Posted in
Kruger region,
Madikwe,
Waterberg by
Carrie on October 16, 2009
Here’s some news about eco-friendly safari camps and ‘green’ safari lodges that go the extra mile take care of the environment:
Garonga Safari Camp
Garonga Safari Camp in the Makalali Reserve (not too far from Kruger National Park) ensures that all rubbish is separated and foodstuffs are used for warthogs and kudu in winter. They also have a water system whereby all used water is pumped into filtration pits and after 2 years is suitable for release to be drunk by animals. They have started to grow their own organic vegetable garden (baboon-proof at the moment) which will find their way onto guest’s plates at Garonga Safari Camp and supplement staff rations.
Jaci’s Safari Lodge & Jaci’s Tree Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve
An exciting indigenous tree nursery project has been initiated by Jaci’s - by teaching the community to collect seeds and germinate indigenous trees for resale both within and outside of the Madikwe Game Reserve. This project has gained significant success and has generated valuable funds to be used within the greater scheme of the community driven waste management solution, including the benefit of planting over 300 trees in the game reserve.
Ant’s Nest & Ant’s Hill, Waterberg
The objective of the Ant Collection is to create sustainable tourism by means of conserving the environment around us, enriching the lives of our guests and staff alike as well as uplifting the community and providing as much skills development to the locals as possible
Motswari Safari Lodge, Timbavati, nr Kruger
Getting passed as a ‘Fair Trade in Tourism’ product is tangible evidence of commitment to the land and its people. It’s not an easy process, so any lodge that goes through it really wants to demonstrate fair trade practices. Motswari was particularly commended by Fair Trade in Tourism for their investments in community health and education and the maintenance of a family-friendly staff village, which is a critical strategy for combating HIV/AIDS in the game lodge industry.
If you want to know more about these places contact me at: safaritart@wydahtours.com
Posted in
Animal Antics,
Madikwe,
South Africa by
Carrie on September 2, 2009
Lion action at Tuningi on 31 August 2009
These curious young lions and lionesses came to see the goings-on as guests from Tuningi Safari Lodge enjoyed their sundowner game drive drinks & snacks in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Madikwe Collection game rangers and guests watched from a safe distance as the lions investigated the contents of the cooler boxes.
“Evening game drives include a short stop for bushveld snacks and sundowner drinks, allowing guests to stretch their legs and, in this case, get close and personal with the ‘locals’.” - commented Grant Marcus, Senior game ranger and photographer of these pictures.
I had a great time at Tuningi, while I was writing the Exclusives Safari Lodges of South Africa book. During that visit an elephant came to drink out of the dam just a few metres from the swimming pool.
They have an excellent kids safari programme too, and a separate area for children on safari to avoid them get too noisy for other guests.
Tuningi Safari Lodge is nice an intimate with four luxury suites and a further two family cottages with two bedrooms and adjoining lounge, kitchenette and dining room. Little Tuningi is a part of the main lodge but can be booked as stand alone accommodation for those that want the place to themselves. Little Tuningi has a double room and a family unit as well as a private pool and boma (for outdoor meals around the fire).
For rates contact: safaritart@wydahtours.com.
Posted in
Safari snippets by
Carrie on August 17, 2009
Learn how to photograph whales, birds, fynbos, landscapes and animals at De Hoop along the Cape coastline this spring.
Wildlife photographer, Dave De Beer, is running a photographic course from 28-30 August, offering visitors a chance to learn how to capture the magnificence of De Hoop Nature Reserve in spring – which of course includes photographing whales in their ocean nursery. The course will suit beginners and/or intermediate amateurs with a DSLR camera.
Dave will be covering five subjects – whales, birds, fynbos, landscapes and animals – each of which will present a different photographic challenge and provide the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills.
Lectures and trips into the field will be interspersed with fab food and wine from what I found to be a really good restaurant at De Hoop called . Price from R850 per person per night, children under 16 stay for free and De Hoop will arrange a variety of kids activities to allow parents to focus on the course (‘scuse the pun). The weekend ends with Sunday morning brunch and awarding of prizes, which includes a stay in the Madikwe Game Reserve worth R14,000.
Email info@dehoopcollection.co.za or call (in RSA only) 0861 334667 . The offer is for a minimum 2 night stay. I loved De Hoop so much that I would thoroughly recommend a visit, especially during whale season. See what I had to say about De Hoop on this site:
Posted in
Kruger region,
South Africa by
Carrie on August 11, 2009
Leopards on the lounger; elephant at the poolside; and a bad day for a buffalo
.. …these special safari moments occurred at Tintswalo Safari Lodge recently http://www.safaritart.com/?p=304 :
Read the comment below to see what a recent guest said about Tintswalo.
To book this lodge email: safaritart@wydahtours.com
Posted in
South Africa,
Western Cape by
Carrie on July 15, 2009
‘Number One Hotel in the World’
according to 2009 US Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards reader’s survey.
Crikey, what an accolade! Read my review of Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve http://www.safaritart.com/?p=119 on this site and find out why it won this award. Who does the voting and how many people who voted have actually been there I wonder, but this exclusive 5-star wilderness retreat at the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains (about 270m north of Cape Town), is certainly one of my favourite places.
I have fond memories of when my friend fell into the ice cold mountain dam after trying to extricate himself from a canoe that he could not control. And mountain 
biking with zebra and antelopes grazing on the plain and sitting by a remote spot where the strangely shaped yellow and ochre rocks created a landscape of natural sculptures. And then there was a press visit when I was forced to eat a ten-course taster menu - each nibble was more delicious than the last and I ended up with a stomach twice the size of my body but still wanted more.
This day ended with a massage from hands that knew how to unlock the tension.
Oh for that day to be right now!
And whaddyaknow, Bushman’s Kloof also took pole position as the Number 1 Lodge/Resort in Africa and the Middle East and their sister property, The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, in CapeTown, was voted the Best City Hotel in Africa & Middle East, as well as Best Hotel Spa in Africa & the Middle East.
Enough now! If you want to know more you’d better look on www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest
Or see www.bushmanskloof.co.za, email: safaritart@wydahtours.com
Posted in
South Africa,
Western Cape by
Carrie on July 7, 2009
Written by Safari Tartlet, Renate de Villiers.
Bossy (the Nokia Navigator GPS) was talking nicely to us giving us directions, because Carrie had forgotten the way to African Game Lodge in the Western Cape Mountains near Montagu. But Bossy was a little out of sorts because we were going into the middle of the mountains and she was not familiar with this off-the-beaten-path track to nowhere. I am Renate de Villiers, Carrie’s intern from Pretoria University, spending a week with Carrie to learn how to become a travel writer. I didn’t realize I would start my career being a Safari Tartlet! But up until now, I’ve enjoyed it so much that I don’t feel like leaving very soon.
The name, African Game Lodge, made me think that this lodge would have lots of wild animals, but that’s not what you should expect here. It is more of a self-catering nature reserve than a game lodge, with six whitewashed and thatched cottages well spaced apart and all with stunning reserve views.
There are some cheetah in enclosures (because if they were free-roaming, 
they would inevitably escape and probably get shot by farmers). You can pay for a close-up big cat encounter with Duma, the tamest cheetah, and hear him purring in extra loud raptures at being stroked.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in
Books by
Carrie on June 24, 2009
It’s not easy to become a safari tart. It takes a lot of dedication to the pleasure principle. In my case, I have spent considerable time and energy in taking as much pleasure as possible out of visiting about 180 safari lodges.
I believe that anything is possible. You just have to be open to allowing the seemingly impossible to enter your life. Who’d have thought that I, a nobody in particular from the suburbs of London, would meet Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu?
Who’d have thought that I, an untrained journalist, would write six books.
Who’d have thought that I would have an international best selling novel? OK, so I haven’t written that one yet, but see what I have written…..
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Posted in
South Africa,
Western Cape by
Carrie on June 23, 2009
I was really impressed with Garden Route Game Lodge. It is of course ’soft safari’, as are all the game reserves in the Western Cape. It is because this populated region doesn’t have tracts of spare land the size of small European countries - like Kruger Park - in which the largest African animals can roam in complete freedom.
Garden Route Game Lodge is within sight of a major highway, yet as you drive in and see some elephants and look over domed hills to distant mountains, the memory that you turned off a major road just minutes before, fades into insignificance.
The transformation is that quick.
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Posted in
Animal Antics by
Carrie on June 23, 2009
When this baby hippo losts its mother, it found the next best thing, a giant tortoise.
It is not often that I get the chance to sleep within the sounds of snoring elephant, but I did at the Knysna Elephant Park guest house, Elephant Lodge. I also had the chance to ride one of the elephants, all of whom have been rescued and now make up a tight knit herd. Knysna Elephant Park are one of the good guys of elephant back riding, with strong ethics and the welfare of their animals paramount.
is the dominant bull of the herd and the largest at about 3 metres tall. I felt like a pimple on his back, my legs didn’t even reach the end of the blanket.
Harry is enormous, and I had my arms firmly clasped around my softly-spoken guide. Harry was born in 1989, but arrived at Knysna Elephant Park with Sally when he was 5 years old - still a real youngster. Harry is a gentle giant and shows tenderness towards the babies, which is apparantly unusual for a bull elephant.
Harry and I were going along nicely when he decided it was time for bed and started trotting across the field towards his bed chamber. The Knysna Elephant Park ele’s have very nice quarters, each with their own stable (somewhat larger than for a horse) filled with leafy branches to strip and a bed of hay and straw. When an elephant trots, especially one the size of Harry, you know about it and I felt rather wobbly and liable to fall off at any minute. 
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