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Uganda - Ethiopia - Cairo - itinerary advice
Hi!
I am going on a first trip to Africa with a friend, Scott (who has been to South Africa and Namibia). here is our itinerary: mar 29th - boston- Uganda apr 7th - Addis Ababa apr 30th - Cairo may 6 - boston We are planning this as primarily a wilderness trip with some history and authentic interactions with local people. We don't have a strict itinerary and intend to be pretty flexible. I really appreciate any suggestions for must-see sights. Or if anyone wants to join up for a bit to rent a car, hike, etc... The highlights we really want to see in Uganda: Rwenzori Mountains - The season may be too far off for this (too rainy), but it sounds unbelievable. If we could quickly find guide, porters for this, and it seems doable, we might push back our flight into ethiopia. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - I really want to see the jungle. It'd be nice to see gorilla's, but I'm not sure the cost is worth it. If the Rwenzori Mountains don't work out, Bwindi seems like a great fallback. rafting the Nile - This seems like a real logistical difficulty given how little time we'll be in Uganda, but it is exciting. The highlights in Ethiopia: Everything - Every picture in the Ethiopian guidebooks makes me gasp. But we haven't been able to find a hiking book for ethiopia so we have no idea what the good treks are. Historical Circle - Everyone tells us to do this. But which specific sections of it should we fly on or skip altogether? Blue Nile Falls - wow!! The highlights in Cairo: The Pyramids - some people say they are a letdown, but i've gotta see them myself. shopping - I want to buy some great fabrics and bead work. I'm also excited to buy some custom made clothes. but i hate shopping, so this might get passed over. I do need some presents for friends back home... I've got some questions about planning. Here is what we're bringing: - light colored 2 pair hiking pants, 3 pair shirts, sweater, waterproof jacket/pants, 6 underwear, 6 socks (most everything cotton) - complete med kit (doxycycline, ciprofloxin, epi-pen, muperacin, nistatin, lotrimin, hydrocortizone, bacitracin, 2 3-4" ACE wraps, gasex, pepto bismol, benadryl, ibuprofen, SAM splint (full&finger), moleskin, bandaids) - sewing kit - whisperlite stove / fuel bottle / pot / spoon / bowl - 3-4lb dehydrated food / cliff bars / spices (we're both vegan and i think uganda will be tough) - warm weather sleeping bags - very light tent / space blanket (works great as a ground cloth) - etrex legend gps loaded with uganda and ethiopia from mapsource WorldMap - plastic bags - leatherman Juice S2 - jungle juice 100% deet - 45 proof sun block - iodine - day pack with 3L hydration pack - 3 1L nalgene bottles - camp towels - compass / 1:800,000 Uganda map / 1:2,000,000 Ethiopia - whistle - LonelyPlanet Ethiopia/Eritrea, East Africa and Cairo, trekking in East Africa - matches/lighter/candles - head lamp - camp soap / batteries / earplugs / clock / toothpaste/brush / floss - website and paper copy of: passport / driver's license / cc number / check card number / insurance / itinerary & all relevant phone numbers question mark items: - camera. I am really torn on this. The rest of our gear could tumble down a hill and spend an hour underwater. And I've already spent a lot on the trip. But it'll be hard to come back and not have a single picture. If I bring a camera, I'll probably get the Cannon ELPH s400 ($400 US) with 2 512 MB compact flash cards ($160 US). tiny and light. someone should convince me to bring one, because i'm sure i'll regret it if i don't. - money. i have a visa cash card (international permission slip on file). i have an emergency visa credit card. i have $250 US traveler's checks. should i have more? how much US dollars should we bring? Any other advice for money? - water purifier. i'm butting up against a "this is insane" weight limit. a water purifier doesn't make sense in the jungle (too much silt). i think we can get by with just iodine / boiling for the whole trip. - camp boots. it's the rainy season. and we are going to be in the jungle. hiking during the day will be wet. i am hiking in light weight hiking sneakers that will dry quickly. but i need a waterproof boot for the evening. what should i get? where should i get it? all i've found so far is a $130 US gortex pullover foot cover that i could wear with a pair of sandles. this seems too