Business as usual

Violence in South Africa – the truth behind the news

I am sure all of you have been watching with increasing concern, as I have, the television news bulletins that have been reporting on the current violence being experienced in South Africa. My message to you is that this violence has been confined to very specific areas, and has not affected popular tourism areas.

As usual, the news on television reports the truth – but not the whole truth. And some perceptions are being created concerning tourism that are most certainly not true.

1. The South African tourism industry is very much open for business. We are all conducting business as usual, obviously with a special regard to client safety. The current unrest has been very localized and restricted to very limited and specific areas; mainstream tourism areas (including all airports) have
   NOT been affected, and it is very unlikely they will be.
2. It is still safe to visit South Africa, with our vast array of attractions, wildlife and scenic beauty; and we all stand ready to welcome our guests with open arms. There is no need at this stage for anyone to cancel any tourism activity. It is sensible for us all to proceed cautiously, and keep informed on a daily
   basis regarding developments. In particular it would be sensible to proceed with caution with regard to township activities, and be sensitive to local developments. Whilst this xenophobic violence is a serious crisis, there is quite simply no need for blind panic and total doom and gloom in the tourism sector
3. The South African government has decided to deploy the army, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), in areas where they are most needed. This is welcome news. The SANDF has a great deal of hard-won experience in handling situations of this kind, gained in its extensive work in peacekeeping in many countries. They are both well trained and well equipped to assist the police, who have already done good work and arrested many troublemakers, and we are confident the SANDF will very soon help the police to get the situation under control.

Mike Speed,
President of the Southern Africa
Tourism Services Association

Tour of the month:

Spend 12 days in ultimate luxury at our finest 5 star game lodges in the Kruger Park area, on the Chobe River (Botswana), and Victoria Falls. Experience the vast difference each area has to offer making up the Total Dream Safari. The best time of the year for this safari is between August and October 2008.

Here is a brief itinerary.

Day 1

We will drive you down to the Greater National Park in a luxury vehicle. Spend the next 5 nights at at least two five star game lodges experiencing the best the area has to offer. Selected lodges used are, Kuname River Lodge, Thornybush, Kings Camp, Ngala and Kapama.

Day 6

Fly back from the Kruger area to Johannesburg and spend the night in one of the cities finest hotels.

Day 7

We will transfer you to Johannesburg Airport for the flight to Livingstone (Zambia). On arrival you will be transferred to the legendary Royal Livingstone Hotel for the next two nights. Enjoy the Victoria Falls and some of the activities while staying a five star luxury and enjoying world class service.

Day 9

A driver will meet you at the reception and drive you to the Kazungula Border crossing. After clearing Zambian customs they will ferry you across the Zambezi River to Kasane. Once you have cleared Botswana customs a representative from Nguni Voyage will meet you and will escort you through the Botswana border again and enter Namibia, where you will board the boat.

Day 10 & 11

Two days of leisure on board the Nguni Zambezi Voyager. Watch the elephants from up close in the river. Make use of the smaller tender boats to enjoy the river and get really close to nature.

Day 12

Check out the Nguni staff will assist you through the Namibian border into Botswana and take you to Kasane where you will meet the scheduled transfer. From Kasane you will be assisted through the border procedures and ferried across the Zambezi River back to Zambia, a short road transfer to the Livingstone Airport Arriving in time for flight departing at 14h00. Arrive in Johannesburg at 15h40 in time to clear customs and check in for your return flight.

OR you could get a connecting flight to Cape Town for a 6 to 10 day tour of Cape Town and the Garden Route.

Please contact us for the terms and conditions applicable to this safari.

Interesting Facts - Kruger National Park

• In 1869, a ‘gold rush’ exploded in the region causing the number of game to decrease dramatically due to hunting and trading of animal horns and skins

• In 1884, President Paul Kruger proposed that boundaries in the region be defined as game reserves to protect the flora and fauna, but his revolutionary vision was met with much resistance

• The park was first proclaimed in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve and the area between the Sabie and Crocodile Rivers was set aside as official reserves

• The Scottish-born James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed the park’s first warden in 1902. Many accounts of the park’s early days can be found in the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library

• In 1926 the National Parks Act was proclaimed and with it the merging of the Sabie and Shingwedzi Games Reserves into the Kruger National Park

Natural History

• More than 300 archaeological sites of Stone Age man have been found

• Cultural artifacts of Stone Age man have been found for the period 100,000 to 30,000 years ago

• There is ample evidence that prehistoric man – Homo erectus – roamed the area between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago

• Evidence of San (Bushman) and Iron Age people from about 1,500 years ago and numerous examples of San Art scattered throughout the park

• There are significant archaeological ruins at Thulamela and Masorini

READ ARCHIVED NEWSLETTERS

Newsletter 01

Newsletter 02

Newsletter 03

Guests Comments

Name: Sian Howells
Country: UK

Comment:

I can see you’re continuing to arrange fabulous trips for your guests – I do hope you realise how important your services are to us tourists – my visits to your lovely country are etched in my memory and will never leave me. I do feel so lucky to have seen the things I’ve seen and been the places I’ve been with you, and I have no doubt none of it would have been so magical without your specialist touch.

Name: Miguel Azua
Country: USA

Comment:
I would like to thank you both for planning and arranging our terrific trip to Victoria Falls and Kruger National Park. We will have very special memories of our trip to South Africa for many years to come. Your service was first rate and your quick reply to our questions was very impressive - no other travel company came close to your promptness. Your suggested accommodations were superb and the meals excellent! Thanks for looking after our travel needs - fantastic job!

Did you know?

1.
Victoria Falls is the largest single falling sheet of water in the world, at 1708m long and between 90 and 107m deep, no wonder it is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
2.
The Chobe River is the only river in the world that never reaches the sea, it flows into the Okavango swamps
3.
The Chobe region is home to the largest population of wild elephant in the world. This is estimated to be approximately 120,000 individuals
4.
The Kruger National Park supports the greatest variety of wildlife species on the African continent

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Tel: +2711 792 6624
Fax: +2711 792 3037
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E-mail: info@gosafari.co.za
Web Site: www.gosafari.co.za
PO Box 299, Northriding, 2162
Gauteng,  South Africa