Visit The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Person
Taking you into the world of Mma Ramotswe starting from £2995 per person.
Tuesday 4 March, 2008

The popular literary series, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is now a BBC production and the Independent Traveller can take you on a journey through the Botswana that the main protagonist Mma Ramotswe knows and loves. Meet the people that inspired the wonderful characters of Alexander McCall Smith’s best-selling books visit the actual locations that they inhabit and experience travelling through these much loved series of books.

A guided tour through the film set gives an exciting insight into how the BBC were able to capture the Botswana that Mma Ramotswe knows and bring it to the world. Be prepared for the film by becoming a part of the exquisitely built world that McCall Smith has introduced to us. Be there in person travelling through the country that Mma Ramotswe calls home. From the Mokolodi Nature Reserve to the President Hotel and Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, it’s a fans dream come true to visit these wonderful sites as will be seen in the film.

Visit such locations as the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, the Orphan Farm, JLB Matekoni’s house and finally, the President Hotel, one of Mma Ramotswe’s favorite stops, where we sample her preferred beverage, red bush tea.

Follow the exploits of Mma Ramotswe to “the edge of Kalahari” where on the way you can meet an actual character from the books.

Visit the Okavango Delta for 4 amazing nights before travelling to Chobe National Park for 2 nights and ending at Livingstone for a spectacular opportunity to see and experience Victoria Falls

The Independent Traveller delivers an exciting tour that extends across the beautiful, diverse landscape of Botswana, where you will also meet the delightful characters that make up the tapestry of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and experience the joy and wonder of a location with even more to offer.

11 night holiday including all flights with South African Airways, 3 nights following in Mma Ramostwe`s footsteps on a bed and breakfast basis - all sightseeing included, and 8 nights on safari including all meals, safari activities, drinks and laundry.

Prices from £2995.00 per person. Special tours for literary groups

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency will be broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2008 .

So we helped you plan your Southern Africa trip, now how about Alaska or Sydney ? Here’s how we can book your flights to anywhere in the world….! After many years of good trade relations, we recently embarked on a partnership arrangement with Rosemary Sloggett, the owner of The Independent Traveller, established and accredited Travel Oganisers in the UK. Together and independently we are now able to offer boutique travel services to Southern and East Africa as well as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada and Europe. Rosemary has wisdom, all the accreditations and access to very competitive international air fares. Together we’ll forge ahead with the passion and love for the travel industry that is at the core of both of our businesses. To celebrate our new partnership, and because now we can…. We’d like to offer you a free flight from London to Namibia (buy one business class ticket Heathrow-Windhoek-Heathrow, get one free)

Contact Rosemary for more details rosemary@independenttraveller.co.uk

Just spent two amazing nights at Londolozi Tree Camp with my family. Londolozi is looking fantastic. The lodge has just been completely rebuilt and I must say, I can’t fault it.

The rooms at Londolozi Tree Camp are massive. And when you slide open the door to the veranda, you are literally perched on the sand river. The bush becomes part of your room.

The food was the best I have had on safari - awsome lamb cutlets and pork neck, just what you need after a day of bumping around looking for animals.

Londolozi provides a superb safari experience. There is not a single thing I would change (well, perhaps I would suggest a pole for vaulting into the rather high bed!!!).

Visiting the Namib Desert is an absolute must - those dunes have to be seen and touched to be believed.  In my opinion, you need to move shift your focus away from the traditional safari and look to the landscape and some of the more unusual animals and plants.

We went to the Skeleton Coast camp - it’s expensive but absolutely fabulous - unlike anything else. We saw desert elephants, giraffes and huge colonies of seals - and just the wildness of that coast line strewn with ship wrecks and whale bones.  Alternative cheaper accommodation is Cape Cross Lodge.

Its worth going to Damaraland - good chance of also seeing Desert Elephants. And rhino have been re-introduced. Mowani Mountain Lodge is a great base in Damaraland.

The South of the country is often woefully neglected and full of wondrous sights - feral horse, Fish river canyon, ghost mining towns and the Quiver tree forest. If you have already been to Namibia and like me, need to return to see more, then consider self-drive in this region.�

Reasons to visit Namibia:  True wilderness, unique plants and extraordinary game viewing. Breathtakingly beautiful Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert with towering sand dunes and open plains.

