Day 6
July 14, 2011
We left the hotel at 5am for the trip to Kenya. We drove to the Serengeti Airstrip (not an airport, just an air strip). We had to wait for the plane to arrive; it was a Dash-8 from some local airline. It was actually bigger than expected as the whole group fit on board, with overhead compartments and a flight attendant. The flight was only about thirty-five minutes. We went back to the crater, but it was too cloudy to see from the air.
We were met at the airport by two buses that took us from Arusha to the Kenya border. It was not an exciting ride, but a good chance to sleep. Since it was a long trip- two and a half hours-, they did have snack boxes for us. Upon arriving at the border, which is a complete zoo, we all had to go into the immigration building in Tanzania for the exit. We had to do the same after we crossed the border into Kenya for entrance. The Kenya guides met us with their vehicles, and drove us over the border. While at the Kenya immigration stop, we were inundated by Masai trying to sell their trinkets.
We got back on the road for the hour drive to our next hotel. The first impression of Kenya was of a small, very impoverished city with small shanties everywhere. We arrived at the Serena Amoseli, and were reunited with our luggage. We had a couple hours for lunch and to relax.
We then did a great evening drive. As it was very cloudy, we couldn't see Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Tuesday, July 19
Thursday, July 14
Notes from Africa: Day 5
Day 5
July 14, 2011
Another fantastic day in the Serengeti! I got up early and worked out in the gym. We then left at 7:30am for our game drive. We saw a multitude of animals again. Today's highlight included a few lions and elephants playing and gathered in long groups. We saw mother elephants nursing their young. At the end of the drive, we came across a small river where the elephants were bathing and playing together which was so much fun to watch. That was until the crocodile came along. We saw the elephants quickly exit the river, pushing the young out as quick as possible.
We then returned to the hotel for the afternoon off. We had lunch and then I played pool with the kids while Cathy relaxed in the room. I said that this was a magnificent hotel, well I am not alone in thinking that. It turns out the President of Tanzania is vacationing here! He arrived yesterday, and his wife came in this morning. We could not have lunch in our normal room, because he took it over! We saw him come into lunch with his small entourage. Cathy and I went back to the room, but the kids actually got to meet him after lunch! Sarah got a picture with him, very cool!
July 14, 2011
Another fantastic day in the Serengeti! I got up early and worked out in the gym. We then left at 7:30am for our game drive. We saw a multitude of animals again. Today's highlight included a few lions and elephants playing and gathered in long groups. We saw mother elephants nursing their young. At the end of the drive, we came across a small river where the elephants were bathing and playing together which was so much fun to watch. That was until the crocodile came along. We saw the elephants quickly exit the river, pushing the young out as quick as possible.
We then returned to the hotel for the afternoon off. We had lunch and then I played pool with the kids while Cathy relaxed in the room. I said that this was a magnificent hotel, well I am not alone in thinking that. It turns out the President of Tanzania is vacationing here! He arrived yesterday, and his wife came in this morning. We could not have lunch in our normal room, because he took it over! We saw him come into lunch with his small entourage. Cathy and I went back to the room, but the kids actually got to meet him after lunch! Sarah got a picture with him, very cool!
Notes from Africa: Day 4
Day 4
July 13, 2011
What started out not so well, turned out to possibly be our best day yet!
The day started at 4:30am when Sarah turned the lights on in our room and ran to the bathroom. She was really sick and spent the next two hours in and out of there. We were quite concerned, as we knew it was scheduled to be a full day of driving with a very bumpy ride. We left the hotel at 8:00am, with Allen as our driver. I think Allen is probably the best of the local guides we have in Tanzania. He is from the Masai tribe, and told us all about his early life growing up as a Masai. The day started with a two hour drive over rough terrain to the Serengeti. We did pass wildlife along the way. At the beginning of our trip, Allen made a comment that wild dogs are now very rare in the area, and he has only seen them twice in his eleven years of guiding. Sure enough, about a half hour later, we came across a pack of four wild dogs! It was incredible!
We continued our ride, and Sarah was still not feeling well, but hanging in. We had our "African Massage", which is going up and down on the very bumpy ride. The "highway" to and through the Serengeti is actually a dirt road.
