At 4:30 in the afternoon land was spotted; land with snow and ice covering it. It was quite strange to travel for almost two complete days without seeing land. Imagine being in a city at the edge of the earth, travelling 24 hours without seeing land and finally seeing land again. These were only the Shetland Islands which are reached before the Antarctic Peninsula.
We sailed between Robert and Greenwich Islands.
Because the Drake Passage was crossed in record time, we were able to take our first zodiac landing.
We dropped anchor at Aitcho Island (HO Island).
There they were; soo many penguins, Gentoo and Chinstrap!!
Also saw fur seals, Great Southern Petrel nests and Pale-faced Sheathbills
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.