It is going to be hard to fit all of the great times we had in this review. Stephan was amazing in helping plan. Meeting him was a great time and I am glad we got to. Truly Swahili and Stephan did an absolutely perfect job. I so appreciate them.
The trip started with us getting picked up at the hotel by John (our driver, guide and now friend). He was absolutely the best guide I have had on any trip. He knew everything (but we will get into that). I found out that he really enjoys peanut butter cups as we found out with the candy we brought for the trip.
We started in Amboseli National Park and stayed at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, This was my favorite place we stayed during our trip. The animals and accommodations were great but the people were incredible. We felt so at home there. We met Roger, a security guard, who talked about saving these places for future generations. We met Gerald who was a self taught guitar player and singer and Vincent who helped us during our meals in the dinning room. He was awesome and so friendly. The entire staff was really wonderful. We also saw so many animals but I wont list them all here :)
Next, John drove us to Giraffe Manor....this place lives up to its reputation. From the moment you pull up you will be treated like family. The food and drinks are amazing. Cynthia took care of us for meals and she was also great! Walter the bartender was a great guy and made amazing drinks while have some really good conversation. The place is expensive but if you are traveling all the way there and can stay a night (2 would be perfect) you should. It was a magical lifetime experience and worth the money if you can afford it.
Next, John drove us to the Ark which was absolutely my friend Cindy's greatest place to stay. If you are in love with elephants this is the most amazing place. They have an elephant blind and you are able to watch them from ground level as they interact. The sounds they make.....so cool. She was in heaven. Julia helped us with meals and drinks here and she was so cool. She would find me downstairs to make sure I didn't need anything. She really was great. We also met David who worked there and went and got eggs to get the serval cat to come up the stairs. If you have never seen one of these they are very cool. Cindy loved it and it was kind of him to do. Also, on safari here you will see elephants on road and other animals. The Ark is a great place for what it is. It is not the most fancy place but the food and service were very good and the animal viewing from so many places in the hotel make it amazing. There are so many levels of viewing.
Next, John took us to Samburu Sopa Lodge. We saw so many animals and birds here. John knew the name of every bird. We are the type of people to stop and see everything (even a turtle and small birds). John was loving it and at one point I asked him if he was making these bird names up. He actually had a book that him and Cindy would look together at and start to mark down what we saw. We saw a cheetah as well which was very cool. The entire staff was friendly and great place to stay. We were gone a lot of the time there but the place was really a great place to stay
Next we went to Sweetwaters Serena Camp. This was a great place. David was our dinning person and he was great. he has such a great smile that you couldn't help but smile when you saw him. We again saw all kinds of incredible animals but the people here made the trip. The entire staff here really went the extra mile for each guest. The chef came out and was serving as we went. He was proud of the food and we enjoyed talking to him. We also had the end tent so we got to really enjoy the animals and the quiet at the end of the property. bush bucks were out there and we could watch animals just walk past the property. We also got to visit the Ol Pejeta. This place is home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos (Najin and Fatu). This was a highlight of the trip. You can get up close and really learn about the efforts going on at this conservation place.
Finally in Kenya we stayed at Sarova Mara Game Camp. We visited the Maasai village and we were the only 2 there. We got to interact on a wonderful level visiting houses, talking to all the folks, purchasing items from them and just learning about their way of life. It was really a great couple hours. I got to dance with them and appreciated that (for an old guy I can jump pretty high) LOL. Everyone is aware of the animals in Maasai Mara so I won't spend a ton of time on that but we did see a Leopard that left a kill in a tree and lions stalking prey. When we saw the lions we were practically alone. It was amazing. Buffalo, Crocodile, Hippos, etc...We visited the border with Tanzania as well. We had lunch under a tree in the park with John and talked about his mom, wife and son. Just an amazing experience. The hotel was wonderful and friendly and the staff went out of the way to make you feel welcomed. This is the place to come if you want to see animals in layers like you always dream it will be. Also, we got to see the black rocks and the black rock boys...you can view it on Youtube.
Next we had to say goodbye to John. This was a bitter sweet moment as I knew we would be friends for a long time. I cannot tell you how much he enhanced our trip. We laughed so much over so many things. We ate ice cream, I paid to much for sodas and we just had the best time. I cannot thank him enough for the time he spent with us. I know he missed his son but we truly enjoyed the time with him. Now on to Uganda
In Uganda we stayed at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla lodge. This is probably the most complete place I have ever stayed. The view, the staff, the food, the environment were incredible. The road getting there is long and rough but it is absolutely worth it. The next morning we hiked in to see the mountain gorillas. They were amazing. Truly incredible. James our porter was so good and attentive. We learned a lot about his family and living in Uganda and I appreciate his openness. The gorilla experience itself really leaves you speechless. They are such powerful, gentle and wonderful creatures. The silverback is huge. He is not like you see in the zoo.
