We are so excited about the trip. This is our first trip to Africia yet it has been a dream of mine for a very long time. Still reading lots of blogs. Think I like the statement "pack very little, and then pack even less." Just finishing "A Guide to the Birds of East Africia" It is a novel, an easy read and off the recommended reading list. Look forward to meeting you.
My husband and I are also booked on this trip. We are looking forward to meeting everyone. We are currently living in St Petersburg, Florida. Thank you for the book tip, Jordana.
Lynne
We are also on the July 27th tour. We are sisters from NYC/CT. Looking forward to meeting everyone!
We are still struggling with what type of shoes to bring, how much money we need, and if we will need long sleeves everyday. Any insight?
Hi! There is another topic in this forum called "How Much Money to Bring." I wrote 2 or 3 posts under that topic that might be helpful to you.
And for you readers out there, I recommend "Love, Life, and Elephants" by Daphne Sheldrick. Even though Tauck doesn't visit this particular facility, the book is a very interesting story of her life with the elephants. And you will see many, many elephants on your trip!
In May, it was cool in the mornings and then warmed up during the day, so we had to layer. You could wear a long-sleeved shirt over a short-sleeved shirt or tee-shirt, and then take it off later. You will not need a lot of clothes. The laundry service in the hotels is inexpensive, good, and fast; so if anything gets really dirty, you can send it out. You might want one or two nicer tops to put on for dinner, especially in the two "fancier" hotels.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
My husband wears contact lenses; fortunately, he didn't have any problems. Of course, he wore sunglasses all day, so they deflected the dust. We were also in Africa right after the rainy season, so there may not have been as much dust as there could be during other months. Much of the dust was kicked up when there was a vehicle right in front of us. We wore "buff bandanas" around our necks to pull up over our mouths and noses when needed!
Yes, soap and shampoo are provided. I'm not sure about the hairdryers because I bring my own little dual-voltage dryer that has a brush attachment. But I think I remember seeing them in most of the rooms, maybe all of the rooms.
We just returned from the June 30th trip, and all our rooms had hairdryers as well as the basic toiletries.
My husband wears contacts and never complained once about dust.
It was much chillier than we expected at the equator in Africa, but many of the hotels are 4000 feet or more above sea level (I think the highest was around 7000). I would definitely recommended layers.
Comments
Lynne
We are still struggling with what type of shoes to bring, how much money we need, and if we will need long sleeves everyday. Any insight?
And for you readers out there, I recommend "Love, Life, and Elephants" by Daphne Sheldrick. Even though Tauck doesn't visit this particular facility, the book is a very interesting story of her life with the elephants. And you will see many, many elephants on your trip!
In May, it was cool in the mornings and then warmed up during the day, so we had to layer. You could wear a long-sleeved shirt over a short-sleeved shirt or tee-shirt, and then take it off later. You will not need a lot of clothes. The laundry service in the hotels is inexpensive, good, and fast; so if anything gets really dirty, you can send it out. You might want one or two nicer tops to put on for dinner, especially in the two "fancier" hotels.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Ilene
Anyone know of people having problems wearing contact lenses while on the dusty roads?
Thanks, Ilene
Do all the lodges/camps furnish shampoo, hand soap, and hair dryers?
My husband wears contacts and never complained once about dust.
It was much chillier than we expected at the equator in Africa, but many of the hotels are 4000 feet or more above sea level (I think the highest was around 7000). I would definitely recommended layers.