mozambique | Island Safari

Island Safari – A New Beginning 2009

Welcome to our new-look Blog!

We have been a little quiet recently, but have decided to start 2009 with a fresh look, and a plan to keep you up to date with news and ideas for your Safari to Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

Even with the economic situation (or because of it!), there are still some excellent deals on International flights from Europe to South Africa. Exchange rates have also made South Africa an attractive destination, and Cape Town, at this time of year is enjoying excellent weather, and great experiences – whether you just want to explore, or if you prefer a trip to the Winelands – where wine has been produced for 350 years!

This is also an excellent time of year to visit Botswana, with the Okavango Delta hosting the annual migrant birds in their thousands. From now until April rates are very competitive… you can also easily combine Botswana with a visit to Victoria Falls (with accommodation either in Zambia or Zimbabwe), where the Falls are at their peak flow – an incredible site (and sound!).

Now onto the lastest news straight from Island Safari.

In The News

Zambia

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls is happy to report the release of 4 white rhino. At present this is the only Park in Zambia where you can view Rhino. You can visit the Park as part of your stay at Tongabezi Lodge, or as an additional excursion from a number of other properties in Livingstone.

Mosi-oa Tunya National Park

South Africa

Cape Town’s Winchester Mansions Hotel has launched Grapes Gourmet and Gallery Evenings at Harvey’s Restaurant for guests who enjoy gourmet food, fine wine and art. During the course of the evening guests can marvel at art pieces from the Patrice Boussekey Eclectic Art Gallery featuring the artist Cobus van Bosch while sipping on signature wines from Vriesenhof Vineyards, Garagiste, Morgenhof Estate, Luddite Wines, Dornier Wines, Flagstone, Deetlefs Estate, Seidelberg Estate, Joubert-Tradauw Private Cellar, and Glen Carlou, Colmant Cap Classique and Champagne.

The evening comes to a close with an auctioning of items donated by Vriesenhof Vineyards. All proceedings from the auction are donated to StreetSmart, an organisation involved in the process of social normalisation and reintroducing children living on the streets back into society.The 2009 Grapes Gourmet and Gallery evenings will take place once a month.

Winchester Mansions

New National Park – Garden Route National Park

The proposal for proclaiming the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) has been gazetted and the proclamation of the park is now only months away.
Regional manager of South African National Parks (SANParks) Garden Route, Mvusy Songelwa, says it is an exciting challenge for the area. “The National Park will be made up of the currently proclaimed Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks, the Knysna National Lake Area, the Southern Cape Indigenous Forests and the associated fynbos Mountain Catchment Areas.”

Mozambique

Bazaruto Lodge has opened the doors of Bazaruto Spa, a spa and wellness facility with three treatment rooms as well as a deck area looking out to sea for open air treatments. A full range of spa treatments and therapies are now available, from foot massage focusing on reflex points, to the spa’s signature treatment, the Thalgo Ocean Memory Spa ritual. Thalgo treatment products are being used at the spa.