Pre Departure Information

Accommodation general - all accommodation and transfers should be paid locally. The rates advertised below are subject to change at a moment's notice and must be used as a guide only.

Accommodation - Trips departing from Nairobi, Kenya

We depart from Karen Camp, Marula Lane, off Karen Road, Karen Nairobi. Tel. +254 (0) 733 703510, +254 (0) 723 314053, +254 (0) 20 883475 e mail: booking@karencamp.com or wayn1821@karencamp.com. If you would like to stay at the Karen Camp, we can book it for you. Ensuite -s £15; Shared facilities room - £12; dorm bed £3.

Airport pick up in Nairobi to Karen Camp - If you would like the security of an airport pickup provide us with your flight details at the time of booking - cost $US25 per person, payable locally. After immigration and customs are exchange bureaus. Turn right and on the right hand side you will see Planet Safaris at whose counter you will meet the driver. You pay for the taxi when you arrive at camp. For your safety and convenience use this service. Make sure you reach the Planet counter ignoring taxi toutswho will over chargeand may not know where you want to go.

Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crater -Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crater - The options for seeing these parks are is a two night trip to both Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crater. The Serengeti can only be reached by twice passing through Ngorongoro Crater. For this we arrange to hire 4x4 vehicles from Arusha. These parks are the best wildlife parks in the world.

Pre Departure Information

Included in the trip price & Local Payment - The tour cost and local payment includes transport in a fully equipped expedition vehicle, road taxes and tolls, services of the driver-leader, use of camping and cooking equipment, campsite fees, entrance to gameparks as specified, and two meals a day while on the truck. So in towns or places where the vehicle will be parked up, although the kitchen will be available for you to cook with, food during this time will not come out of the Local Payment. Generally at lunchtimes we eat at small cafes or restaurants where you can try cheap and tasty local food. If no local food is available we eat on the truck.

Local Payment - Payable in £ Pounds Sterling cash but you can pay in $US dollars or Euros cash at the current cross exchange rate on date of departure, check with the driver for the rate. Please pay this to the driver on departure. Travellers cheques, cards or other forms of payment are not accepted.

Deposit and balance & Insurance - Please be aware that once you are booked, your deposit and balance (within two months of trip departure) is non refundable. Insure yourself when you book for the full duration of the trip and your whole time away.

Inoculations - You have to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever and will need an International Vaccination Certificate to prove this when we cross borders. It is also advisable to be vaccinated against Typhoid; Rabies; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Tetanus; Polio and Meningitis.

If possible start your vaccinations two months, but as late as two weeks before departure. Your GP can also inoculate but may take a while to get to get the vaccine in. Medical centre with their own travel educated Doctors can supply up-to-date medical advice and also administer vaccinations.

Malaria - The risk of contracting malaria in the areas we visit is high. You should be aware that malaria tablets offer only partial protection against malaria and that you should couple taking the tablets with mosquito bite avoidance. The malarial mosquitoes come out at night that is from the beginning of sunset onwards, so from this time you should cover up in long sleeves, jeans or track suit pants plus socks - mosquitoes tend to bite around the feet and ankles. You must also use insect repellent containing Deet, bring some you will need it. The use of repellents and covering up can be as effective as the use of tablets, so by coupling both methods of protection together you should be malaria free. Whatever type of prophylactic you choose to use you should try a sample of it well before you go as adverse reactions can occur. This often happens with the Larium or Mephloquine type of drug. When you get to Africa buy a can of fly/bug repellant to clear your tent of mosquitoes and bugs before you go to bed.

Medical Kits - We carry First Aid kits on board for emergency use only. However, the crew is not entitled to recommend or prescribe any medicine. We advise a health check with your GP and Dentist before you start your journey, and that you carry your own medical kit with you.

Your Electrical Equipment – Mobiles, Cameras, Laptops - In most camps you can charge from the mains, so bring a travel adaptor plug, as outlet power points are of different types. Most countries run on 220 or 240 volt current. To increase your battery time get a spare battery. You can charge off the truck if you have a 24 volt in-car charger but charging from the vehicle will reduce the life of your batteries.

Mobile Phone - It will work abroad if you have roam facility enabled on a dual band phone. Coverage is generally good. Although convenient for outgoing calls, incoming calls can cost a lot. An option is to buy a local number in each country we go through and  use that for to keep in contact with home.

Time Zones - East & Southern Africa are on the same time up to 3 hours ahead of GMT or UK time.

Language - English is the predominant second language on route and Swahili is also spoken extensively in East Africa.

Security in General - There is a lockable safe bolted onto the floor of the truck for your money belts; however, we take no responsibility for such or for any belongings. If you lose your passport or travellers cheques it is not always possible for the expedition to wait for you. So when you’re off the truck wear a money belt that fits under your shirt. Do not wear a bum bag around your waist, or a money belt that hangs from your neck. In certain problem areas a passenger roster will be drawn up to guard the vehicle during the day. Don’t take items of value that are not essential for your journey, ie. jewellery.

