Heading Back Home

2010-09-04T08:06:00.002-04:00

This is a quick message to let you know that all is well. We're in the Cape Town airport waiting for our flight to Johannesburg. Yes, we're headed back home after a fantastic holiday.

The 12 day safari was better than we even could imagine. We most enjoyed our time at the Mara West Lodge and in the Western Serengeti in Kensington's tented camp (despite the Tsetse flies in this part of the Serengeti). As you can imagine, phone and internet service was practically non-existent during our safari. We saw more than 170 species of animals, birds and reptiles/amphibians and watched the incredible Great Migration of zebras and wildebeest. Two 8 Gig cards later....

Cape Town even held up to it's reputation as a world vacation spot. Robben Island was memorable. Jennifer Hudson was onsite filming a movie about Winnie Mandela while we were there. The winelands and the V&A Waterfront were also spectacular. We'll tell you all about it once we settle back in. We have lots of spectacular photos to share with you too.

Susan and Claude

Day by Day Trip Description

2010-08-06T16:51:00.054-04:00

KENYA & TANZANIA GAME TRACKER SAFARI

For our adventure, a well acclaimed tour company was critical. Based on recommendations by National Geographic, we chose Kensington Tours. They operate one of the best game tracker tours through Kenya and Tanzania, along with other trips, including the private safari customized for Claude and I. Keep reading, I promise it will be interesting. Additional information about Kensington is presented at the bottom of this page.

NAIROBI

Upon landing at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta airport, Kensington staff will meet us with private limo transport. We’ll register with Flying Doctors for the duration of our vacation in Kenya and Tanzania and then its off to our hotel.

Our first night’s stay will be at the Upperhill Country Lodge, Nairobi, which is in a quiet garden setting off Ngong Road, west of Nairobi’s City Center. Good thing, considering Nairobi is a bustling city. Did you know it’s a very young city - only about 100 years old? It was a surprise to me as well. For the rest of the day, I doubt we’ll do more than go for a walk, try a local restaurant and call it an early night! Our safari starts early the next day. There’ll be more time for sightseeing in Nairobi upon our return.

LAKE NAIVASHA
Heading out from Nairobi in a 4x4 land cruiser with pop up top, our guide and driver will take us northwest of Nairobi to Lake Naivasha. Located in the Great Rift Valley on Masai land, the freshwater lake itself measures 139 square km, surrounded partly by a swamp covering an area of 64 square km. The lake's fish populations support the more than 400 species of birds in this area, including waterfowl. Cormorants, eagles, kingfishers, herons, babblers and my favourites, lovebirds are in abundance. There's also a sizeable population of hippos here. Hell’s Gate, with its spectacular rock tower is located nearby.

The lake also has a history of famous inhabitants. Joy Adamson, author of "Born Free" made the shores of the lake her home and later left her legacy, a conseration education center.

Simba Lodge

Here, we’ll stay at the Simba Lodge surrounded by gardens on the shores of the lake. The Lodge is world class and the site of the signing of the Sudanese Peace Agreement (also known as the Naivasha Agreement). Visitors have included heads of state, Kofi Annan, Colin Powell and US Senators.

Our day will be spent taking a guided nature walk along the lakeshore and boating to Crescent Island to view all of the animals, shore birds and waterfowl in their habitats. In the late afternoon, we can relax at the Lodge's swimming pool to cool off. But interesting things happen at night too. The lake's resident hippopotamus herds graze the property grounds. We’ll be able to watch the enormous animals outside of our lodge windows. That's about as close I want to get!

MASAI MARA

The next morning, we’ll drive west-southwest into the Great Rift Valley, to the Masai Mara National Reserve. This is the land of the semi-nomadic Masai warriors. We hope to have the chance to visit a boma and the local masai. Our afternoon will be spent game viewing in the Reserve. It's chock full of animals. If we're lucky, we may spot an elusive leopard at a waterhole or lazing in a tree.

Kensington's Mara West
A luxury chalet will be our home for the next two nights. Kensington recently hired a new top chef for this location, overseeing the international and bush cuisine menu. Our private chalet, outfitted with all amenities, is one of eight perched among fig trees on the Ololoolo escarpment edge overlooking the vast plains of the Masai Mara Reserve. It is near the film location of the Meryl Streep movie, “Out of Africa”. Herds of zebras, giraffe, gazelle and topi can be seen on the savannas below, with eagles and vultures soaring at eye level off our balcony.

