There’s a new scheduled air charter service between Skukuza (in Kruger National Park) and Livingstone/Victoria Falls. This flight cuts out the need to stay overnight in Johannesburg so it’s well worth considering.

Icon flies from Skukuza to Livingstone on Tuesday and Friday leaving at 12:00 noon. En route they touch down at Polokwane Airport to clear customs. The flight takes approx 2½ hours with extra 30 mins for clearing customs.

Icon flies back from Livingstone at 10.30am on Wednesday and Saturday arriving at Skukuza in the early afternoon.

The big plus is that included in their rate is a complimentary transfer by air (or road) or to any one of 32 game lodges in the Sabi Sands or Timbavati.  (There is a landing fee at some of the lodges).

Plus points for Icon
•    You can still do the morning game drive before your flight
•    Flight TO Skukuza arrives in time for an afternoon game drive
•    Only need to get to Skukuza 30 mins prior to take-off
•   They offer a scenic flight over the Falls as they come into Livingstone

Thus if you are planning a safari in South Africa, and also want to go to Victoria Falls, you might like to consider this new charter flight. It is expensive but given the time savings and the fact that you don’t need to stay over in Johannesburg, it could be money well spent.

This is another post in our credit crunch relieving series of articles about how to get the most ‘bang for your buck’ in the next few months if considering a safari in South Africa.

Stay 7 nights & Pay for 5 until 30th April 2010

What about a luxury safari holiday combining 3 nights in Cape Town at the lovely boutique hotel of Constantia Uitsig with 4 nights on safari at Amakhala Safari Lodge in the Eastern Cape?  You pay for only 2 nights at Constantia Uitsig in Cape Town and 3 nights at Amakhala Safari Lodge.

This equates to a saving of at least R5400 per person (approx £430 or $720 per person)

Stay 5 nights & Pay for 4 with Seasons in Africa during 2010
Seasons in Africa, which has a number of excellent game lodges in prime wildlife areas in South Africa is offering a great ‘safari circuit’ offer…. If you stay at any combination of Seasons in Africa lodges for 5 nights, you pay only for 4 nights.

The lodges range from the luxurious Madikwe Hills in Madikwe Game Reserve and Leopard Hills in the southern Sabi Sands Game Reserve, to one of our favourites, the welcoming  Kings Camp in the Timbavati Game Reserve and the authentic  Djuma Bush Camp & Vuyatela Lodge in the northern  Sabi Sands.

An even better offer is to Stay for 8 nights and Pay for 6 at the same combination of lodges.
Contact us to check availability…

Before my visit to Londolozi Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands (Kruger National Park) I have to confess that I thought no other lodge could compare with Singita. I am being forced to eat my words. Londolozi focuses on simplicity, family values and giving clients a private experience but what they do best is to make you feel like part of the family. It is not just about the luxury of a bedroom, they also pride themselves in giving an excellent safari experience with the true commitment to conservation. Londolozi has one of the largest land areas per bed in the Sabi Sands Area.

Londolozi is one of the most special safari experiences that you can have.

We stayed at their flagship camp, Private Granite Suites, only 3 suites each with a unique large outdoor pool. Each suite has its own pool - ours is the one in the main photo. And this pool was just for us! This small camp can also be booked on a exclusive basis and in that case they would allow a child or two to share. The interior is modern but not over done and rather simple - the suites are large and feel like a villa in the bush - and I believe offer one of the most luxury stays in South Africa. The service was special and the food was healthy and simple - not really over the top cuisine but very good! I loved it….

Londolozi is all about the true safari experience. I was pretty sure that the game viewing would be amazing as it is one of the 3 largest concessions in the Sabi Sands and it was. Not only did we see a large herd of elephants as we drove to the lodge, we saw leopard only minutes into our first afternoon game drive. We had the privilege of spending a long time with it with no other vehicle around. From there on we saw a large elephant herd in a dry river bed - bulls fighting only metres from our open 4×4. Julius - our Shangaan ranger – was one of the best guides I ever had. He has been working for Londolozi since 1994 and was a tracker before he became a ranger. He had a keen eye to spot very good sightings with the help of his tracker but what I specifically liked about him was his grace and how he listened and spoke to the guests and how he naturally took them to whatever they seemed the keenest to see next.

The following morning Julius took us to a lion kill site (we’d spotted the vultures from far) in the middle of dense bush where a pride of lions had killed a buffalo the previous evening. We spend a long time watching the cubs playing and eating and again passed a large herd of elephants.  We were lucky to see a mother and her baby hyenas and just as the morning could not really get any better we came across some white rhino. I was truly amazed with wonderful game experience but are sure that the maturity of our guide was a great advantage for us.

