The Bathroom stop :((

Hello.
Now the moment of truth.. the question that nobody wants to ask... the subject no one mentions...
How are we (ladies) going to deal with the infamous bathroom stops?
It's bad enough that you need to let the driver and the rest of the fellows know... that you need to check the spare tire
Or check The open back door, to empty out the bucket and last to water the bush etc... :)
What do the experts recommend?
Today , I heard the ultimate: wear Diapers!
Diapers! This sounds gross , but maybe is not a bad idea... although , I would not want to walk like a pingüin .. :))
But when you think that the animals are the last thing to worry about .. but worst! The jungle of tourist in their jeeps all with binoculars and behind you.... Oh gosh!
Should I really consider the diapers? What Brand? Do the come in earth colors? :))

Comments

  • edited June 2018
    Diapers, utterly ridiculous! Who told you that. Look, everyone needs to pee, even the queen! Use the bathroom just before you get into the safari vehicle. Then if you need to go just tell the driver, he checks around to see if it is safe, you get out, do your pee, everyone looks the other way. There is rarely more than six of you in the vehicle too and often someone else will take the opportunity to go. The vehicles are high so you are well hidden. There are rarely any other vehicles around unless there is a big cat siting when everyone radios each other to come over.... but that is not when you will be getting out. When the drives go out, they generally go their separate ways so they are spread out and one of them is likely to spot the cats, plus they want to give you a better experience. I have only had to get out to do this maybe three times in five safari vacations so that is about fifty safari rides I would think. Sometimes when you have a longer safari ride, you stop for refreshments and the guides have spots to take and guard you. I was shown behind a bush after checking the coast was clear and minutes later a big lone male elephant plowed through! Just enjoy this fabulous trip, don't worry! If you cancel because of worrying about this, I would gladly take your place! As soon as I return from Africa, I pine to go back again.
  • milmil
    edited June 2018
    Hi British
    Lolol :))) Cancel ? No way!!
    I'm not worry and I'm sure it will be an aventure...To go in the bush , but It was so funny when this person ( the pharmacist) mention the D word.. that I had to ask , if this was a common practice.
    Uff !, what a relieve, it has to be so uncomfortable.. .
    Thanks.
  • edited June 2018
    Mileg wrote:
    Hi British
    Lolol :))) Cancel ? No way!!
    I'm not worry and I'm sure it will be an aventure...To go in the bush , but It was so funny when this person ( the pharmacist) mention the D word.. that I had to ask , if this was a common practice.
    Uff !, what a relieve, it has to be so uncomfortable.. .
    Thanks.

    There are only a few places where it might be over an hour between "rest" stops.

    There is a rest stop at the entrance (Ranger station?) to Lake Manyara Park, one at the Lake Manyara Serena Hotel (lunch stop). There is a restroom at the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation area and a restroom on the caldera floor near a small lake in Ngorongoro crater, they set up a tent style porta-john at the BBQ site in the crater, there is a restroom at Olduvai Gorge, you make a picnic stop at the eastern entrance to the Serengeti Park there are restrooms there, you make a stop somewhere in the central Serengeti (lots of Hyrax there!) before you head to the Four Seasons. There are restrooms at the Arusha airport and the Tanzanian Cultural Center. There is a "restroom" at the Tanzania/Kenya border (if the attendant directs you to one with a "high drop" or "long drop" ask for one with a toilet :) ), there is a restroom at the entrance to Amboseli National Park, there is a new (new in 2015) restroom on the tall hill that overlooks the park and mount Kilmanjaro at Amboseli (it is not far from the Maasai village we visited (I REALLY had to use that one!!!), there is one at the the spinners and weavers in Nanyuki, one at Ol Pajeta Conservancy (in Nanyuki) entrance and another at the small restaurant in the Conservancy. I believe they had a tent-style "porta-john" at the champagne brunch after the balloon ride in the Maasai Mara. I think you get the idea! Tauck knows its demgraphic and plans accordingly.

    Just plan ahead, go easy on the morning coffee, and maybe suffer a bit while your eyeballs float a few times! : ) You can plot the locations I gave on a map for comfort and assurance! : ) Remember, keep your bladder empty- you bounce a lot in the safari vehicles!!!
  • My wife is small, and has a tiny bladder. So she had to check the spare tire a couple times on our two safarris. The driver always stopped in a safe and isolated place. No one can see behind the vehicle even if they wanted to. You do need to give the driver a few minutes warning, so he can arrange for the proper location.
  • Wow! AlanS
    This is hilarious... it almost sounds like a potty safari :)
    Well , I guess .. the ladies and I do get the idea and thank you for the info.
    Have a great week u'all .
  • Thank you Alan! I am printing the list and taking it with me next month!!
  • Wow, things must have really changed since I took the K and T tour, it makes it seem pretty civilized thes days. I would not recommend to anyone to restrict fluids on the Africa tours, dehydration symptoms are far more dangerous a route to take than being worried about having to pee out on safari. Once you have had to pee at the end of your bed in the Kalahari you can do anything!
  • :))) Delawaretraveler , you read my mind.....
    Have a great trip.
  • Thank you Alan! I am printing the list and taking it with me next month!!

    That will tell you the ‘where’ of the pit-stop, but not necessarily the ‘when’. Once on our Botswana trip we followed the same female lion for about two hours. The timing of your arrival will often depend on what you encounter along the way. We once arrived back at our lodge long after dark, but this was not supposed to be a ‘night’ safari.
  • Hi African travelers,
    Would also like to assure that the potty stops are really not a problem for ladies or gents! I thought they would be for me, but on the Botswana/Zambia trip, the drivers would indeed check to find a spot (separate spots for ladies and guys, and often behind an inactive termite mound, where the cervids also find it safe to go---there were usually piles of their scat to watch out for). When someone announces they need to 'check the tires', usually another person decides they have should also take a prophylactic pee, so the ladies would take turns. We quickly learned to carry one of the extra rolls of toilet paper from the safari camps in our back backs, and would share TP (as well as handiwipes) when needed. One does not litter in the bush!, so you then you need to wad up your TP and deposit it in the garbage bag that all the drivers would keep in the safari vehicle. On my upcoming Kenya/Tanzania trip, I'll just remember to carry that extra roll of TP in my backpack at all times!
  • British wrote:
    Wow, things must have really changed since I took the K and T tour, it makes it seem pretty civilized thes days. I would not recommend to anyone to restrict fluids on the Africa tours, dehydration symptoms are far more dangerous a route to take than being worried about having to pee out on safari. Once you have had to pee at the end of your bed in the Kalahari you can do anything!

    I'm not recommending restricting fluid intake- just avoid diuretics like coffee and coke if you can, though, and stay hydrated.

    Now, as to my list above- Except for one instance of the big D in Amboseli brought on by "something I ate" (?), I did not use all of those facilities, so can't vouch for cleanliness, operation, equipment, or presence of TP (carry your own!!). I will say, of the non-hotel facilities I used, the one at the Tanzania/Kenya border was the worst and the one at "Observation Hill" (Noomotio Observation Point) in Amboseli National Park was the best.

    The restroom is about halfway up the hill. At the top is a shelter and a number interpretive signs. I got my "shot" of Mt. Kilimanjaro there- it was overcast the whole time we were there and so we never saw Mt. Kili. So, I took a photo of the photo on the sign! : )

    Amboseli-National-Park-Great-views-Observation-Hill.JPG

    IMG_2068r.jpg

    IMG_2069r.jpg
  • I’m glad to someone asked this question.....I’ve been wondering the same thing ????

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