That's me feeding the giraffe, and the kids getting up close with White Lion Cubs. The cubs were abandoned at birth and were just a few weeks old and as cute and friendly as puppies. Just out of shot in the picture was a baby hyena that had been 'kicked out' of his family as the runt of the litter - his ears had been bitten off and he was in a sorry (but friendly) state.
If you are looking for a quiet escape, then this is for you. A good beach front location, huge pool and excellent cocktails. However, it is not in a town (as with many of the Mauritius hotels) and it is not easy to walk anywhere other than up and down the beach from the hotel. Taxis or excursions are needed.
This was a short and very relaxing break for us. We spent just a few nights on the coast at the Hotel Ambre - good hotel in a perfect beach front location. My best memory is of the restaurant on the beach where we had an excellent meal with our feet in the sand.
Stayed near Belle Mare, beautiful beaches, very relaxing, only negative would be the high cost of everthing.
Only spent a short time here but overall view was of a clean, modern and seemingly safe city. Good restaurants and souvenir stalls.
The dunes are much larger than they look, especially the infamous dune 45. We tried to climb it but gave up half way. Also took a balloon flight over the dunes - views were excellent but the wind was not good which mean't we did not travel far. If you are thinking of doing this then it may be worth checking out the weather situation before you decide.
Thousands of seals cover the beaches, but beware of the stench - seals do not use deodorant and while they are excellent to watch you need to hold your nose.
I spent a couple of days here a while back. My memories are of a visit to the Fetish Villages where we were told about their customs/culture fetish objects etc... As per usual with these places you are then obliged to buy something (or run the risk of them placing a spell on you!!!).
Well worth it if you have the money or are short on time.
If you are looking for an easy Safari without too long a journey then this is the one for you. A short drive from both Livingstone and Vic Falls. There are plenty of Giraffe, Elephant and some Rhino (at least there was when I went a few years back).
Not tried it as it wasn't on offer when I visited a few years back - but sounds like brilliant fun. So a 5 out of 5 for appeal factor.
We took the kids along on this one for their first African Village encounter. On arrival you have a guide 'attached' to you - which they prefer rather than walking around by yourself. Having the guide enables you to go into the homes which are all pretty basic but well kept. The children are very friendly. At the end of the tour they will take you into their village 'souvenir co-operative' where the locals have numerous items on sale. Plenty of choice and fairly reasonably priced (after a haggle). They weren't too pushy, however unless there are lots of other tourists there you feel obliged to buy something.
We had the kids with us on this one for their first ever safari game drive. Lots of Giraffe, elephants and a couple of Rhino. An easy excursion from the Falls or Livingstone - providing you are not after something too adventurous..... in which case this may not be the one for you.
I've visited the falls from both sides (as well as many other of the famous falls worldwide). Vic Falls is stunning, excellent viewing points - (you get very wet), also flew over by helicopter (worth it) and cruised above it - rather laid back and not too much wildlife.
I didn't enter the Cirque but did view it from the viewpoints where the pictures are taken from. The viewpoint is worth driving to if you are staying in the resorts at St Giles or close by.
The drive to Hellbourg takes you up lush green valleys with waterfalls pouring down the walls in places. It is not as steep as the drive to Cilaos but equally spectacular. Hellbourg itself is a quaint village and good walking in the area.
I don't think I've ever driven on a road quite like the one that takes you to Cilaos - it winds for about an hour up a stunning valley, lots of switchbacks and tunnels but well worth it.
Interesting to visit a volcano that is still very active. Make sure you have enough time to walk to and around the crater in the middle. It takes a few hours but is supposed to be well worth it (we have children with us so were not able to do it).
We spent a week here, very laid back, nice quiet beaches - a good place to chill out.
Excellent Falls, well worth the walk to get to them. Having visited all the larger ones (Victoria/Niagara) it is nice to get to some without all the tourists.
We took a small boat across Lake Tana to visit some of the churches on the islands. The churches are well worth a visit, our return crossing got a bit rough and choppy but we managed to get back without a swim with the hippos...
Ethiopia will always stand out as a trip to be remembered - mainly because of the churches in Lalibela. I have never seen anything like it before, many completely carved out from underground rock - stunning!
We stayed in Tsavo East and enjoyed a couple of great game drives. We saw a huge number of elephants, many close up (a few TOO close!!), lion, hippo, giraffe, zebra and lots of birds. The park was empty and easy to reach from the Kenyan Coast.
We had a really enjoyable and relaxing week on the Kenyan Coast, the beaches are idyllic and locals very friendly. Snorkelling was fun and the kids enjoyed feeding the fish and looking for huge starfish.
My daughter wrote the above review about this hotel - she is 9 years old. I do agree with her that the hotel facilities (especially the pool) were good, the pool has a seperate section for small children and the main pool has a graduated slope in and is huge. The hotel grounds open out directly on to a fantastic unspoilt beach and the hotel provide ample sun loungers on the beach. The area of sea in front of the hotel is surrounded by a reef making it safe, shallow and calm - ideal for children. The downstairs bedrooms all open out directly onto well kept gardens, they are spacious with toilet seperate to bathroom and some of the rooms have adjoining doors - ideal for families. All in all a good place to relax before or after touring the island.
