Look crazy don’t I, no I bought the hat at a craft fair, it was about $3 just before the tour, I could have easily made it. it’s a good idea to wear a hat because the heat can be quite fierce directly underneath the balloon fire.Especially for men who are balding Note the captain had a buff on his head, he was fun.it’s very cold when you first get to the balloon, does warm up a bit as the sun comes up, but most people need a coat or layers. I think it was. Christmas day, note the red hats.
I'm sure Sealord and his wife will be wearing their puffer jackets during the balloon ride!!
In the first few photos, the camera makes it look brighter than it really was. It wasn't dark, but there was no sign of the sun when we arrived at the launch site. Temps were downright chilly, in the low to mid 50's. The guys in the first photo have their hands in their pockets to keep them warm. A few of the ground crew had their hoodies pull up over their heads. Everyone was wearing long sleeves, fleeces/vests, and long pants. Some folks hovered near the supplemental heaters they use to initially fill the balloon. After sunrise which happened about 15 minutes, after we launched, at around 6:40 am, it started to slowly warm up. Irene- no inflight restrooms.
The gondola is still tilted on its side- the normal launch position. After climbing aboard, everyone assumed a reclining position- like during a space launch.
The "chase" crew.
We passed close to the place where they were setting up the champagne breakfast in the bush:
A cloudless blue sky, warm sun, and a happy crew after a wonderful flight and safe landing.
Thanks for the pics. We have 7 weeks to go. Appreciate all the advice re layered clothing. I don’t have a puffer jacket, but will bring a fleece, a jacket and likely a sweater or sweatshirt. Can’t wait!
Just some notes for the mask people. Bring two masks. No one is wearing masks. Exception. The Air France/KLM Lounge at SFO required masks when not eating or drinking, but everyone was eating and drinking. No masks at SFO, no masks on KLM, no masks at Schiphol (AMS). No masks at Kilimanjaro. No masks on safari, in the light airplanes, in the safari vehicles. You may wear them if you wish, and a very few people do. No testing unless you are ill, and then it will be ‘local’ unless the testee insists otherwise.
We did a six hour safari this morning and do to malaria pill issues and getting beaten up in the safari vehicle we skipped the afternoon ride. More in the ‘early morning. I think there is only one person still taking the malaria pills due to side affects.
Sealord, how bad are the mosquitoes? We are on the Tauck Bridges tour July 10 with our 11 yr old grandson. We are enjoying all of your posts and looking forward to our trip to Tanzania. Thanks for the posts!
This is our third trip, and the first where we have had encounters with tsetse flies. A young man in our vehicle wore a dark maroon sweatshirt and he was like having a fly strip in the car. Fortunately, even though he attracted the flies to the vehicle they mostly went after him. He is an entomology student … so we now call him the fly. I don’t have the name of the pills handy … give me a multiple choice and I will tell you. Those of us taking them were taking the same one … digestive system and urinary problems.
Malarone is what we take in Africa, the best time to take them is with the evening meal so that they are buffered by the food, we never have any issues. If you cannot take it with food, it should be with quite a milky drink. Never take it on an empty stomach. If you don’t take malaria meds, and you get a fever for any time up to a year after your trip, malaria should be ruled out. Once you contract malaria, it stays in you for life, hiding sneakily in various parts of your body, potentially resurfacing when you body is below par or compromised such as in pregnancy, that’s where I mostly saw it in practice from Indians visiting relatives when their natural immunity has waned and they get what we originally called Pyrexia of unknown origin and then when a history is taken and travel discovered, they were tested for malaria and bingo!
Jan,
We went on the Kenya and Tanzania Safari at the end of August. I wore a fleece over a hooded sweatshirt. I also brought gloves The mornng safaris leave early and it was cold. Warmed up later - so layers are needed.
We took Malarone both on the South Africa Elegant Adventure and on our Kenya and Tanzania Safari. No one in our group of 6 had any problems with Malarone.
