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You might take a trip in the typical rainy seasons of April, May and November with minimum disturbance, if any, because the rains are light. safari kenya watamu. Recently rainy seasons have been erratic and often don't come at all. Between 2019 and 2023 there was 75% listed below seasonal average rains throughout the area, and an extreme dry spell in the north! But this year (2024) they have actually been ravaging and the worst in living memory.
As long as you were understanding and versatile our guides would talk about the situations and other options available and we 'd do our finest to discover alternatives to the set up schedule. safari kenya watamu. There would be no added fee unless any agreed modification of plan sustained more costs. You would generally be travelling throughout the dry seasons however there can still be periodic thunderstorms and you might capture one, some places have more than others
This guarantees we can validate all the arrangement appointments we'll make for you; then full payment is due 42 days before departure - this is all travel market standard practice. However it's also to secure us ... two times previously, in our early days, we had customers who guaranteed to pay when they showed up in Arusha and then didn't show up.
We rely a lot on the excellent will of these people to make our trips unique and are not a huge enough company to simply divert our resources elsewhere for that period. I do hope you can comprehend our position on this (safari kenya watamu). You can obviously also book and pay at any point up to departure as long as we have space readily available
However it is our experience that bank transfer arrangements work perfectly well as long as the directions to your bank are clear and your bank understands what they are doing. We supply you with all the details you will need to do this. The only method operators can offer very low prices is to exploit their personnel and make any variety of compromises - consisting of "avoidance" of park fees
Or they bring double loads - earning more cash but jeopardizing your satisfaction as the porters are stressed out and get here late or toss rubbish away to lighten the loads. Guides differ in quality of course and an inexpensive price will imply a bad guide as the good ones are just working for companies who pay well.
You may get a trip at that rate however be prepared for all sorts of surprise add-ons, upsets and a frustrating experience. safari kenya watamu. There are great deals of ATMs in Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha (and even Narok near the Masai Mara) that deal with VISA/Mastercard (most times) and many in Tanzania now. There are also numerous Bureau de Change facilities in Kenya - but not in Tanzania any more as the federal government closed them all down in 2019
The banks will be open at the airports on arrival - and you shoud get some little notes if they have them - be company. You should get 200 & 500 shilling notes which are best in Kenya. 2,000 and 5,000 shilling notes are most useful in Tanzania. If you can't get any, ask your guide to go to a bank or lodge or hotel with you en-route (anywhere possible) and attempt changing to smaller sized bills there - do not get too frustrated if things don't work like European or American banks and search it as all part of the African experience.
Water purification tabs are completely okay if needed so why carry the extra weight? We do provide mineral water for all safaris however not on the high mountains where the stream water is quite good and is in any case boiled by our team (safari kenya watamu). The short answer is no - however there's a bit more to it than that
However you must take sensible preventative measures against being bitten. Long sleeves and long pants to cover wrists and ankles in evenings, and utilize good bug sprays. Nevertheless if you are travelling on to other put on your own you would be encouraged to bring one just in case you end up in lodging where they do not have nets.
Shorts and tee shirts are fine on males at all times. Females must perhaps be a bit more modest in their gown. Brief skirts, skimpy shorts, tight and revealing tops may bring in unwanted attention at finest, and on the coast especially, would definitely be thought about offending. This is so challenging - practically inevitably people in bad nations are grateful for anything they get. safari kenya watamu.
are all useful but there are intrinsic issues. Providing things to specific kids might frequently lead to an undignified scramble and frustration for the ones left out - and just perpetuates that terrible picture of travelers throwing sweets off backs of Land Rovers, like feed to animals - sadly, extremely common still.
We do pay these individuals so I would not wish to go too far down the line of raising expectations for other groups that might visit the very same locations later (safari kenya watamu). Bottom line would be that they would most likely be most grateful for something practical and helpful. As an example I was when, a very long time back, invited to an African good friend's home and bought his Mum a huge lot of flowers
Now these people were not poor however there is a different mindset there that does not value the visual things so highly as they simply don't have the wealth and security that we do to enable that luxury - safari kenya watamu. So if it were me I 'd provide a couple of dollars towards their kids' school fees - whether it's utilized for that doesn't really matter - it will be really convenient as everybody has financial stresses.
The distinctions in between our two cultures on perceptions and issues about disease and drugs and how to take medicines are big. Typically, sick residents will look for out travelers, as they know they bring medicines.
And in some cases, abundant countries simply dump things on Africa in a sort of conscience soothing goodwill gesture (safari kenya watamu). I have actually been asked by a regional bush center worker to sort out three cages of drugs and devices sent from Europe as the labels were complex and frequently not in English - all of the drugs and equipment ran out date - up to 5 years sometimes - and hopelessly unsuitable and advanced for the very standard regional clinic
As a rule you must never take images of individuals without asking their approval - that's just act of courtesy. Likewise the Maasai in specific are sensitive about cameras. In locations where tourists travel routinely they may request cash if you take images - safari kenya watamu. In the little camps we use in remote areas, we have actually made plans so that the locals are happy to be photographed - however constantly check with the guide.
Now comes the challenging part: choosing where to go on your very first safari. safari kenya watamu. Which countries use the easiest intro to the continent for novice tourists? Which nations are best for wildlife?
From here, you can travel into the Okavango Delta, where you can spend lavishly on a high-end safari and take a mokoro (dugout canoe) through the wetlands, before creating on into the Makgadikgadi salt pans to mingle with meerkats (safari kenya watamu). Botswana's appeal and ease, nevertheless, come with a (big) caution: the cost
In and around Chobe National Forest, we advise Chobe Game Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge and Chobe Bakwena, with Chobe Game Lodge being the only one inside the park. For professional photographers, Pangolin Chobe Hotel has specialist boats with swivel seats and gimbal mounts to snap that Attenborough moment on the Chobe River.
At approximately $300, Chobe National Park lodges are more budget friendly so extend your days here to keep costs down (safari kenya watamu). For much better prices on accommodations, travel during the shoulder season (April to May and October to November). Lastly, inspect the distance in between your high-end lodge and Maun to reduce the return-ticket cost.
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