Now, if I was to say to you, you are going on safari and sleeping in a tent, what would your first images / thoughts be ? Of a 2 man dome tent, stuck in the middle of the bush, with lions and elephants sleeping outside the tent door keeping you company through the night ?

Possibly NOT of a spacious tent, including a bathroom with a freestanding bath, polished wooden floors, climate-control air-conditioning system, mini bar and tea / coffee-making facilities. Oh yes, and a covered deck that extends along the length of the tent, with uninterrupted views out of the African bush.

Not to mention an infinity-edge pool in the central guest area, ideal for relaxing around inbetween exciting game drives in search of Africas’ Big 5.

Well, if this appeals to those of you with a sense of adventure BUT who still like your luxuries, then you need to look no further than Buffalo Camp, in the Kapama Game Reserve – a 13,000 hectare fenced reserve situated near the Kruger National Park, which supports no less than 42 mammal species and approximately 350 bird species.

Rates here start from just R2,115 per person per night until the end of November, and for this you get 3 meals per day (special bush dinners can be arranged), tea / coffee, cakes, pastries and afternoon teatime snacks; 2 game drives daily (including night drive by spotlight) in open safari vehicles, accompanied by experienced rangers and expert Shangaan trackers; and complimentary road transfers between your Kapama accommodation and Eastgate Airport.

Picture of the week – sunrise over Sabi Sands. Kindly supplied by Savanna Private Game Reserve.

I think you will agree …. quite stunning.

They have arrived !

Monday 6th June, in the evening, saw the first arrivals of the Great Migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya.

This picture was taken from the banks of the Sand and Keekerok Rivers in the Masai Mara Reserve.

Cottars 1920′s Safari Camp … I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive about staying here initially. Don’t get me wrong, I had no fear that I wouldn’t enjoy the obvious luxury of the tents and the camp, or the awesome game viewing of the Masai Mara … I was just a bit worried about the atmosphere. Would it be perhaps a bit pretentious ? After all, there are not many places where there are ‘butlers who have been trained to provide guests with discreet, yet attentive service’.

Anyway, I am delighted to report back that I had a wonderful time here. Can’t fault it AT ALL.

My guide, Ken, was personable, knowledgeable and extremely friendly, and he made me feel at ease as soon as I met him. On the drive back to the camp, we just happened to come across a cheetah mum with 6 cubs under one tree, and then literally 5 minutes later, we spotted another 3 cheetahs under another tree. 10 cheetahs in 10 minutes ? Surely a pretty good record !

I arrived at the camp to find I was actually the only guest in the entire camp that night, so I was suddenly transported into a fantasy world of what it would be like to be Angelina Jolie or Madonna and be able to take over an entire safari camp. Anyway, the camp was too nice to remain in fantasy world for too long.

I was firstly shown into the main guest area, a huge tented ‘mess room’ with a dining area at one end, and comfy chairs and sofas around the rest. A real ‘Out of Africa’ feel prevailed, and truly finished off when the butler, complete with fez, approached to see whether I would like a cup of tea or a gin & tonic. There was absolutely nothing, however, pretentious about this – I just felt as if I was being welcomed and that nothing would be too much trouble.

I arrived in time for lunch, so after I was shown to my room (more about that later), I then came back to the main area. A 2 course lunch followed – the food was delicious and beautifully presented, and of the quality I would expect from a top London restaurant. After lunch, I treated myself to having a massage – the first half hour was complimentary as part of the rate, the 2nd half hour I paid for. And it was one of the best massages I have ever ever had.

My room was ENORMOUS – I had one of the family tents, and I swear I nearly got lost in it. And it came complete with my own private Masai guide, who stood guard outside my room as soon as it got dark until I left in the morning. AND there was a proper shower (I had by this stage been used to safari camp bucket style showers), which was such a treat !!

My afternoon activity was a bush walk, followed by a scenic sundowner on a hill overlooking the reserve (more G&T and homemade crisps this time), and then we returned to a lovely dinner again, with drinks afterwards around the open fire.

My morning drive was exciting in that I ‘crossed’ over the border into Tanzania for about 10 minutes – so I can say on this trip, I visited the Serengeti AS WELL AS the Masai Mara ! Cottars is right on the far edge of the Mara, on its own private concession, and it literally borders right onto Tanzania – and oddly enough, there are not border posts in the bush here ! Oh yes, and we saw elephant, giraffe, lion, and antelope too !!

Cottars was simply awesome. If you have the budget, please please please go and experience it for yourself. You will not be disappointed at all.

Lion Sands River Lodge, in the southern portion of the 65,000 hectare Sabi Sand Game Reserve, is situated on a private area of prime game-viewing land. The lodge is built on the banks of the Sabie River, facing due East so that it catches the sun as it rises over the Kruger National Park.

The game viewing is truly superb, with lion and leopard sightings a speciality, as well as buffalo, elephant, rhino, antelope, giraffe, cheetah, zebra and many other species of both animal and birds.

Guests are accommodated in 20 luxurious thatched chalets, each with an en-suite bathroom with outdoor and inside showers, and a private wooden viewing deck with a view of the river. The bedroom area is air-conditioned with an over-head fan. All rooms have mini bars and telephone access.

We are delighted to offer the following FANTASTIC rates for anyone wanting to stay here from 1st October until the end of the year, in a Luxury Room :

1st October 2011 until 22nd December 2011 – you pay only R4415 per person per night.

