Shearwater launches fully refurbished vessels.

It was with due pomp and ceremony that Shearwater last week launched its newly refurbished signature boats to take us into an anticipated busy season of soothing sunset cruises.  The often unsung land crew who work in the Shearwater shipyard on Teak Road, have been labouring away to ensure all guests who forthwith slip anchor, do so with increasing comfort, indulgence and safety.

Lower and upper decks have been freshly carpeted so that Hugh Heffner himself could smooch about in dressing gown, pipe and slippers and feel at home.  The ceiling of the upper deck has been finished with eco friendly iso board as opposed to roughly hewn fibre glass.  Tables have now been enriched with white linen table cloths, adding a little touch of grandeur as guests await the clink clink fizz of a refreshing gin and tonic or ice cold Zambezi beer.  On leaving the jetty, the brand new 4 stroke engines and latest hydraulic steering ensure a quieter and smoother cruise as the craft and crew head downstream. 

Once midstream the advantages of having a highly rated restaurant in town (Rainforest Cafe) becomes self evident, as the delicious snacks that are served,  are prepared by the same chefs and  are of a quality way beyond the expectations of most customers

It’s not just hardware and hors d’oeuvres though.  The entire crew have undergone extensive training to really enhance levels of service, facilitate interaction with guests, and animate the whole nature of the cruise with commentary and insights where appropriate.  They have also undergone comprehensive first aid training.  And finally of course - a useful barometer of comfort and convenience is so often the basic ones – the facilities.  Separate ladies and gents loos –2 for each, and no unseemly hand pumps for flushing – all fully automatic.

The serenity and tranquillity of those sublime Zambezi  sunset cruises just got a whole lot better.

 

African Bush Camps – The Safari Act Special

 

Three exceptional packages offering travellers a once in a lifetime safari experience of two unique Destinations – Botswana and Zimbabwe. Book your preferred package now for travel between 1st November and 30th November 2014 and receive an unbelievable 20% discount.

Zimbabwe in 3 Acts
ONLY: USD 3 823*

Enjoy 8 nights in Zimbabwe exploring Hwange National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mana Pools.

Includes: 3 nights at Somalisa Camp in Hwange National Park, 2 nights at Zambezi Life Styles and 3 nights at Kanga Camp in Mana Pools

Botswana in 3 Acts
ONLY: USD 4 347*

Enjoy 8 nights in Botswana exploring the remote areas of Khwai, and Linyanti. Includes: 3 nights Khwai Tented Camp, 2 nights Saile Tented Camp and 3 nights Linyanti Bush Camp

The Double Act
ONLY: USD 8 825*

Enjoy 16 nights combining both Botswana and Zimbabwe and get two nights for FREE in Victoria Falls.

Includes: Zimbabwe in 3 Acts, Botswana in 3 Acts and two free nights in Victoria Falls at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.

The 20% discount applies to the African Bush Camps properties included in the package. Transfers included in the package are not discounted. Each safari has to be booked in its entirety for the discounted rates to apply and cannot be separated or substituted for alternative options. The packages are subject to availability at all camps incorporated.

Standard Terms and Conditions apply.

For further enquiries please enquire direct at info@africanbushcamps.com

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
African Bush Camps

Feeling Blue

By Evelyn Roe, Botanist with North-West Naturalists' Society of Zambia

Does Lobelia feel blue? Is Wahlen bergia ringing a sad note from its bell-like flower? Maybe they’re a little lonesome because blue is rare in the plant kingdom, occurring in less than 10% of the world’s 350,000 flowering plant species.

Aptosimum decumbens

In the Livingstone area, we seem to have our fair share of floral blueness, from the delicate petals of Lobelia kirkii which grace the paths at the Victoria Falls, to the dense hairs in which the stamens of Cyanotis longifolia are enmeshed; and from the creeping Aptosimum to the climbing Evolvulus, both of which bear blue-hued tubular flowers.

Cyanotis longifolia

However, some plant families cannot produce blue flowers, not even under duress! Horticulturalists have been trying for decades to produce a blue rose, but the latest genetic technology has managed only a pale imitation - a lilac rose.

Wahlenbergia_denticulata

So, what is the secret of the blue-flowering plant?

Certain families are capable of performing a kind of floral magic. First, they make red anthocyanins, which are found commonly in the plant kingdom, and store them in the watery vacuoles of their cells. Later, they transform them into blue pigments when they have the right conditions of light, acidity, a supply of particular metal ions, and a stack of other essential plant chemicals. The complexity of the transformation has been noted by scientists, but exactly how it happens remains a mystery.

Evolvulus alsinoides

We might ask, is flower colour significant for the plant? Many birds and insects are attracted to blue flowers and harvest their nectar, helping with pollination on such feeding forays. However, they also visit flowers with red and yellow hues, so it’s difficult for researchers to work out what it means to be blue. Perhaps it’s not the outward appearance of blueness that makes a difference; it could be that other qualities of the pigments– such as their metallic nature - influence the plant’s development and wellbeing.

Commelina forskaolii

In Tradescantia, which is a close relative of Commelina and Cyanotis, the blue stamen hairs mutate to pink in the presence of nuclear or chemical pollution. Experiments over the past 40 years have shown that spiderwort, as Tradescantia is commonly known, can be used as a reliable detector of such environmental contaminants.

Lobelia kirkii

In some cultures, the blue flower is a symbol of inspiration, hope and love. It can also represent the striving for the divine, and the merging of the self with nature. How does this tie in with our association of the colour blue with feelings of sadness, I wonder? Perhaps the coolness and spaciousness of the Earth’s azure skies and deep-blue seas create feelings of alone-ness; or maybe our human striving for union with the divine and the infinite is simply unreachable and unobtainable...just like the blue rose.

