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Masai Mara and Melting Pot Safari... So disappointed!
Hello everyone,
I imagine many of you have been captivated by the Masai Mara park and/or your safari experience with Tony Crocetta/Melting Pot Safari. Still, I’d like to share my perspective. First, I’m an avid traveler, especially in love with Africa, which my partner and I have explored a bit (Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia...). That said, I want to express my deep disappointment with both the Masai Mara and Tony Crocetta’s camp, Melting Pot Safari, where we stayed last year.
First, about the park: it’s stunning, no doubt. But what a highly touristy place! I can’t find the words to describe the horror of being among 30 4x4 vehicles lined up in front of a lioness hunt, let alone encircling her right after her kill while her prey is still alive in her jaws... no respect for wildlife. The same goes for surrounding a young leopard playing with its small prey, a moment when I counted over 50 vehicles, most with their engines running... sickening. I turned away, both my gaze and my camera. What a disaster to see this natural wonder of Africa turned into a tourist hotspot.
Yes, I loved this place on Earth, but no, I won’t "promote" it anywhere or to anyone.
Next, I also wanted to share my dissatisfaction with Tony Crocetta’s famous camp, Melting Pot Safari: where to begin? We booked a private vehicle for four with two friends, and I have no complaints about the vehicle itself (though it obviously came at a cost). The windows and the vehicle weren’t very photo-friendly, but let’s move on. The trip between the sisters’ guesthouse (which was fine) and the camp went smoothly, except we arrived a bit too late. Result: "We’ll leave for the safari an hour later today because the driver has to respect his rest hours." Perfect—with park formalities, we only spent about an hour in the park that evening. The safari got off to a great start... During our 12-day stay, we saw some amazing things. Tony wasn’t at the camp—I don’t know what the atmosphere is like when he’s there, but it was rather cold during our trip. Sylvie, his wife, barely looked at us, never asking how our day, night, or game drive went (I think she spoke to us once during the stay, plus the day we arrived, of course). We felt invisible... (if I were mean, I’d say the money had already been deposited into Melting Pot’s bank account.) The evening meals, if I may say so, were a joke: not enough dessert (aside from fruit, but the few elaborate desserts—like 10 for 18 guests) for everyone, barely enough meat or sides. If you were unlucky like us and ended up with a group of 15 people who decided to skip the starter, you’d better hurry to get your main course, or there might not be any left—and no refills... We always ate our fill, but sometimes we had to serve ourselves in advance. Finally, I want to correct something about the quality of the meals: seriously, this buffet was really mediocre and far from the culinary standards I’d read about in my pre-trip research (see their Facebook page). Anyway, let’s move past the food—after all, the avocados were sublime, and we’re not there primarily to eat.
About the tent: the river views were beautiful, and the beds were very comfortable. No running water, individual showers outside the tent, and dry toilets—but it’s Africa, so we weren’t shocked. However, I’m disappointed that for this "modest" price, I wasn’t warned there’d be no soap (and no, I don’t travel with my own soap—and for the price, a little bar in the tent wouldn’t be a luxury). But let’s move on—the hippo views were fantastic. Oh, and to preserve the Masai Mara’s water (which makes sense) and for hygiene reasons, underwear isn’t washed by the camp staff—fair enough. But then what’s that little sign next to the bed? Oh right, for a hefty sum, underwear suddenly becomes "washable"...
Finally, my biggest gripe is about the essential part: the game drives. In France, they sell you a dream with a "photo safari" (what’s the difference, really? A room with a few more electrical outlets?). They promise guides especially suited for photography (not a given, sorry) and vehicles that can get close to animals and go off-road... but here’s the catch: the guides are bound by park laws and hounded by rangers looking to fine rule-breakers. Result: as soon as a white ranger vehicle is spotted, we have to abandon our spot for a wild chase through the grass. Fun once... The next day, we learned that another group’s guide got caught and had to pay $100 for breaking the rules—a sum he casually asked the travelers in his vehicle to cover... because of course, Melting Pot lures tourists with dreams, the poor rangers try to get close, all while breaking park laws... and they break those laws for Crocetta’s company, which, of course, won’t dip into its profits to pay the fines. Basically, it’s "keep the clients happy, but don’t get fined—or the fines are on you or you’ll have to ask the clients directly." Nice boss! Anyway, there were long discussions about this last year, especially among the guests in the fined vehicle. My partner and I found these practices unacceptable, and we were deeply disappointed by this attitude.
I know many people adore this park and/or this company—maybe you were luckier... or maybe you’re less demanding than we are when it comes to respecting rules, nature, and clients. But after traveling through much of southern Africa, I can tell you we personally came back frustrated from this experience and aren’t eager to return... You’ve been warned.
