Safari Telegraph Safari Consultants Ltd January 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SAFARI TELEGRAPH SAFARI CONSULTANTS LTD JANUARY 2014 THE MAGIC OF BOTSWANA Explore some of the most untamed lands of Africa FAMILY SAFARIS There’s never been a better time to travel with your children OFF THE BEATEN TRACK From Zambia to Tanzania, a look at the best places to avoid the crowds January 2014 4 FOCUS ON ZIMBABWE One of Africa’s best 4 safari destinations 6 OUR TRAVELS The Team report back from their travels 8 BOTSWANA Some of the most untamed lands on the continent Contents 10 WHAT’S NEW IN 2014 Plus a look at 2013’s Published by success stories SAFARI CONSULTANTS LTD 10 Africa House, 2 Cornard Mills, Mill Tye, Great Cornard, Suffolk, CO10 0GW 12 FAMILY SAFARIS t: 01787 888590 A look at some of e: [email protected] www.safari-consultants.com the best experiences Design: www.zedpublishing.co.uk for families With thanks to the following for photography: Richard Costin (cover shot), 14 SPECIAL INTEREST Dana Allen, Pete Smart, Geoff Einon, John Wright, Three spectacular but Kathy Richardson/RPS, Bob Brind-Surch. rarely visited regions 8 SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING One of the greatest challenges we face as a company is keeping up with the technological and social media revolution. Having re-launched our website a few years ago, this year we finally got to grips with Facebook! We are very grateful for all your support so far. We use our Facebook page to report from Africa as we travel, post wildlife photographs (ours and yours) and share the odd piece of interesting safari news. We would love to keep in touch with as many of you as possible, so if you do have an account with Facebook, please visit our page and ‘like us’. We will be running a ‘photo of the month’ competition and have a few more ideas on how we can keep you in touch with the magic of the African bush. Next year we plan to expand gently into other forms of social media, notably Twitter (@safariuk) and YouTube. We will also be introducing an Email Newsletter – the plan being a brief quarterly round up. WEBSITE Our website (www.safari-consultants.com) thoughts, so please don’t be shy! remains the hub for information, and through In addition, if you would be prepared to do our Latest News & Blogs, Special Offers and a more official ‘website review’ for us, please Trip Reports pages you can keep up to date let us know. We plan to do this early in 2014 with everything Africa. If you have any ideas or and it will involve approximately half a day’s suggestions on how we can improve the user research on our site, but you will be able to experience on our website, please do let us do it from home. We will be able to offer know. It would be really helpful to hear your something in return for your time and efforts! 2 I Safari Telegraph I January 2014 Welcome GETS EVEN BETTER IN 2014! elcome to our new annual newsletter, widely as ever and you can read about their travels which we hope you enjoy! later in this newsletter and, in more depth, on our In many ways, 2013 has been a very website. We have been visiting new areas, checking W positive year. The economy has shown out old haunts and Bill and Rob even made it back to some green shoots of recovery and here at Safari Zimbabwe after 13 years away from what was such a Consultants we have been busy. Special thanks go to huge part of our business in the ‘90s. all of you who have kept us so and, in turn, supported Our suppliers in Africa have done us and you many families across Africa. We always feel lucky to proud with their outstanding service, and the game- deal with so many dedicated safari travellers and, as viewing just seems to get better and better! More and ever, it has been fun to meet many of you at various more, we are finding that availability can be difficult events throughout the year. We enjoyed record at peak travel times, with the best small properties numbers at our summer luncheon in early August, becoming heavily booked a long time in advance. In the support of which by our current guests is always particular, the Kruger region at Christmas, Masai much appreciated. Mara in September, northern Tanzania in August Safari Consultants has grown this year with and the Lower Zambezi from July to September Roland, Fran and Oliver joining our dedicated team. immediately spring to mind, but many other Roland joined our flights and admin departments destinations are booked a year or so in advance. as well as adding some technological expertise So if you can, plan early! around the office. Fran also came into our admin We look forward to the New Year and would department and is fast becoming our social media take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry ‘guru’ (more on this opposite), and Ollie is on a festive season and best wishes for a prosperous whirlwind ride having started in sales! They have and happy 2014. all added greatly to our existing team. Bill, Rob, Michele, Mary, Josie, Michele, Mary, Rob and Jane have travelled as Michaela, Jane, Roland, Fran and Ollie January 2014 I www.safari-consultants.com I 3 Zimbabwe enerally, our consensus was one of pleasant surprise. Sure, the safari camps have not had the investment G over the years to keep up with the Jones’ in neighbouring countries (most are a bit frayed in comparison), but they still offer a genuinely great safari experience. The excellent and dedicated professional safari guides and the wonderful lodge and ZIMBABWE camp staff have always been most welcoming. It was almost as if the only During 2013, Rob and Bill travelled back to Zimbabwe issue was the calendar year, reading to gauge how the safari industry had weathered the 2013 as opposed to 1999. Historically, Zimbabwe has always political storm of the last decade plus. Bill travelled been one of the best safari destinations in to the Upper Zambezi, Victoria Falls, Hwange National Africa and certainly the country has been at the forefront of exceptional guiding. It Park and the Matobo Hills whilst Rob visited the appears that during the first few years of Mana Pools and Matusadona national parks. this century, the standard of professional guides coming through the system did drop quite significantly (although they 4 I Safari Telegraph I January 2014 Zimbabwe were still arguably better than most guides in countries like Tanzania) but this was accepted and challenged, and by 2008 the comprehensive exams were refreshed and back to their exceptionally high standards. Internal air travel is still difficult although there are a number of companies offering light aircraft schedules between Victoria Falls and the main safari areas (Mana Pools, Kariba/Matusadona, and Hwange). The road from Victoria Falls to Bulawayo is as good as it has always been. The Eastern Highlands, in the past largely associated with ‘self-drive’ tourism, can also be visited although at this time we would only recommend it is done so with a private guide. In the far south-east, three operations are seemingly doing well, including Singita Pamushana, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, and professional guide Ant Kaschula’s camp and walking safari operation in Gonarezhou National Park (now part of the Greater Limpopo even if you’re going onto Botswana or populations are pretty healthy. Boat Transfrontier Conservation Area). This Zambia. The Zimbabwe side includes the cruises along the shoreline are the Left: has always been considered a remote ‘promontory’ which extends in front of Matusadona best way to explore the lakeshore and area, and still is today. the falls and arguably affords the best shoreline provide a welcome break from bumping To the south of Bulawayo view, particularly when there is a lot of Clockwise around in a safari vehicle. from top left: (Zimbabwe’s second city, although in water (April to July). The town itself has Hwange elephants; Mana Pools National Park, a decline) lies the Matobo Hills National changed little, and there are a number of Zambezi River, designated World Heritage Site, lies Park. The park is probably more famous good hotels within walking distance of Mana Pools; on the northern border with Zambia Lake Kariba sunset; for its giant granite outcrops and the the Falls, including Ilala Lodge and the Kanga Pan, and below the Kariba Dam in a region burial place of Cecil John Rhodes but famous Victoria Falls Hotel. Within the Mana Pools; referred to as ‘the Lower Zambezi’. The Matobo Hills for aficionados, it contains the highest adjacent Zambezi National Park, which floodplains of the mighty Zambezi River number of breeding pairs of black eagle now extends all the way to the Botswana are covered in particularly attractive in the world, and good populations of border covering the area we used to acacia and mahogany woodlands which both black and white rhinos. The San call ‘The Upper Zambezi’, a number of offers exceptional walking conditions rock-art is also a great attraction. new safari camps are indicative of the and it is possible to approach a lot Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s optimism within the country. of species on foot. There are some largest park and lies on the south- The Matusadona National Park lies excellent ‘old-style’ safari camps western border with Botswana. Noted on the southern shores of Lake Kariba, “Historically, operating and they offer a close and for its huge elephant populations, the vast dam created in the 1950’s to Zimbabwe personal wildlife experience.