Kenya Africa with Abercrombie & Kent
Submitted by - Julie C - Bursch Travel Alexandria
Nov 2013
Kenya is a photographer’s dream. People interested in adventure travel or nature/animal viewing would love this destination. If you like Alaska you would likely appreciate the appeal and natural beauty of Kenya.
Abercrombie & Kent was wonderful. One of the drivers, Daniel had been with them for over 20 years – and he did not disappoint. The Tour Director, James, was also good, and he offered a really great description of safaris. Every safari and every game drive is different and a unique experience. It’s not like going to Egypt to see the pyramids, or Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, which essentially look the same to everyone who visits the, whenever they visit them. With a safari, there isn’t that constancy, it’s a dynamic experience. The group consisted of 14 people, so we were in three Land Cruisers. Our experiences even differed within our small group. Example: One day, we were fortunate enough to encounter a leopard walking down the road and strolling right past our vehicle. Others in our group didn’t see the leopard that close, but two days later, the two other vehicles got to see a leopard descend a tree, and by the time we got there, it had already hunkered down into the bush. One night we saw the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and cape buffalo), within an hour, and then saw seven lion cubs. So, while it’s probably not likely that people will see seven cubs at once, they will experience something every bit as memorable – just not the exact same thing. A woman in our group had been to Africa three previous times, and she said that is what keeps her coming back. Each trip is a different experience and never a disappointment. The other thing that I was impressed with throughout was how all of the drivers worked together, whether or not they were with the same company to ensure everyone saw the animals. The drivers are constantly on the radio communicating that a certain animal had been spotted at a location, etc.
All accommadations include three meals per day, breakfast & lunch are buffet, and five course meal for dinner. Water, coffee & tea are included in the price. Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are extra. Some of the higher end properties do include all beverages in the price. Many properties have electric fencing, others do not, so animals have access to the property. For those properties, there are guards roaming the property, and they will escort you to/from your tents in the evening.
I would definitely recommend getting your visa in advance. While you can get it on arrival, the passport control lines for obtaining the visa are about four times longer than the one for those who already have a visa. Traffic in Nairobi is horrible, they have no public transportation. To be honest, if we go back in the future, we would probably spend a few nights in Europe, then take a red-eye to Nairobi to arrive in the morning to get the heck out of there
