Victoria Falls

There is no doubt that the Victoria Falls is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, and high on the list of places to be visited world-wide. The Falls are on the mighty Zambezi River, and at this point on the River forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Therefore visitors have the chance of viewing the magnificent waterfall from either country. Opinions vary as to which view is best – and there are merits to both arguments. With a length of some 1 700 metres, and a drop of 80 – 108 metres, Victoria Falls is definitely a spectacle. It is worth remembering though, that the Zambezi River’s flow changes on a seasonal basis.

At The Edge Of The Falls

The waters of the River start in Angola, and are thus at the mercy of the rainfall in the catchment area. Visitors can enjoy the Falls all year round, in terms of the beauty of the scenery, and the variety of activities in and around the River. Remember though, that the actual water levels (and thus the flow over the Falls themselves) varies greatly.

The water flowing over the Falls is at its greatest from April to June, and at its lowest from October to December. If you want to enjoy the incredible power and beauty of the waters then you want to look at travel from April to June – when you are literally drenched in the Spray, but this means that the famous River rafting is not available.

If you travel from July, you can enjoy rafting again, and still get an idea of the sheer size of the area that the Falls covers. You can also enjoy a lunch on Livingstone Island, close to the edge of the Falls. Which ever time of year you choose, there is a lot to do and see in Victoria Falls, and neighbouring Livingstone. The famous Doctor himself first saw the Falls in November of 1855, and still found them breathtaking!

Victoria Falls Aerial View

So please try them and enjoy!

Recipe 1:

Creamy butternut gnocchi

Ingredients
15 ml olive oil
6 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
300 g butternut, peeled and cubed
5 ml ground cinnamon
400 ml vegetable stock
125 ml fresh cream
1 kg ready made potato gnocchi
Parmesan cheese shavings, to serve

Method:
Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté spring onions and garlic.
Add butternut, cinnamon and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes or until butternut is tender.
Purée mixture until smooth, add cream and simmer for two minutes. Season to taste.
Cook gnocchi according to the packet instructions and toss in the sauce.
Serve sprinkled with shaved Parmesan.

Variation
Sauté 250 g sliced mushrooms with one clove of crushed garlic.
Stir in 250 g crispy bacon and serve with gnocchi.

End Result:

Creamy Butternut Gnocchi

Recipe 2:

Nut Slices

Ingredients
200 g Base: self-raising flour
230 g treacle sugar
110 g butter
110 g peanut butter
2 large eggs, beaten
150 g Topping: milk chocolate, roughly chopped
85 g peanut butter
100 g peanut brittle, roughly chopped

Method:
Oven temperature: 180°C

1. Base: Mix all the ingredients for the base until well combined. Spoon into a greased 23 x 23cm baking tin and press to even out. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through, but still soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

2. Topping: Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir in the peanut butter. Spoon the mixture over the cooled base. Scatter the peanut brittle over the chocolate.

3. Set aside to cool until the chocolate has set. Cut into 3 x 5cm slices. Remove from the baking tin and transfer to a cooling rack, then leave to cool completely.

We at Island-Safari have recently updated our Victoria Falls website. Our Victoria Falls Accommodation section has been sub divided into 2 categories, namely; Zambia Accommodation and Zimbabwe Accommodation.

In Zambian side of Victoria Falls we listed the below properties:

• Chundukwa River Lodge
• Zambezi Sun Hotel
• Thorntree River Lodge
• Waterberry Lodge
• Stanley Safari Lodge
• Islands of Siankaba
• Sindabezi Island Camp
• Taita Falcon Lodge
• David Livingstone Safari Lodge
• Royal Livingstone Hotel
• Tongabezi Lodge
• Tangala House
• Sussi and Chuma

And on the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls:

• Private self-catering apartments
• Ilala Lodge
• Kingdom Hotel
• Imbabala Safari Lodge
• Gorges Lodge
• Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
• Elephant Hills Hotel
• Victoria Falls Hotel
• Stanley and Livingstone Hotel

Please feel free to explore our Victoria Falls Website at : www.victoria-falls-hotels.com

Kind Regards

Island-Safari

Info on Gunn’s Camp:

Gunn’s Camp is in a private concession, overlooking the well-known Chief’s Island, and adjacent to the Moremi Game Reserve.

The camp is one of the few remaining vintage safari camps in the Delta. It is set under ebony trees and palms, and offers comfort, but still allows you to feel close to nature.

The Pictures:

Details:

Experience a thrilling sunset cruise of the beautiful Table Bay Harbour sipping sparkling wine, after which you will be taken to the exclusive address at water’s edge, 221 Waterfront.

