In this issue:
 Quad bikes on an outing at Serra Cafema, Namibia |
I am often asked if I think one country is better than another as a safari destination. While each area has its strong points, Botswana has many advantages for a first (or even only) safari. It is a very relaxed, safe and secure country with the friendliest of people, so you won't experience the stress or anxiety sometimes associated with foreign travel. The wildlife is abundant and in many cases habituated to the presence of the vehicles. This results in an extremely 'intimate' safari experience as you get to observe animals such as elephant, buffalo and even predators such as lion from extremely close range. There is no more memorable experience on safari than making eye contact with a lion or other predator sitting just 20 feet away from you. This is what Botswana offers in supremely beautiful natural surroundings that have remained essentially unchanged for thousands of years. Unlike parts of Kenya and Tanzania, northern Botswana has largely escaped human-induced habitat degradation, due to low-impact, low-volume tourism mandated by the Botswana Government. And it works. If there is one thing you can absolutely count on, it is few other people and even fewer other vehicles. Add to that the most comfortable, best equipped permanent tented camps (none of which sleep more than about 16 persons maximum), excellent guiding, great food and all drinks (except premium imports) included in the price and you have yourself as great a vacation as money can buy.
I think the 'secret' for a great Botswana itinerary is to spend more time at fewer camps, and to include a diverse range of activities and experiences. For example, I would suggest an 8 or 9-day or so mix of camps including a few of my personal favorites such as the following:
 Interior of a tent at Xigera Camp |
A Botswana safari is a pretty intensive experience and you really don't need to spend more than about 8 or 9 days to make the most of it. If you wanted to add a bit more in the way of 'adrenaline' to the trip, I'd suggest a couple of nights at River Club, on the Zambia side of the Zambezi River, upstream from Victoria Falls, and including a full day whitewater rafting on the Zambezi.
For variety, you could also consider a couple of nights at Mashatu, in the Tuli Block of Botswana. There are regular commercial flights from Johannesburg to the Tuli Block and on to Kasane, so this area is essentially 'en route' to Northern Botswana and offers much in the way of good game-viewing and fascinating historical and archaeological points of interest. Mashatu is well known for its elephants but also for regular big cat sightings, eland and many others. Clients of ours who returned from Mashatu after a 3-night stay in early May 2003 wrote as follows: "The trip was excellent. Each safari site was unique unto itself and that made the trip even more interesting. The shining star was Mashatu. This game reserve provided a large population and variety of animals".
Compared with just about any other big game experience, Mashatu offers unbeatable value for money. I just priced out a 5-night stay for a couple for July 2003 (high season) and including round-trip flights from Johannesburg, the cost is $200.00 p.p. per day, in the Tented Camp. This is about half of what one would pay for a similar experience in the Okavango Delta or Chobe.
For more information about Mashatu, take a look at www.mashatu.com or www.mashatu.tv for game-viewing reports.
It will soon be easier than ever before to get to Botswana - straight from Cape Town! Watch this space for the 'start' date but Air Botswana is set to announce twice weekly direct flights between Maun and Cape Town, a 2 hour 35 minute flight. There will be a flight from Maun to Cape Town on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, and from Cape Town to Maun on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
NEW CAMPS AND FLIGHTS FOR NAMIBIA
 Desert Elephants near Skeleton Coast Camp, Namibia |
Wilderness Safaris' new 6 roomed Serra Cafema Camp up on the Kunene River in the extreme North West of Namibia is now open. Colin Bell of Wilderness Safaris maintains that this area and the Skeleton Coast are the best two products in the whole of the country. Says Colin, "It's impossible to describe the feeling of being there.... It's wild, it's remote and it is a real fun experience. Serra Cafema is so remote, so isolated and in one of the most beautiful areas of the planet. Many of the guests rate this as one of their best lifetime experiences ever. The activities here are unique: one of the best highlights is a very sensitively handled quad bike trip out into the desert and the dunes, finishing off at some incredible waterfalls. Add in boating along the Kunene River, the Himba people and some of the best scenery in one of the most isolated places on the planet - and the camp is a winner!"
