November – March: Season of Life - Why to take your holiday in Botswana

In summer, Botswana becomes a productive paradise interspersed with vibrant floral displays and a kaleidoscope of colours. To experience the summer highlights is to experience a special time in southern Africa.
• There’s an explosion of new life: many species give birth to their young and areas like the Central Kalahari are at their wildlife viewing peak.
• Predator sightings are frequent as they take full advantage of the abundance of inexperienced younger prey.
• Best season for birding. Several bird species display their splendid breeding plumage and many migratory species are present.
• Receding water levels in the Okavango Delta reveal more open areas, ideal conditions for seeing the grazing game species.
• In the Okavango Delta, receding floodwaters mean that it is also possible to explore the islands and plains either on foot or in a safari vehicle.
• The now-flowing Savute Channel affords year-round game viewing opportunities in the Linyanti.
• Summer mornings are exceptional. The temperature is perfect for warm pre-dawn starts to the day, happy in the knowledge that, like the animals, you can doze off in the hotter midday.
• More personal experience on offer because of fewer travellers.
• Rates are 30% lower, providing a more affordable period to experience Botswana, its wildlife and outstanding wilderness reserves.

Why Sensational Summer?
Let us create the ultimate bespoke itinerary to best suit your specific needs

More African Signs

African Signs

Affordable Botswana Safari

OKAVANGO & KALAHARI CONTRASTS

6 NIGHTS BOTSWANA

Price: £2,200 per person sharing (does not include international flight)

Northern Botswana is all about contrasting ecosystems: different scenery, activities, vegetation and the mammals and birds these ecosystems support. This 6-night package allows you to experience the best of two extremes that our planet has to offer. Kalahari Plains Camp is the perfect location to explore the remoteness of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. You will be awestruck as you learn how animals survive in this harsh landscape. After Kalahari Plains, head to Banoka Bush Camp where you will be able to contrast this experience with the oasis that is the Okavango Delta.

3 nights Kalahari Plains Camp " Diverse desert-adapted wildlife: springbok, oryx, red hartebeest and steenbok. " Predator viewing: lion, cheetah, black-backed jackal and honey badger. " Authentic Bushman experience. " Sleep-out platforms under the stars. " 100% solar-powered camp. " Game drives and cultural walks.

3 nights Banoka Bush Camp " Diverse savannah and wetland wildlife: elephant, hippo, buffalo, lechwe, impala, plains zebra and giraffe. " Predator sightings: lion, spotted hyaena and leopard. " Sleep-out hides at waterholes in mopane woodland. " Game drives, mokoro trips and walks.

When & How: Including 2 camp activities per day. Nights in camp can be extended. Includes all flying between camps from Maun to Maun; excluding drinks. Family rooms and reduced rates for children are available.

Availability : Valid 19th of September 31st of December 2010

Affordable Africa Safari - Zambia

LIVINGSTONE & LUFUPA – 6 NIGHTS
Zambia is one of the most rewarding wildlife destinations in Africa. It’s a land of rivers, plains and remote wilderness areas. Combine Livingstone and the magnificent Victoria Falls with Kafue National Park, one of the largest and most beautiful National Parks in Africa. Lufupa, situated at the confluence of the Kafue and Lufupa Rivers, is perfectly situated to explore the Park. Game view from a vehicle or boat, or alternatively explore the area on foot. You can also take a day trip up to the iconic Busanga Plains – a must see destination for any nature lover. From Kafue, head down to Livingstone to explore the majestic Victoria Falls and all it has to offer.

3 nights Lufupa River or Tented Camp:
• Diverse wildlife including puku, Defassa waterbuck, elephant and buffalo.
• Frequent predator sightings: lion and leopard.
• 400 bird species makes this an outstanding birding destination.
• Game drives, guided nature walks, boat trips and fishing.

3 nights Toka Leya Camp:
• Visit the mighty Victoria Falls.
• Boat trips on the Zambezi River.
• Game drives into Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, track rhino on foot.
• Tours of historic Livingstone and visits to a traditional local village.

When & How: Including 2 camp activities per day at Lufupa Tented /River Camp. Nights in camp can be extended. Includes all road/air transfers from Livingstone to Livingstone; excluding drinks. Family rooms and reduced rates for children are available.

Availability : Valid 1st of May – 15th of December 2010
Recommended extensions: Lower Zambezi for the complete Zambian experience; or Hwange National Park for extended game viewing.
Price: £1,750.00 per person escluding international flights

Big Cat Diary Episode Three is Out Now

The Governors' Camp Collection have the latest episode of the Governors' Camp Big Cat Updates (Episode 3) available on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvmYInEm1M8

The Governors' Camp area of the Masai Mara is one of the best places to see the spectacular wildlife of the African savanna in its natural environment. Governors' Camp Collection together with Screaming Reels Productions have joined forces to film and produce Governors' Big Cat Updates a series of documentary films where we bring you regular updates on the big cats of our area of the Masai Mara. The series is filmed by Warren Samuels an accomplished and highly respected wildlife filmmaker with over 11years experience filming for the BBC, Big Cat Diary and Big Cat Live.

