Kenya Tanzania Uganda Camping Tour Safari How to Use Pit Latrines

Kenya Wildlife is obviously on your topmost agenda during your camping safari tour in Kenya but it is vital that you are informed on how to operate a pit latrine which you will use during your camping safari. The design and the usage of a pit latrine gives travelers from western countries a cultural shock and whether you have booked a luxury safari lodge, as long your Kenyan safari involves long hours on the road, count it - you will most likely need to use a pit latrine.

What are pit latrines? They are small cubicles of timber, iron sheets, mud or stone walls with a wooden, mud or concrete floor constructed over dug deep hole. There is a rectangular aperture in the middle over which you squat or stand with one leg on each side of the hole.

Neither of these two choices is easy for first time users and especially for children, the elderly or Kenya Tanzania safari travelers with severe weight issues. Ventilation is ordinarily poor in the latrine resulting to a build-up of pungent odors which can easily knock you down. Flies which are attracted by the contents in the shallow hole are another nuisance you will have to deal with.

Many camping safaris Kenya commence from Nairobi city heading to Masai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo, Lake Nakuru, Samburu via the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya regions. All along these safaris routes there are numerous latrine stops.

For camping tour safari heading in the Rift Valley via Lake Nakuru or Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara the pit latrines at the View Point on the escarpment calls for a special mention, as they hang precariously on stilts at the very edge of the deep Great Rift Valley. But they give you the best views of the expansive floor of the valley below, which hopefully compensates for the fear of using the fragile structures.

Pit latrines are built and maintained by souvenir shop owners, who use them as bait for attracting tourists while on safari. The arrangement, though not obvious to tourists is a win-win for the curio shop owners and tour safari drivers who receive commission every time they make a stop at the shops. The downside is that your Kenya safaris driver may stop in every souvenir shop on the route all in the pretense of giving you a chance to use the toilet facilities, however the truth that he is looking for his commission.

Have in mind that pit latrines are provided more as a courtesy rather than as a strict hospitality item, so their hygiene may not measure up to that of the safari lodge, hotels, resorts and luxury safari camps in Kenya.

Tips on how to use a pit latrine while on safari

Use the toilets in your hotel before you start off for long Kenya safari drives. This way you may be able to hold on until you get to the next lodge or keep your visit to the pit latrines to the minimum.

Be as comfortable as possible when using the pit latrine. Therefore hand over your bags and jackets to people traveling with you on the Kenyan safari. Be careful not to leave your belongings unattended.

Whatever contraption has been put up as a door latch, give it a test and hook it up properly. You can't afford to have the door flying open half-way your operations.

Carry your own toilet paper. Though some curio shops along the Kenya safari routes provide toilet paper, it is not guaranteed. No harm in realizing that you didn't need it, than needing it and you don't have it.

Finally, after using the pit latrine wash your hands thoroughly preferably with liquid soap. There may be a running tap or a water tank outside the toilet, if not use your bottled water. Where a bar soap is provided, use it only if there is a good supply of tap water, remember a bar soap can be a good depository for germs.

All done and ready to move on with your Kenya safari? Not so quick before posing for a picture outside the pit latrine, this will be one photo that will show that you were truly there and did that!