Posts Tagged ‘Africa’

Your African safari is a large investment and it is highly recommended to get a comprehensive travel insurance for Africa policy in addition to any primary insurance you already have. It is also IMPORTANT to purchase travel insurance within 14 days of paying your initial investment. For most policies this will not only ensure your trip deposit, but also cover you for any preexisting medical conditions and default by most airlines and safari companies. These, in most cases, will not apply if your policy is purchased after the 14 days.

What does travel insurance for Africa incorporate?

• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption or travel delay
• Loss or theft of, or damage to, baggage
• Baggage delay
• Medical expenses
• Emergency medical transportation
• Collision damage waiver if renting a vehicle
• Plus much more!

Travel insurance for Africa policies are offered by most travel insurance companies…

in one comprehensive policy and vary in price based on both your total trip investment and your age.

Your upcoming trip is a significant investment, which involves risks.

For this reason, as well as requirements from African camp/lodge operators, we require, as do other travel agents and tour operators, that all visitors to Africa purchase a comprehensive travel insurance for Africa plan valid for the entire duration of your trip. This insurance plan should cover you for events such as trip cancellation, delay or interruption, lost or delayed baggage, emergency accident, sickness and evacuation, 24 hour medical assistance, traveler’s assistance, and emergency cash transfer.

This coverage is not only for your financial protection in the event of a cancellation but also for coverage of medical emergencies and medical evacuations due to injury or illness, which often involve use of jet aircraft with hospital equipment and doctors on board and can easily amount to many thousands of dollars.

In the event you need emergency medical evacuation, most travel insurance companies require that you must acquire authorization by the company prior to the evacuation.  Unfortunately, this is rather difficult with many safari camps and lodges are so remote that telephone access is limited, so getting prior approval is extremely difficult, if not impossible.  It is important to check with your insurance company before you leave to see whether it has this clause or not.

We recommend Travel Guard insurance (for US citizens), the industry leader and largest provider. Wild Safari Africa is a licensed travel insurance for Africa seller and can arrange a policy on your behalf. The total premium will be based on each traveler’s age and the total per person price including air tickets. Please contact us if you would like a travel insurance for Africa quote to book a policy via Wild Safari Africa.

Whether you are a novice, hobbyist, or professional, and no matter if it is your first African photo safari or the 100^th visit to Africa, the most essential item in your pack is the camera.  Having the perfect camera will make all the difference to the quality of wildlife photos you capture on an African photo safari.  Nevertheless, it doesn’t guarantee great images.

To capture those great images you need to know a little something about wildlife photography yourself.  You’ll still need to control the composition and depending on the conditions you will need to also control the exposure when your camera isn’t able to effectively expose the scene.  So even if you’re a novice on your first African photo safari it is still important to have the best camera and equipment available because when working with great equipment it will always tilt in your favor to capturing those great images you desire, wouldn’t you agree?

Should you purchase a Compact or DSLR for your African photo safari?

To answer that question you need to first determine how serious a photographer you are.

If you simply like to capture memories while on holiday and have the photos more for visual images for storytelling then a compact digital would in most cases suit you best.

However, if you are a little more serious with your photography and you wish to publish, sell, or simply develop larger prints for your own household then there is no question you should really consider a digital SLR.

The Best African Photo Safari Compact Cameras

Advantages of Compact cameras

• Low cost
• Lightweight and smaller in size
• One lens with long zoom range
• Image stabilization
• Easy to use, short learning curve
• Video recording function

Disadvantages of Compact cameras

• Shutter release button lag time
• Noise at higher ISO levels
• Slow power up time
• Small sensor which causes it to become ineffective in lower light

Although there are a great variety of high quality Compact cameras on the market today, they simply don’t measure up against the DSLR – especially in low-light situations (like dusk and dawn when the wildlife behavior in Africa is at its absolute best!).  Nevertheless, they are extremely adequate for safari photography and will get the job done.  Also, the image stabilization is a huge plus for novices and amateur professionals who excitement often times can result in blurry shots.  The image stabilization will reduce the chances for blur.

With Compact cameras it also means you don’t have to fumble around with changing lenses and possible wasting an opportunity as the wildlife disappeared into the bush.  It also cuts down on the amount of dust able to reach the sensor which can be an issue when changing the lenses.

A rather large disadvantage I find with Compact cameras is the lag time – from the time I press the shutter release button between the times the actual image is recorded.  It is possible to completely miss the shot, whether it is a hippo yawning or a bird leaving its perch the timing of image capture is essential.

As with all technology, Compact cameras are improving.

The Best Digital SLR African Photo Safari Cameras

Advantages of the DSLR

• No shutter release button lag time
• High ISO levels with low noise
• Quick power up
• Wide range of lens options
• Big sensor, works well in low light conditions
• Many accessories

Disadvantages of the DSLR

• High cost
• Steep learning curve
• Heavy and bulky

For African photo safari photography cameras are important, but even more important than the camera itself is the lens.  Your initial investment should be for a mediocre camera and a great lens.  Never should this sequence be reversed.  Your image results will always be much better when using a great lens.

Our advice, find the perfect, high quality safari lens first and purchase the entry-level DSLR camera that goes with it.  And by all means, if you have the deep pockets to upgrade on your first initial camera investment, do it.  You won’t regret the images you capture.

Check out our guided photography tours!

A family Botswana safari can be an excellent choice for a family vacation to Africa.  Families can enjoy the variety of activities offered from, traditional canoe (mokoro) rides to tracking wildlife with San Bushmen and easily skipping across the border to visit Victoria Falls in nearby Zambia/ Zimbabwe.  The overwhelming majority of lodge transfers are done by light aircraft thus eliminating those long car rides kids find boring.

With the exception of Chobe National Park, most camps in Botswana only cater for children age 10 or older.  Nevertheless, there are exceptions to the rule for a family Botswana safari with younger children wishing to visit camps located in the Okavango Delta.

A family Botswana safari  is great for children aged 7-12 and for teenagers.  The majority of camps and lodges offer safe, adventurous safaris for the whole family.  Many lodges also specially hire trained children’s guides who tailor program’s for your children – suiting their ages and interests.  These programs are brilliant and do a fabulous job at sparking curiosity and interest.  The guides interpret the African bush in a fun, easy way to understand and allow for hands-on experience which can include the tracking of animals.

The Perfect Family Botswana Safari

The Young Explorers chain of lodges caters to families with children ages 7-12.

This family Botswana safari program is exclusive.  Each family has the use of a private six-bedded camp, two professional guides, personal chef, waiter, housekeeper, and mokoro guides.  Families are there to explore the bush at your leisure.

The Young Explorers in the Okavango Delta is based at Footsteps Camp – an intimate 6 bedded camp in the Shinde private concession.  Each family books out exclusive use of the camp, ultimately overriding the normal walking program and the minimum age requirement.

The Young Explorers in the Kalahari is based at Edo’s Camp, a private 8 bedded camp on a game conservancy in the western Kalahari Desert.  Again, the family books out exclusive use of the camp, thereby overriding the normal safari experience with the specific family program.

The two camps can easily be combined as one overall family Botswana safari experience.

What topics will the program touch on?  The emphasis is on conservation, respect for the earth, culture, and learning bush survival skills.  The children’s guide explains how animals can be tracked using experience and a little detective work.

Family Botswana Safari Precautions

What about Malaria?  Should I be concerned for my children?

Malarone has now launched a children’s formula and is the first ever malaria tablet designed just for kids.  Generally, many families have held back their desire to safari Africa on account of fear of malaria or reluctance to expose their children to possible side-effects of medication.  The new formulation of Malarone will open new opportunities for families wishing to travel to Africa, enabling them to do so with much greater safety and peace of mind.

Every October Namibia, Africa hosts one of the most beautiful marathons in the world –the Lucky Star Marathon.  This year, 2012, the Lucky Star Marathon will be held NOT in October but September 22, 2012.