I have Malarone to take. I’m not sure which one my son and grandsons will be taking . I know Doxycycline is another choice.. Im sure these may have other names.
Mefloquine
Primaquine
Tafenoquind
Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone) Yes this is the drug we all have. Everyone taking it except one, an 18 year old nursing student has had bad reactions and has stopped taking it. Luckily for us, we would only have to worry about lurking maladies for a few more years should we contract malaria. (;-). The elephants are back at the Four Seasons watering hole. They came yesterday but I did not get any pictures. Maybe today. We go on our last game drive here this afternoon then fly back to Arusha and drive to Amboseli in Kenya tomorrow. Four people arrived without luggage, two missed their flight in Amsterdam and arrived the next day very late, and five did not arrive at all … last minute cancelation.
Sealord - I believe you have said this is your third K&T trip.
I'm curious:
a) have you spotted any animals that you never spotted on your two previous trips?
b) is the population of each type of animal similar to previous trips or have some animal populations significantly changed
c) do you recall if all of your three trips have been at this same time of the year or have you done the K&T at different times of the year? If they have been at different times of the year it would be interesting to get your assessment, after your tour is complete, as to what the benefits and disadvantages of each time were. Perhaps one time of the year had warmer temperatures, one had more rain, one you saw more baby animals, one you saw more animals crossing the river in the migration, etc.
These types of comparisons would likely be very useful to prospective first timers.
Never saw this before. All the trips were at the same time of year plus or minus a week or two. It has never been this cold. Today it got warm into the eighties, but was jacket cold in the first tour at six AM. We go to Amboseli tomorrow. Last trip it was under water, this year we will drive across the lake. Many more animals this year. Leopard sitings like above are ‘rare’. Have you ever wondered what it is like to ride with an Indy five hundred driver? How about doing it in a safari vehicle on a one lane bumpy rutted road with traffic in both directions? That’s what happens when the driver/guide learns there is a leopard siting nearby. I would have fastened my seat belt, but there was no time before I did not want to let go. They are amazing drivers. There were probably twenty safari vehicles there.
Sam, I can answer some of your questions
. We have been here twice in July and once in late December. Remember, this part of AFRICA has two wet seasons, the long rains, March thru May and the short rains, October to mid December. This is getting more and more fluid. We never encountered rain in July but on our December into January trip, the rains were lingering and we encountered very heavy rain, severe thunder and lightening particularly on one day and flooded ‘roads’ that we could not pass and had to divert. We did see some spectacular sites then, but I would not generally recommend going when it is the rainy season.
Animals, you will see plenty of animals without the added expense of going during the ‘migration’ which cannot be pinpointed on certain dates, it depends on the rains that year. During the dry season, the animals tend to congregate near the diminishing water holes and so therefore do the predators, lions, leopard, cheetah, hyena, birds of prey. So in fact, it is an advantage to go in the dry season and easier to spot the animals because there is no tall grass to hide them. Maybe harder to see lions because their coats match the dry grass perfectly.
If you want to see more variety of animals, then skip East Africa, such as Kenya and Tanzania and head for the Southern Africa countries such as Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, the animals you are likely to see here that you won’t see in Kenya and Tanzania, are many more rhinos, wild dogs which are fascinating to watch and you will likely see a den with puppies. We even saw a Honey Badger in Botswana which are very rare to spot. We have seen Sable, a very large antelope, and most spectacularly of all, Oryx, their horns are incredible. Then there are the Meerkats! I think you also see kudu too that you don’t get in the East African areas….I’m ashamed to say I bought some gorgeous ankle boots made of kudu leather in Namibia.
A cute looking animal you might see on K and T is the Geranuk antelope, smallish but with a very elongated neck, they fill in the gap between being able to reach food a bit higher than other antelope but not as high as the mighty giraffe. …we only saw one on our last visit but many more in 2007, they are getting rare. If you are into birds, there is the funny but deadly to snakes Secretary bird, named because their markings look like a lady Secretary, not exactly politically correct these days.
