The African Buffalo is a respected member of the Big Five even though he might look like a mellow bovine. His cousins in the East, the Asian Water Buffalo, can be domesticated. Not this guy! He is extremely dangerous, and is capable of killing a lion. He is on the trophy wish list of big [...]

Wildlife pic of the week: The African Buffalo
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World Rhino Day – 22 September 2011
One of the Big 5 – Rhinos on Safari I have done a blog post before on Rhino poaching when it was all looking like it was getting out of control a couple of months ago. There was a huge outcry and then things looked like they calmed down a bit and some progress was [...]
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View of the Week: Nosy Iranja – Madagascar
Tropical Paradise off the coast of Madagascar Today it finally feels like summer is on the way in Cape Town. After a week of rainy and cold weather – the sun is out brightly and we feel like we are on the path to flops, shorts, beaches and tans! So I am inspired again by the warm [...]
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A significant piece of History – STEVE BIKO – 12 September 1977
Some South African History There are some fairly significant historical moments around this time. The most notable this year of course is the 10th anniversary of 9/11 – a tragedy beyond comprehension, and a fairly important piece of American history. Our hearts go out to all those who are mourning and remembering their losses at [...]
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Photo of the Week: Kruger Park Sunset
Why the Kruger Park is such a Safari favorite One of my colleagues has recently done a trip up to the Kruger Park, and it is always awesome to see the pictures they come back with. As much as I love the animals, I also love those sunsets! Here is my favorite one from her [...]
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Client Feedback: An Awesome African Safari
African Adventure - South Africa, Zambia & Botswana Some great in depth feedback from clients who have recently traveled with us. Open, honest & some super footage at the end too. Enjoy the read and if you need any advice or thoughts on the properties or itinerary they mention please get in touch with us and we [...]
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Client Feedback: Jim & Elizabeth – August 2011
Great feedback from an African Safari Jeff and Lise, We are sorry to report that we are home. We are thrilled to report that every aspect of the trip was amazing. I am in the process of downloading photos as we write this and can’t wait to go through them and relive every minute. We [...]
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Vultures & their International Day of awareness
Vultures in Africa’s food chain I learnt this week that International Vulture Day occurs on the first Saturday in September each year. So this year falls on 3rd of September which amazingly (the year is flying by) is this coming weekend. The event was started by the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Birds of Prey Programme and [...]
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My Favorite African Places
That ultimate African destination With Irene causing havoc along the coast of the USA it is a good time to remind you of why you should visit our beautiful continent Africa! I have also covered some good tips on how to choose your Safari in previous blog posts (so go back and have a look) which just [...]
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How to choose your Safari – Part 2
Choosing the right safari Last week I promised a few more tips on how to choose the right safari. Last week I covered: 1. When do you want to go? 2. Winter vs Summer? 3. Malaria Free Safaris? 4. Your budget? With these 4 questions covered we can look at getting a little more specific about your experience. [...]
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A story about the Cheetah – a Safari highlight
The beautiful Cheetah A newsletter popped into my inbox yesterday from a lodge in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. At the bottom they added some really interesting facts about Cheetahs which I didn’t know. So I thought I would do a little research and see what else I could learn for myself. Here [...]
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How to choose that African Safari
Tips for choosing the right Safari Vacation We are often asked in this business where the best place to go on safari is. People ask this without realizing the choice that is out there and without really thinking about what it is they want to get out of the experience. Everyone is different, and we [...]
