Anyone got any travel planned?

[explanade]

Great deal, one of those package deals on Expedia or Travelocity?

They all seem to use the same booking engines now, or at least the interface all look the same.

 

[Nemo2]

nemo...we are just starting to do some research on Kenya, Tanzania, and Morocco for the winter after next.

Have you been there? Any comments? Just picked up Rough Guide's First Time Africa and Fodor's African Safaris from the library. The Rough Guide is essentially a guide to Africa, where to go, where is safe, where not, etc. Seems good so far. Will go to web next.

Kenya I'd personally avoid.....my late wife & I were there in the mid 1980s and it was like Disneyworld....went to the Mara, (saw the migration), Amboseli, et al.......posted a pic somewhere here with a bunch of minivans, (I counted twenty in all), around a sleeping lion that didn't even bother to wake up.....place was just totally overrun with tourists then, and I imagine it's ten times as bad now...at least.

The Ark we enjoyed.....the people who attended, (it's a night viewing venue), who made a lot of noise, after being advised repeatedly by the Kenyan woman, who guided hunts as well as being a resource there, that noise would discourage some of the animals, not so much......we stayed two nights, and were the only people there during the day, (no tourists had yet arrived, and the staff had gone home until the evening), and although the nocturnal animals weren't around we just enjoyed the 'ambience'. The Ark

Safety....at that time, in Nairobi, they were advising tourists who wanted to visit an adjacent hotel at night, (even one that could be hit by throwing a stone from theirs), to take a cab......what it's like now I have no idea.

Tanzania...went to the Selous early 1988, down on the Rufiji River...enjoyed that...rustic riverfront camp...(Ownership of which has since changed hands at least once to my knowledge):

But...since then the Selous has become much more of a tourist destination.......the animals there at that time were actually 'wild' and not blasé (see Kenya/lion comment).

Also went to Mikumi Wildlife Camp 'just' outside Dar.......liked that, but again it's more than 29 years ago. (Oh, at the Mikumi restaurant we tried Tanzanian Dodoma Red wine.......it was putrid......people at an adjacent table said they were from the Canadian Embassy and had been telling a friend who had just arrived about this purported 'wine'. They asked if she could try a glass of ours.......we told them she could have the whole **** bottle!)

Morocco....have only been to Tangier, (in 1969 and again in 1988), and Agadir......so can't help you.

We did like Botswana......DW and I were there about 8 years ago......first place I got to see African Wild Dogs, after looking for them all over. Lagoon Camp, Kwando Lagoon, River Safari

Would also like to go to Zambia.

Hope this, albeit dated, info is of some assistance.

 

[97guns]

Great deal, one of those package deals on Expedia or Travelocity?

They all seem to use the same booking engines now, or at least the interface all look the same.

I pieced it together on Priceline and Alaska air for only $117 rt. pp. out of SF , it was actually cheaper than a package deal, staying at 2 different hotels and went with the absolute cheapest car

 

[Gumby]

Here was the ship and one of the beaches on the island of Krk

A shame they lost all their vowels in the war.

 

[braumeister]

Getting ready for Europe again. We're going to Bavaria for a while just to play, then fly up to Amsterdam for a Viking cruise on the Rhine, winding up in Basel. Then a few days in Lucerne and fly home from Zurich.

We had such a nice time on our last Viking river cruise that I think it might become habit forming.

Met a very interesting couple on our last one. They had been on something like 50 different cruises, including every river cruise they could find, all over the world. They spent the majority of their time since retirement cruising and still loved it even after doing it for years.

One advantage they mentioned was that since they were such frequent customers it was normal for them to book the cheapest cabin since they nearly always got upgraded.

 

[gayl]

frequent customers it was normal for them to book the cheapest cabin since they nearly always got upgraded.

in addition to free internet, canapes or appetizers and the cabin, drinks, preferential boatding, they do laundry for me, and so on

 

[Lsbcal]

Tomorrow we're taking off for Haarlem Netherlands followed by Munich, then Austria. Four weeks bouncing around in these countries. Planes, trains mostly.

 

[PawPrint53]

We are going to do a four day lodge-to-lodge hike down the Rogue River Trail in a few weeks. I got the idea from someone who posts here.

In October, we're going to Hailey, ID, for the Trailing of the Sheep festival.

Our friends just invited us to share an Airbnb in Galway next September. The only international travel I've done (not counting Canada or walking across the border into Mexico for 5 minutes) is walking the Cotswolds about 8 years ago. We're talking about going to Scotland, Amsterdam, Austria (a place I've always wanted to go) and a few other places since we're "in the area."

 

[6miths]

Had a fabulous week in Malta and 10 days in London. Walked and walked and walked. Averaged 15km a day which was great. Love the transit system in London.

