Tag: tent

Wilderness Magashi: Thrilling Rwanda

Posted on by James

Witness the abundance of Akagera National Park from Wilderness Magashi.
Akagera is Central Africa’s largest protected wetland and the last remaining refuge for savannah-adapted species in Rwanda. Home once more to an abundance of apex predators and their prey after highly successful reintroduction efforts, the park is again a place where one can marvel at lion, white and black rhino, buffalo and elephant roaming its hills and savannahs.

Wilderness Magashi provides the quintessential East African safari adventure and the perfect complement to your gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda.

The eight spacious tents of the lodge are perched on the shores of Lake Rwanyakazinga. You can watch elephants submerge themselves in the lake’s still waters from the deck of your room, while you are experiencing a wonderful sense of intimacy as the next tent is far enough away that you hardly know that it is there. All the rooms are linked by a raised boardwalk which runs to the main area, where you will find a luxury lounge, the dining space and bar, a swimming pool and an expansive viewing deck that takes in further sweeping views of the lake. The fire pit provides the perfect setting to enjoy a chilled cocktail after sunset.

The camp is the only exclusive-use area in Akagera, which means guests are the only ones who will be on game drives and wildlife viewing activities in the area. Rhinos, giraffes and lions roam the seemingly endless savannah. The elusive sitatunga skulks in the reedbeds, watching as you try your hand at catch-and-release fishing. Leopards sightings here are very much on the rise, thanks to a sensitive and consistent effort by trackers and guides alike to habituate the spotted cats.

It is the way this camp is integrated into its surroundings that makes it so special. Influences of Rwandan culture are balanced with the wilderness that surrounds. There are no fences, so the wildlife is uninterrupted, making their home a shared space with the camp.

Private. Peaceful. Participatory; these are the overwhelming feelings you get from your stay here. Akagera National Park is a story of survival and regeneration, and now Wilderness Magashi is very much a part of that story too…

You don’t have to journey to another country to add safari to your Gorilla trekking (which is one of Rwanda’s main drawcards). Akagera National Park and Magashi are only a short distance from Kigali, the capital. It’s 100km kilometres by road to the park entrance or a short flight.

Get in touch with us through info@iconicafrica.com to chat about Magashi, Akagera, Gorillas, Rwanda in general, or whatever type of safari you may be interested in…

Garonga Safari Co.: a Safari For the Soul

Posted on by James

The three luxury camps of the Garonga Safari Co. lie in the 25,000ha Makalali Private Game Reserve, in the north-eastern corner of South Africa.

This region of the country is wildlife heaven, from the Crocodile River in the south right up to the Limpopo River along the Zimbabwe border and flanked to the west by the winding foothills of the far northern tip of the Drakensberg Mountain range.

The landscape of the reserve is spectacular.

Nestled among spectacular granite outcrops, Garonga Safari Camp, Little Garonga Safari Lodge and the new and exciting MCH Private Tented Camp offer the discerning safari-goer a choice of exactly what type of bush retreat they are after, yet all three camps overlap in their safari-for-the-soul ethos, immersing guests in nature by slowing life down to the pace at which one can really get in touch with everything going on around you, but most importantly, with oneself.

Enjoy a refreshing swim in the drowsy warmth of the afternoon…
The game drive is the core of the safari experience, and the wildlife of Makalali won’t disappoint…

The Makalali Private Game Reserve in which the camps are situated is a stunning area of varying topography, offering ten kilometres of river frontage of the Selati River, and containing a superb diversity of wildlife, including Africa’s Big 5. Twice daily game drives with experienced guides and trackers are sure to keep your pulse elevated as the excitement of the bush unfolds around you.

Be prepared for close encounters with Africa’s spectacular wildlife…

The three Garonga accommodation options are as follows:

Garonga Safari Camp

The quintessential luxury tented experience, in which all your needs are catered for, every comfort is on hand, and yet you still feel utterly connected to the wilderness that surrounds you.
An open plan main area and deck at Garonga Safari Camp provides a stunning view down onto the riverbed below, which regularly plays host to a whole ensemble of wildlife, elephants in particular.
The six luxury en-suite units are really what it’s all about though,

Elephants are regular visitors to the camp.
Unobstructed views out into the bush are a feature of the rooms at Garonga Safari Camp.

With only canvas between you and the African bush, your experience is enhanced that much more by a heightening of the senses, reawakening those intrinsic primeval instincts that lie dormant in all of us. Lie awake at night listening to the distant roar of a lion, or the soft warble of the Fiery-necked Nightjar.

The main deck of Garonga Safari Camp provides a wonderful immersion into the bush.

Little Garonga

The smaller version of the Safari Camp, Little Garonga offers a slightly more private and personalised getaway, with only three thatched and air-conditioned suites. The Hambleden suite sleeps a family of four comfortably, whilst the slightly smaller Chiltern and Buckingham suites are designed for couples.

Little Garonga is aimed at those who want privacy and exclusivity, and is perfect for small groups or a travelling family.

MCH Private Tented Camp

The newest of the Garonga offerings, the solar powered and self-contained MCH Tented camp is ideally placed on a beautiful granite koppie (outcrop) with spectacular views over the bushveld below.
MCH has its own game drive vehicle, own staff, and operates independently from the other Garonga camps, meaning total serenity in a camp that is all yours.
Longer-stay guests need not fret about being isolated; a library featuring WiFi is available should you need to remain connected to what’s happening back home.

The luxury tents at MCH private tented camp make you feel as if you are part of the wilderness.
A bath under the southern stars is an option from all the Garonga camps…

If it is an African safari in its purest form that you seek, distilled down to the fundamentals of what makes it so moving, the Garonga experience is what you are after. Authentic bush accommodation, wildlife passing below your deck at all hours of the day and a diverse set of extra offerings – bathing under the stars or even sleeping on an open wilderness deck – that add that magical finish to your stay; all are part of the offering at Garonga Safari co.

Click here if you would like to contact one of our sales team to enquire more…