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|Trip Style:
|Nairobi to Dar Es Salaam
|14 days
|Overland expedition vehicle, 4x4, Private bus, Ferry
Hotels, Campsites
Of course it's the wildlife that draws most people to
Next to the Serengeti is the phenomenal Ngorongoro Crater, a 19km-wide fertile volcanic caldera that is packed full of some of the most incredible wildlife in the world. You have a very good chance to spot leopards, lions, rhinos, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, cheetahs, elephants, and much more in this natural wonderland.
Tanzania is also home to the fabled tropical
Border Information: If you are joining the trip in Nairobi, you will most likely enter Kenya at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (IATA code: NBO).
Welcome to Nairobi! If you would like to explore Nairobi fully, we advise you arrive a day earlier to give yourself the time to see some of the highlights in the city - possible activities include visiting the Karen Blixen Museum, the National Museum and the Langata Giraffe Centre. Please note that many of the options listed below will only be possible for those with extra time in Nairobi before the start of your trip with us - please contact the Sales team if you would like to book pre-tour accommodation with us to have extra time exploring Nairobi.
There will be a group meeting today at the Kivi Milimani Hotel at 10:00am - your tour leader will meet you at the hotel reception. Please do not be alarmed if there is no welcome note on your arrival, as the previous day is often a travelling day for the tour leader and they will often be unable to reach the Kivi Milimani until this morning's meeting.
Address - Kivi Milmani Hotel, Milimani Road, Nairobi.
After the group meeting, we will be met by our 6-person 4x4 jeeps that will take us on our 2-night excursion to the Maasai Mara. We will load the jeeps with our personal gear (but we will not need our camping equipment) and then head off to Maasai Mara, leaving our truck behind.
We will also be leaving our large bags behind (where they will be stored in a secure location in Nairobi), and advise you to bring along a smaller daypack for your personal gear for this trip that will need to be packed soon after the group meeting before we set off. You should pack clothing for 3 days (including a warm jumper or fleece and long trousers), a waterproof jacket, toiletries (including sun screen and insect repellent), your camera and charger, a small towel, a head torch, a water bottle, books and personal snacks, etc.
On arrival, we will have the chance for a short evening game drive in the Maasai Mara National Park before heading to our campsite. The Maasai Mara is an incredibly scenic area and is one of the world's greatest places for wildlife spotting which is absolutely teeming with giraffe, buffalo, zebra, elephants, lions, cheetah, leopards, and other big game!
On both nights at the Maasai Mara, we will stay in a basic campground on the outskirts of the National Park. The campsite has set-tents and bedding, but is self-catered (we will use our kitchen equipment brought from the truck).
|Approximate Cost
Head out on a phenomenal safari in 4x4s into the Maasai Mara - one of the best areas in Africa for wildlife and scenery
|Included in Kitty
Nairobi is a lively city with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. The Kenyan capital takes its name from the Maasai meaning 'Place of Cool Waters'. Today it is a busy, bustling place that comes alive through it's many markets, shops, bars and restaurants, not to mention its vibrant nightlife. If you have time to explore the city, the National Museum of Kenya and Karen Blixen Museum are both worth a visit, or you can get up close to the giraffes and help to feed them at the Langata Giraffe Centre.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a vast savanna in southern Kenya, and one of the greatest places in the world to spot East African wildlife in its natural habitat! The area has a phenomenal abundance of wildlife and huge populations of lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebra, antelopes, gazelles, wildebeest, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, and many more. As well as being teeming with wildlife, the sheer beauty of the region is equally breathtaking - the rolling hills, scrub, savanna, and trees create a stunning backdrop and atmosphere.
Affectionately known as 'The Mara', a visit to the area including some game drives (and possibly an awe-inspiring sunrise balloon flight!) is one of the major highlights of Africa and an unforgettable travel experience.
Today we will go out for the full day game driving in the National Park before returning to our campsite for a second night. There is also the opportunity for a sunset balloon flight over the savannah - demand for this activity is very high so you must reserve this at the time of booking your Dragoman trip to avoid disappointment.
Tonight we will stay at the same campsite on the outskirts of the Maasai Mara.
|Approximate Cost
|Take a hot air balloon flight to see the sunrise over the incredible scenery of the Maasai Mara (alternative to the scheduled game drive). This must be pre-booked through your sales consultant.
Today we will have a final game drive in the Maasai Mara in the early morning, before heading back to Nairobi and our campsite in Karen, arriving at about 4:00pm or 5:00pm. This is where we will meet our overland truck and start using the truck's camping equipment.
In Nairobi we will stay in a well equipped campsite in the suburb of Karen on the outskirts of the city.
Border Information: Exit Kenya at Namanga, enter Tanzania at Namanga.
We will have an early start to beat the Nairobi traffic and head south to cross the border into Tanzania. We will go to the town of Arusha, where we will stop for food shopping in preparation for our excursion to the Serengeti National Park.
We will then head to our campsite on the outskirts of Arusha. On arrival we should have time to go on an optional walk to a nearby Maasai village, or visit a reptile house and snake-bite clinic that are run by the campsite. We will also prepare and re-pack for the Serengeti excursion starting the following day.
In Arusha we stay in a well equipped campsite.
Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours (please note that all drive times given here are the approximate number of hours that the truck will be in motion only, and does not include any time taken for coffee or lunch stops, border crossings, photo stops, activities en route, comfort breaks, shopping stops, toilet stops, etc. The times given are approximate estimates only and whilst given with the best of intentions, the drive times are heavily dependent on traffic, road conditions, weather, police roadblocks, and many other factors - flexibility is essential on any overland trip!).
On our trips we make a short stop in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha. Arusha is the largest city in northern Tanzania, and used to be the capital of the East African community. The town sits in lush countryside near the foot of Mount Meru and enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year, and surrounding it are many coffee, wheat and maize estates tended by the Arusha and Meru people.
Arusha is the centre of Tanzania's safari business and is the gateway for safaris to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater National Parks.
Today we will be met at the campsite by our fleet of 6-person 4x4 jeeps - we will load the jeeps with our camping and personal gear, and then head out for our 3-day excursion to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, leaving our truck behind.
Today will be a full drive along the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater (stopping to take in the awe-inspiring views) and then down into the plains of the Serengeti. We will take an evening game drive around the savanna before heading to our campsite - the area is one of the world's premier spot for wildlife viewing and we hope to able to find elephants, lions, leopards, giraffe and other big game during our time here!
Tonight we will stay at a campsite within the Serengeti National Park. The camp where we stay is very basic (with showers and flush toilets, but no other facilities) but is located right in the middle of the plains, surrounded by animals and their nocturnal noises! Your leader will outline the basic safety rules to be followed when camping in an unfenced location where wild animals are present.
|Approximate Cost
48 hrs on Jeep safari in the Serengeti National Park
|Included in Kitty
The wide open plains of the Serengeti, green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season and home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators, is perhaps the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses, the plains get its name from the Maasai word siringitu, "the place where the land moves on forever".
Game viewing in the Serengeti is amazing and as you camp out at night, don't be surprised to hear lions in the distance as you recount your amazing sightings from during the day. The Serengeti plains usually live up to every-one's expectations - the classic East African scenery of rolling grasslands dotted with Acacia trees and teeming with lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles, impalas, cheetahs, warthogs, hyenas, vultures, hippos, zebras, wildebeest, and much more!
For those who really want to spoil themselves with the ultimate game viewing experience, an optional balloon ride over the Serengeti at sunrise will leave you with some unforgettable memories. Please note that this must be pre-booked in advance through the Dragoman Sales team.
Today we will get up very early and we set off in our jeeps for an early morning game drive in the heart of the Serengeti plains. The early morning is the best time of day for wildlife viewing, as many of the animals are at their most active while it is still cool.
There is an option this morning for to take a hot air balloon flight over the Serengeti instead of the game drive - demand is high for this activity, so this must be pre-booked at the time that you book your trip with Dragoman.
We will return to our campsite for brunch, and then aim to exit the Serengeti at around lunch time. We will head back through the conservation area to our second campsite, on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, where we will arrive in the early evening.
Again, the campsite tonight is very basic and unfenced. It can often be quite cold on the crater rim so it is recommended that you take some warm clothes for this night.
|Approximate Cost
Hot Air Balloon ride in the Serengeti (this must be pre booked through your sales consultant)
The Ngorongoro Crater is a huge caldera - a volcano which collapsed in an immense explosion. It measures 19kms in diameter and 265km² in area. The stunning crater is one of the most spectacular sights in Africa, and is absolutely packed with wildlife.
On our trips we make the most of our safari in the crater, spending between four and five hours exploring the area at the base of the crater. There is an excellent chance of spotting many of the 'Big Five' (lions, buffaloes, rhinos, elephants and leopards), not to mention many other species.
This morning we will have another early start to descend into the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater for a morning game drive. Again, the Ngorongoro Crater is an outstanding area for wildlife spotting, often described as a 'natural wildlife enclosure'. This is the best chance on the excursion to spot black rhinos as well as a myriad of other big game.
We will spend as long as our entry tickets allow in the Ngorongoro Crater before departing, which will usually give us about 3-4 hours of game driving. We will then be dropped off at our next campsite in the small town of Mto Wa Mbu, where we are re-united with our truck.
We will have a well-deserved free afternoon to relax at our excellent campsite or to explore the town of Mto Wa Mbu.
