BootsnAll Travel Community

Wow...just got back from my first trip back 'home' to Kenya ( I was born there, but left when I was a little kid!) and was sooo confused by the many,many,many different 'safari' options, so I decided to travel there with GUERBA/INTREPID on their ' faces of kenya ' tour...brave for me seeings as I have never really camped before!


The itenary was the best looking one I could find for 2 weeks in Kenya ( I'm not the sort to want to lounge around on a beach when there are beautiful animals to look at..I can lounge on a beach anywhere)..

The itenary included Amboseli NP, Mount Kenya , Samburu/Buffalo Spings NP, Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru/Lake Niavasha , Walking with the Masai in Loita and the fabulous Masai Mara NP.

Whilst this trip was loaded with game viewing, just as importantly ( for me, anyway) there was also a very heavy bias towards culture,people and the anthropology of this beautiful country.


ABOUT overlanding...

Well, this is down & dirty camping...expect *very* few creature comforts, with very basic camp sites facilitating at best a long drop toilet and a pipe that dribbles the odd drop of water that's referred to as a 'shower' in the bigger game parks. You sleep in a tent ( usually share with someone) that is easy enough to pitch if there are 2 people, but really hard for one person to do it alone. Food is of the plain but plentiful variety, and as a vegetarian, I never went hungry!

However, at Amboseli & Samburu Np's, we had the option to pay $10 or so to use the pool,bar and shower facilities at a very posh lodge for an afternoon..and after the bumpy and dusty long distance drives, this is a very worthwhile option...also a good chance to get laundry done because you *WILL* be covered head to toe in dirt,dust and grime.


THE Overland Vehical...

One thing you notice on safari is the many different types of vehicals used. Guerba's vehical for our trip was an absloute MONSTER of a 10 ton truck, that is designed to carry 20 campers and all the gear for every eventuality! Unlike some trucks that other companies ( including Guerba) use for these sorts of trips, our truck had removable canvas sides that roll down almost completley, affording fantastic 360 degree views when on a game drive. In actuality, we as a group elected to have the sides rolled down wherever possible, because Africa really does reveal it's many beautiful facets as you drive VERY long distances from place to place.

The DYNAMICS of Overlanding...The good, bad and the ugly...

Ok..most people before they decide to overland already know that this is a trip without usual creature comforts, and expect to rough it for a more rustic, bush experience that is really second to none. However, when you book these trips, there isn't any way of knowing how many people or the personalities of the people you will be travelling with. This is very important ( yet completley OUT of your control) because you will quiet literally be spending 24 hours a day with each other. This not to say that there isn't a social element to these trips, but people can get stressed after awhile.

I was EXTREMLEY lucky in that only SIX people were on my trip, on a trip that caters for UPTO TWENTY people. The six people I shared with were, for the most part very nice and good travelling companions ( apart from the odd bouts of not wanting to help out and single males in their 40's attempting to seduce pretty 23 year old blondes with disastrous consequnces), but i couldn't possibly imagine how miserable an experience this would be with more than EIGHT or TEN people. Because of the small numbers, we were allowed to have our own INDIVIDUAL tents ( no need to share!) or sleep in the truck...or if we were especially brave, sleep on the roof of the truck...and whilst the thought of going to the toilet in the bush late at night is frightening, the sounds of Kenya at night are awsome..you can expect to hear crickets, lions, hyenas and elephants as your bed time symphony!

I think it's all well and good to flex the 'look at me, look at me I'm a hard core backpacker' muscles, but back that up with helping people out..it makes everyhting more enjoyable. i saw another Guerba group who were clearly seasoned backpackers and also lived with that attitude of superority of being 'travellers'...the look on their faces was priceless when i conversed with their group leader in fluent Kiswahili :-)


Was I disappointed with my overlanding experience?

Overwhelmingly NO..despite me being a person who is used to a lot more comfort, I really enjoyed the rustic way of travel...BUT...

there is NO WAY I would do a trip like this if I knew there was to be MORE than EIGHT other travellers...the conditions in the truck would be FAR TOO SQUALID with twenty or so people and , of course, that large number would lead to very conflicting group dynamics.


The other point to remember is that our truck HAD the canvas,removable sides and seating that was padded ( and comfy) benches along the SIDES of the trucks...other trucks I saw ( including another GUERBA truck) had planned seating and windows that only slide down to half way...AN ABSLOUTLE NIGHTAMRE on a game drive if you can imagine 12 + people and the animal you are seeing is NOT on your side of the truck!!!...20 people, FORGET IT.

