African Portfolio Blog » Explore Destinations

Our Favorite Safari Camps and Lodges

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:16:38 +0000

Choosing the right safari accommodation is no easy task. Should you opt for a mobile camp, a luxury tented camp, or a lodge? When helping clients decide where to stay, we’re sometimes asked what our favorites are. Of course, we all have our personal preferences and we thought it would be fun to share them here on our blog. Yvette was first in line and her top choices are ….

Jao Camp

Jao is located in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. It’s a beautifully designed camp in a great location in a private concession area. This allows for some off-road tracking and night drives which translates into excellent game viewing. The variety of activities on offer can’t be beat like the mokoro rides, sleep-outs and walking safaris. The spa facilities and the wonderful staff here are just the cherry on top. Jao is not a cheap place to stay, but compared to other similarly priced properties, I think it’s the best. More about Jao …

Toka Leya

Toko Leya, just outside Livingstone, Zambia, is a beautiful contemporary camp without being “too modern” and “out of place” for my taste. This isn’t a prime game viewing destination but basically you are here to see the Victoria Falls. It’s location is very convenient, away from the masses and big hotels closer to the falls, but close enough to enjoy all the activities in the area. The sundowner cruise in their small private boat, away from the crowds, is a fantastic way to end a perfect day. More about Toko Leya…

Tintswalo Safari Lodge

Tintswalo Safari Lodge is located in the Manyeleti Game Reserve in South Africa. The Manyeleti Reserve is huge, but with only one other property, there is minimal competing traffic on game drives. With an unfenced border with Kruger National Park, the game viewing is great. This lodge has excellent guides and the best outfitted game vehicles I’ve seen (including complimentary use of a pair binoculars, field guide, bird book, etc. per couple). The private plunge pool for each suite and the excellent food makes this camp a definite favorite. More about Tintswalo…

Festivals in Marrakech, Morocco

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:20:24 +0000

Marrakech is filled with energy every night of the week. The main square, the Djemma el-Fna is a hive of activity with kebab shops, snake charmers, musicians and story-tellers. And it’s really not just for the tourists, villagers from surrounding areas enjoy the spectacle as much as everyone else. But every few months, Marrakech and other towns in the vicinity host cultural festivals that add even more to a visitors’ experience. Here are some you shouldn’t miss:

Marrakech Popular Arts Festival
The Marrakech Popular Arts Festival’s program includes folk singers, dancers, fortune-tellers, acting troupes, snake charmers, fire-swallowers and more, from all over Morocco. Since 2000 the festival has also attracted many artists and entertainers from Europe and Asia. The main events take place in the ruins of the 16 century Badi Palace and the Djemma el Fna (main town square). Not to be missed, outside the city walls at night, is the Fantasia. A horse-riding spectacle that includes hundreds of charging horsemen (and women) wearing traditional clothing.

Where: Marrakech, Morocco
When: July 16 – 24 (2010)
Imilchil Marriage Festival
The Imilchil Marriage Feast is a Berber marriage festival where up to forty couples tie the knot. It takes place in Imilchil in the Middle-High Atlas Mountains near Marrakech. The festival is a great way to experience Berber culture including music and dance.

Where: Imilchil (near Marrakech), Morocco
When: August/September (2010)
International Film Festival
The always lively central Place Djemaa el-Fna sets the stage for Marrakech’s International Film Festival. The city’s central square, is transformed into an open-air cinema. Festival visitors in the past have included Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Susan Sarandon, David Lynch and many others.

Where: Marrakech, Morocco
When: 3 – 10 December, 2010
Save the Date for 2011

Essaouira Gnawa and World Music Festival

A music festival based on the traditions of Gnawa music has grown to include musicians from all over the world. This successful annual festival has been around for a decade and venues are dotted all around the picturesque town of Essaouira. Gnawa music is a combination of acrobatic dancing as well as music. Its origins lie in a unique mixture of Berber, African and Arabic songs, religious rites and dance.

