It has just been announced that there MAY be plans afoot for Comair to launch a direct flight from Durban’s new King Shaka International Airport to London’s Gatwick Airport.

There is still a lot of work to be done on finalising the agreement between Comair and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government’s key economic development project, the Dube Trade Port, but at least talks have started.

It is hoped that the first flight schedule and details will be announced within the next year.

Comair is yet to decide which of its 2 brands, BA Comair or Kulula, will be used to operate the flights.

The wildebeest have gathered. The calves have been born. It is about to start ….

Yes, we are talking about the famous Great Migration, which every year sees over 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras and 350,000 gazelles follow the rains en mass from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania up to Kenya’s Masai (also spelled Maasai) Mara in search of greener grazing land, before returning back south again in November … a total journey of about 1,800 miles. It is one of nature’s most phenominal events, and also one of the most amazing safari experiences that Africa as a whole has to offer.

The animals begin their arduous trek about now, heading in a clockwise direction towards the long grass plains and woodlands of the Seregeti’s Western Corridor. May is also the time when the wildebeest mate, and competition is fierce between the males as they rut and battle to win females and territories.

Tho quite why they don’t just all call out for a take away pizza, I don’t really understand. Would save a lot of walking …

My first ever trip to the famous Masai Mara. To say I was excited was a bit of an understatement.

From Nairobi, I caught the Safarilink flight to the Mara. Upon landing, I was approached my guide from Porini Lion Camp, who was dressed in traditional Masai garb – and welcomed warmly to the Mara.

We set off in the open Land Rover, and within 5 minutes we came across 2 lions snoozing under a tree. We left them, continued on our way … and saw a leopard running fast through the bush, hotly pursued by a lioness. So within 10 minutes, the tally was already 3 lion and one leopard. We followed the leopard for a bit, then went back to find out why he was running away – and realised that he had been chased off his fresh kill (of an impala), and there was the original lioness and her 3 sisters, tussling with the carcass as they each tried to take it for their own. Lion count now 6. And 15 minutes into my first Mara game drive. To say I was impressed was another understatement.

And it just got better and better. Wildlife everywhere – more lion, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, topis (a form of antelope), impala … the list really did go on and on.

Porini Lion Camp is located just outside the Masai Mara Reserve, in the 20,000 acre Olare Orok Conservancy. I arrived at Porini Lion Camp, and settled into my tent – extremely spacious, a comfortable double and single bed, an en-suite bathroom with flushing WC and a bucket shower. Everyone at the camp was extremely friendly, and I was already starting to wish I had longer here than just one night (the downside of a business trip !).

The food was extremely good, no complaints there at all.

My 2 guides were great – Jackson and Steve – and I learnt a lot from them in my game drives, including how to age a lion (by the colour of its nose apparently).

All in all, yes, I would highly recommend Porini Lion Camp.

The Oceana Luxury Suites and Spa offers superbly appointed air-conditioned one or 2 bedroomed self-catering apartments in Camps Bay, all either opening up onto the gardens with its 2 swimming pools and outside jacuzzi, or onto private balconies with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Less than a 10 minute walk down to the beach front, with its fantastic array of bars, restaurants, palm trees and white sandy beaches, it really is an ideal holiday location.

But if you still need convincing to stay here, what about a special rate for May and June of only R875 per apartment per night ?

Contact one of our travel specialists today to check availability and to make a booking. We look forward to hearing from you soon !!!

I stayed at The Majlis for the very last night of my recent business trip to Kenya.

There is nothing about it that I can fault at all.

You arrive by boat, having sped past the gorgeously large houses and villas of Shela on the mainland, and jump out onto the warm sand. The entrance is impressive to say the least – a huge stone structure standing on the beach, and you immediately feel as if you are entering somewhere special.

Everything about the Majlis says 5*. The pools are sparkling, clean and beautiful. The rooms are large, cool and elegant. The staff are friendly and attentitive. The food in the restaurant is wonderful – and the home made chocolate ice cream in particular is to die for. The bar overlooking the ocean is the perfect sundowner spot.

