The marula tree … the subject of so many UTube videos, showing elephants and monkeys feasting on the little green fruit that it drops, and then appearing completely intoxicated.

Unfortunately, this is just a myth … whilst the videos are immensely amusing to watch, they are actually just the by-product of some clever editing.

The green fruit are actually completely harmless to animals, and it is not actually chemically possible for the fruit to contain alcohol … it is only the processing afterwards that turns the fruit into the delicious, creamy Amarula liqueur.

And, did you know that the marula tree can be either male or female, and it is only the female tree that has the fruit ?

So next time you are out on a game drive in the African bush, you can amaze your fellow guests with your outstanding knowledge about marula trees. And on the subject of game drives … when you stop for your morning coffee break ask for a shot of Amarula in with your coffee or hot chocolate … it is simply delicious !!!

Number 5 in the folklore series !

Why the Snake can Shed his Skin

In The Beginning, Man struck a deal with The Creator that he would not die. Instead, when he got old, The Creator would send down a new skin for Man to put on, which would make him young again.

One day, Man asked The Creator to prepare him a lot of new skins, so that he could give them to all his friends and family. The Creator worked very hard, but Man was very impatient and kept demanding that The Creator worked quicker to complete his task.

At last The Creator finished the skins, and put them in a basket and asked Jackal to deliver it to Man.

On the way to the village, Jackal stopped for a meal. He ate so much he felt very tired afterwards, so lay down to rest a while before continuing on his journey.

After a short while, Snake slithered past. Snake stopped and asked Jackal what was in the basket. Jackal told him about delivering the new skins to Man.

Snake liked the idea of living forever, and wanted the skins for himself. He offered to look after the basket while Jackal had a little sleep. Jackal thanked Snake, and promptly fell asleep.

When Snake was sure that Jackal was sleeping soundly, he took the basket of skins and disappeared into the bush.

When Jackal awoke, he was distraught to realise that he had been betrayed. He rushed to the village and told Man what had happened.

Man was annoyed with Jackal for being so careless, but was not duly concerned as he thought The Creator would simply make him some more skins.

However, The Creator was angry at the way Man had treated him, so refused to make any more skins. Man therefore had to die when he became old. Man blamed Jackal for this, and chased him away from the village.

The Creator was also angry with Snake for being so cunning, so took away the magic power from the skins, leaving them just as ordinary skins with no ability to prolong life.

To this day, Man still hates Jackals and Snakes, but Snakes still have the basket of skins so that they can change their old skins for new ones whenever they want.

The male Black Breasted Korhaan (or Choir Bird as it is also known as) has a truly bizarre mating ritual / dance designed to 100% impress the ladies.

Firstly, he will call loudly to entice a female to come nearer. When she is close enough to fully observe, he launches himself high into the sky (as they tend to favour open grasslands there is no danger of him colliding with an overhanging tree branch thankfully). He then literally plummets down towards the ground, almost as if he has forgotten how to flap his wings and fly … and at the very last minute will ‘break’ using his wings to stop an embarrassing crash landing in front of his new lady friend.

It is a very fine judgement, and the male has to work it just right … using his wings too early will mean the female will think he is weak and not a good mate … using his wings too late and he is no good for anything really.

Makes being asked out for a drink and dinner pretty boring really ….

Another folklore story for you to enjoy !

Why the Hippo Scatters his Dung

When The Creator made all the animals, he forgot about the Hippo, so had to make the Hippo out of all the remaining animal parts. Hippo hated the way he looked, and was too embarrassed to live on the land.

He begged The Creator to let him live in the water, where he could hide away.

The Creator refused, because he thought that Hippo, with his large mouth and teeth, would eat all the fish.

Hippo promised that he would not eat any fish, and would only eat grass, but would only come out of the water at night to eat because he didn’t want the other animals to see him.

Again, The Creator refused permission for Hippo to live in the water, because he still did not believe that Hippo would not eat the fish.

Hippo was very upset, and determined to have his way. Every day, he bombarded The Creator with the same request, until finally The Creator was tired of hearing from Hippo.

The Creator gave Hippo permission to live in the water, but on the condition that every day, when the Hippo came out of the water to feed, he scattered his dung on the land, so that The Creator could examine it to make sure that it contained no fish bones.

To this day, Hippos still live in water, and come out onto the land at night to graze and scatter their dung.

For the epitome in luxury travel, why not consider taking a classic train journey across South Africa’s beautiful countryside as part of your holiday plans.

For a limited period only (ie selected dates in September), we are offering a 7 night package that includes 2 nights at the St James in False Bay, followed by 2 nights on the exclusive Rovos Rail up to Pretoria, then one night in Pretoria itself, and ending with 2 nights on safari at the malaria-free Entabeni Private Game Reserve.

For more information, click on this link :

Cape Town, Rovos Rail and a Safari

Please contact us immediately to check availability and make a booking.

We have just listed this great property on our database / website :

Jewel on 32 - situated in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.

The 6 beautiful guest rooms all have a “gem theme” , and each has its own en-suite bathroom, desk and chair and appropriately-coloured décor options. Each room comes standard with a flat screen television with satellite (cable) channels, air conditioning / heating, tea / coffee facilities, a safe for your valuables and a hair dryer.

