AfricanMecca Newsletter - Summer 2011 - Update from Americas, European and Africa Offices

In This Edition:

• Africa News Reference
• Zambia History & Culture
• Top 10 Reason For Visiting Zambia - Reason # 6
• Kafue National Park & Shumba Camp
• Durban In South Africa & Fairmont Zimbali
• Zambia Video Guide
• African Safari Vacation 
• Another Perfect AfricanMecca Customer Experience
• Newsletter Notes

- Hold the Champagne: Highway to Split Serengeti After All? - National Geographic

- Michelle Obama Africa Visit: First Lady Takes Family On Safari

- Agony and Ivory Experienced By Conservationists Cyril Christo & Marie Wilkinson - Reported By Vanity Fair - Alex Shoumatoff
AfricanMecca Safaris provided the logistical planning and ground arrangements services to aid Cyril Christo & Marie Wilkinson's elephant & ivory research work in Tsavo East & Amboseli National Park in Kenya in 2011. Review above investigative report by Vanity Fair. You can watch a preview of Cyril Christo & Marie Wilkinson's Last Stand Of The African Elephant On YouTube.

Zambia - History & Culture

The Great Rift Valley, which cleaves the earth from the Lower Zambezi River in Southern Zambia to the headwaters of the Nile in Egypt, is now known to be one of the cradles of the human race, and Zambia's present population lives on lands that have been inhabited by our forebears for almost uncountable eons. Archaeologists have established that in the northern African Rift Valley, the civilizing process got underway at least 3 million years ago, and crude stone implements, similar to some of that age found in Kenya, have also been found beside the Zambezi river......

Review complete guide to Zambia

Zambia Travel Guide

Top 10 Reason For Visiting Zambia - Reason As Experienced By AfricanMecca

Reason # 6 - Livingstone & Zambia's Historical Experience

Livingstone & Zambia's Historical Experience: Zambia is immersed in a very rich colonial history. Ever heard of the "Rhodes Scholar" program or oxford university's "Rhodes Scholarship" or the terminology "Cape to Cairo" and a railway that spans the gorges between the Victoria Falls. This can be attributed to Cecil Rhodes, who amassed enormous amounts of wealth in Rhodesia. Experience the only western named town in Zambia preserved in honor of Dr. David Livingstone, who strove to eliminate slavery. Dr. David Livingstone was based in Zambia (northern Rhodesia). He died in Zambia and his heart was buried in Zambia, before his body carried by his two faithful Rhodesian servants, Sussi & Chuma, to Zanzibar via Bagamoyo for onward transportation to Westminster Abbey in England. Consider adding on an experience to Shiwa Ng'andu, created as a remote piece of England in the heart of Africa, a reminder to the visiting guests of bygone era...

Review all Top 10 Reasons for visiting Zambia

Zambia Safari Guide

Kafue National Park

Kafue National Park is the largest and oldest national park in Zambia. Kafue gained national park status in 1950 and covers a total of 22400 square kilometers. Despite the Park's proximity to both Lusaka and the Copperbelt, it has remained underdeveloped until the most recent years. Despite the depravations of poaching and lack of management, Kafue National Park is still a raw and diverse slice of African wilderness with excellent game viewing, birdwatching and fishing opportunities From the astounding Busanga Plains in the North-western of Kafue National Park to the tree-choked wilderness and the lush dambos of the south, fed by the emerald green Lunga, Lufupa and Kafue River, the park sustains huge herds of a great diversity of wildlife. From the thousands of red lechwe on the plains, the ubiquitous puku, the stately sable and roan antelopes in the woodland to the diminutive oribi and duiker. The solid-rumped defassa waterbuck, herds of tsessebe, hartebeest, zebra and buffalo make for a full menu of antelope. Large prides of lion, solitary leopards and cheetahs are the prime predators. There is a host of smaller carnivores from the side-striped jackal, civet, genet and various mongoose....

