Selinda Canoe Trail Botswana. No single supps !

A magical experience, the Selinda Canoe Trail is a canoeing and walking adventure safari, replicating the safari experiences of old as it navigates along the Selinda Spillway. The area evokes remoteness and solitude, combined with excellent wildlife viewing.

Great news, for all new bookings on the Selinda Canoe Trail from now until the end of October 2011, all single supplements will be waived (subject to availability).The three-night/four-day safari covers approximately 45km while the nights are spent in fly camps along the way, set up wherever the canoeists end up. Camps are set in prime, shady sites from whhich to explore remote and secret corners of the bush. The days are spent paddling eastwards along the Spillway, stopping whenever there is something of interest to be seen along the banks, such as the many wildlife and bird species found in the area.

The area is well known for elephant, buffalo, sable antelope, roan antelope and wild dog, while cheetah, lion, leopard and variety of other species are also found. The Selinda is also a birding paradise with some 300 species or more to be seen. With many males trying to claim the territory around the Tshwene area, lions are often seen and are very vocal at night.

Each canoeing day begins at first light when the Spillway is at its most peaceful. After an early coffee and snack, we set off for the day's adventure. Walking is part of the experience. If there happens to be activity that warrants investigation, the guide will stop on the banks and take a short walk into the bush. A brunch will be taken around mid-morning and light snacks will be available throughout the day for sustenance until dinner.

We have a number of great ideas to explore Botswana from luxury mobile camps to award wining camps in the Okavango, Moremi, the north and the arid Kalahari. Get in touch for help and advise.

Yellow Fever - do I need it?

Passengers travelling between Europe and Zambia will not be required to have a Yellow Fever certificate.

South African Department of Health has decided Zambian travelers will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Please be urgently advised that all passengers traveling between South Africa and Zambia (both directions) with effect from 1st July 2011 will be required to have a yellow fever vaccination certificate. This is due to the World Health Organizations recent revision of the Yellow Fever recommendations for Africa. This includes all transit passengers between the two destinations, irrespective of the time period in transit, will also require proof of yellow fever vaccination.
NOTE: A yellow fever vaccination needs to be done no less than 10 days prior to travelling.

Please also be aware that

The list countries for which a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required for entry into South Africa are as below: Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Guinea-Bissau, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan ,Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Zambia.

ETHIOPIA added to our portfolio

We are really happy to be able to offer safaris / cultural journeys to stunning Ethiopia. The inspiration to offer Ethiopia came in the most classic of way, through black & white photos and stories told by Tony's great aunt who travelled extensively here in the late 1940's/50's.
The interesting and endemic wildlife of the region combined with an amazingly long and varied history make Ethiopia a classic destination for the keen traveller.
We have carefully chosen a partner in Ethiopia who can help us to create and provide outstanding journeys of discovery supported and who can provide us with expert guides, to unlock the whole picture for our clients.
Please visit our suggested Ethiopian safaris or call to discuss your own ideas that we can help you turn in to the idea safari.

Wildeye Photographic Safari

I am always excited about new safari ideas and this time especially so as we have joined up with an award winning wildlife photographer Drew Burnett to create two guided photography safaris to suit all abilities. These are small group safaris with just a maximum of 6 guests, Drew will help to build on your photographic knowledge and in getting those perfect wildlife shots. Sept & Oct 2012 are the height of the dry season in Zambia when Hippo fight for space and the time that the strikingly beautiful Carmine Bee eaters return to breed in colonies on the sandy river banks. These trips cost little more than an un guided safari and make for a very different experience. Click here to visit Drews safari.

Busanga Safaris promotes the Kafue

When other safari companies are thinking of nothing but selling more safaris we are thinking just as hard about first promoting those special places where rare or interesting wildlife occurs in the hope to inspire visitors to safari with us to see for themselves.
No more so than in Zambia's Kafue. Inspired by it's remoteness and varied wildlife we arranged our first safaris to there about a decade ago, it was good then but how it has changed. The wildlife numbers are greater and we know lots more about the diversity and distribution. There are still few safari camps in what after all is Africa's 2nd largest national park and those that are there are sensitivly managed and contribute to the welfare of the park and it's wildlife. Yet although visitor numbers have increased a little, and in truth we don't want too many ! the Kafue remains under promoted, and so when ever we get a chance to help it's profile we are happy to step up. Our Tyrone, who you may know lives in the Kafue and manages the wonderful little Busanga Plains Camp, has recently been contributing his words and experience to write and update the pages dedicated to the Kafue on the official Zambia Tourisum website and has also features about the Kafue to Wildlife extra the highly regarded wildlife magazine, including an article on the return of the Elephants , and giving a talk about the Kafue in London at the Adventure Travel Live show, which was very well received and led to experienced safari goers choosing to visit, and further offers to talk, which will have to wait for another time. Back in Zambia Tyrone has found time to compile a comprehensive wildlife guide to the Kafue which is being contributed to produce a guide book for sale to visitors, the revenue will be ploughed back in to managment and wildlife protection in the Kafue. Although his exploits at the jaws of a crocodile, looking after the first Lady, swimming across the Busanga plains and encounters with lions in the office would probably also sell well but that's also for another time.

We would love to show you the Kafue why not this year?

New photographic safari with Patrick Bentley, award winning wildlife photographer.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI WITH PATRICK BENTLEY

In August 2011, award winning wildlife photographer Patrick Bentley (www.patrickbentley.com) will lead an intimate photographic safari deep into the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia.


PATRICK BENTLEY
Patrick began guiding in the South Luangwa in 1994 and has extensive experience of the area and its wildlife as well as in-depth knowledge of the African bush and animal behavior. He photographs the area regularly and knows its inhabitants and their haunts well.

SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS:
Experience and photograph some of the most intense concentrations of wildlife in Africa around the Luangwa River and its oxbow lagoons.
Be guided by a professional wildlife photographer and accredited safari guide in areas of the South Luangwa that he photographs regularly, where he knows its inhabitants and is involved in their conservation.
Stay at a lodge with wildlife and photographic opportunities just outside your chalet door.
Spend quality photographic time with wildlife - leaving the lodge before sunrise to catch the best light in the morning and staying out after dark to take advantage of night drives.
Meet and spend time with people of similar wildlife and photographic interests who are as keen as you are to make the most of every photographic opportunity.

SAFARI FOCUS
The focus of this photographic safari will be on intensive photography in the field. We will leave the lodge before sunrise each day (around 5am) to catch the best light and return for a delicious brunch in the late morning. The heat of he afternoon can be spent relaxing in the shade of the lodge or simply downloading photographs, charging batteries and cleaning equipment ready for the afternoon drive. There will be plenty opportunity to review images and discuss photographic techniques.

We will leave the lodge again at mid-afternoon and stay out until 8pm to photograph nocturnal activity. When we return to the lodge we will be welcomed with drinks at the bar, a 4-course meal, coffee around the fire and, inevitably, much photographic conversation! The drives will be in an open-top Land Cruiser with plenty of space for equipment and moving around. "Prime seats" will be rotated on a regular basis

NEW SEPTEMBER DATE FOR OUR POPULAR KAFUE SAFARIS

We have just added a new date in September for our popular set date safaris to the wonderful Kafue in Zambia. The safari visits varied habitats from the permanent rivers and woodland to the wide Busanga Plains. Staying in three great camps including "The Plains camp".

£2,691 9 nights
£2,444 8 nights
No Single Supplements
19th Sept 2011 9 nights 6 spaces available (Guided by Linda Lee )
29th Sept 2011 8 nights 6 spaces available (Guided by Linda Lee )