Exciting 9 night Kafue safari…!!!

Zambia’s Kafue National Park offers a truly remote wilderness safari with good game viewing, comfortable and reasonably priced accommodation.

To get the best out of the Kafue, we recommend a combination of three wonderful camps in the area, starting at Hippo Lodge which is located on the banks of the Kafue River. It’s a perfect destination for nature lovers, bird watchers and anglers alike. Days can be spent game-viewing on foot, by vehicle or boat. Guests can fish the Kafue hot spots, tick away at the bird list or unwind with a “sundowner” in the beautiful natural hot spring.

Hippo Lodge is set in a remote wilderness, teeming with seasonal wildlife. The Zambian Ornithological Society has categorised Hippo Lodge as one of the best birding sites in Zambia – a real birdwatchers paradise.

The lodge is small and traditional with four stone and thatch cottages and two safari tents providing a choice in the style of accommodation. Located on the east bank of the Kafue River, the setting is idyllic with access to particularly remote areas of the Kafue National Park. The diversity of habitats supports a variety of wildlife, including hippo, crocodile, buffalo, elephant, lion and hyena.

Guests would then be taken on a scenic road and boat journey to Plains Camp on the Busanga Plains – the only independent camp in the area. The Busanga Plains is a wetland area in the far north of Kafue and from July to October the plains are accessible by 4×4 safari vehicle.

Large groups of rarities like red lechwe and roan antelope are always present, as are huge herds of up to 1,000 buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and sometimes eland. Lion are abundant, along with cheetah hunting for their prey on the open plains.

The camp consists of four comfortable safari tents, complete with en-suite bathroom, hot water bucket showers and flush loo. The main boma area for dining and relaxation provides outstanding views across the huge plains and to the fig and palms opposite.

The third leg of this exciting journey would be Manyukuyuku which is a charming and rustic camp, part Zambian owned. The camp is located on the southern edge of the Northern Sector of Kafue National Park, just 8 km from Mongu Road which allows year round access. Situated close to the banks of the Kafue River, alongside a highly wooded treeline, Manyukuyuku has magnificent views both up and downstream.

The large shady trees and the river’s boulders and rock formations make relaxing days all the more enjoyable and the area is rich in wildlife, so game viewing is a major attraction. The guestbook is brimming with sightings, especially lion, leopard and wild dog.

Opulent Africa’s 9 night Kafue safari costs from £2,295 per person and includes all road transfers, full board accommodation, safari activities and park fees. For more information on this itinerary or any of our current specials, please contact us.

Northern Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania is understandably regarded as the eight Natural Wonder of the World and quite rightly so. This unique World Heritage Site is the largest intact caldera in the world and with its walls standing proudly at over 2,000 feet it is estimated that its original height would have overshadowed Mount Kilimanjaro.

The floor of the crater covers an area in excess of 100 square miles and provides a sheltered haven for nearly 25,000 animals including all of the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard). Aside from wildebeest and zebra which migrate away from the crater during the wet season, all of the resident wildlife are more than happy to stay put throughout the year. The only animal notably absent from the Ngorongoro Crater is the giraffe which apparently find the walls too steep to negotiate.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the Ngorongoro Crater is the fact that man and beast have survived alongside one another here for centuries. The local Maasai often graze their cattle on the fertile crater floor with barely a flicker of the tail from the perilously high concentration of lion which inhabit the open plains.

The Ngorongoro Crater has dramatically increased in popularity over the last two decades and it can be quite a busy place with high numbers of safari vehicles during peak season. Our advice is – don’t be put off as this is a “must see” on any northern Tanzania itinerary and with a good choice of comfortable accommodation in the area, combines perfectly with Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Serengeti.

Some of our clients’ favourites properties in the Ngorongoro Highlands:

Crater Lodge is undoubtedly the most opulent accommodation in the area and is perched right on the rim of the crater within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The design of the lodge was inspired by the traditional Maasai manyattas and each of the thirty luxurious suites has with spectacular views down into the crater.

Plantation Lodge is located amongst the coffee plantations in the lush green hills around Karatu just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. With sixteen individually styled suites, good food and a warm welcome, this is one of the best small lodges in the area.

Gibbs Farm is a characterful working farm located on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, mid-way between Lake Manyara and the crater. There are twenty cosy cottages all of which have recently been upgraded to even higher standards than before. One of the features of Gibbs Farm is its “Farm Life” program where guests are given an insight into the interesting history and culture of a working coffee farm.

