FUN-video: A&K Wild Life Safari: Around the World by Private Jet
December 29, 2022 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-video: A&K Wild Life Safari: Around the World by Private Jet
Day 1 – San Diego to Seattle – 3 hrs – 1 night Four Seasons Hotel
This was a trip of a lifetime! We departed San Diego on October 6th and returned October 29th from Boston. We weren’t even sure we were going until September 30th!
Had we known all the hoops we had to jump through (or how tiring it was going to be with all the time zone changes) we probably never would have done it.
Plus it was so close to our Northwest Passage trip and we only had 13 business days to get 3 visas!
It was amazing (greeted & treated like royalty in every country)…
…and magical (seeing all the animals & nature)…
…and SS (Shit Show) depending on the day. The plane broke down not once but twice!
Biggest win was getting to see the Bengal tiger so “up close and personal.”
FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Japan
December 29, 2022 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Japan
On October 7th we boarded our 757, configured with 48 first class fully reclining leather seats, for our eleven-hour flight. Crossing the International Dateline had us arriving the next afternoon where we spent 3 nights at the Peninsula in Tokyo.
Day 1 – To see the Macaques, AKA snow monkeys, we took a bus to the train station, boarded our 5-star Gran Class bullet train, and then took another bus ride to the park, which took 3+ hours. Once there we trekked up over a mile-and-a half to reach the natural hot springs that they love to hang out in.
Amazing & magical for sure! Especially since it rained the 2 days prior, and the monkeys were nowhere to be found. The sun was out when we reached the summit at the top of the stairs where over 60 of the sweet monkeys were playing and preening.
Day 2 – We toured the temples in Kamakura and saw the Sumo wrestlers.
FUN-fact– Our crew was from Iceland and the service felt like being on Pan Am in the 60’s! Caviar & Veuve Clicquot Champagne awaited us, and their “uniforms” changed with each country.
FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Philippines
December 29, 2022 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Philippines
Tokyo to Cebu – 5-hour flight – time change 1 hour back – 3 nights Shangri-La Mactan
Day 1 – We took a 30-minute helicopter flight from Cebu that landed on the grade school lawn, then lunch with a cultural show before heading to the Tarsier Sanctuary. We took tuk-tuk’s through town before our return flight.
FUN-fact: Tarsiers are the smallest primate with eyes like an owl, ears like a bat, tail like a monkey, size of a rat, and flat head like humans. They are primates like lemurs.
Day 2 – We took a 45-minute helicopter flight to swim with the Whale Sharks and then had a luscious lunch on the shore. While they are massive in size (reaching lengths of more than 40 feet and weights of nearly 50,000 pounds, which is about the size of a yellow school bus) they are extremely docile and feed on plankton.
FUN-fact: Whale sharks are not whales but are the largest fish in the world and called “gentle giants.”
FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Borneo & India
December 29, 2022 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Borneo & India
Cebu to Borneo – 1.5 hr flight – cancelled due to wing flap sensor malfunction – part coming from Iceland!
Day 3 – oh well SS (shit show) happens! Luckily, I booked the last available massage at 1. Then lobster lunch at 2:30 was so filling that we had to pass on the last-minute special dinner planned by our team at 6pm.
Plane part supposed to arrive 5 pm tomorrow, so a Cebu city tour is planned. Unfortunately, Chris did that and not the whale sharks because he thought he’d have to get in the water to see them.
Day 4 – 5:30 pm – YEAH! part arrives – Happy Hour pizza party on beach
Day 5 – Cebu to Borneo – 1.5 hr flight – plan is “go to the Orangutan Sanctuary and hop back on the jet” headed to Jaipur.
More SS as now the plane has a hydraulic seal issue! At least this part is coming from Kuala Lumpur.
- 1st stop – Orangutang & Honey Bear Rehabilitation Center – a bit disappointing since viewing is through a wall of glass
- 2nd stop – Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary
FUN-fact: In Cebu and Borneo we had police escorts thru town to stop traffic. Definitely felt like royalty!
