MCAA East Germany Brochure

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

MCAA East Germany Brochure T H E E S S E N C E O F ITINERARY Delve into Eastern Europe’s past, present and future during a discovery of the intriguing cities of Berlin, Sachsenhausen, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Weimar and Eisenach. This quintessential post-conference trip showcases theseMonday, cities in October their true 7 glory: classical architecture, extensive and overwhelmingDepart USA history, medieval squares and castles,Depart on an overnight light to and ancient art and artifacts. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania to start Join this five-night, six-day post-conference our African adventure! tour curated by Mayo Clinic alumna Ruth Johnson, M.D. (MED '78, P '79, PATH '82, I '84), and Philip Quanbeck, D.Th. of Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN. Tuesday, October 8 Arusha Arrive late in the evening into Arusha, Tanzania and overnight in the heart of the city. (Arusha Hotel) Day 1: Sunday, June 24, 2018 - BERLIN Day 4: Wednesday, June 27, 2018 - WEIMAR YourWednesday, post-conference October tour begins 9 with a tour of Berlin Today’s visitNgorongoro includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Weimar, known as the birthplace of Weimar includingEnjoy breakfast at the hotel during a welcome brieing by our s Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, the afari guides. Afterwards, our safari guides Reichstag, and the Holocaust memorial. You’ll begin Classicism, a humanistic cultural movement. Your vis- withwill drive us in 4WD vehicles (6 people per vehicle) and take u a visit to historic Checkpoint Charlie, the former it includes s along the escarpment of the Great Rift Weimar’s Castle seated on the bank of the borderValley past Lake Manyara. We arrive at our lodge in time for lu crossing in the heart of Berlin. Next, you pass Ilm River andnch. The Exploreans Ngorongoro is a new, dating back over 500 years. You will also the Eastsmall boutique lodge that was bu Side Gallery, a stretch of the Berlinilt close to the rim of the Ngo wall painted visit the Goetherongoro Crater, where 2,000 ft. walls House, the baroque home to Johann by internationalsurround a crater loor covering artists and spanning almostjust over one hundred square m one mile. Wolfgang voniles. Goethe for almost 50 years. Your last stop for the day will Bauhaus, a German art school Next,(Exploreans you’ll visit the Ngorongoro Berlin Wall Memorial,Lodge: B,L,D) a preserved section of the wall that commemorate those who operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts suffered communism. After enjoying a group lunch at a andNgorongoro the fine arts. Crater Bauhaus was famous for its localThursday, restaurant, October you will visit 10 the seatNgorongoro of German approachTanzania’s to Ngorongoro design. Crater, which is a large, ParliamentTake an early morning descent to the Ngorongoro Crater loor an and one of Berlin’s most historical land- Meals:unbroken, B un‐d have a picnic breakfast looded volcanic caldera, offers some of the Overnight: Leonardo Hotel Weimar marks,followed by a morning of unsurpa the Reichstag. You will finish yourssed game viewing. Herds of zeb day of touring best wildlife viewingra and wildebeest can be seen grazing in Africa. Its combination of abundant with a visit to the German Holocaust Memorial animals and awesome scenery will impress even a memorializingalongside the endangered black rhino while sleeping lions laze the over six million Jewish victims. Dayseasoned 5: Thursday, safariin the sun. Skirting the crater’s ridge, the traveler. June 28, The 2018 completely intact rim of the Meals:Masai herd their cattle and goats over the pastures, cohabiting L WARTBURG/ERFURTcrater rises with the wildlife as they have for centuries. 1,800 ft. above the 12‐mile wide loor. Overnight:Return to the lodge early in the afternoon for lunch with some Leonardo Hotel Berlin Mitte Today’s tourfree time to enjoy the f includes Wartburg Castle,acilities and relax. the first Ger- (Exploreans Ngorongoro Lodge: B,L,D) man castle to be designated an UNESCO World Herit- Day 2: Monday, June 25, 2018 age site. Described as an exemplary hilltop castle of SACHSENHAUSEN/WITTENBERG the feudal period in central Europe, Wartburg Castle Today,Friday, your Octoberday begins 11 with a visitSerengeti to Sachsenhausen presents an impressive overview of 1,000 years of memorial,This morning, we make our way to a Nazi concentration camp primarily the Serengeti National Park wi used for German history.th a brief stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit Wartburg Castle was also the home politicalthe site of Louis and Mary Leakey’s archaeological work. A picn prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third of the ever-reveredic lunch on the Serengeti plains allows us to Saint Elisabeth, and a refuge place