Shorts and short sleeve shirts on safari?
I'll be taking 3 - 4 pr. of the (Columbia) convertible pants and safari shirts with sleeve tabs which can be used to keep the sleeves short (rolled up.)
Are there times when you can safely wear a regular short sleeve shirt and shorts with minimal chance of getting bit by mosquitoes, etc.?
I assume during game drives and while visiting a Masai village and the animal orphanage, or any time exposed to the direct sun for more than a few minutes, it is generally recommended to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants to protect against mosquitoes and sun, but what about during down time at the lodges between game drives and in the evening?
Are there times when you can safely wear a regular short sleeve shirt and shorts with minimal chance of getting bit by mosquitoes, etc.?
I assume during game drives and while visiting a Masai village and the animal orphanage, or any time exposed to the direct sun for more than a few minutes, it is generally recommended to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants to protect against mosquitoes and sun, but what about during down time at the lodges between game drives and in the evening?
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The itinerary and some hotels are different than when I did the K and T tour, so i think you do have a couple of free afternoons in the fancier hotels when we had extra safaris included instead. So shorts and tee shirt should be fine then, but maybe you will be swimming or having massages or even sleeping after all the very early mornings. Also always risk of tsetse flies during the day, the sun is very strong at the equator compared to the temperature.
After a couple of days on our first AFRICA tour we switched to long pants, so I would suggest you have the options to do either like your convertibles and layers. I used my safari shirts for layering because it is cold early morning when the drives begin. Also don't forget a buff for the dust.
I took both short and long-sleeve shirts and convertible pants. Wore the short-sleeve shirt once and converted to shorts never. Mostly a sun issue. Mosquitoes were never a problem (as an annoyance...they were present enough to make us feel that taking Malarone was a good decision), but there are also flies so a layer of cloth was a good idea. British's point about putting Deet on the clothes and not the skin is also very valid.
We went in late January/early February this year. While it was warm (70-90 degrees during the day depending on location...mostly low 80's), it was also quite dry and not humid so the long clothing wasn't too hot.
Meanwhile, back at the clothing issue, there were several men who spent the entire trip in shorts. Many people, men and women, wore short sleeve shirts. I had shirts, like you, from Duluth Trading Company that were very light weight and I could roll up the sleeves and button them so they stayed short. I used them that way almost all the time. Mornings could be cool, so using the long sleeves was more comfortable.
As Portolan pointed out, sun can be more of an issue than bugs. The temperatures during June and July were very comfortable...mostly high 70s, low 80s. The Toyotas with the popup roof help keep the sun off of you also. Sunscreen was a good idea, but a big brimmed hat and some good sunglasses were even better. I used a Tilley hat along with some wraparound Oakley sunglasses and they worked well.
Most of this is personal choice and comfort. We can all chime in, but it boils down what makes you feel you are protected and how you want to do that. Hopefully, you'll not have insect issues and be able to wear what you want. If you do run into bugs, there will be a lot of choices on how to handle it. If you didn't bring something you need you will find someone else did. It was like traveling in a Walgreen's store. Within the group there was every kind of lotion, cream, spray, wipe, pill, liquid, etc. you could possibly use for insect and germ protection....just ask--someone has it. I didn't use much of anything I brought, but I did have it just in case. I probably gave away more than I used.
The one thing I did use was a round of antibiotics for some bowel issues. Nothing serious, but it needed taken care of. I made the mistake of eating some raw veggies (which I told myself beforehand that I would not) and got a little loose in the caboose. I know that everyone in here says the veggies and fruit are rinsed with filtered water, but I don't believe it and figured I would only eat cooked fruit and veggies or ones that I peeled myself. There were a number of people with gastric issues and some got pretty serious. Mine was minor and the antibiotics cleaned it up quickly. I did not eat any more raw fruit and veggies and had no further issues. As Seth, the tour director, pointed out....it isn't that stuff is so dirty there, it is that our GI systems are so clean that we can't handle even small amounts of contaminants. I just told myself that it wasn't like I'd never eat another salad or melon, I just wouldn't get any for two weeks. Not a big deal. When I go back I will be more careful.
