Hi Donald. Is 8/24 your Day 1? We're arriving in Arusha on 8/20 and our Tauck Day 1 is 8/21, so perhaps there will be some passing of ships in the night!
When we went back thru Arusha on our way to Kenya, our driver guide pointed out a street where they filmed some of the movie ”Hatari”. I actually recognized it. I ‘own’ the movie. “Hatari” in Zwahili means danger.
Nedda, have a fabulous trip and keep us posted.
Sealord, Hatari sounds like great study material before our journey! Will try to find online. We're still collecting our immunizations and now need to buy permethrin for our clothes. There's always something else!
Hi everyone, sitting in the gardens at the Arusha Hotel. Husband lost his iPhone on the flight from Amsterdam to here. Luggage never made the plane but they are used to this happening they said and the drivers picking up guests today or tonight will get it. Hopefully. Great wi-if at the hotel, esp in the public areas. Came in late at night - really bumpy dirt roads to hotel which sits behind a concrete wall and gate. Room is lovely with netting all around the bed. Bacon is not like ours at home! LOL. Foliage is amazing!!!!
Lovely photo Nedda. So sorry to hear your hubby lost his phone. The bacon is British style bacon, I can’t wait to have it, I hate American bacon it’s so fatty. Much easier to trim off the fat on the British style. I guess it’s what each person gets used to and part of the fun of traveling. I wish I was there!
6 of us flew KLM from Amsterdam to Arusha last August. We didn’t have any issues. There were at least 12 from our safari on that flight. No one had any problems with their luggage.
Donald, on our first K and T four, our luggage came twenty four hours later. We always use zip ties on luggage, not locks because even the TSA approved locks are usually gone when we get our luggage. If we use zip ties, at least we can tell straight away if the luggage has been tampered with. Second time, luggage arrived with us.
Nedda: Thanks for posting the great pic and hope your issues have been resolved. Is that your room? Looks luxurious!
All: We'll be flying Delta from Boston to AMS, and KLM from AMS to Arusha. Are you recommending locks on the luggage during the flights? I thought they weren't allowed.
Diana, that’s why we use zip ties. We pack a small pair of scissors in one of the outside pockets of each suitcase. We have been doing this for years all over the world. The scissors have never disappeared. We carry a supply of ties in the outside pockets for each hotel or plane move.
We used the locks that came with the luggage but after the break in used the extra TSA approved luggage locks. Also used them on the duffels and put a colored ribbon on each piece of luggage and duffels to help tell them apart from the others. It wasn’t recommended to use the duffels as carry ons going there in case something happened and they got lost or absconded or whatever. As it was some people didnt get their duffels at home and had to get them in Arusha at the start of the trip.
Diane, by now you are already there and maybe back. Your flights are the exact same ones we flew going there.
In the past, we have found that the people who do not receive their duffels in advance of the tour are ones who booked with a travel agent and not with Tauck directly. I think others do not realize they are mandatory to use and don’t bring them, or they bring a substitute duffel of their own choosing.
Maybe they needed a better travel agent?? The agent should have been tracking that! We used a travel agent for both Africa and Machu Picchu and received our duffles and information timely.
Nedda Honig. 5:43AM. We used the locks that came with the luggage but after the break in used the extra TSA approved luggage locks.
Don't get over confident about locks, zip ties, etc.!!
i don't know if I posted this in another thread, but TSA zipper locks or built-in in locks on any suitcase, including hard-sided luggage, that has zippers, only keep honest people honest. The video below shows how thieves can easily bypass the locks and open a suitcase in a blink of an eye by separating the zipper. They used a pointed metal rod even something as simple as a ball point pen (sailors of old used something similar made from wood called a "fid" to splice rope and line) to separate the zipper. In some cases they will re-join the zipper halves so it doesn't look like the suitcase had been opened at all. Check it out:
We initially went through Tauck directly but then turn it over to our TA because of a special program they have...and received our duffels at home properly. Our final papers though went to the TA and he had them FedEx’d to us along with our Visas and Passports.
Cathyandsteve, we learned that lesson the hard way - nothing of value in the checked bags - hard lesson but a good one!!!!
Now to figure out where to next. First up, Thanksgiving in VA! LOL Really exotic trip!!!! Happy Travels everyone.
Comments
Hi Donald. Is 8/24 your Day 1? We're arriving in Arusha on 8/20 and our Tauck Day 1 is 8/21, so perhaps there will be some passing of ships in the night!
Yes 8/24 is the first day of our tour. What tour are you on?
We're on the Classic Safari leaving from Arusha on 8/21. Have a great trip!
HEY, We will be enroute in Kenya when you all arrive in Arusha~ Have a great time...
