Victoria Falls from the air - weak flow

We have just got our hands on 2 last minute departure specials for budget Cape to Vic Falls Overland Tours!

When:

• 11 March

and

• 25 March

Which Tour:

21 Day Cape To Vic Falls Camping Overland

If youy are looking for a budget tour this is the one for you!

Enquire Now

Specials (between 10% and 20% discount off the tour price) on some really awesome tours that you might want to look at.  (Normal local payments apply)

Seats will sell fast, so don’t miss out on these amazing discounts.Send us an enquiry or feel free to email us on: info@escape4africa.com

20 Day Cape To Vic Falls Camping

Cape Town to Vic Falls Accommodated Overland

14 Day Discover Mozambique

BOOKING SPECIALS!

That is a saving of GBP 172 per person off the tour price.

You can also opt to do only a portion of the tour, either;
a) Livingstone to Swakopmund – 13 days
or
b) Windhoek to Cape Town – 11 days

Normal local payments and  terms and conditions apply.

Hurry and book whilst seats last!

• 56 Day The Great African Trek Overland South (Nairobi to Cape Town)
  Tour price – GBP 1075
  Local Payment – US$ 1160

• 56 Day The Great African Trek Overland North (Cape Town to Nairobi)
  Tour price – GBP 1075
  Local Payment – US$ 1160

• 42 Day Southern Explorer South (Nairobi to Cape Town)
  Tour price – GBP 805
  Local Payment – US$ 755
  
• 42 Day Southern Explorer North (Cape Town to Nairobi)
  Tour price – GBP 805
  Local Payment – US$ 755
  
• 32 Day Northern Overland Safari (Johannesburg to Nairobi)
  Tour price – GBP 675
  Local Payment – US$ 595

Generally speaking the best time really is during the dry season (May to August) in the Masai Mara. The Serengeti Park & Ngorongoro Crater are both great for game viewing but may be a bit quiet during this time, when most of the wildlife is further north in the Masai Mara. The wildlife more further north in pursuit of the wildebeest migration which reside in the Masai Mara from mid July to mid October.

Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha are just as rich in game viewing and a variety of bird life with the presence of their lake. Lake Nakuru is a particular favourite with ornithologists as it is home to nearly 2 million flamingos, pelicans and a variety of water and woodland birds. Not forgetting to keep your eyes peeled for the shy black and white rhino at home in the woodland and bushy regions of the park.

The wet season (November – February and March) bring both excellent game viewing and rain to the Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crate. It is at this time the wildebeest herds reside in this region for the birth of their calves. Nearly 400,000 calves are born over a few weeks in the summer. It’s amazing!

The Ngorongoro Crater has a variety of woodland, savanna, arid and forest regions making this a wildlife and birding haven. Hippos grunt lazily while zebra sip at the waters edge, accompanied by crowned cranes, saddle-billed stork, flamingo and pelicans, to name but a few.

If you have been in one of the game reserves of East Africa during the dry season, then you will appreciate the difference in scenery and colour.  The bush truly transforms into a kaleidoscope of colour and vibrant energy.

Popular tours best suited to experience the summer season game viewing in East Africa:

9 Day Serengeti & Zanzibar Trek (Nairobi – Zanzibar)

10 Day Best of East Africa (Nairobi – Nairobi)

12 Day East Africa Overland

13 Day Kenya & Tanzania Overland

Malaria is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a female Anopheles; a species of mosquito prevalent throughout sub-Saharan Africa and considered to be the most dangerous.

Only a small proportion of malaria infections are fatal, but children under five and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable due to their weaker immune systems. Malaria experts estimate that 1 to 2 percent of cases lead to fatalities.

But the figures are still astounding if you consider this:
Malaria kills over one million people each year. Each year there are over 300 million clinical cases of malaria, that is five times as many as combined cases of TB, AIDS, measles and leprosy. Malaria is responsible for one out of every four childhood deaths in Africa.

The high overall number of deaths from malaria reflects the regularity with which Africans, particularly the poorest segments of society, contract malaria. While the majority of healthy adults (who might be bitten up to twice a day by malarial mosquitos in the rainy season) withstand the malaria parasite, many children are hospitalized.

Distribution:

Accurately identifying malaria transmission areas is difficult. Within countries and even within regions in those countries, there are often malaria risk areas and other areas that may be free from malaria. Malaria risk areas are not static and may change with time, depending on factors such as rainfall and migration of infected individuals.

The below map is fairly accurate though.

Malaria distribution in Africa

Transmission also depends on the time of year, as many areas have seasonal malaria (including South Africa).

The most reliable way of preventing malaria is to avoid mosquito bites. It is more important than using preventive drugs. Malaria carrying mosquitoes feed between dusk and dawn both indoors and outdoors.

The following is advised:

• Remain indoors between dusk and dawn if possible, otherwise cover up.
• Wear long sleeved clothing (preferably light coloured), long trousers and socks.
• Apply insect repellent to exposed skin, repeat as recommended on the container label.   Avoid eyelids, lips, sun burnt or damaged skin, do not spray on the face and do not overdose young children.
• Cover / close doorways and windows with screens, and the same goes for your tent, keep the netting over the door and windows.
• Ceiling fans and air conditioners are very effective.
• Use a mosquito-proof bed net over the bed, with edges tucked in under the mattress.   Ensure that the net is not torn and that there are no mosquitoes inside. Essentially your tent can act as a big mosquito net, but then you must keep the tent flaps closed.
• You can spray inside the house / tent with an aerosol insecticide  (for flying insects) at dusk or burn mosquito coils if you are not 100% sure that you effectively kept them out.

Is prophylaxis necessary?

If an individual is travelling to a malaria area, it is important to determine whether he / she requires prophylaxis, or whether adequate protection can be provided by the regular use of personal protection measures as discussed above.

The decision as to whether prophylaxis is necessary is subjective.  It depends on the areas to be visited and the risk that the traveller has of being exposed to mosquitoes and of developing malaria.  The greater the traveller’s risk of contracting malaria and developing complications, the more likely it will be that prophylaxis will be necessary.

One of the following 3 regimes is currently recommended for use in South Africa:

•  Mefloquine (weekly).  Start at least one week before entering a malaria area.
•  Doxycycline (daily).  Start one day before entering a malaria area.
•  Chloroquine (weekly) PLUS proguanil (daily).  Start at least one day before entering a malaria area, but preferably a week before.

These regimes must be taken for FOUR weeks after leaving the malaria area.

List of resources:

• http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/factsheets/guidelines/malaria/prevention.pdf
• http://www.malaria.org.za/Malaria_Risk/General_Information/general_information.html

The town is surrounded by the Namib Desert on three sides and the cold Atlantic ocean to the west. Swakopmund enjoys a temperate climate and the average temperature ranges between 15°C (59°F) to 25°C (77°F) throughout the year. Rainfall is less than 15 mm per year (insanely little, hence it is a desert I guess), making gutters and drainpipes on buildings a rarity. The cold Benguela current supplies moisture for the area in the form of fog that can reach as deep as 140 km (87 mi) inland. The fauna and flora of the area have adapted to this phenomenon and now rely upon the fog as a source of moisture.

Skydiving airplane

Swakopmund is Namibia’s adrenalin capital, and offers a wide range of adventure activities from sand boarding and quad-biking to skydiving and camel riding; here are a few of our favourites:

Quad-biking – Professional guides will lead you toward the dune belt. The beginning of the trip is easier riding that gives you time to get used to the bikes. Then starts the exhilarating passage through the dunes towards the western side. The stark and savage beauty of the dune belt is captured in the 2 hour trip on our way to the “Sunset Dune”. The view over the Atlantic Ocean is stunning and offers  spectacular photo opportunities.

Sand boarding – Stand-up and Lie-Down sand boarding the African way is something of a MUST in Swakopmund. Speeds of up to 80km/hr can be reached!  All necessary equipment provided.

Sky diving – Once in the plane you will enjoy a 30 minute scenic flight. After exiting the plane at 10,000 feet, you will experience a 30-35 second free-fall at 220km/hr before the parachute is deployed. Another 5-8 minute glide follows whilst  descending to a tiptoe landing at departure point.

