South Africa: Nedile Lodge turning 20 Years Old

Nedile Lodge

We are super excited to celebrate Nedile Lodge turning 20 Years Old!

Time flies when you are having fun. On this day, January 29 in 2003, we welcomed our first set of visitors, and Nedile Lodge is still going strong today.

The owner first built Nedile Lodge as a private getaway to spend quality time with family and friends, he then decided to open it up commercially to share their love of nature with everyone. 

We are incredibly excited to share this celebration with all of our previous guests, as well as with those who are still to experience the tranquility and beauty that Nedile Lodge has to offer.

In a quick glance over the past 20 years, the lodge has many achievements, from winning the AA Travel Guides: Best Game Lodge to World Luxury Hotel Awards: Continent Winner 2022/2021 / Country Winner 2020 and many more. Our wonderful team and all of our guests helped to achieve these accolades.

Through the years we have received fabulous reviews and feedback. The owner has a saying: “Good criticism is welcome, as it is necessary to ensure that we at Nedile Lodge keep striving to be better and ready to provide our guests with the best.”

The reserve has blossomed over the years, with a couple of successful projects to mention. Black Rhino's being introduced into the Reserve with the Rhino Rescue Program and contributing to the cheetah meta-population program. The Reserve has also installed motion-activated cameras throughout, which have captured some amusing shots, even catching the owner waving to the camera.

With all of your help, we have made it through some of the most difficult years, known as Covid, and we are still going strong. Over the years, some team members have moved on to new life journeys while others have stayed with us, such as Mapula Magagane, who has been whipping up a storm in the kitchen for 20 years. Keep an eye out on our social pages as we will be doing ‘Meet The Team’ posts and there you can see who is still with us as well as the newer team members of Nedile Lodge.

Our mission is to provide you with a "home away from home" experience, including great food, entertaining and unforgettable game drives, and exceptional comfort and attention to detail.

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Namibia: security measures in Etosha National Park

Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta said the country has moved to make security adjustments to close any loopholes in flagship Etosha National Park, to ensure that poaching incidents do not occur again.

This comes after 11 rhinos were found poached in the country’s flagship national park this month.

“We will leave no stone unturned to apprehend poachers and bring them to justice. We will not relent in ensuring maximum protection of our iconic species in the Etosha National Park, and indeed elsewhere in the country,” Shifeta said as he warned those attempting to involve themselves in wildlife crimes.

Shifeta said joint anti-poaching units are constantly engaged in activities to deter and prevent wildlife crime.

“With the biggest population of black rhinos in the world, the world looks up to Namibia to prevent this already critically endangered species from going extinct,” he said.

“Our resolve as the citizens of this country must be clear, namely that we do not tolerate poaching and the illegal plundering of our natural resources. Our natural resources must be preserved and utilized for the benefit of all of us,” he concluded.

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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

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South Africa: Nedile Lodge news | Недиле Лодж Южная Африка

Welcome to Spring at Nedile in South Africa!

Spring here in the Waterberg is a magical season of renewal and life. And after another year dominated by pandemic news, it is heartening to know that at Nedile, life is continuing to thrive and diversify with each passing week!

With refreshing early summer rains on the  horizon, the whole lodge is gearing up for the holiday season and we can't wait for you to come visit us here in our little piece of heaven.

More good news: Nedile Lodge won the 2021 award for best Luxury Game Lodge on the continent! Thank you again to all our supporters and past guests who voted for us in this prestigious category in the World Luxury Hotel Awards.

Exciting news: Black Rhino rescue

Back in 2015, as part of stemming the worrying tide of Black Rhino numbers plummeting, the Rescue Rhino program was established and Welgevonden reserve has been part of this worthy cause and introduced the first group of rescued Black Rhinos in 2018.

This March, another group of Black Rhinos (scientific name: Diceros bicornis) was released into the reserve and are showing encouraging signs of settling in and enjoying their new home!

But perhaps the most encouraging news regarding our growing Black Rhino herds is this: In August one of the females delivered a brand-spanking-new (and very healthy) calf! It was a welcome surprise to us all and our rangers have been following their progress throughout this special time.

Spotting the new calf should definitely be on your to-do list when you next visit us at the reserve!

Some interesting facts about Black Rhinos: 

° They aren't actually black in color. But they are darker in appearance than White Rhino, mostly because of the dark mud they enjoy rolling around in!

° Black Rhino are smaller than their White counterparts and fast! Some have been recorded running at speeds of 55 km/h.

As an additional note, our White Rhino population has nearly doubled in recent years and shows significant strides forward for the conservation of this threatened species as well. 

Summer Special

We are currently offering special summer rates for Midweek and Weekend stays:

Midweek Special (Sundays–Thursdays): R 2850 p.p.n sharing.

Weekend Special (Fridays-Saturdays): R 3250 p.p.n sharing.             

Single supplement: Additional R600.00 per night on the above rates. Note that this special will be valid until end of January 2022, so book soon!

