Leif and I decided to go big or go home for our Honeymoon. Leif wanted to go scuba diving and I wanted to go on a safari. Therefore, we met in the middle. If the Maldives were affordable, I would have said screw the safari, alas, they're not. We looked at many countries before deciding where to go. In the end, we decided to go with a travel agent. Even though I am amazing at planning and organizing, I decided I wanted to take this one off. Also, I didn't know where to go in Africa and also didn't know how safe certain areas were. Therefore, I decided to leave it up to the professionals.
I reached out to a few travel agents that specialized in Africa and decided on Mahlatini Luxury Travel because Glynis was on top of it and responded to every email promptly. She also worked with me on planning the honeymoon of our dreams. She is the one that selected Kenya and Mauritius. Apparently South Africa was right up there with the Maldives.
The itinerary was easy to create once we decided on locations. She sent multiple camps and resorts for us to select from within the price range we wanted to spend. From there, she did all the work. Our only job was to get vaccines and pack. If we were doing this, we were going to do it right. This meant, we went all out on gear and clothes. It was fun! Eventually, this wonderful finalized itinerary arrived in the mail with everything we could possibly need. It was amazing.
My parents had come for Thanksgiving and were able to take Oliver and now Scout home with them for two months. We still are thanking them. That took care of those two! Lucky went to Leif's parents for the time we were gone. We got our shots, ordered all of our gear, packed and were dropped off at JFK by Leif's Dad. Our flight was a little delayed however, it was a midnight flight so once we boarded, it was easy for us to fall asleep. We were flying Turkish airlines, coach, and it was amazing. They gave us hot towels to clean our hands, a little zip pouch with everything you could possibly need, pillows, blankets and movies galore. We both popped some sleeping pills and woke up in Turkey!
We had a decent layover in Turkey. We got something to eat at the food court, checked in with the families, and waited to board our flight to Kenya! The plane was smaller and a bit tighter however, it wasn't terrible. We landed in Kenya very early in the morning. I think around 4am. We had to fill out paperwork and go through security and customs before we could pick up our bags, then we had to go through a final security to get outside to meet our ride. A woman met us with a sign and she directed us to where we waited for our driver. Once loaded, we drove through the city of Nairobi to get to an old army base which now housed many different things, a few including a very small airlines which would be taking us to the Masai Mara! The drive was very interesting. Leaving the airport it was a lot of country and desert, then it turned to neighborhoods, then it turned city with thousands of people walking along the highways. It was a bit scary.
Once we arrived to the airport, we went through a tiny security with our duffle bags and back packs. We left our large suitcases with our scuba gear with our driver. He would be picking us up and taking us to the next location. We went and had a very nice breakfast at the little cafe, checked in with some family and waited to board our flight. When they called our flight, we were two of a whopping four people on board. The plan was maybe a 30 seater with two women pilots! It was crazy! We quickly learned the two others were a chef and employee of another camp. They told us a bit about the area. The flight lasted about an hour until we landed on a dirt runway. The other two passengers got off and the plan took off again and headed towards our camp. Landing was so cool! You could see animals everywhere. Once on the ground, we grabbed our bags and walked to the little gazebo to wait. We had arrived. It was a long journey but we knew it was going to be worth it.
Quickly a Land Cruiser came to get us and welcomed us to Kichwa Tembo at the Maasai Mara. As we drove toward the camp, we saw a rhino laying down in the bush, giraffes and elephants. We were in such shock and this was only the beginning. We had no idea this was nothing to what we were going to see!
Our arrival to the camp was amazing. About 5 employees were standing clapping sining a welcome song. We met Salim, who would be taking care of us and our tent, he grabbed our bags. Then we were brought into the bar area, giving some sweet tea to drink while we filled out our paperwork and got the lay of the land.
We went back to our tent to unpack, take it all in and turn around and come right back for lunch! The tent was one of the older tents. A bit more rustic than the brand new modern ones. It was also right on the border of the Mara and our camp. It was so cool. The bed even had rose petals for our honeymoon!
At lunch we met Wilfred (Willie) our server who took care of us for every single meal. We had a wonderful lunch under this majestic tree watching animals from afar and enjoying the beautiful weather.
After lunch we went back to relax a bit before meeting for our evening game drive. This is where we met our guide, Akatch for tea, cookies. Akatch was magnificent. We immediately enjoyed his company and knew it was going to be a wonderful time.
We were joined by another woman from NYC, whose daughter had a bit of a stomach bug and was going to be napping. We went out for the evening with our pants, long sleeve shirts and puffy vests as we were told it was going to get a bit chilly. We had a wonderful time and saw a leopard from afar. It was so cool even though we couldn't get very close. We did spend a good amount of time the next few days trying to spot him again. However, at least we saw him day one! We enjoyed some wine in the bush before heading back for dinner.