23rd December 2011 until 3rd January 2012 – even over this High Season, you will pay only R4,905 per person per night. MINIMUM 3 NIGHT BOOKING REQUIRED.

Rates are fully inclusive of 2 daily game drives in open Land Rovers, 3 meals daily, game drive refreshments, tea / coffee, and Skukuza airport transfers. Subject to weather conditions, the rate also includes bush breakfasts and bush dinners, bush walks, full moon walks, wildlife lectures, safari lunches, hippopotamus river tour and astronomy.

For more details and to ask us to check availability now and make a booking for you, call or email us today.

Tanzania is synonymous with the Great Migration, and with careful planning, it is possible for visitors to be at the right time at the right place to witness this amazing annual wildlife event.

Each year, literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles trek across the vast Serengeti plains towards Kenya’s Masai Mara, in search of new grazing grass. It is estimated that just over 2 million animals in total make this migration from one country to another and back again – a round journey of just under 2,000 miles.

The great migration has now reached the Kirawira Plains and Kirawira Luxury Tented Camp still has some rooms available for early June.

So if you have always wanted to see the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, give us a call or email us today !

If it is, then don’t worry, take advantage of one or more of these Stay for 3 Nights, Only Pay for 2 at the following Hollow Hotels properties, valid from 1st June until the end of September :

Hippo Hollow Country Estate or Perry’s Bridge Hollow, both in Hazyview – perfect either to explore the Kruger Park from or as a place to stay before / after a safari here

Knysna Hollow Country Estate – great for a stay along the beautiful Garden Route (not valid however during the famous Knysna Oyster Festival at the beginning of July)

Cape Town Hollow or Hollow in the Square – and we really don’t need to sell the highlights or a reason to stay in Cape Town !!

Tsavo National Park, which covers nearly 22,000 km2, is the largest National Park in Kenya, in fact, it is one of the largest in the world. As Tsavo is so close to Mombasa (less than 100 km), it is an ideal destination for anyone wanting to combine the thrill of a safari with some relaxing beach time.

For travel in October, we can offer a 2 night safari here plus 5 nights at a hotel in Mombasa, excluding international flights, for less than £780 per person.

7 Night Holiday Package

Contact one of our consultants today to ask us to send you a quote !

The wildebeest have gathered. The calves have been born. It is about to start ….

Yes, we are talking about the famous Great Migration, which every year sees over 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras and 350,000 gazelles follow the rains en mass from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania up to Kenya’s Masai (also spelled Maasai) Mara in search of greener grazing land, before returning back south again in November … a total journey of about 1,800 miles. It is one of nature’s most phenominal events, and also one of the most amazing safari experiences that Africa as a whole has to offer.

The animals begin their arduous trek about now, heading in a clockwise direction towards the long grass plains and woodlands of the Seregeti’s Western Corridor. May is also the time when the wildebeest mate, and competition is fierce between the males as they rut and battle to win females and territories.

Tho quite why they don’t just all call out for a take away pizza, I don’t really understand. Would save a lot of walking …

Having just returned from a 2 week trip to Kenya, this is the first report about the 10 places I stayed at.

Porini Amboseli Camp in the Selenkay Conservancy – what a fabulous place ! I was picked up from the Amboseli airstrip by my 2 guides, Harry and Jonah, and immediately offered a coffee! They took me on a game drive through the Amboseli National Park to begin with, and within 5 minutes I had the ‘elephants in front of Mount Kilimanjaro’ picture safely snapped – so what more can I say !!

Once you leave the Park, it is a 10 mile drive through Masai land to the actual conservancy, but it is an interesting drive, as you get to pass the people living their daily lives, and herding cows and sheep along.

Once in the conservancy, the vegetation changes to more trees and bushes, so again, within just a few seconds of arriving, I saw giraffe, zebra, antelope … including the gerenuk, this strange looking long necked antelope that thinks it is part impala / part giraffe as it browses from trees by standing up on its hind legs to reach the higher branches.

The camp is so friendly, everyone comes up and introduces themselves, and it has a lovely atmosphere. The tents are great – not OTT luxurious at all, but extremely clean, comfortable (a double bed and a single bed, great for me as I was on my own so I had a lot of room to spread out my stuff although it was only for one night !), and a large en-suite bathroom with flushing toilet, sink and a shower (bucket style, so you get 20 litres – if you are unsure, ask the manager about the best way to be efficient in them – basically you don’t have time to stand and enjoy, you get in, wash, and get out before the water runs out !).

Food was great, a total treat. I didn’t eat the banoffee pie at lunch, but my 3 fellow guests absolutely raved about it !

I did a walk to the Masai village in the afternoon, which was extremely informative and interesting, and you are under absolutely NO obligation at all to part with any money, which is lovely. We were escorted into the village by 5 ‘warriors’, who chanted as we walked behind them, then the village leader, Tom, introduced us to everyone, including the children. We went inside a typical mud hut, we watched them make fire from sticks, play games, and sing – and the warriors displayed their strength by showing us their jumping and spear throwing skills.

After we left the village, we went on a game drive through the conservancy and stopped for a scenic sundowner, then on the way back, we were all surprised by stopping in the bush for a lovely bush dinner under the stars and lit by lanterns.

In the morning, I did an hour bush walk with Jonah, which ended in a bush breakfast out in the wild.

All in all, would I recommend this camp ? Without a shadow of doubt. Excellent service, comfortable accommodation, superb game viewing … all in all, a real ‘safari / bush’ experience. 10 out of 10.