Our Journal

Desert and Jungle

Desert and Jungle, worlds apart, a contrast like no other. We slowly ease into it in Johannesburg, try to acclimatize to the time zone, enjoy a dinner out in the city and a slow morning start, the last slow morning start! 

Gym session and in room breakfast the way to go. Now off in the Lear Jet – 2 hours from Johannesburg to Windhoek the capital city of Namibia, switch aircraft and a 55-minute scenic flight over landscapes resembling the moon, harsh, beautiful from the sky. Extraordinary. Rock changing into mountains, and then crumbling into sand, as we nearer the west coast of Namibia, destination Sossusvlei Desert Lodge a boutique extremely beautiful lodge in the red sand desert.

Some of the world’s tallest free standing sand dunes, waiting to be explored, climbed up and rolled down, Deadvlei a thousand-year-old scene which has never changed, not one bit. ATV’S, hot air balloons, walks to ancient San rock paintings, and e biking in the starkest landscape, exercise and wilderness. We kick off the stay with a desert drive and introduction to the creatures which survive this tough existence.

The landscape is surreal, the silence is deafening, beauty in the array of colors. It is very cold at this time of year; morning temperatures can be as low as 35F.

Highlights of our stay, so many, and when we all want another day at the lodge, you know it’s been good. Back to the highlights, climbing Big Daddy dune, quad biking in golden sunlight, delicious red wine and meals, sundowner drinks and bubbly, alone in the wilderness, learning and having fun. Stargazing, the conditions were just perfect, no moon and no clouds, the sky felt on top of us, and this was a part of the experience, one can’t explain. Massages, a little shopping, a leisurely e-bike in the morning to burn off some calories before breakfast and a surprise coffee stop around a corner en route.

An extraordinary lodge in an extraordinary landscape, it is unreal to think we go from the lonely desert to the incredible city of Kigali today, for a Gorilla adventure, and so much more that the country of Rwanda has in store! Tonight, dinner at Hotel Rwanda – a beautiful restaurant in the oh so famous hotel, the hotel on which the movie was made, top floor, overlooking Kigali. Tomorrow a tour of the city and the Genocide Museum, a heartfelt experience, Rwanda is a country with a story which will move you, emotionally, a country which has a story to tell and to see. 

Then we head off by Helicopter, up into the Volcanoes Mountains National Park, a swift transfer into the jungle, and the exquisite Singita Kataza House.

This is a truly special place and stands out above the rest. It does not feel like a lodge, but it is, it does not feel like you are on safari, but you are. A very special place in the world, and Rwanda is a spectacular country.

Kataza House is for families and friends, for relaxing next to the fire with a classic red wine, it’s about family style meals, and hot tubs, buffaloes, and of course Gorillas!

That’s why we are here, Gorilla Trekking, what an adventure and what a buzz!

We had a gentle trek in, and a wonderful time spent with the Amahoro family. A 4-month-old infant, bothering the sleeping adults, a chest pumping warning charge, close walk by’s, it literally takes one’s breath away. To be so close to such magnificent creatures in their space, is truly remarkable.

We also visited a school, and shared with them, crayons and soccer balls, and footballs, and so so much more, this is also life changing! Back to Kataza House, for meditation post trek, a lunch, spa treatments, a visit to the nursery to plant a tree in a reforestation programme for each member of the family, 7 trees in a row, standing strong.

A boutique wine tasting, the best of the best, shared on the couch, cozy and warm inside, the rain gently falling outside.  Comments from our guests “this was the best morning of my life so far,” “what a perfect day.”

Truly incredible, and special moments shared together.

We jump in the helicopter – Augusta 109 – and cruise over the land of a Thousand Hills, filled with memories and experiences. A swift process through immigration and we are off at 43 000 feet headed back to Johannesburg in the Lear Jet.

Desert and Jungle in a week, a remarkable experience, a family vacation like no other on our planet. Creating memories. Living the Dream.