I think I've already said how small Kaingo is - just 6 chalets - but I think there are about 35 staff; ranging from Liz and Garth the Managers to the guys in the workshops making sure the vehicles are maintained.
Liz and Garth very kindly allowed me free access to the back areas, as I wanted to do a project covering Behind the Scenes of Safari Camp (unfortunately I don't think my pictures will be of sufficient quality to proceed with the project but nevertheless I enjoyed meeting everyone).
So, let me introduce a few people
The lovely Liz (who takes the warm welcome and smiling Irish eyes to another level)
Garth, born in Zambia but raised in Zimbabwe (I think), he's a trained guide/tracker and a superb organiser and manager. Initially a little scary (!) he's certainly the one to have around when then animals invade camp. He's also a master at refilling an empty wine glass!!!
Having been sure I wouldn't like the food or I'd be ill, I'd taken emergency rations in the form of cereal bars but what we have discovered about being on safari, is that eating and drink are as much a part of camp life as viewing animals.
The food is plentiful and delicious and offered so often:
05:45 Tea/Coffee and Cake/Pastries around the fire pit
08:30 Tea/Coffee and Cookies whilst on a drive
11:00 Brunch
12:30 Coolbox (already covered that delight)
15:00 Afternoon Tea/Coffee plus Snacks on the deck
18:00 Sundowner plus Nibbles whilst on a drive
20:00 Dinner (3 courses)
Water comes from their own bore hole and is delicious so no problems with salads etc.
Our chef at Kaingo is the delightful Ruth, a beautiful English Rose, originally from Chichester. She oversees the kitchen and caters superbly for the variety of dietary and fussy eating requirements, sometimes producing 3 options at dinner
The kitchen guys; I was particularly impressed how they turned yesterday's excess veg into a lovely snack the next day.
Daniel and Missile (phonetic spelling) look after us superbly at all meals, wherever they are served
The camp even has its own tailor, making staff uniforms and soft furnishings for the rooms/common areas.
A free laundry service is provided daily, but if I'd realised how this poor chap had to actually do the washing I think I would have made my clothes last longer instead of putting them in daily
Agata (reservations) in the little office overlooking the river - where elephants regularly wander by. Got to be the best view from a desk in the world.
One of the guys in the workshop which keeps everything running (often with very little in the way of spare parts).
The camp fire
The deck
Dining room/meeting area (the leadwood tree was recovered from the river and the bottom half chopped off to make a solid wood bar).
