The spaces at Outpost Camp were AMAZING.  A wonderful retreat. We really enjoyed our time here, — it is so remote you truly are the only people around for miles.  And the staff were amazing and the food was amazing.

The animal sightings were not the best.  If that had been our only safari, we would have been disappointed. But it is great for views and walking! The birding was amazing, but we didn’t see much big game. 

Honeyguide Outpost makes a good combination with a lodge in the southern Kruger so that you get the best …

 

Shamwari Bayethe Lodge

Of the Shamwari lodges, Shamwari Bayethe is my favourite. Bayethe Lodge is situated in the northern part of Shamwari, and interestingly enough, just outside the reserve itself – although you would never know that unless someone told you.

There are two types of tents at Shamwari Bayethe Lodge. The older tents are large canvas structures with a very modern feel. The décor is farm style goes modern which gives the rooms a very comfortable atmosphere, without those dreadful Biggie Best touches! In these tents you have a large en-suite bathroom with a view of the bush. Each room also …

Liesl visited Tswalu in the Kalahari and this is her feedback: 

Flying on the PC12 with Execujet to Tswalu is an effortless journey with snacks from The Picnic Company and the local newspaper to keep you company helps make your journey there comfortable and entertaining, expecting someone to go to the loo on board is downright hilarious !

Our Ranger at Tswalu, Murray and Tracker Samuel collected us from the airstrip – its pretty windy (note to self : August is windy season) but clear blue skies, deep red earth and Acacia Trees is the perfect backdrop to our Kalahari stay.
We managed to see a fair amount of intriguing game en route …

Shamwari Game Reserve

A friend and I enjoyed a two night visit to Shamwari Game Reserve at the end of June. This was Seans first safari and he was incredibly excited.

We stayed at Shamwari Riverdene Lodge which is situated in the game rich Southern part of the Shamwari Game Reserve. The lodge itself is quite hotel-like, so not the usual safari lodge style. This is great if you prefer hotels style rooms and the knowledge that there will be no bugs hiding in the room!

If you love the romance of the big flashy safari lodges with thatched roofs and lots of wood and stone, then Shamwari Riverdene Lodge …

On safari, must tip: 

How much do you tip? As tour operators, we at Southern Destinations get asked this question quite often. It usually comes just before our clients are leaving on their safari, while they are deciding what to pack and how much “cash” to tip all the helpful people they know they will no doubt encounter on their travels in Southern Africa. But what is the accepted amount to tip ? what guidelines should we be giving visitors ?

Here is a list of the people in the tourism service industry I believe need to be tipped and my recommended amounts :

Tour guides R75 - R100 pp per day

Game Rangers R75 - R100 pp per day

Tracker …

I visited the Baroness Farmhouse at Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve (also known as Rhino Base Camp) a week ago and was very pleasantly surprised.

Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve is situated about 15 minutes outside Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route. The game reserve houses lots of plains game as well as rhino, buffalo and hippo. There are lions on a seperate part of the reserve which you can also visit.

The lodge on Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve is called the Baroness and is a 3 to 4 star farmhouse lodge. The Baroness is the original old farmhouse complete with thick stone walls and creaky wooden floors. There is massive character and this hasn’t …

 

Recent client impressions of Emily Moon : In Plettenberg Bay, Emily Moon was another amazing find.  Our cottage was spacious and beautifully decorated.  But the big surprise was the restaurant, which was so good we ate every meal there.  Our big problem was the lack of screens on the windows since the B&B is located on a marsh and bugs were plentiful.  Keeping the lights off and windows closed at night helped a little.Besides the beach and golf in the Plettenberg Bay area, the treetop canopy experience was terrific.  We would recommend wearing long pants, even on a …

 

Do not book Kruger Flexi Tours! 

I booked clients of our on a transfer in the Kruger National Park with Kruger Flexi Tours. It was all booked and paid for.

On the day of travel the clients phones us to let us know that their flight had ben delayed and gave us the new flight time. We ten phoned Kruger Flexi Tours to let them know about the change. Kruger Flexi Tours told us that they had no vehicles and couldn’t do the transfer for us.

We then managed to find another company to do the transfer and the guests …

 

Here is a recent client’s travel review of their trip to Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge :

The Namibia portion of our trip was so remarkable and vivid that Rich and I still talk about it like we were there yesterday.  CC Africa Safaris is a first-class operation.  We felt like VIP’s - with the care and individual attention we received getting to and from and during our flights. 

The Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge was a fantasy resort.  The main dining room, pool area and all of the perfectly air-conditioned cottages overlooked the desert, a large red sand dune, and watering hole which attracted oryx, springbok and other wildlife visitors.  The setting was dreamlike - and delicately-lit for day and …

last minute Bush & Beach special to Zambia and Zanzibar !

Robin Pope Safaris and Zambian Airways are offering a late safari special to promote the new Mfuwe - Dar route.

7 Nights at Robin Pope Safari Camps

Cost: USD 3500 per person sharing

Valid July - October 2007

Includes: airfare Lusaka-Mfuwe-Lusaka-Dar, accommodation, full board, all game viewing, bar, laundry, national park fees, taxes, transfers to/from Mfuwe Airport and between RPS camps.

Not included: airport taxes

Contact us now : info@southerndestinations.com