We did make one stop along the way at a gorge where fossils of early man were found. It is believed that this was the birthplace of the human beings, with fossils of upright beings from 1.5 million years ago!
We stopped for lunch at the entrance to the Serengeti. We had a true boxed lunch today, from last night's hotel. It was very good! A full piece of chicken, ham sandwich, fruit, yogurt, and more. Then it was into the Serengeti!
For the first half hour or so, we really did not see any major wildlife. But then it all began! We came across tons of zebras again (there are so many!), a rare black rhino, giraffes, elephants, lions, and more. Then we had our second rare sighting of the day: a cheetah! We were able to get about ten feet from it, and amazing pictures. It was unreal!
We continued our ride, and about a half hour later Allen heard over the radio that there was a leopard in a tree. Sure enough we could see it laying on the branch. He said it was a recent mother. After looking for awhile, Cathy saw the baby's leg hanging out of the tree- incredible!
After a few minutes, we made another sighting- another leopard in the grass. This one got really close to us, again maybe ten to fifteen feet! It was extraordinary.
We drove for another hour or so to head to our hotel passing all kinds of terrain and animals. The views were amazing.
We finally arrived at the Kempinski Lodge in the Serengeti. All I can say is oh my goodness! This has to be the most incredible property we have ever stayed at. The whole place sits right in the middle of the game area. There are great views from throughout the hotel, including the infinity pool outside with a watering hold right next to it for the animals!
Then we came to our room. Besides a sitting area looking out at the Serengeti, along with our bed, is an amazing bathroom with views. I took a bath followed by a shower watching the animals. Since we came here this afternoon, we have been visited right out our window by wildebeest, gazelle, and zebras! It is beyond belief.
Tomorrow we are going out for a morning game ride followed by a free afternoon to enjoy this incredible property. Pinch me, because I do not thing it is real!
July 13, 2011
What started out not so well, turned out to possibly be our best day yet!
The day started at 4:30am when Sarah turned the lights on in our room and ran to the bathroom. She was really sick and spent the next two hours in and out of there. We were quite concerned, as we knew it was scheduled to be a full day of driving with a very bumpy ride. We left the hotel at 8:00am, with Allen as our driver. I think Allen is probably the best of the local guides we have in Tanzania. He is from the Masai tribe, and told us all about his early life growing up as a Masai. The day started with a two hour drive over rough terrain to the Serengeti. We did pass wildlife along the way. At the beginning of our trip, Allen made a comment that wild dogs are now very rare in the area, and he has only seen them twice in his eleven years of guiding. Sure enough, about a half hour later, we came across a pack of four wild dogs! It was incredible!
We continued our ride, and Sarah was still not feeling well, but hanging in. We had our "African Massage", which is going up and down on the very bumpy ride. The "highway" to and through the Serengeti is actually a dirt road.
We did make one stop along the way at a gorge where fossils of early man were found. It is believed that this was the birthplace of the human beings, with fossils of upright beings from 1.5 million years ago!
We stopped for lunch at the entrance to the Serengeti. We had a true boxed lunch today, from last night's hotel. It was very good! A full piece of chicken, ham sandwich, fruit, yogurt, and more. Then it was into the Serengeti!
For the first half hour or so, we really did not see any major wildlife. But then it all began! We came across tons of zebras again (there are so many!), a rare black rhino, giraffes, elephants, lions, and more. Then we had our second rare sighting of the day: a cheetah! We were able to get about ten feet from it, and amazing pictures. It was unreal!
We continued our ride, and about a half hour later Allen heard over the radio that there was a leopard in a tree. Sure enough we could see it laying on the branch. He said it was a recent mother. After looking for awhile, Cathy saw the baby's leg hanging out of the tree- incredible!
After a few minutes, we made another sighting- another leopard in the grass. This one got really close to us, again maybe ten to fifteen feet! It was extraordinary.
We drove for another hour or so to head to our hotel passing all kinds of terrain and animals. The views were amazing.
