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 to 28th September when the kids are back at school.
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.
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.
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.
It is possible that there will be changes between the currentprovisional winners and the eventual finally confirmed winners, but the confirmed winners will be announced early 2012.
The World Heritage Site of Table Mountain rises over 1,000m above Cape Town, and can be seen from 150 km out to sea. Its flattened peak makes it one of the most recognisable mountains in the world, and you simply can’t visit Cape Town without making a trip to the top.
One of 2 cable cars, each capable of holding up to 65 passengers, whisks you up the mountain to the top in less than 5 minutes. The 360 degree rotating floor adds to the excitement, giving everyone on board the opportunity to look out over the spectacular scenery, including the neighbouring Devil’s Peak, Lions Head and Signal Hill (whose name is taken from when flags were flown to warn ofapproaching ships, and from where the Noon Day Gun is fired at midday every day apart from Sundays), as well as views along the jagged peaks of the Twelve Apostles mountain range, and Robben Island out in the bay.
Many trails wind across the rocky flattened ‘tabletop’ summit, each leading to different viewpoints.
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…
Cape Town, who previously really didn’t have any form of public transport service, have recently introduced the MyCiTi rapid public transport service, which has just seen the 200 new buses being added to the ‘fleet’ this week.
This will certainly make it easier for tourists to get around this beautiful city without the need to hire a car for their entire stay here. The service has already grown from transporting 200 to 9000 people daily.
The current routes include :
* Cape Town International Airport (4.20 am until 9.50 pm) to the City
* Table View – to be extended as far as Melkbosstrand
* Gardens – Civic Centre – V&A Waterfront (6 am until 8 pm). This is an interim service to be replaced by n9 new permanent central city routes by next year. These will include services to the Bo Kaap, Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Vredehoek, the Atlantic Seabord, the V&A Waterfront, Walmer Estate, Woodstock, Salt River and Hout Bay.
Not for the faint-hearted, true, but if you have always entertained a burning desire to swim close to the edge of the Victoria Falls, then you need to make a trip to Devil’s Pool, a naturally formed pool accessed via Livingstone Island in Zambia.
Only attempt this when the river flow is at a safe level, however – which is RIGHT NOW ! The pool ‘opened for business’ a few days ago due to low water levels in the Zambezi River.
There is a natural rock wall just below the water and at the very edge of the Falls that stops anyone from swimming right over the edge and tumbling down into the gorge … although please .. do still be careful !!!
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