After leaving the superb Phinda Private Game Reserve where we had...]]>

After leaving the superb Phinda Private Game Reserve where we had spent the past two and a half days, we had one final stop to make before continuing on to Durban and our flight back to Cape Town. Our friends at Three Cities had invited us to view two lodges situated in the small Ubizane Wildlife Reserve, Zululand Tree Lodge and Zululand Safari Lodge.

Warmly greeted and a cooling fruit drink later we were shown the newly renovated rooms at Zululand Tree Lodge. Here amidst a magical fever tree forest the 24 rooms are raised on stilts to provide the best view of the forest and watering hole below. An assortment of antelope come to quench their thirst in the Zululand heat while you chill out on your balcony and watch them pass by. Another blessing in the sometimes stifling Zululand heat is the large swimming pool perfect for cooling off at midday. Just up the drag from Zululand Tree Lodge is the Zululand Safari Lodge. At Safari Lodge 20 African rondavels with stylish, spacious interiors, feature crisp, clean decor and a rather large bed! Perfect for families, large groups and those stopping over merely for a night. Safari Lodge features extensive views over the reserve and surrounds, as well as an awesome pool at the side of which you can catch up on your beach tan.

Meals at both Ubizane lodges are often served in the attached boma's with their huge central fires and candlelit ambience. There are also dining areas at both Lodges for when the weather doesn't allow for eating out under the stars. If you are lucky you can enjoy a meal in the fever tree forest alongside the river out under the African stars, lit by a hundred candles and a roaring bonfire. The pan-African cuisine is usually served buffet style, as it was when we sat down for lunch and more often than not one or more venison meats is on the menu, try the impala!

The two Zululand lodges offer ease of access to the renowned Hluhluwe / Umfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest in Africa, where the big-5 (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard) roam the bush. Daily game drives launch from Safari Lodge and Tree Lodge into the reserve. If you extend your game drive in the park from a morning drive only, to an entire day safari, you will be far more likely to see all of the Big 5 including lion. Game drives within the Ubizane Wildlife Reserve itself allow guests to see several species of antelope as well as white rhino and many many birds. However Ubizane is not a Big 5 reserve.

Our hunger and curiosity sated we returned to the 'wunderwagon' to complete our trip to Durban. Of course we couldn't climb into the plane without yet another delicious meal. So we headed to the wonderful, quirky, Bean Bag Bahia restuarant in Umdloti. Here our host Guy Woop made sure we completed our stay in Kwa-zulu Natal with a taste of some of the finest cuisine in the province. Open panini pizza's, perfectly cooked and flavoured risotto as well as herbed slow cooked lamb shank were just some of the delights on offer. After dinner we relaxed on the verandah, toasted to our various hosts on our stay and watched the sun set on our final day in the beautiful Kwa-zulu Natal province.

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Another early start to our final day at Phinda Private Game R...]]>

Another early start to our final day at Phinda Private Game Reserve saw us heading out before sunrise, cold and dark as it was, we were never-the-less excited to see what our hosts had in store for us. Masters at the art of serving up a scrumptious meals in the middle of the bush, Phinda had thus far impressed on all fronts but especially on our stomachs! At the very peak of a mountain we stopped and followed a lantern lit path up the rock to find the most delicious coffee, tea and hot chocolate spread imaginable, complete with honey and freshly sliced lemons for tea and an assortment of tasty biscuits. But it was the view that really took the breath away. Standing at the top of the peak we could see the park stretching away into the misty distance and the sunrise was simply incredible.

Next we moved on to have a look around the luxurious exclusive use Phinda Zuka Lodge. With just four rooms, sleeping a maximum of 8 people, you can't get more private than Zuka Lodge and the equally luxurious and exclusive Phinda Getty House . Zuka features a stunning position overlooking an oft frequented watering-hole where only the day before three lionesses had come to drink, chasing away the elephant herd that was already there! Such is the pecking order in the veld and when staying at Zuka Lodge you are definitely the lion. With a private safari vehicle with your own guide, personal butlers, chef, barmen and hostess you really are treated like the king of the jungle round here.

Getty House sits on top of a hill with probably one of the best views in the park. Grassy plains teeming with giraffe, assorted antelope and birds stretch out in front of the lodge. The story behind Getty House is that it belongs to the esteemed Getty family and is in effect their holiday home. So don't be surprised when you find pictures of the family on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. With four rather palatial suites Getty House is as private and exclusive as Zuka Lodge and personally I would find it difficult to choose between the two, they both feature such amazing views!

We were meandering our way back to Phinda Mountain Lodge when Daryl our guide began to laugh, the reason for his mirth became obvious when he introduced us to the giraffe; Fabio. This interesting creature has the unfortunate problem of having a flowing snow white mane. The rare genetic anomaly gives him a very distinctive look and after our laughter died down we gave him a nickname of our own, which I won't repeat here. Further along we were lucky enough to see a pride of lion, four youngsters, their mother and their very impressive father. While still in the same spot viewing the lion, some white rhino walked up behind us and the baby of the group began suckling from his mother, two of the Big 5 simply by turning our heads, a fitting end to an awesome stay at Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Many many thanks to our hosts: Phinda Private Game Reserve and CC Africa as well as to all those many people who made our stay such an amazing and enjoyable one!

If you haven't done so already you can read about our first and second days at Phinda in my previous blog posts as well as our stay on the coast at Rocktail. Our consultants, especially those who went on this incredible journey will be happy to help you with planning an unforgettable journey to Phinda and Kwa-zulu Natal.

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After the excitement of seeing whales in close proximity, the second leg of our journey, to

After the excitement of seeing whales in close proximity, the second leg of our journey, to Phinda Private Game Reserve, flew by in a haze of excitement. Upon arrival at Phinda Mountain Lodge our boisterous group was met with the warmest of smiles, a cooling drink and a towel to wash the journey away, before being shown to our rooms. Phinda Mountain Lodge was to be our home away from home for the next two nights, so when we laid eyes on our amazing rooms our smiles matched or outdid those we had been greeted with!

Each of the 25 luxurious rooms at Phinda Mountain Lodge features stylish interiors with sophisticated décor and all the trims and fittings one could ask for. Mountain Lodge as a whole is ideally situated to provide the most spectacular of views, looking out over the expanse of the reserve from all the main communal areas and the rooms all feature a similar spectacular view. Although in my room’s case, the view was blocked by a large male nyala and his harem grazing directly in front of our private viewing deck and private plunge pool. The ladies in our group particularly enjoyed the free standing bath from where one could relax and still take in the view. A spacious inside shower, along with the aforementioned bath, was paired with matching his and hers basins and an outside shower to complete the cleaning set! A quick freshening up and we headed up to the dining area for a tasty gourmet lunch which was wolfed down by all, hungry work educationals.

Our belly’s full (they remained that way throughout our stay) we met our guides, Lucky and Daryl, who probably didn’t quite know what they were getting themselves into. The two land cruisers headed out from Mountain Lodge but didn’t need to go too far as we stopped to have a look at Phinda Rock Lodge. Situated on a small hillside with a great view of the spectacular leopard rock across the small valley, Rock Lodge is constructed in such a fashion as to blend into its bushy surrounding. With only six luxurious rooms the feel at Rock Lodge is definitely an intimate and private one, something honeymooners and anyone seeking solace and serenity will enjoy. The rooms are beautifully decorated with their own private plunge pool, viewing deck and four of the rooms also have an outside shower. At Rock Lodge you aren’t just surrounded by wildlife, some of it shares the space with you. When we entered the intimate lounge and dining area, the local tree frogs growing fat on the insects attracted to the designer lighting were pointed out to us. And when we walked onto the attached veranda where most meals are served, we disturbed the resident spotted genet who was enjoying the superb view from his perch on the balustrade.

From the righteously rocking Rock Lodge (couldn’t resist! sorry David) we continued our game drive. Within minutes we had seen a pair of buffalo bulls and a lone elephant bull who posed for us in the fading evening light. We then pulled in at a lion kill where three lionesses had been feasting for the past two days, there wasn’t much left of their meal but we watched the sated satisfied females enjoying the very last of the unrecognizable wildebeest. Three out of the big five would be enough for one game drive one would think, but our evening wasn’t over. Not far away from the lions a rare sighting of a young male leopard, he let us watch him going about his evening for quite some time (it was worth missing the late sundowners for). Heading back toward Mountain Lodge, would you believe we came across three white rhino in the dark, Daryl quickly backed the vehicle up with some encouragement from the back seat and we completed our set all in under 2 hours!

Dinner was served in the Mountain Lodge boma, the décor of which reminds one of the Zimbabwe ruins with its stone walls and wooden trim. The can-can chicken went down extremely well, as did a few glasses of red wine. Much animated conversation about our exciting evenings game viewing, raucous laughter and a few choice jokes accompanied the delicious meal. After dessert, we were entertained by the song and dance of the Mountain Lodge choir, a perfect highlight to end a perfect day in Africa.