Where: Essaouira, Morocco
When: June 2011
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in traveling to Morocco. Check out our sample itineraries or let us customize your trip.

Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Okavango Delta — A Trip of a Lifetime

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:01:50 +0000

Rosalea and Dick just returned from their first African adventure with us. They traveled to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. They visited wineries and penguins, were drenched by the spray of the Victoria Falls and were joined for lunch by and elephant outside their tent in the Okavango Delta. Here are some excerpts from their trip report:

We enjoyed a traditional African 16 course dinner with fabulous drumming (including lessons before dinner) and dancing. Dick was chosen to dance with a performer. With all the excellent African wine in him, he danced with abandon!

A small charter plane flew us to our first Botswana safari camp, Duma Tau, which means Roaring Lion. Camp is quite an exaggeration – our tent looked nothing like a tent inside. We had running water, an indoor/outdoor shower and a flush toilet. The bed was king size and surrounded by mosquito netting.

We saw more wildlife – African buffalo herds, cheetahs, leopards, vultures, francolin (a bird), storks, wildebeests, wart hogs, kingfisher (no relation to our family!), guinea fowl, violet breasted roller (my favorite bird), pelicans.

We were shown huge elephant tracks near our tent, and indeed one afternoon during siesta time, we saw an elephant right outside our tent, munching on his lunch. One day a different elephant even stepped on “our” boardwalk and broke a few planks. We saw his footprints in the mud.

It was a trip of a lifetime. Waiting for our plane to depart from Johannesburg airport, we heard cheers and screams and loud horns blowing all over the airport – South Africa had just scored a goal in the first World
Cup Game. Everyone was so excited,

Read the full trip report and contact us if you want an experience just like this!

Serengeti Balloon Safari

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:12:26 +0000

One of the most magical things you can do while on safari is take a hot-air balloon ride. Floating over the Serengeti is truly a thrill of a lifetime. It’s not that easy to get the timing right to see the great migration, but the balloon operator in the Serengeti has three launch sites all primed for the big event. You have a very good chance of seeing this wildlife spectacle, at least while the zebra and wildebeest are munching on Tanzanian grass.

The balloon ride really consists of three adventures in one. The first one starts with a 5 am wake up call. Tough, but more than worth the rare opportunity of experiencing the Serengeti in the dark. Clients have seen genets, bat-eared foxes, leopards, hippos grazing, and much more — just in the half hour drive to the launch site.

The second adventure is of course the balloon ride itself. As long as the weather cooperates, the balloon ride lasts an hour. Taking off while lying down in the basket is an exciting part of the experience. You’ll get plenty of help from staff to get in the right position. Just make sure you bring something to tie up your hair and tuck in loose clothing. You don’t want to get anything caught while the balloon floats up.

Once you are floating over the magnificent landscape it’s time to get out the cameras. The balloon floats so smoothly, there’s no turbulence at all, so it’s easy to take photos. Some of the wildlife runs away from the balloon, since the noise coming from the burners is significant. But the moment the burners take a rest, the only noise you’ll hear are the birds singing and perhaps some hippos grunting. Looking down at the pathway patterns made by the hooves of millions of ungulates criss-crossing over the entire landscape is awe inspiring. They join together at waterholes like a giant, natural join-the-dot tapestry. As you skim the tops of the acacia trees, look out for baboons, colobus and vervet monkeys, sunning themselves in the canopies.

All too soon, the magical hour is over, a landing site is spotted by the pilot and it’s time to sit down and get ready to land. Landings can be bumpy, you may be dragged along the ground a little, but the padded seats will protect you. Since all flights in the Serengeti happen early in the morning, the winds are usually at their calmest, and landings are easy.

