Tag: Africa

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Tanzania’s Top 8 Luxury Villa Venues with Plunge Pools

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Swimming is fun, and swimming in pools with such amazing views will make the dip a lot more inviting! Whether you want the jungles of Serengeti and Selous or the white sandy beaches of Zanzibar, there are swimming pools out there that are destinations in their own right.

And here, JCCE Tours & Safaris Ltd presents to you Tanzania’s Top 8 Luxury Villa Venues with Plunge Pools in no particular order. Enjoy reading!

AMARA LUXURY TENTED CAMP – Selous

Amara Selous
Amara Selous, Tanzania

Located in the heart of the Selous Game Reserve, a mere few minutes’ drive away from the Simbazi airstrip, Amara Selous promises a taste of the extraordinary – an experience that is unique and revitalizing.

At Amara Selous, nature is merged with extravagance to provide lavish comfortable and secluded luxury in the middle of the African bush.

Twelve spacious air-conditioned suites are complete with private rock plunge pools, opulent bathrooms and outside showers that offer views over the Great Ruaha River and the perennial wilderness beyond.

Amara Selous remains beautifully remote, amidst the pristine wilderness of Africa’s largest game reserve and one of Tanzania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It’s where one awakes to a daily symphony of hippo snorts and birdsong.

Imagine being engulfed in the pure serenity as you sip your custom-ordered cocktail, served by your personal butler, and soak in the lurid display of the African sunset from your private plunge pool outside your suite. Continue reading “Tanzania’s Top 8 Luxury Villa Venues with Plunge Pools” →

Traveling to Music: Pierre Akendengue

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Beachfront of Libreville, Gabon
Image via Wikipedia

The customs and immigration officer at Léon M’ba International Airport in Libreville, Gabon began digging into my suitcase all the while asking me the usual questions, what is your purpose for visiting Gabon, where will you be staying, etc.

Then he saw my music and stopped. You know Akendengué? he asked, surprise and delight registering on his face simultaneously.

Normally, when I travel in the Caribbean and especially in Africa, my Jamaican passport is enough. But this day, it was the music I had with me that stopped the questions and eased me through. (Thank goodness he liked Akendengué!)

I smiled when I remembered that customs official this morning as I listened to Akendengué’s 01 Awana W’afrika, but more than anything else, I’m reminded that music is a big part of my travels. Wherever I go, there’s usually a song or a musician that symbolizes that trip and brings it back to me with all the smells, sounds and sights when I play it again at home.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kZb88t7zS0]

What are some of your traveling music? What song or musician makes you feel as if you’ve just unpacked your suitcase?

For Gabon, it was Akendengué. I have so many, I’ll make Traveling to Music a regular feature.

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Cape Town, the Pearl of South Africa

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

When I told my 80 year-old aunt that I was going to Cape Town, she replied excitedly, “I’ve always wanted to see Table Mountain but never made it. Please kiss the mountain for me!”

After hearing that, if Table Mountain had not been on my list, it soon would be.

We arrived in Cape Town on a Thursday night, after three amazing days watching game in Hwange National Park and making friends with the team at Makalolo Plains in Zimbabwe.

Now we were about to begin the third leg of our trip in beautiful Cape Town. Ian, our guide, met us at the airport and took us to our accommodation at the Victoria & Alfred waterfront.

Cape Town Waterfront

As we entered the apartment, we were greeted by the most spectacular view of Cape Town harbor. But since we were holding tickets for the 11 o’clock ferry to Robben Island the next morning, we knew we had to get to bed early.

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Next post: Robben Island

Do we really need two days to see Victoria Falls?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

When our travel agent told my friends and me that she’d booked us for two days in Victoria Falls, we balked. None of us was convinced we’d need that length of time to look at water, no matter how spectacular it was. Boy, were we wrong!

We arrived in Vic Falls on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon after a pleasant trip from Johannesburg. As we left the arrivals lounge, we were greeted by the sound of drumming and singing. We couldn’t help but watch as this agile and athletic group of musicians greeted us. It was a fitting welcome to Zimbabwe.

Vic Falls Airport Welcome

Since we were leaving the next morning to watch game at Hwange National Park, we knew we had only a few hours to see the Falls. Our plan was simple: check in at the hotel, grab a bite to eat and head out.

Continue reading “Do we really need two days to see Victoria Falls?” →