Enjoy incredible views of Table Mountain whilst enjoying the dishes of executive chef Katerina Alexandris.

Dishes:

1.) prawns wrapped in kataifi pastry, deep-fried and moistened with a southern Cajun butter sauce.

2.) Linefish grilled with Cajun spice, finished with sour cream and pepper jelly.

Or for Dessert:

Enjoy a decadent chocolate brownie mantled with a rich warm chocolate sauce and served with ice-cream as the perfect end to a world-class meal.

* An extensive cocktail menu and wine cellar are available

Prices:

The Sunset cruise are, R370 per person, including a 1.5 hour cruise, 2 glasses of sparkling wine and a three-course dinner

The Lunch cruise are, R210 per person, including a 1 hour cruise, and a two-course lunch

Remember to quote “Cruise and dinner” package when making your reservation.

Complimentary:

For the months of July and August, receive a complimentary glass of sherry or port with your meal, and a 2-3 hour Waterfront parking voucher.

For Bookings:

Call 021 418 3633 or email info@221waterfront.co.za to make your booking – don’t forget to quote “July / August winter special”.

I recently got these pictures of the floods in Chobe and Northern Botswana.I thought it would be a great idea to post these pictures here, to give you an idea of the scope of the floods.Feel free to comment or send an email to: david@island-safari.com

I just thought that it would be a good idea to post this specific event happening from July 3 – 12, 2009.I am posting this so far in advance, to let you know of it’s magnitude and for those who like to plan in advance.It is the Knysna Oyster festival hosted in conjunction with Pick and Pay.

Remember to check our Knysna Accommodation section, on our Cape Town Tours website, if you are interested in booking accommodation when coming down for this event.

You can visit the official website here: http://www.oysterfestival.co.za/

Festival Information:

More than 100 activities, ranging from cycling, running, bowling, soccer, wine and whisky tastings and gala evenings will take place in the Garden Route town.

The festival will also present a variety of oyster-related events including the annual oyster-shucking (opening) competition, the oyster eating competition and the Pick ’n Pay Oyster & Wine Mardi Gras – an evening of oysters and wine tasting.

The children’s programme will include youth theatre, puppet shows, creative art workshops and a cooking course.

So guys I hope you could all make this sepctacular event, and maybe send us some feedback, on how you experienced the festival to: david@island-safari.com

Have A Nice Day

The Island Safari Team

We have recently added a Cape Town Videos section to the Cape Town Tours website.We hope these videos will visually give you an idea of a future tour or trip to Cape Town.

Here is the link:

Cape Town Videos

Please feel free to comment.

Thanks

The Island Safari Team

As promised, we are back again today with another recipe.Today we have a recipe consisting of a fruit ingredient that is popular across the world and gives lot’s of energy as well.I am talking about the banana.So we hope you enjoy this recipe and please don’t hesitate to comment.

The recipe:

Moist Banana Loaf

Ingredients:

125g Butter
1tsp Vanilla essence
1/2 cup Castor sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2cup Banana, mashed
1 1/2cup Self-raising flour
1tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1tbs Milk

Instructions:

Grease 14cmx21cm loaf pan, cover base with baking paper.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl of an electric mixer, beat on low until Ingredients are combined.

Then beat on medium until mixture changes colours.

Spread mixture into prepared pan.

Bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour.

Cool on a wire rack.

The Result:

Have a nice day.

The Island Safari Team

We are back again for another post.This post addresses, the new extended security checks at South African airline Mango and also the terminals at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, that will now be multi-use for both international and domestic flights.

I hope this post will assist you in your future travels.

Mango Airlines Security Checks

From April 1, South African Airline, Mango, will introduce further security checks in an attempt to combat credit card and sales fraud. Passengers travelling on Mango who have paid by credit card must present the transactional card on request. Therefore, if you are paying for a ticket on behalf of someone else, you will have to pay directly into the airlines account, or pay cash at an Airport.

OR Tambo International Airtport Multi-use Terminals

From April 1, terminals at OR Tambo International Airport will be multi-use and will process both international and domestic flights.

The two terminals will in future be known as Terminal A and B. Terminal A will extend from the Central Terminal Building (CTB) atrium to the north (previously the international terminal) and Terminal B will extend south (previously the domestic terminal).

The existing international departures hall will continue to be used for international flights only, while the CTB departures facility will be used by both international and domestic airlines.

Counters will have a three-digit number prefaced by A or B. The existing counters in Terminal B will be renumbered in preparation for the opening of the new facility.

Just a quick reminder, please check back tomorrow to this blog, for another one of our recipe posts.

Thank You

The Island Safari Team