NEW SARUNI MARA VILLA OPTIONS WITH A TWIST

Family Villa Opens Doors and Refurbishment Results in Themed Villas

This July, Saruni Mara, a luxury safari lodge located in Kenya’s Masai Mara, opened the doors of a brand new family villa and completed the refurbishment of its existing villa’s in to six beautifully designed, themed rooms.

The stylish new villa has two en-suite bedrooms and a large lounge complete with dining area and comfortable sofa’s sounding the welcoming fireplace. There is also an impressive large veranda overlooking the magnificent scenery of the Masai Mara.

The remaining villas have been refurbished to incorporate themes that will engage with a guest’s passions whether that is art, astronomy, photography, literature, natural history or simply romance.

All furniture, carpets, lamps and bedding was either sourced locally in Nairobi or designed by Kenyan interior decorator Larissa Hoops and then made by local craftsmen.

The Art room will inspire creative guests with an easel and paint as well as a desk with drawing materials.

For star gazers, the Astronomy room has a vintage brass telescope, moon map and selection of interesting material on all things cosmic.

Book worms and budding writers will enjoy staying in the Literature room with its vintage typewriter, leather reading chairs, desk with brass reading lamp, quill pen and leather blotter. There is also a selection of classic and African literature.

For clients that prefer to view life through the lens, the Photography room has an old box browning camera, antique photographic equipment catalogue and stunning prints adorn the walls.

The Family villa also doubles as the Natural History room and is decorated with a selection of antique and vintage prints. There is also relevant reading material such a books on mammals, reptiles, tree’s and birds.

The Honeymoon room has been simply designed for a relaxing romantic break with comfy furniture and beautiful antiques.

Saruni Mara is owned and run by Italian author Riccardo Orizio. This resort is the Masai Mara’s smallest permanent lodge and guests enjoy an exclusive experience with their own private vehicle and guide. Evenings can be spent relaxing in the common area enjoying fine cuisine influenced by Riccardo’s Italian family heritage. Guests can also enjoy bush breakfasts and dinners in breathtaking settings such as in the middle of an acacia forest.

Saruni Mara is extremely active in local community and conservation projects and works very closely with the local Masai communities. The lodge is the proud recipient on the Silver rating by Ecotourism Kenya.

Rooms at Saruni Mara start from US$390 a night. Prices are based on two people sharing on full board including all house drinks, park fees, game drives and airport transfers.

For more information visit www.thecpportfolio.com.

THE AMERICAN WHO STARTED AFRICA’S FIRST SAFARI OUTFITTERS

Four Generations Have Led to Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp

Cottar’s_1920s_Safari_Camp in the Masai Mara is known for recreating the traditional safari, with a modern luxury twist. After all, the camp is part of a Cottar family legacy that created Africa’s first safari outfitters and has been passed down the Cottar family for four generations – starting with an American from Iowa.

For 93 years, the Cottar name has been in the safari business, from hunting and guiding to running safari camps, always staying true to the era when Charles Cottar started it all.

The general plot: It’s 1909. An American from Iowa reads about Roosevelt’s hunting exploits in East Africa. The man decides to experience the wild himself and arrives in Kenya in 1910. After visiting year after year, Charles Cottar brought his family to Kenya and registered a company in 1919 to guide safaris. Charles recognized that sportsmen from all over the world would come to Africa to hunt for the best trophy they could get, and needed the expertise of people who live in the country and understand the animals.

Charles gained inspiration from Roosevelt’s stories, but quickly began sharing stories of his own – articles and movies that were shared in the states. He had more than his fair share of scuffles with the Big Five, his life ending with a rhino charge. So much was Africa a part of him that when his son tried to give him shade for his last moments, he refused – wanting to see the African sky.

As the first established safari outfitters in Africa, the Cottars seem to have always been ahead of the game. They were among the first to import safari cars to Kenya, and the father of the current owner established the first fixed camps in the country.

