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Kenya

48 Hours on Safari at Lewa Wilderness

14th September 2023

48 Hours on Safari at Lewa Wilderness

Usually around a month or so before our guests depart to various destinations in Africa – and now also India – we get them on a pre-departure Zoom call. We walk them through their itinerary on a day-by-day basis; review logistics; discuss activities at the various properties; and check on passport validity, visas and health requirements. 

One of the questions which comes up quite frequently from first time visitors concerns the daily routine. What exactly does a day on safari look like? When do you have to be up in the morning, how long are the game drives and what type of food is served? 

We thought we’d take a blow-by-blow look at a recent 2-night stay at Lewa Wilderness to give our readers a first-hand look at what may await them on their own trip. 

Lewa Wilderness is an imposing 9-roomed lodge located on a ridge in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in the north central Kenyan highlands at an altitude of just over 1,500 meters above sea level. That makes it a mile high, so pack appropriately for the cool nights. Lewa is a proverbial stone’s throw from the equator, so winter and summer days are not unlike each other. Mostly balmy with maximum temperatures ranging from the mid-80’s Fahrenheit from May through August and increasing to the mid-90’s by December and January. Average lows are in the upper 60’s to low 70’s. 

Over the course of our recent 3-month plus African sojourn, we visited more than 16 properties in 5 countries.  Our two nights at Lewa Wilderness in early June was a standout. Simply a wonderful experience all round: excellent game viewing with our guide Francis Mayetu (how about a cheetah kill!), amazing food as always and fantastic hospitality thanks to camp manager Karmushu and his entire team.

There were so many highlights, starting with being uber comfortable in our gorgeous room. An unexpected fun activity: a guided visit to the massive camp vegetable and fruit garden known as the Shamba. We think everyone should do it. See where much of the ingredients for your delicious Lewa Wilderness meals come from! Making us feel ever more ‘at home’ was meeting the owners Will and Emma Craig and – a bonus – bumping into their daughter Sacha, visiting for the weekend with some friends. And babies! What a pleasant surprise. We had met Sacha previously when she was traveling in the USA.  

Will and Emma Craig Lewa by tcunniffe

Getting there

We arrived at Lewa airstrip on a 12-seater Cessna 208 (Caravan), the workhorse of the safari industry in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa. Operated by Safarilink, our flight was  one of approximately 500 or so scheduled charter flight legs taking place in Kenya on an average day. Safarilink, which has an impeccable safety record, has a fleet of 12 aircraft including eight Caravans and four twin-engined Dehavilland Dash-8’s. Lewa can be reached by air from Nairobi, direct from the Masai Mara and also from nearby Nanyuki town. The property is also driving distance – about four hours – from Nairobi. 

The Cessna 208 Caravan

The Cessna 208 is admirably suited for sightseeing from the air, as it has large windows and the wings are attached to the top of the fuselage. For a clear, unobstructed view try to find a seat closer to the front or behind the wheels. The aircraft’s rugged fixed under-carriage is ideal for landing on the dirt airstrips common in the game parks. The seating is one on the left of the narrow aisle, and two to the right. The luggage weight limit is usually 20kg (44 lbs) per person, which can be split between three items: a medium-sized duffel bag (which Fish Eagle Safaris provides), a small backpack and a hand item like a handbag or a camera bag. After boarding – one at a time on the fold-out steps and mind your head – you can leave your backpack in the rear of the aircraft, which is usually cordoned off with netting or canvas.

Guiding team at Lewa Wilderness 

Upon arrival at the Lewa airstrip, we met our driver guide Francis Mayetu, with whom we would be spending a good chunk of time over the next couple of days. Francis has been guiding at Lewa Wilderness for more than 10 years. At well over 6 feet, Francis cuts an impressive figure in his traditional Maasai gear, complete with a feathered mohawk which bumped up against the roof of the safari vehicle as we drove. 

Francis is one of the ten members of the Lewa Wilderness guiding corps, an exceptionally talented and highly experienced group, some of whom have been guiding either at Lewa Wilderness or in the surrounding area for more than twenty years. Their expertise covers the entire spectrum of activities available at Lewa Wilderness, ranging from walking to camelback safaris to photographic outings and horseback riding.  

It took us about 40 minutes to get to the lodge, making several stops en route to observe some of the northern Kenya endemics for which Lewa is famous, including the reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras and Beisa oryx. These spectacular mammals are mostly found just in north-central Kenya.  

On arrival at Lewa Wilderness we were presented with a cool beverage and warm towels to freshen up. After being welcomed by manager Karmushu Kiama and riding manager Miranda Simpson, we sat down in the comfortable lounge for a camp briefing. We tried our hardest to pay attention to the all too predictable information about meal times, activities, safety procedures and the like. Our dietary preferences were reconfirmed and eventually we were escorted to our room.

Lewa hillside king room credit tcunnliffe

Accommodation 

To say that we were exceedingly comfortable in our room at Lewa would be an understatement. The rooms are amazing. Huge, with lots of space and natural light. The rooms at Lewa Wilderness are all large and imposing, six of them with excellent views over the surrounding Eastern Marania valley. The three cozy garden cottages  open up to a beautiful lawn. It took a few minutes for our room steward to run us through the light switches (complicated), instructions to open and close the safe, what to do in case of an emergency and so on. 

Activities 

Twice daily game drives are the primary activities at Lewa Wilderness but the property has a stellar range of additional activities. One which we mentioned earlier on is a guided walk through the camp’s organic vegetable and fruit garden, the shamba. The others include foot safaris, horseback riding and a camelback safari. A range of activities beyond the property itself are also available such as various community-related outings (such as school and clinic visits), watching the Lewa anti-poaching canine team in action and visiting the Ngare Ndare Forest for a tree canopy walk. Some of these activities are best booked in advance, something we can help with, naturally.   

Camelback safari 

Fancy getting better acquainted with the ins and outs of camelback safaris? Lewa Wilderness has you covered. You can either hike alongside them or go all out and ride. Just be sure to remember this: once the camel feels your weight on its back, it ‘wakes up’ from its prone position by suddenly, and sometimes rather forcefully, lifting its hindquarters. Not a problem if you already know this…. So brace yourself and avoid any chance of an ignominious tumble forwards. The same at the end of the ride. Except this time the camel will drop down its head and tuck in its front legs first. Be ready to avoid another possible faceplant! Once you are underway, the ride will be a bit bumpy and the camel is not likely to be influenced by your tugging on the reins. At least not much. It will simply obey its handler or follow the camel in front of it. Do I make it sound like fun? You’ll just have to try for yourself. 

Supporting conservation and community 

As a guest of Lewa Wilderness, you are automatically supporting the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, renowned for its pioneering conservation initiatives as well as community and education programs. Before you leave, be sure to check out the various gift bag options in the curio shop. It’s a tangible way to further support the local community and specifically the school children. An education is key to their future prospects. If you visit Lewa as a guest of Fish Eagle Safaris, Lewa Wilderness will contribute $25 towards the cost of a local child’s school fees. 

