Thoughts after just returning - 8-20 June 2024
I have just returned from this trip and it was OUTSTANDING. Before the trip that we’d been planning for the last year, I scoured this forum for all information regarding the trip. I learned a lot and thought that I’d provide my take on the trip to hopefully answer some questions that folks might have. I am 56 years old and traveled with my 58-year-old husband and 22-year-old son.
Our group had 30 people ranging in age from 13 to 85. The group was very compatible and enjoyable. Our Tour Director was Calden Smith and he was flawless. I truly had no issues or complaints. We felt the food was not good. It was plentiful and fresh but just not that good. And it was very repetitive. However, we did not go for the food. If the restaurant has a station that is making food (pasta station, omelet station, stir-fry station), chose that option even if you have to wait. It was always the best thing being served. And the service at the Four Seasons was unacceptable with mostly untrained service people. BUT….the location was spectacular and the rooms were lovely.
I’m hoping it will be useful to folks. I’ve read everything on this Forum and it was so helpful to me.
Recommendations/Thoughts:
• If you haven’t bought your airline tickets, strongly recommend going in two days early. Almost everyone on our trip had delays. Thirteen of us were on a connection that sat for five hours at the gate and we all missed our connection. We arrived hours before the actual tour began and missed the recovery time and the first hotel. Very stressful. Worked out okay but it was touch and go for a bit as flights are very limited if you miss a connection. We had to wait 24 hours in Amsterdam while the family of ten had to sit in two airports for 8-10 hours each waiting for flights. At least we got a bed to sleep in.
• Goodr sunglasses: No slip. No bounce. All polarized. All fun. Inexpensive but attractive. I think they are silicon and they are so light and stay on your face with all of the bumping and bouncing. $25-35.
• Binoculars: Definitely yes. And a good pair. We had them and shared with our vehicle mates that didn’t have them. Really do need them.
• Step-In Sketchers: These are a new must have for me for everything, but especially travel. For the game drives, if you aren’t really tall, you’re likely to need to stand on the seats to view. And you need to take your shoes off, so the step-ins make it so easy to do this.
• African Safari Travel Journal: Ordered from Amazon. Good for keeping track of what you see. But while on Safari, use “Notes” in your phone to keep track then fill in the journal later. (African Safari Travel Journal: A prompted, African themed, travel journal to record sightings and experiences of your journey, with funfacts about the big five.: Angels, Design: 9798534871975: Amazon.com: Books) - $10.49
• African animals pamphlet from Amazon to identify animals in East Africa. (East Africa Wildlife: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species in Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda (Wildlife and Nature Identification): Kavanagh Waterford Press, James, Waterford Press Waterford Press, Leung Raymond Leung Raymond: 9781583559383: Amazon.com: Books) - $7.95. And take a Sharpie to mark them off as you see them.
• Malaria medicine. Most took Malorone and most had stomach aches/issues including my son and husband. My physician said I had three options. We went through each of them and the side effects. I decided on Doxycycline. I had no stomach issues at all. Recommend you discuss this option with your doctor.
• Hotels did not add surcharge onto bills when using a credit card. The Cultural Center in Arusha did add a 5% surcharge when using a credit card.
• Have $1 bills on you when you stop for bathroom breaks. If there was an attendant, I gave a $1.
• Wi-Fi: Had it at every hotel. Most of the time it worked in your room but sometimes you had to be in/hear the lobby. We did have the AT&T Plan that works worldwide but didn’t actually need it. We left our phones in airplane mode the whole time. We used Wi-Fi throughout the trip. The TD used What’s App to communicate with our group. My son was able to keep in contact with his girlfriend throughout the trip quite easily. Others did use their international plans and were mostly able to get internet even on the game drives.
• Tauck provides water bottles on the first day and provided water to drink throughout the tour. Water was always in the rooms and plentiful to use and replenished at each room cleaning. We put a washcloth over the faucets to remember not to use it. It worked.
• We took the full-sized luggage as did most people. Totally appropriate and easy. The duffels should be packed in your bag (take the plastic bag off of it). The days you need them make it really easy. You pack what you need for the two places and no one had any issues. The size is perfect.
