Adventures in Luxury Travel

Mimi Lichtenstein 0:01
If you're a traveler that believes luxury and adventure are not mutually exclusive, then you're in the right place. Every week I take you to a new destination with one of my partners sharing the hidden gems over the top experiences and active adventures to inspire your next family vacation. I'm Mimi Lichtenstein, an experienced Travel Advisor who has also traveled with my three teenagers and my husband around the world. Let's get started. Welcome to Episode 44 of adventures in luxury travel. Before we start to reminders if you love the content of this podcast, then you'll love what we share in our weekly newsletter, hidden gems, epic hikes and the best new restaurants every Wednesday without fail. We'll send out inspiring travel ideas to add to your next trip. Go to true a travel.com/subscribe to sign up. And if you'd like to see the photos we talked about on the show and a full video go to true Bay travel.com. Today lighly is back to talk about the East African safari destination of Tanzania. You will learn that it not only has the big five, but also hippos, chimpanzees and the great wildebeest migration. You'll traverse the Serengeti and other national parks visit the UNESCO designated Ngorongoro Crater and explore the coast and Zanzibar. Today on adventures and luxury travel, we're talking all about Tanzania, and I'm so excited to have lighly back with me today. Welcome back. lighly.

Lylie 1:30
Thank you very much, Mimi, it's

Mimi Lichtenstein 1:32
great to be back the last couple of weeks lighly has been actually all over South Africa. And for those of you who don't know, we've done a couple of lives from a few lodges where lighly has introduced us to the manager and showed us around when giving us some really good glimpses into what it's like to be at one of these beautiful Safari lodges. And I'm hopeful Lila and I will get to do a few more of those Tanzania or somewhere else?

Lylie 1:55
Absolutely. Maybe we'll have to do some together, we'll have to get you down to Africa.

Mimi Lichtenstein 2:00
That would be so fun. Well, I'm so obviously I know, you know that I'm coming to Kenya in July. And of course, I can't get enough of Africa. So I see many more trips in my future. Alright, well, let's get started. We have a lot that we both want to talk about. I know in terms of the map and where Tanzania is in all of Africa, it's in East Africa. Most people, you know, have an idea. If they're going to East Africa, many people go to Kenya or Tanzania. And this map you want to give us a little bit of an overview about where it falls in those other African countries.

Lylie 2:31
Yeah, sure. Okay. So obviously, as Mimi said, Tanzania is an in East Africa, it's right next door to Kenya, you've got a Uganda and Rwanda or sir neighboring which is fantastic. So for those wanting to go and do sort of Gorilla trekking as an add on, it's a really, really lovely location to be able to do that down south from Tanzania, you've got a Malawi, we've got Zambia. And then of course, you've got the Republic of Congo. And just a little bit further to left. So it's in it's in a great part of our Africa in regards to location to do to centers, which we'll talk about a little bit later. But also, just to let you know, in Tanzania, you know, the capitalist, the DOMA, everyone seems to think the capitalist Dar Salam, but it's actually to DOMA, and it's got a population of about 16 million and various different airports within Tanzania as well. So you will recognize April's like dar salaam Arusha is the DOMA as well. We've also got a port up by Mount Kilimanjaro and a few others dotted around then there's lots of smaller air strips, which we'll talk about later. But that just gives you a little bit of an overview of where Tanzania is actually located.

Mimi Lichtenstein 3:36
And I think one of the we'll touch a little bit on, you know why Tanzania if somebody's going on their first safari, or maybe they're going back on their second and they're deciding between Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Namibia, Gorilla trekking or whatever. To me, what's so exciting about Tanzania is the culture and also the coastline, right? So you have Zanzibar and you have lots of watersports activities that were super fun complement to going on safari. So I think as far as location, it's awesome.

Lylie 4:03
Absolutely. And I think one of the biggest things as well, that will the attractions to Tanzania is obviously the migration, which we'll talk about a little bit later, but you can't believe it. But Tanzania has actually got 22 national parks. So there is so much to do in regards to if you've got a person or a client that is so keen on game and a bush experience Safari, there is so much to explore in Tanzania, you can combine various parks together. You can combine lakes and parks, you can combine like you say Mimi parks and you know, the coastline. So there is so much to do in this location. So as I mentioned 22 national parks. We're going to touch on a few of the parks today. Not Not very many of them. But just to give you an overview we're going to touch on obviously the Serengeti, Grumeti we're going to touch on we're going to catch touch on Salu as well and yeah, a few a few others, but we're not going to do too many because there's so many to cover that yeah, that's what we'll we'll start with today.

Mimi Lichtenstein 4:59
Okay, Sounds like a great plan. All right. So why Tanzania you touched a little bit on. So the great migration, a lot of people hear about the great migration. And I think we have a slide maybe it's the next one that shows the circle of it. Tell us what it's like to experience seeing some of these Willoughby's so the Great Migration happening.

