South African Safari from Glen Canning on Vimeo.

Cheers

The Sunway Safaris experience
The purpose of our sponsored weekend away with the SOS Children’s Village kids is to expose the children to wildlife experiences, to educate them about Africa’s natural environment, its wildlife and the interaction of society and the wild regions of our country, and to expose children to the growing tourism business in Africa. Through this exposure to tourism, we hope that some of the participants might see a career for themselves in tourism or conservation.

Not only do we help out these less fortunate young adults of the SOS Children’s Village, but one of the important parts of a Sunway Safari is Responsible Tourism, and we operate these trips with the hope of educating the future generations about the value of conservation and eco tourism. An additional benefit is that our tour leaders are exposed to the reality of disadvantaged children and give them an avenue to assist in education kids who are less fortunate than themselves.

Everyone gets invloved

We arrange for children from Ennerdale SOS Village to participate in the weekend safari. The SOS Children’s Village Ennerdale comprises sixteen family houses, an administration and service area and houses for the village director and the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave). Up to 160 children find home in the sixteen family houses.

On Friday 22Jan10 myself and 3 guides – Francois, Mich and Charel – left the office with 2 Sunway trucks to pick up 20 SOS Children’s Village Kids and 4 Care-givers. The “Kids” ranged in ages from 15 to 21, so technically speaking some of them were adults, but still under SOS Children’s Village care, so I will be referring to them as “Kids” for the purposes of this report.

Charel and I had been involved with the SOS Weekend before, but this was the Mich and Francois’s first time to join on this initiative so we were all looking forward to it.

We arrived at the Village to find the eager-faced passengers waiting for us, and after we checked that everyone was ready we had a short briefing, loaded up the luggage and the people, and departed for Pilanesberg National Park.

The weekend was jam-packed with activities and some free time for the Kids to swim.

We had arranged 4 speakers to come and meet the kids throughout the weekend:
Aubrey – Banqueting Co-ordinator of Bakgatla Resort
Johannes – Receptionist at Manyane Resort
Tshipiwe – Game Ranger for North West Parks and Tourism Board and freelance Field Guide
Monica – Game Ranger for North West Parks and Tourism Board

Learning about Tourism and its benefits

Each of the speakers introduced themselves and explained what their jobs involved, and told the Kids how they had achieved their qualifications to get them into their current positions, and where they would like to be in the future. They had all studied and have moved up in their jobs from when they started, so they could give personal accounts of the opportunities for different types of work at their companies.

They all explained the importance of Tourism and Eco-Tourism with regard to their own jobs, as well as to South Africa. Johannes was especially excited about the 2010 Fifa World Cup to be held in South Africa, and was even wearing a Bafana Bafana (South Africa soccer team) shirt.

The Kids had the opportunity to ask questions at the end of each talk, and the most questions were about the animals. Everyone was very appreciative of the talks and effort from the speakers, and the personal accounts gave us more insight into working in the different industries.

Apart from the speakers the guides and myself also had talks with the Kids. I spoke about Sunway Safaris and The Adventure Company, and why the Kids had been given the opportunity to go on the weekend away. I spoke about the importance of tourism worldwide and locally, and how Sunway has a specific focus on responsible travel on each of its tours.

The guides gave descriptions of vehicle preparation, how to run a tour, and dealing with clients. They explained the areas they had travelled to, and what they loved about their jobs.

We went for game drives every morning and afternoon of the weekend. When we first asked the Kids what animal in particular they wanted to see the immediate reply was “Everything!”, so we did our best to achieve that. We were lucky to see a large variety of animals on the game drives from the big Elephant down to the tiny but strong Dung Beetle, and the guides gave information about each of the animals that we saw and about Pilanesberg National Park.

Happy Kids at the end of the weekend

Tamlyn Wright

Nsumo Pan

At New Year’s Eve we – Shandle, me and our group – experienced a very special sunset in Mkuze GR in Northern KZN popular for its rhinos, but also home to many different species of antilopes, giraffes, hippos, many birds etc.
We had just watched a massive rhino next to the road and learned that really all waterholes had dried up. So we decided to enjoy this late afternoon and last day of 2009 at Nsumo Pan. No other people apart from us at the lookout platform, just peaceful water, birds singing, a hippo in the distance and the sun colouring the sky!

