South Africa is the grand old dame of safaris in Southern Africa – a beautiful and varied country with vast game parks, the world-renowned Kruger Park and the sort of infrastructure a novice safari traveller would appreciate.
However, South Africa has so much more to offer. There is an alternative Big 5 Experience to be had. Did you know that it is one of two countries in the world where Southern Right Whales, great white sharks, penguins, dolphins and seals can be seen along one stretch of coastline? The Aquatic Big Five.
The whales start arriving in June from Antarctica – the sole purpose of their annual migration north and to warmer waters is to give birth to their offspring.
Copyright: South African Tourism
The Cape Coast becomes the nursery for the young whales – mothers nurse and train their calves so that they can cope with the long journey back home in December. The sheltered bays of the Cape Coast are ideal for the young whales and provides fantastic opportunities to see them up close. No need to take a long boat trip out to sea – you can often see whales play from the side of the road! Hermanus, 150km east of Cape Town, is a prime whale-watching spot. However, there are more quiet, less touristy spots to base yourself a little further up the coast. Plettenberg Bay is a regular stop for a pod of orcas.
Gansbaai offers boat trips to see the aquatic Big 5, but it is mostly known for its population of great white sharks. Why? A few kilometres from shore is a small island that harbours a vast colony of Cape fur seals – the sharks’ favourite food. The waters around Geyser Rock are populated with great whites from April to October. The great white shark is the only species in a group of 201 listed as endangered who are actually protected in South African waters.
For Penguin watching Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town is an easy day trip from Cape Town.
Copyright: South African Tourism
They often share the beach with visitors and it’s a fantastic sight to see how these funny, clumsy creatures on land develop into elegant, agile and speedy divers. Penguins can be seen along various spots of the coastline, but only Boulders Beach affords such close interaction. Penguin populations are dwindling fast, due to the overharvesting of eggs as a source of food, guano mining which is taking away their habitat as well as raising temperatures are the main culprits.
Seals are almost unavoidable in South Africa. If you go down to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, you will see them swimming between the boats and frolicking in the water or on pontoons. They are oblivious to the busy shopping mall around them and just go about their business.
Lastly, pods of dolphins are constantly on the move along the coast.
Copyright: South Africa Tourism
One of the best spots to see them is Plettenberg Bay as the water here in the Indian Ocean is warmer. If you drive out to Keurbooms Beach between 4.30 and 5.30pm you will most likely get the chance to see a large number of dolphins enjoying the sunset surf.
The best time to view the aquatic Big Five is May to December.
So, if you are in South Africa for the World Cup 2010, are planning your honeymoon around the Garden Route , want to relax and pamper yourself in the beautiful Winelands around Cape Town or are simply on a Big 5 safari in one of South Africa’s glorious game parks – maybe you get the chance to see these wonderful creatures, too.
They are waiting for you - what are you waiting for?
What a fantastic three days it has been. It was Mud Hut Travel’s second WTM and my first. Just imagine, the whole of Excel London filled with travel industry representatives. Countries from all the continents, all shapes and sizes, had wonderful stalls, showcasing what their particular region or company has to offer. A feast for the travel-hungry professional.
It was fantastic to be able to meet some of the people we have been working with over the past year – representatives from lodges and management groups in Zimbabwe – especially as Victoria Falls has been really popular at Mud Hut lately. It’s an incredible destination, showcasing some of the best southern Africa has to offer, and it was fantastic to be able to learn much more about this amazing country. Victoria Falls, right on the mighty Zambezi River, is a firm honeymoon favourite for the adventure-loving. Zimbabwe has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the last few years, and it was great to find out that the tourism industry there is still going strong and that there are funds flowing into a region that has so much to offer and needs support. A custom-made adventure trip to this amazing place is always a highlight for any trip to Southern Africa.
Some of Malawi’s stunning lakeside lodges, like Kaya Mawa, are getting a facelift this year, and it should continue to attract travellers who want to combine lake and land adventures.