The Living Desert Tour – Top rated by many visitors! A unique 4×4 adventure drive through the dunes outside Swakopmund, Namibia. Just the drive in the dunes is an amazing experience, but will be shown you a lot more than sand. The tour takes you from the vegetated, life-rich eastern side of the dunes, right through the dunes to the Atlantic Ocean on the western side of the dune belt. Find out how the area’s plants and small animals survive the harsh climate, and how they obtain water for life. You will also track a FitzSimon’s Burrowing Skink across the dune face, in hopes of catching this legless lizard. At the end of the tour, weather permitting, you will experience a ‘roaring’ dune.

Sidewinder Snake

Welwitschia Moon landscape Tour – Explore the rocky granite valley, known as “The Moon Valley”, approximately 30km east of Swakopmund. This amazing landscape was carved out by the Swakop River over time and offers vast ever-changing landscapes.  Witness all the different features of interest including the desert adapted plants and any small creatures to be found along the way.

Eat, drink & be merry - Or simply just park yourself off at one of the many restaurants, cafes or bars and enjoy some truly unique Namibian and German food.

The Portuguese was first lured to the palm fringed shores and colonized the country in 1505; and the Gorongosa National Park became internationally famous during the 1960’s for its great game viewing and beautiful scenery.  But the long fought civil war, which began in 1977 and ended in 1992, claimed the lives of over 900,000 people, left 5 million civilians displaced and meant the country disappeared off the tourist beat.

Since peace and stability has returned to this beautiful country, it has lured visitors back from all over the world due to the warm and sunny climate, beautiful palm fringed beaches, untouched coral reefs and sleeply little fishing villages!  It makes for a great escape if you want to combine some of the National Parks of Africa with a beach destination all in one tour.

Have a look at our Facebook page (click here) for more photos and information on Mozambique.

Some of our favourite tours travelling to Mozambique are:

• 14 Day Discover Mozambique Camping Overland (Johannesburg to Johannesburg)

• 14 Day Beach & Bush Accommodated Safari (Johannesburg to Johannesburg)

• 17 Day Mozambique Transfrontier Camping Overland (Johannesburg to Johannesburg)
  This tour is for the adventurous as you travel through some of the more remote areas of Mozambique.

• 24 Day Southern Circle Camping Overland (Johannesburg to Johannesburg)
  The nice feature with this tour is that you get to see Botswana, Victoria Falls, Zambia and Malawi as well – an action packed itinerary.

“This is perhaps the funniest moment of my trip. We were on a safari at Chobe in Botswana. It was a lazy day in the park and there were a bunch of elephants roaming around and all of a sudden we see this “well hung” elephant march from across the field towards this other elephant. Little did we know that Mr. Elephant was trying to get his game on…. You’ll have to watch the video to find out if he succeeded.

Luckily, Daniel managed to get some of it on video and posted it on you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC8Wnladbys

Enjoy.“

No, it has always been there; governments around the world just had travel warnings out against their citizens traveling there for a while.  But we in South Africa all have our opinions on the political situation there, but I am here to talk about travel and not politics.

On my first visit to Zimbabwe in 1999 I was struck at the friendliness of the people, their soft spoken approach and the seemingly high levels of education for an African country.  A wise old man in a supermarket asked me where I was from, and told me that the writing is on the wall as things were slipping downhill.  At that stage I did not see what he was talking about; I just came from north up in Africa and Zimbabwe seemed very well organized and quite First World compared to most of the African countries I have seen up to that point in my travels.

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins was probably one of the most memorable experiences to Zimbabwe on that visit.  The train journey from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls was so comfortable, and seeing the might Victoria Falls for the first time was just awe inspiring.  Standing on the granite koppies (kopjes) in Motobo National Park you can see why Cecil John Rhodes chose it to be his resting place and where you can find his tomb, there is such a sense of peace and tranquility overlooking the African bush.

Matobo National Park

But the good news – companies are returning to this beautiful country and everyone is very excited about it; especially for the honest hard working people from Zimbabwe, they honestly do not deserve what they have been through in the last 10 years.