In Mto Wa Mbu we will stay at a well equipped campsite in the grounds of a good hotel.
Mto Wa Mbu is the half-way point between Arusha and the Ngorongoro Crater. It is well known in Tanzania as being a village with great ethnic and cultural diveristy, and is the homeland of many different tribal groupings. There are some excellent handicrafts produced here, such as woodcarving and batik paintings done in the the local 'Tinga-tinga' style. The village is also well known for a unique red banana that grows in the area, that the locals brew into a special 'banana beer' - quite an acquired taste!
This morning we will go on a fantastic community walk around the town where we will see local craft workshops, learn a little about the life here, and enjoy a lunch of delicious specialities from the area.
We will set off again in our overland truck and head east to Marangu, where we have a nightstop camping in the grounds of a beautiful colonial hotel at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. We will go past the whole length of Mount Kilimanjaro where we'll hope for clear skies and fantastic views of the mountain from the road.
In Marangu we will camp in the grounds of a hotel.
Estimated Drive Time - 4-5 hours.
|Approximate Cost
Visit to the Mto Wa Mbu village community project
|Included in Kitty
The small village of Marangu is located on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, and is the starting point for the most popular route to climb to the mountain's summit. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain at 5,895m tall, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world - it is absolutely stunning to see from its base and is a magnificent backdrop to the surrounding grasslands on a clear day!
Today we have a long travel day south to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
In Dar es Salaam we stay at a beautiful and well-equipped beach camp on the southern side of the bay across from the city.
Estimated Drive Time - 11-12 hours.
Please note that if the group and leader prefer to split this drive into 2 days, we may spend this night in Lushoto in the Usambara Mountains (approximately half way to Dar es Salaam), where we will camp in the grounds of a local hotel. We would then complete the drive to Dar es Salaam the next morning.
Dar es Salaam (meaning 'Haven of Peace' in Arabic) is Tanzania's largest city and was the country's capital until 1974 when the capital was moved to the central town of Dodoma. The city is the most populous in East Africa and one of the fastest growing cities in the world - it is Tanzania's financial centre and the most prominent city in the country's arts, fashion, media, music, film and television.
Dar es Salaam acts as the gateway to the beautiful island of Zanzibar, and the port area is fascinating to visit with its ocean-going "dhows" and inshore "ngalawas" (outrigger fishing canoes). Many of the buildings display Arabian influences, and the melting pot of African, Muslim and South Asian influences give Dar a vibrant atmosphere, making it well worth exploring if you have the time.
On our trips we stay on the beaches of the southern district of Kigamboni - this is a beautiful and serene part of Dar es Salaam, and you'll be forgiven for not realising you're so close to such a big metropolis!
Today is a free day to explore Dar es Salaam or relax at the beach campsite.
If we stayed in Lushoto last night, we will complete the drive to Dar es Salaam today.
Please note that as of 6:00pm tonight, this trip overlaps with our "YDF - Dar es Salaam to Victoria Falls" trip, so there will likely be new customers joining your group for the trip to Zanzibar. This is because Zanzibar is part of both trips, so it means customers going all the way through do not go to Zanzibar twice!
|Approximate Cost
Fishing Trips (per boat), Dar Es Salaam
|Sunset kayak trip to explore the mangroves near Dar es Salaam
|Visit to the Wonder Workshop, a craft workshop providing employment and training to local disabled people
|Learn all about Tanzania's history at the National Museum and the House of Culture
This morning we will head to the exotic and beautiful island of Zanzibar! We will travel on the local commuter barge from Kigamboni to the city centre of Dar es Salaam, and then take a ferry from Dar es Salaam centre to Zanzibar. The ferry will take about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
When we reach Zanzibar we will meet our local guide, who will help us check in to our hotel in Stone Town and then give a quick orientation of the town before we branch off and head to lunch! We will have a free afternoon to explore the atmospheric streets of the historic centre of Stone Town, with the option of meeting for sunset drinks at Africa House and heading out to the night markets for a local dinner.
In Stone Town we will stay in a good local hotel.
|Approximate Cost
Take the public ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar
|Included in Kitty
|Explore the beautiful and historic streets of Zanzibar's Stone Town
|Included in Kitty
The exotic spice island of Zanzibar is filled with idyllic beaches, winding cobblestone alleyways and fragrant bazaars, and its rich history involves everything from slave traders to Arabian sultans and fruit exporters. The sight of traditional dhows sailing along the coast makes it easy to imagine what the island was like back in the days of David Livingstone.
Stone Town is the old port town of Zanzibar and is one of the most atmospheric old towns in Africa - the best way to experience the city is on foot, exploring the bazaars, shops, mosques, palaces, courtyards and intricate alleyways. When the sun is setting, you can enjoy a sundowner from a bar overlooking the seafront, before trying one of the island's local seafood curries for dinner at one of the town's many restaurants.
The famous spices are grown in plantations outside of Stone Town which we will visit on our trips. This tour will also includes a local meal and a tour around the main sites of Stone Town to learn about the history of its former slave market. In the spice plantations you will have the opportunity to touch, smell and taste various spices such as cinnamon, vanilla and ginger, and teas made with these spices. At the end of the day there will also be an opportunity to buy some of the locally-grown spices.
The other major highlight of Zanzibar is of course its world-famous beaches. The northern beaches boast beautiful white sand and sparkling blue seas - displaying the Indian Ocean at its very best. Try snorkeling or diving, eat sumptuous seafood, or simply relax in a hammock underneath a coconut tree with a good book - Zanzibar is a paradise in every sense of the word!
On our second day on Zanzibar we will join our local guide for a very interesting and informative tour around the sights of Stone Town and learn about the history of the island. We will then head away from town and take in a tour of a spice plantation, enjoy a local lunch with our guide, then head to Nungwi beach at the very north of the island. Nungwi is the Indian Ocean at its best - bright white sand, sparkling blue sea, outstanding seafood and a fantastic chilled atmosphere.
On our third day on Zanzibar, we will have free time to enjoy Nungwi beach and relax, or to try snorkeling, diving, or other beach activities, or maybe go further afield looking for Red Colobus monkeys in the Jozani Forest.
In Nungwi we will spend both nights in a good hotel right on the shore of the ocean.
|Approximate Cost
Snorkelling day trip, Zanzibar
Dhow trip, Zanzibar
|Explore the beautiful 'Prison' Island near Zanzibar
Guided tour of Spice Plantations and local lunch
|Included in Kitty
Scuba diving in the incredible waters of the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar (per dive)
Walk through the Jozani Forest in search of the very rare Red Colobus monkeys
Border infromation: If leaving at Dar Es Salaam, you will most likely exit Tanzania from Dar Es Salaam Julius Nyerere International Airport (IATA code: DAR), however some customers prefer to stay in Zanzibar at the end of the trip and then exit from Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (IATA code: ZNZ).
Today we will return to Stone Town and take the return ferry to Dar es Salaam, where we return to our campsite on the south side of the bay or head straight off to onward flights.
Today is the end day for passengers finishing their trip in Dar es Salaam. Please note there is no accommodation included on the trip tonight - please contact the Dragoman Sales team if you are interested in booking extra nights of accommodation in order to fully explore and take part in some of the optional activities listed below. Please do not book flights for today out of Dar es Salaam before 8:00pm, so that you have enough time to cater for a slow ferry and heavy traffic in the city.
|Approximate Cost
Ferry back from Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam
|Included in Kitty
The routes, activities and places visited described in these trip notes are intentions and are meant as a rough guide only.
These trip notes have been compiled to help you prepare for your journey once you have booked. They include the full itinerary and dates, and information about kit lists, meeting hotels, insurance, vaccinations, visas, and other information that will help you get ready for your trip.
We update these notes regularly, so please ensure you have an up-to-date version of these trip notes.
We intend to follow the planned route but exact night stops and inclusions cannot be guaranteed. It sometimes happens that we decide to make a change to our planned itinerary. This may be for a variety of reasons - climatic, road or bureaucratic conditions may demand it. By their very nature, overland itineraries need to be flexible and the regions that we are travelling through are often unpredictable. We run adventure journeys in off the beaten track areas, which often have poor infrastructure. You should expect that some of these areas do not adhere to 'Western' safety standards.
Travelling in Eastern and Southern Africa or Middle East can be demanding - long, rough travel days, dusty conditions and basic campsites all provide a challenge. It can be very hot in places, but also can be surprisingly cold at night so please make sure you are prepared! There will be many early starts in Africa, especially on mornings where we head out on wildlife spotting trips.
You will need to be fit enough to help every day with the camp chores (cooking, washing up, general camp set up) as well as putting up and taking down your own tent. There are some long driving days and some early morning starts.
The step up into the overland vehicle, while not overly high can become tiring and you need to judge yourself to be physically fit enough to haul yourself up and down the step at least 8-10 times a day. There are some long days driving on rough roads on all itineraries.
We will be travelling to areas in remote locations where medical assistance will not be available. If you have a medical condition such as a heart condition that would put you at risk, we would suggest that this is not the trip for you. Also, please be aware that should an emergency occur, there is likely to be a considerable delay in accessing medical care, and by joining our trip you accept this risk.
Many countries that we visit on our travels will require visas to enter. Some are best obtained before you leave home, and others can be obtained en-route. Whilst the ultimate responsibility for obtaining visas is yours, we will endeavour to assist you wherever possible.
The visa requirements for your trip vary depending on where you are from and where you are going. The information provided is given in good faith and we do try to keep the visa information as up to date as possible. Please read the information very carefully to make sure everything is clear and you aware of what you need to do. Please also be aware that rules surrounding visas do change, often suddenly, and without prior warning. This is why it is important that you also double-check the information we provide for yourself.
For visas that are needed in advance, you may wish to submit the applications directly to the relevant embassy or consulate. If you require any supporting documentation for your visa applications, Dragoman will obtain this on your behalf as part of your trip price - we will contact you to request additional information in order to make this application for you.
However, for trips that involve multiple visas, you may find it beneficial to use a specialist visa agency to assist you with your applications. While this does sometimes increase the cost, it usually makes the process much easier for you.
As you will often need to submit your passport together with your applications, we recommend that you avoid making any travel plans in the weeks leading up to your departure.
Most countries require that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your entry into the country.
For trips that are not yet guaranteed, you may find yourself in the position whereby you will need to start the visa application process prior to your trip being guaranteed - in this situation we still advise you not to purchase flights until your trip is guaranteed. However, you can start your visa application process, ensuring that when applying for your visas or letters of invitation that you allow several days before and after your entry into the country to allow for delays, availability of flights, etc.
Citizens of the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and all EU countries will need a visa to enter Kenya as a tourist for up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries should check with the relevant consulates as to whether a visa is required.
Tourists of all nationalities can obtain a visa in advance at any High Commission. Another option is to apply for an e-visa, this will need to be applied for at least 7 days in advance of arrival into Kenya - please go to www.ecitizen.go.ke to set up an account and apply; it may take up to 7 days to be approved, then they will send a visa approval confirmation to your email address which you must print out to present at the border. At the time of writing (2015), the cost of a single-entry visa is USD51, EUR40 or GBP30 for all nationalities.
You are allowed to exit and then re-enter Kenya with just a single-entry visa, provided your travel in between visits to Kenya is only within Tanzania and Uganda. If you have been to any further countries during this time, then this single-entry visa will no longer be valid, and you will have to purchase a new visa or e-visa to re-enter Kenya.
A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers coming from areas with risk of yellow fever transmission.
Citizens of the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most EU countries will need a visa to enter Tanzania as a tourist for up to 90 days. Citizens of Romania will not need a visa to enter Tanzania.
The easiest way to get a visa is to obtain it on arrival. This is available for almost all nationalities at all land borders and airports into Tanzania. At the time of writing (2015), the cost of a single-entry visa is USD50 for most nationalities and USD100 for USA passport holders - this must be paid in USD cash.
Citizens of other countries should check with the relevant consulates as to whether a visa is required, and whether it will be necessary to obtain it in advance (this is only necessary for a small number of nationalities).
Travelling to and from Zanzibar is still within Tanzania, so does not affect the validity of your Tanzanian visa. However, you will still need to stamp your passport in and out of Zanzibar.
You are allowed to exit and then re-enter Tanzania with just a single-entry visa, provided your travel in between visits to Tanzania is only within Kenya and Uganda. If you have been to any further countries during this time, then this single-entry visa will no longer be valid, and you will have to purchase a new visa to re-enter Tanzania.
A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers coming from areas with risk of yellow fever transmission (including transiting through an airport in an area of risk). You will almost certainly be asked to show your yellow fever vaccination certificate when arriving to Zanzibar as well.
Based on the range that previous travellers have spent on our trips in all of Africa, we recommend you allow between USD10 and USD20 per day.
This will cover individual expenses such as drinks, meals whilst out (when staying in cities), souvenirs, tips and personal permits.
It is not really worth trying to buy local currencies before you travel. Do also bear in mind that many countries have strict regulations about the amount of their own local currency you are allowed to import - if you are found with amounts in excess of the allowed amounts, it may well be confiscated!
For obvious security reasons we hesitate to recommend you bring lots of cash with you, a sensible mix of cash and cash passports such as TravelEx cards and ATM cards is best. However, most of our past passengers have said they wished they had been told to bring more cash. Apart from the convenience of being able to change money in many more places, you will sometimes get a much better exchange rate for cash.
You should take a mixture of denomination notes. Banks and moneychangers in most countries will now only accept bills with a metallic strip running top to bottom of the bill and which are no more than 8 years old. You should not take worn or damaged notes, or any that have been written on. Please bring the majority of the money you intend to change in large denominations (USD/EUR100 and 50 bills) as the exchange rate is often significantly worse if you try to change smaller bills; however, it is also a good idea to have some smaller bills as well, as in more remote areas it can be hard to change amounts over USD50.
Cash machines are readily available in most of East and Southern Africa but are not always reliable therefore we recommend that you do not rely on them as your only source of cash. Please note that most ATMs only take Visa cards NOT Mastercard. Please also do not not plan to take out large amounts of USD from the ATMs in Zimbabwe for use on the rest of the trip - the cash in Zimbabwe is often old, dirty and falling apart and will not be accepted anywhere else in the world.
Please note that due to a shortage of money in banks and ATMs in Zimbabwe, many ATMs are running dry of cash and some local banks are putting restrictions on international cards being used. It is also illegal to exit Zimbabwe with more than USD1000 per person, so please make sure that you do not bring a greater amount than this out of Zimbabwe.
Credit cards such as Visa and American Express are the most commonly accepted, but be prepared for very high commission charges. Please do not rely on cards for daily use, as they are not always accepted outside of larger towns and cities.
Zambian Kwacha - please note that the currency of Zambia (the Kwacha, old code ZMK, new code ZMW) was re-based in 2013, and the old notes are no longer accepted. Please be careful that you only accept notes of the new currency (2013 and later) when exchanging money as some money changers have been known to offload old currency onto travellers. The new currency comes in denominations of ZMW2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 - any notes such as ZMK5000 are the old currency, do not accept them!
Overland Lifestyle and Trip Suitability
Dragoman was founded in 1981, and has had many years of experience of leading overland trips across 4 continents. Overlanding is all about sharing a great travelling experience with like-minded people. On your trip you'll travel in one of Dragoman's purpose-built iconic expedition vehicles on an off the beaten track adventure along rugged roads, experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the world up-close. Your journey will be overland, sometimes across vast distances, so some long days spent driving are inevitable - but these will be interspersed with breaks of a day or two at a destination or activity. On an overland journey, you are more than just a passenger and everyone gets involved setting up camp - we supply the tent but it's up to you to pitch it! As part of your trip, you will be assigned a truck job which could be collecting firewood or water, luggage loading, organising food, stores, etc.
Like all great adventures, the more you put in the more you'll get out!
We are looking forward to welcoming you on one of our overland journeys, but before we do there are a few things we would like to draw to your attention.
Our groups are made up of people from around the world, and are always an interesting mix of nationalities and ages. On average there is a pretty even split between males to females, and between solo travellers, couples and small groups of friends. We believe that overlanding should be open to as many people as possible, and so although we have a minimum age limit of 18 (or 7 on our Family Trips), as long as you are fit, healthy and passionate about travel, we are happy to take you, whatever your age is. One of the wonderful aspects of group travel is the camaraderie and friendships that are formed along the way, and the variety of people that you will meet.
The maximum group size we take on our overland journeys ranges from 19 to 22 depending on the geographical location; however the average number of passengers is more likely to be around 16.
Please note that there is an overlap of 2 trips in Cuzco and during the Inca Treks. This means a group starting a trip in Cuzco will embark on the Inca Trail at the same time as a group finishing in or travelling through Cuzco. In practical terms this means there could be more than 22 group members in Cuzco and on the Inca Trail at the same time.
Please note that there is also an overlap of 2 trips in Zanzibar. This means a group starting a trip in Nairobi, for example, will visit Zanzibar at the same time as a group starting their trip there. In practical terms this means there could be more than 22 group members in Zanzibar at the same time.
Please also note that on some departures there may be more than one truck doing the same route. This means that you will be in the same hotel or campsite as another Dragoman group on some days. To ensure that you are not always at the same place at the same time as another group, your itinerary will most likely be slightly altered from the itinerary advertised in these trip notes.
Our crew are passionate about travel and are always up for adventure. It takes someone special to become a Dragoman leader. Our crew undergo the most intensive training program of all the overland companies, spending 8 weeks learning the ropes at our base in Suffolk, UK, and then up to 6 months on the road as a trainee. Our crew are trained to manage and operate the trip safely and efficiently and their duties include: planning the trip according to the itinerary, driving and maintaining the truck, securing services of local guides, general logistics, health and safety, liaising with bureaucracy, dealing with issues where needed and offering advice and support to our customers. In addition they have a basic knowledge of the places visited and will be able to offer suggestions of things to do and see. Dragoman endeavours to provide the services of experienced crew, however, due to the seasonality of travel, situations may arise where your tour leader is new to a particular region or training other crew, new to the area.
On all Dragoman overlanding trips, we usually have 2 western crew but please be aware that there may be times when one crew member has to leave the trip due to unforeseen circumstances such as visa issues, illness of a group member, etc. On some of our trips we have 1 western crew and 1 local driver instead of 2 western crew. On trips south of Nairobi in East and Southern Africa we will also have an African camp master/cook who is in charge of running the camp and organising all of the meals. Their knowledge of the local produce makes shopping at the markets great fun and you will learn how to prepare and cook some unusual dishes.