A client of mine (Ms. Schaier from New York) just returned last week from a Namibia trip including both the Skeleton Coast Safari and Serra Cafema. She kept using words like 'wonderful, 'incredible' and 'fantastic' to describe the experience at both Serra Cafema and the Skeleton Coast. I think her favorite was Serra Cafema, which she described as 'an oasis in a desert of dunes'.
Here is what a National Geographic journalist had to say about a recent trip to Serra Cafema and the Skeleton Coast camp:
"I'm back in the office...reluctantly. I have had the most magnificent time of my life. You would not believe how fantastic some of these places -- well, ALL of these places -- are. The best part was the Skeleton Coast and Serra Cafema -- slept in the most remote suite at the most remote camp in Africa, right along the Angola border. And the landscapes! Salt pans, agate mountains, endless gravel plains, sand dunes that sing. And the biggest sky you've ever seen. I loved the isolation and remove of being in such a distant place."
 Member of the Himba Tribe at Serra Cafema, Namibia |
Wilderness Safaris now have seat rates for daily inter-camp flights in Namibia, with prices based on a minimum of two people. Getting around Namibia is now a whole lot easier - and less expensive - than before. At Ongava, Wilderness recently opened another new camp - Little Ongava - with 3 new 'Premier' suites built along the top of the ridge. These each have private pools and are of Mombo, Jao (and Kings Pool) standards.
Air Botswana has started twice-weekly flights between Maun and Windhoek, on Saturdays and Tuesdays. So together with the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday flights operated by Air Namibia, there are now five scheduled commercial flights between the two countries. Wilderness Safaris will also be operating a charter flight every Saturday from Maun to Windhoek and back again, from July to October. This will make it much easier than before to combine Botswana and Namibia. The two countries make an excellent pairing, the one offering a true desert and dune experience (with some good game-viewing in Etosha) and the other one is very much a big game destination.
Here is some typical feedback from clients of ours who combined Namibia and Botswana (in March 2003):
"...The trip was absolutely fabulous! Little Kulala (Sossusvlei, Namibia) was great - the beds in the rooms looked great - but we didn't sleep on them because we asked for bed rolls and slept on the roof because the SKY WAS JUST AWESOME!!! One couldn't ask for anything better than Tubu Tree Camp (Okavango Delta, Botswana) as we had the WHOLE camp to ourselves with 17 personnel there to meet our every need! It was going to be full in just a couple nights after we were there so we were very lucky. We finally saw a LEOPARD - in the last five minutes of the last game drive as we were returning to the lodge for our flight on to Zambia. It was so exciting to see the leopard because I had never seen one before on any other safari. The River Club and the Victoria Falls Hotel and Victoria Falls were all just great. It was a very marvelous trip. Thank you very much for all your good tips and wonderful arrangements. Wilderness Safaris is top notch."
DIVING AT ROCKTAIL BAY LODGE, INDIAN OCEAN, SOUTH AFRICA
 2-Bar Clown Fish in the Indian Ocean at Rocktail Bay, South Africa |
Wilderness Safaris guide Conrad Hennig was recently in Rocktail Bay and sent us a very enthusiastic report about the diving there. Rocktail Bay Lodge is continually re-inventing itself and is turning out to be one of Southern Africa's finest beach and diving experiences. There is something like 40km of pristine and undeveloped beaches there and the activities are many and varied. Rocktail Bay has all the ingredients for a wonderful beach and coastal forest experience with truly the best diving in South Africa..... at a cost of about $225.00 p.p. per night with three meals a day and most activities included!
