June 2010

June 25, 2010

Singita’s Sabora Tented Camp

Filed under: Serengeti,Tanzania Safari — Tags: , — Tanzania Odyssey @ 3:15 pm

Singita’s Sabora Tented Camp in the Grumeti Reserves (Tanzania), has undergone a number of new developments to expand the accommodation offering. This will meet continued high demand by affluent travellers seeking a quintessential ‘Out of AfricaSerengeti safari experience.

Singita Sabora is one of three distinct, luxurious lodges that form part of the Singita stable of iconic, low-impact, high-end lodges in East-Africa. Located in one of the most pristine wilderness locations on the Western corridor of the Serengeti, it is also the scene of Africa’s thrilling annual wildebeest migration.

Three luxurious, 1920’s-styled tented suites have been added to the six existing elegant tented suites, increasing guest capacity from 12 to 18 guests. Fitted from soft canvas and furnished with theatrical flair, complete with European finery and ethnic artefacts, the new tented suites are air-conditioned and offer all modern luxuries emulating the style of the existing suites. Meticulously designed, each is en-suite with a fully equipped bathroom, boasting newly designed open-air showers, period baths and larger viewing decks with panoramic, uninterrupted views of the Serengeti plains.

A second, spacious tented lounge has also been constructed to ensure that guests have abundant room to relax, recline and enjoy the well-equipped library and other facilities. Adjacent to the existing lounge, it is conveniently independently accessible, furnished with antique mahogany travel chests, Persian rugs and silk curtains reminiscent of a bygone era. With its own wrap-around deck, here sundowners can be sipped while gazing at game ambling by – almost within arms’ reach.

An integrated ‘health and fitness’ facility has been added at Singita Sabora. The new guest gymnasium is designed to provide guests with unobstructed vistas of the African wilderness while training. It is conveniently close to the well-equipped, intimate Spa and heated plunge pool with its ‘walk-in’ stairs. The pool deck has been extended to offer breathtaking views of the glorious sunrise, while providing abundant space to engage in poolside activities, or to enjoy a leisurely poolside brunch or dinner. In addition, an unfenced clay tennis court has been constructed on the western corner of the camp, where guests may engage in this age-old ‘gentleman’s game’ on one of the most comfortable surfaces imaginable.

The mild, temperate climate lends itself to lazy afternoons in the main camp with lavish tented dining room, where gourmet cuisine and exceptional wines can be savoured, or in the adjacent bar lounge, where sunset drinks are a stylish, cherished affair.

Exhilarating outdoor adventures and relaxing leisure pursuits augment the luxurious accommodation and world-class facilities and service offered here. Guests may indulge in superb game viewing or adventurous hot-air ballooning, or simply relax while reclining on a shaded daybed overlooking the plains – the charming ambience of this authentic olde world safari lodge will leave guests hard-pressed to depart.

More About Singita Grumeti Reserves

Singita Grumeti Reserves spans over 340 000 acres of untouched wilderness, offering a quintessential ‘Out of Africa’ experience. It comprises three spectacular lodges: the flagship Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Singita Sabora Tented Camp and Singita Faru Faru Lodge – each with its own unique charm and ambience, and set in a private concession almost the size of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

The Singita Grumeti experience presents a fine, and tangible example of the new African eco-philanthropy that ‘gives back’ through tourism. Offering low-density tourism and a dense concentration of game, thus providing up-close, intimate experiences for guests, Singita Grumeti Reserves embraces the Singita philosophy of ‘touching the earth lightly’. This ethos underscores the approach of low impact and high value tourism, based on the philosophy that a minimal number of guests will have little impact on the land and its fauna and flora, thus benefiting the environment.

In addition to superb game viewing, other activities offered at Singita Grumeti include: archery, tennis, hot-air ballooning, horseback game viewing, a fully equipped spa and gym and a jogging track, as well as community tours to various projects initiated and supported by the Singita Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Recognised internationally as providing ‘the best safari experience in Africa’, the Singita product offering further includes six other iconic, low-impact, high-end lodges in three additional destinations: the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand in South Africa, and in South Eastern Zimbabwe.