Game drives at Lewa Wilderness

Around 4:30 or so, it was time for our first game drive at Lewa Wilderness. After some light refreshments and a cup of tea, we headed out in the open sided vehicle, cameras and binoculars in hand. It is imperative to have your own pair of binocs on safari. It may very well be the difference between getting a memorable look at something small and beautiful – like a serval cat – or practically not seeing it at all 

Our steed for the next couple of days was a 6 seater Toyota Land Cruiser. Open sided, it is ideal for what we came to do: find, observe and photograph some of Africa’s signature mammals. And birds. Over the next three hours we came across a variety of mammals and birds, the highlight being a trio of white rhinos, our first ones on this trip to Kenya. 

In addition to the northern Kenyan endemics (Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich), Lewa is renowned for its healthy population of both white and black rhinos. What is more, rhinos at Lewa are unaltered, with their often magnificent horns on full display, just the way nature intended them to be. Regrettably, that is mostly not the case in much of Southern Africa where most safari properties – in a desperate attempt to prevent poaching – are dehorning their rhinos on a regular basis.  

Over the course of our two-day stay at Lewa Wilderness we cleaned up on the northern endemics and we witnessed a cheetah kill when a female cheetah took down a Grant’s gazelle right in front of us. We watched the whole thing from stalking to wild, tail-swerving chase right up to the take-down. A bit later on we also had a sighting of a male lion laying up along a perennial stream. Add both black and white rhinos (quite a few of both), buffaloes, elephants and zebras and it all amounted to a most satisfying experience.  

The food at Lewa Wilderness  

By the time dinner rolled around on our first day at Lewa Wilderness, we had an inkling of what to expect. It all starts with the freshest possible produce, right out of Lewa Wilderness’ own small farm, originally started by Will Craig’s mother, Delia. Every meal at the lodge includes fresh organic produce from the large vegetable garden. The chefs at Lewa Wilderness also get their eggs, milk and goat’s cheese from the farm and source other ingredients and foodstuffs from the surrounding community.   

Breakfast and lunch are served casually. Guests can pick what they’re craving from a full spread of fresh and delicious options. Dinner is presented more formally, with guests being served a three-course set menu to the backdrop of a crackling fireplace and a  star-filled sky. 

Kathy and I took our seats for dinner at just about  8: 00 pm, joining several other guests around a long, communal table. Having been briefly back to our room, we had exchanged our safari gear for casual clothing. There was a slight chill in the air and like us, most of the other guests had donned a fleece or light jacket. 

Dinners at Lewa Wilderness are communal (unless otherwise requested) and we enjoyed meeting some of the other guests. One of them was finishing up preparations for her first ascent of Mt Kilimanjaro. I was only too happy to share some of the experience I had gained in the course of my own previous Kili climbs. On the day, we enjoyed a minestrone soup, a delicious beef bourguignon with potatoes, carrots and courgettes, and an excellent dessert.  

Here are a few of the dishes currently in the Lewa Wilderness chef’s rotation:

Breakfast Special 

Rare Breed Black Aisberg tomatoes – a dark beefsteak variety grown in the greenhouse – on homemade sourdough toast with good olive oil and salt. The key thing here is simplicity and focusing on the superb quality of the produce. 

Lunchtime salads 

Garden charred sweet corn, broad bean, avocado and coriander salsa. Lewa Wilderness grows three out of the four ingredients, with just the avocado being brought in from a farm five miles away. Lewa Wilderness recently planted several avocado trees but it will take a few years before they can harvest the fruit. 

Roasted Beetroot and Goat Cheese Salad 

Lewa Wilderness grows their beetroot and makes their own goat cheese from their resident goat herd. Simply boil and then thinly slice the beetroot with a mandoline, sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, top with a classic vinaigrette and garden herbs and voila!

Sesame French Bean Salad 

This Asian french bean salad is super simple but delicious. Vibrant colors and Lewa Wilderness’ homegrown beans make it a fun side dish. 

Courgetti with homemade pesto 

The chefs at Lewa Wilderness spiralise their own greenhouse grown courgettes and mix them with a freshly made pesto using their own basil. Raw food at lunch is great for everyone’s digestion and brings freshness to the meal. 

The daily routine at Lewa Wilderness

Routine is not a word that sits well in the safari lexicon. No two days are ever alike. Even so, there is a certain pattern to how most days unfold. Safari days start early. On our first full day at Lewa Wilderness we were up and ready to roll at around 6am when the room attendant showed up with tea and coffee. We grabbed our stuff and headed to the lounge for a light breakfast. There was toast and marmalade or honey. Some fresh fruit which tasted like the real thing. Freshly baked bread. And porridge. 

During high season Lewa Wilderness keeps a similar schedule in terms of activities and meal times. Guests head off early and come back for a big breakfast after their activity. Lunch is a buffet around 1pm and the lodge plans on having guests sit down for supper at 8pm, once they are all back from their afternoon adventures. Flexibility is key, and Lewa Wilderness always do their best to fit in with their guests’ plans. It is not a problem to arrange private dining for guests if they prefer a meal away from the communal table. With more guests comes the potential for more night drives. For families with young children, Lewa Wilderness suggests earlier dinners between 7pm and 7.30pm.

For more information about safaris including Lewa Wilderness, please contact us at 1-800-513-5222 or email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

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Letter from Kenya

1st June 2023

Letter from Kenya

The best destination for a first safari? The ideal country for a ‘one and done’ safari? The classic of all classic safari areas in Africa? Kenya, Kenya and Kenya. 

For the last 10 days, Kathy and I have been revisiting four areas in Kenya which help make it what it is: an astonishingly diverse, breathtakingly beautiful country. A country which lives up to even the most elevated of expectations for a safari. Lots of animals which are easy to see. The friendliest of people. And a well functioning tourism infrastructure with accommodation choices to suit everyone’s taste and budget. 

Early on, at Elewana’s Tortilis Camp in Amboseli, we rediscovered the feelings and emotions which go hand in hand with being on safari. The feeling of being in the right place. The pervasive sense of being connected with your surroundings. Almost as if Africa is where you belong and where you’re meant to be.

It is not unusual to experience deja vu while on safari in Kenya. On just our second night at Amboseli with Mt. Kilimanjaro slowly disappearing as the last light faded to black, I felt oddly at home. Or maybe I never really left the last time. The distinct feeling of having lived that precise moment already – of having the same experience again – was as palpable as the evening breeze on my skin. As many times as this has happened to me and other people I know, I’ve almost come to expect it in Africa. Maybe it is just a memory of a dream. Or something buried deep in our subconscious mind, hearkening back to our progenitors who spread out into the world from this very area. Africa. It’s good to be back.  

