点评:This was our first stay at Kichaka Zumbua Camp and we loved every minute of it. We had our eyes on Ruaha and a "real" walking safari for a while and we are glad that we waited to do this with Moli.
The camp itself is worth a visit. Located virtually in the middle of nowhere and built by the camp owners (and legendary walking guide) Moli+Noelle and their team themselves, it is a stunning intimate property which consists of only three beautifully designed suites. Each suite has its own private mini pool or "outdoor sunken bath" to cool off and bring down your body temperature after a long walk in the bush and even your own viewing point. The interior is beautifully designed with authentic wooden furniture built out of a 200year old ship wreck. There is a fan installed on top of the bed to help with the heat. I especially loved the bathroom, which is spacious and offers a stunning view into the bush (no canvas or the like). Despite being truly open, there was no issue with baboons etc. as the team goes to great lengths to not habituate the animals to find food at camp.
What makes this place truly special though are the guided walking safaris with Moli and Moyo through the bush. While other camps suspend their walking safaris because of the weather and vegetation, Kichaka will not rest until you have had an opportunity to sneak up to some elephants. You may have to conquer high grass or get your feet a little bit (or even very much) dirty on the muddy paths, but it is well worth it and truly adventurous. Getting to stand close to a large elephant bull who is completely oblivious to your presence is humbling. Occasionally, it can happen that the elephant notices your presence. The moment, when he becomes alert, lifting his head to scan the area or even go into a mock charge is exhilarating but not for the faint of heart. We did feel very safe with the team at all times though. Even when you do not see large animals, the walks could never be boring even for an instant. There will be birds to look at, trees to learn about and countless lessons and stories, delivered by Moli with a fevered passion and a talent to ignite a spark for anything wild - be it a plant or a dung beetle – that few possess. Story time will not end after the bush walk, but can often continue during the meals. Books could be filled with the adventures of Moli, experienced during his 25years in the bush.
The productivity of the game drives (5h walk in the morning, game drive in the afternoon) depends most likely on the season. During rain season, we did not see big cats, but many elephants who did show a strong reaction to the car, which we were not used to from other parks where elephants are more used to them. Another big plus is the privacy of the game drive experience as no other cars come to this remote area.
The staff is lovely, warm and welcoming and the food is delicious while not overly fancy.
The drive from the airstrip will be very long but it is essentially a long game drive and you could not have the same private experience if the camp was less remote.
We are very excited to come back.
翻译:这是我们第一次入住 Kichaka Zumbua 营地,我们喜欢在这里的每一分钟。我们已经关注鲁阿哈和一次“真正的”徒步旅行一段时间了,我们很高兴我们等待着与莫利一起进行这件事。
营地本身就值得一游。它几乎位于荒无人烟的地方,由营地主人(兼传奇徒步向导)Moli+Noelle 及其团队亲自建造,是一处令人惊叹的私密酒店,仅由三间设计精美的套房组成。每间套房均设有自己的私人迷你泳池或“室外下沉式浴缸”,可让您在丛林中长途跋涉后降温并降低体温,甚至还有自己的观景台。内部设计精美,配有用 200 年历史的沉船建造的正宗木制家具。床顶安装了一个风扇以帮助散热。我特别喜欢浴室,它很宽敞,可以欣赏到灌木丛的壮丽景色(没有帆布或类似的东西)。尽管是真正开放的,但狒狒等没有问题,因为团队竭尽全力不让动物习惯在营地寻找食物。
这个地方真正的特别之处在于,在导游的带领下,Moli 和 Moyo 穿过灌木丛进行步行探险。虽然其他营地因天气和植被原因而暂停徒步旅行,但 Kichaka 不会休息,直到您有机会偷偷接近大象。您可能需要征服高高的草丛,或者在泥泞的小路上弄脏双脚(甚至非常脏),但这是非常值得的,而且真正具有冒险精神。站在一头巨大的公象旁边,而它完全没有注意到你的存在,这让人感到谦卑。有时,大象可能会注意到您的存在。当他变得警觉时,抬起头扫视该区域,甚至进行模拟冲锋的那一刻是令人兴奋的,但不适合胆小的人。不过,我们在团队中始终感到非常安全。即使看不到大型动物,散步也不会一刻无聊。这里有鸟儿可供观赏,有树木可供学习,还有无数的教训和故事,莫利以狂热的热情和天赋为任何野生动物(无论是植物还是粪甲虫)点燃火花,而这些都是很少有人拥有的。故事时间不会在丛林漫步后结束,但通常可以在用餐期间继续。书中充满了莫利在丛林中 25 年所经历的冒险经历。
驾车游猎的效率(早上散步 5 小时,下午驾车游猎)很可能取决于季节。在雨季,我们没有看到大型猫科动物,但许多大象确实对汽车表现出强烈的反应,这是我们在其他公园所不习惯的,因为大象更习惯它们。另一个很大的优点是游戏驾驶体验的私密性,因为没有其他车辆来到这个偏远地区。
工作人员很可爱、热情、热情,食物很美味,但又不过于花哨。
从机场出发的车程会很长,但这本质上是一次长途旅行,如果营地不那么偏远,您就无法获得相同的私人体验。
我们很高兴能回来。