If you have been thinking about booking a safari holiday for a little while, you will know that there is a wealth of high-quality destinations available on the African continent. Indeed, every nation or region has something unique to offer in terms of wildlife, beauty and character so choosing one itinerary or country above all others can be something of a tricky task.

We here at Travel Butlers are very aware of this so we thought we would provide you with a brief overview of three of our most popular safari destinations: South Africa, Kenya and Botswana.

South Africa

South Africa is famous for offering travellers and tourists ‘A World in One Country’. Certainly, South Africa has plenty to keep everybody happy; ‘big five’ (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros) game viewing, stunning beaches, vibrant cities, world-class winelands, historic sights and amazing scenery – all bound together with an intoxicating culture.

Throw in some the finest cuisine on the planet and service that is second to none and you will soon get an idea of what brings visitors back to this unique destination time and time again.

Oh, and did we mention that South Africa has many of the most luxurious safari lodges on the continent..?

Kenya

There are few countries that can offer as much of an authentic African safari as Kenya.

This stunningly beautiful country has an abundance of natural wildlife and breath-taking scenery that has thrilled and mesmerized nature lovers in equal measure for many years.

One of the main highlights of any Kenyan safari holiday is the chance to watch over two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migrate in a clockwise fashion between the borders of Kenya and Tanzania. This amazing sight can be viewed in a number of different ways depending on your own particular preferences. For instance, you could watch it on a game drive, a walking safari or even form the unique vantage point offered by a hot air balloon ride. Of course, Kenya is also home to the iconic Masai Mara Reserve, so you can be sure that any trip you book to this wonderful country will provide you with a truly genuine safari experience.

Botswana

Botswana has long been lauded as being Africa’s most luxurious safari destination. This is because guests are able to stay at intimate camps and lodges which have access to private reserves teeming with wildlife. Indeed, wildlife is very much the priority in Botswana so you will find an abundance of activities available that will help to make sure you enjoy some of the most amazing sights and sounds in all of Africa.

Whether you choose to indulge in boating safaris, game drives, walking safaris or elephant encounters; you will see big cats, zebra, wildebeest, elephant and many other animals that will provide you with truly memorable holiday moments.

Still undecided?

If you would like to find out more about these amazing destinations or enquire about any other aspect of African safari holidays, call 0845 838 2450, now.

News from the Porini Lion Camp in the Masai Mara: Philip Keter, Manager at Porini Lion Camp reports the Wildebeest Migration has now arrived in the Mara! He says that guests at camp have seen several hundred wildebeest crossing the Mara River today. Many wildebeest and zebra have also crossed the Sand River while more spilled into the Mara Triangle from the Serengeti across the border in Tanzania.

It may take days, weeks or even another month before we see the last of the Wildebeest make their way down towards the river in an attempt at the crossing. Do not miss out on the opportunity to witness this wonder.

There is still some limited availability at Porini Lion Camp for the migration period so you may still be able to see this spectacular event if you enquire now online or by calling 0845 838 2450.

South Africa’s only ski resort, Tiffindell in the Eastern Cape, is expected to be up and running  by next year, according to new owner, Lew Campbell (no relation of  Travel Butlers owners Paul & Tracey Campbell).

Situated along the Ben McDhui peak in the southern region of the Drakensberg, the resort has chalets able to accommodate about 142 people, with the main lodge area featuring a lounge, restaurant, kitchen, bar, a shop and ski hire facilities.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this progresses over the coming 12 months, as the idea of skiing in the stunning Drakensberg Mountains before heading off to the beach or on safari a few days later sounds like a great holiday combination to us!

Please note that although the BBC news is leading with a story “All US Government travel to Mombasa is suspended .” this warning on travel to Mombasa specifically refers to US Government travel and NOT to tourists.

Tourists are still advised to exercise vigilance and caution in public places and at public events, however, I am sure that everyone does that wherever you go – I know I do everytime I go up into London, and I travel there once a week on business!

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) has released two female cheetahs, a mother and daughter, into the neighbouring Kapama Private Game Reserve.  The cheetahs have been at the centre since April last year, when they were bought to the Centre from the Mountain Zebra National Park outside Cradock in the Eastern Cape, due to an overpopulation issue there.

“From a conservation point of view, the release means that there are now two more cheetahs from a different gene pool, which will allow for the new genes to help with the success of conserving this endangered species,” said Lente Roode, founder of HESC.

The 13,000 hectare fenced Kapama Game Reserve spreads from the R40 on the west to the Thornybush boundary to the east, and from the Eastgate Airport road to the north to the Klaserie Dam on the south. The Klaserie River flows through the reserve.

