A personal invitation to join me in search of the ... - Travel Club Elite

e Great MigrationA LIMITED EDITION TOURDeparts 23rd August 2013A Limited Edition TourOne tour, one departure date, one chanceTour itineraryDay 1 21 August Fly to KenyaIf you’re choosing the Out of Africa Pre-Touroption, we meet at London Heathrow for our BritishAirways flight to Nairobi, the gateway to EastAfrica. Our morning departure arrives at JomoKenyatta International Airport late in the eveningwhere we will transfer to the colonial FairmontNorfolk Hotel in the city centre and check in foryour three night stay.Hotel: Norfolk HotelIncludes: In-flight mealDay 2 22 August Out of Africa Pre-TourAfter breakfast we will depart the hotel for ourmorning sightseeing tour of this bustlingcommercial city with its melting pot of cultures. Wewill see the buildings of Old Nairobi, the NationalMuseum of Kenya, the city market where the localsbuy their fish, meat and vegetables, as well asmodern day Nairobi landmarks in the centralbusiness district such as the Parliament buildingsand Kenyatta International Conference Centre.Returning to the hotel in time for lunch, the rest ofthe day is free for you to enjoy at leisure.Hotel: Norfolk HotelIncludes: BreakfastDay 3 23 August Out of Africa Pre-TourThis morning after breakfast, we travel to visit the Karen Blixen Museum whichis actually the colonial farmhouse where Karen Blixen, author of Out Of Africa,lived between 1914 and 1931. The house gives a fascinating insight into whitesettler lifestyle in pre-Independence Kenya with its lion-skin carpet, colonialstyle china, paintings and books. You can wander through the beautifulgardens and enjoy magnificent views of the Ngong Hills, made famous by theOut Of Africa Hollywood film. Later we will continue on to the Giraffe Centrewhich does serious conservation work, rehabilitating the rare Rothschild giraffesbefore they are returned to the wild. During our visit we will get the chance tosee them at close range and may have the opportunity to feed them. Beforereturning to the hotel, we will stop at a local handicrafts centre which offersauthentic African wooden carvings and beaded jewellery.For those who have not booked the Out of Africa Pre-Tour, your British Airwaysflight departs London Heathrow this morning arriving into Nairobi’s JomoKenyatta International Airport late evening. You will transfer to the NorfolkHotel for your overnight stay.Hotel: Norfolk HotelIncludes: Breakfast211. Giraffe centre2. Masai crafts3. Beaded jewellery4. Karen Blixen Museum 3445

Day 4 24 August Nairobi to AmboseliAfter an early breakfast, we drive to Wilson Airportfor our early morning flight to Amboseli NationalPark, one of Kenya’s elite parks. A team ofprofessional safari guides meet us at the airstripand take us to Tawi Lodge for our two night stay.We will travel by safari vehicles, each taking amaximum of 6 people and with a guaranteed‘window’ seat for everyone for optimum viewing.Your driver will generally be your allocated driverthroughout your time in Amboseli including allyour wildlife game drives. The guides are veryknowledgeable and expert in spotting birds andanimals which they point out to you, telling youabout them and answering any questions youmay have.Tawi is a small fenced lodge with just 13 beautifullyappointed and spacious tents facing directly ontoMount Kilimanjaro, set in a 60 acre privateconservancy just outside Amboseli National Park.The lodge has a natural water hole. The watercomes from Mount Kilimanjaro’s melted snowand is a big attraction to many different animalswho come to drink there.After lunch, we will go back in the national parkon our first afternoon game drive. Your driver willuniquely tailor the game drive to your specificneeds and wants, moving on or staying longer ateach point as you prefer and each vehicle carriesmineral water for your convenience.This evening we meet up for our JOD welcome drinksparty and briefing, followed by a welcome dinner.Lodge: Tawi LodgeIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus softand alcoholic drinks at the lodgeDay 5 25 August Amboseli National ParkToday you can choose to have an early morninggame drive and then come back for breakfast or tohave