Mahali Mzuri opens in August in the Masai Mara

Sir Richard Branson’s Kenyan Safari Camp is open for bookings from 1 August 2013. This 12 tented luxury camp is located within Kenya’s Masai Mara ecosystem. 

Mahali Mzuri is located in the Motorogi Conservancy, just north of the Masai Mara National Reserve, and is right in the path of the annual migration. There is also an abundance of resident game all year round both near the camp and also a short distance away by vehicle. The best way to access the camp is by plane from the city's Wilson Airport which serves domestic destinations within Kenya. A number of domestic airlines are based at Wilson Airport and most provide scheduled flights to the region which take about 1 hour. From the public airstrip the journey by vehicle to the camp is roughly one hour's drive. Special charter flights can also be arranged on request if the scheduled times don't suit you and these flights can land at the private airstrip in the conservancy, roughly 20 minutes' drive from camp.

More Group Extends Treehouse Concept

 Chalkley Treehouse in the Lion Sands area has been such a success that they often are fully booked and we have to decline guests the opportunity of spending a night out under the stars! It is for this reason and the growing trend of travellers seeking out the extraordinary and completely unique that More Group has launched the unique MORE Family of Tree houses.

They now have 4 Tree houses (1 in development):

Private Reserve	Lion Sands Sabi Sand	Lion Sands  Sabi Sand	Lion Sands Kruger National Park	Madikwe Safari Lodge
Name Of Tree House	Chalkley Treehouse	Kingstone Treehouse	Tinyeleti Treehouse	Sebatla Treehouse
OPENING DATE	Open	Open	Open	March 2014
Number of Guests	2	4	4	4
Electricity	No	No	No	No
All weather	No	Yes	No	No

Big Five Reserve on outskirts of Johannesburg

South Africa's Gauteng Regional Tourism announced that THE DINOKENG GAME RESERVE now has BIG 5 roaming freely through its more than 18'000 hectares.

What this means is you can now potentially come face to face with Africa's most dangerous royal game - lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant within 60 minutes of clearing your luggage from OR Tambo or 30 minutes from leaving Pretoria. 

In addition Hayward's Grand Safari Company has its headquarters at the Bobbejaansberg Private Nature Reserve, (itself renowned as a walking with wildlife venue). This is a few kilometres from the Dinokeng Reserve's main gate.

Dinokeng has also introduced free roaming cheetah, sable antelope, vast herds of wildebeest and hartebeest, giraffe and zebra, hippo and crocs. Good rhino populations are also present. This bush veld region known as the Waterberg Biosphere has magnificent bushveld trees and landscapes and is malaria free.

Dinokeng also has one of South Africa's highest 24 hour bird species counts totalling over 350 and access into tribal heartlands of the Ndebele, Pedi, Tswana and Sotho.

Hayward's plays a decisive role in the future of Dinokeng, offering large VIP groups of up to 200 explorers access into this region, on exciting alternatives such as steam safaris with Rovos Rail to the historic diamond mining town of Cullinan from where they get to see the world's biggest diamond pit containing the worlds biggest diamonds and visit the old trading shops before heading to Hayward's a mere stone throw away.

Lion Sand’s dream becomes a reality

The owners of More Hotel have had a dream to combine Tinga Game Lodge (in the Kruger National Park) and Lion Sands Private Game Reserve (in the Sabi Sand Reserve) into one single safari experience.  This would afford guests the 'once in a lifetime' experience to enjoy both the Kruger and Sabi Sand in one single game drive. The added benefit is access to 37 kilometers of Sabie and Sand river frontage.

They have informed us that their dream is now a reality.

The first step that they have taken with immediate effect is the renaming of Tinga as Lion Sands. Lion Sands Game Reserve will therefore now have a stable of five Lodges; 1933 (4 suites), Ivory Lodge (6 suites), Narina Lodge (9 suites), Tinga Lodge (9 suites – previously known as Legends) and River Lodge (20 rooms). Lion Sands Game Reserve will be regionalized into Lion Sands Sabi Sand and Lion Sands Kruger National Park.

They have proceeded with the application for traversing between Lion Sands Kruger National Park and Lion Sands Sabi Sand. The timing for being granted permission for Lion Sands Kruger National Park traversing within the Sabi Sand will be advised in due course.

Over and above the introduction of the redefined brand of Lion Sands Game Reserve (with 5 lodges in the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park), we are also really excited about the reopening of Skukuza Airfield as a scheduled regional airport on the 1st November 2013. This will allow for easier access to the lodges.

Tsogo Sun – Merger of two hotels to make the biggest hotel in Southern Africa

Tsogo Sun is retaining its commitment to Durban through the refurbishment, consolidation and relaunch of the Southern Sun Elangeni and Southern Sun North Beach hotels into one magnificent complex – Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani.

The first phase of the project, which will be completed in time for the Tourism Indaba in May 2013.

The complex facilities  include 734 stylish bedrooms; two well-equipped gyms; three swimming pools, with one heated pool; free Wi Fi connectivity; 17 meeting and conference rooms; two fully- equipped business centres; and eleven restaurants and bars offering a variety of a la carte and buffet meal options.