Crater Lodge

Gibbs Farm

Plantation Lodge

Walking safari in the Eastern Serengeti

Walking safaris at Nduara Loliondo – a uniquely designed safari camp located in the Eastern Serengeti, Tanzania. Constructed as a combination of the Mongolian Gers and local Maasai bomas, the camp celebrates two different nomadic lifestyles in comfort and style.

The accommodation consists of six large yurts, decorated with a distinct African feel. Each of the light and spacious rooms has full en-suite with toilet and hot water  bucket showers. The design of the yurts ensure that guests are kept cool during the day with flaps that can be rolled down at night time to hold the warmth. The camp has a large dining and lounge area where guests can relax between activities on the soft furnishings.

As the camp is located outside of the National Park this allows much greater freedom in terms of the game viewing activities available and this is one of the main attractions of Nduara Loliondo. In addition to the more traditional game drives, guided walks and night drives add an exciting dimension to the safari.

Game viewing is exceptional during the dry season as the migration spills out of the Serengeti National Park into the Loliondo area with elephant, lion, leopard and antelope all seen regularly as well as a wide variety of bird life.

For more details and suggestions, please contact Opulent Africa.

Seductive Sussi & Chuma at Victoria Falls

Sussi  & Chuma is a luxury lodge located on a river bend on the great Zambezi River just 12 kilometres from Victoria Falls. The lodge is named after David Livingstone’s two faithful companions who returned his body to England following his death in Zambia. The property includes the main lodge which has twelve tree houses, interlinked by raised wooden walkways, and two private houses which may be booked exclusively for small groups or families.

Each of the luxury air-conditioned tree houses are raised off the ground up to the ebony trees’ canopy level with spectacular views across the Zambezi River and provide comfortable accommodation with en-suite shower, bath and private viewing deck.

The main area of the lodge has a bar, lounge and large deck where guests can enjoy open-air dining and there is also a refreshing swimming pool and spa offering a relaxing range of treatments and massages.

The lodge provides a variety of activities which include: game drives in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park where you might see elephant, buffalo, giraffe and zebra; guided tours of Victoria Falls; cultural visits to the local Simonga Village and romantic sunset cruises on the river.

Malaria-free family safari

Riverdene Lodge is a high quality safari property located in South Africa’s Shamwari Game Reserve. This particular reserve is a huge conservation and responsible tourism success story and has wona colelction of  international awards. Shamwari is a Big Five reserve with elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard all present as well as cheetah, hippo, giraffe and smaller plains game.

Riverdene Lodge is a colonial styled property with just nine inter-leading rooms making this the perfect destination for a family safari. All of the air-conditioned rooms have full en-suite bathroom, televisions and private  balcony looking out over the savannah.

There are two comfortable lounges and a rim flow swimming pool where guests can relax and enjoy the scenery in between game viewing activities. Meals are taken either in the indoor dining room or on the thatched deck which overlooks the Bushmans River.

Game viewing is excellent all year round and drives on the reserve in 4×4 vehicles bring you close to the incredible diversity of wildlife under the skilful guidance of your ranger. Game walks are also included and the Born Free Foundation Centre is a must, where guests can learn about the rescued big cats and visit the animal sanctuary.



Take the family to South Africa for a safari.

For the ultimate adventure take the kids to Africa for a family safari holiday that will inspire and encourage inquisitive minds, entertain even the most hyper of children, and put a smile on the face of all of the family as there is something for everyone.

South Africa for a family safari is the perfect choice of destination. Ignore the quick intake of breath when telling friends and family that you and your troop are heading off on safari, as no matter what their age Africa has a destination suitable for all. South Africa is especially suitable for families as it has everything from wildlife sanctuaries to game parks, vast caverns along the coast flanking sandy beaches and of course it is mostly a malaria free zone.

Boredom is simply not an option in South Africa. If you start out in Cape Town there are simply too many things to do. Whether you opt for a visit to the penguin colonies in the morning followed by lunch at a fabulous beachside restaurant and then a trip up Table mountain before dinner, there are still wildlife sanctuaries, museums, aquariums, local markets and boat trips all vying for your attention the next day.

Botswana in November

November traditionally marks the much needed arrival of rain to the parched plains of the Okavango and Chobe regions. The animals look longingly to the skies in anticipation of an end to the dry and dusty floodplains.