On the majority of our trips in Ethiopia, Sudan, Central Asia, China and South East Asia, in addition to our crew we will have a local guide on board who will travel with us for the entire duration of our time within one country. In these cases, the local guide becomes a third crew member and is able to offer their local knowledge as well as an insight into their country and the lives of the local people.
In most other areas of Africa, the Americas, India and Turkey, in addition to our crew we will employ local guides in specific locations of interest (for just a few hours up to a few days).
Your crew have a duty of care to all members of the group and therefore they have the authority to ask you to leave the trip if you require serious medical assistance, you are behaving in an anti-social manner or refuse to comply with local laws and customs. In all matters relating to the trip, the leader's decision will be final and we appreciate your respect of this.
Dragoman's overland trips are designed for shared accommodation, whether camping or staying in hotels or hostels, and therefore do not involve a single supplement. Whilst our crew will do their best to accommodate couples travelling together in twin rooms, all our travellers should expect to stay in multi-share accommodation when staying in hostels, gers or yurts.
The type, variety and standard of accommodation will vary greatly depending on what options are available at the time; hotels can vary from very basic rooms without electricity or running water to high standard hotels with good facilities! Generally in hotels most rooms will be single sex, twin-share, but in South America many rooms are triple/quad-share. Hostels, gers and yurts are nearly always multi-share and may be mixed sex.
The campsites will range from rather basic to those with excellent facilities, including swimming pools, restaurants and bars. In some cases it may also be possible to upgrade locally to bungalows, lodges or even tree-houses. One of the highlights of overlanding is that in more remote areas we wild camp away from the tourist crowds. Occasionally on some of our trips we are able to stay in villages or local homestays allowing us to get close to the indigenous population and ensuring that our money stays within the local community.
In addition to the trip price on our overlanding trips, you will also be required to pay a kitty specified for your trip (please note that there is no kitty on our Family Trips). The kitty is payable in installments at the start of each section of the trip for combination trips, and in full at the start of the trip for individual trips. Each customer joining a trip pays their kitty into a central fund. The fund is managed by the Dragoman crew and the kitty accounts can be viewed by all throughout the trip.
The kitty covers all things that the whole group does, such as:
The kitty system is unique to overlanding and allows us to have flexibility and transparency on our trips. You can see exactly how your money is being spent and ensure that you are getting the best value by buying locally. It also helps to keep the costs competitive and save on administration costs so that we can pass the saving on to you. Dragoman makes NO PROFIT on kitties, as they are the group's fund. If there is money left in the kitty at the end of your trip, then this is divided between the group and you receive a refund.
Once you book your trip it is very important that you check our website on a regular basis and just before departure for any changes to the kitty amount. We constantly update the kitty prices on our website and the kitty advertised in the brochure is an estimate at the time of printing. Prices can go up or down with no notice, and exchange rate fluctuations will affect costs.
The kitty is payable in full at the start of your trip (in instalments at the start of each individual trip on combination trips). Alternatively you can pay in advance via a bank transfer 3-4 weeks before the start of your trip - please see http://www.dragoman.com/files/Kitty_doc_v10.pdf for more details - this information sheet will also be sent in your booking confirmation upon booking a trip and can be found on www.dragoman.com/overlanding/planning-your-trip/money. Please also note that prepayment is not available for our trips to West Africa, Iran, Tajikistand and any trip in Africa north of Nairobi.
If you are bringing the kitty out in cash, please ensure your USD notes (EUR notes if your trip goes through West Africa) are clean and undamaged and no more than 8 years old. If needed, your tour leader will be able to accept some of the kitty in local currency, and they will let you know the exchange rate locally. In most destinations you can withdraw local currencies from ATM machines, using either a cash passport or a credit/debit card. However, please bear in mind that most cards have a maximum withdrawal amount per day, local ATMs may run out of cash, and your bank could block the card despite you warning them of your travel plans, so it could be impractical to try to get the entire kitty out from an ATM.
We cannot accept traveller's cheques on our trips.
On an overland journey you are more than just an individual passenger - you're part of the team. You are expected to pitch in to set up camp, shop for food, cook and generally help out. As part of your trip you will be assigned a truck job which could be collecting water and firewood, sweeping out the truck, loading the back locker, etc. While camping on overland journeys, the meals are included in the kitty. This means that you will have to work together to cook for everyone in your group. You will be divided into smaller units of 3-4 people and take it in turns to cook for the whole group according to a rota system. When it is your group's turn to cook you will have to plan the meal, shop for the ingredients in local markets or supermarkets and then prepare the meal for the whole group. The secret to cooking for 20+ people using a basic camping kitchen is to keep it simple! (On trips south of Nairobi we have a cook on board the truck; however you will still be required to help them to prepare meals).
An example of a typical camp breakfast might be toast with spreads, fruit and cereal as well as tea and coffee. When time allows it will also be possible to serve something hot such as eggs or pancakes. Lunch is almost always a sandwich heaped high with healthy salad and assorted fillings, with fruit to follow. Dinner might be a BBQ, risotto or pasta dish and there is always the chance to try some local cooking. Generally our passengers find the more they put into a trip, the more they benefit from it.
If you have any dietary requirements please tell us at the time of booking and tell your crew at your welcome meeting. Our crew will try to cater for any particular dietary requirement or food intolerance whenever possible. However, it must be remembered that it may not always be possible and the variety of dishes may be severely limited in comparison to those available to others. If there is anything in particular you require in your diet, that you would miss from home, or because of an allergy would miss out on, it would be best to bring this with you. Depending on your particular requirements, you may need to allow yourself some extra spending money to allow you to purchase extra food items.
Our itineraries are developed and published with the best of intentions, however travel in more remote areas of the world is unpredictable – borders can close, there can be extreme adverse weather, strikes or maybe mechanical issues that affect the running of your trip, but equally due to the nature of our trips we can often spontaneously include a local festival or event into the itinerary. This being said, the safety of our passengers, leaders and operators is a priority for us. With this in mind we monitor world events very closely. By the very nature of the adventure travel that we take, there are risks and hazards that are inherent in our itineraries. We make operational decisions based on informed advice from a number of sources, including the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice, reports from other travel companies and local suppliers, leaders' reports from off the road and local contacts we have built up over many years of experience.
British Foreign Office Travel Advice and Warnings
Dragoman follows the British Foreign Office Travel advice when deciding where and where we are unable to travel. We will base our decisions on itineraries and alterations to published routes based on their advice rather than the advice of other governments. We will advise you of any significant changes in advice before travel or whilst you are overseas.
However, we recommend you check the latest travel advisories from your own government for the country you are travelling to before you book and prior to departure. If there are any travel warnings present for the region you will travel to, as well as considering whether you are happy to travel despite the warning you must also check to ensure that it is not invalidating your travel insurance. Here are a few useful addresses:
UK - www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Australia - http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
New Zealand - http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/
United States - https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
Canada - http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp
We also recommend that you check out the UK Travel Aware website before you travel at https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/. This website offers straightforward travel advice, top tips, and up-to-date country information to help you plan a safe trip.
You need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully in our trips. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assessed your ability to cope with our style of travel. To help you assess if this trip is suitable, please refer to the physical rating. The ratings for each trip are a good indication of how challenging they are and in some cases you should be prepared for some long driving days and possibly limited facilities. We are always happy to give extra advice if you have additional concerns. Please note that if, in the opinion of our leader, you are unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to yourself and/or the rest of the group, Dragoman reserves the right to exclude you from all or part of the trip without a refund.
You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information prior to travel, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition. We also advise you to declare any pre-existing medical conditions to your travel insurers upon purchase.
Some pre-existing medical conditions are known to severely worsen at high altitude and be difficult to adequately treat on the ground, leading to more serious consequences. It is imperative that you discuss your pre-existing medical condition/s with your doctor. We understand certain medications are reported to aid acclimatising to high altitude; please discuss these options with your doctor. For trips that travel to areas of high altitude, the tour leader will issue you with a self-assessment altitude questionnaire which allows you to monitor how you are coping with the altitude and informs you of danger signals so that you can reports these as soon as possible, either to the tour leader or a medical professional.
A valid international certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever is required in many countries. You may need to present this on arrival at the airport or border crossing. Some countries will refuse entry if you are unable to present your certificate. It's also quite common for your home country to request a Yellow Fever certificate on your arrival back home.
It is your responsibility to check with your doctor well in advance of leaving home about the Yellow Fever requirements for the countries you'll be visiting.
There is a risk of contracting malaria in some areas which we travel through. If your trip goes to a areas with malaria it is always best to get expert advice before travelling about the types of malaria pills available, whether they are recommended, and take any that are prescribed as instructed. Consult your GP or travel clinic for the most up-to-date requirements.