Kapama has all the Big 5 African animals in abundance, and the reserve’s natural environment and sweetveld ecosystem offers guests the opportunity to have close encounters with all the African animals that traditionally roam this area.

The lodges on the reserve all offer morning and afternoon game drives in open Land Rovers, and also included in the rate is all your meals, and an optional morning bush walk with a qualified guide.

Elephant back safaris are available at an additional cost, and these provide a unique way of seeing the bush from a different perspective.

We wish mum and cub all the best for their new life in Kapama, and our congratulations to everyone at the HESC  for the outstanding work that they do to rescue these animals and reintroduce them to the wild.

We highly recommend a visit to the HESC to anyone visiting the Hazyview or Lowveld area as this is a great way to support their work and also get closer to cheetahs and other species than you would in the wild. There is no need to book in advance, and you can check opening times and prices on their web site .

It is obviously a buy time in the airline industry, with Kenya Airways the latest airline to announce sunstantial changes to its summer schedule.

The good news for European travellers is that flights to London will increase to 10 flights per week on the 322-seat Boeing 777-200, and at the same time Paris flights will increase to six per week during the July-August peak period and the daily Amsterdam capacity will be upgraded using the Boeing 777-200. The downside here is that the Rome service is being suspended indefinately due to insufficient demand.

The airline has also  introduced a new direct flight to Dubai which will operate three times a week, with late evening departures from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to capture the late connecting traffic arriving into Nairobi. This is in addition to the airline’s daily Dubai service. It will now operate 10 non-stop flights to Dubai per week.

British Airways has announced that its extra seasonal service between London Heathrow and Cape Town for Winter 2012 will have a schedule change.

Revised Cape Town flight schedule from October 28 for the Winter schedule is:

BA43 LHR-CPT: departs 17:35, arrives 07:00 Daily B744 Mid J
BA42 CPT-LHR: departs 22:20, arrives 08:00 Daily B744 Mid J

Customers already booked on BA43/42 will be re-booked on the re-timed flight schedule.

South African Airways is scrapping its direct service from Heathrow to Cape Town ahead of the city’s peak season.

All flights will be via Johannesburg from 15th August and all passengers booked on the direct service will either be transferred to the new route or offered a refund.

The airline cites increased competition from both direct and indirect services as the reason, and also says the market between the UK and South Africa has shrunk by 24% over the last three years due to increased Air Passenger Duty and the £52 visa fee for South Africans coming to the UK.

This leaves British Airways as the only carrier to flying direct from London to Cape Town all year round, withVirgin operating a daily direct service from October to late March.

SAA launched its direct service between Cape Town and London in 1992 but since then numerous international airlines have added Cape Town to their routes, with airlines like Emirates offering flights from Cape Town to Dubai which connect to various other hubs including Heathrow.

“A thorough analysis of the route made it clear that we could use our aircraft more profitably elsewhere while continuing to ensure excellent business and tourism links between the Western Cape and the UK with our significant capacity via Johannesburg,” said Theunis Potgieter, SAA”s general manager commercial.

SAA currently has two daily services between London Heathrow and Johannesburg and will be increasing its capacity on these flights by 13% through use of larger aircraft to accommodate passengers on this route.

Travel Butlers would like to congratulate HM Queen Elizabeth II on reaching her 60^th year on the throne. In celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, Monday 4^th and Tuesday 5^th of June will be public holidays in the UK and our offices will be closed.

We will check emails and telephone messages periodically, however clients who are travelling over this period should use the emergency contact numbers provided on their travel documentation if they require assistance over this period.

Making it easy to combine Cape Town with a safari in the Okavango Delta, Air Botswana are about to launch a new daily direct flight between Maun (MUB) and Cape Town (CPT) with effect from June 01 2012.

Maun serves as the gateway to the world famous Okavango Delta, which offers an opportunity for the safari holiday of a lifetime.

The Delta is home to a massive concentration of animals and birdlife. Thousands of elephant and buffalo roam the area, often in large herds, while several thousands hippos navigate their way through the existing channels, or create new ones.

There is an abundance of antelope, including the shy sitatunga, creeping through the thickets. Such a mass of herbivores encourages large numbers of predators – from big lion prides and noisy family packs of hyena, to the ever cunning crocodile. Cheetah and wild dog are a common sight on the larger grasslands while leopard are often seen stalking through the dense bush or lazing on a riverine tree.

The launch of this new service is perfectly timed to coincide with the peak of the tourism season, and will offer safari goers a smooth and hassle-free connection between the two iconic destinations.