After dinner, we headed back to our tent. We noticed the beds were turned down with hot water bottles and a bottle of red wine was waiting for us!
The next few days were magical. I can't even begin to explain how amazing this experience was. We were lucky to see the Big Five the very first day! We saw so many prides of lions. So many females and cubs. We saw the three male lions of those four prides. We saw hippos, black rhinos, zebras, elephants, hyenas, water buffalo, and all types of antelopes. We even drove to the Tanzania border where we saw a Cheetah and her cubs. We also went to the border and took photos at the sign to the Serengeti. It was so cool!
Christmas Eve morning we went on a sunrise hot air balloon ride. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Leif was upset as it was expensive and we had to wake up extremely early. I also spilled his coffee all over the bed when I picked up my pot of tea. It was not a good morning for him.
We hopped into the Land Cruisers and headed out in the pitch black up the mountain and back down to the launch sight. Darkness surrounded us. The only light was from the bathroom and the burner flame for inflating the balloons.
We boarded, and were told to stay seated, and slowly drifted into the dark sky. The balloon went up extremely high where we were able to see hundreds of miles in each direction as the sun slowly started to rise. It was out of this world. You could see all the animals just waking up. The lionesses were all laying down and the cubs were all running around playing. You could see where they nested down in the bush. We watched the sun rise and then dropped low and skimmed the top of the bush for the next half hour.
The morning game drive was pretty amazing as we got to see so many lions and cubs. We saw some elephants in musth, which was a bit scary. So many herds of elephants and giraffes. We even went to one of the few hippo pools. Did you know hippos can get sunburnt? It was such a magical time. That evening, Christmas Eve, they had a wonderful meal. Everyone ate and drank and celebrated.
The local Masai Mara tribe came for a bonfire, dancing and crafts. Leif and I definitely went to town on the gifts! They were almost all for us too!
The following morning was our day to leave. We packed our bags, had breakfast and had time for a morning game drive before leaving this beautiful place. This game drive was the one we had been waiting for. On our first day there, the lions had killed a hippo. Now, it is very hard to kill a hippo as they are so large. They usually only die if they are old or sink. However, a hippo had died and the lions were feasting on it. We had seen the three male lions earlier in the week however, they were back so far on the forests edge or they were passed out in the sun laying as flat as pancakes, it was hard to see them. Well, this morning, we had heard the lions were getting ready to leave the hippo. When this happens, it means the lions, lionesses and cubs were finished feasting and they were leaving it to the scavengers. Well, we got there early, along with 50 other Land Cruisers, and parked, and waited. Sure enough, shortly after we got there, all three lions did the same exact walk around our car to the closest watering hole where they each took a drink and laid down to relax. It was single handedly the coolest thing I had ever seen.
We headed back to camp to grab our bags, say goodbye to our wonderful new friends and head off to our next adventure. I cried. I cried a lot. I wanted to stay.
The plane eventually came, we boarded, and made three stops before heading back to Nairobi. One there, our drive arrived with our other bags and drove us to Hemingways Nairobi, where we were staying for Christmas.
After a quick check of the car to make sure we were not bringing in anything dangerous, the gates opened and we were dropped off at the entrance of this beautiful plantation mansion. Once inside, the massive staircase, the beautiful marble and the wide open doors to the fountains outside were incredible.
We checked in and were delivered to our suite. And yes, it was sweet!! The first thing I did was lay out on the balcony to get some sun followed by a relaxing bath in the freestanding tub, and then a nap.
We had reservations at the restaurant for Christmas dinner that evening. The evening was wonderful and the food delicious. We went back to our room, popped the bottle of champagne which was dropped off while we were at dinner, and then crashed hard!
The following morning, our driver picked us up and took us back to the Nairobi airport. We were headed to Mauritius for six days of rest, relaxation and sun. The flight was around six hours and when it was over, we were extremely glad. We didn't know we would be waiting in a customs line for an hour. That was horrendous. It was the last thing we wanted. However, our driver was wonderful and gave us the lay of the land on the drive towards our resort. We stayed at the Westin Turtle Bay on the North West area of the island. It was late when we checked in. We quickly unpacked and headed to the main restaurant for dinner. The buffet was amazing. There were different stations with different cuisines. The Mauritius cuisine is heavily Indian influenced. Needless to say, Leif and I loved the food.