Other mosquito-borne diseases such as yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika are continuing to spread and are becoming a bigger problem around the world. Mosquito bite prevention is vital to avoid contracting any of these diseases, as there are no vaccines or specific treatments available. Health professionals have issued warnings for pregnant women travelling to areas affected by the Zika virus. For more information about Zika please visit:
The Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria usually bite between the hours of dusk and dawn, whereas the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika bite both during the day and the night. To prevent being bitten, it is recommended to cover up by wearing long-legged and long-sleeved clothing, preferably light-coloured and buttoned at the wrists. Do not sleep without closing your windows, tent door, etc. and use a mosquito net in hotels or if sleeping outside where there are mosquitoes present. Use mosquito repellent applied directly to your skin or soaked into your clothing. Treating clothes and mosquito nets with a Permetherin solution also provides significant protection. It should be available at most travel stores. Mosquito coils are useful on still nights and in hotel rooms, but cannot be used inside the tents. For more advice on how to avoid bites please see: www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/38/insect-and-tick-bite-avoidance
Recommended vaccinations and other health protections vary according to different regions and recent bulletins issued by health authorities. It is essential to get the latest specific health advice on the regions and countries you are planning to travel in, so please check with either your doctor or travel clinic in good time before you travel. The following websites are also a helpful resource: www.nathnac.net and www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
In the UK, we have been working with Nomad Travel for many years and their website has comprehensive, up-to-date vaccination and health information. You will receive a 10% discount off all vaccinations given at Nomad Travel clinics.
At Dragoman your safety is of paramount importance and we will do our best to ensure that your travel with us is safe and trouble-free, but we do ask that you take that little bit of extra care whilst you are away and to understand about the nature of this style of travel.
Of course we want you to have an enjoyable time, but you must also remember that part of the enjoyment of travel is experiencing a different way of life and cultures. This may also mean experiencing different safety and hygiene standards than those you are normally used to.
Therefore, please take note of the following safety tips and follow any local safety advice or briefings delivered by our crew or any third-party suppliers we use during your trip.
Personal Safety
One of the real advantages of overland travel is that the vehicle provides a very real level of security when travelling. There is no doubt that a properly-equipped overland vehicle, with safes, fully lockable doors and windows is an obvious advantage when travelling in much of the world. Generally speaking, you will not be travelling on local public transport and will have the added security of travelling in a group with experienced crew on-hand to offer advice. We have come up with a few pointers that we recommend you follow:
You will have the opportunity to take part in many exciting activities and excursions, some of which are included (e.g. hiking the Inca Trail, trekking to see Mountain Gorillas, visiting the Taj Mahal, etc.), whilst others are optional (e.g. white water rafting in Uganda, zip-lining in Costa Rica, etc.). Some of these activities require a certain level of fitness, so it's important that you read through the trip notes thoroughly and make your own conclusions as to whether you feel that you are fit and healthy enough to enjoy this trip and its activities to their fullest.
Some activities may have higher risks than you are used to and you must judge whether or not you wish, or have the physical ability, to take part.
Optional activities mentioned by Dragoman are not included in the trip price or kitty, and do not form part of your contract with Dragoman. As such you accept that any assistance given by Dragoman crew members or local representatives in arranging optional activities does not render us liable for them in any way. The Dragoman crew are assisting you in arranging these activities for your added enjoyment whilst on your trip. The operators of these services and optional extras are local suppliers who contract directly with the client 'on the road', subject to and in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Dragoman accepts no liability for any action or activity undertaken by the client which is arranged independently of Dragoman while on tour. Crew may take part in an optional activity but do so as private individuals and not as company representatives.
Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time.
Ensure that you use the appropriate equipment on optional activities, including life jackets, helmets, etc. This is especially important on activities such as horse riding, white-water rafting, etc.
Always ensure that your travel medical insurance covers you for all included and optional activities that you wish to participate in.
Included activities are listed in the day-to-day itinerary, all other activities are optional and at your own expense. If you choose not to participate in the included activities on this itinerary, the cost will not necessarily be refunded; this is something you will need to check with your leader.
A selection of optional activities is listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This list is designed to be a helpful guide as to what is commonly available in each location, and is neither an exhaustive list, a guarantee that the activity is available, or an endorsement or recommendation. Please note that certain activities may not be available on your particular visit if they are overbooked, underbooked, out of season, or for any other reason - the list of activities is made according to our latest information and in the best faith, but please be aware that things may change between our last visit and your arrival. Please also note that it may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, and it is recommended to give yourself extra time in your joining or ending city if you would like to participate in some optional activities there.
Prices listed are for entrance only and do not include transport costs to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated - again, these prices are displayed according to our latest information and in the best faith, but prices do fluctuate due to exchange rates, season, numbers of participants, and simple increases from the operator - any prices listed are a guide only and certainly cannot be guaranteed.
Optional activities are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by Dragoman nor included in the price of this trip. If you do any optional activities, you do so at your own risk and it must be clearly understood that your participation is your own decision and does not form part of your contract with Dragoman. You may be required to sign/complete a waiver form or optional activity form for some optional activities.
It is a condition of booking that you have comprehensive travel insurance. Without evidence of valid travel insurance you will not be allowed to start the trip.
We recommend that any policy has a minimum medical (including repatriation) cover of £5,000,000. We recommend that any policy also has a minimum level of cover for Personal Liability of £2,000,000 and for Cancellation and Curtailment of £5,000 (or the full cost of your trip). Cover for loss of baggage, personal effects, money and other inclusions are down to personal choice although please bear in mind that personal effects are more likely to go missing whilst travelling and you should ensure that your policy is adequate to cover the value of your personal effects e.g. cameras, tablets, phones, ipods, etc. Please note that Dragoman is not responsible for your personal effects and is not insured for their loss. Please note that you should be insured for trip postponment or cancellation purposes immediately upon paying a deposit.
Whatever policy you choose, you must ensure that it is designed for adventure/overland travel and make sure it covers any activity that you intend to undertake (whether included or optional). As such it must cover you for adventure activities such as white water rafting, trekking, horse-riding, etc., and that the 24-hour Emergency Assistance Company must be experienced in handling situations in developing countries - for example, that they have the ability to arrange repatriation from remote areas such as the Sahara or if you were trekking in the Andes. On activities or side trips that are not recommended by us, please ensure you are happy with the safety of the activity before participating.
Please note that in the case of credit card travel insurance we will require details of the participating insurer, the insurance policy number and emergency contact number prior to travel rather than just the bank's name and credit card details. It is up to you to ensure that these policies have the cover you require, as many of these policies are not able to cope with adventure travel to remote areas and many are not valid for travelling outside your country of residence or outside the EU.
Dragoman has comprehensive passenger vehicle liability protection and tour operator insurance. These policies have total indemnities of £5,000,000 and £10,000,000 per incident respectively. This is in addition to local vehicle insurance and your personal travel insurance.
We have an out of office hours number you can call which should only be used once you have left your home country to start the trip and in the event of a real emergency. Should you need to call the number, we will do what we can to help but please bear in mind that real progress or action may not be possible until normal office hours. If you can not get through please leave a message with you name, reference number, contact details and a message with the help that you need and we will get back to you.
If your flight is delayed or cancelled, please let us know and then make your way to the joining hotel as instructed in these trip notes. If you cannot get through leave a message and a contact number as these will be regularly checked and the crew informed if necessary.
Although you will not have to carry your main bag for long distances, you will need to help load and unload them onto the truck. For this reason we recommend that you use a backpack or soft bag rather than a heavy suitcase. During your trip your main luggage will be kept in the truck's back locker which will be inaccessible during a drive day, so you will also need a small daypack. This can be used to carry your camera, water bottle and other personal effects for daily use. Please be aware that due to the constant dust and vibrations your luggage bag will be subject to extreme wear and tear.
The size of baggage that can be brought on this tour is limited by the locker space on the truck. We recommend that your bag be no larger than a large rucksack with a capacity of about 80 litres (approximately 70cm high, 40cm wide, and 40cm deep). The weight limit for luggage on all trucks is a maximum of 20kg.
Your clothes and equipment should be appropriate for the conditions you are travelling in, which will vary depending on which part of the world you're heading to. On overland trips, Dragoman will provide all camping equipment apart from sleeping bags and ground mats, so you'll need to bring those with you if your trip includes camping nights.
Think about the climate and altitude of the areas you'll be travelling to - there's nothing worse than being cold at night so it's worth investing in a decent sleeping bag if it's likely to get cold. And remember that even when it's warm during the day, it can often get cold at night, particularly in desert regions.
For a general idea of what you need, this list provides a guide:
Cold weather
For trips going through mountainous areas, deserts, high altitude regions and Patagonia, you should be prepared for cold weather, especially at night. Ensure you bring:
Hot weather
For trips going through tropical areas you should be prepared for hot and humid weather. Ensure you bring:
Trips with trekking
For trips including treks, ensure you bring:
Sleeping Bags
A sleeping bag's rating typically indicates the lowest temperature at which it will keep the average sleeper warm enough to sustain them but not necessarily make them warm enough to feel comfortable. For example, with a 0°C bag, you should be able to stay in 0°C temperature but you will not necessarily be able to sleep comfortably.
For European sleeping bags there are the following standards:
The transition zone, in between the comfort and lower temperature, is usually considered as the best purchase guideline.
All of our trucks have a standard motorist's first aid kit on board for use in emergency situations only. The first aid kit is in compliance with UK standards for first aid provision within motor vehicles, and contain supplies to treat road side injuries. We do not carry prescription medications, therefore in addition to this we recommend that you purchase your own personal medical kit.