• Packing Cubes: My first time using them. I’m still on the fence about them but they were very useful for this trip. We each packed a change of clothes and a couple pairs of socks/underwear into two packing cubes each. One set went in our carry-on in case we had travel issues (we did). The other set went in someone else’s luggage in case luggage didn’t arrive (it did).
• Toiletries: If you prefer bar soap, bring your own. Two hotels didn’t have conditioner so if you need it, bring it.
• Day bag contents for game drives that I used: binoculars, sunglasses, lens wipes, buff, phone (camera), portable recharger, Deet insect wipes, water bottle
• Day bag contents for game drives that I didn’t use: pen, paper, hand sanitizer, body wipes, Motrin/Tylenol,
• Took but didn’t need:
o Flashlight. Didn’t need/use them and some rooms had them
o Body wipes: Thought I would need them but didn’t.
o Rain jacket: Would probably still take it. We did have lovely weather and didn’t need it.
o Second pair of walking shoes: Would still take them. Again, didn’t need them but could see where you would.
• Camera: I am not a photographer and just used my iPhone 13. It was okay. I ordered a long lens to take faraway pictures. It was too hard to use to take pictures with the bouncing around so I didn’t use it. I still got pretty good pictures. My son has an iPhone 12 MAX which has the three camera lenses on his phone and it had way better zoom on it. Would recommend an iPhone with the three lenses that has way better zoom. His pictures were fantastic. My husband, a pretty good photographer, had the iPhone 13. He used a contraption that allowed him to attach his binoculars to his phone and shoot that way and his pictures were also fantastic. He did take a tripod that had the flexible legs where you could attach them to objects. He highly recommended it and did use it quite a bit. He could attach it to the vehicle and it steadied the camera. I know several have said that tripods are tripods are worthless on the game drives, but he used his. This is not the one he has, but the idea: Amazon.com: UBeesize Phone Tripod, Premium Flexible Phone Tripod with Remote and Phone Mount, Mini Tripod Stand for Camera, GoPro : Cell Phones & Accessories = $15.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Comments
Thanks for your review. You are the only person besides myself who did not like the Four Seasons hotel. Yes, when we went in December 2019, we thought the food service was sub par and the food so so for a Four Seasons. The dining room was very dark, you could hardly see each other. A small group of us sat on a table in the almost deserted dining room at dinner. One other table had people on the other side of the room and yet we were asked to keep quiet. The hotel pool was frigid. No one used it and when I asked, the staff said they were hoping to heat it sometime in the future. Such a shame because it is in a gorgeous setting. We are about to go on the Tauck family Bridges Safari and so glad they no longer go to that hotel
Where were the bathroom breaks where you had attendants. I don’t recall that. On some tours where this has been the case, the tour director has always given the attendants the tip for the entire group.
My shoes are slip on, but will probably take shoes off when I get in the vehicle and keep them off throughout the drive.
Thank you again
Hi British. The Four Season's Boma - yes - so dark. We had to use our lights on our cameras to see the menu and to see the food. So strange. The pool was freezing but we went in every day just because it was so beautiful and we were hoping to have animals come into the watering hole. Elephants did come up twice but not while we were in the pool.
Bathroom breaks with attendants were in several places including airports and during one of the game drives in the middle of it. Perhaps our TD did tip and I didn't see it. Was pleasantly surprised that we had frequent bathroom breaks and all places had TP! Even at our outdoor, middle of nowhere breakfasts and lunches, they put up potties with "tents" around them.
Did forget to mention that one of my favorite parts of the trip were when we were driven to an airstrip, got out of the vehicles and walked right onto the plane. It took off, landed at another airstrip, got off and into our vehicles. Saved so much time vice driving and we felt like rock stars. So fun.
Fun times! Our first K and T tour had less flights but we so enjoyed seeing the driving safari along the way! There’s nothing like holding on or your bosom for dear life when you drive along roads that have big rocks all over them for miles. Way less paved roads back then. On our more adventurous safaris, we have used what they call ‘long drop’ toilets….use your imagination for that.
Now all you have to do is do a safari in one of the Southern African countries because everything is very different, example, you cannot stand on seats.