Zambia, a Mud Hut favourite and all-round breathtaking experience on the Southern African circuit, is going from strength to strength. We managed to tie strong bonds with some of our trusted contacts in the South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi parks, like Norman Carr safaris
South Luangwa, Norman Carr Safaris
and Robin Pope Safaris, and their seasonal walking safari camps, Sausage Tree Camp and the beautiful lodges run by Sanctuary Retreats, Puku Ridge Camp and the Chichele Presidential Lodge. I spent Christmas in the South Luangwa last year, and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The Zambian lodges are incredibly well appointed and attract honeymooners from all over the world.
We managed to make close contact with people from Explore Gorongosa – an amazing camp in Mozambique’s prime game reserve. They do fantastic specials combining game viewing with the breathtaking tropical beach lodges the country is famous for. Our honeymoon favourite, Flamingo Bay Water Lodge, was represented and it was good touching base in person again.
Namibia was a revelation – having been a regular winner or runner-up in Wanderlust’s Travel Awards Top Country category, this arid and stunningly beautiful country had a strong presence at the WTM. Showcasing lodges, adventure trips, sustainable tourism effort or cultural encounters. And if you have World Cup tickets or you are travelling to South Africa in general, it’s really easy to tag on an excursion to Namibia.
Our horseback safaris have attracted a lot of interest over the past few months, and we managed to secure great deals again, especially in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and the Limpopo Valley. I always thought this is the best way to see game – up close and personal, and the comraderie and down-to-earth atmosphere on these specialist safaris are incredible. We can now offer horseback holidays in southern Africa for all levels.
South Africa, of course, had a fantastically strong presence. It was all about the World Cup – a lot of the activities at the WTM were based around football. The Kruger Park is always a firm favourite on the safari circuit and we were lucky to be able to meet up with representatives from some of our favourite lodges there – Sense of Africa’s Lukimbi and Idube as well as finding new boutique hotels and self-catering apartments in Cape Town and the close-by vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschoek. South Africa, as always, is going from strength to strength.
There were fantastic lectures, too – all about some of the latest efforts in sustainable and responsible tourism. Discussions around the future of adventure travel. Case studies into package versus custom travel. Of course we were lapping it all up, trying to figure out how to translate all of these ideas into our particular business, that of creating custom-made itineraries for travel in Southern Africa. I had been planning quite a few client honeymoons lately, and it was great to learn how to approach this specialist market more effectively.
Mud Hut were out with some clients on the Zambezi River in August and had a superb couple of days. Take a look at the video below.
One of the clients had never been fishing…. well he hadn’t caught anything before!! And within 24 hours he had caught 7 fish… 6 small bait fish and in impressive Tiger fish weighing over 8 pounds!!
Our camp was situated down river from the Chirundu border post between Zambia and Zimbabwe; but you can also participate in tiger fishing off a houseboat in Lake Kariba. There is nothing like camping in the African bush and waking up to a pot of coffee on the fire, an early morning fish, big breakfasts, some beers out on the river and a mid afternoon nap before heading out again for some more fishing and sundowners…
Not only did we have some great fishing, but saw plenty of wildlife: a small herd of elephants plus a solitary bull swimming in the reeds, malachite kingfishers, ground hornbills, fish eagles, monkeys, baboons, crocodiles and plenty of hippos. A treat one evening was the roar of a male lion no more than 1km from our camp…
Anyway … enough talking… here is the video:
(footage by Mud Hut Africa)
Music: Wake up - Oliver Mtukudzi; Alane - Wes
Hope that whet your appetite for some custom travel to southern Africa. Take a look at our other options at the Mud Hut or get in touch….
Keep smiling,
Click to get in touch with the southern African specialists
The purpose of this document is to create awareness around probable business travel restrictions during the Soccer World Cup to be held June - July 2010.