Ulusaba Free Night Offer

SPEND 4 NIGHTS ON SAFARI AT ULUSABA FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

Or, stay a little longer and

SPEND 5 NIGHTS AT ULUSABA FOR THE PRICE OF 4!
Or, stay even longer and

SPEND 7 NIGHTS AT ULUSABA FOR THE PRICE OF 6!

When is the offer available?
For arrivals until 30th September 2010

How much?
This offer is based on our current rates. Stays at Safari Lodge start from £390 per person per night, stays at Rock Lodge start from £570 per person per night and stays at Cliff Lodge start from £1,050 per person per night.
Our rates include accommodation, all meals and drinks, high quality wines and champagne, as well as a team of fabulous staff.

When you’re at Ulusaba…

Look out for the ‘Big Five’ on the twice daily game viewing drives traversing an area of 13,500 hectares, accompanied by a fully trained and experienced ranger and tracker

Nose and swirl around a few South African reds and whites in the wine cellar at Safari Lodge

Experience traditional music in the great outdoors while you dine by firelight and starlight

Unwind with a soothing Aroma Boma beauty treatment (at an additional cost)

Be inspired on a visit to a local crèche on the "It’s Child’s Play" excursion (at an additional cost)
　
Terms and Conditions

Stays can be split between Safari Lodge and Rock Lodge; the last night of your stay will be complimentary
Offer is subject to availability and applies to any new bookings made for arrivals until 30th September 2010.
Offer available for selected dates during this period. Black out dates may apply, including the World Cup between 11th June and 15th July 2010.
All our normal booking terms and conditions apply

Offer can be combined with other packages and offers, please contact us for further information
To book please contact:

Philip Gregory Africa Select 01670 787646

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge Newsletter April / May 2010

Despite it being the rainy season here, very few guests have been troubled by the rain. Most days it has stopped raining well before the gorilla trek starts but, of course, it is still very wet and muddy while trekking through the forest. Total rainfall for the month was 323.5mm, a little higher than March. Gorilla news: The Kwitonda Group, which has 3 males, now has a new leader, Kighoma. This group has been unsettled for some time and the establishment of a new leader should help them to settle down In the Pabios Group one of the males, 15 year old Rukundu left to form his own group and, on the 29th, a new baby was seen for the first time, which is great news.

During the month chameleons were particularly common in the lodge grounds and were almost certainly breeding although, as far as I know, no very small babies were seen. While they are very similar in appearance and their habitat and size all fit the Western form of the Ruenzori Side-striped Chameleon Chamaeleo rudis, the males differ in having very distinctive yellow colouring around the eyes.

What was almost certainly an African Wild Cat Felis sylvestris was seen and photographed in the lodge grounds. These days African Wild cats are rarely seen, except in the southern Serengeti Plains and in Botswana so this is exciting news. Another exciting mammal observed in the lodge grounds was a very large Mongoose, which almost certainly, had to be an Ichneumon (Egyptian) Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon. During the month, we also enjoyed some wonderful birdwatching. During the first two weeks of April flocks of Eurasian Bee-Eaters could be heard passing high overhead usually above the clouds but, occasionally, a few would drop down lower. A nice surprise was to find a pair of White-Starred Forest Robins resident in the bush near the main building. These birds are normally found in highland forests so to find them at the lodge was a special sighting. A pair of Olive Thrushes have two young and, both Mountain Yellow Warblers and Cinnamon Bracken Warblers are singing, which indicates they will be breeding any time soon. And, finally, I must mention a pair of White-Necked Ravens which visit every breakfast time. Ravens, like other members of the family of Crows, are very intelligent birds. This pair regularly digs small holes in the ground and buries extra food they can't eat and stores it for later. We hope to share the magic of the Virunga Volcanoes with you sometime soon.

Large Flood In The Okavango Delta

“We are experiencing a large flood in the Okavango Delta this season due to a variety of factors (‘left over’ water from last year, good rains in the Angola catchment area and good local rains that fell late in April and May). This is a natural and cyclical phenomenon that has affected all areas of the Delta in some way or other. Some areas will be wetter than others but overall this is fantastic for the Delta as it means that large grassland areas and floodplains will be rejuvenated and wide ranging habitats are created for many waterfowl and mammal species. The high levels of water in the Delta can hamper game drives but at the water and land combination camps it means mekoro activities are now far more wide spread and offer a real opportunity for encountering game in the shallow floodplains. The situation is being monitored closely by our managers and camp staff, and solutions being found for any difficulties being experienced, such as bridges over soggy paths, adjusting road networks, adapting activities accordingly etc. A specific impact so far is that we are unable to service the sleep-out hides on the Chitabe concession due to the high water levels so these will be unavailable until the water recedes again. There is no need for concern at this stage and our camps and their guests in general are making the most out of the water levels in the Delta.

