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Arriving for August 8th Safari
We're going to be arriving in Arusha late on Friday, August 7th. Would love to meet up with others on the 8th and perhaps plan some kind of activity (any suggestions?). This is a trip that we've been talking about for years and has always been at the top of my bucket list so this is truly a dream come true for me.
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If you are arriving late on a Friday night and Saturday a.m. free, the local market in Arusha is going on Sat. a.m. It is colorful and a great immersion to being in Tanzania. There was no other chance to go to a similar market during the tour. Our Tauck tour guide recommended using a hotel guide to walk us down to market and keep our company. I am not a bashful traveler, but was glad that we did so. The locals are very sensitive about photos and the going rate was $1.00 per photo. The guide accompanied us and negotiated photos when we wanted to take them. There was no set charge. You were just asked to give a tip at your discretion. He was pleasant and helpful. It is a relatively short walk along a flat road to get to market from hotel.
We arrived very late the night before this market. We forced ourselves to get up in morning; Took the market walk, and then lounged around the Duluti for the rest of the day. The ground of the Duluti are nice to walk around and they have comfortable lounges. Enjoy your safari!!!
We drove past the market on A Saturday, I would not have rushed to see it on a first day when I might want to catch up on sleep instead.
British, does that answer your question?
Randi, first, British, I and I'm sure many others will recommend coming at least a full day early, for a variety of reasons (I won't rank them), but:
You will likely be spending somewhere between 15 - 20 hours getting here depending on your departure point, air routing, layovers, etc. Tauck arranged flights (Delta, KLM, via Amsterdam) generally arrive at Kilimanjaro around 1000 pm or later. Unless you can sleep nearly standing up or have business/first class seats you won't get much sleep during your flight partly because your body will really not want to sleep- it isn't the normal time.
This means you will be VERY, VERY tired and will have little or no time to start adjusting to TZ time.
There is always a chance of flight delays or cancellations. Two couples missed day 1 & 2 and didn't join us until Ngorongoro because their flight left the Seychelles without them! I believe they had to pay for the cost (which is listed somewhere in the info as $500) for alternative ground transportation from Arusha to the Serena Lodge at Ngorongoro.
We arrived a little after noon, a day and half early (on Ethiopian Airlines). After flying 13.5 hrs to Addis Ababa then another 2 hr to Arusha and despite business class with sleeper seats, we were very tired! We could have done the walk around Lake Duluti that afternoon, but decided to chill for the remainder of the day. The following day we arose mid-morning and toured Arusha Nat'l Park for about 4 - 5 hrs with two people we met on this forum. I had arranged the tour via email with the Lake Duluti Serena. The hotel arranged with Assilia a TZ safari outfitter, for the guide and vehicle (both turned out to be ones used by Tauck- "Tauck" was on the door!). We also had them make us box lunches. It was a really low stress, but great way, to make a dry run and ramp up to an actual game drive- see what the vehicle, hoe it is for seating, viewing, etc. , evaluate your game drive clothing and shoes (you must remove shoes to stand on seats for viewing from the pop-top), organizing your day bags, cameras, etc., etc. It is also a great introduction to the wildlife itself. In an email, our TD said we wouldn't see anything we wouldn't see later on the trip, but, after the tour game drive at Lake Mayanara yesterday and an all-day game drive today at Ngorongoro crater, our foursome is still the only ones to have seen a giraffe close and not a tiny speck 1 - 2 miles away- the four of us actually saw 15 - 20 up close and personal at Arusha Nat'l Park!!
As to going to the market- it was moderately busy on Friday, a mass of humanity/total zoo on Saturday (market day) and mainly deserted on Sunday. There were tons of trash everywhere (more than normal on Saturday). It is typical of many 3rd world markets- shanties and open stalls with new and used products and foods almost exclusively intended for local consumption, with frankly little anyone on our tour was interested in buying, and that you can't get elsewhere. It is STRONGLY suggested that if you go, you do it with a guide who will run interference and help with negotiations - once vendors become aware of you presence, they will follow you and display various levels of salesmanship, sometimes very aggressively, to get you to buy something. The same holds true in downtown Arusha. Despite having a guide, one couple, once discovered, was followed and hounded by street vendors. You pass right through the market on the way to and from the hotel. Frankly that was all I needed to get this particular "cultural experience."
Internet service so far has been limited, so uploading more photos will wait until things get better. These were just two of the many giraffe we saw at Arusha Nat'l Park. At the end of Day 3 (of 13) and with the Serengeti, Masai Mara, etc. to go, we only need a Cheeta and Leopard sighting to complete the Big Nine! (the first two vehicles at Lake Manyara caught a brief glimpse of a Leopard.)
Actually, the highlight of giraffes was on our first safari to K and T when we watched a giraffe struggle to give birth for quite a while, that's a long drop!!
Elephants tearing down tree branches....
Wildebeast migrating and crossing the same road back and forth 3x....
Lions eating and crunching the bones from a kill....
