October 2009 Newsletter

Important AFRICA Information for Tour Operators

WTM 2009

Botswana - Ker & Downey

• WTM - Nicky Brandon will be on the Botswana Stand AF1200 and you can contact her on nicky@kerdowney.bw.

• WTM - If you would like to chat about Kaya Mawa at WTM - then please contact me for an appointment - honour@honourway.com. James will be busy with the rebuild and looks forward to meeting you all at Indaba if not before.

• WTM - Jan van Heteren will be at the Classic Safari Camps of Africa Stand AF4550. For appointments please contact Lizette on lizette@madikwe.com.

• WTM - Jonathan Wright and Zara will attend WTM this year and will be on the Classic Safari Camps of Africa Stand AF4550. For appointments contact zara@safariuganda.com.

• WTM - Jason Mott can be found on the Zambia Stand AF4300 and you can contact jason@sausagetreecamp.com for an appointment.

• WTM - Ben will NOT be attending WTM this year but I am floating around if anyone would like to chat about Tongabezi. honour@honourway.com.

• WTM - Christina Carr (aka Gid) will be on the Zambia Stand AF4300 and you can contact her for an appointment - kapani@normancarrsafaris.com.

Honour Way News

I am going to keep this short and sweet this month, having just returned from a US marketing trip and now preparing to depart for Zambia and SA for October educational trips, with WTM not long after. If you would like an appointment with any of my clients, please do contact me or my clients.

We have had an overwhelming response to our Uganda Educational trips for 2010 already, so if you are interested please let us know soon as possible. It is good to see so many of you wanting to travel out to my clients. Let's hope this is a good sign that things are picking up. Dates for 2010 educational trips will be released before the end of the year.

Botswana

"Ker & Downey Botswana's Kanana, in the Okavango Delta, has been enjoying a plethora of leopard sightings recently. These include a single male, a female with two cubs and a pair of males."

www.kerdowneybotswana.com

Malawi

James has sent me the following news through from Kaya Mawa. I am so excited to go back there soon and see how things are coming along. It really is the perfect place to unwind after a safari...

"The very thought of the next few weeks exhausts me with an influx of designers, skilled technicians and skilled craftsmen arriving on Likoma. Our shipment of solar geezers, solar power systems, new bathrooms, antique furniture and specialist effect plaster has arrived at the border, it should be cleared and on a barge by the end of the week to deliver to the island. We have a specialist in cane furniture arriving who is going to base himself at Katundu Textiles to train the local islanders in how to make cane and wicker furniture, all of which will be made bespoke for Kaya Mawa. A metal worker and welder are also moving to Katundu to work on wrought iron pieces. Part of the idea is that, rather than outsourcing for products, by the time we have finished the refurbishment the skills learnt by the Likomans will create some sort of self sustaining business for them. Finally we have a specialist in plaster effects arriving who is going to teach new techniques to our builders to create stunning and individual sinks, baths and floors. All this over the next three weeks!

On top of this, we have an interior designer here making plans and designs. With two months until we close for our big refurbishment we are ensuring we have everything ready so that we can get everything done in the time we have. Whilst we have guests the work will be going on at our new four bed room house which has just been wired and plumbed, well away from the lodge so our guests can still revel in the peace of Kaya Mawa and the beauty of the Lake.

Our resident Yellow Billed Kites have made way on Nkwhazi Island for a pair of Fish Eagles, they have the island on a time share! Meanwhile, it's hotting up. The temperature has risen by 5 degrees and the lake level has dropped by more than a foot in the last month. With beautiful still mornings and a gentle breeze in the afternoon I am reminded of exactly why I love it so much here".

www.kayamawa.com

South Africa

It is with great pleasure that we submit the following story by Ishmael Mogodi, Jacis Safari Lodge Field Guide;

At the moment we've got two packs of wild dogs. A pack of seven which we haven't seen for sometime - about a month. Last time they were around Tshwene North, Pipeline and Tabotie Road Areas. A pack of 12 plus six puppies which are hanging around Tskudu Dam area at the moment and up at the mountain close by.

