AIRLINK has confirmed that it will operate a new route from Kruger to Livingstone (for Victoria Falls) from August 17.

Airlink’s service will operate directly from Kruger Mpumalanga / Nelspruit (airport code MQP) to Livingstone in Zambia (airport code LVI) initially on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with the intention to grow frequency corresponding with demand.

This will avoid the current need for Kruger travellers 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.

Flights will depart Nelspruit Kruger at 11.55 am, arriving in Livingstone at 1.50 pm. The return flight will depart Livingstone at 2.20 pm, arriving in Nelspruit Kruger at 4.45 pm.

Travel + Leisure Magazine USA has just completed its 2009 Worlds Best Service Awards, asking its readers to nominate destinations around the globe that “really deliver”.

The results were published in the magazine’s June edition, and Sabi Sabi is honoured to have been voted as 7th best hotel overall in the world, the only South African establishment in the World’s Top Ten category. Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge has also made the 2009 Conde Nast Traveller Gold List for Best in Ambience and Design.

In its 30 years of existence, Sabi Sabi has become renowned for succesfully balancing luxury and world class safaris, with genuine African warmth and hospitality – inviting guests to enjoy a personalised home in the bush experience. The caring management and staff play an integral part in the overall Sabi Sabi experience, offering superb service that complements the 5-Star accommodation, exciting Big 5 open Land Rover safaris and superb cuisine.

Marketing director, Jacques Smit attributes this international recognition to several factors: “People form the heart of our business. The majority of our team hail from nearby villages and they have an inherent connection with the reserve. They bring a special brand of African hospitality to our lodges that make guests feel instantly at home”.

Ask Sabi Sabi’s returning guests why they come back again and again, and the answer will be, “for the unforgettable experience made all the more memorable by the warmth and hospitality of the staff.” How true !

Keen to see leopards in the wild?   This video (appropriately enough taken at Leopard Hills) is a good example of why the Sabi Sands Reserve in the Greater Kruger Park is probably the best place anywhere to see leopard. 

Londolozi Private Game Reserve, situated in the exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve which adjoins the Kruger National Park, has a series of exciting guest activities lined up for the winter months at no extra cost.

These include breakfasts and bushveld picnics – including whisky porridge at dawn; winter wine tasting and campfire story telling; leopard tracking; astrology and geology lectures; yoga massage and all-night bush sleep-outs.

For many people who decide to drive themselves to their safari lodge (rather than arrange a transfer or fly directly to the reserve), the thrill of arriving at a game reserve for the first time is immense. However, unless their tour operator has briefed them thoroughly (something that we at Travel Butlers ALWAYS do !), some people won’t realise that once they enter the reserve gates, they then may have anything up to a 30 – 45 minute drive through the reserve in their own car to reach the lodge.

There really is nothing to worry about, however, but here are a few useful tips.

Firstly, make sure you know whether there is an entrance fee to enter the reserve. Most operators will not include this in the rate they have charged you, so just double check with them if in doubt. The entrance fee is normally payable in cash, so make sure you have enough on you.

Secondly, in 99% of the reserves, you will not need a 4WD vehicle to enable you to drive through the reserve. Although the roads won’t be tarred, the main roads that you will be following to get to the lodge will be well kept, and are easy to drive on. If the roads do require a 4WD, your tour operator should advise you accordingly.

Thirdly, don’t worry about getting lost …. The reserves generally have signposts to the individual lodges for you to follow.
Fourthly, allow enough time from leaving the gate to reaching the lodge. You obviously will need to stick to the speed limit (normally around 40 km/h), but you must also allow extra time just in case you meet some wildlife on the way – for example, you may have to wait 10 minutes while a herd of zebra cross the road in front of you ! Under NO circumstances should you drive off-road to get past any wildlife – instead, if you do encounter anything, slow down and maintain a good distance and wait until they have moved off in their own time.

And finally, and most importantly, do NOT get out of your car until you reach the lodge. The lodge will most likely have been notified that you have arrived at the gate, so they will be waiting for you. If you get into any problems, they will send someone out to search for you !

For a lot of visitors to South Africa, a very popular safari destination is to spend a couple of nights in one of the lodges of the Eastern Cape, as this can easily be combined with a visit to Cape Town and a trip along the Garden Route – and the area is also malaria-free, which especially for families is an important consideration

But which lodge or reserve do you select? There are so many to choose from – Shamwari, Kwandwe, Pumba, Amakhala, Lalibela, Kariega … so what are the main differences ?

This may, I hope, shed some light for potential visitors to this area !

