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NEWS: MAY 2015
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We promote travel opportunities to the wild areas of the Zambezi Valley
WILD ZAMBEZI invites you to a world of nature where the pace is slow, the sun is warm, the sky is huge and the people are friendly. Our travel promotion focus is the Zambezi River and its iconic wildernesses, including the Victoria Falls & Zambezi National Park, Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park and Mana Pools World Heritage Site. We provide web-based, up-to-date information on operators, activities, accommodation choices, tours and services in this magnificent area, and offer a reliable, independent travel advisory service.
MEETING THE TRAVEL TRADE IN MAY/JUNE 2015
Wild Zambezi and some of the travel partners in our network had a very successful three days showcasing our wonderful, wild, Zambezi region at the Indaba Travel Show in Durban 9th-11th May (above).
Next up is Zimbabwe's Sanganai/Hlanganani 2015 World Tourism Expo which will be held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), between 18th and 20th June.
If you would like to book an appointment with us for this show, please e-mail: info@wildzambezi.com
ZIMPARKS TARIFFS FOR 2015
WE SUMMARISE THOSE RELEVANT TO THE ZAMBEZI
As a service to visitors to the Zambezi region of Zimbabwe, Wild Zambezi has summarised the 2015 Schedule of Tariffs issued by ZimParks - the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority – in May 2015. You can read this on our website at this link: ZimParks Fees 2015
Note that our summary does not cover tariffs for National Park areas of Zimbabwe that are not within our area of focus.
These can be obtained directly from ZimParks.
Important changes to the Tariffs this year are as follows:-
Tax & Levies: "All ZimParks charges include 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) (including on all foreign payments), 2% tourism levy for locals where applicable and 2% tourism levy for non-resident clients."
Seasonal charges: "Parks fees on accommodation and conservation fees will be guided by the peak and off peak seasons as defined below.
• Locals: Peak Period - April, August, September, December and all Public Holidays
• Foreign Peak Period - Mid June-September.
• Peak Period will attract an increase of 10-100%"
Guided Tours: "There shall be no unguided tour in the Parks Estate, including Mana Pools National Park. All walking tours to be guided by a ranger/registered professional guide/professional hunter. Walking without a guide in National Parks will attract a penalty of US$100 per person." (For more about this, see "Mana Pools bans unguided walking" and Survey on Public Walking in Mana Pools below.
For further information and contact details see ZimParks
WILD ZAMBEZI WELCOMES A NEW PARTNER: ....
We are delighted to welcome African Fusion Travel to our network. This Destination Marketing Company (DMC) is owned and operated by Zimbabweans, with offices in Cape Town, South Africa and Lusaka, Zambia.
They are Africa specialists offering a variety of wonderful travel experiences throughout Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands – but with a special focus on Zimbabwe. They are constantly seeking the "hidden gems" out there for tailor-made trips or set itineraries including accommodation, activities and flights as well as ground arrangements which include all "meet and greet" services.
For more information and contact details, see this link: African Fusion Travel
LATEST TRAVEL REVIEWS
Check out the recent Visitor Travel Reviews submitted to WildZambezi.com at the links below:-
Spurwing Island (Relaxed family and fishing resort on Lake Kariba just offshore of the Matusadona National Park. A favourite choice for weddings.)
Baobab Bookings (agency offering accommodation, houseboats, transfers and activities in and around Kariba and throughout Zimbabwe)
African Fusion Travel (Cape Town and Lusaka-based DMC specialising in African travel experiences with a special focus on Zimbabwe)
KARIBA
LAKE KARIBA WINTER SPECIALS
One of the wonderful things about visiting Lake Kariba during the mid-year months is that the days are still wonderfully warm and sunny, even though it's winter! The evenings and early mornings can be nippy, however, so you will need to bring a warm jacket or tracksuit – but, there's no danger of extreme temperatures, so it really is the PERFECT winter escape!
Take advantage of these wonderful winter specials from safari camps around the Lake this year:-
CHANGA SAFARI CAMP
Experience an unforgettable wildlife safari with Changa Safari Camp on the shores of Lake Kariba, with the Matusadona mountains in view, where the proximity to nature and true wilderness is unparalleled.
Four and a half kilometres of shoreline on a private concession ensures you a relaxing remote retreat at this luxurious tented camp (recently named in Africa Geographic's list of Romantic Safari Destinations in Southern Africa.