for the exiled Martin Luther who translated the New Reichsoak up all the sights and soun in May 1945. This afternoon, youds. Our game viewing continues a will visit the s we drive towards the western section town of Lutherstadt Wittenberg, a university town along Testament into German here. Enjoy a free afternoon in the River(Grumeti) of the vast sanctuary Elbe with close ties to Martinwhere, historically, the game v Luther. Enjoy a Erfurt beforeiewing has been the best in October. Arrive joining the group for a farewell dinner as city at the Serengeti Soroi Lodge lattour in the footsteps of Martin Luthere in the afternoon where the sp including the your tour enda and other heavenly amenities await us af- draws near. intriguingter a full day of thrilling game sightings. locations of his birthplace and death house in Meals: B, D Eisleben,(Serengeti his home Soroi for Lodge:many years B,L,D) in Wittenberg. Lunch Overnight: Mercure Erfurt Altstadt will be included before heading to Leipzig this after- noon. Day 6: Friday, June 29, 2018 Meals: B, L ERFURT/FRANKFURT Overnight: Leonardo Hotel & Residenz Leipzig This morning is at your leisure before heading to the airport for your return flight home. Day 3: Tuesday, June 26, 2018 - LEIPZIG Meals: B Today’s tour includes a full-day in Leipzig, a trade city from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. Situated at the intersection of two important medieval trade routes, Leipzig was once a major center of learning and culture Wartburg Castle in Eisenach is the most visited in Europe. This morning, you will embark on a leisurely Luther site in the world, attracting 350,000 visi- walking tour at the University of Leipzig, one of Eu- Serengeti National Park tors every year. Its mighty walls provided refuge rope’s oldest. You’ll pass by the market, Major Hall and for Martin Luther for almost a year after he was St. ThomasThe word Church, Serengeti the comes final restingfrom the place Masai of word Johann stringet, which literally means “an extended area.” The park covers ostracized and excommunicated by Rome follow- Sebastian Bach. This afternoon’s visit includes St. Nich- ing the Diet of Worms (1521). It was here that he 5,000 sq. miles of grassland broken up by rock outcroppings olas Church, the gathering place of the peaceful politi- started translating the New Testament into Ger- cal protestsand stands (Monday of acacia Demonstrations) trees. This type ofagainst landscape the gov- makes it an man, laying the foundations for a standardized ernmentexcellent of the place German to observe Democratic animal Republicmigrations. from During 1989- the German language. The Luther Room – where Lu- 1991.migration, Next, you’ll the experiencewildebeest arethe theRunde irst Ecketo move Memorial and are ther lived and worked during his time at the castle Museum.followed Literally by the translated zebras. Lions, as thehyenas ‘Round and Corner,’scavenger birds are – has for centuries been a destination for count- Rundeclose Ecke behind was and once feast an onoffice the ofyoung, the East old, sickGerman and weary.se- Moreless pilgrims from around the world. cret police, the Stasi. Tonight, gather for discussion fromthan the 3day’s million visits animals and a move group south dinner and at then a local north again in restaurant.search of water in this constant cycle every year. Meals: B, D Overnight: Leonardo Hotel & Residenz Leipzig B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13 Serengeti Huge herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle roam the vast savannah grasslands of the Serengeti National Park and together with the adjoining Masai Mara in Kenya, it forms the inest wildlife ecosystem in the world. Here, enjoy two full days of game viewing with lots of time to search for wildlife. The annual migration is the greatest wildlife show on Earth with several million wildebeest and zebra trekking north to the Masai Mara while lions, cheetahs and the rare hunting dog follow close behind. (Serengeti Soroi Lodge: B,L,D) Monday, October 14 Masai Mara After breakfast, embark on a spectacular drive over the Serengeti plains and take in some game viewing as we proceed to the border crossing point between Tanzania and Kenya. Our Kenyan guide will meet us at the border and take us to a secret location for a sumptuous picnic lunch before continuing on a game drive to our tented camp located in the Mara Triangle where the BBC Big Cat Diary TV documentary series was ilmed. It’s simply the best segment of the Masai Mara with the Talek River often witnessing some magniicent wildebeest crossings. (Mara Intrepids Tented Camp: B,L,D) Masai Mara Situated in southwest Kenya and known by locals as The Mara (meaning “spotted” in the Masai language), this area is Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve and, without a doubt, the most famous safari destination. It stretches 580 sq. miles and is over 5,000 ft.