All an Africa aficionado has to do is to enunciate four words out loud and something magical happens… Amboseli. Meru. Samburu. Lewa. The mind lights up with visions of elephants wallowing in an idyllic swamp setting. With images of one of East Africa’s best safari lodges, its rooms carefully tucked in among giant granite boulders. With pictures of a Samburu warrior – dressed to the hilt in ceremonial garb – straddling a boda-boda noisily taking its owner to the weekly market. With recollections of conservation work encompassing habitat, wildlife and the local community – rivaled by none. 

Traveling within Kenya in the typical ‘safari cocoon’ – where everything is taken care of and you literally just have to show up each morning – we were once again wowed by the country’s dazzling diversity of animals, landscapes and experiences. All without setting foot in the Masai Mara, its crown jewel.  

In just 9 nights on safari – with quite a bit of time taken up with site inspections – we tallied 36 mammal species and 145 bird species. The numbers – even as impressive as they are – become almost meaningless in the light of specific experiences. Here are a few:

Incredibly, two cheetah kills on the same day. Both kills made by female cheetahs taking down young Grant’s gazelles. One in Samburu, practically within sight of Elephant Bedroom Camp and the other one in Lewa on a game drive from Lewa Wilderness Lodge. We watched, spellbound, awestruck by the cheetahs’ amazing turn of speed as they ran down the overmatched gazelles.

Several hundred strikingly beautiful lesser flamingos reflected in the glassy surface of Lake Amboseli, superimposed with the reflection of Mt Kilimanjaro. An abundance of riches.

A powerful tawny eagle striking a cattle egret midair and downing it. Upon our approach, the eagle took off right in front of us. With the unfortunate egret gripped tightly in its talons, the eagle made its way to a distant copse of trees. Ironically, the dead egret’s immaculate white plumage shone like a beacon against the eagle’s chocolate brown feathers.

Two female lions walking along a track in Samburu, their ultra-lean appearance telling a story of hardship among plenty. Tall grasses creating ideal cover for herbivores whose numbers had plunged due to a long and only recently broken drought. The result? Hard times for lions.

A kaleidoscope of vividly colored reticulated giraffes, their rich orange-brown pattern creating the most stunning of natural tapestries. Converging and separating, their extraordinarily long necks jutting out in every direction – they were nothing short of Daliesque.

All of these extraordinary sightings came courtesy of our outstanding guides – John Njoroge in Amboseli, Joel Gachora in Meru and Francis Mayetu at Lewa. We also reconnected with our long-time friend Edwin Selempo, head guide of Origins Safaris, our Kenya destination management company for the last 20-plus years. In his usual inimitable way, Edwin capably guided us in Samburu. As always, he wowed us with his amazing birding skills, the easy and almost unobtrusive way in which he imparts information and his sunny disposition. Witty repartee? Better have it ready when traveling with Edwin.

AMBOSELI

Tanzania has the mountain and Kenya has the view.  All too true when said about Kilimanjaro when viewed from Amboseli National Park. Amboseli is the spot from where you can see Kilimanjaro like you’ve always imagined it: a great big looming mountain abruptly jutting out of the open plains, surrounded by nothing. Which makes it, as the guidebooks say, the world’s highest freestanding mountain.  

The perfect Amboseli photo opportunity? Having a few of Amboseli’s strikingly white-tusked elephants in between you and the mountain… Beyond needing a bit of luck for that, you’ll need a competent guide who understands the movements of the elephants into and out of the swamps and who can anticipate where they will be at specific times of the day. Plus of course the mountain has to be visible, which is not always the case. 

As massive as it is, Kilimanjaro is as evanescent as an image on an Etch-A-Sketch. One minute there, the next minute – gone. Your best chance to see it is usually early in the morning or late in the afternoon during the wetter part of the year, from about November through May. During the dry season from June through October, the mountain often disappears completely, hidden behind a hazy curtain of clouds, fog, dust and smoke.  

Did we see the mountain? Did we ever! Kili was out from our arrival to our departure, morning until night. If we never see Kilimanjaro again, that amazingly evocative picture will be emblazoned in our memories forever. The incredible snow-capped bulk of it, its overwhelming presence transforming a nice corner of Africa into a place you simply have to see and experience.

MERU

Meru National Park is Kenya’s forgotten secret. The park gained a measure of fame – and lots of visitors – in the late 1960’s after the release of  ‘Born Free,’ a movie about Elsa, an orphaned lion cub. Elsa was hand-raised by Joy Adamson and her game-warden husband George, right in Meru. Ironically – and often omitted from the tale – George had to shoot Elsa’s mother in self-defense when the lioness attacked him while trying to protect her cubs. Elsa, one of three surviving cubs, was successfully released back into the Meru wilderness a couple of years later. After being away in England for more than a year, the Adamsons returned to Meru and found Elsa – who still remembered them – with three cubs of her own.

Then the story of Meru took a turn for the worse. Invading bandits and poachers from Somalia decimated the wildlife for much of the late 1980’s and 90’s. Visitors stopped coming and the park fell into neglect. It wasn’t until 2000 when the Kenya Wildlife Service, under the leadership of Richard Leakey and with the financial support of private conservation groups, was able to invest substantial amounts of money into combating poaching and restoring the park to its former glory.

Current day Meru is once again a showcase park, famous for its striking African savanna landscapes and its diversity, with the park containing an extraordinarily high number of different mammals and birds. Even so, the park is still lightly visited compared with most of Kenya’s others. On one occasion we spent the better part of 40 minutes observing a lone female lion beneath a tree on the edge of a stream without so much as one other vehicle driving by. Some 13 perennial streams flow through Meru from west to east, defining the landscape of the park. The rivers – which are part of the Tana River basin – act as magnets for wildlife, particularly in the dry season which stretches from June through September.  

We simply love Elsa’s Kopje where we rested our weary heads for a couple of nights in Meru. This stunning property is considered by many to be one of the most spectacular locations and lodge designs in Africa. In addition to its splendid location, with its individually designed rooms artfully obscured by vegetation and rocks on the slope of an inselberg, Elsa’s has a charming central area overlooking an infinity pool, and a solid reputation for good food, great hospitality and top-notch management. 

SAMBURU

Samburu is Africa right down to its ubiquitous red dust which gives its many elephants their telltale cinnamon brown appearance. It can be a harsh and unforgiving place, particularly in times of drought which can last for months, even years. Dry or not, Samburu is always dramatic. If it’s not the striking vegetation – dominated by massive stands of doum palms – it’s the glimpses of far-off mountains like Ololokwe, the sacred mountain of the Samburu.

Be on the lookout for the unique gerenuk antelope in this area; it is easily recognized by its long thin neck, its tendency to stand on its hind legs to browse and its peculiar ‘ET’-like facial features. While visiting Samburu we recommend taking some time to visit a local manyatta. Squeeze into one of the smoky, bare-bones huts and observe the near total absence of so many material things we take for granted. 