Lylie 5:16
Yeah, so it's, it's an incredible, incredible experience. For those who have never been on Safari or those who have even been on another type of Safari, there's nothing like the great migration, you're looking at about 2 million animals, basically, going on a migration and with huge, huge numbers, and they're basically circulating in a route. We'll talk about the roots in a minute. But what's so great about it is that you get to experience being right in the middle of this. So the migration is a huge, huge, huge factor why people go to Tanzania, but there's other other things as well, why people what are the reasons you've got places like Lake, sorry, Lake Tanganyika, which is the longest lake in the world, you've got a Hmong Kilimanjaro, which a lot of people would love to hike up. So there's a lot of attraction when it comes to why Tanzania, and I don't think you'll get to experience anything like this anywhere else in the world. In fact, you definitely won't. So the wildebeest as I say, I mean, they run from south to north. And I'll talk about a little bit about that in the next map, which is all about the migration.

Mimi Lichtenstein 6:19
Okay, perfect. Let's pull that one up. There we go. So for those of you who are listening, essentially, it's a circular diagram giving you an idea of which months, the world of beasts in the animals will be sort of migrating through different parts of the southern part of Kenya kind of Southwestern part, and the northern part of Tanzania. So tell us a little bit about about this. Yeah,

Lylie 6:42
correct. So if we go on, if we look with that calendar year, the migration normally started parts, the southern part there from January to March. And that's actually also the same time as the calving season. So there are lots of babies around which in turn, what comes with that is lots of predators. So it's a very, very exciting time to be part of the migration, because there are lots of babies around and then obviously, the migration starts going up north. So April, May time, a little bit further up north, then you get to June, July, all the way to the top, and right at the tip of the top, which is October, November, and then it works its way back down. So it's a constant moving migration, obviously. But what's important to note as well is the path can change slightly, depending on the environment and the weather. So you're not guaranteed, you know, every time you're going to see the migration in that exact points at that time of year, it's a rough estimate of where the migration will happen. So that gives you an idea there. So it's a moving, it's a moving target, so to speak.

Mimi Lichtenstein 7:43
All right. So I love this photo of Mount Kilimanjaro, as you you mentioned, that's a bucket list item for many people, including myself, I kind of wonder, I wonder, actually, how long would be the right amount of time to be in Tanzania. If I want to go, you know, go on safari, go climb Mount Kilimanjaro, go over to stay at one of the largest we're going to talk about and near Zanzibar, you know, you need a solid month, maybe even five weeks.

Lylie 8:09
I know, right? I mean, there's so much to explore. And I think you know, especially if you've got an active traveler who wants to do the hiking up Kilimanjaro, they say, you know, the most successful way to get to the summit is at least six days. So we would say at least six days to climb Kilimanjaro to make the summit. And so if you're talking about an active traveler, you can actually it can turn into weeks before you know it's in this area. So definitely, definitely worth putting it in the diary and carving that time off. It's a once in a lifetime.

Mimi Lichtenstein 8:38
Absolutely. So today, we're gonna do a little different. We often talk about experiences, and then talk about our favorite places later. But today, we're going to integrate some of our favorite lodges within each of the different parks and areas of Tanzania. So do you want to kick us off with this first one? Yeah, sure.

Lylie 8:55
Okay, so just so you know, sort of Grumeti is in a remote corner of the Serengeti National Park. So it really is sort of quite far up north. It's incredibly remote. So with that comes an exceptional game viewing and exclusive environments. So for those clients who are sort of wanting to go and get, you know, something really off the beaten track, I think there's only a lot of I think there's only about 60 people that are allowed in the Grumeti Game Reserve at a time. So there's very limited numbers. And those numbers are actually portioned out between the various different luxury lodges. So What's lovely about that is there will always be an exclusivity to your timing Grumeti incremento is also known for its in large number of line prions. So comprising of 20 to 60 individual lines, so per pride. So there's a lot a lot of lions in that area. And it's very easy to get to Grumeti just to let you know, there's an airstrip there and these daily flights from Arusha, dar salaam, Zanzibar, there's mancha li so it's very easy to get to in regards to location, I would say it's one of the best areas to see the game and it's obviously an area where you You get to see lots of different games. So in the Grumeti, you've got various different types of accommodation. If you just go back one slide, if you wouldn't mind you need to the andbeyond Socrates River Lodge, Serengeti River Lodge. So just so you know, this particular property is actually just had a massive refurb and it's only reopening in June, but it's beautiful. There's 10 rooms. It's in, as I say, a very remote area. Its ultimate exclusivity. It's on the banks of a tributary to attribute, a tributary of the Grumeti River. So location wise you literally have the water flowing in front of you, from a cuisine point of view, lots of wholesome meals, healthy meals, and they've even got a traditional Burma where you have a normal Burma meals artisanal pizzas in the bit in the BOMA, which is really fun and different. And a whole baked fish which is salt crusted they do in the Bohmer as well.

Mimi Lichtenstein 10:49
What I was going to ask you I also see in this photo kind of hidden but something that I know that they have there, which is some resident hippos which hanging out right outside. If you look over here in this very little spot over here, this is an enormous hippo that you can just imagine sitting on one of these cocktail stools, having a cocktail looking at the hippos basking in the river.

