Kenia Questions (Swee****er & Samburu/Amboseli)

I am planing to visit Kenia this August, I have many things clear,
thanks to this forum. But I need recommendations in these two
questions:

1) Is it worth to visit Swee****er camp??

2) I have to choice between Samburu and Amboseli. What safari would
you select??



Thanks.

On 18 Apr 2005 03:58:42 -0700, (Carlos)
wrote:

I am planing to visit Kenia this August, I have many things clear,
thanks to this forum. But I need recommendations in these two
questions:

Carlos,

I will first give you very brief answers. If you want to know
details, please ask again.

1) Is it worth to visit Swee****er camp??

No, unless you want to see chimpanzees in Kenya. But they are
not really roaming freely, their fenced area is small, and they
are fed by humans.

2) I have to choice between Samburu and Amboseli. What safari would
you select??

Samburu, unless you want to take photos with Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:

On 18 Apr 2005 03:58:42 -0700, (Carlos)
wrote:

1) Is it worth to visit Swee****er camp??

No, unless you want to see chimpanzees in Kenya. But they are
not really roaming freely, their fenced area is small, and they
are fed by humans.

2) I have to choice between Samburu and Amboseli. What safari would
you select??

Samburu, unless you want to take photos with Mt. Kilimanjaro.


I agree with both of these recommendations!
:-)

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:

On 18 Apr 2005 03:58:42 -0700, (Carlos)
wrote:

1) Is it worth to visit Swee****er camp??

No, unless you want to see chimpanzees in Kenya. But they are
not really roaming freely, their fenced area is small, and they
are fed by humans.

2) I have to choice between Samburu and Amboseli. What safari would
you select??

Samburu, unless you want to take photos with Mt. Kilimanjaro.


I agree with both of these recommendations!
:-)

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Could you give me more details about the selection between Samburu and Amboseli ??

Hans-Georg Michna wrote in message . ..
On 18 Apr 2005 03:58:42 -0700, (Carlos)
wrote:

I am planing to visit Kenia this August, I have many things clear,
thanks to this forum. But I need recommendations in these two
questions:

Carlos,

I will first give you very brief answers. If you want to know
details, please ask again.

1) Is it worth to visit Swee****er camp??

No, unless you want to see chimpanzees in Kenya. But they are
not really roaming freely, their fenced area is small, and they
are fed by humans.

2) I have to choice between Samburu and Amboseli. What safari would
you select??

Samburu, unless you want to take photos with Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Hans-Georg

In message
(Carlos) wrote:

Could you give me more details about the selection between Samburu and Amboseli?

Samburu is a different habitat, and has different animals and birds.
So if you're visiting, for example, the Masai Mara, you get a nice contrast.

Better still, of course, if you can spend longer in Kenya and visit them
both :-)

You can look at my pages, if you like (nothing to sell!)
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/amboseli/amb_a.htm

http://www.v-liz.com/safari/samburu/samburua/samb_a.htm

Safari njema

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Thanks, I saw your web Liz, it is cool.

I know that both places are different habitats, and both parks have
common and different animals. But my preferences are seeing the most
number of animals that it is possible.

Which park has the biggest concentration of animals ??
Which of them has a better visibility ??
Which of them is the best for approaching near the animals ??

I will be in Masai Mara, but I am afraid going to Samburu, and seeing
only the landscape with a few animals.



Liz wrote in message ...
In message
(Carlos) wrote:

Could you give me more details about the selection between Samburu and Amboseli?

Samburu is a different habitat, and has different animals and birds.
So if you're visiting, for example, the Masai Mara, you get a nice contrast.

Better still, of course, if you can spend longer in Kenya and visit them
both :-)

You can look at my pages, if you like (nothing to sell!)
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/amboseli/amb_a.htm

http://www.v-liz.com/safari/samburu/samburua/samb_a.htm

Safari njema

Liz

On 19 Apr 2005 00:58:55 -0700, (Carlos)
wrote:

Thanks, I saw your web Liz, it is cool.

I know that both places are different habitats, and both parks have
common and different animals. But my preferences are seeing the most
number of animals that it is possible.

Which park has the biggest concentration of animals ??
Which of them has a better visibility ??
Which of them is the best for approaching near the animals ??

I will be in Masai Mara, but I am afraid going to Samburu, and seeing
only the landscape with a few animals.

Carlos,

both nature reserves are rich in wildlife. You will see many
different species of animals.

Samburu offers riverine forests, bush savannah, and hillsides.
Amboseli is not quite so rich in habitats. It offers a usually
dry salt lake, a swamp, some bush and some forested areas, but
no river and no hillside. In a way Samburu looks more African.

At Samburu Lodge (sometimes called Samburu Game Lodge) and to a
lesser extent also at other lodges, you get the additional
spectacle of crocodile feeding in the evening, just before you
have your own dinner. (:-)

Amboseli has a few problems, hence the slight preference for
Samburu.

There are many tourists in Amboseli, because it is near the
coast and therefore cheapest to reach for the beach hotel
package tours.

For that reason there are only few managed car tracks in
Amboseli, and it is prohibited to drive off. In Samburu it is
also prohibited to leave the tracks, but there are many small
tracks, so you can more often drive near any spot.

During dry times Amboseli can be very dusty.

Amboseli has had some dry spells in recent years, when many
trees died. So the landscape now looks barren. On the other hand
you occasionally have the magnificent sight of Mt. Kilimanjaro,
when the clouds happen to go away early in the morning or around
sunset. No guarantee though, sometimes the mountain hides
continuously for days.

Both nature reserves have many elephants, but Amboseli has more,
unless continuous dry weather drives them away.

You can check photos and descriptions in my travel reports, if
you like. Begin with http://www.michna.com/kenya2004/ and work
your way backwards. I spend a lot of time in Amboseli because I
temporarily work in an elephant research project there. I
certainly know and like the place and don't want to generally
recommend against it.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Do not even worry for a moment about Samburu!
It is (in our opinion) the best reserve for the variety
and certainty of viewing wildlife.
(Asterisk here).. but there are actually 2 reserves!
Buffalo Springs on the south side of the river, and
Samburu on the north side. And you must pay
separate park fees ($30 p.p. per day) when you
are in either, or both. If you visit both on the
same day, then you have $60 p.p in park fees.

Do not even worry for a moment about Samburu!
It is (in our opinion) the best reserve for the variety
and certainty of viewing wildlife.
(Asterisk here).. but there are actually 2 reserves!
Buffalo Springs on the south side of the river, and
Samburu on the north side. And you must pay
separate park fees ($30 p.p. per day) when you
are in either, or both. If you visit both on the
same day, then you have $60 p.p in park fees.