Nairobi to Tanzania Under Canvas

We arrived at the small Wilson Airport (built 1933 and apparently never updated by the look of the control tower!) on Sunday morning to catch our Safari Link flight to catch up with the safari. On the way to the airport the driver asked me if I wanted to leave one of my suitcases with him. I thought that an odd question until I got to the airport to check in. Apparently Jeff and I had failed to notice the small print on the itinerary that stated you were only allowed one piece of soft luggage weighing no more than 15 kilos. We were travelling with 3 black suitcases each weighing at least 20 kilos each (hence forth to be known as “Her majesties matched luggage”). We had to ransom the bags by paying the extra freight charge and I would repeatedly apologize (and bribe!) the luggage porters for the next two weeks.

Control Tower at Wilson Airport:Nairobi:

We waited on the tarmac for a plane that looked like it was going to the Serengeti via Mt. Kilimanjaro. Planes came and went with no one really in charge except for the two very very large gentlemen who tapped you on the shoulder and sternly said – no pictures allowed! I could understand why they didn’t want anyone to know how they ran their airport! We boarded a plane that we saw load our luggage (not many people were travelling with three matching pieces of black Samsonite!) and hoped for the best. Mid flight the pilot passed around a plastic bowl of hard candy (hand wrapped!) for our dining pleasure and let the female co-pilot did most of the flying. I know this because there was no cockpit door. The best thing about the flight was the magnificent view of Mt. Kilimanjaro we were afforded. I thought of my friend Polli who had the courage and strength to climb it for her 50^th birthday. Yes, she is quite a woman!

Dehaviland plane to Kilimanjaro


Mount Kilimanjaro view from plane

Mount Kilimanjaro Airport


Antonvov at Mt Kilimanjaro Airport
As we landed at Mt. Kilimanjaro airport to my surprise was an Antonvov cargo plane sitting on the runway. It was a bit unexpected to find the world largest airplane sitting on the ground at a tiny airport in Tanzania. Amazing to see one up close and personal like that. I had to wonder if the Russians were invading the country. I was glad we only had a short stay. We were then off on a Regional Air twin-engine Otter to Seronera Airstrip. I won’t remind Jeff about the run in with the group of nasty Spanish tourists. Again it was self- servi ce in flight catering with a crate of bottled water at the rear of the plane and a second helping of hard candy!

Grumeti airstrip view & plane landing
We landed at Grumeti airstrip to let off passengers only to find that we were also getting off. I should explain that our first leg, Tanzania Under Canvas are migratory camps set up to coincide the annual Wilderbeest Migration as it travels around the Serengeti plains. Our camp was located closer to the Grumeti airstrip (and i do mean strip!) than the Seronera airstrip. Stopping here would save us two hours of driving time over bumpy roads. We were met by our guide Didas with refreshments and snacks. The camp table had a tablecloth on it! Now this was living. after refreshing ourselves, we packed up the food, loaded up her majesties matching luggage (see Spaceballs to get the reference!) and headed to the camp.
On the way there we glimpsed our first sight of the wilderbeest herds. There were thousands of them standing around looking brainless (that is how Didas referred to them!). There were thousands of them!
Didas

the wonderful staff
We were greeted upon arrival at the camp by the entire staff standing in a line singing. It was very moving. I promised to teach them how to sing YMCA at some later point. Jeff and I were then introduced to our butler James and he escorted up to our room/tent. This was camping like we never ever imagined. Who ever heard of camping with butlers? Yes, it was amazing. A king size bed with bedside tables, a toilet and shower! We even had a veranda! James would bring us coffee in the morning with our wake up call!

James our butler

After we stopped gaping at the room and cleaned up a bit we joined the other guests near the dining room tent for cocktails and bush TV (a campfire!). A gourmet dinner then followed. What a day! We fell into bed exhausted and exhilarated. We decided to zip up the net on the front outside of the tent but not to put the canvas flaps down. I spent the night listening to hippos, elephants, lions and god knows what else stomping around outside the tent. The next night we closed the canvas too.

Jeff having breakfast

our room



jeff in the shower