M ICATO NE WS FROM JANE PINTO
Hello dear travellers and friends, Greetings from Micato’s Africa! The last year has flown by as our hard-working teams in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and beyond had many joyful first encounters as well as reunions with Micato guests. As we have every year for our last 53 on safari, we held to two treasured traditions: Welcoming many Micato travellers at home in Nairobi as well as in Cape Town and for the 26th consecutive summer reprising our favourite holiday: The three-generation Pinto family safari (p. 8-9). Along the way, Micato’s non-profit foundation AmericaShare, thanks largely to your support, sent multitudes of children to school and Huru International, of which Micato is a proud major donor and supporter, saved teenage girls from missing more than 4 million school days. (p. 4-5). Micato India had a most wonderful adventure come to fruition (see below) and there was much, much more, which I welcome you to read about herein.
Jane
WHEN INDIAN BUSINESSMAN MUKESH AMBANI THREW A $100 MILLION WEDDING FOR HIS DAUGHTER ISHA IN DECEMBER 2018, HE HIRED MICATO INDIA TO TAKE CARE OF HIS ESTEEMED VIP GUESTS: AMONG THE ARRANGEMENTS MICATO ORCHESTRATED FOR SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON AND OTHER GUESTS: A PRIVATE SAFARI IN RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK, ABOUT WHICH SECRETARY CLINTON NOTED, “I WILL NEVER FORGET THE TIGERS WE SAW DURING OUR VISIT… AND APPRECIATE THE UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE YOU HELPED ARRANGE DURING MY TRIP TO INDIA.” FLANKING SECRETARY CLINTON ARE MY GRANDSON TRISTAN AND SON DENNIS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MICATO SAFARIS, ON HAND TO HELP WELCOME MRS. CLINTON AS SHE EXPERIENCED MICATO INDIA’S DAZZLING HOSPITALITY.
Wildly popular safari experiences What Micato guests most wanted to see and do this past year The #1 most-asked question of 2018 (and every other year!) How do I see the Great Migration? We’re so glad you keep asking! Spring brings new grass, which in turn brings wildebeest. Lots of them! Around May, as the grasses grow dry, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and other restless herds head north from the Serengeti on their 500-mile trek, arriving in the Maasai Mara by June and staying all summer, and beyond. In October the beasts head east, by November and December storming the impossibly green Serengeti, hanging out there from November through May until the cycle begins anew. So if exploring lush gamelands in the company of these great herds packs appeal — and frankly, we know it does! — a Micato Safari Specialist can get you a front-row seat for the most dramatic mass movement on earth. Southern Africa is in demand. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s affection for Botswana has made it more popular than ever, but other countries we also love are more than ready for their close-ups! Our Royal Livingstone Hotel guests are learning of Zambia’s hidden joys and likewise, Micato travellers are discovering there’s more to Zimbabwe than lovely Victoria Falls. Also quite popular is Namibia, thanks to its astonishingly massive sand dunes and beguiling Skeleton Coast. We’re eager for you see what the fuss is about! A private safari is well within reach. For decades Micato has designed both scheduled departures and Custom journeys to Africa and a few years ago it dawned on us, why not give travellers the best of both? The idea behind the Micato Private Classic is simple: Choose one of the scheduled departure dates
on one of our ten Classic Safaris to East and Southern Africa, and we’ll reserve it for your family or friends, with a safari vehicle and Micato Safari Director all to yourselves. Tell us your ideal time to travel and we’ll arrange a Micato Private Classic safari for you.
MICATO SAFARI DIRECTORS ARE NOT ONLY HIGHLY-CREDENTIALED EXPERTS, THEY’RE GIFTED PHOTOGRAPHERS, TOO, AS THE PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE ATTEST! TOP: A DAZZLE OF ZEBRAS BY NURU MBISE. LEFT: RARE WHITE LION AND FRIENDS STRUTTING IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, BY GEORGE MEYER; RIGHT: MAASAI MARA BY PETER GITHAKA, WHO ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBES “WILDEBEEST FORMING A GUARD-OF-HONOUR INSPECTED BY A ZEBRA.”
Famous faces abound in Micato’s Africa! Spike Lee, Michael J. Fox, George Stephanopoulos and families — as well a First Family — have joined us on safari Quite a few celebrities have travelled on safari with Micato, relishing the warm family atmosphere and unsurpassed service all Micato guests enjoy. And of course we love the chance to show them all the wonders of Micato’s Africa!