I’m sorry, but we have been obsessed with AFRICA since we were young kids watching David Attenborough on TV. We devour all his AFRICA wildlife shows and read many books on Africa, especially ones about Elephants. Another book to read is the first book by the Owens, They recount their incredible story of living in Africa. Delia….same Delia Owens who wrote Where the Crawdad Sings, about to open as a movie.
If you have your first AFRICA trip booked, I highly recommend viewing some wildlife AFRICA programs, because if you learn in advance about their behaviors, it really enhances your entire AFRICA experience.
We just watched “The Royal Tour: Tanzania” which we found quite interesting and added to our excitement for our August trip! I think we’ve watched some other nature shows about Africa (I don’t recall what they were), but then we were supposed to take this trip in 2020!
Flew to Arusha after a crack of dawn (dark) wake-up. We now have a sleep in morning … breakfast at seven thirty. Everyone is exhausted, and most went to bed around eiight thirty. We have made it to nine forty five.
That’s the first view during a morning safari, and the infinity pool at the Four Seasons.
Sealord I find it very appropriate that on your 3rd and final trip you were able to see the leopard eating it’s kill in the tree. I hope we have beginners luck seeing all the amazing animals that you’ve been so kind to post here. However I also know as you say seeing a leopard, especially with its kill is rare. So therefore I will try to go with reasonable expectations and enjoy whatever we see! Safe travels.
Comments
Cute hat, British. Did you make that?
A lot of kopje activity there. Is that a new terminal at Seronera? (at least new since 2015?
)
Look crazy don’t I, no I bought the hat at a craft fair, it was about $3 just before the tour, I could have easily made it. it’s a good idea to wear a hat because the heat can be quite fierce directly underneath the balloon fire.Especially for men who are balding Note the captain had a buff on his head, he was fun.it’s very cold when you first get to the balloon, does warm up a bit as the sun comes up, but most people need a coat or layers. I think it was. Christmas day, note the red hats.
I'm sure Sealord and his wife will be wearing their puffer jackets during the balloon ride!!
In the first few photos, the camera makes it look brighter than it really was. It wasn't dark, but there was no sign of the sun when we arrived at the launch site. Temps were downright chilly, in the low to mid 50's. The guys in the first photo have their hands in their pockets to keep them warm. A few of the ground crew had their hoodies pull up over their heads. Everyone was wearing long sleeves, fleeces/vests, and long pants. Some folks hovered near the supplemental heaters they use to initially fill the balloon. After sunrise which happened about 15 minutes, after we launched, at around 6:40 am, it started to slowly warm up. Irene- no inflight restrooms.
The gondola is still tilted on its side- the normal launch position. After climbing aboard, everyone assumed a reclining position- like during a space launch.
The "chase" crew.
We passed close to the place where they were setting up the champagne breakfast in the bush:
A cloudless blue sky, warm sun, and a happy crew after a wonderful flight and safe landing.
Thanks for the pics. We have 7 weeks to go. Appreciate all the advice re layered clothing. I don’t have a puffer jacket, but will bring a fleece, a jacket and likely a sweater or sweatshirt. Can’t wait!
Jan - when we went, I was very comfortable with fleece and a jacket.
Just some notes for the mask people. Bring two masks. No one is wearing masks. Exception. The Air France/KLM Lounge at SFO required masks when not eating or drinking, but everyone was eating and drinking. No masks at SFO, no masks on KLM, no masks at Schiphol (AMS). No masks at Kilimanjaro. No masks on safari, in the light airplanes, in the safari vehicles. You may wear them if you wish, and a very few people do. No testing unless you are ill, and then it will be ‘local’ unless the testee insists otherwise.
We did a six hour safari this morning and do to malaria pill issues and getting beaten up in the safari vehicle we skipped the afternoon ride. More in the ‘early morning. I think there is only one person still taking the malaria pills due to side affects.
