Having just returned from a trip to South Africa, I had to fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and I chose to fly with Kulula (www.kulula.com). If you do not know about regional flights like Kulula, I would suggest you click here to read more about it.

Although Travel Butlers do not at the moment book any flights, we often recommend this airline to our customers if their itinerary includes a domestic / internal flight. The prices are generally very good, in fact, I would go as far to say they offer some of the lowest fares around.

They are absolutely ideal for flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and also from either of these hub cities onto George, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

I personally had no complaints whatsoever with the check in service when I arrived at Cape Town (the only slight irritation was that the flight I was booked onto was a co-share with BA, and the main flight board showed the BA flight number only, rather than rotating with the Kulula flight number , which did throw me into a mild panic for about 5 minutes until I found someone at the Kulula desk who assured me that my flight WAS still departing !!). There was sufficient legroom in the plane itself, and the service on board was pleasant and efficient.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get REALLY close up and personal with the wildlife of the African bush ? Did you avidly follow the adventures of Emma in Vet Safari on the BBC, and wish you could trade places with her for a day?

Well, now you can !

Travel Butlers are proud to be able to offer their customers a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, in conjunction with Brothers Safaris / African Vet Safaris, to follow trained vets and wildlife researchers as they go out on their daily duties in the private reserves in the Eastern Cape area.

On many of the private game reserves, it is vital to regularly monitor and check the health of the wildlife, especially the larger animals such as lion, elephant, rhino and leopard. And there are other checks that need to be routinely carried out too – female lions may, for example, need to be given a form of contraception to control the population, or for research purposes leopards and cheetahs may need to be fitted with transmitter implants or radio collars so that their whereabouts can be tracked and followed.

In order for these procedures to be safely carried out (and this is in terms of both the welfare of the animal AND the person carrying out the procedure!), the animals will need to be sedated first – after all, would you want to try to fit a male leopard with a tracking device while he is wide awake and fully alert?! This is termed as ‘immobilising’ the animal, and it is not harmful at all. The animal is simply darted with a tranquiliser, which will temporarily knock them out while the safari vets then do whatever needs to be done.

Once the animal is tranquilised, participating guests are invited to move as close as they would like to watch what the safari vet in action – and depending on the animal and the actual procedure being carried out, guests may even be offered the opportunity to assist – under strict supervision, of course ! Either way, it is a truly unique way to get unbelievably close to the magnificent creatures of the African bush – and the experience is not one that many people can say they have had !

Guests may also, on request, fly in the helicopter with the safari vet if a helicopter is required to dart the animals.

Guests will be able to join the safari vets over a consecutive 4 day period, which also gives ample time to enjoy the general game viewing in the reserve. In general, the number of guests is limited to a maximum of 7, but if you have a larger or smaller group, or you particularly want to focus your experience on a particular animal, trips can be tailormade on request.

The cost of this 4 day unforgettable experience, including your accommodation and most meals, starts from R19,000 per person, and part of this cost goes not only towards the cost of the procedure, but also to the wildlife / conservation body, so guests are directly contributing towards the conservation and successful management of the wildlife.

In fact, the Lion Immobilisation Safari, which is scheduled to run between the 9th and 12th April 2010, has not yet been filled – the safari is guaranteed to run, and thus we are offering a last minute special – contact us for an updated itinerary or to discuss costs ASAP.

If you have longer to spare, there is also the opportunity to go ‘behind the scenes’ with a team of wildlife field researchers and scientists to study a particular animal. This gives guests on this trip an amazing opportunity to gain an incredibly rare insight into the behaviour patterns of animals in their natural environment. These trips are generally about 8 to 9 days in duration, as they consist of a whole series of activities, including visiting rehabilitation centres and animal sanctuaries, learning about wildlife management, tracking wildlife through the bush and monitoring their activities, watching (and participating in too) various routine vetinerary procedures – and maybe even tracking collared animals from the air. The research may also not be limited to just one reserve, again giving a really varied experience – not to mention some great all-round game viewing too!

All activites are option, and guests can choose to be as hands on or hands off as they prefer.

Again, contact us for costs today !

In the opening of Botswana’s Parliament and in the recent Botswana budget speech, it was announced that VAT (Value Added Tax) will be increased from 10% to 12%, effective from 01 April 2010, in that country.

Many people ask us when we book their holiday ‘I am a vegetarian … will I be OK and be able to eat things?’.

It is our policy to always find this out, and inform the properties beforehand, but staff at Rissington Inn have gone one step further to make sure vegetarians are truly welcomed.

They have just added a number of new veggie options to their already extensive and mouth-watering menu. Vegetarians (and meat-eaters alike) can try the delicious Yoghurt-coated Paneer Cheese Curry, or the colourful Two-Tone Red and Yellow Pepper Soup, the rich and tasty White Wine and Mushroom Cheese Tart with a Tomato Concasse, or the Fresh Asparagus and Green Bean Stir Fry with Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms and a mild Chilli Peanut Sauce.

