Some additional pics:



















Too much, I know...  

Hello Henk, not too much at all! The KL Y isn't that bad indeed, i.e. when your flying on any wibo except the 744. (Though even they are being converted) I love the pictures of the twotter flights, the landing picture really illustrates the dirt-strip operations!

Thanks for sharing and regards,

Martijn

Fantastic. I really enjoyed looking at the beautiful pictures. I hear Sarengeti, Ngorongo nearby is also great.

How nice off you too take your mother on holiday, she is a lucky mother. Magnificent photo's, I have been on safari in South Africa and had the pleasure of seeing it myself. Looks like I have to plan a vacation to Kenya (this is a good excuse), I 'll book KL instead of KQ, a cabin crew can make or break an experience in my opinion.

Fantastic photos, sir. They are almost equal to your cloud-scape shots on the DPS to HKG sector. Thanks for sharing.  

good report! loved the pics...... wilson airport still the same nothing new!

Hi again. Something different from you, behind the curtain. Didn't expect that one soon, but nicely reported  
Your safari pictures are outstanding. You've seen great animal action! I have the feeling that you must have been very lucky to catch all of this? Or is this just a 'normal score' on such tours?
I know about that MD11 lease-out to KQ. When the crew lacks the safety procedures, I wonder if KLM is doing the right thing with their aircraft. Although I've noticed similar experiences on my MD11 flight with former RG. After landing on 18R in AMS, passengers just stood up and walked to the exit, when still taxiing ... Not one of the crew said anything about it! Just unbelievable, and such crew should receive a oneway ticket to their homes, and not come back in service with the company. I thought to rate KQ higher, but I know really doubt it. It seems safety is not priority one with KQ ...

Thanks, and hope to read more of your stories in the future!

Eric

Great TR. I really enjoyed it. KL's MD's are in much better shape than I tought. Awesome photos!

Really great pics on Masai Mara. That is one part of the world I still have yet to visit.
I know u would have loved courtesy upgrade on KL. It depends on the airline. When I was at AA we gave our most elite frequent fliers (Executive Platinum, Platinum with 2 million miles) upgrade certificates subject to availability. And on an oversold flight if you are elite you might find yourself upgraded to the next class of service.

Thanks for this interesting TR. Such a shame about the KQ crew and pretty surprising really!

Great photos of the safari!

Thanks for the replies and the compliments!

Quoting CrimsonNL (Reply 2): the landing picture really illustrates the dirt-strip operations!

If you haven't experienced it you will not believe how steeply they dive to the strips. The first time I was taken by surprise. It really is a 45 degree dive almost.

Quoting CrimsonNL (Reply 2): I hear Sarengeti, Ngorongo nearby is also great

I have truly fallen in love with this part of the world and these two are high on my list as well.

Quoting BartBus (Reply 4): How nice off you too take your mother on holiday, she is a lucky mother

It was a 'guilt trip'.   I am taking a 6 months sabbatical next year (doing a RTW) and she is very worried about that. Creating some good memories now helps to ease her anxiety.

Quoting TravellerPlus (Reply 5): Fantastic photos, sir

Thank you! It is almost hard not to take amazing pictures though since the light and the subjects are fantastic. Best light in the world.

Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 7): Or is this just a 'normal score' on such tours?

In a way 'yes' this is quite normal for the season we were in (Aug/Oct is the best time to visit) and the number of animals is much, much higher than in SA. I did bring 2 SLR's with a 70-200 and a 170-500 lens. You do need at least one 400mm and with a nice aperture. Mine had 6.3 and that is even too little. 5.8 or 4.0 would be better. Active vibration reduction is a must (mine did not have that either) so some pictures are not half as sharp as I would want them.

Quoting Jambo (Reply 6): wilson airport still the same

It is a very strange place... So many 'dead' aircraft piled up around the place. Heaven for a small aircraft enthusiast though! I would love to have free reign of the place with a camera...

Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 7): Thanks, and hope to read more of your stories in the future!

Next trip Dubai but that is too boring to take serious camera equipment. After that you will have to wait until January for my sabbatical to begin.

Quoting Triple7man (Reply 9): That is one part of the world I still have yet to visit

I was hesitant about Africa too. After visiting Ghana, SA, MRU and Kenya I can only say: GO GO GO! (But skip MRU).

Quoting Triple7man (Reply 9): When I was at AA

Yes, but the US Domestic market is organized rather differently. EU carriers are not so quick to upgrade.

Quoting Tk747 (Reply 10): Such a shame about the KQ crew and pretty surprising really!