In the UK we have teamed up with Nomad Travel Stores and Clinics to produce travel medical kits. They have been designed in conjunction with the truck kits and contain everything you would need for any minor incidents and health issues. For more details please visit their website:
Global Survival Kit - http://www.nomadtravel.co.uk/p/2712/Global-Survival-Kit
Ultimate Medical Kit (POM) - http://www.nomadtravel.co.uk/p/2909/Ultimate-Medical-Kit-(POM)
Check that your passport will still be valid for 6 months after the end of your trip - this is important as some countries WILL refuse entry to anyone whose passport is due to expire. A temporary or 'visitor's' passport is not valid on our trips. You will need to provide us with your passport details prior to departing for your trip. If you change your passport, please remember to inform us as soon as possible - however, please be aware that changing your passport can cause big problems if you need to apply for visas or permits (such as the Inca Trail or Gorilla Trekking) in advance.
Pre and Post Trip Accommodation and Airport Transfers
At Dragoman we believe you should make the most of the places you visit, so if you would like to see more of the joining or finishing point cities, why not book additional accommodation to extend your stay? Dragoman can take away the hassle of time zones and language barriers by making the booking for you. This accommodation is only available at the joining or finishing city of your trip, immediately before or after the trip you are travelling on.
While Dragoman is happy to assist with booking your pre and post trip accommodation, it is important that you understand that you may be able to book your own room at a cheaper rate directly through the hotel or on the internet. Our additional accommodation prices are based on the hotel's rate plus an administration fee. Please note our rates do not reflect last minute walk-in rates or internet specials.
We can also book arrival airport transfers for you as long as we have your flight arrival details. These are normally payable in cash upon arrival; however we do have pre-paid transfers in a few destinations.
Please contact our reservations team for details of the accommodation and transfers that we can offer, as not all hotels offer this service.
Having an amazing trip and met a great group of people? Having too much fun to go home yet? If you're on one of our trips and decide that you would like to continue with us, then why not speak to your trip leader who can advise you of the cost and availability of continuing your journey.
Sometimes, civil or political unrest, or reasons beyond Dragoman's control (e.g. a natural disaster), can mean that an itinerary is disrupted and we have to make a contingency plan. This may involve hiring alternate transport or even the whole group flying over an area. Although Dragoman will help organise travel arrangements, in circumstances outside Dragoman's control you will be required to contribute the additional costs involved and therefore we ask you to bring along a 'Contingency Fund' of USD400. In almost all cases trips run smoothly and this fund is therefore never used. We also recommend that you take along an internationally recognised credit or charge card with a decent limit in case of emergencies, such as medical treatment en route, or even the need to be repatriated; though these occurrences are rare. Remember that travel insurance policies usually only refund you for expenses after you have already paid out.
Dragoman is committed to ensuring that we have a positive impact on local communities and that we implement policies to minimise any negative impact on the local environment. We are dedicated to making sure that we adopt a responsible attitude to the areas through which we travel and believe that our trips should benefit the local people and their environment. Dragoman recognises that we are guests of local communities and strive to make these communities our partners, so that they benefit directly from our visit. You can find full details of Dragoman's Responsible Tourism policy from the link below:
The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in the bottle, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. A large proportion end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments.
Please avoid the purchase of bottled water by using the chemically sterilised water stored in the purpose-built storage tank on your overland vehicle. You are free to refill your bottle as many times a day as you like. You are helping the environment and your pocket!
Your vehicle will be usually equipped with a 12-Volt socket, so to charge your iPod, MP3 player, camera, laptop and mobile phone you will need a DC 12V adapter - the type that can be used from a cigarette lighter in your car. Please be aware that only one piece of equipment can be charged at a time and it will not be allowed if there is a risk of running the vehicle's batteries low. Batteries may also be recharged from hotel room wall sockets and the majority of the campsites we stay at have electricity points, so please bring along your normal charging adapters as well. You will need to ensure that you have the correct country adapter for your specific charger.
For mobile phones, please note that most countries in the Americas operate at 850 MHz and 1900 MHz which is not the same frequencies used in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Most modern tri-band and quad-band mobile phones will be able to operate on these frequencies but please check your mobile phone specifications before travelling to ensure that you'll be able to use your phone in the Americas.
It is one of our core values to treat all people we encounter with respect, including the local people who make our destinations so special. We have therefore set down a number of rules to which our customers must adhere.
Engaging in commercial or exploitative sexual activities, committing acts of violence or threatening violence towards local people, other group members or any member of our staff is not allowed. Any customer engaging in such activities will be required to leave the trip immediately with no refund of the trip price.
You must at all times comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange and drug regulations of all countries visited and conduct yourself in accordance with our responsible travel policy. Any customer found contravening such laws or regulations will be required to leave the trip immediately with no refund of the trip price.
Although we are aware that in some parts of the world taking, carrying or selling drugs, carrying weapons, or engaging in commercial or exploitative sexual activities may be legal, it is not acceptable for Dragoman customers and our tour leaders have the right to ask you to leave the trip immediately with no refund of the trip price if you are found to be engaging in such activities.
While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or our local partner straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.
We recognise that there may be times when your group leader may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction. If this is the case please contact our customer relations department on
You may also choose to provide details in your feedback questionnaire which we ask you to complete at the end of your trip, but we do ask you to be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is complete.
Tipping is entirely voluntary. The Dragoman crew may be travelling with you for many weeks and usually they become good friends with most members of the group. It is sometimes easy to forget that they do work hard to ensure that you do have a great trip. If you feel you would like to tip them, they certainly would appreciate it.
On a number of our trips, we also use a local guide as well as our own Dragoman crew. These guides live and travel with you through their home country and it is usual to tip them when they leave. We recommend USD 1 to USD 4 per person per day, but check with your crew for an appropriate amount.
After your travels, we want to hear from you! We rely on your feedback. We read it carefully. Feedback helps us to understand what we are doing well and what we could be doing better, and it allows us to make improvements for future travellers.
Please note that there is an overlap in Zanzibar. This means a group starting a trip in Nairobi or Victoria Falls will visit Zanzibar at the same time as groups starting their trips in Zanzibar. This is so that any customers travelling all the way are not scheduled to go to Zanzibar twice - this means that in theory there could be up to 44 group members in Zanzibar at the same time, although in reality it is highly unlikely to be this many.


text:
No one likes a sell out, Alpha Girl. Stay true to your artistic integrity!
In ALPHA GIRL, Judith is the last woman left standing when a cosmetic company's new product turns the world's women -- and only women -- into man-eating zombies. Retailers pursued the first issue of the new Image Comics series with equal voracity, as ALPHA GIRL #1 sold out in the week leading up to its release.
"We sold out? Finally, I have something in common with Jay-Z!" exclaimed writer Jean-Paul Bonjour upon hearing the news. "In all seriousness though, I am so stoked for everyone to see Alpha Girl, and so appreciative of the retailer support."
"Wow! I've been in this business since 1998 and I've never been involved with a sell out," added artist Robert Love. "I work with the best people that had a solid vision that made this possible."
ALPHA GIRL will continue Judith's quest to rescue her little brother from the ravenous horde, keep her status as the last uninfected woman on earth, and quite possibly save the world as well with issue #2 (JAN120575), in stores on March 14.
The creators of ALPHA GIRL are celebrating the launch of their new series with a party and books signing at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, featuring cocktail mistresses Alie and Georgia, Sean Patton, sketch group Diani and Devine, DJ Douggpound, Steve Agee, and Margaret Cho. Tickets are available at NerdMelt.
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
Source: Press Release
Written or Contributed by: SuperginraiX

subset: commoncrawl


text: My baby is almost three weeks and I'm ready to throw in the breast feeding towel. It's 'working' for us in the sense that he latches and feeds well (after some fussiness), but it is taking it's toll on me. I don't enjoy breast feeding at all. I don't feel like it is helping me bond with my baby. I am not at all comfortable doing it in public (covered or not) so we are tied to the house for the most part. Breast feedin makes me feel tied down and not like myself. I'm thinking it's time to switch to formula for my sanity sake. Any recommendations? Does it get any easier? Will I ever feel that 'bond'? Will he ever nurse on somewhat of a schedule so we can at least plan trips out of the house around feelings?


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Find the perfect size! Click here!
Visit our store in rocklin,california! Click here!
Need a little Help ? Click here!
Although we strive for consistency, there are no
Collars: Measure
Harnesses: Measure behind your pet's front legs and wrap completely around the chest - this will give you the "girth".
Tee Shirt Sizing: To measure your dogs back, place one end of the fabric tape at the base of your dogs tail and measure to the nape of the neck.


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The Dolphins are moving fast and furious to raid the public till for improvements to their private stadium, saying they need funding secured by the NFL owners meetings in May to land Super Bowl 50 or 51.
The team cleared its first hurdle in Tallahassee on Tuesday, getting approval from a Senate subcommittee for $90 million in state tax subsidies.
In my mind, the team's request to siphon off $3 million a year in state sales tax for 30 years is the most perverse part of the plan. Hiking a hotel bed tax in mainland Miami-Dade is one thing, because it mainly comes from the pockets of tourists.
But this funding – a rebate on sales tax generated from goods and services purchased at Sun Life Stadium – would otherwise go to the state's general budget. You know, things like schools, universities, health programs for the sick and elderly and other social services.
It's the worst kind of corporate welfare/reverse Robin Hood situation imaginable, robbing from the needy to help the wealthy.
And just because the state has been doing better financially lately, with unexpected growth in tax revenues, doesn't mean we should give it away to those who don't really need it.
