by Editor | Aug 13, 2007 | Accomodations, Ecotourism
Lions enjoy some relief from the midday heat
Photos: Josette King
Star of Africa sold several of its properties in Zambia, including three properties Chester and Joni visited and wrote about in the Simon & Baker Travel Review. They are Sussi Lodge in Livingstone and Puku Ridge Tented Camp and Chichele Presidential Lodge in the South Luangwa National Park. The new owners are renovating the three properties. Although Sussi Lodge will remain open during the renovations, Chichele and Puku Ridge are closed for now.
Elephants enjoy a cooling late afternoon wade
After her exciting visit to the South Luangwa National Park last fall, where she enjoyed outstanding game viewing on daily walking safaris and game drives, Simon & Baker Travel Review Writer and Photographer Josette King was delighted to return to Zambia in July 2007.
In addition to the Luangwa Valley, especially lush this year after experiencing intense seasonal flooding in January and February, Josette explored the Lower Zambezi National Park. Established in 1983, it is the most recent of Zambia’s national parks. Although still relatively underdeveloped, this stretch of wilderness is wedged between the Zambezi River and the Muchinga escarpment; a privileged location that offers exceptionally picturesque scenery and an amazing concentration of wildlife along its 120 kilometers of river frontage. The river bank is also home to several highly reputed wilderness camps and lodges.
A carefree zebra colt scampers as we go by
Josette concluded her journey with a visit around Victoria Falls and Livingstone. Check these pages and the Simon & Baker Travel Review in the coming months for more about Zambia. Meanwhile click on the hyperlinks to read about Zambia and the Luangwa Valley: Chamilandu, Chindeni, Kuyenda, Mfuwe Lodge, and Songwe Village.
by Editor | Jun 18, 2007 | Ecotourism, Luxury Travel
Costas Christ, chairman of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards judges, Andrew Skeat, Great Barrier Reef, Lisha Mulquenny, Great Barrier Reef, Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president, WTTC and Jeff Hanle, Aspen Skiing Company
Lisbon , Portugal – The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) recently announced the winners of the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards at the 7th Global Travel & Tourism Summit. The Awards recognize and promote best practices in tourism development around the world. The 2007 winners in the four categories are: Destination Award Great Barrier Reef, Australia; Conservation Award, Aspen Skiing Company, United States; Investor in People Award, Nihiwatu Resort , Indonesia; and Global Tourism Business Award, Lindblad Expeditions, United States and global.
The winners were selected by a panel of five judges chaired by Costas Christ. The judging process included on-site evaluation visits of award finalists by a team of sustainable tourism experts. The judges were Christ, judging chairman, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, United Kingdom; Graham Boynton, group travel editor, The Telegraph Media Group, United Kingdom; John Briceño, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, Local Government and the Environment, Belize; Fiona Jeffery, managing director, World Travel Market, United Kingdom; and Hitesh Mehta, director of Ecotourism, EDSA Landscape Architects, Planners & Graphic Designers, United States.
“Over the past few years, we have witnessed a positive growth in environmentally sustainable business activity not only among the Travel and Tourism industry but also beyond. Consumer consciousness has encouraged companies, and especially WTTC companies, to engage in sustainable programs by delivering environmentally friendly products,” said Geoffrey Kent, chairman, WTTC. “While there remains a need to generate profit, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are helping demonstrate that companies can balance business and economic growth with ethics and sustainability.”
The 2007 awards were sponsored by Adventure in Travel Expo, British Airways, Espírito Santo Tourism, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Opodo, Reed Travel Exhibitions and TAP Portugal. Media partners include 4hoteliers, BBC World, ETurboNews, National Geographic Adventure, Newsweek, Simon & Baker Travel Review, The Telegraph Media Group, TravelDailyNews, the Travel Channel, TravelMole, Travel Weekly, TTN Middle East and WOW.travel.
“The 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners represent a major turning point in the global tourism industry. Gone are the days when there were only a handful of ecolodges or a few small tour operators who were doing sustainable tourism successfully. Today’s best practice models also represent major tourism destinations and global tourism companies that are helping to protect cultural and natural heritage and support the well being of local peoples,” said Christ during the ceremony.
WTTC is a forum for business leaders in the travel and tourism industry. The organization counts among its members chief executives of one hundred of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies. WTTC works to raise awareness of travel and tourism as one of the world’s largest industries, employing approximately 231 million people and generating over 10 per cent of world’s gross domestic product.
Photo: World Travel & Tourism Council
by Editor | May 14, 2007 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, New Articles
A shy animal peeked at us from the safety of a tree
One of our teams was in the Sabi Sand Reserve near Kruger National Park recently and discovered several luxury safari lodges worth a visit. In addition to Big Five game viewing, the properties offered extraordinary accommodations, fine meals and wines, and massages in exclusive private lands dedicated to pampering guests and showing off South Africa’s wildlife.
Our team visited popular lodges like the Mala Mala Main Camp. They also went to the River Lodge at Exeter Reserve, Forest Health Spa at Cybele (near Sabi Sand Reserve), Singita Boulders, Rattray’s and Ivory Lodge at Lion Sands. Singita Boulders had two newly built connecting beautiful family suites with private plunge pools. Boulders guests had access to an onsite wine cellar, a well stocked gift shop and an onsite spa.
