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May 2017 A great African Air Safari Adventure Kenya, Zambia, South Africa (positioning leg) Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya Itinerary and lodges: 29 th April: positioning toward South Africa, night at charming Royal Chundu 30 th April to 4 th May: Cape Town area, explore the wineries and the Coast 5 th May: Kersefontein; a lovely farm, horseback riding Starting of the air safari 6 th and 7 th May: meeting with all participants, Eningu Lodge, just outside Windhoek, Namibia 8 th ,9 th and 10 th May: Damaraland Camp, Namibia 11 th and 12 th May: Nhoma camp, Namibia 13 th , 14 th and 15 th May: Duba Expedition Camp, Botswana 16 th and 17 th May: Singita Pamushana, Zimbabwe 18 th and 19 th May: Mana Pools Safari Camp, Zimbabwe 20 th , 21 st and 22 nd May: Vamizi Island, Mozambique 23 rd May: Old Boma Hotel, Tanzania 24 th and 25 th May: Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania 26 th , 27 th and 28 th May: Akiba Camp, Serengeti, Tanzania 29 th , 30 th and 31 st May: Virunga Lodge, Rwanda 1 st ,2 nd and 3 rd June: Campi ya Kanzi, Kenya About the flying: We will scenic fly over the most beautiful areas of Africa… the wilderness of Namibia, the amazing Okavango delta, the rocky outcrops of Zimbabwe, lake Kariba and the lower Zambezi, the wild Mozambique, the beautiful Indian Ocean Coast, the open space of Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Mountain of the Moon (Virunga), the deep gorges of the Rift Valley. This trip will take you to the most iconic places in Africa. And you will fly in luxury and comfort, with a Cessna Grand Caravan, with 8 business class seats. Fasten your seat belts and read below how our air adventure will unfold!

2017 May Air Safari · 13th, 14th and 15th May: Duba Expedition Camp, Botswana 16th and 17th May: Singita Pamushana, Zimbabwe 18th and 19th May: Mana Pools Safari Camp, Zimbabwe 20th,

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Page 1: 2017 May Air Safari · 13th, 14th and 15th May: Duba Expedition Camp, Botswana 16th and 17th May: Singita Pamushana, Zimbabwe 18th and 19th May: Mana Pools Safari Camp, Zimbabwe 20th,

May2017AgreatAfricanAirSafariAdventure

Kenya,Zambia,SouthAfrica(positioningleg)Namibia,Botswana,Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Tanzania,

Rwanda,Kenya

Itineraryandlodges:29thApril:positioningtowardSouthAfrica,nightatcharmingRoyalChundu30thAprilto4thMay:CapeTownarea,explorethewineriesandtheCoast

5thMay:Kersefontein;alovelyfarm,horsebackriding

Startingoftheairsafari

6thand7thMay:meetingwithallparticipants,EninguLodge,justoutsideWindhoek,Namibia8th,9thand10thMay:DamaralandCamp,Namibia

11thand12thMay:Nhomacamp,Namibia13th,14thand15thMay:DubaExpeditionCamp,Botswana

16thand17thMay:SingitaPamushana,Zimbabwe18thand19thMay:ManaPoolsSafariCamp,Zimbabwe20th,21stand22ndMay:VamiziIsland,Mozambique

23rdMay:OldBomaHotel,Tanzania24thand25thMay:NgorongoroCraterLodge,Tanzania26th,27thand28thMay:AkibaCamp,Serengeti,Tanzania

29th,30thand31stMay:VirungaLodge,Rwanda1st,2ndand3rdJune:CampiyaKanzi,Kenya

Abouttheflying:WewillscenicflyoverthemostbeautifulareasofAfrica…thewildernessofNamibia,theamazingOkavangodelta, the rocky outcrops of Zimbabwe, lake Kariba and the lower Zambezi, the wild Mozambique, thebeautifulIndianOceanCoast,theopenspaceofTanzania,theNgorongoroCrater,theMountainoftheMoon(Virunga),thedeepgorgesoftheRiftValley.ThistripwilltakeyoutothemosticonicplacesinAfrica.Andyouwillflyinluxuryandcomfort,withaCessnaGrandCaravan,with8businessclassseats.Fastenyourseatbeltsandreadbelowhowourairadventurewillunfold!

