East Africa Advice

[Lily Rowan]

A good friend of mine works for an international relief organization and will take a business trip to East Africa this July. Her itinerary includes:


Southern Darfur (No information yet on where she will stay)

Yei, Sudan (Which airlines fly between Nairobi and Yei? Which is the most reputable?)

Uganda (probably just a short transit through)

Nairobi (10 hour daytime transit – any sightseeing recommendations, or should she simply stay in the hotel?)


Due to the wealth of experienced, pragmatic, and non-hysterical information I’ve seen on this forum, I’m hoping that the contributors here might be able & willing to provide tips, tricks, and any other useful and / or interesting facts to help or prepare her. (I’ve done several searches of the site but found only tidbits of information.)

This particular traveler has experience traveling through, living in, and interfacing with cultures of the *achem* “less-developed” world, including several months in Chang Rai, Thailand, a few weeks in the tsunami-affected region of Sumatra, and 2 years in South Philadelphia :eek: (near Temple U., for those who are familiar) – but has never been to Africa. She has the necessary medical information and vaccinations and will have a caretaker while in each country on her itinerary; however, she welcomes all advice offered.

Thanks in advance for any local color you can provide.

Cheers,

LR

Mods – Despite the tenuous aviation link, I thought this forum might have the most targeted and helpful audience. Please feel free to move if another forum would be more appropriate. Nope, that's fine; I'm sure you'll get some interesting, anecdotal advice. 4HP

[Contract Dog]

Southern Darfur (No information yet on where she will stay)
She cant just go into Darfur, she will have to go with an NGO or the UN as the dont issue clearances to civilians, the place is at war at the moment. She needs an entry Visa to get into Sudan and that takes up to a month to get and is a pain in the ass!
Yei, Sudan (Which airlines fly between Nairobi and Yei? Which is the most reputable?)

None that I am aware of, it is a bush stgrip in the middle of nowhere, will have to try get on a UNMIS of WFP flight, there may be some charters out of Wilson airport in kenya that will go there but it will cost an arm and a leg, things to look out for, Ibola, Maleria and at the moment there is a menigitis outbreak down there
Uganda (probably just a short transit through)

amazing place, if she has time, skip entebbe, go to Kampala (1hr drive in traffic) good people, just dont smoka anywhere on the airport property, not even outside on the road!

Nairobi (10 hour daytime transit – any sightseeing recommendations, or should she simply stay in the hotel?)

Loads of little game reservs in town and if she likes meat, carnivors is a great place to eat
Dog

[rigs]

Hi there, besides being an aviator i do create kenyan itineraries for safaris,beach holdays and city excursions. now that your client has around a 10 hour stay in nairobi. i have a nairobi city excursion that entails:

The nairobi city excursion involves a tour of NAIROBI MUSEUM,SNAKE PARK a visit to the RAILWAY MUSEUM lunch at the famous carnivore restaurant where you have a taste of game meat. an afternoon drive to GIRAFFE CENTRE, KAREN BLIXEN MUSEUM and NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK.

You can PM me for details of the itinerary and further queries.
:ok:

[mwakabi]

Might make sense to book to Entebbe direct out of wherever. A couple of Ugandan operators fly direct to Yei 5/7.

[Zaherk 1]

We operate in Sudan for the UN, our home base, El Obeid. Before you plan anything, your visa can take ages to process, if you require one.

[wabulabantu]

Delta Connection, which has a terminal in the ALS building at Wilson Airport operates a BE1900 on the Wilson-Yei-Rumbek route twice per week. [email protected]
Eagle Air operates flights to Yei out of Entebbe. Check them out at http://www.flyeagleuganda.com/

Several airlines operate jets into Juba from JKIA in Nairobi on a daily basis. If coordinated properly, she can link up with a Southern Air Connection flight from Juba to Yei, Rumbek, Wau, Malakal, Yambio, etc.

Provided that your friend does not work for a government agency that requires a visa, she should be able to get a SRRC (blue card) pass on arrival in Nairobi at the SPLM office in Lavington that will allow her to travel within the area of South Sudan. This is fairly easy to obtain, as long as she has a legitimate reason for travel.

I am an American doing business here and travel quite extensively by road/air within Southern Sudan. If your friend needs any more detailed info, get my details from the contacts page a www.lorryboys.com (http://www.lorryboys.com)

[opskev]

You'll get flights Direct Nairobi - Yei,a commercial company called Delta Connection Limited,normally on a BE1900,3times a week-monday Wensday and Saturday,it's a 2 & half hour flight.

Tel: +254 20 608622/606548
Cell: 254 722 204 405
Email: [email protected]

I'm going to turn a blind eye to this one but would you please stop your banner-towing on this forum - No Free Advertising. Do it by email or PM. 4HP

[Lily Rowan]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice and tips so far. My friend leaves this Thursday and is both excited and a bit anxious about traveling to the more unstable areas. I conducted another forum search and found good gen, but I thought I’d still bump this thread to the top to see if anyone else would like to provide some last-minute local color. :ok:

To answer some of the previous points, she does work for an NGO and has finally sorted our all of her visa issues – well, we hope so, anyway. :suspect: Her itinerary has become a bit more settled, and she will pass through: Nairobi, Entebbe and Jinja, Khartoum, and one of the South Darfur camps near Ed Daein – probably Abu Matariq or Abu Jabra.

Oh, I almost forgot – she and I have a long-standing tradition of trading souvenirs from our world travels. Any suggestions as to what I should request from this trip? :}

Cheers,
LR

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Bracelets made from spent 7.62x39 brass were quite popular at one point.

[Lex44]

4 foot girafe wooden curving (very light) or some other wildlife souvenirs. The maasai market in Nairobi on tuesdays is a good stop if she spends a tuesday in kenya.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Go to the Florida 2000 club in Nairobi and bring back a souvenir you can distribute for ever...

[AAL]

In Kenya you will not believe the intricate and beautifully carved Ivory figurines and bracelets. Also real elephant leg/foot ottomans. Options are endless your friend will have tough time deciding.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

I think you may have trouble getting ivory and animal products, particularly those on a controlled list, into the US, EU and Canada. Apart from that, buying endangered animal and hardwood products will only encourage illegal trade and make their survival more tenuous.

[AAL]

SRT, cmmon not think I'm serious. But bet you they still sell them everywhere.