Wow, did the Half Moon Resort have beautiful landscaping and gardens.  Lush greenery and flowering plants were everywhere you looked.  I saw two colors of ginger flower, many different varieties of hibiscus, as well as other tropical flowers, not to mention the amazing shades of green found in the foliage throughout the resort. 

The gardens surrounding the Fern Tree Spa also included gorgeous water features- a pool and a wall fountain.  The running water is a clever way to make the treatment rooms restful, as other sounds are smoothed over by the relaxing sounds of the fountains.  At the back of the spa garden, there is also a labyrinth laid out in stone.  What a peaceful spot!

One of the things I loved the most about Round Hill was the enormous vegetable garden on the property. The garden is located at the top of the hill, a quick walk in the cool mornings-a longer walk during the heat of the day!

Heading out from Nairobi, our first stop in Kenya was Tortilis Camp, which is located in a conservancy adjoining Amboseli National Park.  Amboseli is known for its large herds of elephants.  Cynthia Moss has studied the elephant families in the park for generations and many elephants in the park are followed closely by researchers.  Amboseli is also noted for the incredible views of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is on the border of Kenya and Tanzania.  However, depending on the cloud cover, you will not always be able to see the mountain.  We were lucky to get several really good views while we were there.  Tortilis Camp has some beautiful vantage points of Kilimanjaro, and due to the clear weather, we were often able to see it from the main dining area and bar.

Giraffe Manor is nothing short of magical and I was so happy to return for a second visit two nights in June. Our British Airways flight arrived in the evening and we encountered quite a line at immigration, but we were warmly greeted and offered drinks and dinner despite the late hour of our check in.  The staff at Giraffe Manor is very helpful and friendly across the board, check in time is no exception.  We stayed in Marlon's Room our first night, the only room available when we booked.  It is small, and does not have giraffes visit for pre-breakfast treats.  We moved to Daisy's Room the next morning, which has a small terrace and a nice view out over the patio and the wooded area where the giraffes sometimes hang out (see below.)  To be sure you get a room that has giraffes come directly to the window, book very early!  No matter where your room is, you will have visiting time with giraffes at breakfast, in the breakfast room and along the patio. You will also get to feed giraffes at tea time.

Our next stop after Phinda was the AndBeyond Ngala Tented Camp. The Tented Camp is nearby the Ngala Safari Lodge, but is a separate entity.  To reach Ngala from Phinda, we were able to fly directly from one airstrip to another. While this is usually more costly than taking scheduled flights followed by a road transfer, it is worthwhile to ask about including it in your rate.  The time saved may be worth the cost.  Our transfer was included in our rate as we booked everything through AndBeyond.

The absolute highlight of Ngala Tented Camp was the wildlife available for viewing. The tents, the food, and the guides were fantastic-but the game viewing was just incredible.  I was blown away by the leopard and wild dog sightings.  These are animals you do not reliably see on game drives, so it was a real thrill.  We also spotted smaller animals such as jackals, which I had not had much luck viewing in the past.  In addition, we saw lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, and many other animals.

Other things I liked about about Ngala Tented Camp:

• There were maximum 6 people per car in open topped vehicles for game drives.
• Very attentive management-they were on top of communication related to transfers and logistics.
• Conservation minded staff-one of the rangers started a non-profit aimed at stopping rhino poaching, which was fully supported  by camp management and staff.
• Before dinner, the managers and rangers gathered with guests for drinks and appetizers.  This created a nice time to socialize with other guests if you wished, but was easy to skip if you were tired and just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed.

I was so happy with my stay at Ngala Tented Camp that I am planning a return visit next summer.  Wild dogs do move their dens and territories quite frequently, so I am hoping above all that they return to Ngala's game driving concession.  ​