breakfast first and then go out. It’s entirelyyour choice and your driver will work aroundwhatever schedule you prefer.Amboseli is particularly famous for elephants andthere certainly are plenty to see here. The lushgreen park is heaven for elephants who enjoy theplentiful waters of the park. During the daytime,they spend time wallowing in the waters, eatingsoft grass and drinking water before movingtowards Kilimanjaro in the evening to eat fruits andother things. Elephants are very social animals, ledby the oldest matriarch – when she moves, theymove; when she stops, they stop. If they sensedanger, the adults immediately form a circlearound the baby elephants to protect them,moving on only when it’s safe to do so.But the park is also home to many other animalssuch as hippos who also love wallowing in the waterand whose heavy breathing you can hear from yourvehicle, giraffe, Grant gazelle, zebra, wildebeest andothers. There are over 350 bird species in the parktoo making it a paradise for ‘twitchers’.You will return to the lodge for a well-deservedlunch and perhaps a gentle snooze beforeventuring back out again for an afternoon gamedrive. Afternoon game drives give you a differentperspective on the park and the animals as the daydraws to an end and you will observe differentthings and maybe different species too. Return tothe lodge for dinner and overnight.Lodge: Tawi LodgeIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus softand alcoholic drinks1. Hippos wallowing©Steve Bloom / stevebloom.com2. Safari vehicle3. Herd of elephantsunder Kilimanjaro©Dmussman / Shutterstock.com 12367

Day 6 26 AugustAmboseli to Samburu National ReserveAfter breakfast today, we fly via Nairobi to theSamburu National Reserve. Closer to the equatorand therefore hot and dry, Samburu is quite acontrast to Amboseli, offering a different landscapeand a different game viewing experience. Againwe travel by safari vehicles, each taking a maximumof 6 people and with a guaranteed ‘window’ seatfor everyone. Your driver will generally be yourallocated driver throughout your time in Samburuincluding all your wildlife game drives. Theknowledgeable guides are expert in spotting birdsand animals for you, telling you about them andanswering any questions you may have.A short distance from the airstrip is Larsens Camp,our home for the next 3 nights. Located inside thenational reserve, this traditional colonial-style camphas 20 luxuriously appointed tents, all facingdirectly onto the Uaso Nyiro River.14After lunch we will enjoy the first of our gamedrives. Samburu has its own ‘Big Five’ – five speciesof animal that are unique to Samburu and notfound anywhere else in Kenya – the extra stripyGrevy’s zebra, unicorn-like oryxes, blue-leggedSomali ostrich, reticulated giraffes which display adifferent pattern of markings and gerenuks whichare a type of gazelle. The park is more jungle-like inappearance with a labyrinth of tracks to explore onyour game drives and views of the surroundingsacred hills of Samburu.In the evening over dinner, it’s fun to swap storiesand compare notes about what you saw on yourgame drives.Camp: Larsens CampIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner,plus soft and alcoholic drinksDays 7 & 8 27 & 28 AugustSamburu National ReserveOver the next two days you can choose to have anearly morning game drive and then come back for alate breakfast or to have breakfast first and then goout. It’s entirely your choice and your driver will workaround whatever schedule you prefer.In addition to looking for Samburu’s ‘Big Five’, thereserve is also home to cheetah, olive baboon,warthogs, Grant's gazelle, Kirk's dik-dik, impala,waterbuck, red bill hornbill, impalas, vulturineguineafowl and more besides. One of the rarestanimals to see is the leopard and you may be luckyand have the chance of seeing it here.There are over 350 species of bird. These includeSomali ostrich, grey-headed kingfisher, sunbirds,bee-eaters, marabou stork, tawny eagle, bateleur,vulturine guineafowl, yellow-necked spurfowl,lilac-breasted roller, palm nut vulture, red-billedhornbill, secretary bird, Verreaux's eagle, superbstarling, yellow-billed hornbill and vultures. It isfascinating to learn about the different