Review complete guide for Kafue

Zambia Safari Accommodation Guide

Shumba Camp In Kafue
AfricanMecca Tier 1 Accommodation. Click here for details on Safari Tier

Shumba Camp is located in the center of the Busanga Plains in Kafue, home to hundreds of red lechwe, ubiquitous puku, stately roan and the diminutive oribi. Lichtenstein's hartebeest, herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo make for a full set of antelope all of which move onto the Plains as the dry season progresses. This wealth of game is a big attraction for predators, including wild dog, cheetah and prides of lion. Shumba Camp is perfectly situated to take advantage of the plains game and predator concentrations of the Busanga Plains, being situated as it is within close proximity to permanent water and having easy access to a mix of seasonal and permanent floodplains. Shumba is named after a favorite species in the area - prides of lion sometimes up to 20 strong! Viewing of species like puku, lechwe and hippo is possible for much of the day from the comfort of your tent or the main deck, while the camp's fig trees ensure both shade and constant bird activity in the canopy above.

Review Kafue Camps information on Shumba Camp

Africa Beach & Coastal Guide

Durban In South Africa

Durban is South Africa's most popular domestic holiday city and it's easy to see why. It has miles of soft, sandy swimming beaches, great surfing and warm weather all year round. There's everything from B&Bs to world-class hotels, and you'll never run out of fun things to do. Head to the ocean for a fishing charter or chill out on a sunset sundowner cruise. Take in the marine life at Ushaka Marine World and burn up some energy at Water World. Durban is green all year round, thanks to its subtropical weather. To see the city and coastline at its best, head to La Lucia Ridge, preferably early on a clear morning. Look south to view the beach arcing around Durban's bay. See a different angle of the same view by looking north from atop the Bluff at the harbor entrance.....

Review complete guide to Durban

Africa Beach & Coastal Accommodation Guide

Fairmont Zimbali In Durban - South Africa
AfricanMecca Tier 1 Experience. Click here for details on Beach & City Hotel Tier Rating

On KwaZulu-Natal's Dolphin Coast, under an abundant forest canopy, you will find Zimbali - Zulu for "valley of flowers." A sanctuary unlike any other in South Africa, this charming and unspoiled region is a nature lover's wonderland. Dappled shadows from the lush vegetation and cool breezes from the Indian Ocean leave their mark on your soul. Endless beaches and clear skies invite you to relax and dream. Within this subtropical paradise, set within the serene confines of a coastal forest reserve, you will find the highest expression of exclusive hospitality: Fairmont Zimbali Lodge.

Review Durban Hotels information on Fairmont Zimbali

1. Fishing at Victoria Falls - BBC
2. White water rafting on the Zambezi river - BBC
3. Big Male Lion On A Kill On The Busanga Plains During Night Game Drive (Windows Media Player)

Best Of Zambia Safari - 11 Days

The Best Of Zambia Safari sets out to discover Lower Zambezi National Park, South Luangwa National Park, Victoria Falls & Kafue National Park - Zambia's 4 best (unique and diverse) eco-systems where wildlife viewing is unique to each park, activities are life changing experiences as well as setting foot on famed locations in Zambia leading to a very memorable experience. Lower Zambezi National Park is beautiful displaying its tall leadwoods, ebonies, acacias and figs stand on carpets of rich grassland. Wildlife congregates near the river which can be viewed on the specialty canoeing safaris. The South Luangwa National Park is one of Africa's biggest parks with territorial species of wildlife located in distinct/resident areas of the park. The visit to the park enables AfricanMecca clients to explore the beauty of the wilderness, wildlife, ecology, its specialty walking safari, unmatched day and night game viewing as well as the wilderness camp experience. South Luangwa wildlife include huge herds of elephant and buffalo. Of particular interest are the two subspecies unique to the Luangwa Valley: the beautiful thornicroft giraffe (with its dark patterned skin) and Cookson's wildebeest. The valley's main predators are lion, leopard and spotted hyena. During the day, lion seldom hide and are often seen, where as leopards hunt by night. Visit the Kafue National Park, whose experiences are unmatched and the wildlife interaction are not scripted nor predictable. The wow! moment is rather unexpected and within a matter of a few second the whole experience unravels - whether it is the lechwe being stalked by the cheetah, the African hunting dogs appearance on the river banks or the real-time kill of a young impala by a leopard - Kafue is a genuinely wild experience. Add on an an experience of viewing the stunning Victoria Falls, one of Africa's (and world) wonders from an eye level or from above - either in a microlight or helicopter - it can't get any better than that! The recommendations that AfricanMecca makes are based on our personal inspection and visit/stay to each and every location and accommodation. Some accommodations are with-in walking distance from the falls and some require driving, and our recommendations clearly outline this so our clients can make more informed decisions based on preference. The result when combined with AfricanMecca's Safari Tier™ Ratings reveals the recommendations below, helping to accurately match the destination experience with our clients expectations