Elephant Bedroom Camp, where we spent two nights, is a small camp hidden among the riverine forest on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River. The camp is right in the heart of the best game viewing area of Samburu and guests don’t have to drive miles and miles (as is the case from some other camps) to see the wildlife. Guests from other camps drive here. Over the course of our 3-night stay there were lions, leopards, cheetahs and African painted dogs seen within a mile from the camp. Also an aardwolf.

LEWA

Every once in a while on my African travels I discover a place which immediately appeals to me. Bonus? When I realize that our guests will enjoy and appreciate it as well. The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is one of those places. Lewa is special on many levels. Back when I first visited in the late 1990’s, it struck me as being almost sublimely ‘Out of Africa.’ It was no different this time around. Mostly, the place just shouts ‘Africa.’ Standing there on a clear day on an elevated spot, you can see the jagged peaks of Mt. Kenya to the south. If you turn around 180 degrees, on the horizon to the north looms the sacred mountain of the Samburu – Mt. Ololokwe. Mountains, valleys, vast open grassy plains and the gray-blue horizon seemingly reaching up to the clouds.

Other ways in which Lewa is special? It harbors and actively protects more rhinos (white and black) than any other conservancy in East Africa. Lewa’s rhino population has grown from an initial 15 rhinos to around 255 rhinos currently, a significant percentage of all rhinos in Kenya. Lewa also has a great mix of endemic species including Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe. Some of these animals – like the Grevy’s zebras – are rare and endangered and they are all spectacularly beautiful. Lewa has an enviable record as a hugely successful wildlife conservation entity and for effectively involving the surrounding community and mobilizing their support. 

So what is a keen safari enthusiast to do? If you’ve never been to Kenya, give us a call at 1 800 513-5222 or email me (bert@fisheaglesafaris.com) to discuss some options and let’s get you on a flight to Nairobi. With the possible exception of April and May, Kenya is a true year-round destination. For the wildebeest & zebra migration, July through October are the best months but there’s much to be said for November through March as well. Been to Kenya before? No reason not to go back. Kenya is the most diverse safari destination of all and there is always somewhere new to explore, or a different time of the year to visit. Take a few friends and book one of the exclusive use properties at Ithumba or Galdessa for the most amazing orphan elephant experience of a lifetime!

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Secrets of Tsavo, Kenya

3rd May 2023

Secrets of Tsavo, Kenya

On my last visit to Tsavo, I fell in love with Africa all over again. It was one thing after another, starting and ending of course, with elephants. Elephants at the waterhole just outside Kilaguni Serena Lodge, big tuskers at a water trough just inside the entrance to Tsavo East, a trio of cheeky elephants taking doum palm nuts out of our hands at Galdessa Camp on the Galana River, multiple small herds of elephants – all thirsty and hungry and dusty – around the water holes between Satao and Aruba Lodge. We could see them kicking up Tsavo’s signature red dust as they made their way through the parched landscape, headed for water. Surprisingly, given the extent and duration of the drought, the elephants were still doing well with lots of youngsters around.  

We spent an absorbing couple of hours or so with the orphan elephants at the Sheldrick Voi Unit. Observing their joyful exuberance at feeding time and getting to be up close and personal with them is one of East Africa’s most enriching wildlife experiences. Positioning ourselves in partial shade under a large tree, we waited about 20 minutes or so until the first small group of orphans rushed up to their handlers, who were standing just meters away from us, each one holding a large bottle of elephant formula. 

Drinking with gusto, the young elephants drained the bottles in what felt like barely a couple of minutes, their faces quickly taking on what could only be a look of utter contentment. Most of the young elephants consume two bottles of formula before they amble off to drink some water or dip into a pool, only to cover themselves with the red Tsavo dust immediately afterwards.

Small group after small group, the elephants kept coming, about 30 or so in total. By the time the youngsters had all been fed, a group of about 10 to 12 totally wild elephants had walked up to the water trough specially prepared for the orphans. Clearly used to each other’s presence, the two groups shared the water without any signs of rancor or strife. 

We watched the unfolding scene for a good 30 minutes or so, with various members of our party interacting with some of the orphans. One young female elephant was particularly agreeable and she had her little trunk all over us, literally inhaling our scent and breath. On the way back to our camp at Galdessa we could not stop talking about what an amazing experience this was, and we were already thinking about returning to Ithumba or Galdessa in the future. 

Also in Tsavo – at Ithumba Hill – visitors can expect an even more immersive orphan elephant experience due to the proximity of the stockade (where the young elephants sleep at night) to the safari lodge where the guests reside. It’s barely 10 minutes from one to the other so you can be around the elephants multiple times per day:  when they are being bottle-fed and enjoying a mud bath in the veld, prior to going to sleep after another feeding including some hay and again early in the morning as they wake up to the prospect of another day of being pampered by the Sheldrick crew. 

DRIVING FROM TSAVO WEST TO TSAVO EAST

To experience Tsavo is to experience Africa in a pure, unadulterated setting. Not too many other vehicles or people around, just a few interesting safari camps and lodges, and lots of diversity. This was my second time driving from Kilaguni in Tsavo West all the way to the Galana River in Tsavo East. Just like the first time, it was an absorbing and fascinating journey, marveling at some of the most spectacular scenery of any in Kenya. The game-viewing en route was nothing short of phenomenal with elephants and buffaloes seemingly everywhere, plenty of giraffes and several of the scarce and elusive Lesser Kudu. Other vehicles? Just one in more than three hours.  

Beyond the elephants, the diversity, the scenery and its ‘old Africa’ appeal, Tsavo is where you will come across the spectacular Shetani Lava Flow and cool, beautiful Mzima Springs. We wrote about those two extraordinary places in an earlier blog post about Tsavo. On our most recent trip to Tsavo, we had the opportunity to get a closer look at the Yatta Plateau and the Galana River, two more of Tsavo’s hidden secrets.

THE YATTA PLATEAU AND THE GALANA RIVER

The Yatta Plateau is fascinatingly odd with an uncannily flat top and abrupt ‘end.’ Park yourself a few miles to the south of the plateau and it looks every bit like a lake which seemingly froze in its tracks. Which is of course  exactly what it is. A massive river of igneous rock, the world’s longest lava flow, stretching almost 300 km from its origin near Ol Doinyo Sabuk, northeast of Nairobi.  

