Kenya: New, reduced entry fees to Kenya's National Parks!

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has reduced entry fees to Kenya's National Parks and Reserves. Effective 01 November 2016, all fees were capped at $60 (Sh 6,000) for adult non-residents and Sh860 for adult Kenyan citizens. This follows a decision by the Kenyan government to exempt entry fees to National Parks and Reserves from Value Added Tax (VAT). VAT was previously factored in all entry fees and other services offered in the Parks and Reserves managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

screenshot via kws.go.ke - link (pdf)

The money collected as entrance fees by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is primarily used to help the conservation of the plants and animals within the National Parks and Reserves in Kenya.

Eastern Cape: The attractions of the Kouga Baviaans Surf & Safari Country! (video)

The Emfuleni Corridor Tourism Association (ECTOUR), an umbrella body of tourism associations from various tourism nodes across South Africa's Eastern Cape, has released a new image video highlighting the attractions of the Kouga Baviaans Surf & Safari Country. The region features Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis, Humansdorp, Hankey, Patensie, Baviaanskloof and is the southern gateway into the Baviaanskloof Mega Wilderness Reserve.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park: New entrance fees from 01 November 2016!

South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu Natal, has increased entrance fees on 01 November 2016. The new entrance fee for adults ranges between R25.00 - R45.00 per person and for children between R15.00 - R35.00 per person, depending on the gate of entry. iSimangaliso Wetland Park only accepts cash at entry gates!

screenshot via isimangaliso.com

• Overnight Accommodation - A charge of R7.00 applies per person per night (includes Rhino Gold Cards)
• Community Conservation Levy - A levy of R5.00 per person is payable. This levy goes towards the many social and conservation programmes of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Namibia: New impalas, elands and wildebeests for Khaudum National Park!

A total of 200 impalas have been relocated to the Khaudum National Park, the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in the south of the National Park and the George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana conservancies in the north. Another 50 eland and 50 blue wildebeest will follow shortly. The new animals will be free to move between the park and the three conservancies. Some of the 200 impala were relocated come from Von Bach Dam near Okahandja, while the rest came from private game farms. The eland and wildebeest are from the Waterberg National Park south-east of Otjiwarongo, which has surplus populations of both eland and wildebeest.

Khaudum National Park covers 3842km² and is situated in the Kalahari Desert in northeastern Namibia bordering Botswana. The National Park is home to elephants, roan antelopes, giraffes, elands, tsessebes, reedbucks, lions, African wilddogs, leopards, spotted hyaenas, ostriches, blue wildebeests, red hartebeests, kudus, gemsboks, warthogs, side-striped jackals, various other smaller species, as well as to over 320 species of birds. Khaudum Nature Reserve was proclaimed in 1989. In February 2007, the reserve was given National Park status.

Kruger National Park Calendar - December

Weather:

• height of summer
• very hot & humid days
• warm nights
• often spectacular lightning storms

Temperatures:

• between 18°C - 34°C (Fahrenheit: e.g. 34°C = [(34x9)]/5 + 32 = 93.2°F)
• visit our webcam page for live footage from Kruger National Park!

Landscape:

• vigorous plat growth everywhere in the park
• tree canopy very thick
• fig trees in fruit
• mopane tree in flower

Animal Activity:

• height of the impala breeding season
• predators out to get their young
• most resident non-raptor birds breeding
• animal activity all over the park

Kruger National Park tours >>
Kruger National Park info guide >>

accommodation in the Kruger NP area >>
online car hire >>

Cape Town: Cableway’s half-price Sunset Special returns!

Cape Town's Table Mountain Aerial Cableway will again introduce the annual Sunset Special. From 01 November to 18 December 2016, and from 04 January until 28 February 2017, return tickets for the Cableway are half price after 18:00 (06:00pm). Tickets are available online from 01 November 2016 (to be used only from 18:00 (06:00pm) on the day of your visit) and from the Ticket Office at the Lower Cableway Station from 18:00 (06:00pm), at R127.50 per adult and R62.50 per child.

Please note that it is not advisable to use the Cableway's free park-and-ride MyCiTi bus service for the Sunset Special as the service runs only until 19:00 (07:00pm) only.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park: Road works and closures!

update (19 December 2016): One of the Eastern Shores section’s most beautiful and rewarding game drive loops – the 18km Grassland Loop – is once again open to tourist traffic after the completion of the Bhangazi Berm bridge.

update (15 December 2016): All of the recently rehabilitated roads within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park are open to traffic as of the evening of 15 December 2016 with the exception of the kuMfazana Hide road on the Eastern Shores.

update (25 November 2016): The management of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu Natal has released an update regarding the road works and closures in the park:

Eastern Shores:

• Dune Loop is open
• KuMfazana Hide access road remains closed
• Mission Rocks Road is closed in its entirety
• Vlei Loop is closed

Tourist and other work will be continuing on Grasslands Loop and Pan Loop but the roads will be open and traffic will be controlled with flag people when necessary. The Bhangazi Culvert and Berm are not open to the public. Barricades have been placed before the culvert on the Grasslands Loop side and on the Cape Vidal side.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: From Monday 28 November until approximately 15 December the Cape Vidal ‘pass’ immediately before the Cape Vidal resort will be completely CLOSED daily to traffic between the hours of 10h30 and 14h30 as re-tarring commences. Visitors and staff are urged to plan their access and exits to outside of these hours.

