I so wanted to experience ride a horse in Africa. I’d already done the jeep safari, the boat safari and the walking safari. So now I wanted to do a safari on a horse.

Spotting the Columbus monkey in Africa

The day was very pleasant and we rode mostly through the forests. So we were covered by the trees from the hot African sun. Along the way we saw all kinds of monkeys, including the rare Columbus monkeys in their natural habitat.

Where to ride a horse in Tanzania

My guide thought I was the adventurous type so he took me on some rather difficult paths. We rode along narrow lanes and through fields of tall grasses with so many trees. Oftentimes, I had to practically hug my horse just so we could pass under the trees with the low branches.

The schoolchildren of Tanzania

We also passed small villages along the way. Everywhere, the people of Tanzania were very kind. Many smiled at me and shouted out the traditional greeting of “Jambo!” Schoolchildren in thick sweaters in the colors of the Tanzania flag also ran along us as we rode through the towns. It was so hot so I couldn’t imagine how these children could be wearing sweaters.

“They’re used to it,” my guide said, with a smile.

Enjoying a traditional sundowner in Africa

All too soon, my day on a horse, riding through the forests of Africa, ended. We rode back to my lodge, stopping along the way to see more monkeys. It was perfect timing, too.

The hotel was busy with guests seated on the terrace enjoying the traditional African sundowner, which is really a drink at sunset. I joined them and ordered a glass of champagne, sitting down on the steps to enjoy the view and to smell the fresh air.

It was only my first day in Africa and I already completed one of my objectives, which was to ride a horse in Tanzania. Already my great African adventure had begun.

Read more about the best safaris in Africa in Travelife Magazine.

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Recently I received an email from someone with some of the most amazing photos of many places I’ve been to.

It made me remember the many amazing things I’ve seen in my never-endingly eventful Travelife.

The photos are not ours and the email makes no mention of photo credits so unfortunately I can’t appropriately credit the photographers. 

OUR TRULY AMAZING WORLD

But I thought I’d share them anyway to remind everyone of the amazing, incredible, interesting and wonderful experiences in store when you embark on your own TRAVELIFE.  

From all of us at Travelife Magazine, the leading travel & lifestyle publication, our best wishes for a life of joy amidst travel.  

WHAT AWAITS ON A NEVER-ENDING TRAVELIFE

A bridge in Seoul

Hot air balloons over Turkey. Still one of my most amazing experiences so far.

A statue in France

A forest in Russia

A building in Germany

Sunset seen through a wave

An office in Madrid

Photo of a statue in Lithuania in the daytime and at night

A forest in Poland

A balcony in Chicago

View of Dubai

The (flat) floor of a store in Paris

A national park in New Zealand

The border between the Netherlands and Belgium, literally outside a cafe

Read more about the most beautiful places in the world in Travelife Magazine.

The post Beautiful photographs of our world appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

Today I woke up remembering a happy trip to Tanzania. It involved three unique safaris and one beach holiday in Zanzibar. We chose safaris in the Selous, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.

PLANNING FOR TANZANIA

This holiday in Tanzania really began over a casual conversation over a champagne, mussels and steak dinner while we were in Cape Town late last year. We were at a restaurant called Catharina’s at The Steenberg in Constantia.

By the way, the Steenberg has some of the most beautiful villas I’ve seen near Cape Town. We loved our stay here.

THE BEST SAFARIS IN AFRICA

It was at the end of a very enjoyable two–week trip to South Africa, and right there and then we’d decided to do another trip somewhere in Africa because we’d had such a good time.

“Where shall we go?” We asked each other, and I’m sure all the champagne had an influencing effect on our conversations.

Out of all the countries in Africa we could choose from for another trip to Africa, we’d decided on Tanzania together and then blocked a date for going in our calendars.

Basically, we threw a psychological dart on a map of Africa and decided to go where it landed. On the shortlist were Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya. Then we did a bit of bargaining and negotiating regarding the places to include.

THE BEST LODGES IN TANZANIA

When this was done, I set about choosing all the hotels and lodges in Tanzania, as I just love doing this. The Travel Companion was happy to leave this bit to me and focus on where to eat and where to go for sightseeing. This was just like what how we planned our visit to South Africa.