At the base of the Yatta plateau runs the Galana River – the second longest river in Kenya after the Tana River. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Galdessa camps are perched on high ground, hidden in a huge grove of doum palms right on the banks of the Galana where it flows through a shallow valley with stands of trees and thick vegetation on both sides. Remarkably – considering that the area was in the throes of a severe, sustained drought at the time of our visit – the Galana was still flowing strongly, its wide expanse of clear, cool water acting as a life-sustaining magnet for a myriad of life forms. For much of its nearly 400 km (250 mile) long course, the Galana flows through a harsh, semi-arid landscape where its water is literally the difference between life and death. At the intriguing Lugard Falls, a few miles down-river from Galdessa, the Galana narrows into a series of rapids, waterfalls and weirdly shaped pools, the result of millions of years of erosion. The jaggedly eroded volcanic rock creates a scene of  stunning natural beauty. It’s tempting to want to clamber around and over the rocks to get the perfect view, but visitors beware:  danger lurks in the form of crocodiles and hippos. 

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Where to go on safari in 2022-23

19th November 2021

Where to go on safari in 2022-23

As the Covid pandemic retreats worldwide, thoughts turn to resuming life the way we once did, filled with family, friends, togetherness – and travel.

Picking up where we left off around March of 2020, we can once again dream and plan on visiting foreign shores.

As and when travelers resume planning trips to Africa, they soon find out that there are dozens of safari destinations and hundreds of combinations of camps and activities.

Fortunately, there are just a few golden rules for a happy and successful safari trip:

* Spend more time in fewer locations. Now more than ever it makes sense to take a single country trip with fewer, longer stops.

* If you have a good guide you can have a great safari almost anywhere, anytime.

* Smaller is always better than bigger when it comes to group size and camp size.

* You almost always get what you pay for; in the case of a good safari it is prime location, small camp, good guiding, privacy (private concessions, private guide & vehicle), all-inclusive pricing and an all-round quality experience with no unpleasant surprises.

Here are a few destinations we visited recently and which we think hold great appeal for the next couple of years, for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, all of these destinations are suitable for a single country trip, reducing the number of potential Covid tests and lessening the burden of entry formalities and hassles associated with border crossings.

ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe’s three prime game-viewing areas namely Hwange, Matusadona (Lake Kariba) and Mana Pools make a truly unbeatable safari combination with as much diversity as just about any other safari destination. You’d have to fly between some areas but even with the inclusion of flights, 10 days split between these three areas in the high season is still going to be 50% less than comparable camps in Botswana.

Start your trip in Victoria Falls for the views and an extraordinary range of adventure activities and consider including the Matobos for rhino viewing, terrific scenery, culture and history.

Zimbabwe is a classic African safari destination with excellent game-viewing, headlined by the presence of thousands of elephants in all of the major national parks, most notably Hwange which has in excess of 30,000 elephants. Add to that buffaloes, eland, plenty of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, special antelopes such as roan and sable and a good variety of cats and you end up with a first-class game-viewing destination.

KENYA
There is simply nowhere better for a first safari than Kenya. Why? Diversity of habitats, abundance of animals and wide-open plains making game-viewing relatively easy and rewarding. Add to that a well-functioning tourism infrastructure, super-friendly people and a wide range of accommodations catering to every taste and budget. Kenya is easy to get to from the USA via Europe or the Middle East, or on a non-stop flight from JFK to Nairobi on Kenya Airways, currently operating several days per week.

I would be very hard pressed to think of a 10-day safari that offers nearly as much to see and experience as a combination of Amboseli (no place better for elephants & views of Kilimanjaro); Lewa or Samburu (spectacular endemics such as Reticulated Giraffe and Grevy’s Zebra & beautiful ‘out of Africa’ views) and the Masai Mara, for simply the best game-viewing in Africa. This can be done on a fly-in basis with any start date. Shoulder months such as June and November offer excellent value for money.

WESTERN TANZANIA AND THE SERENGETI
Prefer to be away from the ‘maddening crowds’ and able to handle some long flights and the occasional bit of discomfort in pursuit of authenticity and excitement? If so, then Tanzania and specifically a combination of the Serengeti, Tarangire and Katavi National Park in far western Tanzania would be ideal.

What to expect? Mostly small, remote camps with few other people, excellent game-viewing and superb birding plus simply the best chimpanzee treks in all of Africa, at Mahale Mountains National Park. The addition of a few days in Katavi National Park elevates this from a great trip to an outstanding one. This remote park is an unvarnished slice of African wilderness where the dry season pushes its large hippo population to the limits of endurance. Big herds of buffalo, elephant, plenty of predators – Katavi has it all and there’s few other people around.

The ideal itinerary for this combination would have 4 or 5 nights in the Serengeti (which can be split between the northern and central region), 3 nights at Greystoke Camp in the Mahale Mountains National Park and 4 nights at Chada Katavi. Stay a little longer by adding a couple of nights at Ngorongoro Crater at the start of the trip.

SOUTHERN TANZANIA & ZANZIBAR
For another remote and very private Africa experience, I would recommend a combination of 4 nights in the Ruaha National Park in south-central Tanzania (Nomad’s Kigelia, Asilia’s Kwihala or Jabala Ridge or Mwagusi Camp) plus one or two camps in the Selous Game Reserve (Sand Rivers – sublime) and perhaps Beho-Beho (on our Groundhog Day list). And then add a few days in Zanzibar at the end, a combination of Stone Town and one of the beach resorts. If pressed for time, a couple of nights in Stone Town would suffice as long as you include a half day walking tour of Stone Town (must do) and possibly an outing to Jozani Forest Reserve to see the Red Colobus monkeys and the Mangroves. The Spice Tour is a bit touristy but highly entertaining and educational.

ZAMBIA
Zambia is huge and with three premier safari areas – South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue – it has an amazing diversity of scenery, habitat and activities. Walking is central to the experience everywhere yet it isn’t forced or mandatory. They do the walking excursions mostly early in the morning as it can and does get hot later in the day.

Some of the best areas in Zambia like the Kafue and Lower Zambezi are considerably better later in the dry season, so my recommendation would be to travel there from July through October. It does get hot and dry then but definitely worth it for the concentration of elephants and other wildlife, close to water.

In terms of game-viewing, the highlights in the Kafue National Park include lions and leopards. The latter are well represented at Musekese Camp (which we highly recommend visiting) where there are 17 leopards in the area just around the camp. On a visit earlier this year, we saw two females interacting which is highly unusual. All the leopards have individual designations and their behavior and distribution and relationships are intensively studied.

The South Luangwa National Park is also known for an abundance of leopards plus good elephant numbers, giraffe, zebra and of course hundreds of hippos along the Luangwa river. There are multiple thousands of hippos on the Luangwa so you are almost never quite out of hearing distance of their booming snorts and honking. We are partial to the Shenton camps (Kaingo and Mwamba) as well as the Bushcamp Company and Time & Tide properties. They all offer a slightly different experience – depending on location and season – but all are excellent.

The Lower Zambezi National Park offers a distinctively different experience and setting, with most of the camps located on the banks of the Zambezi. So in addition to game drives (day and early evening), you can also do boating and canoeing, as well as walking. From August onwards the seeds of the Winterthorn trees start to drop, which attracts dozens of elephants day and night. The pods are like candy to them. This is best seen and experienced at the camps west of Jeki Airstrip, being Old Mondoro, the Tusk & Mane camps and Anabezi.