We finally arrived at the Kempinski Lodge in the Serengeti. All I can say is oh my goodness! This has to be the most incredible property we have ever stayed at. The whole place sits right in the middle of the game area. There are great views from throughout the hotel, including the infinity pool outside with a watering hold right next to it for the animals!
Then we came to our room. Besides a sitting area looking out at the Serengeti, along with our bed, is an amazing bathroom with views. I took a bath followed by a shower watching the animals. Since we came here this afternoon, we have been visited right out our window by wildebeest, gazelle, and zebras! It is beyond belief.
Tomorrow we are going out for a morning game ride followed by a free afternoon to enjoy this incredible property. Pinch me, because I do not thing it is real!
Wednesday, July 13
Notes from Africa: Day 3
Day 3
July 12, 2011
Another spectacular day in Tanzania! Today we spent at the Ngorongoro Crater. Our hotel sits on the top of the rim. This crater, at about 12 miles wide, is the largest unfolded intact crater in the world!
We woke up around 6am and stepped out onto our patio looking over the crater. The very first sound we heard this morning was the roar of a lion!! About thirty minutes later we witnessed a magnificent sunrise over the other side of the crater.
The crater has created an amazing habitat for wildlife, so they have flocked here. We got into our vehicle at about 8am and proceeded down to the crater floor. Shortly after, we came across a cave where a family of warthogs came out for the day. As we watched them, we noticed a whole bunch of mice on the floor. We then began our game drive, and certainly saw game! Within a short period of time, we came across gazelle, wildebeest (I think there were more of these than anything), zebra, hyenas, buffalo, all kinds of birds, and then the moment we were waiting for, four lions. Three of the lions were laying together near a tree, and the forth, that appeared injured, came walking back to the others after a short period. It was amazing! We then continued our ride, and saw herds of wildebeest and zebras on the move. Shortly thereafter we came upon a group of safari vehicles parked on the side of the road. We assumed correctly this meant there was something to see. We were able to watch a lion staking our it's territory and watching for prey. There were hundreds of animals in the area. As soon as a wildebeest wandered off by itself, we watched as the lion tried to sneak up on it. However, the wildebeest was able to escape to the safety of the herd. A warthog soon made the same mistake. The lion was getting ready to pounce, but again was too late as the warthog made a speedy exit. So much for witnessing a kill this time.
After driving around a bit more, we made a pit stop. (These were not the cleanest restrooms in the world, but at this point not a big deal!) Right next to the washrooms was a pond full of hippos. During the day, they tend to spend most of the time submerged so we only saw the top of their heads. But as we came around the corner, we did find some on the side of the lake.
We were now getting hungry and were ready for the box lunches that Abby, our tour director, told us we would be having. Well, we were in for a surprise! As we turned into a small clearing, we found that in the middle of the bush, they had set up an incredible spread for us. The tables were made up with china, barbecue lunch with salads and a bar set up with complimentary soft drinks with wine and beer available for a fee. It was amazing! We could not believe that the animals would not try to come over to partake.
After lunch, it was back on the road for more animal viewing. This afternoon we got to see a couple of rhinos in addition to the other animals. We also came across more lions. Finally, in the distance we saw a huge elephant with giant tusks. Our guide told us that the older male elephants come to the crater to live out the rest of their lives. He said this one was around 65 years old!
During our drive out of the crater, we came across a family of elephants with a baby. The younger elephants just walk through the crater area but do not settle here.
All in all, a truly amazing day. It is now around 4:30pm, we will have some time to relax before a Masai Tribe acrobatics show prior to dinner. Tomorrow we'll be up early to travel on to the Serengeti!
July 12, 2011
Another spectacular day in Tanzania! Today we spent at the Ngorongoro Crater. Our hotel sits on the top of the rim. This crater, at about 12 miles wide, is the largest unfolded intact crater in the world!
We woke up around 6am and stepped out onto our patio looking over the crater. The very first sound we heard this morning was the roar of a lion!! About thirty minutes later we witnessed a magnificent sunrise over the other side of the crater.