Champagne on arrival is a fine ballooning tradition. And even in the Serengeti, they’ve found a way to serve it perfectly chilled. Once everyone has toasted the captain and had a glass or two, it’s time for the final adventure — a real “out of Africa” breakfast. A lot of time in the Serengeti is spent in a safari vehicle, so the chance to have a full breakfast under a tree with wildlife all around, is a wonderful experience. Sizzling sausages, eggs and bacon is served by staff in turbans, you’ll find your inner Karen Blixen right here. Once breakfast comes to a leisurely end, the pilot hands everyone a certificate. With this souvenir in hand and a lifetime of memories, it’s time for a game drive back to your camp or lodge.

If you’d like to try a Serengeti balloon safari, contact us and we can arrange it for you. Please note, they do have to be booked several months in advance as balloon space is limited.

Safari Eyes

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:54:56 +0000

Several months ago we arranged a Wilderness safari in Botswana for travel writer Susan Farewell…

When you travel to Africa, you inevitably hear someone make reference to having safari eyes. What that basically means is seeing more. Two people can look out at the same savanna. One might see only grasslands rippling in the wind. The one with safari eyes might also see a jackal sitting in the grass, an eagle perched on a treetop, and the long necks of giraffes in the woodlands beyond.

Getting safari eyes is not some natural aptitude or an acquired skill. It’s all about slowing down and paying attention to everything around you, using your eyes, your ears, your sense of smell. In general, your instincts—something we all have but kind of lose as we get tangled up in our packed day-to-day schedules, our ever-present electronics and our long-term agendas.

Last month, my almost-13-year-old daughter and I spent the bulk of our 10-day trip through Botswana and Zambia, getting our safari eyes.

We had gone to Southern Africa with the cliché safari expectations: to see lions, elephants, leopards, zebra, giraffe and other animals in their natural habitat. With the exception of the rhino, we saw all of the high-profile (the new name for the original hunter’s title, the big five) animals. In fact, we saw them all very early on, very close up.

What I didn’t expect is that we’d see so much more… read more

More about our safaris in Botswana….

Meet Ezekiel “Big Easy” Ditshameko – Game Ranger, Okavango Delta

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:09:05 +0000

Meet Ezekiel “Big Easy” Ditshameko, one of Okavango Delta’s most experienced guides. Ezekiel grew up in Sepopa, Botswana in the Okavango Delta, an area widely known for its incredible birdlife and mammals. His daily exposure to the bush has given Ezekiel a wealth of knowledge. Coupled with his warm sense of humor and easy-going nature, Ezekiel is a just a joy to go on safari with. Ezekiel’s guiding experience spans more than a decade and he has worked for some of the best safari operators in Southern Africa.

We are thrilled to announce that Ezekiel will be visiting our African Portfolio office on June 8th (2010). He ‘ll be taking us on a virtual safari tour and sharing some of his best stories from the bush. Please join us if you can, we will be serving wine, soft drink and hors d’ oeuvres. Details follow below:

What: Join us for stories from the African bush as Ezekiel and his colleagues share their experiences as game rangers in East and Southern Africa and learn more of the impact we can have on the African continent and her people.

When: June 8, 2010, 6pm – 8pm

Where: African Portfolio, 146 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870

RSVP: E-mail: SafariPlanner@africanportfolio.com or call us at 1-800-700-3677

Egypt in Style

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:49:37 +0000

Susan just returned from a trip to Egypt. Her husband joined her while she carried out site inspections in Cairo, Luxor, Abu Simbel, and Hurghada. They also managed to find time to celebrate their anniversary, cruising down the Nile on board the Nile Adventurer. Isadore wrote a daily blog and we thought it would be fun to share some of his observations. If you’d like to read the full account, click here.

[On the Delta flight to Cairo] A passenger complained to an attendant that there was no room in the bin above her seat. The attendant replied ” well the good news is all the overhead bins are going to the same place…..”

The Mena House Oberoi is across the street from the Pyramids. The hotel is amazing as is our room. We unpacked, relaxed on the deck gazing in awe at the huge Pyramids in our back yard. We dined in the restaurant which entertained us with a singer followed by a swirling fellow (Whirling dervish) and finally the belly dancer. This swirling guy spun around and around for ten minutes non-stop.