And did you know that Namibia is the only country in the world to specifically address conservation and protection of natural resources in their constitution.

My husband Michael & I have taken trips to South Africa with Southern Destinations the last three years in a row from 2005- 2007! (We are in love with the country, people & animals). We would not use any company other than Southern Destinations as they have proven to be the absolute BEST at accomodating our requests & itinerary planning.  We did not have one problem in the 3 years of trips & in fact, were so impressed by their incredible knowledge of all the game reserves as well as the Cape winelands we cannot imagine going anywhere on the African  continent without their guidance. We had the BEST guides & drivers who were both knowledgeable and extremely fun to spend time with. We felt safe at all times and were able to relax knowing that all our transportation to & from each destination was taken care of. The lodges and hotels they chose for us were of 4 & 5 Star calibre & the South African hospitality & service is better than we have had anywhere in the world!
My husband & I are also both professional photographers & can send you pictures if you wish. I  highly recommend you use Southern Destinations for the trip of your lifetime!

Sincerely, Kimberly Guy Fairbank

I went to Botswana for the most inspiring holiday of my life. Read about my trip and then come experience it for yourself:

Day 1
Sticking to the 15 kg per person luggage limit was a struggle. Richard, who had packed FIVE pairs of shoes was way over the limit while I had packed like a boy and had a mere 8 kilo’s. My teasing comments came back to bite me in the bum when Richards luggage arrived safely in Maun and mine was nowhere to be seen.

Anticipating a week in Botswana with only the clothes on my back was frightening. But Richard, with both suitcase and tears of relief in his eyes, promised to lend me some of his. So off we went to board our light aircraft into the Okavango Delta.

The Okavango Delta is an interesting mix of sandy outcrops and lush swampy shrub-lands.  Below us, elephants frolicked in the rivers, merrily trumpeting water on each other.

Stanley’s Camp on Chief’s Island was our first stop. We were thrilled to see the sparkling pool and decided to spend the afternoon cooling off with cocktails in hand before heading off on the game drive.

The tents at Stanley’s Camp are getting a little long in the tooth and wouldn’t be hurt by an upgrade. But they are comfortable and have a lovely veranda. The game viewing is great and we saw elephant, lion on a kill and lots of plains game.

Day 2
If you love elephants, then you are going to be green with envy. We spent 3 hours touching, stroking and learning about three semi habituated elephants before enjoying a picnic lunch surrounded by elephant trunks and white wine. This elephant interaction is only available from Stanley’s Camp and Baines Camp and is well worth doing. There is something rather surreal about clinking glasses around the muddy trunk of an elephant!

We had a quick visit to Baines Camp, a land and waterbased camp, which was renovated recently. And what a lovely camp it is. Only slightly more expensive than Stanley’s and well worth the extra expense. A lovely feature at Baines is the beds on wheels which you can pull out onto the deck for snoozing under the stars.

Our overnight stop tonight was Duba Pains, a Wilderness Safari’s property and one of our favourite lodges of this trip. The staff are what make this such a superb lodge and they instill such confidence in you from the second you arrive. Rooms are nice and private with romantic outside showers overlooking the open plains. This is the kind of room you don’t want to be sharing with a colleague!

Duba Plains is famous for its Duba Boys, two ancient male lions who torment the large herds of buffalo on a daily basis. We didn’t spend much time on game drives, but did manage to see a fair selection of game. And then collapsed into the pool.

Day 3
Still no sign of my luggage and I was getting a bit sick of wearing Richard’s gaily patterned pajama’s alternated with my speedily washed travel clothes. But the splendid views did much to calm my nerves.

Camp Moremi in the Moremi Game Reserve (still in the Okavango Delta) was our next stop. This is a slightly different experience as it is a public reserve and people can drive in their own 4×4 vehicles. This means that when you are on game drive you may come across other people. But the game viewing is excellent and the elusive leopard made an appearance, as did herds of elephant and a couple of lion.