This is a very special occurrence in a massive biodiversity covering an area of over 20,000 square kilometers and you will be able to share in this amazing period in the northern Botswana region.

Governors' Camp Game Report April 2010

April has been an interesting month, with heavy down pours, stunning cloud formations and thunderous outbursts all creating fascinating changes in the scenery.

All these rain storms meant that the Mara River became a roaring torrent for three days, rising around 14 feet. This deluge of water was a spectacular sight and hippos were seen scuttling for small pockets of calmer waters under the river banks. As well as enjoying the spectacle of the raging Mara River our guests also enjoyed some wonderful wildlife sightings.

The forests plants are now a deep rich green and we look forward with excited anticipation to the imminent blooming of the Mara wildflowers adding colour to the plains, forests and riverbanks.

In the forests around the camps the African Greenheart trees (Warburgia Ugandensis) are fruiting and these fruits now cover the forest floor. The Warburgia fruit is an elephant's favourite entrée and the fruiting has meant that we received regular visits from large bull elephants wandering into camp to feast on these hot fruit. Excited guests retreated to the safety of their tents, whilst the elephant feasted. Interestingly the leaves from the Green Heart are often used in place of hot chilies in cooking. Perhaps these fruits are eaten for medicinal purposes by the elephant, who knows?

The Musiara Marsh is full of elephant families with counts of at least 100 individuals. This is always a delight to see and an exciting start to our guests game drives. The elephant families include small feisty 3 month old calves to the old matriarchs. On the ground between the elephants legs cattle egrets busily feast off the rich pickings of insects disturbed by the elephants mighty round feet as they trudge along the marsh edges and grassy plains.

The long grass has caused the Bila Shaka / Marsh Pride of lions to split up and roam their vast territory in search prey, they are feeding on a lot of warthog at the moment and the occasional zebra which provides a more substantial meal. Two large black mane lions have been hovering on the edge of the Bila Shaka / Marsh Prides territory in anticipation of finding a weakness to exploit in the resident male kingdom, so perhaps this will be an exciting few months ahead as they build up their nerve to tackle the prestigious dominant Bila Shaka males and win control of the pride and their important territory.

The Paradise Pride comprises of Notch the old Bila Shaka pride male. He was forced out of the Bila Shaka pride by the current two black maned lions and he started a coalition with 5 of his male cubs, which is now the Paradise Pride. Normally a male lion does not tolerate his male offspring and at around two years of age they are usually banished by the male from the pride, the scientific reason for this is to prevent inbreeding by the sons mating with their mothers, aunts and sisters. However in this case Notch, and his male cubs moved prides so there is no close relationship with the females in the pride and also perhaps if Notch was to assert his dominance over his 5 male offspring he would be ousted himself. What this has created is possibly the most impressive lion family we have ever seen in the Mara - and at the moment there are 6 Blacked maned lions in this pride. Many of our clients in Feburary were lucky enough to see the entire pride of 22 individuals feeding on a hippo over several days. On one occasion a young male and female from the Ridge Pride ventured too close into the Paradise Pride's territory. The 6 black maned lions were feeding on the hippo and must have caught a whiff on the wind of the intruders and sprang up, and despite their distended full bellies, raced across the plains towards the young male and female. All 6 were roaring and running across the plains - one of the most incredible sights and sounds in Africa. Needless to say the two Ridge Pride lions ran for their lives. Each of the 6 Paradise Pride males took up a position on the plains and roared. Notch epitomises what we think a black maned lion should look like and his sons carry the genes. In April the paradise pride, 'Notch' and his boys have surprised us all, by swimming across the river, repeatedly! Two of the paradise females have been spotted with 6-8month old cubs and recently with a topi kill.

The three cheetah brothers have been regularly seen roaming the plains, including some fast action as they brought down their prey and eating quickly before any other large predator slipped in for the feast. Hyenas' too have been surprising us here and have figured out how to capture sleeping topi and feasting.There is also a den of little playful black balls of uncoordinated hyena cubs below 'Bila shaka'.

There have been numerous sightings of various leopards and in particular a beautiful female, recognizable by a split on the top of her left ear, which has been seen at regular intervals. Recently we have had wonderful sighting of her and her kills in the tree close to Little Governors, also elegantly traipsed over a dead log near the marsh, delighting many a visitor.