WHEN WE SAY OUR SAFARIS FOSTER FAMILY TIES, WE SOMETIMES MEAN IT LITERALLY! TOP RIGHT: ACTRESS TRACY POLLAN, WHO MET HUSBAND MICHAEL J. FOX WHEN SHE PLAYED HIS GIRLFRIEND ON THE HIT ‘80S SITCOM “FAMILY TIES,” TRAVELLED TO MICATO’S EAST AFRICA LAST YEAR WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, INCLUDING (TOP LEFT) FOX, GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HIS WIFE ACTRESS ALI WENTWORTH, AND RENOWNED ADMAN DONNY DEUTSCH. MIDDLE RIGHT: ACTRESS LANA PARRILLA, PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR HER LONG RUN ON THE DRAMA “ONCE UPON A TIME,” WAS, COINCIDENTALLY, ALSO A CHARACTER ON THE ‘90S SITCOM “SPIN CITY,” WHICH FOX INITIALLY STARRED IN. BOTTOM LEFT: FELIX AND I HAD A LOVELY TIME CHATTING WITH PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND FAMILY WHEN THEY JOINED MICATO IN EAST AFRICA IN 2011. BOTTOM RIGHT: FILMMAKER SPIKE LEE JOINED MICATO ON SAFARI IN EAST AFRICA AND CONTINUED ON TO DUBAI, WHERE WE HEARTILY APPROVE OF HIS SON JACKSON’S CHOICE OF HEADGEAR!
AmericaShare: How It Began... And How It Thrives! Every story has a beginning. But not every organization begins with a story like this one. It all began with one little boy. He was going from person to person in a Nairobi shopping centre with a note from his school headmaster. The note said that he was an orphan and needed to raise 700 shillings for a school uniform before he could come to class. He had only collected 100 shillings. The boy approached Micato’s Lorna Macleod. She read the note and handed him the 600 shillings — the equivalent of $15. Tears running down his face, the boy stood there for a moment, said “God bless you,” and dashed away. At that moment Lorna realized that Micato was an ideal bridge between some of the poorest people on the planet, and some of the wealthiest, Micato travellers. So that bridge was given a name: AmericaShare, which has been helping to change lives for the better ever since. That chance encounter was more than 30 years ago. Since then, AmericaShare has served as the non-profit arm of Micato Safaris. And through Lorna’s leadership as AmericaShare’s founding executive director, AmericaShare has created lasting change in the lives of children and women in Nairobi’s Mukuru slum, where Micato visitors can visit the Micato-AmericaShare Harambee Community Centre and see firsthand how innovative programming and community outreach are changing so many lives for the better. Still going quite strong are Micato-AmericaShare’s flagship educational programmes: The School Sponsorship Programme matches extremely disadvantaged children with generous Micato travellers who sponsor the children to attend boarding school for the duration of their primary and high school years and sometimes into university; and the Micato One for One Commitment sends a child to school for every safari sold. The state-of-the-art lending library at the Harambee Centre has served nearly a quarter million visitors. In 2018, thanks to the generosity of the Kovner Foundation – which funded a previous expansion of the library as well as its adjacent computer centre — the library expanded into an additional building, doubling its capacity to serve the thousands of eager students who line up daily for hours to study here. The AmericaShare team has also spearheaded the formation of lively reading clubs that have been gathering at the library and local schools.
A popular annex to the library, the Computer Centre has helped many in the community with test preparation as well as career and computer training. And last year generous Micato traveller Dr. Derrick Rossi was so impressed by the computer centre’s impact that he made a donation that has quadrupled the number of computers there! Without the compassion of past and present Micato travellers, valued travel advisors and many other friends in travel — none of MicatoAmericaShare’s life-changing educational and community outreach would be possible. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Huru: Saving Girls Millions of School Days Sixty-five percent of the girls and women in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads… and without the means to manage their periods, they’re forced to stay home. Motivated by the simple vision that no girl should miss school because of her period, Lorna Macleod founded Huru International, which manufactures locally-made, reusable sanitary pads and distributes them in Huru Kits to more than 165,000 at-risk girls, helping them to stay in school. Each kit consists of a colourful drawstring backpack with eight reusable pads; underwear; detergent-grade soap for washing pads; a resealable waterproof bag for the safe storage of used pads; and educational materials on HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual and reproductive health. The average girl Huru encounters reports missing three days of school each month due to menstruation-related challenges. Huru Kits have saved girls 4,455,000 school
days that otherwise would have been lost. I didn’t think I could get more excited about their work, but in the last year Huru built a beautiful new Training Centre — not far from the Harambee Centre — and launched its Skills Transfer Programme, which teaches industrial sewing skills to young women, making personal and economic independence more attainable for these young women. Huru’s courses offer a pathway to nationally recognized certification to further enhance a trainee’s chances of finding a job. The second class of young women, even larger than the first, is already in session, and it’s a joy to witness the confidence of this new group grow by the day. We say it often here, but we mean it: Safari is our business, but education is our passion, and my heart fills thinking how much more empowered these girls will feel thanks to the Skills Transfer Programme and how better prepared they’ll be for their futures.
