Sunday 27 February 2022

Flame of Africa news

Covid-19 has had such an effect on the world. It’s safe to say, everyone has felt the effects of this Pandemic. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost loved ones. No doubt the lasting effects of this Pandemic will continue to be felt for many, many years. 

If 20/20 is perfect vision as they say, what did we start to see clearly from 2020 onwards? 

According to the WHO Positive Aspects of Covid-19 Pandemic we saw,

Reduced Road Traffic meant less Road Traffic Accidents. 

Crime Rates have Fallen.

Lower Air Pollution has lead to lower heart attacks. 

Family communication has improved.

While we watched the Earth heal we took the opportunity to reinvent ourselves and our products too. We have always thought of ourselves as creative and innovative, but doing so amidst this pandemic certainly put us to the test. We want to share some of these exciting developments with you. Each week we will showcase a new product and why we like it. Once our new products run out we will remember some of our family favorites and why we say they are our favorites.

What’s New in Chobe?

BEST OF GAME DRIVES

Full day 4×4 Game Drive

You’ve travelled this far to see as many wild animals and birds as you can in their natural habitat. This full-day tour focuses on offering you a full-on game- and bird-viewing opportunity, with a professional guide who’ll do everything possible to enable you to experience the broad range of exciting sightings, ranging from the Big 5, to other predators, elephant and Cape buffalo, many species of buck and anything up to 460 bird species. It’s a wilderness without comparison.

Breakfast Game Drive

Picture it! You’re sitting on the banks of the beautiful Chobe River within the magnificent national park…while your hosts serve a delicious full-English or Continental breakfast, as your own discerning palate desires. Piping-hot coffee or tea enhance an unforgettable bush experience in the possible proximity of Africa’s wildest animals. It’s a highly recommended way to spend a full morning!

Victoria Falls 2 Night Break

The romance of the Falls has drawn guests for centuries.  This tourist town has developed into an adrenaline capital but there is much more on offer; culture, history, safari, shopping, magnificent views and the opportunity to relax and unwind spacious surrounds.

Visit the Victoria Falls, one of The Seven Natural Wonders.  This package allows you the opportunity to decide how you’d like to spend your holiday, be it on safari or partaking of the wide range of activities from white water rafting to Heli flips or simply a laid-back cocktail pool day. Don’t forget to get your souvenir shopping down in the quaint tourist town lined with arts and crafts stores.

Kazungula Bridge Tour

There are many Tripoints in the world but only one International Quadripoint. The four counties of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all meet at what’s called the Four Corners of the World. Take a trip with us and enjoy the magnificent sight of the new Bridge.

The Chobe Explorer Day Trip

This is a custom-made vessel built on the Chobe River. This delightful boat affords one a chance to really sit back in comfort with a drink of your choice to hand…as the boat glides through the stark and verdant landscape that comprises the national park and flood plains. Your host will later invite you to participate in a very tasty lunch on the restaurant deck, which is open on three sides for continued animal sightings. There’s always a hippo honking or a croc lurking nearby. The siesta deck is mainly an after-lunch spot to completely relax as the wild, wild world of Chobe comes to you. Sunsets are sublime, as you’ll indeed experience on the gentle cruise back to the jetty. Do enjoy this unforgettable day out in wild Africa!

Luxury 3hr Cruise

A 3-hour-long up-close-and-personal experience of the vast Chobe flood plains, while gliding slowly along the beautiful Chobe River in full VIP comfort. Enjoy a gin and tonic or a cold beer as you take in the wide expansive of one of Africa’s premier wild animal and bird Edens. This is as good as it gets, folks!

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Saturday 26 February 2022

Kenya: Sanctuary Tambarare: Incredible Wildlife Adventures

Incredible Wildlife Adventures Await at This Brand New Luxury Camp! 

Sanctuary Tambarare, opening 1 June 2022, will bring new levels of luxury to the wildlife haven of Ol Pejeta in Laikipia. Nestled amongst fever trees in the shadow of Mount Kenya, this brand new camp looks out across the grassy plateau of the award-winning Ol Pejeta Conservancy, 90,000 acres of unspoilt African landscape, where the Big Five roam, including the last two northern white rhinos.