Lylie 11:12
And Ryan's I mean, it couldn't get better than that. And you hear those hippos at night too. I mean, they make a really quite a loud grunting noise. And just there's nothing better than being in the bush, especially at night. It's when you in the safety of your room, and all the doors are closed, and you hear lions roaring, or you hear the hippos going. I mean, it really is an incredible experience and something that everyone has to experience some time in their life. So I'd highly recommend it recommend that also, just to let you know, that is a big five area. So there's lots of walks this game drives, there's two game drives a day, your typical sort of game experience at these lodges. So you will get all of those experiences and walking safaris to So lots to do in the area. I know we're talking about and beyond here, but there is some incredible Singita lodges as well. So I'm not too sure if you've got some slides on Singita there. I don't

Mimi Lichtenstein 12:02
think we do have some slides on thinking but not within Grumeti I don't think. But I will say I forgot to say that in the beginning. One of the reasons I also love Tanzania is two of my favorite lodge brands have many different properties there. And beyond and Sangeeta, there are multiple properties in multiple parks. So you really can't go wrong. And as you can tell from looking at some of these photos. This particular one is very contemporary, very clean lines. As you mentioned, it just reopened I think, did they have a flood? That's why they closed for a while.

Lylie 12:35
They know I'm not sure if it was a flood, but I just know they just decided to do a full refurb. So yeah, I'm not sure the details of why they did the refurb. But it was a massive refurb

Mimi Lichtenstein 12:44
right. And so you look at this and it's like I mean, you could be in the Maldives, you could be you know, anywhere. It's like super beautiful. Yeah, and luxurious. So anyway, but if we do have another singular one, but it seems to be more of which I know is a big favorite of people tell us a little bit about

Lylie 13:01
okay, so Singita it's actually got some stunning lodges in the Grumeti area. So they've got Faru Faru there. But Serengeti has a Singita explorer and this is one of my favorites is Singita Sephora, so I mean x and they've also got sorry, sacrilege as well, which I didn't mention. So there are beautiful, beautiful lodge Singita they really know how to do it, all the lodges are done. In fact, quite a few of the largest are done in different styles and fields in Tanzania. So you've got for instance, you've got Singita Explorer, which is your tented camps, you've got some Bora, which is also your tented camps, then you've got Serengeti house, which is more like a villa for multigene family we've also got a sacrilege which is more in Edwardian manner. And what's sort of darker, a darker feels and sort of looks in regards to the decor so think isa does does it very well as does and beyond. And you will always find the right lodge for the for the right people who are wanting specific so if it's a multigene or family, you'll always find that

Mimi Lichtenstein 14:02
Yeah, and again, it's a super contemporary, I realized, although this one is the more tented camp Look, when you look at you know what your, your bathtub looks like us are right out right outside where you know, a lion could be walking by, you can only imagine what that would be like because you're sitting there in your bathtub. So here's, you know, the gorgeous terrace again with the canvas walls that roll up and roll down. So a completely different feel than the end beyond one. Yeah,

Lylie 14:29
absolutely. And I mean, within neutral colors of this particular Lodge, I mean it really is exquisite because you really do blend directly straight into the environment around you, which is great. And a lot of these are obviously made with wooden deck. So it's, you know, there's a very big sustainable element here when we talk about these lodges. Some of them are firm lodges and stuck and specific buildings. And then some are actually tend to more mobile sort of camps where they actually get built specifically for the guests and then they get taken down as well. So it depends Hang on what the clients are looking for this particular one I love. And it's also, as I say, it just, it just sits so perfectly in its environment.

Mimi Lichtenstein 15:07
And I will say, this is also one of the favorite lodges of one of my colleagues who goes on a lot of Safari. So I would definitely, you know, top of the list. The other fun thing is when you're going on safari, if you're interested in both experiences, you know, don't stay in tented camps each time, right, like we, we would work to give you a diversity of feels to the camp and what they're like and size. And this one also has a beautiful gym, their fitness center where someone is here doing yoga, but looks like probably by the sunrise that you can get exercise while you're there.

Lylie 15:40
Absolutely. And What's lovely about this particular camp is that they've got quite a heavy focus on meditation decks and, you know, healthy living and wellness. I mean, there's only nine luxury tents here. So again, it's very small and intimate. So it really is an absolutely beautiful setting for those just wanting to get into the middle of nowhere into almost a retreat, maybe a bit of health and wellness as well as some Safari, it's a lovely, lovely option.

Mimi Lichtenstein 16:07
Okay, and then this is a beautiful photo of it looks like probably sunset and some elephants crossing along the river. Tell us a little bit about cielos.

Lylie 16:18
Okay, so saloon National Park is a little bit towards the south of Tanzania. And it's a protected area. It's actually UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which is incredible. It's very well known for its elephant. It's black rhino hippos, I'm sure you can see in the photo there. There's some hippos in the background, also known for its buffalo, giraffe, zebra and crocodile, which is exciting because of all the water around. What's interesting here is it's actually we've got the Rufiji River, which actually runs through this area. So in regards to, you know, the lush environment that that comes with a river and it really is a very green, very lush, it attracts a lot of animals towards the water. So it really is an incredible, incredible location. Also the river runs directly into the Indian Ocean opposite of Mafia island. So it's actually you know, it's a very active River in that sense, and, and it's a long river. So lots of activity, as I mentioned, in this area, also very well known for its photographic Safaris. So those who are wanting to especially in the northern area, fantastic photographic safaris to

Mimi Lichtenstein 17:23
beautiful well, and here is one of the lodges, one of your favorite lodges in the area. Tell us a little bit about Sandy River.

