AfricanOverlandTours.com BLOG

It appears that Health officials in Nairobi have stepped up efforts to check for compliance by arriving passengers for the Yellow Fever vaccination certificates. These certificates are required not only for passengers coming from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission but also those who may have transited through such countries.

Whereas the Yellow Fever certificate requirement is not new, there may have been some laxity in carrying out these checks in the past. Incoming passengers who do not have the Certificate and are required to have it (or in some cases those with a fake certificate) will be vaccinated at the Airport if they wish to enter the country. The cost of the vaccination is Kshs. 1,000.

Tour operators should inform clients of the requisite rules and ensure that those who require the Certificate are compliant. Travellers from the following Countries MUST have the certificate when coming into Kenya:

Angola 2.Benin 3. Bolivia 4. Brazil 5. Burkina Faso 6. Burundi 7. Cameroon 8. Central Africa Republic 9. Colombia 10. Congo 11. Code d’Ivoire 12. Ecuador 13. Equatorial Guinea 14. Ethiopia 15. French Guyana 16. Gabon 17. Gambia 18. Ghana 19. Guinea 20. Guyana 21. Liberia 22. Mali 23. Mauritania 24. Niger 25. Nigeria 26. Panama 27. Paraguay 28. Peru 29. Senegal 30. Somali 31. Sudan 32. Togo 33. Uganda 34. United Republic of Tanzania 35. Venezuela 36. Rwanda  The above countries include all countries in West Africa, Central and East Africa and South America.

Press release from ITB trade show in Berlin

From April 1st 2009 until the end of 2010 the fees for tourist visas will be reduced by 50%.

Children under 16 will be exempt from all Visa fees

from www.atta.travel

Please note that all clients who travel to Zambia, Malawi and East Africa require a yellow fever vaccination and will have to present their vaccination certificate on entering surrounding countries. The South African border officials are checking this and will not allow any person who has travelled to a yellow fever area to enter the country without proof of vaccination.

Please note that this now also applies to clients who have travelled to Livingstone as the officials are on the lookout for any Zambian border stamps (in previous years officials were lenient on clients who had only travelled to Livingstone and not the rest of Zambia, but they have now included this as a risk area).

Update from ATC

We just received an awesome update on the animals in the Serengeti from one of our suppliers in Tanzania. Hope you enjoy this. It is my most favourite place in Africa, the Serengeti.

The animals have been on the move very early this year. Consistent short rains in October and November have signaled it is the right time to begin moving south and easterly to the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti. It is important to note that the movement is not always as clear-cut as you might read in the nature books or on National Geographic. While rain does signal the time to move back to the areas in the Serengeti that are best for calving, the herds basically follow the various rain clouds and can move south, west, east and even back north again! It only takes 1-2 weeks of dry weather for the herds to turn in different directions. In general, the females most often migrate from north (Kenya and crossing the Mara River) to south coming through the Seronera or central area of the Serengeti and males more often migrate in a clockwise direction, also making their way to the short-grass plains in south eastern Serengeti. The particular grasses that grow on the southern plains are rich in calcium and magnesium, both nutrients which are vital for lactation and the success of the calving period. There have been many years when the herds have detoured to the Western Corridor before coming south, if they are following the rain and new growth of green, rich grasses. In early October, herds were moving south and west and then moved back north again.

By the end of October and early November, great masses of wildebeest and zebra were in the

central Serengeti region, mostly Seronera and even at the Moru Kopjes. Thousands and thousands of Thomson gazelles have populated the Naabi Hill area and the southern plains are beginning to fill up again. Clients staying at Buffalo Luxury Camp in Loliondo have seen masses and masses of herds moving east through the plains below the camp.