We still had some Black Label in the cooler box in the truck and decided to spoil our people. And yes, smiling faces!

The Perfect Sundowner!

###In German###
Ich bin Christina und habe einige Touren als deutsche Übersetzerin & Assistant Guide begleitet. Der südafrikanische Busch bietet viel mehr als nur Safari und die “Big Five”. Mich faszinieren immer wieder die unglaubliche Vielfalt der Natur, die Weite, das Licht, die Gerüche und insbesondere die traumhaften Sonnenuntergänge.

Rhino at Mkuze

Gerade hatten wir ein massiges Nashorn gesehen und erfahren, dass derzeit wirklich alle Wasserlöcher ausgetrocknet sind. So entschieden wir uns den Tag und somit auch das Jahr an der Nsumo Pan ausklingen zu lassen. Kein Mensch außer unserer kleinen Gruppe, das ruhige Gewässer vor uns, Vogelgezwitscher, ein Flusspferd in der Ferne und die Sonne, die den Himmel bereits kunterbunt einfärbte. Wir hatten noch einige Black Label – südafrikanisches Bier – im Kühlfach des Trucks und konnten so unseren Leuten eine große Freude bereiten! Ein wahrer südafrikanischer Sundowner und Idylle pur! Und so hatten alle ein Lächeln auf den Lippen als sie sich zuprosteten, den farbenprächtigen Sonnenuntergang und das wechselnde Farbenspiel am Himmel bestaunten, dazu das seichte Plätschern des Sees, noch einige geschäftige Webervögel und weitere Tierstimmen dazu… und während wir noch unser Bier und den Sonnenuntergang genossen, sich jeder leise von 2009 verabschiedete, ging im Osten der Mond auf. Vollmond noch dazu!

Mkuze Njala

Cheers CHRISTINA

Pilgrims Rest General Dealer

The whole family was keen birders. Oliver the 10 year old boy had immense knowledge of our bird species especially birds of pray. This gave us (the guides) the opportunity to not only concentrate on the ‘Big 5’ but also the smaller creatures and in particular the birds.

On our way to the little historical town of Pilgrim’s Rest we decided to stop of at the bird of pray centre in Dullstroom and witnessed the marvel of falconry.

Peregrine Falcon

Kruger National Park also gave us fantastic sightings. The game drives were vary productive in that all the creatures made an appearance, big and small. – Dung beetles, scorpions, snakes, antelope, giraffe, zebra, rhino, elephant, serval cat and even cheetahs!

Peregrine Falcon in flight

On one specific morning game drive we stopped off at a bird hide and spent about an hour there just enjoying the peace and tranquillity that Kruger has to offer. We were joined by a lone elephant bull, pod of hippos and an array of birds. The elephant bull drinking while the hippos kept an eye on the old fellow, grunting and wallowing! Plenty of Kingfishers showed themselves, and we where also lucky to see the rare Malachite kingfisher. Herons were fishing, open-billed storks wading in the water, foam nest frogs nesting and a crocodile waiting patiently! What a place to loose yourself completely!!!

Bird hide in Kruger National Park

By Adriaan

Conservation status: Endangered

Jamie's African Wild Dog

Wild Dogs of Botswana

We sat and studied the dogs for hours, knowing that we were very privileged to have such a good sighting of this endangered species.

By Jamie

I travelled to South Africa in November 2009 to join the South Africa Scenic Route. This was my first taste of Africa and did not fail to disappoint!

The Group

We were a mixture of Brits, Dutch and Germans and along with our excellent guides, Jerry and Shandle, enjoyed many great experiences together.

Jerry and Shandle were both great guides. Full of information on places, wildlife and culture and both very relaxed which kept the trip: ‘nice and easy’. This helped set a good mood amongst the group and everyone to bond well.

