The beautiful 4th beach in Clifton Cape Town in South Africa. South Africa is home to the beautiful Kruger Safari Park
June 29, 2010
June 8, 2010
May 24, 2010
May 19, 2010
May 13, 2010
Hard work at the Kruger National Park
I’m heading back to Cape Town after 3 days of hard work in the Kruger National Park. It is hard to convince anyone that 3 days in the Park could be hard work but I will try.
The purpose of our visit was to acquaint ourselves with some new lodges around and reacquaint ourselves with some of our firm favourites. This is done through site inspections. Effectively what this means is we spend time at the lodge with the lodge managers, get a tour of the rooms, facilities and so get a very good feel for the lodges, who they will suite and what makes them unique.
So three days of site inspections, long drives, stunning breakfast, lunches and dinners, early morning game drives and bush walks and we are feeling a little tired. But as always when leaving on of South Africa many stunning areas, we are invigorated to share this experience with the world.
One thing that is common in all the lodges, bush camps and tented camps is the experience of Africa that you get on a Kruger Safari, unspoilt bush, vastness wilderness, brilliant sunrises and sunsets and the majesty of animals in their natural habitat. A Kruger Safari is an awesome experience – there is no other way to put it.
Over a drink or two at the Boma in the evening I always try to ask the other guest about their experiences. Without exception people are in awe of what they are in the presence of – unspoilt Africa. From the simple pleasure of sitting on the deck watching a watering hole to an exhilarating game drive tracking a leopard hunt the stories told are filled with a sense of wonder.
I’m sitting on a plane working on my laptop, I’m sure my phone will be ringing off the hook when I finally turn it on in Cape Town and my inbox is going to be flooded tomorrow morning when I return to the easy part of work – the office. I take solace in the fact that every now and then we can head off into the bush, turn off the phones, forget our busy hectic lives and sit peacefully and watch as a dazzle of Zebra lazily chew on some grass.
Kruger Zebra
Yes it is hard work, but I think it is worth it.
Let the African Travel Experts put your Kruger safari holiday (http://krugerpark.africantravelexperts.com/)
April 28, 2010
Cape Town Stadium
The newly built Cape Town stadium for the 2010 world cup in South Africa
April 22, 2010
April 15, 2010
Leopard Cub – Botswana
This cute leopard cub as seen in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
April 14, 2010
The Ivory Ban remains
March 13th was a huge day for Kenya and the Ivory Trade. Delegates from various countries got together to vote at the Doha convention, to make a decision regarding the proposed partial lift of the Ivory Trade ban. Tanzania and Zambia argued that they needed to sell off 112 tones of stockpiled ivory previously confiscated from poachers, while Kenya argued that a partial lift, even to sell off existing ivory, would send the wrong message to poachers.
Over the last few months, various organisations have argued both sides and opinions around the globe were heard, but at the end of the day a decision was made, and the Ban still remains. The UN’s wildlife trade organisation has rejected Tanzania’s and Zambia’s request to do one-off sales from their stockpiles and many people around the world, are relieved and happy about their decision.
“Traffic’s latest report shows that poaching and smuggling are rife in West Africa in particular, with several Asian nations complicit in smuggling. Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Thailand are picked out as the worst offenders.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8580245.stm
When asked what PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals – http://www.peta.org/) thought about the UN’s ruling their comments were as follows;
“PETA applauds the decision by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to deny Tanzania and Zambia’s proposed sale of 112 tons of ivory stockpiles.
The image of the ivory trade is a haunting one, lifeless elephant bodies strewn across the African savannah, their faces literally sawed off for their tusks, many of their family members likely watched helplessly as they died, some leaving orphaned calves behind.
Despite the 1989 ban on the international trade of ivory, insidious poachers and greedy ivory profiteers still drive the slaughter, laundering illegal ivory into markets abroad. Heavily armed criminals pepper elephant herds with bullets, often killing dedicated, protective park rangers in the process.
Any relaxing of the current ban on international sales of elephant ivory will open the door to more poaching and illegal trade. At stake in this critical matter is nothing less than the survival of the threatened African elephant. The legal sale of ivory would undoubtedly escalate poaching and illegal trade since it is nearly impossible to distinguish between legal and illegal ivory. A complete and unequivocal global ban on the trade of ivory is urgently needed to protect the world’s surviving elephants.”
It seems that the spotlight is still shining on this topic on a global scale and questions surrounding smuggling operations, crime syndicates and customs services are now being asked.
The only way we are going to be successful in protecting these big African giants, is if the laws protecting them are being forced. But if anything, the outcome of the Doha convention shows that the Ivory Ban is being taken seriously, and for now, actions are being made to keep it in place.
Written by Bernadette Wilson
April 6, 2010
Kariba Dam opens gates
The The Zambezi River Authority opened its floodgates to the Kariba dam wall a week early due to seasonly rains being heavier than previous years – this has given rise to fears that people down stream of the Zambezi River might not be ready for the huge surge in waters.
The Zambezi river athourity released this statement;
“Due to the persistent heavy rains experienced over the entire Zambezi River basin and also the expected continued rainfall as forecasted by the National Meteorological Services, notice is hereby given that two spillway gates will be opened 15th March 2010 at 12:00hrs, the gates will remain open until further notice.
The general public and communities living along the Zambezi River banks are kindly advised to take this notice seriously to avoid loss of life and property due to possible flooding. The Authority is continuing to closely monitor the situation.”
