After cruising through the night, we arrived in Cologne on Tuesday. After all the traveling to get to Europe, it was so nice to relax on the boat Monday afternoon and evening. It really helped me recharge and be ready for our afternoon excursions in Cologne.
Cologne has 10 Christmas Markets and I was able to visit four of them. My friend and I chose to do a walking tour of Cologne and we had such a fantastic guide. He happened to be a local history teacher so he presented information that really enriched the experience. Once we went through important parts of the city with him and through the beautiful Gothic Cathedral, we were then set loose to enjoy the markets.
The Christmas Markets were surprisingly cute! I pictured a bunch of pop up tents but found stick built stalls with boardwalks and they all matched and were decorated. There is plenty to look at and enjoy, and they also had a lot to do. Enjoy some Gluewvein while strolling through the market looking at the hand made ornaments and shopping the Christmas Village decorations. Don't forget to try the food! If you don't know German, it may be useful to have an app to look up words. I found myself being quite unfamiliar with the food but it sure smelled good!
Cologne is also a fantastic stop if you would like some modern shopping. There is an endless strip of stores right off the main square of the cathedral. Make sure you have extra room in your suitcase!
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.