Jetsettersblog

Uncharted Africa Safari Company and its co-founder, Ralph Bousfield, one Africa’s best-known safari guides, will be offering their Bushmen Initiation Safari. Between April and September 2011, guests will have the opportunity to witness and participate in a fascinating and rapidly disappearing Bushmen ritual carried out just as it has been for nearly 30,000 years. Guests on this adventure of a lifetime will spend eight nights with the Bushmen, with the option of extending their stay to include Jack’s Camp and the enigmatic Tsodilo Hills, a place of deep spiritual and religious importance for the local people.

Bousfield and Uncharted Africa Safari guests will accompany the Juhoasi people as the young men in the tribe attempt to make the transition to manhood, demonstrating their survival skills and animal tracking abilities. This journey takes place in a ruggedly wild area where there are no roads, just elephant paths and game trails to follow. Bousfield promises there will be “a huge amount of camaraderie, lots of laughs, but most of all, no one knows what will happen.”

Bousfield’s passion for the bush started at an early age, having learned from his legendary father, Jack Bousfield, an African pioneer who grew up on safari, worked with some of the best hunters and trackers, and survived six airplane crashes. The Bushmen Initiation Safari is available for $1,430 per person per night for a minimum of eight nights, extended trip options not included. This safari is available for groups of six to eight guests at a minimum of eight nights.

Founded in 1993 by Catherine Raphaely and Ralph Bousfield, Uncharted Africa was launched in the spirit of Ralph Bousfield’s father and pioneering African adventurer Jack Bousfield and is dedicated to Jack Bousfield’s vision of bringing travelers to the otherworldly Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana. For more information, visit www.unchartedafrica.com

A paradise for nature lovers, Tanzania’s big game and varied landscapes also make it an ideal destination for budding photographers of all ages to learn how to turn holiday snapshots into memorable photos.

To encourage enquiring minds to look at the country with new eyes, leading family adventure specialist The Adventure Company has introduced a new Safari & Spice – Young Photographer holiday this summer, aimed at families with children aged six upwards.

The 11-day trip will combine hands-on learning with a classic African adventure around Southern Tanzania. On the photographic safari families will make the most of the local wildlife and culture as they go on game drives in Mikumi and Saadani National Parks, visit vibrant markets and explore the winding streets of Zanzibar’s Stone Town.

Accompanied throughout by professional photographer Gail Ward, guests will have ample opportunity to learn the basics under her expert guidance and receive detailed feedback along the way. With a maximum group size of 16 and a series of wild photo challenges to help put these new-found skills into practice, families will return home with a new insight into some of the continent’s greatest wildlife and most exotic locations.

Staying in comfortable lodges throughout, great care has been taken to keep the balance between learning and holiday right. Whilst the tuition will closely follows the GCSE / Key Stage 4 Curriculum, Tanzania’s backdrop of mountains, national parks, white sand beaches and colourful cultural influences will undoubtedly prove a more stimulating classroom.

Claire Wilson, mum and Managing Director of The Adventure Company, explains: “The key to keeping the whole family stimulated on holiday is to combine must-see highlights with other memorable experiences so that everyone returns home inspired by what they’ve seen and done. Photography is an ideal way for children to learn to look at the world with fresh eyes and we hope our new family photography trip to Tanzania will help boost their confidence whilst encouraging them to get creative.”

Prices for the Safari & Spice – Young Photographer trip, departing 20 August 2011, start from £2649 adult / £2489 child. This includes international and domestic flights, transport, accommodation (2 nights hotel, 2 nights safari lodge, 3 nights tented lodge), most meals (8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 5 dinners), expert tuition from a professional photographer and an experienced local group leader.

To find out more about The Adventure Company’s family photography holiday call 0845 287 1198 or visit www.adventurecompany.co.uk

Kamu Lodge, an adventure camp on the banks of the Mekong River near Luang Prabang, Laos, has launched a two-day river journey deep into the heart of Lao culture and a Buddhist way of life that has remained almost unchanged for centuries.

The traditional Lao long boat embarks at 9 a.m. from Luang Prabang and journeys upstream to Dan Village, a secluded place where locals are working to rebuild a Buddhist pagoda.