LOCAL SPECIAL:
June/July 2015: Full Board (minimum 2 pax) - $130 (per person per night) for up to 3 nights | $120 (per person per night) for 4 nights or more. All inclusive: $225(per person per night)
August 2015: Full Board (minimum 2 pax) - $160 (per person per night) for up to 3 nights | $150 (per person per night)for 4 nights or more. All inclusive: $250(per person per night)
SADC SPECIAL:
1 June – 31 December 2015: $295 per person per night sharing
INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL:
June/July & November 2015: $380 per person per night sharing
August-October 2015: $450 per person per night sharing
For more information and contact details, see Changa Safari Camp
If you have stayed at this camp and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
RHINO SAFARI CAMP
Rhino Safari Camp offers an authentic, owner-operated classic bush camp experience in Big 5 territory right on the shores of Lake Kariba and within the Matusadona National Park.
No fences, no generator, just the sounds and sights of the wild African bush.
3-night Winter Special, including accommodation, activities and meals - $150 per person per night sharing. (Additional discounts over specific dates in June/July and for group bookings)
For more information and contact details see this link: Rhino Safari Camp
If you have stayed at this camp and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
CARIBBEA BAY HOSTS THE KARIBA CYCLE CHALLENGE – 30th JULY – 2nd AUGUST 2015
Kariba town's largest holiday resort, Carribea Bay, is the starting point for this year's Kariba Cycle Challenge which will take place over three days in July-August this year.
This is a great opportunity for active road cyclists to enjoy their sport in Kariba's spectacular environment with wonderful lake views and in pleasantly mild winter temperatures.
Different cycling activities and courses (varying between 10km and 100km in length) are on offer for each of the three days, depending on the fitness levels of the participants. There is also a 3km Kiddies Race on the last day. Entries close on 29th July. For more details, e-mail fitfreak@zol.co.zw
The design of the 83-bedroom Caribbea Resort was inspired by Sardinian architecture and indeed it has a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere about it.
Popular as a conference venue which can cater for up to 150 delegates, the resort has an attractive Terrace Restaurant and pool, with magnificent views over the Lake, and a variety of activities on offer including boat cruises, sunset cruises, game drives, game walks, village tours, Kariba dam tours, canoe safaris, fishing and house boat hire, as well as day trips to the Matusadona and Mana Pools National Parks. This is a great place for families, with the popular "Supa-Tube" swimming slide and pool nearby to keep the kids entertained during the day.
Caribbea Bay is offering special rates for participants in the Kariba Cycle Challenge.
For more information and contact details, see this link: Caribbea Bay Resort
If you have stayed at this resort and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
LAKE KARIBA IN MAY.... VIEW FROM BUMI HILLS
Wild Zambezi just loved this recent image taken from Bumi Hills Safari Lodge.
This gorgeous panoramic view overlooks the waters of Lake Kariba below the Lodge, with an elephant-dotted shoreline, and sailing yachts taking part in the annual May Regatta drifting past in a light wind.
Now how spectacular is that??
For more information and contact details, see Bumi Hills Safari Lodge and Spa
If you have stayed at this lodge and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
ZAMBEZI VALLEY
SURVEY ON PUBLIC WALKING IN MANA POOLS
The 2015 Schedule of Tariffs from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority confirms that no "unguided" walking is to be allowed in Mana Pools National Park where, up to now, the public was allowed to walk at their own risk. (See Mana Pools bans unguided walking).
The Park Authorities now insist that anyone walking in Mana Pools (or any other Park in Zimbabwe) should be accompanied by a Professional Guide or should hire a Parks Ranger. This decision has caused an outpouring of sentiment on Social Media platforms – some visitors pointing to abuse of the Mana Pools rules and regulations by free-walkers and saying that "it's about time too", while others strongly disagree and maintain that the unique privilege and freedom of walking unguided was the main attraction of the Park and that they won't be visiting again. They argue that Professional Guides are often busy with their own clients during the safari season, and that their rates are expensive, while Park rangers are under-equipped and not insured in the event of a serious accident,.
Conservation organisation, The Zambezi Society, which was in the process of drafting a comprehensive Code of Conduct for visitor behaviour in Mana Pools at the time of the ban, has now asked the public to respond to a formal survey in light of the new regulation. Note that responses need to be in by 12th June 2015. Their plan is to approach the authorities from an informed position and with a representative case to see whether any compromise position might be possible.