Our guide was a lady in her early fifties, drop dead gorgeous, blond, Egyptologist with a masters degree.

The statues of Ramses & the queens were just mind boggling. I used to consider the sun and heat of Namibia to be quite torturous, but clearly I was wrong as the midday temperatures reached 45 degrees in the shade – it was HOT HOT HOT.

We spent a fair amount of time at King Tutankhamen and then moved onto the Royal Mummies where we discovered the Gods mummified their favourite pets or animals. So amongst the animals were a dog, a ram, a cow, a 20ft Nile crocodile and many more.

The Pyramids are located just out of range of the Niles fertile banks. This left the soil for crops, hence most of the antiquities – pyramids, palaces and tombs etc. were built just out of reach of the river.

The sphinx took my breath away. Seeing all the pictures in the world cannot make up for your presence in front of a statue more than 5000 years old.

From the Presidents Suite, we heard nothing and felt nothing. Such smooth sailing. The sites along the banks were pretty much the same, mile after mile of fertile farming. Beyond the farmlands were the occasional mountains and factories and of course there were the antiquities the hungry tourists were anxious to see. And there was no shortage of them.

Of the 62 tombs found thus far, many of them have been closed to the public due to salty mineral build up on the rock face brought in by sweaty visitors. So the authorities open three or four at a time for a period then close those and open others. Should you have the craving desire to see a specific tomb, for a small additional fee of around US$5,000 you can get five minutes of private viewing.

Only as we approached the Red Sea did the terrain become mountainous and quite spectacular.

Entry to the suite was from the sea facing view into the living room with 12 ft ceilings and windows from floor to ceiling arched at the top.

The huge infinity pool over looked the Red Sea about sixty feet below. Down on the beach we found the diving shop where you can rent gear to snorkel and or dive. We both enjoyed the snorkeling immensely.

Find out about the trips we offer to Egypt, we can customize any itinerary for you. And rest assured, we’ve visited every hotel and sailed on all the cruise ships we recommend!

Lion Battle Buffalo in Timbavati

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:54:08 +0000

Two clients of ours took a trip to Timbavati, a private reserve adjacent to Kruger National park in South Africa. Kent Lawson and Carol Tambor were staying at King’s Camp (see more below). While on a game drive, they filmed this amazing encounter between 3 male lions and a huge herd of more than 300 buffalo.

Their story and video was picked up by the Daily Telegraph in the UK.

“One minute we were watching these lions hunting quietly and slowly and majestically and then all Hell broke loose. We came across this scene of incredible violence and tension and confrontation.” Kent and other tourists had been tracking the three lions through the African bush before the action unfolded. He said; “These three males are well-known to the park because they are unusual in the way they cooperate so well together… More

About Timbavati
Timbavati is a private nature reserve next to Kruger National Park, there are no fences separating the two parks so the animals you see are the same as you would encounter in Kruger. The advantages of a private reserve like Timbavati, is that visitors are allowed to go off the road and drive up close to the animals. Rangers make sure they are safe and don’t interfere with the animals in anyway, as you can see in the video. Rangers are also very familiar with the animals that tend to live and hunt in the private reserve, since the area is not as large as Kruger. This really adds to the safari experience because rangers know where to find the “Big 5″, and are familiar with the characteristics of individual members.

Private reserves allow visitors to go on walking safaris and enjoy sun downers in the park out of their vehicle. Visitors can also enjoy night drives, giving them a better chance at seeing some of the nocturnal animals like the elusive leopard. Other advantages include open topped safari vehicles. This footage is so clear because Kent could shoot the video right from his seat and didn’t have to deal with a window. Despite the proximity of the lions and buffalo they were still safe.

Kings Camp

Kings Camp where Carol and Kent stayed, is lovely luxurious camp with 10 individual en-suite chalets, tastefully decorated and air-conditioned. There’s a comfortable lounge, dining room, bar, pool, restaurant, and curio shop on site.

