Tag: "Botswana Holidays"

Humpback Whale off the coast of Brazil

Top 8 Intimate Encounters This Valentine’s Day

14 February 2012 | Comments (0)

We have put together our favourite heart related destinations to get you in the Valentine’s day mood. Let us know if you have found any other heart related places on your travels.

Have a heart to heart dancing on ice 

Snuggle up to your partner on the deck of one of our Antarctic cruises and spot heart shaped icebergs among the abundant wildlife in the region. Antarctica’s dramatic landscape plays host to hundreds of different species.  Watch dolphins frolic in the water and whales and seals feed on the schools of fish. Pack your snow boots and hold on tight to your loved one as you go on daily excursions on the ice. Look out for the emperor penguin. Is there a fledgling underneath the feathers?

Penguin in Antarctica

Penguin in Antarctica

Heart shaped rock on Palm Beach – Crete

Discover this heart shaped rock in the shallows of Palm Beach on the Greek island of Crete. Gorge on figs, the aphrodisiacal local delicacy and sip cocktails under the palm trees to return home a healthy sun-kissed colour. Explore the many caves by snorkel or boat to pack some adventure into your romantic escape or honeymoon and relax in the spa with a joint massage and mud bath after a difficult day swinging from hammocks in the breeze.

Palm Beach in Crete, Greece

Palm Beach in Crete, Greece

 Elephants sharing the love

Spot elephants in love embracing in the grasslands and fall asleep to the sound of hippos gurgling in the lake. With Honeymiles, watch the sunrise from one of our hot air balloon safaris over the Masai-Mara reserve. It is the best time to see the lions hunt their prey. Watch the animals from the sky, and land to a champagne breakfast, the perfect end to a romantic and peaceful honeymoon a million miles away from home.

Elephants in Love

Elephants in Love

Having a whale of a time

Visit the heart shaped island in the Vaza-Barris river of Brazil and spot the humpback whales’ heart-shaped tails close to the Abrolhos islands. Dance the intimate samba with your loved one and soak up the sun on Rio’s sexiest beaches. Catch a rainbow over the Iguazu falls on a helicopter tour, or feel the mist hit your face from Brazil’s walkway over the canyon. You will be on top of the world at Corcovado Peak.

Humpback Whale off the coast of Brazil

Humpback Whale off the coast of Brazil

 Lovers Island in Croatia

Escape to Lovers Island in Croatia and explore this natural heart-shaped island in the Adriatic. Take a boat from the mainland with a bottle of champagne and delicious picnic and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of this privately-owned piece of land. Our resorts in Croatia are immersed in culture. Stroll hand in hand around the rustic town of Dubrovnik or hire a bicycle to get off the beaten track. Visit the castles and the cobbled streets of historic towns.

Love Island, Croatia

Love Island, Croatia

Rih Lake – Burma (meaning heart in Hindi) 

Burma’s Rih Lake may not be a perfect heart shape, but years of British colonisation altered this natural beauty to be the shape it is today. Originally believed to be a passage for souls to heaven, take your soul mate here and discover the rugged and untouched beauty that Burma has to offer. Visit via India, staying at one of our luxury hotels or take a tour of this magnificent and colourful country in absolute luxury. Make sure you visit the Taj Mahal and learn about the love story that inspired this fine piece of architecture. If you’re feeling daring, you can even spice up your love life by trying snake blood, a traditional Indian aphrodisiac.

Rih Dil Lake in Burma

Rih Dil Lake in Burma

Heart shaped island in Okavango Delta - Botswana

Escape to one of the last unspoiled corners of Africa for some intimate alone time. This heart shaped island in the heart of the Okavango Delta in Botswana is only visible between March and June when the swamp levels are at their highest. Take a romantic and authentic mokoro (a traditional canoe) and paddle to the island to see the Big Five in their natural habitat. Stargaze on a mobile safari or ride a quad bike through the salt pans during the dry season.

