Jamala Madikwe’s five freestanding villas blend perfectly into the landscape and combine the feeling of an exotic wilderness refuge with extravagant luxury. The standards for service, accommodation and food are absolutely top notch! You can lounge outdoors in a secluded rim-flow pool or your own open-air shower. Each day I enjoyed relaxing on my private deck while taking in the beautiful views of the savannah and the action at the watering hole always busy with game.

Jamala is tucked within the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, a 185,000-acre prime game-viewing region in South Africa’s North West province, and echoes with the calls of birds and vervet monkeys. The reserve offers a variety of landscapes from vast open plains and dense bushveld to towering rocky peaks. Because the reserve lies within a transition zone between Lowveld bushveld and the Kalahari thornveld, it is home to life from both ecosystems, including more than 300 species of birds and impressive populations of the famous Big Five. Another major attraction is the area’s healthy population of endangered African wild dog. Madikwe is an ancient land where nature abounds and at Jamala travelers have a luxurious front row seat! Highly recommended!

-Cherri Briggs, owner of EXPLORE

Jim Steinberg is a noted nature photographer, particularly for his images of wildflowers.  Here is a link to Jim Steinberg’s blog from his recent trip to South Africa.  He was there researching sites and scenes for two upcoming photography workshops that will be held in 2012.  The two workshops will focus on different interests – one with a clear wildflower focus and one for food and wine enthusiasts.  Stay tuned for more details to be posted on the EXPLORE website…

Photos courtesy of Jim Steinberg

TO JOHANESSBURG OR CAPE TOWN (from NY or Washington DC)

TO DURBAN (from NY or Washington DC)

SAA’s Terms and Conditions: *TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Fares include fuel surcharges and are valid on SAA operated flights from New York (JFK) or Washington Dulles (IAD). Offer valid on the purchase of round-trip, economy class tickets only. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights. Departure taxes and Sept. 11th security fees of approximately $130-140 (depending on itinerary) per passenger are additional and payable at time of ticketing. Passengers must travel together to qualify for this offer. Tickets must be paid for and issued at time of reservation. Fare is non-refundable and change fees of $250 apply. Re-routing is not permitted. Offer valid for reservations ticketed June 28, 2011-July 15, 2011. Valid for departures from theUSA between September 13 and December 10, 2011. Maximum stay one month. All travel must be completed by December 10, 2011. Price is for new bookings only, is subject to availability, may change without notice and is not retroactive.

Previously, this was not required.

All in-transit passengers between the two destinations, irrespective of the time period in transit, will also require proof of yellow fever vaccination.

There seems to be some discrepancy on the date of inception of the above recommendations and we encourage all travelers to treat this as effective immediately until further notice.

EXPLORE is located in the beautiful ski town of Steamboat Springs CO and as much as we love our great mountain everyone can use a change from time to time.  But who would ever think you could make Africa your next stop to hit the slopes?!  And the time of year to visit works perfectly with anyone trying to get in year-round skiing as our summer is their winter.  The best months to go are June through the first week of September.

The top African ski experience is located in the gorgeous kingdom of Lesotho surrounded by South Africa at Afri Ski offering a quiet and scenic environment.  This ski resort offers everything:  equipment rentals, ski school and private ski lessons, kids club, 1/2 day to 7-day passes, world-class snow making system and daily grooming, special events and festivals, and a variety of accommodations.  Afri Ski is only a 4.5 hour drive from Johannesburg (it is a 1.5 hour drive once through the border post and into Lesotho on a spectacular journey going through several mountain passes (the road is newly tarred but still beware of the occasional pothole!).  tip:  they highly recommend filling up with gas in Fouriesburg or Butha-Buthe on the drive and get cash at the ATM before heading to the resort.

Go Bafana Bafana!  South Africa, hosts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, score first in the opening match against Mexico.  Despite their low international ranking and low expectations from the experts, South Africa came alive in the second half and very close to pulling off the win…

Breaking News article from 24News in Johannesburg:

THRILLER ENDS IN A DRAW

Johannesburg – A thrilling opening encounter between hosts South Africa and opponents Mexico has ended in a draw, with each side scoring single goals in the second half.

