Buying Gifts whilst on safari:

GameTracker vehicles regularly stop at sites of outst website statistics
and ing beauty and at permanent sites for lunch and toilet breaks, in so doing providing guests with the opportunity to stretch their legs, use the toilets, and take photographs.    Most locations are serviced by a gift shop; spending a few hundred Shillings at such sites will provide lasting memories of the safari, often at prices lower than those in Nairobi.  Such purchases make a real difference to the communities who maintain these sites and facilities for our guests.

Currency:

US Dollars are not readily accepted outside of the airport and major hotels, and Travellers Cheques can no longer be exchanged into local currency, not even at the largest of the international banks in Nairobi.  Unless visitors have checked in advance that their hotel offers that a Bureau de Change, it would be prudent to rely on Kenyan Shillings and the provision of an ATM card.  International travellers should take note and advise their bank BEFORE leaving home to ensure their bank cards are setup to work in East Africa.

Please be aware that notes issued pre-2002, or are not the “Big Face” kind, are not normally accepted in East Africa at all though there are few Bureaus in Nairobi that accept them at a poor rate of exchange.

For safaris to remote areas such as North Kenya (GTC 1 and 2), it is best to carry Kenya shillings in small denominations as change is sometimes hard to come by.

Equipment:

Gametrackers provide a comprehensive list of camping and personal items that will be required on safari.  Just 2 minutes walk from GameTrackers offices in Nairobi you will find a large well stocked supermarket which sells just about everything a visitor might reasonably need – including bottled water, flash lights, backpacks, spare suitcases, shampoo, wet wipes, even sleeping bags.

Our touring tents have sewn-in groundsheets and fly-screens to the entrance to the inner tent and we will provide basic mattresses.  Please note that we do not provide pillows, towels or toilet paper – but you can hire a sleeping bag from us (at Nairobi).  Generally; a 2 to 3 seasons sleeping bag is recommended depending on the tour you are booked on.

Please know you can always speak to the Moneygram money transfer office staff and the vehicle crew before moving off in the morning.  A decent torch or flash light is a must as campsites are also home to the local wildlife, including hippos and crocodiles and the toilets, wash points and shower blocks are invariably a short walk away from the tents or cabins!

Evening Entertainment

At certain nominated sites visited during your stay it may be possible for guests to enjoy a camp fire in the evening; typically guests will be asked to contribute KS100 per person for locally sourced wood.

Some of the camp sites we use provide a bar where beers and soft drinks can be bought.  Where sites are without such facilities, the vehicle guide will endeavour to source local bottled beer for your enjoyment – please note that any drinks consumed will need to be paid for in local currency prior to leaving the site.

Excursion Costs:

Whilst all gate fees and excursions shown in the schedule are included within the cost of your safari, there may be occasion when a group will request an extended excursion; such charges would incur a locally agreed supplement – an example might be at Lake Baringo where guests may wish to spend a second hour on the lake in order to visit the eagle nesting sites on the far reaches of the lake

Photographs:

Gametrackers would love to host on our web site images of safaris you have taken with the company.  If you care to send us digital images, please confirm that they are copyright exempt, which safari you were on, and ideally where and when the photograph was taken.  (Tag on facebook)

Requests for financial aid and responsible tourism:

It is inevitable that as a group of visitors you will have opportunity inter-act with some of the communities you travel through on your safari; requests will as you might expect be made by local people for money in order to support ‘good local causes’.  Whilst many of these will be for genuine and needy cases, guests need to be free to politely say “no”.

Please do not give sweets to the local children; a pencil, pen or notebook is greatly appreciated. There is the opportunity to visit local schools en route (Masai Mara Talek, Amboseli Lenkisem community, El molo primary school Turkana) and such a donation is highly welcome.

Tipping:

Tipping is both a common practice and expected in East Africa.  A tip for a meal or taxi ride is always at your discretion, an appropriate level would be between 10 and 15% of the price paid.

If you wish to tip your safari crew, as a guide only we suggest this should be based on the cost of the safari excluding gate and excursion fees.  Depending on the safari undertaken, you may also have had local guides providing expert additional supporting.

Vehicles:

GameTrackers operate a fleet of some 30 vehicles, ranging from 4×4’s with trailers up to commercial trucks designed to carry 24 guests at a time.  The vehicle you will travel in will reflect the amount of people travelling and the terrain involved.  Typically a crew of 2 or 3 will accompany you; made up of a cook, a driver and guide.  The tour guide may be supplemented with by a local expert in national parks to help ensure your safari is memorable and safe.

Water:

Tea and coffee will be provided at most meal times.  You do, however, need to ensure that you have adequate bottled water with you at all times.   Kenya is a land of extremes; ranging from rich rain forests through to drought ridden savannah; before leaving Nairobi please liaise with your vehicle crew and double check you have brought adequate water for the duration.  The crew can confirm before departure whether an opportunity will exist during the safari to buy additional water.  As with camping equipment, the supermarket next door to our office is an excellent place to buy bottled water at competitive prices.

Wildlife:

Most of the animals you will encounter during your safari are truly wild (and some would be happy to eat you given the opportunity); whilst we will endeavour to provide opportunity to take photographs we will always give safety the highest priority.  For your own protection, and the safety of the other guests and crew it is important that you adhere at all times to our safety guidelines and any instructions provided by our staff.