Camp Moremi was my least favourite lodge. It is in dire need of an upgrade (and will in fact be getting one between February and March 2008) and some fresh ideas. The tents lie under some rather large trees, so you can’t actually see the beautiful river right outside your tent. The bathroom is just outside the room, so you have to go outside to get there. This will be changing during the refurb.

From the raised deck we sipped sundowners and watched the sun go down over the Okavango Delta while antelope splashed in the shallow water.

Day 4
A 3 hour boat cruise took us through the Delta, past elephant and antelope, to Xugana Camp. And what a marvelous location. The lodge is on an island with gorgeous views over the water. Imagine sundowner drinks on the floating veranda while the sky turns red and the lions roar in the distance.

The staff at Xugana deserve a mention. Friendly and accommodating people who so obviously take pride in their lodge. The food was delicious and the rooms, while 3 star, are well looked after and comfy. Don’t expect luxury accommodation, but you will get first class service.

In the afternoon Richard and I set off on our first mokoro trip. Your ranger poles you down the river in a dugout canoe while you sit back and watch the scenery unfold. Very colonial! Birds of every colour fly past to pose for your camera and the ultra shy Reedbuck hop past spraying water everywhere.

You can imagine my joy and excitement when, on our return to the lodge (exhausted from all the paddling…!), my luggage was waiting for me. I have never been so happy to brush my teeth in my life!!

Day 5
We were woken up at the crack of dawn for our bush walk. We were a bit nervous about it as our fellow guests had walked right into a pride of lion the day before and frankly I am quite attached to my skin! But we were promised that our ranger would protect us against the dangers of the wild.

A minute into our walk we came across a single bull elephant. A few minutes later a massive herd of buffalo. Meeting two of the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot, while on foot, was enough to enduce us to break into a fast scramble. Our two hour walk was completed in one sweaty hour!

We bade farewell to the Okavango Delta and headed off to the Savuti, part of the Chobe National Park, where we were welcomed at Savute Safari Camp.

Savuti is an incredibly dry area with no rivers and little rain. The Savuti Channel dried up years ago and the animals have had to adapt their behaviour in order to survive the harsh conditions. This is the only place where you will find large prides of lion hunting and killing elephant.

The Savute Safari Camp sees massive amounts of game coming right through the camp. Right outside my room, a lion killed an impala. Under another tent, a couple of lion cubs had made their den. Richard, being not the bravest of men, refused to leave his room unless accompanied by a ranger! He did however change his tune once seated at the pool, clutching a G&T, watching the elephants drinking at the watering hole.

The rooms at Savute Safari Camp are large and airy with a lounge area and a massive bathroom. Best of all, there is a large private deck from where to watch the action. These were some of the nicest rooms we saw, and certainly the largest. The pool and breakfast area overlooking the waterhole was also brilliant and the best is made of the views.

The game drive in Savuti was definitely the most animal prolific I have experienced. Every time we turned around there were more animals. Massive herds of elephant, lone bulls and baby elephants were everywhere. The ranger was also particularly knowledgeable and in tune with our expectations.

Day 6
We had a quick visit to Savuti Elephant Lodge, a five star Orient Express Lodge. This group of three lodges in Botswana are the only lodges offering air-conditioning in the roooms, so perfect for people struggling with the heat. But expect to pay! This is a stunning lodge with every luxury you can conceive of, including a business center, a large pool and excellent cuisine.

Our next stop was Kasane and Chobe National Park. If you are on a bit of a budget, Chobe is a superb place to visit. It is easy to get to and perfect for a Victoria Falls combination.

Chobe Game Lodge is the only lodge inside the park itself which means that you can venture deaper into the park than any of the day visitors from other lodges in the area. The lodge itself is large, but offers lots of private areas for relaxing. I must mention the food at this lodge which is particularly tasty and plentiful – there is even a pizza oven! Rooms are built in a cave-like fashion. They won’t win any décor awards, but they are comfortable and have views of the river.

The river cruises along the Chobe River are beautiful with elephants as far as the eye can see. This is particularly great for photographers because you get the front view of the animals instead of the backside.

Day 7
We bade a sad farewell to Botswana as we crossed over the border to Zambia at the Kazungula Ferry. As far as I know, this is the only place where you can be on the border between 4 counties at the same time – Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Pretty cool!