South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala scored for the hosts in the 55th minute to open the tally, after a good passing move in midfield by South Africa led to Tshabalala breaking free down the left wing and he blazed forward and was left one-on-one with the Mexico goalkeeper. The stadium erupted into cheers when his high shot landed in the net.

Mexico’s Rafael Marquez responded to score in the 79th minute to level the goal tallies at one apiece.

Katlego Mphela had the best chance to put the hosts in the lead again in the 90th minute, as a surging run ended in a shot deflecting off the left hand post.

Both teams gain a point from the encounter, with the hosts taking the most positives from the game.

While all of our guides varied in background, personality and guiding experience, all were excellent.  We learned a lot and had much pleasure doing so.  Private guides/vehicles gave us the flexibility and pace we enjoy.  We wanted to have lots of time viewing leopards and our experiences were surpassed.

After multiple trips we continue to appreciate EXPLORE’s knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and responsiveness.”

-Madeleine Cohen, Spring 2009

SARDINE RUN / SOUTH AFRICA

If the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain doesn’t sound like a good time to you, how about the annual running of the sardines?  This mass migration occurs from the beginning of May through the end of July.

Each year millions of sardines travel north from the cold southern oceans off South Africa’s Cape Point hugging the shore as they make their way up along the coastlines to the province of KwaZulu-Natal.  The shoals of fish can reach up to 9.5 miles in length, two miles wide and nearly 130 feet deep!

As this migration occurs, predators, including birds, dolphins, sharks and whales come in droves to gorge themselves on this moving buffet.  On occasion millions of these small fish are beached by the incoming tides and “sardine fever” grips the local fisherman and visitors alike as they scramble to catch a bucketful, providing an unexpected harvest of food for the local communities, or bait for the hook with a bigger catch in mind.

Witness the marine activity from shore, boat or for those more adventurous, dive right in the water and scuba with the fish.

After witnessing this fantastic event continue exploring beautiful South Africa.  Explore Cape Town and its nearby wine-country, get up-close and personal with game in the national parks and reserves, learn first-hand about the country’s apartheid past or simply bask in the sands along the coast.

If you are interested in helping the Bushbabies in their efforts please contact Explore at elise@exploreafrica.net.

Bushbabies and the Mapusha Weavers Cooperative

The Mapusha Weaving Cooperative is a nonprofit cooperative of women weavers based in the village of Acornhoek in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The purpose of the cooperative is to provide the opportunity for unemployed women in the village to learn a craft and make money to support their families. More then 50 family members depend on this income.

I met the women in the cooperative as one of 17 members of a tour group sponsored by Elderhostel/Exploritas in October 2009. On the day of our visit, we met the weavers, observed work in progress, and admired the hand woven rugs and tapestries at the workshop; we also toured the tiny village where the cooperative is located to visit the nursery school and the elementary school, just a short walk away. In our encounters there, we were greatly moved by the warmth of our greeting by women and children, and impressed by the diligence of the weavers in the cooperative.

Later, in the remaining days of our travels in South Africa, the tour group coalesced around the idea of offering some support to the women weavers and their village. We began to call ourselves the “Bushbabies.” When we returned to the states, we continued our trans Atlantic conversations via email, asking the weavers for ideas about the most appropriate support. Their suggestion speaks to their strong entrepreneurial spirit! The women proposed advertising in a brochure that includes things to do and places to stay in the Panorama, Lowveld, and Kruger National Park areas, the cooperative’s neighborhood. Well respected as a resource for tour guides, the brochure lists all the local activities; an advert would encourage more visitors to the cooperative. The timing for the brochure’s most recent revision was especially propitious given the FIFA World Cup Soccer Finals, when thousands of tourists will flood the country in the summer 2010.

Serving as the stateside point person for this project, I collected funds over the holidays to cover the cost for design and printing of the advert (SEE BELOW). We raised almost double the amount required and created a savings account at a local bank for the remaining funds. An interesting side note: when the bank manager learned about this trip and the purpose for the account, she offered to set up an account with no fees!

