Refurbishment at Hotel Heinitzberg
posted in Namibia Holidays on Monday, November 30, 2009
Hotel Heinitzberg in Namibia has unveiled the refurbishment of its 16 guest rooms.
The new décor is designed to represent the Windhoek "glory days" with each room splashed with a different colour, style and décor. They've cleaverly used old photographs of Windhoek and Namibia as a referance to the look and feel of the new changes.
Leo's at the Castle Restaurant has also had a new lease of life. Its size has been increased to accomodate more diners and a lick of red paint has added a fresh new personalitiy to the restaurant. Leo's still retains it's original feel which will be a relieve for some of its regular visitors.
Go Cape Town Card
posted in South Africa Holidays on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
City Sightseeing Open-Top Tours have joined forces with Aerial Cableway and Two Oceans Aquarium to release the Go Cape Town card that grants access to these three popular tourist attractions in Cape Town.
Adults can expect to pay R360 for a card whilst children under 18 years old pay only R180 which includes a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium, a ride on an open-top city sightseeing bus and a return trip on the Cableway.
The card's draw is that visitors don't have to wait in line for each attraction. If they're thinking about visiting all three, the card is a no brainer. And because it grants you entry to each destination, it will more than likely encourage people to visit all three.
The city sightseeing open-top tour bus connects the aquarium and the cableway seemlessly and with regular departures leaving every 20 minutes.
The Go Cape Town card will be available for purchase on the 1st of December this year and is available at any of the attractions included. The card can also be purchased from www.webtickets.co.za or at any Cape Town tourism office. Don't buy too early before your trip, though, as the cards will expire 3 months after date of purchase.
Update at Nxai Pan
posted in Botswana Safaris on Friday, November 13, 2009
Nxai Pan is currently in some of its driest months and the local waterhole is teeming with wildlife. The high temperatures and dust have given the local Elephants an orange and brown tint in contrast to their dark greys and blacks of the Kwanda and Okavango Elephants.
Everyone is eagerly waiting for the impending rains and the migration of the Zebra and Wildebeest. Earlier spells of rain have encouraged fresh grass to grow in the area, which is attracting the last remaining Antelope. The Oryx, Springbok, Impala, Ostrich and Eland remain to be harassed by the Cheetahs and Lions. The brother Cheetahs are still a familiar sighting for guests and are becoming more open and less shy towards visitors.
Game viewing update at Lebala
posted in Botswana Safaris on Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Lebala Camp in Botswana has seen some very warm weather over the past few weeks, which in turn has brought some incredible game viewing. The name Lebala translates to ‘open space’ where Elephant and Buffalo crowd the busy river of the Linyanti Swamps.
Elsewhere in the area, a Leopard has seen killing a young Lechwe, pulling it to safety up an Acacia tree. She sat there for 2 days eating her catch. Amongst the Leopard, Cheetahs have also been a regular occurance, more so when the Lions have vacated temporarily. There are no short of Lions, either, with numerous sightings of them hunting Buffalo - a treat for anyone to witness.
An extremely rare sighting has also been spotted when a Black Mamba invaded a Carmine Bee Eater nest and returned with a whole bird that it devoured whole.
Lebala Camp has seen plenty of other interesting encounters including an unfortunate Water Monitor Lizard being pounced on by a Martials Eagle who benefitted over the next few days from that one kill.
Related article here.
More updates at Lagoon Camp
posted in Botswana Safaris on Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Once again, Lagoon camp in Botswana has been showing its visitors that it is one of the best spots in Africa to see the Wild Dog. Three groups of Wild Dog have now been spotted around the camp. The pups in our previous article have been doing well for themselves and are now hunting with the adults. They are growing stronger by the day, which is great to hear.
Kwando River still sees a large number of Elephant and Buffalo despite small numbers migrating west.
Cheetahs, Leopards and Lions are still a common sighting in the area, too. The three brother Cheetah recently killed an Impala on a nearby airstrip which was a treat for the visitors who were lucky enough to witness it. The resident Leopard is still seen roaming around Lagoon camp, also.
Migration at Sabora Tented Camp
posted in Tanzania Safaris on Thursday, November 5, 2009
Located in northern Tanzania on the wilderness plains of Singita Grumeti Reserves, Sabora Tented Camp is once again in the midst of an annual migration. Huge numbers of Wildebeest herds have begun returning from the northern Serengeti to join already existing populations of Topi, Thompson Gazelles and Zebra. Usually around this time of year herds are further north. East Africa on the other hand has been experiencing extended dry spells and last months early rainfall in the Grumeti Reserves created what seemed like a scene from the migration during the months of June and July.
Kurland's in South Africa
posted in South Africa Holidays on Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Kurland’s Hotel in Plattenberg Bay, South Africa, is a beautifully decorated relais and chateaux with incredible scenery in the surrounding area. Situated on South Africa’s scenic Garden Route, Kurland is perfect for a chic and intimate wedding. It’s ideal for international and local guests with over 700 hectares accommodating 12 luxurious rooms, gorgeous green lawns, pristine polo fields and a number of venues to celebrate in. Expect to enjoy tea under the oaks overlooking the paddocks, followed by drinks and canapés on the terrace before an elegant dinner around candlelit tables.
Ellerman Contemporary art gallery
posted in South Africa Holidays on Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ellerman House and Villa recently went through some refurbishment work and they don’t seem to be stopping just yet. They are planning more exciting developments to dazzle its guests and contemporary art enthusiasts. Ellerman have the most extensive collection of private South African art that will be showcased in their new ‘Ellerman Contemporary’ gallery. The new gallery will become a dynamic venue for viewing and promoting South African contemporary art, and therefore, only the latest technology will be used. These include sensory faculties that will be used to accurately control light, a high-resolution projector for presentations and an excellent surround sound system.
These updates are due to open in December 2009.