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REVIEW OF TRIP JULY 2014
Tanzania to Zanzibar July. Review of trip
We arrived 2 days early, to get over jet lag. We expressed an interest in guided walk around Lake Duluti when we arrived. We were woken by a phone call next morning at 7-30am asking us if we wanted to go--- so we thought, well you woke us so we might as well go, very good 2 hour walk around lake with guide, definitely need a guide, path very narrow and not properly defined, you have to pay the park ranger anyway. Disregard anything you read on the forum about doing this walk without a guide or different prices.
Hired a guide at hotel next day to take us to Arusha National park, a half hour drive away. Beautiful lush green grassland and heavily forested or bushes. You will not see anything like this on the rest of the tour. Specially famous for colobus monkeys-- we did not see one. Also famous for Forest elephants but they are hardly ever spotted. Many zebras, buffalo, baboons, giraffe--- we saw one group of 20. Blue monkeys, warthogs, gazelles,lots of birds. Extra walking safari within park, we took a 2 plus hour walk past lots of buffalo and warthogs etc. Up quite a steep hill, stoney and to a waterfall. Guide identified many different trees, bushes and plants.Very worthwhile day, the contrast to environments you will see later on in the tour is well worth it.
The whole of the Safari part of the tour was excellent--we have done the Kenya and Tanzania tour before, so we knew what to expect, it did not disappoint.
Safari vehicles--these were a different design than we had on our Kenya and Tanzania tour 7 year a ago. Then, the roof raised up, creating shelter but it was difficult for everyone to fit through and the upright bars in the corners got in the way of sight and camera lenses. This time, there were 3 different areas in the roof that were squared away and much more room for a full jeep of people to get great views, no shelter but much better system. You can stand on the seats but you must remove your shoes. If you remain standing when the vehicle is moving. Take care, you will be shaken about. When the vehicle stops for game viewing, the driver will turn off the engine so there is no shake when you take photos.
We used American dollars everywhere, no problem, did not take any Tanzania money with us and did not see even what a Tanzania note looked like.
All the food in the hotels can be eaten safely. Ice in the hotels is safe, it is made with bottled water, you won't be given huge amounts like in the US but that is normal in many countries.
School visit was very interesting, we spoke to an American volunteer teacher there and she said if you take books it is much better to take children's books with an African theme rather than something like Nancy Drew that they have been given and cannot really relate to. She gave me the name of a good book store in Arusha you could visit for books (will add name when I find where I put it) I thought most people would take pens and pencils so we took frisbies and small balls that I heard could be given as prizes for good work. I had seen someone mention here before that soccer balls were a big hit, so thought they would be overloaded, but don't know if that is the case.( Tanzanians in general are obsessed with soccer.) I did not notice many people in our group give anything.
In addition we visited a Medical center called FAME just down the road, a small hospital set up by an American Doctor and his wife a few years ago. The facility was really impressive and I believe they have treated 27,000 people so far, we were aware of this charity and had donated money to it recently.
The People of Tanzania are some of the nicest people you could meet anywhere, kind, helpful, polite.
Maasi Village--- I believe several are visited on rotation. Dancing, singing and a look inside a home. Plenty of nice beaded crafts to barter for, it's tough to barter, harder than last time. You will be encouraged to buy from the person who's home you visited but you can buy from anyone there. We knew what we were looking for, talking sticks and neck cuffs. We gave fair prices and our Maasi man was extremely grateful and thanked us for supporting his village. Their main need is water. They pay for a tanker to come and they fill every available container with water, so that is where most of the money goes. The day we did this trip, it was particularly windy and dirt was blowing everywhere,I used my buff over my nose and mouth and it helps to have sunglasses or regular glasses on to keep the grit out of your eyes. We enjoyed the experience very much as we did on the K and T tour.
Oldupai Gorge, been here before. Gift shop improved, plenty of choice in crafts. It is here you will figure out whether you got a good price with the Maasi villagers or not. If you do not buy at village, this is a good place for more limited choices
The jeep guide/drivers--- these 4 men comprise of at least 50 percent of the enjoyment of the tour for us. They will take great care to maneuver the vehicles so that everyone can get a good position for photographing the animals and scenery, they know what they are doing so trust them.