Choosing luxury hotels is one of my ideas of bliss, by the way, aside from an afternoon at a spa, a very good meal with great conversation, and some shopping therapy. I just love checking out hotel and resort websites and booking the ones I like.

I wonder what this should be called? Hotel therapy? I’m pretty OC about hotels because I simply hate staying in lousy hotels.

Meanwhile, his part of the planning was all the domestic logistics, including how to get from point A to point B to point C. This included booking all those tiny planes to go from one safari to another.

Plus all the sightseeing and the restaurant choices because he’s as anal about restaurants as I am about hotels. So between us, we have the best of the world covered.

THE BEST SAFARIS IN TANZANIA

Anyway, for Tanzania, I booked three absolutely amazing safari experiences for a trip focused on the very best of this country in different ways. Give or take a few, of course, because two weeks just wasn’t enough time to stay everywhere I wanted.

There are about two other safari places I would love to do, plus a beautiful resort or two in Zanzibar.

THE BEST RESORTS IN ZANZIBAR

In Zanzibar, which was towards the last leg of our trip, I was planning to book a hotel in Stone Town but we had few luxury options. At that time, the Park Hyatt Zanzibar was just under construction. It’s now open, and this is the best hotel to stay in Zanzibar.

Meanwhile, the fantastic resorts in the beach areas are all very luxurious but these are quite a distance from Stone Town. But we wanted to stay by the beach. So we booked a beautiful resort with a perfect sunset view.

As for the safaris for this trip, lucky me. I got to pick all three safari places, although it was overall a pretty good compromise, as usual.

NGORONGORO: THE MOST UNIQUE SAFARI IN THE WORLD

This safari is the best and most special safari experience in Tanzania, and certainly one of the top in the world. The lodge itself is like a Hollywood set. In fact, you almost expect Meryll Streep and Robert Redford to come walking in to do a scene from the movie Out of Africa.

Meanwhile, the safari viewing is amazing. It involves driving down into the crater of an extinct volcano to see all the animals at the bottom. We did this for several days and our rangers always capped the game drives with a picnic breakfast right at the bottom.

We both had this at the top of our respective bucket lists.

Every single discerning traveler to this part of the world stays here as it’s really world famous for its combination of glamour, luxury and incredible game viewing.

THE MOST REMOTE SAFARI IN THE WORLD

The other safari is something I really wanted to do, although my companion was not so keen because he read somewhere that the game viewing isn’t that great.

Plus, he thought I was more interested in the safari’s spa than in seeing more animals. The spa really was wonderful. I got massages every day while wild animals passed around me.

But this lodge is pretty far out, so he was a good sport about accompanying me here for three days. And it’s still one of the most special places I have ever stayed in in Africa. It’s Africa game viewing at its most pristine — and also at its most surreal luxurious.

There are no conservation rangers or conservation efforts here, so it’s really a free for all as far as the animals are concerned.

This is also why the game viewing here is slightly different compared to the more “civilized safari areas.” One day, you may get very lucky. The next day, you may not.

But that’s truly nature at work without human interference, as far as I’m concerned. And if you’re into safaris, you want to include one like this every now and then.

LUXURY IN THE WILDERNESS

Besides, this is an ultra-luxury safari in one of the most remote places on earth. Talk about a completely surreal experience unlike any other.

It’s located is the Selous which has been called the last wilderness of Africa. Can you imagine what the last wilderness of a wilderness continent is like?

It’s also supposed to be one of the last remaining places on earth where you can go and escape manmade noises. This is still one of my favorite safari experiences ever.

THE MOST FAMOUS SAFARI AREA IN THE WORLD

Finally, the third safari was in a location of my companion’s choice because he wanted to see the Great Migration. And this is where I had to compromise, although not with too much difficulty.

It’s one of the most famous safari locations in the world, and the first choice of most people going on safari in Tanzania. And the safari lodge I’d chosen was possibly at the top of its class right now. It’s quite unlike any other in Africa.

All three safari experiences were best-of-breed and entirely different from each other. So our trip definitely wasn’t just like one never-ending, and never-endingly eventful safari.

