DISABILITY TOURISM IN AFRICA |
Wheelchair Accessible Tourism in Africa
Disability
Tourism in Africa is one of the concepts in tourism industry,
every human being has a social right to go for tours as any
other human being on earth. This is a concept whereby the
physically impaired in society is accessible to tourism. Globally
it is estimated that over 5 million people are disabled, both
physically and otherwise. Some are paraplegic and some are
disabled after various calamities. These circumstances have
made over 5 million individuals to have some form of disability.
The Hotels and Resorts in Africa are being urged to provide
wheelchair accessibility in their various holiday establishments.
We at Niche Africa Holidays have started this concept of tourism
in Africa to take care of the paraplegic, the physically impaired,
the blind and the deaf including those who are aged and slow
movers. We have urged many hotels and resorts in Africa to
provide disability rooms in their establishment of which some
have and others have not done so.
Demand
for accessible tourism offers is being made daily and the
tourism industry is urging the tour operators to have wheel
chair accessibility tours. Niche Africa Holidays arranges
escorted tours and Safaris for the physically impaired, the
deaf and the blind within our society. We place them, our
disabled clients in various resorts and hotels within the
East African community which includes Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda,
Burundi and Tanzania. In all these establishments, we first
ascertain that they are wheelchair accessible and also provide
disability rooms. Among our recent undertakings included the
services of professional nurses escorting the paraplegic in
various tours within Lake Victoria, Bird watching in Uganda,
the Safari Walk in Nairobi and the Animal orphanage including
the Giraffe centre where the physical disabled fed the giraffes
themselves.
For
the deaf and the blind we encourage that they be accompanied
by various able personalities who include teachers for the
students, relatives for the blind and both teachers or relatives
for the deaf. For the married, we encourage that they are
joined by their spouses and children if any, in the tours
and safari’s in order to encourage moral support which
includes support in the disabled person during safaris and
tours in Africa.
Disability
Tours in East Africa |
Niche
Africa holidays continues to successfully take wheelchair
travelers, slow walkers, and small groups of disabled members
of society into safaris and tours within East Africa which
includes the five countries of East Africa community. It is
in East Africa where you will find the Seventh wonder of the
world that is the annual wildebeest migration from Serengeti
into the Maasai Mara National Park. The mountain gorillas
in Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda not to mention the largest
population of the Mountain Gorillas in Virunga Mountains in
Rwanda. The water rafting at the source of River Nile on Lake
Victoria, on River Tana and various many rivers in East Africa.
The slow movers have undertaken the Mountain Gorilla trips
in Uganda and also the blind have visited the Elephant Orphanage
in Nairobi National Park where they are able to touch the
tamed and the Orphaned Elephants and know the size of the
same physically. We also integrate the foreign disabled clients
with local disabled individuals in order for them to have
a cultural understanding and experience their predicaments.
Niche Africa Holidays staff personally escort tours of disabled
personnel.
Tanzania, being the centre of wildlife population in East
Africa and having many National parks and Reserves, disability
wildlife tourism is most appropriate in Tanzania than any
part of East Africa. We encourage physically impaired clients
who want to see wildlife in their abundance to travel with
us to Tanzania. The most appropriate reserves and National
parks are, Serengeti National Park, the Ngorogoro Crater and
Lake Manyara National park where they will see the tree climbing
Lions. Lake Manyara is also known for its bird life, in that
case we escort disabled clients who are interested in bird
watching to visit Lake Manyara National Park where they will
see over 300 species of the same.
Uganda,
the pearl of East Africa is a swampy country where birding
leads wildlife tourism. In addition to birding and wildlife
tourism, we have the Mountain gorillas located in Bwindi
and Mgahinga National parks not to mention the islands of
Sesse and Ngamba in Lake Victoria where clients visit the
Chimpanzees. We have in one occasion taken a paraplegic client
up to the Mountain gorilla’s places at Bwindi and Mgahinga,
which showed that even the disabled can witness the Mountain
gorillas in their natural habitat.
DISABILITY TOURISM
IN KENYA |
Kenya,
and Nairobi city being the herb for entrance into East
Africa stands pivotal for the incoming physically challenged
clients for tourism because Kenya boasts to have many hotels
and resorts with wheel chair accessibility and disability
rooms. All these are located within the resorts and hotels
including lodges within its National parks, National reserves
and the beaches of Mombasa. Among the hotels in the city centre
of Nairobi which have wheel chair accessibility and disability
rooms include the Panafric hotel, Hilton hotel, the Holiday
Inn and lastly the Safari Park Hotel, all of which have at
least one or two disability rooms. In Mombasa and in the National
reserves of Tsavo, we have the Satao camp, the Sopa Lodges,
and the Mombasa beach hotels which include the Turtle Bay
club. The Sopa lodges in Naivasha, Masaai Mara and part of
the Serena Hotels have developed disability tented camps
for those clients who wish to enjoy watching wildlife in their
remote habitat. Some of the hotels and lodges which are wheel
chair accessible include; Voi safari lodge, the Salt Lick
resort, the Kilaguni lodge, the Ark and the Satao camp all
of these have wildlife watering holes in front of their main
establishments where animals come to water themselves daily.
