点评:We've just returned from a fantastic 6 day safari in Mara, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. Michael helped me organise this and Lawrence was our driver/guide. They, along with James and Martin waved us off - we appreciated that personal touch along with the now well-used hat and bottles.
Organisation - as my family's official (and well practiced!) holiday planner I probably had high expectations on this aspect. Michael met these head on. He was always helpful, responsive, flexible and knowledgeable. In hindsight, some more information about the lodge choices near Lake Naivasha would have been helpful in avoiding unnecessary driving, but that aside, organisation was excellent.
I would recommend Leopard Orchid put a pack of pre-information about the safari itinerary, what to pack, entry to Kenya and clarifying guest flights, pick up/drop off location and time, and ask for medication and accessibility, dietary requirements and emergency contacts so guests can check and ensure everything is correct. It surprised me this wasn't required/sent pre-departure. Advice on tipping would also help guests.
Accomodation - we stayed in Little Zebra Mara River (thanks to an upgrade) which was 5*. Just perfect with stunning views and lodges. Kongponi Lodge near Lake Naivasha - this was too far away from the lake boat cruises so ended up extending a very long day of driving meaning we had lunch at gone 5pm. It also had shared living spaces in 2-bed cottages which we hadn't been made aware of. We were lucky they we're not busy so it wasnt used. Finally, Oilepo in Amboseli was great. Beautiful views of Kilimanjaro and a watering hole located right by a park gate.
Food - Michael made all lodges aware of our vegan diet in advance, Lawrence mentioned it again at checkin and this was well accommodated at all 3 lodges. It was a relief to have good high quality food given the very limited other options available!
Safari - the itinerary worked well and we saw a very wide variety of animals and birds which was amazing. Lawrence made sure we saw those we were most interested in (elephants galore!). He drove safely despite the very poor roads and chaotic traffic.
Driving times were always a lot longer than our original itinerary suggested, so bear this inmind - the roads are 95% bumpy tracks off the main highways. This did mean we didnt get the rest time to enjoy lodge facilities we had pencilled in. But it's better to arrive safe!
Lawrence was knowledgeable about local animals and birds and stopped regularly at suitable locations for short rest breaks. We appreciated this.
Thank you Leopard Orchid for a truly memorable 6 days. I'd recommend booking with this company to anyone wanting to make sure the £££ for your safari stays in local's hands. That was very important to us.
The driving times and road conditions are something to be aware of no matter who you book with.
翻译:我们刚结束在马赛马拉、奈瓦沙湖以及安博塞利的为期6天的精彩游猎之旅。迈克尔帮我安排了这一切,劳伦斯则担任我们的司机兼向导。他们连同詹姆斯和马丁一起为我们送行——我们十分感激这种贴心的服务,还有那些现在已被我们频繁使用的帽子和水瓶。
关于行程安排——作为家里正式的(而且经验丰富!)假期策划人,我原本对这方面抱有较高期望。而迈克尔完全满足了这些期望。他总是乐于助人、反应迅速、灵活变通且知识渊博。事后看来,如果能提供更多关于奈瓦沙湖附近旅馆选择的信息,就能避免不必要的驾车奔波。不过除此之外,整个安排都相当出色。
我建议Leopard Orchid提前提供一份资料包,内容涵盖游猎行程安排、需要携带的物品、肯尼亚入境须知,以及客人的航班信息、接机/送机地点与时间;同时还应询问客人是否需要药物以及有无行动不便等需求。饮食偏好及紧急联系人信息,这样客人就能核对并确保所有信息准确无误。让我惊讶的是,这些信息在出发前并未被提供/发送。若能提供关于小费支付的建议也会对客人有所帮助。
住宿方面——我们入住的是Little Zebra Mara River酒店(多亏了免费升级),这家酒店堪称五星级水准。环境绝佳,景观迷人,各种设施也无可挑剔。至于位于奈瓦沙湖附近的Kongponi Lodge,则离乘船游览的地点实在太远,结果导致我们当天的车程变得异常漫长,直到下午5点过后才用上午餐。那里还有双人小屋形式的共用生活空间,不过我们事先并不知情。幸运的是当时没人使用,所以我们也没遇到什么问题。最后,安博塞利的奥伊莱波旅馆也很不错。可以欣赏到乞力马扎罗山的美丽景色,公园入口处还有一个水源地。
餐饮方面——迈克尔事先已将所有旅馆的工作人员告知我们遵循纯素食饮食,劳伦斯在办理入住手续时又再次提醒了大家,因此在三家旅馆里我们的饮食需求都得到了妥善满足。鉴于可选择的食物选项极其有限,能吃到优质的食物真是让人松了一口气!
野生动物观光之旅——行程安排得相当不错,我们看到了种类繁多的动物和鸟类,真是令人惊叹。劳伦斯确保我们看到了最感兴趣的那些动物(大象简直多到数不清!)。尽管道路状况糟糕且交通混乱,他开车时依然十分谨慎安全。
实际的行车时间总是比原定行程所预估的要长得多。请记住这一点——除了主要公路外,95%的道路都是崎岖不平的小径。这也导致我们没能像原计划那样好好休息、享受旅舍设施。不过,平安抵达才是最重要的!
劳伦斯对当地的动物和鸟类了如指掌,还经常在合适的地点停车让我们短暂休息。我们非常感激这一点。
感谢Leopard Orchid,让我们度过了极其难忘的6天!我向那些希望确保用于游猎的经费能留在当地人手中的朋友们推荐这家公司。这对我们来说非常重要。
无论你选择哪家公司预订,都需要留意行车时间以及道路状况。