What to Buy When Going on an African Safari

On June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa1 Comment

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As we prepare for our trip to Kenya and Tanzania in just a few weeks, there have been several items that we have purchased with the safari in mind. Some of them were items that we needed to replace, some were things very specific to the safari, and all will be useful on other trips in the future. To be clear, we purchased all of the items and none of them were given to us as a promotional product. We are light packers these days, regardless of the trip, but since we’re going to spend 11 nights on safari, we are only taking carry on bags, so everything that we take needs to serve a purpose. Obviously we’re taking more than just these items, but these are the things that we bought in preparation for our trip.

Safari Hats and Shirts – We have several shirts that are sufficient for going on safari that we used when going to the Amazon Rainforest as well as to Egypt, but we decided that it was time to get a few more. One thing that we don’t normally wear are hats, but considering the amount of time that we are going to be exposed to the sun, we definitely needed wide brimmed hats that will protect our heads from getting burned.

Multi-Outlet Power Converter – Although we’ve had a power converter for years that has served us well, we decided to upgrade to a new power converter that has multiple outlets so that we can charge several items at once. The amount of time in the lodge is going to be limited as most of our time will be spent in the jeep, so keeping our phones, cameras, and other electronics fully charged is going to be important. With this power converter we can charge up to 6 items at one time compared to our old converter that could only charge a single item.

DSLR 400 – 800 mm Zoom Lens – We have other lenses for our camera, but we decided that for this trip we should getter a different telephoto lens. We don’t know how close or how far away we will be to certain animals, but we definitely don’t want to miss out on getting that close-up of a lion or other animal just because we couldn’t get close enough.

Camera Backpack – This is certainly something that we should have purchased years ago as will definitely make taking multiple cameras and lenses much easier. It is large enough to put everything into, but small enough to use as a personal item for the flight. It will definitely protect the camera equipment during the times when the cameras are not out and in use.

New Duffle Bags – It was about time for us to get new duffel bags as our other bags had seen 7 years of travel to over 30 countries. We always want duffel bags as carry-on bags so that they can squeeze into tight spaces and collapse when not in use. Hopefully these will last as long as our last ones and make their way to even more countries.

iPhone Zoom and Fisheye Lenses – We take as many photos with our phones as we do our cameras, so having different lenses that simply clip over the phone camera lens provides the opportunity to capture things that we wouldn’t always get. We also like the images that the fisheye lens produces, so we’re looking forward to playing with some of the different images.

Although we did buy these items with our safari in mind, clearly they will all be useful for all of our upcoming trips. It is very rare for us to buy things specifically for a trip, so versatility is important to us. We look forward to all of these items as we head to Africa in just a few weeks.

FINALLY – We Have Planned and Booked Our Next Adventure

On April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa20 Comments

It has been 19 months since our last extended trip out of the country and we have been waiting for the opportunity to go almost anyplace. There are still many places that aren’t open to travel, but slowly many of them are starting to resume tourist activities. We have planned a trip to Kenya and Tanzania for the first two weeks of July. We have made sure to check all cancellation policies, travel warnings, and talked to local tour operators. Before COVID, this would have been an easy decision, either we go or don’t go. Now there is a lot more to consider before making such a commitment as it is never cheap to travel, especially for a trip such as this.

The Mountains of Ninh Binh Province in Vietnam – Our Last Adventure

We are doing a 10 day safari that will take us through the Amboseli National Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and Masai Mara. We are obviously very excited, but it wasn’t an easy decision. We have always been able to plan trips relatively quickly, but after a year and a half without traveling, it felt as if we were planning the very first overseas adventure ever. We are optimistic that nothing will change and our trip will happen as planned, but in the current world, there are no guarantees. It seems that people fall into two camps when it comes to traveling post-pandemic. Many people only want to travel somewhat locally and not take the risk of going internationally where they might get quarantined, sick, or have restrictions. Then there are others who have the “itch” like us who simply can’t wait to get back out into the world. Perhaps we’re a little crazy, but we are so glad to have an adventure to look forward to. Which camp do you fall into?

Looking Forward to Seeing the World from Our Airplane Window Again

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

On April 20, 2018April 20, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Walt Disney World6 Comments

The Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, so it is probably fitting that we visited on our 20th wedding anniversary several years ago. There are so many things to see at Walt Disney World, but Animal Kingdom is pretty unique because it combines the excitement of a safari with the things that you would expect from Disney such as thrill rides, characters, and fantasy come to life. Obviously, the attractions have likely changed some since our visit, but the heart of the adventure remains the same, which are the animals within the park.

Clearly it isn’t the same as a real safari, but unlike going on a safari in Africa, you are guaranteed to see all of the various animals in an environment that feels very authentic. Although the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, which is an open air vehicle ride among the animals, is the highlight of the park, there are plenty of other things to see. Second on the list of things that must be done is Expedition Everest. The main attraction is the rollercoaster-style ride, which is definitely thrilling with its Abominable Snowman encounter. Even though we went without children, Dinoland is definitely another part of the park that will be fun for people of all ages. Finally, Conservation Station provides more animal encounters along with a learning experience that the kids won’t find boring.

We spent a single, full day in the theme park and felt that we were able to thoroughly explore the park, but it could certainly be visited more than once during a trip to Disney World. For those that love the parades with all of the Disney characters, don’t worry, there are definitely fun parades that are unique and different than those that you see in the other theme parks. We would certainly recommend going to each of the different theme parks in Walt Disney World, but visiting the Animal Kingdom will be an experience that you will certainly enjoy due to its uniqueness.