Last week I shared what it was like to stay in spacious accommodations while cruising down the Mekong River.  Being landlocked also provided some unique living quarters .   I will now share my experiences in Kenya and Tanzania. including views like the above taken from my bathroom floor-to-ceiling window in my Serengeti lodge.

In fact, my experience in Africa was so extraordinary in that wherever I looked the sights took my breath away, which is to say – I am counting down the time until I can visit again.   In the meantime let me share with you the icing on my Africa journey – some over the top lodges, tents and cottages.

The lodge in the Serengeti is right in the middle of one of the world’s most awesome wildlife reserves where a photographer such as myself was in constant overload seeing beautiful creatures everywhere.  Since these wild animals are running free, the lodge is perched on a series of elevated platforms and walkways, providing architectural beauty that blends seamlessly with the natural beauty of the reserve:

Not all of the accommodations  in Africa were raised above the ground – some were actually in the middle of areas where wildlife moved freely – impalas as well as their predators – cheetah, etc.  In fact, whenever I walked outside I had to be guided by a Masai warrior who whacked a long stick all around to hopefully chase all danger away.  While I was not sure that would really frighten off a cheetah, nevertheless I never felt in jeopardy. A male impala, however took a liking to me and actually walked me from my lodge to the main house quite a few times – heavenly.

This was  my cottage in Amboseli National Park in Kenya at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro:

The blackout curtains could be rolled all the way up to get a great 360 degree view:

 

Then there is the cottage of Gibb’s Farm near the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, which could qualify as a summer home, complete with two sided fireplace (bedroom and bathroom) and indoor and outdoor showers:

To end this post, this is the serenade we received every night as sunset – pure bliss: