Zanzibar to Cape Town Overland.???!!!

[lucy91]

Is anyone going on the Zanzibar to Capetown overland trip on January 25th Jan???!!

[ballu]

Hi Lucy,

You're more likely to find your fellow travel mates in our "Depature Lounge" section...

viewforum.php?f=50

[katharyns]

I AM!!! but im starting 5 days earlier in Nairobi, then staying on til Cape Town. So excited to hear of someone else on the trip! Im from Canada, traveling single. Currently worrying about camera, sleeping bag and shoes to bring. This is my first time doing anything like this. Excited! but im a heavy packer... need to work on that.

[AdamfromCanada]

I AM!!! but im starting 5 days earlier in Nairobi, then staying on til Cape Town. So excited to hear of someone else on the trip! Im from Canada, traveling single. Currently worrying about camera, sleeping bag and shoes to bring. This is my first time doing anything like this. Excited! but im a heavy packer... need to work on that.

Camera - depends on your preference, but I always take my DSLR and if you're looking to photograph wildlife, a decent zoom lens is a good idea. Anything that reaches 300mm is likely to be a good idea. You'll want something to take wide angle shots in places like Fish River Canyon too. That said, I've travelled in Africa with lots of people who are very happy to have just their point-and-shoot.

Sleeping Bag - I was in Southern Africa during their winter, and it was chilly at night in a couple places, most notably in the Kalahari in Botswana. That said, it is nothing like Canadian winters, and generally pretty mild. I think my sleeping bag is good to -7 celsius or something like that and it's more than warm enough. You'll be there in the summer, so you probably could go with something even lighter.

Shoes - Take a good pair of hiking shoes and a pair of flip flops or sandals and you're golden.

[lucy91]

Hello!!!

Ahh, i'm so glad I have finally found someone else thats going!!

How are you getting on with your packing?? I'm struggling to think what to take aswell as Im a heavy packer too! It says we need 'sporting sandals' but I'm not exactly sure what they are?! It my first time diong anything like this too, so don't worry I'm the same! How old are you??

Lucy x

[katharyns]

These are the sandals im bringing.
http://www.merrell.com/CA/en-CA/Product ... mensions=0

Theses are the hiking/running shoe im bringing. (just need to pick a colour and actually buy them)
http://www.merrell.com/CA/en-CA/Product ... mensions=0

and a pair of plain flip flops.

...As for my packing... everything i plan on bringing is in a laundry basket, still needs to be packed. but i actually have a lot i still need to get. sleeping bag. mosquito net. the shoes above. bug spray. day-pack/backpack/bag.

Im 23, from Canada. Im also staying in Cape town a for a few days after the trip ends.

[cara_marie]

Hello.. I will also be on this tour.. but departing from Nairobi on Jan 20th, it's coming up quick! I'm going with my husband and a good friend, we're all 23 and from Canada. We look forward to meeting you.. this trip is going to be awesome! we're pretty much all packed and ready to go, everything is spread out in our living room, just need to photocopy and organize all the documents and money. We'll arrive in nairobi on jan 19 early morning, and we're staying at the joining hotel.. so maybe we'll see katharyns there

[katharyns]

EEEE! YAY! My flight arrives late jan 18, then im spending 2 nights before the tour in the joining hotel... just trying to decide what to do with my full day in Nairobi. and i need a camera bag. but other than that, and money, everything is ready to go!

[lucy91]

ahh how exciting!! I am volunteering for a week in Zanzibar first, then have 5days in zanzibar until I meet up with the group. Look forward to meeting you all !!

[ExplorerWannaBe]

EEEE! YAY! My flight arrives late jan 18, then im spending 2 nights before the tour in the joining hotel... just trying to decide what to do with my full day in Nairobi. and i need a camera bag. but other than that, and money, everything is ready to go!

katharyns,

I did the same thing 2.5 years ago. I like the extra day just in case something crazy happens with flights and also to give me time to adjust to the new time zone. What I did was get on the thread in the Departure Lounge for my trip (or create one if there isn't one already). By the time we got within a couple weeks of departure, we already had a half-dozen people we knew were going to arrive early so we all agreed to meet up that first night or at breakfast the next morning.

We had 7 of us that agreed to tour Nairobi together and were trying to find a tour company when we found a driver at the hotel who was willing to drive us to our selected destinations -- turned out to be just over $17 US each for the entire day. We started at the Giraffe Center then went to the Sheldrick Animal Orphanage, had lunch at the Carnivore (even the vegetarians had a good time) and finished at Isak Dinesen's (Karen Blixen) "Out of Africa" house. We finished up at the hotel about 5 PM, just in time to freshen up before the joining meeting.