And the ‘normal’ vegetable dishes have even been given a facelift, including the rice, which now comes adorned with the addition of pine nuts (don’t forget to let us know if you have a nut allergy though !!) and fresh herbs.

Rissington’s herb garden is in full flourish, so guests here can expect even greater things from the on-site restaurant. And while there is currently special emphasis on adding to the number of vegetarian dishes, don’t forget the fabulous lamb and chicken curries, the venison stew and the best steak fillet in SA.

Rissington really do pride themselves on their ability to cater to all tastes, so it’s not only the vegetarians who benefit, but also those with allergies to just about anything – they have catered for ovo-lacto, gluten-intolerant and cheese-allergic, and even a fruit-allergic guest recently !

So sit back, and enjoy the food !

Guests at AmaKhosi Safari Lodge, about 3 hours from Durban, are used to their rangers taking them off road during exciting game drives in search of Africa’s Big 5 … but recently some guests got a slightly closer encounter than maybe they had bargained for !

An everso slightly curious elephant decided to investigate the Land Rover that the guests were sitting in. He came so close, it would have been possible to actually reach out and touch this gentle giant of the bush.

Ranger Philip Khumalo, however, showed why it is important for all rangers to be fully qualified and comfortable in their surroundings. He instructed his tracker to get into the vehicle, and then told all guests to remain extremely quiet and very still, and eventually the elephant, having satisfied his curiousity about this ‘strange metal thing’, wandered away.

Generally, when out on game drives, although the rangers will approach wildlife so that guests can enjoy an unbelievably close encounter, they do like to keep a respectful distance from the animals, in order not to spook or scare them – but if these animals decide to come closer on their own accord, then the ranger has to be prepared for all eventualities. A good and experienced ranger will always ensure that he has parked his vehicle at a sighting with an ‘easy exit route’ – so that he can move away if he feels that it is safe to do so without scaring or frightening the animal greatly. Guests safety always comes first.

I think it is fair to say that these guests probably didn’t need the zoom feature on their camera in this sighting !!

The new airport for Durban (the King Shaka International Airport – or KSIR for short) has just announced that it will be fully operational from 1st May 2010.

All flights into Durban will go through here as of this date.

The current airport will be closed on the 30th April once the last flight into here has safely landed.

Stay 4 nights for the price of 3 at either Hlosi Game Lodge or Bukela Game Lodge, both situated less than an hours drive from Port Elizabeth.

Both lodges offer exciting malaria-free Big 5 game drives in search of Africa’s wildlife, in specially modified, open air 4WD Land Rovers designed to accommodate 8 guests. Because the land is privately owned, your ranger can take you off the beaten track and get you unbelievably close to the animals in their natural habitat.

This offer is valid for travel up to the end of April 2010.

Stay for 6 nights for the price of 5 at Vamizi Island Lodge in Quirimbas Archipelago. All meals, soft drinks, local beers and spririts, guided activities, one scuba dive per day and boat transfers are included.

A slender coral island just off Mozambique’s remote northern coast, Vamizi Island’s near perfect white coral beaches and breathtakingly beautiful shallows are just the tip of the tropical iceberg.

Beneath the surface of the Vamizi seas is an outstanding reefscape – mountains, valleys, plateaux and cliffs, teeming with a bewildering amount of sea life – from whales, dolphins, turtles and reef sharks to Gregorian corals and giant clams.

Some of the dives here are said to be the best in the world, and the deep sea fishing better than the whole East African coast. Other water activities include snorkelling trips, castaway picnics, whale watching expeditions, and trips out in kayaks and traditional dhows.

Valid for travel between 1 February 2010 and 31 December 2010. Some exclusion dates apply.

Stay for 3 nights for the price of 2 at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel in Cape Town. Breakfast is included.

Set in the heart of the beautifully restored Waterfront, and framed by the ocean and Table Mountain, the elegance and luxury of the Victoria & Alfred Hotel is rivalled only by its relaxed atmosphere and warm personal service. The hotel is renowned for the highest international standards.

For anyone looking to go on safari in March or April this year, this superb offer gives visitors to South Africa the opportunity to experience a fantastic 3 day safari in the Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape for the cost of only 2 nights.

The Amakhala Game Reserve began in 1999 as a joint conservation venture and today its independently owned lodges offer malaria-free safaris less than an hour drive from Port Elizabeth.

Go on game drives in an open Land Rover in search of wildlife including rhino, elephant, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, black wildebeest, zebra, and over 16 antelope species, or take a night drive with cheese and wine sundowners before searching for elusive nocturnal animals; relax on a slow river cruise down the Bushman’s River; or take a guided walk with one of the qualified rangers.

Choose from 4 lodges – Bush Lodge, Leeuwenbosch, Safari Lodge or Woodbury Lodge.