Although the official World Cup is 11 June - 11 July 2010, the period between March and July 2010 will be an exceptionally busy period with the pre- and post- arrangements that will have a huge impact on business travel. The grid below indicates the magnitude of the disruption to business travel over this period which includes other major events beside the FIFA World cup.
Overview of what is to be expected during the World Cup:
1. Volume of Travellers expected
The World Cup is approximately 15 times bigger than the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The media contingent that will attend is estimated at 30 000. Business travel is disrupted purely due to the volume of supporters.
All indications are that approximately 220 000 long haul visitors will attend, 180 000 visitors from Africa and an average of 150 000 local supporters. On any match day it is envisaged that 100 000 travellers will need to use a travel commodity i.e. flight or road / rail transportation.
An additional 2 000 busses have been imported (overload on road transport) to carry these supporters. It is predicted that supporters will watch their team play every 3 or 4 days. When their teams are not playing, supporters will frequent the Fan Parks or embark on tours within the city of their choice.
2. Fan Parks
Fan Parks are situated in central areas so that general public can watch all the games. Entrance to the Fan Parks is free and it is expected that these Fan Parks will attract a lot of visitors. In Germany 2006 one Fan Park attracted 500 000 spectators to watch one game. To avoid large transport infrastructure expense, training venues will also double as public viewing sites.
Fan Parks in the Western Cape
The Grand Parade; Somerset West Road;
Stellenbosch; Bellville Velodrome;
Swartklip; Atlantis;
Khayelitsha; Nomzamo Yethu (Hout Bay).
Training Facilities in the Western Cape
Newlands Rugby Ground; UCT Rugby Ground;
UWC Soccer Field; Bellville Rugby Ground;
Stellenbosch Rugby Ground; Athlone Stadium.
Fan Parks in Johannesburg (list to be updated)
Mary Fitzgerald Square in the Newton precinct;
Fan Parks in Soweto are to be expected;
Innes-Free Park in Sandton;
Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown.
Fan Parks in Durban (list to be updated)
The Durban Beach Front has been earmarked as one of Durban’s preferred sites for one or more Fan Parks during 2010.
3. Flights
To date no airline has released any prices or strategies for the World Cup period.
On pre and post match-days flights into and out of the venue cities will be overbooked. Due to the sheer volume of travellers, huge delays can be expected.
World Cup teams will use charter aircrafts and plan to use 2nd tier airports however their supporters will use the general airports. These airports will focus on scheduled international and domestic flights.
4. Accommodation
All the major hotel brands within South Africa have contracted with MATCH at a pre-defined room rate and therefore the normal Corporate rates will not be available during this period.
According to FIFA there is an approximate shortfall of 18 000 rooms for the World Cup. This supply and demand scenario allows B&B’s / Guesthouses to offer rooms at a premium.
5. Car Rental
It is most likely that all car rental companies will go on “stop-sale” for the period of the World Cup and rental cars will be scarce.
6. Road Closures
It is indicated that there will be limited access and in some instances complete road closures in the areas surrounding the stadium and fan parks. This will make it difficult for travellers to move freely between offsite meetings.
7. Critical Date
The next critical date for the WC2010 is the 4th December 2009 when the Pool draw is completed. This draw will indicate where the teams will be based and where their supporters will be spending most of their time.
8. Fixtures
The match schedule (see attached) will be updated after the draw on the 4th December 2009. Games will be played at: 13h30, 16h00 and 20h30. Travellers need to allow for traffic congestion both at the stadium and the Fan Parks. It is advisable to allow 2hrs lead time if travelling to / from these areas.
Recommendations for travel during this period:
• Do not travel during these periods unless it is critical to travel.
• Plan your trip well in advance; changes to a ticket over this period will be extremely difficult and very expensive.
• Try to make appointments at a location that is in the opposite direction of a stadium / fan park.
• Take flights during the times of when the games are being played. Games start at 13h30.
