When It Comes to Safaris... We Go Wild!

Although there are many things to see and do in Harambe, the primary reason people come here is for the wildlife. Tours of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve and its environs are very popular, and the biggest tour operator in town is Kilimanjaro Safaris. Taking its name from Mt. Kilimanjaro on the Kenya and Tanzania border, Kilimanjaro Safaris Co. runs a variety of tours out of Harambe, Nairobi, Mombasa and Arusha.

Kilimanjaro's Tembo Truck Excursions ("tembo" is the Swahili word for "elephant") are by far the most popular (and as far as theme park reality goes, the only ones anyone can actually do). We'll take a detailed look at this tour and the reserve itself in future blog entries. In our story of Harambe, though, there are many more safari options. Kilimanjaro Safaris alone also offers East African Birdwatching, the Samburu Fishing Safari, a Selou Bushwalk, Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbing Trek, and "Barefoot in Lamu" with everything from sportfishing to donkey rides.

That's just the beginning. Harambe is home to many smaller outfits, each with its own unique approach. Twiga Travel Agency ("twiga" means "giraffe") provides personalized service. Kinga Hot Air Balloon Trips offers to take visitors "above it all" for a romantic view of Africa, complete with Champagne breakfast at touchdown. Notice how they've posted their advertisement right next to one for Kilimanjaro Safaris, and they even take a shot at the big dog with the line, "Tired of the dust and jolts of East Africa's famous road system?" Subtle, no?

Then there's Cap'n Bob's Super Safaris. Actually created by the Imagineers as a joke, it's meant to be the low-rent sort of operation the professional guides at Kilimanjaro Safaris would make fun of. The ad is very reassuring, though. "Trust us!" it says, "Captain Bob invented economy camping." Then they add, just in case you're not buying it, "Camping doesn't mean 'Cheap' - It means 'Value!'"

And while Kilimanjaro and some of the other tour companies will take you through the beautiful Harambe Wildlife Reserve, Cap'n Bob's Super Safaris isn't exactly licensed to operate in that area. Instead, Cap'n Bob offers day trips to Mauti Crocodile Farm ("mauti" means "death" in Swahili) and the Ujinga Ranch for camel rides ("ujinga" roughly translates as "stupidity").

My favorite detail? Listed next to the phone number for Cap'n Bob's is the note, "Ask for Ed." It's as if the whole operation is run out of some guy's apartment. My advice? Stick with Kilimanjaro.