AFRICAN TRAVELer

Is that your Final Answer?

2011-03-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

   I knew that I was going to be traveling weeks in advance but there I was twelve hours before boarding my flight out of LAX and I hadn't started to pack. This was a work trip: was I going to blog? tweet? send back pics? Can I manage with just my iphone or do I have to bring my laptop? I was going to be escorting a small fam group. Did I leave enough room in my bags for extra travel bags (for en route acquisitions), extra luggage tags, etc.....
  So I get dropped off at LAX and I check in for my flight. The counter personnel asks "What's your final destination?" I answer "Nairobi" without giving it much thought. Fast forward 12 hours and I have collected everyone's baggage off the carousel in Dubai - except mine. I go the luggage handling office and am advised that my bags are being held inside customs as they had been tagged all the way through to Nairobi. Duh! And then the pieces fell into place. I understood what had occurred but ask myself "What would one of my clients do if it had happened to them?". Why don't they just ask, "Where am I tagging your bags today?" Well, it takes a few minutes and a return trip to the airport three hours later but I get my bags.
  Fast forward 48 hours and we are checking out of our Nairobi hotel and somehow or other, the room charges are mucked up. I takes me about twenty minutes to get everyone's bills sorted. Again, what if this happened to one of my clients?

Again, fast forward 7 days to the end of our trip and we are driving up a hardpack road to out lodging in Karatu (outside the Ngorongoro Crater) and we get stuck in the mud. Thankfully, an emergency vehicle passes within 10 minutes and helps pull us out. Fast forward 24 hours, same road after a full day in the crater and after we successfully make our way past the mud pit we all cheer. Not more than 300 yards further along the same road, we get a puncture.

Okay, everybody out and I help the driver change the flat. Am I feeling hexed? No, not at all; this is Africa and there is always the possibility for the unexpected. The group and I all put things in the proper perspective and have a better handle of how to prepare our clients.

And to close with something humorous - well, at least to us anyway. We were seated at dinner and the lighting was atmospheric. The server presented a plate of assorted greens, to which one of the group asked "What's in the salad?" I mean, I am from LA, is it endive? escarole? arugula? The question seemed perfectly sensible. However the server had a perplexed look on his face and after what seemed like about 15 - 20 seconds, replied with confidence, "Salad." Well, after we looked at each other and stifled the urge to burst out in laughter, I just couldn't contain myself and uttered "Is that your final answer?" Well, maybe it's only humorous if you were there.

Note: The names have been changed to protect the innocent. We all really had a GREAT time and future entries will cover more of the relevant details! Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it!

- Richard

Naibor is the place to be in the Masai Mara

2010-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

There has been lots BIG CAT ACTION around Naibor Camp this month:
CHEETAH! – no fewer than eight individuals have been “spotted” already by mid-July, including the three brothers on a Wildebeest kill, a mother with two mature cubs and two adult males including a “grizzly” one new to the Mara, probably from the Serengeti.
LION! – a mother with three tiny cubs have been the centre of the Lion activity and up to three separate prides have been recorded daily, including one with three big-maned males.
LEOPARD! – always a favourite with Naibor guests, our resident Leopardess Binti was seen close to camp a few days ago and appears to be pregnant, which is her first time. Meanwhile, Olive and her two half-grown cubs have been showing superbly between the camp and the airstrip. A male and a transient female, also with two cubs, have also been seen in July so far.
SERVAL! – one seen in short grass close to Naibor was hunting rodents. Our guests watched this elusive creature for over an hour at close range!
And of coarse, the migration is still in full swing. Being sited on the Talek River, your are close to all of the major WILDEBEEST crossing points.

"Kenya's Migration: Mara Wonders" is African Travel's 7night program spends 6 nights in the Masai Mara and 3 of those nights are spent at Naibor. Land starts at $5,195 per person for travel now through October.

Update on the Situation in Kampala, Uganda - courtesy of Volcanoes Safaris

2010-07-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

There have been media reports relating to explosions at public places in Kampala, the capital of Uganda on Sunday 11 July, where a number of people are reported to have died.

The government is investigating this incident and will release further information as and when a clearer picture emerges. Preliminary indications are that this was a one-off terrorist incident organized by a militia group from a neighbouring country. After this sad incident, life in Kampala has returned to normal and is proceeding as usual. Travel to and from the city continues normally. All areas of the country remain stable and clients are proceeding with safaris as planned. Most Volcanoes Safaris clients do not generally visit Kampala on their way to tourist attractions. There is no cause for alarm. The government has reinforced security and reassured everyone that measures are in place to safeguard public safety.