species andtheir behaviour – the secretary bird for examplestamps on snakes to kill them before eating them.Some of the colours of the birds plumage isindescribably beautiful – the well-named superbstarling for example has irridescent colours of brightblue and green which display a flash of colour asthey open their wings and fly.5 6761. Grevy’s zebra2. Somali ostrich3. Oryx4. Reticulated giraffes5. Gerenuks6. Superb starling7. Leopard23After lunch, relax a while and have a nap, or maybeyou’d prefer to have a refreshing dip in the pool orenjoy a massage in the spa before you venture backout into the reserve for your final game drive.Camp: Larsens CampIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus softand alcoholic drinks89

Day 10 or 11 Balloon Safari Pre-Bookable offerThere are many places in Kenya where you can enjoya balloon safari but we believe the balloon safari atGovernors’ is the best. We are pleased to offer apre-bookable package which guarantees you abetter price than if you booked directly at the camp.Starting before dawn, you will have a short briefingfrom the balloon pilot with tea and coffee availablewhilst the team complete their preparations andinflate the balloon in time for sunrise.From the basket you will gently rise and enjoy game viewing from an entirelydifferent perspective, looking down on herds of animals and showing you theplaces that the safari vehicles can’t get to, allowing you to really see thebeauty of the natural landscape with its forests, plains and rivers. Even if youhave already experienced a balloon safari, the Masai Mara landscape is unique.After about an hour, and with plenty of time to take photos or video, theballoon will land. A team will already be stationed at your landing point withperfectly chilled champagne or orange juice to toast your journey, followed bya delicious, freshly prepared, cooked breakfast. When breakfast is over, theteam will drive you back to Little Governors’ with some leisurely game viewingalong the way, arriving back mid-morning. The rest of the day is as shown inthe itinerary on pages 14–15.1321. Balloon basket2. Spectacular views3. Balloon Pilot1213

1 2Day 12 1 September Masai Mara to Mara BushtopsAfter breakfast, we leave Little Governors’ andtransfer to our next safari camp by road. Our LittleGovernors’ drivers take us on an exciting game driveto Talek Bridge where our drivers from the next safaricamp – Mara Bushtops – will be waiting for us.Changing vehicles, we continue the rest of thejourney to the deluxe Mara Bushtops camp whichhas just 12 stylish tents. Each tent has its own butlerand outstanding levels of design sophistication witha private deck area, sun loungers, telescope and hottub. The camp is situated just outside the reserve inits own private conservancy. Set onto a hillside, allthe tents look out across the plains and the viewsare simply incredible.After a delicious lunch, you can simply pause for alittle while, taking time to relax and unwind at thisluxury camp. Then we’re off on another gamedrive in search of the migration.Day 13 2 September Masai Mara Game ReserveAfter breakfast today, we have a full day game drive with picnic lunch,giving us the flexibility to spend the whole day searching for wildlife andparticularly for the migration. Since this is our fifth day in the Masai Mara,we hope to have had plenty of opportunity to witness the migration in thisarea with its high concentration of wildlife. The river crossing is generallystarted by zebra – despite the fact that their black and white stripes all lookthe same, each zebra has its own unique patterning of stripes, just like afingerprint. Wildebeest quickly join in, followed by others.But whilst en route, you will see plenty of other animals such as the cheetahwho love the savannah grassland, grand gazelles, Thomson gazelles, topi,warthogs, buffalo, banded mongoose and elephants.Back at the camp this evening, we enjoy our final Mara Bushtops dinner.Camp: Mara BushtopsIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus softand alcoholic drinks, laundry and spa treatments**subject to availabilityOn a Mara Bushtops game drive, there will alwaysbe two members of staff – a driver guide as normalbut also a local