Join adventurer and vintner, Carissa Chappellet and her partner-in-life, wine collector and gourmet, Archie McLaren, from March 2 through March 11, 2010, for an unforgettable Micato Safaris adventure into East Africa, preceded by  a Chappellet Wine Dinner at Lavington, the Nairobi home of Felix and Jane Pinto, who founded Micato Safaris in Kenya over forty years ago. Travel & Leisure magazine voted Micato Safaris the "World's Best Safari Outfitter and Tour Operator" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008! This remarkably edifying journey will manifest the reasons for those awards.

Your initial two-night stay in Nairobi will be in the beautifully renovated, historic Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel. The Norfolk has played a leading role in Kenya's colorful history, and continues to be Nairobi's finest and best-known hotel. The town and later the modern city of Nairobi grew up around The Norfolk, which continues to have its own private tropical gardens. The hotel is still the traditional starting point for safaris, and its Lord Delamere Terrace is modern Nairobi's most famous meeting place, where drinks and light meals are served continuously from morning until midnight.

Tours in Nairobi are arranged by Micato and include a visit to Daphne Sheldrick's Animal Orphanage, the Giraffe Center, where you can hand-feed the animals from an elevated platform, and the historic Karen Estates, the former home of Out of Africa author, Karen Blixen.

The second night you will enjoy a special gourmet Chappellet Wine Dinner, hosted by Carissa, at Lavington as guests of Felix and Jane Pinto.

From Nairobi you will fly to Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya's premier wildlife park, established in 1961 to protect wildlife from hunters. The Maasai Mara, hosting an absolutely stunning array of wildlife, is in southwestern Kenya on the border of Tanzania, with the Reserve situated in the Rift Valley with Tanzania's Serengeti Plains running along its southern end. The Mara River, containing an abundance of hippos and crocodiles, runs through the Reserve. Lions abound throughout the park as do leopards, cheetah, hyenas, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, topi, baboons, warthogs, buffalo, zebra and elephants.

You will spend three nights in Maasai Mara at Bateleur Tented Camp, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and the epitome of private tented luxury. During your stay, you will be escorted, twice a day if you wish, by your guide in vehicles to view wild game or on foot to learn about the flora, fauna and animal life, or you may choose to visit a Maasai village or take a hot air balloon safari over the Mara plains, as well. You will also have plenty of time each day to rest, relax and enjoy the scenery.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided as a component of your adventure, and you will even be treated to a most special evening on the night of March 5, as you celebrate Carissa Chappellet's 50th Birthday with her and toast the occasion with fine Chappellet Winery wines.

From the Maasai Mara you will journey by plane and vehicle to Ngorongoro Crater, where you will be accommodated at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge for two nights. The Lodge has been called the "Game Lodge at the End of the World," as, between the spectacular views swirling through mists around the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and its somewhat unexpected architecture, it is easy to believe that you have entered a realm of pure fantasy. Steeped in romance, each stilted, handcrafted mud and thatch suite is adorned with graceful antiques. Ensuite bathrooms, with a centerpiece of fresh roses, feature huge showers and chandelier-lit bathtubs, while floor-to-ceiling windows ensure breathtaking views from everywhere.

The largest intact caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Crater shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens anywhere. A permanent population of more than 30,000 animals inhabit a mere 100 square miles in the 2,000-foot deep crater. Your game drives will avail you of an amazing array of wildlife.

The next day, you will drive to Lake Manyara and fly to Singita Grumeti Reserves, a most extraordinary private conservancy. Grumeti Reserves is located adjacent to the Western Corridor of the Serengeti and encompasses 400,000 acres of unrivalled wilderness. The area forms part of the famous migratory route which is traveled by hundreds of thousands of animals every year. Wildlife experiences on the Grumeti Reserves encompass ecosystems of the unimaginable variety, with fauna and flora of great beauty. You will experience large herds of wildebeests as they mingle with hundreds of zebras amidst the staggering beauty of the East African savannah, while herds of elephants wander slowly through the woodland.

While at Singita Grumeti Reserves for two nights, you will be accommodated at Sabora Tented Camp, which offers guests the opportunity to experience an elegant safari lifestyle through fabulous dining, luxurious accommodations and guided expeditions. This lavish tented camp is located on the vast Sabora Plains with spectacular views of the savannah. The spacious air conditioned tents are gracefully decorated with rich fabrics, glorious antiques, Persian rugs and campaign furniture, which all come together to recreate the style familiar to famous African adventurers.

And Imagine dining beneath elegant awnings, the table set with crisp, white Irish linens, the finest porcelain, crystal goblets and silver. This is what guests should expect as the dining experience at Sabora Plains Tented Camp. Singita Grumeti reserves also includes an array of lifestyle amenities such as horseback riding, tennis and croquet.

On day ten of your extraordinary East African journey, you will fly to Nairobi for your return home, presumably taking with you an astounding array of unforgettable experiences.

"Please join us in East Africa in March, 2010. We very much look forward to sharing this extraordinarily special adventure with you."

Best personal regards,

Carissa & Archie

Carissa Chappellet
(707) 286-4225
Carissa@chappellet.com

Archie McLaren
(805) 544-1285
archie@slonet.org