"I just wanted you guys to get feedback from my weekend down at Rocktail Bay Lodge. To say the least, I nearly did not come back yesterday. Picture this: balmy calm, waves less than a half a meter, 27-28 degree Celsius water, close on 30 meter visibility. I did not dive with a wetsuit it was so warm and balmy! In fact conditions were so amazing we did a 67 minute dive on Regal, went dolphin snorkelling twice, and saw the Ragged tooth shark at Island Rock (on snorkel!). Adam Cruise from National Geographic simply got the most INCREDIBLE footage on film. On one dive, we saw the mother of all Leatherbacks (about 2.4m), who was ' X' tagged, meaning she was the oldest of the season (last tagged in about 1981, the lodge still checking out), and had not been seen for the season, to date. Then we saw and helped out some hatchlings from their nest - Adam managed to get the exact moment as they broke through the sand surface. Then a day later the guys found a nest with "club-footed" hatchlings (probably a genetic default; they would not have made it), so we took them in a cooler box back to the lodge. Next day we took the box on the boat with us, and went to a new dive reef that I have not dived to date, Brewer's Garden. Extraordinary dive - just the most amazing corals and bommies. But at the surface, Adam went down to about 2m on SCUBA, and Darryl took the hatchlings and gently put them in the water. Adam managed to film the hatchlings from underneath, swimming in the sea, and diving down two meters towards the camera! www.wilderness-safaris.co.za/rocktail.asp
NORTH ISLAND/SEYCHELLES NOW OPEN
 A view from Villa Royale, North Island, Seychelles |
Wilderness Safaris' North Island development opened for business in May, with its wellness center opening later on in the year. Visitors will be accommodated in eleven supremely luxury villas constructed from wood, local stone and glass with thatched roofs. Facilities in each villa include a private plunge pool, sala, a studio (or second bedroom), kitchenette, lounge, main bedroom and en-suite bathroom with a marble bath and inside and outside shower.
North Island is one of forty inner granitic islands of the Seychelles that are located around the two main islands of Mahé and Praslin. North Island provides a sanctuary for guests seeking an unspoiled tropical haven of peace and tranquillity. The island offers four beaches that are located at each end of the compass and is able to ensure a wonderful year-round tropical beach and island experience. Facilities include 11 handcrafted air-conditioned guest villas. There are a central dining room, lounge and library; a beautifully located health spa and gym; a breathtakingly beautiful swimming pool hewn into a granitic outcrop and a sunset bar and restaurant tucked away on the western side of the island.
Each villa is completely self-contained and comprises a luxuriously proportioned bedroom; a writing and change-room area with a huge en-suite bathroom and outdoor shower; overhead fans; fully retracting sliding windows and mosquito nets. The master bedroom and change room is air-conditioned. An additional study or bedroom is equipped with a DVD/CD system, Internet access and can be rearranged to accommodate children. There is a kitchen, sun deck and covered lounge area and guests may elect to eat in their villas or in the main dining room. A private plunge pool and sala completes your private sanctuary within a sanctuary. A full butler service caters for your every need from in-villa meals to picnics on secluded beaches.
Activities include swimming and sunbathing on any of the 4 private beaches, excellent snorkeling right off the beaches, reef and wall scuba diving, massage and health therapy in the Spa or in your villa, gymnasium, nature walks, deep sea and fly fishing, windsurfing, guided and supported sea kayaking, hobie sailing, yacht charter, boating trips to the neighbouring island, mountain biking or golf at Lemuria Resort on Praslin (18 hole course but requires a private helicopter transfer). www.north-island.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER VISITS NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA
 Vumbura Mokoro outing, Okavango Delta |
"I have been raving and raving for days now about my fantastic safaris in Namibia and Botswana. I have never had such a wonderful time in all my life, truly. It's hard to know where to begin in describing it all. While safaris are, in theory, about animals and ecosystems, it's the people you meet who really make them so spectacular. And I met the most wonderful, kind, glowing people. At Serra Cafema--Helen & Hartmut (who feel like old friends already); at Skeleton Coast, Douw Steyn (who knows everything); at Savuti, Benson Siyawareva (a passionate expert); and Frank Machebe, the guide at Jao. What a brilliant guy. (A quick note about Frank: He took a group out on a walking safari one day and ended up talking for 1 hour, 15 minutes on nothing but termite mounds--and the guests were hanging on his every word. Fantastic.) This list is not exhaustive, of course. And then the other guests were wonderful, too. I met many that I'll be keeping in touch with.