Once the clouds finally break and the rains arrive, there is a great sense of relief within the local communities and the wildlife. Animals begin to move away from the permanent waters of the Okavango Delta and the Chobe River as they disperse into the surrounding bush. The antelope and gazelle fall into the calving season which becomes a time of plenty for the predators which take advantage of the unstable newborn.

After the first rains, the Okavango Delta springs back into life with a flush of green throughout the previously parched areas with plants and trees coming alive!

I Dream of Africa.

Loisaba; the ultimate for peace and serenity to rejuvenate your soul.   Loisaba is all about connecting with nature and relaxing in your surroundings.  The game here is abundant and the scenery that provides the backdrop for a restful safari is breathtaking.

What draws one specifically to Loisaba?  The remote location, the fabulous game viewing, or perhaps just the lodge itself and its renowned Star Beds? Sleep out and star gaze on a star bed and listen throughout your dreams to the sounds of Africa below and all around you. 

Loisaba Lodge has two different types of star bed.  The original beds are located amongst a rocky outcrop looking out over the Kiboko waterhole in one of the eastern valleys.  The second more recently constructed beds are a few miles further south on the banks of the Ewaso N’giro River.  The beds cantilever over the river beneath and they are approached by a bridge from the opposite bank.  These new star beds are named after the Koija community of Laikipiak Maasai who together with Loisaba created and constructed them.

Even actually reaching your starbed is an adventure as you are guided through the African bush by Samburu and Laikipiak Maasai warriors.

Imagine laying there in the African night on a handcrafted wooden raised platform with a comfortable mattresses plump pillows and soft blankets with a picnic and wine to tide you through until morning.  A night under the stars has to be one of the most memorable on a safari along with the waking in the morning to hear an Elephant beneath you taking his morning wash in the pool below.

 Loisaba is excellent in combination with the Masai Mara and the Amboseli National Parks.

Gorillas Trekking in Uganda

There is a fabulous safari camp nestled deep inside the very heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in southwest Uganda. The camp has just eight tents and is one of the most remote and atmospheric in Africa.

 

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the big screen in the flesh with volcanoes sculpting the skyline and valleys cutting deeply into the landscape.  The scenery if almost unfathomable to the virgin eye.  But tucked away almost in a secret place on a flat ridge high in the forest, is Sanctuary’s Gorilla Forest Camp.

Gorilla Camp Bathroom

Gorilla Camp Breakfast

It’s difficult to understand how such luxury and sophistication can exist in such a harsh and remote location.  The camp is the ideal place for the discerning safari traveler to head out to track the gorillas that live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.   

 

We have had recent reports that our primate relatives also recognize how nice this camp is too.  A guest taken ill and unable to go out on the trek, was visited by a Gorilla who wandered into camp.  Perhaps a surprise but one that was welcomed immensely as he would have missed out on this once in a lifetime encounter had the Gorilla not been so accommodating. 

 

After a day trekking to see the gorillas guests relax around a roaring fire with a few nightcaps after dinner before retiring to one of eight comfortable tents with wooden floors, comfortable beds and most importantly large bathtubs in which to soak tired muscles.

 

Hot stone massages on the banks of the Zambezi.

There’s a fabulous lodge overlooking the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls, it’s called Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma lodge which is named after the intrepid explorer David Livingstone’s two companions.  The lodge is superbly located in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, which in addition to the mighty roar of the Victoria Falls, also boasts great game viewing opportunities as well.

Sussi and Chuma Guest Area

Sussi and Chuma Lodge on the Zambezi River.

Relax and enjoy an evening overlooking the Zambezi

The main lodge area is built between the giant ebony trees that overlook the impressive Zambezi which enables guests to have the option of relaxing by the pool, at the elevated bar with a drink, or in their air-conditioned room (of which there are just twelve tree house style suites.) Sussi and Chuma have now opened a tranquil treatment room which specializes in massages such as the Ukuchina, a Zambian version of the traditional hot stone massage.

Sussi and Chuma is excellently located on the Zambezi to command stunning views of the river and of course the game that frequents it.  Each of the tree houses is positioned for river viewing and each suite is airy and open plan room with a shower, large bathtub, vanity area and private toilet.

A stop of a few nights at Victoria falls combines well with a few days to a week in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.