Alejandra

With a few Seychelles images there I will sort them and add more later. I have not photoshopped anything yet. http://www.kodakgallery.com/MyGaller...3_hom_sign_ret

I hope it works

Patty

Not working for me

Try going to Share Photos and sending an invite to your own email address. When you receive the email, look on the bottom for a link and copy and paste it here.

Alejandra

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-r7qold

jenack

That worked. You have some really nice stuff in there, thanks. It is funny seeing shots from the same time(and in the case of Serian, I believe)the same camps I was in....they look a lot like my shots, same animals, same backgrounds, in many cases!! I enjoyed seeing them, thanks again. Hope to get my own up some day.

Percy

Ahh That is better. Good pictures.

I know it take extra time but when you have time could you please add a small comment as to where some of the Lodges and animals were.

Thanks Again
Percy

Patty

That worked!

OMG, loved, loved your photos - particularly the secretary bird, the zebra rolling in the dirt, the ostrich mating, the baby jackals, the lions fighting, OK really all of them

How long were you in the Seychelles and what did you do while there? We'll be on Mahe for 4 nights in Feb after Kenya.

sandi

Really great pics, especially the migration shots, but also the other game. See some of my comments and questions?

Tell me something about the resort in the SEZ, apparently new within last year or so. On which island?

Alejandra

Thanks for the comments, i will add more but soon.
Patty, we were on the Seychelles for 5 days. After arriving in Mahe immediately took a small Flowery Air Seychelles flight (picture just added)to Praslin, stayed for 3 nights at Lemuria. Mixed feelings about Lemuria (which i feared for before booking) but overal the location, setting of the property and its beaches are ahrd to beat, especially Anse Georgette. we chose Praslin since its easy to get to other islands from there, we wnet to La digue one day which is a 15 min(catemaran) or 30 min (sailing kind of boat) from the Jetty on Praslin. Also you can do mor eboat trips (to 3 islands) from Praslin, also available from mahe but still easier from Praslin. Our main issue with lemuria was the prices of the food and drinks, and for what i have heard that is everyone's main complaint. The rooms are very nice, and so is the pool area. If you like golf, the golfcourse is a dream. Make sure that you visit Anse georgette, the hotels private beach, a hilly walk or golfbuggy away from your room. we went to Anse Lazio one afternoon, very good for snorkeing, also has a cute restaurant Bon Plume, which offers fresh lobster and cigale for US $ 30. Bon Plume has the best Coconut milkshake i ever had.

Alejandra

Sandi: The last night we stayed in Maia resort, ai ai ai, this is a dream come true but is a seriously expensive place and worth it for one night but i would never stay there longer cos with that money you can stay 3 nights in the Mara . Maia is on Mahe and has 30 villas, all as amazing and exclusive as you cannot imagine. Coming with your private buttler a free bottle of quality champagne and 2 complimentary 20 min jetlag massages it has a descent sized private pool and a private pond with a huge bathtub in it. (see my romantic bath picture. The amenities are La Prairie and are replaced every time you make them disappear 3x in 24 hours, LOL. The beach at Maia is good but not on par with praslin / La Digue beaches. Maia is a place where you will not need to leave the room, they offer have in villa breakfast / lunch /dinner (even a seafood BBQ incl lobster. for the ones who do not want to go to the common area. The common area has a bar and a restaurant called Tec Tec which has a fabulous cuisine, you can have BF, lunch and dinner there. We were really impressed by the food, and enjoyed it a lot. There is a main swimming pool, but i did not see any one using it. The Spa is gorgeous. The place is very quiet, you do hardly see guests around as most people stay in their villa, we saw a few on the beach or are on tBut let me stop raving about Maia, worth to give it a try and if you have plenty of money just stay for a week and combine it with their sister hotel North Island.

Alejandra

Patty when in February will you go to Kenya? Also to the Mara? where will you stay? I will go back in either February or March to Serian and stay for 6 nights Where are you planning to stay in the Seychelles?

sandi

Alex - Thanks for the details. Sister resort to North Island. Okay. $$$$$$$$$ + $$$$$$$$. Why not, I guess. Sometimes, you just have to do it. I agree, it's much easier to get to other islands from Praslin; we loved La Digue, but wouldn't necessarily what to spend more than a day here... the day-trip was sufficient. The island is so small, you can walk it or bike it!

As with most "island" resorts, everything being imported, food gets expensive and more so if you don't have an inclusive package. Even inclusive add quite a bit to the room rate. And, many of the resorts try to book FB or HB. Having to pay a la carte can be pricey here.