Sabah Hotel Sandakan – (where we were supposed to stay on Day 3 & 4) re-books us and a cultural show with dinner.
Day 6 – 9 am tour back to sanctuary for feeding in hopes of seeing Orangutangs in the jungle. Got to see 1 plus lots of other monkeys scurrying and scattering to get the leftovers.
More FF: The A&K team did an incredibly great job at recovery! To have to cancel and then re-book all the transportation, hotels, local guides, etc. for over 60 people was truly amazing!
2 pm – Borneo to Jaipura – 7 hr flight – gain 2.5 hrs – arrive 6:30 pm – customs SS! Board motor coaches for 3+ hr drive to Rathambore – 11 pm arrive Oberois Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort for 3 nights
Not so FF: Totally missed out on all the festivies in Jaipur.
Day 1 – 1st drive 7 am – no tigers
- 2nd drive 3 pm – get ever so lucky! My Xena is definitely watching out for us as “Tony the Tiger” walks right in front of our jeep. Chris’ camera bag had bounced off the seat and spilled out. So, we stopped to put it all back and that’s when he crossed right in front of us. Then he started walking toward us, so driver put jeep in reverse. Watched him mark his spots by scratching the tree trunk and then took a big dump – incredibly exciting to say the least!
Day 2 – 5:45 am wake up for 1st game drive – no tigers but lots of birds and monkeys – back for breakfast at 10:30 – lunch at 1 followed by a nap and 90 min Balinese massage at 3 🙂
FF: Both nights great food and entertainment! Service incredible – all staff beyond accommodating – leaving us feeling ultimately pampered and spoiled!
Not so FF – The dirt roads are so heavily rutted due to rainy season just ending. The rocking and rolling jeep ride feels like you’re being rumbled and tumbled, jammed and slammed like rocks in a quarry.
FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Madagascar & Rwanda
December 29, 2022 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: A&K Private Jet Wild Life Safari – Madagascar & Rwanda
Jaipur to Madagascar – 7 hrs – gain 2.5 hrs – Ravintsara Wellness Center – 2 nights
5 am wakeup for 6:30 motor coach back to airport, arriving 11 am.
Not so FF – India Immigration is total SS! Both entering and leaving the country.
Arrive Nosy Be 4 pm – 1 hr bus ride to the “best hotel” but only 3*
Day 1 – 7:30 bus to 1 hr boat ride to Lemur Island for the “leaping, loving little guys” with lunch at remote rustic beach resort. Locals out in full force playing music, singing, and dancing. Dinners included cultural shows.
Madagascar to Rwanda – 3.5 hrs – gain 1 hr – One & Only Gorillas Nest – 3 nights
Take 3 hr jeep ride up the winding mountain road – this hotel is 5*++ over the top and got upgraded to a suite! And includes both indoor and outdoor showers and bathtubs overlooking the forest.
Day 1 – 8 am short jeep drive to village – trek for 2 km up narrow rocky, rooted, rutted path thru farmland – Volcanoes National Park has rock wall and steps over are rickety tree limbs, then only a short 5-minute walk to see the Golden Monkeys. We get to spend 1 hr before we trek back – 4hrs total
Day 2 – 8 am short drive to same village – trek for 2 km up different narrow rocky, rooted, rutted path thru farmland (like yesterday) with the addition of cows and sheep – entrance to park has some flat wood nailed to tree limbs so easier – only short walk to Muhoza Gorilla family of 21 gorillas – 1 silverback male, 11 females, 10 kids including babies – 1 hr with them 4.5 hrs total. And like the Oberois the service and entertainment were over the top!
FUN-fact: We have local guides who carry our bags and hold our hands to keep us steady.
More FF: – My name is drawn to land plane in Rwanda! How dare Chris suggest that Xena wasn’t around when they pulled the first name for takeoff!