September 2004

To all or any one,

My wife and I have just returned from a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe put together by Uniglobe Accent Travel called the African Safari Kaleidoscope Tour. Calling our journey a trip is an understatement. It can only be described as the fulfillment of a life’s dream.

Marcia Cole, a seasoned travel professional that has visited Africa for no less then 10 times, put the venue and itinerary together. Her taste in selecting the accommodations, sights to be seen and visited is one of the two things that made this experience exceptional.

The other aspect of the trip that cannot be said enough of is officially becoming one of, "Marcia’s Kids". What, you may ask is becoming one of Marcia’s Kids? Well, it is being accompanied on this trip by Marcia and her husband Jim Cole. Their knowledge of Africa, knowing their client’s expectations, as well as their travel industry experience made for a worry free, effortless, once in a lifetime adventure.

The accommodations we stayed in were selected based on quality (many were 5+ star), location, or just, "WOW" factor. The guides that were employed were also pre-screened by Marcia and of the highest caliber. Being with Jim and Marcia on this trip was like visiting with old friends at their vacation home and having them share their understanding of all of their familiar surroundings.

Let’s not forget the animals. I have been asked, "What was your most memorable animal experience?" by many members of my family. Without a doubt it was our first game drive when we came upon a herd of 20+ elephants that surrounded us and were within 5 feet of our Land Rover. The lions were magnificent, and seeing a pride of 4 females and a male took our breath away and caused us all to utter a stifled, "WOW". During the first 2 days at Jackleberry Lodge in the Thornybush game preserve, we saw the Big Five: elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and Cape buffalo and wondering aloud how Marcia had arranged this.

Throughout this marvelous adventure we had the opportunity to meet many people including our travel companions, Eric and Peggy (with all members of our party agreeing that Eric and I were long lost brothers separated at birth), other travelers to this beautiful country, and many locals who invited us to return.

Alas, our 14-day adventure came to an end with all of us agreeing to stay in touch and all of us sharing the same parting words, "Love you, miss you, and never forget you".

Alan & Connie Ridzinski