Lylie 17:30
So Sandra SaLuSa, it's a Small Lodge, you've only got some five Riverside rooms and three hillside villas. So it's actually only eight, eight suites in total. So again, very small rights on the banks of the river. It's a barefoot luxury Lodge. So it's owned actually by nomads, safaris who have been had a footprint in Tanzania since the get go. So they really really know what they're talking about in regards to set up and locations, etc. What's lovely about this is you can do boating up to Cygnus George sorry, gorge. So it's a very short, sorry, long day today. You can do boating up to that area. So different things, it doesn't always have to be the the vehicle safaris or, you know, the walking safaris is a lot of water, so on the lakes and and on the river. So there's lots of Safaris that can be incorporated into that which is great. It's also very easily accessible from Dar Salam it's only 45 minute flight. So it's, it's great and easy to get to. And it's just a lovely option for those wanting a bit of a variation, the main area is raised as you can see this raised off the river. So the views over the over the river exceptional. And it's exactly you know, we all the hippos are so again, sitting by the bar, having a cocktail watching the hippos really, really stunning. They also have which I have to mention is fly fishing and they also have the best place this this location is the best place to see wild dog. So for those looking for wild dog and an experience of flying fishing, this is your best fit. And I

Mimi Lichtenstein 18:59
think that you know for some people who are into fishing again, throw in something like this or put in a Water Safari after you've gone on a regular Safari and a walking safari just to give you all that diversity of how each camp and each location is different. Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. I love it. Well, it looks gorgeous. Okay, let's move on to the next Park.

Lylie 19:20
Okay, so now we in Ruaha. So it's a little bit further north and Salou. What's lovely about this particular game reserve is versus named after the Great River river, but not just that it's it's very easy to get to these two accessible air strips that would allow you to get into this area, but it's a really really lovely combination with Salu because the loo if you can think of the vegetation and the lushness and the greenery that you had there in the river. This is directly a contrast to that. So here you've got a very arid dry and Game Reserve and you've got copies and the little rocks and you've got Bear Bear trees. This is very, very well you've got about 570 One species of birds here. And you've also got the resident hornbill, which is great cheetah as well as known in this area. So as you can see, it's a lovely combination to combine the solute as well as as the Saru, her game reserve. Hmm.

Mimi Lichtenstein 20:15
Yeah, I love that contract the contrast. And then this is one of your favorite camps in this area. Tell us a little bit about jungle marrow.

Lylie 20:22
Okay, so here we're looking at about an hour and a half flight from from Dar Salam so very close to dark and very accessible. The lodge itself is only five minutes from the airstrip so and it's located on the riverbank. So again, beautiful views over the riverbanks it's the second largest national park, in Tanzania. And this is also known for its elephant. So anyone for two particularly wants to see elephant should come to this, this area with only got h eight large tinted suites as well. As you can see me I don't know if in the on the right hand side, the bid. The bid is actually made from a reclaimed Dow and the Dow is the typical boats that they go sailing on. So really fun and authentic in regards to how it was designed and how it was put together what they have here as well, something called Flight camping, which I love. So fly camping is basically you going on a walking safari in the day, and then you get to an open area where you will sleep underneath the stars at night, you will have a bucket shower, a safari bucket shower, and then you'll have a lovely dinner around the campfire, campfire stories and head back the next day. So that's a lovely thing to do in this area. It's very unique. And you can't do this an old game area. So it's a really lovely option for those who are really wanting to get into the restiveness of a bush experience, the best time to do that is actually from mid July until the end of November. And also the child policy also at this lodge, just so you know, they don't accept more more than two children at a time at the lodge. And that just goes with that. You know, without you, nobody would understand why you would have that. And that's basically just to keep an eye, we can't have too much noise with the kids to one. And you can't also have you can't also have it's dangerous for lots of kids in a lodge. So. So that's just the policy there when it comes to that.

Mimi Lichtenstein 22:10
And just out of curiosity when you say that. So let's say someone's a family with three kids, how does that work?

Lylie 22:15
They would make a plan for three kids. If it's one family, I think it's more based on if there was one family with two and another family with three, you know, they would they would say no, but I think absolutely with a family of three, they would you could absolutely

Mimi Lichtenstein 22:29
good. And I do think we didn't touch them at the beginning. But East Africa is such a great destination for families with kids because of the cultural component, you know, the colorful culture and interactions with the different tribes. And so it seems like most of the lodges, not all, but most of them are pretty flexible as far as minimum ages for kids.

Lylie 22:51
Yeah. So look, when it comes to things like walking safaris, we always sort of say, a good age for a walking safari is anywhere from 12 upwards, some lodges only accept 16 upwards and in regards to the actual acceptance of children in lodges, some say only above six years old. So you know, you've got lots of things to take into account. You've got things like malaria, things like accessibility to air strips, and all of that when you're going into some of these lodges that are you know, remote, you want to be sure that you know that they've got the facilities that are needed for for kids, when obviously there could be set up. If it is a child friendly Lodge. Of course, there's going to be all the setups necessary, but it's just something to take into account and we will always guide guide you as to which which lodges are best for kids. Yeah.

Mimi Lichtenstein 23:36
Okay. It's always nice to have a pool. Absolutely. Okay, let's transition to the next national park.

