Last minute tips for Serengeti

M5Man wrote in post #5523842
oh and a good book to get is;-

The safari Companion -Revised and Expanded by Richard D Estes

For wiping?

Just kidding.

We have a guided tour in stone town, so hopefully it should be ok. I have now heard 2 completely different opinions of Stone Town in this thread now.

Insect repelant. Totally necessary. On safari the toilets were just holes in the ground, and there were lots of flying insects down there. Also you might want to take your own syringes. I got a massive allergic reaction to something in zanzibar, dunno what was the culprit but I needed an antihistamine jab & pills for a few days after. Also take some immodium tablets with you because diarrhea is very possible.

On the shooting front, I'd recommend a monopod. It was a really useful addition, perfect for when you're sticking your head out of the roof of the jeep but want some extra stability (engine not running of course).

Have a great time! It was the most memorable vacation of my life.
Dave

M5Man wrote in post #5523808
Breezes is next door to Palms on a lovely beech... Personally I would give stone town a miss its filthy and full of robbers I wouldnt go there with your camera and a big lens if you know what I mean

Actually, Stone Town is pretty safe. It's much safer than any other city area you will find in East Africa. I walked about there with my 30D and 24-105 on all day and didn't feel even the slightest bit threatened. Now, things do change dramatically once it gets dark. I would NOT venture out with anything expensive after dark. During the day you should be fine. Be smart.

My wife forgot her camera at Mercury's and when we went back it was still there. You can't say that about many places in North America, even.

DerekW wrote in post #5523445
Actually, nice math skills I have. I have 42gb of memory. 5 x 8gb cards and a 2 gb card.
I can get over 800 pics with my 30d per 8gb card, so that's 4000+ pictures. That would average 450 pictures a day, I think that's lots, If not, I'll switch to jpeg after the first day. I am out of cash at this point, nothing in the budget for a hyperdrive.

Here's a question, what do you do if you have to go to the bathrooom when you are out in the parks? Sound funny, but really... strange foods, travel, jet lag...can all add up to an upset tummy>

You should be fine with 42GB of space. If you find yourself running low, you can always browse through images and delete ones you don't want to keep to make space. The Breezes in Zanzibar is an amazing place. You also can't go wrong with the Serena chain of hotels. They are also pretty top notch.

As for the bathroom breaks while on safari.......go quick and check your area first. Normally I would suggest a nice bush or treed area.....but you would probably be a lot safer going in an area where you can see clearly around you. Also, having and extra pair of eyes wouldn't hurt. Hope you don't have a shy bladder

**EDIT**

Don't forget anti-malarials. It can take anywhere from eight days to a couple of weeks before any symptoms set in and it usually only seems like a fever or flu. A lot of doctors in North America won't think of doing a blood test for the parasite. It can be fatal. Oh, and like breathtakingbluesky mentioned: IMMODIUM is your friend!!!

Enjoy yourself!

I spent 4 months living in a village in Tanzania teaching English. I loved it. The thing you need to worry most about is what you eat. If you're careful with that, you'll be fine. I'll affirm that you need to be careful about what you drink. Boil or filter any local water and you'll be fine.

Lastly... I'll be waiting for your version of the Battle of Kruger.

Lol, I apologize that my post may not have much weight in suggestion, but consider it comic relief. I think the most important medication to pack up with you is to pack a bottle or two of Buckley's. Doesn't matter what ails you, just take a swig of that stuff and you'll be a-okay! Side note: Canadian buddy of mine made me try that stuff....oh man!

Enjoy the trip and be safe! Seems like you've received some great advice thus far. I casually glanced at your first post. Didn't see much in terms of battery grips or back-up batteries? Perhaps you mentioned and I just didn't read it.

And bring a star map with you!!! The night sky will amaze you!!!

Anyone have tips on shooting the stars?

ancientsanskrit wrote in post #5526646
Lol, I apologize that my post may not have much weight in suggestion, but consider it comic relief. I think the most important medication to pack up with you is to pack a bottle or two of Buckley's. Doesn't matter what ails you, just take a swig of that stuff and you'll be a-okay! Side note: Canadian buddy of mine made me try that stuff....oh man!

Enjoy the trip and be safe! Seems like you've received some great advice thus far. I casually glanced at your first post. Didn't see much in terms of battery grips or back-up batteries? Perhaps you mentioned and I just didn't read it.

