Confession. I am developing a bit of an obsession. I have this immense desire to continually dream up adventures that seem most extraordinary, least possible or compatible with a wheelchair, and then researching, investigating, and planning the hell out of them to make them happen, and happen good, within our budget and vacation-time constraints. My most recent mission: A four night African safari, crossing three Kenyan National Parks in search of the Big Five.
If humans can go to the moon, then I will not accept any reason why I, in my wheelchair, cannot seek out the wonders on this earth. Wheelchair friends, with the right preparation, we can make it happen.
Our trip to Africa was a particularly long time in the making. I was probably about 2 days out from hitting that Book It button for a mid-February expedition, when I broke my femur getting ready for work on a grey, late October morning. My shattered bone required surgery, pins, screws, a splint, weight bearing restrictions and physio. I wasn’t confident I’d be in a rattle-around-in-the-back-of-a-jeep-with-little-access-to-medical-care condition in just 4 months time, so our plans got put on hold, but my bookmarked research and saved emails were not lost! 15 months later and there we were, watching my wheelchair come round upside-down on the baggage claim conveyer belt at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
I’ll admit, planning this safari was actually relatively easy, a pleasant surprise. I came to the realization during my early research that even the most exotic, authentic, jaw-dropping safaris involve a whole lot of one key component: sitting! Woah now, I can DO sitting! Really – sitting in a vehicle, (sometimes for very long stretches), is the basis of almost all safaris. Game drives, wildlife spotting, sunset viewing, champagne cheers with boabab trees lining the horizon – it can, and usually is, all done from sitting comfortably in the back of a jeep, truck or van. Just buckle up and let a knowledgeable, reputable tour guide show you the land. So then, the most important decision in safari planning is determining the right tour guide/company to use. Once this is decided, much of the rest will fall into place.
How to decide on the best tour company?
There are many safari tour companies to choose from and, as a wheelchair user, your first question might be whether or not you should select a company that specifically caters to people with disabilities. You may want to opt for an accessible safari company if:
a) you want to remain in your wheelchair while in the vehicle;
b) you want a vehicle equipped with a ramp/lift;
c) you require the guide to have strong knowledge of wheelchair accessible bathroom breaks/pit stops.
Other considerations when deciding on a tour company
a) Does the company offer private or group tour options?
b) What National Parks does the tour company visit?
c) Does the company provide transportation directly from airport and/or entry/exit hotel?
d) How long has the company been in business, does their website appear to be updated frequently, and do they have a sufficient number of reviews?
Our experience
After hours of watched YouTube videos, dozens of reviews read, and numerous email correspondence, we decided to book with Natural World Kenya Safaris (NWKS). Although this company does not specifically cater to people with disabilities, I took time to clearly describe my abilities and limitations to the booking agent and we all felt comfortable proceeding. NWKS offer private tours, which allowed us to really customize our experience and ensure it would be suited to our needs and interests. No special vehicle was needed as I am able to transfer into a regular seat, and the jeeps used by NWKS had enough room for my wheelchair to be loaded into the back. We chose a 5 day, 4 night safari package, crossing through 3 National Parks: Masai Mara (Mara Naboisha Conservancy), Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. NWKS provided us with great information on lodging options at each location and helped us chose accommodation that fit our accessibility needs. We decided on the following:
Accommodation while on Safari
Leopard Hill Camp in Masai Mara. This option was available for an additional fee, which we believe turned out to be every single penny worth it. Simple, yet so charming, Leopard Hill Camp is set in the heart of Mara Naboisho Conservancy which boasts one of the highest lion densities in the world. We were completely, yet safely, immersed in the African savannah and it’s wildlife, and this was a 2-night stay we will never forget. I could gush on and on about our love for Leopard Hill Camp and why we so highly recommend it, so, I’ll be making a separate post for that soon!