I imagine many of you have been captivated by the Masai Mara park and/or your safari experience with Tony Crocetta/Melting Pot Safari. Still, I’d like to share my perspective. First, I’m an avid traveler, especially in love with Africa, which my partner and I have explored a bit (Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia...). That said, I want to express my deep disappointment with both the Masai Mara and Tony Crocetta’s camp, Melting Pot Safari, where we stayed last year.
First, about the park: it’s stunning, no doubt. But what a highly touristy place! I can’t find the words to describe the horror of being among 30 4x4 vehicles lined up in front of a lioness hunt, let alone encircling her right after her kill while her prey is still alive in her jaws... no respect for wildlife. The same goes for surrounding a young leopard playing with its small prey, a moment when I counted over 50 vehicles, most with their engines running... sickening. I turned away, both my gaze and my camera. What a disaster to see this natural wonder of Africa turned into a tourist hotspot.
Yes, I loved this place on Earth, but no, I won’t "promote" it anywhere or to anyone.
Next, I also wanted to share my dissatisfaction with Tony Crocetta’s famous camp, Melting Pot Safari: where to begin? We booked a private vehicle for four with two friends, and I have no complaints about the vehicle itself (though it obviously came at a cost). The windows and the vehicle weren’t very photo-friendly, but let’s move on. The trip between the sisters’ guesthouse (which was fine) and the camp went smoothly, except we arrived a bit too late. Result: "We’ll leave for the safari an hour later today because the driver has to respect his rest hours." Perfect—with park formalities, we only spent about an hour in the park that evening. The safari got off to a great start... During our 12-day stay, we saw some amazing things. Tony wasn’t at the camp—I don’t know what the atmosphere is like when he’s there, but it was rather cold during our trip. Sylvie, his wife, barely looked at us, never asking how our day, night, or game drive went (I think she spoke to us once during the stay, plus the day we arrived, of course). We felt invisible... (if I were mean, I’d say the money had already been deposited into Melting Pot’s bank account.) The evening meals, if I may say so, were a joke: not enough dessert (aside from fruit, but the few elaborate desserts—like 10 for 18 guests) for everyone, barely enough meat or sides. If you were unlucky like us and ended up with a group of 15 people who decided to skip the starter, you’d better hurry to get your main course, or there might not be any left—and no refills... We always ate our fill, but sometimes we had to serve ourselves in advance. Finally, I want to correct something about the quality of the meals: seriously, this buffet was really mediocre and far from the culinary standards I’d read about in my pre-trip research (see their Facebook page). Anyway, let’s move past the food—after all, the avocados were sublime, and we’re not there primarily to eat.
About the tent: the river views were beautiful, and the beds were very comfortable. No running water, individual showers outside the tent, and dry toilets—but it’s Africa, so we weren’t shocked. However, I’m disappointed that for this "modest" price, I wasn’t warned there’d be no soap (and no, I don’t travel with my own soap—and for the price, a little bar in the tent wouldn’t be a luxury). But let’s move on—the hippo views were fantastic. Oh, and to preserve the Masai Mara’s water (which makes sense) and for hygiene reasons, underwear isn’t washed by the camp staff—fair enough. But then what’s that little sign next to the bed? Oh right, for a hefty sum, underwear suddenly becomes "washable"...
Finally, my biggest gripe is about the essential part: the game drives. In France, they sell you a dream with a "photo safari" (what’s the difference, really? A room with a few more electrical outlets?). They promise guides especially suited for photography (not a given, sorry) and vehicles that can get close to animals and go off-road... but here’s the catch: the guides are bound by park laws and hounded by rangers looking to fine rule-breakers. Result: as soon as a white ranger vehicle is spotted, we have to abandon our spot for a wild chase through the grass. Fun once... The next day, we learned that another group’s guide got caught and had to pay $100 for breaking the rules—a sum he casually asked the travelers in his vehicle to cover... because of course, Melting Pot lures tourists with dreams, the poor rangers try to get close, all while breaking park laws... and they break those laws for Crocetta’s company, which, of course, won’t dip into its profits to pay the fines. Basically, it’s "keep the clients happy, but don’t get fined—or the fines are on you or you’ll have to ask the clients directly." Nice boss! Anyway, there were long discussions about this last year, especially among the guests in the fined vehicle. My partner and I found these practices unacceptable, and we were deeply disappointed by this attitude.
