, and although plagued by flies, the children seemed healthy and happy. They had no clue what to do with the little stuffed toys we handed them, just stared at them with a puzzled look. I have some wonderful photos of our time there.
But life for the Masai people is changing in many areas, as children are introduced to schools, and agriculture becomes as important as herding cattle. Some day, in the future, the traditional ways of the Masai will become a thing of the past, although many fiercely resist the changes. They are proud of their heritage, their traditions, their way of life which, after all, has sustained them far longer than we can imagine.
Lake Manyara in Tanzania was our next destination, leaving Kenya and our first driver/guide 'Charles' behind. Crossing the border was a bit of a test as a mob of anxious natives surrounded our vehicle on the Kenyan side, trying to sell us their wares. Just about everything, from wood carvings to beaded jewelry could be had for next to nothing here, that is if you dared to open the window! You are always expected to negotiate, and the rule of thumb is that you should never pay more than 1/3 of the initial asking price.
Once in Tanzania, the atmosphere was quite different, as such aggressive sales techniques are frowned upon.
Our new driver/guide 'Bariki' in his rugged Land Rover drove us to Arusha, where we had a delightful lunch at the home of a Big Five employee, then on to Lake Manyara, at the foot of the escarpment on the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley. This is East Africa's most concentrated elephant country, and we had some interesting and at times 'testy' encounters with them. There were lots of babies, their curiosity always an annoyance to Mom, who was much more skeptical of our presence. Giraffes, large families of baboons, hippos, cape buffalo, gazelles, etc. and a myriad of birds on and around the lake, entertained us during our game drives, not to mention the fantastic scenery and interesting flora. Accommodations again were nothing short of fabulous, this time at the Lake Manyara Serena Hotel, perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the valley and lake.
Next stop - the Ngorongoro Crater. The 102 square mile crater floor, surrounded by a 2000 foot tall rim is home to over 30,000 animals and more than 350 species of birds. Lions, black rhino, pools filled with countless hippos, lakes with hundreds of pink flamingos, large packs of hyenas, jackals, wildebeest, elephants, and so much more. The landscape in the crater is amazingly diverse, and with each game drive, new areas were explored with yet more animals. For two nights, we stayed on the crater rim at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, with fabulous views into the crater. Even here, game surrounded us and early one morning, elephants were right outside the rooms, foraging among the trees.
One of the highlights of our trip was the drive from the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti. We first stopped at Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leaky discovered the remains of the earliest known human and fossil material dating back over two million years. To this day, work continues at this site, by many considered the Cradle of Mankind. Leaving here, we soon found ourselves in the Serengeti, and this is where we saw the highest concentration of game. Staggering numbers of animals, as far as the eye could see, in all directions. Wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, ostrich, buffalo - grazing side by side by the thousands. Many had just given birth weeks earlier, all those babies adding to the already overwhelming numbers.
Inevitably, predators followed close behind. Lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, and the ever present vultures. Those images are forever imprinted in my mind!
We spent two nights at the Serengeti Serena Lodge, another unforgettable experience since one night a lion killed a waterbuck just 15 feet from the swimming pool. We, of course, were sleeping soundly and didn't hear of the grizzly event until the following morning.
From the Serengeti we flew back to Nairobi, then on to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, perhaps Kenya's most popular Game Reserve. Most of 'Out of Africa' was filmed here amongst the rolling, grassy plains, rich acacia woodlands and the banks of the Mara River. Game is plentiful here and each and every game drive brings new adventures. Sightings of lions and leopards are not uncommon, at times we were just a few feet away from them. Early one morning, we embarked on a Hot Air Balloon flight, an unforgettable experience gliding quietly over the tree tops and open savannahs, with animals grazing below.
Our accommodations at the Little Governor's Camp on the shores of the Mara River were outstanding. Just imagine a tent with a tiled bath complete with BIDET! Guards patrol the camp day and night, watching for animals and keeping an eye on the hippos who like to come at night and graze outside the tents! Hippos are responsible for more human deaths than any other animal in Africa. But we felt quite safe and rather enjoyed the sounds the nightly visitors made.
We sadly left the Masai Mara after a two and a half day stay and flew back to Nairobi, from where we embarked on our trip to Victoria Falls via Johannesburg, South Africa.
Because of political tensions due to the elections in Zimbabwe, Big Five booked our stay at the Falls on the Zambia side. A lucky change, since viewing the Falls from there is actually better. Heavy mist often obscures the views from the other side. One of the seven Natural Wonders, Victoria Falls is nothing short of spectacular and nothing could say it better than the motto of our Hotel on the shores of the mighty Zambesi River: " Arrive in awe, leave thunderstruck". That we did!
Our last morning in Africa was an especially memorable one. We crossed the border into Zimbabwe, to ride elephants. This turned out to be a wonderful experience. Riding these giants through the bush, even through water, turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. All of the elephants were orphaned at a young age, taken in and trained to be ridden. They are free to roam in the wild when not being ridden but their bond with the trainers is strong enough to keep them close. None have reached the mating age, it shall be interesting to see what happens then!
Our African adventure had sadly ended. It was a trip of a lifetime, far exceeding our wildest expectations. Would we go back? Yes, in a heartbeat. There are no words adequate enough to tell you just how special it was. One has to simply experience it. So, I continue to dream of Africa, only now the images are clear and very real.
'Asante sano, kwaheri ya kuonana' to all of our new African friends, 'Thank you very much, good bye, until we meet again', from the bottom of our hearts!
P.S. Please feel free to e-mail me for any additional information or questions regarding this trip or Big Five.
Our special thanks to Volker Altvater with Big Five, whose expertise and help in booking this trip was invaluable!
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Member: Claudia Testa
Location: Charles Town, West Virginia
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About Me:
Travel fever is chronic. I hope no one finds a cure!
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