TANZANIA: Saanane Island National Park Tourist Numbers Grow

Saanane Island National Park has recorded remarkable achievement by going above its targeted number of tourists for two years in a row as domestic tourism flourishes.

Saanane Chief Park Warden, Mr Donatus Bayona said here that the smallest park in the country has attracted more tourists from East African countries than those from abroad.

Mr Bayona said that about 90 per cent of tourists who visited the islet were locals, giving an example of 2015/16 that saw 11,000 local tourists call to the island.

Apart from game viewing through walking safaris, tourists can enjoy boat excursion in Lake Victoria, rock hiking, picnicking, walking along designated trails, canoeing with dhows along the lake. "Saanane was declared to be a national park in July 2013, before that it was a zoo and later a game reserve.

The number of tourists has been going up year after year, signalling that we are on the right track and domestic tourists form the biggest percentage," said the chief. Mr Bayona unveiled that in 2013/14 the park has attracted 89 foreigners, 52 expatriates and 2,306 tourists from East Africa.

The trend improved in the following year as the islet had 132 foreigners, 32 expatriates and 5,947 East Africans.

The Chief Park Warden disclosed that in 2015/16 the park located two kilometres southwest of Mwanza City had 453 foreign tourists, 243 expatriates and 11,685 from East Africa.

Mr Bayona said that on the financial year 2014/15, Saanane Island National Park collected 129m/- while the target was to earn 85m/-. In 2015/16 they surpassed the target of 124m/- revenue by collecting 162m/-.

The only park that is located in a city targets promotion of interest and conservation education in wildlife and promote recreation to people as different species of animals have been ferried to the island between 1964 and 1966.

Those included buffalo, bushbuck, dik dik, elephant, eland, impala, black rhino, topi, warthog, wildbeast, zebra, giraffe, porcupine, crocodiles and monkeys like patas and velvet.

Dangerous animals were caged but are no longer in the cages now. However, Tourism Warden at the park, Mr Ikwabe Koroso said plans are underway to rebuild some cages so as to take such animals.

That is in different outlook, to provide sanctuary to the sick or injured ones and once fit would be returned where they were taken from.

Mr Bayona said the islet that forms spectacular scenery over Mwanza south and Lake Victoria currently has species such as impala, crocodiles, clawless otters, rock hyrax, tortoise and agama lizards famously referred to as agama mwanzae. Others are snakes, particularly pythons, lions, spotted hyenas, vervet monkeys and shy De Brazza's monkeys.

There are more than 70 types of resident and migratory birds. The park, however, faces several challenges including environmental degradation around the park, human encroachment as well as poaching.

TANZANIA: Wonders Of Serengeti

Serengeti Migration
The Serengeti is not one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa, but it is home to the migration which was officially declared as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa on February 11, 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania. The migration is a shared wonder between the countries of Tanzania and Kenya. The majority of the migration is experienced on the Tanzanian side.

Serengeti
The name Serengeti comes from the Swahili word meaning “endless plains.” For some this conjures up an image of nothing but grass lands, however the it is so much more. These endless plains stretch over 12,000 squares miles (30,000 sq km) and feature a variety of habitats that include the expected grasslands along with kopjes, swamps, riverine forests, woodlands and hills.

The various habitats are what provide an opportunity for the Serengeti to be home to around 70 larger mammals and over 500 species of birds. The abundant and varying wildlife is what attracts visitors to this wonder of nature from Africa.

The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments have leveraged national parks, conservation areas, and game reserves to establish official protection over 80% of the endless plains affectionately known as the Serengeti. The national park in Tanzania goes by the same name, whereas the national park in Kenya is known as the Masai Mara.

Serengeti Wildlife
The migration is the hallmark of the Serengeti featuring over 1.2 million wildebeests, over 800,000 zebras, and hundreds of thousands of gazelles, impalas, and other wildlife. The heart of the migration is the wildebeest and the zebra.

The Serengeti is also home to 6 of the Big Seven, which include the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, hippo and the crocodile. The only one of the Big Seven missing is the mountain gorilla. Some of the other wildlife calling the endless plains home include: cheetah, hyena, giraffe, eland, Thomson gazelle, impala, baboon, and the warthog. There are also hundreds of species of birds making this the complete Safari experience.