Balloon ride--our first balloon ride, the one on K and T tour was cancelled. Our balloon had room for 16 people. The basket was sectioned off into 8 compartments, so 2 people on each. We got in 'Astronaut style'-- the balloon on its side, we launched ourselves in, bottom and top levels, hooked our harnesses onto the basket, sat down and held onto the rope handles until the basket righted itself when the balloon took off. Very smooth flight. Lasted an hour and smooth landing. The pilot was competent and cute, any fears I had were allayed and the time was up really quickly. The champagne breakfast was good and nicely served by guys in uniform and turbans. In fact there seemed to be a chance to have champagne at every opportunity, breakfast most days and other times. I could get used to this lifestyle!
Clothing, your shoes and clothing will get very dusty and dirty. Closed toed shoes essential. No need to dress up for any of Safari lodges. We did have time every night to shower and change before dinner, but we put on clean safari clothes. Did not even see men in a dress shirt and forget jacket and ties. One group of women put on casual dresses, everyone else kept to safari type clothing for dinner.
Laundry is cheap and fast. We used it several times. Our luggage did not make it for 24 hours from Amsterdam due to our flight from Newark being delayed 3 hours, but we made the plane and used our emergency spare outfit in our carry on luggage.
You will see the most guaranteed animal sitings in Ngorongoro, followed by Tarangire, a second in beauty to Arusha park in my opinion. Far less animal sitings in Serengeti-this is end of big migration, but we knew this from past visit so not disappointing.
Something new for us was the policy to carry all our valuables with us at all times, so passports, iPads, money, jewelry had to go with you on the game drives because of the remote areas and if we had to get out quickly for some kind of emergency.
Tsetse flies were a minor problem at times, they definitely hurt and sting right through your clothing, it really helps to avoid blue and black, the toes of my socks were blue one day and that's where they got me first. Repellent does not deter them.
Mosquitoes, several people bitten at Kirawira campsite in their tent rooms. The amount of bites seemed to escalate by the end of the trip for some people.
Small plane to Zanzibar, single engine, twelve seater, we used two. Flew directly to Zanzibar, not to Arusha first. No bathrooms on board, 21/4 hour flight. Flew at 13 to 14,000 feet, unpressurized, I felt breathless at times, coped by doing a mixture of slow steady breathing and then catching up with my oxygen by doing some quicker breaths in between. Tour director told me later she had difficulty breathing on her flight too.
ZANZIBAR Huge contrast to mainland East Africa, Stone Town very old buildings that look dirty, or unfinished or falling down, really narrow streets and alleys. Lovely carved doors.
Day out on Dhow-- you will need your swimsuit and water shoes as we have a potential paddle out to boat in thigh high water on coral depending on the tides. Some water shoes are available for loan. No bathroom on boat, but will be some when you get to the island with beach for your BBQ lunch which was very good. Opportunity to snorkel, mask and fins provided.
Spice tour on final day is extremely interesting and worthwhile. The local guide Said is knowledgeable and hilarious. He is the guide of choice for all VIP visitors like Prince Charles in the past.
Shopping, Tanzanite, stores near to hotel, did not check them out. Other stores, jewelry, paintings, carvings, spices. You have to barter like on the mainland. Like many tour directors will tell you, if you think it is a bargain then you paid the right price!
Final day, review of clothing. We took a lot of clothes and wore almost all but an emergency outfit each. We had some laundry done at the beginning of tour while we were unsure whether our bags would turn up and one outfit each in the middle and did a few 'smalls' by hand. I took clothes to cover me well for Muslim Zanzibar especially as it was during Ramadan, I did not want to look like an ignorant Brit or American.
Flights -my husband upgraded us to business class a few weeks before the trip, what a treat. We flew Delta from Newark, then KLM form Amsterdam. The business class lounge was primitive at Dar Es Salaam. Just as we sat down a cockroach scuttled away. Tea coffee and drinks were available but the food offering was dire, horrible looking over cooked samosas and similar things inside heated glass display. We did not partake. In contrast the lounge at Amsterdam where I am sitting now is wonderful.