After the morning game drive we viewed all the other Londolozi camps, firstly we visited Varty camp -  that is also the main area for Londolozi with a large pool a wine cellar, a yoga deck and the Cubs club (Varty Camp is a favorite camp for families) as they have inter-leading room options - all the rooms also had plunge pools. I was not as impressed with the interior but I believe that the personal service and family safari experience offered would make a stay at Varty camp would make up for this. (It is also less expensive than Tree Camp and Granite Suites). They have a cubs programme to ensure that children are uniquely entertained.  Chris, the manager, also has a 7 and 10 year old that join the guest children for some interaction. Guests of all the other Londolozi camps can use the facilities at Varty Camp.

We  visited Londolozi Tree Camp which has a stunning main area and a large deck in the trees - the camp has great atmosphere - and is slightly more traditional in style compared with the new Private Granite Suites- but stunning views over the river as well.  Plunge Pools in all six suites. No children under 16 – great for honeymooners!

We then visited Londolozi Pioneer Camp- which I really liked as much as Tree Camp. Though the suites don’t have the great views of the river, this is more than compensated by the character and ambience. It was very full of the family history and made you stepped back into the pioneering days of safari in South Africa.  There are only three private suites which have a bush view rather than a river view – but very peaceful setting each with a great tsala  - no children under 16 unless it is exclusive use of the whole camp.

Founders Camp is the other family friendly camp and although it is the only camp that does not have plunge pools- it seems that they are planning to add plunge pools very soon! This camp was perhaps my least favorite - but it did have an attractive boma and large pool. 7 chalets have a classic style.

So in summary, I would recommend Private Granite Suites first of all, if budget is no option or Pioneer or Tree Camp. Varty Camp is a stunning camp for family safarais. All and all Londolozi is a winning combination!

In these turbulent economic times, we see that people are searching for good value options which still offer extraordinary experiences in South Africa. They don’t just want to book the cheapest hotel or game lodge because -  especially in South Africa -  you get what you pay for.

But they are naturally keen to ensure that their dollar or pound or euro is spent in the best possible way. Thus on our website, www.cedarberg-travel.com, we make a point of outlining all the long stay and safari offers available at our preferred lodges so that you can perhaps enjoy an extra night on the house or a lower price per night. We also summarise some of the key offers in a series of articles.

In the next few blog posts, I’ll outline which ones I think are most attractive…

Summer Madness with Mantis until 15th May 2010

We have put together this luxury safari holiday to introduce the incomparable Nkomazi Private Game Reserve. Stay 2 nights at Nkomazi Game Lodge near Barberton and 3 nights at either The Bishopscourt or The Constantia boutique hotel in Cape Town and receive two complimentary nights at the superlative five star Grande Roche Hotel in the Winelands as well as a complimentary gourmet dinner for two at Bosmans restaurant at the Grande Roche and a back and shoulder massage whilst at Nkomazi Game Lodge.

This equates to a saving of at least R3700 per person (approx £300 or $495 per person) depending on time of travel. This offer is exclusive to Cedarberg African Travel is valid for travel until 14 May 2010.

See here for the full itinerary or contact us to check availability…

Cedarberg African Travel is a tailormade safari specialist based in the Cape of South Africa and also in London. As our name suggests, our Cape office is based in the Cederberg mountains. This unspoilt mountainous area lies only two hours north of Cape Town and yet has been little marketed to date…

However this is changing and I am proud to be able to blog about a brand new website which markets the Cederberg region which is www.cederberg.com

The website has some stunning photography as well as plenty of information about what to do, where to go and where to stay.
If you are looking for a new destination in South Africa, why not consider the Cederberg? If you are keen on walking, adventure sports, ancient history such as Bushmans Rock Art or simply chilling out in an unspoilt and very tranquil part of South Africa which has a largely sunny and dry climate, then the Cederberg could be for you!
Cedarberg Travel can arrange any tours or accommodation of course, but most importantly we simply want our beautiful area to be more widely known. The Cederberg is also the home of Rooibos tea with tea farm safaris on offer…

PS: You might have wondered why the Cederberg is spelt with two ‘e’s and we spell our name as Cedarberg? This is an accident of history. The Cederberg region used to be called either Cedarberg in english or Sederberg in Afrikaans. Then Cape Nature Conservation, which runs the Cederberg Wilderness Area, decided to promote the ‘hybrid’ name of Cederberg. However many people still use the old English spelling hence the slight confusion.

We decided not to change our name as we offer safaris to the whole of Southern Africa and not just the Cederberg and we are known by this spelling!

