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Author Archive | Gilles & Heidi

Nakhal And Rustaq

By on 23. December 2012 in Oman
Nakhal Fort, Nakhal, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula

Nakhal Fort, Nakhal, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula

The fortress of Nakhal was the perfect start for our “fortress hoping” in Oman. Its hilltop location makes it the perfect photo opportunity, probably the best of all Omani fortresses and we should know – we visited eight out the 500 in total! Sitting majestically on a small hill is one thing, but this superbly renovated fortress brings its past back to life. Rooms full of old furniture and tools put the visitors hundreds of years back in time. Construction started in the 9th century, but extensions and renovation only ended in 1990. Continue Reading →

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Muscat – The Myth

By on 23. December 2012 in Oman
City of Muscat, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula

City of Muscat, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula

Are we in Muscat? We kept asking ourselves repeatedly while gliding along on the palm tree-lined highway. It seemed an endless journey along neat buildings without ever getting to a center. Why the confusion? Muscat is basically a 40-kilometer longish stretch along the coast, including smaller and bigger towns. Continue Reading →

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Scuba Diving In Oman

By on 22. December 2012 in Oman

GrandEscapades-Oman180Ras Al Sawadi, an hour drive north of Muscat, was not really worth all the hassle. After fighting our way through a serious traffic jam coming from Muscat, we were rushed on a boat. Another hour we spent racing towards Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve for very little to see, literally. Continue Reading →

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Muscat Alien Arrival

By on 22. December 2012 in Oman
Street in Muscat, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula

Street in Muscat, Sultanat of Oman, Arabic Peninsula

A lavishly decorated Xmas tree greeted us at Muscat Airport at 02:00 am. We found this rather irritating! Didn’t we come to Oman to get away from exactly this? And now, the same ole “Jingle Bells” ambience? Continue Reading →

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Zimbabwe – A Selection Of 24 Pictures

By on 24. July 2012 in Africa – Photos, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe – Photos
African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Nyamandhlovu Pan, Hwange National Park (Main Camp Area), Zimbabwe, Africa

African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Nyamandhlovu Pan, Hwange National Park (Main Camp Area), Zimbabwe, Africa

We spent three weeks in Zimbabwe in Juli 2012, and covered most of the National Parks and “Highlights” of this beautiful country on a Self-Drive Safari: Matobo, Hwange, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Mana Pools, Gweru & Gonarezhou – Here you find a selection of 24 pictures of Zimbabwe Continue Reading →

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Travel Guide To Zimbabwe

By on 22. July 2012 in Zimbabwe

Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Zimbabwe – Self Drive Safari Through One Of Africa’s Hidden Gems

African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Nyamandhlovu Pan, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

In July 2012, after travelling 5.700 kilometers in three weeks in cars, boats and even a canoe, we got a bit of a feel what Zimbabwe is like, at least from a tourist’s perspective… Nevertheless, this country is so large and has so much to offer, both On and Off The Beaten Track that we actually feel we only scratched the surface! Continue Reading →

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Camping in the Wilderness…

By on 16. July 2012 in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe-193Camping in Zimbabwe’s national parks gets you as close to nature, the wilderness and animals as you can possibly be. Sometimes frighteningly close! The sounds and noises made by feeding animals all night in “Wilderness Camps” often gave us goose pimples, but pleasant one.

Wilderness campsites in Hwange National Park and Mana Pools National Park are in high demand and hard to get in. Only a very limited number of cars, one to four, are allowed in each, guaranteeing the upmost privacy and quietness. Especially in Mana Pools, do not expect to show up and find a place. Very different are Matobo & Gonarezhou National Park, which we had more or less to ourselves. Continue Reading →

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Driving along the Mozambique Border

By on 15. July 2012 in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe-167Mutare was the place where our trio was to part. Heidi and Jason continued into Mozambique and Gilles drove straight down to Johannesburg / South Africa to fly home. Somebody has to work… But first we had to get to Mutare. From Gonarezhou National Park we followed the road running parallel to a mountain range forming the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Here Zimbabwe seemed the most traditional and the most scenic. The hilly scenery was a pleasant change to the large stretches of flat countryside in other parts of the country. But the reason why Gilles did those extra miles driving further north was to bring Jason and Heidi as close to the border as possible. And that was Mutare. Continue Reading →

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Gonarezhou – Alone Under the Cliffs

By on 14. July 2012 in Zimbabwe

Chilojo Cliffs, Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, AfricaSlumped in our camping chairs, right in front of us Chilojo Cliffs were glowing red and golden, painted by the setting sun. And the best of all, we had them all to ourselves! Actually, we had the entire park to ourselves…

A quick look into the registration book at the gate revealed that nobody else had entered the park that day. We could pick any camping site we wanted, the ranger said. Naturally we set up camp at a prime location, at the Wilderness Camp Site facing the cliffs, right on the Runde River. During the dry season, the river is reduced to a small ribbon, exposing wide sandy banks. Continue Reading →

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