Today, Calvin Cottar, Charles’ great grandson, runs Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp, a veteran luxury property in the Masai Mara with some of the best guides in Kenya. (Three of the guides are now Gold Level KPGSA qualified, which is the highest concentrations of Gold level guides out of any property in East Africa – 15 total in Kenya.)

Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp transports a traveler to the original spirit and essence of the safari. Tents are authentic white canvas, spacious and luxuriously furnished. And, perhaps more significantly, the tents incorporate many of the Cottar family pieces from the 1920s. To top it all off, dinner is a candlelight affair with silver service and waiters dressed in cotton kanzus – regalia from Kenya’s colonial era.

There are 10 tents, four of which are family tented suites, and the option to stay in Cottar’s Private House that can accommodate 10 guests in five large en suite bedrooms. The house is given for exclusive use with its own living areas, staff and vehicles – completely separate from the rest of the camp.

Rates start at $490 per person sharing, depending on the season, and include guided bush walks, bush meals, sundowners, day and night drives, ½ hour complimentary massage, transfers to cultural visits a range of drinks and laundry. Game drives can be taken in either state of the art Land Cruisers or authentic vintage wooden cars (for fun and atmosphere). The camp is one of the 14 prestigious eco-tourism lodges in the C&P Portfolio.

For more information, visit www.thecpportfolio.com.

REJUVENATE YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL AT KITICH CAMP IN THE MAGNIFICENT MATHEWS MOUNTAINS OF KENYA

A recent study from Glasgow University looked at natural and non-natural environments for physical activity and found that being around trees and grass lowered brain stress levels. It’s not too surprising that exercise in a green place, like a forest, is better than in a non-green place, like the gym. Adventurers seeking relaxation should head to Kitich Camp in the Mathews Mountains of Kenya for the ultimate refreshment of mind, body and soul.

Kitich Camp is an isolated retreat where guests can explore the beautiful, natural surroundings and attain a new vitality. Located in a remote valley, under a canopy of trees, Kitich is the only camp in all of the Mathews Mountain Range, offering exclusive access into the lush, green forest.

Because of the pristine and unexplored wilderness, Kitich Camp opts out of the conventional safari game drives. Instead, guests leave the vehicle behind and embark into the Mathews forest on foot. All walking safaris are led by professional guides as well as indigenous Samburu and Ndorobo warriors.

For those looking to immerse themselves in the culture of the indigenous people, the Samburu guides will take guests to visit with their families. Depending on the day, guests are invited to witness a local market where the Samburu and Ndorobo people gather to buy and trade vegetables, beads, and other items.

Other activities include spectacular bush breakfasts, sundowners, and picnics. At night, there is a campfire under the stars overlooking the river glade where guests can catch a glimpse of the nocturnal visitors who come to drink and hunt.

The Mathews Forest is a 220,000 acre tropical mountain forest, home to a spectacular array of flora and fauna boasting over 150 different species of butterflies (that’s roughly 15% of all of Kenya’s butterfly population) as well as wild orchids and ancient cycad trees. It also harbors the rare De Brazza Monkey along with forest antelope, wild dogs, leopards, elephants and an astonishing array of bird life.

In 2011, Kitich Camp received a Silver Eco-Rating Certification from Ecotourism Kenya, an award which demonstrates their excellence in responsible resource use, environmental conservation, and socio-economic investment. Kitich operates without a generator, relying solely on solar power and using only LED lighting. As a partner with the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Kitich Camp directly benefits its surrounding communities by working with them on at a grass roots level; lodge and bed fees as well as conservancy fees are all paid directly to the locals. Other partnerships and projects include the Tusk Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting African wildlife, as well as a rain water harvesting project, and a project for the construction and furnishing of a teachers block at Ngilai Primary School.

