Most Inspirational Moment
How to choose one inspirational moment? Seeing two prides of lions at close quarters? A pair of lions mating within yards of our truck (twice!)? A leopard guarding its kill (a gazelle) and then dragging it off to its hiding place? A mother elephant suckling her baby? The glimpse of Kilimanjaro amongst the clouds? Great coffee!
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader, Rose, was a gem. Together with Ken the cook and Boniface our driver, they made a fantastic team. Rose's knowledge was astounding and there wasn't a question she couldn't answer about local customs, flora and fauna. She was up two hours before us in the morning, and last to go to bed at night making sure everybody and everything was perfect. With Ken and Boniface they were the hardest-working, dedicated and good-natured crew I have ever encountered. Ken came up with something special every day - the meals were varied, tasty and very healthy. His banana fritters were to die for, as were his aubergines! Our driver, Boniface, was a true star. His driving was excellent - we all felt very safe in his hands. Some of the roads particularly in Kenya were dreadful, but Boniface negotiated them with astounding skill and stamina. He and Rose would also help us with pitching and taking down tents, and with kitchen duties.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Travel extremely light - only 15kg of hold luggage is allowed on internal flight to Zanzibar so make allowances for souvenirs (soapstone figures can be heavy!)Use very high sunblock (at least SPF50) if on doxycycline anti-malarials.Use insect repellent day and night - I found RID Tropical Strength worked best for mossies and tse tse flies. The roll-on is better value for money than spray. Get it from the Safari Store http://www.thesafaristore.co.uk/products/Accessories/RID-Insect-Repellent/RID-Insect-Repellent/Don't replace fluid loss with alcohol! Heatstroke is possible so drink plenty of water and it does no harm to have some electrolytes every day.Take spare batteries for camera as it is not always possible to re-charge en route. (The charger on our truck developed an electrical fault.)A wind-up torch as back-up for your head torch is handy.There is rarely any toilet roll so take your own!