Sabi Sand

Welcome to my August newsletter.  Boy was I lucky with the weather in Great Britain recently. It was absolutely stunning for the entire week I spent there attending a family wedding.. Certainly much better than the weather I left behind in the so called Sunshine Coast, as my wife Jacky pointed out with more than a hint of envy upon my return.

I travelled to London via South Africa in both directions in order to look at four game lodges that I had not previously seen in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park.
All were fantastic and all had a unique atmosphere. Firstly there was Lion Sands, with it's views over the Sabie River. Lovely rooms, tastefully furnished. Great food and very professionally run. Check out the tree houses on their website. http://www.lionsands.com/

Lion Sands accommodation

Lion Sands lounge

Next I moved on to Mala Mala, probably one of the most famous of the reserves in the Sabi Sand area. The rooms have fantastic views over the Sand River, which is more open in nature than the Sabie River and consequently it is easier to view game as they come to drink at the water's edge. The rooms here are massive, the largest of any of the four lodge in which I stayed. Again the food was absolutely beautiful and the place was impossible to fault.  http://www.malamala.com/

The rooms at Mala Mala are enormous.

The view of the Sand River from my private deck at Mala Mala.

Next came Londolozi - another famous lodge, and probably the most upmarket of the four. Again, I had a beautiful room, though it did seem a little small after the one I had at Mala Mala. It was a little over-furnished too I thought. The food there was glorious and the staff, as in all the lodges could not do enough for the guests. I did however get the feeling that Londolozi is primarily a resort and wildlife viewing is a bit of an afterthought.  Having said that, there was some nice wildlife viewing to be had without leaving the lodge. Again, there are great views over the Sand River with it's pods of hippos and herds of elephants which come to drink in the late afternoon. http://www.londolozi.com/en/?gclid=COaog9nM2LgCFYQhpQod0U0AFg

Over furnished room?  Londolozi

My private plunge pool. Londolozi

Finally. on the way home I had time for two nights at Nottens Bush Camp. I guess this was the most rustic of the four, and the rooms really didn't look that great from the outside. However, inside they were large and more than comfortable. The only power available in the room was one socket in the corner which serviced the emergency telephone, but this socket could be used for charging batteries etc. Lighting in the room was with lovely oil lamps and this really added to the charm of the place.

Nottens Bush Camp accommodation

The food here was perhaps a step down from the haute cuisine of Londolozi, but was fantastic nonetheless in a home made wholesome kind of way. I loved it. The other thing I loved about Notten's Bush Camp was that they had so many staff who had been there for more than ten years. My guide Joseph had been there for thirty years and he really new his stuff. http://nottens.com/

UP CLOSE WITH THE WILDLIFE OF SABI SAND

So, what next? On August the 6th I leave for Africa once again. This time to escort a really lovely group of people to see the great wildebeest migration in Kenya and Tanzania. This proved to be a very popular concept and I will certainly be repeating it in 2014.

NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
Fancy a cruise? A serious cruise?  Here's a great deal on a Round the World trip on The Norwegian Star.  Prices start from $6499 per person twin share, and lets face it you can barely get a decent round the world airfare for that these days, let alone accommodation all meals and entertainment too.
http://ucango.com.au/offers-1/whip-around-the-world

Okay, that's it for now. See in you September when I'll start to organise next year's Great Migration Safari.

Personalised Service

I am very pleased to announce that from 01 July 2013 I will be working from home once again. This gives me the flexibility to make appointments to meet my clients either in their home or favourite cafe as well as at either our Maroochydore or Pelican Waters office. I love this way of working. It really allows me to get to know my clients' requirements and preferences better without the pressure of an office environment. Obviously this means greater quality of service and a more personalised experience.

I am still working under the auspices of Ucango Travel which gives you all the government protection offered by a licenced travel agency. (Queensland Registered Travel Agent Licence No 3181 385)

My main focus will still be Africa of course, but naturally I can handle bookings to any international destination including worldwide cruising. This new newsletter will feature selected deals throughout the world. I will also keep you up to date with African happenings. I know many of you love Africa as much as I do.

In July I'm visiting four private game lodges in the Sabi Sands region of South Africa adjacent to Kruger National Park. The lodges in this area all offer a wonderful wildlife experience with five star accommodation and food along with the most professional wildlife guides in the business.  I have stayed in several lodges at Sabi Sands and am looking forward to seeing how these compare.

Then in August my wife Jacky and I will be leading a group of twelve wildlife enthusiasts to see the great migration in Kenya and Tanzania. This tour is fully booked but I intend to run another next year and have already had strong interest in that.  So the next couple of months are likely to be very busy for me.

Here's a great deal on a Southern Africa safari. Just click on the link below to view the flyer.
http://www.africasafarico.com.au/docs/SouthernAfricaUncovered.pdf
Contact me and I'll give you a further discount of $150 per person.

London is always a popular destination, so here are a few good ex-Brisbane return economy class fares that don't involve having to spend two days in Moscow or Pyong Yang.

Singapore Airlines $2035 for travel 4th October to 7th December. Book and pay by 9th July.
Cathay Pacific $1910 for travel 4th October to 25 November. Book and pay by 5th July.
Emirates $2070 for travel 4th October to 5th December. Book and pay by 4th July.

Of course cheaper fares are available, but the above represent good value for premium airlines.
Well, that's it for July. More news in August.

If you prefer not to receive these newsletters please just drop me an email to let me know.

Many thanks for reading.

Peter Emery