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Kenya drought



 
 
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  #21  
Old February 27th, 2006, 10:07 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Thanks to all of you for your replies.

Thanks the info.

Sounds like I might have left it too late this year, although a couple of
safari companies are still offering itineraries in June and July. I'm still
waiting for some replies.

One of them is saying July is the best time to visit East Africa, but it
sounds as though that might not be correct.

Bill, that website that tracks the migration looks very useful and I have
bookmarked it.

Regards

Michael


  #22  
Old February 27th, 2006, 11:54 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Bad Year to Go To East Africa?

On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 20:32:51 +1100, Michael Kilpatrick wrote:

Any idea of how this affects game viewing in Kenya and Tanzania?

It's obviously a tragedy for the local people and animals, but I am
considering a vist to East Africa later this year. It's so expensive I
want, as far as possible, to avoid going
at a bad time.


Michael,

it is macabre, but times of draught are the best for viewing
predators. The simple reason is that many big animals have to
concentrate around the remaining sources of water, so it is easy
to find the predators there.

In fact, times of draught are difficult for herbivores, but they
are the fat months for the big predators.

Hans-Georg

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  #23  
Old February 27th, 2006, 11:54 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Bad Year to Go To East Africa?

On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:00:21 GMT, Liz wrote:

The rains might come yet!


Liz,

well, the height of the coming rainy season is usually in April.
It's still February now, so the rains should still increase.

I'm not sure about northern Kenya though. Even Baringo has had
years without any rain at all.

Hans-Georg

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  #24  
Old February 27th, 2006, 12:27 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Hopefully Final Question

It sounds like it isn't ideal to visit Kenya and Tanzania at the same time
for my purpose.

After considering the info provided by you people, I'm wondering about just
doing a shorter package safari in Tanzania (about 10 days) in June and also
spending some time in South Africa. There still appear to be vacancies at
that time in the packages I
have looked at.

I'll probably be flying via Joh'burg anyway and that way I could have a look
around in Tanzania and get a sense of what's possible, then get back to the
familiar territory of South Africa for some (cheap) time in Kruger or
Kgalagadi with possibly a few days in a private reserve.

Is my thinking about East Africa reasonable ie for migration viewing
purposes, ie Tanzania or Kenya, but not both in the one trip?

Thanks Again

Michael


  #25  
Old February 27th, 2006, 12:29 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Bad Year to Go To East Africa?

Thanks Hans-Georg

Despite my desire to see the big migration, I'm sure I would be pretty
excited to see
a real concentration of predators, so that's useful advice.

Regards

Michael


  #26  
Old February 27th, 2006, 01:51 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Hopefully Final Question

Michael Kilpatrick wrote:

After considering the info provided by you people, I'm wondering about just
doing a shorter package safari in Tanzania (about 10 days) in June and also
spending some time in South Africa.


That's my suggestion. In the past, I have operated that exact itinerary for
groups of clients - in June.

  #27  
Old February 27th, 2006, 06:00 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Hopefully Final Question

In message
"Michael Kilpatrick" wrote:


Is my thinking about East Africa reasonable ie for migration viewing
purposes, ie Tanzania or Kenya, but not both in the one trip?

I'd say so.
You could do both, but there's little point.
When we were in Tz in July, some of the animals were already in the
Mara, but there were still masses in the Serengeti. Also, the Mara is
basically the same habitat as the Serengeti: the same ecosystem, it's
just a political border! But it's a *big* detour to get from one to
the other.

If you're taking a regular package you should be able to get places,
as lots of the big companies book up places in advance, and only
release them if unsold within a relatively short time of the date. (At
least, that's what the big UK package operators do.) Often when
booking a private trip, I've had one or two destinations on hold and
got them when they've been released.

What the UK specialist tour operators (who do private tailor-made
tours) seem to do if they can't get your first choice is book you into
one lodge/camp in the same area 'in case' you can't get the one you
asked for, but if your place becomes available you get moved. We've
always been lucky so far, but I don't imagine the 'reserve'
accommodation likes it! Maybe there's a 'hidden' cost of the deposit
included in our tours.

Slainte

Liz


--
Virtual Liz: http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm
  #28  
Old February 27th, 2006, 11:50 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Thanks to all of you for your replies.

Michael Kilpatrick wrote:

Sounds like I might have left it too late this year, although a couple of
safari companies are still offering itineraries in June and July. I'm still
waiting for some replies.


In June, the rainy season should be over. In July it definitely is.

One of them is saying July is the best time to visit East Africa, but it
sounds as though that might not be correct.


It's a good time and not yet so crowded as August.


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl
  #29  
Old February 28th, 2006, 09:42 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Hopefully Final Question

Yes, there definitely appear to be places available and the package tours
all
have pretty much the same itineray. I'd rather do one with 3 or 4 nights in
the Serengeti, but that doesn't seem to happen.

The only real question seems to be camping or lodge, and surprisingly, the
"classic" camping safaris are just as expensive as the lodge safaris.



Cheers

Michael


  #30  
Old February 28th, 2006, 07:22 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default Bad Year to Go To East Africa?

Have you actually sent many clients to Serengeti in the
April - May rainy season?


Dave Patterson wrote

I haven't. Knowing that you are a lot more comfortable than
the average client would be with things like rain, I say GO.


We are used to photographing brown bears in the rain in Alaska (five
straight days of rain last Sept while camping at Katmai) so know how to
protect the gear and shoot in moderate rain, but I'm concerned about
the roads if it rains heavily in Tanzania, especially getting down the
west side of Ngorongoro to the Serengeti ... at any rate, I wired the
$$ and we are signed on for April 1-10, 3 nights at Manyara and seven
nights in the Serengeti. We'll see how this goes

Now that we are about 130 days with NO measurable
precipitation in the Phoenix area, a little rain sounds pretty good


It's up to 132 days (all-time record) but today there's a 40% chance of
rain (!!!) ... then another dry spell on the horizon ...

Bill

 




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