Due to unforeseen circumstances we had to postpone out trip from February to September and we would like to ask if traveling from September to December in Eastern Africa is a really bad time to travel as it is the wet season. There are things we would like to do and see and we wonder if the rain will dictate what we can and cannot do. We have been looking into it and most views give us the impression that it is ok to travel around this time. We would just like to get opinions from as many people as we can.
We land in Kenya, go to Uganda and then travel south through Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique to South Africa.
We leave Africa before Xmas and spend it in India so just want to make sure that we get the most of our African tour. If there is something that we must do in a certain place on a certain day, please let us know.
Thank you and happy travels
Reply to this While in Kenya, don't miss Laikipia and Samburu.
Fantastic, Amazing, You'll never forgive yourself if you don't visit.
😊
Reply to this i have visited both uganda and kenya during rainy season severla times over the last few years and the weather has never been a problem. Yes it can be rainy and cold for a day or two but then it tends to get very hot afterwards. I have done safaris, beach holidays, voluntary work etc and have never been held up by the rains. Just remember to take a couple of jumpers and long trousers cos can be cool at times and be aware that occasionally kenyan roads are unpassable in very rainy times so u might need to fly to a national park etc rather than go by road xxxx
Reply to this Thank you very much for your replies. Its really helpful. Is there anywhere that you would definately recommend to go in either of the countries we are going to?
Reply to this In Kenya I would highly reccommend: a safari in the masai mara (can be booked very cheaply in-country)-infact this is a MUST-DO!!! Also Lake Nakuru National Park is a great day trip where you get to see very rare rhinoes, and you could also visit the project i support which works with slum children who live on a rubbish tip in Nakuru. Mombasa is beautiful - great weather, beaches, snorkelling, diving, glass-bottomed boat trips, dolphin watching, old architecture etc. I would reccommend taking the train from nairobi to mombasa too - very very cheap (about £4 return), long journey (about 10hours), but they have private and shared sleeping compartments and it is a fantastic experience-you feel like u have stepped back in time to colonial Kenya-even the cutlery in the dinner carriage is authentic colonial silver. In Nairobi: Daniel Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino oprhanage - get to stroke the babies and see them being fed. Karen Blixen house/museum-featured in the film 'Out of Africa'. The giraffe centre-u get to hand feed them. Carnivore-in the top 50 restaurants in the world-have never been as am a vegetarian (!) but have heard it is a brilliant night out. You could climb Mount Kenya fairly cheaply in a few days if that's your thing. In Uganda, white water rafting at the source of the River Nile at Jinja is brilliant, plus you can do kayking/canoeing/bungee jumping there too. You cango gorilla trekking but it is very expensive-at leat 500 dollars just for the permit plus an extra 2-300 dollars for the expedition-but this is something i definitley plan to do when i can afford it as i have heard it is a true once in a lifetime eperience. Queen Elizabeth National Park is good for a day trip or weekend-lovely lodge there or can stay over the road in v.v. cheap hostel. Can see plenty of wildlife and also lots of hippoes and crocodiles when doing the boat trip. Feel free to ask me anything else you would like to know!!! u will have an amazing time, I am always saving money for my next trip back to africa as it is the best palce on earth!xxx
Reply to this you will probably time it perfectly to witness the annual migration of wildebeest etc from the serengeti into the masai mara, i think this happens around september/october time? This is one of the world's greatest natural spectacles!!
Reply to this wowee! have just looked at ur travel itinery and am sooooo jealous of you both! Also noticed you will be travelling to Baliat some point: i went there last year and would reccommend: Kuta-surfing (can take lessons there), shopping, very laid back place. Horse riding on the black volcanic sand beaches, scuba diving/snorkelling at Tulamben-there is a WW2 american shipwreck which is not too deep and right near the shore. Monkey Forest-a temple overrun by wild monkeys, which if with a guide to protect u, u can hand feed nuts. they jump all over you and it really reminded me of King Louis' monkeys in the jungle book film! There is an active volcano you can visit quite cheaply, beautiful rice paddy fields and scenery, lots of traditional temples, cheap spas/balinese massages, the most amazing food and also some of the sweetest, kindest people you will ever meet xx
Reply to this To add to Rachel's comments, the name of the giraffe centre near Nairobi is the Langata Giraffe Centre and not only can you feed them by hand, they'll kiss you as well - if you dare!
Would strongly recommend Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania - the density of wildlife there is incredible, I saw four of the "Big Five" in under 90 minutes. Plus the drive through the morning mist into the crater below is a most memorable moment.