The highlights for me included the night game drive at Kruger National Park were we witnessed a male and female Leopard crossing the road, very close to our vehicle and then in what seemed like seconds, a pack of African Wild Dog lounging on the side of the road . Being night time the experience was even more extraordinary and we all were amazed by the evening’s activity.

Wild Dogs in Kruger

We has some further excellent game drives in Kruger and came across the same pack of wild dogs in day light along with lions, cape buffalo, elephants, crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, jackal, warthog, kudos, monitor lizard bush babies, porcupine and the ubiquitous Impala. The cries of ‘Impala to the left, Impala to the right’ became synonymous with our group.
Thankfully Jerry and Shandle gave excellent explanations of the wildlife we saw, and the bush breakfasts were devoured by the hungry group after morning game drives.

Leopard in Kruger

We visited a primary school in Malelaa, Lesotho and received a warm welcome from the teachers and children. The school is part of a community project and funded by donations, the teachers are volunteers and the school has no government funding which amazed us all coming from developed countries.

Hiking in Drakesnburg was a real highlight. The scenery, flora & fauna are stunning and after a challenging hike you are greeted to outstanding views of the varying rock formations. The guides continued to deliver with cooking and the beer can chicken cooked over a braai tasted so good after the hike.

We experience further game drives at Addo and Mkuze and again spoilt with wildlife, including the endangered black rhino. The campsite and walks in Tsitsikamma were also excellent and we all enjoyed the sundowners by the Indian Ocean.

Be prepared for a few long days on the road, but this is offset by the banter on board and arriving at well chosen campsites. Putting the tent up and down becomes easier and easier as the trip continues and getting involved with duties is part of the group ethos – you all do your fair share!

Tsitsikamma NP

Cape Town has much to offer a weary traveller. Good food, good wine and lots to see and do. I will remember the walk up and down Table Mountain, for the stunning views and physical challenge!

Thanks to everyone for a great trip. To Jerry and Shandle for showing Southern Africa to us and the rest of my group for being great travelling companions –I think you may see a few of us next year for Cape to Vic Falls!

Jon Barber

This stunning series of pictures shows the moment a water buffalo becomes a road-hog.
But the tourists driving through Kruger National Park in South Africa could hardly blame the poor creature, who was more concerned with the tail-gating lioness than other traffic on the road.
The convoy of cars came to a halt to watch – but the passengers then found themselves part of the action as the two beasts lumbered on to the road, oblivious to their gaze.

Battle lines: The lioness and the buffalo size each other up at the start of the attack in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Dinner time: The buffalo screams out in pain as the lioness attacks by sinking her teeth into the giant beast
The incredible fight took place near the national park’s Phelwana Bridge in mid-August, as tourists noticed a buffalo standing alone by a tree just 10m from the road.
At first the rest of the countryside seemed desolate, and then passengers began to see lion heads popping up out of the foliage a further 20m away.
It seemed the convoy had missed act one of the battle, as the buffalo seemed injured and was staggering on the spot.

Struggle: The buffalo desperately tries to shake the lioness loose, but the claws are out and dinner is served

Buckin’ bronco: The lioness keeps a firm grip on its prey
Eyewitness ‘Mgdonny’, who posted this incredible series of photos on picture-sharing site Flickr, said: ‘We sat there for about an hour and nothing happened.The buffalo then tried to lift itself up, with great difficulty, and after some time managed to get on its feet.
‘As it stood up this female lioness came walking towards it and jumped on to the buffalo’s back trying to pull it down.
‘The female lioness was injured in the back leg and looked as if it had tried to attack the buffalo previously and was injured in the process.

Break for freedom: Chaos hits the road as the buffalo stumbles on to the tarmac

Peckish for a calf: The buffalo has his leg pulled by the lioness as traffic comes to a stop
‘The buffalo started snorting and walking with the lioness on its back trying to escape.’
It came towards the roads and hit a car in the rear bumper and the lioness couldn’t hold on and jumped off.’
At this point, the tourists became uneasy as two male lions began to pad their way over.
Luckily, they were content to stay on the side of the road and watch their lady friend bring home the dinner.