We arrived 2 days early, to get over jet lag. We expressed an interest in guided walk around Lake Duluti when we arrived. We were woken by a phone call next morning at 7-30am asking us if we wanted to go--- so we thought, well you woke us so we might as well go, very good 2 hour walk around lake with guide, definitely need a guide, path very narrow and not properly defined, you have to pay the park ranger anyway. Disregard anything you read on the forum about doing this walk without a guide or different prices.
Hired a guide at hotel next day to take us to Arusha National park, a half hour drive away. Beautiful lush green grassland and heavily forested or bushes. You will not see anything like this on the rest of the tour. Specially famous for colobus monkeys-- we did not see one. Also famous for Forest elephants but they are hardly ever spotted. Many zebras, buffalo, baboons, giraffe--- we saw one group of 20. Blue monkeys, warthogs, gazelles,lots of birds. Extra walking safari within park, we took a 2 plus hour walk past lots of buffalo and warthogs etc. Up quite a steep hill, stoney and to a waterfall. Guide identified many different trees, bushes and plants.Very worthwhile day, the contrast to environments you will see later on in the tour is well worth it.
The whole of the Safari part of the tour was excellent--we have done the Kenya and Tanzania tour before, so we knew what to expect, it did not disappoint.
Safari vehicles--these were a different design than we had on our Kenya and Tanzania tour 7 year a ago. Then, the roof raised up, creating shelter but it was difficult for everyone to fit through and the upright bars in the corners got in the way of sight and camera lenses. This time, there were 3 different areas in the roof that were squared away and much more room for a full jeep of people to get great views, no shelter but much better system. You can stand on the seats but you must remove your shoes. If you remain standing when the vehicle is moving. Take care, you will be shaken about. When the vehicle stops for game viewing, the driver will turn off the engine so there is no shake when you take photos.
We used American dollars everywhere, no problem, did not take any Tanzania money with us and did not see even what a Tanzania note looked like.
All the food in the hotels can be eaten safely. Ice in the hotels is safe, it is made with bottled water, you won't be given huge amounts like in the US but that is normal in many countries.
School visit was very interesting, we spoke to an American volunteer teacher there and she said if you take books it is much better to take children's books with an African theme rather than something like Nancy Drew that they have been given and cannot really relate to. She gave me the name of a good book store in Arusha you could visit for books (will add name when I find where I put it) I thought most people would take pens and pencils so we took frisbies and small balls that I heard could be given as prizes for good work. I had seen someone mention here before that soccer balls were a big hit, so thought they would be overloaded, but don't know if that is the case.( Tanzanians in general are obsessed with soccer.) I did not notice many people in our group give anything.
In addition we visited a Medical center called FAME just down the road, a small hospital set up by an American Doctor and his wife a few years ago. The facility was really impressive and I believe they have treated 27,000 people so far, we were aware of this charity and had donated money to it recently.
The People of Tanzania are some of the nicest people you could meet anywhere, kind, helpful, polite.
Maasi Village--- I believe several are visited on rotation. Dancing, singing and a look inside a home. Plenty of nice beaded crafts to barter for, it's tough to barter, harder than last time. You will be encouraged to buy from the person who's home you visited but you can buy from anyone there. We knew what we were looking for, talking sticks and neck cuffs. We gave fair prices and our Maasi man was extremely grateful and thanked us for supporting his village. Their main need is water. They pay for a tanker to come and they fill every available container with water, so that is where most of the money goes. The day we did this trip, it was particularly windy and dirt was blowing everywhere,I used my buff over my nose and mouth and it helps to have sunglasses or regular glasses on to keep the grit out of your eyes. We enjoyed the experience very much as we did on the K and T tour.
Oldupai Gorge, been here before. Gift shop improved, plenty of choice in crafts. It is here you will figure out whether you got a good price with the Maasi villagers or not. If you do not buy at village, this is a good place for more limited choices
The jeep guide/drivers--- these 4 men comprise of at least 50 percent of the enjoyment of the tour for us. They will take great care to maneuver the vehicles so that everyone can get a good position for photographing the animals and scenery, they know what they are doing so trust them.