More from this issue:
ZT17 (June 2014) - Main Menu
ZT17 (June 2014) - Full Content Listing

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
Livingstone News

More articles in this series:

Silent Trumpets (ZT, Issue 16, Mar 2014)
Christmas crackers (ZT, Issue 15, Dec 2013)
Don't eat the daffodils (ZT, Issue 14, Sept 2013)
Rainforest Riches (ZT, Issue 13, June 2013)
Berry banquet (ZT, Issue 12, March 2013)
Marvellous Mangoes (ZT, Issue 11, December 2012)
Underground Forests (ZT, Issue 10, September 2012)
The healing powers of Aloes (ZT, Issue 09, June 2012)
Dogbane Drugs (ZT, Issue 08, March 2012)
Devil’s Claw (ZT, Issue 07, December 2011)
Elephant Toothpicks (ZT, Issue 06, Sept 2011)

Yellow Fever Regulations, Botswana

IMPORTANT NOTICE

All travellers from or through the countries which have been declared yellow fever infected areas must provide an international health certificate of vaccination for yellow fever upon arrival into Botswana - with immediate effect.

African Yellow Fever Declared Countries:

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic of the), Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia.

For further information:
Botswana Tourism Entry Requirements 

VFAPU Golf Fundraiser - Barrowdale

Africa Albida Tourism is hosting their 14th year annual golf tournament in aid of VFAPU on the 5th of September. We look forward to another fun event where we can count on your support for this great cause.

Borrowdale Golf Club, Harare

Contact: golf@africaalbida.com

 

Zambezi Traveller Directory
Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit

Kariba Moon Row

In August 2014 a combined Zambian/UK team will row the length of Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake, nonstop through the day and night under the light of a full moon dodging crocs, hippos and forests of dead trees finishing at Siavonga. They will then row from Kariba to Luangwa Boma through the Lower Zambezi game Reserve covering 500km in total in 7 days.

The 12 person team of athletes include Zambia’s top rower Desmond Nanchengwa as well as Iza Nalondwa and Wonga Silondwa from the Zambian Amateur Rowing and Canoing Association (ZARCA). Also in the team are international athletes from Great Britain’s rowing squad, including the head of Women’s rowing at Oxford University, Anastasia Chitty, and Alex Wood who has raced several times in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The team includes members of the successful 2011 Row Zambezi Expedition which took rowing boats 1000km along the Upper Zambezi from Chavuma to Livingstone, including 300km through the Barotse during which time they were granted an audience with the Litunga.

The Moon Row is a charity event that will raise money for two Zambian charities: Village Water has put fresh water into 650 Zambian villages so far and wants to do much more; Conservation Lower Zambezi is raising awareness and funds to deal with anti-poaching activities on the Lower Zambezi. The Moon Row is being done in 2014 to coincide with Zambia’s Jubilee celebrations, and is an official event in the Jubilee Calendar.

The Moon Row is a very tough event, with rowers swopping over every 90 minutes for up to 36 hours and only a short time to rest, drink, stretch and grab some food before starting again. The boats will carry GPS transmitters that will show in real time their exact location via the www.karibamoonrow.com website.

The Moon Row will be the world’s longest non-stop rowing event. The Moon Row is sponsored by exclusive Swiss watch maker Parmigiani Fleurier, and supported by several high quality operators in Zambia including Lake Kariba Inns; Kariba Bush Club; Tamarind Camp; Kanyemba Lodge; Kasaka River Lodge; Anabezi and Redcliff Lodge. In addition ZAWA and ZTB are providing advice and guidance for an adventure that will help promote the “Let’s Explore Zambia” initiative.

The Moon Row has three specially made rowing boats which are painted in Zambian colours, these beautiful boats will arrive in Siavonga on the 11th August after rowing across Lake Kariba.

Moon Row Expedition Leader Tim Cook said: “This is a very exciting challenge with a fantastic young joint Zambian and UK rowing team. Our motto is “Time For Water”. We are doing this On Water… For Water. Without water there are no sports like rowing and without clean water there is no hope for the children in these villages”

The Victoria Falls Hotel – the history

The Victoria Falls Hotel owes its existence to the arrival of the railway line; when it reached Victoria Falls the development of tourism on the south bank of the Zambezi started in earnest.

Cecil Rhodes planned for a Cape to Cairo railway and although this was never achieved, the remarkable penetration of rail into the heart of Africa brought development to the region. Once the first steam train arrived in Victoria Falls, plans for the construction of the bridge turned into reality, all of which meant accommodation was needed.

The hotel opened its doors in June 1904 as a simple building of wood with a corrugated iron roof, well raised from the ground to afford ventilation and freedom from damp and pests. It consisted of 12 single rooms and four doubles, a dining room, a bar and offices. The manager was a colourful hotelier named Pierre Gavuzzi and the lowest tariff was 12/6d per day.

New brick building

By 1913, excursion trains from Cape Town to the Falls were operating at around five a year and with the increased volumes of tourists, a decision was taken to rebuild the hotel in brick. The new building consisted of 24 bedrooms, two suites and five public rooms, which were the lounge, the writing room, the drawing and music room, the smoking room and the dining room.

Office accommodation to the left and right of the main entrance was also included and there was a small private bar. The original hotel buildings were dismantled and re-assembled to the south of the hotel, approximately where the laundry is now.