With just 10 luxurious tents, Sanctuary Tambarare is a peaceful haven that reflects its surroundings – with a generous helping of indulgence. Each luxury tent is large and airy, with a private veranda overlooking the grassy plains. Enjoy floor-to-ceiling cinematic views of the landscape from the super king beds. Inside the spacious and beautifully appointed main tent, inviting sofas and chairs encourage guests to linger. The lounge looks out onto the boma, where guests can gather to hear thrilling tales and local legends shared by the camp’s safari guides.

Once-in-a-Lifetime Wildlife Experiences

GAME DRIVES 

At Sanctuary Tambarare, guests can explore Ol Pejeta Conservancy with daily game drives, where expert guides enrich the experience. In addition to the Big Five and many other animals (from cheetahs and jackal to hippos and hyena), the conservancy is home to over 130 black rhinos.

THRILLING NIGHT GAME DRIVES*

The plains come alive at night, with nocturnal animals such as aardvark, white-tailed mongoose, zorilla (striped polecat), bat-eared fox and perhaps even lions and leopard. This nighttime adventure is very special as it's not possible in most of Kenya's national parks and reserves. 

*Additional cost applies and subject to availability at the time of booking

Meet the Northern White Rhinos

RHINO ENCOUNTER*

Get up close and personal with the last two northern white rhino on earth and hear their incredible story. Get up close and personal with Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhino on earth, and hear their incredible story from the keepers that look after them 24/7.

*Additional cost applies and subject to availability at the time of booking

LION TRACKING*

Guests can accompany a ranger and actively help protect these big cats. They'll take notes on specific lions spotted, then report to the Ol Pejeta Ecological Monitoring Department.

*Additional cost applies and subject to availability at the time of booking

Ride the Wild

Get closer to the wildlife and gain a unique perspective of the landscape, riding on horseback through Ol Pejeta and the northern white rhino enclosure.

K9 Anti-Poaching Unit

Meet the incredible K9 Unit dogs - from tracking the scent of a poacher, to detecting ammunition, these animals are imperative in anti-poaching efforts.

CYCLING SAFARI*: This all-day adventure through the Laikipia landscape includes animal spotting, lunch and climbing at the Big Rock.

HORSE RIDING WITH RHINOS*: Guests can take morning or evening horse rides in the 600-acre endangered species enclosure, alongside northern and southern white rhino, Grevy's zebra and Jackson's hartebeest. 

RIDE THE WILD*: Riding on horseback across the Ol Pejeta plains gives you a unique perspective of the landscape and allows you to get closer to wildlife. 

GUIDED BUSH WALK*: Accompanied by an experienced ranger, these interpretive walks bring you up close and personal with the sights, smells and sounds of the African bush.

HIPPO HIDE NATURE TRAIL*: Guests walk through the bush along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river, where hippos keep cool in the shallow water.

MEET THE NEIGHBOURS COMMUNITY INTERACTION*: Ol Pejeta Conservancy aims to positively impact the surrounding communities through education, agriculture and livestock enterprise. Visit the local communities and see first hand the work the Conservancy undertakes in health care services, sustainable energy and community enterprise initiatives.

RUN THE WILD*: For fitness and adventure fans, there is no better run than a 5 to 7km route across the Ol Pejeta plains.

*Additional cost applies and subject to availability at the time of booking

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Friday 25 February 2022

South Africa: This day in our shipwreck History: Grundel, Deutan, Early Morn, Johan & Dora

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Shipwrecks Namibia

February 20:

“This day in our shipwreck History”

1673: Grundel, this Dutch wooden sailing vessel wrecked near Cape Hangklip between Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay in the Western Cape. An attempt was made on its return from Batavia to stop and to take on water in Madagascar, but they were driven off by the French with gunfire who had taken occupation of the island. They made a dash for the Cape with the captain wounded by the French. They managed to come close, wrecking on the other side of False Bay, near Cape Hangklip. The captain and two others rowed the ship’s boat across False Bay to find assistance on its western shore. One of these men died of exhaustion, but the captain and the other crew member survived and beached the boat. A party was sent to rescue those left behind, some of whom had started walking along the eastern coastline of False Bay. They were found by the Goudvinck, which rescued the remainder of the survivors. The Grundel is believed to have operated as a packet at the Cape a few years earlier with it having surveyed the southern coastline of South Africa in 1669 and 1670. 