Lylie 23:44
Okay, so now we in Holly Mountain National Park is actually named after the mountain range of the backyard. What's lovely about this particular sort of national park is it's based on a beautiful lake. It's on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. But What's lovely about this, it's got some very, very unusual characteristics, this area. So number one is you can actually only get into this area by boats. And once you can, you can only walk around, there's no roads, there's no vehicles, it's all on foot. And another unique characteristic is that this is an area known for protection of the chimpanzees. So there's a lot of chimpanzee families in this area, fantastic for trekking to go and see the chimps and it's also the only place that chimpanzees and lions coexist which is quite interesting. So very lovely offering there as you can see, it's very lush, the topography is quite different in the sense that you've got, I mean, you're seeing one image here but this is using the rainforest side there's also grasslands is woodlands, there's about 90 Different or 90 plus different species of fish in this lake as well. So fantastic for fishing fantastic for you know kayaking and and getting a bit of a variation seeing the chimps now if you can imagine going to see the big five in one area in a dry area and mixing it with this I'm going to see to chimpanzees and going kayaking, it's really is a fantastic offering.

Mimi Lichtenstein 25:04
And again, if you're going on safari for a solid couple of weeks and you have that opportunity to stay in, you know, at least three maybe even four places. What a what a fun addition.

Lylie 25:14
Yeah, absolutely. And I mean one of our best sort of sellers in the areas that Nomad Greystoke Mahali. And What's lovely about this, it's so rustic, and there's only six, six rooms here. And it's a Robinson Crusoe type of field as you can see, literally all on the beach around the campfire, enjoying stories from the day you can do romantic doll trips, you can go and see the chimpanzees as I mentioned, there's kayaking, fishing, etc. So it's a really really lovely base to do all of that from

Mimi Lichtenstein 25:43
hmm, absolutely beautiful and, and fun to perhaps contrast this with one of the more contemporary

Lylie 25:50
loogy Absolutely. I'm gonna let

Mimi Lichtenstein 25:53
you want to kick off the new girl Girl crater.

Lylie 25:56
Yeah, okay, so this is absolutely another another location in regards to must do in Tanzania. So the Ngorongoro Crater for those of you that don't know is the largest inactive unbroken volcanic caldera in the world. So it was formed about two and a half million years ago. And it really is if you're gonna go to Tanzania, you cannot not go to them Bora Bora crater because it really is an experience of a lifetime. It's about 180 kilometers west of Arusha, so very easy to fly into Arusha. Maybe do one night in Arusha just to acclimatized, maybe do the coffee plantations around Arusha, and then fly straight into the crater. And then you can go and do the Grumeti, etc. So you can do a whole sort of nice tour around or nice route should I say it is a protected area, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site as well. And it's part of the Angora conservation area. So just that's a bit of a bit of background about, about the Ngorongoro Crater, what I love about this particular property, which is the and beyond and Gorgo, Croatia is a it's location, it's absolutely stunning. It's set on this on the on the sides of the mountain, or opposite crater looking down into the crater. So it really is the most beautiful, beautiful location. And it's known as what they saw the same Messiah meets Versailles. So it's got a bit of a French influence to it as well. It's steeped in romance. And you can see by the by the interiors, it's very romantic, if you can imagine looking out of your view from this particular room absolutely visited and there's a lot of diversities when it comes to adventures, or there's there's so much to do in the area, which we'll talk about in a sec. But yeah, there's there's from an experiential point of view, I mean, you can see there look at that view, absolutely stunning. They've got about 30, or they've got 30 Sweets, they're so nice, nice amount of sweets, not too big, not too small, and they're all quite separate. They're not very close to each other, which is lovely. But what I love here is the amount of experiences you can do. So you can actually go down into the crater and have a picnic in the crater, you can have a beautiful private dining experience in the crater where they bring up the white tablecloth and the silver cutlery, and you're sitting in the crater in the middle of nowhere. I mean, it really is one of those things that you have to do in your life. So if you're gonna do it anyway, do it at the andbeyond and Gogoro crater Lodge, because it really is a stunning option. Also, just to let you know, another experience they've got is the Copeland experience, which is really an NGO experience, which really just explains to people how the mess is live within nature, and how they live side by side with wildlife. So it's a really sort of informative program. They've got the Wild Child program as well for kids. And here they recommend children eight or older Tuesdays. So yeah, it's an absolutely beautiful Lodge and well worth it just from a kid's perspective very quickly, me, they've got various activities from beadmaking to tree planting, they've got wood carving, so there really is a lot to offer for kids as well. So it's not this sort of a boring experience for kids in any way, shape or form. But just to mention that as well. Well. I

Mimi Lichtenstein 29:04
will add that I believe one of my colleagues took her parents there for their 50th anniversary and said that they held hands the entire time they were there they thought it was the most romantic place they'd ever been to in their whole life.

Lylie 29:17
Amazing. And you can see why I mean if you look at that view, it's absolutely exceptional. Yeah, I think is an interesting fact that and if you notice me me, but you know what a Gora. Gora means no. So it's an it's a masa word that the Maasai warrior is used to turn the sound of the jingle bell around, that's tied around the lead cow and so as it goes jingle jingle that's that's the master would is in Gora, Gora. So that is the understanding behind the word in Bora Bora.

Mimi Lichtenstein 29:49
Wow. Well, it does look magical. You were talking about eating down in the crater which would be a once in a lifetime experience. Yeah. Here's a photo of another romantic dining experience up on a terrace overlooking the crater. So yeah, multiple options for eating and multiple destinations when you're staying here. And I do think as you mentioned, I mean, the the look of this lodge is very different compared to some of the other ones, right. So again, knowing that going in is helpful just in case someone's expecting to show up to attended camp, this is definitely not going to give you that look. But when you go outside and you sit on this gorgeous terrace with, you know, the nighttime fires burning looking out over the beautiful view, I mean, it's just absolutely magical. So absolutely, I think everybody should go there at some point in their life for sure.

