Tag Archives: safari holidays

The Great Migration – Sensational Game Viewing in the Serengeti Plains

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As someone who lives to travel, I have a bucket list of countries to visit and places to see that is as long as the Great Wall of China, but if there is one natural phenomenon that attracts me more than any other, it is the Great Migration of the Serengeti Plains and the Masai Mara ecosystems.

The Great Migration – Sensational Game Viewing in the Serengeti Plains

You Will See a Lot More of These During the Great Migration!

A perfectly coordinated movement of some two million grazing herbivores including zebra, gazelle, eland, impala and, of course, wildebeest, the Great Migration is the ultimate ‘circle of life’, and one of the greatest spectacles in the natural world.

Precisely timed to coincide with the rainfall patterns, one could almost set their watch by this pilgrimage of wildlife, and the fact that some 500,000 wildebeest calves are born within a 2-3 week period, just goes to show how well ‘organised’ this annual event is.

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Searching for Serengeti….

Covering a distance of around 1800 miles, the wildebeest set off on their clockwise journey in April after giving their calves (born in February) the chance to build up some much needed speed and strength. Followed by packs of hungry predators, this really is ‘the survival of the fittest’, and those that manage to out run the lions still have the rivers full of gigantic crocodiles to contend with!

During the great migration, the game viewing in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania must be quite simply spectacular – and while we didn’t manage to fit a Serengeti Safari in with our Kilimanjaro Climb last September, I am determined to cross this off my ‘to do’ list soon!

Have you witnessed the great migration in either Tanzania or Kenya?  We would love to hear from anyone who has experienced this, one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders, so please drop us a line!

Chitwa Chitwa – The Perfect Destination for a Unique Safari Experience

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A luxurious safari lodge situated in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, Chitwa Chitwa is quite simply one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen.

Nestling unobtrusively within the South African Bush, this stylish lodge overlooks the largest perennial lake within the game reserve, and if you are looking for a truly unique safari experience, you will struggle to find anywhere more perfect than this.

Chitwa Chitwa – The Perfect Destination for a Unique Safari Experience

It is all about the attention to detail in Chitwa Chitwa. Upon arrival, you are greeted by friendly staff with a cool towel and a refreshing drink, before being guided onto the most spectacular veranda overlooking a lake filled with hippos and crocodiles and surrounded by antelope of every shape and size.

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After a briefing of the daily activities and game drives on offer, you get the first opportunity to see your lodge – and you will not be disappointed.  King size four-poster beds, luxurious furnishings, huge bathrooms and a private deck with swimming pool all comes as standard at Chitwa, and yet, it is done is such a way that you still feel completely at one with nature.

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Meal times are a celebration of local and international cuisine, with lunch and dinner served with a fine choice of South African wines.  Breakfast is a feast, and if you do start to feel peckish late afternoon (which is very doubtful!), you can indulge in afternoon tea before heading off on your evening game drive.

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Game viewing in Sabi Sand is fantastic, and if you do not manage to see the Big 5 (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Water Buffalo and Leopard) during your stay, I would be most surprised.  We witnessed no less than five leopards during our 2-night stay, a whole herd of elephants, and most surprising of all, a pack of 17 African Wild Dogs finishing off their early morning prey.

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As the sun begins to set over the bush, sundowners are served, and I can guarantee that the G&T you sip, while watching the beautiful blue-sky turn from orange to red before finally dimming into midnight blue, will be the best you ever tasted!

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Whether it is your first safari holiday or your 100th trip into the South African bush, we think Chitwa Chitwa is the perfect destination for a unique safari experience – so good, in fact, they named it twice!

 

 

 

 

A South African Adventure

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Having just returned from three glorious weeks in sunny South Africa, I can hardly wait to get back to work so that we can share our new properties, new routes, and new adventures with our fellow world travellers.

A magnificent country that never fails to impress, South Africa supersedes our expectations every time we visit, and if there is one destination that belongs on everyone’s bucket list, this has to be the place!

Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour 2014

Starting with the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, we cycled 109km around the Western Cape in what can only be described as a gruelling but thrilling event!  The route through and around Cape Town was a lot steeper than I had remembered, and just when you think you have conquered the toughest part, Chapman’s Peak, you turn the corner into Suikerbossie…

It’s steep, it’s the last 10km or so, and after 100km in 32 degrees, it’s not funny at all!  But you know what, the South African crowd make this an amazing event, they cheer you on, spray you with water, sing, blast you with music, and I for one cannot wait to cycle the Cape Argus Cycle Tour in 2014!

