Mozambique

New island lodges and beach breaks — and more tolerance.

Mozambique is a forward-thinking African leader that offers a terrific mix of safari and beach. In July, it became one of the few African nations to decriminalize homosexuality (and abortion), a major step toward creating a more open-minded African destination for L.G.B.T. travelers. The bustling capital, Maputo, is experiencing a budding tolerance, while advocacy groups like Lambda Moz continue to help destigmatize homosexuality countrywide. Mozambique’s tranquil coast continues to draw travelers of all kinds in search of post-safari snorkel and surfing options.

Africa Discovery also loves the newly remodeled Anantara Properties in 2 areas of Mozambique!

Anantara Bazaruto- http://www.divediscovery.com/mozambique/dive-resorts/anantara-bazaruto-island-resort.php

Anantara Medjumbe- http://www.divediscovery.com/mozambique/dive-resorts/medjumbe-private-island.php

Also there is a twice weekly flight from Kruger area to Vilanculos, allowing for an easy post-safari beach stay on Benguerra Island.

&Beyond Benguerra Island

An exquisite piece of paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean, &Beyond Benguerra Island is a luxury beach holiday destination where time stands still and legends come to life.

Situated on the second largest island in the sunny Bazaruto Archipelago off the coast of Mozambique, the lodge is set in a protected marine conservation area and offers pristine beaches and unspoiled coral reefs teeming with marine life. Looking out onto a sandy beach and set on a deep lagoon unaffected by the tides, this exclusive beach getaway is ideal for swimming and snorkelling. Surrounded by premier diving sites, the lodge is the gateway to an underwater wonderland for divers, with a rich variety of tropical fish species complemented by Africa’s only population of the rare dugong. The deep Mozambique Channel, which runs alongside the island, is renowned for its game fish and Benguerra Island offers some of the world’s best catch-and-release deep sea fishing and fly fishing opportunities.

While the island is fringed with golden, sandy beaches, its interior is a lush patchwork of forests, wetlands and fresh water lakes. Horse riding trips and island expeditions explore both the coastline and the interior of the island, uncovering traditional culture at the local village and climbing soaring sand dunes.

For more information, contact Africa Discovery at:
1 800 886-7321, (415) 444-5100
or Email us

New from Mara Bushtop’s. One of Africa Discovery’s favorite camps in Kenya and now Roving Bushtops in Tanzania! A must see for 2016!

Roving Bushtops 

Roving Bushtops is our third camp, inspired by the success of Mara Bushtops in Kenya and its sister Serengeti Bushtops in Tanzania. Located an hour’s flight from the latter, Roving Bushtops sits proudly in the heart of the Central Serengeti, at Seronera. Not only does this superb location provide exceptional year-round game viewing for our guests, it means that for half the year (usually from November to May) we are within reach of the migrating wildebeest and zebra herds – and their attendant predators

LOCATION

Having pioneered the idea of ‘wild luxury’ at Mara Bushtops, then extended it to Serengeti Bushtops, we were determined that our third Bushtops location should be at least their equal –for game viewing and comfort alike. So we were delighted to find a stunning base at Seronera in the Central Serengeti, not far from the Moru Kopjes area (often called the jewel in the crown of the Serengeti). The kopjes are huge granite rock formations which burst through the grass plains, creating vistas of stunning beauty beneath rolling hills. The land traps water, attracting abundant wildlife and ensuring fabulous viewing throughout the year.

For those who love nature in its purest form, the heart of the Serengeti is without peer or parallel. The sheer quantity of game here is phenomenal, with resident and migrating herbivores stalked by loping leopards, charismatic cheetah and languid lions. Between November and May, the migration either passes through or is within one or two hours game drive away from Ndutu or the Western Corridor.

Roving Bushtops is also easy to reach at any time, being just 20 minutes’ game drive from the Serenora Airstrip with flights landing from Kogatende, Lake Manyara, Arusha, Kilimanjaro (JRO), Dar Es Saalam, and Zanzibar.

VENUE Some camps are set in magnificent surroundings but fixed: others offer game viewing on the move, at the expense of five star facilities. As its name implies, Roving Bushtops offers the best of both worlds.

As a luxury camp on wheels, it combines the glamour of its siblings with the excitement of game drive camping, to create the most thrilling of safari experiences. If the best game moves, Roving Bushtops will too. This means we can all-but guarantee to be in the right place at the right time – at all times!

As a luxury camp on wheels, it combines the glamour of its siblings with the excitement of game drive camping, to create the most thrilling of safari experiences. If the best game moves, Roving Bushtops will too. This means we can all-but guarantee to be in the right place at the right time – at all times!

The concept of roving after the herds harks back to the pioneering spirit of early explorers, but Roving Bushtops delivers a thoroughly 21st century luxury safari experience. Guests stay in six superbly-specified tents, featuring king-size beds and 24 hour power. Each en-suite bathroom includes a flushing toilet, bath, vanity basins and showers. We make sure there is absolutely no compromise on indulgence, with every need being catered for through 24 hour butler service. During the day, tent walls can be opened on three sides, enabling panoramic views of the surrounding bush.

