Safari in South Africa

The Call of the Wild

Going on safari is definitely the experience of a lifetime. And in South Africa, there are a variety of game-viewing options… on foot, in open-air vehicles, even on elephant-back. No matter which you choose, the memories of life in the bush will stay with you forever.

Your wake-up call comes hours before sunrise so you can track leopards, lions, and other nocturnal hunters before the heat of day kicks in. After a quick cup of coffee, you embark on a three- to four-hour game walk or drive with a super-knowledgeable ranger and tracker – and let the sightings begin. You spot not just one elephant, but a dozen – from a playful baby to a two-story bull – and a regal gemsbok, with its slender, scimitar-like horns that may have inspired tales of the fabled unicorn. The roar of a male lion, a few yards from the safari vehicle, leaves you nearly breathless.

Return to camp for a fresh cooked breakfast followed by a nature walk with a ranger. After lunch, take a nap at the height of the midday heat or go for a swim. Then, following afternoon tea, you’re off on an evening safari drive that includes a stop for a sundowner, or a cocktail, to pass the sunset. Back at your lodge, enjoy dinner under the southern constellations, a completely different array of stars from what you see at home. Then it’s off to bed and dreams of the wildlife that you’ll encounter tomorrow.

Your safari holds even more marvelous surprises in store. Click here for your day-by-day itinerary!

Read Full Post »

The Story of Jabulani

Once upon a time – in 1997, actually – a young elephant found himself stuck in the silt mud of a dam. After attempts to free him, his mother and the rest of the herd were forced to leave the three-month old calf to the elements. And that might have been the end of another story in the African bushveld, where only the fittest survive.

Enter Lente Roode – owner of Camp Jabulani and founder of the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. She took in the exhausted, malnourished and very frightened calf, and offered him sanctuary at the Center and the elephant was slowly nurtured back to health. She named him Jabulani – the isiZulu word for “happiness” or “rejoice”, and that indeed describes Jabulani: always in the lead, with bouncing gait and mischievous eye. Over the years he adapted to the ways of his human friends. All attempts to reintroduce him to the wild failed. He thought of himself as one of us, though in reality he needed his own kind.

All too soon the calf grew into a five year old bull, and a unique opportunity arose to give him a family of his own kind. A rather special herd from Zimbabwe had to be relocated to South Africa to ensure its survival. These elephants had been trained, with patience and kindness, to safely carry people.

Lente Roode launched the rescue mission in March 2002 when Zimbabwe was preparing for an election. She learned that the future of these elephants, and their handlers, was in jeopardy when war veterans began invading farms, including the game farm on which this trained herd was located.

The rescue succeeded, and the herd and its handlers arrived at Kapama. Anxiety ruled the day as Jabulani was introduced to the herd. To great relief the Matriarch “Tokwe” immediately adopted Jabulani as her own. He has become part of this close family. He’s their mascot, and their affection for him is obvious.

Today the herd consists out of 13 full-grown elephants accommodated at Camp Jabulani on the Kapama Game Reserve. Camp Jabulani is the first to offer a luxury elephant experience in South Africa.

 

An elephant-back safari is a life-changing event and one that you will experience on safari with Go Touch Down Travel and Tours.

Read Full Post »

Luxury in the Bush?

But of course! You’ll spend the first several nights of your safari and bush experience at Dunkeld Country Estate, a luxury trout and game lodge in the charming hamlet of Dullstroom.

Located on the panorama route halfway from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park, it is the ideal place to begin creating a lifetime of memories.  Situated in the heart of the highlands meander noted for its clear streams, lakes and scenery, here you’ll enjoy plush accommodations, sumptuous gourmet meals and fine wines.  The heritage of the estate has been preserved with the conversion of the century-old farmhouse into a wonderful restaurant.

You’ll witness some of the Lowveld’s most magnificent views while on a winding drive through pine and eucalyptus forests. This panoramic route is well known for its breath-taking natural features, such as the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window, Wonderview, and the Berlin Falls. You’ll reach Pilgrim’s Rest, a sleepy old mining town, which has been lovingly preserved since the gold rush and is now a National Monument.

Dullstroom is South Africa’s fly-fishing capital, and Dunkeld Country Estate boasts many well-stocked dams filled with brown, rainbow and golden trout, offering fly-fishing enthusiasts the enjoyment of quality angling time in pursuit of that perfect catch.

Other activities on the Dunkeld Estate are horseback riding for the more energetic guests, while ladies may choose to enjoy their time at the in-house spa. You’ll have an afternoon to venture to Dullstroom town, where you’ll enjoy lunch and shopping along the main road.

Your final evening at the Estate, you’ll be treated to a wine-tasting from a fine selection of red and white wines before experiencing a traditional South African boma-braai dinner.  The luxury doesn’t stop at Dunkeld, as you’ll transfer to the romantic Kapama River Lodge in Kapama Game Reserve.

