Kutandala - An experience I will treasure
Marissa Wesely, Client.
Kutandala is such a magical place it almost doesn't seem real to me. Now, when I close my eyes at night, I imagine myself there, lying in bed, listening to the elephants eating and the lions roaring all around. The setting is magnificent; we loved walking across the river, and I would put a chair out in the middle and read there in the afternoons. The rooms are lovely, with their collections of pods and shells in baskets, wonderful sand floor bathrooms and coffee appearing through the "hatch" every morning. But what makes it so special are Rod and Guz.
Beyond the fact that Rod is a wonderful guide and Guz one of the best cooks I have ever met, they are just perfect hosts. We instantly felt right at home. We did see wonderful sights with Rod - goliath herons, a large group of elephants slowly moving down to, and crossing, the river, a hippo pool packed with hippo, a hyena crossing the river at dawn - and learnt a lot from him.
He is so well read on all things African, and his excellent library (set perfectly under the trees) is a very special place. The food is indescribable. Before we went, a friend who had stayed there had told us that Guz' food was the "best in Africa". I was sure he was exaggerating, but now I know he was right. Everything that comes out of Guz' kitchen is delicious - and the fact that it comes out of that so-called "kitchen" three times a day (not counting tea cakes and appetizers like homemade cheese sticks and nachos for sundowners) is real magic. We have not eaten as well as since being back in New York, and I expect it will be a long time before we do.
