XO News - March 09

I’m not talking about me but about this unbelievable 6 star hotel that will soon open it’s doors in our city of Cape Town.

Be ready, two nights will be offered in the special edition that you will receive this month.

Sebastien Charrieras - Director of XO Africa

The Victoria Falls constitutes one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The Local people call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya" -- the smoke that thunders. There is a magic about them manifested in the towering column of spray when the river is high, the thunder of the falling water, the terrifying abyss and tranquil lagoons upstream in which hippo and deadly crocodiles lurk.

The Falls are 1 708 meters wide, making them the largest curtain of water in the world. It drops between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge and an average of 550,000 cubic metres of water plummets over the edge every minute.

Remarkably preserved in it's natural state, Victoria Falls inspires visitors, as much today, as it did David Livingstone in the 1860's. The Falls and the surrounding area have been declared National Parks and a World Heritage Site, thus preserving the area from excessive commercialisation.

The river's annual flood season is February to May with a peak in April. The spray from the falls typically rises to a height of over 400 metres (1,300 ft), and sometimes even twice as high, and is visible from up to 50 km (30 miles) away. During the flood season, however, it is impossible to see the foot of the falls and most of its face, and the walks along the cliff opposite it are in a constant shower and shrouded in mist. Close to the edge of the cliff, spray shoots upward like inverted rain, especially at Zambia's Knife-Edge Bridge.

Livingstone (Zambia) is a historic colonial city and tourism centre for Victoria Falls lying 10 km south on the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls. The Airport has connecting flights to Lusaka and Johannesburg in South Africa.

A number of activities can be undertaken. The 'Flight of Angels' provides a fabulous vista of the falls, the upstream river and it's many islands and for the more adventurous there is microlighting with stunning views of the Falls.

by Cécile Castoldi - DMC Consultant

Lodge Actually - Earth Lodge : Sabi Sabi private Game Reserve

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The Clearwater Game Lodge is situated in the spectacular scenery of the Waterberg Mountains in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, and consists of two intimate but exquisitely luxurious private game lodges. The Clearwater Game Lodge consists of the exclusive Tshetshepi Lodge and the Kudu Lodge. This beautiful accommodation is a sanctuary of peace located in the game rich Welgevonden Game Reserve, Limpopo.

The Waterberg Mountains, Limpopo Province ( South Africa ), are located just a mere two and a half hours drive from Johannesburg and offer a wonderful variety of landscapes. This magnificent wilderness surrounding The Clearwater Lodge area offers an unrivalled African bush experience from boundless, rolling Savannah, ancient bush to lush, life-sustaining rivers. The Waterberg are aptly named for the strong streams that have always flowed here. Even in dry seasons, which make game viewing easier, life sustaining water is always available, feeding local rivers and even the mighty Limpopo. This magnificent part of the African bush offers weary souls the chance to reconnect with that centre of inner peace that we so easily forgotten, in one of Africa's most important and extraordinary areas of conservation.

Tsheshepi Lodge
The exclusive Tsheshepi Lodge is nestled up against the mountainside amongst lush indigenous trees with each chalet enjoying the tranquil trickle of a mountain stream – Tsheshepi Lodge is the ultimate bushveld hideaway. Features at the Tsheshepi Lodge include: 5 star luxury chalets, european-style luxury , sumptuous double and twin beds, en-suite bathrooms, ethnic gourmet food, wine and a private swimming pool.

Kudu Lodge
The Kudu Lodge at the Clearwater Game Lodge is set out on the open Savannah overlooking a waterhole. Guests staying at the Kudu Lodge can lie in luxury and watch page after page of “Out of Africa” pass lazily in front of their eyes or sit on the deck and absorb the vastness of Africa. Features at the Kudu Lodge include: chalets accommodating a maximum of 10 guests, 5-star, european-style luxury, sumptuous double and twin beds, en-suite bathrooms, gourmet food, wine and a private swimming pool.

Activities offered at the Clearwater Game Lodge, Welgevonden Game Reserve
The game reserve is home to Africa's Big Five, it is a birdwatchers paradise with abundant antelope and indigenous flora as well as a treasure chest of ancient archaeological culture with San Bushmen cave art and mystical rock formations. Set against the diversity of riverine scrub, woodlands, grasslands, fertile valleys and crystal tracts of water, the Welgevonden Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province in South Africa, is an unrivalled natural paradise.

by Jacques Van Niekerk - FIT Consultant

The history of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront dates back to 1860 when Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son, tipped the first load of rocks into the bay for construction of Cape Town’s original breakwater. The original Alfred Basin could not cope with the increased volume of shipping brought by the advent of the steam engine, and subsequently a larger basin, the Victoria Basin, was built. The Waterfront derives its name from the two harbour basins.

1988 saw the birth of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Company, which was permitted to lease 83 hectares of the old Cape Town harbour area. Today it houses the Two Oceans Aquarium, numerous craft markets and an immense shopping complex. This makes the V&A Waterfront the ideal place to wander and relax for a few hours.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is South Africa's most-visited destination, having the highest rate of foreign tourists of any attraction in the country.

by Dominique Emslie- FIT Consultant

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