Table of Contents
You might take a trip in the normal rainy seasons of April, May and November with minimum interruption, if any, due to the fact that the rains are light. Just recently rainy seasons have actually been irregular and in some cases do not come at all.
As long as you were comprehending and flexible our guides would discuss the circumstances and other alternatives readily available and we 'd do our finest to find alternatives to the scheduled schedule. safari kenya watamu. There would be no added fee unless any predetermined modification of strategy incurred more expenses. You would usually be travelling during the dry seasons however there can still be periodic thunderstorms and you might catch one, some places have more than others
This ensures we can validate all the arrangement reservations we'll make for you; then complete payment is due 42 days before departure - this is all travel market standard practice. But it's also to protect us ... twice previously, in our early days, we had clients who guaranteed to pay when they arrived in Arusha and then didn't show up.
We rely a lot on the excellent will of these individuals to make our journeys unique and are not a huge enough business to just divert our resources someplace else for that period. I do hope you can understand our position on this (safari kenya watamu). You can of course also book and pay at any point up to departure as long as we have space available
Nevertheless it is our experience that bank transfer plans work completely well as long as the guidelines to your bank are clear and your bank understands what they are doing. We provide you with all the details you will need to do this. The only method operators can offer extremely low costs is to exploit their staff and make any variety of compromises - including "avoidance" of park charges
Or they carry double loads - earning more cash but compromising your pleasure as the porters are stressed and show up late or toss rubbish away to lighten the loads. Guides vary in quality of course and an inexpensive cost will imply a poor guide as the excellent ones are just working for companies who pay well.
You might get a trip at that price but be prepared for all sorts of surprise add-ons, upsets and a disappointing experience. safari kenya watamu. There are lots of ATMs in Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha (and even Narok near the Masai Mara) that work with VISA/Mastercard (most times) and numerous in Tanzania now. There are also lots of Bureau de Change centers in Kenya - however not in Tanzania anymore as the federal government closed them all down in 2019
You should get 200 & 500 shilling notes which are best in Kenya. If you can't get any, ask your guide to go to a bank or lodge or hotel with you en-route (anywhere possible) and try changing to smaller expenses there - do not get too disappointed if things don't work like European or American banks and look on it as all part of the African experience (safari kenya watamu).
Water purification tabs are completely okay if required so why bring the additional weight? We do supply bottled water for all safaris but not on the high mountains where the stream water is quite good and remains in any case boiled by our team (safari kenya watamu). The short answer is no - but there's a bit more to it than that
You need to take reasonable precautions versus being bitten. Long sleeves and long trousers to cover wrists and ankles in evenings, and use great insect repellents. However if you are travelling on to other put on your own you would be encouraged to bring one simply in case you wind up in accommodation where they do not have nets.
Brief skirts, skimpy shorts, tight and revealing tops may bring in undesirable attention at best, and on the coast particularly, would absolutely be considered offensive. This is so difficult - practically usually individuals in bad countries are grateful for anything they get.
are all helpful however there are inherent problems. Giving out things to individual kids might often cause an undignified scramble and dissatisfaction for the ones left out - and simply perpetuates that dreadful picture of tourists throwing sweets off backs of Land Rovers, like feed to animals - regretfully, really common still.
We do pay these individuals so I wouldn't wish to go too far down the line of raising expectations for other groups that might visit the very same places later (safari kenya watamu). Bottom line would be that they would most likely be most grateful for something useful and useful. As an example I was once, a very long time earlier, invited to an African buddy's home and purchased his Mum a huge bunch of flowers
Now these individuals were not poor however there is a various attitude there that does not value the visual things so extremely as they just do not have the wealth and security that we do to permit that luxury - safari kenya watamu. If it were me I 'd provide a few dollars towards their kids' school charges - whether or not it's used for that does not truly matter - it will be very helpful as everyone has monetary stresses.
Medicines are again tricky. The distinctions between our 2 cultures on perceptions and issues about health problem and drugs and how to take medications are big. Visitors often include medical sets and drugs for every possible infection and illness. Typically, ill residents will look for out tourists, as they know they carry medications. safari kenya watamu.
And often, rich nations just dispose stuff on Africa in a sort of conscience soothing goodwill gesture (safari kenya watamu). I have actually been asked by a regional bush center worker to sort out 3 crates of drugs and devices sent from Europe as the labels were complex and frequently not in English - all of the drugs and equipment ran out date - as much as five years in many cases - and hopelessly inappropriate and advanced for the very basic local center
As a guideline you need to never take images of individuals without asking their approval - that's simply act of courtesy. The Maasai in particular are delicate about video cameras. In places where tourists take a trip frequently they may request for money if you take pictures - safari kenya watamu. However, in the little camps we use in remote locations, we have actually made plans so that the residents more than happy to be photographed - however always talk to the guide initially.
Now comes the challenging part: selecting where to go on your very first safari. safari kenya watamu. Which countries offer the easiest intro to the continent for novice travelers? Which nations are best for wildlife?
From here, you can take a trip into the Okavango Delta, where you can splurge on a luxury safari and take a mokoro (dugout canoe) through the wetlands, before creating on into the Makgadikgadi salt pans to mingle with meerkats (safari kenya watamu). Botswana's appeal and ease, however, included a (big) caution: the expense
Around Chobe National Park, we advise Chobe Game Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge and Chobe Bakwena, with Chobe Game Lodge being the only one inside the park. For professional photographers, Pangolin Chobe Hotel has expert boats with swivel seats and gimbal mounts to snap that Attenborough minute on the Chobe River.
At around $300, Chobe National Park lodges are more cost effective so extend your days here to keep costs down (safari kenya watamu). For better rates on lodgings, travel during the shoulder season (April to May and October to November). Lastly, examine the range between your luxury lodge and Maun to decrease the return-ticket expense.
Navigation
Latest Posts
Best Kenya Tanzania Safari Tours
Kenya Safari Africa
Kenya Safari Club