Okavango Delta, Bostwana

Okavango Delta, Bostwana

Trouvez l’amour en France – Find love in France

Fancy staying closer to home? Take a trip to France where you can immerse yourself in the peace and tranquillity of some of the country’s most exclusive holiday destinations. Famous for its cuisine, dine on oysters and red wine as the sun goes down over the Mediterranean. Dip your toes in the sea or climb some of France’s mountains for that extra thrill.

Corsica, France

Corsica, France

 Image Source: Aforadio

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Baby Warou at 3 days old

Abu Camp introduces baby elephant at 3 days old

26 January 2012 | Comments (0)

Abu Camp, situated on the eastern edge of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, provides the original elephant riding safari experience and was proud to announce that Shireni, one of the Abu Camp’s leading elephants, gave birth to her third surviving calf, a healthy female, at 10.05pm on Saturday 17th December.

Baby Warou at 3 days old
Baby Warou at 3 days old

Measuring approximately 90cm at the shoulder and weighing about 110kg, the new-born, named Worona, stood on her own four feet, wobbling, within 20 minutes. Warona is the SeTswana name meaning ‘for us.’

Reaching up to her mother, Warona suckled properly for the first time at 7am the next morning, 10 hours after the birth, and now takes short naps of 5-10 minutes. Closely watched over by her doting big brother, Abu Junior, Warona is already showing signs of playfulness as can be seen in the video of her at three days old.

Warning – this is very cute!

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Meerkat excursions at Jack's Camp

Meerkat Magic – where to see them!

25 May 2011 | Comments (0)

Meerkats are some of the cutest and most famous mammals in the animal kingdom. Many zoo’s across the world have a popular Meerkat Manor, but nothing beats seeing these charismatic mammals in their natural environment. Here are the facts and where to see them.

Meerkat tours in South Africa and Botswana

Meerkat tours in South Africa and Botswana

Meerkats live in the dry areas of southern Africa, in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. A clan of about 20 meerkats live in burrows dug with their sharp claws. The alpha pair heads the family, and in meerkat society, they are the sole breeding pair.

While the meerkat clan venture outside their burrow, a sentry will be posted and warn other members with barks and whistles if a dangerous eagle or jackal ventures too close. A young adult will be charged with the nursery of pups older than a month. They are taught how to forage for insects, dig burrows, eat scorpions without being stung and meerkat society rules at playtime.

Foraging is a daily necessity because meerkats have no body fat. On warm sunny mornings they will emerge, carefully checking if the coast is clear before inspecting anything new or strange in their territory. Any sudden movement will scare them into the burrow immediately.

There are very few places where you can see meerkats in the wild. They will usually disappear long before you reach their foraging territory by vehicle or on foot. To get close to the meerkats, the clan have to be carefully habituated.

At Tswalu Private Game Reserve in the Northern Cape, South Africa, guests are seated on mats, taking care not to cast shadows over the meerkats. You need to sit very still, and eventually their curiosity will get the better of them! Once relaxed, the clan will start interacting with each other, playing and foraging in the sunlight before retiring to the burrows before sunset.

Meerkat excursions at Jack's Camp

Meerkat excursions at Jack's Camp

You can also visit our furry friends in the Klein Karoo as part of your journey through the Garden Route or the Wine Route in South Africa. De Zeekoe Guest Farm outside Oudtshoorn offer early morning wild meerkat tours. Children must be aged eleven and over.

The meerkats at Jack’s Camp in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans have their own guide that camps with them at night, so this clan is very used to humans. Some of the sentries even climb on their visitors to get a better lookout! Once the meerkats have warmed themselves in the early morning sun and disperse for foraging, guests can enjoy a bush breakfast.

Don’t be tempted to swap your stuffed meerkat for the real thing as they make terrible pets. Because of their territorial instincts, they will scent-mark their territory and even owner! Meerkats are pack animals and will get out of control as a single pet. It is best to visit them in their sunny homeland where they are happiest.

Meerkat family in South Africa

Meerkat family in South Africa

How would you like to see some meerkats up close?

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