This morning we followed their tracks around Guineafoul North, Guineafowl Ext, Airstrip but no luck of finding them. I think they are hunting at night because of the full moon. The puppies by now I think they are about 4 - 6 months old. This pack left the Den side close to Northern Fence line about three weeks ago. Up on the mountain is much safer than on the ground [as we know there are too many predators] because they still need to raise those puppies for sometime. Tracks are evidence that these puppies are starting to join the adults when they go hunting.

www.madikwe.com

Zambia

With October just around the corner, the activity really is getting HOT at Sausage Tree Camp, both with game viewing and tiger fishing! The leopard sightings have been absolutely fantastic these past few weeks - one of the highlights was seeing a female leopard killing and then enjoying a baboon. The disappearance of "Douglas the Lion" has made lion sightings a challenge this year although we have seen several different male lions mating with our resident female pride. Hopefully we will have some cubs by the end of the year. Elephants have been in camp almost every day, so no need to go out on game drives, it is all happening right in camp!

Guest Comments: "Most definitely the "holiday of a lifetime"! Thanks so much to all the team for making our honeymoon so special, we've enjoyed every minute of our stay. It's with great regret that we leave today, here's hoping we can return sometime in the near future to share more fantastic experiences. Keep up the great work."

"A magnificent marriage of nature and comfort. We were delighted by the warm reception and knowledgeable guides. Hope to be back one day"

Last Chance 2009 Special Offer:
ALL "NEW" BOOKINGS FOR 2009 - ONLY US$400pppn NET!!!

reservations@sausagetreecamp.com

www.sausagetreecamp.com

Much has been made of the new Sindabezi Island - the gorgeous design, the meticulous carpentry, the enormous attention to environmentally friendly detail, but there is one additional revolution that is currently not only happening on our new Island but also at Tongabezi and on Livingstone Island. In the near future every part of the Tongabezi machine will be open to our guests. All our staff accommodation, storage buildings and behind the scenes work areas are being turned into a true showcase. Guests will be welcome anywhere on our properties adding another dimension to their exposure to Zambian life.

While we all become acutely aware of our carbon footprint when we travel, it is fabulous to learn that your choice of destination can also have far reaching and life changing effect. Two students of Tujatane have recently been accepted at international schools. Not only has Tongabezi guests contributed to one student studying Medicine in America another Tujatane alumni is now a junior in a top South African secondary boarding school.

During the last 2 decades Tongabezi has operated two very special activities at Victoria Falls - The Livingstone Island walk across the Falls with a swim in the Devils Pool is the most rigorously controlled of our leisure pursuits. Due to the inherent risks associated with this marvelous opportunity, absolute stringent safety measures have been put in place to ensure our 100% accident free record. Our walk across the very top of one of the wonders of the Natural world is regulated by four bodies: National Heritage, then according to the Zambian Wildlife Authority and thirdly by our comprehensive insurers, finally our Livingstone Island team of experienced and trained guides and management work closely with the other three authorities to ensure that this walk is only done when the water levels are safe, with our licensed guides and according to absolute adherence with guide to participant numbers. It is an opportunity beyond compare and for everyone lucky enough to visit at the right time of year it is the most amazing way to experience the true magnificence of Victoria Falls.

Tongabezi has also taken delivery of three new six seater King Fisher boats. Our new water transport has increased stability, less noise and of course in keeping with our environmentally friendly mandate they feature the very latest in green design. Water activities form an important part of the Tongabezi Lodge experience and our new boats will be used for transfers between Tongabezi and Sindabezi as well as for our Sunrise and Sunset cruises and also as part of our exclusive beach picnics.

Designs for our new Garden Cottage have been completed and we will be closing this cottage within the following couple of months to begin an extensive rebuild with exciting new editions including a full size second room. The New Garden Cottage will ensure even greater privacy, exciting additional leisure features and the very best option for small groups or families travelling together.

www.tongabezi.com

I am pleased to announce the recent addition of Norman Carr Safaris to the Honour Way portfolio.

1950 to 2010 - 6O YEARS OF SAFARI EXCELLENCE

We are proud to announce that 2010 marks the 60th Anniversary of Norman Carr Safaris.

Back in 1950, a young game ranger called Norman Carr initiated a far-reaching and visionary conservation concept which was to pave the way for modern conservation and tourism. He encouraged a local Chief in the South Luangwa to set aside a portion of his tribal land as a Game Reserve and built the first game viewing camp open to the public in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). Revenue from the camp was paid directly to the Kunda Traditional Authority.