1863: Deutan, this wooden vessel was put into Table Bay in the Western Cape for water but was instead condemned there and broken up. Very little is known about it. 

1863: Early Morn, this vessel wrecked in East London in the Eastern Cape. Very little is known about it. 

1882: Johan, this sailing vessel wrecked near Orient Beach in East London in the Eastern Cape after its cables parted in a south-easterly gale. 

1897: Dora, this sailing barque wrecked in thick fog in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape with the loss of one life.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Thursday 24 February 2022

Namibia: Flash floods have wiped out EHRA Base Camp!

19 February 2022

Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA)

Absolute nightmare - Flash floods have wiped out EHRA Base Camp!

We are in complete shock.

After being, initially, so elated by the recent rains, we are absolutely devastated having received nightmare news and footage from our camp team.

Base camp has essentially been wiped out by the force of water roaring down off the surrounding area - including a vehicle & trailer being actually picked up by the force of the water, dragged into the path of the river, carried 300 metres downstream, and buried up to the steering wheel in mud.

The entire valley coming from the main road transformed into a river! Can you imagine?

Thank goodness nobody is hurt!

Rachel has just left with a back up team to assess the full extent of the damage and to take provisions to the stranded team.

The Uis to Khorixas road is currently officially closed, as; parts of the road have washed away, the bridge over the Ugab has partly collapsed and more rain is expected…

…she will let us know more as soon as she gets through….

Remember the Pleasure Dome?.. The securable store containing our high value equipment is GONE and the elephant protection walls for the borehole have been destroyed. Also the elephant dam is gone.

As per the photos, the sleeping platform has been mutilated almost beyond recognition...

The base camp team currently have limited food & water and are sheltering on high ground in tents belonging to an adjacent camp (thank you Tracks & Trails).

We will keep you posted once we hear more news!

This is so hard to fathom... So difficult to comprehend the extent of this disaster.

Any help is always so welcome thank for all your incredible support!

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Wednesday 23 February 2022

South Africa: Fedair news

Fedair

I hope the new year is bringing you much-needed extra bookings we have all been looking for since April 2020! After a challenging December and a quiet January we are noticing a significant increase in activity…long may it last.

We are confident that we will be able to adopt our expanded shuttle timetable as of July 1, as planned.

Please be advised that until July 1, 2022, we are unable to offer the early flight from the Sabi Sand or Madikwe to allow for connections to Tswalu.  However, we do have confirmed bookings, which we are honoring as part of our commitment and will welcome additional bookings on these dates only.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept new bookings for this connection for flights before July 1, 2022.

We are delighted to welcome two new members of our Shuttle reservations team: Ofentse and Chantelle. They are looking forward to working with you.

Our GSA for fastjet Zimbabwe continues to grow with the addition of their flights from Victoria Falls to Maun. These flights will happen every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 30 June onwards. It is worth remembering that any fastjet flight booked through Fedair enjoys the same benefits you get with Fedair flights in terms of flexibility, cancellation terms, refundability and any credit agreements you have with us. You do not need to be flying on a Fedair service to book a fastjet flight with us.

To summarise the fastjet flights we offer:

° Daily Johannesburg – Victoria Falls – R 3,410 Per person

° Daily Victoria Falls – Johannesburg – R 3,410 Per person

° Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday Victoria Falls – Maun – R3,025 Per person

° Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday Maun - Victoria Falls – R3,025 Per person

° Monday Wednesday & Friday Nelspruit (KMIA) – Victoria Falls – R 5,100 Per person

° Monday Wednesday & Friday Victoria Falls - Nelspruit (KMIA) – R 4,410 Per person

Daily connections are available on our KMIA shuttle flights from the lodges to KMIA to connect with fastjet services to and from Victoria Falls and the Airlink flights to Livingstone, Vilanculos, Cape Town and Phinda. These flights are timed to allow the guest their morning activity, before their shuttle flight to make their connection and in return to arrive from KMIA to their lodge in time for their afternoon game drive. The early morning departures with long road transfers are negated by these flights.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Tuesday 22 February 2022

South Africa: Baluleni Safari Lodge

It's time to experience the magic of Baluleni in South Africa

Baluleni Safari Lodge is situated on the shores of the Olifants River in Balule Nature Reserve (Grietjie Gate) inside the greater Kruger National Park.