Due to the long grass the normal plains game have been scarce, preferring the short grass plains they have mostly moved into these areas and have been seen regularly on our bush walks with close encounters with snorting wildebeest, zebra, eland, giraffe, Thompson gazelle and impala. We have also been enjoying all the smaller insects and animals of the Mara ecosystem on our walks, including the industrious Dung beetles who have been busy burying copious amounts of elephant dung! The colours of the dung beetles never cease to amaze us from bright green to shiny black, some with large horns to wide scoops. They are amazing creatures and 1 dung beetle is capable of burying one metric ton of dung in a hectare in a year!

Butterflies have been abundant with glorious colours busily pollinating all the flowers around camp.

News From The Makgadikgadi

It seems The Makgadikgadi is hell bent on reclaiming its ancient super-lake status!

We are experiencing an unusually long rainy season, and this will obviously impact on our traditional dry season activities. Guests on safari at Jack's Camp, Camp Kalahari and Planet Baobab will therefore unfortunately not be able to do the quad biking activity until the pans are dry enough. We will keep you posted as to when quad biking activities will be resumed.

The upside of all this water is an increasing abundance of wildlife: The annual zebra and wildebeest migration is out in full force, along with large numbers of gemsbuck, springbuck and the traditional predators that follow them!

We've had great cheetah and lion sightings and our meerkats continue to charm all our Guests!

Africa Select can arrange safaris to the Makgadikagi as part of a trip to Botswana and teh Victoria Falls

South Africa Walks

The History of Safari with Richard E Grant BBC4 Sunday the 2nd May 2010

Thought you might be interested in watching this programme Sunday teh 2nd of May, 22:00 on BBC Four

For almost 100 years, big game hunters - from Theodore Roosevelt to the British Royal Family - came to British East Africa to bag the 'big five'. Now, luxury 'eco safaris' continue to drive its economy. It has been both East Africa's damnation and its salvation, that wildlife is the greatest natural resource it possesses.

Richard E Grant - who grew up in Swaziland - examines the controversial history of the safari. Exploring the world of the big game hunters and the luxury of today's safaris, he goes on a personal journey to experience how the beauty of the bush made Africa the white man's playground.

Plotting the major landmarks in the development of the safari, Grant uncovers a world of danger, glamour and gung-ho. He reveals how the safari was continually reinvented as explorers and ivory hunters were replaced by white settlers, guns gave way to cameras and direct British rule to independence.

He discovers how safari became one of the central constructs through which British rule over East Africa was imposed, provided the social touchstone for the white settlers and was eventually transformed by the glamour of Hollywood, the power of the dollar and the traveller's desire for an 'authentic African experience'.

As someone born and raised in the privileged world of the ex-pats, Grant takes an insider's perspective on the scandals and adventures of the elite class of Brits who ran the show. He meets their descendents and delves into the rich material archives of their family homes, discovering that for the remaining whites in the region this history is still very much alive.
As the trophy hunt became an icon of high society, everyone from Ernest Hemingway to British nobility and Hollywood stars were soon clamouring for a piece of the action. And as hunters decimated Africa's wildlife, they also surprisingly introduced the first conservation laws, if only to protect the supply of animals to shoot.

Embarking on safari himself, Grant experiences the beauty and the danger of being up close to the big game animals and accompanies modern hunters on safaris, where animals are still killed and the patrons still argue that hunting equals conservation.

The film is full of frontier colonial characters whose lives, exploits and attitudes describe a very particular time in Britain's relationship to Africa and its wildlife, when the continent was part Wild West, part idyll and part colonial experiment - where life could be lived between the crack of rifles at dawn and the setting of the sun at cocktail hour, largely oblivious to the indigenous Africans themselves.

Through creative use of film and photographic archive, as well as actuality with those involved in big game hunting and luxury safaris today, the documentary evokes the spirit of decadence, exploration and adventure of the safari. Ultimately, it reveals how safari has been and continues to be a barometer of our attitudes to travel, our colonial inheritance and Africa itself.

SUMMER SAFARI SUPER SAVER

Valid June 21st to July 31st 2010

7 night trip INCLUDING return flights from UK and Lusaka to Mfuwe and an overnight in Lusaka just £3,140.00 per person inc International flights

Equates to approx 25% discount

Because of, or maybe despite the World Cup (we haven't yet quite worked out which!) we still have some spaces in camps at the end of June and into July so have come up with this AMAZING special offer to help you escape, or get closer to the World Cup action!! For football fans we can make sure you get to see the important matches and for those not wanting to have anything to do with the soccer.... the bush is a wonderful place to escape it all!


Fits perfectly with BA from Heathrow. Offer valid from June 21st to July 31st - no single supplement!

Itinerary;
Day 1 - Arrive Lusaka ex British Airways
Flight Lusaka to Mfuwe
6 nights in Norman Carr Safaris camps - exact order of camps to be decided 2 weeks prior to travel but at least 2 camps guaranteed

Day 7 - Flight to Lusaka
Transer for overnight at Pioneer Camp in Lusaka

Day 8 - transfer to Lusaka Airport for British Airways flight home

Includes international and domestic flights and transfers, full board accommodation and drinks, national park fees, all activities, laundry and taxes. Only extras are visa and flight departure fees. Offer applies only to new bookings.

Norman Carr Lodge & Bush Camps
Between our five camps we are able to offer the variety of a luxury safari lodge and a selection of the best Zambian bushcamps. You can choose between a longer safari holiday combining accommodation in all of our camps or alternatively an extended stay at just one or two.

Each of our Zambian safari holidays is individually tailored to meet your needs and each camp is designed differently in an attempt to offer our guests the true feeling of a safari adventure as they move from one camp to the next.

Most of our Zambian safari holidays start with a night or two in the luxury of Kapani Safari Lodge and then progress to accommodation in one of our bush camps. We are the only safari company in Zambia to offer a true walking safari from camp to camp. Our camps are situated along the course of the Luwi River, within easy walking distance from each other and all in areas renowned for their excellent wildlife. They range from the stylish simplicity of Luwi Bush Camp, one of the most traditional of all Zambia's bush camps, to the elegance and sophistication of Mchenja Camp.

Governors' Camp Game Report, Masai Mara February 2010

The first couple of weeks of February were hot, with temperatures reaching 34 degrees celsius and mostly dry. Uncharacteristically for this time of year, it started to rain, and a fair amount too. The mornings have been dry with a combination of sun and cloud with rain arriving in the evenings and at times late at night. The wonderful combination of rain and sun has caused the grass to shoot up to almost a metre in places. All this rain has caused the Marsh to flow and pour out some sizable cat fish which the Fish Eagles are gorging on. The whole of the Mara is looking amazingly lush, healthy and green.

There have been and continue to be huge groups of elephants moving over the plains, into the forest and through the Marsh. The elephant are content to feed on just the grass, sedge and fruit from the Greenheart trees, giving the acacia woodland in the surrounding areas a much needed break and time to re-grow.

The plains game have moved to where there is shorter grass mostly along the river line, leaving the large breeding herds of buffalo on the long grass plains.

The arrival of the rain has been wonderful for the resident birdlife. The abundance of life in the Musiara Marsh has drawn a crowd of water birds namely Herons, Storks and Hammerkops all hunting frogs and smaller catfish. The European Stork has recently made an entrance into the Mara, no doubt following the rain and the bounty of food which materialises with it. With food a-plenty many birds have nested and either have eggs or chicks at the moment. The weavers have built their nests hanging over the lush riverbanks, some are still building and some attending to chicks. Plovers, Longclaws and other ground nesting birds also have eggs and chicks in their nests hidden in the long grass and a Martial Eagle was seen killing a Wattled Plover near the Musiara airstrip.

The invasion of caterpillars we had in the camps and forest at the end of last month has now turned into the most brilliant display of thousands of different kinds of butterflies and moths. The Vernonia and Maerua plants along the riverside are flowering and are a big attraction for the butterlies and moths.

The lion prides are all well settled and thriving. The staple diet at this time of year is the unlucky warthog as there are plenty of piglets after the rain. However, they are just a snack for large prides of hungry lions. They risk not only injury but their lives hunting larger, more dangerous animals in order to feed their cubs.

The Marsh Pride has been seen feeding on a couple of buffalo kills first thing in the morning, although they mostly hunt at night as they have the advantage of better night vision. The lionesses and sub-adults were seen hunting a strong, young male buffalo. Three had jumped on it trying to hold on whilst the buffalo ran with them and into the deeper water of the marsh where he managed to face them off with his menacing horns.

The Paradise Pride males made a hippo kill not far from the river at night. The hippo may have been too far away from the water (where they normally seek safety) or it may have been injured or sick. The five males and cubs were able to feed first, followed by the lionesses. Three days later the hippo was reduced to bones and skin, which the hyena also fed on.

We have had some great sightings of the female leopard near the camps. She has been seen feeding on a monitor lizard and on a separate occasion a White Stork at the marsh.

The large male leopard was spotted with an impala kill near the Mara River.

Our resident leopard Olive and her cubs are found on most days near the river, her cubs still with her but happy to spend their day resting a little distance from her. They will become more and more independent as they learn how to hunt properly and both will go their separate ways.

The three cheetah brothers have been back in the area and are very well. The mother and cub are thriving, having been in an area with many hyena leaving us extremely worried, but so far nothing untoward has happened. They were last seen on a Thompson Gazelle kill and were able to relax and finish it without any interference. Shakira and her three cubs are still on the other side of the river, she presently has no chance of coming back across the river after all the recent rain, unless she knows where the bridge is.

Two Rhino were sighted on Paradise Plain. It is encouraging to see them in pairs, as they may be either a mother and older calf (often adopted at this stage) or a mating pair. This is a wonderful sighting since between the Mara and the northern Serengeti we only have an estimated 20 or so rhino.