Spending Money - For side trips and visas you need $US cash. Not having enough US$ cash is normally the biggest spending money problem people face on the trip. The dilemma been that though cash is easiest you risk losing your money with no chance of getting it back.

For general spending £10 - £30 a day is a good start excluding side trips. Depending on how much you drink, eat out and the souvenirs you buy. The best way to bring your money for of ease of exchange and safety is 1/3 cash in US$, 1/3 Travellers cheques in either US$ or Pounds sterling and 1/3 in money on your credit card.

Credit cards - bring at least two credit/debit cards as one might be rejected by the cash machine. Tell your bank before you travel to stop them blocking your card. In East and Southern Africa ATM machines are available about every three days - ATM machines only pay out local currency.

Visa credit and debit cards are better than MasterCard/American Express/ Maestro/Cirrus for acceptability.

Money Gram and Western Union - If you’re concerned about carrying cash and knowing the pain travelers cheques are to cash get someone to MoneyGram or Western Union funds to you as you travel on your trips. On their websites are the locations of their offices in Africa.

Washing - Most of the time you can wash every day and at camp sites you can do your laundry or often have it done for you quite cheaply.

E-mail - Can be collected three times a week to every week or two (some campsites have facilities).

Drinking Water – Though we have drinking water on the truck to ensure you good health we advise you drink bottled water which is cheap and readily available.

Camping -Tents are provided and all have sewn in floors and mosquito netting. You will need to bring with you a sleeping bag, sleep sheet, foam roll mat or airbed. Get a mosquito net in Africa if you want to sleep outside of your tent, these are quite cheap.

All campsites have good ablution facilities & bars, and some have restaurants, shops and internet facilities. Also, about half the campsites we visit offer the facility to upgrade to hut or cabin accommodation for an extra charge.

Camping equipment – if you start your trip in Nairobi or South Africa you can buy most of the camping gear you need; sleeping bag, sleeping mats etc, at the local department stores.

Discman/iPods/MP3's & CD's - An amplifier is provided in the rear of the truck for you to plug your Discmans/i-Pods into. Although the amp is powered off the truck, your Discman/iPod isn't, so bring along extra batteries.

Photography - African authorities require that tourists do not take pictures of airports, railway stations or military installations. We are often in areas where locals are not used to being photographed and we ask you to show them every respect and courtesy.

Accommodation at the end of the trip - Your driver can help with this.

Buying your flight from Africa

Flight - Although it is our intention to finish the tour on the finishing date, in case of delays en route you should allow a couple days at the end of the trip before you fly out to London or home.

Insurance You must be insured against personal accident, medical expenses and repatriation expenses. We only carry passengers on the understanding that, in most African countries through which we travel no passenger or vehicle liability is available whatsoever. You should take out insurance when you pay your deposit for the tour or for flights so that you are insured against cancellation (for medical reasons, for example). We can organise insurance for you. Bring your policy with you. Be aware if you travel without insurance and you need to get home urgently due to ill health or family problems, you or those responsible for you could incur bills running into many thousands. We can supply you with insurance, please ask when booking.

Inoculations and Malaria

Inoculations - You have to be vaccinated against "Yellow Fever" and will need an International Vaccination Certificate to prove this when we cross some borders. It is also advisable to be vaccinated against Typhoid; Rabies; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Tetanus; Polio and Meningitis.

If possible start your vaccinations two months, but as late as two weeks before departure. Your GP can also inoculate but may take a while to get to get the vaccine in.

Malaria - The risk of contracting malaria in the areas we visit is high. You should be aware that malaria tablets offer only partial protection against malaria and that you should couple taking the tablets with mosquito bite avoidance. The malarial mosquitoes come out at night that is from the beginning of sunset onwards, so from this time you should cover up in long sleeves, jeans or track suit pants plus socks, as mosquitoes tend to bite around the feet and ankles. You must also use insect repellent containing Deet, bring some you will need it. The use of repellents and covering up can be as effective as the use of tablets, so by coupling both methods of protection together you should be malaria free. Whatever type of prophylactic you choose to use you should try a sample of it well before you go as adverse reactions can occur. This often happens with the Larium or Mephloquine type of drug. A can of fly spray is handy for clearing your tent of mosquitoes and bugs before you go to bed.

Medical Kits We carry First Aid kits on board for emergency use only. However, the crew is not entitled to recommend or prescribe any medicine. We advise a health check with your GP and Dentist before you start your journey, and that you carry your own medical kit with you.

General tour info

Video Cameras In most campsites you can charge from the mains so bring a travel adaptor plug, as you'll come across virtually every type of socket ever invented plus a few others. Most countries run on 220 or 240 volt current. You should also bring at least one spare battery with you as you will not be able to purchase spares en-route.

