Marie Wolf

Hello-- My friend and I (both American adult women) are considering a
trip to Kenya in June. I have been reading your comments on travel
safety with great interest and am encouraged, however, the consular
information sheet makes me wonder if this is foolish. We would like
to take a lower cost camping safari, primarily to Masa Mari. Could
anyone tell me if the situation there is getting better or worse? Or
do you have any other advice on this matter?

With much thanks and appreciation,
Marie

Pat Anderson

In message , Marie Wolf
writes
    >Hello-- My friend and I (both American adult women) are considering a
    >trip to Kenya in June. I have been reading your comments on travel
    >safety with great interest and am encouraged, however, the consular
    >information sheet makes me wonder if this is foolish. We would like
    >to take a lower cost camping safari, primarily to Masa Mari. Could
    >anyone tell me if the situation there is getting better or worse? Or
    >do you have any other advice on this matter?
    >With much thanks and appreciation,
    >Marie
What "situation" exactly?
If America does decide they must go to war with Iraq, air travel could
well be affected. Otherwise, perhaps you could specify what situation
you mean.
Pat
--
Pat Anderson

Marie Wolf

Hi Pat-- Yes, you are right that there are too many "situations" right
now. We can only hope that there is no war with Iraq, obviously for
reasons that have nothing to do with something as trivial as tourism.

I guess though that I was primarily referring to the issues discussed
by previous posters, of robbery and banditry in Kenya. I know that
very often these things are blown out of proportion or are being dealt
with by authorities, but at the same time there may be shifting
factors of a change for the worse. The Lonely Planet guide warns of
an "increasing lawlessness" in Kenya and I was trying to interpret
what this meant and to what degree. I have spent some time in South
America and now realize how quickly things can change, such as the
Colombian difficulties spilling over into Ecuador. As much as I love
that area, I must admit it is to be avoided until things quiet down.

Thank you for responding--

Marie

Pat Anderson

In message , Marie Wolf
writes
    >Hi Pat-- Yes, you are right that there are too many "situations" right
    >now. We can only hope that there is no war with Iraq, obviously for
    >reasons that have nothing to do with something as trivial as tourism.
    >I guess though that I was primarily referring to the issues discussed
    >by previous posters, of robbery and banditry in Kenya. I know that
    >very often these things are blown out of proportion or are being dealt
    >with by authorities, but at the same time there may be shifting
    >factors of a change for the worse. The Lonely Planet guide warns of
    >an "increasing lawlessness" in Kenya and I was trying to interpret
    >what this meant and to what degree. I have spent some time in South
    >America and now realize how quickly things can change, such as the
    >Colombian difficulties spilling over into Ecuador. As much as I love
    >that area, I must admit it is to be avoided until things quiet down.
    >Thank you for responding--
    >Marie
Marie,
I haven`t been to Kenya for three years but did live there for many
years. I keep in close touch with friends there and they are not
reporting anything out of the ordinary.
What I would say is that Nairobi, like any large city, does have crime.
I didn`t live there and felt safe outside the city.
I`ve been to the Masai Mara and everything was fine.
You just need to be aware, don`t wear expensive Gold jewellery or go
out on foot at night. Just common sense things. Kenya is a great country
and the people will welcome you.
Anybody who has been to Kenya recently can give us a more up to date
picture of course.
Pat
--
Pat Anderson

Big Bert

I would go to Tanzania. Less touristy and safer in imo.


"Marie Wolf" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hello-- My friend and I (both American adult women) are considering a
    > trip to Kenya in June. I have been reading your comments on travel
    > safety with great interest and am encouraged, however, the consular
    > information sheet makes me wonder if this is foolish. We would like
    > to take a lower cost camping safari, primarily to Masa Mari. Could
    > anyone tell me if the situation there is getting better or worse? Or
    > do you have any other advice on this matter?
    > With much thanks and appreciation,
    > Marie

Hans-Georg Michna

[email protected] (Marie Wolf) wrote:

    >Hello-- My friend and I (both American adult women) are considering a
    >trip to Kenya in June. I have been reading your comments on travel
    >safety with great interest and am encouraged, however, the consular
    >information sheet makes me wonder if this is foolish. We would like
    >to take a lower cost camping safari, primarily to Masa Mari. Could
    >anyone tell me if the situation there is getting better or worse? Or
    >do you have any other advice on this matter?

Marie,

I'll go to Kenya in May and June and plan to write another web
travel report while I'll be there. May be too late though.

I haven't heard anything that should deter you. There is some
crime, but nothing new and nothing particularly worrying. It's
always been like that for the last 10 years.

When do you plan to go? You haven't been to Kenya before, right?

Just don't hang around in Nairobi any longer than necessary.
That's where most the crime risk is. As soon as you leave
Nairobi, your crime risk drops a lot.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Hh

Have you investigated Tanzania as an alternative?