THE FAMOUS FISH RESTAURANT IN ZANZIBAR

Finally, I’m posting a photo of a fish restaurant I really wanted to try while we were in Tanzania. It’s at one end of the island of Zanzibar, about one hour from Stone Town by car.

“That looks like a tourist trap,” the Travel Companion said, when I showed him this pretty famous photo. “But if you really want to go, I’ll take you there for your birthday.”

Yes, I was celebrating my birthday in Tanzania, on this holiday. It was wonderful, and Zanzibar was our last stop before flying out.

We ended up not going, though, because we found a really nice restaurant by the sea in Stone Town that served lobsters. Then suddenly, a one-hour drive for lunch at this fish restaurant seemed really far away.

So it’s still on my #Travelife bucket list, which of course never ends. This gives me something to look forward to on my next visit to Tanzania. Read more articles about safaris in Africa in Travelife Magazine.

The post The best safaris in Tanzania appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

That’s me, at the entrance to the main house of The Retreat in Tanzania

So yesterday morning, when I woke up, there was a very nice message forwarded to me from our online team, from a Belgian couple I had met while on safari at The Retreat in Tanzania last October.

“Very nice review and so true,” they wrote. “Really a magical place.“

There were only two other couples at The Retreat when we were there, and this Belgian couple was one of the two. We had a very nice time talking to them.

—————

Read more about 

The Retreat in Tanzania

in the April – May 2014 issue

of Travelife Magazine

—————-

PERFECT FOR AVOIDING PAPARAZZI

The Retreat is a very private place in the most middle of nowhere possible, so you won’t get hordes of safari goers here. In fact, Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi had just stayed at The Retreat before we got there, apparently.

I’m sure they had a great holiday sans paparazzi.

MAKING SURE HE GETS IT

Remembering The Retreat prompted me to look at some of my photos again. Then I sent one of the photos to the Travel Companion, to remind him of this wonderful trip, as we’d been exchanging messages by BBM and email yesterday afternoon.

In fact, I deliberately sent the photo simultaneously to all three of his email accounts.

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His only reply was: “You sent this to all of my emails?” I’ll bet he was his usual incredulous self when he sent this message to me.

Not one to mince words, I told him: “Yup. So that way you get the photo instantly on your phone. Then you also get it later on your iPad, and finally you’ll have a copy forever in your Cloud account.”

MY MOST SPECIAL SAFARI EXPERIENCE

FOR 2013

Our three-night stay at The Retreat, an environment-friendly lodge located at the edge of the Selous, which is the largest wildlife area in Africa, was truly special.

Whenever I see the photos, I just can’t help thinking so. In fact, I wish I’d appreciated it way more then, than I do now, especially as it’ll be awhile before I get that way again.

The Selous is often referred to as the last bastion of wilderness in Africa.

That’s certainly saying a lot, considering the entire Africa is an area of wilderness.

And within this, The Retreat is one of the most beautiful and luxurious safari lodges in the Selous. There is only one other lodge in these parts that is in the same category.

But The Retreat is more remote and more special than the other place. It’s truly a unique lodge in such a unique place. 

We saw so many lions here. And we were the only tourists around.

Our stay here also coincided with my birthday, so in a way it was doubly memorable.

This is the safari experience as almost no one will ever experience it – and I honestly cannot think of a more appropriate place to spend  a birthday, for someone on a never-endingly eventful Travelife.

DOUBLE THE SIZE OF SWITZERLAND

The Selous is about 55,000 square kilometers in size, and I’d probably be vastly overestimating things if I told you there were more than 300 people in this 55,000 square kilometers.

That’s about half the size of Mindanao or double the size of Switzerland, by the way, according to the Travel Companion, who googled facts about the Selous while we were there.

We had no WiFi or mobile signal for the most part, save for when we had lunch at the main house each day.

So lunch was prime googling time for him, and blogging time for me. We would sit on the rooftop of the main house and we would both have our iPads out until the food was served.

I usually bring my Macbook Pro on trips, but I switched to the iPad for this trip to Tanzania, as we had a very strict weight limit on those tiny safari airplanes.