The Bushbabies are celebrating our modest project and considering how to continue our efforts. We are fortunate to have a point person in South Africa, a devoted independent community organizer who has lived locally and worked with the Mapusha Weavers for nearly a decade. Given ongoing email conversations with her and with Exploritas travel colleagues, it seems that the cooperative enterprise has two pressing needs: first, exploring the prospect of setting up nonprofit status for the cooperative (facilitating fundraising efforts); and second, developing a marketing website that supports the cooperative’s business in a more direct and concrete way.

The women weavers have displayed pluck and courage and sustained commitment by keeping the cooperative alive and well for almost 30 years. The Bushbabies will continue to focus their energy and talent in the most appropriate ways in their support and warmly welcome other travelers to join us in these efforts.

-Barrie Gleason

Awesome trip–seen eles, hippos, crocs, simba, etc.  Been swimming in The Zambezi River.  Flew microlites over Victoria Falls and went into Zimbabwe for the day – inflation over 2,000,000 % and 90% country unemployed  Spent today in nearby village watching local dancers and learning about their farms and conservation efforts – they are no longer allowed to hunt  animals.  Rick hooked a Tiger Fish.  Has been FAB living in the bush and eating under the stars.

-Lotsie

Lemurs amazing in Madagascar…heard the famous “call of the Indri” which is ONLY here; also a nocturnal walk in the jungle to see and hear night animals.  Been canoeing and hiking in the rainforest avec ring-tailed lemurs, brown and bamboo lemurs.  Now in NW Madagascar at  Anjajavy, a Relais & Châteaux; went swimming and snorkeling in Mozambique Channel.  Flew two hours in a Cessna to the middle of nowhere to get here and land on dirt runway with Zebu at end of runway.  Resting and hiking for two days as we have been going tres vite.  Marlin fishing tomorrow; it is 100° and very tropical.  French is primary language..soo poor due to political unrest.  Everyone is well and having a ball.

-Lotsie

Hooked a Marlin which got away after a fight but he danced on the water and was so beautiful; boated a 40lb Dorado and had chef cook it for a yummy last night dinner in Madagascar.  Awesome flight to the Seychelles in a chartered LearJet; 115 gorgeous islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  Turquoise water and fun boating, snorkeling and the whitest beaches we have ever seen under almost full moon.  Now in Mahe, Seychelles, waiting for Air Emirates flight to Dubai departing at 1:30AM.  Trip has been FAB.  Everyone well and no lost passports nor problems – a miracle for sure!!!  

-”The Magnificent Seven”

Flew amazing Emirates Airlines from the Seychelles to Dubai.  Dubai has 10 cities being built along a “creek” and the Arabian Sea; each is bigger than St. Louis.  Simply incredible; 50% of the cranes in the world are here but many with skeleton crew.  Business is way off; maybe the bubble has burst here as it did in USA?  Been to the Dubai  Museum, Gold Souq, Spice Souq, into the Arabian Desert last night for belly dancing, henna painting and camel rides.  The first night and cocktails on top of the Burj Al Arab and then dinner under the sea with sharks and a zillion fish in tank; it is supposed to be the only seven-star hotel in the world.  Took boat ride today and swam in the Arabian Sea just four hours across from Iraq – amazing.  Also to Dubai Mall with 1,300 stores,  an aquarium where you can dive with sharks, and a skating rink at other end of the mall.  Emirates Mall has a ski village with ski lifts, toboggan runs and 500 stores; it is so beyond anything any of the seven of us has ever seen.  There is terrible traffic and smog.  Visited a mosque and had the Muslim way of life/religion explained by a very attractive woman.  She showed us how to tie her burka and allowed us to take pictures.  Cocktails at the Dubai Yacht Club tonight and now at the airport.  Sorry contact has been spotty but we have been “out there”; what a way for the four of us to celebrate our 60th B-days.   All is well; we fly 15 hours all night to Atlanta then St. Louis by 8:30AM Tuesday.

-Lotsie, Cindy, Cookie, Isabelle, Sheika, Cheryl and Rick