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Kenya
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Visiting Kenya in November - going on safari. Anyone any tips. What is the voltage - is it the same plug as in the UK?
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If you're going to take anything for the children, sweets are good, but socks (especially white ones) are much sought after - and biros. Upon request, I once gave my white socks, although only hastily washed with shower gel, still stained red from the colour of the earth, to a teenager who told me the next day that he had swapped them in exchange for meat for his family. Whenever we go to Third World countries, we always take a supply of bits and pieces now.
Just to save the OP and others wondering: The UK plug is just that, more or less uniquely a British device - you can only hope to see sockets matching it in a few dependencies where their use is close to mandatory. Therefore, anyone living in the UK but travelling outside the UK WILL need an adaptor for any appliances with a UK plug on them - the voltage in Kenya is 220/230.
If you are to be in Nairobi, I recommend having a look at Nairobi Park which is a short drive outside (on the edge of) Nairobi. Depending on the time of year, one can hope to see literally any of Kenya's anilmals with the exception of elephants - or at least that was the case when I lived there. On the edge of the park is the Sheldrake Trust's elephant sanctuary which specialises in fostering orphaned elephant calves until they can be released, usually in Tsavo Park. They encourage visitors to the sanctuary and at my time there there was no entrance fee. Also in Karen, a district of Nairobi bearing Karen Blixen's (of Out of Africa fame) name, there is a giraffe sanctuary - well worth visiting for a close-up of the giraffes at their eye level.
If you are to be in Nairobi, I recommend having a look at Nairobi Park which is a short drive outside (on the edge of) Nairobi. Depending on the time of year, one can hope to see literally any of Kenya's anilmals with the exception of elephants - or at least that was the case when I lived there. On the edge of the park is the Sheldrake Trust's elephant sanctuary which specialises in fostering orphaned elephant calves until they can be released, usually in Tsavo Park. They encourage visitors to the sanctuary and at my time there there was no entrance fee. Also in Karen, a district of Nairobi bearing Karen Blixen's (of Out of Africa fame) name, there is a giraffe sanctuary - well worth visiting for a close-up of the giraffes at their eye level.
The advice on taking a camera or camcorder is good. However... beware that you do not spend so much time framing your pictures that you miss all the action! I have been to Kenya on safari 3 times and the first time I spent so much time making sure my pictures were as good as I could get that I missed a number of wonderful sights (that's why I had to pay a return visit!) By all means take a few pictures to show those back home, but remember it is your trip and if those at home want greater detail they will have to go themselves!! Make sure you spend plenty of time just watching.
Take a travel medical kit with the usual drugs. Take pens to give to the little begging kids. Don`t take photos of the Massai as they don`t like it. Use a decent camera. The first time I went there (as a 19 year old) I had a useless camera and lost a lot of potentially fantastic shots. If you go to the Sheldrake elephant orphanage, take some SMA milk powder or a donation. Wear sunglasses as travelling for miles in a safari bus can give you a migraine.
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