Escorted Tours and Self Drive Tours South Africa

All the members of our small group escorted tour managed to complete the race, and while I was last out of our group (I’m blaming the bike!), I have my medal, which is hanging proudly next to my Kilimanjaro certificate!

After our guests left, Ingo and I were lucky enough to head to Mpumalanga to view new properties for our portfolio – and we found some very special places indeed!  Dawson’s Game & Trout Lodge is a hidden gem, the perfect retreat for those looking to escape the fast pace of everyday life, and if you are doing a self-drive tour of South Africa, it will fit perfectly into your itinerary on the way to or from Kruger Park.

Leopards on Safari Chitwa Chitwa Sabi Sands Luxury Safari Holidays

We then headed to the uber luxurious Sabi Sands to stay at the most amazing lodge – Chitwa Chitwa. If you are looking for a romantic honeymoon destination or a luxury safari experience, pack your bags and head straight on down to this amazing sanctuary in the middle of Sabi Sand game reserve.  The service is second to none, the accommodations are breathtaking, the food is delicious (and plentiful!), and the game viewing is the best we have ever seen.  Leopards on every corner (look how close we got!), hippos in front of your private terrace, lions, wild dogs, elephants, water buffalo, rhinos, we not only saw the Big 5, but also the Magnificent 7 – and that was a real treat!

South Africa really is the most stunning holiday destination in the world, and I am counting the days until we return!

 

Taking Children on a Safari Holiday – Is it Possible or Advisable?

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Well, the answer is ‘Yes’ to both, but some game reserves and safari lodges have age restrictions, so you need to do some careful planning before you leave home.

child friendly safari holidays Chitwa Chitwa South Africa

There is nothing more exhilarating than setting off on a 5am game drive in the middle of the African bush, and whether you are heading out into the vast plains of the Masai Mara or simply searching for the Big 5 in Sabi Sands, a safari holiday provides us with a unique opportunity to see wild animals in their natural habitat.

Experiential and educational, Safari holidays used to be something that only the wealthy could enjoy, but today there are numerous different options available such as self-drive safari’s, malaria-free safari’s, and family friendly safari’s, so there really is something to suit every budget and every taste.

One of the most common questions we get is “can we take our children on a safari holiday?” and while the answer is usually “yes”, not all safari properties accept young children and so you need to look out for a child friendly lodge.

You also need to consider the obvious ‘dangers’ (I use that word loosely, but you know what I mean), the risk of tropical diseases such as Malaria, and also the fact that safaris usually involve long periods in a 4×4 jeep looking for animals, which can be boring and tiring for some kids, but exciting and invigorating for others.

While I am not sure I would take a child under six or seven on a safari, there are safari lodges, such as Chitwa Chitwa in South Africa, that offer a full program for children of all ages, such as daily bush walks, making moulds of animal tracks, face painting sessions, and evenings spent roasting marshmallows whilst listening to folk-tales.

Children aged six and above are usually allowed to participate in game drives, and if you feel your children would enjoy the experience, the educational possibilities are endless.

‘Safari’ is a Swahili word meaning ‘journey’, and as Africa is now more accessible to international travellers than ever before, more and more of us can make that ‘journey’ with our entire family.

Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve – Home of the Luxury Safari Holiday

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With just five weeks to go until we get on our bikes (literally) and cycle South Africa in the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, I can hardly wait to feel the warm sunshine of the southern hemisphere on my bones after what has been a long, cold, and snow-covered winter in the Austrian Alps!

The training is not going as well as the training for Kilimanjaro went (it’s hard to cycle in a metre of snow!), but we are hitting the gym four to five times a week, and hope that those long hours on the exercise bike will pay off and that we will complete the 109km Cape Argus in the 7-hours allotted…

Fortunately, the Argus forms just one part of our trip to South Africa, and after spending 2 weeks in our beloved second home of Cape Town, we are heading on up to the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve for a spot of safari action.

Sharing its borders with the world-famous Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands is not only the oldest private reserve in SA, but it is also referred to as “the birthplace of sustainable wildlife tourism in Southern Africa”, and homes a vast population of wild animals, including the Big Five.

