Travel Tip #4: Go on an African Safari before your too old to get around…and go on-your-own!

Karen and I recently completed our first trip to Africa, encompassing safari camps in South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya. In a word, it was MAGIC! We hope that everyone has a chance to visit these beautiful, wild countries someday. If you’re the least bit adventuresome, and don’t mind traveling on your own, then we encourage you to do so.

However, if traveling in groups is more comfortable, then don’t let that stop you. We saw groups from Abercrombie & Kent, and Tauck, but to us, it seemed like they were always waiting around for others in their group before doing anything. When your time on safari is limited in a beautiful place like Africa, why not maximize your time? We were often the only 2 people in the safari vehicle, while we saw many others filled to capacity with 8-10 guests. This limits getting an unobstructed photo, or just viewing the wildlife.

Our safari adventures started in South Africa at Sabi Sands Reserve, which is adjacent to the famous Kruger National Park. Wildlife can roam freely between these 2 areas, but safari vehicle access to the Reserve is limited to only those from a lodge/camp located in the Reserve. Ours was Simbambili, which we highly recommend.

In spite of our travel advisor advising against including east Africa in our plans, we were adamant about the possibility of viewing and photographing the Great Migration in Kenya or Tanzania, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. East Africa is indeed a good ways from South Africa…a 4 hour non-stop flight from Johannesburg to Nairobi, Kenya! Our first camp for 3 nights was “And Beyond…Kichwa Tembo,” in the heart of the Masai Mara Conservation, and complete with its own airstrip. Here, we saw thousands of Wildebeests that may have been the last part of the Great Migration, where they end their northward journey to greener grazing, and start turning back south. While we witnessed a small Mara river crossing here, there was more in store for us at our next stop, the famous Serengeti!

Travel Tip #2: Why travel now (Fall 2021) when some feel Covid is as bad or worse in Europe?

Hello friends,

Karen and I just returned from 3 weeks in southern Italy and Croatia’s Dalmatian Islands, so I’d like to share just a bit about our apprehension, concerns, and preparation prior to departure, and our actual experience in these two wonderful countries, in light of the ongoing pandemic.

Bottom line, the current data shows that Europe is safer than many areas of the U.S. that still have relatively low vaccination rates, and thus higher infection rates. When the EU recommended in September 2021 that its member countries take the U.S. off of its “safe country” list, many Americans misinterpreted this as a growing Covid problem over there. The truth is that it was OUR growing infection rates and sluggish vaccination rates that caused the EU to suggest that America was the problem, thus attempting to protect Europeans from us!….not the other way around.

In addition, the EU recommendation was aimed primarily at UNVACCINATED Americans. For those of us already vaccinated, there was little or no change from when Europe re-opened earlier this year.

Frankly, the biggest “hassle factor” in this trip was the same that you have or will encounter in the U.S…..the government mandate to wear masks in airports and on airplanes. Other than that, very few places required that we wear masks indoors, and nobody required it outdoors, most especially for dining outdoors.

So here are some quick tips and observations from our recent experience:

• Visiting more than one country more than doubles the research required to understand current restrictions, testing requirements (if any), and entry requirements. For now, stick to one or two. It was not complicated….Italy had a Passenger Locator Form, and Croatia had an even simpler entry form. Nobody ever asked for these.

• Self-testing prior to to your trip (<72 hours prior to departure from US, and <3 days prior to your trip home) is the nuts! You simply do the test on-line with a qualified technician, and they call you back after 15 minutes to review the test results. If negative, you receive an immediate email certifying this…for all of the authorities who need to see it. Test kits are $25 each, so we spent a total of $100 for all of the required testing for both of us.

• Everything required by your destination country should be known by your airline, and you can upload to the airline’s website prior to departure. Then, there are just the normal passport checks at the airport. Easy-peasy!

• We have excellent (and free) travel insurance through our Chase Bank credit card, but to give us even more peace-of-mind, we purchased some additional Covid-related coverage through Allianz that increased the covered limits for hospitalization costs and trip delay days. Our concern was primarily how to cover the costs of quarantining, if we tested positive. As Colorado residents, we couldn’t simply purchase an insurance rider for this purpose. (State Regs)

• Other than air, our travel included rental cars, private cars, taxis, and ferries. Curiously, the Denver airport train was the most jammed with people and thus felt the most “hazardous.”

And now for the upside….FEWER TOURISTS! No massive cruise ships that can ruin your day if they’re in port the same time that you are, and very few big tour buses full of…well, you know who.

So get out there and go! Life is too short, and we already had 2020 taken from us as a year for travel outside the U.S., never to be replaced.

Finally, we spoke with many Europeans who were very curious why they still cannot visit the U.S., while our southern border is WIDE OPEN, allowing folks to come in whether test, sick, or otherwise. We had no sensible explanation…because there’s not one.

Travel Tip #1: Do it Yourself

Karen and I have learned nearly all of our international travel lessons the hard way! But you know, they seem to stick when they’re learned that way...we’ve seldom make the same mistake twice.

First, do as much of your own travel planning as possible. You can stop reading here if you like being lead around by a tour guide with a flag, getting off and on a bus all day, waiting for the slow ones in your tour group to catch up, etc. I don’t mean to sound critical, it’s just not the way we travel (and probably why we learned some lessons the hard way). But I understand that some folks simply aren’t cut out to be a DIY’er.

If you’re interested, or if you’ve already done some travel planning yourself, then you probably know that everything that you need to do your own international travel planning is on the internet, plus maybe a couple of good country-specific travel guides from your local public library. We like the latest editions of Rick Steves’ books, for example.

Here are just a few of the benefits I think you’ll gain in this do-it-yourself process:

1. You will learn an immense amount about the country or countries you plan to visit, the best time to visit from a weather standpoint, and the proximity of do-not-miss attractions relative to where you’ll be staying.

2. You can evaluate and judge for yourself what accommodations are available, verses relying on someone else’s opinion. If you’re so inclined, read reviews from travelers just like yourself, and decide on your own if the hotel, inn, or B&B is 4-star or 5-star.

3. You’ll discover special events that you might never hear about from a travel agent or tour guide....an Andrea Bocelli or Sting concert in Italy?...a sailing regatta in the Mediterranean?...the famous Paleo in Siena?....wine or other food festivals, truffle hunting or cooking lessons at the B&B you’re considering?....and more!

I should also mention that Karen and I are “active travelers.” (Note that I have yet to use the word “vacation” in this narrative). We seldom stay in one place for a week, and we certainly don’t go somewhere just to lay on the beach or around the pool with a book. If that’s your preference, then your trip planning will be easy!

Feel free to contact me with questions, and happy travel planning!