Uyaphi.com Africa Travel Newsletter

Dear First name

Welcome to the May Uyaphi newsletter!

We may be headed into winter here, but there is never a dull moment in Africa. South Africa has just seen the result of a lively yet peaceful election and we look forward to getting back to business as usual.

Things are hotting up and the next few months promise more excitement for sport fanatics. Rugby fans eagerly await the British Lions tour that kicks off at the end of May (first match 30 May in Rustenberg). These shores have witnessed some great tussles between the Lions and local teams and the media is already abuzz with what is in store for us this time around.

The country has been eating, sleeping and breathing football as preparations get underway for the first African FIFA World Cup in 2010. June sees another footballing treat with the FIFA Confederations Cup 14 – 28 June 2009, promising plenty of exciting football and a taste of what’s to come in 2010.

Visitors are already starting to arrive for this banquet of sport and hotel bookings are at their maximum in many areas. However our consultants are dedicated to their task so be sure to speak to them if you are having a last minute accommodation crisis for any of the tournaments. And if you haven’t started planning for 2010 yet, now is the time.

In this newsletter we focus on overlanding, Africa travel that offers you great value-for-money adventure. Overlanding is now a sophisticated industry so you needn’t be roughing it to take advantage of the great value on offer.

Happy Reading!

Regards,
The Uyaphi.com Team

“ ...We had a lovely time in Cape Town, everyone was so helpful and friendly. Still stays as my top holiday wish destination! The Community visit [Uthando] went very well. We were contacted the day before to confirm pick up time. There were just 4 'guests' so were felt very much that and not tourists. It was such a revealing tour, not to be missed. .... Lovely hospitality, especially at the Gardens, hot cakes and drinks Thank you for all your help and planning ...”

Joan (United Kingdom)

Namibia is an intriguing place … a land of contrast and wide open skies. While most people head here for the stark beauty of the desert or more famous Etosha Pan, Namibia has many other well kept secrets on offer.

Caprivi Strip
Caprivi Strip is an obscure finger of land in the northeast, squeezed between Botswana and Zambia and stretching all the way to Zimbabwe – a legacy of colonial land swapping in days gone by. The trans-Caprivi highway traverses the strip, giving travellers access to a range of landscapes both lush and dry, washed by a number of rivers.

The region is now home to three reserves, bringing conservation back into an area which is Namibia’s equivalent of the Okavango Delta. The Linyati River (later called the Chobe) forms a natural border with Botswana, spilling over an ancient geological fault line to form the Linyati swamps, papyrus lined waterways leading to towering riverine forests of giant ebony and marula trees offering superb game viewing.
Accommodation: Impalila Island Lodge

Kaokoveld
The Kaokoveld lies in Namibia’s wild and out-of-the-way northwest, south of the crocodile infested Kunene River which borders Angola. This is the traditional home of the fascinating semi-nomadic Himba tribes people, the last free roaming desert elephants and the unexplained ‘fairy circle’ phenomenon seen in the grasslands. Visit Epupa Falls where the Kunene plummets down a gorge over ancient rocks dating way back to when continental plates were colliding. Majestic baobabs tower above the Makalani palm trees lining the delta above the falls.
Accommodation: Serra Cafema Camp

Waterberg Plateau
Not to be confused with South Africa’s Waterberg region, the Waterberg Plateau is a flat-topped plateau of dramatic red sandstone towering above rolling plains that stretch north of Windhoek some 280 kilometres. Leopard, buffalo, and the rare roan and sable antelope roam atop towering cliffs that cut this Eden off from the countryside below.

Explore the Waterberg Wilderness Trail on foot or guided game drives, or visit the Africat Foundation at nearby Okonjima and interact with Namibia’s endangered cheetah, leopard and other wild cats.
Accommodation: Okonjima Lodge

Overland: Camping vs. Accommodated Overland Travel: True African Adventure. From a quick 3-day stint round the reserves, to an adventure lasting everything from a week to the massive 56-day Great African Trek, there is no doubt that overlanding offers the best value-for-money travel in Africa.

Traditionally overland trips have involved camping. You travel on customised trucks, designed from years of experience to be self-sufficient so that you can cook and camp out in the open when the itinerary requires and offering comfort for some long days on the road.

On an overland camping trip you are an active participant with your fellow travellers, involved with all aspects of camp life: Sit together round the camp fire, set up your own tent and take turns with meal preparations. This is all part of the adventure!

The good news is that if camping is not your style, you still needn’t rule out overlanding as an option. Many of our Overland companies now offer identical itineraries as accommodated tours instead. Still value-for-money adventuring offering the best of both worlds: get see the same sights but rather than roughing it, overnight in lodges and cabins en-route.

