Dear Liselle,
So much to SAY!
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner but in truth we only got home on Monday as we had a few days in Cape Town after Kruger…
Firstly thanks for putting together a great holiday, and apologies again for my father’s interference… he had a superb time in Honeyguide by the way.
We saw everything… and some more. But that was not was this was about really. We thought the Big Five were a rock band! The smells, the sounds, the privilege of being among the wildlife.
The 3 camps were each special and well chosen for the difference between them. Honeyguide was special because of the tent experience. We were the only two couples there and we shared one evening meal with the two owners and a friend of theirs as they celebrated a birthday. It was an hilarious night as everyone was on form. All the crew there were marvelous and we felt most at home there of the three, Brett the camp manager being fabulous. Greg and Philip were our Ranger/trackers… an hilarious combination. Princess was our cook, Kosuzi ran the place… wonderful people all.
Londolozi… wow. Maria and I were upgraded to the Tree Camp (founders was empty), as were another Canadian couple. Very posh, perhaps too posh for us. The cabin was spectacular. The team surpised us with a private dinner our last night on the cabin’s veranda, and that was a special night and a very nice gesture. Despite the great cabin/food/crew our best feeling from Londolozi has to be the Ranger/Tracker that we were given. Just 5 of us, 3 very entertaining Americans with us. We had the distinct honour of having Sandros as our Ranger/Philip our tracker, and he brought alive the wildlife for us, and had a great sense of humour at our expense often. As Tree had only 8 people at any time that we were there, the evenings were full of camaraderie, and we liked the idea that even at lunch or b’fast, the crew offered to join our tables. The game was spectacular and the terrain the most interesting of the three. Mefuzi and mandoda ingwe everywhere. Ngala trumpeting! This was perhaps our choice of the three. We looked at Founders incidently, and it looked great – we would happily stayed there! Pioneer intrigued us, and of course Varty if you had kids.
Kings Camp was lovely, and very different. Perhaps more so as Tree was modern in style, as opposed to Founders. So this was our first faux colonial camp as it were. We liked it. Liked the open campus of the area, with the pool and so forth, but it was bigger. Bigger in that there was 20 or so people. We had got used to being either alone, or two of 8. The crew were again marvelous though and very attentive. Colbert and Sam were our T/R.
Maria loved it, and that was what this was about. The 12 days passed quickly, and most were surprised at the length of our Safari. But for us it ended too soon. We loved it, Maria loved it. Spiders, mambo’s, velvet monkeys, mongooses, nor rampaging elephants in the camp (Honeyguide!) could deter her. On the drives or walks she was fearless too. We think we have a small understanding of the relationship between South Africans and the bush, and also the politics of the Kruger and its people.
The transfer teams were very nice people, Nick (twice), Michelle and Mike, and the time was dissolved easily and informatively, making the travelling effortless by the way.
So thanks again, and pencil us in for more!
Serengeti… the great migration… Maria has the bug now. Please keep in touch, and particularly lead times for organizing our next African adventure with you.
Kindest Regards
Maria and Niall visted: Honeyguide Khoka Moya, Londolozi Tree Camp & Kings Camp