Two tours in particular stands out for me, and below are their itineraries in brief; please contact us (info@escape4africa.com) for more information or send us an enquiry.

• 16 Day Zimbabwe & Botswana Game Trail Camping:

Day 1 – 2        Kruger National Park
Departing Johannesburg at 06:30am we head north-east into the world famous Kruger National Park. We visit the remote & seldom visited northern part of the park from Satara to Pufuri. We enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in our safari vehicle and hope to spot lion, elephant, rhino and other animals in this icon of wildlife conservation.

Day 3            Great Zimbabwe
Entering Zimbabwe at the Beit Bridge border post, we travel to the town of Masvingo and the Great Zimbabwe Monuments. The well preserved ruins are some of the oldest and largest stone structures in Southern Africa and were built during the 11th to 14th Centuries. We explore on foot and wonder at the mysteries of these ancient stone structures and the civilization that built them.

Day 4            Matobo National Park
Moving on to Bulawayo and the Matobo National Park, we visit the core of the Matopos Hills, an area of granite koppies and wooded valleys. We set up camp on the outskirts of the park. This afternoon we explore the area on foot to see San Bushman rock paintings. The following morning we visit World’s View and the historical site of Cecil John Rhodes’ grave. Unusual rock formations in this area are also home to Zimbabwe’s rhino which we hope to see on our guided walk in the national park.

Day 5 – 6         Hwange National Park
Named after a local Nhanzwa chief, Hwange National Park is the largest Park in Zimbabwe occupying roughly 14 650 square kilometres. It is located in the north-west corner of the country, and is famed for its large elephant population. Our camp is in the game management area that borders the park, and we explore the park with our local guide, on a full day game drive in an open 4WD game viewing vehicle.

Day 7 – 8        Victoria Falls
We camp for 2 nights in the town of Victoria Falls. We enjoy a spectacular walk through tropical vegetation to the very edge of the “Mosi oa Tunya” or “the smoke that thunders” – Victoria Falls. There are opportunities to white water raft on the mighty Zambezi River, bungi jump or take a “flight of angels” (own expense).

Day 9            Chobe National Park
Entering Botswana, our camp is situated in the town of Kasane on the banks of the Chobe River. The river flows lazily along the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park attracting some of the largest herds of elephant in Africa. A highlight of any trip to the Chobe is the afternoon game viewing “sundowner” cruise where we hope to see a large number of elephants and other wildlife as they quench their thirst at the end of the day.

Day 10         Nata
This morning there is time for an optional (own expense) game drive in the Chobe National Park. Heading south through the Kasane Forest Reserve we make our way to the Nata area for our overnight stop.

Day 11         Maun
Our drive takes us past the Makgadikgadi Pans (area) en-route to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Maun, which originated as a cattle outpost, is now the capital of Botswana’s tourist industry, and is our base as we prepare for our excursion into the Okavango Delta. Our camp is situated on the banks of the Thamalakane River and after setting up camp we have a relaxing afternoon at the swimming pool.

Day 12 – 14         Okavango Delta
We transfer into the Delta by open 4WD game viewing vehicle where our local guides will take us deep into the heart of the Okavango Delta on Mokoro (dugout canoes). Being gently poled through the network of channels is an experience not to be missed. The Delta forms as rain water from the Angolan highlands flows out over the flat Kalahari Desert sands, forming a delicate, green oasis for birds and wildlife. We will camp wild on remote islands in this amazingly dynamic environment and enjoy bush walks, bird watching & swimming in the clear waters. Camping with our local guides we learn more about their lifestyle & culture. We return to Maun in the late afternoon of day 14 and have time for an optional (own expense) game flight over the Okavango, which will reveal a different aspect of the Delta.

Day 15            Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Heading south from Maun, we drive through the wide open spaces of the Kalahari Desert on our way to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary.  This is a community based wildlife project established in 1992 to assist in saving the vanishing rhino, restore an area formerly teeming with wildlife to its previous natural state and to provide economic benefits to the local Batswana community through tourism and the sustainable use of natural resources. We hope to spot some of the elusive rhino on an afternoon game drive.