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Aboutthetrip:Youcanjoinusfortheentiretriporchoseanyportionyoulike.WestartinNairobion29th,positioningtoCapeTown,viacharmingRoyalChundu,ontheZambezi(inZambia).AfterfewdaysinCapeTown(from30thApriltill4thMay)wemovetowardWindhoek,Namibia;thenBotswana,Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Tanzania,Rwandaand finally Kenya. You can plan to arrive/leave in any of these Countries andwe shall arrange for you tojoin/leaveourairadventure.

29thApril:KenyatoZambia;30thApril:ZambiatoSouthAfricaMichael and Luca will start the positioning flight, leaving Nairobi Wilson in the morning and arriving atLivingstoneinZambiainthelateafternoon,withascenicflightoverVictoriaFalls.WewillspendthenightatcharmingRoyalChundu.

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ThenextdaywewillflyfromLivingstonetoCapeTown,overamazinglandscapes.ShouldyouliketospendsomedaysinlovelyCapeTownandliketheideaofflyingoverAfrica,joinusinthepositioningflight.WecanhelpyouarrangeyourstayintheCapearea,toexplorethegreatwineries.5thMay:SouthAfricatoNamibiaTodaywewill fly to Kersefontein, a lovely farmNorthWest of Cape Town.Originally purchased by settlerMartinMelckin1770,thefarm,withitsfineoldCapeDutchhomesteadandramblingoutbuildings,hasbeenworkedbyeightgenerationsoftheMelckfamily.NowaNationalMonument, littlehaschangedintermsofbeauty,tranquilityandisolation.

6thand7thMay:EninguLodge,NamibiaFromKersefonteinwewillflytoWindhoek,alongthemostwilddesertsandastoundingsceneries.WewillstayatEninguLodge,justoutsideWindhoek.Lovelyandpeaceful lodge,witharangeofenjoyableactivities.YoucouldplantoarriveinWindhoekon7th,inordertobereadytostarttheairsafariinthemorningofthe8th.

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8th,9thand10thMay:DamaralandCamp,TorraConservancy,NamibiaAbeautifulandshortflightovertheNamibdesertwilltakeustoDamaraland.Damaraland Camp is situated in the Torra Conservancy – an inspirational community partnership – withsensational views of the surrounding desert plains, ancient valleys and distant peaks of the BrandbergMountains. We will spend three days in this pristine wilderness, exploring the Huab River system, thesurroundingdesertplainsandancientvalleysframedbytheEtendekaMountains.Guidednaturedrivesandwalksarea featureaswell asengagingwith the communitiesof thearea.Goodchances to see thedesertelephants.

11thand12thMay:NhomaSafariCamp,NamibiaAveryinterestingflightoverthevastnessofNamibiawilltakeustoitsWestcorner,atNhomaSafariCamp.ThisisanamazingoperationinthelandoftheSan,thebushmen.Thecampisbasic,butthiswillbeoneofthehighlightofourtrip.HerewewillengageinaprofoundandauthenticwaywiththeSan.TheywillallowustoenterintotheircharmingWorld.Wewillparticipateintotheirdailylifeandseehowtheylive.

13th,14thand15thMay:DubaExpeditionCamp,OkavangoDelta,BotswanaFromthedeserttothewater:weleaveNamibiaandweflyintothesplendidOkavango.OurcampsitsintheheartofclassicOkavangoDeltahabitat.Amatrixofpalm-dottedislands,floodplainsandwoodland, the 77,000-acre private concession typifies the region’s unique landscape. Located here,exclusively,isthesixtentDubaExpeditionCamp,awildlifeconnoisseur’sgetaway.Builtonawoodedisland,connected to theprolificwildlife areabyanelaborate setofbridges, thearea is thebaseofmany famouswildlifedocumentariesbyNationalGeographicfilmmakersDereckandBeverlyJoubert.Itistheonlycampon

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the concession, thereby offering guests the ultimate opportunity for private sightings. The homogenousexperienceofwildlifeisrenownedwithregularsightingsofadiverserangeofspecies,includinglargeherdsofRedlechwealongwithGreaterkudu,tsessebeandevengiraffe.Ofcourse,elephantandhippotrudgethroughthe swamps happily, and are regularly seen. Leopard, and nocturnal species such as Brown hyena can besightedaswell.Wildlifeisaregularsightrightincamp!

