News | View Newsarchives | View Newsletters
Subscribe

February 2007 Sanctuary Talking

GENERAL NEWS

More Accolades for our luxury portfolio!

Green Season Special

A reminder that there is still time to book our fantastic Green Season Special - exceptional to view newborn mammals, an array of summer flowers as well as a migration of rare birds, while predator sightings remains high. There are only limited units available, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Rates are valid for reservations travelling between 01 December 2006 and 31 March 2007 with a minimum stay of four nights. Normal reservations and cancellation terms and conditions apply.

Tanzania Camps Annual Closure 

Please note that our Tanzania portfolio, Kusini and Swala, will be closed for the rainy season from mid-April 2007 until the end of May 2007.

New guest amenities at Sanctuary Lodges & Camps

Since our luxury portfolio of lodges & camps are based in Africa, we felt it necessary to provide products that are local, indigenous and that would provide a larger range of products, hence the decision was made to utilise products from Beautiful Earth Essentials.

Beautiful Earth Essentials is a small family run company based on the beautiful slopes of Simonskloof in Simonstown, Cape Town, which specialises in hand-made aromatherapy products. These products are created by a registered, qualified aromatherapist as well as a cosmetic chemist. Beautiful Earth Essentials pride themselves on the quality of their products and make up batches in small quantities to ensure that the standard is maintained. No synthetic fragrances are used, fragrances are created purely from 100% therapeutic grade essential oils and base oils and they use organic or wild crafted organic where possible. They do not use synthetic colourants, animal products or by-products in their product range and ensure that they are environmentally friendly, products are not tested on animals and only a natural preservative is used in the products.

The implementation starts with award winning Chobe Chilwero in March 2007 with Baines’ Camp, Chief’s Camp and Stanley’s Camp to follow suit in the next few months. The items that will be featured in our lodges & camps are:

• Earth Hand and Body Wash
• Earth Shampoo
• Earth Conditioner (which has specifically been developed for us)
• Earth Body Lotion
• Glycerine lavender soap for in-room basins
• Glycerine Africa tea tree and lemongrass for showers and baths at Chobe Chilwero
• Earth Bath Foam for Chobe Chilwero
• Aromatic Bath Salts for Chobe Chilwero
• A non-aerosol Insect Repellant Spray  (using natural essential oils of Peppermint, Lavender, Lemongrass and Geranium which will be placed in the bedrooms).

In line with our current recycling practices, products are bought in bulk and decanted into 300ml PET plastic dispensing bottles, which is a recyclable plastic, allowing us to minimise on disposing of additional packaging. Guests will find an information sheet for their perusal, which outlines the ingredients of the products as well as the background of the company.

Living With Elephants

Elephants can live for 50 years, so when Doug and Sandi Groves adopted Jabu, Thembi and later Morula, rescuing them from culling operations that had left them orphans, they knew they were making a life-long commitment to the trio. Doug and Sandi Groves have strived to find ways in which their adopted elephants can act as ambassadors to their wild counterparts.

In 1999, the Living With Elephants Foundation (LWE) was launched as an organisation that could help the Groves and their trio fulfil their elephant sized dreams. Living With Elephants Foundation (LWE) is dedicated to relieving conflict and competition between the African Elephant and human populations in Botswana. Sanctuary Lodges & Camps is proud to be a partner of this important endeavour.

You are invited to discover the elephants, from the bristled ends of their long tails to the tip of their powerful yet sensitive trunks. Marvel at their big ears, thoughtful eyes and enormous padded feet. Trace the textures of their skin and the silken polish of their ivory. Explore the astonishing bonds of kinship forged over more than a decade between the elephants and their guardians in a wilderness of mesmerising beauty. A delicate blink of Morula’s long lashes reveals her sensitive yet powerful personality. Jabu takes you, trunk in hand, with his bold and generous nature and together you slowly uncover the age-old secrets of the African elephant and the mysteries of the surrounding wilderness. Thembi, cute, boisterous and impossible to ignore, infatuates you and transforms your understanding of elephants to a deeper and more personal level. 

