The itinerary includes three nights at Tongabezi and Sindabezi in Livingstone, home of Victoria Falls; three nights at Chongwe River Camp in the Lower Zambezi for game-viewing and tiger-fishing; five nights at Norman Carr Safaris’ camps in South Luangwa Valley; and three nights at Kaya Mawa on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi.

Groups can opt for an alternative itinerary beginning in June, which will stay at luxurious houses and villas, such as Norman Carr Safaris’ Chinzombo, Tongabezi’s Tangala House, Chongwe Safaris’ Chongwe River House and Kaya Mawa’s Ndomo Point House. The program is available May 11-Nov. 10. All-inclusive rates start at $9470 for the 14-day package.

28th March 2013, Royal Geographical Society, London – join Colonel John Blashford-Snell as he hosts an illustrated lecture to celebrate the 200th anniversary of one of the most popular national heroes of the late 19th century, Dr David Livingstone.

Born on the 19th March 1813, this explorer, writer, missionary, medic and anti-slavery campaigner rose from humble beginnings in a Lanarkshire tenement to become celebrated as “Africa’s first freedom fighter.” His work gave him almost mythical status as a wonderful example of a rags to riches success story and even today his influence is seen and felt across swathes of Africa.

The seasoned explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell will be celebrating the life of this extraordinary man through an in-depth illustrated lecture during which time he will endeavour to reveal who the real Livingstone was, his achievements, his failures and his legacy today. He will be recounting some of the rich stories from the doctor’s adventures in Africa, from his many encounters with lions and his discovery of Mosi-oa-Tunya (“the smoke that thunders”) which he renamed Victoria Falls, to the fascinating account of how his body was returned from East Africa to London. An expert in the life of Livingstone’s contemporary, Henry Morton Stanley, the Colonel will also retell the famous moment when the two gentlemen reputedly met and the famous words “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” were uttered.

Having studied the life of Livingstone for many years, John Blashford-Snell recently had the opportunity to revisit Zambia with boutique hotel and eco lodge group Mantis where he fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the place where Livingstone died. This visit has inspired a project to conserve the Livingstone monument for future generations and as such it will be the benefactor of funds raised on the evening.

It is wonderfully appropriate that this lecture should be held within the home of British Exploration – The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) as it was the RGS which supported Livingstone on his many expeditions and it is they who, to this day, still proudly have a section of the tree underneath which his heart was buried and his hat in their archive collection. During the event these artefacts including Stanley’s compass, which is owned by Colonel Blashford-Snell, will be on display.

Following the lecture there will be a short auction including some rather inspiring auction lots to raise funds for Colonel Blashford-Snell’s charity, the Scientific Exploration Society. The Society will be helping to preserve the memory of Livingstone by raising money to refurbish the memorial where Livingstone died.

The evening is being hosted by The Mantis Collection who are passionate about preserving and celebrating Africa’s history and who proudly represent two properties based at Victoria Falls and upstream on the Chobe River www.stanleyandlivingstone.com www.zambeziqueen.com . Supporting the event are London based tour operators Original Travel who create tailor-made luxury holidays around the globe. Original Travel will be offering their expert advice on travelling in the steps of Livingstone in and around Zambia and they will be sharing suggested itineraries of how you could run your trip. Mantis and Original Travel will be offering a 10 night ‘Luxury Zambian holiday – In the Footsteps of Livingstone’ as part of the auction to raise funds for the SES.

Tickets cost £20 pp and include a complimentary drinks & canapé reception before the lecture. To purchase tickets contact Lucy@ses-explore.org or call Lucy at the SES on 01747 853353. Send SAE and cheque made payable to Scientific Exploration Society, Livingstone Event, Expedition Base, Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 9PB.

The five-star Tongabezi will open its new 3,875-square foot luxury chalet in June. The chalet goes by the name “Dog House” because a portion of the proceeds from renting it is donated to help save Africa’s endangered wild dogs. The new construction replaces the former Dog House, which was razed after it was severely damaged by fire.

The Dog House has two large bedrooms with a dining/living area between, a double-sided fireplace and an infinity plunge pool. The bedrooms are raised nine feet from the ground at the edge of the river. The rooms are air-conditioned, or can be ventilated with open air by sliding back glass doors. The Dog House rents for $720 a night all inclusive.

Tongabezi also rebuilt its Tree House, a suite built into the branches of a riverine ebony tree. The house has a pine deck and is suspended over the water of the Zambezi River. It is furnished with air conditioning, a king-sized canopy bed with mosquito netting, Anatolian carpets, Asian chests and West African artwork. The room is offered for $620 a night on a fully inclusive basis, with all food and drinks except for some wines or champagnes. Activities are included in the rate, such as canoeing, a picnic on Livingstone Island, a candlelit dinner on a floating Sampan, a visit to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, sunrise and sunset boating, visits to Victoria Falls, guided bush walks, a tour of the Livingstone Museum, fishing, game drives and shopping at local markets. Museum and park fees are extra.

