Adventure Travel Series
Destination:  South Africa
By Gene Muchanski, Editor
The Dive Industry Professional

Just three weeks ago, the staff of The Dive Industry Professional stepped out of its diving industry comfort zone and traveled across the globe to Johannesburg, South Africa, where we began a two-week safari adventure.  If you are wondering why there is an adventure safari article in a trade magazine dedicated to diving and Dive Industry Professionals, let me explain.  We are sharing this adventure with the global diving community for three reasons.

First:  Now that the Baby Boomer Generation has reached their retirement years, they are spending less time diving, on average, and more time looking for different ways to spend their recreational dollars.  Baby Boomers are no longer the largest group of divers in our global diving community.

Second:  Dive Travel Wholesalers and Dive Travel Specialists are starting to offer safari trips to their long-time diving clients.  We’ve seen the trend over the past fifty years go from local diving, to fly-to diving destinations, to liveaboards, to adventure travel, and now safaris.

Third:  Personally, I feel that divers are getting back to their original call to adventure.  On my very first safari, I felt that same call to adventure I experienced when I started diving 57 years ago.  I keep thinking back to a seminar Jean-Michele Cousteau gave at a travel show in Long Beach years ago.  He told the audience that he normally spoke at dive shows and surf expos but speaking at this adventure travel show reminded him that his life’s work was all about the adventure.  His words just hit home for me on this trip.  What we do as Dive Industry Professionals is all about the adventure.

So, does that make us all Adventure Travel Professionals?  It could.  How about Dive & Adventure Travel Professional?  Adventure Sports Professionals?  Whatever you decide is OK with me.  This is what the open door of opportunity looks like.  Have fun with it.

Safari Preparation:  Our Safari Adventure started months prior to departure.  The Adventure Travel Industry is very organized and thorough.  Upon booking our trip we received a step-by-step and day-by-day detailed itinerary.  Our travel wholesaler was very specific about our air and land transportation charges, lodging costs, and other taxes, fees, and charges.  We received a travel guide called “Your Trip” which included contact information for our travel advisors and escorts, flight information, itinerary summary, and day-to-day details including flights, transports, activities, and accommodations.  We received suggested travel routes, need to know information, and more information about the destination than you could shake a stick at.  I especially appreciated the detailed terms & conditions and cancellation policy documentation.  We even receive a brochure on “What to pack on Safari.”  All that information got three-hole punched on put in our 3-ring binder, which we referred to every day during the entire trip.

We Flew Delta Airlines:  We flew Delata Airlines from Melbourne, Florida to Atlanta, GA and then non-stop to Johannesburg, South Africa.   Our Pilots were able to shave two hours off our 15-hour 45-minute scheduled flight.  We were greeted upon arrival and escorted to our hotel at the airport for an overnight stay before flying out to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  We found that South Africans are very friendly and those associated with the tourism business work hard for their money.  Our travel wholesaler always had someone meet us at every point of our journey to escort, drive, or fly us to the next point.  It was just the two of us traveling and at no point in our two-week adventure were we ever alone and unescorted.  That is my number one reason for using a professional travel wholesaler.

City Lodge Hotel at O.R. Tambo International Airport:  It was a short walk from baggage claim to the City Lodge Hotel.  Our escort told us all about South Africa along the way and brought us up to the hotel check in desk, where we confirmed our reservations.  As we were checking in, we met a group of divers from Tampa, Florida who were on their way to dive with the Great White Sharks off Cape Town.  Unfortunately, they did not have reservations, and the hotel was booked solid.  Another reason to use a professional Dive Travel Wholesaler.