Running to safety: The buffalo lurches across the road, having successfully knocked the lioness off her back

Lion’s eye view: Motorists dare to stick their head out the window for a picture – but this is one hitchhiker who won’t be getting a lift
Mgdonny continued: ‘The buffalo – still on the road – hit another car in the front bumper with its horn.
‘The two huge male lions came walking towards the road and just sat down in the distance.
‘After a some time again the female tried two more times to bring down the buffalo but with no success.’
Luckily for the buffalo – and the passengers – the buffalo proved too much for the lioness, and she padded off, leaving the buffalo free to roam another day.

Mr Mgdonny

Wild dogs in Moremi Game Reserve

Everyone comes to Africa to see the big 5. But, in most cases, people are more impressed with other things, especially when something amazing happens…

Wild dogs are endangered and probably the most difficult predator in Africa to spot due to their huge territories and extremely low numbers.

On one of our excursions through Botswana wild parks we were lucky enough to see a different pack of wild dogs everyday… for 5 days consecutively! We got so close to one pack that the dogs surrounded our game viewer. They started to inspect it and one even jumped up on its’ hind legs to get a better view of what was inside!

We sat and watched the dogs for half an hour, knowing that we were very privileged to have such a good sighting of this endangered species.

After following the Sunway Trade Route through Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique we arrived in Tofo – a vibey coastal town with white beaches, warm waters, a small local market and, above all, ocean safari’s – the opportunity to go snorkelling with whale sharks!

We headed out to sea in search of one of these beautiful giants of the ocean. We were soon in luck and the captain gives his call for us to put on our snorkels and fins and dive overboard…

This beauty is a massive 8m long! She was just beneath the surface and we were able to swim along side her as she glided almost effortlessly along.

Some of the more experienced divers swam beneath her while others preferred to keep their distance from this rather large animal!
After some time she took a plunge deep into the clear waters below us. The boat came round to fetch us and we climbed on board again. We were in awe after being in the water with this giant, graceful creature.

As we bobbed along the sea we spotted manta rays, various fish and even a nurse shark overboard. There were 4 more whale sharks each varying in size (they can get up to a whopping 20m long!) We dived with them all several times – the most fascinating being with a curious baby shark who circled the group a few times before heading on.

After 2 hours of interacting with the amazing sea life in the bay we headed back to shore and said good bye to our fantastic captain and skipper. It had been an amazing trip and, although some of us were relieved to be back on shore (it was a bumpy ride at times!), we knew none of us would forget this amazing experience.

My name is Pieter, and I am one of the guides at Sunway Safaris (thats me on the back right hand side:) ).

At the Tropic of Capricorn

I recently came back from a Cape Town to Victoria Falls trip. The diversity of landscape and people we experienced each day was amazing – from watching the sun set over the dunes in the Namibian desert, to living in a San (Bushman) hut, and travelling in a moroko in the Delta in Botswana.

One of my highlights was camping in the Delta. What a pleasure! Early mornings and late evenings sitting around the camp fire, while the days were spent exploring the island. We came across fields of zebra, impala, wildebeest and giraffe. The feeling of approaching these animals on foot gives you a sense of awe, and I felt it especially when we cam across a herd of elephants just beyond the lake 40m away from where we were standing!

Another memorable moment was in Zambia on the lion walk. We started the day early, around about 6 o’clock. After a short safety briefing we headed to the spot where we would be meeting our new hiking partners. As we walked around the corner, there they were. The lion is personally my favourite animal, so I was overjoyed to see them so close. There were two males and one female that were about 14 months old, and we were told that they are heading to the wild within the next 10 months. Within about ten minutes they weren’t in much of a mood for walking, but no one seemed to mind. The three lions had a wonderful time rough-housing with each other, and when they tired out, I had the opportunity to touch one of the males.

Hope to see you soon on our next trip!

Pieter