Occasionally we find that it can be difficult to get accommodation in some parts of South Africa during the South African School holidays….after all, it is not only visitors from overseas who want to visit Kruger, Durban or the Garden Route!

Given this, we thought it might be useful for people from other countries to know when the South African School holidays will fall in 2012. We realise that sometimes it will be unavoidable to travel at these times, however it might be worth keeping in mind just in case you do have some flexability on your dates. For example,  whilst 23 June to 15 July is holiday time across SA and it is very likely that every SANParks camp in Kruger is already fully booked, things will be a lot quieter from 16th July t0 28th September when the kids are back at school.

2012 SA School Holidays are:

• 29 March – 10 April 2012
• 23 June – 15 July 2012
• 29 September – 7 October 2012
• 8 December – 7 January 2013

Travel Butlers were delighted to have our 6 Night Mobile Safari Adventure in Kenya featured in yesterday’s Sunday Times Travel Section (UK) as one of the best 100 holidays in the world for 2012.  This great trip was the top placed african safari holiday, and was one of only seven wildlife holidays to be featured in the “Into The Wild” section of the article.

The trip they selected includes 3 nights at the Gamewatchers Molible Camp  in the Amboslei reserve, followed by a further 3 nights at their Mobile Camp in the Masai Mara.  As the article highlighted,  the tented accommodation is in no way flashy, however the  location of the camps in the heart of two of Kenya’s most iconic parks means that the game viewing is exceptional…especially if you time your trip to coincide with the Wildebeest migration’s arrival in the Masai Mara.

The cost including accommodation, meals, transfers, and game drives is US$1525 (approx £978) per person.

Mabula Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg has introduced two male cheetah, transported from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in the Western Cape. This is the first time cheetah have been introduced to the reserve.

Upon arrival in the reserve, the two animals spent a few weeks in a boma where they were carefully monitored by Reserve Manager,Ryno Erasmus, as well as Dr Yolanda Pretorius from the reserve research division, and her team. “Time in the boma is very important as it allows animals to become familiar with their surroundings and curbs their instinct to run away, in an attempt to return to where they came from,” says Erasmus.

The two-and-a-half-year-old cats are completely independent from their mother and have been hunting on their own for at least six months.

Following heavy rains, South African National Parks (SANParks) has issued an urgent warning about flooding in the Kruger National Park.

A number of entrance gates have been closed including Crocodile Bridge, and the road between Letaba and Olifants is not accessible…Letaba camp is without electricity, and a number of smaller bush camps are currently closed.

The Tinga Private Lodge has been evacuated, and it seems likely that more private lodges both in Kruger and the neighbouring private reserves will evacuate over the next few hours.

From Friday 6th January to Friday 30th March, viewers in the UK will be able to get a behind the scenes look as 32 vet students from the UK attend one of the toughest vet schools in the world.

The students are at the Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa to learn valuable wildlife skills under the guidance of Chief Vet, Dr Will Fowlds.

It should be very interesting to see how students trained to deal with domestic cats get on with lions, elephants, rhinos etc!

Safari Vet School is on ITV 1@ 8pm from Friday 6th January to Friday 30th March.

Anyone who is interested in visiting the reserve might like to check out our Amakhala Game Reserve special offers.

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, were recently hosted by &Beyond and Phinda Private Game Reserve, during their recent South African tour. The Royal couple paid an afternoon visit to Phinda as part of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative showcasing conservation projects in KwaZulu-Natal.

After an interpretive game drive, Prince Charles and his team then went on to visit the nearby Mduku community. They were greeted by 100 community members dressed in traditional Zulu attire, who sang to them as they were escorted to the community centre and the Mduku Clinic. Isaac Tembe, the Africa Foundation Development Officer, gave an inspirational speech about the wonderful work the Foundation is doing with the communities.

Before the Royal couple visited Phinda, they met with King Goodwill Zwelithini and Premier Zweli Mkize in Ulundi. This is the first time a member of the Royal family has visited the area and met with the Zulu King since the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879.

Prince Charles commended the success of the Foundation and applauded the community projects for not only making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, but also for being an inspiration to people around the world.

