20260823 Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience Day 19 of 19 - Frankfurt to Home and Wrap-Up

Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience - Frankfurt to Home - The Trip Wrap-up

A sculpture at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

We launched from Addis Ababa more than 30 minutes late, making us three for three late departures.

Ready to go

The captain said the planned 7+-hour flight should only take 6.5 hours. That was pretty close, and we arrived at about 6:30 in the morning, local time in Frankfurt. 

Since we were just transiting, we didn't need to go through passport control. With a seven-hour layover, we definitely wanted to get to the Lufthansa Business Class lounge. Unfortunately, that meant we needed to enter concourse B, and that meant going through security. Liquid out, laptops out, belts off, yadda, yadda, yadda. Our flight this afternoon was out of concourse C, so we got to do it all over again. Woo!

The lounge was empty this early in the morning, so we scored comfy seats with available power. We were all set up for the long wait for our final flight.

They never officially delayed our flight, but we departed almost 30 minutes late, making our return travel 100% at 4 for 4 delays.

The flight went well, and we arrived right on time, making up for the departure delay in the air. We were the first to deplane. Since we only had carry-on bags, we didn't need to wait for luggage before heading to Customs. We were the only ones at Customs, so we walked up to separate Global Entry kiosks. Our lights turned green, and we walked to the officer. He asked our names, asked if we had all our bags, and welcomed us home. Total time in Customs: 30 seconds. We walked to the exit and called our driver. She arrived less than five minutes later. An hour after that, we walked into our home. 

How long was our travel, door-to-door? Yikes. Adjusting to Florida time, we left our hotel at 8:00 am Tanzania time on Saturday morning. That was 1:00 am Saturday morning in Florida. So, 1:00 am Saturday to 7:30 pm Sunday night comes to 42.5 hours. No wonder we're tired.

What did we do first?

Our Sunday tradition: Arlona's kettle corn

Trip Wrap-Up

So, what all did we see?

Animals and Insects

1. Agama, Kenya Rock
2. Agama, Mwanza Flat-Headed
3. Agama, Mwanza Flat-Headed Rock 
4. Ants
5. Baboon, Olive
6. Baboon, Yellow
7. Badger, Honey
8. Beetle, Scarab
9. Buffalo, Cape
10. Cat, Serval
11. Cheetah
12. Chimpanze
13. Crocodile
14. Dik Dik, Kirk's
15. Dromedary
16. Eland, Common
17. Elephant, African
18. Fox, Bat-Eared
19. Gazelle, Grant's
20. Gazelle, Thompson's
21. Giraffe, Maasai
22. Giraffe, Reticulated
23. Giraffe, Rothschild's
24. Hartebeest
25. Hippopotamus
26. Hyena, Spotted
27. Hyrax, Rock
28. Hyrax, Tree
29. Impala
30. Jackal, Black-backed
31. Klipspringer
32. Leopard
33. Lion
34. Mantis, Praying
35. Mongoose, Banded
36. Monkey, Blue
37. Monkey, Vervet
38. Moth, Rustic Sphinx
39. Moth, Slug
40. Mouse
41. Rhino, Black
42. Rhino, White
43. Skink, African Striped
44. Topi
45. Turtle, African Helmeted (Marsh Terrapin)
46. Warthog (Pumbaa)
47. Waterbuck
48. Wildebeest
49. Wolf, African Golden
50. Zebra, Common