Look forward to more pics.

Patty

<i>The amenities are La Prairie and are replaced every time you make them disappear</i>

Oooo... may be worth the price if you can stock up on enough

We'll be there from Jan 28 to Feb 14, but not headed to the Mara. We're spending 8 nights (or maybe 9) in the Tsavo area, then heading to the Aberdares region before returning to Nairobi for 1 night and flying to SEZ the following morning. We're staying 4 nights at the Hilton Northolme on Mahe but plan to take a day trip to Praslin. I've heard about the high price of food and drink at resorts so think I'm prepared for the sticker shock.

sandi

Patty -

Even high-price is relative. You and I are both in high cost-of-living cities, so the impact might not be all that difficult to handle. When I visited, we insisted on B&amp;B only, as we knew we'd be out during the day... and could pay for dinner as needed. Of course, this was some years back, but the prices compared to NYC weren't all that high. Everyone else at our resort had been booked on a FB-basis... most were honeymooners. Few Americans were on any of the islands we visited. In fact, there was only 1 other American couple and us! I'm sure since then, other &quot;yankees&quot; have found paradise!

chacheetah

Alejandra, amazing photos; would love to know your opinions of Saruni and I see you will want to return to Serian - so I guess you liked that best of all?? Asking as I am in midst of Sept. 08 plans and any of your thoughts are appreciated. Thx Cc

Alejandra

Sandi we actually had 2 nights of HB at Lemuria which we paid US $ 106 (75 Euro)p.p.p.d in advance for and infact that is the same as what you pay for a dinner in the hotel. All meals are that price and if you want something special you must add 25 euro p.p. What bothered us is for that price you might expect a descent meal but the food was very very average, some things even below average. A glass of white South African Chardonnay was US $ 20. Besides they worked in 2 shifts and you had to either start at 7pm or 930 pm so if you would eat at 730 pm they were working you out real fast. Argg i hated that. At Maia on the other hand the food was yammie and worth every penny.

Alejandra

ChacCheetah I thought Saruni was beautiful too, it is not tented liek Serian and it does have electricity which makes life easier especially in the early dark mornings and when getting ready for dinner but in life some places steal your heart and for some it might be Saruni, for me it was Serian just like it was Luangwa River lodge in Zambia and Simbambili in the Sabi Sands. When I travel with Bert we always stay 2 nights at a camp to try as many as possible so i would suggest you try both Serian and Saruni. They have a different feel, different setting. In March it will be the first time I will go to Africa on my own so I feel better not jumping around from camp to camp. Our tracker as Saruni was the best i have ever had, his name is Lemeria and although his is not an offical guide neither does he speak English very well, I would pick him as my guide/driver/ tracker any time. The food is fantastic at Saruni actually. Beds are supercompfy at both places.

waynehazle

Yeah the ostrich mating was very unique.
Wonderful migration shots too.

Percy

Alejandra:

Nice photos ,what a colorful little plane!

Could you see some of the migration from your Lodge location?

Are those plane rides in the small planes as scary as some people say they are ?!

What kind of camera did you use.?

Thanks Again
Percy

sandi

Alex -

Seems the prices have gone up since I've been. $106/day for breakfast and dinner does seem high, but if dinners are outstanding... then the price is competitive. If not, they can charge what they do and as long as guests pay, they keep on keepin on!

And I hate twice-a-nite seatings? If the early one, you always feel they're pulling the chair out from under your butt for the next seating.

Last time I almost paid $20 for a glass of wine was in Monaco and that was because I misread the bill... the bartender was good enough to return $10. There are honest people out there.

When we visited, the Lemuria on Praslin and Banyan on Mahe hadn't yet been built, nor North Island.

Anse Lazio - lovely beach! Nice to hear they now have a place to eat... not when we were! Think I have to make a return visit to these islands. Thanks for the details.

Alejandra

Percy: The cute flowery plane was in the Seychelles, but they use those small planes all over Africa, sometimes you have a bumpy ride, sometimes it's uneventful. It's a bit scary for me but I do love it, If there is no Co-pilot I always try to sit next to the pilot.

You cannot see river crossings from your lodge but perhaps others know more about this. With good binoculars you might be able to see it from the Serana lodge but I would never want to stay there.

My camera is just brand new and I bought it at Schiphol before flying to Kenya, its the Canon 40d, recommendable to amateur / professional photography fans.