Balloon ride--our first balloon ride, the one on K and T tour was cancelled. Our balloon had room for 16 people. The basket was sectioned off into 8 compartments, so 2 people on each. We got in 'Astronaut style'-- the balloon on its side, we launched ourselves in, bottom and top levels, hooked our harnesses onto the basket, sat down and held onto the rope handles until the basket righted itself when the balloon took off. Very smooth flight. Lasted an hour and smooth landing. The pilot was competent and cute, any fears I had were allayed and the time was up really quickly. The champagne breakfast was good and nicely served by guys in uniform and turbans. In fact there seemed to be a chance to have champagne at every opportunity, breakfast most days and other times. I could get used to this lifestyle!
Clothing, your shoes and clothing will get very dusty and dirty. Closed toed shoes essential. No need to dress up for any of Safari lodges. We did have time every night to shower and change before dinner, but we put on clean safari clothes. Did not even see men in a dress shirt and forget jacket and ties. One group of women put on casual dresses, everyone else kept to safari type clothing for dinner.
Laundry is cheap and fast. We used it several times. Our luggage did not make it for 24 hours from Amsterdam due to our flight from Newark being delayed 3 hours, but we made the plane and used our emergency spare outfit in our carry on luggage.
You will see the most guaranteed animal sitings in Ngorongoro, followed by Tarangire, a second in beauty to Arusha park in my opinion. Far less animal sitings in Serengeti-this is end of big migration, but we knew this from past visit so not disappointing.
Something new for us was the policy to carry all our valuables with us at all times, so passports, iPads, money, jewelry had to go with you on the game drives because of the remote areas and if we had to get out quickly for some kind of emergency.
Tsetse flies were a minor problem at times, they definitely hurt and sting right through your clothing, it really helps to avoid blue and black, the toes of my socks were blue one day and that's where they got me first. Repellent does not deter them.
Mosquitoes, several people bitten at Kirawira campsite in their tent rooms. The amount of bites seemed to escalate by the end of the trip for some people.
Small plane to Zanzibar, single engine, twelve seater, we used two. Flew directly to Zanzibar, not to Arusha first. No bathrooms on board, 21/4 hour flight. Flew at 13 to 14,000 feet, unpressurized, I felt breathless at times, coped by doing a mixture of slow steady breathing and then catching up with my oxygen by doing some quicker breaths in between. Tour director told me later she had difficulty breathing on her flight too.
ZANZIBAR Huge contrast to mainland East Africa, Stone Town very old buildings that look dirty, or unfinished or falling down, really narrow streets and alleys. Lovely carved doors.
Day out on Dhow-- you will need your swimsuit and water shoes as we have a potential paddle out to boat in thigh high water on coral depending on the tides. Some water shoes are available for loan. No bathroom on boat, but will be some when you get to the island with beach for your BBQ lunch which was very good. Opportunity to snorkel, mask and fins provided.
Spice tour on final day is extremely interesting and worthwhile. The local guide Said is knowledgeable and hilarious. He is the guide of choice for all VIP visitors like Prince Charles in the past.
Shopping, Tanzanite, stores near to hotel, did not check them out. Other stores, jewelry, paintings, carvings, spices. You have to barter like on the mainland. Like many tour directors will tell you, if you think it is a bargain then you paid the right price!
Final day, review of clothing. We took a lot of clothes and wore almost all but an emergency outfit each. We had some laundry done at the beginning of tour while we were unsure whether our bags would turn up and one outfit each in the middle and did a few 'smalls' by hand. I took clothes to cover me well for Muslim Zanzibar especially as it was during Ramadan, I did not want to look like an ignorant Brit or American.
Flights -my husband upgraded us to business class a few weeks before the trip, what a treat. We flew Delta from Newark, then KLM form Amsterdam. The business class lounge was primitive at Dar Es Salaam. Just as we sat down a cockroach scuttled away. Tea coffee and drinks were available but the food offering was dire, horrible looking over cooked samosas and similar things inside heated glass display. We did not partake. In contrast the lounge at Amsterdam where I am sitting now is wonderful.
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Comments
British- thanks for the two great reports!!! I saw them earlier but didn't have a chance to read them and when I got home this evening both had been bumped off the "Active Discussions' list. It was a good thing I knew where to find them!
Though we are on the T & K tour, some stops are identical, and, except for Zanzibar, there is enough commonality with the rest to give us a very good idea what to expect on our tour. I hate to speculate, but I think I know why you flew directly to Zanzibar, bypassing Arusha, and were required to carry valuables, at all times (now?). I know you had already departed the Duluti (Arusha), but at any time were there any discussions or briefings about the recent incident at the Indian restaurant in Arusha or the previous ones? Were there any restrictions on going into town? Not that I would want to go there.