When booking 2 adults on The Great Wilderness Journey, Migration Routes, The Great Namibia Journey or Spirit of the Namib, the second adult gets a 40% saving!

These safaris are Discoverer and Adventurer Explorations, deluxe mobile safaris that have the advantage of superb locations in private concessions, and itineraries that provide exciting encounters with the most diverse, renowned and scenic areas in Botswana and Namibia.Valid for new bookings only and for travel date beginning before 15 June 2010.

An Extra Night in Zambia On Us

Experience the exciting Wilderness Safaris camps in Zambia with a 33% saving on accommodation.

Get one night free when staying for a
minimum of 3 nights in one or more of the following camps:

Kafue National Park: Shumba Camp, Kapinga Camp and Busanga Bush Camp.
South Luangwa National Park: Kalamu Lagoon Camp.
Valid for all new bookings travelling during June, July and November 2010. This special may not form part of the “Stay 7 Pay 6” offer.

Stay extra nights in the Bush on Us!

Explore our prime areas in Zimbabwe and Zambia with these special ‘circuit’ rates, which allow you to truly enjoy the amazing wild areas of Kafue, South Luangwa, Hwange and Mana Pools National Parks.

Spend three nights in each area/camp, with most packages including transfers, at an incredible price!

Some of the packages available include:
Mana Canoe Trail, Zimbabwe: from £411 per person sharing for a 3-night safari
Ruckomechi Camp, Zimbabwe: from £804 per person sharing per 3-night stay
Kalamu Walking Trail, Zambia: from £527 per person sharing for a 3-night safari
Lufupa Tented Camp, Zambia: from £699 per person sharing per 3-night stay

Valid for new bookings for travel up to and including 30 November 2010.

Game Report Governor's Camp January 2010

Elephants have been regular visitors this month. There have been large numbers of families moving through the Musiara Marsh eating the sedge and into the forest where they are browsing on the new growth of Teclea. Elephant bulls have been following up the herds, some in musth in search of oestrus females, but most taking advantage of the abundance of food. It has been great to see a couple of really large tuskers one of them weighing approximately 70-80lbs each.

The three local bulls, namely "Curchill", "Blossom" and "Posom" have been back visiting the forest around Little Governors Camp.

One large breeding herd of about 400 buffalos have been moving slowly between the Musiara Marsh, the park gate and Rhino Ridge. Numerous bachelors follow at a distance as well as the old retired brigadiers who spend most of their time along the forest edge.

The rhinos have been seen fairly regularly from the balloon this month, most likely because there is more peace and quiet now that the wildebeest have left us. We have also had some wonderful in camp rhino sightings with the male spotted from the bar at Little Governors and the female and her now fairly large calf seen on the opposite side of the river bank at Ilmoran Camp.

The Marsh Pride of lions are spending more time apart as the game becomes sparse and they need to cover more ground. Occasionally coming together if there is a kill or they have a need for social bonding. Three of the young four month old cubs have not been seen for a couple of weeks, hopefully they are still well and just haven't been spotted as they have been on the move. One of the pride lions and a lioness were seen hunting and killing two young impala on the edge of the Musiara Marsh. It was incredible to see a large male in action in the middle of the day.

The Paradise Pride are on good form, they too have to look further and longer for prey. They were very brave and fortunate to have killed a hippo towards the end of the month. The five young males and the rest of the pride were feeding from it for days. Notch was not around but all the cubs are doing well.

Our small pride of two males, two females and two cubs are still down by the river in their limited territory in between the Marsh and Paradise prides. This pride stilldoes not have a name, but they have plenty of character. The lions and cubs last seen were incredibly fat, whilst the lionesses were actually fairly thin. Either the ladies were doing all the work or the boys were doing none of it!

The young cheetah and her cub have been in the area, not venturing too far as the cub is still a little young and must be kept in hiding whilst it's mother hunts.

Shakira and her two cubs are still on the Trans-Mara side of the river. Once the river has receded, she may come back over. It will be interesting to see whether her cubs will follow or become independent and go their own way at this stage.

We have had a few sightings of another female cheetah traversing the boundary of the reserve and Maasai land.

The three brother cheetahs were at the start of the month between Bila Shaka and the Talek River, but have moved off we think towards Keekarok on the Burrungat Plains. The longer grass will provide some good cover for the cheetah, but most of their prey will be moving onto the short grass and will be more concentrated, meaning more look-outs.

One of the female leopards along the riverline, who has become a bit more brazen, has allowed us some great sightings this month. Once she was with a kill, hiding in a small bush near the Marsh with lions on one side and hyena on the other. She seems not to be intimidated by baboons either and chooses rather to ignore them.

Olive and her two cubs are still doing very well. She has moved into the Croton bushes along the River.