Have a great time. It is a wonderful trip; the best Tauck tour I have taken. I am working on taking my entire family there in the near future. It will be expensive, but I can't take it with me and it will provide a great memory of a family trip for everyone.
ndvb, we are on the 13 June departure (82 days, 22 hours, 49 min. and 42 sec. to go, but who's counting?
Based on everyone's input, I think we are ok. I'll throw in one set of shorts just for the heck of it and maybe a short sleeve Aloha shirt or two (designs look more African than Hawaiian
Thinking about what clothes we will be taking, it sure seems like it might all fit in our duffles, though anymore we are less inclined to carry on anything more than a purse, camera/computer bag, and one small carry-on with some contingency clothes should our regular baggage get delayed.
One more thing- I've been in training of sorts for this trip. Over the last two years I've put on a few pounds, so on 1 January this year I started a diet (1200-1400 cal. intake per day) and an exercise program using the Fitbit tracker my wife got me for XMAS - in just a few weeks I was up to a 5 mi. (hour and a half) brisk walk every day. Despite some nasty winter weather (ice, snow, rain), a late winter bug, and some initial issues with blisters on my feet, I have only missed 4 days. I have lost almost 25 lbs. so far and am feeling great. I shouldn't have any problem reaching my goal (another 10 lbs.) so when we get back, I will probably continue with my program.
AlanS- contrats on the health regimen!
QUESTION: I was told there was not much walking on this trip, and I hope that is true. Can anyone else who has taken this trip comment about how much walking we will need to do.
AlanS- contrats on the health regimen!
QUESTION: I was told there was not much walking on this trip, and I hope that is true. Can anyone else who has taken this trip comment about how much walking we will need to do.
There can be as little walking as you wish/need. Most days there were one or two game drives which involve walking to the safari vehicles in the hotel parking area and then sitting (or standing) for the rest of the drive. Rarely do you exit the vehicles except at rest stops. The things we did which required walking (market visit from the Dulati hotel, hike around Lake Dulati, etc.) were optional and/or arranged on our own. The longest walking embedded in the trip was probably the 100 yards or so when visiting the white rhinos in Massai Mara.
ALAN S, congrats on the weight loss, if you get caught by a lion you are not going to be as tasty or be enough to share with the Cubs. I've been walking about five miles five days a week for years and swimming every day about six months a year and I never lose an ounce. But I always put on a few pounds on a Tauck tour and take months to lose them.
Comparing to South Africa. We went during an August and it is absolutely freezing when you start the early morning game drives until later when the sun comes up. I'm talking hat, gloves, fleece and the blankets that are provided in the safari vehicle! Later on it gets warm, so layers are important. You will need to check average temperatures if you go at other times of the year.
There is very little fruit and veg that has not been peeled on offer. The food is nicely cooked without all the awful salt that you get here in America. I particularly liked the soups. These hotels are really careful preparing food for us, it is not worth their reputation to serve contaminated food and certainly would be a lot of extra work for them if everyone was vomiting and having diarrhea all over the place. Hand washing handwashing handwashing! Keep your hands away from your face your face your face!
Hopefully our jeeps will have an inward grip door handles and doors will be kept locked so we do not have to worry about the lioness opening the door as we saw was done in South Africa!
And my overpacking fetish will be easier to deal with as I read how everyone wears the same things over and over. I always take more than I need but generally wear most of the items I pack. This trip I'll learn to wear things more than I've done in the past. Someone had posted that they wore a clean outfit to dinner and then reword it the next day on safari. That was a great idea.
British- I'm impressed with your exercise regiment and agree with you about the quality of Tauck food! They do search out and find the best for the tours. You and AlanS have become the poster "children" for good fitness. Now when is the last time you were referred to as a child!!!