Team Micato Sticks Together For Fun And For Good Mother Teresa said, “We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” And the Micato New York team was happy to have made a small difference in the lives of families by reprising their long-time tradition of working with local charities. And as always, our intrepid New Yorkers managed to have some fun along the way.
TOP RIGHT: A “MICATO SEAFARIS” PACIFIC NORTHWEST ADVENTURE IN PORTLAND AND ALONG THE HOOD RIVER WITH LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS ABOARD THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MV SEA LION. MIDDLE LEFT: PAINTING PAIRED WITH WINE… SOUTH AFRICAN, OF COURSE! MIDDLE RIGHT: CELEBRATING TWO MICATO TRADITIONS: DONATING TOYS AND CLOTHES TO CHILDREN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SALVATION ARMY AND WORKING WITH THE JERICHO PROJECT, WHICH MOVES HOMELESS NYC FAMILIES OFF THE STREETS INTO AFFORDABLE HOMES; ANOTHER TRADITION: DONATING A TOY TO A JERICHO FAMILY CHILD ON OUR CLIENTS’ BEHALF. BOTTOM: CONTINUING A TWO-DECADE TRADITION OF WORKING WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN PATERSON, N.J. TO HELP BUILD HOUSES FOR LOCAL FAMILIES.
Micato in the News: What a Year! {for more great press visit micato.com} “Micato Safaris is the Rolls Royce of the safari world and won just about every award for being one of the world’s best tour operators, from Condé Nast Traveler to National Geographic Adventure to 9-time winner of Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Safari Outfitter.”
“As in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, luxury outfitter Micato Safaris ranks at the top of the food chain for upscale wildlife endeavors in Rwanda… you’re assigned a personal safari director who ensures a flawless experience.” – Paul Rubio, Private Clubs, Summer 2018
– Larry Olmsted, Forbes, March 2018 “Our family safari changed our lives. We traveled with Micato Safaris and [met] Felix. He spoke very little English but managed to tell us how much it meant to him that our family sponsored his boarding school education.” – Terrie Hansen in Virtuoso Life, September - October 2018
“Kenya’s Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy, where Micato managing director Dennis Pinto stayed with three generations of his own family, might well be the ultimate exclusive use property, comprising 58,000 acres you and your crew will have all to yourself.” – Private Clubs, Spring 2018 “Styled after the epic safaris taken by the aristocracy at the beginning of the 20th century, but with all the conveniences and luxury of the 21st, the Micato Grand Safari covers five preserves in 15 days, enough time to experience each without feeling rushed.”
“Even the savviest travelers should let a professional handle the details. We used Micato Safaris… they arranged to have someone meet us at our gate in Johannesburg, fast-track us through immigration, grab our bags, and whisk us to the Four Seasons.” – Colleen Clark, Martha Stewart Weddings, Summer 2018 “Micato’s Marion Miller has been crafting fully escorted India itineraries for more than 20 years. She excels at trips that hit all of the popular destinations—Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur—while adding special experiences along the way.” – Marion Miller named to Travel+Leisure A-List, Travel+Leisure, September 2018 “Rwanda gorilla tracking is easily one of the top wildlife experiences on the entire planet. Gorillas don’t have to be your first trip to Africa, but they have to be one of them.” – Dennis Pinto to Larry Olmsted, Luxury Magazine, Summer 2018
– Elite Traveler, April 2018 “It’s a giddying experience, meeting someone special while you’re on vacation and sharing a brief romance in an exotic place. For some people, though, that holiday affair didn’t end when the [safari] did; instead, it changed their lives.”
“Travel industry “Hot Lists” come out all the time, but not all carry equal weight. Knowing what the top new resorts and experiences are requires expertise, and when it comes to Africa [and] India no company has more expertise than Micato Safaris.”
– Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, February 2018
– Allison Olmsted, Forbes, March 2018
Snapshots from the Pinto Family Summer Safari A 26-year tradition more than stands the test of time Since Felix and I live in Nairobi and Cape Town and the New York Pintos — our son Dennis, daughterin-law Joy, and grandchildren Sasha and Tristan — live in the United States, we came up with a pretty good idea 26 years ago: Devote part of every summer together in Africa, revisiting favourite safari sites, navigating Africa’s splendid savannahs, scouting new locales for our guests, and spending several glorious weeks at a stretch simply being together.
TOP: SASHA CUDDLING BABY ELEPHANTS AT THE DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST AND WITH BROTHER TRISTAN GETTING REACQUAINTED WITH THE IMPISH ROTHSCHILD GIRAFFE OF THE AFRICAN FUND FOR ENDANGERED WILDLIFE, A SANCTUARY BETTER KNOWN AS THE GIRAFFE CENTRE. ABOVE: TRISTAN, JOY, SASHA, AND DENNIS REVISIT THE HISTORIC, LOVELY FORMER HOME OF KAREN BLIXEN (AKA ISAK DINESEN) WHO CHRONICLED HER LIFE HERE IN THE EVOCATIVE CLASSIC OUT OF AFRICA.
