Africa

Country Guide Africa Safari

W O R D S B Y : Jose_b_aquino Phil_mutz Nick _C Atania Chris_izzo

p h o t os B Y :

Ckc Safaris

Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

Maasai mara sopa lodge Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve had a keen fascination with nature— particularly the wild, beautiful giants that roam the African plains (even before Disney’s The Lion King captured every child’s heart in the 90’s, mine included). While my older brother wanted to watch Saturday morning cartoons, I would nag him to switch the television to Chanel 13, so I could watch the pride of lions systematically stalk and take down the exhausted cape buffalo or witness large, migrating herds of wildebeest risk predation and drowning by crossing treacherous, crocodile-infested rivers in search of greener pastures. Traveling to Africa and seeing these great beasts in real life has been at the top of my bucket list for a long time, and I was finally able to check that off when my friends and I visited Kenya in the fall of 2017, a trip that exceeded all expectations and sights more breathtaking than anything I can imagine.

Our Kenya trip consisted of one full day at Lake Nakuru National Park and one full day at Maasai Mara National Reserve, with a short, unplanned excursion through Lake Naivasha and hours of driving in between. The Kenya portion of our 15-day vacation in Africa was booked through ckc Safaris, a reputable tour operator for East Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. From the minute we landed in Nairobi until we left a few days later, ckc Safaris had all our travel and lodging accommodations planned out and ready to go—including our transportation between the

Ken Ya

airport, hotels and national parks, all our meals, as well as our safari tours. Our driver and travel guide, Simon, was organized, punctual, accommodating, knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend using ckc Safaris, and request Simon as your guide!

the first stop on our trip was Lake Nakuru, which is an approximately 3.5 hour drive northwest of Nairobi. Known for the thousands of flamingos that feed in its algae-filled waters, Lake Nakuru National Park is 73-square mile park that is fenced off to protect the wildlife, particularly the critically endangered rhinos, from poachers. Simon, took us on two early morning drives and one late afternoon drive through the park, which are times when the animals are most active. As we drove through the lush grasslands and thick, wooded vegetation that surround Lake Nakuru, we saw wildlife brimming all around—zebras, warthogs, Thomson’s gazelles, impalas, waterbucks, baboons, pelicans, guinea fowls, giraffes, buffalo, hyenas and even juvenile lions feeding on a giraffe carcass. Standing along the shores of Lake Nakuru and witnessing its vast landscape, with thousands of pink flamingos wading along the shallow waters is a sight we will always remember. However, the highlight of this safari was catching a rare glimpse of a group of prehistoric-looking white rhinoceroses, with their massive bodies, short legs and long, and sharp horns atop their large heads. We spent one night at the Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, which sits atop a hill within the national park, with breathtaking views of Lake Nakuru. The Lodge offered excellent accomodations, great full-course meals and a fully-stocked bar as a nice way to end our action-packed day.

After Lake Nakuru, we were supposed to embark on the long drive to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. However, Simon, let us in on a little secret and took us on a short excursion to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake outside the town of Naivasha, about an hour and a half south of Lake Nakuru. We arrived at Naivasha Watersport Resort, which offers a one-hour boat trip around the lake for $40 us dollars to see hippopotamus and other wildlife that live along Lake Naivasha. While all my friends immediately said yes to this, I had my reservations. I’ve watched enough National Geographic to know that, despite their cute, chubby appearances, hippopotamus are highly aggressive and are known to attack humans or any other potential threats. And yes, I’ve seen the YouTube video. Basically, hippos give zero F’s. So yes, I was scared to go on this tiny, six-person canoe to look for them. After much deliberation, I finally said “Yes” and, within ten minutes, we managed to spot our first of many pods of hippos, with their bodies submerged and their heads peeking out of the water. All our hearts stopped when one of the hippos, about 30 feet from our boat, submerged itself and then breached out of the water in a sudden charge towards us. Do not let the short legs fool you! This hippo was surprisingly fast in the water and got uncomfortably close to our boat before giving up on the chase! Next time I should listen to my instincts and steer clear of the hippos all together!

Just when we thought we had seen and experienced it all, the Maasai Mara National Reserve, our last destination in Kenya, really blew me away, making it my favorite part of the whole 2-week trip. The journey from Lake Naivasha to Maasai Mara is approximately four hours long, the last two hours of it are spent traversing on unpaved, bumpy road. It’s a difficult one, but well worth the wait. You know you are getting close when you start seeing the Maasai people in the stunning, bright red blankets around their shoulders. Unlike Lake Nakuru National Park with its thick, wooded vegetation, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is a game reserve consisting primarily of vast, open grasslands. Here, there are no fences, so the wildlife is free to follow their natural migration patterns. The beauty and richness of this expansive landscape is unlike anything I’ve seen before. As we drove through the Maasai Mara, there were animals at every turn. We saw herds and herds of zebras, gazelles, impalas, wildebeests, cape buffalo, hippos, eland, ostriches and elephants. A pair of male lions even casually walked right past our van, while all the other animals in the area, us included, stopped all activity and watched intently at their every move. At this moment, it was clear who were the kings and queens of the wild. As Beyonce once said, ‘Bow Down B@#$!’—and that we did! We spent one night at the Maasai Mara Sopa Lodge, a lovely facility designed to resemble traditional African round houses. The accommodations were great, the staff was very friendly and the buffet-style food was excellent. -jose B. Aquino

All our hearts stopped when one of the hippos, about 30 feet from our boat, subm E Rg E D itself and then breached out of the water in a sudden charge towards us.