Birds

1. Bee-Eater, Little
2. Bulbul, Common
3. Bustard, Denham's
4. Bustard, Kori
5. Bustard, White-bellied
6. Buzzard, Augur
7. Cisticola, Winding or Zitting
8. Cordon-Blue, Red-Cheeked
9. Cormorant, White-Breasted
10. Coucal, White-Browed
11. Crane, Crested (or Gray Crowned)
12. Crow, Pied
13. Drongo, Fork-Tailed
14. Eagle, African Fish
15. Eagle, Bateleur 
16. Eagle, Black-Chested Snake
17. Eagle, Long-Crested
18. Eagle, Tawney
19. Egret, Cattle 
20. Firefinch, Red-Billed
21. Fiscal, Gray-Backed
22. Fiscal, Long-Tailed
23. Fiscal, Taita
24. Flamingo, Greater
25. Flamingo, Lesser
26. Goose, Egyptian
27. Goshawk, Dark Chanting
28. Guineafowl, Helmeted
29. Gull, Gray Hooded
30. Heron, Black-Headed
31. Heron, Gray
32. Heron, Squacco
33. Hoopoe, African
34. Hornbill, Silvery-Cheeked
35. Hornbill, Southern Ground
36. Ibis, African Sacred
37. Ibis, Glossy
38. Ibis, Hadada
39. Jacana, African
40. Kingfished, Malachite
41. Kingfisher, Gray-Headed
42. Kingfisher, Striped
43. Kite, Black
44. Kite, Black-Winged
45. Kite, yellow-billed
46. Lapwing (Plover), Crowned
47. Lapwing, Blacksmith
48. Lapwing, Long-Toed
49. Lark, Dusky (in back)
50. Lark, Rufous-Naped 
51. Ostrich
52. Oxpecker (on the giraffe)
53. Pelican, Great White
54. Pigeon, African Rock
55. Roller, Lilac-Breasted
56. Secretarybird
57. Shrike, Northern White-Crowned
58. Sparrow, Kenya Rufous
59. Sparrow-Weaver, White-Browed
60. Spoonbill, African
61. Starling, Greater Blue-Eared
62. Starling, Superb
63. Stilt, Black-Winged
64. Stork, Marabou (Undertaker)
65. Stork, Yellow-Billed
66. Sunbird, Amethyst
67. Sunbird, Eastern Violet-Backed
68. Teal, Cape
69. Vulture, African White-Backed
70. Vulture, Hooded
71. Vulture, Lappet-Faced
72. Warbler
73. Weaver
74. Weaver, Rufous-Tailed
75. Weaver, Speckle-Fronted

That's 125 different animals, all in a 15-day safari. That's pretty amazing.

Let's talk about the trip itself. This entire trip, other than the "get there" and "get home" air, was fully planned and managed by Globus. I have to give Globus high marks. Everything went off like clockwork. The Globus personnel, tour directors, and driver/guides were all very good at what they did.

For the most part, they were all nice people as well.

The lodging was good to very good. The Serena and Sarova hotels were all very nice, but in our opinion, they fell short of the luxury category. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I just wouldn't call this luxury travel.

The vehicles were also not luxury vehicles. But luxury vehicles would fall apart in a week doing this type of tour. There is exactly one vehicle for this: the Toyota Land Cruiser. In fact, that is pretty much all we saw out there. There were a few odd vehicles, but almost every safari vehicle was a Land Cruiser. They are indestructible. The Tanzanian vehicle was substantially newer and in better shape than the Kenyan vehicle, and was more comfortable. That said, there isn't a lot of legroom or comfort, in general, so I can't call them luxury rides. Plus, it is a substantial climb to get in and out, so plan on that too.

Who is this trip for? In-shape travelers who have no mobility issues. You have to climb in and out of the Land Cruiser six to eight times each day. While you're in the vehicle, your body will undergo an endless assault of bumps, swerves, and bangs, thanks to the things in Africa masquerading as roads. I used the word "punishing" in an early entry, and I stand by that description. If you use a walker, cane, wheelchair, have back or neck issues, or are generally infirm, this isn't the trip for you. If you expect luxury accommodations, or even accommodations with heat or air conditioning, this isn't the trip for you.

If you're able-bodied, love to see animals in the wild doing animal things, don't mind tents that shake in the wind but still have king-sized beds and showers, and can handle washboard roads, this trip would be a good fit for you.

There are tons of tour operators out there, and I can't provide info on them, but as far as Globus goes, we can certainly endorse them for this type of tour.

For us, now, it's good to be home again. Starting in December, we have what amounts to two back-to-back trips booked that will cover two months and Australia, Barbados, and Brazil, including the Amazon River and Carnival in Rio. We'll see you all in December.

20260822 Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience Day 18 of 19 - Leaving the Serengeti and Starting Home

Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience - Serengeti Farewell and the Start of Four Flights 

We checked out of the hotel at 8:00 this morning for a game drive on the way to Seronera Airstrip. 

Our final Serengeti sunrise

Our first sighting was a lion on a rock - a nice Serengeti farewell

Isn't she majestic?

There were so many interesting rock formations in this area

Our second stop was another pride of lions munching on a cape buffalo

An interested jackal was sent packing by a lioness

They had already come a number on this side of the head - you can clearly see the horns and teeth

She was working hard on the other side

Big Daddy was working on the midsection

One had had enough and went for a drink in a puddle on the road

Remember the slew of vultures, a hyena, and a jackal going to town on a carcass yesterday? This was all that was left today - nature is incredibly efficient

Can you see the dark brown line going across the middle of the photo?