I was surprised also since I heard great stories. I was actually looking forward to flying with them. Maybe I am just too partial to KL crew or maybe I have been spoiled too much in J and F.

[Edited 2009-09-05 00:45:30]

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): When I went back there they acted really annoyed and when I asked if I could take a picture of them they became unfriendly. I wonder why...

Ahaha....great move :P. I suspect that their picture would have made the other animals shown look like docile and tame pets.

Great TR-shame about the KQ experience-they most certainly aren't the pride of Africa. But the pictures are lovely-good enough for National Geopgraphic. I really must go to Africa and do a safari soon. Is 5 days enough?

Thanks for sharing 
Regards, DG

Quoting Directorguy (Reply 12): Is 5 days enough?

In my experience: yes. 3 days per park would do too.

However if you have the chance to visit more than one park I would go for it. Believe it or not, there is a sort of 'safari fatigue' that sets in after seeing the umpteenth lion. A change of location is then in order or you can just call it a day.

Great TR! I especially like your safari pictures. It is just like a report of The National Geographic I think you should sell those pictures to the park proprietor.

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): My view.

The old man does not look really amused. Perhaps envy of your "J"seat?  

Cheers,
Suryo

Really nice TR. I like the photo of landing the Twotter.

I thought KQ offered a better service than this. This is a shame.

Tim,

Wow great TR. Loved the pics, i havent been on a twin in ages, makes me want to go back to do a Safari...thanks!

FA

So much negativity about KQ staff, wonder if you are a little biased. You didn't like KQ crew nor the catering. Your first remark about KQ crew is they were unprofessional; in what sense? This is before the comment you made about shifting paxs during taxiing, just curious.

Quoting PRAirbus (Reply 17): So much negativity about KQ staff, wonder if you are a little biased. You didn't like KQ crew nor the catering. Your first remark about KQ crew is they were unprofessional; in what sense? This is before the comment you made about shifting paxs during taxiing, just curious.

What on earth are you implying?

I do not write my reports (nor does my mind work) linear so my unprofessional remark (the conclusion) came before the reasons for reaching it. Unless you find it normal that no drinks services are done, pax are shifted while taxiing, people are allowed to leave their seat reclined and make phone calls during landing I do not see how I can qualify their behavior as anything but unprofessional.

So I would appreciate an apology for your ridiculous insinuation that I would be biased for whatever reason, sir.

Fantastic pictures! Thank you for sharing.
I have very fond memories of a sightseeing flight with a Twin Otter over the Grand Canyon, and I clearly remember the steep approach into Boulder City.

Verry nice report. reminds me of the time i was there a few years ago.

great job man  

I was recently reminded that the KQ staff had been on strike not that long ago (because of lay offs) and labor disputes may have been the reason for their less than stellar performance. It is still no excuse for compromising safety but at least it may explain how reality was so far removed from expectation. I also expected KQ to deliver excellent service.

Thanks for sharing this report Henkybaby! Nice pics as well, looking forward to seeing more reports from you.

(off topic)
BTW, what did you do on FT to get banned?

Hi Henkybaby,

Great report and pictures, especially the pictures, really excellent, especially of the wildlife.

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): I tried for a courtesy upgrade but like always got nowhere with KLM. Still bugs me that in 5+ years of FB Gold I never received an upgrade even once and in 1 year of BAEC Gold I got upgraded 3 times already.

- Fully, BA have never upgraded me but IB have!

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): During descent several pax were making phone calls on their cell phones. Yes, you read it right. The crew was still walking around and did nothing. Nada. Zilch. They did see the people doing it, butt said noting

- This is just amazing, never seen or heard of this before!

I've always had the impression KQ were a really good airline, the service and actions of this crew seem to say something different!

Regards

Mark

Quoting AJO (Reply 22): BTW, what did you do on FT to get banned?

I openly criticized the moderation of the Flying Blue part of the forum. Then I had the audacity to ask them to explain their decision. No prizes for guessing they never had the courtesy to reply. Remember, FT is not a democracy at all.

I wonder if this will get me banned again...  

Good report, good pics.

Quoting Henkybaby (Reply 11): I was hesitant about Africa too. After visiting Ghana, SA, MRU and Kenya I can only say: GO GO GO! (But skip MRU).

What's wrong with Mauritius? On your list there are lesser destinations.

Quoting Vandenheuvel (Reply 15): I thought KQ offered a better service than this. This is a shame.

Unfortunately, KQ has been going down hill for some time. Their peak, in my opinion, was around 2002, when service was a priority. I blame management, particularly top management, which does not seem to understand the airline business, or if it does, does not manage. Staff quality has plummetted, although there are still great staff among them.