Day 16            Johannesburg
Crossing back into South Africa, we make our way to Johannesburg were the tour ends in the late afternoon.

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

• 20 Day Classic Zimbabwe & Kruger Camping:

Day 1               Botswana – Francistown
The tour begins in Johannesburg where we load up the truck before heading northeast towards the Zimbabwe border. It is a long and fairly uneventful drive to Francistown, Botswana’s second largest city and the site of Southern Africa’s first ‘gold-rush’ back in the late 1800’s. Nowadays Francistown is a modern African city and home to many jazz-clubs and casinos making for some excellent nightlife.

Day 2              Zimbabwe – Hwange National Park
It is just under 100km from Francistown to the Zimbabwe border and within hours we arrive in Hwange National Park and begin some spectacular game viewing from an open 4×4 vehicle. At around 14650 square kilometres the Hwange National Park is the largest in Zimbabwe and home to one of Africa’s largest Elephant populations as well as over 100 other mammalian species and 400 different birds.

Day 3              Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls National Park
In the early morning there we will enjoy another game drive in the Hwange NP. After lunch we drive north to Victoria Falls where we will visit the Victoria Falls National Park in order to experience this magnificent natural wonder. The local people wisely use the expression ‘the smoke that thunders’, or Musi-o-tunya, to describe the unforgettable waterfall in the Zambezi River. We will also visit a local adventure operator to book activities for the next day. In the evening there are many excellent restaurants to choose from.

Day 4              Victoria Falls
Today there is an entire day free to experience some of the exciting adventure activities that are possible from this tourism town. While the White Water Rafting is one of the most popular activities there are many others on offer such as: Walking with Lions, Elephant interactions, Gorge swing, microlighting and scenic Helicopter flights.

Day 5              Zambia – Livingstone and Zambezi River
Today we cross over the historical railway bridge that links Zimbabwe and Zambia at the Victoria Falls. This bridge was completed in 1905 and was placed, at the request of Cecil John Rhodes, so that the spray from the falls could embrace the railway carriages as they crossed from one side to the other. Once in Zambia there will be a short stop to collect any additional passengers and then we have a long drive to reach the camp for the evening.

Day 6              Lower Zambezi National Park Canoe Trip
Today we will be beginning our canoe adventure in to the Lower Zambezi National Park. Starting early in the morning we will be taking the minimum of equipment necessary and ‘bush camping’ on an island this evening, surrounded by wildlife, including the hippo. This is a unique experience as we will be a long, long way from any form of civilisation!

Day 7              Lower Zambezi National Park
This is the second day spent on the mighty Zambezi River. As we are travelling downstream with the current the physical effort required to negotiate the river is not extreme and many happy hours can be spent simply drifting and enjoying the beautiful scenery, birdlife and company. At certain times of the year it may not be possible to canoe on the river due to extreme temperatures or water levels. In this instance the 2 days normally spent on the river will be swapped for a 2-night houseboat excursion on Lake Kariba.

Day 8              Zimbabwe – Chinhoyi Caves
In the morning there is a transfer through the Lower Zambezi National Park and back to the truck. All together again, we will pass through the Chirundu Border (sometimes a time consuming process) and re-enter Zimbabwe. From Chirundu it is not a long trip to Chinhoyi. Probably best known for cave diving, the Chinhoyi caves system is the largest publicly accessible cave system in Zimbabwe and reputably a ‘mysterious’ area.

Day 9              Harare and Chimanimani National Park
After visiting the caves it is a short drive from Chinhoyi to Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, where we will stop for some shopping, lunch and exploration. Although Harare has not had a lot of positive press in the last 10 years, many will be surprised at just how safe and accessible this small, modern capital is. After lunch we will be travelling to the Eastern Highlands and the Chimanimani National Park. The Mountain range that separates Zimbabwe and Mozambique is the site of some simply spectacular hiking and scenery and with time permitting we will take a short walk to the well-known Bridal Veil Falls in the late afternoon.