On our most recent safari. There was a lady who said she had been to Africa eight times. When we got to our first airfield, she said, oh where is the building? Where is the airship? We all pointed to the grass in front of us and said, this is it! She couldn’t believe it, so I’m not sure what she had experienced before but she always said she connected with the locals in all the countries.
I just had a thought for the perfect socks to wear on game drives. For those of you who will be visiting a hospital (as a patient) for "procedure" before your next safari, save the special socks they typically provide. The socks I received (too many times recently) were a bit gaudy (bright yellow) and clashed with the fashionable (vented back) gown
I had to wear, but they are covered with little non-skid dots which should grab the safari vehicle seat very well and keep you from slipping when you stand up to view or photograph animals. 
😂😂😂 Yellow, I’ve never had yellow! I knew I should have kept mine, the doctors always ask me where I’m going on my next trip! 😂😂😂
Has anyone used the laundry services at the hotels/lodges (K&T Classic Safari), and if so, did that work out well?
Yes, we have only had a problem once years ago, ruined a safari shirt of my husbands. We were once on a safari at a small lodge with few people staying. One lady who had taken minimal clothing sent a shirt to the laundry and it never returned Avoid taking white, or if you do, be careful avoid getting it washed. As the dirt is brownish and stains, don’t take any fancy clothing.
Other than that they do a great job and it returns promptly. I have found that at some places they will knock on your door with the returned laundry knows wing you are there andl I guess in anticipation of a tip. Some places don’t launder underwear.
Great wrap up and tips! I am getting ready for my 8/26 trip. I do get there 2 days early so glad I planned that. Flying Precision Air out of Dar Es Salaam-has anyone experienced significant delays or lost luggage? The feedback is brutal...
On the SA an Elegant Adventure our vehicles were very close to the animals and we were able to take great photos with iPhones and did not require binoculars at all. Is this the case for K&T safaris? Also curious if there was crowding with other vehicles during the safaris. Booked for K&T Sept 2025. Thank you and Cheers!
We did not take or use binoculars on K&T, some did- just one more thing to carry. If you just want to say you saw something, binocs might be nice, but even with binocs you still will not likely get a decent level of detail and they will be totally useless unless the vehicle (and animal) is not in motion.
When we did K&T all drivers, not just Tauck, monitored the same radio frequency, so once an interesting animal(s) was spotted and reported on the radio, all drivers raced to that location. It can get pretty busy at times. Most are courteous and give each other and their passengers the opportunity for the best or closest photo location. But be prepared to take your photos at the first opportunity, it may be fleeting.
Go to the other K and T post and see amazing lion photos yesterday…no binoculars or fancy Photo lenses there. We always take binoculars though.
I see many comments regarding standing on seats and curious if this is a frequent requirement or specific to certain situations. On SA EA the Land Cruisers had 3 tiered seating and everyone had a "window" seat with no standing necessary. Appreciate any further insight as also many mentions regarding slip on footwear. Cheers.
Graytsky - Everyone has a window seat, but there is an open roof window that people will sometimes stand on the seat in order to get a better un-obstructed perspective from above the open roof window. The picture below kind of shows you what I'm describing.
Standing is not required and is not as important with vehicles that have fully open sides as it is with vehicles with hard plexi or glass windows that may be scratched or dirty. But, standing may allow you to pivot more easily to view the surroundings as well as animals that are in close without having seats, vehicle structure, or other passengers in the way.
Some vehicles don't have a pop-up roof, but may, like this vehicle in Botswana, have roof seats
The K and T and east Africa safaris are very different which is why I always recommend going to both parts of Africa. It is totally normal to stand on seats in K and T. But take your shoes off!
In Southern Africa… South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe for example, it is not permitted for you to stand in a vehicle which are also much more open and higher off the ground and more tricky to get in and out.
Back in the day, Tauck had their own vehicles as pictured above. These days they subcontract
Perfect! Thanks for the insight and photos Alan S, British, and Smiling Sam. Appreciate the perspective from all on this forum.
How did you pay for beer, wine and alcohol on your tour?
You pay with a credit card.