While the Sabi Sand Reserve used to be fenced off, it now shares a 50km unfenced border with the Kruger Park, which allows the wildlife to move freely in-between the two areas, and as it is in the process of opening more areas within the Peace Park concept, this magnificent wildlife reserve will soon integrate and amalgamate with protected areas of Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Taking its name from the two rivers the flow through the game reserve, the Sand and the Sabie, Sabi Sands enjoys one of the highest and most bio-diverse wildlife populations in all Africa, and so it is no surprise that the world’s most luxurious safari properties, such as Chitwa Chitwa, have set up base in this immense reserve to provide travellers with unique game viewing holidays.

So while I count the days until our next South African safari adventure, I will leave you with some pictures shared by the many luxury properties in Sabi Sands to give you some inspiration on this cold February Sunday…

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Reserve Sabi Sands Kruger Park South Africa

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

Chitwa Chitwa Luxury Safari Game Reserve South Africa Kruger Park

 

 

 

The Benefits of Tailor Made Travel – Your Holiday, Your Way

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I might be showing my age here… but it seems only five minutes ago that our annual holiday consisted of a trip to the local high street travel agents, where we would spend hours examining the well-fingered brochures in search of our dream holiday in the sun.

Thankfully, the way we plan and book our holidays has improved dramatically over the past 10 years, and thanks to the wonderful invention of the World Wide Web, we are now able to sit at home and surf the internet for holidays destination ideas, hotel reviews, and flight price comparisons, before having our online tour operator wrap up all our ideas into a tailor-made travel package.

Tailor made travel is arguably one of the world’s fastest growing travel trends, and any reputable online tour operator or travel agent with an ATOL licence (issued by the Civil Aviation Authority), can help you dynamically package the holiday of your dreams.

The benefits of a tailor-made holiday are almost endless; you can include multi-destination flight tickets, as many stopovers as you need, a variety of different hotel accommodations, car hire, escorted tours, and just about any other travel related aspect you can think of. Best of all, with a tailor-made holiday you can make the most out of your travel budget and holiday time, and see and do only those things you really want to.

Multi-destination flights are now standard with any online tour operator, and as a result, stopovers and multi-destination holidays are easy to arrange and much cheaper than in previous years.  An example would be our upcoming South Pacific Cruise in October.  We fly from London to Hawaii, and then from Sydney to London, and all for the same price as a standard return ticket would cost to either of these destinations.

Tailor made travel puts you in charge, and no matter how complicated or difficult your itinerary may seem, with a little bit of help from the professionals, you could soon be heading on the holiday of YOUR dreams (and not the travel agents)!

New Year’s Resolution – Travel More

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Happy New Year to all our fellow travellers and bloggers, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that 2013 brings much love, luck and happiness into your home.

Christmas and New Year was every bit as indulgent as we thought it would be, and while the remnants of the last nights Champagne is still playing havoc with my head, I feel optimistic and excited about 2013, and the only New Year’s Resolution I will be making is to travel more!

climb kilimanjaro in 2013

2012 was an interesting year to say the least, and now that I have firmly crossed ‘Climb Kilimanjaro’ off my bucket list, there is plenty of room for more adventures in the New Year.

Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour

Image source – Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust

Tomorrow it is back to the gym in preparation for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour in Cape Town on March 10th, and while I am a little more nervous of this one-day 109km race around the Western Cape, than I was about climbing Kili, it provides us with the perfect excuse to visit my favourite city in the world!

While in South Africa, we will be popping over to neighbouring Namibia to view some of the most amazing Safari properties in the Wilderness Safari portfolio, and as we are now a destination specialist for this luxury brand, we look forward to helping other cross ‘Dream Holiday’ off their own bucket list.

Taking of dream holidays or holidays of a lifetime, on October 4th we will be heading off on an amazing journey around the world!  Jetting into Las Vegas from London, we will spend a couple of nights enjoying Sin City, before heading to Hawaii where we will join our 19-night Celebrity Cruise across the South Pacific! Stopping at Bora Bora, Tahiti, Moorea, and New Zealand before our final port of call –down under in Sydney, this really is a dream come true, and it just goes to show that my 12-days of Christmas travel style blog did the trick!

If you are one of the many travellers and bloggers who have a bucket list filled with dreams, we hope you get to cross at least one or two off it in 2013, and will leave you with my all-time favourite travel quotes by Mark Twain and St. Augustine…

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine

Namibia – A Country Created from a Thousand Colours

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The ancient San people say that Namibia is “the land God made in anger”, but when you look at the amazing scenery and ever-changing landscapes made from a kaleidoscope of colours, I think it is more likely that he saved all the best bits to create one breathtakingly beautiful country.