The next few days were nice and relaxing. We got a couples massage, hug out at the pool and by the beach, ate at a few different restaurants (the Indian was our favorite) we went scuba diving two days at the neighboring resort, and even rented a car and drove around the island.
I did a lot of research before we booked the scuba diving and I'm glad we did. We were very happy with the selection. The shop was located in the resort next door to ours. As we were bringing our own gear, the shop owner, Clive picked us up. We hit it off immediately. He was wonderful and we throughly enjoyed his company. The dives were a bit beginner as we were diving through a resort which allows certification and diving, however, we did have a wonderful time. Clive invited us out to dinner with another couple who has been diving with him for years. We met his wonderful girlfriend at the restaurant as well. It was such a wonderful evening. We ate and drank and enjoyed the company. We would like to thank him for such a fantastic time.
We spent a day driving around the island exploring. It was interesting for many reasons however the most being that the steering wheel is on the right side and you drive on the left side of the road.... Let that sink in. Really confusing, right? We were really scared there for awhile. Thank god Leif is a professional driver...of firetrucks in tight spaces!
After leaving the resort, there was a short drive through more country side which then turns city. Not just any city, smack in the middle of downtown Port Louis. If you continue on the highway, you start up the mountain. We stopped at a few places on the way up including this huge crater. Once we hit the middle you're in more of a rain forrest type climate. We stopped at a rum distillery, visited an Indian temple and village, saw a huge waterfall and some large turtles along with the Seven Colors of Chamarel. All of it was very interesting and cool to see. Leif jokes, guys, we flew halfway across the country to go see dirt!
We stopped at a grocery store and got goodies and gifts. I got an awesome pair of flip flops with the Dodo Bird on it however that rescue pup we got back in September decided they would be a great toy. Sadly, the flip flops are no longer with us. We drove around Le Morne which had beautiful homes and golf courses. Then we headed back to the hotel.
Now, I am going to sound a bit spoiled here however, Leif and I tried to change our flights to come home early. Why might you ask when we are enjoying such a cozy lifestyle and it was dumping snow and negative temperatures back in New York City. Well, to be honest, the safari was so special and spectacular, Mauritius was kind of a downer. I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, we could do what we were doing back in Florida! We missed our dogs and I was starting a new job the day after our return and we were ready to be home. However, we were also ready to go back to the Maasai Mara too.
New Years Even we went to one of the beach restaurants. We didn't have a reservation, as we did not want to pay a prix fixe price when we would never eat the amount it would actually cost us, so we went to dinner early. Really early. So early that we were probably in bed asleep by 10pm. I heard the fireworks, but I didn't see a single one. Apparently, it was supposed to be an amazing firework show as well. Mauritians go all out selling fireworks for days leading up to NYE. Ooops. We were flying home the next day and well, we were done.
The flight home was easy and I planned it exactly how I wanted to which resulted in absolutely no jet lag. I'm so serious. It was amazing. I spent days going through the thousand photos I took and would talk about the safari to anyone who would want to listen. A year later, I was still looking at the photos and sharing them with friends and family. I could not recommend Kichwa Tembo or the Maasi Mara anymore. It was a once in a life time trip that I hope to do again. Well, in five years at least. We are already planning to go for our five year anniversary!
We had a decent layover in Turkey. We got something to eat at the food court, checked in with the families, and waited to board our flight to Kenya! The plane was smaller and a bit tighter however, it wasn't terrible. We landed in Kenya very early in the morning. I think around 4am. We had to fill out paperwork and go through security and customs before we could pick up our bags, then we had to go through a final security to get outside to meet our ride. A woman met us with a sign and she directed us to where we waited for our driver. Once loaded, we drove through the city of Nairobi to get to an old army base which now housed many different things, a few including a very small airlines which would be taking us to the Masai Mara! The drive was very interesting. Leaving the airport it was a lot of country and desert, then it turned to neighborhoods, then it turned city with thousands of people walking along the highways. It was a bit scary.
Once we arrived to the airport, we went through a tiny security with our duffle bags and back packs. We left our large suitcases with our scuba gear with our driver. He would be picking us up and taking us to the next location. We went and had a very nice breakfast at the little cafe, checked in with some family and waited to board our flight. When they called our flight, we were two of a whopping four people on board. The plan was maybe a 30 seater with two women pilots! It was crazy! We quickly learned the two others were a chef and employee of another camp. They told us a bit about the area. The flight lasted about an hour until we landed on a dirt runway. The other two passengers got off and the plan took off again and headed towards our camp. Landing was so cool! You could see animals everywhere. Once on the ground, we grabbed our bags and walked to the little gazebo to wait. We had arrived. It was a long journey but we knew it was going to be worth it.