The crater has created an amazing habitat for wildlife, so they have flocked here. We got into our vehicle at about 8am and proceeded down to the crater floor. Shortly after, we came across a cave where a family of warthogs came out for the day. As we watched them, we noticed a whole bunch of mice on the floor. We then began our game drive, and certainly saw game! Within a short period of time, we came across gazelle, wildebeest (I think there were more of these than anything), zebra, hyenas, buffalo, all kinds of birds, and then the moment we were waiting for, four lions. Three of the lions were laying together near a tree, and the forth, that appeared injured, came walking back to the others after a short period. It was amazing! We then continued our ride, and saw herds of wildebeest and zebras on the move. Shortly thereafter we came upon a group of safari vehicles parked on the side of the road. We assumed correctly this meant there was something to see. We were able to watch a lion staking our it's territory and watching for prey. There were hundreds of animals in the area. As soon as a wildebeest wandered off by itself, we watched as the lion tried to sneak up on it. However, the wildebeest was able to escape to the safety of the herd. A warthog soon made the same mistake. The lion was getting ready to pounce, but again was too late as the warthog made a speedy exit. So much for witnessing a kill this time.
After driving around a bit more, we made a pit stop. (These were not the cleanest restrooms in the world, but at this point not a big deal!) Right next to the washrooms was a pond full of hippos. During the day, they tend to spend most of the time submerged so we only saw the top of their heads. But as we came around the corner, we did find some on the side of the lake.
We were now getting hungry and were ready for the box lunches that Abby, our tour director, told us we would be having. Well, we were in for a surprise! As we turned into a small clearing, we found that in the middle of the bush, they had set up an incredible spread for us. The tables were made up with china, barbecue lunch with salads and a bar set up with complimentary soft drinks with wine and beer available for a fee. It was amazing! We could not believe that the animals would not try to come over to partake.
After lunch, it was back on the road for more animal viewing. This afternoon we got to see a couple of rhinos in addition to the other animals. We also came across more lions. Finally, in the distance we saw a huge elephant with giant tusks. Our guide told us that the older male elephants come to the crater to live out the rest of their lives. He said this one was around 65 years old!
During our drive out of the crater, we came across a family of elephants with a baby. The younger elephants just walk through the crater area but do not settle here.
All in all, a truly amazing day. It is now around 4:30pm, we will have some time to relax before a Masai Tribe acrobatics show prior to dinner. Tomorrow we'll be up early to travel on to the Serengeti!
Monday, July 11
Notes from Africa: Day 2
Day 2
July 11, 2011
We me our group at 7:30am today to begin our adventure. After a one hour orientation from our Tauck Tour Director, Abby, we hit the road. We were split into groups of six with our own guide/driver. Our family was with a very nice couple from El Paso, Texas. Our guide, Omare, was both knowledgeable and a very nice guy. First, he drove us through the city of Arusha. It was very busy with people all over, walking the streets, many women with bundles on their heads. We saw two automobile accidents, which was not surprising considering there were no traffic lights.
Once we left the city, we drove past Masai villages as members tended their flocks of goats and cows. (Masai are one of the tribes of Tanzania.) Finally, we arrived at the outside of the park and saw our first real animals: baboons. It was then into the park by the rim, where we saw a cornucopia of animals inside the park, including blue monkeys, zebra, wildebeests, giraffe, and impala. It was incredible! We captured some amazing photos. We then had lunch at a lodge that overlooked the park. From there, we drove to our hotel for the evening which is built into the Ngorongoro crater! It was incredible! In this area of roughly 120 sq miles live thousands of animals and our room likes directly into it! Incredible! This evening we had a cocktail party, followed by a lovely dinner. We ate with an Australian couple and enjoyed good food and a fun evening. Tomorrow we go down into the crater!
July 11, 2011
We me our group at 7:30am today to begin our adventure. After a one hour orientation from our Tauck Tour Director, Abby, we hit the road. We were split into groups of six with our own guide/driver. Our family was with a very nice couple from El Paso, Texas. Our guide, Omare, was both knowledgeable and a very nice guy. First, he drove us through the city of Arusha. It was very busy with people all over, walking the streets, many women with bundles on their heads. We saw two automobile accidents, which was not surprising considering there were no traffic lights.
