October 2004 Article                      

The Ultimate Theme Party: A Safari in East Africa
Interview with Marika MacGregor of Micato Safaris, winner of Travel & 
Leisure's "The World's Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter"

“..I had not sat by a camp fire for three years, and so sitting there again listening to the lions far out in the darkness was like returning to the really true world again.”
Karen von Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Out of Africa

Echoing the words of Dinesen, Marika Macgregor, a modern day visitor to Africa recalls, “When I’m on Safari in Kenya, standing up in the safari vehicle looking out over the Mara Plains, I feel like this is the best place in the world. All your pain and worries go away. This is where the world began and this is how it was supposed to be.” 

• Cosmopolitan Nairobi 
• Wildlife and wilderness unequalled anywhere else in the world. 
• True remoteness yet surprising luxury in a deluxe tented camp from the Out of Africa period.
• Well-equipped spaces for meetings of up to 200, team building activities that mimic the famous Survivor TV show (and take place on its site), and inspirational speakers whose names are known around the world.

How large can your group be? Micato has arranged tours for groups ranging from 4 to 1,200. A more normal size would be 75 to 120, though groups of 20 to 25 allow for 
the most intimate experiences. Larger groups can be broken into subgroups.

Essentials before you talk to a safari provider. Size of group. Type of group. Time you want to travel. How many days you can spend. And, your budget, which is essential to know in the early planning stage and before a proposal can go out, Marika says.

Ballpark costs. Flights to Africa range from $1,250-$1,800 Economy or $5,000 and up for Business Class. Land portion in Africa would run about $500 per person per day.

When to go. Marika loves May and November, but says anytime is good. Though on the equator, Kenya has temperatures consistently in the 70s year-round because of the altitude. Sweaters may be needed in the morning and after sunset.

What types of groups go on safaris. Incentives, of course. President’s clubs. Professional societies. Boards of directors. Association members. Corporate retreats.

Team Building. Stage a Survivor competition at Shaba where the Survivor TV series was filmed. Teams would compete in spear toss, goat milking, miniature mud hut building, beadwork and samburu dancing (jumping for height).

Guest Lecturers. 

• Elder Ben Kipeno, who has developed a unique educational village designed to teach and assist the local tribesmen to co-exist and benefit from the presence of wildlife tourism. 
• Maeve Leakey, head of the Division of Palaeontology, National Museums of Kenya and coordinator of the National Museums' palaeontological field research in the Turkana basin. Wife of Richard Leakey
• Louise Leakey, researcher at the National Museums of Kenya and third generation of the famous family of paleontologists, daughter of Richard and Meave Leakey and granddaughter of Louis and Mary Leakey. 
• Dr. Cornelius Loiting’idaki Mollel, a consultant on environmental and wildlife conservation issues and vice-chairman of the East African Wildlife Society.
• Daphne Sheldrick, founder of a wildlife foundation and animal orphanage in honor of her late husband David, first game warden of Tsayo National Park. An authority on the successful raising of infant elephant and rhinoceros orphans and re-integrating them into the wild. 

Sample Tour Highlights:

Nairobi, cosmopolitan capital of Kenya with a thriving shopping and business district. Excursions from here to a tea estate in the highlands, the home of Karen Blixen, and the National Museum and Giraffe Centre, where visitors handfeed Rothschild giraffes.
Amboseli, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, home to large herds of elephants
Lake Manyara, a game park with elephants, baboons, leopards, big cats, and stunning birdlife.
Ngorongoro Crater. The world’s largest, unflooded and unbroken caldera, containing the largest concentration of animals in Africa. Lodges sit on the rim providing spectacular views of the crater and its wildlife.
Maasai Mara, a celebrated reserve where guests enjoy the unique atmosphere of yesteryear’s safaris, under canvas in a luxurious tented camp. Here travelers visit a tribal village and meet a Maasai elder.
Mount Kenya Safari Club. In the 1950s, actor William Holden turned this once private home into one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. It is sited on the lush lower slopes of Mount Kenya with spectacular views of the snow-capped peaks.

Once in a Lifetime Experiences

Mock Attack 
Quietly absorbing the peace and beauty of an African night, guests are in for a startling surprise. Suddenly, from behind trees and bushes, leap long-limbed Maasai warriors waving gleaming spears. Their mock charge is awe-inspiring in its authenticity. Later they demonstrate traditional dances, their proud profiles and spearheads reflecting the amber light of the flames. 

Welcome Equator Ceremony
As you arrive at the Club, you are welcomed at the gate by Chukka drummers beating African drums and you are handed a steaming towel to wipe yourself free of "safari dust." Next, you are ushered to a section of the lawn where a platform has been erected.
After enjoying a thirst-quenching fruit drink, each guest is summoned to the platform to receive an equator certificate from the Chief of the Chukkas who has "signed" each one with his thumbprint! Truly a unique way to celebrate crossing the equator!

Playing golf at the Mount Kenya Safari Club
Where else in the world can you cross back and forth across the equator while playing short par three nine holes? Each of the nine holes is laid out in such a way that players must strive for their most accurate shots. Hole number three offers every golfer the longest drive of a lifetime. While the distance measures only 174 yards, the tee is in the Southern Hemisphere and the green in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Hot Air Balloon Safari
After a daybreak lift-off in the crisp clear air, you float only a few hundred feet above the herds of wildlife. Dawn breaks over the horizon as the drama of life in the wild unfolds below you. A lioness on the prowl with her cubs occasionally will glance up at you as you float by, while the great herds are oblivious to your presence. After approximately sixty glorious minutes, touch down for a champagne breakfast in the ‘wild’ on the Mara plains.

On Safari in South Africa

South Africa greets visitors with a different, but equally rewarding experience. A typical safari there would include stops in Cape Town and Johannesburg, game watching in Kruger National Park, and a sojourn at Londonlozi Private Game Reserve, voted the world’s best small hotel in the 2003 Travel & Leisure Awards. Fascinating side trips could include a luxurious steam rail trip, a tour and tasting at wineland estates, a journey to Victoria Falls, and an overnight in a tented safari camp in Botswana. South Africa can accommodate meetings for larger groups.

About Micato Safaris

Founded 30 years ago, Micato Safaris is a family run operation headed by Felix Pinto, chairman; and his wife, Jane, executive director. His son, Dennis; daughter, Anna; and daughter-in-law Joy, are all in the business. Micato Safaris opened an office in India in 1990 and also arranges incentives and meetings in that exotic land. For the past two consecutive years, Micato has been named “The World’s Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter” by readers of Travel & Leisure magazine.

“You may leave Africa, but Africa will never leave you.”
Ernest Hemingway

For more on Micato Safaris, contact your GEP representative or e-mail newsletter@theeventinsider.com.

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