On 11/27/2006 we were again met by Lucy from Origins and were taken to Wilson Airport for the first leg of our trip – Amboseli. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the airport is very small and easily managed. Our flight took off and went without incident (I did enjoy the mints offered by the captain) and we landed at our dirt air strip where we were immediately met by Peres our driver/guide for the next few days. We were able to do a small “safari” on our way to Tortilis Camp. For the next 3.5 days we were completely and totally pampered at Tortilis. I can’t say enough about the camp. The tents are beautiful and comfortable. The grounds are amazing. The view spectacular. The staff beyond wonderful. And the food was some of the finest cuisine I’ve tasted in a very long time. I highly encourage all visitors to enjoy a massage (one of the best I’ve had), take a dip in the beautiful pool, and enjoy more than one glass of champagne from the amazing bar area. Peres is a great guy and did his level best to make sure that we saw the maximum amount of game possible. The light rains had pushed some of the game far into the park so it was a bit “scarce” at times. Our stay at Tortilis included a visit to the local Masai village and we enjoyed ourselves very much. Yes it’s a bit “touristy” and yes they hit us up to buy some of their wares…but…they were incredibly kind, funny, fantastic people who were very proud of their homes and their families. And the shopping was great. As Amboseli was our first stop, we spent a lot of time photographing animals that we were sure we wouldn’t see as well again thus I think I took 40 photos of the first giraffe from a distance. (I really had no idea what the Mara would offer.) Peres was great and he was enthusiastic about the wildlife. He may not have been the most sophisticated guide but we loved him nonetheless.

On November 30, 2006 we took off for Samburu. We had to go back to Wilson and catch another charter but things went smoothly, once again, and we landed at Samburu where we met our really wonderful driver/guide Isaac. If you could classify guides on a scale from 1-3 (1 being good and 3 being best) I would say that Peres was a 1 and Isaac a 2. He knew a bit more about the game and ecosystem and was also very kind. (This is not to impune Peres by any means.) We ended up having our own private vehicle for the entire stay and enjoyed our exclusive time with Isaac as we were able to stop/go/and chat as we liked. Larsens is a permanent tented camp highly recommended by the AAC. I have to say, though, that it does not quite compare to Tortilis and Cottars. Although Larsens is located on a very wonderful river, and the grounds are quite beautiful, the tents themselves appear old and the level of service isn’t quite what it should be given the rates. Our linens had stains and our tent wasn’t quite as clean as it should have been. I’m not one of those whining gotta’ have plush towels kind of person normally but when I’m paying hundreds of dollars a night…I expect a level of service and quite frankly I was told it would be delivered. This is one of the few moments where I was disappointed with the AAC. I was told that Larsens had been recently totally revamped. It hadn’t. Great things have been planned and work is underway but we weren’t able to enjoy any of the upgrades. I do have to say, though, that the chef at Larsens offered the most amazing cuisine offered throughout the trip. Not only do you get to choose what you want to eat (as most camps have a set menu) but the food was absolutely inspired and delicious every day. Our game drives were interesting as they were a combination of absolutely no game seen one day and amazing game seen another. Samburu is an entirely different ecosystem than Amboseli and I really enjoyed seeing the differences. We were lucky enough to see a beautiful leopard lying up in a tree. It was an unforgettable sight and there are photos posted at www.rebeccachandler.myphotoalbum.com

Just as in Amboseli, we encountered some rain here and there but it wasn’t really a problem for the most part. There was a moment, on our way to the Samburu Village, whereby Isaac proceeded to drive a little manic as he hydroplaned along the tall grass and mud so that we would make it out of the park but that was as exciting as it got. (I have to say that at the moment I was terrified but now…I can look back on that moment and laugh about it.) Once again, the visit to the Samburu Village was really lovely, even with the sales pitch moments, and we were able to exchange email addresses with a few of the villagers who have access at school. Once again, it was great to bargain for some of the beautiful beaded items and we were able to take some really wonderful photos as well. Once again, I think that we were able to see past the “tourist aspect” of the village visit and we just enjoyed being with people that lived such distinctly different lives than we do.

At one point during out stay at Larsens, we were taken to the sister lodge to see the crocs that come up on the river shore at night as the lodge feeds bones and such. I’m not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, the rules of the park are strictly enforced about interfering with the game, how late you can be out at night, etc. On the other hand, we saw a lodge enticing large crocodiles up and out of the water/mud to enjoy some bones that they would not be accessible to in the wild. It’s seems a strange contradiction. I also have problems with the electric fences. Both Tortilis and Larsens have high powered electric fences to keep guests in and critters out. I wasn’t really prepared for that. Quite honestly I wanted an elephant to wander through camp at night. That’s why I was in Africa. I am definitely a “do not bait the game” and “no fence” girl.