For a link to the Zambezi Society survey, click on the image above or HERE.
THE MANA POOLS RAILWAY LINE............ THE WHAT???
Did you know - and I'll bet you didn't - that the Mana Pools National Park has its very own stretch of railway line?
Dick Pitman of Zim4x4 (self drive wilderness tours into the Zambezi Valley) didn't either, until he saw it with his own eyes, in April and posted a picture to prove it.
This stretch of line really does exist, he says, albeit only two kilometers long and located in thick bush in the southern section of Mana Pools National Park near the Ruckomechi Research Station.
Could it be, he fantasized, a long-abandoned pilot study for the Mana Pools Light Railway Company, conducted in strictest secrecy and abandoned when tourism underwent one of its numerous slumps?!
The reality is somewhat more practical, it seems!
For decades, the Ruckomechi Research Station has been a Zambezi Valley base for research into tsetse flies (family Glossinidae), large biting flies similar to "horse flies" that inhabit much of mid-continental Africa between the Sahara and the Kalahari deserts. They live by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals and can cause human sleeping sickness and animal trypanosomiasis, also known as nagana in domesticated animals (wild animals in areas inhabited by tsetse appear to have an in-built immunity to the disease).
Tsetse have been extensively studied because of their medical, veterinary, and economic importance. John Davison tells us that this stretch of "trolley line" was linked to tsetse control research conducted by scientists under Dr Glynn Vale who studied the habits and behaviour of tsetse flies and how to control them. Dr Vale is credited with inventing the modern tsetse fly trap which contains a chemical distillate smelling like ox breath which attracts the flies and then kills them with relatively little knock-on effect on their natural predators such as Robber Flies, which apparently catch tsetse on the wing like insect versions of Peregrine Falcons!.
Apparently wagons loaded with cattle were pulled up and down the trolley line located in the thick bush that attracts tsetse flies, while the researchers conducted experiments endeavouring to separate out the effect of "movement" from that of "shape, size or colour" with or without "odour". Interestingly, according to John's brother Gerald Davison, a former Director of the Tsetse Control Branch, it was on this line that Dr Vale proved that both the human upright stance and odour were repellant to feeding tsetse flies, and that most of the following swarm of tsetse were in fact males, and were not interested in feeding at all.
Zim4x4 was shown the stretch of line by the owners of Kavinga Safari Camp, currently under construction a few kilometres away on the summit of a low cliff overlooking the broad Ruckomechi River, downstream of the tsetse research station and roughly 10km from the famous Chitake Spring. The camp, once completed, will consist of five comfortable raised "tented lodges" and a central living/dining area and will offer guided wildlife and birding experiences in this untamed wilderness area. Future visitors to Kavinga Safari Camp will certainly be surprised to come across this enigmatic (and historic) stretch of railway line in the middle of the bush during an afternoon excursion, and to learn about its origins!
For more information and contact details, see
Zim4x4 and
If you have been on safari with Zim4x4 and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
WINTER WARMTH AT JECHA POINT, CHIRUNDU
Jecha Point Fishing Lodge is nestled quietly into the bush on the banks of the Zambezi River downstream from the border town of Chirundu. It is close enough to the town for easy access, but far away enough to be private & wild.
Take advantage of their special "winter warmth" discounts. There are especially good rates for self-catering visitors: $35per person per night self catering until the end of July.
Their new campsite is gaining popularity and with prices going up for parks fees etc, it's a perfect camping spot for families - with prices at only $10 per person per night.
For more information and contact details, see this link: Jecha Point Fishing Lodge
If you have stayed at this camp and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
.VICTORIA FALLS
THE VIC FALLS MARATHON – SUNDAY 28th JUNE 2015
There's fun for everyone at this year's 42.2km Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, 21.2km half Marathon and 7.5km EcoSure Fun Run organised by tour operator Wild Frontiers (owners of Pioneers Camp in the Zambezi National Park), and taking place at Victoria Falls on Sunday 28th June 2015
The marathon race route starts in the car park outside the banks/Ilala Lodge entrance, then crosses over the Vic Falls Bridge, briefly into Zambia offering the social runner some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa. The route continues through the Zambezi National Park with some great views of the river, and ends at the Victoria Falls primary school.
The Full Marathon is a 'double loop'. There are plenty of water points along the way to keep you refreshed, and you may even get a glimpse of some wildlife!
Besides the breath-taking landscapes, you will encounter on the marathon race there is plenty more to do and see in this amazing country.
Known as the adventure centre of Africa, for good reason, the Victoria Falls has a wealth of activities available! Choose one of the standard travel packages, or tailor-make your own by combining the marathon race with some rafting, canoeing, boat cruising, game viewing, an elephant back safari or even a bungee jump!
This event supports the local community and environment by donating a percentage of all the entry fees to the following organisations:
• The Vic Falls Anti-poaching Unit
• The Rose of Charity Orphanage
• The Painted Dog Conservancy
• Victoria Falls Green Fund
Register online on the Marathon website at www.vicfallsmarathon.com
Local registration for all distances will ALSO take place at the KINGDOM HOTEL, Victoria Falls on Friday 26 June (10h00 - 17h30) and Saturday 27 June (10h00 - 17h30)
Full Marathon - 42.2 km
Entry Fee: Zimbabwe Citizens : $10; Zimbabwe Residents / Botswana & Zambia Citizens : $20; All Others: $40
Start: in the car park opposite the banks and Post Office - 06:45
Half Marathon - 21.1 km
Entry Fee: Zimbabwe Citizens : $10; Zimbabwe Residents / Botswana & Zambia Citizens : $20; All Others: $40
Start: in the car park opposite the banks and Post Office - 07:15
Fun Run - 7.5 km
Entry Fee: All runners : $3
Start: in the car park opposite the banks and Post Office - 08:15 and finishes at the school.
THE LOOKOUT CAFE'S NEW 'FULL MOON' DINNERS – DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS TREAT!
If you're planning a visit to Victoria Falls this year try and co-incide your dates with one of the new full moon dinner experiences on offer at Wild Horizons' new Lookout Café. This won't disappoint!
Here's a review of the first Moonlit dinner evening on 2nd June:-
"I was left in awe of the meal as well as the scenery. The café, usually closed in the evenings, offers this full moon dining experience due to its prime position on the edge of the Zambezi Gorge allowing for diners to view the moonrise over a truly special scene.
The lookout clings to the edge of the Zambezi Gorge just downstream of the Victoria Falls. Below lies the Zambezi, a force you are aware of before you glimpse it as its low rumble emanates upward from the river below. The dining area faces the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge but it is the natural elements of the scene that strike me. The Lookout Café is cantilevered over the gorge so that you stand, insignificant in size when compared to the mighty chasm of the canyon dropping steeply away. A 120 metres below, the serpentine Zambezi - churns with incredible force and mellows into great, glasslike swathes that bely it's power. The sun is setting and the moon has risen; a giant, yellow orb hung low over the mesmerising scene.
I soak in the scene for a few minutes before becoming aware of the café behind me. The warm glow of the lighting, the chatter of diners and the smell of food cooking (don't say steak, veggies will get cross!) reminds me of my hunger. A friendly waiter helps us to a table for two, warm and prompt in his service. I order the fish, local bream, caught in the Zambezi. It arrives quickly and doesn't disappoint- flaky and succulent encased in crisp, beer batter and my partners' steak is equally good, perfectly cooked to order and tender to the bite. We end the meal with fruit skewers and a cheese platter Before departing, I return to the edge to soak in the scene one more time.
The light has changed; the myriad of ochres and rusts are gone and the bath of cool moonlight has turned the river into a band of silver. In the background the Victoria Falls Bridge illuminated, beyond that the spray from the Falls reaches up to a sky now twinkling with stars. The view brings a sense of tranquility and it is this calm feeling I depart with. I go to sleep thinking of the onward rumble of the Zambezi, ever stretching forward, and how it was here before me and still will be long after.
Tips for a moonrise visit:
• Look up the time of the moonrise and if not too late I suggest coming before sunset so you can experience the changing colours of the canyon walls and see the moon rising over the scene. Your best views will be whilst the moon is low to the Horizon.
• Plan to dress warmly in the winter months as it is open air dining."
Take note of these 2015 full-moon dates for this uniquely positioned dining experience!
· 3rd July & 31st July
· 29th August
· 28th September
· 27th October
· 26th November
· 25th December
Special Opening Hours: From 10:00 to 22:00 (last meal orders at 20:30)
Wi-Fi: Free
Free Shuttle transfers (call +263 13 42013 to arrange)
For more information and contact details see this link: Wild Horizons
If you have visited the Wild Horizons Lookout Café and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at the above link.