How was the road to Arusha National Park? Was the walking tour on your own or with a guide? How long were you gone from the Duluti?
We are taking a gift of time and arriving a day early. It doesn't appear that we have any activities (or meals) scheduled for Day 1 and the tour doesn't really start until we depart for Manyara on the morning of Day 2, so, depending on the flight arrangements, we will essentially be arriving a day and a half early. It sounds like you had 2-1/2 days before your tour started.
What time did your plane land at Kilimanjaro and how long did it take getting through formalities, getting bags (that didn't arrive), and driving to the Duluti? Google shows the Duluti isn't far from Kilimanjaro Airport (39 km/33 min.)
Thanks again!
Cheers,
Jan
Hello Alan, well back to reality, my husband us just up and having to be at an 8am meeting, I'm getting ready to start the laundry.
I was very diligent about making notes along the way to try to aid the usual questions people have.
Flight to Zanzibar-- this is advertised as via Arusha as opposed to from Serengeti airstrip directly to Zanzibar. The tour director does not know until literally sometimes only a few hours before which flights will happen. You may notice on the K and T tour that the director also acts the same, they will not know exactly what time the bush planes will land until just before. All normal in Africa and part of the fun. Having been on the K and T tour in the past was a great advantage to us in many ways. The events in Arusha were nothing to do with a direct flight to Zanzibar, someone else on the forum mentions about the change some time ago. I am thinking that the direct flight is not always an option. We were told at the start of the trip to carry all valuables. It makes sense to carry them, though inconvenient, as if an incident/ accident occurred we would not have or backtrack to a remote lodge or get our stuff. ( Zanzibar we had to leave passports and excess money in our safe)
Bomb at Indian restaurant--- yes, we were already through Arusha when this happened. First we knew was when one of the guides got a text about it ( yes, the cell phone curse has reached Africa big time!) originally it was reported as Nairobi, I read it was Arusha on the internet.the tour director never mentioned it or other incidents in Tanzania that we were aware of, I'm not even sure some of the group ever knew while we were there. Considering how some people panic about such things, I think the director did the right thing, we were gone from Arusha and in remote areas. I am also pretty sure that no-one on the tour knew about the bombing at the mosque in Zanzibar a few weeks ago, but we did, we read the Bbc news most days which is much better at reporting world events than any US news outlet.
The main part of Arusha town is quite a way from the Duluti and nothing different or special, you will probably travel through it on the way to your first part of the tour as we did. There is a small market some days, just up the road from the Duluti, you can take a tour to it, not advised to go alone, but we drove through it on our way to Arusha Park and saw what it was like, not something you might be sorry you missed.
We arrived at The Duluti at about 9-30pm. We always make a point of walking briskly once we get off a plane so we are not stuck in long immigration lines, this paid off. We had our visas, but the line to get visas there was long. We also like to be at the luggage carousel before the luggage starts to appear because we know that at some airports and even in the US, anyone can wonder in and take luggage off the carousel and disappear with it. So when our luggage failed to appear we knew it had not made it onto the plane from Amsterdam because of our delayed departure from Newark and there was a group of people who were on our flight in the same position. So we were later leaving the airport because of sorting out lost luggage.
So, to answer the question about when we got to the hotel, it all depends on these kind of factors and on the slowest people at the airport. Fortunately we were the only people for our tour that arrived on this flight, so the only person who did all the waiting was our driver who turned out to be one of our safari guides. In the past, we have waited around a long time for other Tauck guests to appear before we set off to the hotel. I believe on our Australia trip, we were the ones who found the rest of the group who were missing, not the Tauck driver, he was not in an optimum place to locate people at all but we had seen some Tauck labels so told him to stay still and we got them!
The road from the airport is quite good now, I remember seven years ago there was a lot more dirt road, but now it is all paved apart from a short dirt road up to the hotel, which by the way has very good security. So it was about a 45 minute drive. There are some brand new paved roads in the general area of Aeusha, literally only open a few months.
