Welcome to Africa

Kikoti Camp is a private sanctuary of some 10,000 acres right in the middle of the migration route bordering the national park. Kikoti benefits from being able to observe both the dry season migration towards the Tarangire’s waters and then the reversal, as this eco-systems wildlife turns around and disperse out over 20,000 sq kms.

Tarangire National park, famous for the huge and beautiful Baobab trees with nighttime opening flowers that await pollination by enormous nectar seeking bats, and vast herds of elephant that chew pithy bark to gain the valuable moisture content. Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu are all local specialities to this remote, region, and are obviously followed by a myriad of predators.

Delicious meals are prepared and will either be served in a large dining mess or outside as and when client’s individual schedule demands. Cold drinks are always available. The emphasis at Kikoti is on wildlife, culture, 4×4 open vehicle safaris, guided walking, night drives, and visits to game hides, rock paintings a masai boma and waterholes are all available.

The camp has 10 luxury-tented cottages all with en suite bathroom and private viewing decks. The luxury tents have been sited amongst the natural features of this landscape. The large twin/double bedded tents are discreetly sited and furnished with desk, wooden beds, coffee tables, chairs and wardrobes.

Source: Tanzania Accommodation

Migration

Certainly one of nature’s greatest spectacles, the great wildebeest migration around the Serengeti can be an awesome sight.

But visitors should beware … the migration is not a constant phenomenon and timing a visit to co-incide with the surges of activity that climax with the crossing of the Grumeti River is not so easy (usually early June and mid-November).

A more reliable and equally impressive time to visit is during the calving season in February. It’s certainly a favourite time of year for the lion of South Serengeti.

Africa’s Serengeti Migration is known as the greatest animal show on earth. Wild animals on the move blanket the African landscape as far as the eye can see.

Why The Serengeti Migration Occurs

Animals migrate because of rain or the lack of it. When a seasonal drought dries up grass and water supplies in one area, the grazing animals move on to the next area along the Serengeti migration route where seasonal rains are falling. As the Serengeti Migration map illustrates, the migration is annual and peaks in different areas at different times.

The Major Migrating Animals

Over a million wildebeests participate in the Serengeti Migration. Hundreds of thousands of zebra and Thomson’s gazelles join them. Although lions and other carnivores do not migrate with the grazing animals, they feast on them when their paths cross.

Here’s a simplified explanation of how the rains drive the migration…see the graphics below

The southern plains of the Serengeti are very fertile but they need rains to ripen the grass for a massive population of grazers.
The “short” and light rains fall in November and December (sometimes as early as October) and draw the migration rapidly south from Kenya’s Maasai Mara down the eastern side of Tanzania’s Serengeti into these sweet short-grass plains. Predators are in constant attendance.
The wildebeest and other ungulates settle in the southern plains between about January and April - usually the best time to see the migration in Tanzania.
In April and May the “long” or heavy rains set in and the depleted southern plains are less attractive than the long grass plains up in the western corridor and the migration has started moving north (westerly) again.
Large river crossings on the Grumeti and Mara Rivers occur as the migration heads back into Kenya’s Maasai Mara - the season dries out and fresh grazing and water can be found in the far north. The Mara is usually at its best in August, September and October.
Now if only the rains fell on cue!

Read Further: Toursit Information

Zimbabwe has two main “hubs”, namley Harare & Victoria Falls. There are daily flights into both destinations from Johannesburg. Most of the country’s tourist areas are easily reachable from these hubs, however there are a few that will require domestic air travel. Domestic air travel takes on two forms. The first is Air Zimbabwe scheduled flights, however these are not always ideal in terms of connecting flights but do work most of the time. The second option is charter flights. Charters allow for more flexibility and can also prevent overnighting in unwanted stops due to bad scheduled connecting flight times. Charter allows us to sell a product that works, but please remember that charter is always more expensive than scheduled flights and is also subject to a minimum of two passengers.

Zimbabwe has a well maintained road system that connects all the major areas of the country. Most of our transfers are done by road, however certain lodges cannot be accessed by road, due to location, and in those cases we make use of air transfers directly to the lodges.

Location:

Southern Africa. Zimbabwe is landlocked and bordered by South Africa in the south, Mozambique in the east, Zambia in the north, Botswana and Namibia in the west.

Area: 390 759 sq kms (150 873 sq miles) Capital: Harare (central north east)

Language: English, Shona and Ndebele

Time: GMT +2

Tourist attractions:

The Victoria Falls (world heritage site)
Lake Kariba (Matusadona National Park)
Hwange National Park
Mana Pools National Park (world heritage site)
Matobo Hills National Park
Eastern Highland

Business centres: Harare & Bulawayo

Health:

Most of the tourist areas in Zimbabwe are endemic malaria areas. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Visas:

All Commonwealth passport holders - except Australia and New Zealand do not require Visas. Most other passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival on payment of US$ 30. There are a few nationalities that require a visa prior to entry so please ensure that you check with the Zimbabwe consulate in your country

The different areas of Zimbabwe have different “best times” to visit. This is also dependent on what your preferences are.

