World Airways, USAfrica Airlines and TWA are likely to start operations between the United States and South Africa shortly, according to informed sources. After a delay of several months, it now appears that the impasse over allocating some 9 flights per week between the US and South Africa is nearing an end. Two weeks ago several airlines interested in operating between the USA and South Africa were requested by the US Department of Transportation to restate their intent and resubmit their applications. The upshot is that World Airways has been given the go-ahead to start up its Africa service (direct flights to Accra, Ghana to commence in October), while USAfrica Airlines, who until recently operated 7 flights per week to South Africa, will attempt to re-start its operations. South African Airways, whose convenient direct flights from New York and Miami to Johannesburg and Cape Town have been booked solid for months, will add two flights per week. Sources say that although TWA is interested in the route, the airline does not have suitable equipment at this time.
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS: NOVEMBER DEPARTURE SALE
Round-trip flights on South African Airways from New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. to Johannesburg or Cape Town are on sale for the month of November at $1,120 plus tax. This price is good on November departures only; minimum stay 13 days, maximum stay 30 days. Low add-ons are available from other US cities and to other cities in Southern Africa and Kenya. Instant purchase of ticket is required and seats are limited, so make your booking soon. Call your travel agent or SAA at (800) 722-9675.
WILDLIFE AND CULTURE IN ZULULAND, SOUTH AFRICA
Most African safaris concentrate on game-viewing, with bird-watching a distant second. Too often, the many other interesting facets of a destination's natural history, its peoples and history are glossed over. In Zululand, this would be a tremendous pity, as the area offers much, much more than just game. The 'place of the people of the Heavens', Zululand is situated on the east coast of South Africa and forms the northern portion of Kwazulu-Natal Province. This often forgotten corner of the African continent is a land of exquisite beauty characterized by incredible diversity. On its eastern boundary its shores are washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Inland to the west it is a place of endless rolling hills and meandering valleys, grassy plains and dense bush. Here one finds many reminders of the rich history of Zululand which includes the development of one of the great nations of Africa, the amaZulu.
For a safari that is much more than 'just animals', Zululand is an excellent choice. In addition to game-viewing and bird-watching, optional activities include wilderness adventures, snorkelling or scuba diving, canoeing, board-sailing, peaceful lake fishing and thrilling big game fishing, hiking or cultural activities, such as visiting living museums, monuments and historical sites. There's no need to go on a group tour, unless, of course, you're traveling by yourself. Driving in Kwazulu-Natal is easy as the roads are excellent & the distances not long at all. You will be pleasantly surprised by the relative proximity of a wide range of habitats in the province.
Durban and Shakaland
The best way to start a trip to Zululand is to spend a couple of days in Durban to rest up and enjoy the city's superb beaches & many other attractions. Durban has a wide range of accommodations, literally everything from modest bed & breakfasts through Holiday Inns to the Royal Hotel on Smith Street, one of the best hotels in the entire country. The Royal Grill is Kwazulu-Natal's most celebrated restaurant. (The Langoustines are simply the best & freshest in all of Southern Africa). From Durban it's an easy drive to Shakaland, a Protea Hotel near Eshowe. Originally recreated for the film sets of Shaka Zulu and John Ross, Shakaland is an unusual cross-cultural centre and living museum where Zulu people pursue the customs and traditions of their forebears. You observe traditional dance styles, visual demonstrations on etiquette, learn about the social system of a Zulu family and enjoy (perhaps?) a visit to the beer hut. You also see a demonstration of stick fighting, and observe the activities of the medicine man and the sanghoma (diviner), who interprets messages from the spirits. Accommodation consists of thatched beehive-shaped huts, with all modern conveniences and bathroom en suite.
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi: where the White Rhino was saved from extinction
There are five exciting game reserves in Zululand, and you may incorporate several in a safari, depending upon your time and budget. Hluhluwe/Umfolozi is South Africa's third largest game reserve (after Kruger and Kalahari Gemsbok) and it offers superior game-viewing. Rhino - mostly white, with smaller numbers of black - takes pride of place here, but elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, kudu, nyala, impala, waterbuck, hyena and several other mammal species may be encountered. With luck, lion or leopard (on night drives) may also be observed. As is the case in other Natal game reserves, most visitors explore the parks themselves during the day. At night, guided 2 to 3-hour long game drives ($20 pp) are available. Be sure to book on arrival. Guided game drives are also available in the mornings and afternoons.
Picturesque Itala Game Reserve & the magic of Ndumo
Itala Game Reserve near Louwsburg is well known for its plentiful white rhino and at any time of the year you should see several of these ancient behemoths at close range. Other common mammals found in this ecologically diverse - and scenically stunning - park include nyala, kudu, giraffe, impala, Burchell's zebra, warthog, waterbuck, blue wildebeest, eland, mountain reedbuck and steenbok. With a bit of luck, you may also find the reserve's herd of elephant on the Ngubhu Loop Road. Itala's main camp, Ntshondwe, is one of the most pleasant game reserve camps in all of South Africa. Perfectly situated to blend into the natural surroundings, it has a waterhole with a first-class hide for bird-watching, a great restaurant, and in summer the natural rock pool offers relief from the midday heat. If you go on a night drive there, dress warmly though, even in summer. Nights are almost always cool, so don't be caught in a t-shirt in an open moving vehicle.
Ndumo Wilderness Camp is a recently completed luxury tented camp in Ndumo, considered to be one of the most beautiful of Southern Africa's game reserves. Its 'crown jewel', Nyamiti Pan, has been described as 'one of the most beautiful sights in Africa'. I have been at Nyamiti Pan at dawn several times over the years, and cannot wait to get back... Although Ndumo is better known for its prolific bird-life, it is also home to good numbers of white and black rhino, giraffe, hippo and some of the biggest & most approachable Nile crocodiles on the continent. Visitors will appreciate the knowledge and field experience of the local guides such as Siphane Gumede (aka 'Span'), who has been a ranger at Ndumo for 45 years. Span is the best bird guide in the area and his vocal mimicry of birds such as the Narina Trogon, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Redfronted Tinker-barbet and Trumpeter Hornbill is simply fantastic.
Maputaland: where time stood still
At Kosi Bay, not very far to the east, one is but a few kilometres from the Mozambique border. Kosi Bay is one of the last and most beautiful wilderness areas of South Africa; an area where time stood still as far as development is concerned and where you can see what Africa looked like hundreds of years ago. The lodge here is on the edge of a lake which forms part of a bigger lake system which is connected with the sea and is therefore tidal. Due to this the salinity of the water in the lakes decreases with the distance from the sea and hence a fascinating variety of flora and fauna exist. Plant life includes the giant Raphia Palm which has the biggest leaves of any plant in the world; indigenous only to Mozambique and northern Maputaland, as this area is known. You may be lucky to see the Palmnut Vulture, one of the rarest breeding birds in South Africa, which feeds on the fruit of the Raphia Palm. The "fish kraals" belonging to the local tribes are ancient fish traps made of sticks strategically placed in the shallow lakes. An interesting excursion is by four wheel drive alongside the highest forested dunes in the world - up to 170 meters high. Here, in one of the few pristine wilderness areas of Africa, you still see the prehistoric Cycad plant growing wild. In the bays the adventurous can snorkel along the reef (equipment supplied) and experience the kaleidoscope of tropical sea-life in the lukewarm ocean. Or just stroll along the deserted sandy beaches stretching out as far as the eye can see. Two other premier lodges in the area are Rocktail Bay Lodge (snorkelling, fishing) and Phinda Resources Reserve (Big Five mammals).
DRIVING UP THE SANI PASS INTO LESOTHO
Anybody interested in history & nature, and especially keen photographers, bird-watchers or hikers, will enjoy a trip up the Sani Pass into the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. The pass offers the visitor a singularly beautiful route into the Drakensberg - "...primitive, rugged, and pervaded by an atmosphere from the past", as the Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa so aptly puts it. The trip should ideally be done over three days, spending a couple of days in Bulwer, Underberg or Himeville and one day 'on top' at the Sani Pass Chalet, which happens to be the highest licensed premises in all of southern Africa. On a trip in October 1994 our local guide, Robin Guy, amazed us with his encyclopaedic knowledge of the area, its wildlife and its peoples. The actual drive up the pass, which may be undertaken in a 4-wheel drive vehicle only, is rather bumpy and mildly hair-raising with many tight hairpin turns. At the base of the actual pass one passes through the South African border post, so don't forget your passport, which is essential for entry into Lesotho. On the way up, the vegetation changes to Leucosidae ('Ouhout') scrub where two interesting bird species, the Bush Blackcap and Barratt's Warbler, may be found. Even higher up, one finds Protea grassland with rocks and gullies, the habitat of Gurney's Sugarbird, Buffstreaked Chat, Ground Woodpecker, Cape Rock Thrush and Grassbird, all species found only in Southern Africa. Beyond the South African border post, the area below the road is dense thicket, which has resulted from years of over-grazing, with later colonisation by heath plants. This is unique habitat, harbouring species such as Fairy Flycatcher, Layard's Titbabbler, Wailing Cisticola and Drakensberg Prinia. At the top of the pass one can start looking for Drakensberg Siskin, Orangebreasted Rockjumper, Cape Bunting, Sicklewinged Chat and Sentinel Rock Thrush. In October last year, we found all these birds - and more, including Thickbilled Lark, Greywing Francolin, Jackal Buzzard, Redcapped Lark, Southern Grey Tit, Whitenecked Raven and Grassbird. A very productive trip, to say the least. The only bird we missed was the Mountain Pipit, a summer visitor. This year, the Sani Pass outing will be later than before, so we should get it the second time around...
On top, looking down over a vast expanse of the Natal Midlands, the tension from the drive quickly fades as one steps back half a century or more, encountering people who rely on donkey-carts as their primary means of transportation. In the thin mountain air - the elevation is about 9,000 feet above sea level - visibility is very good and things look larger than life. So don't mistake a Cape Batis for a Mocking Chat and don't be alarmed by the size of the rodents you'll see sunning themselves on the rocks outside the rather rustic Sani Top Chalet. They're 'harmless' Slogett's Ice Rats. The chalet is very rustic, and can hardly be described as cozy, but it is the perfect base for exploring the eastern highlands of Lesotho, in the direction of Mokhotlong ('the place of the bald-headed ibis'). At the time of our visit, there was speculation that this isolated mountain track may very well be tarred all the way down the Sani Pass, as an indirect consequence of the Lesotho Highlands water project. Hopefully it will take a while. Last year, Robin took us to a nesting site of the majestic Bearded Vulture along this track which offers a series of constantly changing vistas, each one seemingly more spectacular than its predecessor. When we finally got to the spot and started looking and listening, it was as if we were re-discovering the meaning of words such as silent, peaceful and tranquil. Just sitting there quietly with the 'scopes on the birds, watching the receding rays of the lowering sun peel away layer after layer of light from the towering cliffs, we were as close to heaven as we may ever be.
WRITE FOR FREE FIELD GUIDE REVIEW, TOUR BROCHURE
I still have free copies of Wilderness SafarisÆ 1995 brochure containing details of nature tours to Botswana, Malawi, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. My ôAfrican Field Guide Reviewö, which reviews 100 bird, mammal & other field guides and travel guides, is also available free on request. Snail-mail: 102 Stoney Creek Dr. Houston TX 77024. E-mail: exafrica@aol.com; Compuserve 75202,1123. Tel/fax: (713) 467-5222. Toll-free 1-800-513-5222.