Recommended publications
  • Arranged for Chico Area Recreation
    Arranged for Chico Area Recreation May 4-16, 2020 Special Safari Highlights Full Day Excursion into the Samburu National Your Safari Adventure Includes Game Reserve A ONCE IN Two Full Days of HOME PICK UP A LIFE TIME Viewing at Maasai Mara, Kenya’s Premier roundtrip airport transfer EXPERIENCE! Roundtrip airfare Game Reserve 4 & 5 Star Hotel/Resort Visit Jane Goodall accommodations for 10 Nights Chimpanzee Center One Night Boma Hotel Nairobi Two Nights Amboseli Serena Lodge One Night Serena Mountain Lodge Two Nights Samburu Sopa Lodge One Night Sweetwaters Tented Camp One Night Lion Hill Lodge Two Nights Mara Fig Tree Camp 28 Meals: 10 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches & 9 Dinners CONTACT Window Seat In Safari Vehicles Professional Safari Guides CARD Luggage Handling Driver / Guide (530) 895-4711 Gratuity or All Applicable Taxes Talbot Tours Visa Processing Fee (800) 662-9933 The Migratory Path An Opportunity To Witness The Greatest Animal Show on Earth! The endless plains of East Africa are the setting for the World’s Greatest Wildlife Spectacle - the 1.5 million animal ungulate migration. From the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne colored hills of Kenya’s Maasai Mara over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of greener pasture. There is no real beginning or end to the wildebeest's journey. Its life is an endless pilgrimage, a constant search for food and water. The only beginning is at the moment of birth; an estimated 400,000 wildebeest calves are born during a six week period early each year.
    [Show full text]
  • MARA CHEETAH CUBS REPORT Cee4life
    MARA CHEETAH CUBS REPORT Risk of Local Extinction of Cheetah in the Mara Ecosystem, Animal Welfare Issue at Nairobi Orphanage and Alleged Illegal Cub Trade in Kenya A Report on the Mara Cheetah Cubs Removal, the Critical Status of Mara Cheetah and the Ethics of Captive Care Facilitated and par-cipated in by: cee4life MARA CHEETAH CUBS REPORT Risk of Local Extinction of Cheetah in the Mara Ecosystem, Animal Welfare Issue at Nairobi Orphanage and Alleged Illegal Cub Trade in Kenya Facilitated and par-cipated in by: cee4life.org Melbourne Victoria, Australia +61409522054 http://www.cee4life.org/ [email protected] 2 Contents Section 1 Introduction!!!!!!!! !!1.1 Location!!!!!!!!5 !!1.2 Methods!!!!!!!!5! Section 2 Cheetahs Status in Kenya!! ! ! ! ! !!2.1 Cheetah Status in Kenya!!!!!!5 !!2.2 Cheetah Status in the Masai Mara!!!!!6 !!2.3 Mara Cheetah Population Decline!!!!!7 Section 3 Mara Cub Rescue!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!3.1 Abandoned Cub Rescue!!!!!!9 !!3.2 The Mother Cheetah!!!!!!10 !!3.3 Initial Capture & Protocols!!!!!!11 !!3.4 Rehabilitation Program Design!!!!!11 !!3.5 Human Habituation Issue!!!!!!13 Section 4 Mara Cub Removal!!!!!!! !!4.1 The Relocation of the Cubs Animal Orphanage!!!15! !!4.2 The Consequence of the Mara Cub Removal!!!!16 !!4.3 The Truth Behind the Mara Cub Removal!!!!16 !!4.4 Past Captive Cheetah Advocations!!!!!18 Section 5 Cheetah Rehabilitation!!!!!!! !!5.1 Captive Wild Release of Cheetahs!!!!!19 !!5.2 Historical Cases of Cheetah Rehabilitation!!!!19 !!5.3 Cheetah Rehabilitation in Kenya!!!!!20 Section 6 KWS Justifications
    [Show full text]
  • MPCP-Q3-Report-Webversion.Pdf