In view of these situations the water hole resorts and lodges
are favorable for the wheel chair clients.
Demand
for disability tours and safaris
The
clients that we take for disability tourism include:-
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The physically impaired
which include the paraplegic clients.
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The slow movers who
include the aged.
Disability Tour Packages
Niche Africa
holidays disability travel resources include:-
We
undertake the following services; Disability tour planning,
Educational and research disability tours and safaris, individual
and group wheel chair family tours, co-operate physically
impaired tours, location hunting for the hotels and resorts
which are conducive for the physically challenged, bookings
of the placements and lastly escorting the disabled for tours
in vans and 4x4 wheel drive vehicles which are modified for
the comfort of the physically impaired clients while on safari
depending with each one's case.
For us, Niche Africa Holidays to tailor make you travel with
us, we require ample time for planning and execution for this
travels and tours. This includes the location hunting for
proper location, the modification of the vehicles for travel,
appointment of proper escort personnel, hiring of wheel chairs
and other implements for the comfort of the disabled. The
personnel include the nurses, the sign writers for the deaf
and the wheel chair pushers for the physically impaired not
to mention the escorts for the blind.
The
prices for each tour or Safari is calculated based on
the nature of the disability of every client, in that
case we urge the clients to customize their tours and safaris
with us therefore giving us ample time for planning and cost
analysis.
The Itineraries are as follows:
- 7 Days / 6 Nights-Kenya Game viewing
and Beach Holiday tailored for Wheelchair users.
- 7 Days-6 Nights-Wheelchair Kilimanjaro
climbing (Marangu Route Trekking)
- 3 Days - 2 Nights-Maasai Mara Special
Disability Flying Safari
- 7 Days / 6 Nights-Kenya Game viewing
and Beach Holiday tailored for Wheelchair users.
Highlights:
This is a seven days safari starting from Nairobi to Mombasa
and ending in Mombasa or in Nairobi as per the clients wishes
and flight schedules. You will start with visiting the Amboseli
National park where you will be accommodated in a wheelchair
friendly lodge; Sopa lodge and proceed to Tsavo East where
you will stay at Voi Wildlife Safari lodge before you head
to Mombasa for your beach holiday at the Sun N sand Hotel
or if you wish proceed to Watamu in Malindi to stay at Turtle
bay Beach club.
Day 1: Arrival
- Nairobi
On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will
be met by out tour manager who will brief you on your safari
before you are transferred to Amboseli National Park. On arrival,
embark on an en route game viewing drive to Amboseli Sopa
Lodge for lunch. After lunch, have the afternoon at leisure.
Dinner and Overnight
at Amboseli Sopa Lodge.
Day 2: Amboseli full day
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game viewing in this wonderful
National Park.
Amboseli is renowned
for its huge elephant herds. Africas highest Mountain Mt Kilimanjaro
sits on the upper slopes of Amboseli National park. Mt. Kilimanjaros
snow white peak lies across the border in Tanzania. Seeing
the Kilimanjaro hovering above the clouds in the early hours
of the morning is quite an experience. For the enthusiastic
photographer, animal pictures arising against the dramatic
backdrop of the mountain is quite a thrill. Apart from the
Elephants, Amboseli is a home to; buffalos, black rhinos,
zebras, wildebeest and other plain animals.
Dinner and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge.
Day 3: Amboseli - Tsavo East
After breakfast, enjoy a morning game viewing drive if you
still want some more before you depart for Tsavo East, approximately
200kms. Check in at the Voi safari lodge for lunch.
Voi Safari Lodge:
During the dry season the waterholes are the convergence of
a lot of wild animals moving almost in a trance as if urged
on by some kind of telepathic communication, the sight is
just fantastic.
Dinner and overnight
at Voi Wildlife Safari Lodge.
Day 4: Tsavo East - Mombasa
Enjoy morning breakfast before you depart to Mombasa which
is 165kms away to arrive at Sun N Sand. If you choose to proceed
to Watamu, Then we will proceed to Turtle bay Beach club which
is 100 kilometres away, both of the hotels are wheelchair
friendly.
Tsavo East / Tsavo
West: Both national parks are managed separately but together
they form the largest reserve in East Africa. The northern
part of Tsavo east may not however be visited by tourists.
Nevertheless the Tsavo national park founded in 1947 is one
of the most visited tourist attraction in Kenya. In spite
of its arid countryside and savannah vegetation about 60species
of mammals and 400 different species of birds are to be found
here. The Tsavo is particularly famous because of its dramatic
scenery and the Red Elephants which owe their colours to the
dust prevalent in this area as well as lions and cheetahs.