The next stop is Doun Khoune, the private shrine of King Sisavangwatana, the last king of Laos. This is followed by a visit to the Pak Ou Caves, where devotees have left thousands of Buddhist icons over the years.

“Buddhism is as much a part of Lao history and tradition as sticky rice and fish sauce,” said Kurt Walter, group general manager of Apple Tree Group Hospitality. “Seeing these shrines and holy places up-close is as near as you can get to the soul of this country, to what makes the people tick. It’s not just a religion, it’s a whole way of life.”

After the caves, guests will have a traditional lunch at a local restaurant before re-boarding and visiting two more villages, populated by the Hmong and Kamu people. The Hmong are Christian and believe in shamanism, while the Kamu are animists and pray to the souls of the forests. Guests will have the opportunity to visit local homes and schools, and engage with the locals, whose friendliness and hospitality are well-known.

In late afternoon, the boat docks at Kamu Lodge, a one-of-a-kind base camp that combines the comforts of a hotel with the cultural traditions of Laos and an environmental sensibility. Two hours north of Luang Prabang, the lodge is secluded and does not have TV or wireless Internet.

A gourmet dinner made from local ingredients is served overlooking the Mekong, and guests spend the night in soundly constructed safari tents that come with en-suite bathrooms, balconies, hot water and electricity from solar panels.

“Kamu Lodge is fully committed to a low-impact experience, but that doesn’t mean we skimp on comfort, whether with our excellent mattresses, fully stocked bar, or the fixtures we’ve added to the long boat to make sure you travel the Mekong in style,” said Walter.

Guests can also try planting rice, fishing and archery in a field shared with the neighboring village. The next morning after breakfast, the boat returns to Luang Prabang. The package prices starts at $237 net per person, based on twin occupancy and includes accommodation, full board, river and shore excursion, as well as guide fees. For more information, contact Sales and Marketing Director Santisouk Phimsavanh at smdl@appletree-asia.com.

Fordoun is situated in the green pastures of a successful Nottingham Road dairy farm on the popular Midlands Meander arts and crafts route, and has a history dating back to the 1800s. Today it is an impressive state-of-the-art leisure and spa retreat, where the air is crystal-clear and smog and traffic are echoes of another lifestyle.

Traditional spa treatments run alongside treatments with an African flair as well as consultations with an African Traditional Healer,Dr Elliot Ndlovu, who is both Inyanga (medicinal healer) and Sangoma (spiritual healer)specialising in the wisdom and healing powers of Africa. Guests can also enjoy walking tours of Elliot’s garden that has over 120 different species of healing plants.

If one needs a break from all the relaxing and pampering, there are endless opportunities for exploration on the Midlands Meander including adrenaline pumping Karkloof Canopy Tours, Horse Riding, Hot Air Ballooning, golf and mountain biking. Guests can also enjoy gentle walks around the grounds, ride mountain bikes along designated routes through the Fordoun estate or try fly-fishing on one of the three still waters on the Fordoun grounds, or, in season, in the pristine waters of the nearby Bushman’s or Mooi River.

For full details visit
http://www.fordoun.com

The Middle East/Africa hotel development pipeline comprises 432 hotels totaling 118,454 rooms, according to the February 2011 STR Global Construction Pipeline Report. “The main activity of hotel development in the region takes places across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman,” said Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global. “Selected markets will see more than half of their current supply entering the markets over the coming years. Whilst the long-term prospects for the region are good, the new supply will create more challenging market conditions for the short term. We see a more diverse offering coming into the markets, which were so far dominated by the upscale to luxury properties.”

Among the markets in the region, Abu Dhabi, UAE, will report the largest increase in supply (89.4 percent) if every one of the 13,405 additional rooms in its total active pipeline open. Other markets to expect significant increases in existing supply include Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (up 77.2 percent with 4,831 rooms in its total active pipeline); Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (up 50.5 percent with 3,033 rooms); Muscat, Oman (up 49.5 percent with 1,931 rooms); and Dubai, UAE (up 49.2 percent with 28,474 rooms). For more information, visit www.strglobal.com

Goway Travel’s AfricaExperts is offering a South Africa package that ties in with “The Bachelor” season finale with Brad Womack, which took place in Cape Town, South Africa. The package will feature the One&Only hotel on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, with views of Table Mountain, which was featured in the TV series, as well as Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, which was also featured in the program with a romantic encounter at the Chalkley Tree House, which is built around a majestic, 500-year-old Leadwood Tree with views across the game-filled plains, a 20-minute drive from Lion Sands Lodge.