African Travel, Inc. has contacted travelers who are currently traveling to or in Uganda and we are closely monitoring the situation.

Zambia Reduces Visa Fees for World Cup Ticket Holders

2010-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Zambia Government has with immediate effect reduced the Visa Fees from US$50 to US$25 for single entry Wold Cup bound tourists. The reduced fee will apply to those entering the country with a valid ticket for any of the World Cup matches.

Home Affairs Minister, Mkhondo Lungu, announced this measure to allow visa processing at the port of entry instead of prior to travel in a bid to help those who have travelled for the World Cup in South Africa have easy access to Zambia.

This measure will be in force until July 31, 2010.

Entries are now closed...

2010-04-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Were you one of the agents who answered the call and is eligible to win a free trip to South Africa?

The booking window just closed on our Spectacular Safari Giveaway. Terms of entry were quite simple and the grand prize is truly spectacular.

Catch the video to learn about the grand prize.

In order to find out if you are the lucky winner, become a fan of African Travel's fan page on Facebook. The winner will be announced sometime before May 1, 2010.

Thanks to all travel agents who booked South Africa ... and thank you to all participating suppliers, Singita Game Reserves, Cape Grace Hotel, Westcliff Orient Express, Sun International, The Blue Train, South African Airways and South African Tourism for your generous contributions to create this incredible trip.

2010-03-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

African Travel supports a variety of projects in Africa, Action for Cheetas in Kenya being one of them. We thought we would share this poem with you, it was written by Prince Sam, a beekeeper in Kenya:

"Sometime it is not a dream. i just wake up and the night is still young but no sleep. so yesterday it happened again but this time i decided that i must sent to you what i wrote down during that sleepless hour on my precious atom."

Thank you Bonnie
for i will get the honey
maybe it is about money
so she be my bee.
I learned the trick
and am ready to tent and treat.
I'll clean your house
and keep off the mouse
i'll toil like a boy learning to swim
because i need to future my dream.
I smelling the smoke
and thirsty for coke.
Oh please, give me wax,
can't see you to waste.
Give me propolis so i kick asthmatic
stinking with sweat tired.
And if you give me you venom,
i free of rheumatism.
SOOTH my thirst with your honey.
But don't sting me too many
because i know you won't.
For more information on Action for Cheetahs click here.

BUSHMANS KLOOF ON CONDÉ NAST – AGAIN

2010-02-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

BUSHMANS KLOOF ON CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER USA GOLD LIST – AGAIN!

Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat in the Cederberg (Western Cape, South Africa) has been selected, for the second year in a row, as one of the very few South African destinations to appear on the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler USA Annual Gold List 2010.

Sharing this distinction on the coveted ‘roll of honour’ is sister hotel, The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, in Cape Town. Both are members of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, along with The Milestone Hotel, which achieved top spot on the Gold List this year in the London city hotels category.

This exclusive international accolade follows hot on the heels of Bushmans Kloof being voted one of only three winners in the ‘Best Hotels for Food in Africa, Middle East and the Indian Ocean’ category of the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller UK Gold List, sharing the title with Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek, and all-villa resort, Maia, in the Seychelles.    The Condé Nast Traveler USA Gold List, a readers’ poll of the ‘Best Places to Stay in The World’, is the most highly regarded list of its kind. Widely used by American travellers, it is recognised as ‘a compendium of properties as reliable as bullion itself’. Approximately 25,000 readers of the magazine give their impressions in the annual Readers’ Choice Survey. Each year’s Gold List score represents the percentage of those who rated a property ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ on specific criteria.

This year respondents cited the Bushmans Kloof experience as ‘deeply enriching’ and ‘beyond all expectations’ with hotel rooms ‘fusing modern and African design’, and service ‘impeccable on all levels’. The afternoon tea at Makana, its spectacular open-air dining venue, was described as being ‘in a class all of its own – pure confection’.

Bushmans Kloof is the ideal getaway, offering an exhilarating combination of wellness, tranquility, restoration, conservation and heritage. It is the ultimate haven to rest the mind and spirit, in the heart of the wilderness and surrounded by the wonders of nature. The highly acclaimed Relais & Châteaux lodge has 16 spectacular guest rooms and suites, combining beautiful finishes with an eclectic combination of ethnic and South African-colonial art and furnishings. Just 270kms from Cape Town, this ecological oasis of open plains, rock pools and waterfalls set amongst landscapes of staggering rock formations, has a spirit and mystical beauty that gently soothes and rejuvenates, leaving one feeling at peace and restored.