THE FARTHEST CORNER OF NOWHERE

I loved this special view from the main house of our safari lodge

The reception area of The Retreat

LOVELY AND RUSTIC

We were booked in the best villas in the lodge, called The Hippo Point, and it’s really lovely in a rustic way. This is also where Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi stayed.

The more I think about this stay, the more I appreciate how special it was.

Scroll down to read more about The Retreat in Tanzania…

If you’re used to the five-star deluxe hotel experience, this probably isn’t first for you as it’s not a Hollywood-set type of safari lodge with a polished butler at your beck and call.

But considering where we are — meaning in the middle of nowhere — it was a truly surreal and luxurious experience.

They told us: “We’ve been everywhere in Tanzania, but this is really special. This is really nature, and not a Hollywood set for guests paying stiff fees to see animals in the wild.”

On our first night, the lodge only had six guests. We all sat by the river enjoying cocktails at sunset. And then we dined in this same place by lanterns and moonlight.

That’s our team at The Retreat, giving us a briefing upon arrival

Of course, there were some drawbacks.

SIMPLE BUT SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

The lodge is beautiful, but it’s not a Hollywood period film set, the way some of the other top lodges are.

The service is also pretty simple, if you’re used to staying in some of the world’s best safari places.

Food choices are also limited compared to other places we stayed in, because of the limitations of the location. Every single thing has to be flown in, and the nearest supermarket is only reachable by airplane. So don’t expect gourmet food, even if you do get multi-course meals served in a lovely setting.

I specifically asked the Travel Companion not to tell anyone at the lodge that it was my birthday, as I didn’t want any fuss.

But the hotel staff arranged for cocktails and dinner by our private swimming pool, at the very edge of a place where about 100 hippos bathe, under the moonlight.

It was a full moon, too, so there was a pretty glow everywhere.

The post The Retreat in the Selous of Tanzania. One of the most special safari experiences in the world. appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

Last night, I found two entrance tickets to the Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania from my trip last October, with our names and the entrance fees still carefully printed on them.

I remembered what a nice and interesting excursion this was, and how we’d been very lucky at the Oldupai Gorge.

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The Oldupai Gorge is one of Africa’s foremost excavation sites — if not the world’s.

Located in Tanzania, it’s garnered fame because a group of archeologists discovered some of the oldest fossils of mankind here.

It’s about an hour’s drive on bumpy roads from the ridge of the Ngorongoro Crater and the lovely Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, where we were staying.

At Safari # 1: The Retreat in Selous, Tanzania

The Travel Companion and I were doing three safaris plus the island of Zanzibar and the city of Dar es Salaam in just under two weeks in Tanzania.

Ngorongoro was Safari # 2 for us.

As with our previous trip to South Africa, we’d decided to go to Tanzania because we’d both never been.

And then I chose the itinerary and the places to stay, while he decided on the daily schedule and most of the logistics.

So on our third day at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, we decided to take a break from chasing animals all over.

Instead he’d arranged for our guide to bring us to the Oldupai Gorge.

This was of special interest to us because we’d also visited the Cradle of Mankind in South Africa the previous year.

This is another famous excavation site, about two hours out of Johannesburg. It has an excellent museum and we even took a boat ride inside, giving it a theme park atmosphere.

That’s the original vehicle used by Mary Leakey

In contrast, the Oldupai Gorge is basically all dust and soil in a valley.

But it has a small and interesting museum that we spent some time in, looking at maps and reading the information boards.

And after seeing this, I said to the Travel Companion: “I want to see Mary Leakey’s house.“

That’s the manager of the Oldubai Gorge

Mary Leakey lived here, and she was the archeologist who made many of the stunning discoveries in the Oldupai Gorge.

Our guide did some asking around for us, and pretty soon, he came out again with the manager of the Oldupai Gorge and a set of keys.

The manager was pretty happy to show some visitors around Mary Leakey’s old home, as few people really ask about this.

I don’t think they know that it’s actually possible to visit Mary Leakey’s home. It really isn’t, but you may get lucky if you ask nicely.

What a wonderful surprise.