We have 5 air-conditioned chalets and and 2 luxury safari tents and communal pool.

Free Wi-Fi at the Restaurant/Boma and the chalets & luxury tents.

Room descriptions:

Honeymoon Riverside Chalet - Queen bed with en-suite inside & an extra outside shower with view. Chalet is facing towards the Olifants River with inside lounge area, private patio and a beautiful view onto a waterhole on an animal pathway.

Exclusive Riverside Chalet - Queen bed with en-suite inside & extra outside shower.

Chalet is facing towards the Olifants River with inside lounge area. Enjoy a beautiful view from your private patio onto a waterhole right on an animal pathway.

Riverside Chalet - Queen bed with en-suite inside, built in wardrobe, lounge area with comfortable sleeper couch & private patio.

Chalet is facing the Olifants River with a beautiful view onto an animal pathway.

2 Standard Chalets - Traditional thatched Chalet with Mosquito net. Queen bed with en-suite inside, built in wardrobe, lounge area with comfortable sleeper couch and private patio from where you can listen to the sounds of the African bush.

2 Luxury Safari Tents - 3 Single beds with en-suite bathroom, wardrobe & fan.

Private patio with an awesome view onto an open plain to enjoy the African wildlife roaming around freely and to listen to the African bush.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Monday 21 February 2022

South Africa: Camissa House special

Dear African Traveller, ​

We’re delighted to extend our SA Residents Rates!

Due to the success of our special rates, we are excited to announce that we will be extending our SADC exclusive rates until 31 March 2022 to continue to allow local travellers the opportunity to experience these magical properties!”

*Exclusive rates are applicable to Southern African travellers and subject to availability. Standard terms and conditions apply.

Is there anything more glorious than a Cape Town summer’s day? Under the watchful gaze of Table Mountain, Camissa House is the perfect place to kick back, relax and explore all of Cape Town’s wonders.

Named after the sweet waters that have trickled through the property for centuries, Camissa House is a place defined by tranquility, the  direct connection to nature and the mountain around it. Now is the perfect time to explore Cape Town’s amazing natural spaces and  Camissa House is the perfect springboard from which to do so.

Exclusive rate offered to all Southern African travellers valid until 31 MARCH 2022.

R2 500 per Luxury Room per night.

* Standard terms and conditions apply. Bookable 60 days prior to arrival.

What’s included in your stay? 

° Luxury accommodation (single or double occupancy)
° Full breakfast
° Welcome drink on arrival
° Uncapped Wi-Fi
° Secure parking
° Butler service

The World’s Leading Luxury Lodge offers a safari experience bar none. Set in the Sabi Sand Private Reserve and offering the ultimate exclusive safari experience to reconnect with nature and loved ones.

Exclusive rate offered to all Southern African travellers valid until 31 MARCH 2022.

Silvan Safari exclusive offer is from R6 500 per person per night sharing.

What’s included in your stay? 

Included in the Price:

° Luxury accommodation
° Three gourmet meals per day
° Two game drives daily
° Walking safaris
° Game drive refreshments and snacks

Additional Costs:

° All Beverages
° All transport to Silvan Safari
° Gratuities
° Boutique store purchases
° Spa treatments
° Sabi Sand Reserve / Kruger National Park entrance fee
° Refreshments not listed above

Let’s Connect

Our reservations team will strive to help you create a tailor-made holiday to suit your every whim and requirement. Get in touch, and let’s curate the ultimate getaway: be it among wild bush delights or between bright city lights.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Sunday 20 February 2022

Namibia: Reservation Destination news: Huab, Kifaru and Otjiwa

Reservation Destination

#Namibia #ReservationDestination #Kifaru

Huab & Kifaru are open and Otjiwa refurbishments

New year, new you, new positive outlooks and we are hugely optimistic that this is the year where we will see a resurgence in international travel, and this optimism is shared by our lodges.

They have not been resting on their laurels, but have been working hard, behind the scenes, to ensure a quality travel experience going forward.

Huab Lodge - OPEN

After a hiatus of nearly 18 months, we are absolutely delighted to announce that Huab Lodge has been sold and the lodge, under its new ownership is up an running!