After the First World War, tourism levels began to pick up again in the early 1920s - visitors then numbered around 3,000 per year. Many of the guests staying at the hotel were elderly and had found the walk to the Falls tiring in the heat; the rickshaw rides were not too comfortable either - so in 1920 a trolley service was introduced.

Staff pushed trolleys

A two-foot gauge track was laid, which ran from the hotel along the line of the original railway track, down to what was then the Southern Rhodesian end of the bridge, with a spur line continuing to a point near where the Livingstone statue stands today. Gravity propelled the trolleys downhill to the Falls, but for uphill sections the hotel employed staff to push them.

This service continued for the next 37 years and during that period it is estimated that over two million passengers travelled on these trolleys. One has been preserved and today stands in the courtyard of The Victoria Falls Hotel.

In 1926 ‘hammerhead’ shaped wings were added on to the north of the hotel and this gave an extra capacity of 50 rooms and four suites. Almost every room now had a private bathroom and those baths previously provided for communal use are remembered as being so large that no child was permitted to use them unaccompanied.

Saturday dinner dances

At this time, the only developments on the Southern Rhodesia side of the bridge were The Victoria Falls Hotel and the railway station with the post office and curio shops. The main development was in Livingstone in Northern Rhodesia. The bridge only had a rail track and no roadway, so the Railways started a service known as the ‘Weekender’ which ran from Livingstone to the Falls Hotel. Many people came over on a Saturday night to enjoy the dinner dances at The Victoria Falls Hotel and returned the next day.

In 1928 the swimming pool was added, and for privacy, walls were erected. For many years there was no mixed bathing, as it appears that a visiting Maharajah had made a request to the Administrator in Livingstone not to allow this. Apparently, this was upheld for some time.

The addition of the court wing followed in 1929. This runs from the main reception area, where some of the offices are now. Of special importance was the inclusion of the chapel in this extension. This was consecrated on 28 February, 1932, by the Bishop of Southern Rhodesia, the Rt Reverend E F Paget. The altar is made of Indian teak and the cross and candlesticks were specially designed in London, similar to those used in St-Martins-in-the-Field church in Trafalgar Square, London. The seating capacity is 40, and Anglican services are still held in the chapel at 7.30am every Sunday.

The Royal Visit

T. G. Colquhoun took over the management of the hotel in 1937 and he played host to many Allied soldiers travelling north, and to the many airmen receiving their basic training, during the Second World War, in the then Southern Rhodesia. Vincent Tones took over from Colquhoun after the war, and he remained until 1961.

Almost immediately on arrival, Tones was involved in preparations for the Royal Visit of his Majesty King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and the two princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret. This took place in 1947 and the royal party took over the whole hotel. The Queen occupied the suite in the south hammerhead, which for many years was named the Queen’s Suite, but now is called the Livingstone Suite.

At around this time, the Solent flying boat service was started from London to South Africa. The flying boats landed on the Zambezi and passengers disembarked, to spend a night or two at The Victoria Falls Hotel before their onward journey either by road or air. Food rationing still existed in England after the war – and passengers were always impressed by the sumptuous catering on board, which was provided by the hotel.

Tourism flourishes

Tourist levels continued to increase and by the end of 1947 more than 11,000 visitors had been accommodated by The Victoria Falls Hotel. Decisions were taken to increase the size of the hotel once more.

In 1950 the second floor was added to the court wing, which included a conference room – then called the Pullman Suite. Many conferences were held here for government, railways and private businesses. Southern Africa, including the Rhodesias (now Zambia and Zimbabwe), was promoted heavily overseas, and tourism continued to flourish.

In 1961 a section of the lounge was modified to make a new cocktail bar. This was air-conditioned – the first in the country - and the bar was called the Rainbow Room. The 60s also saw the addition of a bank, a hairdressing salon and a curio shop in the foyer.

One of the most notable government conferences held in The Victoria Falls Hotel was the one convened to work out the break-up of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1963.

Flame Lily Holidays

Although the numbers of visitors had shown a slight decline in 1961, luxury liner and air travel soon reversed this. Groups of passengers from exotic cruise liners arriving in South Africa flew up to the Falls, and with the advent of the Flame Lily air holiday packages, linking Wankie (now Hwange), Kariba and the Falls, the number of arrivals increased to almost 22,000 visitors in the year ending June 1967.

1970 was an important year in the history of The Victoria Falls Hotel. For the second time only since 1904, the railways leased out the hotel - to Rhodesia Breweries. This provided capital for essential extensions and refurbishments to the hotel. Pounds, shillings and pence were replaced by dollars and cents and the Breweries provided funding in the sum of $580,000 for essential modernisation, such as air-conditioning in all rooms, with the exception of the Livingstone Room, and construction of the rooms above the lounge was completed.

Many smaller rooms were converted into bathrooms and at the end the hotel was awarded three stars. However, the closure of the border with Zambia and ensuing isolation of Rhodesia impacted greatly on tourism, while Victoria Falls was once again the scene of much military activity.

Tourism boom period

Every room in the hotel had a sign detailing the action to be taken in the event of an attack, but the grand old hotel survived unscathed; the only incident appears to have been a mistake when a mortar fired from the Zambian side of the river landed near the laundry.

With the emergence of Zimbabwe as a nation in April 1980, came Zimbabwe Sun Hotels – the successors to Southern Sun. Business levels remained low until the late 1980s, when Zimbabwe’s tourism boom period started, lasting right through to 1999.

