Mud, Mayhem and Magnificence

25 June 2015 | Inside Angama |

When I arrived at Angama Mara on 8 June my first blood-chilling thought was ‘First guest on 23 June? Forget’. In a mere 15 days a team performed a miracle here that words fail to describe.

I have to start with the contractors – despite a 4-week delay caused by torrential downpours every day they finished the lodge. All 500 builders – bricklayers (you should see the brickwork – it’s a masterpiece), carpenters, plumbers, electricians, fundis galore, gardeners, welders, canvas tailors, painters – worked 18 hour days to make up for the weather delay. And they did it. Every photograph in this blog was taken from 8 June onwards and on the 23rd of June, we welcomed our first 12 guests.

We prayed for sun, the truck drivers prayed for sun, and we got gloop

 

Then came the trucks, day after day, truck after truck, through the mud, in the mud and around the mud and always in the rain the extraordinary Angama Mara team carried, unpacked, sang, laughed, schlepped, stacked, repacked, sorted and worked like demons to beat the arrival of yet another truck. It’s unbelievable how much furniture a lodge such as this devours. And the detail … oh my.

The T+L photographers were a tonic – even led an early morning team warm up session

 

And just because we can, we hosted a mammoth 6 day photo-shoot for Travel + Leisure magazine in and amongst scaffolding, thunderstorms, more mud and the general last minute chaos. We had to drive the photographers to the Tanzanian border to find a patch of sunshine. And thankfully the photographers just piled in and even led the team in an early morning warm up (it helped that Ambroise is drop dead charming).

But we did it. And we are good to go.

Author: Nicky Fitzgerald

FILED UNDER: Inside Angama
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AUTHOR: Nicky Fitzgerald

After more than 30 years in hospitality, starting with a small hotel at the foot of Africa and followed by a further couple of Cape hotels, most notably The Bay, and sixty plus safari lodges across Africa and India, Nicky has served more meals, puffed more cushions, filled more beds, trained more staff and opened more properties than she cares to remember. Nicky is currently the CEO and is looking forward to handing over the business to take a third crack at retirement after which she will remain a delightfully opinionated member of the board

COMMENTS (11)
Patty Lloyd
June 25, 2015

I had no doubt you’d get it together, you always have! Lots of love,

Patty

REPLY
    Nicky
    June 30, 2015

    Thank you dear Patty – we can’t to welcome you here one day soon

    REPLY
Sara de Maine Kearns
June 25, 2015

I have a new web site in the works, pls take a look
Congrats on a super job…sk

REPLY
    Nicky
    June 30, 2015

    Will do and all the best of luck for your new website

    REPLY
Cheney
June 25, 2015

wow! Wow! Wow! Congratuations Angama!

REPLY
Ken Hermer
June 25, 2015

Mazeltov to you *all*! You are such seasoned lodge and hotel operators and creators that, even with torrential downpours, all your fans knew that you would pull this one off in style! Bravo and wishing you herds and flocks and many migrations more happy guests to come thronging through the magnificent Angama Mara!
Hugs all round.
Ken

REPLY
    Nicky
    June 30, 2015

    Thank you dear Ken – and please always remember that our home is your home – nothing would give us more joy than to welcome you to Angama Mara

    REPLY
kerua ken
June 27, 2015

bravo for this great job at mara,,,,,,,,,, conrats bt better our roads to angama

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    Nicky Fitzgerald
    July 3, 2015

    Thank you Ken

    REPLY
Marco Van Embden
July 4, 2015

Dear Nicky,Steve,Mitch and Angama team,you have done a magnificent job.This place is magical,we are priveleged to be here at the “birth”.Thank you for your passion,amazing hard work and inspired leadership.With love,Marco and Gwen

REPLY
    Nicky Fitzgerald
    July 4, 2015

    We couldn’t have done it without your incredible support on so many levels, not the least of which was the faith you had in us to pull this off – thank you from us all

    REPLY
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