    MARA PREDATOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMME QUARTERLY REPORT JULY - SEPT 2018 MARA PREDATOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMME Q3 REPORT 2018 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During this quarter we started our second lion & cheetah survey of 2018, making it our 9th consecutive time (2x3 months per year) we conduct such surveys. We have now included Enoonkishu Conservancy to our study area. It is only when repeat surveys are conducted over a longer period of time that we will be able to analyse population trends. The methodology we use to estimate densities, which was originally designed by our scientific associate Dr. Nic Elliot, has been accepted and adopted by the Kenya Wildlife Service and will be used to estimate lion densities at a national level. We have started an African Wild Dog baseline study, which will determine how many active dens we have in the Mara, number of wild dogs using them, their demographics, and hopefully their activity patterns and spatial ecology. A paper detailing the identification of key wildlife areas that fall outside protected areas was recently published. Contributors: Niels Mogensen, Michael Kaelo, Kelvin Koinet, Kosiom Keiwua, Cyrus Kavwele, Dr Irene Amoke, Dominic Sakat. Layout and design: David Mbugua Cover photo: Kelvin Koinet Printed in October 2018 by the Mara Predator Conservation Programme Maasai Mara, Kenya www.marapredatorconservation.org 2 MARA PREDATOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMME Q3 REPORT 2018 MARA PREDATOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMME Q3 REPORT 2018 3 CONTENTS FIELD UPDATES .......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mara Monthly March 2010
    MARA MONTHLY MARCH 2010 Thomson Gazelles killed by poachers. MARA CONSERVANCY CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT FOR MARCH 2010 By Brian Heath General possible terrorist threats, local wildlife populations and improve insecurity, robberies, petty theft, the dialogue between wildlife managers, The heavy rains we had proliferation of shanty villages the authorities and the judicial experienced in February continued around the Mara and the system. The workshop was well into March, giving us the heaviest improvement of roads to enable a attended, with representation from and most sustained rain we have rapid response to any incident. Tanzanian National Parks, the experienced in years. The areas Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the along the river became completely The Mara Conservancy helped Uganda Wildlife Authority, the flooded and the river was support a workshop on developing a Mara Conservancy, Mara North exceptionally high for weeks, very “working partnership to fight Conservancy, the Anne Kent-Taylor different from the two previous wildlife crime in the Mara/ Fund/Care for the Wild, Police years, when the river had been a Serengeti ecosystem” in Narok on prosecutors and the Senior Resident trickle. The rains subsided for ten the 26th and 27th. The workshop Magistrate, Kilgoris. days and then returned on the 22nd, was organized by BEAN (Bushmeat- with heavy and prolonged storms. Free Eastern Africa Network) and funded by US Fish & Wildlife, the Wildlife The Chief Executive attended a Mara Conservancy, Care for the The cheetah with three cubs on the meeting chaired by the District Wild, Mara Siria Camp and & border was seen quite frequently. Commissioner, Trans Mara West Beyond.