On 15 January,1996, for the first time in the history of The Victoria Falls Hotel, it closed its doors, to allow for the largest yet refurbishment and expansion. During the ten weeks of closure, with staff working 18 hours a day, the hot and cold water pipes were replaced; the old coal-fired boilers removed and replaced with environmentally friendly electric geysers; the steam operated laundry was replaced with electric equipment and a new electricity sub-station was built, equipped and commissioned. The entire building was fitted with smoke detectors, fire alarms and a water sprinkler system.

Meticulous restoration

At the same time, the front entrance of the hotel was demolished and rebuilt using original pictures and plans, to bring it back to its former grandeur. The same meticulous restoration work was done to the reception area, main lounge and the terrace.

The nightly barbecue which used to take place below the terrace was removed. The concrete paving was taken away and that area has now once more reverted to verdant lawns, adorned with flowers, shrubs and indigenous trees. Wooden benches are now in place under the trees for guests to relax and look out across the gardens to the bridge. The hotel introduced a new restaurant called Jungle Junction, named after the reach of water on the Zambezi where the flying boats were serviced in the old days. Luncheon and dinner are served there.

A new look out point below the terrace, facing directly on to the Victoria Falls Bridge and the Batoka Gorge, is another classic addition to the landscaped gardens and lower terrace. The famous Livingstone Room, re-decorated in 1994, now with gold walls replacing the previous sugar pink, had the welcome addition of air-conditioning during the 1996 closure, whilst still retaining the old-fashioned ceiling fans.

Edwardian period

All public areas were tastefully refurbished in keeping with the Edwardian period. The lofty ceilings, with fans gently tempering the heat of summer days,encourage guests to walk around the wide corridors in comfort, each one an art gallery,showing in pictures the long history of the hotel.

The swimming pool has been enlarged, a fountain added and the Edwardian arches of yesteryear restored. All bedrooms now have multi-channel satellite television and access to broadband wifi connectivity– both essential services for modern travellers.

The Stables Wing was added in 1997 with 44 new rooms, comprising42 executive twin-rooms and two honeymoon suites. Built around a similar courtyard and joined to the existing hotel, this wing was constructed in the same Edwardian style.

The bathrooms in the Sables Wing have free-standing baths with ball and claw feet and walk-in showers; a bygone age re-captured. All existing bedrooms in the main hotel were totally refurbished during late 1997 and early 1998, returned in style to the Edwardian era, in keeping with the rest of the hotel.

Leading Hotels of the World

In mid 1998 another exciting development took place when Meikles Africa Hotels bought a 50%stake in The Victoria Falls Hotel, and since then the hotel has been jointly run by African Sun, formerly Zimbabwe Sun, and by Meikles.For some time Meikles Hotel in Harare had been a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, a prestigious groupingthat includes some of the best hotels on each continent. The Victoria Falls Hotel was approved amember of this exclusive group in 1999 and these two are still the only members in Zimbabwe of The Leading Hotels of the World.

The 2000s brought a decline in tourism. During the past decade, however, strenuous efforts by the Victoria Falls travel and tourism community brought about a campaign to restore the fortunes of the area, and this has been successful in reviving visitor levels considerably.

Major refurbishment of The Victoria Falls Hotel has taken place in recent years, ranging from substantial improvements to behind-the-scenes plant and equipment to the upgrading of public areas, bedrooms and suites. This is all necessary to prepare the hotel for the likely steady improvement in visitor numbers in coming years.

More from this issue:
ZT17 (June 2014) - Main Menu
ZT17 (June 2014) - Full Content Listing

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
The Victoria Falls Hotel
Victoria Falls Destination Profile

Zambezi Traveller Issue 17 (June 2014) Full Content Listing

Zambezi Traveller Issue 17 (June 2014) Full Content Listing

The June 2014 issue of the Zambezi Traveller is now online to browse on our website - www.zambezitraveller.com - you can also download a pdf version of the whole issue here.

Cover Story

Image credit: Brent Staplecamp

Towards ‘One Health’

Special Feature - Victoria Falls Hotel 110 Anniversary

The Victoria Falls Hotel – the history

One Century Plus Ten

Meeting in the Pullman Suite

Leader of an excellent team

Kariba & Middle Zambezi

Image credit: Christopher Scott

Matusadona madness

Lion survey starts in the valley

Camping with kids made easy

Fragile, threatened paradise

Uniting people and wildlife

Harare

Image credit: Mana Meadows

Zim upcycling goes global

1,200 artists perform in Harare

Who’s who at the gathering

Cahora Bass & Tete

Image credit: Antony Alexander

After the fences came down

Step by step through Africa

Bulawayo

Bulawayo at 120

Bulawayo Market Square 1899

Victoria Falls

Image credit: Charles Brightman

‘World’s Best Destination’

Hoteliers tour the new airport

In search of large predators

One vulnerable vulture

Ding! Ding! Tickets please!

Are you a born survivor?

Cresta Sprayview - one year on

Luxury cruise boat ordered

Baobab – the tree of life

Between man and nature

Upgrade gets into gear at ‘Saf Lodge’

Fun Enduro in Vic Falls now annual event

Hwange

Image credit: Mike Myers

Wilderness and conservation

Pumping legs for water

Solutions for conflict with lions

Running for lion

Well off the beaten track

Livingstone

New brand weaves the magic

New events centre sets the standard

Image credit: Fawlty Towers

Steampunking and upcycling

Connections from collections

Feeling Blue

Pomp and ceremony at KAZA event

Safpar’s Sarah ties the knot

The true story of the African Queen

Kafue

Image credit: Game Rangers International

One elephant problem solved

Bush bike challenge

Airline raises the bar on corporate responsibility

Luangwa

Image credit: Norman Carr Safaris

Planning your Safari

Unlocking the potential of youth

Chobe

Image credit: Mark Atkinson

Tourism, beef or both?

The Ghost of Chobe Park

Autumn at the tree nursery

Work and play for HATAB 2014

Francistown Investment Forum 2014

Okavango

High tech vultures

Image credit: Krystyna Golabek

Wild dogs making their mark

Backpages

Simalaha gains momentum

Learning skills for life

Looking to the future

Okavango Delta finally listed as a World Heritage Site

The 38th Session of the World Heritage Committee, which has been meeting in Doha this week, has agreed to the Inscription of the Okavango Delta as a Natural World Heritage Site. Below is the text of the Minister of Environement, Wildlife and Tourism, the Honourable Tshedkedi Khama’s, acceptance speech following the announcement.

"On behalf of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Botswana Lt. Gen. SKI Khama, the government and the people of Botswana, I am happy to accept the status bestowed on our Okavango Delta, Natural World Heritage Site. This is evidence that the international community recognizes and acknowledges the natural outstanding universal values of the Okavango Delta.

"...Let me assure you that the government of Botswana is committed to the protection of all its natural and cultural heritage, regardless of whether it is a World Heritage site or not. We therefore assure the committee that we will continue to work with relevant stakeholders, most importantly the communities living in and around the Okavango Delta, and the riparian States of Angola and Namibia to maintain the integrity of the Okavango Delta.

"We are very honored to have the Okavango Delta as one of the World Heritage sites after Tsodilo Hills which was inscribed in 2001. The success of this nomination is attributed to the support of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the World Heritage Centre, IUCN, ICOMOS, through the Nomination Training Programme for Africa dedicated to the training of heritage professionals in Africa in the development of nomination dossiers with the aim of increasing the number of World Heritage Sites in Africa in the World Heritage List.

Source: Okavango Delta Listed as a Natural World Heritage Site - Okavango Research Insitute (21 June 2014)
Botswana’s Okavango Delta becomes World Heritage Site - StarAfrica (21 June 2014)

More from the Zambezi Traveller
Okavango

Sun International Easter Art Exhibition

Over the Easter weekend, Sun International once again opened its doors to a selection of some of Zambia’s most popular artists and photographers. Although it was a small exhibition, there was a good selection of art and photography on display.

On opening night there was a chance to sling on the high heels and attend a cocktail party in aid of Acacia International School. This was well attended by the local Livingstone residents and besides proceeds of sales going to the fund raising effort, there was also an auction by the Headmaster of a beautiful framed elephant bull on canvas. Ms. Joanne Selby of Sun International matched the bid with a donation from the hotel so it was a successful night for the school. One lucky ticket holder also went home with a treasured “Baobab Sunset” photograph by Stephen Robinson so a great night for a good cause.

'TIMELESS' by Zambian photographer, Patrick Bentley

Music Festival, Livingstone - 14 June 2014

 

 

Livingstone Tourism Association, in conjunction with Mikenatics Events & Promotions, presents to you an evening of live music entertainment featuring Darai - an international band from Germany  supported by many local music bands, cultural dance groups plus many more artists.

 

 

14th June 2014
Maramba Cultural Village

17:00 hrs to midnight

VIP - K150 pp – includes welcome drink and waiter service
LTA members -  K50 pp
Non LTA members – K60 pp
Children under 12 – K20 pp

 

 

Come sing and dance to the sounds of love and culture

VIP guests will have cider / sparkling wine and Amarula options thanks to Sunrise Beverages

Tickets are available from the following LTA members;

Waterfront
Fawlty Towers
Livingstone Backpackers

For further information contact:

LTA / James Mwanza
Tel: +260 213 322 356
Cel:+260 973 421 983
Email: lta@microlink.zm
www.livingstonetourism.com

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
Livingstone Tourism Association

Sylvester doing well with new handler

Sylvester, the Cheetah Ambassador has recently had to adjust to a new handler, but is coping well according to Farai Chikwara, his new handler and friend - who has been spending a lot of time getting to know Sylvester over the last month-and-a-half, when he stepped in to replace Ed Oelofse.

Farai had been working in Livingstone and has a wealth of experience in working with and training big cats, particularly lions, cheetahs and caracals. He said that Sylvester has taken a while to adjust to the new arrangement but can see that he is now fully adjusted and doing very well.

From the May Wild Horizons Newsletter.

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
Sylvester makes the headlines (Zambezi Traveller Blog, May 2014)
Introducing Sylvester - Cheetah Ambassador, Victoria Falls (Zambezi Traveller, Issue 10, Sept 2012)

Leonardo DiCaprio gives $1 million to elephant conservation

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation have a $1 million grant to the Elephant Crisis Fund, a joint initiative created by Wildlife Conservation Network and Save the Elephants. The grant will be used to save elephants from the current ivory poaching crisis by funding on-the-ground projects that stop poaching, trafficking, and demand for ivory.

The grant was announced at a gala in Malibu in support of the Elephant Crisis Fund, which brought the total raised that evening to $2 million, all of which will be sent directly to anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and ivory demand reduction projects on the ground.

“Elephant poaching is a brutal crisis, with more than 30,000 elephants killed last year alone,” said Leonardo DiCaprio. “The decimation of these animals is something we have the power to stop, and the Elephant Crisis Fund is a crucial part of the solution. I am honored to support them and recognize Dr. Douglas-Hamilton for his lifelong commitment to protecting this species.”

The Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF) directs 100 per cent of donations to global anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and ivory demand reduction actions on the ground. Projects supported by the Elephant Crisis Fund so far include an airplane that flies over Tsavo National Park in Kenya to detect poachers, and sniffer dogs trained to find ivory at ports.

"The only future for elephants is for governments, organisations, and individuals to join together in their support. What we have seen in Los Angeles has given us greater hope than ever, as a generous donation by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was matched by this astonishing community," said Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save The Elephants.

Source: Leonardo DiCaprio gives $1 million to elephant conservation

Update on new terminal at Victoria Falls International Airport

On Thursday 22nd May, The Airport Manager, Mr Ronnie Masawi invited members of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe to a guided tour and site inspection of the new terminal at Victoria Falls International Airport.

The construction of the new terminal is well underway, with the 3rd and final floor of the terminal building, as well as the new 4km (60m wide) runway already nearing the final stages of construction. The runway is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014, when it will be opened in order to make provisions for the upgrading of the current runway (which will be turned into a taxi-way) as well as the extension of the current apron to out in-front of the new terminal building. The new terminal is set to open in June/July of 2015.

The refurbishment and upgrade of Vic Falls International will see the airport, as a facility, upgraded to a ‘Category 2’ airport, which means that it is a very modern airport when it comes to the navigational and safety facilities that it will offer, including an ILS (Instrument Landing System) which will enable pilots to land in either direction in periods of low visibility. Dubai International Airport is also a ‘category 2’ airport. The upgrade involves the construction of a new fire station as well as an entirely new water management infrastructure, including a new 8000m3 reservoir.

The new runway will be able to accommodate all wide-bodied aircraft, up to and including the Airbus A380 Superjumbo – however, as Mr Masawi explained to the visiting group, this does not mean that the terminal building is equipped to accommodate an A380 when it comes to ground handling logistics such as catering and baggage handling. No mention was made as to which airlines are confirmed to have new services scheduled into Victoria Falls once the new terminal building is operational.

There will be 12 customs & immigration desks in the new terminal, which is very welcome news, and is sure to relieve the pressure from the mere two that exist in the current terminal building. The current terminal will also undergo a refurbishment, and will then become a fully-fledged domestic terminal. Mr Masawi also indicated that part of the new domestic terminal upgrade will include the construction of a baggage carousel – (There will be three carousels in the arrivals hall of the new terminal). The new terminal will accommodate up to 1.2 million passengers per annum, and the domestic terminal up to 800,000.

Part of the design of the new terminal will include a large circular patio area (in-permissible, enclosed with glass) which will separate the check-in area from baggage collection section on the ground floor, as well as allow ample natural light to fall into the terminal. As is the case with most modern airports, there are no plans to include a smoking lounge or viewing platform.

Mr Ronnie Masawi and his group of contractors and engineers seem to be running a tight ship, and appear to be sticking to their schedule. The construction site of both the terminal and the runway are in a neat and tidy condition, and the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe would like to commend all those involved on what appears to be a massive project, and one that is being handled and conducted in a most professional manner.

From the May Wild Horizons Newsletter.

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Raincoats for the rainforest - Wild Horizons help Victoria Falls traders

Wild Horizons, in its bid to empower local indigenous businesses and give back to local communities, has for the past 2 years assisted more than 20 families by coming up with an initiative collaboration which enables vendors at the rainforest to stay in business, stay productive, and maintain an income for them and their families.

Wild Horizons purchases 100 raincoats per year which are then donated to the Rainforest Vendors Association. This is done to ensure quality of the product and ensure that service to Wild Horizons customers is not compromised. Wild Horizons then gets priority to hire the raincoats back from the vendors for their guests' Tour of the Falls. The Association is free to sub-hire the coats to any other clients/companies when not in use by Wild Horizons.

In return, the Association’s obligations are to ensure that they are guardians of the raincoats, and that they are clean (washed and disinfected daily), folded and neatly presented to the clients.

This is just one of many similar projects that we support. Wild Horizons believes that it is small initiatives like this that empower and improve the lives of local people, to whom we owe a solid commitment of corporate social responsibility.

From the May Wild Horizons Newsletter.

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Dr. Vandana Shiva visits Zimbabwe

From 6 to 7 June 2014, eminent scientist and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva from Dehli, India will be visiting Harare.

Born to a father who was the conservator of forests in the valley of Dehran Dun and to a farmer mother with a love for nature, Dr Shiva trained as a physicist and received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1978. She later went to undertake interdisciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.

In 1982, she formed the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. This led to the creation, in 1993, of Navdanya, a network to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources (biodiversity), especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. Dr Shiva is very concerned about the effect of genetically engineered (GE) organisms on the environment, food sovereignty and the rights of farmers.

She is the author of thirteen books and over 300 articles and has been presented with numerous awards, among which are: the Right Livelihood (1993), the Order of the Golden Ark (1993), the Save the World Award (2009), the Sydney Peace Prize (2010) and Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize (2012). During her visit to Zimbabwe, Dr Shiva will share her ideas and experiences with people from all sectors of society, including key decision-makers, smallholder farmer organizations and the media. She will address a public meeting on Saturday 7 June at 2 pm at Book Cafe. The same event will display the work being done by smallholder farmers in promoting healthy indigenous foods and biodiversity through saving seeds from a wide range of crops. Admission will be free.

The trip will be sponsored by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). AFSA champions small African family farming/production systems based on agro-ecological and indigenous approaches that sustain food sovereignty and the livelihoods of communities.

For more information contact Anna Brazier on email abrazier@mango.zw and mobile 0773 267 351

Sylvester makes the headlines

Sylvester, the orphaned cheetah rescued as a cub and now looked after by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, has made headlines in the UK national press for the incredible bond formed with his handler, Ed Oelofse.

Earlier this week the UK Daily Mail featured an article on Sylvester and Ed. We've picked some highlights here, but visit the Daily Mail website for the full article here.

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
Introducing Sylvester - Cheetah Ambassador, Victoria Falls (Zambezi Traveller, Issue 10, Sept 2012)

WTM Africa adds even more experience to the SA team

WTM Africa adds even more experience to the SA team

Building on the success of the inaugural World Travel Market Africa (WTM) Thebe Reed Exhibitions are already full steam ahead in preparations for a bigger and better event for 2015. With this in mind industry specialist, Sheree Simpson, has been appointed to head up the team as General Manager for WTM Africa effective 15 May 2015.

Sheree joins Thebe Reed Exhibitions with a diverse and impressive resume that spans over 25 years. She has played important roles within relevant associations such as TBCSA, SATSA and TEP, she has ran her own business concerns and has occupied several senior positions with well known travel and tourism companies such as the Mantis Collection and Protea Hospitality.

Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Thebe Reed Exhibitions said, “WTM Africa, alongside the other 2 events that make up Africa Travel Week (ILTM Africa and IBTM Africa), is poised to play a huge role in the development and upliftment of tourism on the African continent and Sheree brings a wealth of knowledge and diverse experience to our team. We are delighted to welcome her on board and we are excited about the future of WTM Africa. It is obvious that Sheree has the expertise and energy required to take this premier event into the future.”

Agreeing with Carol, Sheree was enthusiastic about her new appointment saying, “I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to work with such a prestigious brand and to do my bit to enhance the tourism offering to bring the world to Africa and Africa to the world. I am really looking forward to leading an already talented team to deliver the best of what WTM Africa has to offer in 2015 and beyond.”

WTM Africa concluded on 3 May with over 350 exhibiting companies and 500 qualified buyers attending over 5 300 pre-scheduled appointments bringing the world to Africa and promoting Africa to the world’s leading source markets.

Next year’s event will see the show extend to three days in order to provide increased opportunities for buyers and exhibitors to meet and conduct business.

WTM Africa 2015 will take place from 15 – 17 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

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Sinamatella update from the Bhejane Trust (May 2014)

By Stephen Long (from the Bhejane Trust May 2014 Newsletter)

My suggestion, back in March, that the rainy season had come to an early close was (of course) as accurate as most weather forecasts and we had 22mm of rain in April. That gives us a total of 599mm for the season.

In spite of that rainfall, the change of season has been very noticeable. Apart from the obvious drying out of the grass, we have also seen the arrival of part of the buffalo herd that will spend much of the winter along the Sinamatella and Mbala rivers, the Palaearctic migratory birds have departed and Crowned Hornbills, Pied Crows and Golden Orioles, all of which are much more common or perhaps more obvious in the dry season have arrived. The game viewing has improved a little but there is still a great deal of long grass and sights such as this lion that sat nicely out in the open at Mandavu are few and far between.

For the second year running there has been a season-end plague of stink bugs. It hasn’t been quite as bad as last year (yet) but even so there are thousands of them searching for places to hibernate, both in and out of the house and their smell is everywhere.

BIRDING

Back in February last year we started taking part in the Southern Africa Bird Atlas Project and, with the encouragement of the Parks Ecologist at Sinamatella, we involved a number of the rangers as well. In April this year the 100th Atlas card for the Sinamatella area was completed and we now have a reliable team of atlassers amongst the rangers. In fact, data comes in faster than I am able to deal with it and I have a backlog of cards waiting to be submitted to the project – something I would not have imagined when we started.

ROADS

Visitors to Sinamatella often complain about the state of the roads – with some justification as lack of equipment and funding has severely cut road maintenance in recent years. This year the Parks Authority has found the funding needed to get the Sinamatella road grader back in working order and to hire contract workers for a few months to do some road repairs. So far the road from Mbala gate to Sinamatella has been graded and some of the bush has been cut back and a team of rangers has cut back overhanging bush along the Sinamatella River Drive and bypassed the bridge that was recently destroyed by rain. The new river crossing is not for the fainthearted and certainly isn’t good for anything but a 4x4.

There is an obvious need for a great deal more road work around the area and I’m afraid that the days of roads suitable for ordinary road-cars will not be back in a hurry but any improvement is a bonus.

RHINO

With the arrival of our ‘new’ Land Rover in March, we were able to introduce, for a while at least, a mobile monitoring team to search for our elusive rhino. We travelled to quite a number of outlying places during the month but the closest we got to any rhino was finding two or three-day old spoor. There is still far too much grass in most places for spoor to be easily visible and there is so much water around that the animals, of all species, are still able to move more or less anywhere. However, at the start of April there were few reports of rhino movements from rangers on patrol but towards month end many more reports were received so we are confident we can start bumping up the total of ‘visuals’ very soon.

During April there were more poaching scares from the Zambezi and Robins areas and it has become clear that the ‘front line’ in the poaching war has moved away from Sinamatella and is now focussed on the safer (from the poachers’ point of view) places along the Botswana and Zambian borders where elephants are a cost-effective alternative to rhino. At first sight that sounds like fairly good news but in fact it is creating a manpower problem as anti-poaching at Sinamatella can by no means be safely reduced but at the same time more trained manpower is needed elsewhere.

