Londolozi Life

A Taste of South Africa

February 4, 2012

A Taste of South Africa A Sarasota group discovers wild beauty and sophisticated cuisine on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Deep in the African bush, more than wildlife is stirring. Safari camps like Londolozi in the Sabi Sand private game reserve are leading South Africa’s quest to become an international culinary destination. Chefs, like trackers and rangers, [...]

An Update on the Weather at Londolozi and Surrounds

January 18, 2012

Dear Friends, Over the last few days a large amount of bad weather has moved through from the Mozambican Coast covering much of the Kruger National Park in heavy rain. Certain parts of the Kruger have experienced flooding and here at Londolozi the river levels have risen substantially since the beginning of the week. This [...]

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Introducing: The Electric Landrover

January 9, 2012

A brand new electric Land Rover arrived at Londolozi over Christmas. Courtesy of Barker Performance Products and Land Rover, the electric vehicle was sent here to be put through a rigorous and rough field test owing to the success and pioneering development of Londolozi’s first three prototype electric Land Rovers. Having unveiled this new product [...]

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New Years Eve 2011

January 2, 2012

New Years Eve is one of the biggest events on the Londolozi calendar and this past year was no exception. Paying tribute to the original pioneers of Londolozi, Charles Boyd Varty and Frank Unger, who purchased the land (sight unseen) after a tennis match in Johannesburg back in 1926 – this years theme was ’1926 [...]

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The Best of the Londolozi Blog 2011

January 1, 2012

It’s New Years Day 2012 and here at Londolozi we wish you all a very prosperous and absolutely brilliant year ahead. 2011 was mind-blowing throughout Londolozi and much of it was reflected right here on the blog. Right from the beginning of the year we knew that the pride dynamics were going to be interesting [...]

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Rangers and Trackers Teambuilding

December 19, 2011

The Rangers and Trackers were randomly divided into two teams; these teams would compete against each other in the inaugural ‘Boerewors Week‘. A week set aside in the busy calendar year to strengthen partnerships, morale, improve skills, increase banter and have great fun amongst work colleagues. All done to shape this already superb field guiding [...]

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‘One of our Greatest Ever Bush Experiences’

December 17, 2011

You’ve heard of Batman and Superman, even Spiderman. Now meet Elmon the Ecoman, whose sharp eyes guided us through the wonderland of Londolozi. My wife Lynn and I hadn’t stayed at Londoz since I was Sky News’ resident Africa Correspondent 17 years ago. Now we know what we’ve been missing all these years! Super-tracker Elmon [...]

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The Hyenas vs the Leopards

December 15, 2011

In mid December each year a Soccer match is played as a curtain raiser to the Staff Christmas Party. The well know Londolozi Leopards; our very own established football team consisting of butlers, gardeners, and trackers take on the make-shift team nicknamed the Londolozi Hyenas… to call the Hyenas a Soccer/Football team is a huge [...]

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Jerry Hambana gets into photography!

December 2, 2011

The photography bug really has taken hold of everyone here at Londolozi. Here we feature something a little bit different from pictures taken by our talented guiding team. Instead we show off some of the work taken by our newest up and coming photographer…one of our most talented trackers Jerry Hambana…

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Movember at Londolozi

November 30, 2011

“During November each year, the Movember (Moustache- November) is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces around the world. The aim is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically cancer.” At Londolozi we chose to not only raise awareness for men’s health by supporting the Movember tradition, but [...]

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 5

November 28, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the fifth of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about 3:4′s life, behaviour and her phenomenal life as a Leopards of Londolozi…

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Christmas Newsletter 2011

November 28, 2011

It’s been 5 years and at last we are DONE! Every camp at Londolozi has been refurbished, with the final phase being the complete overhaul of Varty Camp, whose roots go back as far as 1926. Reintroducing this “grand old lady” to our guests in March this year was a huge privilege. Varty Camp has enjoyed remarkable occupancies, tremendous support and amazing feed back from our industry partners, who seem to have really embraced the simplicity, tradition and return to old bushveld elegance that this Original Londolozi Camp offers…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 4

November 24, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ’3:4′. In this the second of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks about 3:4′s life as a cub and how leopards behave when raising cubs and dispersing their young at different stages of maturity…

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Behind the Scenes at Londolozi

November 23, 2011

Renowned photographer Ryan Graham recently spent some time with us at Londolozi capturing an assortment of images out on safari, throughout the lodges and behind the scenes. This blog post is dedicated to the staff of Londolozi whose lives are closely intertwined as a community and as a family living together out in the wilderness. The images below are a behind the scenes snapshot of what goes on when our cherished guests are out on drive or relaxing in the quiet of their rooms…

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Freakquencies

November 19, 2011

On my death bed I will tell those, assuming there is anyone listening, that walking in the bush with Jerry Hambana has been some of the most ‘alive time’ of my life. Not fun time, memorable time or unforgettable time – but alive time… moments when the heart beats a little quicker, the eyes were keener and the footsteps more measured. Walking in the proximity of lion and leopard can do that to you and if you are a natural at it (and there are many on the team) then you probably move beyond the excitement phase of tracking to the business end of it…

