Kusini Weekly Update – February 12th

View of the stunning Batoka Gorge from Imvelo’s new Little Gorges luxury tented camp near Victoria Falls

We can’t wait to get back to Zimbabwe to visit Imvelo Safari Lodges’ new luxury tented addition at Gorges Lodge – Little Gorges. Featuring spacious 60m sq tents, Little Gorges works well for exclusive use by small groups (max 10 pax) or on an FIT basis for those tent aficionados! Rack rate is $340 pp (same as Gorges) and guests can use the main Gorges facilities (pool, wifi, dining), or enjoy meals and drinks at the Little Gorges dining area, also overlooking the Bakota Gorge. Insider tip: Little Gorges tents boast even more spectacular views – especially at sunrise! More photos of the tents and views here.

Giraffes crossing the Nile River!

Good wildlife news from Uganda where Classic Africa Safaris reports that 20 endangered Rothschild’s giraffes have been successfully translocated within Murchison Falls National Park to further increase their range in the park. The move placed part of the giraffe population on the south bank of the Nile in the area of the Honeymoon Track reopening. Along with the largest population of the world’s most endangered giraffes, Uganda is home to fully 11% of the world’s bird’s species and over 50% of the remaining mountain gorillas.

The world’s ‘most picturesque lake’ also happens to be one of our favorite places on earth, and there’s no shortage of award-winning hotels around Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan. Maya Trails’ favorite Casa Palopo snapped up the #1 spot on Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 10 hotels in the Caribbean & Central America (Guatemala hotels took a whopping 4 of 10 spots!), while serene Laguna Lodge has been recognized as a finalist in National Geographic’s World Legacy Awards. Contact Adriana to make one of these properties part of your clients’ itinerary.

Tropic Journeys is offering a last minute special on two dates of their 7-day Galapagos Multi-Sport Multi-Island small group departure – March 6-12 and March 20-26. On this trip, wildlife viewing is activity-based, with hikes, swimming, snorkeling, biking and kayaking, making it the perfect adventure for active travelers. Tropic is offering a special Rack rate of $3150pp – a savings of $375pp. PLUS they will include the $100 dollar entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park and the $20 INGALA Transit Card! Contact Andrea to grab a spot on one of these specially priced departures.

The Oyster Box is just one fabulous option in KZN (we’re dreaming of their curry buffet!)

We know it can be tough to get pax to go beyond the Cape to Kruger in a South Africa circuit, but the country has much more to offer. To that end, New Frontiers has developed several 3-day “plug-in” itineraries which incorporate KwaZulu Natal easily into a Cape to Kruger itinerary. New flights including an Addis – Durban Ethiopian flight (3x/week) and daily Emirates flights to Durban make KZN more easily accessible as a start or a finish to an SA safari while potentially avoiding a stop in Johannesburg altogether. Email us for your copy of the KZN “plug-in” itineraries.

We’re pleased to hear about new flight options to Ethiopia! Travel Ethiopia tells us that Ethiopian Airlines has announced plans to launch service to New York’s JFK airport by the end of June. Flights will depart JFK for Addis Ababa on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings. Flights will be on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and will make an intermediate stop in Lomé, Togo in both directions. JFK joins Washington Dulles, Toronto and Los Angeles with direct service to Addis and there are also rumors of Chicago and Houston direct flights in 2017. Clearly travel to Ethiopia is in demand! Contact us to learn more about Travel Ethiopia’s services.