Sealord thank you for the updates and great pictures.May I ask which Malaria meds are or were you taking?
Sealord, how bad are the mosquitoes? We are on the Tauck Bridges tour July 10 with our 11 yr old grandson. We are enjoying all of your posts and looking forward to our trip to Tanzania. Thanks for the posts!
Thank you for the pictures Sealord. Continue having a wonderful trip.
This is our third trip, and the first where we have had encounters with tsetse flies. A young man in our vehicle wore a dark maroon sweatshirt and he was like having a fly strip in the car. Fortunately, even though he attracted the flies to the vehicle they mostly went after him. He is an entomology student … so we now call him the fly. I don’t have the name of the pills handy … give me a multiple choice and I will tell you. Those of us taking them were taking the same one … digestive system and urinary problems.
Great pics, Sealord. We have a prescription for Malarone for malaria prevention. Really enjoying your reports. Thanks!
Malarone is what we take in Africa, the best time to take them is with the evening meal so that they are buffered by the food, we never have any issues. If you cannot take it with food, it should be with quite a milky drink. Never take it on an empty stomach. If you don’t take malaria meds, and you get a fever for any time up to a year after your trip, malaria should be ruled out. Once you contract malaria, it stays in you for life, hiding sneakily in various parts of your body, potentially resurfacing when you body is below par or compromised such as in pregnancy, that’s where I mostly saw it in practice from Indians visiting relatives when their natural immunity has waned and they get what we originally called Pyrexia of unknown origin and then when a history is taken and travel discovered, they were tested for malaria and bingo!
Jan,
We went on the Kenya and Tanzania Safari at the end of August. I wore a fleece over a hooded sweatshirt. I also brought gloves The mornng safaris leave early and it was cold. Warmed up later - so layers are needed.
We took Malarone both on the South Africa Elegant Adventure and on our Kenya and Tanzania Safari. No one in our group of 6 had any problems with Malarone.
I have Malarone to take. I’m not sure which one my son and grandsons will be taking . I know Doxycycline is another choice.. Im sure these may have other names.
Mefloquine
Primaquine
Tafenoquind
Different malaria meds are required in different parts of the world
Yes these are approved for Tanzania I don’t know if they are approved for Kenya
Yes, they are the same.
Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone) Yes this is the drug we all have. Everyone taking it except one, an 18 year old nursing student has had bad reactions and has stopped taking it. Luckily for us, we would only have to worry about lurking maladies for a few more years should we contract malaria. (;-). The elephants are back at the Four Seasons watering hole. They came yesterday but I did not get any pictures. Maybe today. We go on our last game drive here this afternoon then fly back to Arusha and drive to Amboseli in Kenya tomorrow. Four people arrived without luggage, two missed their flight in Amsterdam and arrived the next day very late, and five did not arrive at all … last minute cancelation.
Sealord - I believe you have said this is your third K&T trip.
I'm curious:
a) have you spotted any animals that you never spotted on your two previous trips?
b) is the population of each type of animal similar to previous trips or have some animal populations significantly changed
c) do you recall if all of your three trips have been at this same time of the year or have you done the K&T at different times of the year? If they have been at different times of the year it would be interesting to get your assessment, after your tour is complete, as to what the benefits and disadvantages of each time were. Perhaps one time of the year had warmer temperatures, one had more rain, one you saw more baby animals, one you saw more animals crossing the river in the migration, etc.
These types of comparisons would likely be very useful to prospective first timers.
Thanks
Great pictures Sealord !!!!
Never saw this before. All the trips were at the same time of year plus or minus a week or two. It has never been this cold. Today it got warm into the eighties, but was jacket cold in the first tour at six AM. We go to Amboseli tomorrow. Last trip it was under water, this year we will drive across the lake. Many more animals this year. Leopard sitings like above are ‘rare’. Have you ever wondered what it is like to ride with an Indy five hundred driver? How about doing it in a safari vehicle on a one lane bumpy rutted road with traffic in both directions? That’s what happens when the driver/guide learns there is a leopard siting nearby. I would have fastened my seat belt, but there was no time before I did not want to let go. They are amazing drivers. There were probably twenty safari vehicles there.