Oh boy. And the camps, the sights, the feeling...the escape! It sounds implausible, but just two weeks away--REALLY away, away from phones, noises, news, etc.--and then immersed in this majestic wilderness--has changed me in a marked way. I feel so rich and calm and balanced. Sleeping at Serra Cafema, so far from everything, was illuminating. Flying around, standing in the desert, breathing clean air again, meeting people who are genuinely happy. Learning about the world, about the wilderness. I get chills just thinking about how amazing it all is.
And then there was the Okavango Delta camps. Four mornings ago we watched three male lions rip apart a young giraffe, and one of the lions strutted right past us with the giraffe's head hanging from its choppers. Zebra, hippo, rhino, leopard, Cape buffalo, warthog, wild dog. Birds and simply the landscape was amazing. The safari day can be long--up at 5:30 am and driving for four hours, then a lunch feast, rest, and afternoon 4-hour drive. then a dinner feast, and then sleep under big open skies with more stars than anyone could count. Just amazing. And the lodges--leather couches, massive beds with fine linen, silver trays, EXPANSIVE tent suites with outdoor day beds and showers. For two weeks there were no phones, TVs, computers, radios, newspapers, nothing.
My hunch is that most first-time guests sign up for a Wilderness Safari because they've heard good basic things about the company's style (great guides, lodges, locations, etc.); but they're not initially overly motivated by conservation, sustainability, and best practices. And yet, one can't visit a Wilderness camp and not quickly learn to appreciate how singularly important well-managed ecotourism is. You feel it at every camp: a commitment to place, to working with local cultures, to preserving (even enhancing) natural ecosystems. And this sense of mission is palpable--from kitchen staffers to guides and managers and pilots, there's a consistently energetic expression of values, an esteem for Wilderness principles, and a pride about working for such a company. From top to bottom, it seems, your conservation standards are well understood and vigilantly adhered to. The effect of all this is that guests get an eco-education in the best way--by being involved in the very processes of conservation. And the next time a guest makes a choice about any holiday outfitter, they'll be making a much more enlightened decision because they'll identify with the means and goals of sustainable conservation. It's this values shift that might be the most impactive change a safari-goer experiences.
Overall, I loved the people I met, the guides, the manager & staff--the mission of Wilderness. It was all so wonderful. Sad to return, but then I've got a lot of writing to do. Really: this trip was almost too spectacular for words.
George Stone - Assistant Editor for National Geographic Traveler
SPACE AVAILABLE ON JACANA SAFARI - BOTSWANA
 Canoeing at Linyanti Tented Camp on the Jacana Safari, Botswana |
Considering a last-minute trip to Botswana? We have a few seats still available on various departures of the superb Jacana Safari for the fall of 2003. please call for price & detailed itinerary.
What to expect on this trip? Here is a guide's report of a Botswana JACANA SAFARI from June last year:
Game viewing:
Chobe: 3 sightings of Lion, Roan Antelope, and a herd
of about 1,000 Buffalo, Plenty Elephant, good general game and birding.
Linyanti Tented Camp: Leopard, Lion, good general game and plenty Elephant.
Kaparota Camp: Lion, Cheetah, Caracal, three sightings of a Honey Badger, loads of Sable and general game.
Jacana Camp: Lion, Elephant through camp, and a Wild Dog chasing a Tsessebe on a morning game drive.
Overall: "Great game and very happy guests."
 A sunset at Xigera, Okavango Delta |
Our East African associates EAOS have announced a terrific new fly-in safari in Kenya, in association with Intrepids.
Day 1:
- Arrive Nairobi, meet, transfer, inclusive of Flying Doctor
Service by EAOS.
- o/n Safari Park Hotel Bed & Breakfast.
Day 2:
- Full morning city tours, Sheldrick, Giraffe Centre, Blixen.
- Lunch at Karen Blixen.
- pm full afternoon Nairobi National Park with
private EAOS L/Rover & Guide.
- o/n Safari Park Hotel + dinner.
Day 3+4: Fly to Samburu, 2 o/n Samburu Intrepids (game drive package).
Day 5: Fly to Rift Valley, o/n Rift Valley Lodge.
Day 6:
- Full day to Lake Nakuru NP with private EAOS L/Rover &
Guide.
- o/n Rift Valley Lodge.
Day 7-10: Fly to Maasai Mara, 4 o/n Mara Intrepids Camp (game drive package).