Londolozi Game Reserve, one of our preferred safari lodges in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve of South Africa, is testing a new safari vehicle which moves guests silently through the wilderness with a lower carbon footprint than the conventional 4×4 landrover.

Using rechargeable batteries, Londolozi has moved a step closer to more efficient use of propulsion energy. Londolozi will continue to work closely with the prototype developers to use increased battery efficiency and solar power to achieve a zero emissions status for this new technology. Londolozi does not profess to have all the solutions but they certainly are getting people to ask a few questions…

Shamwari Game Reserve, in the malaria-free Eastern Cape in South Africa, is at the forefront of family-friendly safaris using Shamwari Riverdene Lodge as its base.  Upon arrival at Riverdene Lodge, the children’s safari co-ordinator will discuss activities taking the children’s ages into consideration. As well as game drives, children, and their parents, enjoy an exclusive visit to the Born Free Foundation Big Cat Rescue Centre where activities focus on promoting the conservation of species and the protection of habitat whilst maintaining a humane and compassionate approach to the welfare of animals.

They can also visit the Shamwari Wildlife Hospital where different types of wild animals or raptors are being cared for, under special supervision by the Shamwari veterinarian team, for release back into the wild.  Nearby is the Shamwari Film Studio where  kids can learn about how wildlife documentaries are filmed.

A new development is that families can now take home their very own high quality Shamwari safari DVD filmed by professional wildlife photographers. It would be like starring in your very own wildlife documentary!

This is an extra cost and needs to be arranged ahead of time by us.  You have your own private ranger and vehicle for the filming at Shamwari and a cameraman travels with you covering all of your safari and ranger experiences as well as the visit to the Born Free Foundation, the Animal Hospital & Themba the elephant. A radio microphone on your ranger ensures high quality audio of his commentary. The final result is a 15- 30 minute professionally edited DVD of your safari. It has received rav reviews from families and couples who’ve opted for this.

On my last research trip, I visited several boutique retreats and even safari lodges which place almost equal emphasis on two apparently distinct market niches. This seems to be a recent trend. Travellers don’t have to choose between staying on a golf-estate or a winery.

They can do both, as at Steenberg Hotel & Wine Estate in Cape Town’s Constantia Valley. Game-viewing (especially looking for Meerkats) can be combined with horse-riding at Tswalu Game Reserve in the Kalahari or with a sumptuous spa, as at Royal Malewane Game Lodge. Golf is combined with a spa at many establishments, including Pezula Hotel & Spa. Some of my travel industry mates reckon that this is unnecessary one-upmanship on the part of the hoteliers, but I’m not so sure…

Every travel consultant is familiar with the couple with no semblance of interests in common. The initial consultation sees them happily enthusing individually about their values and priorities, oblivious to the fact that they appear to be requesting two totally divergent holidays. This is very familiar territory for me. Only a few weeks back, at a convivial lunch with friends a fellow guest suddenly blurted out “I can’t believe you two are married!” to the huge amusement of all, bar my beloved and I, who were most bemused – we think that vehement disagreement on 99% of topics is utterly normal! Maybe this makes me more sympathetic to the problems of what we call the ‘mismatched couples’. How do you reconcile different tastes when it comes to leisure pursuits, especially when there is a lot of money at stake?

There are a few ways that self-aware travellers overcome this problem. One is, of course, to actually book separate trips. But this is a) expensive and b) not very chummy (especially at the start of a relationship, or on honeymoon). Many people ‘take turns’ with one partner calling the shots for one shared holiday, then yielding through gritted teeth on the next. Others book large resorts which cater for a wide range of people, though this doesn’t address the needs of folk who prefer the small and characterful.

The South African lodges which can meet the needs of, say, a keen birder or photographer whose partner just wants to play golf, are fulfilling quite a need. Contact Us for more ideas on lodges and hotels which can offer something for both parties!

We are often asked, by families especially, to recommend a non-malaria game lodge. To put it simply, there are three non-malaria areas in South Africa which offer good ‘Big Five’ game-viewing:

Madikwe
Eastern Game
Waterberg

But to focus only on these areas leaves out arguably the primary game-rich area of South Africa, the Kruger National Park, which lies in a seasonal malarial area and the Mashatu game reserve which is considered very low risk. Also there is no escaping the risk of malaria if you want to go to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Victoria Falls, Mozambique and of course East Africa.