 

[Nemo2]

nemo...we are just starting to do some research on Kenya, Tanzania, and Morocco for the winter after next

Neglected to include in the previous response, but apparently Mozambique (I've never been there....closest I came was being stopped by a South African roadblock near the border in 1983), where the wildlife was severely impacted by their protracted, ( 1 1/2 decades I believe), civil war, is making a comeback.......might be an interesting place to check out.....(seems all the land mines have been removed now ):

Mozambique Safari | Gorongosa National Park

 

[brett]

Your comments on Kenya seem to be spot on. We have spent time in South Africa and a little in Zambia and Botswana. Want to go to an area where we can have some beach time and some touring time. Plus, we would want to travel in our winter for 8 weeks (I now get 60 days of out of country travel med coverage from my retirement plan).

So far it has been a winter in US and Costa Rica, three in SE Asia with an add on to Australia/NZ, last one in South and Central America. This winter will be Thailand and Philippines. Looking for a change.

 

[Nemo2]

Your comments on Kenya seem to be spot on.

What, you think I'd kid you?

Want to go to an area where we can have some beach time and some touring time.

Mozambique has beaches too:

A Guide to Mozambique’s Best-Kept Secret Beaches - Vogue

Best beaches in Mozambique | Bazaruto Archipelago (Condé Nast Traveller)

Flights can be pricey though.

Tanzania also has beaches, but again it was early 1988 when I was there.
https://www.thetanzaniaspecialists.net/what-to-do/tanzania-beaches

And here's the aforementioned 1983 South African roadblock, through the windshield of our little rented camper:

 

[brett]

Several years ago we flew into J'burg. We had arranged a Kruger safari directly with a local vendor. Then flew to Victoria Falls and back to Port Elizabeth. Rented a car for several weeks of touring. Never a problem. Met some wonderful people. Cape Town and area was/is stunning.

We never felt ill at ease but we are always careful when we travel...as we are at home. At one point we drove over a hill and came across a combining crew with five or six new John Deere combines. We could have been home in Alberta with this site and the surrounding geography.

Such a great trip that we want to return to Africa. Morocco has been on my list for some time. May do it from Spain rather than Africa.

 

[travelover]

Just booked a week in Tucson in early February in anticipation of the PNW winter blues. It is surprisingly affordable in terms of flight, rental car and AirBnB rates. We'll be staying near the outskirts of town, but driving all over during the day.

 

[Nemo2]

Brett: Now you've got me, (or perhaps I've got myself), thinking about Mozambique...the list is long, the time remaining not so long.

After previously mentioning the then rustic/primitive, Rufiji River Camp, I Googled it and found this website: Home - Rufiji River Camp quite a transformation...and I imagine the prices reflect the updates.

Kruger Park...spent a week there in the rented camper.....loved it!

 

[Cap_Scarlet]

Our three-week tour of Western USA starting next Tuesday!

 

[BigNick]

Getting ready for Europe again. We're going to Bavaria for a while just to play, then fly up to Amsterdam for a Viking cruise on the Rhine, winding up in Basel.

Wave when you get to Strasbourg!

 

[braumeister]

Wave when you get to Strasbourg!

One of the cities I'm looking forward to -- never been there. I have a "Taste the best of Alsace" tour booked, so I'll probably have to cut back severely on the next day.

 

[hesperus]

Booked a one week ski trip to Whistler/Blackcomb. Slopeside room, first class air, in early feb. DW's 50th b-day.

 

[brett]

nemo...South Africa and Kruger safari were on DW's bucket list. We flew there from Italy.

When we started to price safaris here, at the so called specialized travel agents, they were very expensive. Through tripadvisor, we got in touch with a small company in SA that used the park accomodations in Kruger. They were small cabins. Much less expensive. Very small group of us on the safari. We did out own SA internal air as well.

Did our own B&B's on our road trip. Wonderful trip. What we saved by booking direct, etc more than paid for our Victoria Falls/Zambia/Botswana lodges which were much more expensive.

 

[explanade]

What's the appeal, wild life in their "natural habitat?"

As opposed to just going to zoos?

 

[Nemo2]

What's the appeal, wild life in their "natural habitat?"

As opposed to just going to zoos?

For one thing, you don't experience the interaction between species when, as in zoos, they are totally separated from one another.

Put another way...why travel when you can see it all on TV?

 

[explanade]

I travel plenty.

Haven't wanted to go to Africa though I've no doubt it has wonderful sights.

It's just that the countries are messed up.

 

[Nemo2]

It's just that the countries are messed up.

Seven out of twenty according to this list:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news...dangerous-countries-in-the-world-for-tourists

 

[Meadbh]

I travel plenty.

Haven't wanted to go to Africa though I've no doubt it has wonderful sights.

It's just that the countries are messed up.

I don't go to countries that I consider "messed up" either.

At the present time, I am focusing my travel plans on Europe.