Kitich features six traditional safari-style guest tents, all with en suite bathrooms and exceptional views of the lush gorge of the Ngeng River. Its intimate size (only 12 guests at a time) allows for all activities to be tailored to suit individual wants and needs. From a rigorous morning hike to an afternoon dip in the natural rock pools of the crystal mountain streams, experience the perfect balance to boost fitness and mind-body connection.

Rates for the three-day adventure package start at $400 per person sharing per night.  For more information on experiencing the scenic wilderness of the Mathews Mountains, visit http://www.chelipeacock.com/php/camps/kitich-camp.php or www.kitichcamp.com.

FIRST WALKING SAFARIS IN MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

Developed by Chobe Safari Lodge/Uganda in Tandem with Uganda Wildlife Authority

Chobe Safari Lodge/Uganda, a Marasa* Africa luxury property, announces the first Walking Safaris in Murchison Falls National Park. The Walking Safaris were developed in tandem with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), which will provide an armed UWA Ranger to accompany the safaris. “We worked with the UWA to build a watering hole and natural salt lick around which the Nature Walks could take place,” said Roni Madhvani, Managing Director.

Being around trees and grassy areas lowers brain stress levels and is good for mental health, according to findings just released by Glasgow University from a Scottish Health Survey. The Survey concluded that walking (or jogging) in a forest has a 50% higher health benefit than working out in a gym. So, the Chobe Walking Safari is not only exciting and pleasurable, but is bound to have a calming effect on the brain.

The Walking Safari costs $20, but may be incorporated (without charge) as part of a new Nile, Nature Walk and Novelty Safari offered by Premier Safaris (for rates and itinerary, see below).

At 1480 square miles, Murchison Falls National Park in northwestern Uganda is the country’s largest national park and the location of famous Murchison Falls, where the River Nile is forced through a narrow gorge to plunge 140 feet to a frothing pool below. The Park is home to four of the Big Five – buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard (the fifth, the rhino, can now be seen at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, just 40 miles to the south). It is home, too, to the Rothschild giraffe, tallest animal on earth, whose distinguishing feature is its white “socks” – no patterning from the knees down.  There is also an amazing array of birds, some 300 different species, many with spectacular plumage, implausibly-wide wingspans, or so architecturally skilled, they build elaborate “condo” nests in the acacia trees.

Experiencing a Walking Safari is entirely different than viewing the bush or plains from a four-wheel-drive vehicle.  Safari-goers can sense the pulse of Africa, listen to its silence and its sounds, and feel the thrill of being a heartbeat away from danger. The Chobe Safari Lodge/Uganda Nature Walk takes about an hour and a half. Likely sightings include elephants, giraffes, buffalos, herds of kob (Uganda’s national animal), wart hogs and such birds as Martial Eagle, Woodland Kingfisher, African Marsh Harrier, Lizard Buzzard, African Harrier Hawk, Yellow Mantled Widow bird, African Paradise Flycatcher, the rare Fox Kestrel and many more. Also to be seen are crocodiles and hippo in the River Nile that forms part of the Walking Safari.

NILE, NATURE WALK AND NOVELTY, A PREMIER SAFARIS ADVENTURE

Day 1: Kampala – Jinja

In the morning after breakfast, our safari guide will pick you up from your place of stay, and drive you to the source of the White Nile – Jinja. Jinja is situated directly at Lake Victoria, where the Nile finds its origin. En route, we will make a stop at Mabira Forest for a forest walk with the possibility of seeing different types of primates, birds and colorful butterflies. After Mabira Forest, you will proceed to Owen Falls, and see the source of the Nile. Dinner and overnight accommodations are provided at Wild Waters Lodge.

Day 2: Jinja

Ready for a full day of adventure? Then start rafting at the source of the Nile. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and thundering rapids of the White Nile. Don’t forget to watch the incredible birdlife, as you drift quietly between the rapids of the river. Dinner and overnight accommodations are provided at Wild Waters Lodge.