The migration is what attracts many people. One of the highlights occurs during the months of January and February when the wildebeests are giving birth. This is a short and concise window where all of the wildebeests give birth within a 2 to 3 week period. A second highlight occurs sometime during the months of September or October. This is another concise 2 to 3 week period where the wildebeests and zebras cross the Mara River into Kenya.

Crossing the Mara River is exciting for an couple of reasons. First, it is an amazing sight to see 1 million wildebeests crossing the river in a given moment. However this is also a challenging crossing as crocodiles wait to feast on these animals as they enter the water. Witnessing a crocodile capture and kill one of the wildebeest is an exciting encounter with nature.

TANZANIA: Maswa Game Reserve

Located along the southwestern boundary of the Serengeti National Park, Maswa is the dry season refuge for many Serengeti animals. The Simiyu, Mbono, Semu and Mongomawe rivers form the main drainage courses providing water for the game in the dry season. In January and February, the epic wildebeest migration passes through Maswa feeding on the spring grasses.

Maswa is home to buffalo, lion, leopard, roan, Coke’s hartebeest, East African impala, Thomson’s gazelle and Robert’s gazelle. There is also an abundance of zebra, Defassa waterbuck and warthog, as well as topi, wildebeest, East African bush duiker, dik-dik, baboon, bushbuck, eland, klipspringer, greater kudu, Bohor reedbuck, steinbuck, hyena, jackal, ostrich and roan antelope.

Anti-Poaching
The Maswa Game Reserve borders the world-famous Serengeti National Park and at times during the year the great migration passes through Maswa's boundaries. Wire snares target the migration and indiscriminately kill animals. FCF rangers in Maswa clear extensive snare lines during their patrols.

FCF rangers encounter bushmeat and ivory poachers on a fairly regular basis. Elephant poaching is especially prevalent with over forty carcasses identified by FCF rangers in 2010. Other major concerns are illegal charcoal production and domestic livestock overgrazing along the boundaries of the reserve.

FCF has a very high concentration of field personnel based in Maswa with twenty full time anti-poaching personnel there on a year-round basis. One of FCF's microlights is based here and is proving to be very effective in assisting anti-poaching efforts.

Community Development
FCF collaborates with the Meatu District and the Wildlife Department to support projects prioritized by the villages neighboring the Maswa Game Reserve. Education, highly valued across Tanzania, has been a priority in this area.

FCF has sponsored projects such as the construction of teachers' homes, student scholarships, and library support in villages along the western and southern boundaries of the concession.

GIS & Research
The Maswa Game Reserve is part of the famed Serengeti ecosystem. Itsupports a large resident ungulate population and hosts the great migration of wildebeest and zebra during January and February. Conflict and competition for natural resources between humans and the wildlife is prevalent in this area.

The Maswa Game Reserve is part of the famed Serengeti ecosystem. Itsupports a large resident ungulate population and hosts the great migration of wildebeest and zebra during January and February. Conflict and competition for natural resources between humans and the wildlife is prevalent in this area.

ZIMBABWE: $30,000 Raised to Fight Poaching In Victoria Falls

THE war on poaching has been given a record $30,000 boost by a fundraising golf tournament, coordinated and sponsored by Africa Albida Tourism, which is more than double the amount raised at last year’s event.

A total of 132 players, making up 33 teams, teed off for charity at the 15th annual fundraising Golf Day for the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit (VFAPU) at Borrowdale Brooke Golf Club, before a prize-giving function and auction.

The fundraising tournament, which took place on October 2, was won by Blair Taberer and Munya Mudyanadzo, with teams including the Zimbabwe Special Olympics golfers sponsored by Delta Airlines, and ‘The Cats’, who took the best dressed team prize in matching fluorescent-coloured cat masks and ties.

A silver cuff by renowned Zimbabwean jeweller Patrick Mavros, specially designed for the event went for $1,100 at the auction. In addition five cricket souvenirs signed by top international players, donated by SAVE: African Rhino Foundation, each fetched between $2,000 and $3,250 under the hammer.

Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) group chairman Dave Glynn said: “The Zimbabwean community never ceases to amaze me. The generosity and the level of support was outstanding on the day.

VFAPU has arrested nearly 700 hardened poachers since it was established in 1999 by Mr Brightman, a local safari operator and conservationist, and Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, AAT’s flagship property.

The unit, which works closely with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, has also removed more than 22 000 wire snares from its operational area.

In addition, 179 mammals, including buffalo, kudu, eland and impala, injured by snares have been treated and released back into the wild.

The unit is also supported by other tourism operators and members of the Victoria Falls community.

VFAPU, which was established in an effort to fight the alarming levels of poaching, operates in a 50kmsq area around Victoria Falls, and has 17 scouts patrolling seven days/nights a week. The unit tackles all forms of poaching, including wood, bush meat and ivory.

ZIMBABWE: Matobo National Park

A UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, Matobo National Park occupies a total area of 44 500 hectares. Established in 1953, the Park was awarded Unesco World Heritage Status in June 2003. The Park includes an Intensive Protection Zone where a large population of Black and White Rhinoceros

are successfully breeding. The Park offers a diverse package of tourist attractions and activities. The park is situated in the magnificent Matobo Hills, a range of domes, spires and balancing rock formations which have been hewn out of the solid granite plateau through millions of years of erosion and weathering. The majestic and rugged terrain of the park is a hiker's paradise and the diversity of the vegetation supports a wide range of wildlife.

Matobo meaning 'bald heads' was the name chosen for the area by the great Ndebele King, Mzilikazi. He is buried in the Matobo Hills just a short distance from the park. Matobo National Park is also the site of the grave of Cecil John Rhodes. He is buried at the summit of Malindidzimu -' hill of benevolent spirits'. He referred to this hill as having a 'View of the World'. A short walk from the parking lot will lead the visitor to his grave, which is carved out of the solid granite hill and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of massive boulders.

The Matobo area has great spiritual and cultural significance to the local people and there are many sites within the park where important ceremonies still take place. The Park is home to a wide variety of animal species including: black and white rhinoceros, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, eland, sable, klipspringer, leopard, hyena, cheetah, hippo, warthog, rock dassies, waterbuck, wildcat, springhare, common duiker, crocodiles, baboons and monkeys.

The richness of the Park can also be seen from the diverse bird life. The park is famous for its large concentration of black eagles, which can be seen perched atop the rock formations or soaring along the cliffs in search of prey. Bird species that can be found include, fish eagle, martial eagle, francolin, secretary bird, weavers, pied crow and Egyptian geese. Fish species readily found in this Park include, bass, bottle fish, bream, catfish and robustus.

Matobo National Park has a mixed type of vegetation that ranges from Mopane, Acacia species, Brachstegia in other area, Figtrees, Azanza species, Zizphus species, Strychnos species and Terminalia species.

Facilities
Accommodation facilites are located at Whitewaters, Tshabalala Sanctuary, Toghwana, Hazelside and Mtsheleli. Maleme Rest Camp provides accommodation in the form of chalets and lodges and it is by far the largest rest area in the Park.

Lodges
Electrified accommodation is found at Maleme Rest Camp where the main office is located. There are several types of lodges at Maleme. 12 lodges with have 2 bedrooms, a kitchen with fridge, stove, cutlery and crockery. Some of the lodges have 4 single beds and others have 1 double bed and 2 singles. All lodges are equipped either dressing tables or wardrobes, dinning rooms with tables, chairs, heaters, flush toilet and bathrooms with cold and hot water.

There are 3 single bedroom lodges with similar facilities as the 2 bedroomed lodges.

Exclusive Lodges

Fish Eagle
This is a 2 bedroomed lodge with 5 beds i.e. one double and one single bed, one bedroom with 2 single beds all with linen, 2 dressing tables. The kitchen has a fridge, 4 plate stove, electric kettle, crockery and cutlery. The lodge has a flush toilet, bathroom with tub and hot shower, veranda, garden table and chairs.

Black Eagle
This is a 2 bed roomed lodge with 5 beds i.e. one double and one single bed, one bedroom with 2 single beds all with linen, 2 dressing tables. The kitchen has a fridge, 4 plate stove, electric kettle, crockery and cutlery. The lodge has a flush toilet, bathroom with tub and hot shower, veranda, garden table and chairs.

