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POLLMAN’S TOURS AND SAFARIS

THE BEST WAY TO SEE KENYA

Kenya is the heart of East Africa, a vast country that possesses golden beaches, massive wilderness areas and a wealth of fascinating tribal rituals. It is often seen as the first port of call for any African safari or a stepping-stone to subsequent safaris in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Southern Africa. Because of Kenya’s historic tourism development, the country’s infrastructure is sophisticated and its national parks well-maintained with a vast array of accommodation available, to suit every style, taste and budget. This forms Pollman’s introduction.

For safer Tourism, Pollman’s Tours & Safaris is among Kenya’s oldest and most respected tour companies. Founded in the 1950s by Karl Pollman, Pollman’s Tours & Safaris has grown to become an industry leader with more than 200 latest model vehicles meeting the needs of a variety of group and individual clients. The vehicles are custom-designed for the roads of Kenya.

One of East Africa’s most famous reserves, the 1,600 square kilometres ‘Mara’ consists of undulating hills and great rolling grasslands that sustain some of the most varied wildlife in Africa, if not the world. There is always game in the ‘Mara’, however it changes its character dramatically with the seasons, hence the necessity of ensuring custom-designed vehicles for safe transport and tourism.

When the grass is fairly high in many areas, game-viewing is restricted, but the countryside is incredibly green and at its most scenic. As the countryside dries out, game-viewing improves. Game concentrations are at their greatest from around July to the end of October, when the migrating herds filter across the Mara River from western Serengeti. During this period, you will find vast plains filled, as far as the eye can see, with wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, eland, Topi and hartebeest as well as the normal resident herds such as elephant, buffalo and giraffe. Naturally, these are all followed by great prides of lion, hyena, cheetah and the various other predators and scavengers.

Many animals do not survive these annual trips due to exhaustion or the treacherous river crossings, where some of the world’s largest crocodiles await their feast. Other highlights of the ‘Mara’ include the early morning balloon safaris, walking in the community areas adjoining the main park and some of the lodges’ fascinating programmes orientated towards children’s wildlife education. It is therefore safe to enjoy the wildebeest on Pollman’s Safari.

One of its popular offerings is the Pollman’s incredible scheduled tours and safaris that combine like-minded travellers for a shared experience. Travelling as a group offers the benefits of reduced cost and is a great way to make new friends who share an enthusiasm for Africa.

Pollman’s offer a number of departures each week with varying itineraries and accommodation to fit schedules and budgets. All of Pollman’s scheduled programmes are available on request as a private safari (at a slightly higher cost) and on a private basis, can operate on any date subject to availability of accommodation.

Some of Pollman’s scheduled programmes are components of longer safaris and even combine with a safari in Tanzania to create the East African Explorer. These safaris also operate with bi-lingual driver-guides and participants could be from all over the world. A great way to make friends from other lands and experience a fantastic safari.

Some programmes include an overnight in Nairobi at the beginning of the safari whilst others require an overnight at different locations to be added at an additional cost.

Pollman’s Tours & Safaris is constantly renewing its vehicle fleet to ensure that the travellers have a comfortable, trouble-free safari. Recently, Pollman’s made the decision to move many of its programmes to four-wheel drive vehicles to improve all-round all-year accessibility and comfort.

There is no question that the roads in Kenya can have some rough patches. This is where a combination of quality, well maintained vehicles and experienced driver-guides can be the difference between a good safari and a great holiday experience. Pollman’s therefore operate a variety of vehicles meeting the specific needs of our travellers, including safari buses for transfer, Toyota’s Noah’s for private VIP transfers and for really special needs, a Mercedes Benz or luxury 4×4.

For groups, Pollman’s provide transfers in 24 passenger coaches. These are also used for shared transfers on the Kenyan coast to the many spectacular Indian Ocean resorts that is on the tour menu.

The interiors of Pollman’s vehicles are spacious and designed with the safari traveller in mind. Most have power points for recharging camera batteries. Pop-open roofs allow panoramic game viewing as well as protection from the sun. A cooler box provides chilled water and vehicles also carry a first aid kit and other tools to be prepared for any bump along the way. All seats have seat belts and pass rigorous safety checks before each safari.

The most important part of any vehicle is the driver. Pollman’s drivers and driver-guides are well trained and have extensive experience of safari. Many speak a number of languages including French, Spanish, Italian, German and of course English.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Pollman’s offices have adopted a number of policies to reuse, recycle and conserve wherever possible. These include: Paper conservation efforts such as two-sided printing; Changes to energy efficient lighting; Powering off computers during lunches and when leaving for the day; Using recycled paper where possible (including the price list); Providing more information by email and internet, reducing printed documents.

In travel planning, Pollman’s has designed a number of itineraries that reduce the dependency on vehicles.

On corporate responsibility (CSR) Pollman’s has variety of activities that allow cultural interaction with proceeds helping the community. These include: Walking, hiking and trekking safaris, Fly-in safaris (saving the need for vehicles driving long distances), Community activities where safari participants get involved.

In its workshops, Pollman’s has taken a number of steps to make sure the reduction of the carbon footprint created by the safaris. These include: Proper tyre inflation, engine tune-ups to improve fuel consumption, recycling of oil and driver training on driving techniques to reduce fuel usage.