Look closer

It was hundreds of Cape buffalo

Tour Director, Elia, got a call stating that the flight for the six in our group who booked the Zanzibar extension had been moved ahead to 10:00. That meant that our drivers, Petro and Victor, got to live their Dakar Rally dreams as we flew through the Serengeti, arriving at 9:45. 

Our driver and safari guide, Petro

Seronera Airstrip with a dirt runway

High-tech boarding passes

We all bid farewell to half the group as they left us, and the remaining six of us waited for our 11:10 flight to Arusha. 

Our fabulous Tour Director, Elia, really made the Tanzania portion of this trip amazing

11:10 came and went, as did 12:10. Our plane finally arrived at 12:30. We were excited to see that it was a Dash 8-100, significantly larger than the Cessna Grand Caravan we flew last. But it was already mostly full, and we were just a pick-up. We filled the plane completely. It was crowded, hot, and stuffy.

We loaded and were airborne at 12:50. The condition didn't improve in the air. The air conditioning was barely moving air, so the whole plane was sweating. Luckily, the flight was only 45 minutes.

Our last view of the Serengeti

We leveled off at 16,000 feet ASL before starting our descent into Arusha. After gathering our luggage, a van took us to the Mount Meru hotel, where we all had day rooms provided by Globus.

We said our goodbyes to the remaining travelers and found our room. The air delay wiped out most of the time that we were supposed to have in the room before transferring to Kilimanjaro Airport. But there was enough time for a quick shower and a change of clothes for me, which was much needed. 

We were flying out of Kilimanjaro Airport. It was 25 miles from the hotel, which in Tanzanian terms means more than an hour. Our driver, Baraka, arrived 25 minutes late for our pickup, but assured us we would be there in plenty of time to make our 7:10 departure. 

We're booked on Lufthansa, but the flights are operated by Ethiopian Airlines. I tried checking in online with Lufthansa, and they flipped me to Ethiopian Air, who said, "Not Found".  Oh well.

We arrived to find the stupidest airport security that I have ever seen. To get into the airport, you have to have your luggage X-rayed, take out your laptop, take off your shoes, go through a metal detector, and, in my case, with a metal hip, go through a whole pat-down.

After you get your boarding pass, you go through Immigration, and then you have to go through an entire additional, identical security scan. If I passed the first one, why do you need to do it again? Seriously.

We were flying Business Class, which came with lounge access. But the longest was 100% full. That was until staff made a table full of rude passengers remove their cellphones and bags from all the chairs they were monopolizing. At least we got seats. We had about an hour until boarding.

Going down to the gate was nuts. People in African airports are the rudest anywhere we've flown. No regard for personal space, pushing through you in line, paying attention to nobody but themselves. And it was nearly universal. At one point, we had to join in and just shove our way through, or we wouldn't have made it through. 

Our plane arrived about the time we were supposed to depart, so the place was packed, and we were delayed.

We finally launched a little before 8:00, more than 45 minutes late. That makes us two for two on delayed flights. That got us to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a half-hour late. Speaking of Ethiopia, we generally don't count a country visit if we're just in an airport. That happened when we flew through Brussels on the way to Africa. We haven't visited Belgium yet, and we didn't count it. But we're making an exception to that rule for Ethiopia, as we have no intention of coming back. So, Ethiopia is country #117 on our count.

The passenger rudeness continued in Addis Ababa, both when getting off the plane and going through the terminal. The place was packed on a Saturday night.

We found our way to Ethiopia Airline's Cloud 9 Lounge for a brief respite before the next flight at 12:05 am local time to Frankfurt, Germany

At least there were seats in this lounge

We'll be in the air for over seven hours, and then a 7.5-hour layover in Frankfurt before our 10.5-hour flight from Frankfurt to Orlando. I'll be wrapping up this trip with a final post covering the last leg and our summary of the trip tomorrow (unless I'm whipped, and then Monday). We're looking forward to touching down in Orlando just before 6:00 on Sunday evening.

20260821 Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience Day 17 of 19 - Serengeti Safari

Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience - Serengeti Safari Day

As I mentioned yesterday, we were not supposed to walk in the camp after dark without an escort due to the wild animals that are all over here in the Serengeti. We were due for breakfast at 6:00 this morning, well before sunrise. But...our phone didn't work. We had no choice but to be bold and go forth.

