Back to Africa you say... - April 24, 2023
This post is the first of its kind for me, as you’ll see in a moment.
I’m not sure if I mentioned it in my posts from Tanzania and South Africa last December but as we were settling into our airline’s seats for our return trip home, V said to me, “Well, we don’t have to do that again” presumably in reference to the number of trips that we have made to Africa over the last 10 or 11 years. I think Italy was calling to her and, in fairness, some relaxing time in Europe is long overdue.
And yet, and yet…. about six weeks ago we received an email from a very good friend who also happens to be the young woman wha has planned all of our African adventures for us. Susie and her husband Rich live in White River, South Africa, near to the Kruger Game Reserve, and she is the most competent and capable trip planner and organizer with whom we have worked in any of our travels, anywhere. We found her through a business colleague when she was just beginning her travel firm and we have become close over the years.
But first, a little back story. Susie and Rich are both native South Africans and like all of us, they both set out to see the world after they left school and as fate would have it, met while they were both working aboard a super yacht owned by a Middle Eastern oil sheik. Susie was the Hospitality Director and I’m sure she honed her problem-solving and organizational skills sailing the world and meeting the needs of the ship’s owners and guests, all of whom would have had very high and challenging expectations.
They ultimately left the ship and decided to return home and create a life together.
According to Susie, “When we were foot loose and fancy free we embarked on an incredible adventure around Africa camping on our Land Rover roof top. It took us 6 months to visit 6 countries. One of those countries was Zambia and we fell head over heels.”
“When visiting South Luangwa national park we spent a wonderful evening with a group of Americans in a small camp called Mucheja. A few bottles of wine later we were having our lives laid out for us by our newly-found friends. One of the travelers said to us, you should run a camp next year ... you should actually come back and run this camp. So that is exactly what we did!”
“Zambia has many memories for us as we got engaged on the banks of the Luangwa river. This is where all our dreams began. Now 14 years later - we want to go back and we would like to take with us some of our special guests and friends we have made along the way.”
That was what Susie wrote, and not even slightly surprisingly V, in spite of her earlier remark, immediately said, “gosh, too good to miss, let’s do it”. So we’re back to Africa in June 2024.
The reason for my telling you this is that a number of you have said that you’d love to travel to Africa but haven’t yet for a variety of reasons. My first thought was that this would be a perfect trip for those of you who either have never been or would like to return; an opportunity to visit somewhere a little off the beaten path. The trip is open to both couples and single travellers.
It’s a small group, 5 couples and couple of single travellers and while we do not ordinarily travel in a group, we broke our rule in this instance because it’s a trip that we would love to take with our friends. Off the beaten path but in expert hands, traveling with Susie, Rich and friends and with whole new worlds to explore and to photograph.
One point worth noting noting, V and I are fully-paying guests. Susie has not asked me to write this nor are we compensated in any way. Gosh, I sound like a YouTube video!
If you’re at all interested, take a look at the link:
Back to Zambia with Rich & Susie
There are only a couple of spots left but we’d love it if they were taken by friends, to add to the friends who are already enrolled. If you’re interested drop me a line or better still write Susie for more information at: susie@africanavenue.co.za.
Really hope to see you in Zambia next June!
More to come!