I know many people adore this park and/or this company—maybe you were luckier... or maybe you’re less demanding than we are when it comes to respecting rules, nature, and clients. But after traveling through much of southern Africa, I can tell you we personally came back frustrated from this experience and aren’t eager to return... You’ve been warned.
Randonnée au départ d'Autoire (Lot)
Bonjour à toutes et tous les ami-e-s randonneuses et randonneurs,
J'envisage de faire une randonnée au départ d'Autoire en boucle sur quelques jours (départ et arrivée à Autoire) cet été. Ce serait l'occasion pour moi de laisser mes affaires et ma voiture chez une amie. Je connais un peu la région mais pas assez par ses petits chemins. Et surtout pas assez pour organiser cette randonnée. La boucle durerait 4 à 5 jours.
J'attends avec impatience vos conseils sur le parcours, 25 à 30 kilomètres par jour, et l'hébergement.
D'avance mille mercis.
Claude,
J'envisage de faire une randonnée au départ d'Autoire en boucle sur quelques jours (départ et arrivée à Autoire) cet été. Ce serait l'occasion pour moi de laisser mes affaires et ma voiture chez une amie. Je connais un peu la région mais pas assez par ses petits chemins. Et surtout pas assez pour organiser cette randonnée. La boucle durerait 4 à 5 jours.
J'attends avec impatience vos conseils sur le parcours, 25 à 30 kilomètres par jour, et l'hébergement.
D'avance mille mercis.
Claude,
Randonnée au départ de Douarnenez en suivant la côte
Bonjour,
J'aimerais bien avoir votre avis sur un parcours de randonnée prévu cet été :
Jour 1. Douarnenez – Beuzec Cap Sizun ;
Jour 2. Beuzec Cap Sizun – Baie des Trépassés ;
Jour 3. Baie des Trépassés – Audierne ;
Jour 4. Audierne – Plovan ;
Jour 5. Plovan – Chapelle Saint-Vio ;
Jour 6. Chapelle Saint-Vio – Saint-Guénolé-Pennmarc'h ;
Jour 7. Saint-Guénolé-Pennmarc'h – Loctudy ;
Jour 8. Loctudy – Sainte-Marine ;
Jour 9. Sainte-Marine – Beg-Meil ;
Jour 10. Beg-Meil – Concarneau ;
Jour 11. Concarneau – Raguenez ;
Jour 12. Raguenez – Pont-Aven ;
Jour 13. Pont-Aven – Riec-sur-Belon.
Il y a deux étapes de 29 kilomètres, 7 heures et demi à 8 heures de marche. Le reste tourne autour de 5 à 6 heures. Est-ce réaliste pour deux bons marcheurs ? Nous allons, sur ces étapes, chercher ensuite les hébergements : gites ou camping. Merci de vos conseils. Claude
Il y a deux étapes de 29 kilomètres, 7 heures et demi à 8 heures de marche. Le reste tourne autour de 5 à 6 heures. Est-ce réaliste pour deux bons marcheurs ? Nous allons, sur ces étapes, chercher ensuite les hébergements : gites ou camping. Merci de vos conseils. Claude
GR 34 au départ de Douarnenez vers Pointe-du Raz, puis Concarneau
Bonjour à toutes et tous,
Nouvellement inscrit, je viens de découvrir votre lieu d'échange et d'entraide (ou forum 😏)
Je commence à préparer une randonnée pour cet été (juillet ou août) sur 15 jours au départ de Douarnenez. Plusieurs questions se posent à moi :
1) J'espère pouvoir atteindre Concarneau au terme des quinze jours. Est-ce réaliste pour un bon marcheur ?
2) Concernant l'hébergement, quelles sont les solutions les plus pratiques et les moins éloignées du GR 34 qui s'offrent à moi ? * camping sauvage ? * gîtes ? oui mais comment les repérer ? * Hôtels très proches ou pas loin du GR 34 ?
D'avance merci de m'accueillir et de m'aider dans ma préparation.
Claude
Nouvellement inscrit, je viens de découvrir votre lieu d'échange et d'entraide (ou forum 😏)
Je commence à préparer une randonnée pour cet été (juillet ou août) sur 15 jours au départ de Douarnenez. Plusieurs questions se posent à moi :
1) J'espère pouvoir atteindre Concarneau au terme des quinze jours. Est-ce réaliste pour un bon marcheur ?
2) Concernant l'hébergement, quelles sont les solutions les plus pratiques et les moins éloignées du GR 34 qui s'offrent à moi ? * camping sauvage ? * gîtes ? oui mais comment les repérer ? * Hôtels très proches ou pas loin du GR 34 ?
D'avance merci de m'accueillir et de m'aider dans ma préparation.
Claude