Pictures and photos hardly seem to do this great country justice, and if you thought half the images were photo-shopped I don’t think anyone would blame you, but in truth, the skies of Namibia really are that blue, the sands of the Kalahari desert really are a russet shade of red, and while the sunsets are difficult to put in to words, they are every bit as yellow, orange, red, violet, lavender and blue as they look on Namibia postcards!

Namibia used to be a popular stopover for travellers heading to Botswana or South Africa on safari, but it is a fantastic destination in its own right, and if you like the idea of renting a 4×4 and heading off into the untouched wilderness of West Africa, Namibia could well be your perfect holiday destination for 2013.

Compared to its neighbouring countries, Namibia has a very low crime rate, and so it is considered safe for tourists to explore the country on a self-drive adventure. In fact, if you check the FCO website, the only advice they give is “avoid driving outside towns at night as wildlife and stray livestock pose a serious hazard.” So the only ‘criminal’ you are likely to encounter is a hungry elephant or a herd of deer.

 

Spring in South Africa

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If your idea of a dream holiday includes vibrant cities, rural wine lands, wild animal encounters, and learning about new flora and fauna, the magnificent country of South Africa should be at the top of your bucket list.

A country drenched in history, traditions and culture, South Africa is a wonderfully diverse destination for those looking for something a little different, and while the Western Cape may still be in the midst of a very mild winter,  spring is just weeks away.

The Cape Floral Region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that comprises of over 8500 plant species (and counting!).  During the months of September and October, beautiful blossoms light up the lush green countryside, and the dry semi-arid regions wake up from their winter hibernation and carpet the Cape in a rainbow of colours.

The infamous Garden Route is wonderful at this time of year, and as it is less crowded than in the summer months, there are some great holiday deals to be had by those looking to get off the beaten track and into nature.

September and October are two of the best months of the year for taking a South African Safari, and if you are lucky, you may just catch the beginning of the ‘baby boom’ season when all the wild animals start to birth their adorable young.

The birds from the northern hemisphere start to arrive, the Whale’s start to make their way up to the Garden Route coastline, and those looking for adventure can get up close and very personal with a Great White Shark with a spot of Shark Cave Diving!

Most people heading to South Africa combine a Safari with a city break or a wine tasting tour, and as the Mother City of Cape Town celebrates the arrival of spring with a whole manner of different festivals, September is the perfect month for those looking for an action packed holiday.

There are many reasons you should visit South Africa, so why not head on down below the equator this year, and gather a whole list of reasons of your own!

Golf Clubs and Lion Cubs – Head on Down to South Africa for a Golf & Safari Holiday!

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If you have followed any of our blogs, you will have realised by now that we are South Africa’s greatest fans.  Why, well it is such a beautiful country with so much to see and do that every trip is better than the last, and it has so much to offer the traveller that we feel it our duty to spread the word!

So much more than Nelson Mandela (although he is a legend!), wildlife, and fantastic new world wines, South Africa has stunning nature reserves, vast expanses of ever-changing coastlines, a vibrant mix of ethnic backgrounds, and weather that has a mind of its own, all of which help make a trip to the Rainbow Nation very memorable indeed.

Golfing is huge in South Africa and it costs considerably less than in Europe and the US. With over 70 golf courses between the Western Cape, Garden Route and Eastern Cape alone, there is something to suit every golfer of every level, and you will play on well-manicured courses surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

As South Africa is quite a journey for those living in Northern Europe or the United States, many choose to combine their golfing holiday with a city break in Cape Town, and a malaria free safari in the Eastern Cape.  Travelling along the infamous Garden Route, there are plenty of great golf courses to stop and play on the way, and if you are travelling with the family, there are ample sightseeing attractions to keep both children and adults entertained.

The distance between Cape Town and the Eastern Cape is approximately 750km, but it is so beautiful that many choose to take their time and stop off at popular destinations along the way such as Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, and test their handicap at one of South Africa’s top 10 golf courses – Fancourt Country Club Estate, in George.

By the time you reach the Eastern Cape, you will be all golfed-up and ready for some animal action at one of the local game reserves.  So pack away those clubs and go in search of some Lion cubs instead – the perfect end to a perfect holiday!