Sam, I can answer some of your questions
. We have been here twice in July and once in late December. Remember, this part of AFRICA has two wet seasons, the long rains, March thru May and the short rains, October to mid December. This is getting more and more fluid. We never encountered rain in July but on our December into January trip, the rains were lingering and we encountered very heavy rain, severe thunder and lightening particularly on one day and flooded ‘roads’ that we could not pass and had to divert. We did see some spectacular sites then, but I would not generally recommend going when it is the rainy season.
Animals, you will see plenty of animals without the added expense of going during the ‘migration’ which cannot be pinpointed on certain dates, it depends on the rains that year. During the dry season, the animals tend to congregate near the diminishing water holes and so therefore do the predators, lions, leopard, cheetah, hyena, birds of prey. So in fact, it is an advantage to go in the dry season and easier to spot the animals because there is no tall grass to hide them. Maybe harder to see lions because their coats match the dry grass perfectly.
If you want to see more variety of animals, then skip East Africa, such as Kenya and Tanzania and head for the Southern Africa countries such as Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, the animals you are likely to see here that you won’t see in Kenya and Tanzania, are many more rhinos, wild dogs which are fascinating to watch and you will likely see a den with puppies. We even saw a Honey Badger in Botswana which are very rare to spot. We have seen Sable, a very large antelope, and most spectacularly of all, Oryx, their horns are incredible. Then there are the Meerkats! I think you also see kudu too that you don’t get in the East African areas….I’m ashamed to say I bought some gorgeous ankle boots made of kudu leather in Namibia.
A cute looking animal you might see on K and T is the Geranuk antelope, smallish but with a very elongated neck, they fill in the gap between being able to reach food a bit higher than other antelope but not as high as the mighty giraffe. …we only saw one on our last visit but many more in 2007, they are getting rare. If you are into birds, there is the funny but deadly to snakes Secretary bird, named because their markings look like a lady Secretary, not exactly politically correct these days.
I’m sorry, but we have been obsessed with AFRICA since we were young kids watching David Attenborough on TV. We devour all his AFRICA wildlife shows and read many books on Africa, especially ones about Elephants. Another book to read is the first book by the Owens, They recount their incredible story of living in Africa. Delia….same Delia Owens who wrote Where the Crawdad Sings, about to open as a movie.
If you have your first AFRICA trip booked, I highly recommend viewing some wildlife AFRICA programs, because if you learn in advance about their behaviors, it really enhances your entire AFRICA experience.
We just watched “The Royal Tour: Tanzania” which we found quite interesting and added to our excitement for our August trip! I think we’ve watched some other nature shows about Africa (I don’t recall what they were), but then we were supposed to take this trip in 2020!
Flew to Arusha after a crack of dawn (dark) wake-up. We now have a sleep in morning … breakfast at seven thirty. Everyone is exhausted, and most went to bed around eiight thirty. We have made it to nine forty five.
That’s the first view during a morning safari, and the infinity pool at the Four Seasons.
No animals yet at the watering hole? So, is the pool still "heated" like always?
Sealord,
The first picture is so stunning in its simplicity!
There’s no one in it, that should be a clue it’s too cold 😂😂I’m so grateful it looks as if the Four Seasons has been taken off the bridges tour!
Sealord I find it very appropriate that on your 3rd and final trip you were able to see the leopard eating it’s kill in the tree. I hope we have beginners luck seeing all the amazing animals that you’ve been so kind to post here. However I also know as you say seeing a leopard, especially with its kill is rare. So therefore I will try to go with reasonable expectations and enjoy whatever we see! Safe travels.