Masai ‘spotter’ whose skills allowhim to pick up on signs and smells, identifyinganimals and birds at great distance, to enhanceyour safari experience and offer that extra bit ofsophistication, in true Mara Bushtops style. Thecamp vehicles carry a full refrigerated bar asstandard and feature electrical sockets on boardtoo so you can recharge your camera as needed.3And at the end of the day, a fantastic dinnerawaits you.Camp: Mara BushtopsIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus softand alcoholic drinks, laundry and spa treatments**subject to availability1. Zebras2. Lions3. Camp vehicle4. Giraffes5. River crossing4©Steve Bloom / stevebloom.com51415

A Limited Edition TourOne tour, one departure date, one chancee Great MigrationDeparts 23rd August 2013PriceGreat Migration Tour13 days departing 23rd August £6,999Out of Africa Pre-Tour2 days departing 21st August £380Masai Mara Balloon Safari £330Zanzibar Beach Extension4* Breezes Beach Club and Spa3 nights Half Board £8805* The Residence3 nights Half Board £1,4951Prices are per person based on two sharing.Day 14 3 SeptemberMasai Mara to Zanzibar or UKAfter breakfast today, we fly back to Nairobi. Lunchand private rooms have been arranged at anairport hotel so you can freshen up and relax beforeyour evening flight. For those travelling back toLondon Heathrow your flight departs late evening,arriving back in the UK early tomorrow morning.For those continuing on to the Tanzanian spiceisland of Zanzibar, you will have a short eveningflight followed by a one hour transfer to your hotel.The Zanzibar archipelago offers outstandingnatural beauty, beautiful beaches and turquoisewaters. Safaris are very exciting but they can alsobe tiring, so Zanzibar offers the perfect antidote soyou can just relax and unwind, reflecting on yourexciting adventure in the bush.Hotel: Breezes or e ResidenceIncludes: Half boardDay 15 4 September ZanzibarEnjoy your relaxing stay on this idyllic island, doing just asmuch or as little as you prefer, reflecting on your Kenyansafari adventure.Hotel: Breezes or e ResidenceIncludes: Half boardDay 16 5 September ZanzibarAnother perfect and relaxing day on Zanzibar, the islandjewel set in the Indian Ocean.Hotel: Breezes or e ResidenceIncludes: Half boardDay 17 6 September Zanzibar to UKAfter a final morning at leisure, you will fly from ZanzibarAirport back to Nairobi. Your luggage will be checked throughfrom Zanzibar to London. At Nairobi we have arranged dayrooms at an airport hotel where you can relax and freshen upbefore your connecting overnight flight back to the UK.Includes: Breakfast, inflight1. Beach Front Pool Villas at e Residence2. Beach walk at Breezes Resort and Spa3. Masai staff at Mara BushtopsDay 18 7 September Arrive UKOur flight arrives back in London Heathrow early this morning.Includes: Inflight meals231617

Larsens CampLittle Governors’ CampSamburu National ReserveDays 6–8Part of the Small Luxury Hotels group, LarsensCamp is a colonial safari-style camp situated onthe banks of the Uaso Nyiro River, inside theSamburu National Reserve. There is a reception,restaurant, bar, swimming pool, spa and gift shop.The 20 well-appointed tents all have river view,private veranda with seating, king or twin beds,safe and ensuite bathroom with shower and aretastefully decorated in true colonial style.111. Tent exterior with veranda, overlooking the river2. Swimming pool3. Tent interior223 431. Location, location, location2. Dining outside3. Tent interior4. Views from the tentMasai Mara National ReserveDays 9–11Governors’ Camp has been made famous by the BBC’s Big Cat Diariesseries, but we have opted for its neighbour and sister property – thesmaller and more intimate Little Governors’ which is comfortable andhomely with a rustic setting. Access to the camp is by crossing the riveron a small boat, though it is much simpler than it sounds.The unfenced camp features reception, bar, restaurant, gift shop and wifi.The camp borders a wetlands area which attracts many different animalswhich you can sit and watch. The tents offer comfortable accommodationwith outdoor seating area, king or twin beds and a bathroom with shower.2021

