30 January 2007

Phantom Forest Eco Reserve

The Phantom Forest Eco Reserve, on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa, in the heart of the magnificent Garden Route... whispers a very special magic.

Nestling in the Afromontane Forest, with endless views, shared only with our Fish Eagles, the large and elevated luxury 'tree suites' are an African celebration of natural textures.
Experience the evocative sounds... scents... and tastes of Africa... at their very best!

Tree Suites ...a magical celebrationof African textures...

From silky Swazi cotton sheets, to hand-woven coir carpets,from stunning end-glass gables to the sensuous forest bathroom...
Bathe in luxury to the symphony of birdsongor the quiet contemplation of the African sky.

Moroccan Tree Suites...in synergy with our theme of touch and taste Africa...
Our fabulous new tree suites, decorated with adistinctly North African feel...
...from the sensuous touch of silk and velvet to the visual beauty of mosaic and handcrafted lamps... from double glass showers and twin mosaic basins to double-ended baths...
...creating the perfectly romantic honeymoon hideaway...
The mood of a most fascinating part of Africa has been created.


Experience Knysna and the Garden Route with Lathita expeditions.

25 January 2007

Ivory Tree Lodge

Experience the Pilansberg National Park and Ivory Tree Lodge.


Ivory Tree Game Lodge is situated in the north eastern region of the Pilanesberg National Park, the closest point of entry is through Bakgatla Gate. Nestled in the basin of an ancient amphitheatre divided by riverine woodlands and elephant trails lies an exclusive lodge development site. The images below depict several aspects of the lodge. The central facility includes, stunning feature pool, bar, conference room, dinning room, boma, reception and curio shop. 60 double suites are located on the edges of the amphitheater basin, each features full en suite bathroom, mini bar fridges, air-conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities.

The Ivory Tree Lodge Spa offers a variety of body, skin and beauty treatments to ease the effects of life’s daily stresses. Our qualified therapists will help you to unwind and relax your mind and body in the majestic surroundings of the Pilanseberg National Park.

The Product Range Contains Only The Purest of African Plant Extracts. Therapeutic Active Ingredients – Marula, Rooibos, Aloe Ferox and Hypoxis form the Base of all Products. A broad range of treatments designed to accommodate a wide variety of guest interests. Please note that all rates are nett.

The Safari Experience: Most of our guests are at Ivory Tree for the thrill of the open vehicle safari. Ivory Tree uses custom built 10 seater open game viewers which permit maximum all around visibility. The park is home to a wide variety of general game including the Big 5, in addition both species of rhino occur, namely black and white, and cheetah and wild dog. Each group of guests is assigned a personal guide who is tasked with interpreting the sights and sounds of the African bush. Your guide will spend time with you at dinners aswell and is always around to ensure that you remain comfortable during your stay with us.

Contact Lathita Expeditions for a African Safari Experience.

22 January 2007

Cape St. Francis Resort

Take in the views of the Indian Ocean at the Cape St. Francis Resort.

Situated some 108 kms West of Port Elizabeth, Cape St Francis Resort is tucked away between Nature Reserves and an abundance of glourious beaches. The Resort provides eacy access to world renowned surfing, fine fishing, coastal hikes andlong lazy days at the beach.

The accomodation provided consists of 56 well equipped cottages and executive apartments, accomodating between 2 and 8 guests, varying in size from single room apartment to multi roomed cottages. The braai areas and gardens are confortably laid out to provide relaxed holiday living at the seaside.


The area is rightly referred to as surf and safari country. It is a unique meeting ground of natural phenomena and human cultures, a place that retains a feeling of natural beauty and tranquility combined with access to all modern conveniences. Our restaurant provides excellent cuisine for those who do not wish to self cater. Facilities include swimming pools, tennis courts, game room, TV, Lounge, Pub and convenience shop.Activities on offer include golf, canal cruises, water sking, surfing, deep sea fishing, hiking and birding to name a few...

Contact Lathita Expeditions to include this stay in your African Vacation.

11 January 2007

Haina Safari Lodge, Botswana

Haina Safari Lodge

The setting of Haina Safari Lodge is classically African, relaxed and informal. The Main Boma consists of a lounge, dining room and bar area decorated in wood and thatch. A swimming pool, sun deck, well-appointed bar and and an expansive boma eating area are among the facilities available to visitors. The sundeck is a popular spot for social activities and for exchanging accounts of the various sightings of birds and animals seen during the day. The Lodge accommodates up to 20 guests in tented accommodation which are all private with their own decks.

Accommodation

Luxury tents
The 6 Luxury tents consist of a bedroom and en-suite bathroom with shower and toilet . Superior Luxury Tents
The 4 Superior Luxury tents have thatch roofs, large decks and full bathrooms. All units are furnished in subtle earth tones and dark woods in a contemporary African theme and reflect the bush area.

The Honeymoon Tent
The Honeymoon tent has been custom built around the trees. It consists of a four poster bed a large bathroom with views of the bush.

06 January 2007

Bukela Game Lodge

Bukela Game Lodge is situated in the malaria free, 6000 hectare Amakhala Game reserve just 40 minutes drive from Port Elizabeth. The Owners, Deon & Elsa Truter, have for many years dreamed and envisioned such a place, where one could relax and partake of the splendor of the African bush whilst still enjoying quality service and comfort.
Having both explored most of the South African reserves extensively, they chose “this place of great admiration” in order to realize their dream, not only for its magnificence but also because it would offer their guests an opportunity of discovering the Eastern Cape which is of significant cultural and historical importance.
In addition, the proximity of the coast to Bukela Lodge offers guests the opportunity of enjoying the bush and discovering the pristine beaches of the Eastern Cape. In creating the Lodge, Elsa Truter has drawn on Africa itself for her inspiration in designing and decorating the lodge where ever possible. This theme extends as well to the cuisine offered which is both traditional and contemporary African cuisine.. The lodge therefore offers the guest a true African experience encompassing all of ones senses, and not tempered by Western or European influences except where comfort and service are concerned. In this regard, guests can expect every service they would expect of an exclusive 5 star international establishment.