Lylie 30:38
It's definitely on a lot of people's lists that I've been speaking to recently. They're just like, let's do it. Let's not wait, let's just do it.

Mimi Lichtenstein 30:45
Let's just do it. Right, everyone's feeling that way, just in case something else comes along and wreaks havoc, exactly. They also have a family suite, which we haven't really touched on those for each of the largest. But some of the largest do have family suites where the parents room in the kids room are connected, which oftentimes families appreciate when they're potentially surrounded by lots of wild animals. So there are many of these lodges that do have that option.

Lylie 31:07
And also they have a lot of them have their own private plunge pools as well. So What's lovely about that, as you know that you've got your own, you don't have to go to a communal pool, and you know, especially if someone's on a honeymoon, and then you've got a family as well. And you can actually keep keep quiet separate, which is lovely. So lots of that sort of thing. So until it's lovey, sorry, I

Mimi Lichtenstein 31:27
was gonna say this guy's pretty cute. So for those of you who can't see him, maybe you wouldn't say he was cute, but I find him endearing. Tell us a little bit about katavi. And what we're gonna see there.

Lylie 31:38
I tell you what made me He looks cute in the day, but you should see him at night. His eyes go red, and he looks very scary.

Mimi Lichtenstein 31:46
We're talking big horn buffalo big one curve. Yeah, he has a little bit of an intimidating look on his face. So we wouldn't want to meet him on our way to, you know, to go get a drink or something in the

Lylie 31:59
no, definitely, definitely not. But you know, he's the cape buffalo. And you know, and he's he's a very well known in the area. And you see him all over Africa, in South Africa as well. So yeah, really, really part of the whole game viewing experience. So katavi is is the third largest National Park in Tanzania. And it's actually got the legendary tamarind tree, which is said to house the spirit of a great Huntsman called katabi. So when people go to this area, they actually in search of the tamarind tree, which is which is quite unique and different. But again, a lovely option for those looking for another national park and another option to go and experience experiences.

Mimi Lichtenstein 32:38
Okay, and then so one of your favorite properties, there's this one, tell us a little bit more about Yes.

Lylie 32:43
So this is no mad chatter katabi. What's lovely about this, this is only six canvas tents here. So it's a really small intimate camp, you can see the setup. It's not Uber Uber luxury. It's got ensuite bathroom. So it's got a lovely sort of lounge and the library area. And it really is stunning in regards to its experiences as well. So picnic breakfast in the bush, and they've got both indoor and outdoor dining options. So there's lots lots to offer, even though it's very, very small and intimate. So this as a multigene family put for instance, wanting to go away in six suites and take over the whole lodge would be absolutely amazing experience.

Mimi Lichtenstein 33:26
And people might have noticed, but most of the lodges that we talked about, as far as having a luxury lodge or an exclusive experience, they're pretty small. So I think the biggest one we talked about was 30 rooms going down to potentially six or their villain horse with four. But because of that they sell out in advance you know many dates book up with somebody essentially taking this over for their family or something. So the earlier you look into planning a safari the better because then you're not making compromises to stay at places that you wouldn't otherwise stay simply because the places that you want to stay are already full. So

Lylie 34:00
yeah, and especially when it comes to a two or three center trip because you're trying to lock in particular dates for the whole itinerary. So that makes a huge, huge difference as well. So yes, sorry,

Mimi Lichtenstein 34:14
I was gonna say the order matters right in terms of logistics to getting from one place to another place in addition to wanting to uplevel each place each time it really does Yeah. And also

Lylie 34:25
you know the flights I mean some of the flights don't go daily depending on where you're traveling to so again that can that can shift an itinerary slightly to have an extra day somewhere or a daily somewhere so it was all those things to take into account.

Mimi Lichtenstein 34:39
Yeah. Okay, so now we get a skip over to what is on the very tippy top of my bucket list over off the coast. You want to tell us a little bit about this and beyond Lodge.

