Up at 5.45 awakened with tea and biscuits - John has been dreaming of morning cup of tea for 3 weeks now - so his dream came true. At 6am the bucket shower arrived which allowed us a quick freshen up before leaving at 0630 for a morning game drive with 2 Americans who were leaving today. We took a packed breakfast which we ate in the bush before returning around 1130am. As we left camp Sod's law again prevailed and what did we see but a rather well fed lioness a...

After an overnight at the Panari Hotel, near the international airport in Nairobi , we took the 1000am flight, from the domestic airport, to the Masai Mara with Safarilink. We were the first stop and alighted with others going to different camps in the Naibosho conservancy and next door conservancy; all the conservancies are all part of the Masai Mara eco system.....they have the same wildlife and far less tourists - on a drive you are unlucky if you see more tha...

Today we leave Madagascar so I thought I would do a summary of our experience. Madagascar is a five star wildlife experience and a real education for those wanting to see and understand a different way of life. Madagascar is the 4th largest island so an enormous country; there are 18 tribes and much of their daily lives are governed by ritual and traditions or fady. The national parks are excellent but really are natural islands in a large country which has be...

Well we survived the night of toxicity from the insect killer albeit the floor was littered with dead bugs that didn't - importantly I suppose we were bite free. Travel day today - 5.30 am we had continental breakfast overlooking the pool and then off to the airport at 6.15am. Whenever the staff see bags they descend on them - I have decided they are equivalent to ATMs as transferring them equals tips ......today 2 guys took our bags the short distance from grou...

Today we again left early to beat the heat of the day. This time we headed west towards Toliara, our final stop on the southern part of the trip before heading back to Antananarivo and our final night in Madagascar. Not long after leaving Isalo we went through several boom towns - they have grown up in the last 15 -20 years as a result of finds of sapphires and gold. Indeed we saw lots of people working in the river bed and more again queuing to sell what they h...