The event is open to the public and is a road run and walk event.  Participants can choose between the 10km, 2 x 21km, or do it in its entirety.  Namibian schools will be participating in the event doing a 4 x 10km relay.

For registration forms, click on the following:

10km event – Entry Form

2×21 relay – Entry Form

Marathon – Entry Form

This is the basic form and prices but the amount may differ closer to the time of race. The form however, will not change.

Description of the marathon.

Runners will begin in Walvis Bay and follow the B2 road north to Swakopmund.  Nestled against both the Atlantic Ocean and the Namib sand dunes, runners will be pleasantly cooled by the cold south Atlantic waters and the Benguela Current.

The Benguela current originates in the freezing waters of Antarctica and flows north to the southernmost tip of Africa, where it continues to drift along the western coast of South Africa, Namibia, and up into Angola. The current temperatures are extremely cold, and with the current so close to the coast, the waters that crash onto land are much colder than the waters further out to sea. The current also carries with it sediment which is randomly deposited along the shore.

The trademark morning fog that makes the area’s weather different from the rest of Namibia is directly a result from the Benguela current. The fog is created by the cool air hovering over the current, mixing with the warm air inland. At night when the desert cools, the humid air resting over the current during the day condenses and becomes a visible living mist, thus making the ever so common morning fog. As the sun begins to warm the desert floor, the condensation formed during the night begins to disperse in the wind into a blurry haze which lasts for most of the day, until the same pattern begins all over again.

The little life that can be found along the coastal shores on the Namib Desert is attributed to the mist created and dispersed each morning by the Benguela current. The life found here relies entirely upon it. The plants drink up what little water can be offered, grow and flourish to become edible salads for other insects, reptilian, or larger game such as springbok and oryx. The current is also extremely important to several fish species, the same fish targeted by a number of Walvis Bay fishing companies.

Race participants and families can enjoy the areas attractions before and/or after the race.

The coast is one of the most diversified, contrasting regions in all of Namibia. The Erongo and Naukluft mountains tower over the rolling desert savannas, while the Namib Desert seems to appear out of nowhere. Together they create the Namib- Naukluft, one of Africa’s largest National Parks. It is here you can trek through a multitude of environments amongst the wild animals that roam this desolate land, explore the romantic red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, and kayak with thousands of seals at the Walvis Bay lagoon.

Swakopmund is a little resort town with German colonial buildings, having one of the best infrastructures in Africa. It caters to visitors with an itch for adrenaline and fine cuisine. Walvis Bay is an industrious town and boasts southern Africa’s deepest port. A large number of goods arrive in Walvis Bay, before being quickly loaded onto semi trucks and taken into Namibia, Botswana, the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Henties Bay is renowned for fishing, and is the first stop onwards to Cape Cross, the place where Europeans first set foot in Namibia.

The coast is a very popular destination for all who visit Namibia. During the months of December and January the region quickly becomes a playground for Namibians, South Africans, and Western visitors. To simply sum up the coast, it has it all.

Tailor a holiday specifically to meet your needs by contacting us or see an example of an itinerary entirely revolved around the Lucky Star Marathon.

Can a US based African Safari tour company deliver great results? Yes! If you’re planning a safari to southern Africa, or are simply exploring the idea, it would my pleasure to talk with you directly.  More times than not, clients are more excited after we’ve discussed their options and the realities of what exactly an African safari entails.  Wild Safari Africa  can tailor an African holiday accordingly, matching your needs, to ensure you have one heck of a safari!

However, before we jump ahead of ourselves, let us first discuss some current issues you have, or have had, when it comes to planning that once in a lifetime African safari.

How does the safari business operate?

An African safari is a considerable investment.  Before spending thousands of dollars we believe you should have a very clear idea of how the Safari business operates. This information pertains to all operators – whether a US based African safari tour company or one in Africa.

