Zerotwonine

Last year, 029 launched their first ever lottery where its members could win envy-generating travel and lifestyle prizes. Not surprisingly, 029 had heaps of eager members lusting over our top two prizes: safaris in Rwanda and Tanzania.

And for the lucky winners of these experiences, the trips have lived up to (and will live up to -for those yet to go) each and every one of their expectations.

Take the travel report below, from the lovely Susanne who along with her travel companions, Marc, Romina and Christopher, took off to Tanzania for a weeklong safari at the Hatari Lodge and Shu’mata Camp.

Full of anticipation, but without any precise idea of what exactly to expect, we took off to the first safari of our lives at Hatari Lodge and Shu’mata Camp in November 2010. Already on our way from Arusha airport to Hatari Lodge, our first stop, we saw a multitude of exotic animals, such as giraffes, buffalos, zebras, baboons and other monkeys – and that was just the start!

Arriving at Hatari early in the morning, three giraffes were having breakfast with us right at the terrace of the lodge.

In the following days, we were about to experience the green, fertile and woody land around Hatari with its incredible diversity of animals – we saw thousands of sunbathing flamingos and exotic birds, many different kinds of apes as well as hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalos and hyenas.

Every morning provided a new surprise with a variety of animals taking a nap or eating just in front of our beautifully equipped bungalow. Marlies, Jörg and the team were very concerned about our well-being, serving excellent food and wines in a very familial atmosphere.

After a couple of days at Hatari, we took off to the sandy and dusty land around Shu’mata Camp – what a contrast in vegetation, only a two hour drive away! Shu’mata Camp is a tented camp, which can be only described with one word: breathtaking!

The tents are beautifully furnished with much love to detail and the location on top of a hill close to the foot of Kilimanjaro provides great views on the mountain and the savannah and its animals.

On our daily game drives, we saw lots of elephants, gnus, ostrichs, antelopes, impalas, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, eagles and other exotic birds.

Also at Hatari, the food was excellent and always served at a long table, where guests could share their experiences from the day.

We were truly sad to leave this paradise after one week of adventure and game viewing, but have all agreed that this was not our last vacation of this kind.

Now that we’ve done it, we can say that a safari truly is a once in a lifetime experience!

Karen Blixen and Robert Redford were long the “international representatives” of Kenya. From all over the world, tourists travelled to the country not only to have their own “Out of Africa” experience, but also to smell the Kenyan air. With the election of Barack Obama as the US President, who now out of nowhere, has many relatives from this East African nation - the homeland of his father – Kenya reckons it will again gain strength from an international travel and tourism boom.

We took a non-stop night flight from Frankfurt to Mombasa with Condor and then to Nairobi with Kenya Airways. With a view of the legendary, partially snow-covered, partially cloud-covered Kilimanjaro, the feelings of “Hakuna Matata” were already there.

A clear selection of unique overnight possibilities lay outside of the tourist centres with high international standards. The Naivasha Sopa Lodge, near the border of the Massai Mara Game Reserve or the Mara Sarova Camp Lodge, located within the park, embody the original British big game hunting atmosphere of the late 1920’s.

The numerous hotel amenities on offer, the countless complimentary services offered and the always cheerful “helpful spirit” continuously confirm that our choice was worthwhile. Even more impressive and compulsory are the early morning game drives, accompanied by local game keepers and drivers, or the spectacular sunsets in the savannah of the Massai Mara in the luxury camps of the Mara Simba Lodge, Mara Sopa Lodge, Mara Intrepids Camp and in both Governer’s Camp – all cater to the every wish of even the most demanding traveller. This type of travel has its price, but it’s worth it. Nowhere is luxury and nature so harmoniously united and where you can experience an unforgettable and real adventure.

If the “Obama Boom” brings about even the slightest of what its people and land have actually been promised, then the outlook of Kenya’s future is remarkable.

Annette-Constanze Posch