We spent two days in Hungary, but I could easily spend two months. The country offers an incredible mix of awe inspiring architecture, distinctive cuisine, warm people, haunting music, and plenty of activities.
We started in Pecs, a university town that also has a nice walking area downtown. We visited the well preserved frescoes of early Christian tombs and then headed to Pecs cathedral for a brief demonstration of the excellent acoustics of the building that hosts many local musical events.
After Pecs, we continued upriver to Budapest where we bid farewell to the Amaserena and toured independently. Budapest is an incredibly walkable city and we were able to access many of the highlights in a single day.
We started with a climb to the top of St. Stephen's Basilica to gather our bearings and take in breathtaking views of the city.
From there, we walked to central Pest for some delicious (and crazily well priced lunch) and a chance to buy souvenirs for family at home. We found gorgeous crystal glasses for a fraction of the cost they would be at home and even took in some of the less traditional 'sites' such as the local Icebar. As the name suggests, the bar is completely made of ice and fortunately they provide parkas and gloves to wear when you enter.
After the Icebar, we continued on to Buda Castle and Chain Bridge. Then we circled back around to a barge on the Danube where we ate another incredibly affordable, delicious meal on the deck while watching the sun set over the castle.
Finally we finished the day at the Budapest Eye for a final glimpse of this beautiful city.
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.