Harlan
----
Soft Adventure tours, the way to go, at http://softadventure.net/tours.htm
Australia and New Zealand, November 2003,
http://softadventure.net/OZ-NZ2003.htm


"Marie Wolf" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    | Hello-- My friend and I (both American adult women) are considering a
    | trip to Kenya in June. I have been reading your comments on travel
    | safety with great interest and am encouraged, however, the consular
    | information sheet makes me wonder if this is foolish. We would like
    | to take a lower cost camping safari, primarily to Masa Mari. Could
    | anyone tell me if the situation there is getting better or worse? Or
    | do you have any other advice on this matter?
    |
    | With much thanks and appreciation,
    | Marie

Marie Wolf

Thank you all for your kind responses-- I booked my flight today! I
did investigate Tanzania and it sounded excellent, but our limited
budget is going to keep us Kenya. I am sure there will be plenty of
wonderful things to see. We will only stay in Nairobi the night we
arrive and the night before our plane leaves and the rest in parks.
The advice here has been very reassuring. This is my first trip to
Africa, but I have travelled a good number of other places and am
well-acquainted with being on guard and street smart. I would give
the same advice to anyone visiting the city near me-- Detroit. It is
no reason not to go, just don't walk around at night, etc. So it is
good to know that nothing is going on above and beyond the normal.

Thanks again-- so much planning to do!

Marie

Hans-Georg Michna

[email protected] (Marie Wolf) wrote:

    >Thank you all for your kind responses-- I booked my flight today! I
    >did investigate Tanzania and it sounded excellent, but our limited
    >budget is going to keep us Kenya. I am sure there will be plenty of
    >wonderful things to see. We will only stay in Nairobi the night we
    >arrive and the night before our plane leaves and the rest in parks.
    >The advice here has been very reassuring. This is my first trip to
    >Africa, but I have travelled a good number of other places and am
    >well-acquainted with being on guard and street smart. I would give
    >the same advice to anyone visiting the city near me-- Detroit. It is
    >no reason not to go, just don't walk around at night, etc. So it is
    >good to know that nothing is going on above and beyond the normal.
    >Thanks again-- so much planning to do!

Marie,

there are a few differences perhaps. One is that in Africa you
find story tellers who tell you quite elaborate stories. But
they invariably end with some good reason to give the story
teller money.

But I have some little help for your planning---a complete check
list on what to take with you. You can find it somewhere in
http://www.michna.com/kenya.htm.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Marie Wolf

Hans-Georg,

How very kind of you to send the link to the safari site. I am afraid
that I am once again rather afraid, as no sooner did we purchase our
very expensive non-refundable tickets than we discovered that the US
Consulate has issued an official advisory saying not to go to Kenya--
that Americans are specific terrorism targets for kidnapping, etc. I
am trying to ignore it, but I feel my blood pressure rising. Oh dear.
It was issued in January of this year and expires in May, shortly
before we leave. Not exactly reassuring.

I guess for now I am going to trust you all and try to shake off the
anxiety!

Thanks again-- Marie

Prince Of Angmar

A. You dont have to tell people you are from the US. Try being Canucks.

B. US travel advisories are *grossly* overstated.

Dont worry. Just go.

Marie Wolf ([email protected]) wrote:
    : Hans-Georg,
    :
    : How very kind of you to send the link to the safari site. I am afraid
    : that I am once again rather afraid, as no sooner did we purchase our
    : very expensive non-refundable tickets than we discovered that the US
    : Consulate has issued an official advisory saying not to go to Kenya--
    : that Americans are specific terrorism targets for kidnapping, etc. I
    : am trying to ignore it, but I feel my blood pressure rising. Oh dear.
    : It was issued in January of this year and expires in May, shortly
    : before we leave. Not exactly reassuring.
    :
    : I guess for now I am going to trust you all and try to shake off the
    : anxiety!
    :
    : Thanks again-- Marie

--
Vandit Kalia

Dave Patterson

Marie.. Do not lose any of your confidence as a result of the travel
advisory.

Kenya today, Kenya tomorrow, Kenya in May will be a safe and exciting
destination. Kenyan people are welcoming and friendly and with few
exceptions are wholesome and honest in their everyday dealings with
visitors. The exceptions? Hans-Georg alluded to them.

The streets are full of opportunists who will give you some sort of
heartbreaking story about their health, their family funerals, their
need for $$$ to pay for education, etc. The danger is to your
sympathy and gullibility, not to your well-being.

Just relax and follow the pattern of your travel itinerary and you
will soon forget any of these discussions ever took place.

Hans-Georg Michna

[email protected] (Marie Wolf) wrote:

    >How very kind of you to send the link to the safari site. I am afraid
    >that I am once again rather afraid, as no sooner did we purchase our
    >very expensive non-refundable tickets than we discovered that the US
    >Consulate has issued an official advisory saying not to go to Kenya--
    >that Americans are specific terrorism targets for kidnapping, etc. I
    >am trying to ignore it, but I feel my blood pressure rising. Oh dear.
    > It was issued in January of this year and expires in May, shortly
    >before we leave. Not exactly reassuring.
    >I guess for now I am going to trust you all and try to shake off the
    >anxiety!

Marie,

these risks are always very small.

What's your general situation? Do you leave small, dependent
children behind when you go to Kenya? That could make me think
about small risks.

The risk is that you get into a robbery, and the robbers want to
style themselves into fighters for Islam by targetting
Americans. But even if this very unlikely case should happen to
you, your biggest worry is psychic trauma, but not necessarily
severe injury or death.

More realistically you will find that most Kenyans are very
friendly, regardless of whether you're American or not. You
could still tell everybody you're from Canada.

Otherwise I'd say, go for it and don't advertise that you're
American (don't wear an "I'm American" t-shirt). I also think
that the advisory is probably overcautious, perhaps taking a
possible war in Iraq into account that could be over or almost
over or put off by June.

Let's meet in Kenya. :-) I'll be there from May 12 to mid-June.
I'll try to read my mail while I'll be there and write a travel
report, this time with fresh pictures (digital camera planned,
but not yet bought). Check my home page at
http://www.michna.com/private.htm for the latest news, if you
like. I can also send you my mobile phone number by mail if you
like. My GSM phone works in the better parts of Kenya.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Gary Balfour

[email protected] (Marie Wolf) wrote in message news:...
    > Hello-- My friend and I (both American adult women) are considering a
    > trip to Kenya in June. I have been reading your comments on travel
    > safety with great interest and am encouraged, however, the consular
    > information sheet makes me wonder if this is foolish. We would like
    > to take a lower cost camping safari, primarily to Masa Mari. Could
    > anyone tell me if the situation there is getting better or worse? Or
    > do you have any other advice on this matter?
    >
    > With much thanks and appreciation,
    > Marie

Dear Marie,

I am an American who has lived in East Africa for 14 years now, the
last two in Nairobi. There are risks when travelling anyplace. Kenya
is certainly no exception but I do think you should weigh the risks
with the opportunity to see the remarkable sights of East Africa.

I have a selection of travel tips on my website (please forgive the
shameless plug) http://www.safari.cc Some of them might be helpful.

Have a great time.

Gary

(Note to Hans-Georg: Get in touch with me when you are in Nairobi and
I will buy you lunch, Gary)

Liz

In message
[email protected] (Marie Wolf) wrote:

    > Hans-Georg,
    >
    > How very kind of you to send the link to the safari site. I am afraid
    > that I am once again rather afraid, as no sooner did we purchase our
    > very expensive non-refundable tickets than we discovered that the US
    > Consulate has issued an official advisory saying not to go to Kenya--
    > that Americans are specific terrorism targets for kidnapping, etc. I
    > am trying to ignore it, but I feel my blood pressure rising. Oh dear.
    > It was issued in January of this year and expires in May, shortly
    > before we leave. Not exactly reassuring.
    >
    > I guess for now I am going to trust you all and try to shake off the
    > anxiety!
    >
Hi Marie -
Just to reitereate what everyone else has said:
Of course there isn't 'no risk' but there's a risk everywhere.
My husband and I both recently had car mechanical misfunctions, within a
week of each other.
Luckily, both were in situations where it was only inconvenient, not
dangerous, but both could easily have caused big accidents in different
circumstances.
So you have risks even staying at home.
A few years ago, I 'found' the US Consul's travel advice website for Kenya,
not long after we had been there. I could hardly believe what I was reading,
so out of curiosity I checked out the UK page. Well!!! They were obviously
being really, really overcautious.

Last summer in Kenya, I met a party of Americans who had originally booked
for Tanzania, but had changed their plans, at considerable expense, because
the Consulate had warned that US nationals would be in serious danger in
Tanzania. Unless I missed the news, I didn't hear any bad stories in that
respect last year - anyone know different?

As the others have said, just don't 'look American'. We once
met a woman in The Ark wearing a lurex Stars and Stripes waistcoat (my
sister didn't believe such a garment existed until we saw an identical one
in a shop in Las Vegas!) Mind you, she was complaining - loudly - because
she didn't have a television in her room. However, there are lots more
subtle and unsubtle nationality giveaways. I'd think you'd be fine out in
the bush - no need to lie to lodge staff etc, but take any advice.

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Safaris; India; Seychelles; image-manipulation
New Mar 03: India trip expanded; Kenya additions.