Bushmans Kloof has consistently received world-wide recognition for its exceptional dedication to preserving the natural beauty of the 7500 hectare reserve that provides a predator and malaria-free sanctuary to many endangered species of flora and fauna. With over 130 ancient Bushman rock art sites in the reserve it is also a South African Natural Heritage Site, renowned as one of the world’s largest open air rock art galleries.   An inspiring holistic healing and wellness focus has been introduced, with additional facilities and spa/wellness programmes to enhance this special experience, allowing guests to make their stay one of discovery, enrichment and indulgence.

Having personally had the pleasure of spending three days at Bushmans Kloof recently, I wholeheartedly support the all above accolades and offer my own congratulations.

Richard Haas-Winkelman

A perfect day

2009-11-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

Six months ago today I was on the other side of our planet, in Kenya’s Masai Mara, sitting on the deck of my tent writing postcards home to family and friends. All the spacious tents at the Fairmont Mara Safari club overlook the Mara River. A choir of hippos bob up and down in the river below – grunting and splashing all day (and sometimes all night) long. But I don’t mind, it is music to my ears.

This morning we left early in an open vehicle for our first game drive. Off in the distance we see the red cloth of the Maasai herdsman taking their cattle out to graze and water. We are blessed with many great wildlife sightings. A group of playful baboons grooming one another, a cheetah poised on a termite mound scanning the horizon for a meal, lions feasting on a smelly, rotten buffalo corpse because they are too lazy to hunt for a fresh kill, elephants rhythmically swinging their trunks as the pick grass, not to mention my favorite --the graceful giraffes.

Then we are treated to a surprise bush breakfast with hot Kenyan coffee, fresh baked pastries, omelets made to order, grilled tomatoes and sausages and the juiciest fruits.

And just when I thought it could not get any better we were told that before returning to the Mara Safari Club we were invited to visit a local Maasai village. We were greeted in song by the women. Their brightly colored clothing and beaded jewelry was so beautiful. Then the young teenage men tell us about their responsibilities – primarily school and animal husbandry. They explained the importance of cattle to their culture and then demonstrate the adumu, or jumping dance. A few at a time we are escorted into their timber, grass and mud homes to see where they cook, sleep and escape from the heat of the day. It was such a privilege to be so warmly welcomed into this place. I proudly wear the beaded bangles and necklace that I purchased after our visit.

I can’t imagine a more perfect day, and it is only half way through.

Susannah Zani

susannahz@africantravelinc.com

Feeling good about feeling good

2009-06-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

How do you spell “heavenly”?

“T -I -N -T -S -W -A -L- O”, that’s how. Less than a 30 minute drive down from Hoedspruit, half that time on a road that has been annexed by the park and is slowly returning to its pre-manmade state. Shortly after entering the Manyaleti Reserve, the ride got really exciting. We were beginning to cross a small bridge over a gulley when a bull elephant emerged from the bush and stood in the middle of the road blocking the far side of the bridge. This is what’s know as a bush sig-alert (for those of you non-Californians, a “sig alert” is a colloquialism for traffic jam). Then, after the elephant, we saw a group of six very young giraffes – I was advised that they were no more that 6 months old and it was unusual to see them in a group with no adults visible.
But enough about the game, since I spoke a bit about it last time.

Tintswalo Safari Lodge is absolutely spectacular in every way and manages to maintain such a comfortable quality about it where I felt right at home. There was a luncheon buffet table set up in the wine cellar. For those of you who have been on safari, the other primary activity besides wildlife viewing is eating – well, I just had to sample a little of this and that, and that, and one of those and…..but everything was low carb ( Oops, I told a lie!). I was in the Richard Burton suite, just a short walk down the elevated walkway from the main building. One entire wall of the suite was glass, opening up on a huge private deck and plunge pool, overlooking a dry riverbed. This is the same riverbed, though which each evening, as if on cue, a leopard saunters along.

Dinner was a small feast served in the boma under a sky ladened with stars and the wine selection was impeccable. Coffee and after dinner drinks were consumed on the main deck and stories freely traded among the guests. Again, for those who have been on safari, there comes a time when the gameviewing can be a bit slow and someone always recounts all the remarkable sightings that they observed. Well, another couple at the lodge was on the gamedrive the previous afternoon and sighted all three big cats in the same drive: lion, leopard and cheetah! Braggarts!

And so the evening drew to a close as I was escorted back to my room. I was travelling by myself, so I was not inclined to languish in the large free standing claw footed bathtub, which was filled with bubbles and strewn with rose petals (And “no”, that’s not me in a blonde wig smoking a cigar).