Deon and Lidia have chosen to re-establish the lodge's working relationship with ResDes.

There has been a rate freeze, and the 2020 rates will be valid for the 2022 tourism season, however there have been changes to the packages and structures and we are re-issuing those rates.

Updated images will be shared as soon as they are available - but they great news is that the fencing along the Huab River has been removed, meaning that the elephants are, again, able to roam the length of the river and have been back to Huab Lodge already!

Otjiwa Refurbishments

Otjiwa Lodge is in the process of doing extensive refurbishments.

The main area at Mountain Lodge has already been completed and is looking stunning!

Mountain Lodge is open and they will be refurbishing one suite at a time, so as to not cause any disruption to clients staying at the lodge - they aim to be completed with the entire Mountain Lodge project by November.

Schalk and his team are currently busy with Eagle's Rest. They are doing a complete rebuild on the main areas and this project will be completed by March.

Eagle's Rest is open to guests, and meals are being served at Mountain Lodge.

As soon as we have updated images, we will share these with you and your teams.

Kifaru Luxury Lodge & Bush Camp

Just before the onset of the Covid pandemic in early 2020, Kifaru Luxury Lodge and Bush Camp opened its doors.

Home to the Rhino Momma Project  Kifaru is more than just a luxury lodge, set in the heart of the Namibian bush. 

Kifaru Luxury Lodge and Bush Camp is closely associated with the Rhino Momma Project, which is a not for profit organization with the sole purpose of helping re-establish rhino populations throughout Southern Africa through translocation of individuals, thus ensuring genetic diversity in future generations.

With the remote location and the abundance of animal and birdlife on the reserve, Kifaru is a destination in its own right, and definitely not a stop-over.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Saturday 19 February 2022

Namibia: Reintroduce the Old Terminal Building at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport

Reintroduce the Old Terminal Building at Hosea Kutako International Airport

#Windhoek #OldTerminalBuilding #Namibia #HoseaKutakoAirport #savehoseakutako

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Namibia started this petition to Namibian Authorities

AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) is concerned about the draining effect of the various bottlenecks created by the current terminal building at Hosea Kutako International Airport. Other than its members, who make use of this airport to pickup and drop-off passengers who make use of international flights, the frustration of smooth transfers through the terminal building is the source of serious frustration for the general flying public.

There is little, if any, hope that this problem will be resolved by constructing new facilities, as the previous attempt by the Namibian authorities ended up in the tender process showing a total cost of some N$7 billion which, in any event, was found to be irregular by the Supreme Court of Namibia. It is also no secret that the Namibian Government simply does not have the funds to invest in a modern high cost terminal building.

It therefore makes logical sense to reintroduce the old terminal building into normal scheduled services. The cost of converting the current old terminal building into a small portion for VIP movements and the balance for accommodating the recent international airlines, who are now visiting Hosea Kutako International Airport, such as Qatar Airways, KLM, Ethiopian Airlines and German Wings, would be minimal if compared to a new facility.

AOPA has already formally approached the relevant Namibian decision makers with this proposal but would like to measure the support of the Namibian flying public for their efforts. AOPA therefore asks that you support their efforts by means of signing this petition and sharing it on Facebook.

Aviation greetings,

The AOPA team!

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Friday 18 February 2022

South Africa: MalaMala Game Reserve conservation

'Somebody' needs some love

Despite all the trials and tribulations of 2021, our overall game viewing statistics paint a very positive picture. The following numbers show the percentage of days in 2021 on which our guests viewed the following iconic species: Lion 94.8%, leopard 97.3%, elephant 97.5% and buffalo 79%.  Notably, we do not report on our rhino sightings as the rhino population, across Africa, has been severely impacted by poaching.

According to a statement by the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, "While there has been a 24% decrease in rhino poaching compared with the pre-COVID period in 2019, there has been an increase in poaching on private properties. A total of 451 rhino were poached in South Africa in 2021, 327 within government reserves and 124 on private property."

Rhinos were afforded a brief and welcome reprieve during our national lockdown as poachers felt the pinch of international travel restrictions and an increased military and police presence in the country. However, as the world begins to 'open up', the scourge of rhino poaching is rearing its very ugly head again and we need to ensure that rhinos are not forgotten.

