NEWSLETTERS - 2011

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Destinations | Safaris | Honeymoons | Beaches | Families | Video Library July Newsletter: Migration Special Welcome to the Africa Odyssey July newsletter. The spotlight this month is on the Great Migration and the best places from which to view the famous river crossings. The Serengeti’s Migration herds began their push North a couple of weeks ago, leaving the Western Corridor to head through the Lobo region and on to the majestic Lamai Wedge at Kogatende. We have received a couple of reports that the front runners have started the Mara River crossings with the main herds guaranteed to be criss-crossing throughout the whole of August, September and October. This is a fantastic time of year to be in the Serengeti! The Lamai Wedge, Wogakuria and Kogatende are the places to be: Rhino sightings are on the increase and heavy predator concentrations throughout the region guarantee exceptional game viewing. There are only two permanent lodges in the area – one of which is Nomad Tanzania’s new Lamai Serengeti – but the area is most famous for its mobile camps. To easily picture where the migration will be at any given time please see our interactive Migration Map. But for the full lowdown please call the team on 020 7471 8780 or from the US 1-866 356 4691 The best camps for the river crossings: The fantastic new Nomad Tanzania’s Lamai Serengeti &Beyond’s Serengeti Under Canvas Asilia’s mobile Olakira Camp Asilia’s Sayari Camp Alex walker’s exceptional Serian Serengeti Video: Nomad Tanzania’s Lamai Serengeti Nomad Tanzania’s Lamai Serengeti is the newcomer to the Kogatende/Wogakuria region. One of only two permanent lodges in the area, Lamai Serengeti has arguably the best location of any camp. Set up on a large rock kopje, the views here are simply mindblowing – if the area was a set for the Lion King, Lamai Serengeti would be Pride Rock! Great guiding and the normal high standards we have come to expect from Nomads mean this camp is sending shockwaves through the Serengeti. $845pppn shared safari More info on Lamai Serengeti ^ Top &Beyond’s Serengeti Under Canvas &Beyond’s Serengeti Under Canvas camps are the most luxurious of all the mobile operations. The tents are smaller than the other mobile camps but the sheer quality of product is undeniable. In our experience the locations of all the &Beyond mobile camps are spot on. The quality of guiding is superb, and food and service are pretty much impeccable. The only negative is the price – $1,045pppn shared safari! More info on Serengeti Under Canvas ^ Top Olakira Camp, Asilia Safaris Olakira camp is one of the Serengeti’s best value camps. With 8 rooms Olakira is one of the larger mobile camps but this fact takes little away from the quality of product; the tents are incredibly spacious and much more luxurious than people expect from an adventurous mobile operation. Olakira’s Kogatende location looks over a bend in the Mara river, a focus point for some of the Migrations biggest river crossings! The vehicles are open sided giving guests great viewing. $635pppn shared safari. More info on Olakira Camp ^ Top Sayari Camp, Asilia Safaris Sayari Camp was the first permanent lodge in the Kogatende region. Located on a gently sloping hill, Sayari looks out over the Serengeti towards the Masai Mara and offers an alternative to the adventurous mobile camps. Beautiful rooms and the usual high quality of Asilia’s guiding and service mean that Sayari has established itself as one of the Serengeti’s finest lodges. $790pppn shared safari More info on Sayari Camp ^ Top Alex Walker’s Serian Camp Alex Walker is one of East Africa’s most famous guides. His new mobile Serian Camp is a fantastic authentic safari camp that is one of the Serengeti’s finest mobile operations. The 6 roomed camp usually runs at only 4 rooms and is therefore the smallest Serengeti camp. Alex currently hosts and guides at Serian making the camp the only owner run property in the entire Serengeti and one of very few left in Africa. A great camp fit for adventurous first timers and the safari connoisseur. $850pppn private safari. More info on Serian ^ Top Africa Odyssey – The very best personalised itineraries to Africa and the Indian Ocean Customer Testimonial “Firstly, a belated huge thank you to Julian who organised our honeymoon – it was fantastic and we felt that he had really listened to what we wanted and booked us the places that suited our time and budget, as well as our competing desires for adventure and relaxation.” S Kirby 2011

Book with complete peace of mind ; Africa Odyssey are members of ATOL (5397) Registered office: 1 Swan Mews, London SW6 4QT England © Africa Odyssey 2011. All offers are available at the time of sending this email, but availability can be limited. Prices are subject to change without prior notification.

Our big news this month is that after so many years of hard work we have finally ‘soft’-launched our new website www.africaodyssey.com. Our new site unites our specialist interests and knowledge of Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles, and we believe it to be the very best of its kind!

As well as a wealth of information about the countries and parks, we have included video, slide-shows, our own frank reviews, paw ratings, prices, and Google maps of just about every top lodge in Africa – over 400 of them. This should provide a comprehensive information resource for anyone planning an African or Indian Ocean adventure.

Wherever possible, we have tried to highlight the best experiences and lodges in each country and area. We have also developed a top toolbar to guide those with specific interests or travel requirements; for example, honeymooners or families, fishing or diving, birdwatchers or those seeking adrenaline-inducing pursuits

The sections for Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique are currently not as thorough as the other countries on the site; these are work in progress, and will be completed by the end of the 2011. We also aim to have Uganda and Rwanda covered for the gorilla extensions we often do with Tanzania or Kenya, as well as a section on Cape Town and the Kruger National Park.

There is one final stage we are planning which will take the site to a completely new level. However, we would not like to give ALL of our secrets away in one go (especially since so many of our competitors are signed-up to this newsletter) so stay tuned for the next installment.

We would like to invite you take a look around the site; all constructive criticism is gratefully received! If you are Facebook-minded please do become our fan at Facebook or use the ‘like’ and ‘tweet’ buttons throughout the site to spread the word.

Finally, please don’t forget our sister company – Latin Odyssey who are also developing their website in this new, user-friendly style. If your thoughts are turning to South or Central America, do give them a call.

In the past, our beloved video footage of every lodge and hotel has been described as ‘authentically awful’… So we have upped the ante by investing in HD video camera equipment. Over the course of the next few years we will be re-videoing all the lodges and parks, and this new video format is definitely a step in the right direction! Please see the following taken by Ted in Tanzania’s Mahale.

We believe strongly in supporting owner-run operations as much as possible, mainly because these tend to maintain superior quality and reliability. We would like to take this opportunity to showcase a few of our favourites:

Alex Walker’s Serian

We have had excellent feedback from clients staying in this gloriously unspoilt region of the northern Serengeti. Serian is providing some of the best guiding anywhere, and to further pique your interest, Alex is offering a stay for 4, pay for 3 deal for 2011.

Coppingers’ Remote Africa

John Coppingers’ Remote Africa in Zambia is probably our favorite owner-run safari company anywhere. Throughout 2011, John and his wife Carol are offering a number of deals on their camps. For those seeking adventurous safari experiences with brilliant guiding in Africa’s wildest parks, Remote Africa will fulfil your wildest dreams. During Julian’s last trip to the North Luangwa, he saw no other people, but did encounter lion and wild dog on foot… exceptional.

Safari with Jonathan Scott

Keeping the focus on Zambia, we are delighted to be able to offer a safari to South Luangwa led by the Big Cat Diary’s Jonathan Scott and the Bushcamp Company’s Phil Berry. If this interests you please contact us as soon as possible as the availability for this trip in 2011 is nearly gone!

Charles Dobie’s Selous

The Selous Safari Company are offering low season rates for the first rooms booked in their safari camps (except August). As a result, the value to be had at Jongomero and Selous Safari Camp is the best we have seen for the last few years. 2011 is definitely the year to travel to enjoy these superb camps!