There is a plethora of travel agents who sell Africa but don’t know it intimately or firsthand.  This is where the difference in quality, specialty, and attention to detail can “weed out” the good and bad companies.  Who would you rather work with, someone who knows what to expect or someone with only discounted rates?

The ground suppliers –vehicle hire companies, lodges, and tour operators –give discounts to all travel agents that seek them.  I’ve seen it thousands of times, prospective travelers looking for sound advice and repeatedly coming up short.

Everyone wants the best, but what percentage actually is confident with the company they’ve chosen to work with?

Travelers today are faced with endless amount of safari choices.  Each destination, lodge, restaurant looks and sounds great.  You know as well as we do, this simply isn’t the case.  There are some that portray one thing but the picture does the reality little justice.  It isn’t fair to you.

How do you then choose which are the most reputable lodges, restaurants, car hire companies, etc.?

It is extremely IMPORTANT to find a company that has intimate connections to the countries you wish to safari.

Ask as many questions as they should be asking you.

What activities does the lodge offer?  Who do we contact in country if something goes wrong? When was the last time you were in country yourself? How often to you visit Africa?  These are all questions that YOU should be asking the company you choose to do business with.

Ensure that your guides, game trackers, places of accommodation, car hire companies, and restaurants will be the best of the best.  Simplify your travels with LOADS of information.

How to distinguish the real from the fakes

A GREAT company will personally prepare a set of documents, including your itinerary, short biography of the creator, a customized travel guide, and examples of the activities/wildlife you may encounter, passport/visa information, suggested clothing and equipment, health issues, cultural considerations, and a list of suggested reading –AND deliver it to you during the safari planning process.

Seek the intimate attention that you deserve.  An honest company will tell you when they cannot offer what you’re looking for and would then refer you to a company that can.

Did you know many companies hire consultants who have visited Africa, but rarely to any of the camps, lodges, or places of interests they’re suggesting you see?

The company you choose to do business with should have a vast network of colleagues in Africa working to secure the absolute best of choices.  Camps, lodges, and supplier companies should regularly be visited by the consultants of the safari company and education should be a continual practice.

• What organizations and/or affiliations is the safari company a member of?
• What credentials separate them for better or worse?
• Why should you listen to what they have to say?

Why is the company recommending what they are?

There is a BIG difference between recommending a preferred lodge or camp versus having a vested interest in what is recommended.  All companies have their preferred suppliers, or at least they should.  Unfortunately, some safari companies recommend certain safaris or lodging because they hold a financial stake or are shareholders.  How does this keep the client in their best interests?  It doesn’t.

Rather, a reputable safari company should be in a position to put you first.  To be in a position to independently analyze all tour operators, destinations, and properties for the country the client requests quotes and information for.  You should expect impartial and objective advice.

Be alert for a couple red flags

There are a couple easy indicators that help you determine if the consultant you’re dealing with is a true specialist.

Red flag #1 – Is the company telling you that any and every month is great for safari?

Here is the truth.  Not all seasons are best for safari.  Each season offers something different.  Depending on the country and region, the weather differentiates significantly causing wildlife to disperse because of the rains or other natural phenomenon.  There are perks and downfalls to everything, why would the time you safari be any different?

Red flag #2 –Does the company sell anything and everything?

If a company says it sells anything and everything, that is not niche-ing out a specialty.  That is agents who have little to NONE hands on experience with what you’re trying to heavily invest in.  Could this also mean companies in Africa?  You bet ya!

Ask the company if they can suggest an itinerary that fits your exact needs.  If wildlife is the reason you’re visiting Africa, ask to be put in the best wildlife sanctuaries.  Ask for the best guides.  The most brilliant trackers.  You need to have a specialist who knows what it is you want.

It is always about you… the client

It is imperative to work with a company that puts your needs first.  You deserve attentive service, attention to detail, and honesty.  Punctuality is another virtue extremely important to the safari business.  You need your emails and phone calls returned in a timely manner.  You need information and have unlimited and unbiased access to information so you can make the decision you can feel confident in.