VIC FALLS 80-ACRE PARK TO BE A WILDLIFE CONSERVATION HUB
The new SANTONGA conservation, culture and history park in Victoria Falls will be "a force for good" in the region, incorporating a conservation, education and research focus, Africa Albida Tourism group chairman Dave Glynn says.
Mr Glynn described a World Wildlife Fund report, published last year, which found humanity had wiped out 52 per cent of the world's wildlife in the last 40 years, as "terrifying".
"So if we, as humans, have wiped out 52 per cent in the last 40 years, how much are we going to wipe out now in the next 40 years? And what can we do to try and reverse at least some of that," Mr Glynn said.
"We will be involved in fundraising initiatives and we wish to become a specialist conservation, education and research unit. In other words, to add a focal point for conservation in the area," Mr Glynn said. "We want to tap into research, both regionally and globally, and put together a consolidated view of what is threatened and how it is threatened in our area, and then create a force for good in terms of conservation messaging, conservation education and preserving wildlife."
Victoria Falls was "the eye of the needle of southern African tourism of the future", being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, on one of the great rivers of Africa, and surrounded by perhaps the finest and most diverse wildlife estate on the planet, he said.
Santonga, the $18 million, 80-acre park, scheduled to open in 2017, will tell the story of Victoria Falls from the very beginning, 4 billion years ago, through its history, people, plants and wildlife.
"Our research is showing there are incredible stories to tell about Victoria Falls and its surroundings, an example is the very earliest form of life, called a stromatolite, the earliest findings ever found, are not far from Victoria Falls," Mr Glynn said. "We also have two dinosaur species that are significant in the global dinosaur story. We want to showcase all of that but in a very first-world multiple film-set type of environment because we know this can't be a museum, it can't be a zoo, it needs to bombard the senses and it needs to be highly interactive with very powerful audiovisual content throughout.... And then we can't tell the story of the Falls without talking about the people, and there's rich history amongst the various tribal groupings around the Falls – their customs, their architecture, their tribal dress and folklore."
Santonga, is expected to be at least a six-hour experience, drawing 120,000 visitors annually, and boosting the average length of time tourists stay in Victoria Falls, thereby benefitting the entire economy. It is also expected to create 150 direct jobs, and many more downstream jobs.
Africa Albida Tourism is a hospitality group which incorporates the following iconic Victoria Falls properties:-
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Safari Club and Victoria Falls Safari Suites
If you have visited any of the above properties in Victoria Falls and would like to tell us about your experience, submit a Travel Review on Wild Zambezi.com at one of the above links.
TAKE PART IN AN EXCITING ELEPHANT RELOCATION SAFARI 2016!
The Nakavango Conservation Programme at the Stanley & Livingstone Private Game Reserve just outside Victoria Falls, is offering visitors the chance to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experience Volunteers are required to work in teams to assist with an elephant relocation exercise which is to take place between 3rd and 17th August 2016.
African elephants are a keystone species, and their numbers in a protected area need to be carefully monitored. Should a reserve become overpopulated with elephant, this will have a negative impact on the entire ecosystem and its inhabitants. In order to maintain ecological equilibrium in the Stanley & Livingstone Game Reserve, it has now become necessary to reduce the current population of elephants by 5 – 7%. Disturbance to the existing breeding herds will be kept to a minimum by translocating between 5-10 elephant bulls into neighbouring national parks. Each animal will be darted with a tranquilliser from a helicopter. Once the elephant is recumbent, the game capture team and ground crew will move in. Assistance will be required at this stage from volunteers to monitor the elephant's vital signs, temperature, breathing etc. while the team prepare to mechanically uplift and translocate the animal. Once it has been moved successfully, an antidote will be administered and the elephant will be released into its new home.
The fee for an all-inclusive volunteer package for this incredible two-week experience will help to cover some of the costs of the exercise and will also cover a volunteer's accommodation, airport transfers, meals and participation in the operation (including observation time in the helicopter). The programme will also include some leisure time in which visitors can enjoy the other activities and sights available in Victoria Falls. Should visitors wish to extend their stay beyond the 2-week itinerary for the Elephant Relocation Safari, this can be arranged.
For more information and contact details, see Nakavango Conservation Centre
TAIL ENDER....
THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ON THE BANKS OF THE ZAMBEZI!
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