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Camel Rides on offer at Kulala Reserve, August 18, 2010
Guests staying at Little Kulala, Kulala Desert Lodge and Kulala Wilderness Camp can now enjoy a camel ride as additional activity. At the moment three rides are offered: A 10-minute on-and-off for those who just want to tick it off their bucket list, a short Photo Dune Ride and a longer Sundowner Ride. On the Sundowner Ride the Kulala guide goes ahead and sets up a table with drinks and snacks and after sunset the riders decide whether to go back on the camels or return to camp by vehicle. Similar to the balloon rides the camel experience is at extra cost.

Table Mountain Cableway Closed for Maintenance, August 18, 2010
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway will be closed for its annual routine maintenance August 23rd through August 27th, 2010. The maintenance plan includes the replacement of the cable car's haul rope which is replaced every five years.

South Africa Stadium Tours, August 18, 2010
The recent Soccer World Cup has brought increased interest in visiting South Africa's new stadiums. Stadium tours can now be arranged in Johannesburg and in Cape Town. In Johannesburg guests will view scale models of the Nasrec precinct and the stadium, the promenade and "ring of fire", the concourses and seating areas, pitch level and the players' tunnel, the change-rooms, warm-up areas, mixed zone areas and the VVIP/VIP areas and suites, the venue operations centre and the upper concourses, the upper seated level and the ramps. In Cape Town the tour includes the stands, players' changing rooms, VIP/hospitality area and prison cell. Access to the pitch is, however, not permitted.

Gordon Ramsay Ends Consulting for One&Only Cape Town, August 18, 2010
Gordon Ramsay Holdings engagement as a consultant to One&Only Cape Town has terminated. As a result, the restaurant at One&Only Cape Town no longer trades under the Maze brand, but the restaurant, now called The Restaurant at One&Only Cape Town, will remain owned and operated by One&Only Cape Town and will continue to offer daily breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Village Visit from Vumbura Area, August 18, 2010
Guests are now able to take part in a village tour from Vumbura Plains, Little Vumbura or Duba Plains. Ttravelling by helicopter on a 15-minute scenic flight each way guests may visit Gunotsoga - a small community village with a population of about 750 people. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Okavango Community Trust (OCT) and is one of the five villages from which Wilderness Safaris leases the Kwedi Concession, on which the Vumbura camps are situated. The economic base of the village is subsistence farming and fishing, and the village has also started a Community Development Fund whereby 20% of the money generated from these tours will be invested in community projects. The tour includes being met by the chief, seeing the primary school and local clinic and visiting the local ironmonger to see how various implements are forged. The approximate 3-hour trip is at extra cost.

Kulefu Camp on the Lower Zambezi, May 28, 2010
The Zambezi River rises in north-western Zambia and its catchment area covers 1,352,000 square kilometers and eight countries. The water levels of the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi National Park are currently very high due to the Zambezi River Authority being forced to partially open 3 sluice gates at Kariba Dam. This has been necessitated by the high rainfall in the catchment areas last year and also by the high rainfall experienced in the region this year so far. At Zambezi Kulefu Camp the swimming pool has been closed. The transfers from Jeki airstrip are in a game drive vehicle to a pick up point along the Zambezi river where guests are then transferred by boat to the camp for the last 20 minutes of their journey. Wildlife viewing drives in the National Park are as per usual however it is a short boat trip to the vehicles from where drives will commence. They are currently not able to offer night drives as boats are not permitted on the river after sunset.

Vumbura Airstrip Closed, May 25, 2010
The Vumbura airstrip has been closed as it has too much water on it to be safe for use. Guests staying at Little Vumbura and Vumbura Plains will be flown to the Duba (Omdop) airstrip and then ferried into camp by helicopter from there.

Okavango Delta Flood, March 26, 2010
The annual Okavango flood waters have reached Jacana Camp. Water levels rose just under a meter in four days. Early indications are that 2010 will have a big flood. The waters will now push down the main channels to Xigera and also through the east towards Little Vumbura, before spreading out onto the seasonal floodplains at Jao, Kwetsani, Tubu Tree, and Vumbura Plains. In addition, for the foreseeable future (possibly 3-4 months) the game drive transfer from Chitabe airstrip to Chitabe Camp will be closer to an hour (as opposed to the current 20 minutes) due to floodwaters on the normal route.

Zimbabwe ATM's Dispense US Dollars, March 3, 2010
The Zimbabwean government has adopted a multiple currency trading system where the Rand, the US Dollar and Botswana Pula operate as legal tender alongside the Zimbabwean Dollar. Visitors are now able to use their Visa, MasterCard or debit cards at Barclays Bank to withdraw US Dollars cash. Other banks will, in all likelihood, offer this service soon. Payment by credit card is accepted by a few suppliers, but this is not advised as the conversion rate is disadvantageous.

Botswana VAT increases by 2%, February 12, 2010
In the opening of Botswana’s Parliament and in the recent Botswana budget speech, it was announced that VAT (Value Added Tax) will be increased from 10% to 12%, effective from April 1, 2010. As this is a government tax beyond our control we regret to advise that a 2% surcharge will be added to all Botswana bookings travelling from April 1, 2010 onwards.