Be part of the planning process, working together with the company, to ensure all of your needs and desires are clearly understood to begin crafting an itinerary.  You approve and make the final executive decision.

How to ensure your safari company is reputable

You can ensure the safari company you choose to work with is reputable by deciding if they know Africa intimately.  Has their safari consultants lived and worked in Africa?  Do they continue to visit and keep up with the times?  Do yourself a service and seek the answers to your very many questions.

From all of us at Wild Safari Africa, we wish you happy safari planning!

We are safari consultants who have lived and have a vast network of colleagues in Africa. Our focus is on southern Arica – Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe side).  We are travel agents who specialize in ONLY Africa.  Contact us for more DETAILED information and receive full investment quotes, self-drive distance tables, personally prepared set of documents, including your itinerary, short biography of the creator, a customized travel guide, and examples of the activities/wildlife you may encounter, passport/visa information, suggested clothing and equipment, health issues, cultural considerations, and a list of suggested reading.  (Sample Itinerary – You Can Expect the Same)

Last week was MONUMENTAL for the continuing success of Wild Safari Africa.  With a burning desire to continue our efforts to bring sustainable social entrepreneurship to the countries we visit and hold dear to our hearts, I thought it be imperative we explore how Wild Safari Africa could give back just a little bit more.  After searching high and low, Empower Women in Africa, Inc. presented itself and shined.

With hundreds of organizations to choose from,

it is my pleasure to have selected Empower Women in Africa, Inc. and Executive Director and founder Lori Schippers vision as Wild Safari Africa’s 2011 organization of choice.

From the first time I was introduced to Namibian children –boys and girls –I was filled with greater love than I could have ever imagined.  The hospitability showered upon me from the village elders could have offered even the most uncomfortable of visitors to feel right at home, and the genuine concern for me and my own family was more than I could have ever imagined from subsistent farmers and rural peoples’ in the far north of Namibia.   Equally, the same can be said about Lori Schippers and everyone at Empower Women in Africa.

What is Empower Women in Africa and what exactly do they do?

Empower Women in Africa, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that brings economic and educational opportunities to women and girls in rural Namibia, empowering them by giving them the skills to improve their lives, and those around them.

Education is the key to overcoming the poverty and gender inequity that many individuals are born into in the developing world. By working locally to support girls in their education and women in securing a job, communities will be transformed and lives will be changed.

This is why I was excited to present an offer to Empower Women in Africa.

For every safari planned and booked through us, Wild Safari Africa will donate US$25 to Empower Women in Africa.

As you can imagine, everyone at Empower Women in Africa was thrilled and happily accepted the offer.

Although Wild Safari Africa has teamed up with Empower Women in Africa, all contributions made will  only assist in making the vision of Lori Schippers and Empower Women in Africa a reality sooner than later.  Empower Women in Africa’s sustainability, continued growth, and expanding outreach made me a sound believer and I hope you can see, like I can, the same sun light to many bright futures to come.  The time is now.  Join us and forever invest in the lives of hundreds of young Namibian children who otherwise would be growing into a world of uncertainty.

I encourage you to learn more about this brilliant organization –

Help Empower Women in Africa spread the buzz on facebook -

To taking that extra step,

Jeremy

Managing Director

The Caprivi fits the image most people have of Africa, more so than any other part of Namibia. The rural population lives in mud and thatch huts amongst meandering elephants, wading hippos, and other animals. The region consists of an interweaving network of perennial rivers, dense forests, and fertile floodplains. The majority of Caprivi’s 80,000 people subsistence farm in the nutrient rich soils along the banks of the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti, and Chobe Rivers. Fishing is also a large part of their economy, and makes an important contribution to their diet. It is common for the region’s rivers to flood with rainwater flowing from the DRC and Angola, with over half the land becoming submerged with water. Oddly, lands frequently experience drought conditions despite the flooding. The Caprivians use their mekoro, traditional dugout canoes, as their mode of transportation during the rains, following the same routes one would walk or drive in the dry season.