Imbila
Top of the range accommodation with 2 bedrooms containing 2 double teak beds. Each bedroom has 4-seater teak easy chairs. There are 2 ensuite bathrooms and flush toilets. The dining room has a teak table. The veranda overlooking the river has a garden table and chairs. The kitchen has a fridge, 4 plate stove, crockery and cutlery supplied.

Chalets
5 single bedroom chalets have 2 single beds, dressing tables, wall wardrobes, dining tables with chairs for 2. The kitchen is communal and is equipped with 2 plate stoves. Ablution facilities are communal. Heaters are also supplied in the chalets. 1 two-bedroomed chalet with one double bed and 2 single beds, dressing tables, wall wardrobes. The chalet has a dining room with dining tables and chairs for 2. The kitchen is communal and is equipped without 2 plate stoves. Ablution facilities are also communal. Heaters are also supplied in the chalet.

Campsites
Cooking facilities are available on wood or charcoal braais. Ablution and toilet facilities are provided in a communal block.

Communal Campsite
Camping sites are available at Maleme Dam, Mthselele Dam, Toghwana Dam, Mesilume Dam and Arboretum.

Conference Facilities
The Rhodes Hall is a conference facility that can host up to 30 delegates depending on the required seatting arrangement. There is a blackboard, projector, 60 inch colour television monitor, VCR and decoder. Toilet facilities are adjoined to the hall. The kitchen facilities and equipment include an urn for boiling water, pots, cups, glasses, crockery and cutlery. Movable braai stands are also available for guests' use.

Activities
Tourists are encouraged to liase with the tourist office on availability of particular activities as well as to get details on the rules and regulations.
• Escorted walks for up to 6 people - an armed scout can be availed on booking at Maleme or Whitewaters office
• Pony trails - conducted around the Maleme Dam area and into the Whovi Wild Area
• Fishing - allowed in most dams to those issued with licences at the tourist office
• Boating - privately owned boats are permitted on certain dams
• Game viewing - can be done in the Whovi Wild Area, a protected game park which is home to more than 60 animal species and hundreds of beds
• Bird watching - offers great opportunity to see the several eagle species
• Hiking - there is abundant excitement of climbing the Pomongwe Hill which gives one a good view of the central part of the Park
• 33 miler road race - a unique marathon that is conducted within the Park at particular times of the year


Why Visit Matobo?
• The Park has one of the largest concentrations of black and white rhinoceros making it easy to sight one or more of the large population of this endangered specie
• Fine rock paintings - within the park are numerous sites which were once occupied by the San hunter-gatherers. The paintings at Nswatugi Cave are perhaps some of the finest in the country and contain beautiful renditions of giraffe, eland and kudu. There are other areas of note such as Bambata Cave, Inanke Cave and Silozwane Cave - just outside the park - that display fine animal paintings. The feint but distinct outline of a rhinoceros at the White Rhino Shelter was the impetus for the reintroduction of the species to the park in the 1960's.
• Numerous cultural and historical sites
• The unique balancing rock features
• The curio souvenir sales crafted by the local communities around the park
• The quiet and unpolluted environment
• Excellent stopover for tourists in transit to Hwange and Victoria Falls

How to get to Matobo National Park
The park is located 34 kilometres south of Bulawayo along the Kezi/Maphisa Road. The Main road to Maleme is tarred while all other Park roads are gravel and mostly in good condition. Durintg the rainy season the road to Toghwana requires 4 wheel drive vehicles

SOUTH AFRICA: Two SA Safari Destinations Listed In CNN’s Top Ten

A six-hour drive from Johannesburg to the edge of the renowned Kruger National Park, Leopard Hills offers safaris through 10,000 hectares of big beast countryside.

The main lodge is sited on a rocky outcrop in the western sector of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve overlooking an active waterhole and magnificent plains where the Big Five reside.

Rates include two drives per day and optional walking safaris with the chance of close-quarter glimpses of rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant.

Rangers are established photographers and can advise on taking quality safari snaps.