Mary Leakey’s home and laboratory are still intact, almost exactly as she left these places decades ago.

Even her findings are still in her private store room, untouched.

I guess that’s because the Oldupai Gorge is pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

There were no crowds here.


Just the Travel Companion and myself, and the Oldupai Gorge manager, his assistant and our guide.

We got the full-on personal tour.


We even got to hold many fossils that were millions of years old. And what an experience this was.

And when we got back to the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge — what do you know?

An excellent lunch of salad, hummus, guacamole and roast chicken was waiting.

And both of us just love hummus and guacamole, so we certainly ate with gusto after an exhilarating trip.

That was certainly one special day in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

The post Visiting the Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

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36 HOURS IN A TRAVELIFE

Every single day in a Travelife is terribly interesting, but never moreso than in 2013. It was a year full of great adventures and amazing travels.

But if I had to choose a most enjoyable 36 hours in a never-endingly eventful Travelife, I think I would choose a couple of days last October, when a 36-hour period began in the sleepy seaside city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and ended in Manila.

My 36 hours ended with the ultra-successful Rob Schneider comedy show at Solaire, which Travelife Magazine had co-organized…

This particular 36 hours spanned at least three continents, six meals, and way too many interesting things, even in a never-ending Travelife.

GOOD MORNING, DAR ES SALAAM.

I woke up in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on the last morning of a two-week holiday that included three safari experiences and a beach resort.

We stayed in a lovely boutique hotel right by the sea, in the best part of town.

It was a very nice way to end a holiday in a pretty exotic country because this hotel was so tasteful and comfortable, reminding us of those lovely old houses in New Manila.

A VERY NICE DISCOVERY

This boutique hotel was a genuine find.

It had only eight rooms, and it was really more of a house than a hotel. 

Everything was simply but beautifully done  — from the interiors of the public rooms and the bedrooms, to the meals.

I was so glad we stayed here.

We almost didn’t, you see.

I’d chosen all the hotels for this trip, and for this overnight stop in Dar es Salaam, I’d initially booked an equally nice hotel, but one that catered more to business travelers.

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NO NEED FOR A PUSH TOWARDS LUXURY

I figured we could go with this “safe choice” after two weeks of stays in some of the most beautiful lodges and resorts in this part of the world. 

It was basically an overnight stop anyway, on our way back to Asia.

But when the Travel Companion saw my list, the first thing he said was: “That’s so unlike you.“

He meant my choice of hotel in Dar es Salaam. Everything else I had chosen was fine with him, and very much in keeping with my typical preferences.

Well, I need very little encouragement to go for the more luxurious option anywhere and anytime, so we booked this beautiful hotel instead.


It certainly made our stay in Dar es Salaam.

UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL

This hotel has a very interesting set-up.

They fully acknowledge that they cater mainly to upmarket travelers on their way to or from the safari lodges in Tanzania, which are all a bit of a distance from Dar es Salaam.

No one really goes to Dar es Salaam to sightsee.

So most people who stay at this quietly luxurious hotel do so on full board, and so did we.

However, we did also have one very nice lunch at a trendy new restaurant called Cape Town Fishmarket by the marina, which is supposed to be the best place to eat in Dar es Salaam.

JUST LIKE NEW MANILA.

EXCEPT WE’RE IN TANZANIA.

At our Dar es Salaam hotel, we had one rather late lunch, one very nice dinner, and one satisfyingly healthy breakfast.

All meals were taken on a terrace facing a garden with a swimming pool and a very large tree, reminding us of old-style houses in New Manila.

It was very comfortable and relaxing.

In fact, it was the perfect way to end a pretty wonderful two weeks in Tanzania, living a Travelife.

Not that there is a perfect way to end a nice holiday.

ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS

So many things were waiting back home and ending a holiday is always a part of a Travelife.

But since we flew out of Dar es Salaam on the long way back to Asia, I couldn’t help feeling rather sad about it all.

This melancholy feeling continued even after returning to Manila.

Fortunately, I literally had no time to be sad.

NO TIME FOR SADNESS

That’s Rob Schneider, reading Travelife Magazine…

From the airport, I went home to drop my bags.

