Monday, August 29, 2011

New on Southern Africa Travel website


Situated a mere 40km from Otavi en-route to Grootfontein near the quant town town of Kombat. Offering 5 comforable en-suite rooms, a restaurant, bar and swimming pool. A perfect stopover to visit the Caprivi or Etosha National Park.

To make a booking please email us at info@southern-africa-travel.com or visit our website for more details http://www.southern-africa-travel.com/


Thursday, August 25, 2011

News received from Air Namibia

Cancellation of flight SW781/2 JNBWVB 02 September and 07 September 2011 WVBJNB.

Dear Trade Partner,

Air Namibia announces the cancellation of flight SW781 JNBWVB on September 02, 2011and SW782 WVBJNB on September 07, 2011 for operational reasons.

Conditions for the procedure
All passengers will be rerouted accordingly
Passengers are to be rebooked at no fee
Passengers will not be provided with accommodation
AUTH/SW/11/MISC/M515/11/08

Refund procedures:
Apply for a full refund on your net/published fare level via your GDS and quote the following reference number:
AUTH/SW/11/MISC/M515/11/08
Full refunds for unused tickets will be granted regardless of terms and conditions of the fare (even for non-refundable tickets).

Please note: all refunds must be processed within 7 days from receipt of request for the refund by the passenger.
You can contact any nearest reservation/ticket office for further details

Derived from Air Namibia Newsletter

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New on Southern Africa Travel website

Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge
Nkasa Lupala tented lodge is situated in the Wuparo community conservancy 130km west of Katima Mulilo in the Caprivi Region of northen Namibia. The distance from Kongola is 75km on good gravel road.
The Lodge consist of a network of Teak platforms with 10 luxury Tents constructed out of steel, canvas and wood with proper doors and windows and en-suite bathroom facilities. For the 10 rooms there is a central dining room, lounge facility with kitchen, storage, office and bar linked to the rooms through a network of pathways. The lodge is totally energy self-sufficient for electricity and water heating by using solar panels and will serve as an example of sustainable construction and planning not only in the region but in Namibia as a whole.

To make a booking email us at info@southern-africa-travel.com or visit our website for more accommodation www.southern-africa-travel.com

Friday, August 12, 2011

When is a good time to come to Namibia?

Unlike many other African countries, Namibia is an all year destination. The dry season is best for game viewing whereas the wetter (green) season is better for scenery, bird watching and general photography.

January, February, March & April:
Wildlife and game viewing:
Animals, especially in Etosha, tend to spread out and not gather at the waterholes. However, this does not mean that one does not see animals. Many of the plains game like springbok and zebra, give birth during this time so lots of young to be seen. Animals like the lions, leopard and others stay in their territories and do not move away.
Desert and landscapes:
This period is the best time to visit the Namib Desert with its green grasses, open and clear skies with some beautiful cloud formations.
Photography:
This is an excellent time in the desert for landscapes, beautiful colours as well as ethnic people.

May, June, July & August:
Wildlife and game viewing:
Water levels are dropping and animals start congregating at waterholes for their daily drink. Still quite a lot of vegetation so animals are a quite spread out. A good time for game viewing.
Desert and landscapes:
Autumn and winter means cool and chilly evenings bringing crisp conditions, clear skies and pristine dunes and landscapes.
Photography:
Fantastic months for photography. Landscapes, dune formations etc are at their best with little dust in the air giving clear and open skies.

September, October, November & December:
Wildlife and game viewing:
This period can get very hot indeed which makes for excellent game viewing … again, a wide range of animals meeting at the waterholes. This is often during the heat of the day so good game viewing throughout the day. In the north of Namibia, the rains can start as early as December but game viewing is normally still excellent.
Desert and landscapes:
All year destination but can get extremely hot from about 11h00 to 16h00.
Photography:
Photography in Namibia is always good … game in Etosha, dunes at Sossusvlei, landscapes and ethnic people. Middle of the day and early afternoon is hot and the light would not be that good.

Derived from Namibia Tours & Safaris

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to visit Namibia at info@southern-africa-travel.com or visit our website to see the many different establishments www.southern-africa-travel.com

News from Finesse

Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge: offers visitors ample space & privacy. The rooms are currently receiving shade roofs over the terrace area. 5 rooms have been completed already! The lodge is proud to announce the arrival of a new chef. His delicious meals will tickle your taste buds! An interesting activity offered by the lodge is the Tans Kalahari Walk: This is a 2-day guided walk through the breathtaking dune-landscape of the Kalahari with 2 nights spent at the Kalahari Red Dunes Lodges and 1 night at Teufelskrallen Tented Lodge. Guests will need to be quite fit for this activity, as the first day comprises of a 15km walk through the dunes.