Vic Falls:

The Falls are best viewed between February and June, when the Zambezi is in full flow. This is however the worst time for white water rafting, which is a major attraction in Vic Falls. The best season for rafting is when the water levels are low. This is usually August to December. The Falls are still spectacular during this period, but not in full flow.

Hwange, Mana Pools & all game lodges:

Travel to Hwange is centred on game viewing. This is best in the dry season as the inland water supply is low so it is easier to track the animals to main water sources. The bush is also thinner than it would be in the wet season, which makes it easier to spot animals. The winter (dryer) months are cold in the early morning and late afternoon, so please ensure that warm clothing is taken for game activities.

Eastern Highlands:

This area is mountainous and very lush and therefore the focus is on the outdoors. Keep this in mind when visiting this area as the summer months tend to bring rain. Winter in the mountains can be a bit cold so please ensure that the correct clothing is taken along.

Kariba / Matusadona:

This region is renowned for getting extremely hot and humid around the months of October and November. If visiting this area in that period, please try to stay out of the midday sun and be sure to take a wide brimmed hat.

Source: Tourist Information

The luxury African honeymoon is perfect for the couple looking for solitude and pampering after many months of hectic wedding planning. In South Africa, luxury honeymoons can be spent in any number of exotic locations, so the only decision newlyweds need to make is whether to stay in one place or several….

In the African bush, honeymooners can relax in the most luxurious suites at any number of our Luxury Private Game Reserves. Enjoy the attentions of private butlers who cater to their every whim, explore the wide-open spaces and abundant bird and wildlife on a late afternoon game drive accompanied by a professional game ranger and tracker. Then return to your lodge for a romantic candle-lit dinner under starlit African skies before retiring to your suite with in-room fireplace, king-size bed dressed in the finest mosquito netting … all adding to the romance of the bush.

Luxury is taken to yet another level in the cosmopolitan cities of South Africa, where hotels are designed to cater to celebrities, international dignitaries and VIPs. Here, staff members will go out of their way to create an unforgettable experience for honeymooners, ranging from a welcome champagne toast or a private hot air balloon tour of the city. South Africa’s Hotels also feature superior in-room amenities, leaving couples feeling wonderfully spoilt … which is what your South African Honeymoon will be all about

If you are ready to started planning your honeymoon, let us tailor make your pefect African Honeymoon Although our Featured Programms are specified at South Africa, we can create the perfect Honeymoon throughout Africa – perhaps in Botswana or Kenya, and taking a luxury Train to Cape Town !

Source: South Africa Safaris

What is Kruger National Park?

Spanning over 2 million hectares, Kruger National Park is the biggest game reserve in South Africa and is the safari destination of choice for over a million visitors every year. Located in the north east of the South Africa, it was first established in 1926 to protect the animals in the reserve from poachers, hunters and cattle farmers. Set in untouched natural wilderness and teeming with wildlife, it’s no surprise that Kruger National Park is renowned as one of the biggest and best natural game reserves in the world.

Why Go?

Kruger National Park safaris are massively popular; indeed, the park by a long way the favoured destination for safaris in South Africa. It’s easy to see why - the park is an animal lover’s dream come true. Kruger has large numbers of all of the ‘Big 5′ game animals (so called because they are the most challenging animals to hunt on foot): elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos. Any Kruger National Park safari is likely to give you an excellent view of some of these rare and remarkable creatures, as well as many of the other animals that live in the park (including thousands of giraffe, hippopotami and zebra) and over 500 species of bird.

These animals live in a great variety of habitats throughout the park; scrubland, savanna, sandveld, bushveld plains, forests and thickets are all present in the game reserve. In addition to being one of the biggest and most diverse parks in the world, it also has a superbly maintained infrastructure for visitors on Kruger National Park safaris. Dozens of companies run tours into the park (including both driving and walking safaris), and a range of lodges and campsites are carefully spread through Kruger, providing plenty of places to stay while maintaining the untamed wilderness feel of the park. If you want to go on a South Africa safari, Kruger National Park offers the perfect blend of accessibility, natural wilderness and diverse wildlife.

Transport and Accommodation in Kruger Park

Kruger National Park safaris are typically conducted in 4×4s, which are up to the challenge of negotiating the tough terrain, and hire cars are available for those who want to travel independently through the park. If you do decide to go independently, make sure you read up on the rules of the park (the most important of these is also the easiest to remember - stay in your vehicle at all times!)

While day trips are available to Kruger, most people choose to stay in the park itself as part of their South Africa safaris. A huge range of accommodation is available, from basic campsites all the way up to exclusive luxury safari lodges. Many of these luxury lodges, including the Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga lodge, are designed in a traditional African style, and all of them offer luxury comfort in gorgeous wilderness surroundings. The lodges in Kruger provide the best accommodation available for safaris in South Africa, and are a highlight of many people’s holidays.

Source: Article Base
South Africa Tours