16thand17thMay:SingitaPamushana,ZimbabweA very scenic flight over vast wilderness and diverse landscapes will take us from Botswana to the mostSouthernendofZimbabwe.SingitaPamushana isastunning lodge inavastprivateconcession.Wewillseeelephants,whiteandblackrhinos,eitheronfootorongamedrive.Goodchancestoseeevenwilddogs.Thisisdefinitively one of the best lodges in Africa, nestled on top of a hill and perfectlymerged in the beautifulsurroundings.

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18thand19thMay,ManaPoolsSafariCamp,LowerZambezi,ZimbabweAnotherbreathtakingscenicflightwilltakeustothemightyZambeziRiver,where it flowsfromLakeKaribathroughtheLowerZambeziValley,ahugeriftintheearth'scrust.OverthemillenniatheZambezihasrushedthrough this valley creating islands, channels and sandbanks. Old river meanders, left in the mineral-richvolcanic soils, have formed into small ox-bow lakes surrounded by lush vegetation and tall old stands ofmahoganyandebony.Thisabundanceofwaterandluxuriantgreeneryaccountsforthevalley'swealthofbiggame.Herewewill haveourownprivatemobile camp.Wewill have theopportunity for fabulouswalkingsafaris.

20th,21st,22ndMay:VamiziIsland,MozambiqueWewillhavea littleofa longday,whenwe fly fromtheNorthernendofZimbabweto theEasternendofMozambique.Theaerialviewswillbebreathtakingthough.Located inoneof thewildest placesonearth, set in theQuirimbasArchipelago in the calmwatersoff thecoastofnorthernMozambique,VamizioffersthedefinitiveexperienceofbarefootluxuryinAfrica.Onthesurface,Vamizi Island isutterlymellow.Goafewfeetbelowandeverythingchanges,astheVamiziseas-whichguestssharewithnoothertourists-arebristlingwithbigoceanaction.Someofthedivesherearesaidtobethebestintheworldandthedeepseafishingisexhilarating.Butthisisonlypartofthestory…Snorkelingtrips,castawaypicnics,whalewatchingexpeditions,kayaktripsup the estuary, traditional dhow sunset cruises, nature walks, community visits and miles of beaches arewaitingtobeexplored…keepingeventhemostactivesoulshappy.

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23rdMay:OldBomaHotel,Mikindani,TanzaniaInordertomakeourflighttowardNorthernTanzaniamorepleasant,todaywewillhaveanightstopattheOldBomaHotel,inSouthernTanzania.ThehistoricbuildinghasbeenlovinglyrestoredtoitsformercolonialglorytogiveguestsauniqueTanzanianexperience. The Old Boma Hotel overlooks Mikindani Bay, a large, well-protected harbor in the south ofTanzania,andoffersavarietyofexcursionsforguestswishingtoexploretheareaandenjoythelocalculture,beaches, marine and wildlife. For the less adventurous, or those simply looking to unwind in beautifulsurroundings,thehotelfacilitiesincludetheAfyaSpa,PoolsideRestaurant,sunsetterrace,bar,andswimmingpool.

24thand25thMay,NgorongoroCraterLodge,TanzaniaAnextremelyscenicflightwilltakeustothebreathtakingNgorongoroCrater.Cloudspermitting,wewilllandontherimofthecrateranddrivetothenearbystunningNgorongoCraterlodge.Youwillbeforgivenfor losingtrackofwhichera,orevencontinent,youareexperiencing.Nowhereelseonearthcanyouwakeupamongall thetrappingsofanelegantbaroquechateau-brocadesofas,giltmirrors,beaded chandeliers and paneledwalls - and be instantly transported into one of themost famous Africanlandscapes with just one glance out the window of the lodge.In this place of dramatic contrasts, where

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VersaillesmeetsMaasai, anything is possible and the natural luxury of the breathtakingly beautiful settingensuresthedramaticinteriorofyoursuiteblendsperfectlywithitsstiltedthatcharchitecture.Thegamedrivesinthecraterwillbeamazing:rhino,elephant,lionandevenflamingo.Reallyspectacular.

