After breakfast we landed at Cuverville Island which is small & rocky and home to the largest Gentoo penguin colony in the region. Over 4800 breeding pairs of penguins! One thing you don't realize about penquins before you see them all in their natural habitat...they STINK! So, so stinky...you can smell the guano before the zodiac even pulls up to land if the wind is in your face!
For lunch we had an American style BBQ on the deck of the ship! So amazing to have a hamburger & corn on the cob while surrounded by glaciers. But you had to eat fast because the food got cold quickly!
Our afternoon landing was on Danco Island, which also has a large Gentoo penguin colony. There are spectacular views from the top of the island - cravassed glaciers all around the surrounding islands. We also saw humpback whales as we sailed the Errera Channel.
That night we finally got to go camping! I was under the impression that we would be in tents, but um...not so much. We slept in sleeping bags, inside bivvy bags right on the ice. Because you aren't allowed to leave anything behind on the protected land, we ate dinner on board the ship and got ready for bed (teeth brushing, etc.) before we left the ship for the night. Basically we were just allowed to sleep on land & we were back on board before breakfast. At our campsite we were each given a bottle of water and there was a bucket for...taking care of business. Now I am notorious for getting up in the middle of the night & try as I did to ignore the urge...but it ended up being one of my favorite memories from the trip. Hosea had promised to go with me, but was twisted up & stuck in his sleeping bag. So I ventured off into the dark of the Antarctic night all by myself, just me & my headlamp, the sound of ice & ocean all around. Made me feel both small & invincible at the same time. I know I keep saying this but it was...AMAZING!
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
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.