expensive. but maybe it is worht the cost? - topo maps. i can't find any real topo maps, paper or digital, of the areas we'll be hiking. - good history book. i want a great, reasonably lightweight, overview history book/s of ethiopia and uganda. i will pick something from LP's list if i don't get a personal rec, but i'd love to hear a rave. - presents/donations. is there anything i could bring to donate that'd be better than cash? what about fun presents? needs to be very lightweight and small. - cleaning on the trail. is the fresh water as dangerous as my doctor made it sound? can i wash off in the water? otherwise, how do i prevent rashes/etc given the humidity? - good hostels/hotels/areas to meet other tourists or guides? If anyone wants to join us for some portion, please email me: what am i forgetting??? (my girlfriend just reminded me to pay my taxes. that would've been bad!) thanks for any information! Eric Prebys |
#2
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Uganda - Ethiopia - Cairo - itinerary advice
"Eric Prebys" wrote in message om... Hi! I am going on a first trip to Africa with a friend, Scott (who has been to South Africa and Namibia). here is our itinerary: mar 29th - boston- Uganda apr 7th - Addis Ababa apr 30th - Cairo may 6 - boston We are planning this as primarily a wilderness trip with some history and authentic interactions with local people. We don't have a strict itinerary and intend to be pretty flexible. I really appreciate any suggestions for must-see sights. Or if anyone wants to join up for a bit to rent a car, hike, etc... The highlights we really want to see in Uganda: Rwenzori Mountains - The season may be too far off for this (too rainy), but it sounds unbelievable. If we could quickly find guide, porters for this, and it seems doable, we might push back our flight into ethiopia. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - I really want to see the jungle. It'd be nice to see gorilla's, but I'm not sure the cost is worth it. If the Rwenzori Mountains don't work out, Bwindi seems like a great fallback. rafting the Nile - This seems like a real logistical difficulty given how little time we'll be in Uganda, but it is exciting. The highlights in Ethiopia: Everything - Every picture in the Ethiopian guidebooks makes me gasp. But we haven't been able to find a hiking book for ethiopia so we have no idea what the good treks are. Historical Circle - Everyone tells us to do this. But which specific sections of it should we fly on or skip altogether? Blue Nile Falls - wow!! The highlights in Cairo: The Pyramids - some people say they are a letdown, but i've gotta see them myself. shopping - I want to buy some great fabrics and bead work. I'm also excited to buy some custom made clothes. but i hate shopping, so this might get passed over. I do need some presents for friends back home... I've got some questions about planning. Here is what we're bringing: - light colored 2 pair hiking pants, 3 pair shirts, sweater, waterproof jacket/pants, 6 underwear, 6 socks (most everything cotton) - complete med kit (doxycycline, ciprofloxin, epi-pen, muperacin, nistatin, lotrimin, hydrocortizone, bacitracin, 2 3-4" ACE wraps, gasex, pepto bismol, benadryl, ibuprofen, SAM splint (full&finger), moleskin, bandaids) - sewing kit - whisperlite stove / fuel bottle / pot / spoon / bowl - 3-4lb dehydrated food / cliff bars / spices (we're both vegan and i think uganda will be tough) - warm weather sleeping bags - very light tent / space blanket (works great as a ground cloth) - etrex legend gps loaded with uganda and ethiopia from mapsource WorldMap - plastic bags - leatherman Juice S2 - jungle juice 100% deet - 45 proof sun block - iodine - day pack with 3L hydration pack - 3 1L nalgene bottles - camp towels - compass / 1:800,000 Uganda map / 1:2,000,000 Ethiopia - whistle - LonelyPlanet Ethiopia/Eritrea, East Africa and Cairo, trekking in East Africa - matches/lighter/candles - head lamp - camp soap / batteries / earplugs / clock / toothpaste/brush / floss - website and paper copy of: passport / driver's license / cc number / check card number / insurance / itinerary & all relevant phone numbers question mark items: - camera. I am really torn on this. The rest of our gear could tumble down a hill and spend an hour underwater. And I've already spent a lot on the trip. But it'll be hard to come back and not have a single picture. If I bring a camera, I'll probably get the Cannon ELPH s400 ($400 US) with 2 512 MB compact flash cards ($160 US). tiny and light. someone should convince me to bring one, because i'm sure i'll regret it if i don't. - money. i have a visa cash card (international permission slip on file). i have an emergency visa credit card. i have $250 US traveler's checks. should i have more? how much US dollars should we bring? Any other advice for money? - water purifier. i'm butting up against a "this is insane" weight limit. a water purifier doesn't make sense in the jungle (too much silt). i think we can get by with just iodine / boiling for the whole trip. - camp boots. it's the rainy season. and we are going to be in the jungle. hiking during the day will be wet. i am hiking in light weight hiking sneakers that will dry quickly. but i need a waterproof boot for the evening. what should i get? where should i get it? all i've found so far is a $130 US gortex pullover foot cover that i could wear with a pair of sandles. this seems too expensive. but maybe it is worht the cost? - topo maps. i can't find any real topo maps, paper or digital, of the areas we'll be hiking. - good history book. i want a great, reasonably lightweight, overview history book/s of ethiopia and uganda. i will pick something from LP's list if i don't get a personal rec, but i'd love to hear a rave. - presents/donations. is there anything i could bring to donate that'd be better than cash? what about fun presents? needs to be very lightweight and small. - cleaning on the trail. is the fresh water as dangerous as my doctor made it sound? can i wash off in the water? otherwise, how do i prevent rashes/etc given the humidity? - good hostels/hotels/areas to meet other tourists or guides? If anyone wants to join us for some portion, please email me: what am i forgetting??? (my girlfriend just reminded me to pay my taxes. that would've been bad!) thanks for any information! Eric Prebys Eric You look like the most prepared chap I've ever seen asking for info, are you going to get all that gear on the plane? I don't know about Ethiopia, but Uganda has plenty of cheap fresh fruit and vegetables so eating is not going to be a problem. Bottled water can be bought in most major towns, and the beer is excellent. There is all types of accommodation in Kampala and the hostels can fix you up with guides, some who have very old cars for transport. The going rate a couple of years ago was between 25 and $30 US a day plus petrol. The source of the Nile is quite a site and the bush trekking is great, although I've never seen the gorillas. The people are amounst the most friendly in Africa but stay away from the Northern provinces as there is still a lot of problems there. Do not go into remote areas without a local guide as problems can and do occur. I don't want to sound alarmist, but caution is always advised. I have traveled in all parts of Africa over many years without a single problem, but always be sensible and a local who knows the area and language is well worth the money. The hotels and hostels will get you an honest and reliable person, their reputation is at stake. One word of caution never try to do anything in a hurry in Africa, the people here have there own pace and usually it's not fast, itineries get changed, planes get cancelled and flights changed, even International ones. The biggest problems medically are malaria, and hepatitis, and if you're going to really remote areas even consider bringing your own syringe. In the rural areas it is not unknown for disposible syringes to be reused many times, and sometimes cleanliness at the clinics is not what it should be. Eygypt is another country, where no one does anything for nothing, even if they tell you it's free there will be a catch to it. The Pyramids, The Valley of the Kings, and Cairo Museaum are all worth the effort, and although touristy everyone visiting there should make the effort. If you're going to buy presents go to the "Kalil Kalie"(Spelling) it is the market in Cairo and it ir really an education. One last tip, haggle prices everywhere especially in Eygypt a rough guide when they set a price offer 30 to 40% of their asking price and if they don't drop significatly walk away. Nine times out of ten they will run after you, the Eygytians are the best salesmen in the world. I envy you you're trip is going to be such fun, enjoy your first visit to Africa, I'm sure it will be the first of many. Richard. |
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