Doing the safari thing...
Nairobi, Kenya
From what I can tell, the number one reason that people come to Kenya for is to go on a safari. So, as the saying goes... When in Rome, do as the Romans...
With that, I'm off tomorrow (Saturday) on a 6 day safari that covers the world famous Maasai Mara, Lake Baringo and Bogoria as well as Lake Nakuru. It's a slightly longer safari then I was originally thinking that I would take, but some of the shorter safaris seem way to rushed in my opinion.
Here in Nairobi, there are literally hundreds of safari companies just itching to get your business. I first checked out a global travel agent called "Lets Go Travel" which had some decent packages but the price seemed a bit high. I then got paraded to three other safari companies by three local "freelance guides", who didn't really bother me since all three companies were listed in Lonely Planet and I'd have checked them out all myself anyways.
Those three all seemed to offer the same basic trips, with the itineraries eerily similar at times. (There's probably only so many ways you can do a 6 day safari so the similarities are probably warranted.) By the end of yesterday, I had four itineraries for 6 day safaris, complete with pricing information. I was pretty frank with my "guides" and told them I'd think about it that night and make my decision the following day. I have no idea how three of them would split the commission over me, but they didn't seem to concerned. (As a side note, it's pretty fun being brutally frank with touts. Earlier in my travels, I'd have blown them off and tried to escape them. Now I give them a bit of rope to work with but have no shame in hanging them if I think I'm getting taken for a ride. It's amazing how much their sales pitch, and demeanor, change when you tell them that you know how the whole commission (read: money) thing works... Frankly, it's become fun dealing with them, in a strange sort of way... But I digress.)
After a bit internet research, I decided to check out one last place which turned out to be the main outfit that "Lets Go Travel" would have booked me through.
In the end it came down to the following:
- Primetime Safari: Cheapest option. Lonely Planet says "good/bad reports". Was recommend by a traveler in an internet cafe who's friends had enjoyed them. Their six day trip did not include Lake Baringo and Bogoria but instead offered an interesting alternative of hiking with a local "Maasai Warrior" for the day.
- Sana Trekking: About 20$ more then Primetime, seemed like a decent place. Couldn't really find anything bad about them online, 6 day safari was well planned. Only catch was that they didn't have a tour leaving anytime soon, so I'd be the first person to sign up and the departure date would depend on when they could secure another 2-3 people.
- Planet Safari: Same price as Sana and almost the same schedule. Said they had tours leaving "every day" though I doubt they'd take just one person on a 6 day safari (nor would I want that), so I figured they must lump you with some other company or something like that (even though they claimed they didn't, but I still don't buy it that they'd take just me for 6 days leaving any day of the week.) I found at least on really bad report on Planet Safari from a traveler online, but it's tough to value just one report with no first hand information, so I didn't place to much weight in that report.
- Gametrackers: As several good reports online from other travelers. Is the company that Lets Go Travel uses for safaris. Is about 55$ more then the others, but in the end I decided to go with them. I like the itinerary and they have a definite group leaving on Saturday (2 Japanese, 3 French).
So, thanks to a very generous Christmas gift from Mom and Dad, I'll be leaving tomorrow (March 4th) for a six day safari through the Kenyan portion of the Great Rift Valley and the Maasai Mara. I was hoping that maybe I could do a "solo" safari or something since I'm really not that big on organized tours, but that just doesn't seem possible (at least not financially). I can only hope that the group of people I'm with, the guide, the weather and all the other variables that go into an organized tour work out.
After traveling independently for so long, and being used to just hoping on trucks for transportation, it will definitely be a bit of a change to be on an itinerary with other travelers. We'll know in a week....
Now, if only I had that Nikon lens that I dream of every day... ;)
Kenny
From what I can tell, the number one reason that people come to Kenya for is to go on a safari. So, as the saying goes... When in Rome, do as the Romans...
With that, I'm off tomorrow (Saturday) on a 6 day safari that covers the world famous Maasai Mara, Lake Baringo and Bogoria as well as Lake Nakuru. It's a slightly longer safari then I was originally thinking that I would take, but some of the shorter safaris seem way to rushed in my opinion.
Here in Nairobi, there are literally hundreds of safari companies just itching to get your business. I first checked out a global travel agent called "Lets Go Travel" which had some decent packages but the price seemed a bit high. I then got paraded to three other safari companies by three local "freelance guides", who didn't really bother me since all three companies were listed in Lonely Planet and I'd have checked them out all myself anyways.
Those three all seemed to offer the same basic trips, with the itineraries eerily similar at times. (There's probably only so many ways you can do a 6 day safari so the similarities are probably warranted.) By the end of yesterday, I had four itineraries for 6 day safaris, complete with pricing information. I was pretty frank with my "guides" and told them I'd think about it that night and make my decision the following day. I have no idea how three of them would split the commission over me, but they didn't seem to concerned. (As a side note, it's pretty fun being brutally frank with touts. Earlier in my travels, I'd have blown them off and tried to escape them. Now I give them a bit of rope to work with but have no shame in hanging them if I think I'm getting taken for a ride. It's amazing how much their sales pitch, and demeanor, change when you tell them that you know how the whole commission (read: money) thing works... Frankly, it's become fun dealing with them, in a strange sort of way... But I digress.)
After a bit internet research, I decided to check out one last place which turned out to be the main outfit that "Lets Go Travel" would have booked me through.
In the end it came down to the following:
- Primetime Safari: Cheapest option. Lonely Planet says "good/bad reports". Was recommend by a traveler in an internet cafe who's friends had enjoyed them. Their six day trip did not include Lake Baringo and Bogoria but instead offered an interesting alternative of hiking with a local "Maasai Warrior" for the day.
- Sana Trekking: About 20$ more then Primetime, seemed like a decent place. Couldn't really find anything bad about them online, 6 day safari was well planned. Only catch was that they didn't have a tour leaving anytime soon, so I'd be the first person to sign up and the departure date would depend on when they could secure another 2-3 people.
- Planet Safari: Same price as Sana and almost the same schedule. Said they had tours leaving "every day" though I doubt they'd take just one person on a 6 day safari (nor would I want that), so I figured they must lump you with some other company or something like that (even though they claimed they didn't, but I still don't buy it that they'd take just me for 6 days leaving any day of the week.) I found at least on really bad report on Planet Safari from a traveler online, but it's tough to value just one report with no first hand information, so I didn't place to much weight in that report.
- Gametrackers: As several good reports online from other travelers. Is the company that Lets Go Travel uses for safaris. Is about 55$ more then the others, but in the end I decided to go with them. I like the itinerary and they have a definite group leaving on Saturday (2 Japanese, 3 French).
So, thanks to a very generous Christmas gift from Mom and Dad, I'll be leaving tomorrow (March 4th) for a six day safari through the Kenyan portion of the Great Rift Valley and the Maasai Mara. I was hoping that maybe I could do a "solo" safari or something since I'm really not that big on organized tours, but that just doesn't seem possible (at least not financially). I can only hope that the group of people I'm with, the guide, the weather and all the other variables that go into an organized tour work out.
After traveling independently for so long, and being used to just hoping on trucks for transportation, it will definitely be a bit of a change to be on an itinerary with other travelers. We'll know in a week....
Now, if only I had that Nikon lens that I dream of every day... ;)
Kenny
posted by Kenny Carruthers at 3/03/2006 03:22:00 AM
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