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I am usually terrible at getting around to doing a trip report but the one I have just done was so sensational that I have got off my backside and put together a report. I am prompted to do it because I think a key aspect of it has particular relevance to AFF and may interest members and lurkers.
I have just completed an 8 day/7 night safari to four game parks in Kenya, followed by a trek to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
The point of difference about the safari is that the transport between the parks and the final destination was by aircraft - but what an aircraft!
The safari started with a night in Nairobi, followed the next morning by a scheduled light aircraft flight (Cessna Caravan) to the Masai Mara. Tow nights there, then the dedicated safari aircraft flight of a little over an hour to Amboseli park for two nights. Apparently this journey would have taken about 10-12 hours by road as the roads are so rough.
It was then a 30 minute flight to Tsavo West park for one night (which would have taken 5 hours by road), another 30 minute flight to Tsavo East park for two nights, followed by another 30 minute flight to the final destination of Mombasa.
Commercial flights to Kigali in Rwanda a couple of days later kicked off the short gorilla trek in the Parc National des Volcans, about 2.5 hours by sealed road from Kigali.
This report will focus heavily on the aircraft but the whole trip was amazing and one of the best travel experiences of my life.
The staff everywhere were amazing - just so friendly and professional. I couldn't recommend this more highly.
Here we go.
This is no 'just a Cessna'. Garmin 1000 'glass coughpit', weather and synthetic aperture terrain-mapping radar (I think I've got the aero-geek talk right). Note the hill in the screen of the 5th pic.
Cont. next post.
I have just completed an 8 day/7 night safari to four game parks in Kenya, followed by a trek to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
The point of difference about the safari is that the transport between the parks and the final destination was by aircraft - but what an aircraft!
The safari started with a night in Nairobi, followed the next morning by a scheduled light aircraft flight (Cessna Caravan) to the Masai Mara. Tow nights there, then the dedicated safari aircraft flight of a little over an hour to Amboseli park for two nights. Apparently this journey would have taken about 10-12 hours by road as the roads are so rough.
It was then a 30 minute flight to Tsavo West park for one night (which would have taken 5 hours by road), another 30 minute flight to Tsavo East park for two nights, followed by another 30 minute flight to the final destination of Mombasa.
Commercial flights to Kigali in Rwanda a couple of days later kicked off the short gorilla trek in the Parc National des Volcans, about 2.5 hours by sealed road from Kigali.
This report will focus heavily on the aircraft but the whole trip was amazing and one of the best travel experiences of my life.
The staff everywhere were amazing - just so friendly and professional. I couldn't recommend this more highly.
Here we go.
This is no 'just a Cessna'. Garmin 1000 'glass coughpit', weather and synthetic aperture terrain-mapping radar (I think I've got the aero-geek talk right). Note the hill in the screen of the 5th pic.
Cont. next post.
.