What more can I say ?

Destination – the Kenyan Coast. The northern part. Namely – Lamu Archipelago. And Kipungani.

I landed at Manda airstrip, on a Safarilink 2 hour flight from Wilson, Nairobi. The grass airstrip was a bit bumpy, but not too bad.

Met by Kipungani’s representative, and escorted down to the waiting boat, which would take me on the 30 minute ride to Kipungani.

When you approach Kipungani, all you can think is ‘wow’. It is everything you imagine a beach destination in Africa to be. It really IS white sandy beaches, palm trees, clear aqua blue / green water … thatched bandas on the beach, thatched main lodge area, hammocks and swinging chairs, dhow boats lying idle in the water … seriously, what is there not to be happy about !!

My banda was made of thatch, and you start with a large open verandah, with a swing bed / hammock and a small sofa and 2 comfy chairs. You enter, to be confronted by a mosquito net draped huge bed and an additional day bed, ideal for anyone with families or for me, space to throw some more of my stuff.

The bathroom was at the back of the banda, with a large walk in shower (with hot water), a sink, and a separate toilet.

The banda is open ie there are no doors you can lock, or windows you can close – but did this worry me ? No, not at all.

For some odd reason, because it is so laid back here (sandals are a big no no – you go everywhere barefoot – so you really are living the idyllic beach lifestyle), the issue of security didn’t even cross my mind – the beach is deserted, with nobody for miles, they do have people around the whole time, and I felt completely safe, even though I was on my own. Yes, I locked everything away in my bag when I left the banda, but then again, I do that even in a hotel in London !!

I went on a sunset dhow cruise, and as the sun went down, out came the cool box and the gin and tonic, and the 3 guys manning the dhow started to sing … it was magical.

The food that evening was delicious, there was only myself and one other couple in the entire lodge, and when this happens, the staff will endeavour to ensure that you have a private dining experience – my dining was on the deck, the other couple were out by the pool. Breakfast was equally as good.

Talking of the pool – lovely area, but the warm ocean is literally a few seconds walk away, so you have the best of both worlds.

Trips can be arranged – I did a trip around Lamu Town the next morning (an experience in itself, but please, if you are female, do show respect and cover up as this is a Muslim town – skimpy shorts and t-shirts are not really the ‘done’ thing), but other trips are snorkelling and diving … or you can just take yourself off up the deserted beach and walk for miles.

The thing again that amazed me was just the overall friendliness of the staff … everyone said hello to you, and it was a genuine ‘hello’, not forced at all. The service was good, quick and efficient. And you really felt ‘at home’ immediately.

I only stayed one night, and I was gutted to leave. 3 or 4 nights here would have seen me crying on departure, I am sure.

Truly fantastic. 15 out of 10. No, that is not enough. I can’t praise it highly enough. If you are reading this review because you are not sure whether to book here or not … have no worries. Book it immediately !!!!!

Porini Rhino Camp is located in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a 90,000 acre wildlife conservancy situated between the foot hills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snowcapped Mount Kenya.

My flight up to the Nanyuki airstrip was an adventure in itself – Safarilink laid on possibly the smallest plane I have ever been in – just a 6 seater. It was more a case of would the plane fit into my bag rather than would my bag fit into the plane, but it was actually quite a fun 45 minutes flight.

We landed, got our bags, and were met by our Porini camp guides, and off we set. We crossed the equator (which in itself was hugely exciting, well, it was for me anyway), and very soon we were in the conservancy.

Our first sighting within just a few minutes of entering the conservancy was a reticulated giraffe – stunning markings on its coat, which are clearly defined, and it very kindly posed for a few pictures. A few km down the road, there were 3 cheetah brothers, lying in the shade with incredibly fat bellies, having just made a kill. A little further on, zebra.

Then a herd of probably the most ferocious cows that I have ever come across, with HUGE horns … yes, the local people still wander through the conservancy (even though it is Big 5 territory) to graze their cattle. Bizarre, but a way of life that is actually quite endearing and certainly unique !

We arrived at the camp, and was greeted warmly by Paul, the manager. My tent was extremely spacious – a double and a single bed, a desk, and an en-suite bathroom with bucket shower, flushing toilet and sink / basin. I love the fact that there was also a pot of detergent just in case I wanted to wash anything – which I did, because the roads are a bit dusty !!

When I got back from my evening drive, I was escorted to my tent (the camp is not fenced, so you cannot walk around after dark on your own), and my guide waited for me to quickly pull on a jumper, and then escorted me back to the boma fire, where a gin and tonic was waiting for me. Very civilised ! My morning wake up call was accompanied by a perculator of hot coffee and some biscuits – again, a really nice touch and very welcome at 6 am in the morning !

The camp is run off solar power, so if you wake up in the night, you need to use your wind up torch, but this does just add to the excitement of being on a true safari. And listening to the sounds of Africa through your canvas tent walls while you are tucked up in your bed is a truly magical experience.

All the meals that I had at the camp were exceptionally good – 3 course dinner, cooked breakfast, buffet lunch – and the service was also superb – there was always someone on hand to charge your phone / camera battery, offer you a coffee, and so on.

I visited the Chimpanzee Sanctuary during my stay here – the Sanctuary does do a lot of good for these rescued chimps who have been previously abused, so it is worth taking the hour out of your game drive to go there. However, you cannot go into the chimp enclosure at all, so be prepared to view them in their huge enclosures (acres of land) through a wire fence.

For the rest of my game viewing, I also saw the rare Grevys zebra (there are less than 20 on the conservancy), elephant, white rhino, gazelles, waterbuck, impala, monkeys (both vervet AND a black and white colobus monkey), baboons, warthogs … it was a very impressive list all in all, and please bear in mind, I was here for just one night only !!

An extremely enjoyable stay, definately worthy of 2 nights of anyones holiday.

I arrived at Tortilis Camp in time for lunch, and was greeted enthuasically by Andrea and Manuela, the husband and wife Italian camp management team, and immediately you think ‘I am going to enjoy staying here!’.

My room, or rather my tent, was lovely – if I had to use one word, it would be ‘stylish’. You approach via a private pathway, and a covered verandah complete with deep comfy seating invites you to enter the tent. Polished wooden floors, a huge kingsize bed, and a large en-suite bathroom with double basins, a shower (with hot and cold water) and a toilet complete the accommodation.

Lunch was buffet style, but with a real Italian twist – pasta as an entre, followed by salads and chicken, and then deserts and cheese. The restaurant is open to the bush, and overlooks a waterhole, and as I sat there, a stream of thirsty zebra meandered up to the waterhole and proceeded to drink. So game viewing without even having to leave your table !

The game drive departed at about 4 pm, and we spent some time in the Park itself (and saw elephants, hippo, cheetah, antelope, zebra, giraffe … ) before driving back into the private conservancy where Tortilis is actually situated, for a stunning sundowner on top of a hill with Mount Kilimanjaro as the backdrop.

Back at the camp, dinner was again as wonderful as lunch. Service was discrete, polite, and efficient.

I went to bed early, and as I was walking down to my tent (the camp is fenced, so you can walk around safely at night), I heard the hyenas starting to call … I found out the next morning that literally just after I had left the restaurant, 4 lion appeared at the waterhole, so guests abandoned desert and stood watching them for ages from the safety of the bar / restaurant.

Tortilis is definately a camp for people who want to enjoy luxury on their safari, and who expect superb quality food and outstanding service. If this is you, then you most certainly will NOT be disappointed.

And I say ‘experience’ in the nicest possible way !

I went to Nairobi full of preconceptions about the city, and I was proved completely wrong. I actually loved it, and whilst it will never ever be a holiday highlight of your trip to Kenya (well, given that it is competing against fabulous wildlife and stunning beach destinations, I think that is acceptable !), there is no need to be scared about spending one or even 2 nights here at the start of your holiday, to recover from any lack of sleep from an overnight flight so that you are refreshed and ready for the early mornings that are required for a safari !

I stayed for one night at Tribe, which is in a pleasant green suburb across town from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. I hit morning rush hour traffic when I arrived (I landed at 6.30 am, so by the time I cleared Customs and Immigration it was nearly 8 am when I emerged into the Nairobi sunshine) – and rush hour traffic in Nairobi is pure bedlam. We sat in a stationary traffic jam, and it took over an hour to reach the hotel. There seems to be no rules on the road – if you see a gap, you drive straight for it, regardless of whether you are cutting anyone up or not. It made for an exciting transfer, anyway.

Tribe itself is the epitomy of ‘urban chic’ – it is a large, new hotel, situated right opposite a small parade of shops and restaurants, so ideal if you wanted a quick shopping fix. When you approach the hotel from the road, it looks a bit daunting – it is a mass of brown concrete, and you may wonder what on earth you have booked … but once you enter the reception area, you forget all this, and you immediately get a great vibe from the hotel.

My room was very spacious – a large kingsize bed with crisp white linen awaits you, and a desk in case you need to write a postcard as soon as you arrive, and an open bathroom with a freestanding oval bath, double basins, and a separate closed off walk in shower and toilet.

The swimming pool is beautiful – during the day, there is a pool bar, and at night, it is all beautifully lit – really stunning. The bar is elegant and trendy, and the restaurant food was extremely good.

The staff were friendly throughout – the check in went smoothly, the check out equally so, even the bar staff and restaurant staff had a laugh and a joke with you.

I was only here one night, but I would definately come back again.

Having just returned from a 2 week trip to Kenya, this is the first report about the 10 places I stayed at.

Porini Amboseli Camp in the Selenkay Conservancy – what a fabulous place ! I was picked up from the Amboseli airstrip by my 2 guides, Harry and Jonah, and immediately offered a coffee! They took me on a game drive through the Amboseli National Park to begin with, and within 5 minutes I had the ‘elephants in front of Mount Kilimanjaro’ picture safely snapped – so what more can I say !!

Once you leave the Park, it is a 10 mile drive through Masai land to the actual conservancy, but it is an interesting drive, as you get to pass the people living their daily lives, and herding cows and sheep along.

Once in the conservancy, the vegetation changes to more trees and bushes, so again, within just a few seconds of arriving, I saw giraffe, zebra, antelope … including the gerenuk, this strange looking long necked antelope that thinks it is part impala / part giraffe as it browses from trees by standing up on its hind legs to reach the higher branches.

The camp is so friendly, everyone comes up and introduces themselves, and it has a lovely atmosphere. The tents are great – not OTT luxurious at all, but extremely clean, comfortable (a double bed and a single bed, great for me as I was on my own so I had a lot of room to spread out my stuff although it was only for one night !), and a large en-suite bathroom with flushing toilet, sink and a shower (bucket style, so you get 20 litres – if you are unsure, ask the manager about the best way to be efficient in them – basically you don’t have time to stand and enjoy, you get in, wash, and get out before the water runs out !).

Food was great, a total treat. I didn’t eat the banoffee pie at lunch, but my 3 fellow guests absolutely raved about it !

I did a walk to the Masai village in the afternoon, which was extremely informative and interesting, and you are under absolutely NO obligation at all to part with any money, which is lovely. We were escorted into the village by 5 ‘warriors’, who chanted as we walked behind them, then the village leader, Tom, introduced us to everyone, including the children. We went inside a typical mud hut, we watched them make fire from sticks, play games, and sing – and the warriors displayed their strength by showing us their jumping and spear throwing skills.

After we left the village, we went on a game drive through the conservancy and stopped for a scenic sundowner, then on the way back, we were all surprised by stopping in the bush for a lovely bush dinner under the stars and lit by lanterns.

In the morning, I did an hour bush walk with Jonah, which ended in a bush breakfast out in the wild.

All in all, would I recommend this camp ? Without a shadow of doubt. Excellent service, comfortable accommodation, superb game viewing … all in all, a real ‘safari / bush’ experience. 10 out of 10.