Exeter River Lodge, Sabi Sand : May 2010

Our final lodge on our amazing trip was Exeter River Lodge, situated in the Western sector of the Sabi Sands this lodge over looks the Sand River, our chalet was beautiful, set amongst the trees with a view of the River with its tall reeds, each of the chalets have a open plan lounge and bedroom, a bathroom with double rain showers and a bath as well as an outdoor shower and on the deck you have your own private plunge pool.

The Main area of the Lodge consists of a Large Deck overlooking the river as well as stairs down to a smaller deck closer to the River where Lunch is normally served, there is also a Boma, Main Swimming pool and Curio Shop. There is also an on site Beauty therapist who offers Divine massages in the comfort of your own chalet and you can choose to have you massage either inside or outside on the deck.

The Game Viewing as with anywhere in the Sabi Sands was brilliant and we had wonderful sightings the first was 4 huge Male Lions & 2 Female Lions around a Rhino which had died when it fell in a hole, the next amazing sighting was of 2 female Lions with their 3 cubs plus a huge Male Lion following them, it seemed like he just wanted to be around the Females and Cubs and assuming he was also wanting fresh food as the rhino was a little smelly when we saw it! He had been in a fight during the night as he was a little cut up and looked like he was feeling very sorry for himself. On our morning game drive we found a young Bull Elephant who was in Musth, he was a little grumpy and decided to mock charge us, i must admit it was a little scary but our Ranger Richard was very skillful and moved us off quickly to a safer distance.

Richard was a brilliant ranger and on the one night after we have spent some time with the Lions we went off in search of more animals but the game was in hiding so he asked us to Navigate our way back to the lodge using the Stars, he stopped at all the crossroads and asked us which was to go, it was really so much fun finding our way back.

Thank you for our trip to South Africa

We just returned from South Africa and had a wonderful time: at Cape Town, at Reilly’s Rock and especially at Arathusa.  Thank you very much for your advice and assistance.  We were particularly pleased that we had an opportunity to visit Reilly’s Rock, certainly a special place.

I will not hesitate to send friends your way when they consider a trip to South Africa.

Ed Sider

The Beautiful Game Tour 2010

As we all know, the beautiful game, the greatest sporting attraction in the world, takes place from the 11th June to the 11th July 2010 in South Africa. Accommodation at this time is understandably very scarce and is at a premium, with thousands of fans flocking to our shores to witness this sporting spectacle. We have secured some very limited accommodation that is available for this period, and we are able to offer the following dates for our 3-day Beautiful Game Tour, these dates being:

 

10 to 12 June

17 to 19 June

24 to 26 June

26 to 28 June

2 to 4 July

8 to 10 July

 

The itinerary for this 3 day tour for any of the above dates:

 

Day 1 – Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park (Dinner)

We will collect you after your breakfast from your hotel in Durban and travel along the scenic Dolphin Coast and into rural Zululand, directly to the “big 5” Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park where we will spend two nights at Hilltop Camp. The accommodation here is in a brick under thatch chalet, each bedroom with its own private bathroom/wash-basin and toilet. Each chalet is also equipped with a fridge.

 

Our game viewing commences immediately upon entering the gates into the park.

This first evening we go on a night drive in an open game-viewing vehicle with staff from KZN Wildlife, the organization that is tasked with running this reserve. Here we hope to improve on your chances of seeing some of the nocturnal species such as leopard, which are always difficult to find, lion, hyena, genet, bush babies and then the other nocturnal animals such as the owls and nightjars. You also get the chance to see some of the diurnal animals, such as impala, nyala, giraffe, zebra, etc.

 

Day 2 – Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park (Breakfast, Dinner)

Today will be spent on extended game drives to various areas of the Park, with an early start to make the most of the day and to possibly chance upon one of the predators returning to their day-time lair. This is the game reserve famous for "Operation Rhino" which brought the white rhino back from the brink of extinction. Now you should see just how successful KZN Wildlife has been in this endeavor.

Sightings of rhino, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, baboon, vervet monkey, and antelope such as impala, nyala and kudu are seen frequently and with the possibility of seeing lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, black rhino, hippo, crocodile, monitor lizard, hyena and antelope such as red duiker, steenbuck, waterbuck, bushbuck and then the rare Samango monkey and wild dog, much less frequently. These drives are conducted with your guide in his/her vehicle, making the most of the limited time available.

