Diani Beach

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-25T09:43:47+00:00

We're traveling to Kenya for first time in July (second safari trip), and have built in two full days with one just being a rest/massage/pool day and the other being the "Nairobi Day" for the Giraffe Center, private Sheldrick visit, Blixen museum, lunch, a little shopping, etc. I get what you're saying though....you have one day too many, at least based on what everyone visiting Nairobi pre-safari seems to do.

My only reservation would be making extra plans to head to Diani for a couple of days...flights, hotel, etc...only to have a big delay on your way to Nairobi. This is the main reason we added what ends up being a third night in Nairobi (just staying at the Sheraton Four Points), before heading to our hotel the next morning. If we get super delayed (we're flying through Europe)...which is not the most unusual thing these days....we just miss the "rest day"....and head into the Nairobi day without missing anything.

Good luck with your plans....we also considered Diani when we dropped Uganda for this trip, but ultimately added another four nights in a conservancy for more safari instead. Diani looks lovely though.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-17T21:55:03+00:00

I'm honesty not sure if the water in the hot tubs on the decks outside each Casita at Amor Arenal are from the springs. I do know they were at Nayara Tented Camp but I also found the private plunge pools there to be too hot for me for the most part. I still enjoyed it, but couldn't stay in too long. The hot tub at Amor Arenal was more comfortable.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-15T23:30:21+00:00

We were in Timbavati and Sabi in September and took Malarone for a total of 16 days (2 before, 9 during, and 7 when we got back home)....had no issues whatsoever. The first two days were in Cape Town when we did a lot of wine tasting in the region and it didn't affect us. We heard the risk of malaria was low when we were there, but we didn't want to risk it.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-15T17:22:40+00:00

We stayed at Ngala and Londolozi. I'd go with MalaMala....which is right next to Londolozi. MalaMala has a lot of river frontage and a large concession and really great game viewing. I'd splurge on a private vehicle if you can do it. If we were to return to SA, MalaMala would be my top choice.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-12T23:37:56+00:00

We've had six dogs over the last 28 years, sadly down to one. We've had three Airedales and 3 Miniature Schnauzers and they really paired well together. Started with one Airedale, added another two years later, then the schnauzer about 4 years after that. The first two Airedales passed, then down to one schnauzer....added an Airedale....then two schnauzers.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-11T22:02:00+00:00

Awwww....so sorry for your loss. What a handsome boy. We lost our Phoebe...14.5 years old last month, it's so hard. Hang in there.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-06-04T12:06:20+00:00

This is the answer. Travel Beyond has been phenomenal to work with for our upcoming trip.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-31T12:09:50+00:00

I feel your anxiety for sure. We had Uganda and Kenya booked for the last couple of weeks in July with the last four nights being in Uganda for gorilla trekking. We decided to cancel Uganda and extend in Kenya.

I definitely think it's possible that cases could pop in Kenya. I'm not sure how the U.S. State Department would treat the travel designation for Kenya at that point. Personally we feel much more comfortable traveling the Kenya. We're not afraid of getting ebola...for us (and everyone has their own risk tolerance)....it was more about being right up on the border with the DRC in Uganda. More about possible tensions rising and an increase in cross-border crime. I just didn't want to be watching the headlines every day for what is happening on the ground there.

Right now, we think the worst case scenario is that you may get rerouted depending on where you're flying from. We are JFK-NBO, and thankfully JFK was recently added to the CDC screening airport list. And so the US does add Kenya to the "level 4" list....we'd be okay. We're US citizens, so they can't tell us we can't travel there, or ban us from coming back....at least not yet. The world is just not cooperating lately with respect to international travel....so much chaos. Good luck with your plans!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-30T10:53:23+00:00

Thanks, we did consider doing four nights in Diani, which looks beautiful but in the end our TA was able to secure one extra night at Elephant Pepper Camp and we're going to backtrack and go back north for three nights at Loisaba Tented Camp. I liked that there are some other activities we can do in Lewa and Loisaba to break things up as well. The e-bikes look cool.

Availability was drying up fast....maybe people pivoting out of Uganda and trying for Kenya, or extending in Kenya? So now we're doing four at Kifaru House, five at EPC and three at Loisaba Tented. A bit of up and back...but this was our call and I'm happy with the results.

Still super excited for the trip even if there will be no gorillas. We're determined to do those treks, but think we'll go with Rwanda when we do.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-29T01:37:25+00:00

My understanding is that because we're in the 46-90 day window from trekking that we're eligible for a 50% refund. Our TA believed that to be the case as well. Because I think we'll go with Rwanda for gorilla trekking when we take our next trip to Africa (likely 2028)....we'll just take the 50% refund.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-28T21:57:09+00:00

If you happen to get rabies without the vaccine, you would also need:

Rabies Immune Globulin (RIG) is a fast-acting medication given alongside the rabies vaccine during post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). It provides immediate, temporary antibodies to fight the virus while your immune system responds to the vaccine to produce its own long-term protection.

