hi all well im going to africa on a safari hoilday :)
well has anyone every been??
mandy

I'm soooo jealous!!
I went on safari a few years ago and It was the most amazing experience of my life!
There is just nowhere like it- someone told me before about the 'big sky' in Kenya- I didn't understand what they meant until I saw it.
Just seeing giraffes ambling about completely unfazed by us all gawping at them, and animals that I'd only ever seen in zoos was truly an incredible experience!
If you get the chance, go up in a hot air balloon- rising up over the Masai Mara as the sun rose could only be described as a spiritual experience- then we landed in the bush to be cooked a full breakfast with champagne, cotton tablecloths and a proper chef! We ate our breakfast while antelopes grazed on the horizon......
I WILL go again some time in the future, it was just wonderful.
Can you tell I enjoyed it?....
Where are you going? Kenya, Tanzania?
Which game parks?
OOOH you are so lucky!
Liz

hi im going in feb to kenya, the club hotel watamu beach and also sleeping at the mara buffalo camp in the masai mara,
we will fly west over mount kilimanjaro to the masai mara taken to the camp,its the mara simba safari
i also have to find out what jabs i need i will have to call the drs
cant wait im so excited ,mum paid for it as a surprise for my birthday yesterday but only found out when we all went for dinner today :)
can i ask what sort or type of clothing is best to wear??
mandy.

Oh now I am really excited for you!!
We went in Feb- to Watamu as well, but to Turtle Bay Beach club- It's fantastic there- white sand stretching for miles, palm trees..... FAB!

AND we also stayed at Mara Simba Lodge- it's lovely too! You can hear Hyenas and lions roaring across the river at night. There are lots of bugs at night though, so sit well away from the river side of the restaurant if you don't want to be dive bombed by a flying thing! And I would suggest that you take a torch, as it's very dark walking back to your room at night.

It's quite chilly at night in the Mara, so take some cardis and trousers for evenings and early morning game drives, though it's hot in the daytime, and for Watamu, wear as little as possible as it's very hot and humid!

Can't I come too? I'll be very good, and carry your bags for you...
Liz

Liz I have been there too !

Wonderful place !!

I took Flo my eldest with us and she was only three ! Alot of people said she was far too young but she still has very strong memories of seeing a Lioness with her cubs tucking into a freshly killed Zebra !

I have such a vivid memory of sitting by a great big open fire next to a watering hole watching the elephants having a wallow drinking G&T's !! :D :D

Heaven !!

Lucy
xx

Elephants drinking G&Ts?
:D

:D :D

Can you imagine the cost when it was our round :p :p

Well, Lucy, I think it's a wonderful experience for children, seeing animals they may only see in zoos in years to come.
Please don't anyone think I'm bloodthirsty or anything, but I think the highlight of my safari was seeing a lioness make a kill, in broad daylight, within about 30feet of our van! It was a huge oryx (antelope), and she ambushed it and brought it down instantly. It was very clinical, no blood, no struggle, but just so exciting, to see her power and strength.
My parents have been on safari 9 times and never seen a kill (they were so jealous)!
Wish I was going...
Liz

Hiya
What part you going to?
I went to Africa and on Safari a few years ago, ti was amazing! You will LOVE it!
Have fun!!

DOH!!! Just read where you are going! I went to Kenya too!

Enjoy and do tell more when you get back....you are soooo very lucky :)

i cant wait to go sorting out about vaccinations i need now :)
dose anyone know what injections i need????
mandy

Best to ask your vet. Ooops! You meant for you, didn't you? :o Well, the same principle applies! (By the way, they're gonna hurt :( )

I travelled around South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi (I went on a hippo counting conservation expedition in Malawi !!) a couple of years ago, I had 3 injections but for the life of me cant think which ones, I think one was hepatits (sp?) I know I was already covered for a lot of stuff from a previous trip to Dominican Republic. Also dont forget your malaria tablets, I took some really powerful ones (cant remember the name of them either :rolleyes: ) they are banned in a lot of countries, I still get flashbacks from them now

Africa is great though, I stayed in a tent, living mostly in villages and kyacking counting hippos during the day (not the safest occupation ) I lived amongst the natives and learnt so much about their way of life Also I did some safaris, each reserve is so different from the next. I saw so many amazing things that to put into words would not give credit to it.

Enjoy your holiday, I cant wait to go back !!

Claire :)

I went to the Okavanga Delta in Botswana a couple of years ago on a horseback safari with African Horseback Safaris. It was the best holiday I have had in my life. Nothing compares with galloping alongside 30 giraffe or a herd of tsesebe, impala, wildebeest, zebra, and cape buffalo! No cars and no other tourists except our party of 6 and two guides. Riding past breeding herds of elephant or the odd bull elephant seeing us off his watering hole, seeing vultures, hyena, snakes etc and a memorable sundowner with a pride of 11 lions no more than 20ft from our jeep in the late afternoon. Listening to the "Go away" bird during the day and the sounds of hyena, lion and babboons at night.

The accommodation were huge two man tents ala African queen with porcelain bowls, showers and loos with brass fittings and lashings of hot water in the evening. Silver service meals beside a bush fire with an open bar and tea first thing in the morning via the maids.

Champagne breakfast in the bush one day and at fly camp experienced sleeping out under the stars taking turns for lion watch and you have not lived unless you have showered/gone to the loo with 3 walls; the fourth wall the unbroken vista of the bush and herds of zebra!

Enjoy!

wow tohme, thats the sort of trip I should have gone on. I had to bath in the lake, and if we were lucky enough to stay on a proper campsite we would have to share our showers with untold amounts of frogs and lizards

edited to say : a loo with three walls, that was pure luxury, I was lucky if I found a bush with no prickles ;)

I am a kenyan and i'll tell you there is no place like Kenya.It is divine.I am widely travelled so I know what I am talking about.
Norbert

hi
ive been looking at loads of site of masai mara,wataum at it looks wonderful,
im really confused to some sites and places say i dont need the yellow fever jab and other sites say you must have the yellow fever jab,
so im at a loss i will ask at doctors friday,
mandy :)
:)

I know I had to have yellow fever injection, and cholera I think?
I took Larium malaria tablets, I expect these were the dodgy ones mentioned above as WOW! did I have some weird dreams on them!
Apparently there are some new malaria tablets available now, which don't cause any side effects, but they are expensive...
Liz

hi,
thanks liz i found out about the yellow fever jab costs £40 nearly fell of my chair lol.
going to drs friday to start my jabs,
i will find out about the malaria tablets and which ones to buy as some are banned in africa so some websites say
thanks again
mandy,

yes it was Larium, I had such active dreams that I was even more tired in the morning :rolleyes: they cost me £30 for 6 weeks supply. The new ones worked out to about £150

well i have had my hepatitis A,typoid injections and polio drops,just have to wait 4 weeks so i can have my yellow fever injection,then get my malaria tablets,half why there :)
mandy

Some Malaria tablets can you give you diabolical bad breath; be warned :)

urgh I never knew that :D :D

It did say on the leaflet thing that came with my larium tablets that they can give you suicidal thoughts

Is that before or after the bad breath? :)

I can't remember what I took (other than I KNOW it was NOT Larium). Had one every day and another one a week. although to be fair there are different types of malaria in different parts of the world and it was not a risk in the part of Botswana I was in at the time of year I was there but I figured better safe than sorry!

Ive been to bognor :p once:p:p:p:p

Did you see any elephants drinking G&T's there ? :D

lol :)
i have a really bad arm ache from my injection ,
but its worth it :)