26th,27thand28thMay:privatecamp,Serengeti,TanzaniaAshort,amazinglybeautiful,flightovertheGreatMigrationwilltakeustotheendlessplainsoftheSerengeti.NothingcanprepareyouforthePleistocenesightof2,000,000animalsdottedoverinfinitesavanna!ForthreedayswewillenjoybeingamongthemostamazingwildlifeexperiencesonthePlanet.BepreparedforgreatestNatureshow.Tomakeitevenmorespecialwewillhaveourownprivatemobilecamp,forthebestexclusiveexperienceofthemostamazingsafari.

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29th,30thand31stMay:VirungaLodge,RwandaWewillhaveacharmingflighttowardtheVirungaMountains,landingatRuhengeri,justfewminutesfromthelodge. Virunga Lodgeissituated in the foothills of the mightyVirungas, the chain of 15,000ftvolcanoesstretchingthroughRwanda,UgandaandtheDemocraticRepublicofCongo.Itaffordswonderfulviewsofthevolcanoesandthesurroundingcountryside.Wewillspendthenexttwodaystrekkinggorilla,perhapsoneofthemostdramatic,thrillingandpoignantwildlifeexperiencespossible.

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1st,2ndand3rdJune:CampiyaKanzi,ChyuluHills,KenyaThisepicairsafarihasoneofthebestflightrightatitsend.FromtheVirungaMountainswewillflytoNairobiover lake Victoria, the Serengeti and Mara plains, the gorges of the Rift Valley, the Ngong Hills. A trulyspectacularflight.AndthenCampiyaKanzi.ItisourlaststopofthisamazingAfricanairadventure.Campi yaKanzi is auniqueboutique communityecolodgewhichenjoys anexclusivewildernessof 283,000acres, in frontofMt.Kilimanjaro.Hereyouwillexperienceauthenticecotourismandgenuine immersion inMaasaiculture,whileonsafariinoneofthemosticoniclandscapeofAfrica.TheChyuluHills,wherethecampisnestled,aretheGreenHillsofAfricaofErnestHemingway.Gamedrives,gamewalksandhorse-backridingareavailable,togetherwithyogaandmassagesfortrueAfricanbliss.On4thyouwillbeflowntoNairobiandbidfarewell…untilthenextadventure!

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MoreaboutNamibia:

Namibiaisacountryofstartlingcontraststhatstraddlestwogreatdeserts:theNamib(afterwhichitisnamed)istheoldestdesertontheplanet,anditsseaofredsandliesalongtheAtlanticcoastline,whileintheeasterninteriorliestheKalahari,avastandsparselyvegetatedsavannahthatsprawlsacrosstheborderintoneighboringcountries.Overtheyears,therehavebeenanumberofculturalinfluencesthathavealladdedtotheuniqueatmosphereofNamibia.AtvarioustimesGermany,GreatBritainandSouthAfricahaveallgovernedtheterritory,butitwaswiththeeventualindependenceofNamibiain1990thatthecountrywasabletodevelopitsmulti-culturalcharacterandreinventitself.ThereisarichandcolorfuluniquelyAfricanvigorthatnowfreelyblendsinwiththeEuropeaninfluencesonarchitecture,food,customsandart,allmergingtocreateadistinctiveNamibiancharacter.Allthisisininterestingjuxtapositionwiththeexpansivelandscapesthatsurroundthecities.Themanynationalparksandgamereservesboastahugevarietyofwildlifeinakaleidoscopeofdifferingenvironments:giraffesambleacrosstheblindingwhitesaltpansofEtoshaNationalPark,gemsbokplungeheadlongupimpossiblysteepreddunesatSossusvlei,andsealsintheirmanythousandscolonizelonelybeachheadsalongtheSkeletonCoast.Astonishingcontrastsareeverywhereforthevisitortosavor,enjoyandphotograph.Namibiahasrapidlybecomeawell-knownsafaridestinationwithadifference,famedforitsremoteandintimatelodges,interactionwiththeindigenouspeopleaswellasthewildlife,andofferinguniqueopportunitiestobecomeinvolvedwiththeculturalheritageofallitspeoples.

