After the success of our trip to China in 2007 my husband and I decided to do another lengthy trip. Longer trips/vacations are now possible as we are both retired. The next destination on my wish list was Africa. I have wanted to do a safari trip for a long time. We have decided to make this our trip for 2008. At the time of this trip I will be 63 and my husband will be 66. Because we had so much luck with an agency for China I thought we should do the same for Africa. I was torn between eastern Africa-Kenya and Tanzania-or South Africa. I finally decided eastern Africa was the area I wanted to visit. We began our planning around January 2008.
I researched a lot of agencies offering safari trips but ended up at our local agency Liberty Travel. Working with Sue we looked at several companies offering east Africa trips. We settled on Brendan. They offered a 15 day East African Explorer which I liked due to the number of game drives, the itinerary, and a guarantee safari vehicle not older than 24 months and maximum 7 tour members in a vehicle with a window seat and a pop up roof. There was also some flexibility to modify the tour. Airfare would be from New York City/JFK on British Airlines. We'd have a stop in London both ways. I found out that we could add time in London which we decided to do returning home. We'd be able to get our Kenya visas in Nairobi on 8/8. We'd get our visas for Tanzania on 8/15 in the border town of Namanga when we will cross over from Kenya into Tanzania.
Then I researched when is the best time to go. I found a website that had the information I needed which rated Africa's top wildlife preserves according to month. This site also showed what wildlife is best seen by country and park reserve. I came up with early August as a good time. Brendan had a tour where the land portion would start in Nairobi on 8/9/2008 and would end in Nairobi on 8/21/2008. So the 15 day East African Explorer wasn't 15 days on the ground in Africa. Time included the international flights. We made a lot of adjustments.
Our itinerary would be 8/7/2008 overnight flight British Airlines NYC/JFK-London/Heathrow-Nairobi. We would land in Nairobi on 8/8/2008 early evening. We decided to add 2 extra nights in Nairobi. One night would be 8/8-8/9/2008. The other night would be 8/21-8/22/2008. We added 2 nights 8/22-8/24/2008 at the Intrepids tented camp in northern Kenya. Our Africa trip would end 8/24/2008. Our overnight flight British Airlines would leave Nairobi evening 8/24 and arrive London morning 8/25.
For our stopover in London we added 4 nights but not through Brendan as they only did the Africa part of this trip. Sue did that add on for us. We'd be in London from 8/25-8/29/2008. We'd stay at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum and we'd have airport transfers included. Then flight British Airlines London to NYC/JFK 8/29/2008. I booked our round trip flights Buffalo-NYC/JFK; then NYC/JFK-Buffalo on Delta Airlines. I will cover London in a separate blog.
I used seat guru website to choose our flight seats on British Airlines as they would be the longer flights so I wanted to be as comfortable as possible.
Once all this was done I started to research Africa. I bought Lonely Planet East Africa 2006 edition, Kenya Tourism Guide 2007/2008 edition, Globetrotter Safar Guide Kenya 2007 edition, Travellers Thomas Cook Tanzania & Zanzibar2007 edition, Bradt East African Wildlife 2008, and National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife. Even bought a book on the language-Swahili. In hindsight I did go overboard with the book buying!
Then of course we heard about the post 2007 election violence that happened in Kenya January/February 2008. Should we do this trip? We decided to continue with our trip, paid the deposit, took out travel insurance, and hoped for the best.
Because I hadn't done a detailed journal of our 2007 China trip I decided that I would do a journal for our 2008 Africa trip. In the journal I wrote down information on tipping, local currency, information about our accommodations, photography.......... On the Fodor's Forum I even found a comprehensive packing list. I researched shopping options as I did want to bring back gifts for family and for myself. Then I discovered we would be in Africa at the time of the "Great Migration". I printed out the annual migration calendar through Kenya and Tanzania. While in the Masai Mara I might get to see this!
Preparation was not too bad. I got the usual toiletries, first aid stuff, necessary supply of our medications, sunscreen, insect repellant. We ended up buying convertible zip off pants, some long sleeve shirts, quick dry underwear and socks, and buffs (go over your head, lay around your neck, can be pulled up to cover nose and mouth) that we'd use to protect us from the dust while riding in the safari vehicle. I bought a Canon "Safari" lens, binoculars.
I checked out the CDC. Ended up getting some immunizations-yellow fever, typhoid, and a polio/IPV booster. Didn't need the tetanus as got that back in 2007.
Trip Itinerary
8/7/2008 Flight Delta #5537 Buffalo to NYC/JFK
Flight British Airways #174 NYC/JFK to London/Heathrow
8/8/2008 Flight British Airways #65 London/Heathrow to Nairobi; get Kenya visas
Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi
8/9/2008 Full day tour-Nairobi National Park, D. Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Manor,
lunch, Bomas, Safari Park Hotel
8/10/2008 Drive to Maasai Mara, Mara Sopa
8/11/2008 Maasai Mara, Mara Sopa
8/12/2008 Drive to Lake Nakuru, Lake Nakuru Lodge
8/13/2008 Drive to Lake Naivasha, drive to Amboseli, Amboseli Sopa
8/14/2008 Amboseli, Amboseli Sopa
8/15/2008 Drive to Namanga, get Tanzania visas, drive to Lake Manyara, Lake Manyara Serena
8/16/2008 Drive to Serengeti, Serengeti Sopa
8/17/2008 Serengeti, Serengeti Sopa
8/18/2008 Drive to Olduvai Gorge, drive to Ngorongoro, Ngotongoro Sopa
8/19/2008 Drive to Tarangire, Tarangire Sopa
8/20/2008 Tarangire, Tarangire Sopa
8/21/2008 Drive to Nairobi, tour ends for others, us Safari Park Hotel
8/22/2008 Flight Nairobi to Samburu, Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp
8/23/2008 Samburu, Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp
8/24/2008 Flight Samburu to Nairobi, goodbye dinner Carnivore, overnight flight British
Airways #64 Nairobi to London/Heathrow
8/25/2008 London trip begins
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Then I researched when is the best time to go. I found a website that had the information I needed which rated Africa's top wildlife preserves according to month. This site also showed what wildlife is best seen by country and park reserve. I came up with early August as a good time. Brendan had a tour where the land portion would start in Nairobi on 8/9/2008 and would end in Nairobi on 8/21/2008. So the 15 day East African Explorer wasn't 15 days on the ground in Africa. Time included the international flights. We made a lot of adjustments.
