From Ol Pejeta to Tsavo West (Kenya) (page 13 of 15)

All done? Well, thanks for the travel journal and the beautiful slices of life. It's true that traveling with a driver comes with some risk, but you shouldn't generalize—my trip and Sylvie's both went really well. I'm planning to go to Uganda, and having a driver there is pretty much essential.

Happy planning for your next trip! 🙂

I'm considering a trip to Uganda

You too? I admit it's a country I always think of with emotion 😉. Muriel

Yeah, I really want to see the gorillas at least once. After that, I’ll probably fall in love with the country, but that’s another story! 🙂

A huge thank you for this travel journal, full of encounters—I learned so much about the animals, though I’m not sure I remembered it all 🤔 The last leopard was stunning, and I love the grand finale with the elephants 😊 Indeed, it must be tough having a guide-driver who doesn’t meet your expectations, but I can still see you kept some great memories 😄

The driver-guide setup also left us wanting more. Being confined in a vehicle with someone we didn’t know, who had a certain authority over us and didn’t understand our motivations at all, was far from ideal. That’s why our next trip to Africa will be very different from what we experienced in Kenya.

Switched to self-drive? 😉 🙂

Hi Jean-François,

I have wonderful memories and a great sense of pride from our previous self-drive trips, exclusively in Southern African countries that are better suited for it. It’s a way of making the journey your own—both in planning and choices—and a liberation of the senses tied to survival (and I mean that), which makes this formula particularly "flavorful." However, it does come with its downsides.

Since we’re more the "contemplative" type, we enjoy being fully present for whatever happens on the trail and beyond without the "responsibilities" of being the self-driver. We’d happily delegate that to someone else, provided they have the right skills: empathy, availability, patience, and the ability to take risks when necessary—without jeopardizing their license. The challenge is finding that rare gem... Don’t assume a travel agency—even a well-established one—will provide one right away.

Watching John in action served as a counterexample for us. We realized a good driver can rarely also be a great guide. Keeping an eye on the road and scanning the bush or savanna are two very different skills. Exceptional driver-guides do exist, but I think they’re rare. The better approach is to opt for a guide + driver setup. When such a team works well together and has the right skills, it’s magical. I speak from experience—we tried this successfully in Ruaha NP.

But even then, part of the journey slips away from the traveler, who must urgently reclaim some of the power and autonomy lost in the agency contract. So, forget pre-packaged circuits with driver-guides or guide + drivers. Instead, embrace cooperation, resourcefulness, responsibility, and commitment (which reduces the risk of mishaps). I truly believe the positive moments, good memories, and emotions that shape a lasting experience depend on that balance... Something to think about.

Another key point—avoid, as much as possible, hard-walled accommodations with "luxury" service (which is often over-the-top and bunker-like). Even if many places offer glimpses of wildlife, they act as a filter that "sterilizes" that connection. I’m not saying they’re never worth it... but they’re earned, like "Elsa Kopjes," for example🙂. Just like I enjoy a cold beer when I’m thirsty🙂. In short, we prefer having nothing but a thin layer of canvas between us, the savanna, the bush, and wildlife—not an "electric fence" that confines you, even if it does offer visibility.

We’re heading back to the U.S. soon, but in the spirit of a self-drive trip. Sure, it’s easier there than in Africa, but that’s part of what we want to experience.

Great and insightful analysis, Éric—right in line with your awesome travel journal (awesome and full of birdies!). Do you think you could share the name of your tour operator on the forum or via DM?

Thanks for sharing, and *safari njema* in the US!

BL

Hi again Eric,

Your analyses are truly insightful, and you express them so well in writing—kudos! 🙂 I often agree with you, too 😉

There are indeed exceptional guide-drivers, but I think they’re rare. The idea is more to go for a guide + driver setup.

Totally agree. When I first started traveling, I didn’t quite grasp the distinction, but experience has shown me they’re two very different "roles." The rarity of good guide-drivers comes from the fact that if someone is "talented" and becomes/is a guide, they climb the social ladder and no longer want to "lower" themselves to being a driver. It might seem reductive, but that’s how I’ve felt when interacting with guides (both in Asia and Africa). 😉

For my part, now, if I’m already being accompanied, I want it to be by a guide, and I accept that there’ll be a separate driver. Of course, unless it’s just for a "taxi" ride from point A to point B or if there are interesting local guides at certain spots (like in Ethiopia, for example, where you’ll be assigned an extra guide at every place you visit anyway).