EXPERIENCE However tempting it may be to luxuriate in camp, the true glory of Roving Bushtops is its immediate access to the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles. There is no need to travel to the animals: they are all around you. We drive amongst them, not to reach them.

Daily game drives are led by expert rangers, supported by keen-eyed local spotters. We have always sourced and converted some of the best game viewing vehicles in East Africa, so each day’s roving takes place in superbly equipped, ultra-reliable open 4×4 Land Cruisers.

As each day draws to a close, you and your fellow guests can re-gather at Roving Bushtops’ dining tent. Here you select from a sophisticated menu in a haven of contemporary luxury, set against arguably the world’s greatest safari backdrop. Alternatively you can and dine in the privacy of your own tent. And when you leave, we know that unforgettable memories will combine with the knowledge that you have left no environmental footprint whatsoever, helping to preserve one of the most special places on earth.

AT A GLANCE TENTS

• 6 tents (twin and double on request) max of 1 extra bed (child or adult) can be added to each tent
• All tents can be converted to become family units. The tents are on wheels and can be moved next to each other CHILDREN
• Children are welcome from the age of 7 and we grant children’s rates up to the age of 17 TENT FACILITIES
• The tents open up on 3 sides. The bathroom has a bathtub and shower. The tent walls can be opened up to get the feeling of being outside
• The tents are beautifully furnished in a contemporary style and have loungers and dining table on the wooden deck which spans over 100sq/m
• All tents have safe, hair dryer, 220 v AC CAMP FACILITIES
• 24 hr power and complimentary WiFi, however due to the remote location of the camp, the wireless connection can be slow and intermittent
• 24 hr butler service and private dining in the tent on request
• Mini shop with specially selected local crafts and souvenirs
• Library
• Complimentary laundry service
• All tents have wheelchair access and staff are very helpful
• Cellphone reception available (the signal may be intermittent)
• Check in 1400 hrs Check out 1000 hrs The Camp is as flexible as possible DINING
• All dining is included and on à la carte basis
• Dining is in the elegant mess tent, in the privacy of the tents or under the stars
• All non-alcoholic drinks, beers, premium wines and all spirits included (French champagne not included)
• Please let us know your dietary requirements in advance. We can adapt to most requests BEST TIME TO VISIT
• November to April for the migration in the immediate area or within a game drive’s reach. However the area is excellent to visit all year round as the central Serengeti is teaming with resident wildlife. Due to the central location of Roving Bushtops, game drives are conducted in various areas including Ndutu, Western Corridor and central Serengeti
• Temperatures range from min. approx 8ºC/42ºF to max. approx 30ºC /86ºF
• Rainfall predominantly occurs in November, April and May
• Closed some parts of April and May GUEST SAFETY
• Roving Bushtops is not fenced off and guests are requested to be vigilant at all times. Guests must be accompanied by our security staff when moving from their tent to the main building in the early mornings, evenings and night ACTIVITIES
• Game drives are on private basis
• Bush picnics, sun downers
• Balloon safari package includes: transfers, pre-flight briefing, 1-1½ hrs balloon flight and champagne style bush breakfast 

May 2015 – Wilderness Safaris is genuinely proud to announce its investment into the construction of two lodges in Rwanda, adding a new country to its African portfolio and helping to continue building sustainable conservation economies on the continent.

Rwanda, situated as it is along the Western, or Albertine Rift, is one of Africa’s most biodiverse regions. It is a haven of rainforest endemism with undoubtedly its most celebrated wild mammal being the iconic mountain gorilla of the Virunga Massif. The country’s forests are also home to another of Africa’s great apes, the chimpanzee, as well as a multitude of other primates such as the striking golden monkey, a little-known but magnificent inhabitant of the bamboo forest.

It is around these rare and threatened great ape and primate species that Wilderness Safaris Rwanda will build its new lodge circuit. “The opportunity to use the Wilderness Safaris model of responsible ecotourism to contribute to positive conservation and community empowerment in such a unique and exciting environment is exactly why we do what we do”, said Keith Vincent, group CEO. “More than that, we have found the Rwanda government, ecotourism industry and conservation community to be nothing but welcoming and hospitable in partnering with us to pioneer a new kind of ecotourism in this inspirational country.”

Bisate Lodge, a 12-room sanctuary adjacent to the Volcanoes National Park, will boast spectacular views of the brooding Bisoke, Karisimbi and Mikeno Volcanoes. Aside from setting a new standard of luxury for lodges in the area and offering the perfect base for mountain gorilla trekking, Bisate Lodge will also be a visionary conservation and community project with its first phase focusing on indigenous reforestation of a core 26-hectare site. This will be done in close partnership with the newly constituted 320-member Tuzamurana Cooperative. The lodge, sited within the natural amphitheatre of an extinct volcanic cone, is a new addition to Wilderness Collection and will officially open to guests from mid-2016.