• The northern area of Serengeti (near the Mara River, Lobo, Loliondo) has a unique geology with large kopjes and hills, attracting klipspringers and oribi, which remain resident in the Lobo Valley. Most of our clients have been fortunate to see these two mammals.
• At this time of the year, many of our clients fly into the Lobo airstrip and are often treated to great wildlife simply driving away from the airstrip. One lucky client spotted a solitary cheetah and the driver guide recommended being patient as the cheetah’s behaviour signaled a possible hunt. Quickly they saw the female cheetah stalk a baby Thomson gazelle and then, when its position was close enough, she began her sprint and the hunt was successful. The clients stayed to watch the cheetah begin to eat, but the cat was obviously nervous, so the driver guide moved away, only to find a solitary lioness under a nearby tree.
• Cheetahs were easily seen in October and November. Near Sametu, a cheetah emerged from nowhere and quickly chased a Thomson gazelle (their favorite food). It was a successful hunt and clients stayed for over an hour to watch the quiet strangulation and then the feeding. Cheetahs are often very nervous and are constantly on the lookout for other predators that might be nearby and steal their kill.
• Mating cheetahs were seen just near one of our private campsites. Three cheetahs were seen (2 males and one female) with the female most likely towards the end of her estrus because she was aggressive to both males if they approached too closely.
• When we game drive in the north, whether in Serengeti or in Loliondo, we always include a special game drive and walking option by the Mara River. For these excursions, we are required to take a ranger with us, but the game drives in October and November were just spectacular. There were amazing numbers of wildebeest and zebra crossing in this period of time, with great predator prey activity for crocodiles and cats of all kinds.
• Many wildebeest and zebra drown in the river and carcasses are abundant, attracting great masses of vultures as well. One day clients saw hundreds of vultures in the trees along the riverbank and flying in the air with others feasting on the dead bodies of wildebeest in the river.
• Large prides of lion can be seen in Lobo and near the Mara River. As clients were driving in Lobo Valley in the late afternoon, they saw a few lions here and there, all moving towards each other and roaring or calling to each other. As one lion would roar,  another head would pop up and follow until 8 females were lying together grooming each other.
• In addition to the wildebeest and zebra, there have been very large herds of elephants, eland, buffalo and gazelles. Eland are a beautiful antelope and are the largest and slowest of the species of antelope. The name is derived from the Dutch word for “moose” and the Swahili name is mbunga. Eland herds can consist of 30-400 individuals, which is a sight to behold. Eland can weigh from 700 for a small female and up to 2200 pounds for a large male. They stand 4-6 feet in height and have the amazing ability to jump eight feet from a standing position. It is a beautiful and shocking sight to see these very large antelope running and jumping these high distances often to evade their predators. Eland are hunted for their meat and are often very shy from vehicles. Not only people, but lions and wild dogs especially love eland. A successful hunt can only be achieved by a collaboration of lions or wild dogs. These social predators are able to hunt in large numbers to successfully kill eland, a feast for a large pride of lions or pack of wild dogs.

The private mobile camps have been very busy these past two months and clients often comment that this has been the highlight of their safari. As the herds have been on the move in masses and predator/prey activity has been at a peak, clients are impressed with the night sounds and activity as animals move through the camp.

• Snakes are something that most tourists hope they do not encounter, but it is often a very special find and quite safe when you are in the vehicle. Because snakes do not hear, but feel vibrations instead, they often will move quickly away when a vehicle approaches. It was with great excitement that a vehicle was able to see a large python on their way to Lobo Lodge late in the afternoon. The python had been coiled inside a hole in a large termite mound and was coming out during the cool evening that was approaching.
• Just as in life, we should also take notice of some of the small things that happen, as they can be just as special as the big events. While traveling on a game drive, the guide spotted lines of red safari ants on the move with the rains. These ants, called siafu in Swahili, sensed the danger of the approaching vehicle and formed a thick wall of soldier ants to protect the rest of the ants. This was something amazing to watch and there were thousands and thousands of ants on the move.
• Elephants were everywhere in northern and central Serengeti and with very young calves. Along the Lobo River, clients saw calves as young as one-week old.
• A client celebrating her 66th birthday saw 66 lions (what a gift!) during her time in the Serengeti! Leopards were seen with abundance in the last two months. In the Lobo River Valley, clients saw a leopard only 100 meters from the vehicle, and watched the large male move directly towards the vehicle, crossing in the front of the car. The driver decided to allow the leopard to move without being followed for a short period of time. Picking up the trail, everyone was shortly treated to watching the leopard climb up into a tree to sit by its recent kill!
• One of the more interesting observations in the Serengeti occurred when clients were watching 2 female lions with 3 cubs eating a bushbuck along the Seronera River. After feeding for awhile, one of the lioness climbed a tree to get out of the heat (and away from the flies), while the other lioness nursed the three small cubs. The driver’s attention was drawn to a red-billed hornbill that was diving at something in a nearby tree. When he looked more closely, he noticed a male leopard resting in the tree. Most likely the hornbill had her nest in that tree was doing her utmost to protect her nest. Hornbills have the unusual behaviour of building their nests in a tree hole. The female lays 3-6 eggs and remains inside the hole, which the male seals up with mud and droppings. The male will then feed the female and chicks and guard the nest. When the chicks are big enough, the female breaks out of the hole and both male and female continue to share responsibility to feed the chicks. Since this was a female who was harassing the leopard, we assume the chicks were still inside. The leopard did not move at all (perhaps because of the nearby lions) but the hornbill remained on a close branch to keep an eye on her chicks.