On another note—and this is just my personal take—I feel like when you "outsource" your trip to an agency, the only "merit" you have is writing the check. As a result, I don’t get any personal "pride" or satisfaction out of it, other than seeing beautiful things and taking nice photos—but that’s pretty passive. Having said that, I’ll add a caveat: when there’s a strong cultural or interactive component (like with ethnic groups, for example), a guide and/or interpreter really adds value to the trip. When I write this, I’m thinking, for instance, of the trip we took to northern Vietnam, where we saw two tourists on their own with a motorbike, sitting on the steps of a tower, unable to do anything but look at the scenery. Meanwhile, just a few kilometers away, there was a stunning Black Lolo village that we were able to visit and where we could interact with the locals.

Anyway, there’s no single truth 😉

Hi Bernard,

In line with VF’s policy, no ads on this forum. I’ll share these details via PM to anyone who requests them, with one restriction: the driver-guide will remain anonymous. The Kenyan retirement system isn’t the same as ours, and I’d hate to cause trouble for John and his family, especially since he’s nearing the end of his career.

In accordance with VF policy, no advertising on this forum.

In this case, it’s not advertising 😏

Hi there,

Good point, Isabelle. In this setup, the quality of the driver-guide is a real added value. But how can you be sure of that before leaving when even the main agency doesn’t control this kind of thing? One solution: read VF’s travel journals!

Hi Régis, "Not mentioning the cost is already advertising it"

Not talking about it is still talking about it! Very zen way to put it😛 !

It's over

Yes, Régis, all good things must come to an end!

but you shouldn’t generalize—my trip, or Sylvie’s, went really well. I’m planning to go to Uganda, and having a driver is pretty much essential.

I’m not generalizing from this experience. Other successful trips and some perspective help me keep things in proportion. But given how expensive these trips are, I’d rather not leave it to chance! By the way, how will you choose your guide for this trip 😉? Wishing you all the best for your adventure. I’ll be reading your travel journal with interest.

About your planned guide for this trip—how will you choose? 😉

I’ve got two options: one with the agency I already traveled with to Kenya, and a Ugandan agency that a lot of people on VF have used.

Hi Jean-François,

The scarcity of good guides/drivers can be explained by the fact that if the person is "talented" and becomes/is a guide, they climb the social ladder and no longer want to "lower" themselves to being a driver. This might seem reductive to us, but that’s how I felt when I was in contact with a guide (both in Asia and Africa). 😉

Yes, there’s a hierarchy between them: the guide sets the goal, the driver takes the direction and moves the vehicle while preserving its integrity and that of the passengers. This puts into perspective the power one might have over the other. In reality, their work is a mutual cooperation based on their complementarity.

Besides, and this is purely personal, I find that when you "outsource" your trip to an agency, you don’t have much more "merit" than having written the check. As a result, I don’t feel any personal "pride" or satisfaction—other than having seen beautiful things and taken nice photos, but that’s rather passive. However, I do have a caveat: in cases where there’s a strong cultural or exchange component (like with ethnic groups, for example), a guide and/or interpreter adds real value to the trip.

I agree. That’s what we did in Tanzania—not in the parks but in Zanzibar.

Re-

I have two options: one with the agency I already traveled with to Kenya, and a Ugandan agency that many people on VF have used.

A VF must! 🙂 But what criteria should I base my decision on?

I have two options: one with the agency I already traveled with in Kenya, and a Ugandan agency that many people on VF have used.

Wait—you're hesitating between a French agency with a local partner in Uganda or going directly with a Ugandan agency? In that case, why not go directly with the Ugandan agency, or what?

A must-visit on VoyageForum! :) But what criteria?

Reading travel journals and different reviews.

??? You're hesitating between a French agency with a local partner in Uganda or going directly with a Ugandan agency?. In that case, might as well go directly with the Ugandan agency, right?

No, a Kenyan agency I recently traveled with and a Ugandan agency. But since I’m short on time, it’ll just be a chance to see the area’s iconic animals 😊

Okay!

So it's the chimpanzees and gorillas that are drawing you in... you're absolutely right, it's a completely different experience from the savanna. You also have the option of Rwanda, where gorilla trekking is easier... but more expensive. Or a tour starting from Rwanda.