The team's lobbyist, Ron Book, told senators on Tuesday that this type of state largesse for sports teams has been done before. And that's true. Many teams and facilities have landed $2 million annual rebates under existing law meant to stimulate the sports economy and tourism (like for baseball spring training facilities). But this legislation carves out a new added subsidy, crafted especially for the Dolphins, and you can just bet it will set off a stampede from other teams for similar handouts.
Besides, legislators need to remind themselves that they aren't judges: unlike the court system, precedent means nothing here. Just because something ridiculous has been done in the past is no excuse for doing it again.
It always amazes me how the tail wags the dog in these sports welfare situations. A supremely wealthy owner (billionaire Stephen Ross) in a supremely successful sports league (the NFL) want something from us, and they create a frenzy that we MUST ACT NOW, like it's for our own good.
Sorry, but if you want a partial roof and other fancy amenities, you can pay for it yourself (and then sock it to stadium users in the form of higher ticket and concession prices).
And if you're going to say the Super Bowl or college championship games won't return without this "community investment", I say the Big Games will surely miss South Florida in winter more than we'll miss them. (By the way NFL, have fun freezing with your next Super Bowl – at outdoor MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next February).
If Miami-Dade commissioners want to give the Dolphins a hotel-tax handout, that's their business. But when the Dolphins want to carve out a bigger slice of the pie from the state budget, that's something that offends me as a Floridian.
If you agree that this is madness, get in touch with your local state representative (find them here) or senator (find them here) and let them know how you feel.


text:
More Bloggers Suing For Gov't Press Passes
from the this-may-not-end-well... dept
Let's take an extreme example. I write for an "alternative publication," but if I requested a press pass from the White House, I would totally expect to get turned down. There is limited room in such press conferences, and the White House has every right to determine who gets that access. Same with the NYC police and the Maryland General Assembly. I agree that perhaps these gov't organizations should have a clear process and clear standards for who gets let in, but I can't see how it's a free speech violation to deny press credentials under these circumstances. They're not saying these people aren't press, or that they can't publish whatever they want. They're just saying they don't get to enter the building as press.


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#1 'Maverick' McCain bedevils Democrats Image attracts moderate voters
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Posts
- 22,889
"Be Afraid,Be Very Afraid you Maoist/liberals Mc Cain will take a whole bunch of former liberal Clinton voters with him.
There are a whole group of new Obama haters around these days !All that's left are the dumb college kids , the Negro's and Americas Resident Foreign Enemy's !
Sen. John McCain's reputation as a maverick who regularly bucks the conservative wing of his party will be a formidable obstacle for Sen. Barack Obama as he seeks to persuade moderates to vote for him in November.
Once dubbed the Democrats' favorite Republican - and the recipient of a gushing endorsement by the liberal New York Times during this year's primary campaign - Mr. McCain's bigger-than-life image as a middle-of-the-road politician is a proven draw of moderates and independents, who are in the position to decide which candidate wins the White House.
"The Republicans stumbled into the best nominee they could have gotten," said Democratic strategist Liz Chadderdon. "The Republican brand is in the toilet and they found the one guy who doesn't fit the Republican brand. I think his 'maverick' status is a huge help to him. If he was a typical Republican, given how people feel about generic Republicans right now, we would win in a walk," she said.
Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh agreed, saying, "Much of John McCain's maverick image was largely defined eight years ago when he ran against Bush and lost.
"There is a premium on defining yourself for the voters before your opponent does it for you. For many voters in the country and especially in a state like New Hampshire, John McCain's maverick image is alive and well. That is going to be a challenge for the Obama campaign."
Although conservatives bristle about Mr. McCain's proclivity to cross party lines to vote with Democrats, a glance at his voting record over 25 years in the Senate portrays a solid Republican. For instance, he voted for every item on the Republicans' Contract With America, the document penned by conservatives in 1994 that called for shrinking the federal government, cutting taxes and reforming welfare.
Last edited by megimoo; 06-16-2008 at 11:47 AM.
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Apple released iOS 6.1.2 today to iPhones and iPads. This update supposedly fixes the Exchange calendar bug that can result in increased logging in Exchange 2010. This bug has been well documented by Microsoft and technology professionals like fellow MVP Tony Redmond.
The update is also supposed to address reduced battery life due to excessive network utilization.
I recommend installing this update on your iOS devices as soon as possible. Hopefully it doesn't break something else.


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Get a sneak peek at some of the SQL Server and Business Intelligence best practices, expert tips, and demos you'll find at PASS Summit 2013. We recently hosted an online event featuring 24 back-to-back webcasts from various PASS Summit speakers. Watch* the recordings, sorted by track, now:
Application & Database Development | BI Information Delivery | BI Platform Architecture, Development & Administration | Cloud Application Development & Deployment | Enterprise Database Administration & Deployment
* Please view with Windows Media Player
* The codecs to view the media can be found here.
Application & Database Development
Building Your T-SQL Tool Kit: Window Function Fundamentals
SPEAKER: Christina Leo
Design Matters! The Performance Impact of Database Design
SPEAKER: Audrey Hammonds
Hands-on Fundamentals for Good SQL Server Programming
SPEAKER: Kevin Kline
How to Design a Relational Database
SPEAKER: Louis Davidson
Practical Performance Troubleshooting
SPEAKER: Brent Ozar
BI Information Delivery
Delivering Analytics with Excel 2013: 10 Secrets for Success
SPEAKER: Josh Fennessy
From Reporting Services Rookie to Rockstar
SPEAKER: Stacia Misner
Geospatial Analytics Using Microsoft BI
SPEAKER: Jason Thomas
PowerPivot Data Modeling Techniques
SPEAKER: Susan O'Connell
BI Platform Architecture, Development & Administration
0 to MOLAP in 60 Minutes
SPEAKER: Brian Knight
Big Data Visualization for Business Intelligence Professionals
SPEAKER: Jen Stirrup
Building an Effective Data Warehouse Architecture
SPEAKER: James Serra
Slicing and Dicing: Attributes and Hierarchies in SSAS 2012
SPEAKER: Thomas LeBlanc
Cloud Appplication Development & Deployment
Into the Blue: Extending AlwaysOn Availability Groups
SPEAKER: Joseph D'Antoni
SQLCAT: Windows Azure Data Platform
SPEAKER: Ewan Fairweather and Silvano Coriani
Windows Azure SQL Database Design: Silver Lining and Dark Side
SPEAKER: Karen Lopez
Enterprise Database Administration & Deployment
Be a Successful DBA in the World of Cloud
and On-Premise Data
SPEAKER: Grant Fritchey
Data Internals
SPEAKER: Bradley Ball
Discover, Document, and Diagnose Your Servers
on Your Coffee Break
SPEAKER: Kendal Van Dyke
How Active Directory Affects SQL Server
SPEAKER: Ryan Adams
Periodic Table of DMVs: Part 2012: The SQL
SPEAKER: Tim Ford
Scaling SQL Server 2012
SPEAKER: Glenn Berry
Storage and Virtualization for DBAs
SPEAKER: Denny Cherry
The Cluster Conundrum
SPEAKER: Allan Hirt


text:
|Hey Mom! Learn more about the Gerber Life Insurance Grow-Up Plan!
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Registered Users
What features do you wish your house had?
If you could change something about your home what would you change?
Our house is too small. I would love more space. Right now we have 2 beds and 1 bath in 800sq ft.
I want 1 bedroom for my daughter so she can have her own room.
A Master suite where we can have a space for sewing , an office, and a place for Dh's hobbies with an off-the-wall-bed to use when we have guests. I want it to be a master suite because I like when guests have their own bathrooms to use.
I like how our room is small I don't see the point to having a super big room when it's only used for sleeping.
I would like an extra family room to use for a playroom for the kids.
I would love to have a walk-in pantry with one side for food and paper products and the other side to store things like holiday decorations and other out of season things in nice clear tubs.
I would like a hallway long enough to have bookshelves going down it on one side.
I would like the room the the kids are in right now to be smaller and to be just for the boys.
I would love it if the carport was a garage or it the laundry was a just a bit bigger and insulated so I could put the extra freezer some where other than next to my kitchen table.
If I could build a dream home it would have 4 bedrooms, 2 small ones, 1 medium one and a good sized master suite(just like I described above) The only room to have a closet would be the master. There would be a huge laundry room family closet.
The kitchen would have stove, dishwasher, fridge. The lower cabinets would be big deep drawers for cookware and a tall pantry cabinet to store appliances. There would be no upper cabinets maybe a shelf or two for dishes. But their would be lots of windows. There would be a island for prep work. I want there to be a comfy seating area to hang out and chat while cooking.
There would be a living room/TV room just for sitting watch TV and the TV could be hidden when we don't want to see it.
There would be a big den with comfy couches and lots of toys this would be our messy hangout room.
It would be nice to have an outdoor sitting area.
It would have a connected 2 car garage with a work shop area.
What would you like to have?
Wife to Andrew, Mother to Zoe(7), Luke(5), and Henry(3)
Baby lost at 17 weeks June 28th 2013
Baby lost at 15 weeks March 2014
Formerly Q......9
Hmm, I would love window seats in the boys rooms so they could store their toys inside & have cute seats. A playroom would be divine. I'm pretty easy to please though & I love love love my house. We just moved here in July. My biggest thing would be to move it to my hometown.