The risk of malaria varies considerably – by season and by micro-area. We break up malaria areas into the following categories:
High Risk
Intermediate Risk
Intermediate Risk (Seasonal)
Low Risk

Intermediate Risk (Seasonal) needs some explanation. What this means is that the winters (between May and August) are sufficienly cold at night that there are usually very few or even no mosquitoes during the winter period but the area offers an intermediate risk during summer. Of course this can’t be guaranteed but it is a fair generalization. It is always necessary to check the latest information with your doctor.

Children and Malaria Areas
Each family has to weigh up their own priorities and I cannot influence that choice. As a general rule I wouldn’t recommend an Intermediate or High Risk area for a child under 6 years but if you are going to a seasonal intermediate/low risk area, that could be a different matter.

To protect against Malaria we recommend taking Malaria prophylactics, using inspect repellant liberally and covering arms and legs at least one hour before sunset. If this is going to be a problem for your family, then you should think twice, but don’t dismiss some of the prime wildlife areas of South Africa especially if you are traveling in July or August…

Your specialist safari tour operator, such as Cedarberg African Travel, will be able to give you seasoned advice about the relative malaria risks of different lodges.

In my last post, I was enthusing about a nine day fly-in safari which I just sampled in South Africa. It combines bush and beach lodges in an immensely relaxing way, flying from one lodge direct to another by small private plane.

We began the ‘bush’ part of our bush and beach fly-in safari with Rhino Post Safari Lodge and Rhino Post Plains Camp. Here you combine open vehicle game drives into the Kruger with a full-fledged walking safari. Have a look at our Bush and Beach Fly-in Safari with Isibindi to have a better sense of how it all works together.

Rhino Post Safari Lodge is a 16-bed lodge within a 12,000 hectare private concession in the Kruger National Park. The nature of a wilderness area is that there are no permanent structures, so Rhino Post Safari Lodge was built using natural materials of stone, wood, thatch and canvas to create an authentic bush ambience. Approximately 10km north-east of Skukuza, the concession shares a 15km boundary with Mala Mala in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, with game moving freely between the two reserves. Rhino Post focuses solely on game drives whilst its sister lodge, Plains Camp, and the sleep-out camp, focus on walking safaris. Usually clients stay at Safari Lodge before continuing to Plains Camp for walking safaris.

Rhino Post Plains Camp is the only private camp specializing in walking safaris in the Kruger. The concession comprises of environmentally sensitive areas previously unexplored, with huge diversity of both fauna and flora – an ideal setting for wilderness walking safaris. I really liked Plains Camp and would recommend this camp highly. Built in authentic pioneer tradition, Plains Camp has the feel of a 19th century naturalist’s bush camp. Mahogany furniture with brass hinges and leather straps, copper taps in the bathroom and various surveying tools and Africana memorablia complete the Out of Africa ambience. There’s an open sided mess tent with comfy chairs and books, a separate dining tent, open to one side, a small plunge pool for cooling off and four very comfortable en suite tents. After an early morning wake-up and an invigorating cup of fresh coffee in the lounge, you set off on foot. A walking safari affords the ultimate, close-to-the-wild experience, and a chance to focus on the smaller bush inhabitants including birds, insects and butterflies. 

The guiding is excellent. Fritz was our guide and he had a very pleasant manner – quiet, calm and confident. We were exceptionally lucky on our evening walk, encountering a huge herd of about 300 buffalo, and then later on enjoying drinks near a waterhole when a herd of elephant arrived to drink. However, as is usual on a walking safari, we mainly focused on the smaller aspects of the bush: why animals behave as they do, what trees are used for what purpose, which dung belonged to which animal and why, as well as bird-watching aplenty.
The heat of the day was spent at the camp, enjoying their small Africana book collection, our comfortable beds and the plunge pool overlooking the plains. Afternoon walks and sundowners completed a fulfilling bush experience before dinner back at the camp.

The Sleep-Out
You can also elect to sleep one night at The Sleep-Out. You walk from Plains Camp in the afternoon and arrive at the platforms in the early evening carrying a lightweight rucksack containing a change of clothes, a pillowcase, a sheet inner for the sleeping bag and refreshments. Four platforms (with additional guide’s platform) are raised 4 metres above the ground (safe from leopard). Each has a toilet and shower (on a level below the top platform). There is a tent with a mattress, sleeping bag with fresh sheet liner. Sundowners are enjoyed on the dining platform that overlooks a waterhole. The rumble of the elephant passing by or the roar of the lion at the waterhole are the only noises that might disturb guests in this peaceful wilderness. The following morning, you have a light snack before walking back to Plains Camp for a hearty brunch.

Though it is an adventurous option, you are with other people and it is fully guided. The only limitation would be your own attitude and tricky negotiation of the stairs if you need to go to the loo in the middle of the night!