MoreaboutBotswanaWithanareaofalmost373000squaremiles,BotswanaisvirtuallythesamesizeasFranceorTexas.SituatedinthecenterofsouthernAfrica,itisalandlockedcountry,withNamibia,SouthAfrica,ZambiaandZimbabweasitsimmediateneighbors.Botswanaliesanaverageof3,000feetabovesealevelandismorethan372milesfromthenearestcoast.TheTropicofCapricornbisectsBotswana.Themoststrikingfeaturesofthecountryareitsflatnessandaridity.WiththeexceptionoftheeasternpartofBotswanawherethegreatmajorityofBatswanaliveandwherethesummerrainfallisslightlyhigher,three-quartersofBotswanaistechnicallyadesert.ThisiswhatmakestheOkavangoDeltaevenmoreremarkable.Itisawonderfulwetlandwithinadesert,gettingitswatersfromrainfallingincentralAfrica,621milesaway.OnthewildlifefrontIanSeretseisoneofthecountry’sunsungconservationheroes(andcurrentlyitspresident).Whenhebecameheadofthemilitary,hepositionedhistroopstosecureBotswana’sbordersfrompoachers.Thegameconcentrationswithinthecountrymultipliedovernight.Manypeopleowetheirjobsandcareerstohisactions.Thecountryabandonedmasstourismandfocusedonhighquality/lowvolumetourismasthebestwaytocreateasustainableindustrythatwouldemployalargepercentageofitspeople,whilestillpreservingtheenvironment.Todaywildlifeandtourismemploysabout45%ofallthepeoplewholiveinnorthernBotswana.

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MoreaboutZimbabweZimbabweisaland-lockedcountryblessedwithfertilesoils,mineralwealthandwonderfulscenery.DestinationslikeVictoriaFalls,HwangeNationalParkandManaPoolsareworld-renownedandthecountryisblessedwithdiversehabitats,fromthegranitehillsoftheMatopostothemajesticmountains,lushforestsandbeautifulriversoftheEasternHighlands.Assuch,thereismuchtoattractthetraveler,fromwildlifeviewingandadrenalinadventurestodelvingintothehistoryoftheZimbabweanpeoplegoingbackthousandsofyears.TheZambezihasanexceptionalvarietyofspectacularsceneryaswellasoneoftheworld’snaturalwonders:theVictoriaFalls.TheNationalParksalongtheZambeziarelegendary;ManaPools,locatedonthefloodplainsofAfrica’sGreatRiftValley,offerssuperbwildlifeviewing.AlongtheBotswanabordertheeasternmosttonguesoftheKalaharisandscreepintothecountryandmixwiththeteakforestsoftheinterior,sothatdesert-adaptedanimalssharethesamehabitatwithwoodlandspecies.GreatZimbabweisaruinedcitythatwasoncethecapitaloftheiron-ageKingdomofZimbabwe. Thekingdomwasatitspeakbetween1100and1400,sosubsequenttothatofMapungubwetothesouth.Theruinsarethelargestofaround200suchZimbabwe’smostofwhichfeaturemonumentalmortarlesswalls. TheGreatEnclosurehaswalls11metershighand250meterslong,makingitthelargestancientstructuresouthoftheSahara.ArtifactsfoundatthesiteindicateextensivetradelinkswithKilwaonthecoastofTanzaniaandonwardtoArabia,IndiaandChina.Itisthoughtthatupto1000kgofgoldmayhavebeenminedduringtheheightofthecivilization.PrimarilyoftheBantugroupofsouthandcentralAfrica,theblackZimbabweansaredividedintotwomajorlanguagegroups,whicharesubdividedintoseveralethnicgroups.TheMashona(Shonaspeakers),whoconstituteabout75%ofthepopulation,havelivedintheareathelongestandarethemajoritylanguagegroup.TheMatabele(Sindebelespeakers),representingabout20%ofthepopulationandcenteredinthesouthwestaroundBulawayo,arrivedwithinthelast150years.AnoffshootoftheSouthAfricanZulugroup,theymaintainedcontrolovertheMashonauntilthewhiteoccupationofRhodesiain1890.