The next morning and afternoon will be spent on game drives in the reserve seeking out lions, leopards and cheetahs which follow the grazing herds. Birdlife can also be spotted throughout the reserve; this area boasts over 450 bird species.

SERENGETI
After Mara West, our safari continues with our guide southwards into the Serengeti. We’ll cross from Kenya into Tanzania at the small border town of Isebania, driving deep into the reserve. Mara West and Serengeti are in fact the same park. They simply bear different names in each country. A picnic lunch on the bank of Lake Victoria is in order, with a possible visit to a fishing village. The savannas continue into the Serengeti.

We’ve come here to witness the Great Migration of massive herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra, occurring at the northern reach of the Serengeti. Predators lurk at the periphery, attracted by the chance of an easy meal. This is home to the big 5: lions, leopards, black rhinos, Cape buffalo and elephants. Two days of morning and afternoon game drives will also allow us to follow the migration and view giraffe, cheetah and antelopes, as well as vultures, storks, ostriches, cranes and secretary birds. We hope to capture the sights on camera.

Kensington’s wilderness camp, situated deep in the heart of Western Serengeti, one hour from Lake Victoria, will be our lodgings for two nights. The small private, semi-permanent camp is set under the Marula trees in a grove near the Grumeti River. This is not “roughing it.” Five course gourmet bush cuisine is served at dinner, following sundowner drinks at sunset overlooking the savannas. Our lodging has Masai inspired features and lamps, and campaign furniture. It’s truly pampered luxury in the heart of the wilderness.

NGORONGORO
Next, we’ll head southwards to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (8292 sq kms) and Olduvai Gorge (Oldupai). Ngorongoro, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Eighth Natural Wonder of the World, is Africa’s Eden. It’s a volcanic caldera, 20 kms across and 600 metres deep, which houses a deep soda lake. A Kenyan in Ottawa recently told me that at a distance, the crater lake looks like it is covered in pink roses. On approach however, one realizes it is filled with enormous flocks of flamingos.

Herds of ungulates also live in the caldera with the world’s highest density of mammalian predators. It takes nearly one hour to drive down the caldera by 4x4 Jeep to the floor below. We’ll be spending a full day exploring this unique habitat. The Olduvai Gorge is the Cradle of Mankind, an important paleoanthropological site, where the earliest footsteps of mankind (dating 3.7 million years ago) and fossil remains of primitive Hominids including Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus and Australopithecus Boisei have been found. This is definitely the peak of excitement for any biologist. Claude did say he liked history.......

During our two day visit to Ngorongoro, our lodgings will be in one of the eighteen chalets at Kensington Endoro. The picturesque lodge is set in the Ngorongoro Highland Forest on the edge of the conservation area. It offers an elegant respite for guests with each luxury room outfitted with a canopy bed, fireplace, Jacuzzi bath, indoor/outdoor shower and private verandah. Perfect for cool dawns and warm afternoons.

AMBOSELI
Heading towards Amboseli, we'll cross from Tanzania into Kenya at the Namanga border crossing. The plan is to stop in the city of Arusha enroute for lunch, before our guide takes us into the Amboseli National Park for an afternoon game drive. The park is famous for Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world's largest freestanding mountain - and its large herds of elephants. The park's nearly 700 free-ranging elephants (my favourite animal) roam the plains which are also dotted with small swamps. Herds of wildebeest and gazelle share the ecosystem with warthogs, baboons, vervet monkeys, lions, buffalo, cheetah and giraffe, to name just a few. One of the main reason for planning this trip is to view elephants in the wild. My ultimate thrill is to watch baby or juvenile elephants playing under protection of their herd and the interraction among all herd members. Absolutely fascinating! It's high on my bucket list of things to do and see.

AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE
If Claude and our guide can peel me away from the elephants during the day, we'll be spending two nights at the Amboseli Serena Lodge, deep in the heart of Aboseli. It's a luxury eco-lodge, and only one of a very few allowed to operate in the national park. From our room's patio we'll have spectacular uninterrupted views of the golden savannas and the snow-capped mountain itself. Whether lounging after game drives at the pool, or having buffet dinners in the main dining room or bush dinners set out on white tablecloths under the stars, we'll be pampered. What a great way to wrap up our safari and chat about our elephant encounters.

NAIROBI
Our safari with Kensington ends back in Nairobi, where we’ll once again stay at the Upperhill Country Lodge. Here, we'll have some time to purchase souvenirs, visit the city sights and restaurants before flying on to South Africa for our second leg. We’re looking forward to trying “Carnivore” restaurant, a recommendation of many travel sites and the Kenyan who I mentioned previously. He fondly relayed stories of his family spending every Sunday dinner here while growing up. It’s renowned for its central roasting pit where chefs cook exotic meats on traditional Masai swords before carving it onto cast iron plates at guests’ tables. They also offer a vegetarian menu, but who would dare order from it in this restaurant so aptly named? It's a true African culinary adventure. Hartebeest antelope anyone?

TOUR OF CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA & THE WINE DISTRICTS
The second leg of our holiday starts with our flight from Nairobi to Cape Town, South Africa via Johannesburg. We’re on our own in Cape Town. I managed to get such a great rate at the Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays that I didn’t split our time between the city and countryside. The hotel is located on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, downtown in the heart of the tourist district. We’ll take day trips to the surrounding districts.

ROBBEN ISLAND
Our schedule in Cape Town is dependant on weather. That's something one cannot predict or change. On bright and sunny days, we plan to visit Robben Island and Table Mountain National Park/Cape Point. Twice daily, tours dispatch from the V & A Waterfront to Robben Island where Nelson Mandella was imprisoned and toiled in the prison's quarry for 18 years during the apartheid era. Former prisoners provide the tours. This opportunity is very important to both of us, for me, since first reading about apartheid and the opposition led by activists Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandella and Steve Biko in Grade 11 English class. (Thank you Mr. Ryan!)

TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK AND CAPE POINT
Cape Town lies at the foot of Table Mountain. No picture of the city is without the unique flat-topped mountain in the background. A cable car ferries visitors to the peak of table mountain. The reward on top is the incredible vista which includes the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town and surrounding districts, and the oceans.

Cape Point lies at the southernmost tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. The naturalist's playground offers opportunity for fresh air and exercise. It includes the Cape lighthouse, surrounding rocky cliffs, and Boulders Beach. And did I mention the birdlife? Boulders is home to a very large colony of African Penguins. Who can resist their awkward waddle?

WINELANDS DISTRICT
We also plan to spend at least one day touring Stellenbosch and Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands District east of Cape Town. The district is renowned worldwide for its award winning wines as well its beautiful vineyard steeped countryside with mountain backdrops. The area also boasts many gourmet shops and restaurants on quaint streets. We're bringing an extra (empty) suitcase with us....just in case there's an emergency like having to restock the wine celler back home.

SAYING FAREWELL
On our last day, we'll likely just stroll around the V & A waterfront, taking our last few photos and buying some small souvenirs (because the wine bottles will take up most of the room). The airport will be beckoning in the afternoon. After saying our last good-bye to South Africa, we'll board our first flight of many, for our long journey home. Truly, what an adventure!

ABOUT KENSINGTON TOURS

Kensington is not only one of the best travel tour companies in the world, but they are also social conscious. Kensington Cares is their charitable foundation initiative which supports education for disadvantaged children. A portion of Kensington’s proceeds support four education facilities in Kenya and Tanzania for disadvantaged and impoverished children. One is an orphanage-school; another centre offers medical care and schooling to disabled children; a third provides schooling and a feeding service for breakfast and lunch; and the fourth provides schooling and community based parenting education. We hope to deliver our donation of school supplies to one of these facilities in person during our safari.

WINNER: Travel + Leisure “Best Luxury Adventure Company”,
National Geographic Traveler “50 Tours of a Lifetime”,
National Geographic Adventure “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth”
Winner '08 & '09 'Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth'
98.33 % client satisfaction rating

Visit their website at http://www.kensingtontours.com/

Susan's and Claude's African Adventures

Heading Back Home

Day by Day Trip Description