The 4* guest house is located in Jukskei Park, just minutes away from Monte Casino with its bird park and excellent shopping and dining attractions. The guest house is also close to the Fourways shopping centre and the Coca Cola Dome (for musical events / concerts). The Cradle of Humankind, which offers heritage sites of cultural, historical and geological interest, is about 45 minutes away. Sun City and the world-famous Pilanesberg National Park (a Big Five and malaria-free zone) is a drive of about 90 minutes.

Transfers from either OR Tambo International or Lanseria airports can be easily arranged.

The rates are fantastic … just R1,450 per double or single room per night, including a full English breakfast.

Contact us today to check availability and to make a booking !

Hornbills, when mating, will find a tree with an empty hole, and having successfully mated, the male hornbill leaves, but the female remains and waits to lay the eggs.

During this process, however, she loses all her feathers - I would also stay in a hole if this happened to me, I must admit.

The male, during this time, blocks up the hole, leaving just a small enough gap through which to pass her food. Obviously, this act is to protect her and the unborn chicks from unwanted predator attention, but I secretly think he is just embarrassed by her appearance and doesn’t want the rest of the world to know that his partner is now featherless and looking slightly odd.

Once the chicks have hatched, the female’s feathers begin to grow back, but she will not leave the nest until her feathers are all fully back to normal.

The female is therefore extremely reliable on the male during the incubation period, as without his food supply both her and her chicks would not survive. Let’s just hope the male hornbill is extremely careful when out on his food seaches ….

Number 3 in the folklore series … hope you are enjoying them !

Why the Rhino is Bad-Tempered

In the Beginning, the Giraffe had a normal neck, and looked a bit like a large Antelope.

One year, there was a terrible drought. All the waterholes dried up, and all the grass became very parched and bitter tasting. All the animals were extremely hungry.

Giraffe realised that the leaves on the tree tops were still fresh and tasty, and he tried to stretch his neck upwards to reach them, but couldn’t.

His friend, Rhino, seeing his friend try this, laughed at how silly he looked.

Giraffe was annoyed at being laughed at, and stormed off into the bush. He passed an old man who asked why Giraffe was so angry. Giraffe told him.

“Never mind,” said the old man. “I am a witchdoctor, and I have a special herb here which will make your friend Rhino regret laughing at you.”

He gave the herb to Giraffe, who ate it quickly.

Suddenly, Giraffe had the strangest feeling. His neck was getting longer!

He felt very dizzy as the ground started to get further and further away, and closed his eyes.

When he reopened them, he could see the lucious leaves at the top of the trees were level with his head, and he eagerly began to eat them.

When Rhino heard what had happened to his friend, he became very bad-tempered, and to this day, the Rhino is still in a bad mood.

Samara Private Game Reserve encompasses 29,000 hectares of malaria-free spectacular Karoo wilderness. The reserve offers a tremendous game experience for those hoping to see cheetah (there is an excellent wild cheetah breeding programme in operation here), mountain zebra, the once-endangered white rhino, big herds of plains game such as kudu, eland, black wildebeest and beautiful birds, such as the rare blue crane.

The reserve is only a 2.5 hour drive from Port Elizabeth, making it an ideal end to any family holiday that takes in some of the Garden Route too.

For any bookings made between now and the 1st November, Samara are offering these fantastic deals for families :

• Pay for 2 nights and receive the 3rd night completely free

• Children under 14 years of age will only pay 50% if sharing with an adult – and children under 8 stay for free

• During a 3 night stay, one adult will receive a complimentary shoulder / back / neck massage – I would imagine this will appeal to all mothers !!

• Baby sitting services are provided free of charge

• Children get a specialised kiddies menu

• Because children under the age of 8 may not accompany their parents on game drives, they can enjoy a whole host of kiddy-friendly activities, such as their own shortened game drives (with popcorn and snacks), face painting, baking with the chef, orienteering courses, sketch your own Bushman paintings, star-naming, making animals from natural products, puzzles, crafting with African beads, insect and bug appreciation – plus all children receive a free gift on arrival

• All families will get a treasure hunt walk in the bush with their ranger

• Family picnics can also be arranged

For a stay here if booked with Travel Butlers, we are offering the following rates :

August : Adults pay R2,845 per person sharing per night
September : Adults pay R3,535 per person sharing per night
October : Adults pay R3,730 per person sharing per night

Children rates as quoted above.

The rate includes all meals, tea and coffee, 2 game drives daily for the adults, local house wines and soft beverages. PLEASE NOTE: All other drinks are NOT included.

For anyone thinking of finalising their safari plans this weekend, why not consider a 3 nights stay at AmaKhosi Safari Lodge - because if you book before the 15th August for a safari here between now and the end of September, the 3rd night will be completely free !

Boasting 12,000 hectares, the Amazulu Private Game Reserve is made up of a varied ecosystem. This diversity includes savanna, mountains and wetlands which makes it the ideal home to the Big 5 as well as giraffe, warthog and hyena, hippopotamus and crocodile. There are also no less than 400 bird species.

Early morning and late afternoon guided walks and game drives lead you into the African bush to observe the animals and their fascinating behaviour. Qualified game rangers introduce the unique role each animal plays on the massive stage within the African Kingdom.

For those who prefer to relax at camp, there is a library, swimming pool, game viewing deck and an outdoor lounge overlooking the flowing Mkuze River. Each suite boasts a separate air-conditioned bedroom and lounge with fully stocked mini bar and tea / coffee making facilities.

Contact us now to check availability and book this wonderful safari !