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Selous
Impala Our
Air Safari, which took place
during the 10 days of Christmas
2003, began with a seafood dinner
on the patio at one of my
favorite places,
"The
Slipway"
on Dar es Salaam's
rapidly-changing waterfront. At
this unique shopping mall, now in
its third or fourth stage of
development, we were introduced
to the owner
Nicola
Colangelo, an exceptional person
and gracious
host.
Having just completed two weeks
of dawn to dusk sessions at
conferences in Zanzibar and at
Dar es Salaam's Golden Tulip
Hotel, the idea of flying on the
Coastal Air Safari circuit had a
special appeal. Another good omen
that same day was our reunion,
after five years, with popular
entertainer
King
Kiki,
the Swahili Coast's Louis
Armstrong - his musical beat goes
on forever. The Slipway is a
magnet for creative people of all
types, as some of the top local
artists create and display their
works on the broad square facing
the
harbor.Photo-above:
Muguette Goufrani (left) with
Mangers Sean and Fiona Torrie,
and Mr. and Mrs. Zannuchi
(right), owners of Adventure
Camps at Selous. We enjoyed
Christmas dinner with this
wonderful
group.Slipway
is one of several thriving
enterprises developed by
Mr.
Colangelo
of Coastal Aviation , which among
other activities, provides tours
and air safaris to the Swahili
Coast, National Parks and Game
Reserves. By the time a week had
passed, Africa Travel Guinea,
West Africa's land of
contrasts Cape
Town to Pretoria by
Rail Kenya
Turns on the
Magic Touring
Cameroon, Africa in One
Country "If
you dance, you vibrate - and he
who vibrates lives." Mount
Cameroon, West Africa's highest
peak, stands like a giant
sentinel, gazing out over the
Gulf of Guinea on Africa's
Atlantic Coast. Among it's
legendary names is "Throne of
Thunder," a fitting tribute to
the powerful
gods that
are said to inhabit the
mountain's inner core. Our group
of travel agents and journalists
approached the 'throne' shortly
after one of its frequent
volcanic eruptions, and the
ribbons of cooled lava resembled
grey frosting oozing from an
enormous layer cake. The lava
beds are evident from the main
highway to Kribi and a hiking
trail winds up and over them. The
warning signs advised us to pay
respect and to tread gently in
this eco- sensitive area. Mount
Cameroon's rugged peak is the
crown jewel of a chain of
volcanic mountains that are
strung like a giant pearl
necklace along the Cameroon
Nigeria border. The range
stretches from here all the way
to the northern plains of Maroua,
gateway to Waza National Park -
and that's just part of the
"Grand Tour of Cameroon, Africa
in One Country" a prestige
edition of Africa Travel Magazine
making its debut in fall
2004.
More-> In
The Queen of Sheba's
Footsteps Majestic
Mountains, Romantic Kasbahs and
Deserts •Travel
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Minutes
after our Kenya Airways jet
touched down at Nairobi Airport,
following a cross continent
flight from Cameroon , we were
Amboseli bound. Spectacular
sights on the route south
included a panoramic 'passing
parade,' with a backdrop of
grassy fields and rolling hills
covered with a blanket of lily
white blossoms as far as the eye
could see. In the foreground,
every few miles stood Maasai
herdsmen, alone or in pairs. From
nine year olds to great
grandfathers, they were guarding
their mixed herds of cattle,
sheep and goats. Clusters of
wildlife mingled with the herd as
we drew nearer to the park gates.
One of the most enduring,
endearing and colorfully garbed
of African tribes, the Maasai
culture has flourished since
earliest times. Directly south of
Naibori in the shadow of the
legendary, snowcapped Mount
Kilimanjaro,
Amboseli
National Park was first on our
list of Kenya's must-see
attractions. The most compelling
reason is its large
concentrations and wide variety
of wildlife. Little time was
wasted in getting us out 'on
Safari, " as no sooner than we
checked in at the Amboseli
