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overland safari
Hello again,
Yes Pat is right I am looking for advice from people who have travelled from Cape Town to Keny on a LOW budget, set your tent up each night style safari. We are looking at travelling for 6-9 weeks in a group situation, although not too large a group if we can. Any recommendations on travel companies to travel with or avoid would be great. Thanks Adell |
#2
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In message , Adell
writes Hello again, Yes Pat is right I am looking for advice from people who have travelled from Cape Town to Keny on a LOW budget, set your tent up each night style safari. We are looking at travelling for 6-9 weeks in a group situation, although not too large a group if we can. Any recommendations on travel companies to travel with or avoid would be great. Thanks Adell Adell, It`s not something I`ve done as I prefer to stay in a lodge or hotel. I`ve seen the overland Bedford trucks in Nairobi that have gone up from South Africa, so you can do it that way. You must have an agent in Aus. that can arrange that for you. Another good place to check out is the Africa branch of the Thorn Tree at the Lonely Planet site, there are lots of budget travellers posting there. Pat -- Pat Anderson |
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On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 07:38:38 +0000, Adell wrote:
Yes Pat is right I am looking for advice from people who have travelled from Cape Town to Keny on a LOW budget, set your tent up each night style safari. We are looking at travelling for 6-9 weeks in a group situation, although not too large a group if we can. Any recommendations on travel companies to travel with or avoid would be great. Here is the drill : crash into town, get your papers (visa for the next country, money etc.) in order while planning the next steps and looking around for means of transportations, hop on whatever bus or truck that goes where you want to go, and once you get there repeat the drill. That's the way I did it from Cape Town to Djibouti a few years ago and I had a great time. From Cape Town to Nairobi took me about nine weeks including treks, visits to reserves and other attractions on the way. No travel company required, just a plane ticket, the Lonely Planet guide and plenty of patience when you are there. As for the "set your tent up each night", don't count on it. Most often you will end up in a cheap lodge. USD .5 to USD 10 a night is a common price range for cheap accommodation. Of course there is wilderness where you can pitch a tent, but more often than not there will be urbanization, even if it is just a village, and the local lodge will be a better option. I always travel with no tent, but I carry a Gore-Tex sleeping bag shell that enables me to sleep outside in the rain with no discomfort. And considering the heat, it is often much more comfortable that a tent because tents lack aeration for tropical conditions. |
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On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:41:41 +0200, "Jean-Marc V. Liotier"
wrote: I always travel with no tent, but I carry a Gore-Tex sleeping bag shell that enables me to sleep outside in the rain with no discomfort. And considering the heat, it is often much more comfortable that a tent because tents lack aeration for tropical conditions. Jean-Marc, until that one leopard stumbles over you ... (:-) Seriously, I do camp out a lot, but I wouldn't sleep out in the open. I also close the tent door at night. That helps. And I've had all kinds of animals right at the tent, touching it, including hyaenas and lions (can't hear leopards). Does anyone remember that Kenyan girl who was bitten into the face by a hyaena? I don't want to scare you unnecessarily, and you can certainly sleep out in the open in areas that are free of large predators as well as snakes, hunting spiders, and scorpions, but where in Africa would that be, apart from very high up on a mountain? Hans-Georg p.s. I seem to wear my scare mask today, but apparently this is the day of the daring traveller. (:-) -- No mail, please. |
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On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 17:45:29 +0200, Hans-Georg Michna wrote:
On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:41:41 +0200, "Jean-Marc V. Liotier" wrote: I always travel with no tent, but I carry a Gore-Tex sleeping bag shell that enables me to sleep outside in the rain with no discomfort. And considering the heat, it is often much more comfortable that a tent because tents lack aeration for tropical conditions. until that one leopard stumbles over you ... (:-) Seriously, I do camp out a lot, but I wouldn't sleep out in the open. I also close the tent door at night. That helps. And I've had all kinds of animals right at the tent, touching it, including hyaenas and lions (can't hear leopards). The wild animal problem is mostly confined to wildlife reserves, but you are right : where the nightly visit of wild animals is a common occurrence an enclosed space is preferable and will keep out the unwanted curious visitor. But on a typical overland trip, only a fraction of the time is spent in wildlife reserve and the weight and bulk of a tent may not be justified just for these occasions. If travel is based on a vehicle then by all means bring a tent even if it is just in case, but if you routinely walk for some distance while carrying your backpack, as I do, you will think twice before adding to the already very heavy weight of the typical overland backpack. In the beginning there were many things I thought would be worth taking for comfort or just in case, but after a while the urge of backpack weight optimization makes hard decisions much easier. But the experience of each individual will lead to very different decisions about what is really useful, so it is really a matter of personal travel style. |
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