Mara BushtopsMasai Mara National ReserveDays 12–13Considered by many to be the last word in safarichic, Mara Bushtops is truly luxurious. In additionto the state of the art game drive vehicles, thecamp offers fine dining with indoor and outdoorrestaurants, well-stocked wine cellar, lounge,swimming pool, spa, gift shop, wifi and highlevels of service and professionalism.Each tent offers 100 square metres of livingspace and includes a private deck area withsunloungers and a hot tub, beautifully designedinterior, king or twin beds, bathroom with indoorand outdoor showers, wifi and a safe. The tentsare nestled into the hillside with spectacularviews and offer a high degree of privacy.1. Mara Bushtops hillside location with tents just in view2. Reception area3. Evening dining al fresco4. Tent interior5. Tent bathroom231243151. Swimmimg pool2. Views from tent3. Lounge4. Wine cellar5. Dining room4 52223

Breezes BeachClub and SpaZanzibar extensione Residence1. Lounge2. Standard room3. Frangipani Spa4. Beach areaDays 14–17This four star hotel is an established, family-owned beach hotelthat is friendly and relaxed. The lush gardens surround thefreeform pool and there is a choice of restaurants and barsincluding a pool bar. If you’re feeling active there’s tennis and afitness room or just enjoy the regular entertainment. Availableat extra cost are watersports, Frangipani Spa and a gift shop.The hotel has 70 rooms and we have chosen standard roomswhich are ground floor, set back from the beach and have aking or twin beds, seating area, air-conditioning, fridge, tea andcoffee making facilities and a bathroom with sink, shower andwc. Please ask for prices of other room types or extra nightsZanzibar extensionDays 14–17A member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of The World, thismodern and luxurious five star beach front hotel offers very highstandards of accommodation and service. There is a large pool,restaurant, Pavilion restaurant, a state of the art Spa with anextensive menu of treatments, gift shop plus lush gardens.The hotel has 66 contemporary villas and we have chosen LuxuryGarden Pool Villas which have a total footprint of 155 squaremetres in the indoor and outdoor space. Each one has a large livingroom, four poster bed and bathroom with bath, indoor shower andoutdoor shower. The villa is is fully air-conditioned with television,mini bar, CD/DVD player and you have a butler to attend to yourevery need. The highlight must surely be that each villa has its ownwell-sized private pool with decking area and deckchairs, offeringa really luxurious stay. Other villa types are available including theLuxury Beach Front Villas shown on page 16.11. Bathroom2. Hotel main pool1 2 33. Villa lounge with private pool in front2432425

Booking conditionsand helpful information241 3 56ClothingAppropriate clothing for a safari isrecommended, particularly in neutralcolours during the daytime and forsafari drives. Dress code for eveningsis generally casual or smart casual.The evenings can be cool so weadvise you to bring long sleevedclothing and even a fleece for thosechilly early starts. Strong supportivefootwear such as walking shoes ortrainers are ideal during the day.White coloured clothing is to beavoided, as are high heels.DepositThe deposit payable at time ofbooking is £500 per person. All otherterms and conditions are as specifiedin the Journeys of Distinction LuxuryWorldwide brochure 2013/14.Drinks IncludedWhere our brochure specifies that softand alcoholic drinks are included, eachcamp has its own policy on what isand isn’t included. However as ageneral guide, and at the time thisbrochure was published, campsgenerally include the following:local beer, red and white house wine,gin, vodka, rum, Coca-Cola, Sprite,tonic water, fruit juice and mineralwater. Other spirits, cocktails, finewines, champagnes etc are availableat extra cost.EquipmentWe recommend you bring yourcameras and video cameras with youon the tour and that you familiariseyourself with all the various controlsand techniques so that you makebest use of it during the safari.Binoculars are also a very good ideaduring the game drives.Flight UpgradesOur flights to and from the UK will beon British Airways from LondonHeathrow. To make it an extra specialholiday, why not