We also went on a canoe ride and got to visit the Rwanda border both of which were great. We did spend a lot of down time at the lodge. It was that good. the view, food and just place is somewhere only in your dreams. Amos was our room attendant and he did a great job and really was fabulous for anything we could have needed. Isaac was our dinning person and he was absolutely perfect as well. We missed him on the day we left so I hope everything is ok but it was great to get to know him. Isaac gave us Gorilla key chains with our names and I thought that was very nice. The first day here we were the only people in the lodge (we went during slow time and there are not many rooms). I made good friends with Beno and Edward at the bar. i sat in the beautiful bar area and had a few beers and just learned about their culture and country. It was perfect. The entire time it was never crowded. Cindy got massages and I relaxed. The place is truly incredible. Thanks to Rogers the manager as well. He runs a great place and it is truly one of a kind.
To sum this trip up I would say...you guessed it INCREDIBLE truly Swahili did an absolute wonderful job. When I take these trips I want to be able to learn about local culture and immerse myself in their lives as much as possible. This was the trip of a lifetime and every person at every stop had a role to play. I have been to 37 countries and this is probably the most incredible trip I have taken.....thank you to everyone. Ed and Cindy
Hotel Reviews
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
We started in Amboseli National Park and stayed at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, This was my favorite place we stayed during our trip. The animals and accommodations were great but the people were incredible. We felt so at home there. We met Roger, a security guard, who talked about saving these places for future generations. We met Gerald who was a self taught guitar player and singer and Vincent who helped us during our meals in the dinning room. He was awesome and so friendly. The entire staff was really wonderful. We also saw so many animals but I wont list them all here :) this ia great place with a great vibe and it will make you feel at home.
Staff
Gerald, Roger, Vincent
Giraffe Manor
Hardy, Karen, Nairobi
This place lives up to its reputation. From the moment you pull up you will be treated like family. The food and drinks are amazing. Cynthia took care of us for meals and she was also great! Walter the bartender was a great guy and made amazing drinks while have some really good conversation. The place is expensive but if you are traveling all the way there and can stay a night (2 would be perfect) you should. It was a magical lifetime experience and worth the money if you can afford it. The rooms are magnificent and the features (like the large tub) are incredible. This is a once in a lifetime stay
Staff
Cynthia, Fredie and Walter
The Ark which was absolutely my friend Cindy's greatest place to stay. If you are in love with elephants this is the most amazing place. They have an elephant blind and you are able to watch them from ground level as they interact. The sounds they make.....so cool. She was in heaven. Julia helped us with meals and drinks here and she was so cool. She would find me downstairs to make sure I didn't need anything. She really was great. We also met David who worked there and went and got eggs to get the serval cat to come up the stairs. If you have never seen one of these they are very cool. Cindy loved it and it was kind of him to do. Also, on safari here you will see elephants on road and other animals. The Ark is a great place for what it is. It is not the most fancy place but the food and service were very good and the animal viewing from so many places in the hotel make it amazing. There are so many levels of viewing.
Authenticity & Character
Great viewing platforms
Sweetwaters Serena Camp
Nanyuki
This was a great place. David was our dinning person and he was great. he has such a great smile that you couldn't help but smile when you saw him. We again saw all kinds of incredible animals but the people here made the trip. The entire staff here really went the extra mile for each guest. The chef came out and was serving as we went. He was proud of the food and we enjoyed talking to him. We also had the end tent so we got to really enjoy the animals and the quiet at the end of the property. bush bucks were out there and we could watch animals just walk past the property. We also got to visit the Ol Pejeta. This place is home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos (Najin and Fatu). This was a highlight of the trip. You can get up close and really learn about the efforts going on at this conservation place.
We visited the Maasai village from here and we were the only 2 there. We got to interact on a wonderful level visiting houses, talking to all the folks, purchasing items from them and just learning about their way of life. It was really a great couple hours. I got to dance with them and appreciated that (for an old guy I can jump pretty high) LOL. Everyone is aware of the animals in Maasai Mara so I won't spend a ton of time on that but we did see a Leopard that left a kill in a tree and lions stalking prey. When we saw the lions we were practically alone. It was amazing. Buffalo, Crocodile, Hippos, etc...We visited the border with Tanzania as well. We had lunch under a tree in the park with John and talked about his mom, wife and son. Just an amazing experience. The hotel was wonderful and friendly and the staff went out of the way to make you feel welcomed. This is the place to come if you want to see animals in layers like you always dream it will be. Also, we got to see the black rocks and the black rock boys...you can view it on Youtube.
Location
We had the end tent so away from most people.