Quoting 787KQ (Reply 25): What's wrong with Mauritius? On your list there are lesser destinations.

Me and MRU just did not click. I found the hotels to be poor for the price and too much oriented on the one-time honeymoon guests (so not focused on creating repeat customers). It was overpriced and relatively boring. I will take Asia anytime.

Forget the flights: your photos are absolutely spectacular. This is certainly the most strikingly beautiful TR I've seen on these forums. Please keep snapping away as you are clearly a very talented photographer. Breathtaking!

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): Not having been in the back section of an airplane for a long time I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. It looked pretty nice, no doubt helped by the many empty seats. I found it quite fun to travel in economy again

I chuckled at this and I admire your optimism. Perhaps there is hope! Oh and I have to confess I find KLM's Y carpet quite appealing...oops.

excellent trip report

shame about the service of the KQ staff on the return trip. On my return flight, also on an MD 11 with KQ crew, i saw a very dedicated and efficent team. Maybe the recent strike affected their work.

Fantastic TR.
Shame about the KQ crew.....I was under the impression that KQ were top notch in Africa, which according to yoor experience it's far ' very far from this.

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): Take off in an MD-11 is always nice. Pretty soon after take off they called for the blind to be closed. I personally like that but on a day flight I don't mind people keeping them open. Almost everyone complied however and when pax opened them the fellow pax intervened quite quickly.

I simply hate that!   
The thing I like to do the most on flight is to stick my head in the window and watching the view for most of the flight, it's way more interesting from the airline's entertainment. Execpt on night flights that go over the sea or over un-populated areas, there is always some view to see, and forcing me to close the shade can destroy for me the hole flight. I can't understand why they told you to do so on day flight with PTV. From Israel, on day flights no one ask to close the shades (even on transatlantic flights) but on night flights going back to Israel they do, and its very annoying.

Thank you for this report, great photos. You were lucky to fly the MD-11 too, they are getting rare this days.

Stunning pictures you took in the Massai Mara NP !
Let my desire grow to go back to that place again some time in the future - my last visit was more than 10 years ago ...
-HT

EDIT: Which type of vehicles were used for the game drives ? Open Land Rovers / Range Rovers or japanese Minibusses with a single central opening in the roof ? (I am accustomed to the former type usually with 3 passengers only ...)
-HT

[Edited 2009-09-20 01:33:13]

Thanks for the compliments on the pictures.

Quoting EL-AL (Reply 30): I simply hate that!

I actually don't. I prefer a more relaxed atmosphere on a flight and that is more easily achieved with the blinds closed. No point in repeating this heated debate though...  

Quoting HT (Reply 31): Which type of vehicles were used for the game drives ?

They used 2 types of LandCruiser. One with an open roof only and one completely open. Pretty new vehicles too.

Amazing!
The animals are beautiful.

DL752  

Quoting Henkybaby (Reply 32): They used 2 types of LandCruiser. One with an open roof only and one completely open. Pretty new vehicles too.

  
Back then, my party (father and older sister) and I always made fun about those unlucky souls who had to fight to stand in the center opening of their mini busses and about the fact that they couldn't reach those places that required 4WD (usually when passing fords).

On our first Safari (in Massai Mara) we just were lucky that we had those Rovers locally.
When we returned 2 years later, we knew what we had to look into and ask the travel agent for ... Was fairly difficult to find an agency with such a tour but it was managed in the end.
Also, we preferred to fly to Kenya and stay on the beach for 2 weeks and then decide on the spot which park to visit, based on recent weather: our primary selection of "Amboseli NP" had become a no-no after extensive rain earlier, so we opted to visit Tsavo West and East on some tour labelled "Exclusive" which it really was.
-HT

Awesome trip report! I love the wildlife photography!

Thanks for the interesting trip report.

Quoting Henkybaby (Thread starter): Wilson airport is a strange mix of small airlines and an aircraft cemetery.

Do you happen to know the distance between Wilson and NBO airport?

From Wilson Airport to Mara airstrip what are the airlines that operate this segment? I know reports that Safari Air is the best, with another option being the one you reported (Air Kenya). Is Air Kenya owned by KQ?

Tks,

Thanks for the wonderful trip report. Really makes me want to visit Kenya... but then again, I've always wanted to visit Kenya.

Really sorry to hear about the KQ crew. Like many others have thought, I was always under the impression that KQ is one of the better airlines in Africa, and their crew would be alright. But then again, as much as first impressions are important, maybe this is just a one-time thing and KQ crew isn't normally like this.

Oh, how was the airport at NBO? I've always wondered.