    [Show full text]
  • Rift Valley Safari
    Rift Valley Safari OL DONYO LODGE ANGAMA MARA For the Adventurous This eight-night journey starts with an exploration of the vast Chyulu Hills with a three-night stay at ol Donyo Lodge. Then travel to the Big Five paradise of the Mara Triangle to spend five nights at Angama Mara. This journey is ideal for those in search of a ‘next level’ safari: climb volcanic peaks, horse-ride across the open plains or gently float over the Maasai Mara in a hot air balloon – the options are endless. “Up in this air you breathed easily, drawing in a vital assurance and lightness of heart” Karen Blixen, Out of Africa Travel Plans in Brief HELLO EAST AFRICA Private meet & assist at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Chauffeured Road Transfer from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi to Wilson Airport Local Flight from Wilson Airport to ol Donyo Airfield, Chyulu Hills 1 3 NIGHTS AT OL DONYO LODGE 1 2 Local Flight from ol Donyo Airfield to Wilson Airport Local Flight from Wilson Airport to Angama Mara Airfield, Maasai Mara 5 NIGHTS AT ANGAMA MARA 2 Local Flight from Angama Mara Airfield to Wilson Airport Chauffeured Road Transfer from Wilson Airport to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Departure with International Flight FAREWELL EAST AFRICA 1 HELLO EAST AFRICA Hello Chyulu Hills ol Donyo Lodge is set on the Mbirikani Group Ranch, 275,000 acres of pristine private wild Africa bordering the foothills of the Chyulu Hills National Park. Wedged between Kenya’s Tsavo East and Amboseli National Parks this is a place of timeless wilderness presided over by the magnificent summit of one of Africa’s greatest icons – Mount Kilimanjaro.
    [Show full text]
  • The Big 5, the Wildebeest Migration, a Crocodile Kill and a High-Design Lodge Boasting Possibly the Finest View in All of Kenya, If Not Africa
    Travel Travel A WORLD APART The Big 5, the wildebeest migration, a crocodile kill and a high-design lodge boasting possibly the finest view in all of Kenya, if not Africa. And all just an overnight flight away. by PATRICK TILLARD 194 THE GENTLEMAN’S JOURNAL Winter 2015 Winter 2015 THE GENTLEMAN’S JOURNAL 195 Travel Travel enya is not that far away. On a grey Thursday in London I watched the sun sink through drab high- rises, accompanied by the din of rush hour traffic, Konly to see it rise the following morning over the Maasai Mara, a riot of colour streaking across the enormous sky, from the Oloololo Escarpment on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley. In fact, Kenya is very close. Black saw-wings and sooty chats dart through the rafters into the wild sage as I eat break- fast on the decking of Angama Mara lodge, and down below on the Mara Triangle, which stretches endlessly into the distance – a vast xanthic prairie peppered with balanite trees shaped by giraffes – herds of zebra and buffalo are grazing the arid land. Over the next five days I am repeatedly captivated by the boundless view, mind clear of all stresses and torments. Much like one can be lost in a piece of classical music or fine art. In Africa, you’re allowed to expect the un- expected – it is a continent of spectacular extremes and constant surprises. The rain falls like gravel. The lightning burns with the lustre of magnesium. The sky is so wide and impossibly blue, but then a few hours later, as the sun melts, a host of so many vig- orous stains, as red, orange and gold spray across the dense cloud – like a blind artist’s palatte.
    [Show full text]
  • Safaris Unlimited Mara Ride 8 Nights (9 Days)
    OVERVIEW KENYA | SAFARIS UNLIMITED MARA RIDE 8 NIGHTS (9 DAYS) Safaris Unlimited Mara Ride 8 nights (9 days) Safaris Unlimited, pioneers of riding safaris across Masailand, offer exciting eight night rides through the stunning and wildlife rich Masai Mara. WATCH VIDEO CONTACT | [email protected] | +44 (0) 1578 760 222 | www.aardvarksafaris.com OVERVIEW KENYA | SAFARIS UNLIMITED MARA RIDE 8 NIGHTS (9 DAYS) This itinerary takes you to four different parts of the Mara which gives a wonderful insight in to the area. Riding through rolling savannah, acacia woodland and riverine forest, guests will enjoy the scenic and wildlife highlights of this quintessentially East African landscape. It is quite likely that you will find yourself cantering alongside impala, zebra, buffalo and giraffe to name but a few, and when not on horseback there’s the opportunity for wildlife drives and nature walks. • Luxurious riding safari through Kenya’s Masai Mara • The opportunity to wildlife view from horseback, vehicle and on foot • Responsive, well-schooled horses • Ride between four and eight hours a day through stunning East African scenery • Comfortable tents in beautiful, private locations • Supremely knowledgeable guides and excellent support staff • Access to private wildlife conservancies and exclusive campsites • Superb wildlife viewing in one of Africa’s most famous wildlife areas • An eight night/nine day riding safari with a maximum group size of 12 guests on set departure trips to ensure a highly personal experience CONTACT | [email protected] | +44 (0) 1578 760 222 | www.aardvarksafaris.com ITINERARY KENYA | SAFARIS UNLIMITED MARA RIDE 8 NIGHTS (9 DAYS) Please note this is a sample itinerary only and locations / camps may change depending on weather and wildlife movements.
