Week 11 – Cape Town Update

Hi all,

I know.. it’s been a while! Tuesday is my usual blog-day, but due to the fact that it was Freedom Day this week, I decided to postpone the update and treat you with a scenic photo of Zanzibar to start with!

Finally, I am moving to another apartment! Sea Point is a great area, but most of the Dutch people in the lodge are moving out this weekend, and since my apartment didn’t turn out to be very safe (hence the stolen camera and phone)  I’m glad to have found a place in Gardens/Vredehoek!
Even though it is a quiet area and seemingly far away from the centre, it is only 10 minutes away from Cape Town’s city bowl and a lot closer to African Travel Experts’ office as well. This is appealing since the trip from Sea Point to the office takes nearly an hour…

My weekend trip to Hermanus was great by the way. The weather was excellent and the Quad Biking tour was pretty spectacular.
A 25 km drive through the mountains with the most beautiful panoramic vistas you can imagine.
Hermanus itself is less than 2 hours away from Cape Town, and is a surprisingly lively town, especially along the boulevard.
You can even find a place to eat Dutch Kroketten en Bitterballen right by the beach:-)

Today; Queensday! Huge parties going on in Holland I bet, but in Cape Town, Queensday certainly will not be overlooked either!
Most Dutch people will be at Rafiki’s tonight, fully dressed in orange is the expectation. I’ll make sure to give you an impression next week!

Furthermore….I booked a ticket to Durban! I’ll start my trip with a friend from there on the 8th of July, passing through Swaziland on our way to Mozambique, from which we will make our way back to South-Africa to check out the world famous Kruger Park.
From Johannesburg, the plan is to take an overland truck that will take us through Botswana and Zimbabwe to “The smoke that thunders” Victoria Falls! You can actually view the Falls from both Zimbabwe as well as Zambia.
To be honest; I can’t wait to go….:-)

News about Queensnight in Cape Town and the rest of the weekend will follow next tuesday.

Cheers everyone,

Ivo

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Area of the week – The Garden Route

With rivers, gorges, lagoons, beaches and forest, it is understandable why the area between Port Elizabeth and Swellendam on South Africa’s coast is named the Garden Route.

With an excellent climate and plenty of activities this area of South Africa offers the visitor a selection of outdoor adventures, from Whale watching and shark cage diving, to forest walks and forest canopy tours, the garden route will keep you enthralled.

The area has grown in popularity and now boasts many excellent hotels, guest houses, lodges and game farms. It is still however an excellent place to get a bit of peace and quiet..

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Itinerary of the week – Ngorongoro crater & Lake Manyara

Please note that this is a suggested itinerary only … if this does not suit your needs, then we can tailor an itinerary that does.

Day 1
Depart Arusha in the early afternoon for the drive to the Ngorongoro highlands. Your afternoon is to be spent at your leisure and you will stay overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

Day 2
You will go on a morning game drive in the crater with lunch at the lodge. Depart to Lake Manyara in the mid-afternoon. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge.

Day 3
You will have a morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, followed by lunch and then depart to Arusha. Stay overnight at the Serena Mountain Village.

Day 4
Morning transfer to the airport for your onward arrangements.

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Area of the week – Lake Malawi and Niassa game reserves

Remote, wild and achingly beautiful are some of the words that can be used to describe the parks and reserves of Mozambique. From the untamed northern frontier of Niassa Game Reserve to the more central Gorongosa Game Reserve Mozambique’s wilderness areas are some of the most exciting developments in Africa today. Add to this the shores of Lake Niassa / Malawi and you have a combination of eco-systems to stand with the best Africa has to offer.

Mozambique’s parks suffered a great deal during the war years with Gorongosa, once Africa’s most naturally rich reserve, they were decimated by poaching and subsistence hunting. There was very little left of the wildlife at the end of the war but with peace and a great deal of investment, the park is quickly reclaiming its place amongst the elite of Africa.

Niassa in the far north of the country was less affected by the war because of its location but development was non-existent. Today it is one of the most exciting destinations in Africa with plans afoot to link it to the legendary Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and to expand to the shores of Lake Malawi / Niassa and the Manda Wilderness area.

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Week 10 – Sea Point

Hi all,

I know the picture above has absolutely nothing to do with Sea Point, Cape Town.. I just thought it looked nice!

My last blog was all about frustration due to the fact that my phone and camera were stolen..this week? it still is…;)

Just messin’, although I do have to say that the guy who most probably stole my phone and cam is now in custody, but as I expected, the lazy SA police is not exactly taking the trouble to interrogate him. I guess i’ll just have to accept that my stuff is gone, leaving me no choice but to buy a new camera soon:)

To ease the frustration, I decided to join my roommates on a roadtrip to Hermanus next weekend, a town just 150 km from Cape Town.
We’ll be quadbiking/sandboarding/shark cage diving, depending on the weather and availabilty.
I’m sure my roommates will bring their camera’s so that I can provide you with a more personal photo next week!

Btw, things are going well in Sea Point. The landlord decided to pimp the living room in my lodge! Besides new paint, new couches and a new TV area, they installed a Pool Table! Let’s just say it keeps us off the streets at night:-)

Cheers all, more news a.s.a.p!

Ivo

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Area of the week – Serengeti

The Serengeti is one of Africa’s most legendary wilderness areas and it is arguably the most recognized of all the iconic African names. The name inspires images of wide open plains, big skies and animals spread into the horizon. This is the coffee table book image of this great wilderness but there is a lot more to the Serengeti than the game-filled plains.

