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The Real Deal on East African Safaris

In my articles, I attempt to give the reader an informative, objective overview, complete with positives and negatives. Three days into my safari, I finally got the chance to shoot my first lion.

In my articles, I attempt to give the reader an informative, objective overview, complete with positives and negatives.

Three days into my safari, I finally got the chance to shoot my first lion. She was about 30 feet away, lying motionless… I aimed right between the eyes… And, bang! A perfect photograph.

Taking pictures, or just taking in the sight of Africa’s legendary wild animals, is definitely the priority for almost everyone taking a safari. Make no mistake about it, this is not your conventional holiday of R & R – it’s for the more adventurous traveller. That being said there are countless different options for taking an African safari and not all of them includes "roughing it". When I first began researching my trip, I was shocked to learn that there were hundreds of East African safaris available, from three days to six months in length, with accommodations ranging from tents that you put up yourself (as mine was), to luxury lodges. If you’re looking for less adventure, South African safaris can be less of a shock to the system.

I booked my trip through the very knowledgeable Adventure Centre (1-800-267-3347, www.theadventurecentre.com), which is run by an Australian tour operator called Gecko’s. Eight days in length, it began and ended in Nairobi, Kenya, but most of the trip was in Tanzania. Priced at about $1,500 Cdn (airfare not included), it was one of the more "budget" safaris, providing lodging (six nights camping/one night hotel), transportation, meals, guides and park passes. I travelled with 12 adventure seekers from Australia, Canada and America aged between 21 and 50.

Highlights included the vast savannahs of Serengeti National Park, and the legendary Ngorongoro Crater, a self-contained 20 km-wide "fishbowl", with towering walls. There, the animals are essentially trapped forever. Everywhere you looked, the scenes were straight out of the National Geographic specials that TV viewers have seen a million times.

The parks were teeming with wildlife, and rarely was there a time when at least a few animals weren’t in sight. Often, there were hoards and hoards. Along the way, we were fortunate enough to see "The Big Five", the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. We also saw countless other animals including giraffes, hyenas, cheetahs, and zebras. Amongst our group, the favourite animals were the burping, farting hippos and the rather silly warthogs.

Birdlife was also prolific, including circling vultures, should we have faltered countless eagles, and ostriches, which were generally agreed upon to be about 20 per cent cool and 80 per cent ugly.

It was interesting to observe the mindset of my fellow travelling companions during the trip. When one of our campsites had to be relocated because elephants had knocked out the water supply, our group unanimously voted to move to an alternate site where there still was a "chance" of being trampled by elephants, or having hyenas visit in the middle of the night.

Not for them the safer site far from the action! In fact, at our Ngorongoro rim campsite, elephants did visit the 12 of us late one night but the ever-present armed guard, who stands by just in case, kept us intact. That’s not to say we didn’t have our own adventures: one night a couple of the women in our group were startled by hyenas and bush pigs on their way to the washroom and I nearly rear-ended a grazing zebra when I rounded a corner. And on another occasion, I had my sandwich snatched out of my hand by a squadron of dive-bombing hawks, who descended upon me at 80 km/h, in perfect formation!

Really though, the prospect of real danger on these safaris is remote. When pressed, the "best" yearn our local guide could come up with, after years and years on the job, were stories of a hyena breaking through a tent and biting a German woman in the bum, and a lion dragging a tent -complete with enclosed camper - about 20 feet before losing interest. No one was harmed in either case. The fact of the matter is, you have a greater chance of being injured in a motor vehicle, than you do from the animals.

However, you still have to bear in mind that these are WILD animals – no petting the cute and cuddly lions here! Observation of the animals is from the safety of the safari vehicles, which are specially designed with open roofs for better viewing. For your own safety, and the protection of the animals, you’re not allowed to leave the vehicle, while in the parks. On one occasion, though, I did ‘sneak’ away from our vehicle when it over-heated, and managed to get charged by a massive hippo (the loveable ‘fat bastards’ kill more people than any other animal). He just wanted to let me know that he wasn’t interested in any company – in his festering cesspool of mud, faeces and flatus!

And don’t expect any hiking. In fact, there’s very little exercise involved at all as most of the time is spent in the vehicles bumping along in the hot dusty air.

Each day consisted of an early breakfast, followed by morning and afternoon drives either in the parks, or between destinations. There would be a picnic lunch stop along the way, and dinner would be at the campsite. Every evening, a group of us convened for a few sundowner Kilimanjaro beers and a nightly card game. Intelligent conversation often ensued, like the discussions of who would win in a scrap between a hippo and a rhino. This was somewhat akin to childhood arguments of who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman.

Surprisingly, although anti-malarials are a must, mosquitoes and biting insects were not a factor. The sun and dryness, on the other hand, make sunscreen and lip balm definite necessities.

On our fairly low-budget version, the food was a bit boring and bland (I wasn’t exactly broken-hearted when the hawks stole my plain cheese sandwich), and you do get sick of drinking lukewarm bottled water all day.

There is a bit of exposure to the local, and fascinating culture of the Masai people, and souvenirs are available along the way but be prepared for some major bartering.

The focus of the trip is undoubtedly on the wildlife – the fabulous wildlife. There really is no other practical way of seeing it, other than on a safari. Renting a car is pretty dicey in East Africa, although it is an option in South Africa. Some of the parks, like the fabulous Lake Nakuru in Kenya, can be accessed on day trips from major cities like Nairobi, where you can hire a car and driver for a reasonable rate. Many of the safaris originate in Nairobi, which is serviced by a number of major airlines. A word to the wise: if possible, avoid (local airline carriers). Both my friend and I had similar headaches while dealing with their awful customer service.

In my opinion, eight days was an ideal length. It took pretty much the whole time to see all of the "The Big Five", and every day provided something new. Toilets and showers are available although they are often fairly sketchy. Bring some wet wipes! By the end of the week you’re pretty darn dusty and dehydrated, and ready for some real food.

All things considered though, this was one of the best and most memorable weeks I’ve ever had. So, for those of you with a bit of adventure in your blood, this is something you’ve got to do once.

Just don’t leave any food scraps in your tent – unless you want a hyena biting your butt.



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