A note from our friends on the ground…
* Please note there is a shortage of cash at the banks in Zimbabwe, Please ensure when travelling to Zimbabwe you bring with you US$Cash in smaller denominations (preferably issued later than 2009) as most restaurants, shops and markets do not have credit card machines. British Pounds, Euro, ZAR & Botswana Pula is also accepted in Zimbabwe.
Thanks to today’s Travel Daily, an industry publication….. BEACHGOING holidaymakers in Britain can now order ice cream delivery on the sand, with the frozen treats delivered via drone. The system is being trialled in the small seaside town of Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire where a local drone operator has linked up with a seaside ice cream shop called Rock & Ices. Sun lovers can place orders by a special smartphone app called Ice Me, which transmits the order to an iPad in the store. Six flavours are on offer and the drone is apparently able to deliver up to four ice creams at a time straight to loungers on the beach. There’s no extra charge for drone delivery, but at this stage the system is still subject to approval by Britain’s CAA.
Experience the wonder of cultural traditions – meet the locals!
Join Swagman Tours director Wayne Hamilton on this incredible journey to India in March 2017. Visit iconic treasures you’ve always dreamed of seeing up close: the Taj Mahal, the holy River Ganges, the Pink Palace, the Lake Palace, and go on safari to search for a tiger in two national parks! All this and more….
Click here to see the itinerary details
Contact your local travel agent or call us direct, 1800 808 491.
The Tanzanian government has opted to remove the VAT exemption on Tourism Services from 01 July 2016. This includes supplies of tourist guiding, game driving, water safaris, animal or bird watching, park fees and ground transport services, which were previously exempt.
We will update you further over the next few days as we get clarity. In the meantime, please note that there be no changes in cost on bookings which have been confirmed with payment before 01 July 2016, so make those tour deposits TODAY!
Arrangements including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar, Selous, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Dar-Es-Salaam, among other locations, will all be affected.
Speaking from extremely recent personal experience, there’s nothing worse than arriving at a destination to find that THE ONE THING you wanted to see is trussed up in scaffolding (for example, is the Parthenon ever going to be finished?) or closed for maintenance (the fastest roller-coaster at FerrariWorld). Of course, we expect all attractions with moving parts to be checked for safety, and often; and any country wanting to showcase their heritage must also maintain their built treasures. Sometimes the scale of scaffolding brings your attention to the awesome nature of the structure. But you shouldn’t have to experience that “OH, NO” feeling when you arrive on the doorstep…
Some conditions are beyond our control. We are at the mercy of the weather for attractions like white-water rafting and ballooning, which simply can’t operate under certain conditions. But wherever possible, do take the time to check on your itinerary bucket-list items, before you depart home. The internet is useful but could be out-of-date; your travel agent will have a better idea of who to contact on the ground for recent, accurate advice. Sometimes you can’t change your travel dates but at least if you know in advance, your disappointment won’t spoil your holiday, and you can make alternate arrangements ahead of time.
Please be advised that Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain can be climbed all year round but the Cable Car is closed annually for a period of two weeks for scheduled maintenance — this year it is closed between 25 July – 7 August, and even that could be affected by weather — so book ahead and, if if this experience is crucial to your visit, try to allow for some flexibility in case of possible postponement due to windy conditions.
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Article written by Dilvin Yasa, featured in Traveller.com.au in The Sun-Herald on Sunday 19 June
Under the shade of a hut made from sticks interwoven with old plastic bags, hessian sacks and flattened cardboard boxes, I’m finding myself in a difficult position as my guide insists on treating me to a delicious glass of blood and milk – the traditional diet of the local Samburu people. “It’s made with half a glass of fresh milk and half a glass of fresh cow’s blood,” he tells me, not unlike a sommelier trying to sell me the most expensive bottle on the menu, “I guess you could say it looks like a strawberry milkshake, only it tastes … bloodier”. Read more:
http://www.traveller.com.au/kenyas-samburu-national-reserve-safari-offers-a-window-to-the-past-gpice5#ixzz4CH7rhwW6
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Excerpt from Emily, a recent participant on a Swagman Tours Africa educational:
People who have never been ask me constantly what it is about Africa that keeps drawing me back, but people who have been, know. It gets under your skin like nowhere else on Earth.
Recently, I was lucky enough to be escorted by Swagman Tours through some of the most beautiful spots in SA. We started in Cape Town and headed out along Cape Peninsula, hitting the Garden Route before flying north to Kruger National Park… (and) the team at Leopard Hills definitely know how to make your stay into a trip of a lifetime … Leopard Hills has understated luxury down to an art.
In the two game drives I had … we managed to find all of the Big 5, including four different leopards. We were surrounded by elephant and witnessed a pride of lion with a buffalo kill. As much as these remarkable sightings thrilled me, I was also especially glad to find small lizards sunning themselves on boulders, chameleon hiding in the bushes late at night, beautiful lilac breasted rollers and other birds, including eagles and owls.
We thank Emily for sharing her view. For the full article, please see https://thevagabondfeminist.wordpress.com/2016/06/14/luxury-stays-leopard-hills-private-game-reserve/
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Hi Michelle, Thought I’d drop you a few lines to thank you for your support with Africa Tour … IT WAS AMAZING!!!! We loved loved loved it. Accommodation is what we expected 3 Star. It was clean and that is the main thing. We had 9 people on our tour which they told us was unusual as they are mainly booked out. We had two Americans in early thirties, Two from Germany in late 20’s, A guy from Austria, A lady from Paris in late 60’s and Italian friend from Belgium who was 78. Yes 78. He was terrific . A great sense of humour. All in all we got along terrifically.
We saw all the big five which was great!!! We zip-lined in Vic Falls; Okavango Delta and Chobe were awesome. We saw so much and the people were welcoming. Joh Burg was the only disappointment. Not very friendly but we didn’t care really. Food was basic but plenty which is what we expected.
I would recommend the tour to anyone. We can’t wait to go on another. Just a thought for any one else, we spent under $100 per day spending money which was enough.
Thanks again, Maureen (Geelong)
Experience the very best Africa has to offer – the authentic Great Migration Safari in East Africa, visiting the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Masai Mara, followed by a sojourn to the magnificent Victoria Falls, and finally to the Mother City, bustling, cosmopolitan Cape Town, all the while staying in comfortable 4-5 star accommodation, with a tour escort from one of our partner agencies to ensure all goes smoothly.
Click here for this unique Africa Itinerary which departs in August 2016, and contact us soon to book your place.
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