Chat to our consultants if this is a travel option you would prefer. Sample itineraries:

Desert and Delta
14 days exploring Namibia and Botswana

Southern Sailaway
16 days from Victoria Falls through Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Kruger National Park, South Africa

Northern Safari
An epic 32 days from Johannesburg through Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya

At Uyaphi.com we pride ourselves on our excellent working relationship with tour operators who are top of their game, accredited by industry bodies and sure to offer you the best African adventures possible.

When it comes to overland travel, it is comforting to know that you are in the right hands. Here we feature a menu of some of our overland safari packages specialising in small group tours limited to a maximum of 12 people. Travel in style, on overland trucks meeting stringent safety requirements, offering ample leg room and floor-to-ceiling windows at each seat for maximum viewing and photographing opportunities. Each truck has large packing compartments and space for full kitchen equipment from freezers to drinking water tanks and gas stoves.

Guides have years of experience and you can be sure of incredible wildlife viewing, adventure, scenic beauty and cultural interaction. Travelling alone? No problem … this is the perfect way to get the most out of your Africa adventure with fellow travellers.

A taste of whats on offer:
21 Days: Cape to Vic Falls
17 Days: South Africa Rainbow Route
14 Days: Botswana Wild Parks
14 Days: Mozambique & South Africa

Uyaphi.com is our flagship website. It has taken 10 years of hard work to achieve the immense variety and content we offer on Uyaphi.com today. What few people realise is that our Webmaster, James, is a man of many talents who also spends his days on a number of related web projects. James keeps himself busy with a full stable of websites and blogs which we will feature in future editions of this newsletter.

The Uyaphi offices are based in Muizenberg and we are extremely fond of our neighbourhood. Take a look at Muizenberg Daily Photo, for a daily look at Muizenberg, Cape Town from a local eye view: our very own James Bester! Here James gets to indulge his other passion, photography.

