Hello Annette,
With a little distance, here is a brief assessment of the trip under your leadership.
Just a quick note to say that we don't do a trip of this caliber every year. After booking, I was worried that we might get bored with two weeks of game drives. Fortunately, that didn't happen. After the first day in Arusha National Park, I asked Patson how he was going to top it. What we had already seen there: giraffes, buffaloes, baboons and many more animals. A hike through a beautiful landscape, lunch under a fig tree, a canoe trip, all alone on a beautiful lake. And he just told us to wait and see. And it got better, a little bit more every day.
You know what you booked for us, so I won't go into any more detail here. But we had a lot of fun every day, even in the Serengeti, which seemed empty at first glance, we had some great experiences. For example, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge herd of wildebeest. As you had promised us, we saw a lot of animals with their offspring.
A comment on Patson: the way he tracked down the animals, his excellent networking with colleagues and the way he put us in the best position was exceptional. We had the opportunity to talk to other guests on the balloon safari and had to hold back our stories so as not to arouse envy.
The lodges: Except for one, an excellent choice for us. Kili Villas was small, manageable, with a great team consisting of Frank and Scola. We would be happy to stay again. Maramboi, the absolute highlight with a unique private pool overlooking the lake and the animals. A team that made you feel more like a friend than a guest. Manyara's Secret with a beautiful view over the lake to the mountains, a relaxed team. We also felt at home here. The Neptune Ngorongoro Lodge. This may have been due to the fact that we were almost the only guests. The accommodation was spectacular and the team very professional. A little too professional for us after our previous experiences at the other lodges. On the other hand, it was the same again at Ndutu Tented Lodge. Great lodge, albeit a little dark. With a young member of staff who looked after us and obviously had fun doing so. Finally Singing Gras, here we were also alone most of the time, but felt like part of the family again. All in all, a good choice.
Final remark: In the off-season the lodges were not fully booked and the parks were not so crowded and of course we were lucky with the weather. Despite the rainy season, it was very restrained. And the public toilets in Germany could take a leaf out of our book.
So thank you very much for the organization and the provision of Patson. We can only recommend you to others.
Greetings from the Lautertal
Peter
Translated from German