Come and join us on this unique and educational experience that will be leave you in awe of these gentle giants.

BOTSWANA

Baines’ Camp

A large rain storm of 38mm lashed down one afternoon but the rest of the month remained hot, with only a few light showers. Days are clear with a build up of clouds in the afternoon. We had the wild dogs come through the area again. Guests enjoyed watching them lazing around and they were quite relaxed around the vehicle, much to the delight of the guests since they managed to get a number of good pictures.

We had a great week for leopards - we had “Anita” kill a Reedbuck which she dragged up a tree very close to Stanley’s Camp on the way to the airstrip. She was there for three days which provided great viewing for our guests. A group of guests who stayed with us were very lucky to see six separate leopards in the three days – marvellous!

Being isolated deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta, makes it difficult for the camp to assist communities in giving supplies to Maun schools or showing guests the villages. However, we are in a position that everything we do goes towards the support and development of the six villages located around the perimeter of the concession.

These six villages are part of the Okavango Koporoto Community Trust (OKCT), which holds the lease for the land where Baines’ Camp and Stanley’s Camp are located. In addition to land fees, which the lodges pay to the Community Trust, every staff member is hired from these communities. Each new employee is appropriately trained for the particular job they are allocated. Once trained, staff are encouraged to commit to cross-exposure programs where they have the opportunity to learn additional skills. All this serves to uplift the community, increasing drive towards focusing on a career and teaching the younger generation that they have the opportunity to learn skills that they would otherwise not have been exposed to. Some recent examples are:

STEVE NGWANAANOKA:
Started work at Baines’ Camp in October 2006 with no work experience but an interest in being a chef. By January he was cooking great meals for all the guests, and contributed some recipes of his own design.

FLORENCE MOTALESELO:
Having great drive and determination, Flo started in the housekeeping department at Stanley’s Camp and then moved to be a waiter and finally a hostess, before being promoted to Assistant Manager at Baines’ Camp. This is an extremely challenging position, dealing with both guests and staff, which she handles with extreme professionalism.

COMPUTER SKILLS:
Access to computers at school in Botswana is very limited, yet this is a necessary skill required to compete successfully for jobs in the modern world. When we offered daily training sessions to the staff, the demand was so great that we had to offer several different classes. Now we have waiters, housekeepers, scullery and maintenance workers that are able to utilise the computer and they are keen to learn more.

BAINES’ DRIVING SCHOOL:
Despite often living many miles away from the nearest shops, very few people in Botswana have a driver’s license. It is expensive to take lessons and the opportunity to practice in a car is not open to many. When a staff member presents us with a learners permit, we use our utility vehicle to help the staff member learn the practical side of driving. This is an invaluable tool in providing for their community: allowing people better access to doctors, education and supplies by being able to drive from the rural areas to the towns.

Chief’s Camp

We are still well below our average rainfall for February and have only had two heavy storms. Summer seems to be changing a little bit with cooler morning and evenings, while the daily heat has not changed much.

Chief’s Camp has had some really exceptional game viewing this month and we are thrilled to advise that the leopards are back! The guides have spotted a female with two big cubs in the first crossing area as well as a female with a small cub, joined by a male in the Sunset Alley area. They also spotted a relaxed male at Crocodile Forest with a kill – magnificent sightings!

The two male cheetahs who have made the Golf Course area their home have provided guests with some great photographic opportunities. They seem very relaxed and have been seen on numerous occasions. There have also been a great sightings of the two resident packs of wild dog. The pack of three dogs were seen hunting in the Boro West area a few times while the pack of 4 dogs were seen towards the Rhino Head Quarters and Boro pit area close to camp.

There are a couple of big breeding herds of elephants on the concession which have provided some great sightings this month as well. Although rhinos have not been seen frequently during the month, due to the water shortage in the Rhino Head Quarter area, they did decide to display themselves on “Valentines Day” when seven individuals were seen - first a mum and her calf and then a crash of 5 rhino in the Small Baobab area.