About GUERBA..

Not wnting to make this sound like a plug for Guerba/Intrepid but...

Our trip had 3 crew members..a tour leader, driver and a cook. Because there were only 6 of us, it was an easy group to manage. Our tour leader was an absloutley WONDERFUL man..an incredibly knowledgable person who could answer everything we threw at him, and treated us with incredible warmth and respect. The cook and the driver were also VERY much like the tour leader..these guys were an ABSLOUTE pleasure to be with at all stages. the cook could never ever understate how important it is that we dictate what we eat and was willing to make anything we wanted to eat, and he was expecially accomodating for vegetarians ( there were 3 including him out of all of us).

Food was of the plain but plentiful variety..you will NOT GO HUNGRY!!

I also met other Guerba drivers, cooks and tour leaders at camp sites we stayed at and they were so very similar to our own crew..Guerba clearly have an excellent selection criteria when it comes to hiring people, as the crew make the holiday enjoyable in it's own right, and needless to say, deep friendships are so easily forged. I tipped $50 for each crew member, it's usual to give what you can afford or feel you should give.


The Game drives...


Well, we saw the ' BIG 5' many,many,many times over , even seeing all 5 on 4 seperate days..you can't ask for more than that, and it's a credit to our guide/tour leader as well as our driver.

Animals dont come out and make appearances for tourists..you need to be lucky and have good guides.

However, there are a lot of drivers equipped with 2 way radios and cell phones who quickly relay info about the best sightings. This is great in principle, but when you see OVER 20 safari vehicals that surround an elderly male lion trying to hunt, you see clearly how distressing thiis for the animals. The WORST example I saw of IRRESPONSIBLE tourism was in the Masai Mara when a lioness was tucking into a fresh kill was surrounded by OVER 40 ..yep..FORTY vehicals...which was made worse by an extremley unscruplous driver who then BLOCKED OFF the lionesse's male lion's path to the kill by going OFF ROAD and REVERSING alongside the lion , PREVENTING any means for the lion to go eat. I hope those tourists who got the great shots realise that their driver and others like him are destroying the entire eco system of the country...the very thing that attracts tourists to Africa in the first place.

Also, i was absloutley HORRIFIED to see japanese tourists THROW oranges and fruit at a sleeping lion, and then use FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY to startle the life out of the poor animal. This effect of tourism is now forcing the animals to change their lifestyles and forcing them to hunt in the SEARING AFTERNOON heat simply because the tourists are back in the lodges drinking Gin & Tonics, when in the afternoon, these animals should be sleeping and relaxing in the shade, out of the heat.

I am pleased to say that GUERBA absloutley condemn the sort of practices I outlined and we are given very clear guidelines about our own expected behaviour, for both our safety and that of the environment.
I am very satisfied that Guerba are an extremley ethical company in this regard.



Value for Money...

I paid £690 for this safari ( excluding flights) approx $1,4000.

On arrival I had to pay a 'local payment' of $540 ( to cover entry into game parks, etc).

Because of the small group, our outstanding succeses in the game drives and wonderful crew, i'd say i got good value..HOWVER...

I still feel that the 'local payment ' is ONE HUGE RIP OFF..there is absloutley no itemisation for it and ABSLOUTLEY NO JUSTIFICATION FOR IT. park entry and camp site fees ( typically $5 per person) should MORE THAN BE COVERED BY THE COST OF THE TRIP.

The ONLY THING negative about my experience is this ficticious, rip off, immoral ' LOCAL PAYMENT'...it really is as vague as it's description.


Would I do this again???

overwhelmingly NO..*unless* it was GUARANTEED with a small group of travellers WITH a truck that had open sides. The chances of BOTH happening are literally zero..I was EXTREMLY LUCKY!!


but if you have ever been in 2 minds and have wanted to visit Kenya..Id urge you to go..it's like setting yoour soul free and will give you memeories that stay for ever and ever and ever...

And if you do decide to visit, pay the extra and do a lodge safari..once you factor in the disgusting rip-off ' local payment' and add flightsetc, youre not really paying much more for a lodge safari and the comfort levels are a a huge benefit....sacfraficing, of course, a HUGE slice of authentic Africana :-)

I'll be pleased to field any questions if people want to know more about either overlanding or my safari!!


Dee :-)