Kruger National Park Calendar - July!

Weather:

• warm to cool days
• cold nights & chilly mornings
• occasional winds
• occasional patches of hot weather
• almost no rain

Temperatures:

• between 9°C - 26°C (Fahrenheit: e.g. 28°C = [(28x9)]/5 + 32 = 82.4°F)
• visit our webcam page for live footage from Kruger National Park!

Landscape:

• water becomes scarce throughout the park
• bush is very dry; almost no leaf cover
• strange-smelling "potato bush" begins flowering

Animal Activity:

• game increasingly concentrated around water
• game spotting usually very good in the South of the park
• north of the park dominated by elephants
• resident raptors breeding
• many weaker aninmals taken by predators

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Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Park shops with changed opening hours due to stocktaking!

The Regional Communications Manager: Arid Parks at South African National Parks (SANParks), Genevieve Maasdorp, announced in the SANParks - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park facebook group that stocktaking needs to be performed at all shops in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The operating hours of the shops at Nossob Rest Camp, Mata-Mata Rest Camp and Twee Rivieren Rest Camp will therefore change between 29 May 2023 and 31 May 2023 as follows:

• Nossob Rest Camp: Shop will be open from 07:30 - 09:00 and again from 15:00 - 18:15 on 29 May 2023
• Mata-Mata Rest Camp: Shop will be open from 07:30 - 09:00 and again from 15:00 - 18:15 on 30 May 2023
• Twee Rivieren Rest Camp: Shop will be open from 15:00 - 18:15 on 31 May 2023

Ranking: South Africa is one of the most gay-friendly travel destinations worldwide!

According to a recent study by MyDatingAdviser.com, an online dating advice platform, South Africa is one of the most gay-friendly travel destinations worldwide. The country got ranked 11th with a LGBTQ+ travel index score of 86.2 out of 100 points. In order to determine the most gay-friendly destinations, MyDatingAdviser.com compared 34 countries around the globe and took into account the following eight factors: society acceptance towards homosexuality, sexual activity rights, civil union rights, marriage rights, adoption rights, military service rights, anti-discimination and gender identity laws.
The most gay-friendly destination in the world is Sweden, followed by the Netherlands, Spain, France and the UK. No other African country besides South Africa made it to the Top 20 gay-friendly destinations worldwide.

South Africa:

• LGBTQ+ Travel Index Score: 86.2
• Society Acceptance: 54%
• Sexual Activity Rights: Male legal since 1998. Female always legal. + UN decl. sign.
• Civil Union Rights: Limited recognition of unregistered partnerships since 1998; same-sex marriage since 2006.
• Marriage Rights: Legal since 2006.
• Adoption Rights: Legal since 2002.
• Military Service Rights: Since 1998.
• Anti-Discrimination Laws: Constitution bans all anti-gay discrimination.
• Gender Identity Laws:  Anti-discrimination laws are interpreted to include gender identity; legal gender may be changed after surgical or medical treatment.
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Zambia: Zambia Airways launches flights to South Africa!

The national airline of the Republic of Zambia, Zambia Airways, is set to launch scheduled flights to South Africa. The airline has announced that it will introduce direct flights between Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg. Effective 01 June 2023, Zambia Airways will operate five return flights per week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat) to Johannesburg, using a Boeing 737-700 in a two-class configuration, business and economy class. Flights will become daily return flights from 01 July 2023.

• Lusaka 07:00 > 09:00 Johannesburg
• Johannesburg 09:45 > 11:45 Lusaka

Zambia Airways commenced operations on 01 December 2021. The airline currently connects Lusaka with the tourist heart of Zambia, Livingstone, Ndola in the Copperbelt Province, Solwezi in Zambia's North-Western Province as well as Harare in Zimbabwe.

online flight booking on TravelComments.com >>

 

Agulhas National Park: A new art sculpture has been unveiled at the Southernmost Tip of Africa!

A new art sculpture has been unveiled at the Southernmost Tip of Africa in the Agulhas National Park in South Africa's Western Cape. "The Lesser Spotted Cape Creature" is a €15 000 project which is funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through the Metis Fund and supported by South African National Parks (SANParks). It was conceptualised to create a unique opportunity for the area’s youth to connect on, share and express their concerns about the climate crisis through art. 

“The sculpture is symbolic as it is located in the southernmost tip of Africa. As climate change intensifies, women and men, species are progressively migrating to the poles in search of cooler climates. The location of the sculpture is symbolic, as the Agulhas National Park will eventually become the place where all species meet and are unable to go further. We hope that the sculpture will continue to serve as a reminder for us all, including tourists, to take action to tackle climate change." (Audrey Rojkoff, AFD Regional Director for Southern Africa and Country Director for South Africa)

Guided by artist Hannelie Coetzee, a three-day immersive workshop was conducted to inspire young people to become environmental leaders and to promote sustainable development in the region, through the Overberg Eco-Rangers programme, a SANParks youth outreach initiative. The sculpture was then created by Coetzee and symbolizes the intersection between art and science.

South Africa: Seasonal rainfall & temperature outlook (May - September 2023)!

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has released the Seasonal Climate Watch for the period May 2023 to September 2023. According to the seasonal outlook, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a neutral state. Forecasts indicate that it will likely remain in a neutral state during winter, with predictions indicating a higher probability to switch to an El Niño state during late-spring (July - September). However, the impact of ENSO is limited for the coming seasons until the next summer season which may be impacted by an l Niño state if early predictions are correct.

The multi-model rainfall forecast indicates above-normal rainfall for most of South Africa during early winter. Of importance for the next two seasons, mid-winter (June -August) and late-winter (July - September), there is below-normal rainfall expected for the south-western part of the country and above-normal rainfall for the southern coastal areas of South Africa. As most of the rainfall during winter is expected in South Africa's far south-west, the below-normal rainfall conditions in those areas are expected to have a significant impact.
Minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be mostly above-normal in the whole of South Africa for the forecast period (May 2023 to September 2023).

South African National Parks: Karoo National Park goes cash free!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that Karoo National Park in South Africa's Western Cape will be going cash free. It is one of a handful of National Parks in the country which is implementing this approach during a second phase after the initial roll-out to others in September 2021. Effective 01 June 2023,  cash will no longer be accepted as a method of payment in Karoo National Park. Instead, visitors are urged to make use of the speed point payment systems. All trade and tourism activities, such as entrance/conservation fees, activity fees and accommodation fees, will be cash free and therefore cash will not be accepted. However, the independently owned and run shop and restaurant in the Karoo National Park  will continue to take cash as a form of payment.