1. Africa Update
Lion Sands wins international award
On the 13th December 2005 at the Ritz Hotel, London,
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge was awarded the prestigious Tatler UK
Travel Magazine award for being the best Hotel/Lodge in Africa by
being voted as the 3rd Best Hotel in the World 2006 second to
properties in Vietnam & Italy. We suspect their world class health
spa, private & heated plunge pools, exclusive treehouse sleep-out
and stunning location had something to do with the award...
Visit Lion Sands
Africa shows greatest tourism growth for 2005
"Africa
was the only region in the world to have performed much better in
2005 than in 2004," the World Tourism Organisation announced this
month. Kenya turned in the healthiest performance, showing a 26
percent rise as tourists sought out new and exotic destinations.
Visit
Kenya
Children in the Wilderness
Pafuri Camp had the privilege of hosting the Children In
The Wilderness programme last month. The children, were selected
by the South African Police Services from various shelters around
South Africa. During their stay the children participated in a
five-day edutainment programme, combining subjects such as
nutrition and HIV/AIDS education with the thrills of wildlife
viewing and bird watching. The SAPS were also very involved in
teaching skills such as how to survive in an urban jungle and
children’s rights. Thank you
Pafuri Camp and Wilderness Safaris for this wonderful
initiative!
2. Have your say:
The report back: Proposed culling of
elephants in the Kruger Park
Two weeks ago, we published an article titled "
Elephant
cull threatens tourism to Kruger". Since this time, scientists
from around the world have met to discuss possible ways forward in
stemming the growing number of elephants in South Africa. The 10
elephant scientists have been asked to provide further evidence of
the already documented elephant overpopulation situation and offer
feasible means to control it, if any.
Good news is that the Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister
of South Africa has insisted that a final decision be based on
sound scientific evidence. Thank you to those who contributed to
our discussion - some of these responses can be
viewed here.
3. New on ecoAfrica.com
Mara
Porini Camp has recently been set up in the exclusive
wildlife conservancy of Ol Kinyei, Kenya - owned by local Maasai -
one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the Serengeti-Mara
eco-system. The camp has just 6 guest tents sited in the shade of
Yellow-barked Acacia trees. Only 12 visitors are allowed in the
7000 hectare reserve at a time, ensuring that the animals remain
unhabituated and truly wild.
Amboseli
Porini Camp is located in the Selenkay Conservation Area
of Kenya - a vast tract of land owned by the Kisonko clan of the
Maasai people - a few miles north of Amboseli National Park. The
community as a whole is receiving an income from tourism
activities and this is used to fund community projects such as
schools and water supplies. Employment opportunities have also
been provided for the local Maasai people as game rangers,
trackers, and camp staff.
If
it weren't for a guided boat shuttle to camp - you probably
wouldn't find this hidden gem.
Sibuya River Camp offers a quiet getaway on
the banks of the Kariega River, just 130 kms from Port Elizabeth
and in the heart of the historic Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Sibuya offers a low-impact nature experience for the ecotourist
seeking personalised service, professional organization and
eco-informative activities.
4. Traveller Feedback
"
The experience far exceeded our expectations - so much so that
we still feel like the whole Bongani experience was a wonderful
dream."
Claudia & Bill Reid (USA) -
Bongani
Mountain Lodge, December 2005
"
The Drifters' Tented Camp in Balule seemed to fit into the
environment perfectly and we felt very comfortable there. The
activities were well portioned and we were given interesting and
helpful information on how to live and respect the natural
surroundings. Our highlight was a group of three female lions
during the night game drive which got up and passed our Jeep at a
distance of 5m… I was so amazed, that I forgot to use the camera
in my hands!"
Mrs Jo B Nolte (Germany) -
5 day Kruger Park Bushveld Safari, December 2005
"
We loved our safari at the Rhino Lodge. The guides were very
attentive and informative. We learned a ton about the animals,
plant life and about South African life. Because we stayed at two
lodges we had the opportunity to tour with a number of
leaders. Each had their own particular area of interest that they
shared.
ecoAfrica was great in answering so many of our
questions in a timely manner and our travel plans were
perfectly coordinated."
Bev Bloodworth and Lee Gregory (USA) -
5 day Rhino Walking Safari, December 2005
"
It was a fantastic trip - everything and more than we had
hoped for. We want to see more of Namibia the next time. Four days
was not sufficient. You warned us, but one does have to make
choices and prioritize.
Grant and Moira went above and beyond their duties to give us an
exceptional safari. The fact that both Moira and Grant are
excellent photographers, was a huge benefit. Their
knowledge of the parks, and what contributes to a good photo (time
of day, sun angle, location of photographer, etc) provided
me with some exception photos, that we would not have gotten
otherwise."
Harvey and Evelyne Martens (Canada) -
10 day Okavango Delta & Moremi Safari and 3 day Namibia
add-on.
5. Recommended Reading by
Ralph Pina
Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed by Jared Diamond
is an important book of our time. In highly readable prose the
author integrates diverse disciplines to study and compare the
failures (and few successes) of both ancient and modern societies.
Common to all the studies is the creeping onset of ecological
crisis and how these societies adapted, or failed to adapt, to the
threat. Diamond uses a five-point framework in which to examine
them: environmental damage and resource depletion, climate change,
hostile neighbours, friendly trade partners and fifthly, the
society's response.
Collapse is brilliant in the way it considers a vast volume
of evidence from many different fields to sound its warning. A
central theme is the rejection of "environmental determinism",
that societies' fates are irreversibly determined by their natural
environment, and that given visionary leadership and timeous
changes in lifestyle, culture and society, sustainable modern
civilisations are possible. As such it is an optimistic work, but
I couldn't escape the feeling that "what to do" about the new
globalised society's ecological crisis was skirted to a degree.
Perhaps the author was wary of being labelled "political" in his
home country, as messengers who warn of anthropological effects on
climate change and "energy crisis" often are.
Africa's unfortunate contribution to
Collapse is the
Rwandan genocide. Besides conventional reasons of "ethnic hatred"
and "tribalism", Diamond reveals supplementary causes such as
population pressure in a confined area in an agricultural economy,
colonial injustices, economic crises and others. His message of
hope here is that "Malthusian population pressure" is a necessary
condition for genocide, but not sufficient - if the right choices
are made.
For those who are concerned about our planet's fate, you must read
Collapse; for those who are yet to be concerned, it is essential
reading.