6 batteries altogether.
Buckley's... their slogan is "It tastes awful, but it works!"
The colour and texture of liquid soap, and the flavour of pine sap....mmmmm

DerekW wrote in post #5528384
6 batteries altogether.
Buckley's... their slogan is "It tastes awful, but it works!"
The colour and texture of liquid soap, and the flavour of pine sap....mmmmm

Buckley's is right up there with Fisherman's Friend throat losenges. BLEH!

Bring 100 cheap pens. Can be useful to give to locals who will peer thru your bus window and try to sell/blag stuff. Pens & soap seem to be popular....

google wrote in post #5526743
And bring a star map with you!!! The night sky will amaze you!!!

Anyone have tips on shooting the stars?

All the lodges have these

meanwood_tom wrote in post #5528474
Bring 100 cheap pens. Can be useful to give to locals who will peer thru your bus window and try to sell/blag stuff. Pens & soap seem to be popular....

Actually, that is a good point. I heard to bring things for the locals, and the kids. Pens, soap... anything else that's good to bring?

DerekW wrote in post #5528665
Actually, that is a good point. I heard to bring things for the locals, and the kids. Pens, soap... anything else that's good to bring?

Pens & soap should cover it - thats all i've been asked for!

Believe "sabuni" is kiswahili for soap i did learn a bit (worthwhile knowing some basics, esp. animal names...) but am slowly forgetting it!

I spent 6 years running tours through East Africa. Your gear sounds fine. The laptop is a good idea as it it hard to judge a keeper from the cameras LCD. Take antibiotics and immodium as well as syringes if possible.While in Arusha don't eat at the Burger House(green building) The food is awful. Sunset from the Africa House balcony in Stone city is awesome and they have BEER! Be sure to wander the waterfront in Stone City in the evening. The locals cook some amazing food over barrels there.
It sounds like you are on a tour so they will generally keep you safe and show you some of the best stuff. As said, things change at night, so be carefull. Ink pens and pencils are good to pass out. NOT MONEY. I also take along some t-shirts with sports team logos etc. to give to some of the kids. Also consider leaving you remaining Meds with a local clinic when departing. They will sort them and put them to good use.
Have fun and enjoy your trip. I think Dave Condyk is going in a few months. He gives sound advice. I will be headed back to Africa in October.
Cheers Terry

meanwood_tom wrote in post #5528703
Pens & soap should cover it - thats all i've been asked for!

Believe "sabuni" is kiswahili for soap i did learn a bit (worthwhile knowing some basics, esp. animal names...) but am slowly forgetting it!

Yes.. that's how you say soap. I remember too! Haha.

Consider going to the dollar store and getting some cheap LED flashlights... the locals will find that useful. My students studied at night with just a lone kerosene lamp. So anything that helps them at night is a definite plus - granted your going for holiday. I brought a headlamp myself and I found it my most useful tool. I also brought a Leatherman and made a Chinese Chess Set one day out of a fallen branch (had some time to kill).

If your going on an organized group safari. Definetley go on the dawn outing. It seems as if they were the only outings that most of the animals were active. Sure we found animals at noon. But most of them were just trying to find shade from the sun.

Always be looking around you. Never stop looking. Even if you are shooting something. take quick glances around. You can miss a lot if you don't. I was shooting a leopard, when I glanced behind me, as 2 young lions went buy about 30 yards away, walking fast. about 15 seconds later was a big male lion looking rather pissed. They made no noise and would have missed them if not looking. Well turns out it was the new alpha male killing off the offspring of the old alpha male. Getting shots of the process (lion killing lion) is quite rare I understand.

Be carefull of the water IN ALL FORMS. Ice is still water. So if you get a soda with ice......well I dont want to think about it. Shower water as well. But it depends on where you are as well. I know that Nairobi's water system is made on a US process, so the water is very much like here in the states. But as soon as you are off city water - and may be still in the city-- you need to watch it.

Look over the animals as best you can. Follow the injured or sick if you want kill shots. Or, you will find things that make very interesting shots. We ran across a herd of elephants. One only had half of his trunk. A crock got the rest, the drivers told us. He was able to feed by standing/walking agenst his partner. The partner would actually take some food and eat it, Then, while chewing, would grab another "trunk full" and feed it to the one with half a trunk.