 |
Our itinerary would be 8/7/2008 overnight flight British Airlines NYC/JFK-London/Heathrow-Nairobi. We would land in Nairobi on 8/8/2008 early evening. We decided to add 2 extra nights in Nairobi. One night would be 8/8-8/9/2008. The other night would be 8/21-8/22/2008. We added 2 nights 8/22-8/24/2008 at the Intrepids tented camp in northern Kenya. Our Africa trip would end 8/24/2008. Our overnight flight British Airlines would leave Nairobi evening 8/24 and arrive London morning 8/25.
For our stopover in London we added 4 nights but not through Brendan as they only did the Africa part of this trip. Sue did that add on for us. We'd be in London from 8/25-8/29/2008. We'd stay at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum and we'd have airport transfers included. Then flight British Airlines London to NYC/JFK 8/29/2008. I booked our round trip flights Buffalo-NYC/JFK; then NYC/JFK-Buffalo on Delta Airlines. I will cover London in a separate blog.
I used seat guru website to choose our flight seats on British Airlines as they would be the longer flights so I wanted to be as comfortable as possible.
Once all this was done I started to research Africa. I bought Lonely Planet East Africa 2006 edition, Kenya Tourism Guide 2007/2008 edition, Globetrotter Safar Guide Kenya 2007 edition, Travellers Thomas Cook Tanzania & Zanzibar2007 edition, Bradt East African Wildlife 2008, and National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife. Even bought a book on the language-Swahili. In hindsight I did go overboard with the book buying!
 |
Then of course we heard about the post 2007 election violence that happened in Kenya January/February 2008. Should we do this trip? We decided to continue with our trip, paid the deposit, took out travel insurance, and hoped for the best.
Because I hadn't done a detailed journal of our 2007 China trip I decided that I would do a journal for our 2008 Africa trip. In the journal I wrote down information on tipping, local currency, information about our accommodations, photography.......... On the Fodor's Forum I even found a comprehensive packing list. I researched shopping options as I did want to bring back gifts for family and for myself. Then I discovered we would be in Africa at the time of the "Great Migration". I printed out the annual migration calendar through Kenya and Tanzania. While in the Masai Mara I might get to see this!
 |
Preparation was not too bad. I got the usual toiletries, first aid stuff, necessary supply of our medications, sunscreen, insect repellant. We ended up buying convertible zip off pants, some long sleeve shirts, quick dry underwear and socks, and buffs (go over your head, lay around your neck, can be pulled up to cover nose and mouth) that we'd use to protect us from the dust while riding in the safari vehicle. I bought a Canon "Safari" lens, binoculars.
 |
 |
I checked out the CDC. Ended up getting some immunizations-yellow fever, typhoid, and a polio/IPV booster. Didn't need the tetanus as got that back in 2007.
 |
| This shows east Africa area recommends immunizations for polio, typhoid fever, yellow fever, tetanus and diphtheria |
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Trip Itinerary
8/7/2008 Flight Delta #5537 Buffalo to NYC/JFK
Flight British Airways #174 NYC/JFK to London/Heathrow
8/8/2008 Flight British Airways #65 London/Heathrow to Nairobi; get Kenya visas
Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi
8/9/2008 Full day tour-Nairobi National Park, D. Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Manor,
lunch, Bomas, Safari Park Hotel
8/10/2008 Drive to Maasai Mara, Mara Sopa
8/11/2008 Maasai Mara, Mara Sopa
8/12/2008 Drive to Lake Nakuru, Lake Nakuru Lodge
8/13/2008 Drive to Lake Naivasha, drive to Amboseli, Amboseli Sopa
8/14/2008 Amboseli, Amboseli Sopa
8/15/2008 Drive to Namanga, get Tanzania visas, drive to Lake Manyara, Lake Manyara Serena
8/16/2008 Drive to Serengeti, Serengeti Sopa
8/17/2008 Serengeti, Serengeti Sopa
8/18/2008 Drive to Olduvai Gorge, drive to Ngorongoro, Ngotongoro Sopa
8/19/2008 Drive to Tarangire, Tarangire Sopa
8/20/2008 Tarangire, Tarangire Sopa
8/21/2008 Drive to Nairobi, tour ends for others, us Safari Park Hotel
8/22/2008 Flight Nairobi to Samburu, Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp
8/23/2008 Samburu, Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp
8/24/2008 Flight Samburu to Nairobi, goodbye dinner Carnivore, overnight flight British
Airways #64 Nairobi to London/Heathrow
8/25/2008 London trip begins
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