{"id":5448,"date":"2016-11-16T11:17:17","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T11:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/AFRICAtime\/?p=5448"},"modified":"2020-07-20T11:20:44","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T10:20:44","slug":"minals-top-picks-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/minals-top-picks-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Minal&#8217;s Top Picks in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Afrochic.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6972 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Afrochic.jpg\" alt=\"Afrochic Diani, Kenya, Africa\" width=\"600\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Afrochic.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Afrochic-447x300.jpg 447w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Most romantic stay<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">For me, <strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/kenya\/mombasa\/afrochic_diani\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Afrochic Diani<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0in Mombasa, Kenya, is an obvious choice for those searching for the ultimate romantic stay. Couples can enjoy romantic strolls along one of the best beaches in the world, relax with a couples spa treatment and feel totally spoilt in the care of the attentive and friendly staff. What\u2019s more, there are only 10 rooms at the hotel and plenty of places to find some privacy, which means you often feel as though you have the place to yourselves.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">The place I could go back to year after year<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Selous1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6977 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Selous1.jpg\" alt=\"Elephant at sunset in Selous, Tanzania, Africa\" width=\"700\" height=\"471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Selous1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Selous1-445x300.jpg 445w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">It has to be <a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/tanzania\/selous\/siwandu_safari_camp\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Siwandu Safari Camp<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Selous is one of my favourite parks in Tanzania, for its wild and varying landscapes and incredible game viewing, and for me, Siwandu Safari Camp is the jewel of Selous. This camp is all about the game viewing and with every visit comes a different wildlife encounter \u2013 when I was there I saw elephants and hippos around the camp and sat watching them \u00a0from my veranda \u2013 heaven.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Top of my bucket list<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Crater.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6973 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Crater.jpg\" alt=\"&amp;Beyond Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, Africa\" width=\"600\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Crater.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Crater-480x300.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The <strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/tanzania\/ngorongoro\/&amp;beyond_ngorongoro_crater_lodge\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">&amp;Beyond\u00a0Ngorongoro Crater Lodge<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong> is at the top of my bucket list. It\u2019s location on the edge of the wildlife-filled Ngorongo Crater in Tanzania is unrivalled and its luxury interiors from around the globe are something to be marvelled at. Butler service, stunning crater views, decadent afternoon teas and above all, world-class game viewing, are just some of the reasons why the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is at the top of my bucket list.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">The most impressive hotel I\u2019ve stayed in<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Fancourt.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6974 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Fancourt.jpg\" alt=\"Fancourt Hotel, South Africa\" width=\"700\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Fancourt.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Fancourt-580x300.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I was fortunate enough to stay at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/south_africa\/garden-route\/fancourt\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Fancourt<\/span> <\/strong><\/a>which is located along the garden route in South Africa. This place is absolutely beautiful. It\u2019s surrounded by lush gardens with views of a mountain range, which makes it a very peaceful spot from which to explore the Garden Route. The room I stayed in was huge and I was welcomed with champagne and wine. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff here \u2013 I felt totally spoilt!<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Something a bit different<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Minal.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6975 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Minal.jpg\" alt=\"Riding an ostrich in South Africa\" width=\"600\" height=\"580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Minal.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Minal-310x300.jpg 310w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">One of my more wacky experiences was riding an ostrich at Oudtshoorn in the Karoo in South Africa! It was pretty nerve-racking but they are such beautiful and graceful creatures that there was nothing to worry about. It\u2019s certainly something that my children are pretty impressed with though!<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Hidden gem<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/SelousLion.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6978\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/SelousLion.jpg\" alt=\"Lion  at sunset in Selous, Tanzania, Africa\" width=\"500\" height=\"766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/SelousLion.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/SelousLion-195x300.jpg 195w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I cannot communicate enough how truly special <a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/tanzania\/selous\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Selous National Park<\/span><\/strong><\/a> is. It really is a hidden gem on the Tanzania safari circuit and I\u2019m almost reluctant to let you in on the secret \u2013 it really is the best place to visit for a wild and authentic safari experience.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Something new<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/ParkHyatt.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive aligncenter wp-image-6976 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/ParkHyatt.jpg\" alt=\"Park Hyatt, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/ParkHyatt.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/ParkHyatt-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We\u2019ve just added <a href=\"http:\/\/www.somak.com\/tanzania\/zanzibar-stone-town\/park_hyatt_zanzibar\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Park Hyatt<\/span><\/strong><\/a> in Stone Town to our collection. Wow! This place is what Stone Town has been waiting for \u2013 it\u2019s perfect for travellers looking for a bit of luxury combined with lots of cultural experiences. Guests can walk to the town and arrange a spice tour from the hotel \u2013 it\u2019s a perfect place to relax after a busy day exploring Zanzibar\u2019s sights.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Speak to Minal to organise your Africa safari or beach holiday<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Call 020 8423 3000<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,30,24],"tags":[464,569,26,588,586],"class_list":["post-5448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kenya","category-south-africa","category-tanzania","tag-hidden-gem","tag-romance","tag-safari","tag-south-africa","tag-tanzania"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Small3.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5448"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11109,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448\/revisions\/11109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}