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Good morning! It sure was a terrific trip for all of us...thanks to both of you for putting up with my endless emails---I guess I worried unnecessarily! The stay at the Stanley was a perfect introduction to the city, and the hotel is wonderful, well preserved, very helpful and friendly staff, great location. We did the Kazuri bead factory one day, and volunteered the next. We had a really nice dinner in an alley down the road from the hotel...called BoBos which is a Turkish outdoor restaurant. Certainly nothing formal, outdoor seating with few amenities, but very good inexpensive food. Worth a look. Then had Gamewatchers pick us up to begin the safari...our driver Stephen was an excellent guide, full of info, very interactive. Took great care of us. The other driver, Tony, was also very good though I was not in his RangeRover too often. Sweetwaters was a great choice. Nothing negative to say there. Lodging very nice, food good, game sightings excellent, fun nighttime entertainment. We all enjoyed. Lake Nakuru was the following day. Unfortunately, I would say that of all the experiences, this was the least favorite. The lodge was quite good, food good, good location within the park. The lake water was apparently very high for this season due to prior months' rains, so the bird life was marginal. Game viewing ok, but of course nothing like the Mara. Mara Entim was one of the favorites of all the camps. Beautiful location, top quality staff, camping on the river's edge couldn't be beat, though the sounds of the hippos grunting all night long was very disruptive to our sleep! The game drives with the park staff were incredible with awesome sightings, just overall magnificent! We got to the NBO in plenty of time for flight out to EBB. I was very impressed with Gamewatchers and our guides. The only negative was Nakuru and the long drive. I think we would have been better off hitting a different park between Mt. Kenya and Mara making the drive less intense. In Entebbe, as you know, we changed lodging to the Karibu House instead of the Lake Vic Hotel. I would strongly suggest you look at Karibu. It's a guest house with about 6 rooms, excellent ownership, very secure location, great staff, good chef in the kitchen, all in all a perfect stop over. First day was Ndali Lodge which a beautiful setting. The owner is very friendly and spends time with the guests, though his staff is not as well trained as I would have expected given his British background, quality of the lodging. Enjoyed Kibale. Could have passed on the Bigodi walk I think, esp during mid day when very hot. Then QE park at Mweya...what a great setting. We loved it! A perfect end to the travel. The Kazinga channel ride as lots of fun as were the game drives, though I was a bit underwhelmed with the volume and diversity of the game in QE. Especially as I compared to the Mara or Mt. Kenya. The landscape and views are unbeatable, but not many animals. Example no giraffe, rhino, few lions. Despite that, we had a marvellous time there. The setting really is unbeatable. Entertainment at night with tribal dancers was fun. Our Wild Frontier guide was named Ham, and he was outstanding. Very personable, soft spoken, courteous, well informed, etc. I would highly recommend him to future travellers. We all really liked the variety that Uganda gave us after a week in Kenya. The varied terrain and different cultures were educational, and it fulfilled the desire I always had to get to this area of Africa. I would not really change anything on the itinerary except the Nakuru stop. Otherwise all lodging and guides were very well chosen You both did a great job for us....thanks loads. I wish we were headed back to the continent soon, but I fear it will be a few yers. Garth
When we told everyone about the incredible, customized trip that you put together for us in such a short period of time, they all wanted your name and number. We gave it out and simply said that you were the best! The trip truly was everything we wanted it to be. The camps you selected were outstanding--the food, people and activities could not have been more incredible. We loved every minute of it and want to return again and maybe bring our family. The Tronstads
Hello Friends!! Well, we have been back for a while now, and I have just finished cleaning up after the second set of guests since arriving home. And the boys have finally forwarded their pictures to us. So I am finally taking some time to reflect on our wonderful two weeks in Africa. Let me begin by saying thank you, thank you. The trip you planned for us was amazing. We saw so much, and there are so many of these experiences that are imprinted on my soul. In reflecting back, our time in the Kalahari was probably our favorite. Everything about that camp was amazing - the food, the guides, Michael and Cam (managers) and especially the meerkats!! One of my favorite memories is my son Jesse laying on the ground with a meerkat on his arm and another, pregnant, meerkat standing in the curl of his body. The bush tribe were great too - they were as curious about us as we were about them. We had a great time at the delta too. The floating lodge was good, but by that time, I think that we were just exhausted. The next time you plan a trip for us, remind me to keep it to 10 days, ok? The kids will probably fill you in on the first week of our trip, but it was truly amazing. Lou and I officiated a western wedding, helped to negotiate a lebollah (dowry) danced and sang african songs - what an experience! While I know you were puzzled Jeff about why they scheduled the first few days at Tau in the Madikwe, it had its charms. A great place to schedule a destination wedding. The staff were lovely, and they went way out of their way for us. We saw lots of animals there, and the accommodations were very comfortable. The food was good, and they even had a disco dance floor. Camille - I just have to say that all of the transfers were spot on. Lou was amazed that we didn't wait more than a few minutes for anything. You guys hit a home run, and I'll be happy to recommend you at any time!! Thank you again from the Loosbrocks!!
Gabriella: I have worked with Jeff and Liesl on our annual "Around the World Gang" for the last 5 years and during that time there was NEVER ONE tiny detail left undone. Both Liesl and Jeff are enthusiastic, thorough, dependable, very knowledgeable and committed to their profession. From my experience, they are "above & beyond" anyone's expectation and you will find no one that could surpass their performance. Dee Phillips
Hello Liesl, I am so pleased with this trip to Botswana. The country was beautiful and green. The weather was very comfortable. We saw many of the animal life, certainly a successful safari with lions; leopards; cheetah; painted dogs; elephants; hippos; giraffe; zebra; impala and much more. The lodges were marvelous, really. The food was great, no one became ill. Everything went exactly as planned, everything. I thank you so much for arranging this adventure for our family. I am so impressed that a trip of this sort with so many different arrangements to be made, that it can go as flawless as it did. We had a great time. Thank you so much, and thank you to all that did such a memorable and remarkable job in a service of providing a great safari. Happy New year! I will send a picture or two.












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