Western Shores:

• All roads are now open on the Western Shores

uMkhuze:

Infrastructure improvements within the uMkhuze Section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park encompass both the rehabilitation of the road works as well as upgrades of the park facilities encompassing but not limited to the eMshophi gate, a number of the hides as well as staff housing. These works will require the closure of some of the tourist roads and points of interest within the park.

Road Closures and Traffic Control:

The road works in uMkhuze are essentially complete, with only minor drainage and finishing works being attended to. The park facility upgrades continue to require traffic control measures. The following roads are closed/under construction at uMkhuze from the 25th October to the 2nd December 2016. Road labels are as per the attached Map. Only the roads that are or will be closed to traffic are listed below:

• eMshophi Gate: Construction of the new eMshophi Gate House has commenced. The new gate house is situated approximately 1km before the existing boom gate into the Park. Traffic control in the form of stop and go’s as well as diversions around the construction works are in place.

Tourist and other traffic will be accommodated on all roads where possible. Please see the schedule below showing the anticipated closure dates of a number of the Park’s points of interest.

Points of interest:

• KuMalibala Hide: kuMalibala Hide is currently closed to the public.
• KuMahlala Hide: kuMahlala Hide is currently open to the public.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: The kuMasinga Hide is currently closed to the public for cement work on the walkways to enable disabled access.

---

update (11 November 2016): The management of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu Natal has released an update regarding the road works and closures in the park (as of 04 November 2016):

Eastern Shores:

• Mission Rocks Road is closed in its entirety.
• Tourist and other Work will be continuing on Grasslands Loop and Pan Loop but the roads will be open and traffic will be controlled with flag people when necessary. The Bhangazi Culvert and Berm are not open to the public. Barricades have been placed before the culvert on the Grasslands Loop side and on the Cape Vidal side.
  

Western Shores:

• uMphathe Loop: Final testing of the gravel surface at uMphathe Loop is underway.

Road Closures and Traffic Control:

• KuMalibala Hide Road: This road has been closed to the public by the Park management
• eMshopi Gate: Construction of the new eMshopi Gate House has commenced. The new gate house is situated approximately 1km before the existing boom gate into the Park. Traffic control in the form of stop and go’s as well as diversions around the construction works are in place.

Points of interest:

• KuMahlala Hide: kuMahlala Hide is currently open to the public.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: The kuMasinga Hide is currently open to the public, but is expected to be closed towards the end of next week (dependant on progress of the works at the KuMalibala hide). The KuMasinga hide is anticipated to be closed for 4 weeks as concrete walkways are being laid to enable disabled access. It is planned to reopen by the start of the December school holiday period.

---

South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu Natal, is currently busy with routine road maintenance and repairs.

Eastern Shores:

• The Dune Loop is open
• The kuMfazana Hide access road remains closed
• Mission Rocks Road is closed from kuMziki Picnic Site to the beach
• Vlei Loop is open
• Pan Loop is open
• Grassland Loop: Please note that the Bhangazi Culvert and Berm are not open to the public. Barricades have been placed before the culvert on the Grassland Loop side and on the Cape Vidal side

Western Shores:

• uMphathe Loop is closed
• uMdoni Loop is open (the uMthoma Aerial Boardwalk access route)

uMkhuze:

Infrastructure improvements within the uMkhuze Section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park encompass both the rehabilitation of the road works (expected to be completed at the end of November 2016) as well as upgrades of the park facilities encompassing but not limited to the eMshophi gate, a number of the hides as well as staff housing. These works will require the closure of some of the tourist roads and points of interest within the park.

Road Closures and Traffic Control:

The following roads are closed/under construction at uMkhuze from the 21 October to the 28 October 2016:

• KuMasinga Hide: Kumasinga Road 5 and Kumasinga Road 3 are both closed to the Public and will remain closed until Mid-November 2016. KuMasinga Roads 1, 2, 4 and 6 remain open
• KuMahlala Hide: Both Roads A and C remain closed to accommodate the construction of splashthroughs. The kuMahlala hide will remain accessible via road B (Road labels as per the attached Map). Road Section A is anticipated to be closed until mid-November, whilst Road C is will be closed to the end of November
• KuMalibala Hide Road: Closed
• Enxwala Vista Point Road: This road is closed as construction continues on the low level crossings situated on this road.
• eMshophi Gate: Construction of the new eMshophi Gate complex has commenced. The new gate house is situated approximately 1km before the existing boom gate into the Park. Traffic control in the form of stop and go’s as well as diversions around the construction works will be in place from Monday 17/10/2016

Tourist and other traffic will be accommodated on all roads where possible. Please see the schedule below showing the anticipated closure dates of a number of the Park’s points of interest.

Points of interest:

These points of interest in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park are currently closed or are anticipated to be closed in the near future:

• Enxwala Vista Point: Not accessible due to road works
• KuMalibala Hide: kuMalibala Hide is currently closed to the public
• KuMahlala Hide: kuMahlala Hide is currently closed to the public. While subject to confirmation this Hide is expected to be reopened to the public towards the end of November 2016
• KuMasinga Hide: kuMasinga Hide is currently open to the public. While subject to confirmation this Hide is programmed to be closed to the public towards the end of November 2016

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park covers 332 000 hectares and contains of three major lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems, most of South Africa's remaining swamp forests, Africa's largest estuarine system, 526 bird species and 25 000 year-old vegetated coastal dunes – among the highest in the world. The Park is is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu Natal, about 275 km north of Durban. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the border to Mozambique in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary.