The group indulged in some fantastic activities while staying at Lake Elmenteita including an afternoon game drive through the very pretty Soysambu Conservancy, sundowners at a location so awesome nobody wanted to move (even when lightening, thunder and rain threatened!), a nature walk, a night game drive complete with night-vision binoculars, a visit to Kariendusi Archaeological Site and a boat trip on Lake Naivasha with hippo sightings, feeding Fish Eagles, a walk on the peninsula (where Out of Africa was filmed) and close up encounters with giraffe, wildebeest and various antelope.  It felt like something out of Jurassic Park!

A drive up the spectacular Rift Valley escarpment back to Nairobi for the short flight to Mombasa.  Sad farewells to Bernard and Steve who had driven so safely, shared their wicked sense of humour and imparted such a wealth of knowledge – true ambassadors for their country and for their company.  Thank you to the ARP Group.

The final days of the trip were spent at Serena Beach Hotel & Spa on Shanzu Beach. Here, once again, Kenyan hospitality at its best.  Days and nights of sheer indulgence -  Jahazi Grill lobster one night, another night dining and dancing to the sounds of a local band beneath the Milky Way – tour to experience the history and culture of Mombasa’s fascinating past, learning about the turtles and butterflies which are being bred at the hotel,  snorkelling in the clear blue waters, gazing at the beautiful coral from a glass bottom boat, lazing by the pool, drifting off under the swaying palm trees and being pampered in the Maisha Mind Body and Spirit Spa  – it’s a tough life but some people had to do it!

Time to get others to follow in their footsteps.

After a relaxing overnight flight with Kenya Airways they arrived at the Nairobi Serena in time for what those who had visited Kenya before described as ‘the best breakfast  in Nairobi’. The group freshened-up in their day rooms (resisting the strong temptation to try out the very inviting looking beds!) then set off, on the newly improved road network, for Sweetwaters Tented Camp.  It was Sunday morning and Kenyans were dressed in their Sunday best as they went to church and to market – a colourful picture driving through all the towns and villages en route.  Adding to the enjoyment of the journey were Bernard and Steve – ARP Travel Group’s two first class, entertaining and informative driver guides.

At Sweetwaters the group received a great welcome from the smiley staff and the giraffe on duty at the waterhole in front of the camp. An exciting game drive in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy was heightened because for some it was their first such experience in East Africa.  Included was a visit to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a chance to hand feed the rescued blind rhinoceros and a look around Ol Pejeta Private House.  Back at Camp, time to relax in front of the roaring fire with a pre- dinner drink before feasting on Serena’s well renowned excellent cuisine.  A semi-peaceful night’s sleep listening to the sounds of Africa and woken at dawn to the sound of the monkeys playing on the tent roof.

Leaving the serenity of Sweetwaters  the vehicles climbed gently through the forest and into the foothills of Mt Kenya to the atmospheric  Serena Mountain Lodge. An undoubted highlight of the whole trip was the forest nature walk lead by Benson, the resident naturalist,  whose knowledge and delivery captivated the entire group. This topped with tea laced with brandy served in the middle of the forest  ensured an unforgettable stay!  Not forgetting, of course, the excitement of being woken up at dawn to see Mt Kenya appearing in all her glory as the early morning cloud dispersed or the somewhat biblical picture as animals and birds took their turn to drink at the waterhole throughout the evening and night.  Everyone was unanimous – Serena Mountain Lodge is a very special place and they reluctantly tore themselves away.

The flight was quite full, but being a new aircraft, with comfortable seats and good inflight entertainment, the flight went relatively quickly.  I must say I was impressed by the service and the food and was proud to overhear some of the girls comment that SAA was much better than they imagined it would be.

On arrival into Cape Town, we drove to Steenberg, an easy drive through the leafy suburbs of Newlands and Constantia.  Time for a shower, before lunch at Bistro Sixteen82 – the first of many incredible meals.  We sipped Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc and enjoyed the lovely setting, while trying some of the delights and then afterwards sampled a few more wines, while being told the story of Catharina, the original owner of the farm.

The attention to detail, the beautiful rooms and the calibre of the staff make Steenberg stand head and shoulders above most other properties in Cape Town.

After a hotel inspection, we had a little free time, before meeting up for a ‘bubbly’ tasting at Gorgeous by Graham Beck.  South African winemakers are not allowed to use the French word for bubbly, so they use the term MCC – Methode Cap Classique – made the same way as the French stuff, just a different name – and just as good (if not better)!