There are many antelopes (Oryx, kudus, giants gazelles and
giraffe) Burchells zebras, Maasai giraffes baboons and vervet
monkeys of the birds the most impressive is the Maasai ostrich.
Where there is water such as at Mzima springs, crocodiles
and hippos can also be seen.
Dinner and overnight
at Sun N Sand Beach resort / Turtle bay Beach Club.
Day 5 & 6: Mombasa / Malindi
Full day will be spent at leisure. You can engage in extra
activities arranged and payable direct to the hotel.
Day 7: Mombasa - Nairobi
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Airport well
in time for your onward flight to Nairobi to connect to your
flight back home. Or if you are to exit from Mombasa’s
Moi International Airport, you will be at liberty.
End of Services.
Cost In US$ 2,800
per person sharing.
Safari Cost Includes:
• Pick up and drop off at Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport / Moi International Airport.
• Local flights fees Nairobi-Amboseli
• Use of safari vehicle with Pop up roof for game viewing
specially designed to accommodate wheel chair
• Guaranteed window seats for every participant.
• Park entry fee for Amboseli and Tsavo
• All meals as per the Itinerary. Full board meal plan.
(3 Meals a day)
• Service of an experienced English - Speaking driver
guide
• Game drives as per the Itinerary
• Driver allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
• Government taxes
• Last day transfer to Airport or your hotel in Nairobi
/ Mombasa.
Excludes:
• Extras at the lodges tips, drinks, telephone, laundry
or any other personal expenses
3
Days - 2 Nights-Maasai Mara Special Disability Flying Safari
Safari Features:This is a three day flying
safari from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara for three persons with
one of them being on a wheel Chair. You will stay at the Maasai
Mara Serena Safari Lodge which is located near the Airstrip
at the Maasai Mara. This offers a short trip for the wheelchair
tourist client who is in pain but have to visit the Maasai
Mara. You will be travelling in a special customed tour van
made to accommodate the wheelchair and the two other clients
while on this safari. You start from the Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport to the Wilson Airport for the Maasai
Mara flight and round it up at the same venue as stated in
the itinerary on the third day. Mara Serena Safari lodge is
a 5 star lodge with facilities ready to accommodate a wheel
chair client.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Nairobi - Maasai Mara
On arrival at the Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,
you will be met by our tour manager who will brief you on
your safari before you are transferred to take another flight
at Wilson Airport to Maasai Mara at 10.00 hours. This flight
takes 45 minutes to Maasai Mara arriving in time for lunch,
thereafter at 1600 hours; proceed for a late afternoon game
viewing drive till dusk in the park, which is essentially
the northern extension of Tanzania's Serengeti National Reserve
as an artificial border only separates the two.
Lunch, Dinner and Overnight at Maasai Mara Serena Safari lodge
Day 2: Maasai Mara
Early breakfast followed by game viewing drives within the
reserve till Lunch time. (Slow movement within the park).
The Maasai Mara,
The New 7th wonder of the world and 4th preferred tourist
destination in the world is a home to wildlife in such abundance
and variety that it is difficult to imagine. The most spectacular
event of the natural world takes place here; The annual migration
of millions of wildebeest and zebra from the Serengeti (Tanzania)
in search of water and pasture while being followed on their
heels by the predators of the savanna; lion, cheetah, wild
dog, jackal, hyena and vultures.
It hosts over 450 species of animals which include lions,
rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, wildebeests, zebras,
buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard,
many kinds of antelopes and elephants.
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Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner and Overnight at Maasai Mara Serena Safari lodge
Day 3: Maasai Mara - Nairobi - Departure
Early morning, pre breakfast game viewing drive Return to
the lodge for breakfast.
OR
Take the opportunity
to fly over the Mara in a Hot air Balloon provided at extra
cost. The balloon package includes a champagne breakfast in
the wild! If you can spare the money, viewing abundant game
afloat a balloon is an unforgettable experience.
After breakfast and
your last game drive, depart the Maasai Mara for Nairobi with
the morning flight taking off at 11.15 hours and arriving
in Nairobi at 12.15 hours ready for lunch served at the Famous
Carnivore Restaurant near the Wilson airport before you are
transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for
your departure flight.
Cost: US$ 1,650 per
person sharing (3 persons sharing accommodation) - Private
Safari
Package
Includes:
- Transport based on a special customed safari minibus for
wheel chair client with pop up roof for game viewing while
in Nairobi and Maasai Mara
- All Park entry fee
- All Airports transfer fees
- Local Flight fees to the Maasai Mara and back to Nairobi
- Accommodation and all meals in Maasai Mara and at the meals
at Carnivore Restaurant
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide
- Game drives as per the Itinerary
- Driver allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Government taxes
Package
Excludes:
- Hot air Balloon flight in Maasai Mara US$ 385 per person
extra
(Price is subject to confirmation at the time of booking.)
- Tips to driver guides and porter.
- Extras at the lodges tips, drinks, telephone
-Services of a Nurse if needed.
-Airport Departure tax
-Visa fees
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