The calling to save the rhino can feel lonely and draining. But there is strength in numbers.  It takes a village of dedicated, selfless and courageous people to save such a species. February is the month of love, when most of the world celebrates Valentine's Day and this year, we would like to show 'somebody' very special some much needed love.

As our village grows in numbers so the weight of the burden lightens and hope for the future of the rhinoceros strengthens. Here at MalaMala Game Reserve we have a full-time anti-poaching unit (APU) who work tirelessly in an attempt to guard the safety of the wildlife that reside on our property.  Our APU is devoted to the protection of the wildlife however funding is often a problem as the cost of protecting  these animals is extremely high and funding is often a challenge.

We have learned that conservation is a team effort and we cannot do it on our own. The requirements to operate a fully-fledged anti poaching operation are significant. They include additional manpower, accommodation, K9 support, surveillance equipment, training, vehicles - the list is endless.  When we work together, alchemy happens – there is magic. MalaMala Magic. With many individual donations we can achieve our fundraising goals. Little bits make a LOT and no donation is too small.

Conservation and anti-poaching

The Southern Ground Hornbill

Preserving and protecting the environmental integrity of the property has been MalaMala’s rasion d’être for over 60 years. This unyielding focus on the environment has resulted in one of the most beautiful and bountiful tracts of land in Africa, internationally renowned for offering some of the finest Big 5 game viewing on the continent. In the words of Russell MacLaughlin of National Geographic: “Nowhere in Africa can the scenic beauty and wildlife behaviour be remotely compared to MalaMala in any aspect and it is hands down the most remarkable place I have ever filmed in."

In a concerted effort to reduce the human footprint on MalaMala, the bed and vehicle densities have been kept to an absolute minimum. At 1 bed per 500 acres (200 hectares) and 1 vehicle per 2 350 acres (950 hectares), these densities are amongst the lowest of any private game reserve in the country, consistent with the principle that the environment is the essence of MalaMala.

One of the great advantages of having an unfenced boundary with almost 5 million acres of the Kruger National Park is that the wildlife is free to live and move in a natural, unconstrained environment with minimal need for human intervention and interference.

Sadly, with the threat of rhino poaching, this is not always possible and poaching has become our greatest conservation challenge to date. Fortunately, MalaMala is strategically sandwiched between two sizeable protected areas, the Kruger National Park to our east and the Sabi Sands game reserve to our west. This makes access to MalaMala more difficult but even so, we have not remained unscathed.

MalaMala spends millions of Rands annually in the fight against rhino poaching and we are continually bolstering our anti-poaching capacity. We have significantly increased our team of anti-poaching field rangers and have added multiple high-tech cameras with SMS functionality for real-time poacher identification.

Conservation projects

While the anti-poaching program consumes a significant amount of MalaMala’s time, energy, and resource, we are also involved in many other conservation projects:

Research and monitoring:

Numerous research projects are carried out on an annual basis, mostly designed to monitor the impact of our environmental management practices on the habitat. We have studied the effects of the ever-growing elephant population on the property and tracked the progress of threatened species like the Southern Ground Hornbill. MalaMala has a detailed Vegetation Monitoring Program and we also work closely with independent conservation groups like Panthera who assist in monitoring our leopard population.

Habitat and wildlife management:

Many of these projects are the unglamorous and behind-the-scenes tasks that are critical to the wellbeing and sustainability of the property.

MalaMala has several invasive plant species that encroach on the reserve and we have an annual control program for the containment of these alien species. One specific challenge, brought about by climate change, has been the encroachment of ‘woody plants’, creating dense woody thickets on what used to be semi-open savannah. This could potentially change the wildlife composition in these areas and, as a result, MalaMala has embarked on a bush thinning program to protect these savannah areas.

We have an annual burning program which serves to protect the property through an extensive network of firebreaks, but it also plays a critical role in savannah management and the rejuvenation of the bush.

Road maintenance and erosion control programs are ongoing and are essential maintenance functions for the property.

Finally, although MalaMala prefers a “light-touch” approach to wildlife management, we do occasionally require veterinary interventions for threatened or endangered species. We also conduct an annual aerial game count which is a critical management tool and enables us to monitor the changing trends in our wildlife population and distribution.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com