Comments on: And finally, Africa

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:13:53 +0000

What about me? I picked $35,000, but I did go over! Pretty damn close!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:54:21 +0000

Haha, you’re right Christine. Matthew, I rescind my earlier snarkiness, must be that sibling telekinesis or something.

By: Christine Gilbert

Christine Gilbert — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:12:07 +0000

I think Mathew did have it right! 32k PLUS “pre-trip costs such as insurance, immunizations, moving, storage, gear, etc.” = 34K!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:37:10 +0000

Thanks for the information Regine. Obviously, safety trumps budget, and that is something we won’t take lightly, so perhaps we’ll need to rethink a fair amount of this section. Subconsciously, I think I keep substituting our experiences in Egypt when I think about Africa (big, crazy, bustling, but most amenities and transportation available at reasonable prices and with friendly, helpful people largely living in relative comfort). Not true for a lot of Africa.

Scott, I didn’t mean to imply in the disclaimer that we don’t expect other costs. We definitely understand there’s a lot of pre-trip expenses (we’ve been hitting against a lot of them already). I was just trying to be clear about what was included in this budget figure and what was not. We’ll probably have a run down around when we leave of all the pre-trip costs we incurred. Furthermore, lets just say I’m skeptically hopefully about the airline tickets. We’ll see where that goes. And we definitely have to get moving on the shots.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:51:15 +0000

Even though you’re not including pre-trip expenses in your budget, those can definitely add up. Especially the gear and clothing (I spent about $2k prior to my trip on that type of stuff). Immunizations are expensive and add up quickly for a trip like this. A couple aren’t just the single shot variety either, so don’t wait until the last minute (i.e. Japanese Encephalitis takes 3 shots on a very strict schedule…although you probably don’t need it where you’re going in SE Asia).

You may want to add some funds to your budget for intercontinental flights even though you’re planning to use points…just to be on the safe side. I went the points route and it turned out to be the biggest pain of my trip (which I’ve mentioned previously so I won’t go into detail here). The airlines just don’t make it easy and recently they’ve been quietly hiking up the point levels required for award flights. While I would eventually get a flight where I needed, it could take a couple days to work it out which took away from my enjoyment of wherever I was. Figure if points work smoothly for you, then you can just save that extra budget for when you return home. Just an idea.

By: Regine Kipperberg

Regine Kipperberg — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:32:51 +0000

Let me share my experiences with Kenya with you, as an example of an East African country. I do not remember the exact costs of my trip there since I booked two packages: a safari in various National Parks there, and a stay at a beach hotel near Mombasa. It was a good deal, though, and we paid only a third of the price that other people paid because we were flexible when we booked, being willing to go anywhere on a two weeks notice (just enough time to get the required shots), be it somewhere in Africa or in Asia. Someone canceled their trip, and so we got their spot in the last minute, and I was thrilled that it was Kenya, because that’s what I had hoped for. We used airplanes for getting around from spot A to spot B (little planes which only carried the handful of people who were part of the safari) since public ground transportation is extremely poor and unsafe, unless you travel in a hotel or tour bus. Even using a taxi to cover a short distance felt like we would not arrive at our destination safe and sound because the vehicles were in such bad shape, the roads barely there, and the drivers drove like hangmen. Once the sun sets, darkness surrounds you and hordes of locals line the “roads” and the entrances to hotels, beaches, and other places where tourists may be found. Some of them carry machetes. One tourist was attacked in broad daylight on the hotel beach over a pair of Nike sneakers. You will not encounter this problem during your stay in park lodges or in camp sites during a safari. Most Kenyans live in incredible poverty and are desperate in the bigger cities. You will see heartbreaking conditions and if you are like me, you cannot help but give every beggar a little something (which can add up considerably, too). I do not want to scare you, - East Africa is beautiful and well worth 5 trips there,- but you need to consider your security. Hygiene is another factor. In regards to accommodations, you get what you pay for. Anything below 4 or 5 stars is a potential risk to your health. I felt safest on the safari, wild animals and all, since there were guards watching our steps and sleep. I would not travel on my own in Kenya, but always with supervision, and that takes planning ahead so that arrangements can be made, also in regards to where you will sleep and eat. Aids and malaria are rampant and public restrooms unusable. Try to stay away from the big cities, and if you go there, a day trip, or a short visit of several hours will just do fine. After touring Mombasa, I had no desire to also tour Nairobi, and chose to attend a day tour of Nairobi National Park instead. I liked Kilimanjaro and Amboseli National Park the best. The Masai Mara was not bad either. If you plan ahead, and stay safe and in tolerable hygienic conditions, you will become addicted to East Africa. It’s that breathtaking and unique. You are in for a true treat.:) Have fun!!!!

By: Theresa

Theresa — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:42:02 +0000

So I went back and checked the straw poll figures, and it appears that both Erin and Matthew are the closest to our estimate, each off by $2,000. Although it appears that some people in their estimates included the pre-trip costs that we haven’t added in while others didn’t, and some didn’t specify. If we were on Price is Right, Erin would win since she was closest without going over. But once we add in the extras (a few thousand I suppose), those closer to $35-$40k may win.

What will be truly interesting, however, is to see whose estimate is closest not to our estimate but to our actual costs.

By: Mom

Mom — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:05:41 +0000

I think when you’re talking in terms of the overall budget for a RTW trip, coming within 2K of “estimated cost” is pretty good. But that’s just my opinion and I realize we all have different thoughts on this matter.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:22:08 +0000

Gillian - Glad to see we’re getting pretty similar figures. I mean, it really is all a guessing game till you get there, but we’re also trying to be conservative. Everyone feels better if you come in under budget!

And Matt, thanks for saving us the rest of the details. But 34K is also not 32K. Where’s the extra 2K going, O omniscient one?

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:19:59 +0000

I just had he following conversation with myself:

Self: Who was it that guessed 34K in the Straw Poll?
Self: It was I.
Self: Oh yes, that is true.
Self: I never doubted that I know everything.
Self: That is also true.

…I’ll spare you the rest, only because it gets into some really intense stuff probably beyond those who guessed figures like 50K and such.