Dinner at Catharina’s was a sumptuous delight.

We left Steenberg after a lovely breakfast and drove to Franschhoek and the awe inspiring setting of Mont Rochelle.

The meal at Mange Tout was amazing.  We had some incredible food on this trip, but this meal was probably the most memorable – especially the Chocolate Fondant!

The wine tasting was very professionally done – great being able to go into the cellar and get the royal treatment.  The wines went down well too.

After a nail biting drive to Cape Town Airport (we had not considered the traffic on Friday afternoon), we boarded our plane for George.

The Manor House at Fancourt is amazing – the suites literally take your breath away – more space than most people have in their own homes in the UK.  Another lovely welcome, this time with bubbly and canapés – the gorgeous food is starting to get to me … I have to decline (sadly).

Dinner that evening is Italian style, at La Cantina.  A lovely relaxed atmosphere and more great food.

After breakfast, we got everyone on-board the extra-large golf cart for our inspection of the Fancourt estate – we only saw a very small bit of the 613 hectares – but got the idea of how big Fancourt is from the model in the main hotel reception area.

Fancourt has gone through an amazing transformation over the last couple of years and the final phase will include a complete refurb of the Kids Club in April.

The rest of Saturday was spent in Oudtshoorn visiting the Cango Caves and Safari Ostrich Show Farm – some of the must do’s when you are on the Garden Route.

We returned to Fancourt in time for yet another incredible meal, this time at Henry White’s.  Henry Fancourt White was the original owner of Fancourt and this restaurant is one of the new improvements at Fancourt.

The story of the Knysna elephants has always intrigued me.  These beautiful creatures have almost been wiped out in the forest near Knysna and much has been done to try and save them.  The Knysna Elephant Park was established to try and help elephants that have been badly treated and need rescuing in various parts of southern Africa.  It was an incredible experience and the group left, feeling that they wanted to donate something to this project.  Glad we had the opportunity to be taken around by Greg; his passion for the elephants is amazing.

The yacht experience on the Knysna Lagoon was fantastic. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, while sampling some Knysna oysters – more food!

A South African Braai (BBQ) was the final dinner – sadly the weather did not play ball, so we had to move indoors – but being Fancourt this meant moving into the Presidential Suite and more VIP treatment!

The final morning was spent trying out the spa, the treatments are world-class!

The final meal was at Morning Glory, some of the best sushi I have tasted!  It was so lovely sitting out on the patio looking over the golf course.

What an amazing trip – I have never been so spoilt!  Next time – we must allow for more activity – bike-ride maybe – something to burn off those calories?!

If I am allowed two then my favourite Serena properties have to be Serena Inn in Zanzibar and Mivumo River Lodge in the Selous.  Those that know me know that I am partial to a touch of luxury however not at the detriment of the experience.  In my view luxury should be used to enhance the experience not cocoon you from it and that is what make Serena Inn and Mivumo River Lodge My favourite Serena properties.

I have always wanted to visit Zanzibar – the sheer name has always evoked in my mind such visions of adventure and history, of palm fringed beaches, wood carved doors and not to forget – amazing spices.  With this in mind I stood in front of Serena Inn, a boutique hotel beautifully positioned between the sea and the edge of Stone Town.  What better location could you get for soaking up the atmosphere of this magical island.  Walking through the doors into the reception of the hotel I could see straight through to the ocean and at that exact moment a magnificent Dhow with its sails billowing in the wind sailed past.  A perfect start!  My guide took me on the most amazing adventure to explore the narrow, windy streets of Stone Town.  Stopping at a variety of shops which made me feel like I was stepping into an Aladdin’s Cave of treasures.  How could I resist bringing back a beautifully carved miniture wooden dhow for my son and an intricately designed tiny little silver antique jewellry pot for my little girl.

I could have wandered those streets for hours but a cool dip and a massage overlooking the ocean eventually drew me back to the hotel!  I know – this is where the luxury wins.  I really was not disappointed as just as I finished having an amazing massage in one of the cabannas by the pool and had sat back down with a long cool drink I noticed a crepe station where fresh crepes were being prepared for those feeling a bit peckish.  Could things get any better - now I was being offered a Chocolate Crepe!