One of our team’s favorites was Rattray’s, owned by the same family that owns the famous Mala Mala Main Camp. Guests at the exclusive property could take advantage of in suite massages, private plunge pools and game viewing for a maximum of four guests per vehicle. We loved the unexepected surprise laptop computers in suite with WiFi connectivity. Ivory Lodge at Lion Sands stood out for its striking suites with private plunge pools, in suite massages and ecotourism orientation.
by Editor | Apr 2, 2007 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, New Articles
Dawn over the Nchendeni Hills
Photo: Josette King
Simon & Baker Travel Review Writer and Photographer Josette King visited the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia last fall. The park, according to experts, is home to some of the most intense concentration of game in Africa.
She particularly enjoyed her stay at several of the intimate luxury bush camps such as Chamilandu, Chindeni and Kuyenda, managed by the Bushcamp Company, one of only two companies operating within the 3,500 square mile wilderness of the park.
Each camp was ideally located to take advantage of the breathtaking vistas along the Luangwa River and its tributaries. The camps were the starting point for daily walking safaris and game drives. Click here to read more about Josette’s Luangwa Valley experience.
Elephants abound in the Luangwa Valley
Another property she visited in the park, Mfuwe Lodge, will be hosting a special week of “Animals in Action” November 17-24, 2007. During that week, guests will have an opportunity to join a host of internationally renowned personalities coming together at the lodge. They include Katy Payne, researcher and ground breaking expert in elephant communication from the United States); Jonathan and Angela Scott, wildlife photographers, TV presenters and authors from Kenya; Jonathan Truss, wildlife artist from the United Kingtom; and Phil Berry, world authority on giraffe from Zambia.
Derek Solomon, ornithologist and animal behavior specialist from Zambia; and Manda Chisanga, safari guide and specialist on traditional and medicinal uses of the local plants from Zambia will also be in attendance. Lodge guests that week will be able to participate in bush walks, game drives and lectures with time to interact with the guest speakers at bush breakfasts, lunches and sundowners on the banks of the river.
by Editor | Feb 5, 2007 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel
Investor in People Award finalist 10 Knots Development Corporation/El Nido Resorts, Philippines
The World Travel & Tourism Council recently announced 12 finalists in four categories for the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognise and promote leading examples of best practice in responsible tourism development in four categories: Destination, Conservation, Investor in People, and Global Tourism Business.
Destination Award finalist Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
The finalists were selected from 130 applications from over 40 different countries representing seven continents. The finalists for the Destination Award are Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Greenbox Trading As Responsible Tourism, Ireland and The State of Vermont, USA. For the Conservation Award, they are Aqua-Trek in the Fiji Islands and USA; the Aspen Skiing Company, USA, and the Caiman Ecological Refuge in Brazil.
Conservation Award finalist Caiman Ecological Refuge, Brazil
For the Investor in People Award they are 10 Knots Development Corporation/El Nido Resorts in the Philippines; the Nihiwatu Resortin Indonesia and the Sunderbans Jungle Camp in India. For the Global Tourism Business Award, the finalists are Lindblad Expeditions in the USA and Global; Six Senses Resorts & Spas in Thailand and Global and Wilderness Safaris in South Africa.
Global Tourism Business Award finalist Lindblad Expeditions
One of our teams visited three Wilderness Safaris properties in Botswana. To read about their experiences click on the name of the property Camp Okavango, Xigera and their favorite, King’s Pool.
*Photos: 10 Knots Development Corporation/El Nido Resorts, Australia Great Barrier Reef, Caiman Ecological Refuge, and Lindblad Expeditions.
by Editor | Nov 13, 2006 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, New Articles
Tree-climbing lions of Chindeni
One of our team members recently returned from the South Luangwa Valley National Park, a ruggedly beautiful 3500-square-mile Eden of savannah and forest wedged in the north-eastern corner of Zambia. The park is recognized by experts as having one of the highest game densities in Africa. According to locals, the now famous Zambian walking safari was pioneered there over half a century ago. The tradition is upheld to this day by a few of the most reputed safari operators in the country. Josette King from the Simon & Baker Travel Review recently visited some of the intimate luxury camps, including Kuyenda, Chimalandu and Chindeni, strategically located along the Luangwa River and its tributaries, and discovered outstanding game viewing.
When she arrived, she settled in her luxury tent raised on a wooden deck overlooking a permanent lagoon at Chindeni, with expectations of abundant wildlife. What she couldn’t have anticipated was a sight so unusual that it startled even James Chabbuka, the group’s seasoned and otherwise unflappable guide. During the group’s first late afternoon excursion near the camp, they came across a pride of lions sprawled high in the branches of a huge winter thorn tree. They were obviously enjoying their nap in the refreshing breeze of the tree tops! Visit these pages and the Simon & Baker Travel Review soon for more about the wonders of South Luangwa Valley walking safaris, including the tree-climbing lions of Chindeni. Click here to read other articles on Zambia.