Jodie ~ wife & mama
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Location: a Texan in the northern Detroit 'burbs
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Re: What features do you wish your house had?
You know I'd have to really think about it, because we just bought what is fairly close to our dream home. There are just some things that need to be updated, like the 25yo roof, they 20yo A/C unit, the gutters which may fall off the house at any moment , the original bathrooms from 1962 . But the rest of it is pretty close to perfect for us.
We have a formal living room and a family room. We use the family room as our real living room and the formal living room as a library, which is full of our books plus the 50-100 we have checked out at the library at any given time. I never dreamed we would ever have a library, but it the kids love it and read in there more time than they do playing with toys or TV/Wii. Neither room is open to the kitchen (nor is the dining room) like some people want, but there are open doorways between all of them. Personally, I like to be able to retire to any of the other three rooms on the main floor and NOT see the pile of dishes in the sink, or the pile of unfinished homework or art projects on the kitchen table, etc. The only thing I'd change is the living room has the original 10' long sliding glass door and it doesn't work, and I'd LOVE to put accordion doors there but will likely have to settle for a more inexpensive slider or french door replacement.
The kitchen was also original to the house, but we gutted it and are 90% finished with the reno. Due to budget constraints, I did have to compromise on a few things but nothing I can't live with. Like PP said, I'd love to have deep drawers but it was way cheaper to get regular cabinets with no organizer upgrades, and I make it work. I have matching stainless appliances that all work well, but they are not high end by any means, and I have a double oven range instead of separate cooktop and ovens. It's large but the layout doesn't allow for a island, but it fits a table big enough for 6, which makes it a true eat-in kitchen. Not a barstools at the counter eat-in kitchen, LOL. We got granite, we got real tile floors, I'm in the process of installing the glass tile backsplash. It has more storage than I'd ever use. It's awesome - I've never had a kitchen that ever really worked for me. Then only change I'd make is redo the reach-in pantry to match the rest of the kitchen, instead of the curtain covering up the original pantry.
Upstairs it has a bedroom for each kid, a sizeable bathroom they share, and a master suite for us. I really prefer to only have beds and clothing storage in bedrooms and not use them for any other purposes, but we do have a desk for DH in our room so when he has to work at home, which is not often, he can be in a room with a closed door and away from kid noise. Our bathroom is a typical tiny 1960s room with a single sink next to a toilet across from a small shower and linen closet. Our hope is to eventually expand it into the two reach-in closets right outside, so there will be a tub, a shower, and two sinks. Then we'd just line one of the other walls with those PAX closet things from IKEA to replace the closets. The kids' bathroom is totally functional but very dated, so the only changes I'd make there are cosmetic.
This house also has an awesome HUGE basement, and half of it is finished. That half serves as the kid playroom, so there's no toys upstairs on the main floor - only books and whatever board game or puzzle they are working on in the dining room. The other half is unfinished, and the previous owner outfitted it with a giant work bench and industrial strength shelving. So the workshop/hobby stuff/extra storage can all go there. This is all something I never dreamed we would have, and I can't imagine living without it now. The finished basement has carpet which I'd rather have something that won't mold, but I can live with it for now.
Also this house has four extra other sizeable closets in the hallways, which we've never had and are half-empty. And it has a large laundry/mudroom off the attached two car garage, big enough for a washer/dryer/mop sink with cabinets above, upright freezer, 4' reach in closet, plus plenty of wall space covered with hooks for coats/backpacks/bags/hats with shoe cubbies and boot racks underneath.
So again, even though the house still needs tons of work, it still has everything we really need. And even though it is a much bigger house than we have ever lived in, the layout has made the transition to becoming more minimalist so much easier. It's so nice to see the big rooms not crammed full of stuff.
Detroit-area SAHM to Rose 12/03, Ginger 11/05, and little Ian 4/08.
Registered Users
Re: What features do you wish your house had?
LOVE our laundry chute!! It's the one thing I can't live without!
Registered Users
Formerly: artistmom
Another bedroom (we have 2), a little bigger kitchen, and some outside space
The only time you should look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them.
Louis C.K.
Registered Users
Re: What features do you wish your house had?
I love my home, but I would have to say my laundry "closet" would be an actual room. Right now its literally a closet with folding doors to conceal it. Our hamper is up against a wall and it bothers me big time that our dirty laundry is visible (even if it is in a nice hamper), and I dont really have a folding space. I would also love an actual sun room, not just the falling apart leaky old screen porch that is currently attached to our house. Thats about it.
wife to my sailor, mama to
Registered Users
Re: What features do you wish your house had?
Double garage or bigger to get both cars in & extra stuff....maybe 3 car.Bay windows, bigger kitchen, 4 to 5 bedrooms so all 3 kids have room & play areas & ours & extra/ office. Bigger living room & maybe area that I could keep eliptical up. Lawn 4 kids to play & clothes lines outside. Imagineable stuff..... thing finder like glasses (specs), shoes, keys , toys anthing that can b lost. Kinda like smart house & make sure like a shoe doesn't get thrown away in trash...... laundry shoot to basement from upstairs so no lugging stuff down.
Registered Users
Formerly: Di**ae
Re: What features do you wish your house had?
We'd also LOVE a garage, a paved driveway and a guest room. We don't even have a fold out couch which makes having family stay over near impossible.
Wife to my
Mom to my
Stepmom to my
Slave to my
Registered Users
Formerly: ja***nes
Re: What features do you wish your house had?
We are seriously considering building soon. We are planning on downsizing. Right now we live in about 2000 sq ft and want to size down to no more that 1000 sq ft. We want 1 room for each child and one for us, not big either as bedrooms are just for sleeping. Then there will be a kitchen, dining, living room. One room for all 2 purposes....no walls separating at all. The south wall of this 'room' will be a passive solar design. We are thinking of building a straw bale house with radiant flooring. There will be 1 bathroom...but a strange one lol. From the master you can access one side which will be a sink and toilet. Then from the living area you will be able to access the other side...another sink and toilet. In the middle (accessed from either of the toilet rooms) will be a big bath/shower shared by the 4 of us. We want a yard with a little bit of grass and at least 1 big shade tree. We have a long driveway and want to line it with fruit trees. We want to build a unattached garage/workshop that will be about the size of a 2 car garage. Ah, dreams lo
Registered Users
Re: What features do you wish your house had?
I would love a yard for the kids. We live in a townhouse, which is nice but the front door is directly on the sidewalk with no green space for blocks. We go outside to play in our "concrete jungle" or "urban playground" which means walking along retaining walls and riding scooters in the bank parking lot (after hours) or underground parking garage. I miss grass out the back door...and I'll add a porch, since I'm complaining
Hunting and pecking for fresh baby and children's deals! Follow me! CheapMamaChick on Facebook
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March 2000 Photos - Elisabeth Partin
Photos in this month:
Elisabeth having her picture taken at J.C. Penney in early March.
Can I get up now?
When can I take these barrettes out?
Elisabeth in pigtails!
I'm upside down!
Another day at the Zoo.
Oh! Were you watching me?
Snuggle time with Mama.
Elisabeth wearing 'los overoles' (and pigtails).
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Kessel, Leafs edge Rangers
Toronto, ON – The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their playoff push with a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers in the opener of a key home-and- home series at Air Canada Centre.
Phil Kessel supplied two goals for the Maple Leafs, including the tiebreaking tally 39 seconds after New York had made it 3-3 in the third period.
"I thought we played pretty well tonight as a line," said Kessel. "We caught a couple of bounces and that always helps. This was a big win for us tonight."
The Rangers frantically tried to battle back again, but they came up short.
James van Riemsdyk and Ryan O'Byrne also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won two straight games and five of six overall. James Reimer made 31 saves.
With 48 points, Toronto owns a four-point edge over Ottawa for the Eastern Conference's fifth seed.
Rick Nash lit the lamp twice and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 24 shots for New York, which had gone 3-0-1 in its previous four games.
"I think I need to make some better reads and just get a little faster," said Lundqvist. "I'm not going to lie, you try to work it through here but I felt a little slow tonight."
The Rangers (42 points) remained tied with the Islanders for the last two playoff spots.
Nash cut to the middle and beat Reimer 2:50 into the third period, trimming New York's deficit to 3-2. Derek Stepan pulled the Rangers even at the nine- minute mark, ripping a shot from the left wing past Reimer one second after a Toronto power play expired.
Kessel, however, collected a feed from Tyler Bozak and slipped home his own rebound to quickly put the Maple Leafs back in front.
A persistent van Riemsdyk opened the scoring at the 11:03 mark of the first period as he took a handful of whacks before pushing the puck past Lundqvist.
O'Byrne, making his Toronto debut following last week's trade from Colorado, joined the rush and scored off a cross-ice feed from Nazem Kadri at 11:28 of the second period.
The Rangers got on the board a little over three minutes later when Nash bulled his way to the Toronto net and put the puck behind Reimer.
Kessel fired a shot through a van Riemsdyk screen and past Lundqvist for a power-play goal with 42 seconds remaining in the middle frame.
Game Notes
Lundqvist had allowed two goals or fewer in each of his previous 10 starts ... The Rangers failed to record at least a point against Toronto for just the third time in their last 14 meetings (9-3-2) ... The Maple Leafs had lost four straight at home to the Rangers ... These teams will meet again Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.