My safari adventure is nearing an end and today I took a day off due to tummy issues. Today the group is doing an all day game drive where there will be limited facilities. Our trip leader’s charming name for the bathroom/wash room is “the happy room”. As in, “Does anyone need the happy room?” Today will be “loo with a view” I.e. peeing behind a bush or a tree.
Anyway, before I start deluging you with amazing wildlife photos, I thought I’d do a post about why I most likely won’t be going on another safari trip.
Kind of sums it up pretty well haha!
It’s almost impossible to describe how taxing it is to be vibrated and jounced on rough rutted roads for hours at a time. The trip leader warned me about it in the pre-trip phone call but it was still surprising how taxing it can be on the body. In retrospect it was probably a mistake to book an 18 day trip, but my thinking at the time was, if I’m flying 16 hours to get there, I’m going to get as much out of it as I can. I’ll also say that other members of the group seem to be handling it better than I - or are better at ignoring their discomfort and putting on a happy face.
In addition to the vibration there are giant clouds of dust raised by the many safari vehicles. We were advised to bring face masks or buffs. Nothing like wearing a mask when it’s 90 degrees out!
And speaking of those vehicles. It’s out of control. On our first day we had the amazing experience of being the only vehicle to happen upon a couple of lionesses who were intently gazing at a herd of warthogs. It was magical.
Later that day we had a sighting that was much more typical. The driver heard chatter on the radio that there was a cheetah at a particular location. Amazingly they all know the giant reserve like the back of their hand, even though the roads are all informal and unlabeled and there are few significant landmarks (at least to my ignorant eye). Anyway, by the time we got there, there were about 40 vehicles encircling the cheetah who was in the middle of a field.
I’ll acknowledge that the cheetah seemed utterly unbothered. Our trip leader kept telling us that the animals have seen these vehicles since they were babies and to them they’re just a part of their environment.
I realize there’s a push-pull in that the tourism provides the employment and money to local people which discourages poaching, so it may have actually allowed the animals to thrive. The current state of things just seems wrong.
That said, when the cheetah decided to be on the move, it walked right past our jeep and it was thrilling. I am a hypocrite 
Someone in a nearby vehicle captured the encounter and as we were leaving he drove up and said to our trip leader, “hey man, I got a picture of you with the cheetah. I’ll air drop it to you.”
Amazing.
I also had issues with a couple of my fellow travelers. We were a small group, only six people. When you’re not simpatico it’s hard to spend two weeks plus in a jeep with someone. That isn’t really a safari issue though, just a luck of the draw thing.
In the end I’m glad I tried it to find out for myself whether it’s for me, and it was exciting to see big game, sometimes very close up. I’ll have lot of pictures for you when I get back.
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Welcome to my motherland Kenya hope you enjoyed your safari to the fullest
Thank you so much! You have a beautiful country. We spent a couple days in Nairobi, several days in Masai Mara, and a couple of days at Amboselli before traveling on to Tanzania. Loved all of it!
Like you, if I have to travel far, I want to squeeze as much out of that trip as I can. I am not overly social so if I can afford it, I want to schedule a day off somewhere in there. A day to just relax, read and have privacy.
Talking about the dust made me laugh. While Cowboy was gone my fav time of any day was when I got to be cool and clean as opposed to dusty, hot and tired.
Hugs!!
I agree with your travel philosophy. I am no longer able to go go go all day long for three weeks straight. I feel a bit bad because our trip leader scheduled some additional optional activities in the late afternoons and I didn’t do most of them - it seemed more appealing to relax and get some alone time.
I remember riding in the back of a deuce and half for fifty miles on dusty “roads.” You have my sympathy. Can’t wait to see your pics!
I could tolerate it with good cheer for maybe 4-5 hours. After that I got increasingly cranky, so the all day game drives were hard for me. I preferred it when the day’s schedule was split into an early morning and late afternoon drive.
Brave. No one can take that away from you.
Thanks. This trip has definitely had some moments outside of my comfort zone, but I acknowledge I’m not the ultra adventurous type. I do have friends who are homebodies who will be impressed though! Ha.
@smartasswoman --- Your glory is well-earned. Show them the scars.
Fascinating observations. I guess I never really considered how brutal to the body such a trip could be.
Sorry you missed out on any of it.
I had never thought about it either. None of my friends who have taken safari trips have ever mentioned it that I can recall. Which I find strange. I’ve been wondering whether maybe I’m just over sensitive to vibration and noise (the jeep rattling).
When the group got back today one guy was blabbing about all the things they saw, and I felt no regrets. I think I’m burnt out.
@smartasswoman Time for the trip to be over. So (delicate) question about your other travelers, and your friends that went and didn't mention how brutal it was: How do their ages compare to yours?
@pagancountrygirl yes, that’s exactly what it’s like. All the seats have a handle above the window and I grabbed it frequently. I’m going to call it the oh shit handle from now on!
@CleavageFan4U of the friends, one was younger, the rest are older than me (but maybe similar age when they actually made the trip). My fellow travelers, one couple I would guess are slightly younger, the other couple are basically same age (they’re 70) and the other solo is older although I don’t know her age. She did admit to feeling really beat up and tired after yesterday’s long drive.
I'm amazed that the windows weren't closed when the cheetah passed by.
I'll look forward to your photos.
I would have thought so too, about the windows, but when you see the animals up close it seems pretty obvious that they just see the vehicle as a big moving object and are uninterested in the people inside. I can’t explain it, but I saw it over and over again.
The one situation where the trip leader did roll up his window hastily was when we spotted a black mamba snake by the side of the road and it started slithering towards our jeep. They are ragingly poisonous.
Looking forward to pics.
I'm also wondering how well I'll handle 8 days with my kid and son-in-law while in Scotland. At least we'll have separate rooms at night.
You’ll be fine! I feel like traveling with family must be easier than spending 10-12 hours a day with people who you’ve never met before. But who knows, maybe not haha. Hope you have a great trip!