Then off I went to Solaire Resort to join the rest of the Travelife team and our valued partners for the Rob Schneider stand-up comedy show tonight.

When I got to Solaire, the lobby was already teeming with people, including many celebrities who had come to watch Rob Schneider in action.

THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD

Our hardworking Travelife team and the teams of our partners had everything immaculately set-up, and things were going like clockwork.

Yes, I’d been in Tanzania on a Travelife for two weeks, during which we’d released our latest issue and organized three major events. 

Almost everything had been done without me, as I was in Africa chasing black rhinos, in places with slow Internet connection.

I’d even lost my phone on the first day of my holiday, which is half a bad thing and half a good thing. I was basically incommunicado for two weeks — and wasn’t that nice.

ROB SCHNEIDER BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN

And what a fun evening we had at Solaire Resort, watching Rob Schneider’s stand-up comedy show.

Even I had underestimated how much Rob Schneider would make me laugh.

“Great show. Rob Schneider had us in stitches.”

– comment on Facebook

Sitting in the third row, I was giggling the whole night.

Meanwhile many of my friends, who were seated with me in the same row, were holding their sides, almost bursting with laughter.

EVERYONE’S LAUGHING

Rob Schneider with a loyal fan. Can you see what he’s written on a large sign?

In fact, the entire ballroom of 2000 people were laughing practically the whole night.

It was a great way to return to Manila, seated amidst friends and laughing the entire evening at the jokes and antics of a top Hollywood comedian.

So maybe there is a less than imperfect way to end a holiday after all. At least in a never-endingly eventful 36 hours in a Travelife.

The post Best of a Travelife 2013: 36 hours from Tanzania to Manila appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

As 2014 approaches, we look back on the amazing year that was and remember the best of 12 months of truly wonderful travels and fabulous adventures. 

Thank you for following us on our never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

I went on seven safaris in 2013, which is quite a lot by anyone’s count.

Each safari was absolutely wonderful and entirely different, so it’s almost impossible to compare one with another.

This would be like trying to compare an apple and an orange.

Many of these safaris involved stays in some of the most amazing lodges in the world.

MY MOST SPECIAL SAFARI EXPERIENCE

FOR 2013

But if I had to pick one that stood out from the rest, I would pick our three-night stay at The Retreat, an environment-friendly lodge located at the edge of the Selous, which is the largest wildlife area in Africa.

The Selous is often referred to as the last bastion of wilderness in Africa. That’s certainly saying a lot, considering the entire Africa is an area of wilderness.

And within this, The Retreat is one of the most beautiful and luxurious safari lodges in the Selous. There is only one other lodge in these parts that is in the same category.

But The Retreat is more remote and more special.

Thinking about this last night, while discussing travels in 2013 over dinner, I realized just how special this stay truly was, at this unique lodge in such a unique place. 

To get to The Retreat, we flew to Dar es Salaam, which is the largest city in Tanzania, and then we took one of these tiny airplanes to nowhere.

Nowhere, meaning The Selous, the last bastion of wilderness in the entire Africa, as I’ve already written above.

A SAFARI UNLIKE ANY OTHER

We saw so many lions here. And we were the only tourists around.

Our stay here also coincided with my birthday, so in a way it was doubly memorable.

This is the safari experience as almost no one will ever experience it – and I honestly cannot think of a more appropriate place to spend  a birthday, for someone on a never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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DOUBLE THE SIZE OF SWITZERLAND

The Selous is about 55,000 square kilometers in size, and I’d probably be vastly overestimating things if I told you there were more than 300 people in this 55,000 square kilometers.

That’s about half the size of Mindanao or double the size of Switzerland, by the way, according to the Travel Companion, who googled facts about the Selous while we were there.

We had no WiFi or mobile signal for the most part, save for when we had lunch at the main house each day. So lunch was prime googling time for him, and blogging time for me. We would sit on the rooftop of the main house and we would both have our iPads out until the food was served.

I usually bring my Macbook Pro on trips, but I switched to the iPad for this trip to Tanzania, as we had a very strict weight limit on those tiny safari airplanes.