Visit Muizenberg Daily Photo

Edition: Apr/May 2009 In this newsletter: • Namibia: More than just Desert • Overland: Camping vs. Accommodated • Uyaphi Featured Overland Tours • Blogging Africa • Featured Special British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa 2009 2-0-1-0 Soccer Event Top 5 Reasons to book with Uyaphi.com 1) Our Africa travel consultants have the knowledge and expertise in all the products and destinations we offer. 2) We are accredited by SATSA and ATTA. 3) With our offices based in Cape Town, South Africa, should a problem arise, we will be able to respond to the relative issue in the same time zone as you are located. We are contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 4) Since all products and services are pre–paid through Uyaphi.com you are never surprised with any additional costs, with this in mind you can budget properly for your Africa safari. 5) We do not charge Visa & Mastercard surcharges.	! ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER ! You are viewing an ARCHIVED Newsletter which may contain information, links, offers or promotions that are no longer valid. Please bear this in mind as you peruse this newsletter. CLICK HERE TO SEND AN ENQUIRY • SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER « BACK TO NEWSLETTER INDEX Dear First name Welcome to the May Uyaphi newsletter! We may be headed into winter here, but there is never a dull moment in Africa. South Africa has just seen the result of a lively yet peaceful election and we look forward to getting back to business as usual. Things are hotting up and the next few months promise more excitement for sport fanatics. Rugby fans eagerly await the British Lions tour that kicks off at the end of May (first match 30 May in Rustenberg). These shores have witnessed some great tussles between the Lions and local teams and the media is already abuzz with what is in store for us this time around. The country has been eating, sleeping and breathing football as preparations get underway for the first African FIFA World Cup in 2010. June sees another footballing treat with the FIFA Confederations Cup 14 – 28 June 2009, promising plenty of exciting football and a taste of what’s to come in 2010. Visitors are already starting to arrive for this banquet of sport and hotel bookings are at their maximum in many areas. However our consultants are dedicated to their task so be sure to speak to them if you are having a last minute accommodation crisis for any of the tournaments. And if you haven’t started planning for 2010 yet, now is the time. In this newsletter we focus on overlanding, Africa travel that offers you great value-for-money adventure. Overlanding is now a sophisticated industry so you needn’t be roughing it to take advantage of the great value on offer. Happy Reading! Regards, The Uyaphi.com Team Uyaphi.com’s service shines bright as the African Sun... “ ...We had a lovely time in Cape Town, everyone was so helpful and friendly. Still stays as my top holiday wish destination! The Community visit [Uthando] went very well. We were contacted the day before to confirm pick up time. There were just 4 'guests' so were felt very much that and not tourists. It was such a revealing tour, not to be missed. .... Lovely hospitality, especially at the Gardens, hot cakes and drinks Thank you for all your help and planning ...” Joan (United Kingdom) Namibia: More than just Desert Namibia is an intriguing place … a land of contrast and wide open skies. While most people head here for the stark beauty of the desert or more famous Etosha Pan, Namibia has many other well kept secrets on offer. Caprivi Strip Caprivi Strip is an obscure finger of land in the northeast, squeezed between Botswana and Zambia and stretching all the way to Zimbabwe – a legacy of colonial land swapping in days gone by. The trans-Caprivi highway traverses the strip, giving travellers access to a range of landscapes both lush and dry, washed by a number of rivers. The region is now home to three reserves, bringing conservation back into an area which is Namibia’s equivalent of the Okavango Delta. The Linyati River (later called the Chobe) forms a natural border with Botswana, spilling over an ancient geological fault line to form the Linyati swamps, papyrus lined waterways leading to towering riverine forests of giant ebony and marula trees offering superb game viewing. Accommodation: Impalila Island Lodge Kaokoveld The Kaokoveld lies in Namibia’s wild and out-of-the-way northwest, south of the crocodile infested Kunene River which borders Angola. This is the traditional home of the fascinating semi-nomadic Himba tribes people, the last free roaming desert elephants and the unexplained ‘fairy circle’ phenomenon seen in the grasslands. Visit Epupa Falls where the Kunene plummets down a gorge over ancient rocks dating way back to when continental plates were colliding. Majestic baobabs tower above the Makalani palm trees lining the delta above the falls. Accommodation: Serra Cafema Camp Waterberg Plateau Not to be confused with South Africa’s Waterberg region, the Waterberg Plateau is a flat-topped plateau of dramatic red sandstone towering above rolling plains that stretch north of Windhoek some 280 kilometres. Leopard, buffalo, and the rare roan and sable antelope roam atop towering cliffs that cut this Eden off from the countryside below. Explore the Waterberg Wilderness Trail on foot or guided game drives, or visit the Africat Foundation at nearby Okonjima and interact with Namibia’s endangered cheetah, leopard and other wild cats. Accommodation: Okonjima Lodge Overland: Camping vs. Accommodated Overland: Camping vs. Accommodated Overland Travel: True African Adventure. From a quick 3-day stint round the reserves, to an adventure lasting everything from a week to the massive 56-day Great African Trek, there is no doubt that overlanding offers the best value-for-money travel in Africa. Traditionally overland trips have involved camping. You travel on customised trucks, designed from years of experience to be self-sufficient so that you can cook and camp out in the open when the itinerary requires and offering comfort for some long days on the road. On an overland camping trip you are an active participant with your fellow travellers, involved with all aspects of camp life: Sit together round the camp fire, set up your own tent and take turns with meal preparations. This is all part of the adventure! The good news is that if camping is not your style, you still needn’t rule out overlanding as an option. Many of our Overland companies now offer identical itineraries as accommodated tours instead. Still value-for-money adventuring offering the best of both worlds: get see the same sights but rather than roughing it, overnight in lodges and cabins en-route. Chat to our consultants if this is a travel option you would prefer. Sample itineraries: Desert and Delta 14 days exploring Namibia and Botswana Southern Sailaway 16 days from Victoria Falls through Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Kruger National Park, South Africa Northern Safari An epic 32 days from Johannesburg through Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya Uyaphi Featured Overland Tours At Uyaphi.com we pride ourselves on our excellent working relationship with tour operators who are top of their game, accredited by industry bodies and sure to offer you the best African adventures possible. When it comes to overland travel, it is comforting to know that you are in the right hands. Here we feature a menu of some of our overland safari packages specialising in small group tours limited to a maximum of 12 people. Travel in style, on overland trucks meeting stringent safety requirements, offering ample leg room and floor-to-ceiling windows at each seat for maximum viewing and photographing opportunities. Each truck has large packing compartments and space for full kitchen equipment from freezers to drinking water tanks and gas stoves. Guides have years of experience and you can be sure of incredible wildlife viewing, adventure, scenic beauty and cultural interaction. Travelling alone? No problem … this is the perfect way to get the most out of your Africa adventure with fellow travellers. A taste of whats on offer: 21 Days: Cape to Vic Falls 17 Days: South Africa Rainbow Route 14 Days: Botswana Wild Parks 14 Days: Mozambique & South Africa Blogging Africa Uyaphi.com is our flagship website. It has taken 10 years of hard work to achieve the immense variety and content we offer on Uyaphi.com today. What few people realise is that our Webmaster, James, is a man of many talents who also spends his days on a number of related web projects. James keeps himself busy with a full stable of websites and blogs which we will feature in future editions of this newsletter. The Uyaphi offices are based in Muizenberg and we are extremely fond of our neighbourhood. Take a look at Muizenberg Daily Photo, for a daily look at Muizenberg, Cape Town from a local eye view: our very own James Bester! Here James gets to indulge his other passion, photography. Visit Muizenberg Daily Photo Featured Newsletter Special Book your Namibia Safari ANYTIME this year and receive a special newsletter subscriber discount. Speak to one of our consultants about the following trips, and be sure to tell them you read about it in the newsletter! Classic Namibia Essence of Namibia
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Namibia: More than just Desert

Overland: Camping vs. Accommodated

Uyaphi Featured Overland Tours

Blogging Africa

Featured Newsletter Special