What better way to explore the remote regions of Mongolia than on horseback? This trip is for people with a sense of adventure and a desire to get off the beaten track. The areas you’ll visit are difficult to get to, with erratic flights and challenging roads. This means you’re unlikely to encounter any other foreigners there and tourism really hasn’t made it to the places you’ll be visiting.
If you like the idea of exploring vast wilderness, following new routes, experiencing new places and riding where the mood takes you, then this is the trip for you.
Twitter has triumphed at Ooh of late. Not only have we deeply enjoyed the #blameoprah thing, but we chanced upon a a twitter feed from some people hard at work on the J&E Riggin, a schooner sailing yacht located in Rockland, Maine, USA.
Captain John Finger and his wife Captain Annie Mahle never thought they’d own a schooner, though Jon had entertained the fantasy. Annie ‘wasn’t even a little bit interested’. But, she informs ooh, ‘telling your spouse it’s not okay to live your dream is a terrible thing.’ Damn straight.
Around 12 years ago, Jon was strolling idly along the docks in Maine when he came across Captain Dave Allen at the end of a long season’s sailing, changing the oil in the yawl boat. ‘He looked cross, with motor oil dripping down his elbow. He grouched to Jon, “Wanna buy a schooner?”’ From the sounds of things, Jon didn’t need much persuasion.
With a crew of six including two captains, the 90ft schooner, built in 1927, has 24 berths including 9 double cabins. Annie tells us that J&E Riggin started life as an oyster dredger down in Delaware Bay: ‘For a time she was fitted with an engine and eventually did some ground fishing. In 1977, after an abbreviated rebuild, she began life in her current form as a Maine windjammer taking guests out for 3, 4 and 6 day sailing adventures.’
Trips on J&E Riggin can include activities like photography or cookery courses. Guests are encouraged to help sail her. ‘For most people, the more they’re involved, the more fun they have. It can be as participatory or as unengaged an experience as a person chooses,’ Annie tells us.
Jon is primarily in charge of the sailing, putting years of accumulated nautical know-how to good use and Annie, a published cook, with 25 years experience, is in charge of cooking. ‘All of the meals on board become part of our daily “events.” They’re prepared by me using only the most local and freshest ingredients, mostly from our own garden.’
With the oily troubles of Captain Allen in mind, we wanted to know if owning an 80 year old boat was as troublesome as we imagined. ‘Well the politic answer is that it’s a labor of love,’ Annie explains, ‘and we do love her. We consider ourselves stewards of her and even though our names are on the mortgage, she’s really a part of our collective American history as a National Historic Landmark…’
Annie doesn’t mince words, going on: ‘…working in the snow, painting around driving spring rains, and dealing with continual repairs related to weather and wear sometimes makes a person wonder what they were thinking when they decided on an antique wooden vessel.’
To be honest though, the ooh team is pretty sold on this idea already. Just to be sure we asked Annie to tell us what makes an experience on the J&E Riggin so special.
‘A week on board is a gift to yourself, letting go of all of the multitasking and 100’s of tasks one manages every day. It’s nourishing to the body and spirit, exhilarating without being an extreme adventure, and unusual for people looking for something different.’
So if, like me, you’re now wondering how you sign up for one of these trips, it’s right here. Alternatively you can email Annie with any questions you may have.
If you’re reading this and you own a similar business offering something really special, we’re always keen to write about it, so drop us an email here.
The hard thing about visiting a mind bogglingly beautiful and huge country like South Africa is knowing that you won’t be able to see it all and knowing that you might not get the chance to go back any time soon. You’ve got to get it right, so you can see and do the things that will really make an impact on you. Not just anyone mind, you and you alone.
Happily though, we’ve found a good person to ask. Joann Kruger has been involved in South African tourism for fifteen years. She can take you anywhere in the country and tell you everything you’ll want to know.
I asked her where she would take me if I knew nothing about the country when I arrived. “Firstly I would find out what your interests are, how long you intend on staying in the country and the reason for your visit,” she tells me. “I recommend Cape Town, Kruger Nationa Park and the UNESCO world heritage sites such as the Cradle of Mankind as well as historical sites such as Soweto, the Apartheid Museum, Constitutional Hill and Voortrekker Monument.” I feel like a child in a sweet store listening to the seemingly endless list of things to do.
Joann goes on to list things you could squeeze in between: “walking with wildlife, white water rafting, rock climbing, abseiling and canopy rides.” Having been lucky enough to have experienced a two day safari in Tanzania, I can vouch for the breathtaking moment when some story-book wild animal emerges from the undergrowth, slinking majestically across the track ahead, ignoring the hum of your vehicle as though you we’re a ghost: it’s heart-stopping.
Joann is quick to reinforce my view when I ask her about her biggest passion: “any experience to do with the bush and wildlife, whether it’s a game reserve or a national park has a certain peace, uniqueness and beauty about it.” She tells me, “no two days are ever the same; this experience should be on your list of 25 things to do before you die. I don’t know anyone who has not enjoyed this experience.”
Joann’s experience isn’t limited to the land, however. She’s a keen sailor and scuba diver and she’s happy to incorporate these activities into a custom itinerary for people who want to draw on her vast experience as a guide. “I usually combine these with overland safari to give the clients the best of both worlds.”
Joann is a freelance guide, so most of her business comes from tour operators who need experienced guides for their groups. She’s a keen social networker too using Facebook, Twitter, Link In and so on to find more business and she has her own blog. But now you’re in the know about Joann, you can email her yourself and find out what a mine of passion for South Africa and its heritage she really is!
