OnSafari: Kilimanjaro

OnSafari: Kilimanjaro

ndarakwaiToday I begin guiding a private safari of a family from Boston, a wonderful itinerary longer than the average which visits virtually all of the best places in Tanzania.

Mom and Dad and the two pre teens will be staying at some of the finest, most comfortable lodges and camps in Africa.

We begin on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro at a lovely “ranch” called Ndarakwai. The friendly owner, Peter Lloyd-Jones, is more well-known in the film than tourist industry as he outfits many of the films shot here.

In a collaborative effort with his own needs to host the crews of foreign productions, he has a collection of lovely luxury ensuite tents around a large open-air public area that includes the dining area and bar. This side of camp is bordered by a stream.

The foothills of Africa’s great mountain are one of the finest places to get introduced to the African wilds. Most of the area is still undeveloped and held by Maasai communities. There’s a lot of game and of course, beautiful scenery.

The family’s flight is one of the last to still arrive in daylight, an Emirate connection through Nairobi from Dubai. That means we can hightail it right up to the mountain, since the drive is only about a half hour longer than to most of the accommodation in Arusha.

I’ve struggled with finding the right accommodation in Arusha. It’s all pretty good, but it’s all pretty homogenous and unspecial and always seen as a necessary stopover because so many travelers arrive at night.

This way we can get right in the trucks and head out on safari! Tonight the kids will have their first night really in the African bush, with all those marvelous sounds that Disney has to create from sound libraries!

Stay tuned! Next report on our adventures on the slopes of Kili!

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