Once we left the city, we drove past Masai villages as members tended their flocks of goats and cows. (Masai are one of the tribes of Tanzania.) Finally, we arrived at the outside of the park and saw our first real animals: baboons. It was then into the park by the rim, where we saw a cornucopia of animals inside the park, including blue monkeys, zebra, wildebeests, giraffe, and impala. It was incredible! We captured some amazing photos. We then had lunch at a lodge that overlooked the park. From there, we drove to our hotel for the evening which is built into the Ngorongoro crater! It was incredible! In this area of roughly 120 sq miles live thousands of animals and our room likes directly into it! Incredible! This evening we had a cocktail party, followed by a lovely dinner. We ate with an Australian couple and enjoyed good food and a fun evening. Tomorrow we go down into the crater!
Sunday, July 10
Notes from Africa: Day 1
Day 1
July 10, 2011
We arrived last night after our long trip. We flew from Miami to Detroit to Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro Airport. After we cleared immigration, the Tauck Tour Director was right there to meet us. We had an hour bus ride in the dark to our first property, the Serena Mountain Village in Arusha Tanzania. This property is beautiful. Each unit is like a villa on the top of the mountain looking down on the lake.
This morning, Cathy & I took the nature walk. Advertised as an easy one hour walk through the lodge, this was much more intense. It was about two hours as we circled the five mile lake. We were the only two on the tour, and our guide, Lucas, was extremely knowledgeable. We saw all kinds of birds, giant lizards, monkeys and even a massive ant colony on the move. The walk was more like an intensive hike, going up and down the paths.
After lunch, the four of us and another older couple did a canoe trip. Since the lake was calm, it was an easy row around. We really enjoyed the views, and were able to get much better pictures from the lake than the walk. My one complaint was that it was too short. We would have loved to have more time to get pictures and just take everything in.
We expect that today was one of the most physically demanding days of our trip. It was great walking and rowing, but with the actual tour starting tomorrow, it will probably be more time in the vehicles and short walks and listening to the guides.
By the way, the food and service has been excellent. Also, we noted that a Globus group was also staying at this property.
July 10, 2011
We arrived last night after our long trip. We flew from Miami to Detroit to Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro Airport. After we cleared immigration, the Tauck Tour Director was right there to meet us. We had an hour bus ride in the dark to our first property, the Serena Mountain Village in Arusha Tanzania. This property is beautiful. Each unit is like a villa on the top of the mountain looking down on the lake.
This morning, Cathy & I took the nature walk. Advertised as an easy one hour walk through the lodge, this was much more intense. It was about two hours as we circled the five mile lake. We were the only two on the tour, and our guide, Lucas, was extremely knowledgeable. We saw all kinds of birds, giant lizards, monkeys and even a massive ant colony on the move. The walk was more like an intensive hike, going up and down the paths.
After lunch, the four of us and another older couple did a canoe trip. Since the lake was calm, it was an easy row around. We really enjoyed the views, and were able to get much better pictures from the lake than the walk. My one complaint was that it was too short. We would have loved to have more time to get pictures and just take everything in.
We expect that today was one of the most physically demanding days of our trip. It was great walking and rowing, but with the actual tour starting tomorrow, it will probably be more time in the vehicles and short walks and listening to the guides.
By the way, the food and service has been excellent. Also, we noted that a Globus group was also staying at this property.
Friday, July 1
Holland America's New Smoking Policy
We recently received an update from Holland America regarding the onboard smoking policy. Please read further for the full policy.
In keeping with the majority of our guest preferences, we are changing our smoking policy as of January 15, 2012. For cruises starting on or after this date, all stateroom interiors will be non-smoking. Guests who smoke in their staterooms once this change has taken place will be charged a $250.00 cleaning fee.Our policies on smoking in public areas are not changing. Consequently, while most public areas are non-smoking, there are areas within each ship in which smoking is still permitted. In addition, smoking is permitted on most outside decks and on stateroom verandahs.Cigar and pipe smoking is only permitted on the outside decks.For more information, please visit us at www.hollandamerica.com.We are eager to welcome you onboard, and look forward to making your voyage an unforgettable cruise experience.
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