Leopard Hills (South Africa)

2015 Safari Awards, the Oscars of the Safari industry, are a useful guide to the best available tours. CNN examined the honors roll and gathered 10 of their favorite finalists. These are the adventures that excel in location, animal encounters, social and environmental responsibility and offer something different.

Pumba Private Game Reserve & Spa (South Africa)
Hippo, hyena, wildebeest, kudu, eland and antelope are among the attractions at the family-friendly Pumba Private Game Reserve & Spa.

The big draw, however, is the majestic and endangered white lion.

Pumba, a malaria-free haven dedicated to conservation and boosting the local community, operates a white lion-breeding program and is one of just two homes to the beast in the whole of southern Africa.

Accommodation includes the Water Lodge, overlooking Lake Cariega, or Msenge Bush Lodge, looking out over a waterhole and mountain views.

The other eight destinations chosen by CNN were Fundu Lagoon (Tanzania); Karisia Walking Safaris (Kenya); Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Rwanda); Samode Safari Lodge (India); Tongole Wilderness Lodge (Malawi); African Horseback Safaris (Botswana); Goliath Safaris Luxury Tented Camp(Zimbabwe); Norman Carr Walking Safari (Zambia).

How the 2015 Safari Awards are run

The Safari Awards was founded in 2008. The competition has gone from strength to strength and is regarded by many as the Oscars of the Safari industry.

Over 4,000 vetted tour operators, travel agents and travel journalists are invited to vote for the best safari camps, lodges, house, mobile and riding operators, and wildlife organisations. A panel of 14 highly-respected, knowledgeable and independent judges vote to create the ‘Judges Shortlist’ of about 200 safari camps, people and operators. Further voting takes places to produce the top five per category which are then visited and further voted on to produce the winners.

TANZANIA: Great Wildebeest Migration

Each year around the same time the circular great wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro area of the southern Serengeti of Tanzania.

This migration is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing. It lasts from approximately January to March, when the calving season begins – a time when there is plenty of rain ripened grass available for the 750,000 zebra that precede 1.2 million wildebeest and the following hundreds of thousands of other plains game.

During February the wildebeest spend their time on the short grass plains of the south eastern part of the ecosystem, grazing and giving birth to approximately 500,000 calves within a 2 to 3-week period: a remarkably synchronised event.

Few calves are born ahead of time and of these, hardly any will survive. The main reason for this being that very young calves are more noticeable to predators when mixed with older calves from the previous year, and so are easier prey.

As the rains end in May the animals start moving north west, into the areas around the Grumeti River, where they typically remain until late June. July sees the main migration of wildebeest, zebra and eland heading north, arriving on the Kenyan border late July / August for the remainder of the dry season (the Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles move only east/west).

In early November with the start of the short rains the migration starts moving south again, to the short grass plains of the south east, usually arriving in December in plenty of time for calving in February.

Some 250,000 wildebeest die during the journey from Tanzania to Maasai Mara Reserve in lower Kenya, a total of 800 kilometres (500 mi).

Death is usually from thirst, hunger, exhaustion, or predation.The migration is chronicled in the 1994 documentary film, Africa: The Serengeti. The second-largest is the South Sudan animal migration.

BOTSWANA: Northern Tuli Game Reserve

Spectacular landscapes, rich and varied wildlife, and a host of historical, cultural and natural history attractions define this unique and very striking corner of northeastern Botswana.

Straddling the Shashe, Motloutse and Limpopo Rivers, which serve as natural boundaries with Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (NTGR) comprises 71,000 hectares of remarkably diverse habitat, including mophane bushland, riverine woodland, and marshland, punctuated by towering sandstone cliffs, basalt formations and unusually shaped kopjes – making for truly breathtaking scenery.

One of the largest privately owned game reserves in Southern Africa and incorporating three major private concessions (Tuli Safari Lodge, Nitani Private Game Reserve, and Mashatu Game Reserve), the NTGR is home to 48 species of mammals and over 350 species of birds, with an estimated 20 000 animals residing in the reserve.

Most naturally occurring wildlife species are present, including elephant, kudu, zebra, impala, duiker, wildebeest, waterbuck, steenbok, and warthog. Large herds of eland – often not seen elsewhere in Botswana – are present, and these are indeed an awesome sight. All major predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena, are present, and the birdlife is prolific.