Quickly a Land Cruiser came to get us and welcomed us to Kichwa Tembo at the Maasai Mara. As we drove toward the camp, we saw a rhino laying down in the bush, giraffes and elephants. We were in such shock and this was only the beginning. We had no idea this was nothing to what we were going to see!
Our arrival to the camp was amazing. About 5 employees were standing clapping sining a welcome song. We met Salim, who would be taking care of us and our tent, he grabbed our bags. Then we were brought into the bar area, giving some sweet tea to drink while we filled out our paperwork and got the lay of the land.
We went back to our tent to unpack, take it all in and turn around and come right back for lunch! The tent was one of the older tents. A bit more rustic than the brand new modern ones. It was also right on the border of the Mara and our camp. It was so cool. The bed even had rose petals for our honeymoon!
At lunch we met Wilfred (Willie) our server who took care of us for every single meal. We had a wonderful lunch under this majestic tree watching animals from afar and enjoying the beautiful weather.
After lunch we went back to relax a bit before meeting for our evening game drive. This is where we met our guide, Akatch for tea, cookies. Akatch was magnificent. We immediately enjoyed his company and knew it was going to be a wonderful time.
We were joined by another woman from NYC, whose daughter had a bit of a stomach bug and was going to be napping. We went out for the evening with our pants, long sleeve shirts and puffy vests as we were told it was going to get a bit chilly. We had a wonderful time and saw a leopard from afar. It was so cool even though we couldn't get very close. We did spend a good amount of time the next few days trying to spot him again. However, at least we saw him day one! We enjoyed some wine in the bush before heading back for dinner.
After dinner, we headed back to our tent. We noticed the beds were turned down with hot water bottles and a bottle of red wine was waiting for us!
The next few days were magical. I can't even begin to explain how amazing this experience was. We were lucky to see the Big Five the very first day! We saw so many prides of lions. So many females and cubs. We saw the three male lions of those four prides. We saw hippos, black rhinos, zebras, elephants, hyenas, water buffalo, and all types of antelopes. We even drove to the Tanzania border where we saw a Cheetah and her cubs. We also went to the border and took photos at the sign to the Serengeti. It was so cool!
Christmas Eve morning we went on a sunrise hot air balloon ride. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Leif was upset as it was expensive and we had to wake up extremely early. I also spilled his coffee all over the bed when I picked up my pot of tea. It was not a good morning for him.
We hopped into the Land Cruisers and headed out in the pitch black up the mountain and back down to the launch sight. Darkness surrounded us. The only light was from the bathroom and the burner flame for inflating the balloons.
We boarded, and were told to stay seated, and slowly drifted into the dark sky. The balloon went up extremely high where we were able to see hundreds of miles in each direction as the sun slowly started to rise. It was out of this world. You could see all the animals just waking up. The lionesses were all laying down and the cubs were all running around playing. You could see where they nested down in the bush. We watched the sun rise and then dropped low and skimmed the top of the bush for the next half hour.
Eventually we went back up to get one last glance in the daylight and then landed in the middle of the bush. We were picked up and driven to the sight of our champagne brunch.
As we walked closer, they sang us a welcome song and clapped to the beat while popping the cork to a bottle of champagne. We toasted to everything and then sat down to a delicious breakfast.
Leif right then and there said this was the most amazing thing he had ever done in his life. I guess it was worth it.
The local Masai Mara tribe came for a bonfire, dancing and crafts. Leif and I definitely went to town on the gifts! They were almost all for us too!
The following morning was our day to leave. We packed our bags, had breakfast and had time for a morning game drive before leaving this beautiful place. This game drive was the one we had been waiting for. On our first day there, the lions had killed a hippo. Now, it is very hard to kill a hippo as they are so large. They usually only die if they are old or sink. However, a hippo had died and the lions were feasting on it. We had seen the three male lions earlier in the week however, they were back so far on the forests edge or they were passed out in the sun laying as flat as pancakes, it was hard to see them. Well, this morning, we had heard the lions were getting ready to leave the hippo. When this happens, it means the lions, lionesses and cubs were finished feasting and they were leaving it to the scavengers. Well, we got there early, along with 50 other Land Cruisers, and parked, and waited. Sure enough, shortly after we got there, all three lions did the same exact walk around our car to the closest watering hole where they each took a drink and laid down to relax. It was single handedly the coolest thing I had ever seen.
We headed back to camp to grab our bags, say goodbye to our wonderful new friends and head off to our next adventure. I cried. I cried a lot. I wanted to stay.