The Caprivi, or the thumb of Namibia, extends as a panhandle eastward to the countries of Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is an example of how colonial powers shaped boundaries during the scramble for Africa, disregarding the needs of the indigenous peoples. Known as Itenga, the Caprivi was ruled by the Lozi kings until it became part of the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, known today as Botswana. In 1890, at the Berlin Conference, Germany acquired the strip for access to the Indian Ocean, adding it to the then German South West Africa and naming it the Caprivi Strip after the German Chancellor General Count George Leo von Caprivi. In addition to the Bushmen who have been relocated here, today there are six main tribes in the Caprivi with their own languages, using SiLozi as a common working language.

It is important to remember that much of the Caprivi is divided into various nature conservancies.

This means that animals’ rights have to be respected, and the killing of almost any animal without the proper permit – including driving over snakes – is against the law.

These conservancies have benefitted local communities by providing meat to villagers when animals are culled or a permitted hunting occurs; food from the fallen target is distributed amongst local people.

Bwabwata Wildlife Conservancy in the Caprivi

Officially established in 1999, the Bwabwata included five main zones in and around the Caprivi Game Reserve: the West Caprivi Triangle around Kongola, Mahango Game Reserve, Popa Falls, the Buffalo Core Area around Divundu, and the Caprivi Game Reserve. Bwabwata is on a mission to restore game populations to what they were before poaching greatly reduced the numbers.

Since peace came to Angola in 2002, the area is now a safe place to venture into the bush and get away from it all. Game populations are on the rebound and the area is a lush, African bush paradise. When driving across the Trans-Caprivi Highway between Rundu and Katima Mulilo, it is common to spot herds of elephant regularly crossing the road. Be mindful as elephants are large yet have an amazing ability to blend into the natural environment and become invisible to the human eye.

There are well organized community campsites available, giving you a spectacular bush experience in the presence of large game animals! Some of these camps, such as Bum Hill, have solar-powered hot shower facilities and self-drive routes to view animals.

Where to stay?  Visit a Wild Safari Africa favorite -

Here you will find the best accommodation near Johannesburg airport. Nearly all travelers who safari in southern Africa pass through Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport and as a result many visitors select to overnight en route to other destinations – whether it be Cape Town, Namibia, Botswana, or Victoria Falls, there are a number of reputable choices of accommodation near Johannesburg airport to choose from.

With stories of high crime rates dominating the news, Jo’burg isn’t high on the list of peoples top places to visit.  Nevertheless, there are a number of comfortable and safe places of accommodation near Johannesburg airport we do recommend if Jo’burg becomes part of your scheduled travel itinerary.

3 places of accommodation near Johannesburg airport

The Safari Club S.A.

Centrally located in the economic heartland of South Africa, the Safari Club offers a luxurious and homely ambience for accommodation near Johannesburg airport.  Relax after your long flight in the lounge, enjoy a drink at the bar, or dine in the breakfast room.  During the summer months enjoy a swim in the pool.

The 17 en-suite rooms are uniquely decorated to represent a theme of southern Africa’s different regions – the Kalahari, Etosha, or Okavango rooms.  Each room is equipped with a television, air-conditioning, and tea and coffee facilities.

Visitors can expect to be tailored according to their needs.

Only a 4 minute drive from O.R. Tambo International Airport, the busiest airport in Africa.  The Safari Club offers its guests complimentary transfers to and from the airport.

The InterContinental

Located directly opposite the international arrivals hall (terminal 3) at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, and approximately 12 miles from the city center, this place of accommodation near Johannesburg airport makes for sheer convenience for an over-night stop.

The hotel has 138 rooms, 26 executive rooms, and 2 presidential suites.  Decorated with African art, natural colors, and furnished with king size beds.  All rooms are en-suite, have tea/coffee facilities, satellite TV, and wireless internet access.  The windows are sound-proof due to the hotel’s close proximity to the airport, ensuring a peaceful nights rest.

Enjoy access to the fully equipped gymnasium, a spa offering massages and beauty treatments, and a heated indoor pool.