Best trip ever. Lots more for AlanS to see before heading home.
And I have to ask .... these necking giraffes? Were they bashing their necks together in a weirdly violent kind of way or were they engaged in something altogether ... um ... different? In a slightly more grown up, ... back row of the movies kind of way .....
Saw necking giraffe's and two lions taking it to the next level in a very short X-rated sighting at Ngorongoro. After day two at the Serengeti there is almost too much to report, but I may add a few observations and photos this evening. We are still looking for the elusive cheetah.
The Four Seasons- Wow! I am off to the pool. We met two adults and a baby Dik dik right outside our door, but so far no action at the watering hole.
Cheers!
(Now how do I get rid of the permanent smile on my face? ; ) )
The watering hole is G rated, and sadly, that is the area where we saw the elephant whose trunk was lost to a poachers trap.
Relax and know your drivers will find a cheetah. It's amazing what they see while teaching and driving. Tip them well, they make the drives so incredible.
As for the "roads", our elected officials need to market them.....slogan should read: "These are your roads....these could be your roads." Every referendum for an increase in taxes would pass!
The smile doesn't go away!!! And the days will continue to get better.
Finally everyone got to see a leopard (special effort today) but no cheetas.
Detailed observation about white socks. I'm sure everyone has read about not wearing white socks because they will get very dirty. So true, but I realized that most does not come from airborne dust, but from the fact that you must take your shoes off to stand on the seats in the Landcruisers- something you will do often. Since you need to put shoes on only when exiting the vehicle at a rest stop or at the end of the game drive, you do it rarely. You are more than likely to be in sock feet when you are in the vehicle where the socks can and will pick up dust from the floor. Even though it was wet in the Serengeti later this year and rained not long ago, everything is still green, but the dirt roads are mostly dry as a bone and kick up a lot of dust. You will be constantly sliding the Landcruiser windows closed to reduce the amount of dust thrown up by passing vehicles.
We had rain late one night at Ngorogoro, but none since, however the rains lasted longer this year and the grasses are still green. As a result there is a significant population of wildebeast and zebras that are confused - they hung around longer giving us the opportunity to see a smaller version of the great migration.
There has been a bit of confusion/uneasiness about tipping the drivers- Tauck 'takes care of it' but you can tip for exceptional performance, etc. I think that puts the travelers and drivers in a difficult position- tip all or just one? If you tip just one, how will the driver(s) who might rewarded less than others feel?
I was careless downloading from my camera to my computer today and almost lost (deleted) a full day's worth of pictures. Luckily I was able restore them.
Tomorrow comes early!
We didn't see any Cheetahs in Tanzania last year, but did see several when we went to K and T , just the luck of the draw and another reason to return. If there are still plenty of game around, they will be there, just keep your eyes peeled, I've been fortunate a couple of times in spotting things before the drivers. On our South Africa safari we kept being put with a group who did nothing but chat in the vehicles and barely looked out unless the guide mentioned something. We never stop scanning the scenery for something of interest, and the guides are awesome, literally spoting the smallest creature from yards away. On my first safari, I spotted what I thought was a baby elephant in the distance, it created such a laugh, it was actually the backside of a wilderbeest, and they never let me forget that one. The other thing is when you spot an ALT--- Animal Like Thing--- I'm excellent at that too!
White socks, well anything on your feet really-- one of our camps had long sandy paths, so you needed closed toe shoes in preference in addition to any socks. But you are correct about keeping your shoes off in the vehicle or you would miss too many photo opportunists.
Tipping drivers. Tauck makes it clear that the drivers are well compensated, and they really are if you compare their pay to the average Tanzanian or Kenyan.,why don't you discuss wages with them? They are well educated people who are so interesting to talk to and can cover just about any topic between each of their individual interests and passions. One of our drivers had a brother in government and also used to amuse us by saying that most African men do not want to work and let the women do all that! I never heard anyone mention giving drivers extra tips on our tours but I have read some people mention it on this forum. A good way to tip the drivers is to be respectful and appreciative of everything they do for you, because towards the end of the tours I notice that some of our groups grumble about oh another zebra, don't bother to stop for that, when several days before if they had driven past they would have been annoyed. These guys bust their guts to try and give us the very best safari experience throughout the tour, spreading the excitement out each day.
Even if Tauck had a hard and fast rule about tipping, there will always be Americans who feel they should be tipping others for a job they are being paid to do by someone else. Maybe in Kenya and Tanzania the wage rules are different than in the U.S. I play the game and tip my twenty percent in the U.S., but in some countries the generosity of Americans can actually make them a target for being ripped off or robbed.
Cheers,
Jan
Hakuna matata.....Cheetah will come before you leave.
As for your white socks, mine were sent to the laundry and came back very nicely folded with much of the grime still there (and along with the stain still there in my nicely folded shirt)...but the dust was gone from everything!
Keep enjoying, tomorrow will be even better!
