Stunning Safari Moments: Kruger National Park, South Africa
Posted by Emma Torry on September 22, 2009 at 02:40 PM
The Kruger National Park is home to around 145 species of mammal, which includes an estimated 1,500 lion, 12,000 elephant, 2,500 buffalo, 1,000 leopards and 5,000 rhino (black and white). So, spotting the "big five" is a big possibility.
With all its flora and fauna, the Kruger offers some of the most stunning photographic moments. Here we pick a few of our favourites.
Leopards are usually so shy, and primarily nocturnal, so this shot taken in the Kruger National Park captures a rarely seen leopard moment.
You probably don't immediately associate Ground Hornbills with South African safaris, but this bird is gorgeous, and looks like she's all dolled up for a night on the town. Loving the yawning hippo - incredible colours, reflections and light. A lioness flirts with the camera.
A zebra rolls in the dust, and although the zebra would disagree, we think this little lion cub is almost too gorgeous to be true...
Adult elephants in the Kruger National Park protecting their young.
A Kruger elephant stands alone.
A Nile crocodile offers a look at the more sinister side to the Kruger National Park.
Two giraffe silhouetted against the South African sunrise.
Red Billed Oxpeckers get to work on a giraffe hide - they feed exclusively on the backs of large mammals.
In a rare moment, a male lion shows a cub some lion love.
Two endangered Black Rhinoceros stand and deliver.
Photo Credits: All Kruger National Park photographs by Arno & Louise via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Okavango Delta has the best safari conditions in 45 years!
Posted by Emma Torry on June 17, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Our friends over at Black Tomato are roaring with excitement because Botswana's Okavango Delta currently has the best safari conditions in 45 years.
The Okavango Delta is enjoying the highest water levels on record since 1963, and more water = more game. So right now is the time to cash in your holiday time and travel to Botswana.
The current tip top safari conditions mean that visitors can go by boat into parts of the delta that are normally unreachable - seeing the wildlife in a way that is usually near impossible. You can even explore the flood plains and spot game in a traditional mokoro canoe.
Black Tomato is running a special offer on Okavango Delta safaris (in case you needed any more reason to pack your bags and go): 7 nights for the price of 6, saving £400 per person.
Unparalleled safari conditions, incredible wildlife, papyrus swamps, reed plains and a luxurious camp at the Vumbura Reserve - sounds pretty perfect to us.
A 7 night safari costs from £5,380 pp (save £400 pp), including international and internal flights, 7 nights' Full Board accommodation, park fees, game drives, mokoro/boat trips, laundry, and taxes. For more information, visit Black Tomato.
Photo Credits: Okavango Delta, Botswana by Sara&Joachim and Sunset on the hippo pool by lawmurray via Flickr (Creative Commons).
If Money Were No Object: Helicopter Safaris in Southern Africa
Posted by Emma Torry on December 12, 2008 at 05:15 PM
By Jay Martin
This is the first in a series of posts that will examine the travel habits of the ultra wealthy, those who are only concerned about where they are going, not how much it will cost.
As the global economy sinks further into turmoil, the stress of watching an investment portfolio lose seven figures in a month is causing old money and nouveau-riche alike to look ahead to their next extravagant holiday. And with angry employees and investors beating down their doors, we might soon see a deluge of luxury travellers taking to the skies in search of a suitable getaway to help them forget about their temporary problems.
While the wealthy may travel to the same locations as the budget-conscious, chances are they will see it through different eyes. Take South Africa, for instance. Most visitors to this country will never view Africa's largest saltwater estuary from the cockpit of their own private helicopter. They will never enjoy a picnic lunch on the pristine beaches of Kosi Bay, followed by some fly-fishing at the mouth of the estuary. That's because to do Africa in style, you need a lot of money and an appetite for travel that cannot be satisfied with typical fare.
At nearly 4,000 USD per day, per couple, Distinctive Africa offers a Southern African experience of rugged luxury that whisks guests by helicopter to some of the roughest terrain on earth, only to return them in time for a multi-course dinner of Pan-African cuisine and African wine on the veranda of their luxury resort. According to the Distinctive Africa website, helicopter safaris offer the discerning luxury traveller the chance to see more of Africa in a shorter period of time, and from a vantage point reserved usually for the vultures.
For the wealthy, travelling Africa by helicopter makes perfect sense. Distinctive Africa describes helicopter travel as the safest means of travel in Africa, and the easiest, as most destinations are only otherwise reachable by a long, dangerous journey in an off-road vehicle. The helicopters they use are among the most fuel efficient available and the commonly-used EC-120 utilises "fan in fin" rotor technology that makes them quieter than most helicopters and ideal for tracking and viewing wildlife.