The chalets come with valets who are on call at all hours to take care of the needs of guests. The property is managed with a green ethos, with timber from sustainable forests in Zambia’s copper belt, water bottled through the Vivreau system without using plastic bottles or cans, and water that is used run through filters and re-used for irrigation. Each chalet is unique, including the Honeymoon House, the Bird House, the Tree House, the Nut House, the Garden House, Tangala House, River Cottages, and in June the rebuilt Dog House.

The lodge is offering a package commemorating the bicentennial of David Livingstone, the first European to discover Victoria Falls. The package includes extras that are usually priced as additional services. It includes a picnic on Livingstone Island, a World Heritage site on the Zambezi River; a visit to the David Livingstone Museum and a tour of the city of Livingstone following the footsteps of Livingstone with an expert guide, with shopping opportunities in local markets where Africans sell handcrafted jewelry, textiles and souvenirs.

She said that Zambia does not have adequate stocks of cats such as leopards and lions hence the decisions to ban the hunting of the species.Lions are found in all of Zambia’s major parks, but their numbers are limited. The total population is thought to be between and 2,501 and 4,649.The ban comes as conservationists warned that wildlife populations now face a greater threat from poaching than at any time since the 1980s.

-Ends –

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Pure Safari is a specialist tour operator covering east Africa that has the experience and expertise to create the perfect trip. All of the accommodation that Pure Safari offers has been carefully selected to meet and exceed high standards in travel and tourism. We believe that each of the properties we recommend should also be playing an active part in developing responsible and sustainable tourism within their field, without having to compromise the overall experience. As a fully independent operator, Pure Safari offers clear impartial, unbiased advice. Come and experience Africa the Pure Safari way.

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Rhino poaching has been a heightened threat Africa since 2009, with almost two rhinos per day killed for their horns. Stakes are high. Hundreds of rhinos are killed each year and their horns taken to be used to manufacture aphrodisiacs that are sold abroad. African rhinos are now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Continued poaching will inevitably lead to their extinction. The killers have enhanced their methods in recent years, making them more effective in killing rhinos. But the dog units have proved highly effective in halting the practice. When the dogs are brought into an area, the news spreads among poachers and crime syndicates and poaching drops dramatically.

“My team of guides and trackers work closely with the dog units, providing additional eyes and ears out in the bush,” said Mark Broodryk, head guide at Singita Sabi Sand. “As a result of the rhino crisis, we have learned to operate differently.”

Balancing conservation with the development of communities surrounding each of Singita’s reserves has been at the heart of Singita’s philosophy from its beginning. Each Singita lodge employs a dedicated conservation team focused exclusively on preserving the land and protecting the wildlife in the area.

A word of caution – many safari camps will have you up at dawn and out after dark to catch animal activity at its best, which isn’t always the most relaxing start to married life. A few days on the beach or somewhere quiet before safari proper is often advisable. Aardvark Safaris’ staff have been planning honeymoons for over 15 years and most have lived and worked in Africa, returning regularly to see new properties and revisit old favourites. When it comes to honeymoon planning, we offer only the finest camps and lodges, the best guides and most exciting holidays – we pride ourselves on being a veritable treasure trove of safari secrets.

Aardvark Safaris’ pick of the bunch for 2013 honeymoons:

Beach and bush – South Africa and Mozambique: Combine superb game viewing in the Kruger National Park with barefoot luxury on Mozambique’s gorgeous coastline. This classic combination includes the excitement of tracking the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo) with some of Africa’s top guides and beach properties to rival any in the Caribbean or the Far East. Go now and benefit from a favourable Sterling/Rand exchange rate. Combine the glamorous and chic Chitwa Chitwa – of which says Chris Haslam, Sunday Times, ‘if David Attenborough and Donatella Versace had an affair their lovechild would be Chitwa Chitwa’ – with Azura Benguerra for the most unforgettably romantic start to married life. Bride stays half price and a complementary massage is included at Chitwa Chitwa

Cost from £7,880 per couple. Includes full board accommodation, internal transfers, safari activities and complementary massage at Chitwa Chitwa. Excludes international flights. Brides’ half price special applies to stays of five nights or more at Azura and excludes 20th December to 11th January.

Safari and spice – Tanzania and Pemba Island: Combine a safari in one of Africa’s largest, and wildest, game reserves with culture and relaxation on the colourful spice island of Pemba. The Selous is home to a handful of classic tented safari camps and Sand Rivers is one of the finest – set on the bend of a river in full view of all manner of animal goings-on. You can walk, game drive and take boat trips here so plenty of chance to come face to face with the famed wildlife of the area. Fundu Lagoon on tiny Pemba Island provides a glorious retreat from day to day life but also the perfect base from which to explore this jewel-like island. Take a spice tour, enjoy a sunset dhow cruise or simply relax on the beach watching the world drift by. Honeymoon offer includes three free nights, complementary massage, surprise private dinner at Fundu, private game drive or boat trip.

Cost from £6,696 per couple. Includes full board accommodation, internal flights and transfers, safari activities, fishing, canoeing, snorkelling, windsurfing.