Portolan- and for shopping, I'll dig deep to find the stamina to walk!
A QUESTION FOR THE LADIES....I have an ever growing charm bracelet that contains a gold charm for every place I visit (have to get back to Singapore for that merlion I never went back to get). Do the (better) hotels in Kenya and Tanzania have a jewelry store I might find a gold charm as I don't believe I'll venture off the properties by myself to look for an established jeweler??
Thanks. I will likely switch over to swimming too. I was never a runner and not much of a walker either, and my knees have been getting a little sore lately. I was a competitive swimmer as a child and teen, and returned to training and competing in my late 50's. But, after Nationals (National Senior Games- 3 top 10 finishes) I was a little burned out, so I took two weeks off from training, which became two months, which became several years. So, to keep from ruining my knees and avoid walking in the heat, I'm probably headed back to the pool on Monday. The goal this time is calories burned, not fast times.
On required walking during the tour...walk to your Toyota, your room, dinner, to the bathrooms. Voluntary walking, shopping, visiting the village, walk around the lake.
On weight gains during Tauck tours....I never gain or lose weight during the tours. There is usually enough activity to cover the calorie intake unless you are doing endless grazing at the buffet.
On food on the safari....This is not a culinary tour!!!! The food is good and enjoyable, but not 5-star. I don't care what people say about the hotel's reputation being damaged by serving bad food, there is a good chance some, if not many, of the people in your group will come down with some type of GI distress. You may not hear about it, but at some point if you are paying attention to what is going on around you, you will hear the conversation about some "loose in the caboose" issues. We had a couple of people get quite sick (with at least one having their distress last well into their return home), but most of us just had some minor issues. I will never tell you not to eat any of the food offered. As British says, all of it is pre-peeled, except an occasional orange or banana. I will tell you I won't eat the fresh peeled and "rinsed" fruit and veggies if I go again. They can tell me it is all rinsed with "filtered" water, but I don't believe them or at least don't think the water is "filtered" to the point where everything is free of bacteria. I've heard British tell us everything is ok, and it might have been for her. I hope it is for you too. I just saw a couple of people struggle with these issues and it made their trip much less enjoyable. That is a big waste of money. Tauck, nor the hotels, aren't completely responsible. The clients have choices to make and are responsible for the ones they make. Remember, TIA (This Is Africa). I wouldn't take a veggie peeler. Missing out on raw fruits and veggies for two weeks is not something I think I am going to worry about. Eat the cooked veggies, they are very good. A couple of folks missed some game drives because they knew they weren't going to be close to a bathroom and "checking the spare tire or lug nuts" on the Toyotas was not something they wanted to do. You'll understand that phrase, if you don't already, when you get on the tour. You have paid too much money to be in the bathroom for a big part of the day.
On the packing.....I have two rules for packing clothes. 1. If you aren't going to wear it at least three times, it stays home. 2. No one can change rule number 1, including tours that say we have "formal events." Tuxes, suits, or jackets have no place in my bag. They take up too much room with added ties, shirts, dress shoes, etc. I pay no attention to what others wear, especially on a trip like this one. They could wear the same stuff all the time. I wouldn't have the foggiest notion they did that. I went on this trip to see the animals, not what people wear. I took three pairs of khaki safari pants, three long sleeved Duluth button down shirts, two short sleeve button down shirts, 5 pairs of underwear and socks, an extra pair of waterproof Keen shoes, a couple of short sleeve T-shirts and cotton shorts, an extra belt, a light jacket, a sweat shirt, and a couple of Buffs (which I didn't use). All of this fit easily in a medium suitcase along with some electronic gadgets. I put my camera, lenses, and computers in my backpack with a couple of the items listed above (incase I had a luggage issue).
Rx.....I took a regimen of antibiotics, which I used when I had some minor GI issues, my regular daily vitamins, a daily prescription, some OTC anti-acids, hand sanitizer (there was plenty in the hotels), prescribed malaria Rx, mosquito wipes and spray (I'd not take it again since every hotel had it in our rooms). Most of it was overkill, but better safe than sorry.