Contact us if you’re interested in more information about an African safari. We can’t guarantee you’ll see 3 lions battling buffalo right in front of your jeep, but we certainly have the knowledge to give you the best odds on witnessing a scene like this!

Surviving Your Flight to Africa

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:32:51 +0000

The latest trend among airlines is to charge extra for a seat that has more legroom, or is located in the front of the plane (but still in economy). So far South African Airlines haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, but we suspect it won’t be long before they do. A popular flight for many of our clients going on safari in Tanzania is the KLM flight to Kilimanjaro (via Amsterdam). KLM is charging $100 for seats near the front of the plane to Amsterdam, and a whopping $150 for the Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro leg. Some airlines are charging even more for exit row seats that used to be allocated upon check in. Now they’re a hot commodity with a price tag.

Given the length of the average flight from the US to Africa, we at African Portfolio would be happy to spend some extra dollars if means we can actually fit into our shoes at the end of the flight. The key is not to get mad if the back of the plane ends up being empty, and you’re squashed in the front on a very expensive economy class seat.

Tips to Survive Your Longhaul Flight to Africa

1) Be rested and be in shape – Physical stamina and conditioning will help you cope better after you land.
2) Set your watch – As soon as you board the flight, set your watch to your destination time zone.
3) Avoid alcohol & caffeine – They cause dehydration, disrupt sleeping schedules, and trigger nausea and general discomfort.
4) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – Drink water, especially during the flight, to counteract the effects of the dry atmosphere inside the plane.
5) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize – Carry skin lotion, nasal spray, eye drops and a facial spritzer to counteract the effects of the dry atmosphere inside the plane.
6) Move around on the plane – Remaining active wards off stiffness, and promotes mental and physical acuity which can ease the symptoms of jet lag.
7) Wear comfortable shoes and clothes – Avoid items that pinch, restrict, or chafe and dress for the climate in your destination time zone.

Once you arrive, adapt your behavior to the local schedule – If you arrive at dinner time, have dinner. If you arrive at night, go to bed. If you arrive during the day, go outside. Sunlight will cue your hypothalamus to reduce the production of sleep-inducing melatonin during the day.

Cultural Festivals in Africa – Summer 2010

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:56:54 +0000

Diane is in Harare and thoroughly enjoying the annual International Festival of the Arts. It’s a very well organized festival that has been getting rave reviews since it started in 1999. The festival was founded by Manuel Bagarro, who by day is actually a concert pianist living and working in New York city. It’s a wonderful six day celebration of visual arts, song, dance, street performance and spoken word. Diane’s been busy attending daytime programs as well as the CABS Opera Gala a few nights ago. Salif Keita will be performing on Sunday, and other acts include: Xalam (from Senegal), José González (international singer-songwriter), Emeline Michel (international star from Haiti), the London Festival Opera, and many more.

The Harare International Festival of the Arts is just one of many world class cultural festivals held in cities across Africa. They attract talent from all over the world as well as showcasing local artists. In many cases it’s the only time local artists and musicians get a chance to perform in front of a large audience and have access to decent equipment. In the case of Harare, and other cities that have struggled, it’s a very positive and unifying occasion, something to celebrate and be proud of.

Upcoming Festivals in Africa
Some of the bigger festivals are worth planning a trip around, but often you can just get lucky and stumble upon a true gem by chance. Here’s a quick list of what is coming up in the next few months in several African countries where we offer trips to. It’s worth spending an extra day or two to check out some performances.

Morocco

Fes Festival of Sacred Music, 4 – 12 June
Essaouria Gnaoua World Music Festival, 25 – 28 June
Marrakech Popular Arts Festival, 16 – 24 July

South Africa

National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, 20 June – 4 July
Stellenbosch Wine Festival, 1 – 5 July
Durban International Film Festival, 22 July – 1 August

Tanzania

Interregional Music Festival, Dar es Salaam, 15 – 18 July
Zanzibar International Film & Arts Festival, 10 – 18 July