Day 3: Jinja - Murchison Falls National ParkBeginning with a scenic drive northwest, we will stop and visit the ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY, to track rhino on foot (ZIWA was created to re-introduce Rhino to Uganda after their extinction in 1982). After lunch, we proceed to Murchison Falls National Park for an afternoon game drive around Chobe Safari Lodge area. Later, you will check in to the lodge, marveling at the panoramic views of the Nile, and enjoy your first evening in the African bush.

Day 4: Game Viewing Safari - Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, we embark on a morning walking safari to a nearby watering hole.  This is a fantastic experience as you can truly feel the pulse of the African bush away from the protective cocoon of your vehicle. Transfer from Chobe Safari Lodge to Paraa Safari Lodge in the heart of the Murchison Falls National Park, where your guide will help you spot the plethora of wildlife found in the Park. After lunch, you will safari upstream by boat to the calm Victoria Nile and the base of Murchison Falls, just tens of meters from the "Devil's Cauldron." Return in the evening for dinner and overnight accommodations at Paraa Safari Lodge. 

Day 5: Game Viewing Safari - Murchison Falls National ParkAfter breakfast, visit the top of the Murchison Falls. From this vantage point you will have an opportunity to see the Nile’s savage beauty, as you watch the Nile forced through a seven meter cleft in the rocks to plunge 45 meters below, forming a spectacular rainbow. Return to the lodge for lunch and, after an afternoon siesta; venture on a game drive through the Borassus Palms plains, a visual feast. Retire for dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge.

Day 6: Murchison Falls National Park – KampalaDepart from Murchison Falls, for your return to Kampala.

Rates start at $3550 per person sharing

Single room supplement $450

Included:

All accommodation (full-board basis)

All activities as per the itinerary

All in-country transport

Park entry fees

Contact:  operations@premiersafaris.com

Website: www.premiersafaris.com

Chobe Safari Lodge/Uganda

The new and luxurious five-star Chobe Safari Lodge, located in a little-known section of Murchison Falls National Park, is becoming one of Uganda’s key tourist destinations for adventurers, anglers, and aficionados of river-scapes.  It comprises 36 elegant guest rooms, 21 luxury tents, four suites and a Presidential Cottage. A state-of-the-art Conference block can host up to 100 guests and is fully equipped for business meetings.

The lodge enjoys breathtaking panoramic views of the River Nile, coupled with the sounds of its frothing rapids.  Room rates start at $275 a night for a double ($325 for full board); Tent rates start at $195 a night ($220) for full board.  All rates are inclusive of 5% service charge, all applicable government taxes and $5 per person UWA royalty fees.

www.chobelodgeuganda.com; www.premiersafaris.com

*Marasa is a member of the Madhvani Group of Companies, one of the largest private-sector groups in East Africa, employing more than 10,000 people. Starting in Uganda in 1914, the Group has developed into a widely diversified conglomerate with a geographical spread into various African countries, the Middle East and India. As the largest private sector investor in industry in Uganda, the Group has an outstanding track record in turning-around dormant companies, and has achieved a market leadership position in most of the sectors in which it operates, including tourism, sugar, agriculture, floriculture, insurance, construction, and more.  With a long-established presence and core values of integrity and long-term commitment, the Madhvani Group has a vision of continuing growth in this region.

A SANCTUARY ON THE AMALFI COAST

Features Santa Maria Novella Products & Treatments
Monastero Santa Rosa (MSR), the new ultra-luxe hotel set into a cliff above the Gulf of Salerno on the Amalfi Coast, has opened a sybaritic spa featuring sublime beauty and health treatments using the renowned products of Santa Maria Novella.  MSR is one of only a handful of hotel spas in the world to offer these beloved products, made for centuries by one of the oldest pharmacies on the planet from the flowers and botanicals of Italy and the Mediterranean. The Spa is open to guests of the hotel as well as to visitors. 