Lions have been plentiful, as usual, with the Piajo pride as well as the Boro West pride being sighted on a daily basis. We had two young nomads disrupt bush drinks one evening on their way through the area. A male lion killed a tsessebe in front of the camp one night and serenade our dining guests with roars that carried across the open plains. The two new males seem to be dominating the area while the Mombo Boys have not been seen in the last few months. General game is mostly up in the Simbira and Boro area due to the lack of water in other areas, but we expect some good game movement when the floods come in.

“We appreciate the kind and attentive staff, from top to bottom. For us, this was a true safari experience that we will not forget “
Rachlin

Chobe Chilwero

Chobe Chilwero borders the world-renowned Chobe National Park and means “place of high view” in the local language of Setswana. This exquisite lodge sits above the Chobe River and offers unparalleled panoramic views across the islands and flood plains as far as Namibia.

The lodge offers 6 king and 9 twin luxury thatched cottages, each cottage features en-suite facilities with a large sunken handcrafted bath, indoor and outdoor showers, private garden with hammock, “sala” or private balcony, mosquito nets, ceiling fans, air-conditioning, hairdryer, minibar as well as an in-room safe. The main public area includes an elegant lounge and dining room linked to spectacular outdoor viewing patios with the wine cellar housing a large variety of the finest South African and European wines.

The lodge also boasts a split-level swimming pool, library, curio shop and an e-communications centre. A range of spa treatments ensure ultimate relaxation and pampering while other activities include  game drives in open 4 x 4 game viewing vehicles, motorised boat safaris and spectacular sundowner cruises on the Chobe River. Fishing excursions are also available at an additional cost (additional cost.) On day trips to Victoria Falls, guests may bungee jump, river raft, microlite, tether balloon, shop, tour the Falls, visit the cultural village, or go elephant back riding. Scenic flights over four countries are also offered (additional cost).

Stanley’s Camp

There have been good sightings of Impala, Zebra and Bushbuck in and around camp this past month. We did have a leopard in camp one night during our braai (barbeque) evening - eating out under the stars – when we heard the Impala going crazy. We then heard the leopard calling and our guests were fortunate enough to track her and spot her the very next morning whilst on their morning game drive.

We appear to have a family of lion in the area who have 3 beautiful cubs that provide our guests with some really entertaining moments.

Our guides have also managed to spot a big herd of Buffalo in the area and we hope to spot a killing soon. One day, a squirrel managed to sneak into the office and stole the managers’ toast. The squirrel then hid behind the office and was enjoying “the stolen toast” when a snake crept up behind him. He was very close to being “toast” himself, when his friends warned him by squeaking “keee k eke keeee”. He turned around and quickly ran up a tree telling himself “FORGET THE TOAST!”. As the saying goes….what goes around comes around…

Our honeymoon couple of the month thoroughly enjoyed the romantic candlelit private dinner on the pool deck. Their evening was made more special with leopard calls in the background!

The Management units have been completed and we have new cushion covers for the patios in front of each of the luxurious cottages – they look fantastic!

There have been a number of football matches in the private concession (NG32) this month between our team (Eagles) and the villages. We had a game at Boro village and unfortunately lost, so our team is busy training very hard for the rematch which we hope to win - GO EAGLES GO!

“The food served in Stanley’s has been very delicious and we appreciate the friendliness of the staff, who have made us enjoy our very first trip to Botswana and Africa as a whole.”
Mr. & Mrs. Fogel        

“You have made this the trip of a lifetime and we are definitely coming back to visit.  We felt like family and everyone was so welcoming and kind.”
Mr, Mrs and Miss Holman

EAST AFRICA

Kusini

February has been really wet with over 60mm in one night! The migration has passed Ndutu and has provided our guests with some good sightings of lion. General game viewing has been good as the area is drying out after the rains. Many guests have had good sightings of the migration as well as exceptional cheetah sightings.

The sighting of the month was when a cheetah mother caught a young Thompsons Gazelle and was teaching her offspring how to hunt - practicing for when they are independent. All the guests were thrilled at this spectacle.

We are in the process of setting up internet in the curio shop for guests to utilise and have made new gravel pathways around camp, which is especially welcomed in the wet conditions.