VEHICLES Back to the doom and gloom this month! In the March newsletter I suggested that our “new” Land Rover would inevitably give us troubles and unfortunately that was one prediction that I got absolutely right. Early in April we had problems with wheel bearings – which were easily solved, a shock absorber mounting broke off - also fairly easy to solve but the injector pump went wrong and that wasn’t at all easy to solve. We eventually had to send the vehicle to Victoria Falls for repair and at the end of the month it was still there, waiting for a new pump. At the same time, our Land Cruiser started complaining that it needed some care. I took it to Bulawayo for spares but I was so nervous of one tie-rod end in particular that I took a chance on no-one at any of the many road blocks being alert and tied it with rope as a back-up. Not really necessary as it turned out but it stopped me worrying on the journey to town. The worst problem of all though is tyres. Between the 3rd of February and the 23rd of April we repaired an average of one puncture every two days mainly because of worn tyres and both the Cruiser and the Defender are in desperate need. We can not continue as we are for much longer – these are some of the things we are currently driving on……

That they have lasted so long is a tribute to the manufacturer – but it does make life difficult sometimes!!

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Chamabonda update from Bhejane Trust (May 2014)

By Trevor Lane (from the Bhejane Trust May 2014 Newsletter)

We have been doing ongoing maintenance work in the field – the old firebreaks that cross the park have been opened up – they have not been used for many years. Bush clearing of Terminalia around Thomsons pan was undertaken, plus a general tidying up of growth at the solar unit sites and at No 3 base.

The new solar pump unit for No1 was acquired. A frame was made up and the panels and pump imported. This was all assembled at No 1.

However, we discovered a problem when putting down the pump – when Management Unit from Umtshibi was here for the release of wildebeest, etc, they somehow dropped the pump and rods into the hole and did not bother to fish them out. This means we only have two meters of water – the borehole has gone from 32m to 15m deep!

We are test pumping with the solar pump to see if it will produce enough water, and, if not, will try and make a plan to fish the pipes out, or if it comes to the worst, to drill a new borehole.

One issue we are facing is the sudden increase in elephant population in the Chamabonda – they are sucking the water troughs dry at all three water points every evening and the first couple of hours of daylight pumping are just to replenish the troughs!

Bream back in the Chamabonda! When one reads the old wardens reports on the Chambonda, they talk about fishing for bream in the vlei. This seems hard to imagine today!! However, when you look at the photos of old (following) you can see how this was. The good news is that bream are now back in the Chamabonda! Ian du Preez of Nakavango Estates organized to catch a lot and transported them in drums, and were then all released into No 3. Big thanks to Ian and his crew. I will monitor how they get on. Warning – fishing at the pan strictly verboten!!! It is hoped the fish will clean up the pan, and might attract fish eating water birds.

Vernon Booth, ex Parks Ecologist at Matetsi, has sent some fantastic aerial photos of the Chamabonda Vlei in 1980, when it was a lot wetter!!

Website:
Bhejane Trust

Crime pays for Kalahari's feathered con-artist

Drongos use the alarm calls of other animals in order to scare them off, and steal their food according to research.

Dr Tom Flower, a researcher in the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town, found that not only had the bird figured out how to do this, but it also changes alarm calls when the animals wise up to its shenanigans.

"All the animals in the Kalahari eavesdrop on each other's alarm calls, which provide invaluable information about potential predators. It's a bit of an information superhighway where all the animals speak each other's language," Flower said.

Flower observed the birds' behaviour six days a week for six months a year since 2008 in the Kuruman River Reserve, which is part of the South African Kalahari desert.

"I dread to think how many sand dunes I've climbed, but it was worth it to get the data I needed," Flower said in a statement.

"Because drongos give reliable predator information some of the time, it maintains host responsiveness (of other animals) since they can never know if the drongo is lying or telling the truth," added Amanda Ridley, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Western Australia, another of the researchers.

The scientists noticed that sometimes the other animals "get wise" to the con and ignore repeated false alarm calls. But then the wily drongos simply grab another tool from their toolbox of trickery - they mimic the alarm calls made by other animals, once again conning them into fleeing and leaving their chow behind.

Flower observed drongos mimicking more than 50 calls.

When stealing food from other animals, drongos are able to eat larger prey than they normally would be able to capture on their own like scorpions, beetle larvae and even geckos.

"Crime pays," Flower said, noting that the stolen stuff accounted for about a quarter of the food eaten by the drongos.

"One could argue that the strategy of the drongo to steal food from others seems very dishonourable in human standards. But, yes, if it has found such a crafty way to catch food, which is usually much larger than the food items it catches itself, then we cannot help but admire this clever little bird's adaptiveness," Ridley added.

According to Flower the species in the reserve are quite habituated to humans, which makes them easier to tag for future study.

"We can unravel the interactions between all these animals because different individuals are identifiable by coloured leg bands (in the case of the birds), or L'Oreal hair dye marks on the fur of the meerkats (don't worry, it's been tested on humans)," Flower said.

Flower was so successful at habituating the birds to his presence, that they came when he called them by name.

"So if I want to find drongo 'Dave', for example, I can walk into his territory, give a call and he’ll come flying over to me in return for a mealworm reward. He'll rapidly get back to his natural behaviour, hawking flies or following meerkats and babblers to steal their food, allowing me to tag along and watch what happens," Flower said.

Dr Flower is now following juvenile drongos during their development, to learn more about how they learn the mimicking behaviour.

Source: Crime pays for Kalahari's feathered con-artist (Sunday Times (SA) 12-05-15)