Otherwise there have been brief sightings of shy leopard along the river line, not sticking around long enough to identify.

Whilst the grass was short and green Serval Cats seemed to jump out at every turn, their camouflage not being as effective as when the grass is longer and yellow.

Altogether it has been a great month, with lots of wonderful wildlife sightings and we hope to share the magic of our corner of the Mara with you sometime soon.

In an exciting new opportunity, Explorations in Botswana will no longer be travelling to Lechwe Camp on Migration Routes and Motswiri Camp on the Great Wilderness Journey. Instead, we are excited to announce two new Explorations camps for these safaris, operating from 01 May 2010 onwards: Khwai Adventurer Camp and Khwai Discoverer Camp respectively.

Both these camps are located in the exclusive Khwai Concession which adjoins Moremi Game Reserve. The Khwai Concession is one of the most diverse areas in northern Botswana which seldom disappoints when it comes to producing extraordinary wildlife experiences. The life source for this area is the Khwai River – the northernmost “finger” of the Okavango Delta alluvial fan, which provides vital sustenance to numerous animals.

Over time, the Khwai area has metamorphosed into a wide range of exciting wildlife habitats – some of the most varied to be found in the entire Okavango Delta: a blend of forests, floodplain, wetland and grasslands. The narrow Khwai Channel is home to large mammals such as hippo and crocodile with buffalo and red lechwe often seen grazing along the fringe. The beautiful gallery riverine woodland found along the river provides further sanctuary to birds, primates and leopard. Elusive roan antelope often come to the river to drink. Activities focus around day and night game drives, nature walks and seasonal mekoro excursions.

Away from the river there is a wonderful mix of acacia and leadwood trees of varying sizes that abuts into mopane woodland. The latter, together with the permanent presence of water, attracts large numbers of elephant to the area. Larger predators include lion, wild dog and spotted hyaena, while birdlife found here is just as varied thanks to the colourful palette of habitats.

For further information on any of the camps or explorations please consult our website or email your dedicated consultant pg@africaselect.com

Tourism is very much at the frontline of the climate change and emissions reduction issue. Popular coastal destinations around the world face serious threats from rising sea levels and tsunamis. Desertification and drought impact on the viability of many tourism destinations due to lack of water. The tourism industry in South Africa is very conscious about its "green" responsibility. Airlines, hotels and game lodges have been rapidly introducing measures which are environmentally friendly and reduce the carbon footprint. The term 'green' certainly can be misused (often used loosely as a marketing mantra). Below we highlight some of our partners - true eco-tourism establishments that follow the fundamentals of environmental integrity, social justice and economic development.

Four Rosmead Guest House (Cape Town) An exclusive guesthouse situated on the slopes of Table Mountain. Rooms are equipped with an energy saving device that switches off all high consumption items such as air conditioners when the room is not occupied. A grey water recycling system has been installed to ensure that bath, basin and shower water is used to water the gardens. All excess food is donated to Feedback which is a program aimed at feeding the poor and needy in the Cape Town area.

Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve (Western Cape) This lodge, one of the world's top 25 eco lodges, is situated in the Cederberg mountains about 270km north of Cape Town. It boasts more than 130 rock art sites, some of which have been dated back to 10 000 years ago. Bushmans Kloof is a leading participant in the 1 600km Agter-Pakhuis Conservancy project, which encourages farmers to employ ecotourism principles wherever possible. The reserve also boasts a heritage centre where photographs and artefacts pay homage to the culture of the Bushmen.

Grootbos Nature Reserve (Western Cape) Nestled in the fynbos clad hills above Walker Bay, it offers the classic Garden Lodge and the Forest Lodge set in a Milkwood forest. Grootbos' Conservation Foundation supports various projects such as the sustainable harvesting of Fynbos flowers. The Green Futures Project is a social development project which provides practical training programs for unemployed people in the fields of landscaping, horticulture and eco tourism. The Siyakula Township greening project has facilitated the establishment of vegetable

growing, greening projects, and feeding scheme at the local creche.

Hog Hollow (close to Plettenberg Bay / Garden Route) Hog Hollow is a 4-star lodge set on the edge of an indigenous forest in a private nature reserve with panoramic views of the surrounding indigenous forests, valleys and mountains, close to Plettenberg Bay. Their Initiatives include study sponsorships, supporting various soccer teams, a robust recycling programme, vegetable waste is given to local emerging pig farmers, ongoing de-wattling programme and sponsoring the Orca Foundation towards Marine conservation

Londolozi Game Reserve (Sabi Sands in Kruger region) Renowned for its pioneering work in conservation development, Londolozi has now introduced a fully functional prototype electric Land Rover which moves guests silently through the wilderness with a lower carbon footprint than the conventional game vehicle. It is charged by connecting it to a wall plug socket. The third phase of the project will be about further progression towards lighter, longer lasting, eco friendly batteries and moving towards solar energy.