Day 10            Chirinda Forest
It is possible to spend another full day hiking in the Chimanimani, or take a day trip to Zimbabwe’s only rain forest on the Mozambique Border. Chirinda is the southernmost rain forest in Africa and home to some spectacular large mahogany trees. A short hike to ‘the big tree’ is a lovely outing and a fantastic spot for a picnic lunch.

Day 11             Great Zimbabwe Ruins
No visit to Zimbabwe could possibly be complete without visiting the world-famous Great Zimbabwe ruins. Dating from around the 11th century these iron-age ruins have been the source of much speculation and disagreement over the years. Built without any mortar some of the walls are up to 5 metres high and still standing after so many centuries. This site was also home to 8 carved Zimbabwe birds, the image of which is found on the Zimbabwean National Flag.

Day 12            Gweru and Antelope Park
This morning we drive to Gweru, home to a place called Antelope Park. This is a unique place and home to The African Lion Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) and the world’s first Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Programme. On arrival we have some time to relax and then decide on any of the optional activities available here. In addition to the Lion program there are also Elephants, horse riding, canoeing, fishing and a marketplace selling local crafts, including woven goods.

Day 13            Gweru and Antelope Park
We have a second day here in which to really enjoy all that is on offer. This is a fantastic opportunity to spend some quality time with Africa’s wildlife. In the afternoon we have an included walk with the Lions that are part of the rehabilitation and release program.

Day 14            Matobo National Park and Bulawayo
It is not a long drive to Bulawayo and the Matobo National Park (and also a World Heritage site) where we have a full afternoon of activities. Here we will visit the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, love him or not, he was a big part in Zimbabwe’s history. We will also be taking a game drive in the Matobo National Park, which is home to a very successful breeding program of Black and White Rhino. In the evening there are a number of local restaurants to choose between in Bulawayo.

Day 15            South Africa – Bulawayo to Messina
After a short visit to the Bulawayo Historical Museum we start the drive back to South Africa. We cross the border at Buitbridge, which can sometimes take a long time, and return to South Africa where we will camp at the border town of Messina.

Day 16            Johannesburg
Today we leave early for the journey South along the Great North Road for our final destination in Johannesburg, the City of Gold. We will gradually move up from the Bushveld and Baobabs of the Limpopo Province through citrus and maize fields to the heavily populated and industrialised Highveld and Gauteng Province, the powerhouse of Africa. We will travel through Pretoria, one of South Africa’s capital cities, before arriving in Johannesburg in the late afternoon. Tonight you have the option for a meal out at one of Johannesburg’s many excellent restaurants. Optional: Dinner Out

Day 17            Kwa Madwale Reserve
An early start from Johannesburg, we travel through the Northern Province of Mpumalanga en route to the breathtaking Kruger National Park. This afternoon we enter the Kwa Madwale Game Reserve just south of the Kruger Park. After setting up camp we enjoy a 3 hour evening game drive followed by local dancing and dinner. Look out for those shining eyes and keep your cameras ready!

Day 18            Kruger National Park
Today we start with a morning game walk before proceeding into the Kruger National Park. After setting up camp we enjoy an afternoon game drive from the comfort of our Nomad Truck. On the way keep your eyes open for more wildlife. Our truck gives us a more elevated view of the park, and the ability to spot big cats and other smaller game that can be hiding in the vegetation. Optional Activities: Night game drives with SANP Game Ranger (Subject to availability)

Day 19            Kruger National Park
Today we have a full day of game viewing planned in a Kruger National Park open 4×4 vehicle. This gives you some fantastic photo opportunities so keep your eyes open for Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino and Buffalo, known as Africa’s ‘Big Five’ as well as many other species of animals and birds.

Day 20           Panorama Route – Johannesburg
This morning we leave Kruger National Park on our journey back to Johannesburg. We travel along the spectacular Panorama Route. Blyde River Canyon is the 3rd largest canyon in the world, with breathtaking views of formations such as God’s Window and the Three Rondavels. We also see The Bourke’s Luck Potholes, which have been gradually eroded by the Treur River. Your tour ends on arrival in Johannesburg and most groups spend this last night together at a local restaurant. Optional Activities: Morning Game Walk with SANP, Dinner in a local Restaurant.