Mobile Phones Your own mobile phone will work abroad if you have roam facility enabled on a dual band phone. Coverage is generally good. Although convenient for outgoing calls at rates of around $2 per minute, incoming calls can cost up to $10 per minute to receive. In most campsites you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug. You can charge off the truck if you have a 24 volt in-car charger though charging from the vehicle will reduce the life of your batteries.

Life on the road There are times when we will have some long drives in order to cover big distances, but on most days that we travel, we only move for half the day. The African landscape and people you pass are never boring and most find it hard to put their head down and read whilst on the road, for fear of missing something. Most evenings we pull into camp and you and your tent partner will put up your tent, then either relax with a cool drink, or get involved in a local activity. Breakfast is usually cereal, toast, tea, and coffee, with the occasional cooked breakfast. Lunch, if we eat on the truck is cold.

Spending Money $25 - $40 a day is a good start excluding side trips. Of course this varies from person to person depending on how much you drink, eat and how many souvenirs you buy. In most parts of Africa it is difficult to change travellers cheques and to use ATMs so we suggest for ease of exchange and better rates of exchange take your money as 50% travellers cheques and 50% cash. As travelling with cash is risky please ensure that you have adequate insurance to hedge against the risk of loss. Be aware that if your cash is lost it is very unlikely you will recover it. A credit card is handy for emergency spending only, but useless for day-to-day spending.

Maps It's good to have your own map to follow the trip as you go. In Africa use the Michelin 955 of Africa, central and south.

Washing Most of the time you can wash every day and at camp sites you can do your laundry or often have it done for you quite cheaply.

E-mail Can be collected approx every week or two, from £1-£5 to connect.

Camping Tents are provided and all have sown in floors and mosquito netting. You will need to bring with you a sleeping bag, sleep sheet, foam roll mat or airbed. Bring a mosquito net only if you want to sleep outside of your tent, these can be bought in Africa.

Photography African authorities require that tourists do not take pictures of airports, railway stations or military installations. We are often in areas where locals are not used to being photographed and we ask you to show them every respect and courtesy. For SLR cameras we recommend a telephoto of around 120mm or an 80-200 zoom. High-speed film is usually necessary for photographing gorillas or game in early morning or late afternoon particularly if using a long lens. It is best to purchase all film prior to arrival in Africa.

Suggested list of clothing and equipment The less you take the less you have to pack, wash, lug home and you'll always pick up extras along the way. You'll be travelling in the heat and camping in the cool, so bring clothes for all climates, rough stuff is best. The best type of carrier is a rucksack (with an internal frame) or a kit bag.

Sleeping bag & sleeping mat
Medical kit - Bring your own simple kit
Re-hydration sachets available from any chemist
Insect repellent containing Deet e.g. Jungle Juice
Sun cream
Headache tablets
Plasters
Malaria tablets
Toiletries - You can buy most basic toiletries easily in Africa
Toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss
Soap in a container & razors
Towel & shampoo
Tampons/condoms; enough for the trip
Clothes
Socks
Shirts
Jeans/long trousers
Underwear
Sweatshirt/jumper
Shorts, T-shirts, swimsuit
Skirt
Sandals/flip flops/jandals/thongs
Walking shoes
Small day-pack or bag to carry your daily items
Hat and sunglasses
Camera (in a protective case), spare batteries and all the film you think necessary
Money belt or pouch to hold your passport
Vaccination book
Travellers cheques
Books, personal CD player and CD's
Torch & spare batteries
Water bottle at least 1.5 litres, any old water bottle is fine and these are available in most shops on the way

The easiest and best way to travel is as lightly as possible, taking just what is necessary. Most people make the mistake of bringing too much luggage.

WEATHER

AFRICA – East and Southern Africa have perfect climates; dry warm to hot days with cool nights. Travelling at any time of the year is fine. In East Africa it rains in May and November. In Southern Africa it rains from the New Year. Rains are short and heavy followed by a strong drying sun. There is no need to avoid travel at this time.

Passports & Visa's

Your passport must be valid for at least six months with five clear pages. If you have dual nationality you can only do the trip on one passport.

N.B. Nationalities other than NZ, Australia or United Kingdom please seek local consular advice for your visa requirements prior to departure. US and most EU residents can also obtain their visas on the borders (for similar prices to the UK visas) however, as visa requirements are subject to constantly change it is advisable to check before travel.

Please be advised that visa costs can change overnight so prices used are current at the time of publishing.

Africa Kenyan: BRITISH, AUSTRALIAN and NEW ZEALANDERS need one. It can be obtained at the airport in Nairobi for US$50.

Tanzanian Visas: BRITISH, AUSTRALIANS and NEW ZEALANDERS need one. It can be obtained on the border of Tanzania for US$50. You can check your requirements with the Tanzanian High Commission.