Best Of
Re: Non Disclosure of total costs- AWFUL!
Tips are only included on river cruises; it’s not a change that they’re not included in land tours. I’m assuming your $24/day is for 2 people.
mfrancis
Re: Broken Foot
Thank you all for the great feedback and positive wishes. It has been incredibly helpful.
Taking the advice of British, I called Tauck again and spoke with a rep who is very familiar with this tour. She spend over 50-minutes on the phone with me, going over each day! Wonderful customer service.
Coincidentally, she is also familiar with using a walking boot. She was optimistic that I could do the trip, noting that I can request a stepping stool to get in and out of the safari vehicle. Additionally, she put in a request at Lion Sands for a room that minimizes walking.
We are now planning on going, though I can reschedule/cancel up until 24-hrs before departure.
Thanks again!
Deb66
Namibia bound
Packing that duffel takes a minute. Will be posting a review upon our return next month. The photos coming from Kwessi Dunes on the virgin 2024 voyage look wonderful. My friend is posting her impressions on another platform.
Re: “Impressions From The Seine” Trip Review April 8 – 17, 2024 (Part 3)
This is a bit off topic, but I'd like to mention it for those who go to the Normandy beaches.
One reason the D-Day invasion was successful was that a major portion of the German army was destroyed on the Eastern front. Close to 200 German divisions were destroyed there, at terrible cost to both sides. The Soviet Union lost approximately 25 million soldiers and civilians killed in that war, about 13 percent of their population. By comparison, the United States lost a bit fewer than 500,000 soldiers and civilians in WWII, which includes both the European and Pacific theatres of war, less than 1 percent of our population (0.32 percent to be exact).
The D-Day Invasion was a great victory, but its success was built on some really horrible warfare on the Eastern Front.
Re: “Impressions From The Seine” Trip Review April 8 – 17, 2024 (Part 3)
Thank you TravelMaven. This is awesome and nice pictures.
The Normandy tour was also the reason I selected this tour. When I first went to Normandy I was overwhelmed with the enormity of the area and the planning to take this vast amount of land from the German occupiers. My husband has never been to Normandy and I have been telling him we must go. Like I mentioned I had done a day trip to Normandy from Paris. This was 2003 and I searched for the tour company but could not find it or a similar tour. I was curious what we would see and how much time we would have. Your information has been very helpful.
I just looked at a map of the Normandy landings. Tauck focuses on the American areas. Which makes sense. The Pegasus bridge and Cafe (I looked it for this response!). Is part of the British/Canadian areas. The bridge and cafe are at the direct opposite of Pointe du Hoc as I can see, so those spots are probably many miles away and not part of the flight path of the bus route.
Thank you again for all the details and your debrief of the trip. It is so helpful! We are going on this trip in October and can hardly wait.
Dinamo
Re: Duffel bags for K&T
All things considered, and with the multiple pieces of advice, I will keep the tripod at home. Thanks to everyone that jumped in, I really do appreciate it. I think it will be an incredible adventure.
mil. Yes I suffer from the nerve sensitivity too, just because I carry the 25-30 lbs backpack with me. I have increased the stock value of the Advil company, to the extreme.
Thanks to everyone again.
Hulka
Re: Vaccinations
Who needs the CDC when you can just ask some random, anonymous people on an internet forum? 
BKMD
Re: Broken Foot
There is more walking on Elegant South Africa than some other safari tours. There is quite a bit of walking to just get to the rooms at the lodges along walkways. There is walking to the museums. In my humble opinion , I would delay the trip. I can’t recall the type of safari vehicle, but if it the high type where you have to climb up the sides of the vehicle, it is quite tricky. Has the rep you talked to actually taken the tour? Maybe ask to speak to the manager who is charge of that tour, they do go on the tours to check the details
British
Re: Duffel bags for K&T
Hulka on my first Safari I took a Nikon 180-600 lens + adapter. small Light diffuser etc... got Amazing shots of course..., but can back with a horrible Ulnar nerve - painful pinch, that lasted 3 weeks . and still somewhat sensitive.
Inside the Jeeps you stand most of the time even with the jeep moving, so you hold from the sidebars, carrying the lenses. It's a challenge. but totally WORTH IT! !
mil