Contact us to make a booking.

We look forward to seeing you at Nedile very soon: Come and visit us and experience the splendor of Africa!

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Namibia: Ongava news

Despite the stressful pandemic situation we're incredibly proud to have played a role in the Namibian subspecies of black rhino being upgraded to Near Threatened.

"The increase in Black Rhino numbers is mainly due to continuing law enforcement efforts and successful population management measures, including moving selected rhinos from established populations to new locations to keep populations productive and increase the species’ range. One subspecies of the Black Rhino, the South-western Black Rhino (D. b. bicornis) – previously assessed as Vulnerable – has seen sufficient population growth over the last three generations to be newly categorised as Near Threatened." Conservation efforts bring cautious hope for African rhinos - IUCN Red List.

“These developments for African rhinos show the changes that can be achieved through committed conservation action,” said Dr Jane Smart, Global Director of the IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group. “It is crucial that local people are increasingly involved in and benefit from conservation efforts. International, national and local actors need to work together to tackle the biodiversity crisis. It will be critical for the voices of those working in the field to protect threatened species such as African Rhinos to be amplified in coming years as we set the conservation agenda for the next decade.”

Learn how a handful of dedicated Namibian conservationists - among whom Pierre du Preez the rhino standout - resolutely turned the story from disaster to success Namibia’s Black Rhino Custodianship Program April 2020 - Volume II-2, Conservation & Wildlife Management, Birgit Kotting.

"The need to closely link conservation and law enforcement led to the establishment of the Intelligence and Investigation Unit (IIU) under the Wildlife Protection Services Division in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism during 2016-17. This was significantly elevated through the launch of Operation Blue Rhino in mid-2018 – a formal collaboration between the IIU and the Protected Resources Division (PRD) of the Namibian Police Force (NAMPOL)." - Colgar Sikopo, Director: Wildlife and National Parks, Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Combatting Wildlife Crime in Namibia Annual Report 2019.

At Ongava conservation remains our guiding star, our singular priority mobilising our protection, nurturing, rehabilitation and research efforts. Thanks to your support Ongava, which is a Namibian name for rhino, has managed one of Namibia's successful black rhino custodianships. Thankfully the spell of drought has been broken, however, wildlife crime remains an imminent threat.

The COVID-19 pandemic tourism flameout has a dramatic impact on the sustainability of our conservation work. While our colleagues in the field have locked down the reserve and cranked up surveillance to yet new heights, our work is cut out to restart the economic engine.

ELENA, it is encouraging to witness the commitment to conservation based tourism - thank you for the support. While the firm and fair application of Ongava's terms and conditions may not be universally popular, affected Agents and Guests have appreciated the flexible options. Cancellation penalties are a tourism standard, those that could not postpone can draw satisfaction that their contribution is helping to fund the protection of high value wildlife species.

It’s never early enough to get started. Some thoughts on the way forward:

° At this time in the ‘fear’ cycle of the global pandemic we need to be proactive. Once the grief cycle morphs from fear to acceptance, and then to planning the future, our international source market Agents need to be ready to get cracking. If we’re not decisive we’ll lose the initiative to other, more proactive destinations.

° In a time of great uncertainty we are best served by decisive, determined, decision making. To get the decision making cogs to process and grind what they have to grind we have to act fast and decisively. As we did with closing the business. So must we do with re-starting the business.

° For this drive we’re dependent on the international, regional and domestic travel trade - we are open to ideas how we can assist efforts to restart international tourism to Namibia.

° It is no trivial matter to convince the airlines to fly to Windhoek again. If we don’t create the market demand the airlines will not volunteer to service Windhoek out of the goodness of their hearts. Once it is deemed manageable to travel, market forces is what drive airlines, and must also be communicated to government authorities.

° We need you to help mobilise demand, and appetite for, international travel.

° At the outset the more risk tolerant Guests will be prepared to travel internationally. These early adopters are critical to get our businesses back on track.

° When we reopen the camps in July 2020 Ongava will be extraordinarily hygienic. And our colleagues at the front lines will be amply protected.

° In the coming period we’ll be communicating the extensive, science-based, daily sterilization measures that Ongava camps will have in place. That Guests and Staff can have confidence in putting their lives at least risk when they are at Ongava. The early adopters that experience this will relay the message, to all our advantage.

° The eroding currency will be an additional driver for value conscious travellers

Our sympathies to those who are suffering. And who have lost loved ones. We support #flatteningthecurve. And trust this too shall pass. Your continued support enables us to fund the protection of nature.

Kind Regards

Rob

PS - in a stranger than fiction quirk of fate studies are now taking place that the 100 year old BCG vaccine - a  standard in the developing world - may support immunity against Coronavirus infection:

Can an Old Vaccine Stop the New Coronavirus? A tuberculosis vaccine invented a century ago is cheap and safe, and seems to bolster the body’s immune system. (New York Times April 5, 2020)

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