Alte Kalköfen Lodge: Your ideal lunch stop in the South. This lodge is situated en route from/to the Fish River Canyon. Here you will be spoiled by Hilde with scrumptious light meals. Then there is the interesting history that Frikkie will tell you about the area. Visit the old lime oven close to the lodge, as well as the very interesting lithoparium. On the topics of the lithops the lodge has introduced a new activity for guests (only self-drive at this point) interested in these plants: We have over 20 locations from Lüderitz to Helmeringhausen and around the Canyon Lodge, where Lithops and other succulents grow in nature. To enable the guests to find the succulents we normally accompany them to the locations, where the plants are growing. The reason for this is that we are assisting the guests to find the plants, explaining names etc and ensure that the sites are properly preserved. Frikkie is also very proud to announce that the airstrip at the lodge is completed and ready to receive Fly-in clients. The co-ordinates are as follows: -00:26 49'12.10"S/ 017 22'37.20"E,
-18:26 49'52.56"S/ 017 22'29.88"E

Frans Indongo Lodge: boasts with another rhino calf born this year, and this brings the rhino population to 7 White and 2 Black Rhinos. One of the lodges' preferred partners for activities in the Otjiwarongo area is the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF).

Gelbingen Lodge: offers a great Himba experience especially for self-drive clients, who do not want to drive all the way up to Opuwo. Immanuel, who is one of the Himba of the village living at Gelbingen, guides you through his home and tells you all about their life and customs.

Guestfarm Kiripotib: This quaint guest farm is the ideal spot for guests interested in arts & crafts. The carpet weavery on site produces magnificent karakul wool carpets in all forms, colours and designs. You can create your own design right there and then. Also visit Claudia's gold smith studio, where she creates beautiful jewellery. It is also a "mecca" for astrologers with state of the art equipment that is available.

Lüderitz Nest Hotel: The project of refurbishing the rooms is still ongoing, and they really do look very stunning. The public areas are all done.
Whether it is a function or a seminar - be assured, our reputation has been founded on the professional way we handle these events, both from the Organisational and the Catering aspects. Conference rooms are available to provide the ideal setting for any number of guests from 5 to 200, and this flexibility is maintained in both our Menu's and Service.

Okahandja Country Hotel: They have replaced all the mattresses and pillows in the rooms, and the feedback from guests has been very positive. Ikus, Bianca and their team look forward to meeting you.

Sandwich Harbour 4x4: "The Kuiseb River is still flooded after the exceptional rains this year. The entire Kuiseb Delta is still mostly under water and the we cannot pass through this area at all. We are still able to get along the edges of the delta where we can find Dune Larks and most other desert species. The salt mining company is busy with draining the water into the sea. Naude found a big male warthog running around in the middle of the salt pans. He probably came down along the river and lost his direction after the strong east winds. We have recently added two Nissan Patrols to our fleet to cope with increasing demand for the Sandwich Harbour Excursions in season. We will continue to keep our groups as small and personal as possible."

Toshari Lodge: A curio shop and 3 additional Luxury Rooms were added to the lodge's facilities. An outside barbecue area enables the lodge to offer barbecue and carvery buffet on alternating nights. All building operations are completed.

Zelda Game & Guestfarm: The gardens at the entrance area have been completely revamped and now feature a waterfall and some small fountains. It invites you to stroll around and sit in the quiet nooks of the garden enjoying the tranquil surroundings. They are also busy upgrading the Be Wild Camp and plan to be finished with these at the beginning of 2012.

To find out more or to make a booking email us at info@southern-africa-travel.com or visit our website http://www.southern-africa-travel.com/ or our sister website http://www.namibiareservations.com/ for more establishments.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Update received from Namibia Country Lodges

Camels head to Twyfelfontein

Nine trained camels are moving to Twyfelfontein area. The scenic area with its historic rock engravings, volcanic and sandstone geology, panoramic vistas, endemic fauna & flora offer guest an ideal opportunity to explore the area on the back of a camel. No fences and unlimited space allow the camels to walk in any direction, leaving a light footprint without any noise or pollution to the environment.

The camels will arrive on the 3rd of August and be based at the Aba-Huab campsite.

A half day excursion on the back of a camel will take guests to various rock engraving sites which are hidden amongst Mopani trees and rock boulders and situated off the beaten track.

The traditional Damara Village not far from the Aba-Huab Campsite makes an easy morning or afternoon excursion to experience age old Damara customs in a unique setting.

Ride out to "Wondergat" a bottomless sinkhole north from Twyfelfontein Lodge to toss a rock down its mouth without hearing it hit the bottom, and then traverse via a different route back to the lodge while exploring breathtaking Aba-Huab valley vistas.

Guests can participate on a longer camel safari combined with camping under the stars and trekking by day through ephemeral riverbeds of the Huab and Ugab Valley. Itinerary and quote on request.

The above activities are currently being scouted and mapped as part of our activity program at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge. Detailed activity descriptions and rates will follow in the second half of August.

Twyfelfontein Country Lodge was recently awarded two Eco Award Flowers, for accommodation establishments managed according to eco-friendly principles. We follow this program with selective and careful use of our resources, reducing, recycling and reusing. Our aim is to achieve eco flowers for all six NCL establishments to prove our dedication and commitment to the environment. The desert flower symbol is proof to everyone, staff as well as guests, that we are working for the future.

Visit our website to book Twyfelfontein Country Lodge or email us at info@southern-africa-travel.com