Recommend November 2012 - (Page 57)

africa onsitereview S E P T E M B E R 2 0 12 AFRICAN RETREATS IN TANZANIA sergio ortiz Villa at Lupita Island. There are few places that overwhelm with a sense of remoteness and solitude and sumptuousness as Lupita, a speck of an island on Tanzania’s Lake Tanganyika. Its name means “the place where one goes” in Swahili—and this is where relaxation goes to reach new levels, and where the majestic beauty of the lake and its surroundings invariably make visitors feel like they’re intruding into a feral yet serene world in a country that just might be Africa’s most fascinating destination. Tanzania is where, under the Equatorial sun, adventure holds hands with unparalleled natural wonders. Its beauty and remoteness consistently rank it among the world’s most enthralling destinations. It’s less developed than South Africa, more remote than Kenya and it’s where one ﬁnds the truest examples of Africa in that vast, astonishing area of real estate that lies between Cairo and Cape Town. Coming here is a long trek that only begins upon arrival in Dar es Salaam—Tanzania’s ancient and weathered, trafﬁcclogged capital—after 10 hours in the air from London, a ﬂight made easier by the amenities and comfort British Airways offers on its “World Traveller Plus” section. Airline ofﬁcials say this service is “aimed to cost-conscious business travelers and discerning leisure passengers who want more space and privacy.” With a cabin featuring a 2-4-2 conﬁguration, the airplane format has reaped rave reviews. Dazed travelers arrive early in the morning and, after paying a $100 visa fee, will be jolted by the thoroughly African experience of noises, smells, confusion and general chaos. This is where the expertise of tour operators proves invaluable because they will maneuver guests through the sweltering maze of the airport and breeze through the bureaucratic process. New arrivals would do well to remember that the rewards lying just beyond the airport gates are worth the hassle. One of the tour operators that stands out with its efﬁciency while tendering Tanzania’s luxury side is Firelight Expeditions, founded in 1998 by Tom Lithgow and his wife Belinda. Firelight just might be the “go-to” company for those who want both upscale tastes and incomparable adventures in a country not generally known for its well-appointed side. Lithgow, a third generation Tanzanian from English ancestors who settled in the country decades before 1964— when Zanzibar and Tanganyika joined in the federation that comprises modern Tanzania—owns the remote luxury lake resort on Lupita Island as well as Palahala (“sable antelope”), a luxury safari tent camp in Katavi Province and Mwanga Moto (“ﬁrelight”), a plush seasonal mobile operation that shadows the great migration of wildebeest in the Serengeti Plain. The caveat of venturing into east Africa is that one should make allowances for long trips between destinations. While the distances aren’t particularly great, Tanzania’s infrastructure (only a handful of paved roads, non-existent roadside amenities and the overwhelming sense of having been shoved into the Third World) can frustrate and overwhelm. The country is determined to turn itself into a world-class destination and is presently upgrading the status of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) into a full-ﬂedged government authority to oversee all facets of tourism. Khamis Kagasheki, minister of tourism and natural resources, explains that the authority will be responsible for marketing Tanzania “as a destination, as well as managing all of [the country’s] tourism products.” He adds: “There’s a lot of work to do, but the authority will be in place by November 2013. Its main mission is to dramatically increase the number of visitors.” november 2012 57 SERGIO ORTIZ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Westin Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Connections by Abercrombie & Kent
Myanmar-The Place Where Time Stood Still
Portugal-Untapped Gem
River Cruising Continues to Make Big Waves
St. Barthelemy Avec Amour
This Plane is Going to Cuba
Colombia Rising
Puerto Vallarta
The Lure of Hawaii
A Ride on the Rocky Mountaineer
African Retreats in Tanzania

Recommend November 2012