The Best Of Zambia Safari is offered in 3 Safari Tiers offering similar nature and ecological experiences. Learn more about AfricanMecca Safari Tier™ Ratings

Review Best Of Zambia Safari itinerary & prices

Review other Africa safari programs.

Another Perfect AfricanMecca Customer Experience

Hi Raza,

I tip my hat to AfricanMecca! The entire trip went off without the slightest hitch. We never had to wonder where to go next, there was always someone there to lead the way. It was a wonderful and relaxing way to travel. Not a worry to be had. At each lodge we enjoyed interacting with the management as well as the staff. In particular, the staff at Kasaka and Busanga really made us feel at home. The food was great everywhere. In particular, Lemon, the chef at Busanga gave us a tour of the kitchen and entertained us each evening with an enthusiastic description of the evening's menu in the local language. His enthusiasm and presentation made each dinner a hit. He is quite a character and I mean that in the best of ways.

The guides were knowledgeable and attentive at each lodge and our experiences in the field were memorable. We enjoyed having the opportunity to walk in the bush and did so at Kasaka, Kafunta and Kaingo. No two walks were the same and we learned so much. At Busanga Bush Camp we were the only guests besides a spitting cobra which I found while bird watching during the afternoon siesta time. We gave each other plenty of room;-)) It was so quiet out on the Busanga Plains and the night sky was wonderful. It's been a long time since I have had the chance to see the Milky Way in all of its glory.

We had five individual leopard sightings (two during the day) and 33 individual lions some seen multiple times and some great pics were made. There were many animal sightings but one of my favorites was on a night drive when we watched an interaction between a leopard and an African porcupine. It was very interesting. Our stay in Livingston was very nice and I'm glad that we did that at the end of the trip. The falls were impressive and we were able to do a lot of shopping at the local craft markets. I'm sure we made some of the locals very happy that day.

Going into the trip I was concerned about some of what I had read regarding tsetse flies. My luck is still holding out on those pesky little guys. While out on one of the walks I picked up a bite on the hand. Other than that, I saw only a few as we drove through the Mopane woodlands on the way into Kafunta. We were in an enclosed vehicle for that transfer so we just smiled as they buzzed around the outside. In Kafue they don't seem to make it out onto the plains so we were safe. Ha, the only thing that got us on the plains was a wayward nightjar that was confused by the spotlight and it flew in from the front of the vehicle and crashed into Melissa's chest. She was quite surprised to say the least but no harm came to her. I hope that the nightajar is okay too. Mosquitoes were also almost non-existent. I saw maybe six tops.

All in all, we are happy that we chose to visit Zambia. And we are happy that we chose to do business with AfricanMecca. Thanks for all of your help in setting up the trip and answering all of our questions. Concerning the Yellow Fever vaccination, we were never questioned on arrival in South Africa, so not sure what the story is on that.

Thanks again,

Denis and Melissa Kania
United States