Thanks Meg from Unique Safaris what a great read!

The typical day in October and November consisted of cool and foggy mornings, with the fog usually burning off and the weather heating up by the late morning. The Crater was bursting with wildlife and the European migratory birds were beginning to arrive by the middle of November.

There were close encounters with elephants, lions, black rhino, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and many, many hyena. This is the time to see large flocks of crowned cranes in the Crater and the Augur buzzard was a common sight as well.

• There are a number of young rhino calves at the Crater right now and often easily seen. Some have been lucky to see 4 rhinos in one morning.
• Primates are often seen at the Crater. Clients are warned about the vervet monkeys in particular, who have learned that vehicles equate to food. We prepare clients to be on the look-out, not to feed monkeys and not to keep doors or windows open when you are not in the vehicle.

• Although the population of lions down in the Crater is precarious at times, they are also easily seen due to the small size of the Crater floor. Lions also are well habituated to the vehicle, often seeking shade from the sun and heat. One lion passed directly behind the vehicle and then decided to sharpen her claws on the tire cover, ripping easily through the protective cover.
• Another great early morning in the Crater when clients were greeted by 2 big males who were rolling on the ground together, with obviously full bellies. In fact, lying around is the favourite thing for lions, who are active only about 4 hours a day. A short distance away were another 5 females, 2 young males and 6 cubs, all feeding on a zebra. This was most likely the early morning kill. The typical behaviour is for males to eat first, then females and the last to eat are the cubs. If hunting has not been good for awhile, it is always the cubs who suffer the most and this adds to the higher cub mortality.
• Another highlight in the Crater was coming upon a very recent zebra kill and a solitary lioness dragging the kill into the brush by the Munge River. The kill was almost impossible to see (not to smell though) and the lioness was resting and calling to her pride members to join her.
• Five cheetahs were seen in one morning down on the Crater floor. Two of them tried to hunt Thomson gazelle, but they had no success and soon drew the attention of nearby hyena.
• The old bull elephants are always a delight to see. The bulls that remain on the Crater floor are usually quite old, have big tusks and roam the Lerai forest and swamp areas only occasionally moving to the rim of the Crater to find females to breed with.

This great update was given to us from one of our East Africa operators. Thanks so much Meg from  Unique Safaris

Hi everyone,

Great news for any last minute travellers we have a 20% off special on the following Nairobi to Livingstone Overland.

•  http://www.africanoverlandtours.com/african-overland-destination/east-africa/camping-tours/15-21-days/21-Days-Nairobi-to-Vic-Falls-Southern-Trails.php
• 03-Sep-08 23-Sep-08
•  Price is normally  2008 Price: ZAR 11 300 Local payment: $ 780
• But with the SPECIAL IT IS 9040 ZAR (plus the local payment of 780 USD)

Please submit the enquiry with the subject Southern Trails September Special

Hi everyone,

We have just been sent an awesome special for a very popular route. It is a  Nairobi to Victoria Falls/Livingstone Overland departing on the 3 September - 23-September-08. The reason for the trip is that a big group has unfortunately pulled out.

Normally the trip costs  ZAR 11 300 plus the local payment of $ 780 but we have a massive special of 9700 ZAR plus the local payment - 15% off the tour price.

