Africa Highlights and Travel Lessons: Egypt Challenges, Gorilla Trekking, Vic Falls, and Cape Town Tyler hosts Non Rev Lounge in Austin with returning guest Melissa and her husband Jay, longtime friends who first met Tyler on a Southwest flight and later traveled together to Hawaii. They discuss Melissa and Jay’s multi-week Africa trip planned around Jay’s 50th birthday, including missing Tyler’s family by a few hours in South Africa due to itinerary timing. The conversation covers a difficult, budget-style stop in Egypt (Cairo) with a non-English-speaking driver, getting lost en route to the pyramids, frequent requests for money from vendors and even a police officer, confusion around museum pickup logistics, being taken to an underwhelming “bazaar,” disappointment about a cheaper-than-expected dinner cruise, and an unpleasant hotel dining payment incident; they conclude Egypt is better done via a prepaid guided tour or river cruise. They then describe traveling through Rwanda and Uganda, visiting the Kigali Genocide Museum (highly emotional and impactful, leading them to skip the planned city tour) and completing a gorilla trek in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest They also recount activities around Victoria Falls such as the Devil’s Pool experience on the Zambia side (swimming across, proximity to hippos/crocodiles, and fish nibbling feet), plus zip lining, lion walking (with safety rules and notes about controversy and the operator’s reluctance), rafting, and a Botswana safari near Chobe National Park and the Chobe River with many elephants. They touch on flights and logistics—using miles for British Airways into Egypt, buying some intra-Africa flights for reliability (including Ethiopian and Kenya), concerns about weight-restricted flights returning to the U.S. (ultimately flying United to Newark and onward), using candy as a thank-you (sometimes refused as a “bribe”), and doing laundry via sink washing and local services. 00:00 Welcome to NAR Lounge + Introducing Melissa & Jay 01:56 How Tyler & Melissa Met: The Southwest Flight That Started It All 02:53 Buddy Passes, Hawaii Trips, and Travel Style Differences 04:59 Back to Austin: Texas Weather Whiplash & Catching Up 06:07 Why Africa? Planning Jay’s 50th Birthday Mega-Trip 08:19 Egypt Without a Tour: Pyramids, Scams, and Travel Lessons Learned 20:39 Rwanda’s Genocide Memorial: The Unexpected Emotional Highlight 25:01 Uganda Gorilla Trek: Rain, Porters, and Getting Face-to-Face 30:59 Gorilla Rules & Safety: Masks, Guides, and Forest Elephants 34:32 Gorilla Trekking Reality Check: Forest Elephants, Time Limits & Extra Minutes 35:26 How Much Does Gorilla Trekking Cost? Congo vs Uganda vs Rwanda 36:53 Gorilla Fun Facts: Farts, Tree Hazards & What They Eat 38:14 Victoria Falls Bucket List: Devil’s Pool on the Edge 39:57 Devil’s Pool Logistics: Zambia Border, Boat Ride & “Toilet With a View.” 42:07 Swimming Near Hippos & Crocs + The Fish That Nibble Your Feet 44:27 How Many Days for Vic Falls? Zip Lines, Rafting, Botswana Safari & Visa Tips 48:28 Walking With Lions: Controversy, Safety Rules & How Close You Get 56:26 Cape Town Highlights: Lion’s Head Sunrise + Table Mountain Sunset 01:00:50 Flights, Getting Home & Travel Hacks: Miles, Weight Limits, Candy & Laundry 01:09:33 Kruger Self-Drive Safari: Roads, Permits & Elephant Overload 01:12:22 Wrap-Up, Thanks for Listening + Sponsor Message StaffTraveler is offering a 10% code for any of our listeners who buy their eSIM. Use the Promo code ST10NONREVLOUNGE https://share.stafftraveler.com/nrl-esim ✈StaffTraveler is a great app that can assist your non-rev travels! Use it to find the loads for your non-rev travel! Use this to sign up: https://stafftraveler.com/nonrevlounge
