Around the Next Corner & Other Tales

Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The Namiri Plains, in the southeastern section of the Serengeti, had previously been set aside for 20 years as a safe haven and research location for big cats and namely cheetahs. This new camp is now open, enabling visitors to see this remote and pristine part of the park for the first time.

Expect big cats, a lovely setting away from the crowds, and excellent tented camp feel. I loved it! Coming soon…walking safaris in the area. 

   

   

Kwihala Camp, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Personally I have been looking forward to visiting Ruaha National Park for a long time. I had heard about the vast unspoiled wilderness that offers a great variety of landscapes and ecosystems to see. Everything from mountains, great granite rock kopjes, vast open plains, heavily treed woodlands, and riverine vistas are all present. Along with this there are said to be huge populations of wildlife just waiting to be observed. I can now say Ruaha out performed my very high expectations. For those looking for a location away from the crowds that is still truly wild, make plans to visit as soon as possible.

   

   

A very fine camp to enjoy the park is Kwihala. There are no extra frills, just a simple bush camp that has everything you need…cold beer, hearty food, spacious tents with great views, and excellent guides for both walking and driving safaris.  

   

   

Legendary Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania

When I take a trip to Africa to go on safari, I am always so excited to get there. So much so, that as soon as I land, I just want to leave the airport and immediately head to the nearest park or reserve to start the adventure. But invariably I arrive late at night, too late to do anything but stave off my eagerness with a late dinner and a few hours of fitful sleep.  In Arusha, Tanzania there is really no better spot to wait out the night with a delicious meal and comfy bed than Legendary Lodge. 

   

   

   

 

Fez is an alluring new destination--still genuinely Moroccan and untouched by the inevitable transformation a tourism hotspot experiences.  

Travel + Leisure magazine named Fez as their top destination for 2015. Ever a forerunner on the African travel scene, Mango's own Casey visited Fez in 2011 and loved it.

These are a few of her favorite snaps from the winding alleyways, swirling with enticing and unfamiliar scents, to the souks bursting with colors and buzzing with life.

Fez embodies an enchanting blend of pure Moroccan culture with threads of the country's rich international heritage woven in exquisitely. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the city is one of the few remaining traditional Berber villages, where life has remained largely unchanged for generations. Dive into the maze-like heart of the city and you'll find the famous leather tanneries (pictured above) intermingled with steamy bath houses, stands selling fragrant pyramids of spices, and a kaleidoscopic array of hand-crafted goods. 

Fez is still a city of its people. You can buy olives from a man who lovingly tends to the trees, hand selects which fruits will be harvested, then cures them in a secret blend of local orange oil, spicy pepper flakes and Moroccan sea salt passed down from his father. There's something refreshing about being in a place so true to itself in a world that is fighting for the attentions of avid travelers from every corner of the planet. 

Already on Teresa's 2015 calendar, the time for Fez is now. Mango is excited to help plan out your ideal journey through this captivating region.

Explore our Morocco page for more ideas.

The Travelynn' Life - Anabezi Camp, Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

Anabezi Camp is a fun new luxury camp in a less crowded corner of Lower Zambezi National Park. The spacious tents were great! They danced the fine balance between having great amenities like open-air bathrooms, private plunge pool and elevated walkways connecting the camp without overdoing it. Those plunge pools were just the ticket as it is hot in Zambia in October. Real hot. Even the wildlife couldn't resist a dip in nature's plunge pools.

 

         

Anabezi derives its name from the large Ana Trees that attract wildlife, especially elephants, who love to feast on the yellow corn pods. We saw quite a few of these sweet lumbering giants as they pirouetted about and stretched for the dangling pods.

   

Thanks to the baboons who’s warning “bark” keyed our guide onto a stunning pair of leopards as they strolled through the tall grass. The nighttime game drives were spectacular—we saw lions, civet cats, genets and nightjar birds. We could see the Southern Cross shining amid the famous African starry sky, reminding me of one of my favorite songs.

      

We were excited to try all of the water activities including canoeing, tiger fishing and going on a boating safari. What a great afternoon paddling a canoe while watching crocodiles, elephants and Cape buffalo wallowing on the bank? Tiger fish are related to piranha, so it’s not the easiest task to wrestle one free from the water. Must have been our lucky day though because we (two city-dwelling ladies) managed to catch several and even take a few photos (keeping spiky teeth safely away from our faces!) before releasing them back into the Zambezi River.

      

Zambia has long been one of my favorite countries in Africa and I’m pleased to add the Lower Zambezi area to my list of national parks. The wide range of activities makes Lower Zambezi such an interesting stop for active travelers.

   

The Travelynn’ Life – Chilo Gorge, Zimbabwe

Chilo Gorge is remote. Ever heard of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe? Me neither but it is fantastic. Remote but fantastic. During the planning stages, the drive started out at 6 hours and only 20 kilometers of bumpy parts, but that quickly morphed into 9 hours and 50 kilometers of bumps…while I’m sure the drive was nice, the 1 hour and 45 minute charter flight was the golden ticket.