 

Day 3 – St. Lucia, Durban (Breakfast)

This morning we depart the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park after breakfast and make our way to the village of St. Lucia where we board a boat for a two hour cruise on the lake in this proclaimed World Heritage Site. Here you are guaranteed to see hippos, with a very good chance of seeing crocodiles and a vast array of bird-life. After our two-hour cruise and lunch in the village we make our way back to Durban, where we arrive in the late afternoon.

 

The tariff for this tour is R7230 per person sharing, and this includes transport to and from Durban, accommodation, one night drive, all game drives with your guide, entry fee, conservation levy, all transport in an vehicle, those meals as indicated, i.e. dinner on day one, breakfast and dinner on day two and breakfast on day three, one boat cruise on Lake St. Lucia and the services of a full time guide. Excluded will be your drinks, telephone calls, personal purchases, etc.

 

For Bookings please visit our web site
http://www.zululandreservations.co.za/The_Beautiful_Game_Tour_2010.asp

Invited to the Sabi Sand Game Reserve by Lion Sands

At the end of July 2009, Lana and I visited a number of venues in the Kruger Park area.

We were invited to the Sabi Sand Game Reserve by Lion Sands. A truly lovely venue sited on the banks of the Sabi River, the only Lodge in the Sabi Sand to have such access to this river.

Three lovely camps offering a range of services and prices from River Lodge to the very up-market Ivory Lodge and then the exclusive 1933.

River Lodge where we stayed has; a private lounge and bar with fireplace, an outdoor safari lounge, 2 swimming pools (heated in winter), wooden viewing decks, a secluded bird hide, a magnificent River Island Deck built on the river, a conference room, Lalamuka Health Spa & gymnasium, curio shop & both an indoor and open-air (Boma) dining area.

There are 18 luxurious thatched bedrooms with en-suite bathroom, outdoor & inside shower & wooden viewing deck. The bedroom area is air-conditioned with an overhead fan. All rooms have mini-bar & telephone access. The rooms are linked to all areas by raised wooden walkways.

The international award winning Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is ultra luxurious, and quite minimalistic. The public areas at Ivory Lodge offers guests the following: a private bar with fireplace, a library lounge , well stocked wine cellar, wooden viewing decks, a magnificent River Island Deck built on the river, Lalamuka Health Spa & gymnasium, curio shop & both an indoor and open-air Boma dining area.

The Lodge comprises six privately situated villas, each with a separate living room, heated swimming pool and an open plan en-suite bathroom with an enclosure for the outdoor shower. These units are very spacious. The Sabie River, which flows all year, is right there infront of the villa. Well sited to view the veriety of game that comes to drink. 

1933

This venue has four spacious suites, each with their own private view of the Sabie River. The bathrooms have double vanity units, bath and outdoor showers. There is also a childrens dormitory, able to sleep up to 8 children, with his and hers bathroom and an interleading bedroom for an au-pair.

A gracious home away from home – with a few added luxuries, including your own private chef and ranger, with the exclusive use of a 4x4 Landrover for safari game drives.

To view Photos of our trip to Lion Sands Click here

Leopard in KwaZulu-Natal

Clients of ours saw a leopard today in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park -- Yay

Haven't seen one for some time and there is certainly no guarantee that even on a 4 or 5 night visit, that this elusive cat will be sighted anywhere, roaming free within KwaZulu-Natal.

So sad then, to read Tony Carnie's, front page of the Mercury article this morning. Here one fellow has amassed some 150 leopard skins from possibly within KwaZulu-Natal Province over the past few years. That is devastating. That is just one person, there are then the annual permits issued to hunt leopard and the "permission to destroy" a problem leopard permits, then other poachers, accidents? This over and above the survival problem the animals have with habitat degradation, disease, competition mortalities caused by other predators and so on.