Accommodation at Bukela Lodge is luxurious and of an International standard. The main lodge comprises of a reception, dining and sitting area with a central fireplace which is always welcome in winter, a media and library area with Internet, television, dvd player, games and books and a large wooden pool deck overlooking a small dam frequented by buffalo. A separate area known as a “boma” adjoins the main lodge where bush braais and special festivities may be enjoyed.The four suites, each individually styled in African simplicity while never compromising on luxury, sleeps 2 guests and are privately located separate to the main lodge. Each suite is well appointed for a guests’ optimal comfort with every amenity including large, en suite bathrooms each with a spa bath overlooking the African bush, an indoor and outdoor shower for the more adventurous, a central fireplace for romantic evenings, a private wooden deck, bar fridge and hot drink amenities. Beds are King size or 2 singles depending on guest requirement. All suites are air conditioned while bar fridges and automatic kettles are an added convenience. All our suites are luxurious but the “honeymoon suite” with a huge four poster mahogany bed can be reserved for that special occasion.

Game that maybe viewed include White Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Serval, Giraffe, Black Wildebeest, Zebra and more than 12 species of Antelope. Smaller game include Bat Eared Fox, Vervet Monkey, Bush Pig, Warthog, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Spring Hair, Porcupine and Tortoise. Approximately 250 bird species may be viewed in the area including the rare African Finfoot and include many raptors such as the Fish Eagle, Crowned Eagle and Jackal buzzard. A variety of snake and insect species may also be discovered. Flora and fauna is typically African valley bushveld punctuated by colorful wild flowers specific to the area.

The word “Amakhala” is a Xhosa name given to the regal Aloes which proliferate here. With their striking orange flowers, this well known medicinal plant grows in abundance in the reserve. Flat savannahs and riverine forests offer a variety of habitat for game and the area has 20 small dams and 17 kilometers of the Bushmans river winding through it. From a historical perspective, Bukela Lodge offers their guests an ideal platform from which to explore and discover not only the many 1820 English and Dutch settlements in the surrounding area, but also stone age “workshops’ dating back 300 000 years. The first Stegosaur skeleton (Paranthodon Africanus) to be documented in South Africa was discovered in the Bushmans river valley less than one kilometer down river from the reserve. Bukela Lodge is situated in an area which was considered to have the highest concentration of game in South Africa before the hunting parties of the 1800’s changed this. Continued conservation endeavors and the shared vision of ‘turning back the clock’ has ensured that future generations will also be able to appreciate the splendor of the area. Eco- tourism has in part ensured this, but of equal importance is the contribution guests make when visiting the area towards the development of skills in previously disadvantaged indigenous communities. This has empowered communities to achieve economic independence, a sense of self worth and has further ensured a symbiotic relationship between man and nature.
Contact Lathita Expeditions for a African Safari to the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

01 January 2007

Welcome to 2007

Welcome to 2007, we at Lathita Expeditions wish you all a great year filled with joy and prosperity. We will be launching a number of new projects and new destinations in the coming year and wish to invite everyone to join us in exploring and rediscovering the African Continent. Some of the new destinations include Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda and Reunion. We are currently not promoting our full range of products on our website, but early in 2007 this will change. We are in the process of updating the site and will start adding all our products to the site soon.
Products will include;
- Luxury Accommodation
- 4x4 Jeep Hire (New Product)
- 4x4 Jeep Tours (New Product)
- Luxury Tours
- Mobile Safaris
- Motorcycle Tours
- Active Adventures
- Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tours (New Product)
- Romantic and Exclusive Destinations
- “Mma Ramotswa” cultural tours (New Product)
After the famous Ladies Detective Series based in Botswana.

Together with the product listing and launching we have started a number of promotional blog’s where we are promoting destinations in Africa. This includes Private and Public Game Reserves, Indian Ocean Island destinations, Private and group packages and general information on all the different destinations we offer.

The Blog’s include;
http://lathita.blogspot.com/
We focus on Private and Public Game Reserves through this blog and list activities and general information on African countries alternately.
http://safari-in-africa.blogspot.com/
This blog focus on Safari products and includes products that we tailor made for clients and some scheduled packages.
http://gorilla-safaris.blogspot.com/
As the name states this blog will focus on Gorilla viewing and will include destinations in Uganda and Rwanda.
http://honeymoon-in-africa.blogspot.com/
This blog features exclusive and romantic African Destinations
http://africanaccommodation.blogspot.com/
Included in our product range we have approximately 600 places of accommodation in Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, which will be featured here.

Lathita Expeditions will do a number of marketing projects through 2007. The first appearance will be at the “Expo4Brides” in Pretoria, South Africa. We will primarily focus on Luxury Destinations for this Expo. Not too long after that in will be “Valentines” and more exotic destinations and we will include a number of short breakaway packages. After Valentines we will focus on Easter and will be promoting a number of family orientated products, specifically in the Eastern Cape Region of South Africa. Some of the other promotional activities you can look out for includes;
- Indaba 2007
- SCG Conference 2007
- Mma Ramotswa Cultural Experience
- Winter Kalahari Experience

Just a last word before I say goodbye. At the SCG Conference we will be running scheduled trips to great sites and activities around Port Elizabeth, which will include, Addo Elephant National Park, Addo Elephant Back Safaris, Baviaans Nature Reserve and Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve. On this note I would like wish you all a great year in 2007 and hope to see you on Safari with Lathita Expeditions.

Best Regards,

Johan Gerber.