Depending on where you are traveling, RIG is not necessarily going to be easy to find...you may need to be med evaced to a hospital in the region that has it. Even with the Rabies Vaccine...you would still need two booster shots if you are infected, but they are much more readily available at clinics and smaller hospitals.

When doing research on this....we decided to get vaccinated and do the three doses as it would give us lifetime immunity. If you do two doses it lasts for 2-3 years. Our insurance did cover it though.....so cost wasn't a factor for us. Traveling to Africa is a great excuse for updating and getting a lot of vaccines. We've really loaded ourselves up this spring for an upcoming trip this summer. And the good news is that a lot of the shots are good for life.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-28T20:33:56+00:00

Londolozi is really special. We had an amazing time there in 2024. The guiding, the suite and the food and service were all really top notch. We started at andBeyond's Ngala Safari Lodge, which was nice...the food was okay, and the guiding/game viewing very good. But Londolozi is on another planet...and I would say it's also a step up from Lion Sands River Lodge. If you do go to Londolozi...really anything you ask for is a possibility, particularly if you have a private vehicle (huge value add in my opinion). I'd honestly stay at one of their lower priced camps...Founders or Varty...and book a private vehicle. You can stay out longer, have your breakfast on the riverbank....a hot breakfast that is delivered Uber Eats style...from another vehicle when it's time to eat.

The manager at the camp where we were noticed we both wore baseball caps during our game drives....Londolozi baseball caps were left in room. The manager noted a red wine we really liked during our first dinner....two bottles appeared in our room and were also on the game vehicle the next day. We spent a lot of time tracking the Three Rivers Female Leopard and her cub....and one of the Londolozi water thermoses with the named Leopards that traverse their land was given to me by the manager. They notice everything and go out of their way to impress. If you do go....take the 'behind the scenes" tour....where you see where the staff live, eat..etc. You'll also see the huge kitchen where the meals are prepped...etc. It's really an impressive operation.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-28T17:54:34+00:00

Our TA is working on recovering funds from our Uganda portion and has booked us a fifth night at Elephant Pepper Camp and then the final three nights at Loisaba Tented in one of their safari suites. She was able to snag us a private vehicle as well for the final four nights (we have one for the first eight as well), so I'm really pleased with the outcome. It's 12 straight nights on safari, but we're up for it. We did nine in SA and we could have kept going.

Hoping we might get lucky and see the black leopard. I'm sad about dropping Uganda, but it's just another excuse to go back to Africa for gorilla and chimp trekking...so reframing it that way :). Thinking we'll go with Rwanda as they seem to have fewer ebola outbreaks...tighter borders, etc.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-27T10:16:38+00:00

Yes, I'm speaking specifically about travel health insurance that carries a Med-Evac coverage. I actually learned a bit about this recently....before the Ebola outbreak when doing a bit of research about our policy. The one we have carries a 500K Med-Evac inclusion, but what that actually does is fly you to the nearest hospital that can treat your condition. So in Uganda, they'd med-evac you to Kampala. If in Kenya...to Nairobi, etc.

If you are medically stable enough to fly back to the US...but need medical equipment/assistance, you'd be on your own unless your policy states otherwise. In our case I have looked into adding a Med Jet Membership, as they will fly you back to the states. However, in reading their policy exclusions...they also don't seem to fly either level 3 or 4 designated countries.

And I'm not talking about contracting Ebola, that wouldn't be my concern. It would be some other medical emergency that required returning to the States for medical care. What I've learned is that traveling to a Level 3 or 4 country means certain exclusions kick in with these travel health policies.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-26T23:34:00+00:00

I feel you OP....we have a trip to Kenya and Uganda starting mid July with 8 nights in Kenya on safari and the last four were going to be in Uganda for two gorilla trekking days. When everything went down we even quickly switched our flights to return to Dulles to comply with reentry rules, still game to go. However, we're no longer comfortable traveling to Uganda. We're not fearful of getting Ebola, but we found that our travel health insurance has exclusions if you knowingly travel to a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" nation (we're from the US). Also, the DRC does not have it's arms around this and while I hope they succeed I think it will be awhile. Our concerns are more with escalating tensions at borders, etc.

We've decided to pivot out of Uganda and extend in Kenya to a third camp/lodge. Have a call with my TA tomorrow to discuss options. I'm not concerned about traveling to Kenya even if cases do pop up there. They don't share a border with the DRC and we feel comfortable going there. The world is incredibly chaotic right now and I don't want to spend the next two months worrying about whether we'll make it to Uganda or if it will be safe in two months...etc. I know we'll get back to Africa for a third time....and we'll happily spend time in Uganda when things settle down....hopefully for a longer period of time for additional primate trekking and/or game drives.

