From: blaize@cats.ucsc.edu (Ann Marie Wilkinson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: Info request: East African Safari in June... Is it worth it?
Keywords: kenya, safari
Date: 13 Apr 92 03:07:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: darkstar.32741
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz


In article <10346@inews.intel.com> pmwanik@scdt.intel.com writes:
>In article <9529@pluto.dss.com> ken@pluto.dss.com (Ken Adler) writes:
>>I am planning to take my Honeymoon this June1-June 15th.  We were thinking 
>>of going to Seychelle Islands for a week and then into Kenya for a "Safari"
>>for a week.
>
>I was at Masai Mara last year in June, and most game had migrated there
>from Serengeti, heards after heards of elephants,prides of lions,
>cheetahs, fields and fields, of zebras, topis,wildbeasts, etc. you
>could never at anytime fail to see the big five at Masai mara: elaphant,
>leopard, rhino,cheetah, ( cant recall the fifth ), ....

I think a trip to Kenya is a fine idea, but you really need to think about 
the political situation there before you book tickets.  I was planning on
going in August to visit my parents who are in the Peace Corps in western
Kenya, but I have just received a letter from them advising me not to go. 
Although I had heard that there was a State Department recommendation against
travel to Kenya, I thought nothing of it until I got the letter from my folks.
There was a State Dept. advisory last time I went to Kenya (summer 1990) but
it was really just western hysteria, the country was not dangerous at that time.
However, recently there has been a lot of violence, mostly tribal stuff related
to the newly founded multi-party system.  There are rumours that the Moi 
government is instigating a large part of the violence, hoping that the people
will decide that multiparty politics are too dangerous and that Moi (I like 
to pronounce it like it is a French word) will stay in power.  My parents are
on standby at their site, meaning that at any time they, and all Peace Corps
volunteers, could be removed from Kenya.  Now, I realize that the Peace Corps
is a pretty conservative organization, and might pull the volunteers 
prematurely.  They like to err on the side of safety, which maybe is just
sensible.  Anyway, travel between Nairobi and my parents site on the western
escarpment of Maasai Mara has been repeatedly disrupted due to tribal violence.
Over 100 people have been killed.  Also, tourists in Maasai Mara have been 
robbed.  Not that this kind of stuff didn't happen already, but now there
is the feeling that the government is instigating/supporting it.
         
    If the situation improves, I will post to the net about it.  I doubt 
the State Dept. would lift it's advisory very easily, but letters from 
my folks seem to be pretty accurate indications of whether it is really safe,
not whether the hysterical US government thinks it is safe.

     Finally, about your honeymoon.  The Mara is beautiful, although the 
overland route can be hell.  You will see three, and possibly four of the
"big five" (so-called as they were the ones hunters most desired as trophies):
cape buffalo, elephant, and lion.  Don't count on leopard, and certainly don't
expect rhino in the Mara.  If you really want to see rhino, go to Nairobi 
National Park, where a group of the few remaining rhino in Kenya are kept, 
zoo-like.  If you really want to see elephant, go to Amboseli.  Or try one of
the less touristy parks like Tsavo.
    Write me back and tell me if you are travelling like an upper class
tourist, or like a student.  You'll have a lot
more fun, and spend about a tenth of the money if you travel cheaply.  Why
stay at a hotel in Maasai Mara, which will cost you more than a nice hotel
in a major American or European city, when you can take a week long camping
safari which costs about $250 American. Total, including food cooked for you
over fires. Plus, if you really want an experience, you could visit my parents.
They love house guests, and have had more than 30 overnight visitors in
their two years
in one of the remotest of the Peace Corp sites.  There, you could see how a 
typical Kenyan school teacher lives, have tea in a traditiona Maasai home, meet
my parents' students.  The people you will meet on a regular tourist safari 
will either be your fellow tourists, or Kenyans whose relationship to you 
will be one of servitude.  I recommend trying the cheaper route, as you are
more likely to make friends with Kenyans, rather than having them only as
your waiters, maids, busboys, and guides.