Useful words to know:

Impress your crew and fellow travelers with your knowledge of Swahili:

The school has a warm, conducive learner-friendly environment embedded in the positive discipline philosophy. At Gibson all learners are happy. Every learner at Gibson finds their orbit from which they navigate to their happy learning.

GIBSON’S SCHOOL VISION
To be become an excellent leading center for learning and training in the area of special needs education and non-formal vocational education in East Africa.

source: Gibson’s Website

Growing old in Africa is a particularly tormenting experience because there are no policies to care for the elderly.

Helpage Kenya creates awareness and raises funds through its schools programmes – youngsters in school help to raise funds and are taught about the needs of the older generation. Another scheme of Helpage Kenya is its “Adopt a Granny” scheme. In this scheme someone agrees to pay for the needs of an older individual and is sent a regular report on this person.

Gametrackers donates money annually to help cater for the elderly persons in Kenya.

Goals

Today:

• At the moment about forty percent of the funds distributed by Helpage comes from local sources and sixty percent from abroad.

• Presently some 18,000 people in the country are being assisted through Helpage Kenya. Ninety percent of the funds raised go for the needs, such as food, clothing and medicine, of the older people; ten percent goes towards administration and the salaries of social workers.

The ultimate aim of Helpage Kenya’s fundraising efforts is to raise all funds locally.

In order to make the older people feel wanted and useful, they themselves are integrated in projects set up for them; the projects are concerned with income generation and social activities.

Helpage Kenya also runs courses, both for the project holders (that is the church organizations and community groups who are the ones actually in touch with the older people in the field (as well as for the older people themselves. They have courses such as: Healthy Aging; Participatory Project Identification and Planning; and Older people in Management.

Future:

The present social and economic turmoil in our country is bound to have repercussions on the most vulnerable, such as the aged, and many more of them will find themselves in want in the future. To address their needs, more is necessary than handouts and charity.

Source - Wajibu, A JOURNAL OF SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS CONCERN, Volume 13 No. 1 (1998), Society’s marginalised. The marginalisation of older peopleBy G. Wakuraya Wanjohi with George Mulatya

Gametrackers are helping sponsor a local Masai student through the guiding school as we also believe that education of the local people is the key to Wildlife Conservation in Kenya.

Why Conservation in Mara?

The Masai Mara is an instant attraction to hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, particularly due to the Wildebeest Migration between July and August. This area has one of the highest densities of carnivore in Africa, as well as supporting a range of endangered species. This same attraction brings with it human and wildlife conflict, because lions and other predators attack livestock and the Masai kill or injure the carnivores in retribution.

Like everywhere else in Kenya, the population growth has increased the demand for cultivated land. The endangered African elephant poses a risk to local communities as they raid their fields, destroying livelihoods and threatening lives. This reduces local people’s tolerance resulting in the killing or injuring of elephants.

The threats to Mara are diverse and complex, and so are the solutions. As long as Mara remains a valuable source of income for the country, and community participation and benefit is ensured, we are sure to find sustainable solutions for the whole ecosystem.

Goals of Koiyaki guiding school and camp:

• To enhance conservation of the Masai Mara wildlife by converting this region into an economically viable conservation area
• To equip local people with the professional skills needed for them to participate in, and promote conservation and wildlife management
• To provide financial benefits from tourism to the local communities thus underpinning advantages of conservation for their own lifestyle
• To reduce encroachment of wildlife habitat by farming communities and thereby reduce man-wildlife conflict

What do they learn?

In three terms of full time residence training of 8 weeks each, the students will cover the following diverse and interesting modules:

1. Culture, Anthropology, History, Customs

Students will learn to portray their culture in an interesting and educational way. This will include the role of a professional safari guide. They will also be taught to understand the cultures of their clients and to be able to cater for their different needs.

2. Animal Behaviour

This will consist of studies of wildlife behaviour, including aspects such as names of species, habitat requirements, feeding habits, social structures etc.

3. Visitor Handling

This consists of communication and entertainment skills, perhaps one of the most important skills required for the professional guide i.e. the art of timing in the release of information, presentation and debating skills. Photography.

4. Environment and Wildlife Management

Statistics, ecological interpretation of the environment, habitat types, human/animal conflict and conflict management, zoning, land utilisation etc.

5. Natural History

Ethno-botany, herbalism, ornithology, tracking skills, weather and seasonal cycles, wildlife and their habitats, migration, plant/animal interactions, astronomy, geology and history.

6. Camp Management and Cuisine

Camp management, intermediate eco-technology, eco-building skills, waste and water management, cuisine and presentation, sanitation, eco-tourism, communication equipment, basic vehicle mechanics, generators and solar equipment, alternative sources of energy.

7. First Aid

First aid and fire control, evacuation, fire breaks and controlled burning. Psychological counselling after an accident. Evacuation procedure.

8. Placements

Students will be placed either in the company that sponsors them, or other safari companies. Each student will spend time working in every sector of tourism employment (i.e. not just guiding), as part of their training. After finalization students will undergo a 5 day basic computer course at Rekero Conservation as an Moneygram fees external course. (In residence at Rekero).