{"id":123732,"date":"2017-05-16T08:36:45","date_gmt":"2017-05-16T12:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/?p=123732"},"modified":"2024-01-22T22:36:24","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T03:36:24","slug":"africa-photo-tour-serengeti-seychelles-mauritius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/discover\/africa-photo-tour-serengeti-seychelles-mauritius\/","title":{"rendered":"From Africa With Love: 3 Romantic Getaways"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Travelling as a couple can tell you a lot about your\u00a0relationship. How do you make decisions? How do you respond to\u00a0unexpected opportunities?\u00a0Most important, will your journey strengthen your bond?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Africa is a very special place. It brought us together like never before. \u2013 Robert Michael Poole<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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For photographer Robert Michael Poole<\/a> and his partner, Marcy Yu<\/a>, the answer is yes. After they met\u00a0in Panama in\u00a0January 2016, Marcy persuaded Robert to travel to the San Blas Islands. Afterwards, he persuaded her to quit her nine-to-five job and\u00a0travel around the world. They’ve been to Costa Rica, Belize, France and Monaco together.<\/p>\n

Most recently, they discovered three distinct romantic escapes in the Serengeti<\/a>, Seychelles<\/a> and Mauritius<\/a>. “Africa is a very special place, a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” Robert says. “That’s saying something from two people who travel constantly.”<\/p>\n

They made their plans carefully, but didn’t set them in stone.\u00a0“We anticipated we would have to be very flexible,” Marcy\u00a0says. Their patience paid off with safari adventures and picture-perfect beaches \u2013 and time to discover more about\u00a0each other while exploring.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Upon arriving at Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti<\/a>, Robert and Marcy were immediately struck by the landscape. “It hasn’t changed for thousands of years,” he says, “and there you are, at this permanent, modern\u00a0Lodge that’s wonderfully authentic. It’s perfect for adventure \u2013 and romance.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“We learned that a group of zebra is called a ‘dazzle,'” says Marcy, dazzled by the animals’ unique patterns. “They add quite a bit of colour to the great migration.” <\/p>\n

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“We spent time here looking out for wandering elephants,” Robert says. As Marcy enjoyed a cool bath at the Spa<\/a> in the Serengeti heat, she was struck by something else: The sound of silence.<\/p>\n

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In the middle of the day, most animals seek shelter from the sun. “I enjoyed seeing Marcy take the front seat for a mid-afternoon break between safaris,” Robert recalls. <\/p>\n

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For dinner outdoors, Four Seasons staff hung candlelit lanterns in the trees. “It felt very private,” Robert says. “But we also felt that we were out in this vast wilderness.” <\/p>\n

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“Witnessing this was to realize we had truly made it to the Serengeti,” Marcy says. “The plains reach all the way to the horizon, and the animals live by the movement of the sun.”<\/p>\n

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Robert and Marcy enjoyed a Hot Air Balloon Safari<\/a> at sunrise. They needed a little luck: “The balloons only set sail if the winds are cooperating,” he says. “When the timing was right, the crew sprang into action.”<\/p>\n

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One of the Lodge’s restaurants, Boma Grill<\/a>, takes its name \u2013 and a ritual \u2013 from the traditional circular homes of the Maasai. “On certain nights, tribe members are invited to perform the traditional welcoming ceremony one receives at a rural boma,” Robert says. “There’s lots of singing \u2013 and impressive jumping!” Watch the Maasai’s adumu dance here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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The Discovery Centre<\/a> at the Lodge is run by a Maasai tribesman. “He was happy to let us know about the culture that continues to this day,” Marcy says. <\/p>\n

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“Sitting here felt like we were guests dining in the home of the wildlife,” Robert says.<\/p>\n

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On the Ultimate Safari Adventure<\/a>, the couple spotted all of the Big Five \u2013 elephants, lions, leopards, rhinoceroses and buffalo \u2013 in their natural habitat. The Lodge’s drivers made it possible, Robert says: “They were extremely helpful and friendly.” <\/p>\n

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It takes a skilled driver to find the Serengeti’s wonders. “Some days, you think you’ll see nothing,” Robert says. “Then, all of the sudden, there are 2,000 zebras walking out of a forest.” <\/p>\n

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Tap or click a photo to launch slideshow<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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