In September of this year, Gautam along with 10 friends visited two very unique and very different national parks tucked in the far western corner of Tanzania: Katavi National Park & Mahale Mountains National Park. We’ve included a small selection of his photos below and encourage taking a look at his personal photography site.
Nomad Tanzania just released a series of 3-minute videos about some of our favorite places including this one about Greystoke Mahale:
Remotely-set on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika, Greystoke Mahale is your home-base when trekking through the Mahale Mountains with one of the largest remaining populations of wild chimpanzees. It is also consistently praised for its tranquil setting and exceptional hospitality.
Chimpanzee Trekking in the Mahale Mountains
It’s easily one of the most unique places in the world, and one of Kili’s all-time favorite experiences. Here’s some photos of her trip there in 2012:
When our clients come home from safari, they usually say, “We’re going back?” followed by, “Next time, we’re taking friends.” Increasingly, families and small groups of friends are taking advantage of the benefits of sharing a safari. Traveling as a small private group opens up a world of value and possibilities unavailable to couples or solo travelers.
The growing availability of “Safari Houses” is one of the most exciting new offerings for safari goers. These private, exclusive-use accommodations are specifically designed to allow for the privacy and personalized service families and small groups enjoy. Safari Houses can usually accommodate 8-12 guests, and they can come with exclusive amenities like customized activities, flexible schedules, private vehicles, specialist guides and a dedicated house manager, personal chef and dining team.
Here are three of our favorite Safari Houses:
Located on Zambia’s Chongwe River near the Lower Zambezi National Park, Chongwe River House sets the standard for the classic African Safari House. This four-bedroom house looks like it has literally grown out of the riverbank. Earthen walls mimic the lines of the surrounding terrain, and the sitting room furniture was carved from a single fallen winterthorn tree.
Wildlife viewing doesn’t get any better than in the Lower Zambezi with hundreds of species of bird, large herds of elephant and lion and leopard viewing.
The Villa at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve might be one of the most unique and distinctive Safari Houses in Africa. Located 2 hours from Cape Town in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, Grootbos is a luxury eco destination that has grown from one family’s passion for the unprecedented marine and botanical diversity found on the Southern tip of Africa.
The Villa offers spectacular views, stunning contemporary design and architecture, and exclusive opportunities to explore: guided fynbos nature tours, Milkwood forest walks, breathtaking coastal drives, marine safaris, wine tours and tastings and cliff-side cave excursions.
Singita Serengeti House sits on the slopes of the Sasakwa Hill, near the world-renowned Singita Sasakwa Lodge, with a wide, endless, unobstructed view of the 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve and the wild Serengeti Plains. This private, exclusive-use lodge accommodates 8 guests with 2 suites in the expansive main house and a garden suite on each side.
The decor is a stimulating mix of contemporary European design with classic safari artifacts and details, and the world-class amenities include a private 25-meter infinity pool, a tennis court, an 18-horse equestrian center, and one of the most extensive wine cellars in all of Africa.
Each one of these Safari Houses boasts extensive children’s activities like tracking animals, star-gazing, flower-pressing, cooking and baking, young ranger programs as well as babysitting services and kid-friendly menus.
To learn more about these and other Safari House options, get in touch.
Click here for more safari options for families and small groups.
Photos are courtesy of the camps.
Busy week!
While Co-Founder Louise is out & about on a 27-day trek in Northern India, we’ve been busy bees putting the finishing touches on three very exciting and very different itineraries:
Kunene River Valley – Namibia
Namibia – 10 days in Namibia for some of our most enthusiastic clients, The Clarks (WooHoo!) whose daughter has caught the Africa bug and works with World Camp in Malawi.
They’ll be meeting in Windhoek for a safari that takes them to Southern Etosha National Park, Mowani Mountain Camp and NamibRand Nature Reserve. Namibia is one of the most unique destinations in the world: vast and ancient with an incredible diversity of wildlife and ecosystem.
Botswana Safari destinations
Botswana – Starting from Cape Town and finishing up at Vic Falls, this custom 14-day trip is a great value with visits to all of Botswana’s major destinations including Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, and Makgadikgadi National Park.
We worked very closely with our partners Africa Pass and Desert & Delta to turn this trip around from initial inquiry to confirmed itinerary in less than SEVEN days!
Flying over Zanzibar
Tanzania & Zanzibar – A very special 12-day honeymoon through Tanzania’s classic Northern Circuit including Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, with a final stop on the spice island paradise of Zanzibar, a bright tapestry of Arab, African and Swahili culture with remarkable beaches and a World Heritage Site for a capital.
Stone Town offers a labyrinth of winding lanes and ancient stone houses, Arabian arches and heavy carved wooden doors and a fascinating selection of bazaars, curio shops, art galleries and spice troves.
Get in touch so we can start working on your Next Adventure…
Peter & Ellen visited some of our favorite camps and lodges during their trip to Tanzania earlier this year.
Here are just a few of Peter & Ellen’s amazing photos… Thanks for sharing!
Arrival in Tanzania
Our guide, Emanuel, met us at Kilimanjaro International Airport for the 45 minute transfer to Lake Duluti Lodge. We enjoyed a small late dinner before a good nights’ rest in a comfortable forested cabin.
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Overland to Maramboi Tented Camp
After a delicious breakfast, we drove through bustling Arusha Town to Maramboi Tented Camp located between Tarangire & Lake Manyara National Parks. This medium-sized, classic tented camp is spectacularly set with open views on Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley Escarpment. While Kili enjoyed a sundowner, Jeremy and Rainier took a dip in the pool, and herds of zebra and wildebeest surrounded the deck and took advantage of a waterhole near the main lounge.
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This is a great photo of a great subject. Just look at this wise old chimp shot in the Mahale Mountains National Park.
Art and Christine brought their kids along for this safari that took them through Tanzania…
Tracy and a few friends did a big trip with us back in the Summer of 2012 including gorilla tracking in Rwanda, game drives in the Serengeti and Okavango Delta and a helicopter tour over Victoria Falls. Here’s one of our favorite client pics ever. Great lighting, a very interesting expression and the sense that this leopardess is perched right above us!!!
Here’s another favorite! Everybody loves baby animals, and a baby hippo has got to be one of the cutest.
Next Adventure always has an eye on the best up-and-coming safari spots. Our picks for next year are from two very diverse countries, Botswana and Tanzania.
With our intimate knowledge of Botswana, we always have a secret to tell you about the best camp to visit any month of the year. The Okavango Delta’s floods bring a distinct seasonality to the patch-work ecosystems of the region and wildlife viewing varies dramatically between even neighboring spots! Our favorites pics for dry season are Duba Plains, Selinda Camp and San Camp.
In Tanzania, we love combining the seldom-visited northern Serengeti, where the Migration masses without attendant throngs of tourists, with lush and remote Mahale National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. where you can sit next to wild chimpanzees! Our favorite accommodations in these hot spots are Lamai Serengeti and Greystoke Mahale – stylish and upscale camps managed by innovative safari company Nomad Tanzania. Ask us about the best seasons to travel to these hidden gems.
