Just Returned. A Guide for your Journey.
K/T Classic Safari Notes Travel Dates: 7/22 – 8/6 (Dry Season)
This is not a typical trip report. Rather, we wish to provide information to help travelers prepare to enjoy the experience as much as we did. Africa surprises at every turn. The fewer preconceived notions, the better.
I spent considerable time over the past year asking questions on this Forum and the many helpful responses were invaluable. Special thanks to British and SeaLord among many others.
Overall Impression: Fantastic. Amazing. Memorable.
Tauck's brochure lists the tour as “Activity Level 2/Pace Level 4”. They aren't kidding. My wife says the Pace Level was closer to a 5. While you may get assistance getting into and out of the safari vehicle, don't expect it.
Visas: Imperative that the date on your Tanzania Visa is the exact date you arrive at the Customs & Immigration desk. Take all 5 pages and be sure to have signed it. The ETA for entry into Kenya must be printed – not just on your phone.
Medical: Our doctor recommended against the Yellow fever shot due to our age and gave us a waiver letter. Other shots we DID take were Hep-A and previously Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis and Typhoid. We took the malaria pills at dinner and had no adverse reaction.
Our shot records were not requested upon arrival in Tanzania. Likewise, as we crossed the border into Kenya. Be sure to have them but don't be surprised if they're never asked for.
Insects: None encountered. We sprayed our clothing with Permethrin (may have been overkill) and used Picaridin lotion on occasion. Two 3 oz bottles was more than enough.
Luggage: We checked two 20” suitcases (with Apple Air Tags inside) and used one of the Tauck duffel bags as a carry-on which included our meds and a change of clothes for each of us in case the suitcases were lost or delayed. The other Tauck duffel was packed in a suitcase. Once we identified our luggage from the large collection of suitcases on the other side of Arusha's Immigration area, we never had to touch them again throughout the whole Tour. Tauck has this down to a well oiled process. Your bags simply appear in your next hotel/lodge room. We highly recommend that you use the green Tauck duffel bags. They hold a lot of stuff and it helps the TD identify them more easily.
Devices: Every hotel/Lodge had USB-A charging ports. The Mount Kenya Safari Club room had only one at the desk but 3-prong electrical outlets were next to the bed if you carry a converter. I took a charging brick but never needed it. The safari vehicles have charging ports but some did not work.
Clothing: Plan on layers. Temperatures ranged from low 50's up to mid-80's.
A zip-up or button-up sweater makes stripping down during a game drive a lot easier. Zip-off pants worked well too. Two pairs of shoes is enough. One for the game drives (and Maasai village visit – very dusty), and one for evenings at the lodges. Some women travelers wore dressier tops at dinner but the majority wore the next day's safari clothes. The predawn drive to the Balloon ride is COLD but the vehicle includes nice heavy blankets. The actual balloon ride isn't that cold and no scarfs are allowed (it is an entanglement risk apparently). Use your gaiter instead. Gloves were not necessary either.
Laundry: Wait to do laundry until you reach the Amboseli Lodge at the end of Day 7. Best prices and overnight service.
Land Travel: The roads are very rough and dusty. We used inflatable seat cushions for some of the worst journeys. A gaiter is a must against the dust.
My wife used the drawstring bag (inside the Tauck duffel) as her day bag while I found that a cross-body Sling Bag (G4Free) did the trick. We did not use the heavier metal Tauck water bottle but went with smaller plastic bottles we received on the first bush plane flight.
Local Air Travel: All five of the flights were well coordinated and enjoyable. Nothing to prepare for except to be on time. Note: A couple of the dirt airstrips included nothing more than a shack with restrooms. Take tissues and hand sanitizer.
Currency: US Dollars are preferred. The bills should be dated no earlier than 2017 and void of any marks or tears. All the gift shops we visited took credit cards.
Opticals: Use lanyards for your cell phone and sunglasses. Anything dropped out of the vehicle most likely will be lost for good.
Binoculars should be 20x25 minimum. Your safari driver may have a couple of loaners to use. We did not take a camera – our iPhone 17's worked fine. There were three fellow travelers who had professional grade setups and they shared some amazing shots with us via an app called PhotoCircle.
Shopping: The Cultural Heritage Center in Arusha is a must see. Unfortunately the Day 7 itinerary only allowed about 90 minutes and that included a buffet lunch. If possible, start your journey a day early and have your TD arrange the 20 minute transport to the Center. It demands at least 2 hours to experience the expansive native works of art. A couple of shops in the same complex include trinkets, clothing and art work. The absolute best prices for trinkets are at the Kenyan border crossing. The women are a bit aggressive so be patient. We should have taken more time to shop their wares as we later discovered much higher prices everywhere else on the trip.
Tipping: Our TD had a Venmo account so we didn't need a wad of cash. We tipped only a couple of exceptional drivers very discreetly. Don't flash the cash. Other than that, Tauck took care of it.
We hope this information is helpful. Enjoy the ride, it is spectacular.
Comments
Thanks for this extensive and very worthwhile information. We are departing on the K&T safari on 8/19 (can't wait). Interesting to know that your guide accepted Venmo. If you don't mind sharing who your guide was, that would be great. We are arriving in Arusha on 8/17 so, with the info you provided, we may look to spend some time at the Cultural Heritage Center the day before our tour begins.
Our TD was Staci Knight. When we completed our tour, she flew immediately back to Arusha for her next tour. I believe she said that she had Back-to-Back tours but I may have misunderstood. If you are lucky enough to have Staci, please tell her Tripp & Claudia say thanks again for a fantastic journey. Cheers.
Thank you for the great review Tripp. Just one correction. It is not a converter you need, it is an adapter