The road to the Arusha Nat Park is very good, only when you get quite near does it change to the usual dirt road. It takes about a half hour to get there, but longer coming back because there is more traffic. We were so glad we visited there, the vegetation is great, lovely and lush, and such a contrast to see the animals in that environment compared to what you see later on the tour. I suppose it depends when you go on the K and T tour, I think Arusha park stays green all year. Anyway, plenty of animal sitings and more giraffe than anywhere we encountered this tour, we saw a group of twenty and another great photo op of a lost juvenile on a hilltop with just his neck showing trying to locate his group.
You can never do a walking safari alone, it is far too dangerous, in Arusha park you can take a walking safari for an additional fee which is what we did, our own guide stayed behind and hung out with the other drivers while we went with a small group, a guide and a guy with a rifle, and yes he did start to take it off his shoulder at one point when a lone buffalo looked very threatening.the scenery reminded me of the Jurassic Park scene when you see all the dinosaurs running across the plains. We left the Duluti at 9am and returned about 5pm, long day, but wonderful. Arriving early is definitely the way to start the trip and recover from jet lag if you can possibly do it.
OK, time to do that laundry. We have no trip planned now, have to see when my hubby can find a gap in his schedule but that also won't be until the New Year. Not planning to view the forums too much because some of my posts have been read negatively. But hope this helps Alan, best wishes, the mysterious British!
A final few questions, then I'll leave you to your laundry and recovery.
Were you able to get into your room when you arrived at the Duluti at 9:30 AM? Since check-in was mid afternoon, we had to drop our bags and find something to do to kill several hours before we could get into our rooms in Edinburgh and Munich on our last two tours.
From your description, I think the best for us will be to go for the walk around Lake Duluti in the afternoon the day we arrive if possible and if we have the energy and motivation (not much of a deal if we don't), and plan to definitely visit Arusha Nat Park the next day (tour Day 1).
If you don't mind, what did the driver and Arusha Park trip cost? Did you pay with USD or credit card?
Did you, Tauck, or a TA make your flight arrangements? How long were the layovers in Amsterdam going over and coming back.
Glad to have you back, even if you do have to do the washing!
Cheers,
Jan
Just like the old movie Shane "Don't go British, don't go." Would miss your and Jan's excellent travel tips. Looked forward to your post when you returned from your recent trip.
The Arusha National Park driver and jeep costs $200 and it must be paid in cash! That made quite a hole in our cash we brought for the trip, not being many ATMs around. The price is the same whether you want to go for just the morning or the whole day. I guess if you did without the walking safari you could dot in a long morning. The hotel gave us a packed lunch. When you get to the Park, there is a fee for that too, you can pay by credit card there-- it cost $130 for the two of us for entry fee and the walking tour-- park entrance fees on the entire trip are more expensive than most would imagine and that certainly makes the cost of the trip seem more reasonable.
We really were not sure what part of the $200 went to the guide (Solomon) or for the jeep. We gave him a $40 tip.
We had about a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam going, which because of a 3 hour delayed departure in Newark and some time made up during the flight, turned into about a 20 minute virtual sprint to the next gate. We made the flight, our luggage did not. We got an email from the airline the next day apologizing and assuming we missed the connection. I think that is why they did not bother to put our luggage on the flight, they really did have time and the person at the gate told us our luggage would make it. The group of people on the delayed flight with us all made the connection.
Coming home, there was a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam. It did not seem too bad because we were on business class and the lounge in Amsterdam is very comfortable, food and you can even get a shower. Nice shopping too if you are so inclined, we were not. As we do not fly business class very often, this was a treat for us. Interestingly, when we went to K and T, we flew coach, most others flew Business. This trip, about 14 of the 21 people who flew back with us the same day--the remainder stayed on in Zanzibar--we were the only ones who flew business class, maybe because this is the first trip we have taken with Tauck when there was only one other couple in the group, the rest were combos of friends, fathers and sons, group of five women relatives etc. We booked our flights through Tauck, we did not use their specials, we just told them the flights we wanted to use and they booked them for us. We later changed from coach to business but because Tauck do not charge you until 60 days before, we could change with ease and no change fee. Not sure people realize that as long as Tauck book tour flights, whatever you want, you still don't pay up front for them. Sometimes we book our own flights.