Multi-award winner of virtually every hotel and travel award both locally and globally, the focus of Singita is not only game viewing, cuisine, wine, high design and luxury, but also an uncompromising dedication to conservation and sustainability, which includes several significant community projects.

For detailed information about Tanzania and Zanzibar please look at our site – www.tanzaniaodyssey.com, and click here for information about a Tanzania safari.

To view videos of the country and the various lodges please see our Video Console

Or for advice / quotes or anything else please call us in London on 44 (2) 7471 8780 or in the USA on (toll free) 1-866 356 4691

Serengeti in June: The Great Migration

Filed under: Serengeti,Tanzania Safari — Tags: , , — Tanzania Odyssey @ 3:02 pm

For all of us at Tanzania Odyssey, June remains one of our favourite times of year in the Serengeti. At this time, the huge migration herds are fairly dispersed across the plains, relishing the glorious green that is now splashed across the landscape. To arrive in Africa after the rains is like setting foot in a strange paradise on earth. This continent, so often characterised by the deep red of its earth and sun-scorched plains, comes alive with new life; its incredible distances seem a vast and fruitful garden, awash with thousands of variations of green.

June is a good time for bird-watching, and sparks a proliferation of butterflies. The air is fresh and clear, with low humidity, and long hours in a Land Rover – necessary if you wish to see the best of this region – are far more appealing. At this time the vast herds of the Great Migration are making their way into the north western plains, soon to face the often fatal challenge of crossing the crocodile infested Grumeti River. The crocodiles here are quite used to waiting for their annual feast! Recently, clients driving out with Nomad Safaris witnessed a 5km long line of wildebeest marching near Musabi, and watched a large pride of lions take down two wildebeest at once.

For safari-goers and all wildlife watchers, each venture into the bush is laden with potential; wildlife is finally lured away from its dependence on the few remaining water sources at the end of the dry season, and anything can happen. The vast distances of the Serengeti are breathtaking in themselves, scattered with rock kopjes and ancient land forms that seem to be the very stuff of creation, but it is truly a breathtaking experience to witness this landscape when the migrating herds are chewing their way to each furthest horizon.

The thousands of unfenced acres of the Serengeti and surrounding parks have been fantastically fought for, to protect a vast and unique ecosystem in this glorious region of East Africa. Here the lives of myriad strange and wonderful wild birds and animals play out; their freedom remains paramount. The ever-changing beauties of the bush may never be qualified or quantified; Man has set this land aside to watch and wonder at the strange composition of Nature’s art, but can never presume or predict what he will see.

Tanzania: Mkomazi Receives Black Rhinos from Czech Republic

Filed under: Tanzania Safari — Tags: — Tanzania Odyssey @ 3:00 pm

Article from http://allafrica.com
6 June 2009 – Valentine Marc Nkwame

A pack of three Rhinoceroses from the Czech Republic arrived in Tanzania last weekend and were sent to the Mkomazi Rhino sanctuary in Kilimanjaro region.

The black Rhinos of Diceros Bicornis Michaeli species landed at the Kilimanjaro International Airport from Amsterdam aboard a large customized cargo craft, Boeing 747-400 BCF belonging to the Martinair Airline. They rode in three huge wooden crates.

“The rhino were crate-trained for two months to prepare them for the long flight inside the cages, it required a high level of skilled training to ensure that the animals rode comfortably,” stated the retired Brigadier General Hashim Mbita the chairman of the Wildlife Trust Fund.

The animals were taken from the Dvur Kralove zoo, Czech Republic. The Zoo, which specializes in Africa fauna, is reported to be one of the most successful captive-breeding programmes for the Black Rhino in the world. Their rarest animal is the Northern white rhino.