Eat at the hotels, on site, The Quills Restaurant, located on the ground floor known for its local specialties – springbok, warthog, and crocodile.  An extraordinary selection of wine is also available and the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Airport Grand Hotel

Only a short drive from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport, the Airport Grand Hotel is a reasonably priced option for an overnight stop.

The hotel has 151 rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, hair dryer, television, telephone, safe, and air conditioning.  There is also a restaurant, cocktail bar, terrace and swimming pool.  A gym is available opposite the hotel and visitors can easily utilize the shuttle transfer service to and from the airport.

Book your accommodation near Johannesburg airport with the rest of your holiday by contacting us today!

Where to go after South Africa?

Safari Botswana – http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-botswana/

Safari Namibia – http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-namibia/

Erindi Private Game Reserve is a place of magic. Erindi, translated to “the place of water” in the indigenous Herero language, is home to over 15,000 animals of southern Africa’s best!  Endangered species such as the African wild dog have found a healthy and protected habitat needed at Erindi Private Game Reserve to ensure the survival of their species.

The experience is set on 71,000 hectare of pristine wilderness with varied landscapes in a malaria-free area, from mountains to savannah to open grassland right in the heart of Namibia: Erindi Private Game Reserve is situated in the triangle between Okahandja, Otjiwarongo and Omaruru. The pure tranquility, abundant wildlife and distant horizons with awesome sunsets will sweep you off your feet. The Game Reserve is carefully managed, allowing for a “one-of-a-kind” experience, providing visitors with the opportunity to step back into a time when Africa was left in the undisturbed hands of nature.

It is here, at Erindi Private Game Reserve, you are guaranteed close interaction with BIG cats and fast prey.  So are you up for a visit to one of Africa’s largest remaining wildlife sanctuaries?

Erindi Private Game Reserve is one of southern Africa’s best practiced and enforced environmental rehabilitation projects currently underway.  The rehabilitation includes vegetation surveys, veld condition assessment, with the long-term aim to manage a careful ecological balance between endemic vegetation, herbivores, and predators.  Erindi Private Game Reserve is also on the move to actively restore local wildlife to the game reserve, with phenomenal success.  Animals that were once considered too aggressive for “normal” game parks and those that were once hunted and persecuted have now found a safe haven, and are fully protected, inside the game reserve.

Highly threatened species such as black rhinoceros, lion, the rare brown hyena, cheetah, African wild dog, and leopard all reside and thrive at Erindi Private Game Reserve, offering a unique opportunity to have amazing safaris near these amazing animals, and a predator diversity that is matched by only a handful of other wildlife sanctuaries.  This wildlife can all be viewed on morning and afternoon game drives offered by Old Traders Lodge.

The main building is the ‘Old Traders lodge,’ which constitutes the main dining room and viewing deck.  All meals are ordered from set menus offering anything from cereals, eggs, muffins and fruits for breakfast, to lasagna, schnitzel, leg of lamb, sushi, seafood, to game meat for lunch and dinner.  All meals are complimented with a selection of wines, beer and cool drinks from the bar.  Guests with dietary requirements, or physically challenged, are asked to book their requirements in advance.  Enjoy your meals looking out over the lodge’s floodlit waterhole where hippo, crocodile, and all the other variety of game are thirsty for a drink.

Erindi Private Game Reserve and Old Traders Lodge is a perfect destination for a SAFE FAMILY SAFARI, being malaria FREE, children of all ages are welcome at the game reserve, offering indoor and outdoor play centers.

There are 35 suites and they ALL look out onto the waterhole.  Each suite is equipped with a comfortable double or twin beds, en-suite bathroom (bath and shower), remote controlled air-conditioning, a fridge and kettle, tea/coffee, an in-room safe and study desk along with satellite TV.  Insect screens, nets, and repellent are all provided.