   

Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge sits just across the river from Gonarezhou National Park, which means “place of elephants”. You simply have to cross the river in your vehicle, pay the park fee and you’re in the home of over 10,000 elephants. This park is a great little gem that most people have not heard of, let alone visited. It was interesting to get a truly authentic experience, witnessing the animals acting in a completely new way. Not being acclimated to humans, I had heard that the elephants sometimes can charge the vehicles and you know what? Yes, yes they absolutely do. We had it happen twice and thankfully our guide, Thomas, knew what was what. He kept the engine running so we were able to swiftly dodge any charging tusks. Talk about thrilling. 

   

We spent three nights at the lodge itself and two nights in the park at their tented camp. We were lucky enough to get Room 5 which had a breathtaking view of the river below. It was the perfect perch for watching the animals as they came to drink. We paid particular attention to the various Egyptian geese that were getting perilously close to the huge lazy crocodiles lounging on the sand banks. Further down the banks there were local villagers fishing and doing their laundry.  It was beautiful to get a snapshot of how everyone tries to live in harmony there—even the hippos.

      

The lodge has a refreshing swimming pool that was blissfully chilly after the hot game drives. Every night the dining venue was at a different spot on the property, but always under the stars.

      

The tented camp consisted of three tents, all with a bucket shower and a short drop toilet. We had an experienced cook and a butler who took excellent care of us “city girls”.  Nestled right along the riverbank, our tent was ideally located for hours of watching the wildlife activity in and near the river. It was impressive to see the huge herds of elephants and impala that wandered down to drink. During the day we explored the park, stopping at some spectacular spots including the Tembahata and Machanu Water Pans, and the Chilojo Cliffs. It is a magical experience to fall asleep to the lullaby of the savannah—lions roaring, hippos grunting and hyenas howling. Just as we were drifting off to sleep, the plains were springing to life under the cover of night. Dark for dark business, after all.

   

      

While there I was fortunate enough to meet Clive Stockil who is the founder of the lodge. He works closely with the local community and believes that community based conservation is an essential part of the survival of African wildlife. In 2013 he was given the inaugural Price William Award for Conservation.

      

Overall it was a stellar experience.  Chilo Gorge is a very special place for a first timer or a frequent African traveler. 

The Travelynn' Life - Sandibe, Botswana

Welcome to the first of our mini-series that follows the intrepid travels of the Mango Safaris Team. Follow our blog to get the latest stories from deep in the African bush, high in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, or by the seaside of the Indian Ocean. We’ll update you on our favorite travel anecdotes as well as the latest properties we’re exploring in our quest to share the ultimate been-there-done-that knowledge with our clientele.

 

The Travelynn’ Life follows Lynn Drake—first stop Sandibe in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.

After landing at the airstrip and a quick 40 minute drive through beautiful scenery, we arrived at the brand spanking new Sandibe just after they had opened their doors to guests. We were greeted by the staff singing a welcome song and escorted to a room in the main lodge for our introduction. 

Having been on more than 20 safaris, I was startled when we were led to a suite resembling a slumbering pangolin. I had never seen anything like it before! The interior of the suite was beautifully decorated, including a unique cone-shaped shower with a skylight where the baboons liked to peek down. There was a refreshing outdoor shower and private plunge pool, which were a nice relief from the afternoon heat. The large outdoor deck had seating for about 20 people. Our suite faced out to lush wetlands. On two nights I was awoken from a dead sleep to the sounds of a creature splashing just outside our suite. It almost sounded like he was enjoying a dip in our pool.

          

The main lodge is open and spacious with many different areas to relax, eat and drink. They’ve done a phenomenal job of bringing natural materials and earth tones into the stylish modern décor, seamlessly blending the camp into its beautiful setting.

   

The food was some of the best I have ever had at a lodge in Africa! All of the breads, muffins, and pastries were baked in a state of the art pizza oven, which was set in a gorgeous copper test kitchen right off the main dining area. There are four different chefs who have been professionally trained and they come out to personally tell you what the dinner menu is. Your butler, who is assigned to you for your whole stay, serves you a delicious breakfast after your morning safari drive, lunch at midday, and then dinner at 8pm.

There is a gym with a brand new selection of modern exercise equipment, and a spa featuring Africology products. In addition, the gift shop at Sandibe is fantastic and full of a great array of small items that can easily be tucked in your duffel bag. Perfect souvenirs for everyone from little ones to grandparents. 

Our ranger, Tsavo, was born and raised in the Okavango Delta and was so knowledgeable about all the animals we saw. It really enriched the experience at an already great wildlife-viewing area. During our twice daily game drives we saw cheetah, lion, leopard, nocturnal cats, herds of elephant, giraffe, zebra, wallowing hippos, many species of antelope, and myriad colorful birds zipping about. On top of all that, those famous African sunsets lived up to their dazzling reputation, lighting the sky up with vibrant swathes of pink, purple and orange.

        

        

I felt so fortunate to be there within a month of the grand reopening. I think it is going to be "the one" for new and upcoming lodges in Botswana. Excellent management, beautiful suites, fantastic game drives, and a spectacular setting—what more could you ask for?