Quirky Story:
Our tractor driver should be promoted to being a guide, so we were told by many of our guests! He is out almost every day as a rescue vehicle when any game drive vehicles get stuck. On one particular day, he really was a hero. It had been a quiet game drive and as he followed the vehicles home, managed to spot 3 lionesses for our guests. Everyone was overjoyed and not too long after, he spotted 2 cheetah brothers! These cheetahs were hunting and after a long stalk, killed a Thompsons Gazelle in full view of the game drive vehicles! He really was extremely popular with the guests and drivers alike!

“‘Unforgettable, especially the sunsets. A true 5 star experience. Your staff really differentiate you from our other stops so far. Asante Sana.
Bob and Susie Walters

Olonana

The tragic death of Honey

Honey was probably the most well known cheetah in the world and appeared in many episodes of the famous “Big Cat Diaries”. She was loved all over the world and words cannot express how much she will be missed.

Honey was most famous for jumping onto vehicles to obtain a better view of her idyllic world – the Maasai Mara. This special cheetah was killed on the 17th of February 2007 in full view of her three remaining cubs - a tragedy which is felt by many around the world.    

Pictured right: Honey on an Olonana vehicle, where she spent many hours resting, watching and sleeping.

In May 2006 Honey gave birth to five cheetah cubs on the plains in front of Kichwa Tembo. She remained in this area for many months giving hundreds of guests a small insight into the pleasures of her world. Unfortunately two of the cubs were killed the following year by other predators. 

 Pictured Left: Honey the ever protective and loving mother.

She also provided many guests with some spectacular sightings of kills that she made to feed herself and her little cubs. The cubs had started to hunt with their mother but are still very inexperienced.

During the migration, Honey spent most of her time around a lodge with her three sons and then returned to the Kichwa Tembo plains just before the rains started in October. We were so used to her being around, and making herself and her cubs available for guests, that it is difficult to accept that she is gone. Her death has left a huge cavern, and a devastating sense of sadness, in the Mara that is felt by guests and guides alike. 

Pictured left: Honey - ready & regal - with a male Thompson’s Gazelle.

Our hearts go out to her three little cubs that have been left without a mother to care for them. They have been traumatised by this untimely event and are still waiting for her to return. It is heartbreaking to watch as they keep on looking out for her. They are however being cared for by many, and the Mara Conservancy will be feeding and protecting the cubs until they are old enough to fend for themselves. We remain positive that they will survive together and bring new cheetah life into the Mara.

Honey – your sons miss you more than you will ever know and so do we… 

Swala

Rain, rain and more rain…over 118mm for the first 2 weeks of Feb. There are still quite a number of elephant herds around and really good giraffe sightings although most of the game have left the park and gone into the Simanjiro area. The resident lion pride chased our impala herd right through dinner one evening, but were unsuccessful with their supper attempt. We have had to cut most of the grass inside the camp, which the impalas use to their advantage as they can spot danger from much further away now. We have also been kept very busy digging and repairing drainage furrows throughout the camp to channel the water away from the tents and pathways.

“The entire campsite was amazing and service excellent. Best food on the trip so far. Thank you for making us feel so welcome”
Monica – Eckard College

“We loved the vegetarian food, more please! Well presented, quality excellent”
Hunt Party

“Maryna, Steve and the entire staff were truly remarkable, we are sorry to leave. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel welcome, safe and practically pampered. The food choices and presentation were excellent! Great Honeymoon, thank you”
Billy and Lisa Comess 

DISH OF THE MONTH
Amarula & Cashew nut ice cream
(courtesy of Kusini Camp)

Ingredients:
750ml milk
3 eggs
75ml castor sugar
1 tin condensed milk
10ml vanilla essence
40ml Amarula liqueur
Half cup chopped cashew nuts

• Warm milk, do not boil.
• Beat eggs and sugar together.
• Add a little hot milk, stir to mix, add the rest of the milk, cook slowly, on low heat, stirring, until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Remove. Stir in condensed milk, essence, amarula and nuts.
• Pour into container and cool.
• Freeze.
• This must be frozen quickly, and softened slightly before serving.

TOP