The reserves of the Eastern Cape range in size – anything from 5,000 hectares to 25,000 hectares. They are all privately owned, which means that the rangers have the freedom to drive off-road if there is a particular sighting that they want their guests to get close to – a pride of lions snoozing under a tree, for example !

The reserves all operate independently from each other, and each therefore have their own wildlife stock – the larger reserves such as Shamwari and Kwandwe can obviously sustain more wildlife in terms of actual physical numbers, and can also sustain species such as wild dog, who need an incredibly large home territory to hunt over – but the privilege of this is reflected in the rates.

The smaller reserves such as Amakhala, Lalibela, Pumba and Kariega, which tend to be around the 5,000 – 8,000 hectare size, do have to limit the number of predators – for example, a small reserve can only sustain a few lion, or else they would find their entire buffalo population is wiped out very quickly by hungry lions !

If Shamwari or Kwandwe fall within your budget, then in all honesty a 2 or 3 night safari in one of these lodges would give you a more rounded safari experience by dint purely of the size. 

Staying in either of these reserves means you will generally not see the road / reserve perimeter fence line at all during your stay, whereas in the smaller reserves you may well come across the fence line during a game drive – especially in Amakhala, as the lions are kept in a separate 1,000 hectares on one side of the road, so to get between this and the main part of the reserve you do cross under the main N2 road via an underpass – which can detract from the overall feeling of being totally immersed in your bush / safari experience.

However, to be forewarned is to be prepared – we had some wonderful sightings when we stayed at Amakhala, which included a cheetah mum and 3 cubs on an impala kill just a few meters from the N2 – which more than compensated for the highway encounter !

Kariega is also a ‘split’ reserve, with the lions and elephants being kept separate in one part of the reserve, but you don’t go near the N2 at all – however you do cross over a minor road between the 2 parts of the reserve.

Whichever lodge you choose, you will still come away with memories of a wildlife encounter that will last a lifetime.

Stay for 3 nights for the price of 2 at Shumbalala Game Lodge in the Thornybush Game Reserve. Dawn and dusk safaris in open Land Rovers, bushveld walks, all meals, teas, coffees and snacks, and sundowner drinks on game drives are included.

This exclusive 5* lodge is set under shady African trees lining the seasonal Monwana river in the Thornybush Game Reserve, which comprises of 14,500 hectares of fenced prime game viewing territory, and is home to the Big 5 as well as a variety of other African wildlife.

Accommodation is in 4 luxury suites. All the suites have overhead fans, air-conditioning, open fireplaces, and designer ‘picture window’ bathroom suites that includes an additional outside shower for the more adventurous and a private viewing deck.

The main lodge area has game viewing decks and swimming pools, as well as 2 lounges, a curio shop and a library in which to relax between game drives.

This offer is valid for travel between 1 March 2009 and 31 July 2009.

Not only does the weak Rand mean that a holiday to South Africa represents truly great value, but many hotels and safari lodges are running some unbelievable promotions, even over the Easter period.

We have pulled together a selection of special offers that are running over Easter, although space is limited everywhere and we would not expect all these offers to be available for long.

You can either browse the list of available offers and ask us to check availability for you, or alternatively ask us to suggest an Easter safari or holiday for you.

ANDBEYOND, formerly CC Africa, has announced the completion of the refurbishment work that has been underway at Phinda Vlei Lodge in KwaZulu Natal.

All wooden fixtures at the lodge have been stripped and revarnished and new wooden shutters have been fitted.

In addition, new bathroom fixtures have been fitted and the private decks of the suites have been replaced. New outdoor furniture has been placed on the decks.

We were at Phinda back in September of last year, and a ciuple of the rooms had already been finsihed then and were looking stunning.  The lodge has a great location and game viewing is excellent at Phinda, so this upgrade is really the icing on the cake!

Kariega is making a new special offer available this year in addition to the 3 nights for the price of 2 offer that they have run for the last few years.  

Guests booking a stay between 12 January and 30 April 2009 can stay 4 nights for the price of 3 at selected Kariega lodges, giving clients 33% more safari for their money.

 The 5,000 hectare malaria-free Kariega Reserve is home to all of Africa’s big 5 as well as hippo, giraffe, zebra, eland, wildebeest, waterbuck and a variety of antelope a myriad of bird species.

A host of activities are offered, including game drives, hiking trails, fishing, bird watching, canoeing, mountain biking, horse riding, and the ever famous river cruises on the Kariega Queen.

Guest travelling in the low season can get even more for their money with 3 nights for the price of 2 at Kariega from 1 May to 30 September 2009.