The translocation of the three black ‘Michael’ Rhinos from Czech Republic cost over US $70,000 this was made possible through a fund-raiser previously done by the Suzuki Rhino Club of Netherlands. Ted and Catrina van Dam who head the Suzuki Rhino club have also been supporting the Mkomazi Rhino project

Two decades ago, Tanzania, with the help of other African Parks, governments, and conservationists, including the George Adamson Wildlife Trust had hatched a protected breeding program to boost the black rhino numbers in parks. They started the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary, occupying 43 square miles of the total 2,200 square miles of the new Mkomazi National Park in Same District, Kilimanjaro region. The sanctuary is protected by 24-hours patrol guards and an electrified, alarmed fence.

“At Mkomazi the newly brought Rhinos will be kept under special care and monitoring within the sanctuary before being released into the wild,” explained the Director General for the Tanzania National Parks, Mr. Gerald Bigurube, adding that the animals must first learn to adopt to the local environment before being let out.

Which is just as well because, the first rhino refused to leave its crate, upon being let out at Mkomazi and it took a full hour of team effort to persuade the animal to enter the sanctuary.

Tanzania however shouldn’t entirely feel like a new planet to the three newly received black rhinos because according to the Director General of TANAPA, the animals were among those taken from East Africa in the early sixties and sent to the Czech’s zoo for their safety when their survivals here could not be guaranteed.

Ms Halima Mangi an Ecologist at Mkomazi said the new batch from Czech now brings up the total number of Rhinoceroses at Mkomazi National Park to Nine. “Rhinos had totally disappeared here in the 80s therefore this project, aimed at restoring the species, was started,” she said.

The first four rhinos brought from South Africa, two males and two females were introduced to the sanctuary in 1997 with the second batch of four following in 2001. They started to reproduce in 2005 and by 2008 four new babies had been born, however two of these young ones and an older Rhino later died.

The priority at Mkomazi, according to Tony Fitzjohn the Field Director of George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust, is to increase the founder population to at least 15 rhinos from which a whole new population can be created. Dr Dana Holeckova, the Director of the Dvur Kralove Zoo had previously visited Mkomazi with Dr Hamish Currie of Back to Africa and agreed to donate 3 black rhino of Diceros bicornis michaeli species to its Rhino sanctuary.

Dr Peter Morkel, Berry White and Dvur Kralove rhino keepers played an important role in ensuring smooth and safe translocation of Rhinos while back here Tony Fitzjohn, Elisaria Nnko, Wilfred Ayo, Semu Pallangyo and Philbert Shindano handled all the necessary responsibilities.

Ground transportation was taken care of by Grumeti Reserves, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Save-the-Rhino society and again the Suzuki Rhino Club. Support also came from A & K.

For detailed information about Tanzania and Zanzibar please look at our site – www.tanzaniaodyssey.com, and click here for information about a Tanzania safari.

To view videos of the country and the various lodges please see our Video Console

Or for advice / quotes or anything else please call us in London on 44 (2) 7471 8780 or in the USA on (toll free) 1-866 356 4691

June 24, 2010

TANAPA fights to improve and maintain Tanzanian Guides

Filed under: Serengeti,Tanzania Safari — Tags: — Tanzania Odyssey @ 5:56 pm

TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks Association) is ready to give financial and technical resources to build capacity for the guides in order to attract more visitors to the country, especially to the National Parks, after a three-day meeting organised by the management of the Serengeti National Parks with the Tanzania Tour Guides Association (TTGA), a body which is increasingly gaining importance in the industry.

The aim is to maintain local knowledge and local guides over the influx of foreign guides in Tanzania. Martin Laibooki, Serengeti chief park warden also said cultural attractions would be promoted for tourism within the vast park. These include the historical sites which have been sighted in recent years.

Tour guides at the meeting suggested improving the infrastucture of the Serengeti, so that northern and northwestern parts may be opened up to allow access to “undiscovered” impressive areas that are currently not easily visited due to bad roads.For detailed information about Tanzania and Zanzibar please look at our site – www.tanzaniaodyssey.com, and click here for information about a Tanzania safari.

To view videos of the country and the various lodges please see our Video Console

Or for advice / quotes or anything else please call us in London on 44 (2) 7471 8780 or in the USA on (toll free) 1-866 356 4691

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