Kruger: Four Seasons of safari delight

Our colleague Robina just returned from a trip to the Kruger National Park. She can’t stop smiling ever since. Her story proves that Kruger is a great safari destination throughout the year…

 “Be the first one at the gate. Get up at 5:00 in the morning. Avoid lunch time. Don’t stick to the main roads. Don’t go to the southern part of the park, it is a circus! Whenever you go to the Kruger National Park, you will be showered by advice on what, how and where. 
 Well, I went last weekend, took all the advice into consideration, got up at 5:00, was the first at the gate…..turns out that the animals were still tired themselves!
After a few hours the sun was high up in the sky when a beautiful leopard appeared out of nowhere! On the main road. At lunch time. In the southern part of the park! It was an incredible experience that I shared with only a handful of other onlookers.
Visitors to Kruger are guaranteed to have lasting wildlife experiences but I was specifically looking for lions. In the late afternoon on the second day I almost gave up hope spotting my last of the Big 5 when out of the blue a huge male appeared and slowly approached our car.  
My heart beat must have been up to 200. But that lion seemed more interested in attracting female felines with some impressive big roars. It was one of those inevitable goose bump moments that every visitor to the Kruger gets. 
 Even though we have spotted all big five in the dense bush I must admit that spotting in December is not that easy! The grass is high and the vegetation rich. The area was so exotic and tropical, it actually reminded me of my Bali holiday a few years ago. Cooling comes in the shape of tropical rainfalls. The showers help you cool down and breathe in some fresh jungle air. The Kruger Park is a real delight, no matter what time of the year –or day – you decide to explore it.”
 

 

Overland tours rock!

Zippy's colleagues have travelled to all corners of southern Africa - by car, train, plane and boat. But at our annual weekend getaway most of them get their first taste of an overland group tour. Below is our colleague Rosie's raving review.
"WOW – Overland trips ROCK!!!  Have just had my first experience of an official overland trip when we went on our annual Christmas office weekend away – WHAT FUN!  Although I have overlanded through Africa in a 4X4 – have never done the group travel bit.  The heigh windows make for excellent sightseeing and although we weren’t really in any game areas – I can imagine it would be PERFECT for game viewing!   The tents are also SO easy to erect and REALLY spacious – what a good night’s sleep!  I would definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to experience Africa in a group.  Many of my colleagues raised their eyebrows  when they realised they would be camping on their “treat” weekend away – but EVERYONE loved it and wanted to do more!!!"
Want a truly African overland experience? Zippy has many specials. Book this year still to qualify for great discounts!
Here are some of our best overland tours:
Waterfalls & Wildlife (Botswana & Zimbabwe)
Cape to Vic Falls (20 days)
Bush & beach (14 days)
Desert Delta Adventure (14 days)

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Last Minute Magic

Not sure where to go during the December holidays? Zippy has some pretty amazing specials on ZippingZebra.com! Whether you are looking for a 14 day (****) tour of South Africa or a holiday bungalow in the Drakensberg, we got it. For less than 5000 Rand per person and 300 Rand per bungalow respectively! We have great family getaways and romantic trips at ridiculously low rates. So wheter you want to take your kids or your loved one on holiday this summer, let Zipping Zebra organise it for you. Contact us for the dream December holiday to fit your personal needs. Only staying at home is cheaper...  

 

Snowed under?

Zippy has many European and American friends. Some can't get enough of the snowy winters, but many can't wait to lose those layers of winter clothes and soak up some African sunshine. Whatever your favourite season is, it is hard to imagine cold winter nights when you are in Cape Town right now: temperatures over 30 degrees celsius, the smell of braai (bbq) in the air, people walking around in summery clothes and ditto mood. Zippy has good news for anyone who wants to swap the thick winter coats and hot chocolate for a bathing costume and a fruity cocktail. ZippingZebra is releasing many summer specials. What about the highlights of Botswana and Zimbabwe? Feel like an explorer in the tropics while your neighbours back home are scraping snow of their cars. Or perhaps you prefer to enjoy the beauty of the Garden Route and relax around the Knysna Lagoon? With rates from ZAR 295 per person, who is stopping you... 

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Namibia on a shoestring

Namibia has it all: adventure, nature, culture and all of this at a very affordable price. The second least populated country in the world (after Mongolia) is still often overlooked by visitors coming to southern Africa. That’s a real pity, says Lonely Planet that listed Namibia in the top-10 budget destinations recently. “Well set up for backpackers, this is still a territory of US$50 or less a day if you’re careful”, says the world-renowned publisher of travel books. “Admission to the Cape Cross Seal Reserve on the Skeleton Coast costs a mere US$3 per person.” Want to explore the highlights of Namibia? ZippingZebra has some excellent, affordable tours like the Desert Explorer and the 20-day Cape to Vic Falls Tour. And for residents of southern African (SADC) countries like Namibia and South Africa we have a discounted tour of Namibia.

 

World Aids Day

Competition time!

Stand a chance to win one of two weekend getaways for 2... Either stay the Point Hotel in Mossel Bay or the Inkwenkwezi Game Lodge in the Eastern Cape. Just follow the instructions on the competition page or type "My favourite travel companion is a zebra" on our Facebook wall.

Special for SADC-residents...

We have a new Namibia special for residents of SADC member states only...Stay for 2 nights in Khorixas, 3 nights in Etosha and 2 nights in Waterberg for only ZAR 1950 per person. The Southern African Development consists of Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Check out the special here...