THE FARTHEST CORNER OF NOWHERE

I loved this special view from the main house of our safari lodge

We were in the very farthest corner of it, as well, so the nearest village is about 100 kilometers away on rough dirt road that becomes unpassable in the rainy season.

You get the picture, I hope.

We were literally in the middle of nowhere.

A VERY SPECIAL LODGE

The reception area of The Retreat

The safari lodge was really very special.

It’s for people who’ve been there and done that, or for celebrities who want to get away from it all.

Or for those who just want one of the most unique experiences you’ll probably ever get in a lifetime. 

LOVELY AND RUSTIC

We were booked in the best villas in the lodge, called The Hippo Point, and it’s really lovely in a rustic way.

The more I think about this stay, the more I appreciate how special it was.

If you’re used to the five-star deluxe hotel experience, this probably isn’t first for you as it’s not a Hollywood-set type of safari lodge with a polished butler at your beck and call. But considering where we are — meaning in the middle of nowhere — it was a truly surreal and luxurious experience.

Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi stayed in this exact same set of villas just a month before we did, and they reportedly loved it.

This is perfect for celebrities because it’s just you and the animals. Try getting the paparazzi in there.

WINE, CHAMPAGNE AND HIPPOS

On our first night, the lodge’s six guests had wine and champagne right by the river, with a hundred hippos and a couple of crocs in attendance.

There was a full–fledged fantastic set-up, and there we were with only two other couples. 

A HONEYMOON IN THE SELOUS

One of the couples, from Belgium, had been here on their honeymoon just in June.

And then they were were back again for a longer stay just a few months later.

They told us: “We’ve been everywhere in Tanzania, but this is really special. This is really nature, and not a Hollywood set for guests paying stiff fees to see animals in the wild.”

On our first night, the lodge only had six guests. We all sat by the river enjoying cocktails at sunset. And then we dined in this same place by lanterns and moonlight.

On their honeymoon, they didn’t see much, but they loved the whole feeling of the lodge. 

That day, the husband proudly showed us on his iPad the most amazing photos of 6 lions he’d seen, a beautiful leopard, and even a very large elephant by the swimming pool where we’d just had lunch.

Yes, an elephant had walked in on them while they were having lunch!

AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

So this is the Selous experience. One day you may see nothing, and another day you may see everything. 

They don’t guarantee you the Big Five, but if you do happen to see a pride of lions walking around, you can almost be assure you’re going to be the only jeep oohing and aahing over it –– unlike in the more famous safari places elsewhere in Africa, such as Kenya’s Mara, where a pride of lions is bound to attract 20 jeeps from 10 safari lodges.

And there’s a jeep for every couple so you don’t need to share anything with strangers.

AFRICA AT ITS MOST PRISTINE

That’s our team at The Retreat, giving us a briefing upon arrival

You just have to be in the right frame of mind for this.

This isn’t an Out of Africa experience, the way so many other luxury safari lodges are. This is Africa at it’s most unreserved and pristine.

Thinking about it now, it was truly a pure, undiluted safari experience.

Of course, there were some drawbacks.

SIMPLE BUT SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

The lodge is beautiful, but it’s not a Hollywood period film set, the way some of the other top lodges are.

The service is also pretty simple, if you’re used to staying in some of the world’s best safari places.

Food choices are also limited compared to other places we stayed in, because of the limitations of the location. Every single thing has to be flown in, and the nearest supermarket is only reachable by airplane.

But, in many ways, this was a Travelife at its best.

And I wouldn’t have exchanged this special experience for anywhere else in the world.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

As for my birthday dinner, what a nice evening that was.

I actually never pay attention to my birthday, in general, because everyday is a wonderful and special day in a never-ending Travelife. 

I specifically asked the Travel Companion not to tell anyone at the lodge that it was my birthday, as I didn’t want any fuss.

But the hotel staff arranged for cocktails and dinner by our private swimming pool, at the very edge of a place where about 100 hippos bathe, under the moonlight.

It was a full moon, too, so there was a pretty glow everywhere.

Not a bad way to turn another year older in a never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

The post Best of a Travelife 2013: The Retreat in the Selous area of Tanzania. The most remote luxury lodge in the world. appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.