The Spa, like the hotel, is an excellent example of adaptive re-use:  it has been built within a 17^th century monastery*, preserving the vaulted ceilings, ancient walls, and exquisite architectural details of the historic building. Throughout the conversion of the space, the goal was to draw upon the convent’s unique character – not to follow a pre-determined formula that a branded spa would impose upon the space.  A focus on enhancing the ‘integrity of place’ allowed the building to show what suited it best. Thus, spaces were joined together to form a seamless flow.

The Spa is designed for extraordinary experiences and suffused with a spiritual dimension in keeping with the building’s heritage. The Italian tradition of bathing within a series of thermal rooms is re-created within the Spa.

Thermal Suite, a sequence of historic monastic spaces interconnecting the various warm rooms via arched openings, comprises:

• A double-heighted, vaulted Tepidarium with pomegranate-infused foot spas and heated mosaic loungers
• Aromatic Steam Room
• Rock Sauna
• Crushed Ice Fountain to refresh between thermal bathing
• Hydro Pool
• Emotion Showers. 

Treatment Suite, an exceptional private double suite (a Spa within a Spa), boasting a magnificent

861-square-feet double-heighted vaulted space includes:

• Rasul
• Steam Room
• Double Wet and Dry Treatment Couches
• Manicure/Pedicure Relaxation Lounge
• Private Dressing and Grooming Space
• Garden Terrace

Outdoor treatments are available under the shade of a pergola within the privacy of the Treatment Garden or within a single Treatment Room.

Santa Maria Novella treatments draw upon the ancestral traditions dating back to the 14^th century of Italian monastic herbalists, who used local plants and flowers renowned for their healing powers. Treatments range from Santa Maria Novella facials (including back facials and facials for men) to honey hair and scalp treatments, and from massages, aromatic scrubs and wraps to manicures and pedicures. Prices vary depending on the selection, but an average 60-minute treatment costs $150. Some sample treatments:

Candle Massage uses an aromatic powder scrub of iris or bitter orange to soften and prepare the skin for a deeply-focused, relaxing massage with Santa Maria Novella candle wax made of pure plant oils and prime emollient butters.

Iris Drizzle Hydrating Body Wrap Warm iris oil is drizzled on to the body and blended with iris powder.  The idrasol body mask deeply enriches the skin during a scalp massage and layers in moisture and fragrance.

Polline Hydration Deep hydration with Crema Polline, a regenerating cream formulated with pollen and extra virgin olive oil to improve the appearance of a flat, dry, non-reflective surface and to inject skin lustre.

Amalfi Blue offers no fewer than 3 3/4 hours of treatments – Pomegranate Foot Bathing; a 60-minute Santa Maria Novella facial; Aromatic Powder Scrub and Spa Life Massage for 60 minutes; and a choice of a Manicure or Pedicure treatment.

The aromatics of Santa Maria Novella range from summery oils of lemon, bergamot, petitgrain and iris to such sweet-smelling herbs as rosemary, lavender, sweet orange as well as the special fragrance of pomegranate created for Catherine di Medici. 

The Spa is open seven days a week from 9 am until 7:30 pm.

For additional photographs contact: phealy@montcom-ny.com

For more information:  contact Francesca Speroni:  francescas@monasterosantarosa.com

Email bookings:  spa@monasterosantarosa.com

Or visit: www.monasterosantarosa.com

*In the English language, “monastery” usually refers to a building for monks.  But the broad sense of “monastery,” used by Italians, refers to a community of people, whether male or female, bound by vows to a religious life.  

“I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT MY… BRADT TRAVEL GUIDE”: FOUR BRADT BOOKS AUTHORED BY CHRIS MCINTYRE

Pieces of Africa are still being explored and are slowly opening up to tourism, which makes a good guidebook on these countries hard to find. This is why Chris McIntyre, a man familiar with up-and-coming destinations and managing director of Expert Africa, one of the leading designers and operators of personalized tours to Southern Africa, was chosen to author four guides on countries in Southern Africa: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zanzibar.