Wheel of Excellence

The Wheel of Excellence has become a familiar sights to Capetonians and anyone visiting the Mother City. Especially at night, when the lights go on, the ferriswheel is a spectacular sight. Don't be shocked if you suddenly find the Wheel is missing... It hasn't stopped turning yet! It will just be moved from the entrance to the V&A Waterfront, where it was built some six months ago. The Wheel of Excellence, built as a temporary structure for the World Cup, will re-open op December 3 at the Market Square in the heart of the Waterfront area - an even nicer location for the wheel that offers panoramic views over Cape Town! If you haven't experienced it yet, you still have until February 2011 to enjoy the ride. Tickets are ZAR 80 for adults, and ZAR 50 for children aged 4 to 12.

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Setting the record straight...

In a newspaper article in response to the murder of a British tourist in Gugulethu, ZippingZebra was quoted about safety in the townships. This led some people to believe the victims were clients of ours. They were not. Like everyone else we learned about the victims from the media reporting. We simply responded to general questions about safety and township tours, based on our extensive experience in this field. We still believe in general this is a safe and great way to explore the country but we always warn our clients and service providers to stick to general safety guidelines. We hope this clears things up…  

Stay safe, have fun...

The Western Cape government, Cape Nature and Cape Town Tourism have just released some interesting tips for travellers.These deal with issues like avoiding crime, road safety and safe sun bathing. Of course Zippy wants everyone to have a safe, worry-free holiday in South Africa. If you stick to these simple tips, you should be absolutely fine. Happy holidaying!

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WC_traveltips_English.pdf (966 KB)

Congratulations, USA!

The 'Mother City' experienced a very pleasant deja vu as Cape Town Stadium filled with over 50,000 enthusiastic fans blowing their vuvuzelas and signing to World Cup tunes like "Waka Waka". They walked the fan walk to support their national side in the friendly clash with the USA over the Nelson Mandela Challenge trophy. It was the first time Bafana Bafana played in the new Cape Town Stadium. Both teams put up a great show in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Even when USA's Juan Agudelo's late goal sealed the deal for the Americans, the atmosphere stayed reminiscent of the World Cup vibe. So congratulations to the USA for the hard-fought win and better luck next time to Bafana.

A New Dawn

Even after the deep blue Monday, following this tragic weekend, we haven’t forgotten what a wonderful place we live in. Luckily we are not alone. South Africa has been ranked tops  in a recent survey of 4,000 UK expatriates. The research, done by banking group HSBC, shows that South Africa is ranked a better place to emigrate to than the US, Australia, Hong Kong, France and Switzerland – to name a few.  South Africa scored first out of 25 countries when it comes to “ease of setting up”. In “overall experience” it ranked fifth, and the rainbow nation came third in “overall quality of life”.

A tragedy... on so many levels

Like a vast majority of South Africans, everybody at ZippingZebra has been feeling saddened, outraged and shocked today. The brutal murder of the 28-year old British woman in Gugulethu is on everybody’s mind. She and her husband, who survived the tragedy, were in South Africa to celebrate their honeymoon. We can only start to imagine the pain the newly weds must have gone through on that fatal Saturday night. All of us at ZippingZebra send our deepest sympathy to the victim’s husband, all of their loved ones and family members, as well as the driver of the hijacked shuttle bus. The tragic event saddens us on so many levels.
Although we know very well that crime is a serious issue in our country, this is not the South Africa we know and love.
This is not the South Africa that 99,99% of our millions of foreign visitors know and love.
This is not the South Africa that the people in Gugulethu know and love.
We know many people in “Gugs”. Each and every one of them will rather open their humble homes to visitors from near and far, to prepare them a meal and share their strong sense of community feeling than to even consider hurting anyone. That's why there are only victims in this senseless tragedy...

Tracey

Our friends in Hout Bay can't stop talking about the food at Wild Woods restaurant. Tracey, the lucky winner of our dinner for 2 competition, agrees."What a treat!", she responds after having enjoyed her prize. "We had a fantastic time last night at Wild Woods. The staff were amazing and the food was excellent!!!" Zippy has more exciting competitions in stor for you. So you want to feel like a winner too? Visit our competition page and join our Facebook page if you haven't already. 

Aaaand.... action!

Zippy is very exciting about the news that Denzil Washington and Ryan Reynolds are coming to Cape Town. They will visit the Mother City for the new action-packed movie “Safe House”. Cape Town has always been a major drawing card for film crews and production companies. Some of the movies shot here include Lord of War, Blood Diamond, Rendition, 10,000 BC and Invictus. One of the most exciting developments at the moment is the forthcoming action 3D extravaganza Dredd, based on the “Judge Dredd” comic books. Between 400 and 600 artists at Cape Town Film Studios work on this cutting edge 3D film, set for a 2012 release.

Aaaand.... action!

Zippy is very exciting about the news that Denzil Washington and Ryan Reynolds are coming to Cape Town. They will visit the Mother City for the new action-packed movie “Safe House”. Cape Town has always been a major drawing card for film crews and production companies. Some of the movies shot here include Lord of War, Blood Diamond, Rendition, 10,000 BC and Invictus. One of the most exciting developments at the moment is the forthcoming action 3D extravaganza Dredd, based on the “Judge Dredd” comic books. Between 400 and 600 artists at the newly-built Cape Town Film Studios work on this cutting edge 3D film, set for a 2012 release.

Plans for the December holidays?

We have quite a few mums and dads walking around the office. Now the jerseys and coats have been replaced by skirts, shorts and flip-flops, the burning question at the coffee machine is: “Where are you taking the family this year?” For them and all other parents, Zippy has created some pretty amazing specials to some of the greatest holiday destinations in the nation… What family wouldn’t have a great time in Knysna, Hluhluwe or the Drakensberg? But please share with us what your plans are for the summer holidays...