Game drives with back issues
Do the off-road game drives present any issues for people with bad backs? I’ve read some complaints from NON-TAUCK tour (also different reserves) participants recommending we buy seat cushions.
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Do the off-road game drives present any issues for people with bad backs? I’ve read some complaints from NON-TAUCK tour (also different reserves) participants recommending we buy seat cushions.
Comments
You will bounce off the cushions on some occasions depending on whether rains have caused big potholes especially if roads haven’t been groomed recently. Talk to your doctor and tell him you will be on dirt roads etc and see what he says, whether your back issues will be OK. You can also be thrown around in the vehicle if it takes off suddenly without the driver warning you, I’ve had bad bruising on my back and last year I fell full length down the aisles when a lion was spotted and the driver did not give us warning he was taking off. Having said this, I must have been on about 100 separate game drives and love every minute.
My wife used an inflatable seat cushion that we got from Amazon on our last safari, and she found it helpful. She also used it on the airplane.
Rutty, un-improved dirt ‘roads’ and sometimes you go where there are no roads at all. If you need and have a back brace, bring it and wear it on all game drives.
The vehicles that we used on the Elegant Adventure were three rows of graded seats- all open. Not as pictured above. The back row was the roughest on the back. So, people with back issues sat in the front row. The rule of thumb was that we rotated seating to be fair to everyone. Unfortunately, some of the couples we were with insisted on sitting up front all the time. We managed thought and had no real issues. Too busy enjoying the trip.
You are indeed correct about the different vehicles in Southern Africa. These can often pose a different problem as you often javeto climb up the side of the vehicle to get into it. They can also go ‘off road’ driving directly over bushes and small trees…which bounce back up.
Tauck makes no exceptions for people with back or car sickness issues, everyone is supposed to rotate. If this is not being done, don’t hesitate to talk to the Tour director. This sort of selfishness should not have to be an issue on an expensive tour where everyone has paid the same price.
When I was asked by our TD on Day One of the Z,B,SA to switch seats in the safari vehicle to accommodate a person with back issues I injured myself and had to spend precious time and money at a clinic in Livingstone, Zambia. I now have a beautiful
scar on my leg that is a momento of a trip that started out rough and ended up great.
Oh good grief!
Much more to that trip than meets the eye, British. Good grief is right.
Looks dreadful. I hope you did not have to have sutures. I like your zip/tie shoes!
Thanks, kfnknfzk! No stitches, and the shoes are Clouds. So comfortable.
The step stool they were using to board and disembark the vehicles tipped over while my wife was on it and got a similar injury. She went to the doctor at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club and he took good care of her for a small fee.
Hi, my wife and I enjoyed this tour in September. We held off safari tours for years as my wife has a bad back. I have to tell you, this tour was no problem. We took an inflable back brace, but she never need it. She wore a tommy copper shirt that seemed to give her good support for her back and was fine the whole trip. As was mentioned earlier, the tours on this safari are in open Toyota jeep type vehicles with 2 -2 -2 seating. We found the middle two best as they were the easiest to climb in and out of. My wife has had two spinal fusions, a hip replacement and ACDF surgery to her surgical spine, but with all that, no problem. Just go and have a great time.
I found the back seat of those vehicles to be a very rough ride. Not at all pleasant.
I was particularly comfortable in the middle row.