Lylie 34:50
Okay, fantastic. Well, it's one of my favorite lodges. I was lucky enough to go there a while ago now could pre COVID absolutely exquisite. It's an north eastern parts of Zanzibar. So it's a little island off the northeastern Topo Zanzibar. So obviously Zanzibar is an incredible destination itself. It's steeped in history and culture. It's known as the Spice Islands. There's lots of spice tours. And you know, it's also very well known for Stone Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site again, which has got bustling markets and carved wooden beautiful doors and musks and grand Arab residences. So there's a lot in Zanzibar, but then if you just go a little bit north, for about an hour and a half from Zanzibar airport, you get to the to the northern tip, and you get on a ski boat for 10 minutes. And you arrive at this most idyllic island called Mnemba Island and beyond. So basically, when you get there, there's no jetties, you literally jump off the boat into the sand. You know, pull up your pull up your skirt or pull up your trousers, and you're in the water and off your way to the shore and you're on your little piece of paradise for however long we would suggest at least four nights here, if not longer, it's only got 12 banders. They're very rustic banders. They're called rustically chic, and they really are they're absolutely exquisite. What's lovely about this particular island is that firstly, you can walk around it in about half an hour, 40 minutes, so it's not big. Another thing is that it's got in the center of the island. There's quite a lot of foliage so you can have a beautiful forest dinner with all these beautiful lights around you. I was there with a colleague so it wasn't as romantic. My my colleague Chantal and I were staring into each other's eyes and thinking, Oh, how we wish we had our husbands here. But it really it really was an amazing experience. And the band is which was I'm sure you've got a picture of of the band is that they they so so beautiful inside. What's interesting here is to as you can see, there's actually no glass windows or doors. So it's all done with a roll down mat, which actually adds to the whole experience. So when you walk in, you almost feel like you're in your own. I want to say like a basket like a weaved basket and you got beautiful furnishings, the bathroom ensuite is exceptional. You've got a lovely outdoor area there, which you can just sit in. And what's lovely as well as you can just walk straight from there onto the beach, go snorkeling go diving, you can go on beautiful doll trips in the evening, sunset doll trips, there's a little area where you can go and have a setup, there's a bar area, you can go and sit in in the evening. So it really it's it really is romantic, I would say it I deal for honeymooners. And for those looking for sort of getting away from it all. This is the one place in the world that I have seen turtle hatchlings, which was incredible. So there's so much happening in the environment as well. So a really must do you can see how the contrast of this together with a safari works so

Mimi Lichtenstein 37:49
well. A great the Barefoot luxury, the stepping out. I was in St. Lucia last week, and we had a beachfront bungalow for one of our stays. And then we were up like we're on the fourth floor, maybe overlooking a beautiful view at the second one. And I much prefer the beyond the beach walk right there. There's the bee's knees. It's all inclusive. It's not inexpensive. So save up your funds if you'd like to go. But as far as a magical experience, you just can't beat it.

Lylie 38:20
And I think What's lovely about it as well as because it's all inclusive, you don't have to worry about every little thing that you having. And also, it's come as you are I mean there's no dressing up. You hardly put on shoes the whole time you then you walk off the beach into your bander in your swimming costume. You lie on the couch with your sarong and swimming costume all afternoon. It's that type of experience. It's one that you're not putting on heels for dinner every night. And let's see long dresses. It really is, you know if one was nature

Mimi Lichtenstein 38:50
sounds like I'd like to be there right now.

Lylie 38:52
Meeting

Mimi Lichtenstein 38:55
on day we'll go together. All right. So we've touched a little bit on walking safaris and the different types boating safaris and things like that it's really nice. Not every country has the opportunity to do walking safari. So it is nice insignia. If you'd like to be a little more active that that is an option.

Lylie 39:13
It is and you know what's great about the walking safaris is that they're not offered everywhere. I mean, Grumeti is probably one of the best areas to do a walking safari, it's more well known in that area. But if you can imagine your hours and hours on foot in the bush and you learning about so many different things. I mean, you're learning about the insects, the birds, you're learning about tracking animals, the cultural and the medicinal uses of indigenous plants. So there's, there's so much to do on a walking safari. It's not just sort of walking around and getting you know, especially even for kids that gets so involved and it really is a special experience. So highly recommended in this area.

Mimi Lichtenstein 39:51
Beautiful and we touched a little bit on the chimpanzee tracking, which again is fairly unique. Yeah, this guy's got a cute little face as well. I mean the morning and the culture so this is an example of one of the cultural tribes and their their dance there. I believe there's 100 plus 130 plus different tribes within just Tanzania.

Lylie 40:13
Yeah, there's a lot of tribes within Tanzania and I mean, obviously, you've got the masa influence as well, you know, the Kenyan masa, masa influence and they were all the chakras, which is the red attire so you know, there's it's, it's, there's a lot of culture in the area, but the people are so friendly. And so you know, when you've got a mess are walking you back to your, your room, you know, at night, because you know, they always walk walk guests back to their room at night, because of the game. I mean, you just feel safe. I mean, and on a walking safari just feel safe, just because of the sheer size of them. They just, and they know the environment. They know the nature, they know how to read the wildlife. So yeah, very, very strong culture and amazing culture. Okay,

Mimi Lichtenstein 40:55
so let's transition before we end to some of the important takeaway tips and things that you need to know when you're coming. A couple of about the importance for malaria and yellow fever. Do you want to touch on that first?

Lylie 41:08
Sure. Okay. So obviously, this area is a malaria area. So it's definitely worth taking malaria tablets to go to the area, you know, there's various different ones that you can take. And we would suggest that you do take them in regards to the best time of year. So go, the great thing is, is that it's actually all your own destination. There are different seasons, so to speak, there's a green season, which is also it's actually called, especially the rainy season, but they call it the Green season. And there's long rains, usually between late March and early June. And then you've got short rains between November and December. But really, because the migration is moving all the time, it's a year round destination, you will find depending on what time of year you go, you just base yourself in lodges that are in that area. So it really is all your own destination. I wanted to chat about the build hottie ballooning in this picture as well, because hottie ballooning is also something that I would absolutely recommend doing in Tanzania. So firstly, most days of the year one is able to go up in the balloon, I would highly recommend that you pre book it because it is hard to to you know, it's not hard to but it's obviously you need if you want to do it, and it's so special, I would really recommend pre booking, you're looking at about $580 per person to go up in the balloon. And normally what that includes is your transfer from one of the central Serengeti to the balloon site launch, then once you've launched and you're in the air, you have champagne and all of that, then when you land, you have a little English breakfast, and then they transfer you back to the lodge. So that would be your sort of experience as a whole. And you're looking at about 580 for that in regards to sort of age restrictions, probably seven years and up depending on on the actual child. But they say a minimum of about seven years is a good is a good age to go up. And really an experience of a lifetime. So I would really, really recommend it for anyone going.

