Grassland Bushman Safari Lodge - Ghanzi Botswana

There’s never a dull moment at Grassland Bushman Lodge! 

Guests are free to take life at their own pace and soak up the unique atmosphere of the lodge, but you’ll always find there’s something different to do. Because of the lodge’s unusual location, many of the activities offered are either exclusively available at Grassland or will be sufficiently different from anywhere else, to make the experience truly memorable.

Location of Grassland Bushman Lodge

Whilst Grassland Bushman Lodge may not be the easiest place in the world to get to, we believe it’s well worth every second of the journey for the unique experiences you will have once you are here! Grassland Bushman Lodge is located on the western edge of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve,  some 80km northeast of the conurbation of Ghanzi. Travelling from Europe or USA, we recommend you fly into the Republic of South Africa and from there; Air Botswana flies to Maun, Gaborone, and Windhoek. From these destinations chartered flights can be arranged to our very own private airstrip. Please take note that we can help you arranging charter flights from Maun, Gaborone and

Windhoek.

Grassland Bushman Lodge (Central Kalahari, Botswana) is a little world of wonders… As our name suggests, our main activity is based on our cultural activities with our local San people. Guests get the opportunity to meet our local San people and to spend some time with them. This is truly an amazing experience and likewise, this gives the San people a feeling of appreciation as their culture is on the verge of extinction. A wide variety of Kalahari animals and bird species can also be seen on 4WD game drives or on horseback, or guests can simply gaze out at the numerous species attracted to our own floodlit waterhole, a mere 50 yards away in front of the lodge.

We look forward to welcome you to our HOME

For more information please contact

Namibia Reservations at:

info@namibiareservations.com or visit www.namibiareservations.

NORTHERN CAPE 4 x 4 TRAILS

!Start your engines and engage 4×4!

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 4×4 trails

To get from the southern entrance of this cross-border reserve at Twee Rivieren to the most northwestern corner at Union’s End will easily take a day. This is just the South African section of the massive park – if you have a 4×4 it becomes even bigger.

The 4×4 routes here cater for everyone: they’re guided or self-drive, long or short and accommodation includes fenced or unfenced campsites and comfortable wilderness chalets. Just 11 kilometres from the southern entrance along the road to Nossob lies the first 4×4 trail, the 13-kilometre Leeuwdril Loop. While park officials recommend a tyre pressure of 1.6 bars on the gravel roads, I say go even lower to about 1 bar on this trail that takes you over a series of dunes. It’s a good introduction to what to expect from the 4×4 routes in the park and all makes of 4×4 should be able to comfortably complete it. The trail can only be driven from east to west, so don’t expect any oncoming traffic unless someone is going the wrong way.

   

Namaqua Eco-Trail

Tracing the length of the Orange River from Pella, a little town with a big yellow church, to where it flows into the cold Atlantic Ocean between Alexander Bay and Oranjemund, this trail can be divided into two stages. The first 328-kilometre stage stretches from Pella to the Vioolsdrift border post and has three beautiful, informal campsites on the riverbank, each with nothing more than a big tree to camp under.

The trail starts with Charlie’s Pass from Pella to the river. Once the road moves from the river, you’ll see Klein Pella, the largest date farm in the southern hemisphere. Just before Vioolsdrift, there’s a turn-off called the Road to Hell. Don’t take it unless you’re experienced, in convoy and fancy a very technical drive; it’s a rough, rocky road and takes several hours to get to the river.

The second half is 284 kilometres long and goes from the border post to the river mouth. It turns away from the Orange River as it rounds the southern end of |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. There are three campsites on this section: Spitskloof, Tierhoek and Bakkrans (they’re not next to the river). There are some good view points and mountain tracks along the way, the best of which is Kristalberg Loop. You’ll eventually reach a T-junction where you can turn right to Richtersveld or left towards Alexander Bay, where the trail ends.

 

For more informations please contact

Namibia Reservations at:

info@namibiareservations.com or visit www.namibiareservations.com

5 WILDETS CAMPSITES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Wild campsites have the ability to make you feel a million miles away from the tedium of your daily routine, but they’re not for the faint-hearted. 

Lesholoago Pan Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana 

GPS: S24.94049°, E22.03115° 

Mabuasehube is a little block on the eastern tip of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and consists of a series of pans, along the edge of which most of the game-viewing in this region takes place. Each pan is surrounded by a number of unfenced campsites. Currently water is being pumped for animals at only two pans, Mpayathutlwa and Lesholoago. There are two campsites at Lesholoago, on opposite sides of the pan. No. 2 is most popular, because it’s located just a few hundred metres from a waterhole, which attracts large numbers of game throughout the day. It also has a working tap in the campsite itself; as a result you’ll have to put up with other visitors stopping by to fill up with water. Each campsite has a wooden A-frame that provides welcome shade during the heat of the day (and sometimes serves as a jungle gym for rambunctious lion cubs) and a neat long-drop toilet and shower cubicle where you can hang your own bucket shower. The resident lion pride makes a habit of keeping Lesholoago’s campers awake, so look twice before answering nature’s call at night – the king of the Kalahari might just be waiting in the doorway of your tent.

Mahurushele Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana
GPS: S23.28445°, E24.38987°

Of Khutse’s five camping areas (each with three to 10 private stands), Mahurushele No. 3 is the most comfortable and secluded. It has a neat and clean long-drop toilet, bucket shower and braai area, as well as a huge camelthorn tree under which to pitch your tent.
It’s impossible not to keep an extra close eye on the golden Kalahari grasses that line the campsite, especially if you hear lions roaring close by during the night (three roads lead in different directions from Mahurushele No. 3, so you have a good chance of picking up the pride on an early-morning game drive if you know where they were calling from). Quiet and very isolated, it’s quintessential Kalahari camping – the kind of place where you can switch off easily.

Masuma Dam Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
GPS: S18.73057°, E26.28093°

In the heart of Hwange National Park, Masuma is a picnic site by day and a very popular exclusive campsite by night. Complete with flush toilets and donkey boiler shower, the comfortable thatched hide overlooks a shallow dam and manmade trough, which attract large numbers of game between June and October when the surrounding mopane veld is a dusty wasteland. Sitting inside the hide, it feels as if you’re in an arena, watching a late-afternoon procession of elephants come down to quench their thirst, often walking within touching distance of you, before they lull you to sleep at night with their deep rumbles.

Namuskluft Rosh Pinah, Namibia
GPS: S27.86714°, E16.86666°

Tucked away in a narrow valley and surrounded by mountains, you’ll find this tidy little campsite. The four spacious stands, each with green grass and a shady tree, are maintained with the kind of personal touch you often see on the privately owned farms on Namibia’s quiet back roads.
The attention to detail is obvious in well-designed, sheltered braai areas; immaculate communal ablutions (with flush toilets and hot showers) and the meticulously packed rocks that line the pathways and mark out the campsites. A generator provides power in the early mornings and evenings. It’s the perfect little kuier camp, where groups of friends can enjoy one another’s company around a roaring campfire.

UmThombe Kei River Lodge Wild Coast, South Africa
GPS: S32.63304°, E28.35115°

With its large lawns and plenty of shade, this jungle-like campsite on the banks of the Kei River has a Garden of Eden feel to it, making it easy for you to forget about tar roads and shopping malls. Since there are no demarcated stands, campers simply choose their favourite spot under a tree. The communal bathrooms have two flush toilets and hot showers (one of each for men and women) and the campsite has no power. umThombe is set in a lush valley only a ferry ride away from the southern tip of the Wild Coast, making it the perfect place from which to explore the rolling hills of one of South Africa’s most underdeveloped stretches of coastline. A 4×4 is essential if you want to tackle the eight-kilometre dirt road to the lodge during the rainy season from September to March.

For more Information please contact
Namibia Reservations at:
info@namibiareservations.com or visit www.namibiareservations.com

In the ♥ of Cape Town - STELLENBOSCH

L'Avenir Country Lodge

R44 Klapmuts Road Stellenbosch, South Africa

L'Avenir Country Lodge in South Africa, located at the foothills of the Simonsberg mountain, five kilometers from the historic town of Stellenbosch and in the heart of the Cape Wine lands of South Africa, is a haven of peace and tranquility.

Surrounded by well-tended vineyards and breathtaking views of the majestic mountains of Stellenbosch, this newly renovated lodge offers the best of South Africa wine tasting and a 4 star luxury accommodation in South Africa, award winning wines & true hospitality on a working wine farm.

Each of the 11 elegant individually decorated en-suite bedrooms are equipped with direct-dial telephone, bar fridge, coffee/tea, making facilities, air-conditioning & ceiling fans, wireless internet, under floor heating, flat screen TV & DSTV, digital safe, hairdryer & shaving point.

Honeymoon couples are treated to a private patio with a heated splash pool & personal outdoor shower.

Whether you here for business or to explore the winelands, historical villages & scenic mountain passes, L´Avenir is the perfect base from which to start. Stellenbosch with all its splendours is also a mere 40 minutes drive away. We will embrace you with our friendly hospitality & ´refresh your senses´.

For further information or to make a booking please contact

Namibia Reservations at:

info@namibiareservation.com or visit www.namibiareservations.com

FAMILY ADVENTURES IN STELLENBOCH, CAPE TOWN

BRING THE FAMILY.....HARVEST THE FUN

More and more families are looking to experience a FUN, Action-Packed Holiday together whereby everyone, whatever their age, has a fabulous time. Something fun and active, somewhere warm and sunny, for the whole family over the Summer Holidays.  

a Fabulous selection of Multi-Active Family Activities in and around Stellenboch.

1. Full Day Big 5 Safaries.

You'll get a chance to see and photograph some of the biggest and most majestic animals in Africa, including the Big 5: Elephants, Lion, Rhino, Buffalo, and Leopards.

2. Butterfly World Tropical Garden

Butterfly World Tropical Garden, one of the more unique attractions of the Western Cape Winelands, consists of a tropical garden in a 1000 m2 green house. This luxuriant paradise makes the free flying exotic butterflies feel right at home. Butterfly World Tropical Garden imports 300 butterfly pupae per week all year round.         

Tropical butterflies are raised on breeding farms in countries such as Costa Rica, Philippines, Malaysia and China. Pupae are flown to display parks where the butterflies emerge into their tropical gardens.

3. Drakenstein Lion Park

A must for animal lovers. Spend a night amongst the lions of Drakenstein Lion Park. The park provides lifetime care to captive born lions and is involved in the re-homing of lions in distress, both locally and overseas

4. Two Oceans Aquarium 

Visit the Touch Pool: Our staff and volunteers provide visitors with fascinating snippets of ocean information, thereby enhancing the quality of any visit substantially.

Step closer to the Touch Pool and see anemones up close an personal.

Zoom in: Many of the animals you see at the Cold Water Mosaic Exhibit in the Atlantic Ocean Gallery can be seen magnified at the Hi-Tec Microscope display. 

Go diving: Diving in the Aquarium offers the unique opportunity to “get close” to ragged-tooth sharks and shoals of large predators such as yellowtail, dusky kob and black- and white musselcracker – a dive which one cannot experience in the natural environment. Advanced divers are also able to feed the multitude of fishes housed in the Kelp Forest Exhibit, one of the best displays of its kind in the world.

For more Information please contact

Namibia Reservations at:

info@namibiareservations.com or visit www.namibiareservations.com

White House Lodge, White River, Mpumalanga

EXPERIENCE 

"THE WHITE HOUSE LODGE" 

IN A UNIQUE AND EXTRAORDINARY WAY

White is the color at its most complete and pure, the color of PERFECTION and PURITY.  White is the color of NEW BEGINNINGS, wiping the slate clean. It opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.

Situated on a mountain top with sprawling views of the valleys of Mpumalanga. The White House Lodge is the perfect country getaway.

Surrounded by  the farms, mountains and valleys of Mpumalanga, this guest house is a place of beauty and splendor. It offers guests an opportunity to explore an area rich in natural beauty, with acres of plant life, over 100 species of birds and in close proximity to one of the world's most popular wildlife resorts, The Kruger National Park.

  

   

The climate in this region is suitable for every traveler as the country experiences long, warm summer days, and cold winter nights. Summer, however, is also when the province gets most of its rainfall. On those days guests can get toasty in front of the fireplace, head to the cinema or try out their lucky streak at the casino less than 10 kilometers away.

Many well known South African artists call White River their HOME.

At The White House Lodge guests can indulge in bird watching, hiking, horse riding and river rafting. The lodge also has a beautiful and refreshing rock pool, saunas and a bar/cocktail lounge to enjoy at your leisure. 

Guests can also visit the cinema, Reptile Park, golf course and tennis courts not more than 20 km from the lodge. Game drives can also be organized by The White House Lodge. Various sports activities can also be arranged and even trout fishing and helicopter rides are on the lodge’s itinerary for the more adventurous guest.

For Booking details please contact

Namibia Reservations at

info@namibiareservations.com or visit www.namibiareservations.com

Holidays in WHITE delight

Uncover Namibia's SPECTACULAR Getaway

 Brandberg White Lady Lodge

This Remarkable Wildlife wonder lies nestled at the foot of Damaraland's Brandberg Mountain.  

a Vast, compelling wilderness, in north-west Namibia. 

 The mountain, (the highest in Namibia) is best-known for its rock paintings, especially the 'White Lady'. These fascinating paintings were drawn hundreds of years ago by Bushmen people, who inhabited the area. 

Much of the landscape was formed by ancient lave flows, which add to the beauty of the surrounding countryside. It's many unusual rock formations and rare flora, including the endemic Welwitschia Mirabilis at the Petrified Forest, make it a perfect area for hiking and photography alike. The region is also renowned for its geology, as well as the World Heritage Site of rock engravings at Twyfelfontein.

Activities in and around the area:

Guided Elephant Drives

   

Especially during the drier periods of the year, group of desert elephant rove in the valley of the Ugab river. Here, there is no worry for water and bush and trees to feed on in abundance.

Directions:

For more Booking Details please contact:

Namibia Reservations at

info@namibiareservations.com or visit www.namibiareservations.com

The OKAVANGO Delta

From DELTA .....to DESERT....explore BOTSWANA

                              

The Okavango Delta provides abundant life at the heart of a desert...

There is a very wide range of accommodation available in the Okavango Delta. This ranges from five star luxury to more humble accommodation, but all fall within the government’s high value, low volume tourism strategy. 

As an important Safari Destination within not only Botswana but also Africa as a whole, The Okavango Delta hosts a number of safari operators. These operators range from well known international brands to local operators and offer the full range of Holiday Specials. Whether you are interested in a simple camping trip or a full five star safari an operator exists to service your needs.

TOURISM

Tourism to the Okavango Delta ...makes up a majority of the tourism component of Botswana’s GDP. Approximately 100 000 people visit the 60 or so camps and lodges in the Delta contributing greatly to the economy of the region. A developing industry the government is keen to continue to deliver policies that encourage tourism.

Botswana’s Okavango Delta is a facinating and unique wildlife location. 

It is the worlds largest inland delta and situated in an extremely arid region and attracts great concentrations of diverse animals and birds. 

The PERFECT African Destination

1. AIRLINK adds new service to its Botswana Operation

3. World Class Game Viewing

 2. Paradise for Shopaholics                  

 4. Unrivaled choices of a Luxury Safari Experience

   

A TRULY MAGICAL EXPERIENCE

Please contact Namibia Reservations at

info@namibiareservations.com / www.namibiareservations.com

CAPE FLORAL REGION

                     TOURISM SECTOR                                              

One of the world's 18 biodiversity Hotspots

The Cape Floristic Region from the Peninsula to the Eastern Cape, is unmatched for flower power. Accounting for less than 0,5% of the continent of Africa, the Cape Floristic Region holds an astonishing 20% of its flora, much of it endemic.The Cape Floristic Region’s bounty of plant life has earned South Africa .......

 "a place among the world’s top-rated locations for biodiversity" 

Much of this rich natural heritage cannot be seen anywhere else on earth. The Cape Floristic Region is uniquely

South African. 

Its incredible richness enables South Africa to claim the third-highest level of biodiversity in the world.

KIRSTENBOSCH NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN

If you’re a keen HIKER, you’ll enjoy two popular paths, the Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine, which wind their way up Table Mountain. You’ll need to be fairly fit, and to set aside the better part of a day for either of these hikes. In summer there are open-air concerts on Sundays, and it’s best to bring a loaded picnic basket and enjoy the gardens at your leisure, as you sip Cape wines. Get there early, as the concerts are particularly popular. The Silver Tree Restaurant also hosts a popular winter concert programme.    

         

EXTRA INFO

Opening Times:

The garden is open daily from 08h00 to 18h00 from April to August; and from 08h00 to 19h00 from September to March. The free guided tours are done at 10h00 Monday to Saturday.  Sunday concerts take place from December through to March from 17h30 to 19h00. Botanical Cafe hours are daily from 08h00-17h30, but may close earlier in winter and the Silvertree Restuarant is open from 08h30-22h00, 7 days a week.

The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell 
THE FLOWERS

ESCAPADE OF FLOWER ART

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous, it lies deep in The ART of Flowers"

South Africa is the breeding ground for many beautiful flower species, giving south African Artists endless references for Floral Paintings.

Artist: Colin Wilkinson   

his mother was an artist and it was her creativity and love of nature, music and dance that inspired him - something for which Ian will always be grateful. - See more at: http://www.fineartportfolio.co.za/resume/Ian-Hertslet/134#sthash.vKpzqZIY.dpuf

Historically, and mythologically, flowers represent rebirth, and  fertility. Floral paintings can traditionally be either an external  landscape dominated by flowers, or it can be a still life study of  flowers taken more up-close. South Africa is the breeding ground for  many beautiful plant and flower species, giving South African artists  endless references for floral paintings. - See more at: http://www.fineartportfolio.co.za/category/Florals/15#sthash.qdycsII9.dpuf

 !Some  History on Flowers in Art!

Although a painted arrangement of flowers is not unusual today, flowers as a subject in art began as a minor decorative addition to other subjects.

The earliest flower found in ancient sites is the lotus. It appeared on wall paintings in Egyptian tombs and in low relief sculpture from the earliest dynasties. The lotus blossom was also a motif used in Egyptian jewelry and was the inspiration for the shape of the capital at the top of Egyptian columns.

♣

During THE GOTHIC era from about 1200-1400 AD, depiction of flowers in paintings became more specific because they were used as symbols of the personality or importance of particular people.

For example, paintings of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary would have a lily representing purity somewhere in the painting. Roses came to symbolize the blood of Christian martyrs in medieval painting. The word carnation comes from the Greek incarnacyon meaning “God becoming flesh”, in other words, Christ assuming human form. This carnation variety was pink (flesh) and was often included in Nativity pictures. 

 ♣

But even in THE DUTCH floral paintings there was symbolism.

We see the paintings as beautiful, meticulously rendered, floral arrangements sometimes including tulips, a specialty of Dutch growers and hybridizers.  But, to the people of the time, flowers represented much more than beauty.  Some paintings showed flowers in various stages from just budding, to full bloom, to losing petals. For the Dutch, this was a metaphor for the stages of human life. On close examination, one can often see tiny insects chewing on flowers or leaves. These symbolized decay and death. Butterflies on the flowers are a metaphor of Christ’s resurrection.

 Gallery of 'FLOWER Art'

You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.

FLORA KINGDOM OF SOUTH AFRICA

“If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for a moment.”

PLANT GEOGRAPHERS divide the world into 6 Floristic Kingdoms, each of which has a characteristic flora and numerous endemic species. The largest of these kingdoms is the:

BOREAL KINGDOM

At 20 million square km comprising almost the entire northern hemisphere. The smallest, yet most diverse of all the kingdoms is the:

 CAPE FLORAL KINGDOM

Which consist solely of the Mediterranean vegetation of the Western Cape Province of south Africa

 a biome which contains the "greatest concentration of plant species in the world".

LIVING WONDERLAND of SOUTH AFRICA'S BOTANICAL GARDENS 

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden:  

 South Africa is famous for its plants, so it is hardly surprising that it has some of the best botanical gardens in the world, of which Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, is the most famous. There are also a number of theme gardens, including one focused on medicinal plants, a fragrance garden and a Protea garden (South Africa's national flower, which occurs in dozens of variations) which is at its most magnificent in winter and spring. 

 

kirstenbosch national botanical garden