• Allow for a minimum of 2 hours to get to the airport in Cape Town and possibly 3 hours for Johannesburg. The congestion on the roads both to and from the Airports is going to be chaotic – plan for delays.
• Parking at the airport will be virtually impossible and it is advisable to get someone to drop / collect you from the airports. Transfer companies will be busy with tourists and will also be very expensive.
Take a look at these fantastic pictures of Cape Town’s stadium for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Last night the nights went on in the Mother City… and what a show.
World Cup venue - Cape Town
Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium near Granger Bay lit up all 360 of its lights to show what fantastic progress they are making and what an incredible stadium. The 68,000 seater stadium is due to host 6 games during the tournament including one of the semi finals!
Cape Town had the whole package before hand, but now this… imagine the views of the stadiums on TV!!
Cape Town and the night sky
And next day (today) the new South African coach will be announced. As is custom in SA, the speculations and rumours are rife…and it’s assummed that Carlos Parreira will be reinstated before the day is out.
For those wanting tickets to the World Cup, there are still tickets available, but the big rush on accommodation will happen on 4 December when the final World Cup draw will take place.
Mud Hut Travel will be able to offer fantastic packages to southern Africa during this time. So throw in a short break up to the Vic Falls in Zimbabawe, or to the beaches of Mozambique in between your teams games.
Get in touch or subscribe to our newsletter for more offers.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is to issue special “event visas” for soccer fans coming to the 2010 Fifa World Cup, enabling fans to use dedicated counters at major airports around the world for pre-clearance before they arrive in the country.
South African immigration officials - who are able to speak in several languages - will be stationed at several of the busiest airports around the world, including in the UK, India, Dubai and Hong Kong, where fans will be able to go through a free pre-screening and pre-clearance process.
Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said this would be the first time that such a visa is used by a country hosting a major world event.
The immigration officials will also be equipped with hi-tech devices for scanning passports or travel documents. By electronically capturing information from the documents, officials will save time by not having to type in information.
With such improvements, the department hopes to do better than the international best practice times of interaction between the traveller and immigration official, which is between one minute and one minute and 30 seconds.
Security
The department says its immigration officials will be working with foreign governments and airline personnel to identify irregular migration patterns during the course of the event, as well as ensure that “undesirable persons”, who may be a threat national security, do not enter the country.
Home Affairs’ 2010 programme manager Morne Fourie explained that certain minimum requirements had to be met when issuing a special visa: “You need proof of purchase of your ticket for the match, you need to meet certain health requirements - like holding a yellow fever certificate, if required - and you need to have a return ticket and a valid passport.”
Quick entry, exit
Those passengers who have received pre-clearance by South African immigration officials will be able to arrive in South Africa and go straight through to baggage collection and on to customs.
Mapisa-Nqakula said that the move would enhance the department’s ability to facilitate the entry and exit process through the country’s borders, resulting in a less frustrating journey, leading to a positive impression of the country as a whole.
Well fellow sports fans… that’s just another wonderful thing to make your Wourld Cup experience a bit easier. Now you just need to get your accompanying package and you are ready to have an adventure of a lifetime!!
How about a week in Zmibabwe at the Victoria Falls followed by a three day safari in Chobe, Botswana. Prices for these or any other custom travel options on request at Mud Hut Travel.
Sustainable Africa
One of our clients last week told asked me what the difference between sustainable tourism and eco tourism was. The wiki entries were both a bit formal and put the practices into fairly rigid boxes.
Thus I set aside some time this week to have a look at what we at Mud Hut Travel believe and follow. This has been posted to our site, but thought it would be appropriate to put it here too.
Eco-tourism and sustainable tourism are not the same thing, but the two do sit hand in hand. Eco-tourism is focused on minimizing the impact of the travel experience whilst providing travelers with an experience in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Sustainable tourism is to ensure that the travel process is a positive experience for local people, the environment and tourists themselves. Most importantly, the whole process encourages sustainable economic growth and that any impact on the environment is sustainable and low impact. In otherwords, creating an eco-friendly experience, whilst assisting in the development of the local communities.