Bradt Travel Guides are known for strong detailed information on the natural environment, and Chris’ books are known for really detailed lodging camp reviews – a stellar combination for a first-time traveler. With each new edition Chris puts out, new discoveries are featured. There are huge updates of information on existing and emerging destinations, as well as lodges. And, as always, the edition will include history, suggested itineraries, maps/photographs and information on things you didn’t even think to prepare for. Many of the included photographs are from Chris’ own collection.

Chris taught in Zimbabwe for almost three years and traveled extensively before co-authoring his first guide in 1990. He now writes Bradt Travel Guides and updates them with months of travel and research every year. Chris also runs a highly knowledgeable team who organize high-quality trips throughout Africa for individual travelers, and regards extensive travel for everyone on the team as an essential part of Expert Africa – to keep up-to-date on specific regions and give the best advice possible.

The editions:

l     Guide to Zambia – Chris is author of all five editions; Ed. 5 was published in Jan 2012.

l     Guide to Namibia – Chris is author of all four editions; Ed. 4 was published in Jan 2011

l     Guide to Botswana – Chris is author of all three editions; Ed. 3 was published in Jan 2010

l     Guide to Zanzibar, Pemba & Mafia – Chris is co-author (with his wife, Susan) of the most recent two editions; the next edition (Ed. 8) is due out in January 2013.

Bradt Travel Guides are co-published by a US company, Globe Pequot Press Inc., making the guides readily available in local bookstores, including Barnes & Noble. Rates start at $23.99, depending on the guide. For more information email info@expertafrica.com, call 1-800-242-2434 or visit www.expertafrica.com.

 Reviews:

“Both thorough and authoritative”

~Travel + Leisure

“Bradt Travel Guides simply have the best wildlife coverage of any of the popular guide books.”

~ BBC Wildlife

Review on the Botswana Safari Guide:

“There can be few people better qualified to write a travel guide on Botswana than Chris McIntyre…Like all good guide books, this is packed with all kinds of practical and wide-ranging advice – from driving near elephants to maps with GPS references and how to shake hands Botswana style…What’s more, even the nuts-and-bolts sections are well-written and make enjoyable reading. In particular, the region-by-region chapers on the country’s reserves, camps and lodges had me longing to jump on the first plane to Maun. Each area is painstakingly described – clearly the result of meticulous first-hand research…If you can take only one book to Botswana, make sure it’s this one.”

~BBC Wildlife

HIS SERENE HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT II AND HIS PRINCESS CHARLENE OF MONACO ARE FIRST GUESTS OF MONASTERO SANTA ROSA

The first guests of Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa (MSR) on the Amalfi Coast were Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, fresh from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee Luncheon at Windsor Court, and before heading on to the 70^th Grand Prix in Monaco.  The Prince and Princess kicked back at MSR to relax with friends, including Byron Kelleher, the renowned New Zealand rugby player and veteran of three World Cups, at a retreat where they could recharge their batteries between two very public events.

Before the royal couple entered MSR, the princess rang the Arrival Bell, a tradition dating back some 500 years, when a bell was used to alert the cloistered order of nuns that occupied the monastery to a pilgrim’s visit.  A nun would then look through a peephole to ascertain identity before allowing admittance. 

Not surprisingly, the Princess, a member of the South African women’s 4x100 meter medley team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, swam laps in the infinity pool at Monastero Santa Rosa, which enjoys breathtaking views of the Bay of Salerno.

The couple ventured off the property to have lunch in Amalfi, and word is they had a great time.

Before they departed Monastero Santa Rosa, the Mayor of Conca dei Marini, Gaetano Frate, the Chief of Police, Cosimo Andretta, and General Manager Flavio Colantuoni, wished them farewell and thanked them for their visit.  The Conca dei Marini preschool Scuola Primaria “Luigi Espoito” sang the Italian national song:  Inno di Mamelio.

*****