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Dylan Harriss- our amazing organizer
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Best camps are for last and we are on our way to Tanzania to Singita Sabora and Singita Sasakwa. As good as it gets!!! Can’t wait to see them again!
A note about the visa situation: get your visa before coming to Tanzania and be sure to have your Yellow fever shots documented on the yellow card. We flew on by charter, if we had flown in commercially, the visa application line and procedure would have taken a very long time because of the larger line of people. Visas cost $100 cash if you buy upon entry.
As I said, we saved the best for last. Sasakwa is like an English Manor sitting up on the hill overlooking the stunning Grumeti plain. Grumeti borders on the Serengeti. It is a vast plain with unlimited skies and sunsets. When the migration is going on, the plains are completely covered with Wildebeest, zebra, elephants and giraffe. And lots of predators sitting there watching the buffet. Sasakwa has the ultimate stable with about 25 horses in superb condition. Rooms are ultra luxe English cottages with fireplaces, antiques- the works! I could live there, happily. Even better is Singita’s tented Camp Sabora, nearby. Right our of Hemingway’s Africa. The Tents are completely finished with English aniques, Persian rugs, chic mobile safari furniture, crystal, silver and china. I have never seen anything like it. Totally glamorous!
Our trip was planned and hosted by a new ground operator, Africa Inscribed. Partners Dylan Harriss and Gavin Ford are a perfect team. Dylan is the planner, organizer and ultimate detail man along with important input from Gavin. Gavin, formally with A&K, has been a top Safari Guide for all of Africa for 18 years. Together they are unstoppable. The biggest difference about this team is that they constantly check camps, and resorts-personally. So when we want a certain area, we can depend their knowledge and expertise. They have truly been there and experienced the properties. Little details like personal handwritten notes announcing our departure time for the next day along with a framed picture of something we saw that day gave our travels a new dimension. The bag tags they supply are metal with woven metal strings so they can’t be torn off. Very well
thought out. No stone left unturned. Africa Inscribed has a very bright future.
We had such a fun, interesting learning experience, but I have to say the very best part of traveling is walking back into my Home! Home is truly where the heart is. I am so blessed to be able to see the world’s amazing places, but there is no place like home, and nothing more important than family. I got off the plane and went straight to Will’s 3rd TBall game. SO adorable!! He was more interested in drawing in the dirt with his toe than catching the ball!
Next trip is back to Kenya in May. Thanks for your interest.
Catherine Whitworth is a Certified Travel Associate with Sterling Brownell Travel. Her destinations specialties are SE Asia, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Her favorite destinations are SE Asia, Africa, France, Italy and India. She has been successfully designing travel experiences for travelers for 18 years.
I had the pleasure of visiting the new Setai New York last February, and it was a stellar experience. Situated on Fifth Avenue between 35th and 36th street, it is an easy walk to theatre, restaurants, and shopping. Capella Hotels manages it so you know it is special. The rooms were so luxurious, I really hated to leave! Floor to ceiling windows, very large space, wall of closets, bathroom with soaking tub, tv hidden in the mirror and double sinks. The view was of the city with the Chrysler building thrown in for good measure. The fully equipped Spa has all the usual offerings plus a Hamman, and a beauty salon. The restaurant- AI Fiori was amazing, and I am sure to be one of the top restaurant choices immediately. I most definitely plan to visit again.
I was invited to visit the new Amangiri while I attended the Virtuoso Conference in Las Vegas.
What a day! We started by being treated to a helicopter flight to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by Papillion Air. They are the ones that you want to contract for a helicopter excursion to see the Grand Canyon. Wow, wow, wow is all I can say!!! Upon landing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Aman Resorts hostesses brought out the Champagne!! Veuve Clicquot no less- I love that orange lable! Nothing short about those cute girls! We then flew on the the fabulous Amangiri Resort. We got to look at all the amazing rooms, suites and Spa. They are set up in the middle of the most gorgeous and emormous boulders in the desert. The most amazing views I have seen in a while. Most guests say that they did not stay long enough. There is so much to do. Boasting one of the most dramatic landscapes in the USA with deep canyons and towering plateaus, the region has been home for centuries to the native Navajo and Hopi tribes yet is sparsely populated and presents the raw landscape for which the American Southwest has become famous. Activities include
Amangiri guests may enjoy treks and guided hikes, customised rock climbing, via ferrata (fixed climbing routes) and canyoneering, as well as recreational and advanced biking. Our expert team of guides can teach guests the basics of GPS navigation, map reading, rope techniques and desert travel, as well as providing an introduction to the ecology, geology and human history of the area. For guests who are interested in a more in-depth study of this diverse environment, Amangiri will arrange for expert scientists, geologists and naturalists from the region to be available for tours and lectures.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, with the pristine waters of Lake Powell, slickrock domes and sandy bays, provides access to some of the most amazing scenery and geological formations on the Colorado Plateau, as well as numerous prehistoric cliff dwelling and rock art sites. Named in honour of Civil War veteran and explorer John Wesley Powell, the lake has almost 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles) of shoreline. Boating day trips provide the ideal platform for enjoyment of the turquoise waters where guests may swim and kayak. For those who enjoy fishing, the lake is famous for its striped bass, walleye and largemouth bass.
Guests may also experience the history and culture of the region with Amangiri’s natural history, palaeontology and archaeological tours which provide insight into species diversity, prehistoric occupation, Navajo storytelling, culture and art.
From hot air ballooning and scenic helicopter or fixed wing flights to equestrian adventures departing directly from the resort, guests have a unique opportunity to experience the area’s sweeping landscape, canyons, peaks and mesas.
Amangiri is the ideal launching pad to enjoy customised National Park and Monument Tours to the Grand Canyon’s North and South Rims, Bryce and Zion National Parks, Rainbow Bridge, Grand Staircase – Escalante, Vermillion Cliffs National Monuments and Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation – the largest Native American Nation in the US covering over 70,000 square kilometres (27,000 square miles).
I am quoting their website. http://www.amanresorts.com/amangiri/home.aspx
I am definately going back when I can really stay and explore the area.
The flowers here are so exquisite that I am thinking of planning a Garden Tour! Let me know if you are interested.