Africa is a magical place that has been a huge part of the Mud Hut Tribe’s lives. Our directors have spent many months living amongst and exploring the high mountains, the low lying valleys and plains, the tropical beaches and the backwaters.
Mud Hut Travel
We want everyone to experience southern Africa, but if we all went to the same beaches, stayed in the same big branded hotel, travelled the same routes, ate at the same globally owned chain and rented the same brand of car… what would southern Africa look like in 10 years time?
Hence we want to preserve the uniqueness, the custom and the diversity of the region.
Mud Hut Travel promotes owner-managed businesses aligned to sustainable tourism in all of our itineraries. This way the money directly spent by you will go into the local communities, and assist in the development of the area.
Thus when you return in ten years time, the same small owner managed lodges will be there – but they will be managed by the son’s and daughters of the previous owners; and there may be another one up the road. Where perhaps last time there was only one dive operator, there will now be three different operations along the coast - all owned by previous employees.
And this is the development we support in southern Africa. Sustainable development is not a Chinese built 2 lane highway through the bush, Italian owned air-con hotels and super fast internet connections; it’s the economic upliftment and empowerment of the communities where we spend our money and the preservation of the environments we visit.
Hope that helps with whatever you were looking for, but if you want, get in touch with me through Mud Hut or send us enquiry below.
Victoria Falls is undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking sights in southern Africa, if not the world. Seeing gallons and gallons of Zambezi water thunder over the edge, standing in the spray and feeling so small in the presence of such elemental power is an almost spiritual experience.
A custom-made trip to Livingstone or Victoria Falls is an essential addition to any honeymoon package. Who could resist the lure of romantic , luxurious lodges right on the banks of the Zambezi, the opportunity to have picnics on a private island, go canoeing on the Zambezi while watching hippos and crocodiles and being looked after by the some of the friendliest and warmest people you will ever meet?
But Livingstone is not just for the romantically inclined. The town is a true African adventure playground. If you are after an adrenaline rush, little can beat a white-water rafting trip down the Zambezi. Or you can bungee jump down the bridge connecting Zambia with Zimbabwe, right above the Zambezi River - nothing for the faint-hearted. If you prefer your thrills to have a scenic aspect, you can always do a micro-light trip over the falls. Travelling in one of these flimsy flying machines, which vaguely resemble a lawn-mover with a set of wings strapped on it, is not only an adventure but also one of the best ways to see the entirety of the Falls. And for a few months of the year, there is a chance to walk along the rim of the falls to get to Livingstone Island where you’ll get a chance to get the closest you’ll ever get to the falls – a soak in the Devil’s Pool. After a short swim, you will literally sit on the edge of the falls, with the water thundering underneath you and the Zambezi rushing around you. An amazing and thrilling experience.
And if you like your adventure a little tamer, you can do a 4×4 or horseback safari and see the animals (no big cats in the park though) from up close. Livingstone truly offers something for all travels and tours, for all inclinations and age-groups, for the more adventurous as well as the family holiday seekers.
For those who like to give something back and want to engage in responsible tourism, there are plenty of community projects to get involved in and be exposed to the local customs. A visit to local villages and schools is a real eye-opener and will afford glimpses into African life rarely seen on the average holiday. Your adventure trip will take on another dimension and get you much closer to local customs and local needs.
Whether you book your Livingstone trip as part of a Southern African tour or a short independent custom trip, Mud Hut Africa can sort it all out for you.
And one thing you can be sure of - it will be a trip of a lifetime, an adventure you will never forget.
Ever dreamt of going on a safari through in southern Africa, seeing the big 5 in the African bush but worried about the sweltering heat? A wet-season custom adventure to Zambia’s South Luangwa Park might be the answer.