Read more about Phinda Mountain Lodge and Phinda Rock Lodge on our website and contact one of our consultants if you want to book your very own Kwa-zulu Natal safari.

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We Rhino Africans are used to early mornings, what with morning shifts wh...]]>

We Rhino Africans are used to early mornings, what with morning shifts when at work and morning game drives when on safari. But even for our hardened bunch the four o clock start to our most recent educational adventure was a bit rough. So by the time we reached the pick-up point for the two Rocktail lodges, after our Cape Town to Durban flight and the road transfer thereafter. We were not quite our usual amicable selves. Yet our friendly drivers for the 30 minute transfer to the lodges soon turned our dispositions around. Any lingering grumpiness vanished at sighting the sea and being greeted with a cooling drink and a smile on arrival.

Our party of fourteen Rhino Africans was split between the stylish luxury of Rocktail Bay and the only slightly less luxurious Rocktail Beach Camp. The recently opened Rocktail Beach Camp with it's African themed main dining area, chilled out lounge and fully stocked bar, all a few metres from the large pool and with a view of the sea, played host to eight of us. Our accommodation for the night was in safari style tents, raised above the sandy dune soil and hidden amongst the thick coastal bush. Each ensuite tent was well equipped and has a balcony from which you could see the sea, albeit a little far away at 800 metres. I particularly enjoyed a warm shower to wash the travel grime off, with the curtains raised so I could look out over the forest toward the sea. Refreshed we returned to the communal area where supper was served on the covered verandah. Our plated starter of mussels went down well with the seafood lovers in the group and the buffet main was greedily devoured particularly the ostrich steak with cranberry sauce. Our evening continued well into the night, a few bottles of red and some exotic cocktails, including Dorenes 'suitcase' and accompanying grimace, soon led to a laugh-out-loud game of 30 Seconds. Ingos; “A card game, opposite of 'white tom'” (Black Jack) stands out from my, by this stage of the evening, blurry memory. Although I do remember conversation about hair in inappropriate places (HN, can you clarify?) and 'Max on top'.

At Rocktail Bay the other six members of the group were treated to stylish accommodation in wood and thatch tree houses just 80 metres from the beach and protected from the wind by a line of dunes and dense coastal forest. Each of the en-suite rooms features a large private deck, african themed interior and is raised above the sandy dune soil providing ample sea views. They went for a swim in the warm ocean water and followed a meandering forest walk on their way back. Refreshed and ready to go, they met in the elevated wooden main area for drinks. Later a delicious meal was shared by the local pair of bush babies who sat on the table and ate their own banana supper in the most civilized manner imaginable! Friendly service and a cosy atmosphere led to more drinks, animated conversation as only Rhino Africans can engage in as well as Anton picking up yet another new nickname courtesy of the ever imaginative David.

The next morning refreshed, rejuvenated and reunited at Rocktail Beach we headed over to the adjoining dive centre, which is a fully equipped PADI facility where experienced divers and absolute beginners are all catered for. A short drive down to the beach later, some lighthearted banter about our 'toite fitting' wetsuits as well as some awkward boat boarding techniques and we were ready for a snorkeling adventure. The water being a little rough for snorkeling on one of the area's many reefs we headed into deeper water in search of migrating Humpback and Southern Right Whales. Not only did we get to see both species in close proximity to the boat but were also treated to a display of acrobatics cum syncronized swimming by a large group of Spinner dolphins. Unfortunately, despite some of our teams efforts to feed the whales last nights dinner, when we entered the water ahead of the whales none of them where friendly enough to come closer. They do often investigate swimmers in the water, as if 15 metres from the boat wasn't close enough! but it is really luck of the draw, like hitting 21 in a game of white tom . Our amazing adventure at Rocktail had to come to end though and we reluctantly returned to the road again, richer for the Rocktail experience. Thank you to our very accommodating hosts for a memorable time!

View Rocktail Beach Camp or Rocktail Bay on our website, or contact a Rhino Africa consultant to organize a Kwa-zulu Natal safari.

 

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The focus of the world has recently been on Zimbabwe and the Elections which took place on June the 27th. Of course the negative fall-out from Zimbabwe's political situation is something we ...]]>

The focus of the world has recently been on Zimbabwe and the Elections which took place on June the 27th. Of course the negative fall-out from Zimbabwe's political situation is something we in the travel industry are concerned about and confronted with on a daily basis. With the safety and security of our travellors always foremost on our minds, I thought I should write to put everyone's minds at rest.

