Best of...Africa

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2002...

Best Moments (in no particular order):

Great White Shark Dive, Capetown, South Africa
Singing waiters at Wolwedans, Namibia
Richard Knocker saves drowning cow, NgorongoroHighlands,Tanzania
Indian Ocean Walkman Sighting, Manta Ray Point, Fregate Island, Seychelles
Flying Gunard Sighting, Manta Ray Point, Fregate Island, Seychelles
Helicopter ride to Fregate Island, Seychelles
Table Mountain Hike, Capetown, South Africa
Tiger Fishing, Zambezi River, Zambia
Gorilla ‘Fight’, Virunga National Park, Rwanda
Quad Bikes & Sand Dunes, Swakopmund, Namibia
The View at Cape Point National Park, South Africa
Oysters with Abu, Lamu, Kenya
Vic Falls all to ourselves, Livingstone, Zambia
Ben jumping into the Zambezi, Zambia
Fly-fishing on Alphonse Island, Seychelles
Snorkeling at Ile Gabriel, Mauritius
Stars of the Milky Way, Namibian Sky
Night Diving, Pemba Island, Tanzania
Richard Knocker’s Red Nightlight, Tanzania
Touching a Stonefish, Coin de Mire Island, Mauritius
Food & Wine in Capetown, South Africa
Curious Elephant, Garonga, South Africa
Crocodiles eating Hippo, Zambezi River, Zambia
Lobster & Crab Dinners, Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya
Right Whales Mating, Hout’s Bay, South Africa
Visiting fishing village, Rusinga Island, Kenya
Sunset atop Fregate Island, Seychelles
Day at the beach, Anse Macqueran, Fregate Island, Seychelles

Scariest Moments:
Making our flight from JFK on July 14th by 5 minutes
Driving in Mauritius
Driving in Rwanda
Curious Elephant, Garonga, South Africa
Angry Elephant, Sausage Tree Camp, Zambia
Diving in Mauritius
The Boat ride through 25 foot swells, Alphonse Island, Seychelles
Table Mountain Cable Car Ride (Ben – heights…)
Victoria Falls (Ben – heights…)
Submerged Hippo, Canoe Ride, Zambezi Tributary, Zambia
Night diving, Pemba Island, Tanzania
Rufiji River Boat Accident, Sand Rivers,Tanzania

Top Cool Animal Sightings:
Silverback Gorilla ‘fight’, Rwanda
Lion’s roar, South Africa
Safari Ants on a raid, Kenya
Leopard warthog hunting, South Africa
Cheetah’s feeding, Tanzania
Vulture’s pecking order, Tanzania
Bushbaby hopping on tree, Tanzania
Hawksbill turtles at Alphonse, Seychelles
Spanish Dancer, Pemba Island night dive, Tanzania
Reef shark, Fregate Island, Seychelles
Indian Ocean Walkman, Seychelles
Flying Gunnard, Seychelles
Dolphins, seals, and whale, Namibia
Fish Eagle swooping in, Sand Rivers Lodge, Tanzania
Crocs eating hippo, Zambezi River, Zambia
Octopus changing color, Fregate Island, Seychelles
Clown Fish, Shrimps, and Anemones, Whale Rock, Mauritius
Kingfishers fishing on Lake Victoria, Rusinga Island, Kenya

Favorite Land Animals:
Mountain Gorilla
Elephant
Genet cat
Civet
Silverback Jackal
Giraffe
Leopard
Gecko

Favorite Sea/River Animals:
Indian Ocean Walkman
Flying Gunnard
Crocodile
Water monitor lizard
Hawksbill turtle
Tigerfish
Shark

Favorite Air Animals:
Batteleur eagle
African fish eagle
Malachite kingfisher
Carmine bee-eater
Lilac-breasted roller

Scariest Animal:
Crocodile
Moray eel
Lion
Palm spider
Giant millipede
Hippo

Cutest Animals:
Squeaky the Otter, Rusinga Island, Kenya
Gorilla Baby, Virunga National Park, Rwanda
Geckos, everywhere
Capetown Penguins, South Africa
Masai Dog, Ngorongoro Highlands, Tanzania

Favorite Lodge (physical landscape):
Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
Wolwedans, Namibia
Shompole, Kenya
Ndali Lodge, Uganda

Favorite Lodge (architecture/layout):
Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
Shompole, Kenya
Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya



Top Meals:
Lemon tart, Private Mobile Camp, Tanzania
Lobster in Whiskey Sauce, Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya
Ostrich Filet, Cape Grace Hotel, Capetown, South Africa
Cheese Souffle, Private Mobile Camp, Tanzania
Mangrove Crab, Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya
Oysters with Abu, Lamu, Kenya
Roti, side of the road, Mauritius
Fried Rice, Canton Restaurant, Mauritius
Scrambled Eggs, Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Crepes with chocolate and whipped cream, Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Talapia filet in caper sauce, Ngong House, Nairobi, Kenya
Fish Cakes, Chief’s Camp, Botswana

Best Beer:
Safari Lager, Tanzania
Windhoek, South Africa/Namibia
Mosi, Zambia
Phoenix, Mauritius

Worst Beer:
Castle Lager, South Africa
SeyBrew, Seychelles

Best Lodge Food Overall:
Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya
Private Mobile Camp, Tanzania
Ngong House, Nairobi, Kenya

Best Safari Lodge Crowd:
Leopard Hills Lodge, South Africa
Chiefs Camp, Botswana

Best Overall Lodge Experience:
Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya
Cottars 1920s, Masai Mara, Kenya
Wolwedans Camp, Namibia
Private Mobile Camp, Tanzania

Most Beautiful Place:
Namib Desert, Namibia
Victoria Falls, Zambia
Fregate Island, Seychelles
Great Rift Valley, Kenya & Tanzania
Crater Lakes, Uganda
Capetown, South Africa
Southern Mauritius

Worst Road:
Pemba Island Road
Road to Kibale, Uganda
Moremi Game Reserve roads, Chiefs Camp, Botswana

Worst Bugs:
Fundu Lagoon, Pemba Island, Tanzania (gnats, sand fleas, & millipedes)
Alphonse Island Resort, Seychelles (palm spiders & cockroaches)
Rusinga Island Lodge, Kenya (mosquitoes & lake flies)
Mweya Lodge, Uganda (lake flies)

Hottest Place:
Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
Shompole, Nguruman Escarpment, Kenya
Cottars 1920s Camp, Masai Mara, Kenya

Coldest Place:
Boat trip to GW Sharks, South Africa
Game drives, Garonga and Leopard Hills, South Africa
First night with Richard Knocker in tents, Ngorongoro Highlands, Tanzania
Boat trip with dolphins, whale, and seals, Walvis Bay, Namibia

Best Sky:
Fregate Island sunsets, Seychelles
Stars at Wolwedans, Namibia
Blue Sky, Misali Island off Pemba, Tanzania
Lamu sunsets, Kenya
Great Rift Valley sunrise, Shompole, Kenya
Blue Sky, Eastern Mauritius

Most Romantic:
Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya
Garonga Lodge, South Africa

Favorite Countries:
Namibia
Zambia
Seychelles

Top Places to Go Back:
Capetown, South Africa
Fregate Island, Seychelles
Botswana (we only had 3 days there)
Wolwedans Camp, Namibia

Top Places to visit next:
Mozambique
Comoros
Madagascar