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.
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
New to the Mud Hut Africa collection of tours and safaris are our Horseback Safaris. These are just one more magical way of experiencing the wilds of Africa, riding good horses amongst varied wildlife and across spectacular landscapes. Much like our walking safaris, horseback safaris are an environmentally low-impact option which we promote at Mud Hut Africa.
All of our local operators have been hand-picked, so you can rest easy that Mud Hut has chosen stables and operators which are either locally owned and managed, or ones where the local community will receive a direct benefit from your stay.
Mud Hut Travel offers horseback safaris in every southern African country, providing custom packages for individuals, couples or groups. Ride through game on a wildlife safari in South Africa and Botswana, wade through tropical coastal waters and lope across dunes in mystical Mozambique or, for something completely different, take a slow pony trek up into the highlands of Lesotho.
One of our favourite horseback safaris, through our Botswana partner, is an 8 day horseback safari in the Okavango Delta. For this safari, some horseback riding experience is required. You will spend 4 to 6 hours a day in the saddle and will need to feel confident about keeping up with the group, be capable of riding at all paces, rising to the trot and controlling your horse at the canter.
Due to the unpredictable nature of the wildlife and various conditions, on rare occasions guests may be required to gallop out of trouble, so on this particular safari option, we can not take beginners. Please take a look at the itinerary for our Botswanan horseback safaris or contact us with any questions.
Lesothopony trekking andMozambique beach and dune horseback safaris are more suitable travel adventures for riders with a range of horseback riding experience, from limited to more advanced. As with all of Mud Hut’s tours, we can completely customise an itinerary to create your ideal travel experience in southern Africa. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, and we wish you a happy festive season!!
Yesterday Mud Hut Travel headed to their first WTM Show at London’s Excel center. It was a great opportuntiy to meet with many of our suppliers from southern Africa, and to put faces to the names and email addresses.
There was also the opportunity to set up some new great contacts for our Mud Hut clients: particularly in the adventure travel, responsible travel, overland safaris and Lions and FIFA World Cup tours. We know that many of our tours incorporate or request these activities in their custom southern African travel package, so it was good to benefit from the opportunites presented by WTM. Please watch our site for updates, or send as an enquiry.
Today is the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day - which is now in it’s second year. Mud Hut are really looking forward to the discussions around responsible and sustainable travel. We are not on any panel nor receiving an award, but watch this space next year!!
In the current market, any new lodge, resort, activity or accommodation would be fairly irresponsible if they did not consider the impact of their venture on the environment, the community and also the longevity of their project. The southern Africa travel industry faces its own unique challenges with regards to sustainable travel.
Whilst green technology in the travel and tourism industry is considerably more attainable then in the previous century, it is still a comparatively expensive option - particularly in southern Africa. Projects with less capital funding may struggle to open and begin operating as eco-friendly or responsible travel options, and lose the advantage of this competitive and strategic advantage.
A few years back, one of the Mud Hut founders considered entering into a joint venture with a Malawian family to open a drum cafe and African bar on the shores of lake Malawi. For various reasons this fell through, but this cafe would certainly not have been ‘green’ or eco-friendly. Materials and labour would all have been sourced locally, and profits would have gone straight back into the community - so it could be sustainable…. but responsible? There wasn’t a consideration into the impact on the surrounding environment - all that was considered was the short term welfare of the family and the community.
This issue is one which the Mud Hut Tribe has noticed on their travels through developing areas of Africa and the world. It is all well and good to promote tourism and travel as a source of income of locals, but at what cost to the environment or the communities affected? Think of the relocation of families and communities out of areas designated for game reserves. In recent years this issue is more sensitively and wisely approached, but were the Zambian government intending to develop and restock Liuwa Plains in remote western Zambia - would they be willing to sufficiently relocate or accommodate the Lozi people that live within it’s boudaries?
I guess this is a dilemma that faces many travellers and tourists who are wanting to contribute to the economy and development of a nation, but do not want to see it adversely affected on another front.
In this regard, I was disappointed not to see Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) at the WTM show. Perhaps some of their delegates will be there today, but it is a great opportunity to put a southern African stamp on the whole ‘responsible travel’ day.
Anyway, I am beginning to run out of time and I must catch my train for the long trip to the Excel center. If you are there today, please come and say hi - we will be hanging around the southern African section!
Some of you may have seen the new advert on TV for South Africa. It is a great video that sums up all the travel and adventure oppportunities that South and southern Africa have to offer. The whole package of soundtrack and imagery encapsulates the travel experience that awaits you.
There is so much that can be said about this wonderful country, the culture and custom, the adventure and travel, safaris and surfing, landscapes and Big 5 wildlife; so I am not going to say anymore. Have a look at the video below, and then book yourself a custom Mud Hut holiday…
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.
– 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.
