Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The most amazing trip


I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that was the most amazing trip ever and met every expectation we could have possibly had (and more).

Honestly, I don’t know how we’ll top that.  We saw more wildlife in 24 hours than I thought was possible.  The Ndutu area at this time of year was just teeming.

We loved the wilderness camp and how raw and authentic it was.  And it somehow never felt like a non-luxury situation.  Having the camp to ourselves, our own big fire, sleeping with the windows down and having the whole Serengeti night right outside was just amazing.  The sunrises, the hyenas raiding the dining tent, the birds as wake up call, the pride of lions just a mile away, the giraffe and impala and zebra walking through the woodland 100 yards away, it was all perfect.  The camp staff also was so professional and amiable and we were pleasantly surprised we got free Swahili lessons with dinner every night.

Loliondo was also amazing (and a really nice upgrade with the yurt…. I thought we were fine in the WMC tent but when we got to the yurt it was like “ahhhh….”).  Again, the staff there was so amazing, particularly our Masai guard/assistant, Peter.  The breakfast in the bush after the walk was amazing.  The sundowner on the kopje, watching the sun set and the Masai bring their cows back into the boma, and then the bonfire, was something I will never forget.  That was a truly special night.  We also had the pleasure of being hosted by the staff back in their kitchen and dining area that night.  We asked permission to, and they allowed us to, skip dinner in the dining tent and go back and have dinner with them and watch a Tanzanian movie. They were all very good humored about it and at that point we had picked up enough Swahili to not totally embarrass ourselves. Perfect end to the trip.

Last but not least, I cannot say enough about our guide David Mboya.  He was such an excellent guide and a consummate professional.  He was so respectful of the wildlife and other vehicles and managed always to be in the right place at the right time and at that perfect respectful distance.  He clearly cares about his profession and his country.  He entertained all our silly questions all week long, was so informative, and bent over backwards to make sure every need was attended to.  He has the most amazing personality and we left having made a friend.  I cannot recommend him highly enough and we will go on safari with him again.
BH - March 2011

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Nomad - a cut above the rest

Hi Nomad, thought you'd like to see the feedback from our lovely client, who is a regular with Nomad.
Thanks so much for being the most wonderful operators!!! Seamless!

Angela
Journeys by Design


"First off - Nomad has new canvas and chemical toilets at the tented camps in Serengeti (Ndutu).  This was nice and unexpected.  They were as usual, top notch in every respect.  The food was splendid and tasty.

The accommodations were wonderful and there was no rain at all.  Some of the staff even remembered me from last year, which is really sweet.  We saw leopard, three lion and four cheetah within one kilometer - on the first day.  We caught up with the migration on the 3rd day and saw two kills (by lions); one attempt on a giraffe that failed (but was fun to watch); a few births and lots of babies (everything). 

The yurts were still in use at Loliondo and that made me smile.  Such lovely spacious tents and again the staff remembered me.  The food was excellent and flavorful.  The game walks were fun and night game driving exciting and novel.  I love the incorporation of the Masai into the camp as askari and for the walks.  It's a nice touch.  Also no rain - which was 180 degrees from last year, but not a problem in terms of the game - except that the lion were sparse because the Masai were grazing cattle nearby, but who could blame them - those are some fierce looking spears.

Nomads continues to impress me with their effortless elegance.  They make the hardest things look easy and are so down to earth and friendly.

I feel Iike I'm visiting with family (family that I like).  Rem is a tremendous guide and he's gotten even better.  He is sensitive to photographers and lighting so much so that he positions me for amazing photographs and sometimes will run a video while I'm shooting still images giving twice the coverage.  He drives expertly and smoothly without jostling me around, but manages to negotiate quietly enough to get us really close to great experiences without seeming to annoy the animals (a big plus).

I had an opportunity to observe the behavior of some of the other tour operators and I must say they are reckless, rude and not respectful of others (animals or people).  Nomads is really a cut above the rest.   Despite the number of times I've been to Tanzania
I continue to learn and appreciate new things".

Monday, March 14, 2011

Serengeti & Loliondo

We have now returned from our great experience. Everything went very well.

We appreciated Godwins excellent knowledge and help. Thanks for the nice suprise
of a cake and champagne.

Thanks for putting together the program which worked out very well.

Regards
SA, March 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

Sand Rivers - best camp they had ever stayed in

Just a quick one to let you all know that our clients, the H's, had a wonderful time at Sand Rivers, and felt it to the best camp they had ever stayed in. Thanks to all the team for looking after them so well, and making their stay so memorable.
Aardvark Safaris - Feb 2011