MoreaboutMozambiqueDuetoitsprimelocationontheEastAfricancoast,Mozambiquebecameasignificanttradingpostforgold,ivoryandlaterslavesbetweenthe16thand19thcenturies.CivilwarfollowedtheendofPortugueserulein1975,butsince1992theMozambicangovernmenthassetabouttransformingthecountryintoamoderneconomy.Nowastabledemocracy,Mozambiqueremainslittleexploredandthecountry’sspectacularnaturaltreasuresareoneoftheworld’sbest-keptsecrets.Mozambiquebeckonsthediscerningtravelerwithexotic,palm-linedbeachesandworld-classdivingandfishing.Withits1,550milecoastlinefringedbyoneofthemostextensivecoralreefsintheworld,itoffersnaturalsplendorandanunderwaterspectaclethatishardtomatch.ThecapitalcityofMaputoisafeastforthesenseswithitsvibrantstreetlifeandsuperbseafood.Alongthecoastline,crystalclearwaterswithdazzlingsoftcoralsandabewilderingrangeoffisharemesmerizingintheirbeauty.25milesoffshoretheBazarutoArchipelagoofferssomeofthefinestbiggamefishing,divingandsnorkelingintheworld.FurthernorthliestheancientportcityofPemba,withitsnaturalharborthethirddeepestintheworld.OffshoreliestheremoteQuirimbasArchipelagolikeachainofsparklingjewels,its27islandsvirtuallyuntouchedandunexplored.

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MoreaboutTanzaniaTanzaniaboaststhemostimpressiveNationalParksandgamereservesinallofAfrica.TheplainsandsavannahsofSerengetiNationalParkareconsidered“the”spotonthecontinenttoseewildlifeupclose.Nearby,theNgorongorocraterteemswithwildebeest,gazelle,zebra,lions,leopards,cheetahsandeventheelusivewhiterhino.Nottobeforgotten,theSelousGameReserveislargerthanSwitzerland.AmountainthatneedsnointroductionisMtKilimanjaro,snow-cappedandstandingasAfrica’stallestmountainat5,895m(19,341ft).Openforclimbingtothosewithenergyandtimeontheirhands,theweek-longascentisoneofAfrica’smostchallengingachievements.Tanzaniaishometoover120differentethnicgroupsandtakesprideinitsmulticulturalheritage.Thetall,red-robedMaasaiarethebestknownofTanzania’speople.Tanzania’scoastline,knownastheSwahiliCoast,wasastoponancienttradingroutesbetweentheIndiansub-continentandtheMiddle-East.Spices,jewelsandslavesoncepassedthrough,bringingwiththemamélangeofculturalrichesthatremaintoday.ThelanguageofSwahiliwasbornhere,andoldmosques,coralpalacesandpearly-whitebeachesstillremain.

MoreabouttheSerengetiLargestofTanzania'snationalparks,andarguablyAfrica'spremiergamepark,theSerengetiisthesettingforthemostawesomewildlifespectacleonearth.Eachyear,morethantwomillionwildebeestandzebrabegintheirgreatcircularmigrationacrosstheopenplainsandacaciawoodlands.Hugecolumnsofadvancingzebrasandungainlywildebeeststretchasfarastheeyecanseewiththepredatorsfollowingalongside.Serengetimeans"endlessplains"intheMaasailanguage.Theextensivegrasslandsareinterspersedwith"kopjes",islandsofrockyoutcropswhicharehometotheirownwildlifecommunitieswhichincludecheetah,leopard,andhyrax,tonameafew.TheSerengetileavesthevisitorwithimagesofvastnessandbreathtakingbeauty.ThemostpopulartimesovisittheSerengetiisduringJanuarythroughMaywhenyouwillfind1.5millionwildebeestandone-quarterofamillionzebrainthepark.ThisherdwhichstretchesasfarastheeyecanseemovesnorthuntilitreachesKenya’sMaasaiMarasometimeinJuneorearlyAugust.