The area around Tusk & Mane in Lower Zambezi is impossibly atmospheric and there is just nowhere else like it. Tusk and Mane’s Kutali and Chula camps are rustic with bucket showers (having proper flush toilets) but the experience is as ‘classic safari’ as it gets.

The canoeing experience on the Lower Zambezi is amazing as well. We saw about 50 hippos on a three hour canoe outing and elephants crossed the channel in front of us and behind us. All in all an action packed outing with a few jolts of adrenaline here and there, yet I felt quite safe due to the expert guiding. Boating on the Kafue and the Zambezi rivers adds yet another facet to the Zambia experience. The two rivers are so different yet I found both of them to be fascinating given the immense flow of water and the importance they have to the wildlife areas in Zambia.

At any time of the year, the vehicle density in Zambia – except in the Mfuwe area – is lower than anywhere else. The camps are really small, mostly with just 4 or 5 tents. In areas like the Lower Zambezi and Kafue the experience is like being on your own private African safari.

BOTSWANA
I have not changed my mind about Botswana being among the very best safari destinations of any. On a recent trip which included Chief’s Island in the Moremi, the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari, we again experienced Botswana’s abundance of wildlife, beautiful scenery and friendly people.

On our very first game drive out of Chief’s Camp we saw African painted dogs, lions and cheetahs. That set the pace for the entire trip, with buffaloes on our arrival at Eagle Island Lodge, a couple of baby leopards there, interaction between two sets of male lions at Xigera Safari Camp and ending with a mother and baby pair of white rhinos at Dinaka, in the Kalahari. And of course all the plains game including plentiful giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, lechwes, gemsbok, springbok, tsessebe, steenbok, a myriad of hippos and more.

Botswana has gotten quite pricey – especially from June through the end of October (high season), but you don’t have to spend weeks here to have a fantastic time on safari. Seven to nine nights total on safari is more than adequate. For a longer trip, add on a few days in Zimbabwe or South Africa. To keep the price manageable, consider going in the low-demand season, from November through the end of March. If you spend a bit more time in fewer areas (to give yourself a little more time and opportunity to find some of the elusive species like leopards and cheetahs), it can be every bit as good as the high season.

Some visitors – notably photographers – consider the low season to be the best time of the year, bar none. Why? There are lots of baby animals around (notably hundreds of baby impalas) which stimulates predator activity. Just about every day, you will experience gorgeous sunrises and sunsets due to the presence of some clouds. There are many bird species in breeding plumage, and lots of summer migrant bird species present, including the strident woodland kingfisher, several species of shrikes, bee-eaters, orioles, wading birds, birds of prey and many more. The animals are generally in good condition at this time of the year due to abundant food sources, and the green vegetation creates beautiful backdrops. The bottom line? Travel to Botswana in the low demand season and enjoy superb game-viewing and exceptionally good photography conditions at much lower prices, with far fewer other visitors around. Call or email us for information about several superb low-demand season trip itineraries and cost estimates.

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Our ‘Groundhog Day’ Properties – Part 1

4th June 2021

Our ‘Groundhog Day’ Properties – Part 1


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Our ‘Groundhog Day’ Properties – Part 1

For the first installment in what may end up being a 3-part series, covering our top ten or so ‘Groundhog Day’ properties, I thought I’d include a full service hotel in Cape Town, a luxury safari camp in Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and a small, remote tented camp in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.


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Ellerman House

In our African travels over the years, our Fish Eagle Safaris team members have visited – and re-visited – a dizzying array of safari camps, lodges, beach resorts, hotels, guest houses and bed & breakfast establishments, in 12 African countries and Madagascar.  Practically without exception, we enjoyed our stay at each of them, from the most basic mobile tented camps out in the bush to the highest of high profile deluxe city hotels.


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Ellerman House

Every once in a while, when all or most things go right and we come across a jewel of a property, we add it to our exclusive ‘Groundhog Day’ list.  These are places where we could wake up every morning for the rest of our lives, and be happy and content.  There is no checklist or set of requirements, no rules or regulations to make it onto the list.  No special award either, except for the fortunate visitors who end up spending a few days at one or more of these properties.


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Ellerman House

Ellerman House, Cape Town

One of the first properties which we elevated to ‘Groundhog Day’ status was Ellerman House in Cape Town.  It didn’t take long for us to be awed when we first arrived there several years ago, on a warm November day.   It started with the paintings along the way to our room.  Being South African-born, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a striking Transvaal landscape by J H Pierneef, likely the greatest of the old South African masters.  We soon came to realize that Ellerman House is replete with fine South African works of art, both in the main house and the dedicated contemporary art gallery which we were to discover later.


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Ellerman House

Ellerman House is also a grand mansion, once the home of shipping magnate John Ellerman and his wife Esther, better known as Lady Ellerman.  Matter of fact, we spent our first night there in a room which used to be Lady Ellerman’s art studio. Exhausted after a long transatlantic journey, all we thought we wanted to do was sleep.  Until we explored the room a bit and saw the view from our private verandah, overlooking Bantry Bay and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.


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Ellerman House

Anchored by the lush green garden in front of the hotel, the view transitions to a white sandy beach, foam-topped waves, blue-green ocean and towering cumulus clouds in the background.   We had stepped into a postcard photo.  Simply sitting there in two comfortable lounge chairs with a cold drink in hand,  we experienced what all travelers seek, yet rarely find.  A magical moment when time and place create a memory which will remain vivid in our minds, every time we think about Ellerman House.


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Ellerman House

Lady Ellerman may have just dabbled in the fine arts but her one-time art studio is now a masterpiece unto itself, as are all of the Ellerman rooms and the two adjacent private villas.  There’s simply nothing to fault:  drop dead gorgeous views, private verandahs with as much appeal as the rooms themselves, a wine experience on par with the best in the country, the finest of fine dining – for house guests only – and everything underscored by a high level of unobtrusive yet impeccable personal service.  One could write a not-so-slim volume about Ellerman House’s fascinating history, its intersection with Cape Town’s art and music scene and the remarkable socio-economic upliftment work it has done in the local and greater South African community.


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Ellerman House

On a recent visit, wanting to explore the area around the hotel, we took the Bantry Steps (there’s 156) from Kloof Road down to Ravine Road and the Florida Steps (another 142) down to  Victoria Road, which turns into Beach Road eventually.  If you run far enough, which we did.  All along the Sea Point promenade, filled with runners and walkers, tourists and locals, all occasionally pausing to take in the amazing views over the Atlantic Ocean.  Families with kids exploring some of the coves, people walking their dogs, hang gliders descending from Lion’s Head, it was an idyllic scene of people having fun and enjoying some leisure time in the bright sunshine.