“We are also in discussions with the Rwanda Development Board to develop a lodge in the nearby Gishwati-Mukura National Park just a 15-minute helicopter flight to the south and even more ambitious in the scope of its vision to use responsible ecotourism to effect far-reaching and positive environmental change,” continued Vincent.

Just 12 guests staying in six rustic forest cottages will have the privilege of exclusive access to the habituated chimpanzee and golden monkey communities of Gishwati Forest. All revenues generated from these forest activities will go towards the conservation of the brand-new Gishwati-Mukura National Park and the establishment of a connecting forest corridor between the two little-known forests of Gishwati and Mukura. By linking the two, currently separated by 16 kilometres, a combined area of nearly 6 000 ha of Albertine Rift forest and a whole host of endemic mammals, birds, insects and plants will be protected. This will more than triple chimpanzee habitat and allow growth in the population of this vulnerable great ape.

Like Bisate Lodge, Gishwati will also open to guests in mid-2016 and will fall into the Adventures category of Wilderness Safaris camps. Itineraries combining the two camps over five to six nights will be the perfect way to enjoy privileged interactions with two of Africa’s great ape species and our closest genetic relatives, and can easily be broadened to enjoy the myriad other attractions of Rwanda.

About Wilderness Safaris: 

• Wilderness Safaris is an ecotourism company that specialises in memorable wildlife experiences in some of the most remote and pristine areas in Africa. In this way it offers its guests private access to almost three million hectares of Africa’s finest wildlife reserves, while remaining fiercely committed to protecting our planet’s precious natural and cultural resources.
• Wilderness Safaris operates camps and safaris in some of Africa’s best wildlife and wilderness reserves across seven different countries: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

For more information, contact Africa Discovery at:
1 800 886-7321, (415) 444-5100
or Email us

The Elephant Express
Game Viewing and Transfers By Rail Car For Bomani and Camelthorn Guests

Zimbabwe – Hwange National Park

For nearly 20 years a rail transfer option for safari guests to the south east of Hwange National Park has been dreamt of, but in 2014 the Imvelo Safari Lodges team turned that vision into reality and re-invented their  safari transfers into a unique activity, using the railway line that runs in an almost completely straight line along Hwange’s northern boundary . During 2014 and early 2015 it has been thoroughly tested and systems have been fine tuned. The ‘Elephant Express’ rail car is now operational and geared to ensure a fabulous experience for our guests visiting our lodges in southern Hwange.

8 km from Hwange Main Camp, at Impofu Siding, set in the shade of ancient Zambezi teak trees, our guests either boarding or alighting the Elephant Express will feel they have been transported back in time to an era when safari by rail was part of the adventure. At this exclusive siding in the forest, our guests can sip cold drinks and enjoy snacks following or prior to their 70 km, two hour trip into or out of Bomani or Camelthorn Lodges near Ngamo Siding.

The Elephant Express seats 22 passengers and the finishes are comfortable and elegant. They include individual coach seating, a chemical toilet, teak tables, plenty of space for luggage and a large aisle that allows guests to walk around comfortably and provide unrestricted game viewing.

Our railcar has every safety feature too. The Elephant Express has been deliberately designed to travel either forwards or backwards, with an independent engine and gearbox at either end of the vehicle. There are also sidings every 10 km on the straight route to allow traffic to pass, and our drivers are experienced railways’ engineers each with over 30 years experience on this line. They are in constant communication with other trains and traffic control and have 25 km of visibility in both directions. Imvelo guides are also on board at all times to ensure guest comfort and help them enjoy the wildlife, scenery and vegetation en route.

The Elephant Express also provides shorter game viewing trips across the Ngamo Plains to Ingwe Siding or can even be used as an all day activity for guests who want to make the trip to and from Impofu for fun – what a magnificent start or end to a safari in Hwange National Park, gently rattling along in style with a cool drink and enjoying the wildlife and vast wilderness around you.

The rail car transfer option will be free of charge between Impofu and Ngamo Sidings for 2015. Drop off and collection from Impofu will be either by transfer buses or game viewing vehicles depending on guests’ next or previous stop. At Ngamo Siding game viewing vehicles will drive guests for the 10 to 15 minute hop to either Bomani or Camelthorn Lodge.

The Elephant Express will make daily return trips as necessary between Ngamo and Impofu. To Impofu in the morning and back to Ngamo in the afternoon. Please note that the Elephant Express runs according to daily scheduling specified by the National Railways of Zimbabwe and as such may be subject to delays and cancellations, which are beyond our control. Times are set daily and communicated to the incoming and outgoing road transfers.  We need to exercise great caution when using the Elephant Express to link with regional and international air travel and these guests must arrive or depart by road transfers. However, we will endeavor to ensure that all our guests have the option to experience the Elephant Express during their stay through either the transfer activity, a day trip or a short game viewing activity. This of course cannot be guaranteed for guests on short stays.

We are proud and excited to have started this unique experience for our guests to enjoy when visiting our lodges in the south eastern corner of Hwange.

For more information, contact Africa Discovery at:
1 800 886-7321, (415) 444-5100
or Email us