Victoria Falls

It wouldn’t be a trip to AFRICA without a stop in stunning Victoria Falls. We did a tour with jibha Africa Safaris and we were certainly not disappointed. Our contact Patrick made sure we saw everything we wanted to (and needed to) see. From a high-flying helicopter ride over the falls (as someone who has a severe fear of heights, Xanax is a must) to bungee jumping off of the bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia (I didn’t actually jump, my friends did; again, see “fear of heights”), there was so much to do and see in VF.

but that’s not to say that there wasn’t time for relaxing. Some of my favorite memories from Zimbabwe took place at the beautiful and relaxing Victoria Falls Hotel. Having breakfast (complete with mimosas) while the monkeys climbed the trees around us was quite the experience. And laying poolside with a frozen cocktail wasn’t half bad either. Not to mention, after a long day of exploring, it was nice to come back to one of the comfy rooms for a little bit of R&R or to sit out and quietly watch the spray from the falls in the distance.

Jibha Africa Safaris

Victoria Falls Hotel

Chobe Garden Lodge

Helicopter ride As an added bonus to our time in Zimbabwe, we found ourselves quite close to the border of Botswana. So we figured, why not take a several day detour to see the incredible Chobe National Park? Our accommodations at the Chobe Garden Lodge in Botswana (recommended and arranged by Patrick) were really something special. “Family dinners” with the other guests and rooms with a view of the water were just the tip of the iceberg. Then, of course, there was the game drive itself. Make sure you choose the time of year wisely if you choose to visit, as the rainy season may keep the elephants far from view. But also definitely make sure to take in a boat safari cruise while there - it was a once in a lifetime experience. so to sum up, Zimbabwe (with a side trip to Botswana) is a must for any African vacation. I was floored by the hospitality, the adventure, the relaxation, and the beauty. -phil mutz After a two AND ONe HALF HOUR flight from Victoria Falls following a week long Safari that encompassed Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe we landed in South Africa’s Cape Town. Beautiful beaches, wondrous landscapes and extremely welcoming locals added to our glorious time. We Airbnb-ed in the chic camp’s Bay area that had a delicious in-ground pool, ocean And mountain views with lion’s Head & Table Top Aerial Cableway almost right at our doorstep. Hiking up Lion’s Head is well worth it! Day trips included a jaunt to the seaside town of hermanus for whale watching, then indulging in fish tacos to die for at betty Blue Bistro. As well, we daytripped to the altogether heavenly graff Winery in stellenbosch for a wine tasting. We made our way to Victoria’s Wharf for shopping and then a short boat ride over to the robben Island Museum, where we learned the compelling and uplifting story of nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid revolutionary who was jailed there for 18 years. our final night in Cape Town we decided on an evening of dinner and dancing at the fabulous pigalle Restaurant in Somerset Square. The Tuna Steak was simply perfect! -nick catania table top aerial Cableway

Graff Winery

Betty Blue Bistro

Pigalle Restaurant

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Cape Town

Highlights

Camp’s Bay

Lion’s Head Hike

Hermanus

Wineries in Stellenbosch

Cape point The final destination in our 15 day trip around Southern Africa was to the deserts of Namibia. We had booked our 3 day desert getaway with the team at Wild Wind Safaris who were not only incredibly responsive, but also incredibly helpful in making our plans. we met our guide David early Sunday morning in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and drove for four hours towards the region of Sosusvlei—a place with some of the highest dunes on Earth, inscribed on the unesco World Heritage list.

our drive took us through the Spreetshoogte Pass, a beautiful mountain pass between desert and highlands that awarded us beautiful views as we drove. One of our favorite animal sightings was specific to this leg of the trip—the beautiful and unicorn-based myth-inducing Oryx. Seeing them in person was magnificent. A quick stop at the Tropic of Capricorn and lunch at the iconic Solitaire oasis finally brought us to our accommodation, Le Mirage Desert Lodge and Spa. We had some time to get settled, and then went out on atvs through the dunes to watch the sunset—a huge highlight of the entire trip.

the terrain of the desert was unlike anything we had seen so far in our trip, and we were all fascinated by the mysteries around the Fairy Circles. The experience of watching the sunset over such unique landscapes in a place of tangible solitude was really something special. Our day ended with a beautiful outdoor dinner in the warm desert air catered by the lodge.

Wild Wind Safaris

Le Mirage Desert Lodge

Moon Mountain Lodge

Star Gazing

Namibia

Highlights

Atv Driving Around Fairy Circles in the Desert

Hiking to Dead Vlei

Climbing Dune 45

Star Gazing from Moon Mountain

Oryx sitings Our second day started before sunrise, as we drove to the heart of the dunes ‘Sossusvlei’—‘the place of gathering waters’ to catch the sunrise in the desert and experience breathtaking beauty of the orange-colored landscape. We headed to Dune 45 and hiked to the top, an experience unlike any I’ve ever had before. Once complete, we drove 4x4 off-road through deep sand to the surreal Dead Vlei, a place of vast desert pan where dried-up ancient Camethorn acacias stand silent in the ‘open air gallery’ while being dwarfed by the highest dune on Earth, “Big Daddy.” The photo opportunities were unparalleled. The day ended before it got too hot, hiking through the rock formations of the Sesriem Canyon.