Legendary Lodge


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Ellerman House

The three mile or five kilometer Sea Point Promenade – named after the best known of the areas which it fronts – starts in Granger Bay, less than a kilometer from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.  From there it goes past the red-and-white-striped lighthouse of Mouille Point and continues to Sea Point itself before curving around to Bantry Bay.  From and back to Ellerman House, inclusive of the 596 steps down from Kloof Street and back up again, this 10 kilometer stretch is very much a ‘rave run’ –  or refreshing walk – all the way.  

On your next trip to Cape Town, consider spending a few nights at Ellerman House and like us, you may feel like waking up there, over and over again.


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Sirikoi Safari Lodge, Lewa – Kenya

Every once in a while on my African travels, I discover a place that almost immediately appeals to me and which I soon realize, our guests will come to enjoy and appreciate as well.  The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in north-central Kenya is one of those places.  Lewa is special on many levels.  Back when I first visited it in the late 1990’s, it struck me as being almost sublimely ‘out of Africa’.   On my most recent visit there, I felt just the same way.  Mostly, the place just shouts ‘Africa’.  Standing there, on a clear day, you can see the jagged peaks of Mt. Kenya to the south.  If you turn around 180 degrees, on the horizon to the north, looms the sacred mountain of the Samburu – Mt. Ololokwe.  Mountains, valleys, vast open plains and amazing vistas of blue foothills disappearing into the void.

Villa Maua

Sanctuary Retreats


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Other ways in which Lewa is special?  It harbors and actively protects more rhinos (white and black) than any other conservancy in East Africa.  Lewa’s rhino population has grown from an initial 15 rhinos to around 170 rhinos currently, nearly 15% of all rhinos in Kenya.  Lewa also has a great mix of endemic species including Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe.  Some of these animals – like the Grevy’s zebras – are rare and endangered and they are all spectacularly beautiful.


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We use several Lewa properties for our guests including Lewa Safari Camp, Lewa Wilderness and Borana Lodge, in the adjacent (and now connected) Borana Conservancy.  A property which we had used before, but not visited ourselves until fairly recently, is Sirikoi.  Sirikoi turned out to be worth waiting for!  It is an oasis like few others, from location to accommodation and management.  The tented rooms, main lounge and dining room areas are stylish and immaculately maintained, and the food and beverage service is of an exemplary quality.  While at Sirikoi, I took some time off from the game-viewing to scout out the property and surroundings a bit better.


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With its mix of four luxury tents and two exclusive use houses (with 2 and 3 bedrooms respectively), Sirikoi caters for discerning guests who like and enjoy comfort and luxury, but in an elegant, understated fashion.  There is nothing over the top or extravagant about Sirikoi.  It strikes a perfect balance between being luxurious and stylish, yet retaining the essence of a true Kenyan retreat.


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Sirikoi’s location right alongside the Sirikoi stream, on the edge of a large swamp, results in wildlife often entering the property and being visible from the open dining deck in front of the camp.  In the late afternoon and early evening, as the birds settle down and nocturnal creatures like bush babies start to get active, enjoying a sundowner at Sirikoi is as good as it gets on safari.  I experienced just that on my last night there.  One by one a family of seven striped kingfishers disappeared into a communal hole in a tree where they were to sleep for the night.  Guinea fowls started to gather high in a nearby tree, as did baboons (not without some squabbling), vervet monkeys and even crowned cranes which flew out of the swamp to the protection of an elevated roost. 

It became quiet as the sun set over the low hills to the west, the pinkish light remaining for a long time, with the trees perfectly reflected in the glassy surface of the pool.  The end of a perfect day in Africa.


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Jozibanini Camp, Hwange – Zimbabwe

A more recent addition to our Groundhog Day list is Jozibanini, a small tented camp in a remote area of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.  Jozibanini is everything that Ellerman House is not, except that Jozi’s ‘restaurant’ is also open only to guests.  Not to take that too literally of course, seeing as the restaurant at Jozibanini is a small table and a few chairs, under the stars, in sight of an open fire-place.   Guests at Jozi will search in vain for a temperature-controlled pool, a state-of-the art gym or – perish the thought – a television set.  Jozibanini is so remote that outside communication is limited to a satellite phone.


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Instead of 5,000 plus bottles of fine wine in its cellar, Jozi can offer you thousands of stars overhead, every night.  There’s several cool beverages on offer though. Many of us enjoy fine South African vintage wines but let’s face it, a cold beer at the end of a long day on safari with many animals and nobody else around is – priceless.


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Jozibanini’s underground “look-up” blind is one-of-a-kind.  On my last visit the noisy shutter release sound on my Nikon camera spooked a large bull elephant at the water hole.  Fortunately we were safe inside the hide but it goes to show just how close you get to the animals.  Be sure to pack a quiet mirrorless camera for your trip!  If you’re feeling adventurous you can head off on a guided mountain bike ride along the elephant paths traversing the dune troughs around Jozibanini. 


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And if you’re in need of more star gazing, the beds can be rolled into the deck of the tents for an extraordinary star-bed experience gazing skyward at thousands of stars in the dark Hwange sky. By introducing tourism into this formerly deserted area, the Jozi project has helped protect vast swathes of Hwange and its wildlife, while creating more jobs for guides, camp staff, national parks employees and conservation personnel.  Go to Jozi and the people and thirsty elephants of Hwange will be forever in your debt.  If you can, travel in the cooler, dry months from about April through August.  It can get very hot in Hwange from mid-September through March.


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In our blog next week we will focus on a few more of our Groundhog Day properties in the Greater Kruger Park area, being Jabulani Safari, MalaMala Game Reserve and Royal Malewane.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Our Favorite Hotels in Cape Town

21st May 2021

Our Favorite Hotels in Cape Town


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Cape Cadogan – Hotel Exterior View

Our Favorite Hotels in Cape Town

It is almost always a good idea to start or end your Southern Africa trip with a few days in Cape Town. Cape Town, also known as the mother city, is picture-pretty and rivals San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney for instagram-worthy photographs from practically anywhere.  Cape Town’s Table Bay and Table Mountain complex are amongst the natural wonders of the world and its stunning wine-growing area and multitude of cultural, food, sport, light adventure and water activities make it a ‘must see’ destination in South Africa.  Except perhaps in the Cape winter, from June through the end of August, when Cape Town can be downright miserable with rain, wind and cold temperatures, sometimes all of them simultaneously.   


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Table Mountain as seen from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

If you do have Cape Town on your wishlist, keep in mind that from about mid-December through early January it is crowded with up-country and international visitors.  For the holiday season many hotels require a minimum 5-night stay, prices are high, it’s a battle to get in and out of the Waterfront, the traffic is generally a mess and it is tough to make a reservation at many of the best restaurants.  So, quite frankly, the city is best avoided at that time of the year.  Unless, of course,  you’ve been invited to a destination wedding over that time-frame, or it’s a business-related trip, or it’s the only time you can go.