Although many travel agents, operators and travellors have expressed concern about visiting Zimbabwe and many countries have issued travel advisories. We wish to assure you that travelling to and staying at Victoria Falls is still and will always be safe and peaceful. Victoria Falls is a community very seperate from the goings on in the rest of the country. Seperated by land and philosophy we are assured by all our partners in Victoria Falls that time moves on there as calmly and peacefully as it always has. A safari including Victoria Falls will still be extremely rewarding. In fact with the launch of new activities, products and excursions, such as the Steam Train Bridge Run, Victoria Falls remains an exciting and stimulating destination. And of course the river itself flows on by oblivious!

A recent industry delegation from JATA (Japanese Association of Travel Agents) visited Victoria Falls over the weekend and have returned happy with what they have seen and determined to encourage their government to keep Victoria Falls on the lowest possible level of travel advisory. The feeling is universally that Victoria Falls should not be included in any travel advisory issued for the rest of the country.

The bottom-line is that while we definitely don't encourage a sight-seeing tour of Harare (unless you have a wicked sense of adventure) we still believe that Victoria Falls is not only a safe destination but also one well worth visiting.
 

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As if there wasn't already a dirge of activities to choose from when visiting the

As if there wasn't already a dirge of activities to choose from when visiting the Victoria Falls, now there is an entirely different way of viewing their glory. What better way to view the magnificent falls than standing on the historic Victoria Falls bridge, which spans the gap between Zambia and Zimbabwe? And what better way to be transported to the bridge than in an authentic steam train from Victoria Falls station?

Relive the forgotten era of the steam train, hark back to a time of g and t's, white pith helmets and Africa the dark untamed continent. And in this time gaze on the splendour that is 'The Smoke that Thunders'. Your journey back in time begins when you are picked up from your hotel in Victoria Falls Town and transferred to the Victoria Falls Station. There you will be met on a red carpet with a refreshing cool-drink before the old fashioned and authentic steam train journeys to the impressive Victoria Falls Bridge, a historical landmark that was completed in 1905. There is simply no better way to see Victoria Falls than from the exquisitely restored carriages of a classical early 1900 Safari Steam Train.

On the journey, rest in the splendour, luxury and comfort of the lounge or dining car. A selection of light snacks, a chilled glass of champagne, cocktails and of course the equally historic gin and tonic will be served by ever-attentive and fully liveried waiters on route. Once on the bridge feel free to disembark the train to wander along on this beautiful bridge, whilst viewing the majestic Victoria Falls with its breathtaking, picturesque gorge and the turbulent Zambezi River 110 meters below. This is a sunset adventure with a difference.

Another G & T? Yes Please!

And if this trip sounds to civilized for your tastes. There is always the chance to Bungi Jump of this bridge or to fly in a helicopter or microlight over the falls. Check out our Victoria Falls day tours for more information on whats on offer.

You can also view this tour information on our website.

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I recently had the privilege of spending a few days in Vumbura, an incredible experience in the heart of the

I recently had the privilege of spending a few days in Vumbura, an incredible experience in the heart of the Okavango Delta. Situated in the Moremi and Chiefs Island region, Vumbura offers a plethora of attractions and some stunning wildlife viewing.

I stayed at Little Vumbura for a few days - a small camp hidden on a pretty island surrounded by the floodplains and deep, clear channels of the Okavango. With only 6 tents in the whole camp, I certainly felt priviliged to be in such an exclusive location. The camp is part of a 60 000-hectare private concession which is teeming with game and I was lucky enough to spot a host of animals from the comfort of my private deck. Armchair game viewing doesn't get much better than that!

In just a few days, I saw a large herd of breeding elephants missioning through the floodplains, as well as 3 Bulls tackling a Jackelberry tree for fruit. I saw a 400 strong herd of buffalo and 5 hyena on a buffalo kill. Buck were in abundance - I came across 5 big herds of Kudu, countless impala and a giant herd of male Lechwe. Hippo were grazing near my doorstep, zebra and wildebeest were quenching their thirst at the watering hole while giraffe eloped around through the bush. Throw in a kaleidoscope of different birds and you have a wildlife experience to rival any other!

If Little Vumbura is too intimate for your liking (or simply full) you always have the option of checking into Vumbura Plains, the flagship camp which is an excellent choice for groups and overlooks the spectacular Kaporoto floodplain. At both camps, the food and service was top-class and I was treated to many a culinary feast during my short stay. With food like this, and animals within touching distance of your private deck, there is almost no need to go on a game drive!

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