KENYA SAFARIS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
My parents and I would like to visit Kenya to experience the wildlife. They are 83 and 86 years old and not very mobile, which makes it a little complicated. My dad walks very slowly and uses a wheelchair in airports. It seems Maasai Mara is the biggest and best equipped reserve in Kenya. Do you have any other recommendations? Is there a travel agent that offers individual/group tours to the area, or does one put together a trip oneself using the internet? — Pierre Nel
Kenya in fact has more than 40 game reserves but the 1,510km² Maasai Mara is by far the most popular, celebrated for its cheetah, leopard, lion, and elephant and, of course, the Great Migration of wildebeest and other creatures every July. Its infrastructure is excellent, with well-maintained roads making for easy game drives. The road to the park from Nairobi, however, is notoriously bad, and your best bet is probably to go for a lodge in one of the several private conservancies adjoining the park, which have private airstrips and so can be accessed by light aircraft.
Established in 1961, the reserve has a wealth of accommodation options to choose from, including the private conservancies.
And yes, there are countless companies that will organise the trip for you so that all you’ll need to do is choose one, book it, and pack your bags.
A google search for the phrase “safaris for senior citizens Maasai Mara” throws up several options, most of which are on the luxury end, and which promise to chauffeur you from arrival to departure and cater to your every need inbetween. Many, for example, will accommodate specific requests for rooms close to the main areas to minimise the need for walking — remember to ask for this when making inquiries.
Other companies have itineraries specifically designed for senior citizens. One such example is Zicasso (zicasso.com), which has a “very relaxed 10-day safari to the Maasai Mara and beyond (that) is handcrafted for senior travellers”.
The package is priced from $4,495 (about R69,000), and includes luxury accommodation in private conservancies and a hot-air balloon ride over the reserve. It is also customisable for private travel.
For added peace of mind, you may also wish to look in to companies that specifically cater to guests with limited mobility.
One example is fika-safaris.com, which specialises in accessible accommodation — “for travellers with all disabilities and mobility issues (not only wheelchair users)”. They say that accessibility is “guaranteed as part of your booking contract, not just ‘on request’ as can happen with other companies” and they can also tailor make an itinerary for you.
We can help with destination dilemmas, visa puzzles and itinerary ideas. E-mail us on travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za