This night at the Royal Livingstone Hotel was our treat. Five star luxury and views of the Victoria Falls were promised, and delivered.

At the Victoria Falls Richard came into his own. We had decided to swim at the Falls and got a guide to take us on a tour of Livingstone Island and a quick dip in the frothy waters. What no one mentioned was that you have to swim across the lip of the Falls to get to the little pool in the middle. Richard swam like a fish through the current while I frantically doggy paddled and tried not to swallow the entire Falls. You would think that for $450 they would at least tie you to a tree with a rope or something as security!!! But what an awesome experience and something that you should do once in your life.

The Royal Livingstone is a beautiful colonial style hotel, situated on the Zambezi River right at the top of the Falls. All the rooms have river views and are plush and well appointed. There is no better place sit back and relax than at the large pool while white gloved waiters attend to your every need. My one critisism is the extremely high prices of food and drink due to the massive import duties. But, take a deap breath, dig out the credit card and enjoy the spectacle.

Day 8
The time had come for us to leave the dream and return to real life. Luckily our flight was delayed by a few hours so we could drink a few beers and pass the breeze with the locals for a little while longer while promising to be back as soon as possible.

 

I read such a great email from the CEO of internet company I-Burst. It completely echoes how we feel about this wonderful country we live in - power cuts, Jacob Zuma and all! Enjoy a great read:

2008 has certainly started with a bang! The future was rosy on 31 December 2007, but suddenly everyone is buying candles and researching property in Perth!

A combination of recession in the USA, global equity market negativity, high interest rates, the National Credit Act and power outages have combined to create the perfect storm.

But don’t panic!

This is not the first time there’s been doom and gloom. Every few years the same thing happens. We experience massive economic growth, everyone is optimistic and buying Nescafe Gold, and holiday homes, and Merc’s.  The positivity gets ahead of itself and the economy overheats, and then panic sets in because the economy seems to be collapsing when in actual fact it’s simply making an adjustment back to a reasonable level.

It happened in 1989, when SA defaulted on its international loans and the stock market and Rand crashed, it happened in 1994 when the ANC took power and everyone thought war would break out, it happened in 1998 when interest rates hit 25% and you couldn’t give away your house, and it happened in 2001 when a fairly unstable guy by the name of Osama arranged for 2 Boeings to fly into the tallest buildings in New York!

On each of those occasions everyone thought it was the end of the world and that there was no light in sight. And on each occasion, believe it or not, the world did not actually end, it recovered and in fact things continued to get better.

I think 2008 will be a tough year, but I also see it as a great opportunity to seize the day whilst everyone else is whinging and get a front-seat on the inevitable boom that we’ll experience in 2009, 2010 and beyond.

Make sure you make a mental note of everything that is happening now, because it will happen again and again, and if you don’t recognize the symptoms you’ll be suckered into the same negativity, and forget to look for the opportunities.

It’s easy to be negative. Subconsciously, you WANT to be negative! Whenever you open the papers they tell you about the goriest hi-jacking and the most corrupt politicians. Why don’t they dedicate more pages to the fact that Joburg is the world’s biggest man-made forest, or to the corruption-free achievements of the vast majority of public officials? Because bad news sells. Good news is boring.

SA still has the best weather in world! We’re lucky enough to possess a huge chunk of the world’s resources, i.e.: gold, platinum, coal, iron. The growth in India and China will continue to accelerate (India and China sign 10mil new mobile customers every month), and so will their demand for our resources. The government has already embarked on massive infrastructure projects (some of them a tad late, i.e.: electricity), and this will pump money into the economy.

We are all lucky enough to be a part of the birth of a massive and all-encompassing industry. The Internet has and will continue to change the world. The enormity of its impact is up there with the wheel, electricity, TV, telephones, and possibly man’s greatest ever invention, coffee. Not only does it open up an entirely untapped world of commerce, but it is also the ultimate disseminator of information and news. Apartheid would not have lasted 40 years if the Internet had existed! And you’re part of it!