TOP: A PERFECT MORNING ON SAFARI MIGHT INCLUDE A FAMILY PICNIC AND EXPLORING AFRICA’S SAVANNAHS BY HORSE AND CAMELBACK, FOLLOWED IN THE AFTERNOON (OPPOSITE PAGE) BY GAME VIEWING, SAY, AT LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY OR PERHAPS SOME AL FRESCO NIBBLES ON THE GORGEOUS LAIKIPIA PLAINS. ABOVE: SASHA RELISHING THE SERENITY OF THE SERENGETI. RIGHT: VISITING WITH THE TRIBAL VILLAGERS OF THE NDOROBO, WHO HONOUR VISITORS BY INVITING THEM TO WITNESS THE CHANTS AND DANCES OF A RITUAL COURTSHIP. BEING WITH THESE FASCINATING PEOPLE WAS EASILY A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TIME ON SAFARI.
Grand Prize Winners 2018 GOLD WINNER
Paul Bruce, Centerville, OH
“While in the Serengeti, we saw some huge herds of zebra and wildebeest,” recalls Bruce. “The line of animals ran from one horizon to the other and crossed in front of our vehicle. It was beautiful to watch them run, like this mother and child were doing. I kept the shutter speed slow and panned the camera in sync with their speed in order to give the sense of motion.”
What Kinds of Photos Tend to Win? People: Safari selfies, intriguing India shopkeepers, and shots of your family or friends with unmistakable backdrops. SILVER Ethan Hunter, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Places: The African bush, the shadow of the Taj Mahal, the lush mountains of Rwanda, etc. As with “People,” a photo that could not have been taken anywhere but Africa or India increases your chances! Wildlife: Of your hundreds of snaps of big cats, great herds or wee birds, which photos do you know in your heart are your best? Send us more than one!
BRONZE Bruce Fortune, Sherman Oaks, CA
“Only Micato” Moments: A photograph of something uniquely Micato — you and your Micato Safari Director or India Tour Guide impishly smiling, your epic sundowner cocktail spread in the Maasai Mara… you’ll know this one when you see it!
Enter the 2019 Photo Contest Friends, harvest all your folders and files and submit your favourite photos to the Micato Photo Contest! Your most cherished images from your Micato adventure could win you travel gear… and even help pay your way back to Micato’s Africa or India! The contest rewards are grand: • Our Gold winner receives a $3,000 credit toward a future Micato safari or a shopping spree in our safari shop;
• Silver and Bronze winners respectively receive $1,000 and $500 to put toward a safari or shop merchandise. Submit your photos through micato.com, where you’ll find all the contest rules. We accept submissions year-round and from any year you travelled with Micato to Africa or India… so enter the contest today!
January Winner Gary and Theresa Ritzman, La Jolla, CA
February Winner Paul Bruce, Centerville, OH
March Winner Michael Dudley, Seattle, WA
April Winner Andy Pesky, New York, NY
July Winner Ethan Hunter, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
August Winner James Shuler, Kamas, UT
October Winner Stephen Borchers, Meadow Vista, CA
November Winner Stuart Rempel, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
December Winner James Shuler, Kamas, UT
We Wrote the Book on Africa. India, Too. May we send them to you? Are they company brochures or coffee table books? Well, yes! Travellers tell us that the beautiful Micato brochures are on the level of books they’re happy to leave in their living rooms for friends to admire, unlike the unremarkable catalogues and travelogues that typically clog mailboxes. The brochures not only look lovely and feel luxurious to the touch, but they also showcase the exceptional lodges and camps carefully selected for every Micato adventure, the palaces and luxury hotels experienced by Micato India guests, as well as the many Micato Differences.
What You’ll Find Inside... We think you’ll be wowed by both of these marvelous books, but among the things we don’t mind pointing out: • For every safari we sell, we send a child to school. That’s the Micato One for One Commitment. • Micato Safaris has reached the #1 spot on Travel+Leisure’s World’s Best Safari Outfitter list nine times, more than any other tour company in the world. • A highly-credentialed Safari Director accompanies every East Africa safari; likewise, a top-notch travel director presides over every Micato India journey. Amazing inclusions common to Micato Africa and Micato India: • No tipping necessary or expected! All gratuities are included from beginning to end of your journey; • All meals are included everywhere, every day. And if you choose to dine at one of your hotel’s restaurants, you’re not limited to a buffet or minimal menu; • Wine and beer at mealtimes; • Valet laundry service; • And so much more… Meanwhile, if you’d like both of these brochures for your coffee table, we’d be more than happy to send them to you!
Call us at 212-545-7111 or go online: Micato.com/brochure-request