MoreaboutRwanda

Today,RwandahasoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesinAfrica.IthasmorewomeninParliamentthananyothercountryintheworld(64%atthetimeofwriting)andisoneofthefriendliest,safestcountriesonthecontinent.Yetformostpeople,itinevitablyconjuresupimagesofthedreadfulgenocideof1994,whenalmostamillionpeopledied.

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Whilstthegenocideisamassivepartofitshistory,twentyyearsonRwandahasevolvedintoaunited,proudandoptimisticcountrythatwarmlywelcomesitsvisitorsandprovidesatrulymemorableandinspiringholiday.Rwandaisasurprisingandinspiringcountryforaholiday,notleastbecauseoftheremarkablewayithasunitedinthetwentyyearssinceittoreitselfapartduringthehorrificgenocideagainsttheTutsisof1994.Whilstitwouldbenaïvetosuggestthattheentirenationhasmovedon,aholidayhereleavesyouwithanoverwhelmingsenseofthepeople’soptimismandnationalpride,andtheirdeterminationthatgenocidemustneverhappenagain.Today,peoplecallthemselvesRwandans,withnodistinctionsbetweenTutsisandHutus.Yetremembranceisasmuchapartofthecountry’sprogressasreconciliation.Eachyear,fromApriltoJuly,commemorationscalledKwibukatakeplaceaspartofthecountry’shealingprocess.Andatanytimeofyear,avisittoKigali’sGenocideMemorialisimportantinunderstandingRwanda’shistoryandtheeventsleadinguptothegenocide.Itmayseemanunlikelyholidayattractionbutitisinfactabeautiful,peacefulplacethatistestamenttoRwanda’sstrengthandspiritofreconciliation.

MoreaboutKenya

Straddling the Equator, and stretching from the Indian Ocean’s coral reefs and white-sand beaches to the colossalspread of the Great Rift Valley and beyond, Kenya is a country of huge variety and exceptional natural beauty. Thecountry’s lush grasslands, riverine forests, high plains andmoorlands, mountain slopes and semi-deserts provide anamazingrangeofhabitatsforthefullpanoplyofEastAfricanwildlife,andanequallywidechoiceofoptionsforKenyaholidays. ‘Safari’ was a concept invented here – the wordmeans journey in Swahili.Within the borders of a singlecountryyoucanfindthemostdiverselandscapes,timelessculturesunchangedbythemodernworld,pristinebeachesandcoral reef,equatorial forestsandmightysnow-cappedmountains, searingdesertsandcoolhighlandretreatsandendlessopportunitiesforadventure,discovery,relaxation;morethanyouwouldeverexpect.

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Suggestedreading:Africa,byJohnReader; TheCovenant,byJamesMichener; TheLostWorldoftheKalaharibyLaurensvanderPost;WestWithTheNight,byBerylMarkham

AboutCampiyaKanziCampiyaKanziisanaward-winningboutiqueeco-lodgethatsetsanewstandardinexceptionalluxuryinareal,ecologicallylow-impactway.WorkinginpartnershipwiththeMaasaicommunityofKukuGroupRanch,thefoundershavesetouttoprovethatyoucanenjoytheromanceofagreatold-worldsafari,thecomfortandserviceofatophotelandthefinediningofanItalianpalazzo–andallwithoutdamagingtheveryenvironmentyou’vecometoimmerseyourselfin.Withwildliferoaminginabundance,massiveoutcropsofgraniterisingabovetherivers,lavaflowscuttingacrosstheplainsandadeepandmysteriouscloudforestonthecrestoftheemeraldhills,thisistrulyoneoftheworld'sgreatestwildernesses.