Having been on plenty of safaris before and always been stunned by the amazing sights of the dry savannah, I was absolutely blown away by the lush beauty of the southern African bush during the wet season. The South Luangwa Park (and it’s lesser known neighbour North Luangwa) is generally known for its dry-season walking safaris and tours, but it offers an entirely different experience.
Now that ski packages in Europe have become so expensive, a customised African travel package is an affordable and warmer alternative for the northern hemisphere’s winter months. The greenest greens, plenty of water for hippos and elephants to play around in and temperatures of up to 30C are only some of the advantages of the wet season. The pure air quality guarantees the most vibrant photos with none of the haze and washed out colours you often get when taking pictures in sunny countries.
The wet season coincides with spring and when many animals have their offspring. This increases the number of animals, but also the activity of the big cats and predators - and it’s a fantastic sight to see little impalas, warthogs, giraffe, zebras and buffalo play around the herds; and the increased chance of seeing big African predators in action. We were very fortunate to see an elephant family traveling down to the river with a very young baby elephant in tow - which according to our guide, could only have been a couple of days old! And a few days earlier on Christmas Eve, we were rewarded with a pack of lions lounging on the path – 3 generations of lions all within a few metres!
During the dry season it’s easy for the animals to travel around through the whole park – once the water comes in it gets too boggy and the wildlife tends to stay closer to the paths and concentrates in the south, close to the lodges - a very convenient outcome for the tourist!
The Big Five is incomplete by the lack of rhinos in the park, but the Luangwa Conservation Society is working on reintroducing this species. As with the Zambezi Valley (Mana Pools in Zimbabwe) further to the south, rhinos have been poached to extinction. But what Luangwa lacks in rhinos, it makes up for with the densest population in Africa of leopard, the most elusive of the Big Five – and when rhinos are reintroduced, there will soon be a very good chance of seeing The Big Five in Luangwa!
Christmas in Zambia was an experience I will never forget. I had never spent Christmas in a warm climate, and was a little worried that the traditional customs would not translate. But assembling under a huge boabab tree and singing traditional Carols, interspersed with African songs, dancing and local custom was an amazing experience.
The bush, the animals, the locals, the weather and the sunsets are a complete package that I was so privileged to experience.
I can’t wait for my next African adventure and travels – once you start you will always want to come back for more. For any more questions, get in touch with the experts on custom adventures to southern Africa - Mud Hut Travel
The Lions Rugby tour has started and whilst the three tests in Durban, Jo’burg and Pretoria are what the rugby fans may be watching… there is a bigger test for football fans.
The Confederations Cup is being held in South Africa during the the same time as the Lions Rugby Tour, and the concurrent running of these tour sporting festivals will clarify any doubts about the suitability for South Africa as the FIFA World Cup venue for 2010.
Whilst the quality of the football will be superb, this tournament will be a superb test for tours and trips that have been arranged by various operators. The Lions’ itinerary is more similar to the expected World Cup fixtures and packages. Numerous venues all across the country with spare travel days between match days. Whilst there are many packaged deals to South Africa for both the Lions and Confederations Cup, Mud Hut has custom built all the travel itineraries for its football and rugby clients. Many of them have also taken the opportuinty to visit Mozambique or Botswana as an added on beach island getaway or African bush safari.
Local Supporters
The state of the stadiums has hopefully been put to rest, but there will be some tests for the stadium management and ground staff. Loftus Versfeld and Ellis Park will both hold test matches and are one of the four grounds to be used in the Confedrations Cup. Loftus host the World Champions South Africa and the Lions on 27th June, and 6 days before host the other World Champions Italy and 5 times World Cup winners Brazil. Ellis Park host the Springboks and the Lions final tour match on 4th July and the Confederations Cup Final a few days before.
All in all it will be a fascinating time in southern Africa - but with one eye on the rugby and the other eye on the football, you’re lucky that Mud Hut Travel has an eye on the travel side of things…