Mimi Lichtenstein 43:04
Yeah, we're scheduled to do what in Kenya. So I'm so looking forward to that.

Lylie 43:08
Oh, wow. Right, like II, I tested? Well, it's

Mimi Lichtenstein 43:12
just one of those things if you're going I'm also big into star beds, we'll be sleeping in a star bed and Kenya as well. You know, if you're going all that way, is it a big ticket item? Yes. But you know, absolutely. So yeah, the over the top things that cost a lot. Sometimes they're worth it, sometimes they're not will always guide you to the ones that are worth it. So that happens to be one of them. I love I love this photo of you know, here you are in the middle of nowhere going down a dirt road and you aren't in traffic with other vehicles really, but you are with a bunch of wildebeest who are crossing and I can't imagine what it'd be like to get caught, you know, behind, let's say the maybe not 2 million wildebeest going across in front of you, but a good chunk of them and take you a while right.

Lylie 43:52
And no, I mean, that's what you call in a traffic jam in the bush. I mean, it literally is I mean, you can't move anywhere. So yeah, I think logistics wise, you can see roughly, you know, this sort of says it all. I mean, there's various different airlines that fly into various different airports, which I've mentioned right in the beginning in Tanzania. But what's important to know is on the light aircraft, your your luggage is about 15 Ks, your hand luggage is five, but it's very, very important to have soft sided luggage, because of where the luggage is put. So that's something just to always mention to clients and to guests who are going and as I said the smaller aircrafts get you into the smaller air strips, and right close to the camp. So it's always worth doing that you can go to a lot of them by road. Some of it can be long, bumpy roads, some can be you know, short roads, but you know, it really is part of the whole experience but logistically, very easy to get to get into the areas. And

Mimi Lichtenstein 44:47
oh, this is interesting. So this is this is our slide on the peak season, the green season and the low season. It's

Lylie 44:54
all those seasons so no, no just so you know how that works. So generally peak season is is June to August. And then you've got December and January, obviously, because it's Christmas, that's also known as a peak season, you've got shoulder season, which is usually from September and October. And then you've got off peak, which is January to May and November to December. So that's how it sort of works when it comes to the seasons.

Mimi Lichtenstein 45:20
And combining Tanzania with other places. Obviously, it's super close to Kenya. We talked about Mount Kilimanjaro, we talked about Zanzibar, you're also pretty close to go gorilla tracking, if you want to do that South Africa. So here we have a picture of Cape Town in Table Mountain, which is spectacular. How easy is it to combine Tanzania with Southern Africa.

Lylie 45:43
So really, really good combination. I mean, the flight from Dar Salam down to Johannesburg is only three and a half hours. So it's a really, really doable. And then once you in Johannesburg, you can do another bush experience where you're seeing the game that's more intensified right by your vehicles like lions, leopards, etc. So, for instance, if you want to experience the big cats, you go to the cyber sands. So you could do a couple of days there and then end off in the Winelands in the cape area. So very, very nice option Tanzania and South Africa as a combo. And then of course Kenya is it goes without saying also lovely option here. And in the Kenyan coast we spoke about

Mimi Lichtenstein 46:22
I mean, how long must we go? I say a solid month if I had the time? I wouldn't, right? Right. And it's one of those things where hopefully in life, you'll go on more than one Safari. So you don't have to pack everything in one trip. Because especially if you're a family, even if you have the money and the time to do a month long Safari, you know, that's a that's a pretty big commitment for for the kids. So, absolutely. And

Lylie 46:45
you know, what we finding as well, as you know, more and more people are doing doing longer lengths of stay in one place. So instead of trying to fit in lots of combined areas, which we can do, instead, go to Tanzania and do a three or two, or however many weeks you can do in that area and do it properly. Because your next safari experience will be completely different in Kenya, for instance, or in South Africa or Botswana. So if you are a family that that loves a safari, instead of you know, trying to pack it all in, do destination by destination and do it properly.

Mimi Lichtenstein 47:23
And that's one of the reasons that we are just going to Kenya this year, because I would have loved to have put on Tanzania as well. It's you know, the world's a little complicated right now. So it's just easier to try to make your trip slightly less complicated. Clearly, it's an amazing destination for families, for adults for honeymooners, you know, really for anybody, it should be on your shortlist if you're going to head out on a safari anytime soon. So thank you so much for sharing all your insights and expertise. Absolute pleasure.

Lylie 47:51
I mean, it's been it's been a pleasure to do the series with you. And and yeah, you know where to contact us at guilty edge if you need anything. And yeah, we look forward to sending you and whoever else comes past your path that wants to come to Africa.

Mimi Lichtenstein 48:08
Yes, I know there will be many people. So thank you again, and you and I will be in touch soon.

Lylie 48:14
Super. Thank you so much. Mimi, have a great day.

Mimi Lichtenstein 48:17
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