My Serena Inn had immersed me in the magic of Zanzibar whilst at the same time offering me the perfect oasis in which to relax and be spoilt with lovely friendly staff.  Daniel the Hotel Manager (pictured) instinctively knows exactly what his guests want and this is a rare but very much appreciated trait.

I shall continue with My Serena in my next blog…..

The orphans have to be hand reared and will always be semi-dependant on humans, making it impossible to ever release them into the wild, so they are gradually integrated into the Sweetwaters community before they can enjoy the remainder of their life in the 250 acre enclosure.

The chimps live in two large groups separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River and are observed and cared for by a dedicated group of carers. Guests at Sweetwaters Tented Camp and  Ol Pejeta House can visit the Sanctuary, which is open daily at 9:00am to 10:30am and 3pm to 4:30pm. Until you can get out to Kenya I recommend you have a look at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy website where you can read about the individual chimps and their different characters and there’s also a great blog called Chimpanzee Chat which is written by the carers and documents life in the sanctuary.

But what I really like is the fact that I’ve come away from every Serena I’ve ever visited with new friends, be it the hotel manager, the bar staff or the waiters.

Like when I stayed at Lake Kivu Serena in Rwanda, after a couple of days trekking through dense rain forest to see the amazing mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, a few days relaxing on the white sandy shores of Africa’s sixth largest lake was just what I needed.  Sipping cocktails on the private beach and having a massage overlooking the lake was just what the doctor ordered and certainly helped to heal my aching body. The best thing however, was having my own armchair in the bar strategically placed in front of the TV. When the bar was quiet you’d find me with the bar staff and waiters watching the football and drinking the local Primus beer.  By the end of my stay I’d even converted a couple of them into Spurs fans!

I’m sure some of you have great memories of times spent at Serena hotels, so why not leave a comment below and share it with us.

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Christmas at Motswari is very special and very different for some of our guests who are used to the snow filled days, roaring fires and spiced drinks. Here we have the opposite… with long days filled with sun and warmth, (and with that warmth we do not recommend being huddled around a fire), we have refreshing cooling drinks, long swims in the pool, plenty of delicious food  and of course lots and lots of amazing animal sightings.

Generally our guests who come to Motswari travel from around the world and bring some of their traditions and festive spirit to Motswari. Our tradition is a sunny and friendly South African Cheer. As most European guests tend to celebrate on the 24^th as well as the 25^th of December we try to incorporate this into their stay as well. So we always try to make the 24^th just as festive as the 25^th. In South Africa, Christmas is more celebrated on the 25^th.

In the past we have made little room drops / Christmas gifts for guests such as iced Christmas cakes and other yummy goodies which get dropped off in their rooms while they are out on the morning game drive. When they come back from viewing the vast array of animals in the reserve… they come back to a delish hot breakfast awaiting them. We do our best to incorporate a festive cheer with perhaps a glass of Bubbles to make the morning brunch somewhat festive (we always have a non alcoholic choice available as well).

Then its time to relax, open gifts, spend time with family, take a dip in the pool to cool off from the summer heat, or even have a little nap to prepare for the rest of the day. Lunch is a relaxed affair where we serve a delicious buffet with hints of Christmas coming through (all day there are little mince pies and Christmas cookies available) but with a light lunch we plan to keep some space for a wicked and decadent meal later.

After the evening game drive, guests are allowed the opportunity to refresh before arriving at the area chosen for the main event of a Christmas feast dinner. In the past and depending on the weather we have loved to showcase Motswari with having meals in different areas of the lodge and under the African stars.

And with Christmas comes luxury and decadence… and this can be seen in our food. We offer a 5 course meal with the classical Christmas feel to it but with a Motswari and African Twist… as you never see turkeys running around in the reserve… we do an Ostrich Drumstick instead. And with the guidance from the advanced trackers, we source the wild sage growing in the bush to make a wild sage stuffing… we serve all the other accompaniments both traditional and uniquely Motswari. Typically Gluvine is served at Christmas, but we give it a twist and served it chilled and as a jelly to add some festive cheer.

Then out comes the decedent Christmas cakes, mince pies and homemade chocolates for desserts.

After dinner we have the staff of Motswari, join us for traditional carols by candlelight singing Local Shangaan carols as well as some of the good old favorites.

Then time to roll back to bed after fun and festive cheer to get ready for the next days game drive with hopefully the animals working with us to provide a further merriment of amazing sightings.