consider upgradingto World Traveller Plus from just £375per person return or to Club Class fromjust £1,885 per person return. Pleaseask us for further details of availabilityand latest prices when you call.HealthWe strongly advise you to check withyour doctor about any vaccinations ormalaria protection that may beneeded. All tents have special insectscreening and in addition the interiorwill be sprayed each evening whilst weare at dinner. However we advise thatyou take extra precautions againstmosquitos as needed. Yellow Fevervaccination is currently a requirementfor Zanzibar and an official certificateis required in order to gain entry.Internet, Wifiand Mobile PhonesAll hotels and most safari campsfeatured in our tour have internet andwifi, though given the remotelocations, the connections can besomewhat variable in parts. There is agood mobile phone signal in almostevery area to be visited but we ask thatyou use your phone with respect andhave it switched off or on silent duringgame drives as it scares the animalsand affects everyone’s enjoyment.Little Governors’Camp AccessTo get to Little Governors’ Camp, youwill need to walk down a flight ofabout 20 steps to the river, cross theriver in the Little Governors’ boatwhich take only one to two minutes,and then walk up the steps on theother side. Camp staff are on hand tohelp you into and out of the boat andall your luggage will be brought acrossand put into your tent.Luggage AllowanceSince we will be travelling by lightaircraft between many of the safaricamps, the luggage allowance is just15kg per person plus hand luggageand soft, duffle or holdall styleluggage is strongly recommendedso that it can be fitted into theaircraft’s small luggage hold and intothe safari vehicles. However, laundryservices are available at each camp,and are offered at no extra chargein some locations.For those who are going to Zanzibarafter the safari, your luggageallowance is 20kg per person. You maytake out of your luggage the thingsyou need just for your beachextension and put them into aseparate bag. This will be stored at theNorfolk Hotel during your safari andreturned to you at the airport for yourflight to Zanzibar.1. Sunset in the Mara2. Giraffes3. River crossing for access to Little Governors’4. Safari vehicles at Little Governors’5. Typical aircraft for internal flights6. Migration sceneMeals in CampWhilst on safari, you will have a cookedbreakfast, three course lunch and threecourse dinner. Some camps have a setmenu with vegetarian option andother camps have choices for eachcourse. Special dietary requirementscan normally be catered for but mustbe notified at time of booking.MigrationThe migration is a natural event, thetiming of which varies and isdetermined by the animals alone.Whilst you will see plenty of differentanimals in each area visited, JODcannot guarantee that we will seethe migration.Physical RequirementsThis tour requires you to climb intoand out of safari vehicles, some ofwhich can be quite high requiringyou to pull yourself up as you climbin. Staff are more than happy to helpas needed.Power SupplyAll tents have a power supply forbedside and ceiling lights in both thebedroom and bathroom areas. Somecamps have sockets in the tents forrecharging cameras and phones, andsome have a central area near thereception or bar for this purpose. Inmost cases, hairdryers can only beused in central areas and not in thetents since they use up too muchpower. In line with their resourcemanagement strategy to avoidwasting energy, some camps willswitch off their power supply whenpeople are out on safari drive orduring the night, when power is notneeded. However all tents have atorch, just in case.Tipping and PorterageWe have included general day to daytipping and porterage throughout.However you may at your discretionwish to tip your safari guide in eacharea based on the overall gamedrive experience and the serviceyou have received.VisasAn entry visa is required for bothKenya and for Zanzibar. If you aretravelling to Zanzibar, you will needto have a multiple entry Kenya visa.It is possible to buy both visas onarrival in each country, however dueto the lengthy queues and longprocessing time, we recommendobtaining them in advance.2627