So, now let’s talk about passion. I love my job, that it involves Africa and that I get to travel there , though if it was up to me, the travel would be much more frequent. I love that I can share my experiences and knowledge with others, particularly when I discover a place like Tintswalo. Every single employee/staff member I encountered, whether directly interacting or merely passing, exuded warmth and a sincere air of caring that my experience with them was the best that it could possibly be. And then there are the owners, Ernest and Gaye Corbett. I was privileged to spend 24 hours in their company and during this time I slowly came to a realization. They exuded the exact same sense of caring and commitment I perceived coming from the entire staff. They are actively involved with the local community and spend a few weeks each year in educational awareness ventures (aids awareness, rights of children) across the African continent.

WOW! That’s a double “feel good” about choosing to support their operation. I could go on, but don’t want to get preachy. There is a private Safari House for family groups and they also have a property in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

- Richard Haas-Winkelman
richardh@africantravelinc.com
www.africantravelinc.com

Are You looking at ME?

2009-05-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

What do you do when the wildlife you are watching is watching you back?

It was a late afternoon gamedrive in the Manyaleti Reserve and we had stopped to observe a lioness and her almost adult male cub chew on what was left of yesterday’s kill. Note: you really don’t want to be downwind. But back to the story, we were stopped less than 100 feet from the lions when the male lion lifted his head and stared at us.

His eyes were quite beautiful, as I watched through my zoom lens. Then, he slowly got up and started approaching the vehicle. Wow, what a great photo opportunity. And he kept coming closer. And closer. And I began to get nervous (mildly understated, but I wasn’t the only one.)

He got to about 30 feet away and then settled back down into the grass. PHEW! And two minutes later, he was up again and coming closer. Our ranger moved our vehicle about twenty feet forward and stopped. The lion again came to within about thirty feet of us and dropped back down on the ground. And two or three minutes he was up and again approaching the vehicle. Our ranger moved the vehicle forward again and lion followed us and then stretched out over our tire tracks again about thirty feet back. At this point, there was a hurried discussion as to our options. One suggestion was for us to plow a path through the thicket and vacate the area while an opposing recommendation was to nudge the lion with the vehicle – the latter was not my suggestion. Thankfully the young lion became distracted by something which scurried by in the grass and he moved off in playful pursuit. I don’t know that it would go down as a typical gamedrive at Tintswalo Safari Lodge but it certainly was an exciting one.

I was ready for a stiff sundowner! (More on Tinstwalo next time).

Richard Haas-Winkelman

richardh@africantravelinc.com

My AFRICAN TRAVELs to Bushmans Kloof

2009-05-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

In November, I was extremely fortunate to spend two nights at Bushmans Kloof, a three hour drive north of Cape Town. It had been three years since I first decided that I wanted to see this place for myself. Once ascending the winding mountain road beyond Clanwilliam, I begin passing the towering “other-worldly” rock formations and I knew that something special awaited.

Self professed foodie that I am, suffice it to say the place lives up to its Relais & Chateaux standard. Others are more qualified than I and have already expressed their sentiments better than I in this arena.

The primary draw for me was the Bushmen rockart and still, I was not prepared for the scope and impact of the experience: utterly amazing! For me, it was akin to the feeling I had in Egypt when surrounded with all this living history within arms reach. The stories and scenes depicted possess the power to draw you back to a much earlier time….. I hope I am not sounding too “New Age”.

For more physical experiences, there are two well marked mountain hiking trails and bicycles are readily available for exploring the reserve. It is almost humorous, cycling close to a group of zebra or trying to keep pace with a running ostrich.

I didn’t have time to go for a row in a canoe, nor spend time angling. Honestly, I haven’t held a fishing pole in a very long time (forgive me, Dad!). But I did find the time for a spa treatment. They had recently built a new facility down at the waters edge and the setting is truly tranquil.

They offer star gazing in the evening and the heavens so heavily laden with stars, it seemed I could reach up and pluck one from the sky. But, my favorite time of the day was definitely early morning, sitting on my porch with a cup of coffee as the suns first rays grace the landscape and the world begins to awaken.

The staff was extremely gracious and the overall ambiance possessed an air of romance – and me, traveling by myself. Bushmans Kloof is an ideal addition to a honeymoon safari and is also an excellent choice for families as they have a private villa (Koro Lodge) which was fitted with multi-generational family groups in mind.

The best testament I can offer about Bushmans Kloof is that I wish I could have stayed longer – the place is magical! And I am not the only person who loves this place since Bushmans Kloof has been selected Condé Nast Traveler Gold List Best Hotels in Africa and the Middle East (2009).

Richard Haas-Winkelman
richardh@africantravelinc.com