The NTGR is adjacent to a larger area of eastern Botswana called the Tuli Block. This is a ten kilometre wide strip of land running approximately Northern Tuli Game Reserve 180 kilometres south to Martin’s Drift that holds a string of commercial agricultural and game farms, several of which also offer tourist facilities.

Travellers keen for a more active safari experience will delight in all there is on offer. You can hike the reserve, bike the reserve, horse-ride the reserve, and even hot air balloon the reserve! At Mashatu Game Reserve, guests can accompany elephant or predator researchers, to gain first-hand insights into the behaviour, feeding habits, territories, demography, and social structure of these animals, as well as critical wildlife conservation issues. A similar experience awaits guests at Nitani – as they come to understand the complexities of a long-term hyena research project.

Molema Bush Camp, a community based tourism project managed and operated by Tuli Safari Lodge, is an ideal way to take part in a tourism concept that is rapidly gaining momentum in Africa. Local communities become active partners in tourism projects, from which they can more readily see clear-cut financial and social benefits.

Molema is a joint venture between three local villages: Motlhabaneng, Lentswe le Moriti and Mathathane and two tour operators: Tuli Safari Lodge and Talana Farms.

Archaeological sites provide an important historical perspective to the region. Iron Age sites demonstrate the formidable skills in pottery, mining, and smelting of the Zhizo, Leopard’s Kopje and Mapungubwe peoples, who practised agriculture and animal husbandry in the area.

Artifacts from the Mapungubwe Kingdom (1220-1290AD), a precursor to the Great Zimbabwe civilisation, reveal the sophistication of the technology and society of its people, and their extensive trade networks.

The NTGR will form the heart of the proposed Shashe/Limpopo Trans- Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA), its signatories – Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa – agreeing to cooperate to conserve and manage shared natural resources. Rich in biodiversity, the proposed TFCA will cover approximately 4,872 square kilometres and will be one of the largest wildlife conservation areas in Southern Africa.

Mapungubwe Hill

Mapungubwe was a prosperous Iron Age metropolis situated on the banks of the Limpopo River that thrived nearly a thousand years ago. It was ruled by a king of the Leopard Kopje people, and its extensive trade networks reached as far as Egypt, India and China.

The kingdom’s capital was situated at the 300 metre long Mapungubwe Hill, which today is only accessible through two very steep and narrow paths that twist their way to the top.

The civilisation of Mapungubwe was highly developed; its unique arts were of a superior craftsmanship and quality. One of the most famous pieces unearthed by archaeologists is a superbly crafted golden rhino. Other pieces include beautiful pottery and jewellery.

Mophane woodlands, riverine forests and sandstone formations create a breathtaking backdrop for Mapungubwe Hill. The area is rich in wildlife, including white rhino, elephant, giraffe, gemsbok, eland, lion, leopard and hyenas, as well as over 400 species of birds.

Motlhabaneng
Local village tours often become a highlight of a trip to Tuli. A delightful morning’s outing to the quaint village of Motlhabaneng consists of a visit to the kgotla for a chat with the village chief or headman, a visit to the local primary school where children don traditional clothing and dance, and a visit to a basket-maker’s home where guests interact with villagers, learn something of their traditional way of life and watch hand-woven baskets in the making.

Ancient rock paintings, almost certainly done by Southern Africa’s original inhabitants, the San, can also be seen at the outskirts of Motlhabaneng. The paintings depict people, animals, hunting scenes and mythological creatures, part of the San’s complex cosmology and belief system.

Solomon’s Wall

This rather amazing natural phenomenon, situated in the Tuli Block, is a 30 metre high basalt dyke that once formed a steep-sided natural dam wall across the Motloutse River.

A full ten metres wide, this ancient dyke once held back a great lake, with waterfalls spilling over the dyke. Evidence of this great lake are the numerous semi-precious stones (e.g. quartz and agate) found along the Motloutse riverbed.

Tall fever trees line the natural beach, making for a shady picnic site. Solomon’s Wall can only be reached with a four-wheel drive vehicle.