We have some of the finest protected areas in South Africa with incredible biodiversity. So many of our protected areas claim to be Big 5 Game Reserves. I am afraid we are not presenting the true picture here. Too many of our clients have been disappointed at the end of their holidays in KwaZulu-Natal, due to not seeing all of these high profile animals, invariably, it is the leopard that is missing from the list. Certainly there are arguments against prioritising the Big 5, but tell that to a foreign visitor, who will for sure be asked if he saw them all, on his return to his friends and family. This "Brag line" is now too well entrenched in the wildlife industry worldwide.

There is a very different story for the Kruger Park area and especially within the Sabi Sand Game reserve properties. I was there last week and within a few days had seen 8 different leopard and many of them more than once - and close. The Big Five on virtually every game drive and certainly every day on the two drives. I confidently send clients to that area knowing that they should return home smiling.

This could be the case here in KwaZulu-Natal as well - we need this province's authorities to turn this carnage of these protected species around. We do have leopard, but generally their ranges exceed the size of the protected areas in which they occur and extend into areas where they can be baited, shot or trapped. With immediate effect, hunting permits should no longer be issued and then the long hard battle vs the poachers should begin in ernest.

Restrict the wearing of genuine leopard hide to Royalty and or those truly entitled to do so by rank. This hierarchy should determine and permit only those entitled to the privilege, to wear leopard skin - what a difference that would make. Take the 150 odd skins seized (as per Tony Carnie's report) have them properly cured and treated and stored by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for diligent sale to this Zulu elite. The value and significance of this badge of rank has been severely downgraded, what with even some cultural villages having their dancers thus attired! Capital should be made of this tragedy, Provincial coffers topped up from what should be a substantial return from these remains of the poached Leopard. Add value to the pelt, so that those entitled to were it may do so with pride, knowing that it had been sourced legally and cost a great deal of money.

In turn the leopard population could increase in numbers and those that have become habituated to vehicular traffic, regularly seen. It's not too late but nearly so. Help to make KZN truly a Big 5 destination.

Any ideas or insights? Should you wish to comment please send mail to tournet@webpro.co.za

Regards
Jeremy Williamson
　
　
"I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference."
　
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Southern African Safari and accommodation reservations
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4001
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Web site: http://www.africasafari.co.za
E-mail: farwild@iafrica.com
Experiences beyond expectation
SATSA National Member No 560
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Voted Best Hotel in the World

Bushmans Kloof Voted Best Hotel in the World
http://www.bushmanskloof.co.za/eshot/travel_leisure/travel_leisure_web.html

2010

The "SA Tourism Update" Marketing Index released last week has indicated that established international tour operators fear a disrupted supply of product during the period of the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament next year and rate the introduction of  carbon-neutral schemes less important than other issues such as solving the crime problem.

 

With less than a year left to go until the 2010 World Cup, responses from 280 tour operator respondents around the world regarding the major soccer tournament were interesting.

 

Results show that operators in the major source markets are fearful about the disrupted supply and displaced business they expect as a result of the event. Surprisingly only 56 % of SA-based operators thought the World Cup will be good for their business. This was the same as the percentage in Germany with the UK at 52 %. In the North American market 64 % of operators were actually negative and in the rest of Europe 66 % said it would not be good for their business.

 

The Marketing Index was conducted in association with Grant Thornton and SATSA. It covers twelve areas of interest to tourism suppliers engaged international marketing.

 

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We are already experiencing difficulty with securing available accommodation during the World Cup period and what is more disappointing is how a few of our preferred venues have escalated  tariffs beyone a reasonable margin. What really surprises me, is that even Provincial Government Departments with accommodation, have embraced this profiteering - they , at best, should be the ones setting an example by not inflating prices. What sort of signal are we going to give to the International Market ? What a perfect opportunity to show how inexpensive this "long haul" destination really is.

I have been plesantly surprised to find that a number of our preferred venues have not embraced 'Match"  and have not increased their tariffs above their normal 2009 / 2010 normal increment, interestingly most are already nearly fully booked for this period - Good for them!!

 

Let's not miss or mess up one of the finest opportunities we have ever had to showcase our Country

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

All you need do, to discuss your thoughts, is to send a message to tournet@webpro.co.za and this will go to all members of the TourNet forum for reflection and comment.

 

Regards

 

Jeremy Williamson

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