The phrase "helicopter safari", however, might not conjure an entirely accurate image of what actually takes place. Most think of safaris as an opportunity to track African wildlife in their natural habitat, and then shoot them. Helicopter safari guides instead offer wildlife viewing and most use the helicopters only to reach the destination, where guests transfer to sport utility vehicles to more closely observe lions, gazelle and other wildlife. Some companies that offer hunting use helicopters to track wildlife that has been shot from the ground. For the right price, those interested can hunt directly from the helicopter. A recent trend, called "green hunting", allows guests to shoot animals with tranquillizer darts, wildlife researchers then swoop in and tag them, all without killing the animal.
One of the key parts of luxury travel is having someone else take care of everything, and the all-inclusive luxury helicopter agencies in Southern Africa spare no detail. Because helicopter travel removes the hassle of moving groups of people and their luggage from place to place, guests can choose a single luxury resort to serve as their African base of operations. Helicopters move fast, and patrons of luxury helicopter safari services can see many sites and cover a lot of ground, all in one day and without having to wake up early. Whether it is fly-fishing, golf, first-class wildlife refuges or the Victoria Falls, guests need only choose how they prefer to experience both the rugged and lavish sides of Southern Africa.
WHO TO CALL:
Distinctive Africa – Phone: +27 31 205 5500; Website: www.distinctiveafrica.com
The Safari Company – Via the online form at www.thesafaricompany.co.za
5th Dimension Safaris - Phone: + 27 (0)12 811 0331; Website: www.5thdimensionsafaris.com.
WHERE TO STAY:
Singita Lebombo (Kruger National Park) – Features morning and evening game drives, a health and leisure spa, and a 12,000 bottle wine cellar. Phone: +27 21 683 3424; Website: www.singita.com; Email: singita@singita.com.
Phantom Forest (Garden Route) – Eco-friendly resort features rooms on stilts above the trees, four-course dinners prepared with local, organic fare, and views of the indigenous forest and mountains. Phone: +27 (0)44 386-0046; Website: www.phantomforest.com; Email: reservations@phantomforest.com.
Photo Credits:
1) Co Pilot by mickeymox via Flickr (Creative Commons)
2)Not Quite a Safari Camp by sanctu via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Travel+Leisure has rounded up India's best wildlife safaris.
This caught my attention as I was lucky enough to visit Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park last March. In just two days and over two safaris I saw four tigers. One solitary male and three cubs. It was, quite simply, incredible.
The male was walked right in front of our jeep after waking up from his afternoon siesta (see photo above). We spotted him again later in the afternoon with a kill. The three cubs were playing in the afternoon sun as their mother was away hunting.
If you decide that Ranthambore is a must for your India travel itinerary there are several fantastic luxury tented safari options. The Oberoi and the Aman have both set up shop on the outskirts of the park. A cheaper option is Ranthambhore Bagh run by Aditya and Poonam Singh. This is where I stayed and, although not as luxurious as the Aman or Oberoi, it is fun and relaxed with food that's out of this world.
Here are Travel+Leisure's "10 Amazing Indian Safaris":
Hemis National Park, Ladakh
Best for: Snow leopards, Tibetan argali sheep, Ibex, Urial (a wild mountain goat), Blue sheep, chukhar, snow cocks, golden eagles. More...
Sasan-Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat Peninsula
Best for: Asiatic Lions, leopards, hyenas, pythons, jackals. More...
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
Best for: Tigers, spotted deer, wild boar, jackals, painted storks (300 bird species overall), plus impressive ruins, forts, and temples. More...
Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Best for: One-horned rhinoceros, tigers, (wild) elephants, wild buffalo, monitor lizards, and water birds like the bar-headed goose, grey-headed lapwing, and spot-billed pelican. More...
Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Best for: Tigers, swamp deer, mongoose, leopards, wild boar, golden jackals, 300 bird species. More...
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats
Best for: Giant Malabar squirrels, (wild) elephants, guar (giant bison), bird life. More...
Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Rajasthan
Best for: Storks, cranes, eagles, and hawks, pythons, porcupines, wild boar, nilgai (literally 'blue cow'), India’s largest native antelope. More...
Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Best for: Tigers, leopards, nilgai, hog deer, wild boar. More
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, boarders Bhutan and Assam
Best for: Tigers, water buffalo, rhinos, (wild) elephants, golden langur (a rare orange-furred monkey), Bengal florican (an endangered two-foot-tall bird). More...
Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand
Best for: Tigers, wild elephants (as opposed to the ones you can ride), crocodiles, 600 species of birds. More...
Photos:
*Kaziranga Rhino _IGP4259 by Ken McChesney via Flickr (Creative Commons); Bharatpur by yaatra via Flickr (Creative Commons); Corbett Tiger Reserve signage by Dena v.d.Wal via Flickr (Creative Commons); golden langur by spo0man via Flickr (Creative Commons)*