Continuing on to Zimbabwe:  After a lovely breakfast at City Lodge Hotel we were escorted to our Airlink gate for a two-hour flight to Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe.  After clearing customs and paying our $30 per person fee to enter the country, we were met by Wild Horizons Driver, Biggs, who transported us to The Palm River Hotel, where we would stay for two days and two nights.  The Palm River Hotel is a beautiful resort on the river where you can see the monkeys playing in the trees while listening to the Hippos calling from the river. We enjoyed a Sundowner River Cruise before dinner and had our first opportunity to photograph African Elephants, Hippos, Crocodiles, and Monkeys along the riverbanks.  Our first dining experience in South Africa did not disappoint.  The Chef who resides at the Palm River Hotel was amazing.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe:  After breakfast the next morning, Wild Horizons picked us up in their van for the Victoria Falls Classic Tour, which would be followed by lunch at Lookout Café.  Even though it is currently winter in Zimbabwe, there is plenty of water going over Victoria Falls.  There are 18 viewing points to photograph the falls from and each point gives you a different perspective of the falls.  The 2.5 mile walking tour is absolutely breathtaking and is something that everyone should put on their bucket list.  We even got to photograph the daring individuals across the river in Botswana who were sitting in protected pools at the very edge of the falls.  It looked pretty risky from where we were standing!

We ended our tour of Victoria Falls with lunch at Lookout Café.  I was starting to wonder why they called our lunch place, Lookout Café.  Was it because of the magnificent view of the waterfalls, the canyon, and the river below?  Or was it the fact that the café and your table sits right on the edge of the cliff?  No wall, no window.  Just a little glass banister that you can lean on and look straight down.

We ended our second day in Zimbabwe with dinner at The Palm River Hotel, and again enjoyed a perfect meal.  After just three days in Africa, we were already in love with our new destination.

The Safari Begins:  Wild Horizons picked us up after breakfast and drove us back to Victoria Falls Airport for a Fastjet Airlines flight to Kruger Airport in South Africa.  After clearing South Africa customs and not having to pay a country entrance fee, we proceeded with Sable Tours for transfer to Shumbalala Game Lodge in Hoedspruit, South Africa.  It was a very scenic three-hour drive to Shumbalala but our driver made the time go by quickly.  We saw a great deal of the South African countryside and learned a lot about the local population and culture.  When we got off the paved roads and entered the dirt roads of the Kruger National Park, our safari really began.  On the way to the lodge we saw elephant, giraffe, zebra, and many other animals we have never seen in the wild.

Shumbalala Game Lodge:  Shumbalala means “Where the Lion Sleeps.”   The lodge has six superior suites and a Guest capacity of 12.  Their staff of 40 is on call, night and day to make your travel safari experience rememberable.  The suites are well designed with king-size netted beds, sitting area with fireplace, large bathroom with toilet, twin vanities, tub, and large glass shower.  Every superior suite has an outdoor dip pool.  The lodge has three Toyota Land Cruisers that each seat six passengers, a  Field Guide (the driver) and a Tracker.  Two of the three cruisers leave for safari game drive every morning at 6:15 am and again at 3:15 pm.  The third cruiser is for rotation purposes.  Field Guides are full time employees who work six weeks straight then enjoy a two-week holiday.  We were fortunate to have Field Guides Bryce Mitchell for our first two days followed by Jordi for our second two days.  Tony was our Tracker for the entire 4 days.  Our Hostesses at Shumbalala were Joanna, Danielle, and Andi.  They made us feel at home the entire four days.  The rest of the staff and especially the Chef were beyond fabulous.  Always the perfect and ever-changing menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but if you requested something off-menu, they made it happen.  The Shumbalala Game Lodge gratuity guideline handout quotes Mahatma Gandhi – “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.”   The Shumbalala staff certainly lived up to that quote.

We had four days at Shumbalala to compare our African Safari vacation to the scuba diving trips we normally take.  Staying at Shumbalala was like staying with family.  The lodge and the safari game drives were totally integrated.  The lodge staff and the safari staff work together as one team.  In the diving industry we normally have a contracted dive operator at a large resort or hotel.  That disconnect between two separate companies causes scheduling conflicts.  i.e. missed meals because of diving scheduling.  There was no over-tourism at the game lodge.  Twelve guests were taken on safari twice a day in two vehicles, with their own field guides and trackers.  They went on separate routes but were in contact with each other via radio.  Our group experienced eight different routes throughout the game reserve in four days.  We never took the same route twice.  It’s different with diving tourism.   It is very common to see 100 divers from five or six dive boats all diving the same reef at the same time.   Safari game drives are lucky to be able to take people to where the animals are, but in diving we have to pick a dive site that has a history of nice things to see, and hope for the best.  The problem is that too many dive operators dive a limited number of dive sites, and they all go there at the same time.  That has to change.   Cattle boat tourism is going to be the death of resort diving as we know it.