As it seems you have not booked your flights yet, I would personally recommend going two days early, first, if you miss the flight, you have an extra day to get there. Remember only one flight a day goes to Arusha. Two, reduces the Jetlag and remembering early starts most days. Also, then you will definitely have time to go to the extra safari. In fact, I would prioritize that over the lake walk, but, personally so glad we did both. Also, these will be the only exercise you will get the whole trip, the rest of the time the only exercise will be climbing up and down in the jeep seats, oh and avoiding getting bruises down potholes.
I know what you mean about time- after 26+ years in the Navy, I'm used to 24 hr time- I still set my watch that way. It just drives me buggy seeing all the different ways people write the time- even airlines!
Did you have a nice stack of freshly minted or pressed $5 bills?
I need to discuss the extra day with my wife. As you know from reading the forums here, I am seriously considering flying Ethiopian Airlines (but only business class). Among other things, what that means is no stop in Amsterdam- we had to hot foot it from one end of Schiphol to the other last year, not fun. The ET flights have only one connection in Addis Ababa at the end of the long segment from IAD going over and at the beginning coming back, so the main segment is uninterrupted and much longer than the other airlines. Sooooo, where would I like to spend what could be quite some time, if there is a delay and we miss our connection? Amsterdam or Addis Ababa? No question about that!!!!
I didn't realize Tauck would make reservations that don't follow their standard route, or was it the same route, just specific special rate flights and times? Were your flights still with Skyteam (Delta/KLM/Air France)? Did you fly in a 747 from Nairobi to AMS?
I was looking at Skyteam options from Raleigh, NC and also DC (didn't check Newark) using the Delta website. The flights with least duration and best seats (business lie-flat seats 1-2-1 on the transatlantic segments and 2-3-2 angled-flat on the Africa segments) connect first through Detroit (what?!?!) (2+ hr layover) then Amsterdam (4+ hr layover). ET has 2-3-2 seating on both outbound and inbound flights. I had to use constructive dates a few weeks before our tour for my search since it is still too far out. The fares that kept coming up for business were really high $7500 +/- per for Delta/KLM vs $5300 for Ethiopian. In a few weeks I'll give Tauck a call and discuss it with them. Since we have made the decision to go business class, I want to ensure we have the shortest flights with best seats, but still must consider and allow for the possibility of connection delays.
Thanks again!
MONEY --- it seems advice has changed about dollar notes. Last time in K and T, advice was take small denomination notes. And even up to the day we left this trip, very current guide books said the same. But when we got there our tour director said exactly the opposite, they like big bill denominations because they get a better rate when converting them. It also seems that things you bought for a few dollars before are now more money anyway. We were always given change in dollars, never saw any Tanzania money. We were given a torn and stuck back together note somewhere along the way and then could not get rid of it. It's gone now!
ELECTRICS??!! Could anyone who has been on the Kenya and Tanzania trip recently update the forum on whether the outlets in Kenya had square or round pins? After all the discussion it really would be nice to be clear what is correct for others reading the forum.
GO PRO--- were people able or use them on the balloons? On the ones in Tanzania we were let no where near the basket until the last minute and then we were hanging on for dear life until the balloon launched and we were upright.
BALLOON FLIGHTS-- it seems it is much more common for the ballon flight to be cancelled in Kenya because of the wind problems, that is what happened on our K and at tour. On our Tanzania trip, they almost always are successful ,winds less of an issue. Our captain said they cannot go if the winds are over 8 knots. Our flight was at 6 knots.
This is our first Tauck tour. What Tauck specials are you referring to?
I believe British is referring to special fares often made available to them by the airlines. At "Air Travel & Services" under the "Pricing and Availability" tab, Tauck says, among other benefits like not paying until 60 days before departure, you may be able to "Enjoy significant savings on Business Class airfare on select flights." Evidently sometimes savings are available for coach travel, too.
We didn't realize we got a discounted fare on our trip to England last year until I investigated why Delta didn't give us full Skymiles. According to Delta's fine print, they award reduced miles for special fares, including unannounced ones made available to tour companies, etc.- which is evidently exactly what we got.
Regardless, it is worth talking to Tauck about their Air Services and fares before you book flights on your own.
Edit: That being said, we found better fare ourselves for the Delta flights to Munich and back
I'll be checking in with the Travel Forum regularly. Thanks again.