The local tourism industry has engaged in much tweaking of products and services of late, constantly adapting to European travel tastes and trends. There’s more in the pipeline, too.

The Zambezi Queen Collection recently launched Ichingo Chobe River Lodge to the travel industry. It is on the banks of the Chobe River on the Impalila Island (Namibian) side of the river and offers tented accommodation with en-suite bathrooms. General Manager: Sales & Marketing, Wayne Suttie, says response from the industry has been “hugely positive with massive growth at the lodge over the last eight months”. The lodge is an experience-based, child-friendly property with water-based safari activities, nature walks, tiger fishing experiences and cultural village visits.

Drifters Adventours has introduced an accommodated version of its 16-day Botswana camping tour that retains a camping element. “The tour is extremely popular and offers guest comfortable accommodation on most nights, with the highlight being the four nights of serviced camping in the national parks of Botswana,” says Christiaan Steyn, Marketing Manager.

In 2018, Drifters will bring a completely new tour to its portfolio, the 16-day Southern Highlights tour. It will travel from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, exploring en-route the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the beaches of Mozambique, the Kruger National Park and Zimbabwe.  

The tour will take a maximum of 17 guests travelling in a custom-built Drifters truck. Activities will include mountain hikes, extensive game drives, rhino tracking on foot, cultural interaction and beach relaxation.

Currently, Escape Cycle Tours is collaborating with European, Scandinavian and Australasian tour operators on itineraries with a unique mix of activity, arts and culture, paired with traditional safari experiences.

Says the company’s Cameron Murray: “We have our own fleet of bikes and bike trailers that allow our guests to choose between taking part in some activity or relaxing. We are working on cycle routes in northern Limpopo that link up different artists and musicians and allow our guests take part in activities, all while being self-propelled on two wheels. The tour also combines a ‘big five’ cycle safari experience in northern Kruger National Park.”

The Eastern Cape game sanctuary, Lalibela Game Reserve, has acquired over 3 000ha to be used as a breeding area for plains game like zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, kudu and impala. As there is no dangerous game in this area, its safe for people with energy to burn to do all sorts of activities, says Vernon Wait, Marketing Director.

“To this end, we are in the process of marking out cycle, walking and running tracks that will cater for all levels – from the adrenalin junkie to those who simply want a slow, gentle walk amongst the game. We are also blessed with two very large freshwater dams that are teeming with fish and guests will have the opportunity to do fishing and canoeing,” he says.

Larger groups of friends and families travelling together will soon have the option of an exclusive-use, private villa as an accommodation option at Lalibela.  A historic farmhouse on the property is under conversion, scheduled to open in early September, to be known as Hillside Private Villa. Bookings are already open.

Franschhoek’s La Cotte Farm, offering the 15-sleeper villa-style La Cotte House and Forest Cottages, is moving on to the next development, La Cotte Vineyard Cottages. Sue Howells of African Synergy, which markets the property, says completion will be in 2018.

“The final stage will be a beautiful restaurant, bar and boutique hotel, created from restored historic buildings on the farm,” says Howells. “European guests, in particular, love the open lawns, walks on the farm, the visible forest and surrounding Franschhoek mountains as well as the history of La Cotte Farm and its proximity to the Franschhoek village and various wine farms.”

Tourvest DMC has introduced an Eco Ranger Experience, where travellers get the opportunity to be game rangers for a while. They learn the basics of ranger training, picking up skills in practical bush cooking and bush survival. Comments Esther Ruempol, Market Manager for the Dutch and Benelux markets: “Our nine-day Ranger Experience is not a formal training programme, with the learning being more practical than formal.”

Her colleague for Spain and South America, Victoria Rodenacker reports that the DMC’s Experience brochure, filled with options for experiential travel, has been very popular in the Spanish market.