Guests are driven to the treehouses at dusk and served a champagne picnic dinner. They are then left alone to enjoy the African dusk and absorb the sounds and sights and the beauty of the bushveld night. They have lamps and a spotlight for picking out game in the bush below before turning in to sleep under the stars, safe and sound in their treetop aerie. At dawn, guests are collected by the game ranger who looks after them throughout their visit and taken for a morning game drive that includes a bush breakfast in one of the many bird and animal hides scattered through the reserve.

Clients booking two nights at Lion Sands Lodge can take a free third night with a complimentary upgrade to the treehouse. Clients booking two nights at the One&Only in Cape Town get the third night free. Since 1970, Goway has been providing travel experiences to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and island destinations. Goway has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia. For information, call 800-245-0920 or visit www.africaexperts.com

Legend Golf & Safari Resort has been awarded No. 1 golf resort status on the African continent by the respected African Business Review magazine.

The multi-award-winning leisure venue, situated at the heart of the Big 5 Entabeni Safari Conservancy in the Waterberg area of Limpopo, has added yet another prestigious accolade to its portfolio of industry acknowledgements.

Legend was hailed as the Continent’s Best Golf Resort in the February 2011 edition of African Business Review and its world-class Signature Golf Course was declared “truly spectacular” by the acclaimed industry publication.

Beating off illustrious competition from Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club, Egypt’s Taba Heights and Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate in the Review’s rundown of the top 10 golf resorts in Africa, Legend Golf & Safari Resort scooped first place thanks to its “thrilling” world-famous Extreme 19th golf hole as well as its innovative 10-hole Tribute Course.

The continent’s No 1 golf resort title is just the latest in a long line of awards for the South African sporting destination. It scooped the World’s Best title in the category of best golf course at the highly prestigious and fiercely contested 2010 International Property Awards and was named Africa’s leading sports resort and South Africa’s leading golf resort at the 2010 World Travel Awards.

For more information about Legend Golf & Safari Resort go to www.legendgolfsafari.com

About the Legend Lodges, Hotels & Resorts group

The Legend portfolio encompasses the rich diversity of Southern Africa: her people, culture, breathtaking scenery and abundant bird, marine and animal life. Legend Lodges, Hotels & Resorts, with its head office based in Midrand, features game and safari lodges, country lodges, coastal hotels & lodges, and cultural villages and shebeens. The group operates throughout South Africa and in Mozambique.

Fieldskills Ltd, an international expedition company with a UK and Borneo base who are highly regarded for their adventure training, supporting safe fieldwork overseas, and providing rigging expertise so that TV crews can film in tricky spots, has come up with an extreme alternative to the UK’s three peaks event, the Sabah three peak jungle challenge .

This 14 day trip, starting and ending in Kota Kinabalu Borneo, includes two days jungle training in the UK ahead of the start date. Challenge seekers will learn about tropical forest safety including living in a hammock, jungle survival skills, navigation and lost procedures. With the induction part over participants can set off for the real adventure of climbing the three highest peaks in Sabah, North Borneo testing out skills learned in the UK.

Whilst all three peaks have been climbed before, Mount Kinabalu the highest is well visited, the other peaks of Trusmadi and Tamboyukon are very rarely visited. These two lower peaks offer a far greater challenge in terms of remote expedition experiences. And no one has tried to do all three in one expedition until now.

Fieldskills UK based director, Dominic Hall who is running this expedition, said: “Our first peak, Gunung Tamboyukon, is the most rarely climbed. This is the third highest peak in Sabah. This will take us four days of jungle trekking, camping in remote spots to get up and down. Then we will continue to Trusmadi, a beautiful and again fairly rarely visited jungle peak which offers beautiful views across to the final peak, Mount Kinabalu. From here we take the less touristy and dramatic Mesilau route to the summit.”