His dream was to share his passion for this unique wilderness and to secure its future by ensuring that the local population would benefit by conserving the wildlife and infinitely varied habitat of the Luangwa valley.

Sixty years on at Norman Carr Safaris, we are still walking. We are still passionate about sharing the thrill of tracking lions on foot through the early morning mists, the delight in learning something new on every walk or game drive and the chance to meet local people and share experiences about life in the valley.

To celebrate this important milestone we have REDUCED our rates and introduced some special itineraries including a Classic 60th Anniversary ten night South Luangwa Safari. We have also raised the 'safari rate' extra to 10% commission for long stay and groups for 2010.

www.normancarrsafaris.com

Uganda

The Uganda Safari Company and Wildplaces are one and the same company. The Uganda Safari Company deals with all ground handling for Uganda and Wildplaces comprises Emin Pasha Hotel, Clouds, Semliki and Apoka and the upcoming addition of Bulago Island Lodge..

The UNEP Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) have joined hands to declare 2009 the Year of the Gorilla (YoG). The goal uniting these various organizations is to raise as much awareness as possible for a selection of important gorilla field-conservation projects.

The following extract has been taken from the www.yog2009.org

Uganda: Gorilla Tracking Goes Online with friendagorilla.org
Tuesday, 08 September 2009 09:24

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) will launch an online gorilla-tracking website to promote tourism. The launch is scheduled for September 26th and will be supported by an impressive list of international celebrities. Through the friendagorilla.org website, a global audience will have a chance to befriend gorillas from any of Uganda's seven habituated groups. Gorilla lovers will then be able to track the gorillas online for a fee via GPS and in real time. Online trackers will also be able to add gorillas as friends on Internet social sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

"We will have cameras placed strategically in the forest and when you log on, you can see a gorilla moving through the forest from your screen," said Thomas Slater Jr, art director for the project. If it succeeds, the project will make $700,000 annually. The money will be used to hire more gorilla trackers and buy better equipment for the trackers, as well as to support conservation efforts through community projects, said Eunice Mahoro, tourism director at UWA.

A series of events will accompany the launch:
a) Official launch of the Nshongi family - This will take place in Kisoro and will involve tracking of the largest gorilla family ever habituated and a series of other community activities (22nd to 24th of September).
b) National Launch of the Friend a Gorilla campaign at Kololo Airstrip on Saturday, 26th September
c) Fundraising Gorilla Gala in the evening of the 26th with the highlight being the count-down to the unveiling of the friendagorilla.org micro site.

The website will contain plenty of fun gorilla information and will have different areas of interactive participation. When you log into the site you can search through various groups and profiles, find a gorilla that you like and 'befriend' it. There will be updates on befriended gorilla(s) on a weekly basis, including info on movements in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, births and new relationships.

Semliki Safari Lodge, through the Wild Places Conservation Trust, has begun an extensive conservation education program in the local schools surrounding the game reserve. They have recruited a volunteer from America to pair up with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to teach about the importance of conservation to primary school students in the area. In addition, they will be helping to build a community nature center and sponsor eco-days where community members can participate in environmentally friendly activities, such as tree planting and rubbish collection. Semliki is proud to be a part of this latest endeavor to improve the environmental awareness on their borders and create an environmental appreciation in Uganda's newest generation.

Wildplaces were thrilled to recently host two American celebrities at Clouds - Jason Biggs, actor in American Pie and Kristy Wu, famous for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Jason & Kristy were visiting Uganda for the opening of an important new project for Uganda, The Nshongi Group. It was officially opened for tourism last month, along with the launch of "Friend a Gorilla", check it out on www.friendagorilla.org. The new Nshongi group is about a 40 min drive from the Clouds lodge, east of the town of Rubuguri. This family is the largest habituated group of gorillas in Africa, with 35 members in the family.

www.wildplacesafrica.com

Fact of the Day - Animal Groupings

August Newsletter Answer - Thank you for all your answers.
The best answer I received to what we call a group of buffalo was: terrifying!!!! Quite right too...
We have several official answers here - a herd, a troup, a gang or obstinacy of buffalo...

Next month - What do we call a group of rhino?