A very sad loss for Footsteps in Africa

#PeterSandenbergh

A very sad loss for Footsteps in Africa

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of our very much loved and well respected Owner/Director, Peter Sandenbergh. He sadly lost his fight with cancer on Thursday night, peacefully, surrounded by his family.
We feel such a loss as we say our goodbyes to our friend, a dear, kind, spirited and honest man.

Peter was extremely passionate about Botswana and the tourism industry. For the last thirty years, he has owned two of the most famous camps in the Okavango Delta and, of course, Delta Air. His life revolved around promoting and sharing this piece of paradise with people from around the world.

Peter intended and made sure that the operation of Footsteps in Africa would not see any interruption or change, despite his death. His wife, Chloe Sells, who was co-director of the company with Peter, Kathy Ives, who is the office manager for Northwest Holdings Groups and myself, will ensure that everything remains true to the quality, passion and service that you expect from Footsteps In Africa.

~ Tara Venter - General Manager ~

Botswana: Footsteps in Africa news

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#FootstepsInAfricaBotswana

Rates, packages and safaris offering incredible value during 2016 and 2017

What you need to know:
°    Family Special in 2016 – we have some special family packages and don’t forget children under 16 are FOC at Delta Camp, based on a room sharing with parents.
°    Special rates for travel in April, May, June 2016, stay a minimum of 4 nights across any of our lodges including Delta Air inter-camp transfers and receive 10% off the total package cost.  
°    Rates for 2017 – will be released at Indaba and our rates continue to make Botswana a much more affordable safari destination.
 
A chance to talk all things Botswana

What you need to know:
°    Footsteps in Africa will be at ITB Berlin from 9-11 March on the ATTA stand, Hall 20, booth 120.
°    We will also be at Indaba from 7-9 May in the ATTA pavilion between halls.
°    Watch out for us at the Air Botswana Roadshow in South Africa in June.

Footsteps in Africa

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia

Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Botswana: Okavango Delta flow changes direction

#OkavangoDeltaFlow
#OkavangoDeltaBotswana

How does the flow of the Delta change direction?

A snapshot on the mini earthquakes under the sand by one of our guides, Matsaudi:

We all know that the Okavango Delta is unique. But, did you know that the Delta experiences a mini earthquake nearly every day?  What appears to be a calm and peaceful place is actually experiencing deep-seated tremors underfoot but they are cushioned by the thick sand and mud that lies below the Delta’s surface. It is these shifts that make the ground under the Delta constantly move and it is this process that determines the routes the life-giving water flows as the floods rise and spread out across the reed and papyrus flatlands. New river courses are created and old deep water channels dry up, a constantly changing pattern easily seen as you fly above this beautiful landscape.

Footsteps in Africa

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia

Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Botswana: an update on water levels in the Okavango Delta | Уровень воды в дельте Окаванго

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#FloodsFromAngola 
#ShakaweBotswana
#УровеньВодыВДельтеОкаванго

An update on water levels in the Okavango Delta

What you need to know:
°    The rains have been poor throughout Southern Africa this year due to El Nino weather patterns BUT there are still incredible experiences to be had in the Delta with phenomenal game sightings from all our lodges, particularly the big cats.
°    There has been some welcomed localised rain but currently not enough to alter the water levels in the Delta.
°    The floods from Angola are on their way which means that the drought will not be as bad as first thought. The waters have reached some other parts of the Okavango (Shakawe side) but should reach our Delta camps by April.

Footsteps in Africa

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia

Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Botswana: Footsteps in Africa seasonal offer: 01.12.15 - 31.03.16

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Seasonal Offer
Our Green Season promotion offers incredible value for money safaris in Botswana.  It is ideal to include in your Botswana itinerary or use as a stand alone offer.

Kalahari Summer Special
Explore the rich wilderness areas of Botswana with our Kalahari Summer Special  valid from 01 December 2015 - 31 March 2016.

Experience our Camps & Lodges in the wonderland of the crystal clear channels of the Okavango Delta, the incredible Kalahari Desert, abundant wildlife in the Chobe National Park as well as the desert-like Savuti.

Spend a minimum of 3 nights at one Camp / Lodge or a minimum of 4 nights at two or more different Camps / Lodges to qualify for our special promotional rate. Request rates here.

This offer is on a fully inclusive basis (drinks are included) and applicable at Deception Valley Lodge, Grasslands Bushman Lodge, Delta Camp, Camp Savuti, Camp Linyanti and Oddballs' Enclave as well as Mobile Safaris.

Includes & Excludes

Includes
• Accommodation
• All meals, Teas/ coffees and snacks
• Drinks (soft drinks, water, beers, select wines and select spirits)
• Laundry
• Activities
• Government taxes and levies (except as stated under Exclusions)
• Park fees
   
Excludes
• Visa costs
• Light aircraft transfers
• Travel Insurance
• Items of personal nature and
• Government ‘wilderness fee’ of $30 pppd on the Chief's Island
• Mokoro Trail

Photos & info: Footsteps In Africa

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia

Botswana: Footsteps In Africa Okavango water levels warning | Футстепс Ботсвана

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Important Notice: Okavango Water Levels

We at Lodges of Botswana and Footsteps In Africa are well aware of the fact that our marketing material creates certain expectations and that the fulfilment of expectations is the key to a happy client. We seek therefore to ensure that our client’s expectations are met at all times and that our marketing material accurately represents a level of service and a wildlife experience that we are able to offer.

With regard to water levels in the Okavango, these are directly affected by meteorological conditions, which produce different environmental circumstances, each and every year. Of the many unpredictable forces that we have to contend with, meteorological conditions, are for most. You might think that after being in the Okavango for 35 years we would be able to predict the exact course of each flood and rainy season, however these things are simply not predictable. This makes it very difficult, and at certain times of the year, downright impossible, to predict water levels. The level of the water in the area of our operation can remain static for months and then drop suddenly and dramatically without warning. A short, but violent, thunderstorm, can likewise, raise water levels for several weeks at a time. Each of these changes can affect our access to channels and floodplains by mokoro and make a difference to the activities that are available to our clients. In addition to this, we have to contend with a large hippo population that can move, after being in one place for months at a time, overnight to a new location, which can likewise effect our access to floodplains and channels. The bottom line is that while we fully appreciate the importance of mokoro activities to our client’s experience, our concern for their safety is paramount and it is the unenviable task of our guides and managers to make decisions on a daily basis as to what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable risks.

We attempt to bring some certainty to these equations by terminating our overnight mokoro trails from end of October to April. However, it is almost always the case that throughout this period we are able to do shortened daily mokoro excursions and use mokoro to access Chief’s Island for our guided walking. However, at the risk of repeating ourselves, we cannot allow a decision concerning our client’s safety to be overridden by a marketing decision.

Photos & info: Footsteps In Africa

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia