Written by Kirsty on 14/03/11, filed under General, South Africa, South Africa Safari | No Comments
Our Africa Sales Specialist, Ally, has just returned from South Africa and tells us about her experience on the Flight of the Fish Eagle….
We’d heard about the Flight of the Fish Eagle from a friend who recommended this amazing hour long flight over the St Lucia Wetlands. Our drive from the Ghost Mountain Inn took about 45 minutes to reach to Park entrance and then another half hour game drive once inside. Luckily, the drive was straightforward and we were met by our pilot Nick who went through the safety briefing etc before we boarded the 4 seater Cessna 206.
This popular flight provides a bird’s eye view of the Phinda Private Game Reserve’s 23 000 hectares (56 800 acres) of pristine, game-rich wilderness and the Maputaland landscape. We flew over the vast pans and coastal lakes, over game-filled bushveld and densely vegetated dunes, to long stretches of beautiful coastline. We spotted a herd of hippo on the edge of the lake, before low flying over the coastal dunes for an amazing view of the Indian Ocean where we viewed a pod of dolphins enjoying the surf and some whales. This breathtaking hour-long journey is a great way to experience the region’s diversity and sheer beauty.
Written by Kirsty on 11/03/11, filed under General, Namibia | No Comments
If you are heading to Namibia then a beautiful place to visit is Swakopmund, known as the 
adventure Capital of Namibia. The Town is pleasant with new modern arcades being built, but still keeping the history behind its old colonial style buildings. You see the German Influence in many of the buildings as well as many aspects of the towns’ daily routine. There is a great selection of cafes, bakeries and obviously because of the main harbour, a good choice of seafood restaurants, all using the “catch of the day” dishes. If you are struggling to know where to eat, the locals are really friendly and are more than happy to recommend somewhere for you. The local Casino and bars are great fun, opening up at night and making this town come alive. There is also a small cinema which shows all the latest Hollywood hits and legendry films.
The town comes into its own though with the wide array of activities that are available for all different types of guests to do during their stay. I would definitely recommend the Tandem Skydiving. The views from the plane are amazing but nothing compared to those as you fall and then Glide down with the spectacular 360 degree scenery. It is a breathtaking experience. The contrast between the South Atlantic and the Namib Desert is very special.
If you are looking to see the amazing coastline from another perspective, and you do not want to throw yourself out of a plane, then there is also the flight up the Skeleton Coast, known as the “flight of a life time”. You will reach new heights and see remarkable views of the coastline and landscape, including the shipwrecks that the coastline is famous for. There is no better way to see an aerial view of the surroundings landscapes and if you are looking to get an idea of the vastness of the Namibian countryside, this should be on your list of activities to do!!
Other activities that you can do from Swakopmund include Paragliding off the sand dunes, and then sand boarding down the dunes all in one day! You can quad bike through the vast desert areas on the outskirts of town, or you can travel down to Walvis Bay for the Famous Mola Mola Boat Tour. They are a wide a selections of other activities on offer including Horse and Camel riding, Bird watching and Sea Fishing. So, as you can see, there is something for everyone in Skakopmund!
Staying in Swakopmund is a welcome contrast to the tiny villages and towns that you will generally travel through en-route to the coast from either Sossusvlei or from Damaraland. It’s a place to explore and test your adrenalin junkie side, or kick back and relax in one of the coffee shops with an apple strudel or two!
Written by Kirsty on 07/03/11, filed under General, South Africa | No Comments
Those of you who have been keeping up with the cricket world cup will kno
w that there was an 
important group match this weekend between England and South Africa. Obviously here at Africa Sky there were loyalties, which were particularly strained during such a contest.
After winning the toss and electing to bat England struggled to get going and the South African bowlers took advantage taking regular wickets to reduce England to 171 all out. South Africa’s batsmen looked on course to continue England’s misery getting out to 68-0 before the wickets started to tumble. Before long what had seemed like a routine victory for South Africa had turned into a real scrap which ultimately the English bowlers would win against the odds. The victory leaves England second in group B whilst South Africa is fourth.
Elsewhere in group A the African teams have been struggling for wins. Zimbabwe is currently fifth with one triumph whilst Kenya is bottom and, yet to taste victory. The two teams will meet on Sunday 20th March 2011 and hopefully each will still have something to play for.