The plane eventually came, we boarded, and made three stops before heading back to Nairobi. One there, our drive arrived with our other bags and drove us to Hemingways Nairobi, where we were staying for Christmas.
After a quick check of the car to make sure we were not bringing in anything dangerous, the gates opened and we were dropped off at the entrance of this beautiful plantation mansion. Once inside, the massive staircase, the beautiful marble and the wide open doors to the fountains outside were incredible.
We checked in and were delivered to our suite. And yes, it was sweet!! The first thing I did was lay out on the balcony to get some sun followed by a relaxing bath in the freestanding tub, and then a nap.
We had reservations at the restaurant for Christmas dinner that evening. The evening was wonderful and the food delicious. We went back to our room, popped the bottle of champagne which was dropped off while we were at dinner, and then crashed hard!
The following morning, our driver picked us up and took us back to the Nairobi airport. We were headed to Mauritius for six days of rest, relaxation and sun. The flight was around six hours and when it was over, we were extremely glad. We didn't know we would be waiting in a customs line for an hour. That was horrendous. It was the last thing we wanted. However, our driver was wonderful and gave us the lay of the land on the drive towards our resort. We stayed at the Westin Turtle Bay on the North West area of the island. It was late when we checked in. We quickly unpacked and headed to the main restaurant for dinner. The buffet was amazing. There were different stations with different cuisines. The Mauritius cuisine is heavily Indian influenced. Needless to say, Leif and I loved the food.
The next few days were nice and relaxing. We got a couples massage, hug out at the pool and by the beach, ate at a few different restaurants (the Indian was our favorite) we went scuba diving two days at the neighboring resort, and even rented a car and drove around the island.
I did a lot of research before we booked the scuba diving and I'm glad we did. We were very happy with the selection. The shop was located in the resort next door to ours. As we were bringing our own gear, the shop owner, Clive picked us up. We hit it off immediately. He was wonderful and we throughly enjoyed his company. The dives were a bit beginner as we were diving through a resort which allows certification and diving, however, we did have a wonderful time. Clive invited us out to dinner with another couple who has been diving with him for years. We met his wonderful girlfriend at the restaurant as well. It was such a wonderful evening. We ate and drank and enjoyed the company. We would like to thank him for such a fantastic time.
We spent a day driving around the island exploring. It was interesting for many reasons however the most being that the steering wheel is on the right side and you drive on the left side of the road.... Let that sink in. Really confusing, right? We were really scared there for awhile. Thank god Leif is a professional driver...of firetrucks in tight spaces!
After leaving the resort, there was a short drive through more country side which then turns city. Not just any city, smack in the middle of downtown Port Louis. If you continue on the highway, you start up the mountain. We stopped at a few places on the way up including this huge crater. Once we hit the middle you're in more of a rain forrest type climate. We stopped at a rum distillery, visited an Indian temple and village, saw a huge waterfall and some large turtles along with the Seven Colors of Chamarel. All of it was very interesting and cool to see. Leif jokes, guys, we flew halfway across the country to go see dirt!
We stopped at a grocery store and got goodies and gifts. I got an awesome pair of flip flops with the Dodo Bird on it however that rescue pup we got back in September decided they would be a great toy. Sadly, the flip flops are no longer with us. We drove around Le Morne which had beautiful homes and golf courses. Then we headed back to the hotel.
Now, I am going to sound a bit spoiled here however, Leif and I tried to change our flights to come home early. Why might you ask when we are enjoying such a cozy lifestyle and it was dumping snow and negative temperatures back in New York City. Well, to be honest, the safari was so special and spectacular, Mauritius was kind of a downer. I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, we could do what we were doing back in Florida! We missed our dogs and I was starting a new job the day after our return and we were ready to be home. However, we were also ready to go back to the Maasai Mara too.
New Years Even we went to one of the beach restaurants. We didn't have a reservation, as we did not want to pay a prix fixe price when we would never eat the amount it would actually cost us, so we went to dinner early. Really early. So early that we were probably in bed asleep by 10pm. I heard the fireworks, but I didn't see a single one. Apparently, it was supposed to be an amazing firework show as well. Mauritians go all out selling fireworks for days leading up to NYE. Ooops. We were flying home the next day and well, we were done.
The flight home was easy and I planned it exactly how I wanted to which resulted in absolutely no jet lag. I'm so serious. It was amazing. I spent days going through the thousand photos I took and would talk about the safari to anyone who would want to listen. A year later, I was still looking at the photos and sharing them with friends and family. I could not recommend Kichwa Tembo or the Maasi Mara anymore. It was a once in a life time trip that I hope to do again. Well, in five years at least. We are already planning to go for our five year anniversary!
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