The Serengeti hosts the Great Wildebeest Migration for most of the year in its various regions. At the start of the November rainy season the great herds head onto the nutrient-rich southern plains of the Serengeti. It is here that the females give birth and where the herds will remain for up to four months.

When the grass and water are depleted the herds will head north in search of food and water. En route they will encounter countless predators and negotiate rivers that are home to some of the continent’s largest crocodiles.

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Itinerary of the week – Masai and Lamu Island Safari

Please note that this is a suggested itinerary only … if this does not suit your needs, then we can tailor an itinerary that does.

Day 1

Transfer by road from Nairobi to Amboseli Porini Camp, arriving for lunch. Go on an afternoon escorted walk with Masai warriors to visit a Masai village, gaining an insight into their way of life. Enjoy sundowners and a night drive in the Conservancy before dinner and overnight at Amboseli Porini Camp.

Day 2

Wake up for an early breakfast, before driving through Selenkay Conservancy and into Amboseli National Park for close viewing of elephant in particular and a full morning of game drives with picnic lunch. We return to Porini Camp in the afternoon. An evening game drive in Selenkay is followed by sundowners and a night drive. Stay overnight at Amboseli Porini Camp.

Day 3

Go on an early morning game drive before breakfast, and then transfer by road to Nairobi for lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant. Transfer to Wilson Airport and fly to the Masai Mara for two nights at the recently opened Mara Porini Camp in Ol Kinyei Conservancy, a private wilderness area on Masai community land. After an afternoon game drive and walk, enjoy sundowners and a night drive. Dinner and accommodation are at Mara Porini.

Day 4

Spend a full day in the Masai Mara, with a picnic lunch, on the look-out for the big cats for which Masai Mara is famous. Stay overnight Mara Porini camp.

Day 5

Enjoy an early morning game drive before breakfast and then fly back to Nairobi, arriving 12.15 at Wilson Airport in time to connect to the 13.15 flight to Manda Island. You will be met by staff and transported by boat to the lodge. Overnight at Kipungani Explorer.

Day 6

Spend a full day relaxing in and around Lamu and Manda Islands. Overnight at Kipungani.

Day 7

You have a full day to spend as you choose. Take advantage of the many activities and local visits available or just relax and enjoy the surroundings. Overnight at Kipungani.

Day 8

You have another full day to spend as you choose in and around the islands. Overnight at Kipungani.

Day 9

Transfer to Manda Island for the 16.00 flight back to Nairobi, arriving at Wilson Airport at 17.45.

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Week 9 – Africa’s other side

Yes, that’s me, wearing a colourful boardshort during my trip to Cederberg.
Back then, I still had the opportunity to take photos  and post them in my blog………….

As of last friday, I unfortunately can’t anymore, due to the fact that the friendly caretaker in my student lodge decided to STEAL my camera, and while he was at it, decided to take my mobile phone as well!!

The other side of Africa, so I found out..:-(
Some of my roommates were missing money in their rooms  a few weeks ago, and the caretaker was suspected since he was the only one who had access to the rooms.
The landlord decided to fire him because no one felt comfortable having him around anymore, although he never confessed to have stolen anything. Despite this agreement,  he could remain in his room in our lodge until he had found another place to live. Obviously, the room keys were taken from him and he wasn’t allowed to clean the rooms anymore.
Keeping him around wasn’t a good idea after all because somehow, not only my camera and phone are missing; so are a dvd player and 2 laptop’s from other people..After he was caught stealing a TV sundaynight, he ran away and he hasn’t been found yet.

Luckily he left his passport and all of his stuff in the lodge, so it’ll only be a matter of time before he shows up.
Anyhow,  if they find him, they might also find out where the stolen goods are.
Let’s just hope he didn’t sell them yet. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and keep you posted!;-)

The events of this weekend didn’t stop me from having a good time though.
2 nights of partying in the citybowl, a decent Braai at a friend’s place in Green Point and a relaxing beach-day at Llandudno beach near Hout Bay kept me occupied all weekend..

The trip to Namibia is most probably coming up the weekend of April 24/25!
We will be visiting Fish river canyon, the Ai Ais hotsprings, do some desert quad biking, sandboarding and of course; *pfff*..Hiking.

More news nxt week!

Cheers,

Ivo

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Photo of the week

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Itinerary of the week – Incredible Chobe NP Victoria Falls

Please note that this is a suggested itinerary only … if this does not suit your needs exactly, then we can create an itinerary that does.

Day 1

You will be met at either Victoria Falls airport (Zimbabwe) or Livingstone airport (Zambia) for your road transfer to the Chobe National Park in Botswana.

Spend two nights at one of our recommended lodges or tented camps either overlooking the Chobe River, or inside the Chobe National Park.

Days will be spent enjoying open 4×4 game drives, boating, fishing, and scenic wildlife viewing sunset cruises on the Chobe River.

Day 3

Transfer by road back to either Victoria Falls or Livingstone, where you will spend the next two nights at one of our recommended hotels or lodges. You decide whether you would like to stay on the Zambian or Zimbabwean side of  Victoria Falls, each of them having their own highlights.

Spend your days visiting the might Victoria Falls, and enjoying activities such as a flight over the Falls, elephant back safaris, a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, game drives and more….

Day 5

Transfer by road back to either Victoria Falls or Livingstone airports in time for your onward flight.

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