Furthermore adds Dom: “As with all our trips we will put everything into place with qualified mountain leaders with many years climbing experience in Borneo, the State’s top mountain guides, well thought-out food and supplements and all the right equipment for adverse weather or emergency response. Still only time will tell exactly what will happen!”

If you are up for the challenge it costs £1795 per person and there are two dates on offer: Sat 22nd October and Sat 5th November.

For information, further questions and booking details:
www.fieldskills.com/adventures . Email: admin@fieldskills.com . Or ring 0845 293 7296

Fieldskills Ltd, an international expedition company with a UK and Borneo base and who are highly regarded for their adventure training, supporting fieldwork overseas, and providing rigging expertise so that TV crews can film in tricky spots, have joined up with desert explorer Sam McConnell to offer this unique desert trekking expedition.

The trek at Wadi Nasb near the coast and wind its way up onto the El Gibi plateau and across past the ancient ruins of the Nawamis finishing at the oasis of Ein Hodra.

Travellers will live with and like the Bedouin, a way of life that hasn’t changed since the Old Testament.

Fieldskills UK based director, Dominic Hall, said: “This expedition is about spending time in the environment, not a marathon trek across the desert. It’s a chance to learn new skills about living and working in the desert and about the desert environment itself. Alongside this will be the challenge of living out of basic campsites, trekking around 15km a day and the peace, quiet and beauty of the desert.”

Explaining how the days will be organised Dominic added: “We’ll wake just before sunrise and after a quick cup of tea and a biscuit we will load up and head off. The morning trek is the most important as we have to find shade by midday. We walk three to four hours, depending on terrain and ability of group, and then lay up during the heat of the day. After a large brunch we will have time to go over the mornings trek and recap on any questions. As the afternoon starts to cool we will walk a further two or three hours, before finding a good camp for the evening.”

For anyone looking for a very different holiday experience, learning about and experiencing this fabulously beautiful desert environment then this Sinai adventure is perfect. It costs £1250 per person. The trip date is planned for November 2011

For information, further questions and booking details:
www.fieldskills.com/adventures. Email: admin@fieldskills.com. Or ring 0845 293 7296

For itinerary details please visit: http://www.fieldskills.com/Adventures/Desert.asp

If you want to extend your stay and see more of what Sinai has to offer we can organise:
• PADI open water dive course at one of the World’s leading dive sites.
• A day’s snorkelling and a night at Ras Mohammed.
• Climb Mt Sinai or St Catherine’s with a visit to the world’s oldest surviving monastery.
• Two day camel handling course with an astronomy evening.

Details of trip leader – Sam McConnell:
Sam is a reknowned desert explorer and expedition leader. He has led 78 safaris in Namibia as well as working in Sinai and around the world. He is perhaps best known for his solo, unsupported walk across the Dune Sea of the Namib desert in 2002. You can find out more about Sam on his website: http://sam-mcconnell-expeditions.com/#/about-sam/4532824571

While many potential visitors shy away from planning a summer visit to Africa, Tour de Jambo Africa CEO Samuel Mwangi says the summer months are a perfect time to visit. Tour de Jambo Africa has put together a 10-day safari that promises the best of Kenya and Tanzania’s premier parks.

In Kenya, the tour will visit the Lake Nakuru National park and then proceed towards Masai Mara, Africa’s most celebrated game park. “The great wildebeest migration is a spectacle to behold,” said Mwangi. “The migration is a highlight for any visitor to Kenya in July and August of each year.” In Tanzania, Ngorongoro Crater is said to have the world’s densest population of lions. In Lake Manyara, lions have developed a liking for residing in the branches of trees, where they can both sleep and watch for prey. The Serengeti is notable for its large migratory herds of wildebeest and zebras with strings of predators in trail. The Ngorongoro crater also offers amazing wildlife viewing and scenery.

Tour De Jambo Africa Ltd is a San Francisco Bay Area-based African travel operator that specializes in tours of Africa and African safaris. They welcome visitors to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, Zambia, South Africa and many other tour destinations in Africa. For more information, call 866-329-7923 or visit www.tourdejamboafrica.com