Sopa Lodge in Lake Naivasha. Leave the jeep behind here! Spend just a minute on this property and you’ll realize you’re in the middle of a perfect walking, (wheeling), safari! No need to even venture out any further. Roaming the mostly flat and accessible grounds, you’ll be sharing space with monkeys, zebras, antelope, water bucks, birds, giraffes and more monkeys! At nighttime, peak out your window and you’ll likely find hippos trudging along, up from the Lake which lies at the edge of the property. We were perfectly content spending most of our day at the Lodge, relaxed, taking in our surroundings. The accessibility was quite good. I was easily able to navigate the main paths of travel and there were no steps to access the main lobby, gift shop, restaurant or our room. I did notice a step or two into some areas, like one of the bars, part of the pool and one of the washrooms by the sundeck. There was also a single step within our room to get down and outside to our back patio. To be fair though, we turned down one of their designated accessible rooms as it was located further down on the property, and we opted to be closer to the centre of the Lodge.
Ol Tukai Lodge in Amboseli. We could have spent all day here, lounging by the pool, mesmerized by views of Mount Kilimanjaro in the background, the occasional elephant, antelope and buffalo grazing way off in the distance, monkeys scurrying by playfully. The accessibility at this Lodge was impressive! All paths of travel throughout the property were an easy wheel, including the restaurant, main lobby, public washroom, pool, ping-pong table, lounge area and fire pit. Our room was easily accessed with decent space to maneuver inside, a full length mirror and even a roll-in shower with a fairly sturdy shower chair.
Accommodation pre- and post- safari
We booked a room at Savora Stanley in Nairobi for the evening we landed, since our safari was to begin the next morning, and for the night after our safari ended, since we had a flight out to Zanzibar scheduled the following morning. Despite being part of Kenyan history since 1902 and maintaining it’s heritage, Savora Stanley had adequate accessibility for my needs. The elevator, (although small), brought us to our second floor room, which while also on the small side, still provided enough space to maneuver. The staff were cheerful and welcoming.
Other information
We were completely happy with NWKS and our guide Peter. We felt safe and well looked after the entire trip. Peter was knowledgable, friendly, and we enjoyed learning about his life and his family.
Our safari was a good combination of adventure, super early mornings, and game drives with just the right amount of adrenaline, mixed with enough time on our own to lounge, take in the views, relax while sipping Dawas, and appreciate the land and warm sun. The drive between Parks can be long, depending on your exact itinerary but we didn’t mind watching the scenery pass us by or using the time for naps or photo editing! Be aware that some roads are very bumpy!
We ended up seeing 3/5 Big Five – lion, buffalo and elephant, but missed out on leopard and rhino, despite our guide’s best effort. Each Park offered unique wildlife viewing and backdrops. We found Masai Mara to have the largest variety of animals and we were able to get quite close. The number of tourists and vehicles allowed in Mara Naboisho Conservancy is well controlled and very limited, so vehicles are able to go “off road”. Lake Naivasha allowed us to see dozens of different bird species and come as safely close as possible to hippos half submerged in the water during our hour long boat ride. Unfortunately in Amboseli, many of the animals had been forced to higher grounds due to unusually high rainfall that month, but we still saw an abundance of monkeys and in the distance spotted elephant, wildebeest, buffalo, antelope and jekel. Amboseli was also home to the most gorgeous flamingos I have ever seen, their silhouettes making for magical photos against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, with the sun rising from behind morning rain showers, reflecting off pools of collected water on the ground. Simply stunning.
On our last day of Safari, as we made our way out of Amboseli National Park and started our drive back to Nairobi, we stopped at a small village to learn about the life of the Masai Mara people. They graciously welcomed us into their homes, greeted us with a song and dance, showed us how they make fire and laid our their handmade crafts and jewellery they work hard to create in order to help support their community.
The memories we made on safari will last us a life time and we can only hope we’ll make it back to this corner of the globe again.
Have you been on an African safari? Let’s hear about it!
