by Editor | Sep 1, 2007 | Florida, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
What do you do when a 450-pound animal that moves better, faster and far more gracefully than you do races directly at you at (seemingly) the speed of sound? If you’re participating in a Natural Dolphin Swim at Dolphins Plus like we were, count yourself lucky, make sure your hands stay tucked away and keep swimming as fast as you can. We felt lucky because sometimes the dolphins find visitors uninteresting or the sea mammals are not in the mood for company and ignore visitors swimming in their salt water pen. This means all the effort and excitement to see the dolphins is wasted when they just stay in a corner or swim away making it difficult to enjoy the unstructured swim. In our case, the three dolphins in the pool enjoyed playing with us, making our swim a success.
by Editor | Aug 1, 2007 | Simon and Baker Travel Review
Lucy’s Legacy Details Features Other Exhibit Review Audio Tour I especially appreciated the downloadable exhibit audio podcast, which was very informative and easy to use. I kept it on my player for future reference. It was available at no cost from the Houston Museum...
by Editor | Jul 1, 2007 | Africa, Lower Zambezi, Simon and Baker Travel Review, Zambia
Located downstream from Lake Kariba on the northern bank of the Zambezi River, the Lower Zambezi National Park is the most recent of Zambia’s parks. Established in 1983, immediately across the river from Zimbabwe’s world famous Mana Pools, it is still an area of mainly untouched wilderness. The park stretches for 75 miles (120 kilometers) between the Chongwe River to the west almost to the confluence of the Luangwa River to the east, and extends 20 miles (32 kilometers) inland to the Zambezi escarpment. Although the park covers an area of 1,580 square miles (4,092 square kilometers), the spectacular backdrop of the steep escarpment acts as a natural barrier to most species, concentrating most of the game’s activity near the edge of the river.
by Editor | Jul 1, 2007 | Simon and Baker Travel Review
While traveling through the game parks of Zambia, conversation often turned to favorite lodges and camps. Invariably, someone brought up Tongabezi. Those who had visited were enthusiastic; those who had not were wistful. Guides and management personnel spoke of “Tonga” with respect. When I arrived at Tongabezi, it was immediately clear how the lodge had come to be a standard by which Zambian luxury lodges and camps were measured. The instant the car pulled in front of the reception cottage, a choir of four staff members appeared to sing a joyous welcome. One of the chorists, Alvin, was introduced as my personal valet. As the only staff member allowed in my cottage, he was responsible for all my in-room needs. He escorted me through a meticulously tended grove of ebony trees overlooking a panoramic bend of the Zambezi River. The view was magnificent, the environment relaxed and utterly serene.
by Editor | Jul 1, 2007 | Simon and Baker Travel Review
Located high on a hill overlooking endless expanses of African bush, the Stanley Safari Lodge was a secluded enclave of timeless luxury worlds apart from the shrill urbanism of nearby Livingstone. Its convenient proximity to the town and Victoria Falls made it an ideal location to visit the area. It was a gentle place to re-enter the modern world at the end of my trip to the remote wilderness of Zambia’s national parks.