Gorilla Trekking is fantastic, but at US$500.00 per ticket and considering the length of your trip and the necessity to spend wisely, you could leave this for another time.
Though not an African comment, I looked at your itinerary and you mentioned Vietnam and Laos. Make sure you visit Cambodia to see the Angkor Temples around Siem Reap - they are just superb. That whole region (like India) is very cheap to travel in - so the more time you spend there the further your budget will stretch.
Reply to this Wow. Thank you so much for your posts. Full of great information and tips and it makes us want to be there already. We've been really planning and researching into this trip and have gathered so much information from books and the t'internet but it's so good when you get some first hand feedback from those that have actually been, seen and experienced everything we're going to.
Rachie O, you speak so passionately about Africa we'd love to know more about your experiences and knowledge of where we're going. Also more important aspects like budgeting, things to avoid and places to stay (on a budget accommodation). The Gorilla trekking sounds like a once in a lifetime experience but for $1000 for us both, it's going to shorten our trip by about a month...so we really need to think about it.
The Travel Camel, we are going to travel from Bangkok through Cambodia (Angkor Wat is a must see for us - probably a 3 day pass) then up through Vietnam, coastside. Into China to see Shanghai , Beijing and then south to Kunning, through Laos then back into Thailand.
It's going to be an amazing trip and we just cannot wait. We buy the tickets this month so things are really picking up. If anyone knows the best way to do this i.e RTW, One Way, Jigsaw make it up as you go along. We've planned for a RTW ticket but suggestions are always welcome. Also which agents would be best.
Happy travels and thank you for the great input so far.
D&Z
Reply to this The temples definitely warrants a 3 day pass, the best attractions I visited there are: Ta Prohm, Bayon, Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, and Preah Khan (in descending order of enjoyment).
Trying to organise a RTW ticket is a major pain, but it is definitely the cheapest. Once you are in Asia there are some very good airlines that fly cheaply - such as Jetstar, AirAsia and Tiger - so once you are in Asia, it is best not to use any of your sectors on your RTW tickets and just use these airlines instead. You will only have a limited number of sectors on a RTW, and that will be eaten up quickly with a bit of country hopping in a region.
Crossing the Pacific from Australia is expensive, so a RTW ticket is very handy. There is a bit more competiton on that route now (with V Australia - a Virgin Airlines offshoot) but it is still pricey compared to a RTW.
But since this is an African post, I'll finish off by saying that the wildlife viewing in Kenya and Tanzania is supposed to be more "genuine" than those in South Africa - that is going from anecdotal stories I've heard, so cannot vouch for this statement. However, the Okavango Delta in Botswana is supposed to be something special - plus you are not far from Victoria falls either.
Also, not only can you bungee jump, canoe, and white water raft in Jinja, Uganda, you can quad-bike (ATV) as well - fantastic fun!
Reply to this Thank you for your reply. Just a quick question about budgeting. Do you think that $2,800USD p.p. (we are a couple so we should save some money on double rooms) is enough for traveling 3 months in Africa? Once we have landed in Nairobi, we would like to travel overland using buses, taxis etc to Uganda and then making our way down to South Africa through Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. Unfortunately our plan is not to visit Botswana or the Victoria falls but thank you for that.
Are you going to travel to Africa again? I saw on your blog that it was saying you are going traveling in 143 days....
All the best
D&Z
Reply to this I am no budget expert, as I don't hang around hostels, but stay in upper budget/lower mid-range type of accommodation. I also flew around a lot (excluding the Kenya-Tanzania border), but I did find that travel within each country to be great on a tight budget - getting around in matatus (or mini-vans) in Kenya is really cheap - only about $2-$3 for each journey of a 2-4 hours. Excluding my airfares, my average daily cost for my 4 weeks in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda was about $50 - about $30 for accommodation (I am on my own) and $10 for food (this is all in USD). Note that big cities such as Kampala and Nairobi does cost a lot more for your accommodation.
Your budget killers are the safaris, you are charged a reasonable amount of dollars for park entrance fees and haggling for a guide and driver is a bit of an effort. If your costs in visiting a park (including lodge accommodation) are under $150USD per day per person, you are doing well. This varies greatly, but if you are going to splurge on one thing during your time in Africa, make it a safari - it is unforgettable.
This forthcoming trip is not to Africa, but North Korea. I only have 3 weeks, and to do even one region of Africa justice, you need at least 4 weeks. But I shall definitely return in the future - a super continent. Please feel free to ask any further questions!
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