Picture the scene – you are participating in the Albert Falls Dam mountain bike race, and you are cycling fast through the African bush, not a care in the world apart from focussing on winning the race … and then suddenly a red hartebeest lands on top of you…

For people wanting to combine Vic Falls with a Kruger safari, there is a service run by SAA that operates directly from Kruger Mpumalanga / Nelspruit (airport code MQP) to Livingstone, which currently operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It has just been announced, however, that a new flight is being planned for Saturdays (commencing March 10 2012) and eventually on Tuesdays (from August 7 2012).

These direct flights avoid any need for safari goers to stay overnight or connect in Johannesburg prior to flying to Livingstone. The opportunity is then for travellers to enjoy a game drive and breakfast at their bush lodge before travelling to Livingstone and enjoying, on the same day, an evening sunset cruise on the Zambezi. For people travelling from Livingstone to Kruger, they can enjoy a walk to the Falls in the morning, then breakfast and mid-morning activities before travelling to Kruger to enjoy dinner and the first night in the bush.

The SAA flights depart Nelspruit Kruger at just before midday, and takes just over 2 hours to arrive at Livingstone. The return flight will depart Livingstone at early afternoon, arriving in Nelspruit Kruger just before 5 pm. Please note these times are subject to change.

Following unnecessary confusion throughout the tourism industry The South African Department of Health have finally informed the South African Society of Travel Medicine (www.sastm.org) as of October 1, all travellers from Zambia will be required to show proof of yellow fever vaccination (unless in possession of a valid waiver certificate).

Travellers transiting airports in countries with risk of yellow fever transmission will also be required to show proof of yellow fever vaccination, regardless of the amount of time spent at the airport.

All travellers from yellow fever risk countries who are unable to produce a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate at the port of entry will either be refused entry or quarantined until their certificate becomes valid, or for a period of not more than six days.

Those with an exemption certificate due to medical reasons will be allowed entry and required to report any fever or other symptoms to the health authorities and be placed under surveillance.

One of the main attractions of the Eastern Cape is the opportunity to visit a wildlife park and see the Big 5 in a malaria-free environment.

Right in the heart of the Eastern Cape’s game viewing region you will find Pumba Private Game Reserve, situated a mere 105 km from Port Elizabeth.

The reserve stretches over an area of 6,000 hectares. Home to the Big 5, the Reserve offers visitors the chance to experience the wonders of Africa – from the graceful giraffe to the seldom seen leopard. There are also 22 species of antelope and other small game.

Pumba is also home to the near extinct white lion and for bird lovers the 200 + species will delight.

There are just 2 lodges on the entire reserve. The stunning Pumba Water Lodge is, as its name suggests, situated overlooking Lake Kariega and offers magnificent views from its terraced deck. The 12 air-conditioned suites lead off meandering footpaths and are set along the lake’s edge. Each suite has a unique view of the lake and opens onto a private deck with outside shower and plunge pool.

Pumba Bush Lodge overlooking a small watering hole on a flood plain. There are just 11 thatched, glass enclosed chalets here, each in it’s own private bush setting – giving the ultimate feeling and experience of an African bush safari. Each chalet is air-conditioned, and has a spacious en-suite bathroom. Outside your chalet is your own private game viewing deck and plunge pool, plus an outdoor shower.

From NOW until the end of April 2013, Travel Butlers are delighted to offer a Stay for 3 Nights, Only Pay for 2 for any stays here (the exceptions being stays over the Xmas and New Year periods), which, coupled with attractive rates that only Travel Butlers can offer, really does make this a fabulous safari experience.

As an example … for 2 people staying at Pumba Water Lodge for 3 nights in May 2012, the total for all 3 nights would be just R13,320 / £1,210 (based on current exchange rates) – and this rates includes all meals, local beers, ciders, soft drinks and house wines, and morning / afternoon guided game drives.

AND if that isn’t enough … for any bookings between the 27th November to the 20th December THIS YEAR if you confirm with a deposit before the 30th September, we will offer you a further 10% reduction from our rates for this period. This would make our rate just R3,816 / £340 per person per night – and the Stay 3 / Pay 2 would STILL apply !!!

And finally, children of ANY age are welcome – Water Lodge has family rooms – children rates on request.

We look forward to hearing from you and booking your stay in this incredibly special game reserve.