I’m looking forward to another year of ASA complaints, IR issues, Plug & Wireless parties, BTS roll-outs, billing runs, irate customers, happy customers, orange bubbles, faulty elevators, etc, etc. The nice stuff makes me feel good, and the challenges remind me why we can beat the competition. Most importantly I’m looking forward to having fun and making memories.

So ignore the doomsayers, install a timer on your geyser, and buy Ricoffee for a couple of months.

Cheers,
Alan

Sari and her husband visited Singita and Rhino Walking Safari as well as Cape Town and the Winelands:

Hi Lise,
Just wanted to take a moment and tell you what a fabulous time Sam and I had in South Africa.  All of our selected hotels/lodges added to a vacation that we will remember always.  The order of Rhino Walking Safari, sleeping in the bush, leading up to Singita…and then the lovely hospitality of Four Rosmead and the beautiful setting in the wine country….just perfect. 

Thank you for listening to me as I formulated a vague plan and making it real.  We had a great week in Cape Town; hiking up Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and visiting two townships with my son were the highlights.  But highlights is the wrong word because it implies that any of our experience was not “high”.
Wishing you a happy new year.
Sari

  

Uganda is a beautiful country with rolling hills and more banana fields than you can imagine. It exceeded my expectations and touched my heart in a way I never expected. The gorillas and the chimps are a massive selling point, but this country has so much more to offer. This is a birders paradise.

This is now one of my favourite African countries and I would encourage anyone who is looking for a unique but powerful experience to discover the magic I found unique to Uganda.

Day 1
I met up with Nisha and Vanessa, the Wild Frontiers girls at the departures hall for our flight. And then an easy 4 hour flight to Entebbe. First impressions – humid and fashionable!

Getting through custioms was pretty standard and without hassles ($50 visa fee). Martin the driver met us at the airport and transferred us to the Lake Victoria Hotel which was being renovated. There was some loud banging at midnight  - I thought I was going to be arrested….no such luck!

Day 2
We took a stroll down the road and a walk through a taxi rank. This is where we were accosted by a few “motorbike taxi” drivers – these are moped type bikes with enough space for 2 very skinny people (not two of me, that’s for sure!!). Definitely need to try one out before I leave.

Went back to the hotel for an Amarula Cream and a chat to the ladies on the tour, before heading out to the Entebbe market. Food, clothes (second hand and new), hinges, shoes and beauty products, a real African market with vibrant colours and a buzz of activity. Came back the scenic route via Lake Victoria, some rather large mansions and squatter houses right next door to each other.

I am ready to move on. I am completely intrigued, excited and anxious.
Bring it on!

Day 3
So, the next time I say “bring it on”, slap me across the face and say be “careful what you wish for”! A few kilometers outside Entebbe it started raining and it hadn’t stopped by the time I went to bed. Under normal circumstances this would mean great driving weather…NOT in Uganda with its muddy dirt roads!

Just before our lunch stop we came across an angry mob running down the road carrying big sticks. Eventually we stopped to ask someone what was going on and apparently they had caught a thief and now it was time for mob justice. Eventually we didn’t see anymore people running and concluded that justice was done.

Two other vehicles were ahead of us enroute to Ndali Lodge, a beautiful lodge situated high on a hill. Because of this small piece of geography, our poor driver had to navigate the huge landcruiser up the slippiest sandiest mountain roads. Did I mention that it was still raining? Needless to say we got stuck. Beautifully and completely stuck.

Within moments we were completely surrounded by local villagers. In fact we got stuck right outside their homestead. The passengers stayed in the car, amusing the locals by taking pictures of them. You can imagine the shrieks of delight when they saw themselves on the camera screen.

Many attempts later help finally arrived. But instead of rescuing us, they decided to rescue the vehicle! We were sent to stand under a pigsty roof while a girl washed my (formerly) red sandals. I couldn’t bear to wear them after she had painstakingly washed them, and gave them to her, much to her delight.

We finally go the car unstuck and made it to the lodge in one piece.

Day 4
Woke up to no rain. Yay! Went on a farm walk (remembering closed shoes for the ants) and saw a vanilla plantation.

Then off to the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Can’t really notice the difference because there are villages and people wandering around in the park itself. When we stopped to look at a pride of lion and a man rode past on his bike, it felt rather surreal though.