When we went back thru Arusha on our way to Kenya, our driver guide pointed out a street where they filmed some of the movie ”Hatari”. I actually recognized it. I ‘own’ the movie. “Hatari” in Zwahili means danger.
Nedda, have a fabulous trip and keep us posted.
Sealord, Hatari sounds like great study material before our journey! Will try to find online. We're still collecting our immunizations and now need to buy permethrin for our clothes. There's always something else!
Hi everyone, sitting in the gardens at the Arusha Hotel. Husband lost his iPhone on the flight from Amsterdam to here. Luggage never made the plane but they are used to this happening they said and the drivers picking up guests today or tonight will get it. Hopefully. Great wi-if at the hotel, esp in the public areas. Came in late at night - really bumpy dirt roads to hotel which sits behind a concrete wall and gate. Room is lovely with netting all around the bed. Bacon is not like ours at home! LOL. Foliage is amazing!!!!
Lovely photo Nedda. So sorry to hear your hubby lost his phone. The bacon is British style bacon, I can’t wait to have it, I hate American bacon it’s so fatty. Much easier to trim off the fat on the British style. I guess it’s what each person gets used to and part of the fun of traveling. I wish I was there!
Thanks for posting, Nedda. Brings back so many memories of such an amazing trip!
Thanks for sharing. We are going soon and I am getting excited! Enjoy your trip
Nedda why airlines where you on?
It will be the Delta KLM flights. There is not much choice to Arusha, we are flying Qatar, hte other choice is Ehthiopian
Have you had luggage problems with delta/klm
6 of us flew KLM from Amsterdam to Arusha last August. We didn’t have any issues. There were at least 12 from our safari on that flight. No one had any problems with their luggage.
Did you put locks on your luggage? Did anyone use the Tauck duffle as carry on?
On the 9/21 KT Safari. Anyone else on this trip?
Donald, on our first K and T four, our luggage came twenty four hours later. We always use zip ties on luggage, not locks because even the TSA approved locks are usually gone when we get our luggage. If we use zip ties, at least we can tell straight away if the luggage has been tampered with. Second time, luggage arrived with us.
We used locks on the K &T safari and the South Africa elegant adventure. They weren’t tampered with.
We used locks on our K and T tour. No problem. We did stay overnight in Amsterdam to break up the flights and attempt to minimize luggage issues.
Nedda: Thanks for posting the great pic and hope your issues have been resolved. Is that your room? Looks luxurious!
All: We'll be flying Delta from Boston to AMS, and KLM from AMS to Arusha. Are you recommending locks on the luggage during the flights? I thought they weren't allowed.
Diana, that’s why we use zip ties. We pack a small pair of scissors in one of the outside pockets of each suitcase. We have been doing this for years all over the world. The scissors have never disappeared. We carry a supply of ties in the outside pockets for each hotel or plane move.
Thank you, British, for the detailed instructions. My husband just found a bunch of zip ties and we'll try to use your scissor trick. Cheers!
We used the locks that came with the luggage but after the break in used the extra TSA approved luggage locks. Also used them on the duffels and put a colored ribbon on each piece of luggage and duffels to help tell them apart from the others. It wasn’t recommended to use the duffels as carry ons going there in case something happened and they got lost or absconded or whatever. As it was some people didnt get their duffels at home and had to get them in Arusha at the start of the trip.
Diane, by now you are already there and maybe back. Your flights are the exact same ones we flew going there.
In the past, we have found that the people who do not receive their duffels in advance of the tour are ones who booked with a travel agent and not with Tauck directly. I think others do not realize they are mandatory to use and don’t bring them, or they bring a substitute duffel of their own choosing.
Maybe they needed a better travel agent?? The agent should have been tracking that! We used a travel agent for both Africa and Machu Picchu and received our duffles and information timely.
We used a travel agent and our duffles were sent directly to our house.
Don't get over confident about locks, zip ties, etc.!!
i don't know if I posted this in another thread, but TSA zipper locks or built-in in locks on any suitcase, including hard-sided luggage, that has zippers, only keep honest people honest. The video below shows how thieves can easily bypass the locks and open a suitcase in a blink of an eye by separating the zipper. They used a pointed metal rod even something as simple as a ball point pen (sailors of old used something similar made from wood called a "fid" to splice rope and line) to separate the zipper. In some cases they will re-join the zipper halves so it doesn't look like the suitcase had been opened at all. Check it out:
We initially went through Tauck directly but then turn it over to our TA because of a special program they have...and received our duffels at home properly. Our final papers though went to the TA and he had them FedEx’d to us along with our Visas and Passports.
Cathyandsteve, we learned that lesson the hard way - nothing of value in the checked bags - hard lesson but a good one!!!!
Now to figure out where to next. First up, Thanksgiving in VA! LOL Really exotic trip!!!! Happy Travels everyone.