Day 11: Fly to Nairobi, Dayroom, lunch, Nyama Choma Dinner, depart.
Guaranteed daily departures from Nairobi starting on any day, for a minimum of two persons.
2003 High Season price:
2 passengers per vehicle, US$3,280.00
per person in twin room.
4 passengers per vehicle, US$3,000.00 per person in
twin room.
 A game drive at Dumatau in the Linyanti Concession |
BIRDING & SPECIALIST PHOTOGRAPHIC TRIPS
Our Botswana's Best Birding Safari with Ken Newman will be operating from 30 Nov to 06 Dec 2003. This safari takes guests to two camps in the Okavango Delta with contrasting habitats - Chitabe and Xigera. Guests have the privilege of travelling with Ken Newman, regarded as an expert on birds in Southern Africa. He will be on hand to help guests see the rarer species. The safari starts and ends in Maun. The price per person sharing based on 4 guests traveling is US$2.515.00 p.p.
For serious photographers and guests (including beginners) who would like to learn more about various photo techniques we are offering the very popular Wildlife Photographic Safari with Lex Hes. Guests will be accommodated for 2 nights in the Okavango Delta and spend 2 nights in one of the Linyanti camps. Book early to avoid disappointment! The safari starts and ends in Maun, from 08 to 12 January 2004. The price (per person sharing based on 4 guests traveling) is $2,645.00 p.p. For a group of 8 guests, the price will be $2,085.00 p.p. The Single Room Surcharge is US $500.00.
 Boating at Matusadona Water Wilderness, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe |
In a nutshell, while there maybe problems in the cities, the parks in the north of Zimbabwe are havens of peace and sanctuaries for the wildlife.
Right now, Zimbabwe is offering the best game viewing in southern Africa at the best prices... It offers incredible value right now and guests who do travel get the best possible game viewing - and their money is going directly to keeping the parks alive!
Zimbabwe continues to be 'in the news' ... but other than the political problems, nothing has changed as far as the Wilderness Safaris tourism product goes.
It is true that food and fuel shortages sadly plague the country. However, as the tourism industry earns hard currency, the hotels and other tourism suppliers are able to import all the commodities they require to maintain their operations to a standard expected by international visitors. Consequently tourists do not feel the pinch of food shortages and the lack of fuel, and continue to enjoy the high standards of service in our camps and elsewhere.
Wilderness Safaris recommends all guests fly into Victoria Falls from Johannesburg. After enjoying all the varied and superb experiences Victoria Falls has to offer - we FLY our guests from camp to camp, all of which are in totally safe National Park areas far removed from any urban hotspots. Our guests do not venture into the cities or farming areas at all, so are completely safe. Wilderness Safaris has continued to operate successfully in Zimbabwe since the advent of the current political situation. Wilderness Safaris will not operate any itinerary if there is the remotest concern of potential danger to our guests.
Living in Victoria Falls, with my husband and children, I feel I can give an honest assessment of our security, etc. Our town revolves around tourism and has always been a haven of tranquility. There is no doubt that our country is in a state of crisis, however, this really only affects the people living in the larger cities of Harare & Bulawayo. The land redistribution has been completed, and recent stay-away and demonstrations were in Harare and Bulawayo. Now life is back to normal ... and as a resident of Vic Falls, I can personally assure you that the town is an area of peace and tranquility.
The National Parks in Zimbabwe desperately need visitors. The revenue earned from tourists is currently keeping the Parks alive. Without tourists the Parks' infrastructure will deteriorate and collapse. Right now we are seeing that tourism = conservation. We are playing a vital role with the Parks to assist in problem animal control, and we sponsor the diesel to operate the water-pumps in Hwange National Park to keep the waterholes functioning, and the game alive!
For more information or a brochure & price list, please contact:
Bert or Kathleen du Plessis
Fish Eagle Safaris
11152 Westheimer
#150
Houston, TX 77042
Tel 800 513-5222
Tel 713 467-5222
Fax 713
467-3208
E-mail: exafrica@aol.com
Website:
www.fisheaglesafaris.com
www.wilderness-safaris.com