Went for a quick cruise with some interesting folk. Saw lots of hippo and crocs and fantastic bird life. The boat trip has running commentary, but you won’t hear it if you are on the upper deck.

We got to our destination, Jacana Lodge at about 7 pm. This is a beautiful lodge overlooking a huge crater dam.  And as an added bonus this was the first great meal of our trip!

Day 5
Got woken up at 6 am with a cup of hot chocolate and a wonderful view of the dam. What service and what a nice way to start the day!

We stopped at the Kyambura Gorge which is massive and offers Chimp trekking. You have a 40% chance of seeing the chimps. But it is a beautiful walk regardless. We weren’t lucky enough to see the chimps but it was great to get some exersize.

Onwards to Ishasha, the home of the tree climbing lion. We were lucky enough to spot one sleeping in a tree. The tents are spacious with twin beds and a bucket shower. I spent some time in my hammock overlooking the river and the Congo on the other side. Then I couldn’t resist temptation to walk across a fallen log and put a foot across the border into the Congo……dare devil!

Day 6
Had a beautiful bucket shower with more than enough water, before heading towards Bwindi. Hard vehicle suspension and terrible roads make this a very bumpy ride. The landscape is stunning but just as we arrived in Bwindi a downpour of note arrived and we were a bedraggled bunch that arrived at Buhoma Lodge.

Going gorilla trekking in the rain was a distinct possibility and the thought of it caused my nerves set in.

The chalets at Buhoma are all on stilts and overlook the impenetrable forest. Each room has 2 single beds and an ensuite shower with hot water.

Millie and I decided to take a walk through the village where we met the traditional healer and a brewer that makes gin out of banans. We also visited the local school. It was an interesting glimpse into life in Bwindi, but ultimately very contrived with the traditional healer wanting his picture taken all the time.

Back to the lodge for a good sleep before tomorrow’s gorilla trek

Day 7
Woke up after a rather sleepless night eager for the challenge awaiting me. Had a good breakfast and walked down to the check-in for the gorilla walk in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – daunting name!

We were told to grab a walking stick and given a debrief before being split into 3 groups. Each group is allowed a maximum of 8 people. We were asked if we wanted porters which is definitely the way to go. Your porter carries your bag (and you, if you are unfit!).

There are a total of 4 habituated gorilla families. Our group being the largest, has a total of 22. Exciting stuff. Finally we are ready to start.

We are told that our gorilla family is on the other side of a rather large mountain. It sounds tough, and it is. We zigzagged our way up the mountain. Slipping and sliding in the mud. Thankfully the porter is there to lend a hand or a quick push up the hill.

Our pathway up was incredible with phenomenal vegetation and loads of chatter amongst the walkers. The pace was easy with a large number of water breaks, breathing breaks and just stops to take in the views. One elderly gent with a bald head worked up a good sweat (as did I) and when the sun hit his head it started steaming. Very funny!

We finally reached the top of the hill and were told to leave everything with the porter except our cameras and rain coats. We slid and scraped our way through the forest until suddenly we were face to face with a large Silverback. There is was, right in front of us, happily munching away and not bothered by us at all.

You have an hour with the gorillas so after 20 minutes with the silverback we carried on to look for the rest of the group. We came across two mothers with babies, another silverback and a young male further in the forest. The mothers were so nurturing with the babies and so calm while we were watching them. What a powerful encounter.

Then the long walk back to the base where we received completion certificates. Then back to the lodge for a well deserved shower.

Day 8
Not as stiff as I thought I would be. Had a great shower and got ready for the next leg of the trip.

Lake Mburo. Beautiful landscape. Saw lots of long horned cows and passed through loads of little villages. The boat ride on the lake was relaxing, but everyone was tired. Saw lots of Fish Eagles, hippo and crocs, but the boat trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park was better.

We all fell into bed at Lake Mburo tented camp.

Day 9
Today we head back to Entebbe. With a stop enroute at a curio shop. Kampala (the capital city and linked to Entebbe) is a big African city with traffic jams like no other. But we finally reach the airport where we say our sad farewells.