Botswana: flooding Bodumatau/3rd Bridge

#3rdBridgeCamp #Botswana #Moremi Game Reserve #Maun #Bodumatau #DWNP #Xomae

Update on flooding at Bodumatau/Third Bridge intersection

The team was dispatched to assess the flooding of Xini/Third bridge access road in conjuction with Department of Wildlife and National Parks. A report was presented by the expedition team on the ground observations in order to map a way forward. A decision was made to continue with the closure of Third Bridge Campsite until an alternative detour route has been identified and constructed with further assessment by park managemnt.
Xomae Group (PTY) LTD will therefore keep you abreast with any new developments regarding accessing Third Bridge campsites.

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New Tourism Development levy in Botswana

New Tourism Development levy in Botswana

 

The Botswana Tourism board informed of the a new Tourism Development levy that has been brought on by the Botswana Government.

Details received are follows:
The Ministry of Environment Natural Resources’ Conservation and Tourism through the Botswana Tourism Organisation is announcing the introduction of an obligatory Tourism Development Levy (TDL).
 

How much is the levy?
Travellers to Botswana will pay USD30.00.

Purpose of the Levy
The objective of the Levy is to raise funds for conservation and national tourism development in order to support the growth of the industry and broaden the tourism base, resultantly improving the lives of the people of Botswana.

Who is eligible to pay?
All visitors to Botswana in exception of residents and citizens of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.

Where is the levy collected?
The Levy is payable at all ports of entry including airports and border posts, starting 1st June 2017.

How is the payment done?
Payments are done at the ports of entry through electronic payment machines through cash (US Dollars), debit and credit card. After the payment, a unique receipt corresponding to the passport will be automatically generated. The receipt should then be presented to Immigration Officials. The passport and the receipt will be stamped and handed back to the traveller. The receipt will valid for a 30 day period and can be used for multiple entry.

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Botswana: water levels in Moremi

The water levels in Moremi

You would by  now you would all be aware of the unusually high levels of water in and around among other places Moremi Game Reserve.
We have been monitoring the water levels in the key areas for some time now and it has prompted me to offer the following  advice as it will result in come itinerary changes until the game drive roads dry out …if they dry out.
My hope was that the flooding is shallow and that evaporation would take care of the problem and dry out some of the main roads.
However we need to plan for the fact that even a medium flood in the delta which would arrive in May / June could compound the problem ….and the result could be that some of the roads may never dry up this season.
 
Makgadikgadi and CKGR Nxai Pan and CKGR and dry and easily drivable.
The Makgadikgadi area around  Njuca Hills is easily drivable but further south towards the pans it’s still very wet ( but shallow ) and I trust this will dry out in the next month or two.
Moremi
There is significant water on the road between South Gate and 3rd Bridge and Xakanaxa and 3rd Bridge. There is a risk that this water stays for the season.
South Gate to Xakanaxa is easily drivable.
South Gate to Khwai is easily drivable.
There is deep water crossings between Khwai Guest House and the white concrete bridge - hindering progress to Savuti HOWEVER there is a perfectly drivable route from Khwai North gate towards Sankuyo Village to the east and then north to Mababe Village and Savuti.
There is a deep water crossing on the main road just south of Mababe Village but there is a short detour around it.
North of Khwai Village the main gravel road is dry to Savuti.

The main purpose of this notice is to inform you that most places are accessible BUT the game drive areas are restricted.

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Namibia: magnificent house for sale in Eros Park, Windhoek | Продается дом в Намибии

#HouseForSaleNamibia #Windhoek #ErosPark #Namibia #Windhoek #ПродаетсядомвНамибии

House for sale in Eros Park, Windhoek, Namibia

Video:

https://youtu.be/zKU0id-n8MA

House for sale - Eros Park, Windhoek: 1) dwelling: 220 sq.m., 2) outbuilding: 50 sq.m., 3) courtyard: 20 sq.m., 4) patios: 25 sq.m., 5) terraces: 30 sq.m., 6) garden tool shed: 9 sq.m.

Newly renovated and well maintained, single storey house on huge erf, split level design, under IBR roof, a climate control system to part of dwelling, 3 bedrooms (BIC) - dressing area in master bedroom, 1 bathroom with bath and hand washbasin, 1 en-suite bathroom with shower, WC and hand washbasin (master bedroom), WC with hand washbasin, master bedroom can be converted into a flatlet, study/office, lounge with fireplace and exit to swimming pool, TV room, dining room area, kitchen with BIC/breakfast counter, double garage, huge swimming pool (9.5 m x 3.9 m), outside toilet & scullery/laundry, well-maintained garden, erf: 1200 sq.m., alarm system with exterior electronic beams around house, electric fence, high boundary walls, lots of parking, quiet area, not ash brick, CC-registered (1 member). Price: 4,250,000.00 N$, below valuation (4,500,000 N$ valuation done in February 2017).
Whatsup, no SMS: 0816374239, e-mail: namhren@gmail.com

 

Namibia: humpback whale found in Walvis Bay Paaltjies beach area

#LüderitzMarineResearch #WalvisBay #WalvisBayPaaltjies #BenguelaEcosystem

Beached whale found in Walvis Bay Paaltjies area

There are worrying reports of unexplained strandings by humpback whales as well as other sealife in the past two months at the Namibian west coast.

Namibian Dolphin Project (NDP) in Walvis Bay and Lüderitz Marine Research (LMR) reported four confirmed strandings along the Namibian coastline. The number of strandings of humpback whales is unusual and no cause is known.
A similar events occurred off the coasts of South America and Australia in 2010 and apparently associated with malnutrition.

The humpback whale population off West Africa was generally regarded as large and healthy and had been growing at between 7 and 10% per year.

Two dead humpback whales discovered at Paaltjies on 26 and 29 March this year as well as another two had been discovered near Oranjemund earlier.
Some reports received state a dead Heaviside's dolphin and a dead leatherback turtle between Windpomp 14 Camp and Swakopmund on 24 March 2017.

Leatherback turtles are endangered globally including Namibia.
Humpback whales are the most common large whale species along the Namibian coast and sightings are common between June and October.

Whales stay off the coast of southern Africa in the rich waters of the Benguela Ecosystem.

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South Africa: Phinda sky shuttle termination

#Phinda #FederalAirlines #KrugerPark

Phinda Shuttle Flight Service Termination

Effective 1 March 2017, Federal Airlines regrets to announce that we will no longer provide shuttle flights to the Phinda Private Game Reserve. Federal Airlines had three Phinda flight products; the direct Phinda shuttle to / from Johannesburg that serviced the reserve, the Phinda Airwing - the on-demand service that facilitated flights from Phinda directly to camps in the greater Kruger region and ad-hoc tailor made charter flights. We will continue to offer direct charter flights as agreed with &BEYOND.

With great appreciation for our long-standing partnership with &BEYOND we have conceded to withdrawing our Phinda base and aircraft from the Reserve to avoid an unsustainable situation as the route does not support two air service providers.

Federal Airlines remains the preferred Charter supplier to &BEYOND and we would like to assure our valued clients that private charter flights to / from Phinda are available. Federal Airlines operates a diverse fleet of aircraft which cater to all sectors of the charter market can be accommodated with our unique charter service, offering guests a direct, on-demand charter alternative.

In addition to all our other dialy shuttle’s to various destinations, Federal Airlines would like to assure our clients that we will continue to provide a daily shuttle service to &BEYOND’s Ngala Camp in the Northern Sabi Sand, both from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International and Kruger-Mpumalanga International Airports.

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