In addition to heart-pounding sunrise and sunset game drives, you’ll enjoy spa treatments and hot air ballooning as well as such fineries as high tea, dinner under the stars and more. South African cuisine, often referred to as Rainbow Cuisine, is something to look forward to at lunch and dinner;  savor traditional African flavors with Pan-African dishes featuring local ingredients such as kudu or impala, meats rarely experienced in other cultures.

Go Touch Down Travel & Tours presents a one-of-a-kind safari experience.  For more information, visit http://gotouchdowntravelandtours.com.

Read Full Post »

Where to stay on Safari?

National Park or Private Reserve… that is the question?

With our big Safari promotion coming up, we felt it was time that we addressed this question again.

The National Parks and National Reserves are managed by local councils (governments). Councils are responsible for maintaining roads, controlling poaching, and security within these National Parks and Reserves themselves. Generally, the number of visitors are not restricted, and the safari experience is therefore open to everyone visiting the park. Game drives within the Park and Reserve boundaries are restricted only to the extensive road network, and also between set hours – normally sunrise to sunset, so the times can vary throughout the year . There are no night drives allowed in a National Park.

On game drives in National Parks, you will see other vehicles – whether you are in your own car, or in an open 4×4 safari vehicle, or even if you are part of an organized tour.

Private Reserves offer a more exclusive safari experience, where it is possible to escape the crowds and experience the African wilderness without encountering a huge number of other vehicles. Only the game viewing vehicles belonging to the private lodges situated in the reserve are allowed to drive on the land.  Since you are outside the boundaries of the National Parks and Reserves, the rules governing where and when you can drive are no longer applicable – the safari guides can drive off road in search of big cats, and night drives from the camp after dinner in search of nocturnal animals such as ardvaark, or leopards hunting by moonlight, are a highlight of a stay in one of these camps.

Many Private Reserves have a rule that only a couple of vehicles are allowed at any one wildlife sighting, so although you may have to wait your turn patiently, it is worth it as the animals tend to not get stressed and are not eager to disappear off into the bush to seek a hasty retreat from too many vehicles and spotlights.

With that all said. We have compiled a list of recommend Nature Reserves, National Game Parks & Private Reserves. Note that Private Game Reserves are often neighbor to the big National Parks. With the fences being removed, this offers you the best of both parks.

• Kruger National Park – Biggest game reserve, on 20,000 sq km. Unique game stock with 147 mammal and 507 bird species. Good infrastructure.
• Umfolozi & Hluluwe Game Reserves – 3 hours from Durban. Hilly savannah landscape. 1100 sq km. Many rhinos, but also elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes etc.
• Addo Elephant Park – About 500 elephants on 12,000 hectares. Also rhinos, antelopes and many bird species. Good traveling throughout the year. Close to Port Elizabeth.
• Madikwe Game Reserve – Game reserve of 60,000 hectares at the Groot Marico river on the border to Botswana. Vast savannah with sporadic mountains. All big game species.
• Mkuze Game Reserve – 5 hours from Durban. 250 sq km. Large herds of blue wildebeests, kudus, nyalas, zebras, giraffes. Over 400 bird species. Game viewing hides.
• Pilanesberg National Park – Quite a spectacular park with the “Big Five” in the North-West Province near Sun City.

Private Reserves:

There are numerous private game reserves in South Africa and Namibia. Most of them are well stocked with game. All the Reserves we recommend offer the ‘Big Five’

Several top 4- and 5- star lodges are available in the following Private Reserves:

• Kapama Reserve
• Timbavati Reserve
• Sabi Sand Reserve
• Balule Reserve
• Phinda Reserve

FYI:

The Kruger National Park (in the middle) + all the Private Game Reserves (that surrounds it) = Greater Kruger National Park.

If you stay in the Kruger National Park you may not access the Private Game Reserves, but if you are staying at a Private Game Reserve then you may access the Kruger National Park.

Read Full Post »

Safari – Day 4, 5 and 6

Day 4, 5 and 6 is spent at Kapama River Lodge.

 

Kapama River Lodge is Kruger National Park’s largest private game lodge. The lodge with nearby water sources that attracts ambling visits from the area’s elephant and buffalo populations, serves rich specialty dishes, and combined with expansive views stretching the length and breadth of the Kapama Game Reserve and beyond, makes Kapama River Lodge an unforgettable camping experience that should not be missed!

 

For more information on Kapama River Lodge and Day 1, 2 and 3 of our 8 day Tour, visit > http://x.co/XTtW

 

Contact one of our Travel Consultants for a price and more details on this action packed and value for money Safari Tour. We have several small group tours scheduled from Sunday to Sunday during 2011… Now is the time to talk to us.

 

Go Touch Down Travel and Tours, operating in Canada, USA, United Kingdom and South Africa.

Read Full Post »