At Old Traders Lodge you can expect:

Fully Inclusive -Luxury accommodation

• Double bed with crisp clean linen and warm blankets
• Luxurious en-suite bathroom with bath and shower
• Private patio with reclining chairs and view of waterhole
• Remote controlled air-conditioning
• Fully stocked mini-bar
• Night stands, desk and cupboard
• Satellite TV, hairdryer safe

Safari a land where there are more wildlife than people.

Activities offered at Erindi Private Game Reserve:

Early Morning Game Drives

The day begins before first light. Meet at the main lodge where the kitchen prepares hot brewed coffee, tea, muffins. Then we depart in the Land Rovers, the air crisp and the morning alive with the sounds of the bush. The rangers have an intimate knowledge of the environment, reading signs of last night’s activity they take us into their world. It’s not long before we pick up the spoor of a predator left not long before as the first rays of sun pierce the mountains in the distance. Communicating by radio the vehicles share information on sightings giving us a greater chance of experiencing as much as possible.

Evening Game Drives

A short trip takes a sundowner location. Intense golden hues make the evening surreal as we sip drinks and enjoy light snacks. The light softens after a magnificent sunset, as the sun dips behind the horizon, the air cools day transforms to night. Animals leave the safety of their daytime shelters. The numerous nocturnal hunters, including lion and genet pick up scent trailing the night air. Evening trips also bring incredible viewing of little creatures such as striped polecat, African wild cat, bat eared foxes, porcupine and pangolin, brown hyena, spotted hyena and jackal.

Informative & Educational

Apart from the daily game drives that are aimed at providing knowledge on the unique fauna and flora of Erindi Private Game Reserve, interactive lectures are offered to interested guests. The “Global Leopard Project” presentation focuses on the leopard research project conducted at Erindi and the “Awesome Ecology of Erindi”. Other presentations give insight into the daily fieldwork that leads to the successful functioning of one of the most amazing conservation areas on earth. Kids game drives, children under 6 can’t view any of the big 5 animals. If the lodge is full kids under 6 won’t be able to go on game drives and a baby sitter will be available.

Erindi Private Game Reserve Price List | Old Traders Lodge has 3 choices of accommodation:

• Luxury (N$1,890 Dinner, Bed, Breakfast (DBB) N$2,500 fully inclusive (FI) per person)
• Superior (N$2,190 DBB, N$2,800 FI pp)
• VIP (N$2,490 DBB, N$3,100 pp)

*Pricing accurate until October 2011 and stated on double occupancy.  Single supplement quotes available upon request.

Shuttle transfers are also available to and from Erindi Private Game Reserve for visitors not already doing a self-drive tour.

In 2007, Etosha National Park celebrated its first 100 years of existence and continues to be one of Africa’s best game parks. Viewing Africa’s large game populations against the Etosha Pan backdrop is like no other experience found in Africa. The Etosha Pan, the parks definitive feature, is an immense, shallow depression of some 5,000 km² of dry, white sun beaten mud. Mirages shimmer in the distance while game animals stride across the desolate lands looking completely out of place. Throughout most of the year the area is dry, giving rise to the name ‘the Great White Place of Dry Water.’

When the rains at Etosha National Park begin, the oshanas in Owamboland drain into the pan, creating an important breeding ground for flamingos. Like that of the Okavango Delta, the life giving power of water is incredibly apparent with the onset of rains. The pan quickly becomes a vast lake teeming with grasses and wild flowers, while elephants gracefully stride through.

There are a total of 114 species of mammals, including the rare and endangered black rhino, cheetah, and black-faced impala. The only animals that are not found in Etosha National Park are the hippo and crocodile. Almost every other animal can be found roaming the park. There are also about 340 different species of birds including the ostrich and secretary birds.

The best places to see game during the dry season is at one of the parks thirty-something waterholes. During the rainy season the animals are hidden behind the dense vegetation and congregate around natural depressions and puddles only present during this season. Nevertheless, it is almost guaranteed to see lion, plains game, giraffe, and other big cats when visiting Etosha National Park. The leopard is a rarity, and if you are extremely lucky you may even witness a predator kill.

What is the best season to visit Etosha? http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-namibia/