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Mt Nelson Hotel Pool

Where to stay in Cape Town?  The choices are near endless, with good to excellent accommodation options spread out all over the city itself and the surrounding suburbs.  

In the full service hotel category our favorites are the Belmond Mt. Nelson (a classic, with a great location in an area with fewer tourists than the waterfront), the Silo (stunning in every way), the Cape Grace (a gem) and the incomparable Ellerman House, likely the best hotel in Africa.  It is on our  ‘groundhog day’ list:  a place where you can wake up every day for the rest of your life and be happy….


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Mt Nelson Hotel Deluxe Room

If you prefer a small guest house or boutique hotel with a bit of local color, we have several favorites including Four Rosmead (great for self-drivers), Welgelegen (right off Kloof Street which is a lively area with lots of restaurants, clubs and bars), the Cape Cadogan (also convenient to Kloof Street) and the attractive Glen Avon in Constantia.  Constantia is a leafy, quiet suburb of Cape Town so you’d be away from the congestion of the central business district or the waterfront.  Constantia also has its own wine region with several superb wineries.  In fact it is an excellent base for touring with easy access to places like Kirstenbosch and it is right along the main route to the coast.  


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The Silo Rooftop

Yet another attractive option is to get a serviced apartment in the Victoria & Alfred  Waterfront.  It is ‘room only’ but it is of course very easy to make breakfast yourself as the apartments have fully equipped kitchens and can be pre-stocked with food items of your specification.  There are literally dozens of restaurants at the waterfront within a 10-minute walk.  It is an economical and safe choice with strict access control measures.  


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Mt Nelson Hotel – Junior Suite

Belmond Mt. Nelson Hotel

On a recent trip to Cape Town I spent four nights at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town and it was wonderful, as before. I am personally quite fond of ‘old world’ hotels and the Mt. Nelson is definitely that: completed in the early 1900’s and beautifully maintained since then, it has lost none of its charm even though it has all the modern conveniences including Wifi.  Known locally as the ‘Nellie’ or the ‘Pink Lady’ because of its light pink exterior paint, the property has a great setting with views of Table Mountain from the balconies of some of the rooms.  Be sure to try the high tea one afternoon – it’s the best in Southern Africa.


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Mt Nelson Hotel Entrance

The ‘Nellie’ also has a large outdoor pool, and a well-equipped spa and exercise facility – somewhat hidden and a short walk from the main area but worth exploring. The hotel is quiet, secluded and well managed; the beautiful grounds have a simply stunning palm-lined entrance. The  Mt. Nelson is a short walk to various museums and places of interest just off the Company Gardens. Breakfasts are excellent with literally dozens of options in addition to the usual full English breakfast offerings.  For winter visitors (often the case for travelers from the USA as that is prime safari time), there’s a ‘stay for 4 nights, pay for 3’ offer which will take the sting out of the not-so-great weather.


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The Silo Rooftop Dining

Silo Hotel

Awesome is an overworked word nowadays but it fits the Silo Hotel like a glove.  Over the course of a 2-night stay there some months ago, we had the most incredible time and found it to be like nothing we had ever experienced before.  The Silo is indeed awesome in the old-fashioned sense of the word:  from concept to design, location, views, and the impressive Zeitz Museum Of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA).

Legendary Lodge


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The Silo Family Suite

We stayed on the 7th floor in a family duplex suite decorated in a luscious lime green and we had spectacular views of the harbor, the V & A Waterfront, Signal Hill and Table Mountain – a perfect location.  We did not want to leave the suite!  On Friday evening, we invited some friends from Cape Town to join us for drinks on the Rooftop and a delicious dinner at The Granary Café. We couldn’t resist ending the evening with champagne and chocolates in our marvellous suite – the Silo simply puts you in a celebratory mood!


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Riverwalk

Glen Avon, Constantia

On the same trip, we had a most enjoyable time at Glen Avon,  a small 5-star boutique hotel in the Constantia winelands.   It felt very private and the staff was exceptionally friendly and accommodating.  If you enjoy an ‘away from it all’ location where you can relax by the pool-side, read a book, take in the birdlife and scenic beauty and perhaps go for a walk, this would be the ideal spot.   

The three-course dinner at Glen Avon on our first night there was perfectly done and presented,  rivalled by breakfast the following morning – served outside with a beautiful view over the gardens – which was fantastic.  

Kathy and I went for a run before dinner and ended up on the Grootboskloof Riverwalk – a great opportunity to get an up close and personal feel for the charming neighborhood surrounding the hotel.

Villa Maua

Sanctuary Retreats


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Cape Cadogan – Guest Breakfast Area

Cape Cadogan & More Quarters

Yet another small boutique hotel in Cape Town to consider, is the Cape Cadogan.  We’ve stayed at the property a couple of times and really liked what we saw and experienced.  Primarily, we recommend it because of location, being right off Kloof street which is choc-a-bloc with local restaurants, clubs, boutiques and small stores.


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Cape Cadogan – Classic Bedroom Interior

At the V & A Waterfront most other visitors you will see are also from out of town, while the Kloof Street neighborhood is frequented by lots of Capetonians.  Also, you’d be walking distance from several interesting sights including the Company Gardens where several major museums are located, the Houses of Parliament, St. George’s Cathedral and GreenMarket Square.


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More Quarters – Luxury Room

We experienced first class hospitality at the Cape Cadogan’s sister property, More Quarters, on a subsequent visit.  The rooms are well planned and spacious.  Breakfast was delicious. The management and staff were wonderful and it shares the same location advantage as the Cape Cadogan.  We returned home with a complimentary jar of Jelly Tots (everybody’s favorite)! So all round a winner:  great accommodation, food and courteous staff.


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Ellerman House

Ellerman House

So many accolades have been directed at Ellerman House, that it leaves one searching for something new or insightful to say about this immaculate property.  What the hotel says about itself is true:   you never want to leave! On our most recent visit we stayed in the Ellerman Suite and certainly enjoyed the privacy and the most incredible view of Bantry Bay.  We toured the superb art gallery which takes visitors on a journey that explores the huge social and cultural shift in South Africa from the mid-nineteenth century to present day.  We checked out the wine cellar – one of the best in Cape Town – and enjoyed a walk-through of the two exquisite villas.  As before, our meals were out of this world – we still fondly recall a particularly delicious scallop dish.


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Ellerman House

Tackling the Bantry steps on two separate occasions was worth the effort to make it down to the Sea Point Promenade for a couple of our best ever scenic runs.  Memories of these rave runs will remain vibrant in our minds until we can make it back to Ellerman House, to tackle those steps one more time, and to again experience the singular joys of spending more time in this finest of establishments.


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The Silo Superior Suite

In next week’s blog, we take a closer look at a very special African mammal, the African Painted Dog.  We’ll include  some of our favorite photographs and highlight a few of the best places in Africa where these rare, endangered predators can be found.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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