November 19, 2004 -- Not the kind of place you're likely to get back to everyday, a Kenya Safari is a trip of a lifetime. Brighter than light bulbs, the stars at night shine like diamonds. A safari delivers it all, from the sounds of the jungle to the smell of the brush across the endless plains rife with comical monkeys, loping gazelles, half-crazed hyenas and the kind of the beasts -- the lion. Kenya, with its huge game reserves and rustic lodges, has a thriving safari business that offers both short- and long-term options, some surprisingly affordable.
Djoser (tel. 877/356-7376; www.djoserusa.com/www/bestemming/index.php?bestemming=0016) offers an excellent 23-day air-inclusive Kenya camping tour starting at a very low price of $2,695 out of New York and $2,895 from Los Angeles. Djoser's vacations offer a near-perfect combination of an escorted tour with independent travel, allowing you to decide whether or not to participate in scheduled events. While the African Bush doesn't allow for the freedom to simply walk around on your own, Djoser tours are more relaxed and locally-oriented than normal package vacations. This particular camping extravaganza takes the traveler through the great Kenyan game reserves like Amboselli, Samburu, Mt. Kenya, the Masai Mara and beautiful Tiwi Beach on Kenya's well-known and picturesque Mombasa coast. Accommodations are Spartan in small local hotels and tents.
Bring bug spray and use those mosquito nets. A flashlight is a necessity as well for night reading and finding your way around the dark corners of the campgrounds. You also need to bring a sleeping bag of your own and you'll be putting up your own two-person tent. That's as far as the roughing it goes as meals will be prepared for you at an additional cost of $285 while you're at safari camp and you have to pay for your own meals while in sizeable cities such as Nairobi and Mombasa. Flights, transportation, hotels, tour guide are included. Travel insurance, meals, entrance fees, excursions, tips, personal expenses, airport taxes, and security departure fees are not.
On the higher end, Micato Safaris (tel. 800/642-2861; www.micato.com) has an air-inclusive, four- and five-star resort and lodge travel package with all meals, in-land and over-land transportations, and excursion fees included. These tours are mostly private, most guides have been working with the Micato team since the Pinto family founded the company more than 25 years ago. Knowledgeable, funny, great with children and with keen eyes to spot the smallest of bird species and strange vegetation, the Micato guides bring you deeper into the Africa experience. Call the company for exact 2005 rates, but they estimate the total cost to be around $9,000 for a fifteen-day, Sunday-to-Sunday, Micato Grand Safari with deluxe accommodations including a dinner at the tour operator's house. Other safaris at other prices are available.
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