    [Show full text]
  • Soul Safari Angama Mara Safari Lodge in Kenya Offers a Fresh, Modern Alternative to the Colonial Safari Aesthetic
    Soul Safari Angama Mara safari lodge in Kenya offers a fresh, modern alternative to the colonial safari aesthetic. by Britt Collins In the mist and the rain, winding across the golden-green savannas toward a secluded hilltop, I felt as if I was returning someplace I’d been before. Hanging high over Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, Angama Mara safari lodge sits in the same setting where the most iconic scenes of Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa were filmed. It’s a soul-stirring dream of a place that seems to float 1,000ft above the Mara Triangle, the densest wildlife habitat in Africa. Way before Richard Branson started colonising Africa with his luxury eco lodges, Steve and Nicky Fitzgerald were blazing the trail for sustainable tourism. The pioneering husband-and-wife hoteliers had long coveted this special parcel of land. When it became available they came out of retirement to lease the 700 acres from the Maasai community and created a fresh, modern alternative to the colonial safari aesthetic. The property — designed by Johannesburg-based architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, famed for modernist high-luxe, low-impact retreats such as North Island in the Seychelles — is cleverly split into two intimate 15-tent camps. The dramatic red-brick pavilion shared by both camps features a walled pool and African art gallery and studio, where Maasai women bead bespoke pieces. I was met with a laid-back and inviting atmosphere. The warm Kenyan staff and Kate Fitzgerald, gracious daughter of Steve and Nicky, instantly made me feel at home.
    [Show full text]
  • Fact Sheet MIGRATION Around July-October Each Year, Herds of Wildebeest Migrate from the Serengeti Plains in Search of the Fresh Pasture of the Masai Mara
    location Located on the edge of the Mara Triangle — the North-Western part of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, which is managed by the not-for-profit organisation The Mara Conservancy on behalf of Trans-Mara County Council (Trans Mara District). Divided from the rest of the Masai Mara by the Mara River, the Mara Triangle is less visited and less crowded, often with many more game animals grazing on the plains and between the volcanic hills that distinguish this corner of the Mara. Home to all members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and black rhinoceros) as well as hippopotami, nile crocodiles, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat- eared foxes. Fact Sheet MIGRATION Around July-October each year, herds of Wildebeest migrate from the Serengeti plains in search of the fresh pasture of the Masai Mara. This Great Migration is one of the most impressive Mara Engai Wilderness Lodge is nestled natural events worldwide, involving some 2,000,000 wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, Topi, elands, and zebras. These migrants are amongst pristine Kenyan Ravine forest closely followed by hungry predators, lions, crocodiles and hyena. Mara Engai Wilderness Lodge is advantageously positioned to on the Siria Escarpment. Overlooking the provide front row seats to this, one of Mother Nature’s most amazing Masai Mara National Reserve spectacular shows on earth. how to get to us and Wildebeest Migration Route, with International flights into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. Within Nairobi, transfer to Wilson Airport for a short around 120km of unbroken views – it is internal flight to the Serena airstrip in the Masai Mara.