Pafuri Camp This camp situated in the most northern parts of the Kruger Park enjoys wonderful sunshine year-round. Taking full advantage of this, all guest units including the staff village have solar geysers. Food waste is separated and removed from the reserve to an officially approved dump. Water Cooler to be installed to encourage guests to fill up their water bottles. Elephant monitoring and Rhino re-introduction projects on the go. Currently assessing other alternative energy options.

Rocktail Beach Camp We continue our involvement and commitment in the Maputaland Sea Turtle conservation programme. The construction practices used in the development of Beach Camp were highly praised by the Green Leaf Environmental Standard Organisation. All plastic, metal, and paper waste is separated and removed off-site by a waste specialist. Food waste is sent to a pig farm in the local community. Solar geysers, water cooler and rainwater harvesting will be implemented

Game Report From The Masai Mara

They have received some wonderful rain in the Mara this month, a total of 158mm. Christmas eve brought us 43mm, raining most of the day and making game drives very interesting. November and December are the “short rains” in Kenya, arriving soon after the migration has returned to the Serengeti, quenching the parched, short grass plains.

The grassland is now a rich emerald green carpet, perfect for all the grazing animals, but a little more difficult for the predators as their tawny colours stand out.

The plains game are fat and happy and all with young. Impalas snorting, pronging and chasing each other, Gazelles sprinting for no reason other than that life is good. Large herds of Topis have moved into the Paradise plains area and onto the freshly renovated termite mounds where they have a view and are able to display. The large breeding herds of buffalo have been moving on mass, but covering less ground now that the grass is at their optimal level. The old bulls still maintain their peaceful retired existence on the edge of the forest line.

Giraffe have spent most of the month browsing around the camps and moving through the forest at leisure in fairly large herds.

Elephant have been fairly sparse with a few smaller families and the odd bull moving through the plains. Most are in search of new growth on the trees in the surrounding areas, but are likely to return as the sedge and grass in the marsh area is shooting up and will be lush and nutritious.


The Marsh pride of lions have become seasoned beef-eaters, as the Maasai have been grazing their cattle in the area with in and near their territory due to the drought in surrounding areas. This the Maasai accept as collateral damage in return for grass. In the new-year the Maasai moved on as their grazing lands have improved and with that the Marsh pride have had to work a little harder to feed their new family.
They now have 8 new cubs about 2 ½ months old, tragically one of the lionesses lost one. The older cubs are now just over 2 years old and very accepting of the next generation. The males with growing manes keeping a little more distance.
They are now 23 in number.

The Paradise pride flourish too. With the 6 older cubs, we now have an additional 5 two month old cubs. They are all doing very well with the exception of the older cubs with a bout of mange.
Notch the patriarch has not been seen much this month, with the younger males spending more time with the females and cubs.

We have the introduction of 2 new lions and 2 lionesses and 2 cubs in the area between the Paradise and Marsh prides. We do not know too much about this small pride yet, but spend their time between Rhino ridge and a stretch of the Mara river.

The 3 Cheetah boys are still in the area and very active, hunting and killing every 2 to 3 days.
We have an unfamiliar female who at the beginning of the month had brought with her two 6 week old cubs. One has unfortunately died, but the other is still strong and healthy.
Shakira is over on the Trans-Mara side of the Mara river and still with her 3 cubs, whilst the river is high she will remain there.

We have had some great sightings of Leopard just along the forest line, a male and a female. Across the way from Ilmoran Camp in a copse of trees we had a lovely female who had stashed her kill up in the leafy cover of a tall tree and stayed up there for 4 days whilst she finished off a young Waterbuck.

Olive and her 2 cubs are still along ‘maji chafu’ near the Talek River, she is still being seen regularly as she is so relaxed.

A very large male and a female leopard have been seen along the Mara River opposite Serena.

Rhinos Run Free

Four rhinos have been flown from the Dvur Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic to Ol Pejeta Conservancy.The transfer is aimed at providing this rare species of rhino with the most favourable breeding conditions, in an attempt to pull the species back from the verge of extinction. It is thought that the climatic, dietary and security conditions at Ol Pejeta will provide them with higher chances of starting a population, in what is seen as the very last lifeline for the species. The transfer marks the beginning of the "Last Chance to Survive", a project by the joint efforts of the Dvur Králové Zoo, Fauna and Flora International, Back to Africa, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service and Ol Pejeta Conservancy.Home to 81 black rhinos, and some 'southern white rhinos', Ol Pejeta Conservancy is East Africa's largest Black Rhino Sanctuary. The most exclusive place to stay at Ol Pejeta Conservancy is Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, a small owner-run camp which offers guests the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of carrying out interactive conservation safaris - right in the heart of one of Africa's most important wildlife conservancies.