Tanda Tula Safari Camp:  After four wonderful days on safari at Shumbalala, it was time to travel to our next destination, Tanda Tula Safari Camp.  Our next camp was in the private reserve of Timbavati, on the outskirts of the Greater Kruger National Park.  Sable Tours & Transfers arranged ground transportation to the camp and in less than two hours we were there.  Tanda Tula means “The Quiet Place.”  The camp has 11 Safari Suites and accommodates 22 people.  Up until last year, when the camp was completely reconstructed, Tanda Tula was a Luxury Safari Camp with luxury safari tents.  To our delight, all we saw was Luxury Safari Suites.  If this is camping, I’m all in.  Our suite included an open floor plan containing a king size bed, sitting room, bar, large bathroom with twin vanities, free standing tub, and a shower to die for.  It’s so big I think they could wash baby elephants in it.  For the outdoors person in you there is a large outdoor shower, a large deck with patio furniture and a 3-meter-deep dip pool.  I posted some pictures of our suite on facebook and said we were “camping” at Tanda Tula, only to get replies from my friends calling it “glamping” or “nice tent.”  I do have to say that we did have beautiful canvas on the walls.   See for yourself.

Tanda Tula did not disappoint.  The staff was incredible.  Professional, personal, and eager to please.  The food and drinks were plentiful and delicious.  The diversity in the menu selection was admirable.  The safari drives were amazing, and memories of those four days will last forever.  Tanda Tula had five Toyota Land Cruises, four for daily use and one for rotation.  Each cruiser carried six passengers, a Field Guide (Driver), and Tracker.  We did not have six passengers on every game drive, and twice it was just the two of us.

We were fortunate to have Chad Cocking as our Field Guide and Jack as our Tracker.  Jack has been a local Tracker for 35 years and has the reputation as being the most knowledgeable and intuitive tracker in the region.  His bush skills were impressive.  Chad Cocking has been a certified FGASA (Field Guides Association South Africa) Field Guide for 17 years and has written two books on Africa’s wild landscapes.  His latest coffee-table book, Contrasts, depicts the contrasts of Africa’s ever-changing landscapes.  Maybe it was beginner’s luck to get Chad as our Field Guide, but it was delightful to have an experienced Field Guide with 17 years of safari experience and being such an accomplished photographer.  Chad knew when to stop for photographs and when to press farther into the bush.  He also knew more about the local animals than you can imagine.  We learned so much about South Africa wildlife it was remarkable.  We like to think of Chad as our South African Mick Dundee!

Lessons for the Diving Industry:  We learned a lot about another Adventure Travel Industry sector and the common bonds that our Divemasters share with Safari Field Guides.  There are many similarities between the diving industry and the adventure travel industry.  Maybe the future of our industry will be a combination of the diving, adventure, travel, tourism, and hospitality industries?  Perhaps we can learn from each other to better serve our customers and grow our niche markets?

In summary:  Two weeks in South Africa and Zimbabwe turned out to be the trip of a lifetime.  Definitely a trip that should be on everyone’s bucket list.  We may even go again…soon.  Speaking as an adventure traveler, I would recommend going with a small group of friends to share the experience.  I would also highly recommend the use of a dive travel wholesaler to arrange the trip for you.  Both of our Members, Roatan Charter and Dream Weaver Travel are now offering African Safaris.  Check with Debbie Helms at Roatan Charter or Steve Weaver at Dream Weaver Travel.

For more information about our Global Diving Business Network, contact Gene Muchanski, Executive Director, Dive Industry Association Inc., 2294 Botanica Circle, West Melbourne, FL 32904.  Phone: 321-914-3778.  Email: gene@diveindustry.net  Web: www.diveindustry.net

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