Learnings from Serengeti : 1. Very clean cities in Africa even the rural areas. 2. Many Africans may not know that India has national parks but everyone knows Modi 3. There are 120 tribes but everyone only talks about the Masai 4. If Masai cattle is attacked by a wild animal in Ngorongoro National park the government compensates immediately. 5. The Masai drink cows blood regularly but rarely eat beef. 6. When you go near a bird in Africa it doesnt fly away it walks away. 7. Africans are very soft spoken and not at all aggressive. 8. PIOs are known in Africa as they are very good in business 9. Anything can be done in Africa by getting special permission nothing can be done without getting special permission 10. Kenyan shillings are accepted in Tanzania but the reverse is not true. 11. Bottled water and Beer cost the same. Tusker is a good local brand. 12. It can get very very chilly in Africa !!. Google the weather info prior to going. 13. All safari jeeps are Toyota landcruisers. 14. The Masai are not bound by national borders of Kenya and Tanzania. They move freely. 15. Masai women are beautiful. 16. The crowned crane is the national bird of Tanzania 17. Lions hunt in packs leopards work alone 18. Never hold an African baby crocodile in your hand. Remember its a crocodile. 19. You can hold large Tortoises in your hand but take care as they scratch your belly. 20. Do not miss out on tasting passion fruit and tree tomatoes in Africa. 21. Beware of large stinging flies in the forest regions. They can make you drop your camera. Wear socks. Carry odomos. 22. The Serengeti is the ultimate experience of a safari. You need a minimum of 4 days to see Serengeti. 23. Never visit Africa in peak season. 24. Dont drink too much water before an African Safari. Its not permitted to get out of the land-cruiser in the middle of the wilderness. Even for a leak. 25. Dont get excited on seeing lions noise drives them away. Especially leopards and cheetahs. 26. Always Carry a zoom lens for your camera with image stabiliser (IS) or vibration resistance (VR) with minimum 250 mm to 300 mm focal length. Carry a camera with autofocus facility in video mode like a canon 70D. You cant focus manually on the LCD screen. Animals wont give you time especially while filming a chase. 27. Carry a 32 gb memory card and a laptop to download images back at your lodge. 28. Leave at 6 am for the safari. Do not return before 6 pm. Do not stay back after 7 pm. Unless you are going for a night safari at manyara national park. 29. Insist on seeing the wilder beast migration to your guide. Thats why we visit Serengeti ok. 30. Do not touch or fiddle with the termite hills along the road. They also provide housing to some of the most poisonous African snakes. 31. Two bottles of water are provided by the lodge per day per room. Two bottles per person are provided by the safari organiser per person per day. Always carry your water to the dinner table to avoid paying 4000 T shillings !! Per water bottle. 32. Food is bland for Indian tastes. Even Indian food. Meet the chef and ask him to prepare it your way. Most safari lodges and hotels have Indian chefs on their payroll. They readily agree. Always praise their preparations later. 33. Ask and Confirm if a dish is veg, whether it contains beef especially in case of breakfast sausages and whether it contains eggs in case of desserts. 34. Omelettes take up a lot of time during breakfast because there is a queue. Reach for them early or skip them. 35. Always carry an adaptor having at least 3 points for charging. You will need to charge your cell phones. Camera batteries, laptops, psps and iPads. Adaptors are available in some lodges against deposit but not in all. 36. Manyara has game control hunting areas. Here you can officially hunt lions. That is if you can afford to pay 50,000 USD per lion. Remember special permission !! 37. It is customary to tip your guide 10 USD per person per day. 38. Trust your guide and his wireless network for big game chase. Not your instincts. He wants to show you the best remember he is working for his tip !! 39. Always fill the feedback form, talk softly, dont throw stuff or your weight around, smile at everyone, say hello even if you dont know them, be patient and tip everyone. 40. Always buy a souvenir. A small one like a key chain will do. Its better than buying booze at duty free shops at airports. However you must Bargain hard. Ask for a fourth of the quoted price. 41. Do not photograph the tribals without their permission. If you photograph their mud houses remember that they expect to get paid for it !!!!. 42. Best itininary would be Mumbai-Sharjah-Nairobi-Serenora flights. Spending 9 days at Serengeti (Serenora airport) and back. 43. Ideal time to visit Serengeti is June 1 to June 10. Cheapest and best is 23 May to 31 May. 44. Never travel after night fall in Africa. 45. Never leave your windows open when you travel in Africa. Especially in market areas. 46. Do not leave your passports and money in hotel rooms. Carry it on your person. 47. Sante is thank you is Kiswahili. Karibu sana means you are most welcome, karibu tena means welcome back, hakuna matata means no problem, polay polay is slowly slowly, rojaa rojaa is yes yes and of course Jambo means Hello. 48. Kiswahili is spoken in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda 49. Do not miss the Hot Air Baloon safari across the Serengeti especially to see the migration from top. 50. Visit the shifting sands.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:40:41 +0000
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