Modern twist on an old classic – Zambia and Malawi: This slightly different take on the winning bush and beach formula combines Zambia’s gloriously empty-of-people yet full-of-wildlife national parks and Malawi’s jaw-droppingly beautiful lake. Start at Victoria Falls in Tongabezi’s honeymoon house before heading to the Lower Zambezi National Park and Chiawa, an old world classic tented camp with superb guides and understated luxury – think roll top ball and claw baths overlooking the Zambezi River and you get the picture. Then off to the beach on Likoma Island – a little dot in the middle of the lake where Kaya Mawa sits on a pristine white beach where the warm, gin-clear waters of the lap gently at the shoreline. Stay in idyllic thatched cottages dotted along the beach or built up into the rocky shoreline. Utter perfection. The Bride stays for free on the fourth night at Kaya Mawa.

Cost from £8,040 per couple. Includes full board accommodation, internal transfers, all safari activities and a variety watersports at Kaya Mawa. Excludes international flights.

O.A.R.S. financed the first decent of Africa’s legendary Zambezi River over 30 years ago, and they are going back to Africa with this eight-day expedition, combining four days of exhilarating Class IV-V rafting on the Zambezi River with three days on Safari in Botswana. T

he Zambezi is one of Africa’s most famous and daunting rivers, and is considered one of the ten classic rivers of the world.

The group will put in on the Zambezi at the base of Victoria Falls, a breathtaking waterfall and one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Over the course of four days of rafting, the group will tackle rapids like “Morning Glory,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Oblivion,” “Gnashing Jaws of Death,” and “Ghostrider.”

After the final rapids have been run a scenic helicopter ride will take the group back up the magnificent Batoka Gorge to Victoria Falls, and back to civilization.

The group will then head from Zambia into Botswana for three days of safari in Chobe National Park. Daily game drives will provide a chance to see Botswana’s diverse wildlife, including lions, hippos, giraffes, impala, water buffalo, crocodiles, and one of Africa’s largest populations of elephants.

The trip includes skilled professional guide service, transfers, all meals, all activities and equipment, park fees and permits, three nights of catered camping, and four nights of comfortable lodge accommodations.

To learn more visit oars.com or contact O.A.R.S. Private & Charter Trips Manager, Carrie Aronson at 1-800-346-6277ext. 4786.

The lodge was in competition with 1,000 properties for the award. It is the only property in Africa this year to win a WLHA award. The award is only given to properties operating in a luxury niche market.

Stanley Safari Lodge is less than two miles from Victoria Falls and stands on a hill bordering the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and overlooking unspoiled wilderness. The spray from the falls is visible from the lodge. The open-sided Main House is designed to create an impression of space and vistas and connection to the African landscape. Each cottage is individually designed.

With the reduction the price of the package starts from $3,899 per person, including internal and trans-Atlantic air and all taxes departing from Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Charleston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh and Washington, D.C.

The price is $3,999 from Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis and Seattle.

The package includes four nights at the five-star Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa while exploring Cape Town, and three nights in the African bush while staying at the Madikwe Safari Lodge in the wildlife rich Madikwe Game Reserve.

It includes all airfare, fuel surcharges and flight taxes, one dinner at Azure Restaurant at the Twelve Apostles Hotel, a helicopter flight along the Atlantic Seaboard either to or from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Air Charter flights from Johannesburg to Madikwe and return to Johannesburg, a complimentary 30-minute Spa Treatment at Madikwe Safari Lodge, morning and afternoon game drives, bush walks and many meals.

The package includes roundtrip flights from most major U.S. cities to connect with international flights and international flights from New York (JFK) or Washington, D.C., on South African Airways as well as all flights within South Africa and all ground transfers.

Seven breakfasts, three lunches and four dinners are included, including one dinner at Azure Restaurant at The Twelve Apostles Hotel, as well as a 30-minute spa treatment at Madikwe Safari Lodge, transportation in luxury air-conditioned vehicles and services of rangers and trackers.

The offer is valid for travel on selected dates in February, March, April, May, August and September 2013. And optional Victoria Falls extension is available for $1,490 per person. The package includes one night at The Michelangelo Hotel in Johannesburg, regional flights Johannesburg/Victoria Falls/Johannesburg, two nights at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and two dinners, a guided tour of Victoria Falls and a Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River.

The nine-day “Botswana, Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe” is priced from $4,499 per person after the discount.

The trip explores Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, as well as Victoria Falls. This upscale adventure features the new Banoka Bush Camp in the Delta, the historic Victoria Falls Hotel and the renowned Davison’s Camp, set on a private reserve within the Hwange National Park. Lead by the company’s safari guides, the trip includes game drives in open 4-by-4 vehicles, Mokoro canoe excursions, bush walks and night game drives.

The $500-per-person discount can be combined with the company’s other offers, including Family & Friends savings of $50 to $300 per person when three or more guests travel together.

In addition, members of General Tours Rewards earn a $100 booking bonus whenever their clients take advantage of this pay-in-full offer.