• http://www.africanoverlandtours.com/african-overland-destination/east-africa/camping-tours/15-21-days/21-Days-Nairobi-to-Vic-Falls-Southern-Trails.php

The trip visits my personal favourites such as the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Zanzibar (all my top sites visited in Africa). Then the trip travels south to the peaceful country of Malawi, traveling down the inland sea that is Lake Malawi. After Malawi the trip travels west through Zambia to Livingstone for all your adventure activities.

All in all, an awesome trip at an awesome price.

For more details and to book email info@escape4africa.com

Safe travels!

Andrew Walton

www.africanoverlandtours.com

FERRY SCHEDULE (Dar to Zanzibar and vice versa)

Ferries (Daily departures from Dar es Salaam)  Time

From DAR to ZNZ

Flying Horse and Aziza                              1230 (slow ferry 3.5hours)

Sea Bus                                                    1400

Sea Bus                                                    1600

Sea Express                                              0730

Sea Star                                                    1030

Mega Speed                                               0730

Mega Speed departs 0930 HRS on Sundays from Dar.

Ferry Times as follows:

1^st Ferry leaving at 07:30 hrs be there at the port 30 minutes before departure times…speed ferry taking 2 hrs time…not less 40 $.

2^nd Ferry leaves at 10:00 hrs ..2 hrs time across.

3^rd  Ferry departs at 12:00 hrs…slow ferry…3 and half hrs time to Zanzibar.

4th’ Ferry departs at 14:00 hrs…2 hrs time across.

5^th  ferry departs at 16:00 hrs…2 hrs time…and this is the last ferry for the day.

Ferries (Daily departures from Dar es Salaam)  Time

From ZNZ to DAR

Flying Horse and Aziza                                2200

Sea Bus                                                     1400

Sea Bus                                                     1600

Sea Express                                               0730

Sea Star                                                     1030

Mega Speed                                               1400

Flying Horse and Azizi depart 2200HRs arrive Dar 0600HRS the following morning.

Price of the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Stonetown, Zanzibar: non-residents $20 inclusive of tax $5 for the slow ferry. The fast catamaran: $40 and $5 tax

Hope that helps with planning your Zanzibar arrival and departure.

Andrew

www.africanoverlandtours.com

We just received an update on gorilla permits for Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC.

Due to migrations of gorilla families between the Magahinga & Bwindi NP’s in Uganda, the Ruhengeri  NP in Rwanda & the Virunga NP in the DRC, gorilla trekking permits have had to be re-issued as some family groups that previously inhabited parks on one side of a country’s border, moved.

Below is an update on the current costs of the Gorilla Trek Excursion:

We have just received some great specials on some tours. Have a look!

13 Day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Departing 29 June 08

• 40% off the Tour Price

24 Day South East Adventure (Nairobi- Vic Falls )

Departing 13 July 08 and 13 August 08

• 20% off the Tour Price

31 Day South East Adventure ( Nairobi - JHB )

Departing 13 July 08 and 13 August 08

• 20% off the Tour Price

21 Day East African Explorer (Livingstone- Nairobi)

Departing 15 August 08

• 20% off the Tour Price

29 Day East African Explorer Johannesburg- Nairobi

Departing 07 August 08

• 20% off the Tour Price

13 Day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Departing 13 July 08, 20 July 08

• 20% off the Tour Price

21 Day Cape to Vic Falls -Southern Sun (Cape Town to Victoria Falls

Departing 31 August 2008

• Was 5890 NOW 5490 ZAR (plus local payment of 450 USD)

21 Day Cape to Vic Falls -Southern Sun (Cape Town to Victoria Falls)

Departing 28 September 2008

• Was 5890 ZAR NOW 5490 ZAR (plus local payment of 450 USD)

21 Day Cape to Vic Falls -Southern Sun (Cape Town to Victoria Falls)

Departing 26 October 2008

• Was 5890 NOW 5490 ZAR (plus local payment of 450 USD)

Victoria Falls to Cape Town (Reverse Direction)

Departing 19 October 2008

• Was 5890 NOW 5490 ZAR (plus local payment of 450 USD)

http://www.africanoverlandtours.com/african-overland-destination/southern-africa/camping-tours/15-21-days/21-Day-Cape-to-Vic-Falls-Southern-Sun.php