African Safari Reviews and News

Following on from Saturdays report on Mvuu Lodge in the Liwonde National Park, we travel about three hours north west by boat and car onto Lake Malawi itself and Cape Maclear. Here lies probably the best watersports destination on the lake, Danforth Lodge.

TripAdvisor recently released a survey comparing the cost of a night out in major world cities. A surprise to some but not to us at Uyaphi, Cape Town came out as the ninth cheapest city in the world for travellers.

As we have previously mentioned in many articles, Malawi is a particular favourite of the Uyaphi team. Both by the friendliness and warmth of its people and by the diversity of its landscapes and fauna. On a recent trip to Malawi, we explored the southern corner of Lake Malawi, the last of the Great Rift Valley lakes . Tucked away in the Liwonde National Park which straddles the Shire River is Mvuu Lodge.

Some people like the big, grand hotels. Large foyers, multiple reception rooms and restaurants, big facilities to handle a swarm of people. Some, and I fall into this category, prefer small intimate hotels when they travel. Places where they know you by name and can handle your requests at very short notice and know your needs. If you fall in the latter category, welcome to Kensington Place in Cape Town.

Part of the reason why we are in this business is that we all love to travel, particularly in Africa. It seems obvious but there are many companies and people who are not passionate about who they work for and why they work. This is not the Uyaphi way and we think our catalogue of pictures on Flickr exemplifies why we simply love what we do.

If you live in Africa, a weekend getaway in the bush on one of Africa’s greatest rivers is something which is part of your culture, essentially something you can relate to. If you live elsewhere in the developed world, it is one of the most exotic things you can imagine. Welcome to the magical world of Tongabezi.

Malawi is one of the Uyaphi team’s favourite African destinations. Relaxed people, safe environment, unique safari destinations where you can be equally at home in bush or beach. The capital Lilongwe, essentially a 1960′s creation leaves much to be desired in terms of activities or things to do. Despite it being home to a large expatriate population of NGO and diplomatic staffers, there is not a great variety of night life or dining options. Yet, you may have to overnight in Lilongwe so here is our top 5 choice of restaurants:

About three hours drive northwest of Addo National park (see Tuesday’s blog) lies a different country. If Addo enjoys a lush and verdant environment, Samara Game Reserve is the opposite. It’s semi desert environment is more akin to Namibia. Yet here we are in the middle of the Great Karoo near the historical farming town of Graaff Reinet.

Continuing our African city series of activities, we go to Nairobi, capital of the east African safari industry. If you are on business or on safari in east Africa, more likely than not you will be transiting via Nairobi. Number 1 point to remember: in Nairobi, the traffic jams are extensive and prolific. Always leave yourself plenty of time to get anywhere, including the airport! Here, in no particular order, are our list of ten things to do:

I have been travelling in Africa for over three decades. In that time, I have been on countless safaris; by Land Rover, on foot, by canoe and horseback, up and down mountains and valleys. The sense of wonder and appreciation of natural beauty has never left me. There are of course, certain animals which I prefer above all others. Some are large, very large and some small but all, for some reason or other, have endeared themselves towards me. I will start with the very large.

About 8 hours drive north of Cape Town, passing increasingly arid but desolately beautiful countryside up the west coast of South Africa, you will find the the last leg of the mighty Orange River before it spills out into the Atlantic at Alexander Bay. The Orange is the longest river in South Africa and from its origin in the Drakensberg Mountains of Kwazulu Natal plays an important economic and social  role in the country.

Or rather 10 things to do in Johannesburg when you are stuck for a day or two. If you are coming to southern Africa on safari, more likely than not you are going to transit via Johannesburg and you may have to stay over a night or two. Our consultant team and our friends from Spurwing in Johannesburg have put together a list whether you are with your partner, friends or family. Enjoy!

By a coincidence of geography and geology, Botswana has within its boundaries one of the world’s great inland waterways, the Okavango Delta. The Okavango River drains water from the Angola highlands into a depression or trough which collects in a delta spreading over 10000 square kilometres. This is a happy accident because this area would otherwise be an arid desert like much of the surrounding area.

In this video interview, Nicolas Edwards speaks with  Tim Butcher, former Daily Telegraph Africa correspondent, award winning author and adventurer.

As we hunker down at the end of the week with a glass of local Klein Constantia wine in our hands, our consultant team likes to shoot the breeze. The conversation turns to why we live in and why we love Cape Town. Here are ten of their suggestions in no particular order: