First time. Wife & teenage kids in tow. Heading out to some of the game parks in Kenya and Tanzania but will be passing in and out of Nairobi 3 -4 times. Anything I should know?
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First time. Wife & teenage kids in tow. Heading out to some of the game parks in Kenya and Tanzania but will be passing in and out of Nairobi 3 -4 times. Anything I should know?
Sounds like you are on a tour. You should know that.....you will enjoy it. If you are with a tour company it is in their utmost business interest to ensure that your experience is one that will bring you, and your mates, back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferret
Just be aware that Nairobi is well known for crime. If you need to go anywhere take a 'branded' taxi. 'JimCab' is what the UN uses.
I have to get myself in and around Nairobi and...touch wood...to date, I have not had a problem...yet. Something that I do, I maintain a 'give-away' wallet. A wallet that I maintain about KsH 4000 (=$50USD) in. If there is ever an incident that can be handed over. If there is an opportunist he wants to get something and then get away quickly. Never, never carry your ATM card/s in that wallet.
I will secrete a card in a different location on me if I need to get money out. Reason being, it has happened that ATM cards in a wallet can result in a kidnapping, instead of petty theft. The crims have been known to take the card owner and use them to extract all the money in an account.
Hoping that your tour can include an organised trip into Kibera. Kibera is the huge slum area of Nairobi. I think it is important for people to see and understand the realities of other people.
Not meaning to alarm, just inform. You WILL ENJOY the experience. Just keep your situational awareness up.
Hey - you will have a ball. It is a very very interesting place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferret
Are you seeing the Ngorongoro crater in Tanz? It's one thing I really wish I'd got to but never did. Kenyan game parks are fabulous. You won't believe how close you can get to some of the animals. Hope you have a telephoto lens to take with you.
Nairobi can be dodgy in some areas, but if you are on a tour, they won't be taking you to them! If you can organise a daytime drive through of the Kibera Slums, it is an eye opener. Not exactly touristy, but you'll see a bit of how the less fortunate citizens get to live.
Post up some photos when you get back. Will be interested to check it out.
Cheers
David
Thanks for that tip about the wallet. While it seems simple, I had never actually thought about a give away wallet. 'JimCab' eh, that's good to know. I have spent a bit of time in Joberg and am a bit wary of taxis over that neck of the woods.
Yeah it is an organised tour but very small, just 6 of us. The time in Nairobi is basically designated as 'free time' so the tour co. organises accom. in Nairobi but not sight seeing, so we are on our own there.
Will be heading to Ngorongoro crater. Have today bought a new camera myself - Lumix TZ10, 12x optical with GPS. Might check what's involved with the Kibera Slums bit.
Thanks guys.
Had to 'in n out' to Nairobi during the week. I was being driven across town in a taxi late on Thu PM and sighted this 'Bewdy' with enough time for me to be able to slow and stop the taxi driver to get a good shot..between the passing traffic:
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It is the first Series 1 I have seen for a while. Wonder what's under the bonnet?
T'was a pity I was on my way to another meeting, as I would've enjoyed meeting the owner; a Landy & Heineken Fancier.
10 more days and I'll be in Maputo and able to get more Landy shots.
G'day all,
Happy New Year all. My thoughts and hopes are with the flood affected people back in Australia.
Christmas was celebrated in Mogadishu (2nd in a row...slow learner?) with the usual African meal of meat, meat, and more meat. Out to Kenya 26 Dec and then, down to link up with me 'Love & Kisses' down in Maputo, Mozambique. It was a wonderful time, so full of family events, weddings x 2, a christening, and a naming ceremony (don't put an Aussie interpretation on that!!).
In between we headed out for a 5 day drive through Swaziland, and into South Africa to visit the Lebombo Mountains (where Bryce Courtenay was raised) the Drakensbergs north of Nelspruit, and a day drive through Kruger National Park on the way back into Mozambique. Chose to do this because we could not hire a 4WD to take us up the Mozambique coast.
Whilst the rain was bucketing in Australia, we were copping it with such a tropical intensity on the east coast of Africa as well; not to the same effect though, fortunately.
Here are some photos of our drive:
This is the view from the hotel we stayed at in Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland:
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So much of the scenery of this part of the world reminds me of the far north coast of NSW and the New England Table Lands. I had first been here 10yrs ago, and it is still so very beautiful
A Swazi bus stop:
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Swaziland is such a clean and proper place, really beautiful. It is a kingdom, the last such tribal elder led kingdom in Africa. It was always a British Protectorate following on from the Zulu wars and this then kept it separate from post-British colonial South Africa. It did benefit from the time of Apartheid as it set itself up to accommodate the relatively wealthy South Africans that came across the border to gamble in Swazi’s casinos and play in their brothels.
Once a year the King selects a new wife from what is called the ‘Reed Dance’. It involves young Swazi maidens showing their best in a cultural way and is quite a tourist event.
In the Lebombo Mountains just out of Swaziland, where Bryce Courtenay was raised and set his book, 'The Power of One':
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These photos are of MacMac falls and Lisbon Falls, on the way up to the Blyde River Canyon. This is what is the northern end of the Drakensburg Mountains and is situated in Mpumalunga Province, which is to the immediate west of Kruger National Park.
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This is the Blyde River and the canyon it flows through:
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Our South African friends are some of the world’s most dedicated outdoors-people and they really go to great lengths to set their 4WD rigs up well:
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The owner was initially a little ‘sus’ as to why I would want to take a photo of his rig. Once he was told I was a Landy Owner too, it was alright.
This was a Shangaan village we stopped at to buy some artwork. My wife is Shangaan and they were most interested to hear there was a Shangaan person living in Australia:
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Then, a day’s drive through Kruger. Kruger is a real treat. You never know what you’ll see but, as yet, I’ve never been disappointed:
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Goodness knows:
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Then we stopped at Skukuza Camp for lunch, and these were lined up outside on one of the verandahs:
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Did you ever see an elephant’s skull? Quite impressive:
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Then, after lunch, live ones:
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Another herd:
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Sorry....it must be said....a Zebra Crossing.
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Out of the natural wild and back into the reality of human Mozambique. A day down in Xipamenene Markets; and this was not a busy day:
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As always, I cannot fail to be surprised by the number of Landies that there are in Africa. These were from a short drive around Maputo:
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Really, I did not capture half of what I saw.
My time in Mozambique finished all too quickly. My wife and I headed in different directions. She back to Melbourne and me, back to Kenya.
I took these photos of the Landy tow trucks and the crew that man them, earlier today here in Nairobi:
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Landies…just keep on, keeping on…and I, am back into Mogadishu tomorrow.
As always, BBC, your pics and stories are wonderful.:)
Was that the Mountain Inn you stayed at in Mbabane? If so it is owned by family friends. The Ward family. Swaziland is a great country, used to spend nearly two weeks in every six there.
Kenleyfred,Quote:
Originally Posted by kenleyfred
It certainly was. It is truly a beautiful quaint place. I am sure there is a story just about the Ward family. Given their ownership of the Mountain Inn, I'd be certain they are in good relationship there with the Royal family.
Please, if you can relate here any information you can about Swaziland, please do so.
Cheers,
BBC
I reckon this one wins the "patina" award:
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Thanks for posting all those photos.
Cheers
David