British is correct....wash your hands often and keep them away from your face. I didn't shake hands with people...I used the old "fist-bump."
Put the wash cloth in your bathroom over the faucet to remind you NOT to use the faucet water for drinking or brushing your teeth. Believe me, there will be times when you will start to put your toothbrush under the water spigot just by habit. The wash cloth will stop you. Keep your mouth closed in the shower. Tauck provides plenty of bottled water in your room and on the game drives. Drink bottled water for dinner.
Jewelry......I have no idea.
OK, all of this is just one man's advice. Use it, or ignore it....you won't hurt my feelings if you think it is not worthwhile. You'll have a great time. Just think about what you are there for and make decisions that will fulfill those goals. Enjoy.
Clothing, your clothing may not get smelly but it does get very dirty and dusty on this trip, it's definitely the uniqueness of Africa, as long as you are Ok with that you are fine.
I feel as if i am in Africa all the time at present, our roads are so dreadful with pot holes it reminds me of the safari of the safari rides. I now feel I could say i am experienced enough to apply for a job as a safari driver and identifying animals no problem. But spotting a leopard in a tree from a distance, no way, leave that to the professionals. In all seriousness the roads in so many parts of TANZANIA are now beautifully paved, paid for by the Chinese!
I've consulted with Ms. Portolan on this reply.
There is, in fact, one fine jewelry store you'll have access to on the trip at the Four Seasons Serengeti. Very limited and very expensive. We got the feeling that this shop was there more to maintain the very upscale ambiance of a Four Seasons rather than based on a viable business case. Complete with very French sales clerk (associate? consultant?...something more appropriate to the prices?). Don't recall they had anything as mundane as gold charms for a bracelet. Maybe they get the business from the uber-rich for whom this is the fly-in destination in the midst of the Serengeti.
Don't get us wrong, the lodge is magnificent and a very nice place to stay in the midst of the tour!
So, your likely best opportunity will be the day you fly out of the Serengeti back to Arusha. Before heading north to Kenya, we made a stop at the Arusha Cultural Center. This a combination of shops and a museum that is very extensive in both categories. We were looking for Tanzanite for our daughter and they had everything from relatively inexpensive through very large set and unset pieces (think Downton Abbey). While we didn't see any gold charms, the fine jewelry section was very large and we were just focused on Tanzanite. We'd be surprised if they didn't have what you are looking for. Also many other shops raging from local crafts to the (for us) obligatory tee-shirt for our 2-year old grandson (into giraffes aka "Twiga" in Swahili).
That's pretty much it since this trip is away from developed areas. There were small gift shops at each lodge, but they were unmemorable (as in we literally can't recall anything worth mentioning).
Crack me up!!!! That was the same way I felt about most of the gift shops--"unmemorable." Hmm, does "immemorable" mean the same thing....like famous/infamous, regardless/irregardless, flammable/inflammable?
You are right, the Cultural Center was a place I did look around. It looked like they had just about anything. Given the inch or two of dust on most items, they'd been there a while also. I was only interested in a sculpture made from malachite. I found one (male lion) at the Cultural Center and had it shipped home (it is about 20 lbs.). Be sure to barter, barter, barter!!!!! I got it for about half the listed price and then it cost more to ship it home that to buy it. DHL didn't barter, dammit!!!
They had some great artworks in there too. Most of the ones I liked were photographs and I knew I would have pictures that would be comparable to enlarge and frame so I didn't get any. There were some nice oils and watercolors that were tempting. They were expensive and I could not barter a price I was willing to pay. The key to successful bartering is being willing to walk away. They'll chase after you most often and if they do, stand your ground. If not, find something else or chase after them and pay their asking price. It is not an exact science.
I don't know how many people I see on these trips that just fork over the asking price like they are in Bloomingdales or something.