Some type of scarab beetle met us along the way

This praying mantis was waiting for us right outside our tent

Slug moth from the family Limacodidae

A nice sunrise

DISCLAIMER

OK, let's get this out there right now/ If you're squemish, today's post may not be for you. It was a true circle of life day. We revisited the lions we saw yesterday, who had taken down the zebra. What we saw was amazing. Later, we came upon a cape buffalo carcass that had been turned over to the scavengers. That was incredible too. There are hippos, birds, lizards, and more in the post, but if you can't stand seeing a dead animal, wait for tomorrow's post and see what we see tomorrow.

A couple of Topi

Something startled them

Our first stop today was back at the lions and the zebra carcass. We marveled last night at the almost surgical work done by the lions, eating the internals of the zebra. Today was just as amazing.

Nearly everything was gone from the zebra, other than the head, neck, and legs

A cub, nibbling on the head

It was just incredible how well they stripped the body

Chewing on a leg

It looks like a tumbleweed, but check the ear - it's Dad

Vultures were starting to gather - this was a White-backed Vulture

A Superb Starling flying over a Lappet-faced Vulture

Vultures, lined up on the ground

Big Daddy was watching

A jackal showed up as well

Hooded Vulture

Vultures marching to the kill

She started pawing the ground

She got more deliberate, plus a cub started as well

Someone said that this was what their house cat did before it peed. Sure enough, that's what they were doing.

It is amazing to see the big cats exhibit the same behavior as house cats

The vultures needed a new plan

Two relocated

Two more moved closer

Mom didn't like the looks of things, and chased the vultures away

She also dragged the carcass further under the tree

 

The cleanup crew was diligent

The jackal was bold

But Mom sent a message

And the kill remained hers

There wasn't much left on the carcass, and we expect that the lions will abandon it later today. At that point, the jackals, hyenas, and vultures will have a field day.

Three Mongooses

African helmeted turtles (also known as marsh terrapins)

Can you see the line that goes from the shadow of the Land Rover up to the right and down to the black blob?

Ants - thousands of them

 Black-chested Snake-Eagle

Eland

 Fork-tailed Drongo

Maasai Giraffe

Kirk's Dik-dik

We stumbled upon a huge group of vultures. We eventually figured out that it was a cape buffalo carcass, and the clean-up crew was in full swing. They were joined by a hyena and a jackal, and it was fascinating to watch.

African White-backed Vultures

The hyena kept chasing the vultures to no avail - it went and conferred with the jackal

With them gone, the vultures went at it

The hyena chased them again

The vultures had a meeting to discuss strategy

The hyena and jackal went at the carcass

The hyena pulled the carcass, going for a rib

Snap - and success

The vultures jumped in again

Additional vultures arrived

Our guides said that in two to three hours, the skeleton would be picked clean. It was amazing. This is an important part of the process because without the scavengers, the meat would rot, diseases would spread, and there would be a lot more animal deaths from disease. The clean-up crew plays a vital role.

We headed for a much-needed comfort break near a local hippo pond.

Hippos were everywhere, or so we thought

There were lots more under the water

There was one lone crocodile

Youngsters were playing

This was a massive hippo

Hippos can split a croc in half with a single bite

Look at those teeth

We started heading back to the camp.

 Lilac-breasted Rollers

Tawny Eagles

Impala, nicknamed the McDonald's of Africa because of the "M" marking on their backside, and the fact that they are "fast" food

Eland

Warthog

Speckle-fronted Weaver

A family of elephants

Another Lilac-breasted Roller

Mwanza flat-headed rock agama

We arrived back at camp and had lunch before a couple of rare hours of downtime before our afternoon game drive began.

Klipspringer

Another Mwanza flat-headed rock agama

We found another group of lions

These two were staring down a gazelle

Lions sleep a lot - up to 16 hours each day

More elephants in the distance

Tour Director, Elia, stopped the trucks and had us all get out for photos on the Serengeti to mark our final night.

Elia and the crew

Serengeti and the sunset

As we returned to camp, we could see a large fire on the Serengeti, burning in the distance

Tour Director, Elia, said that it was a planned, controlled burn

At 7:30, we made our way to the Globus bush dinner, complete with a two-drink happy hour. (Thanks, Joel, for some of the photos)

A nice bonfire kept us warm

Grilling chicken, steak, and sausages

Another local beer

The service crew

It was a nice end to the day. We returned to the tent to get packed up for tomorrow. We will start with an 8:00 game drive as part of our ride to the Serengeti Airstrip. We'll make the one-hour flight to Arusha, where we'll transfer to a hotel for a few hours. Globus will then transfer us to Kilimanjaro Airport to begin our long three-flight trip home.