Alan, if you do not see any cheetahs,maybe you will see a Serval, they are quite rare to see, we saw one very close on a ' Kill' it was only a mouse but it was amazing to watch it stalk and pounce. That was one of the times one of our group saw it first and later we saw another, such gorgeous markings.
Randi, in my excitement to offer info and tell about our tour, I was oblivious to the fact that I hijacked your thread, sorry!
Jan, after comparing my photos with our animal book, we realized that while we saw a dik-dik at a kopje on one of the game drives, what we really saw by our room were three Klipspringers! Klipspringers and dik-diks are about the same size and have the same head shape and large eyes, but Klipspringer have stripes on their ears.
Dik-dik:
Klipspringers:
As all of you have said, I told him the guides will work hard to make sure they get to see as many animals as possible. As for tipping, our guides were so good and attentive (in Tanzania at least) everyone gave them a bonus. In Kenya I felt interaction was a bit less and although I gave them less, I still gave them a bonus. If I remember correctly, we do fewer game drives in Kenya (not sure) so we spent less time with them.
I just got into my flat in London from dinner and watching some boat and helicopter chases being filmed for the next James Bond movie. Pretty boring actually. They just keep doing the same patterns over and over, ad nauseum. No wonder movies cost so much...there are hundreds of people just standing around doing nothing. Similar to government work sites. Like the old joke says....They invented a new shovel for government workers....it stands up by itself.
I'm just glad Alan is having a great time. He has been so excited for this trip for so long. I was the same way, though.
I haven't been in here in a while and probably won't be back for a bit. I've been walking around 15 miles a day around London and enjoying it immensely. Sometimes my knees and ankles wonder what is going through my brain. Today I got a bit lost....although I never am lost...I always know where I am....I'm just not always where I want to be. I was using the old Jessie Owens line, "Lord, you pick 'em up and I'll put 'em down!!" British might know the location of the walk but I went from Covent Gardens to St. George's Wharf. But I managed to walk through the Gardens, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Victoria, Pimlico, and home to Vauxhall.
Wow, I,think the James Bond helicopter is going to land on my building. He is hovering right over our roof.
I'm looking forward to more Alan pictures. He has a few days left to take a few thousand more. Hopefully I'll get a couple more emails too.
We are having so much fun with our grandchildren on vacation in the local mountains at the moment. Within an hour of arriving my husband and son spotted momma and baby bear strolling through the yard of our rented house, since bear is the only word my grandson seems to say clearly at present, it was very appropriate, but I'm not anxious to see any more so close.
Meanwhile, back to Africa and wanting more stories from Alan!
Keep enjoying everything!
Cheers,
Jan
We're spending a few extra days in Amsterdam before the tour starts because (1) I've never been there, (2) it was our stopover from the US and (3) it will make the time zone issue a little easier. We arrive in Arusha the day before the tour starts to give ourselves an extra day. So we wanted to hook up with others who are arriving early and maybe visit a point of interest on Saturday. The market sounds like an interesting idea.
Thanks,
Randi
Randi,
We just got home from K&T today- what a loooong flight.
Again my apologies. The sad truth is, few in your group are likely to participate in or even know about these forums- there were very few in our group. Those who do may not want to commit to an activity. I was lucky and found two great people who joined us for a trip to Arusha Nat'l Park, but I believe they were the only ones from our group who participated in the forum. Actually, few in our group had traveled with Tauck before.
l posted pre-stay activity info in my earlier post (the one with the photos of the giraffes.) and posted a photo of the Lake Duluti Serena's activity brochure in another thread. If you go back through the K&T forum you'll find discussions on other activities. There is just not much to do at the Lake Duluti Serena- You can go to the Serena Hotel website to see what they offer, but not everything listed is available. Basically, you can get a massage, have your hair braided (one woman in our group did that), take a guided walk around the lake (a few in our group did this and all gave it ho-hum reviews), visit the nearby Polish/Jewish cemetery (a few did that), take a guided trip to the market that is just outside the hotel grounds (the mass of humanity can be a bit overwhelming on Saturday, which is market day- it was difficult for our driver to get through it on our return from the Park. You can take a guided tour of Arusha Nat'l park (hotel sets it up and is often guided by someone who may end up as one of your Tauck drivers (see my my earlier post), or arrange for a guided/escorted trip to town. Many folks won't arrive early enough or have recovered enough to take a tour of the Nat'l Park. Any activity off the hotel grounds REALLY requires a guide- I'm serious about this!!!! Even if you could rent a car, I would say self-driving is a total non-starter due to roads, people, animals, and roads. Did I mention roads?
One suggestion is to schedule an activity like a tour of the Arusha Park, then hope you can find others who have also arrived a day early, to join you.
Alan, did you really find the jetlag bad despite your business class flight, I'm interested since Jan and I generally appear to be the only ones who admit to feeling out of sorts with it and think it is worth arriving earlier to get the brightest and best before the tour begins, plus do some slow paced extra site seeing.