    [Show full text]
  • Where to Go in 2015: Angama Mara, Kenya
    Where to Go in 2015: Angama Mara, Kenya Jen Murphy 11.21.2014 See our full list of Where to Go in 2015. Nicky Fitzgerald and her husband Steve are pioneers in African tourism. The couple has opened more than 50 luxury safari lodges across sub-Saharan Arica and India and for years worked with the pioneering safari company &Beyond. The couple has spent the last year building Angama Mara, a very special property that sits on the border of Kenya’s Mara Triangle and will open June 2015. Here, Nicky shares why everyone should have Kenya on their 2015 travel list and why her new hotel project might just be the best place to experience the Maasai Mara. You and your husband have been in the hotel and tourism business for years. What made you decide to open your own lodge finally? Our friendship with the Maasai, the people who own the land Angama now sits on, goes back more than 15 years and my husband Steve begged them for the lease on the property. Out of the blue, and to our surprise and great joy, Steve received a call last year asking him to come to Nairobi to sign the lease. It was well worth dumping retirement for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Africa and Kenya in particular have been in the headlines lately. How has this affected tourism in the area and why should people still consider a trip to Kenya in 2015? I think 2015 will be a quiet year for tourism in Kenya, but that said, if you want a beautiful place all to yourself and you don’t suffer from ebola hysteria then it’s a very good reason to go now.
    [Show full text]
  • Wildlife Conservancies in the Maasai Mara, Kenya
    Conservation, tourism and pastoral livelihoods: Wildlife conservancies in the Maasai Mara, Kenya Claire Bedelian University College London PhD Thesis 2014 1 ‘I, Claire Bedelian, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis.' …………………………………….. 2 Abstract The pastoral rangelands of the Mara in Kenya have been a hotspot of evolving conservation and development initiatives. However, these initiatives have tended not to produce positive outcomes for either people or wildlife. At the same time, pastoral policies have promoted the privatisation of rangelands, subdividing the land to individual ownership. Within this backdrop, a number of wildlife conservancies have been recently set up where tourism investors pay Maasai landowners to vacate their land of settlements and livestock. As market-driven approaches that have profound impacts on the way land is viewed, used and managed in the Mara, this thesis situates itself within the growing body of literature on neoliberal conservation. The study takes a mixed methods approach to evaluate these initiatives for pastoral livelihoods and the environment. Using a political ecology lens it analyses the nature of the partnership between the tourism investors and Maasai landowners and the levels of participation and power between different actors. It investigates the contribution of wildlife conservancies to pastoral livelihoods, and uses evaluation techniques to assess the impact of participation in conservancies on pastoral livelihoods. It also examines the resultant settlement and livestock grazing displacement and the implications this has for livelihoods and the wider landscape. The thesis finds that conservancies can contribute large incomes from tourism to participating households.
    [Show full text]
  • A 13-Day Classic Wildlife Safari
    YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL ON AN EXCLUSIVE SAFARI TO East Africa TANZANIA & KENYA LAND OF THE MAASAI & THE “BIG FIVE” OCTOBER 31 TO NOVEMBER 15, 2021 YOUR ITINERARY DAY 1~SUNDAY~OCTOBER 31 Your journey begins as you board your overnight flight to Amsterdam, via Minneapolis–St. Paul. (Meals aloft) DAY 2~MONDAY~NOVEMBER 1 AMSTERDAM/ARUSHA Upon arrival in Arusha in the evening, you will be met by your Classic Escapes representative and transferred to your hotel. Your luxurious lodge is nestled in the foothills of Mount Meru, in view of Mount Kilimanjaro. This is an absolutely wonderful place to begin your journey to Tanzania. Following all your flights, this pleasant and peaceful country estate combines old-world ambience, African country elegance, excellent farm cuisine, personal service and genuine warmth from your hosts. The lodge has 18 individually styled garden rooms, two hidden cottages, and the River House---a secluded thatched cottage on the Usa River. Al fresco dining with barbeque facilities can be enjoyed. Overnight at the RIVERTREES LODGE. (Meals aloft) http://rivertrees.com/lodge DAY 3~TUESDAY~NOVEMBER 2 MTO WA MBU VILLAGE/NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA Depart this morning for the village of Mto Wa Mbu to learn the true value of ecotourism and how far your dollar goes. During the final years of the 20th century, Western influence coupled with growing economic challenges threatened to erase the cultural heritage still found in many traditional African villages. That’s when the Netherlands Development Organization, or SNV, came up with the concept of “cultural tourism.” Beginning in 1995, the SNV worked with the Tanzania Tourist Board to develop a program whereby local people earn extra income by organizing tours of their own communities.
    [Show full text]