The restaurants will include new offerings ranging from  The Grill Jichana, a modern and stylish Grill House with great food in a convivial ambience; the Panorama Bar & Pool Deck, a bar and light food zone with views of the coastline, serving cocktails, mezes, ice creams, granitas and light meals throughout the day; the Ocean Breeze Restaurant, a laid-back Indian Ocean Island styled restaurant with a view second to none where guests can indulge in an Island-style buffet, with the emphasis on seafood and line-fish to flatbreads and crispy pizza, fresh out of the authentic pizza oven; to old favourites such as Daruma, Durban’s iconic Japanese restaurant, the Lingela Restaurant which, from breakfast to dinner, is one of the top traditional buffet restaurants in the country, offering a variety of dishes to suit every palate; and Piatto Mediterranean Kitchen, offering an a la carte menu for both lunch and dinner, serving traditional Italian, Greek, and Portuguese cuisine.

Phase two will see the opening in the third quarter of 2013, of The Camelot Spa, which will feature five treatment rooms, a double treatment room with a hydro therapy bath and a Himalayan salt room in the Elangeni Tower.

The historic Raffles area is being transformed into a multipurpose venue on top of the Maharani Tower available for conferences, launches, themed evenings and a myriad of other events with breathtaking views.

The final phase will include a refurbishment of the Elangeni rooms and additional public areas and once complete, Tsogo Sun would have invested a total of R220 million.

Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi to open in Nairobi in July 2013

The Villa Rosa Kempinski hotel is located on Chiromo Road, within the commercial centre of Nairobi, 20 Kms from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The hotel will have 200 rooms and suites distributed throughout 10 floors, including a Presidential Suite on the top floor. The hotel will feature 88 the Pan Asian Restaurant, the Italian Bistro Lucca and Tambourin which is the Arabic Rooftop Lounge, in addition to Cafe Villa Rosa - All Day Dining restaurant, K Lounge and a Cigar Lounge.

With state-of-the-art banqueting and conference facilities, the hotel’s pillar-less grand ballroom will be able to seat 500 people. Additional facilities for smaller gatherings such as conferences, meetings and other events will also be available. The hotel will boast a spa with nine treatment rooms, and a fully equipped fitness centre.

Green Route Africa’s favourite beach-side resorts & hotels

We often get asked by our clients for an island-style, beach resort in South Africa. Not as easy as one would think, considering the extent of our coastline. South Africa does not offer any island-style resort, in the true sense of the word, if one is envisaging swaying palm trees, aquamarine seas and warm water. Fortunately we can most definitely offer this ideal in Mozambique and Mauritius, a mere 1hr and 4hr flight away respectively. What we do have in abundance are “beach-side” hotels that cater to all budgets and requirements, from Northern KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town. We thought we would take a look at a few on offer, to showcase their unique attributes, and how you can include them in future programmes. For the purists we have also included a few of our favourite island-style beach resorts.

Tintswalo Atlantic – Cape Town

This magnificent 11 bedroomed, all suite, luxury lodge is situated in one of the most stunning locations in Southern Africa! Positioned at the base of Chapman’s Peak, Tintswalo Atlantic overlooks the quaint fishing village of Hout Bay, Cape Town. Each suite pays homage to an iconic island. It is ideal for small incentives, family groups and FIT’s.

Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa – Knysna, Garden Route

Located on the Eastern head of Knysna on South Africa’s legendary Garden Route, Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa is set in a lush paradise of ancient indigenous forests, mountains, lakes, and pristine beaches on the prestigious Pezula Private Estate.

The hotel features 83 rooms and is easily accessible either via George Airport, or a 5 hour drive from Cape Town. Pezula Championship Golf Course offers 18 holes of challenging and rewarding golf in a sensational location. For a meeting with a difference, the hotel has three unique venues.

Oyster Box – Umhlanga KwaZulu Natal

The Oyster Box Hotel is well situated on the ocean’s edge, a brief 5 minutes’ walk from Umhlanga Village Centre, a mere 15 minutes to the Durban CBD and 20 minutes to King Shaka International Airport as well as numerous stylish shopping centres…yet the hotel still has a feeling of classical charm and elegance.

The hotel has 86 different rooms to choose from.

We have successfully utilised The Oyster Box in “Beach & Bush” style programmes, as well as in combination with the gracious Rovos Rail, which travels from Pretoria to Durban over a 2 night programme.

Phinda – beach and bush in KwaZulu-Natal

Located in KwaZulu-Natal and showcasing one of the continents finest Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) game viewing experiences, Phinda is described as “Seven Worlds of Wonder” due to its seven distinct habitats. A magnificent tapestry of woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, interspersed with mountain ranges, river courses, marshes and pans, Phinda has a rich diversity of ecosystems and wildlife. Access is via Richards Bay Airport, or a 3 ½ hour drive from Durban.

Whilst primarily a game reserve, the reason we have included Phinda in this list is that it is located near the Indian Ocean and groups can have a fun day event on the beach, in conjunction with a Big Five safari.

Indigo Bay – Bazaruto Island - Mozambique

For a true island resort, it does not get much better than Indigo Bay. Located on Bazaruto Island, off the coast of Mozambique, Indigo Bay has 29 Mozambique styled thatched Beach Chalets, 12 two-roomed Bay View Villas, an Executive Suite, Presidential Villa, and Honeymoon chalet.

Access is via a short air hop from Vilancoulos to Bazaruto Island. SAA Airlink is now offering direct flights from Johannesburg to Vilancoulos.

Ideal for incentive groups, the resort offers a variety of fun activities including a Survivor-style team build programme.