Fun Wildlife Trivia

Check your African wildlife knowledge with this fun trivia from our May newsletter:

1) A group of giraffe is called a tower or a journey.

2) A group of baboons is called a troop or a congress.


3) A group of lions is called a pride. 


4) A group of cheetah is called a coalition (but cheetah are normally solitary animals so this is a bit of a tricky question!).

5) A group of crocodiles is called a bask or a float. 


Watch this space for more fun wildlife facts from Africa Easy!

Ilse on safari in Botswana!

Ilse, Africa Easy's safari consultant and operations manager, headed to Botswana last month for a wonderful and educational safari in the Okavango Delta and Northern Botswana. Ilse, a native South African, was happy to be back on African soil! Read on for her first-person account of her travels and some of the highlights of her trip!

I loved being back in Africa, and the first thing that hit me was that smell - the bush, the soil, the air. And then the sounds. Everything is alive and well!

 

I have never been in the Delta, so lifting off from Maun was quite the experience for me (see photo left), I was stunned at how beautiful the water was, and the expanse of it. Paul Maloseng, our K&D host for the week, was sharing insights and pointing out game from the word go. It takes a while to get your eye keen again.

 

Our first big sighting was a leopard, perfect setting, all evasive and beautiful. The guys with the big guns took some great pictures of the leopard peeking through the leaves. Lovely Elephant sightings too, right next to the road!

 

We stayed at African Bush Camp - Linyanti, and got to see the sights where they are setting up Ebony and the mobile camp. Next up was Kanana, where we shared the waterways with the big game - an elephant wading across a few feet in front of our boat, seven hippo watching us from an adjacent waterway - and the smaller guys - painted reed frog, African Jacana and other waterbirds. Nothing beats sundowners on the Delta, with the fish eagle calling in the back ground!

 

We stayed at Shinde - probably my favorite camp of the 4 "regular" camps we visited. Saw lion, hyena, lechwe, zebra, giraffe,hippo, blue wildebeest. We were entertained with bush stories till late at night.

 

Footsteps Camp was my favorite overnight of all, for how unassuming it is - the prefect spot to spend with a family, and the camp staff do it all without running water or electricity. Paul is clearly very proud of his camp and I could tell that kids would have the time of their lives there!

 

Okuti in Moremi was our last stop, and we danced the night away :) Great cheetah sightings and we heard lion roaring in broad daylight, but they eluded us.

Indaba, the African travel industry's massive trade show in Durban, South Africa was an experience that far exceeded my expectations.  I was very impressed by the value of the interactions with others in the same industry, and by all the new things there were to learn. Many moments of "aha".

 

Photos by Ilse de Villiers

Great New Cape Town Tour - Spring Wildflowers!

August and September are peak months to view the blankets of wildflowers that cover the Western Cape just outside of Cape Town. If you are a nature-lover, be sure to ask Africa Easy to include this private, full day tour in your custom South Africa trip when traveling in August or September.



WEST COAST WILDFLOWER PRIVATE FULL DAY TOUR
9:00 - 16:30

This morning after breakfast we depart Cape Town, travelling on the West Coast Road towards Mamre and the Weylands Wildflower reserve.  This 80ha reserve is estimated to contain approximately 300 species of flowering plants from the yellow Ixia and the little yellow Geissorhiza to the Flax, which gives the veld its very pretty blue haze. We travel through the quirky town of Darling en-route to the Tinie Versveld Private Wildflower reserve. Originally owned by the Versveld family, who shared a love of nature, the reserve was donated in 1958 to the National Botanical Institute due to its conservation importance.  Our next stop is the West Coast National Park, where the azure waters of the Langebaan lagoon play host to thousands of migrating seabirds. We enjoy lunch near here (own account) before departing for Cape Town where we stop at Blaauberg Beach for iconic views across the bay of Table Mountain.

Migration Update from Tanzania

East Africa's Great Migration is the movement of three species of herbivores through Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. The herbivores are following the rains and, in turn, the soft green grass that they eat. The Migration, which is comprised of 200,000 zebra, 500,000 Thomson's gazelle and 1.5 million wildebeest leading the show! It is truly a sight to behold! 


This time of the year, the Migration can be found in the Southern and Central Serengeti NP in Tanzania. As of this month, the largest concentrations of herds can be found just north of the Ndutu region near the Kusini area and Kusini Camp - just inside the park boundaries. Sightings of massive herds of zebra and wildebeest have been reported, and with the migrating herds come incredible predator sightings. With the rains approaching, the migration will continue into the Central Serengeti and will soon be found in the Seronera area.


SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK is the most famous wildlife park in Tanzania and is contiguous with the Masai Mara National Reserve in neighboring Kenya. There are literally millions of hoofed animals on the endless plains of the Serengeti. The wildebeest is the chief herbivore of the Serengeti and also the main prey of large carnivores such as lions and hyenas. Some of our favorite camps in the Serengeti include Mbalageti Camp, Kirawira Tented Camp, Mbuzi Mawe and Migration Camp - depending on the time of year, each camp can be ideal for viewing the migrating herds. Our Tanzania & Zanzibar Safari is an excellent option for great game viewing in Tanzania!

Nadia's West Africa Highlights!

Africa Easy's Nadia Eckhardt just returned from an expedition cruise to West Africa! Read on for her highlights of the "Explorer's Africa Voyage aboard Prince Albert II from Cape Town to Dakar"



West Africa was magical and a real exploratory adventure! I loved every minute of it :) It is very hard to single out some of the highlights....but the Catamaran Cruise out of Swakopmund, Namibia was special...an abundance of Bird life (including some very friendly Pelicans!), lots of curious seals and dolphins. The weather was glorious, our guides excellent and the Oysters and Champers added a very special touch! 


Cascata Sao Niocolau, or the St. Nicholas waterfall, located up high in the scenic mountainous region on the island of Sao Tome.  Shortly after our visit to the waterfall we toured the Monte Cafe coffee plantation and the chocolate factory....a real treat!


It has been years since I set foot on Principe and once again I had the pleasure of visiting the remote and picturesque Bom Bom Island Resort. We spent a wonderful day, snorkeling, hiking, birding, swimming and kayaking and exploring the town of San Antonio on Principe. 


A first for me.....we walked in on a traditional Vodoo Ceremony about an hour outside of Lome, Benin.  It was fascinating watching this very traditional scene but best part of all for me was entertaining and playing with the Kids after the Ceremony. We met and spent time with so many warm and welcoming people throughout our voyage along the coast of West Africa. 


We traveled in the lap of luxury while aboard Prince Albert II and once on shore we were taken care of by some very knowledgeable and experience guides including our team in The Gambia.  Here we are just before our last Zodiac landing to St James Island. 


Photos by Nadia Eckhardt.

Lodge Feature: Xugana Island Lodge

Xugana Island Lodge, located in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, is one of Africa Easy's favorite spots and has recently been rebuilt and completely updated. The lodge is situated on the shaded fringe of the island, and accommodates just 16 guests in reed and thatch lagoon-facing en-suite chalets with private viewing decks. As a water camp, the traveler's experience requires additional love and attention from the staff. There is a very special team of Batswana working at Xugana – who love their newly rebuilt camp – and are excited to welcome and extend their hospitality to each and every guest.

The rooms and the main structures have all been completely re-thatched and there is a new coat of paint and new Letaka walls where needed. Each room has been fitted with new sliding doors. The décor is fresh and features a “retro –Africa” feel and fits perfectly into Xugana. The greatest feature is the brand new and most expansive decking, both in front of the lodge as well as at each room.  The open-sided thatched lounge, bar and dining areas are set back under the ebony and African Mangosteen tree canopy. The swimming pool, located within the mature gardens in the centre of the island, is a perfect place to relax.  


At Xugana Island Lodge, travelers can either explore the delta by motorboat, mokoro, or take leisurely walks on surrounding islands in the concession. This provides the opportunity to experience a classic Okavango Delta safari. Birdwatching opportunities are outstanding, and fishing for bream and tigerfish is offered.


Our Best of Botswana Tour features the newly updated Xugana Island Lodge - come explore this Delta favorite with Africa Easy!

Hidden Wildlife Gems in Botswana

Botswana is famous for its amazing wildlife and limited numbers of travelers - and that's why it is one of our favorite safari destinations here at Africa Easy! While Botswana does have excellent national parks like Chobe National Park, there are also many private game reserves that carefully limit the number of travelers and keep the game viewing an intimate experience!


THE OKAVANGO DELTA is Botswana's premier attraction and an enormous oasis in the middle of the great Kalahari Desert. The Okavango River rises in central Angola, flows southeast across Namibia's Caprivi Strip before entering Botswana. The 'Delta' consists of roughly 6,000 square miles of intricate waterways and reed-lined channels interspersed with game-rich islands, creating a diverse ecosystem that supports the greatest concentration of game in Africa. In this desert country, the abundant water attracts vast quantities of wildlife, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, elephant, zebra, antelope and innumerable birds, which also provides largesse for the several groups that have fished and hunted here for centuries. The Okavango's islands are home to many of these private reserves and some of the best game viewing in Africa!


Our Best of Botswana tour visits several private reserves where Africa Easy travelers will be among just a handful of guests in the reserve. Game viewing in the private reserves is done by traditional mokoro or motor boats (if you are staying at a water camp), on foot and in 4x4 safari vehicles. 


Outside of the Okavango there are other excellent game viewing opportunities that also allow travelers to stay away from the crowds and explore the wilderness in near solitude. One of our favorite camps in the Makgadikgadi region is Leroo La Tau. The camp offers just 12 rooms and is an ideal base for exploring the park, game viewing and enjoying night drives. 

Contact Africa Easy for more information on planning a safari to Botswana's hidden gems!


Images courtesy Africa Easy and Leroo La Tau.