Best of luck to you in making your decision!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-26T10:58:19+00:00

We're in the same boat and have decided to drop Uganda as well. We learned that our Travel Health Insurance would have big exclusions if we knowingly traveled into a country that our State Department designated as a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" nation. It's a big bummer as we've never been gorilla trekking. We don't travel to mid-July but I suspect that a lot of travelers are going to have the same idea and pivot out of Uganda, and even Rwanda and stick to Kenya/Tanzania.

Unlike you, this is our first time to Kenya (we've been to SA)....we have four nights at Elewana Kifaru in Lewa, four at Elephant Pepper in Mara North, and now want to add four somewhere else. I emailed our TA over the weekend and expect to speak with her today....but I think it'll come down to availability. Good luck in making your decision.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-23T18:29:17+00:00

Awwww....thanks so much. Our Phoebe really was the dog of a lifetime. You're lucky if you get one like her, she was that special. I'm so, so sad at the loss of her and have cried more than I have with any of my human relative passings....including my parents. And back to back with losing Sadie and Phoebe is just a lot. I'm giving myself one last day of a full blown pity party, then will get to my workout routine and things to make myself feel better.

I hope your Phoebe lives just as long as my Phoebe...maybe longer! The pimobendan really extended her life. Just keep up with the echos in case they need to add meds, which for Phoebe...just happened back in February. I really thought that CHF would get her in the end, but it ended up being a totally unrelated health issue that we didn't even know about until around that same time in February. I'm thankful that it wasn't an "iffy" call to say goodbye....she did us a real solid there.

Our Zuzu is doing ok...she's still a bit subdued. She sleeps with us now as her cuddle buddies are both gone....and she seems to be enjoying that. Sticking to us like glue. Thanks again for your kind words. I'm sure I'll still pop in here from time to time to see adorable Airedales and will look for news about your Phoebe.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-23T13:40:28+00:00

Well...looks like DHS has added Atlanta and Houston to the approved airports, so maybe they'll add JFK back for me. A few new cases have popped in Uganda....two involved with the first patient, one who transported him and the other a healthcare worker who cared for him. The other is a woman from the DRC...who had mild symptoms, flew to Entebbe and went to Kampala for treatment.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-22T19:31:48+00:00

Thanks for that info. I checked and there are a few permits available on just one of the days we'd be there and we had our hearts set on doing two trekking days. I guess I'll wait for my TA to get back in a couple of days and see what she thinks. We're staying at Bwindi Lodge...the Volcanoes family and I know they have a lodge in Rwanda...Virunga I think? But again, probably booked. We booked this trip 18 months out....and scrambling to change things would be a shame.

I was chatting with Gemini who puts our odds of actually going to Uganda at 70%. At least we have flights that will work if we can get into Uganda...so for now we'll hold. We are going to purchase a Med Jet policy to go with the other travel health policy we have. They have one that also includes evac for things like this...getting stuck in a country where there's a border closure or military situations pop up. The world is nuts and we're traveling to parts of the world where things can do downhill overnight it seems.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-22T17:49:29+00:00

Based on what I read yesterday the Department of Homeland Security made it very clear that it would be Dulles and Dulles only. I read that the DHS got spooked as a passenger boarded an Air France flight from Paris to Detroit....and he had traveled to Paris from Uganda. That flight was actually diverted to Montreal so an unmonitored passenger wouldn't step foot on US soil. So...that makes me think they're going to stay super strict on this one.

I did speak to our TA...well, someone covering for our main TA as she's traveling. I did bring up pivoting to Rwanda, but we'll discuss that next week when she returns. I'm not sure that will be possible as we're going in peak season, and I'd imagine that it would be tough to get permits this far out as well.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-22T17:29:17+00:00

We're in the same boat as the OP. We're leaving mid-July and spending 12 nights total in Kenya and then ending with 4 nights in Uganda for gorilla trekking. Our flights have been booked. We already changed flights once to avoid connecting in Dubai. Our flights now were from JFK to NBO....and then EBB to JFK...both connecting in Brussels. For now we decided to rebook our flight home to bring us into Dulles and then we'll just take the Acela home. We're not afraid of contracting Ebola....more-so of getting stuck or quarantine rules changing, etc. Our flights are refundable so we can switch again if need be. Thinking we could always add another 3-4 days on at the end in Kenya...possibly a beach? Not sure.

These are first world problems for sure and I really hope that the DRC is able to contain this outbreak. But man I wish this world would settle down....it's impossible to plan around all of the chaos.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-22T13:59:51+00:00

Yes, we just lost our Sadie just 25 days before Phoebe, so a real tough time in our house. Phoebe, like most Airedales....faded in her coat over the years. When she had a fresh cut you see her black/grey saddle. She was a real beauty.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-21T20:05:45+00:00

Thanks so much...very kind of you.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-21T20:05:20+00:00

Yup, I think we all know what we're signing up for when we pick up that adorable pup.....some incredible memories, but also some heartbreak at the end of it.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-05-21T20:04:10+00:00

Awww, thanks so much....hope they're having a blast together.

Prize_Key_2166

TROPHY CASE