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Pioneering the New Frontier of a Social Enterprise

November 15, 2011

In a recent interview with CNN’s Marketplace Africa, Dave Varty talks to Robyn Curnow about balancing profit with conservation and how he is pioneering Londolozi’s organisational model towards a Social Enterprise…

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My Friend Elmon

November 10, 2011

We have very little in common. Elmon is an elderly, wise, shangaan man who was born and bred on the land. As a young boy he was taught to track by his father while herding cattle amongst lions. I am half his age and have spent a lot of my life in cities. Yet, as different as we are, we choose to spend at least 8 hours of every day in each others company. The common denominator you may wonder? A profound love of the bush…

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The Lodges of Londolozi by Ryan Graham

October 31, 2011

Renowned photographer Ryan Graham was recently at Londolozi taking pictures of everything from the rooms to the wildlife to the members of the Londolozi family. In this post, we showcase Ryan’s stunning images of the Londolozi Lodges, interior details and cuisine…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 3

October 27, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the third of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks about how 3:4 responded to her cub being eaten by an African Rock Python…

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How to Photograph a Lightning Storm

October 25, 2011

Have you ever wanted to know how to capture stunning images of lightning? Contrary to what you may think, the process is relatively simple provided that you have the correct equipment, a promising location and, of course, a very big electric storm. I took the below set of images a few nights ago as the first electric storm of the summer rolled across the central regions of Londolozi, creating a spectacular contrast of lightning bolts and sheet lightning. I have included a short explanation beneath each image which all together should give you a fairly good indication of how to get these types of shots…

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The Top 5 Things to Bring on Safari

October 22, 2011

Preparing for your safari can be a daunting task, especially when you have limited luggage space and a long trip ahead of you. With this in mind, I have put together a basic list of what I believe the 5 most important items for your safari are. As long as you have these, everything else should fall into place. Of course, there are items I have not included and as such if there is something that you feel to be just as important, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below…

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Windy Afternoons at Londolozi

October 13, 2011

So it was another of those kite-windy afternoons at Londolozi that you sometimes get in September and we were out hunting Rhinoceros. Typically on your fourth evening with the same guests you wouldn’t be so desperate to see one, but we had skillfully evaded them for days and so were under pressure to find one…

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Safari for the Soul

October 11, 2011

There’s a line from a poem by Mary Oliver that asks: ‘What is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’ Those words have a habit of hitting me in the gut, which is why I leapt at the opportunity to join the African STAR (Self-transformation Adventure Retreat) hosted by Londolozi in June each year. The retreat invites people to experience the healing power of nature during a week of intensive coaching…

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The Orange Bushveld

September 25, 2011

The bushveld in September is magnificent! The mornings are crisp and fresh and the days warm and comforting. This time of the year always allows for incredibly vivid and colourful photographs. The colour orange is often expressed so effectively in strong powerful images. Below you will see some of the photographs which concentrate on the theme of ‘orange’…

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Meet the Blog Team: David

September 20, 2011

The bush is a long way from the world of finance and few men manage to bridge the gap successfully. David ‘Doyle’ Dampier is one of those men and with a knack for capturing spectacular photographs of Londolozi’s most renowned and elusive leopards, he is one of the secret weapons in the Londolozi blog team.

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Meet the Blog Team: Rich

September 13, 2011

As head of the Londolozi Online Media & Marketing Department, Rich Laburn has brought our special place in the African Bushveld to the rest of the world, through setting up an informative, professional, visually appealing and user-friendly platform. But don’t let his computer skills fool you: this wildlife enthusiast is still a ranger at heart…

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Motherhood in the Wilderness

September 11, 2011

It’s not a hard and fast rule, but most guides leave Londolozi having made a connection with a specific animal and that invariably turns out to be a leopard. Stoff watched 3:4 from the moment she was born, Alex Van Den Heever loved the Tugwaan Female, Rich Ferrier is always hunting for the Nottens Female and Mike Miller is still carousing the north for the Manyeleti young Male… I love the leopards but truthfully I’d swop every leopard sighting I’ve ever had for the time I’ve spent with the Tsalala tailess lioness…

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Star in Your own Safari

September 2, 2011

Imagine being whisked away to Londolozi Game Reserve on a mission to write and present a multimedia travel story about your experience. Sound good? The reality is that all you need to do is enter the ‘Star in your own Safari’ competition proudly sponsored by Safari Interactive Magazine and Londolozi Game Reserve to stand a chance at winning this prize. Safari interactive Magazine and Londolozi Private Game Reserve are offering one subscriber and partner a two-night private photographic safari in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. You’ll be sent off to Londolozi and met by a professional media crew so all you’ll need to do is enjoy it, tell us about it and become the star in a full feature about the experience in an upcoming issue of Safari…

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Meet the Blog Team: Talley

August 30, 2011

Talley Smith may be relatively new to Londolozi but she certainly is no novice to the guiding world! Talley has been guiding in the Sabi Sands for 4 years and has a great understanding of the ingredients needed to make a sublime safari. She is without doubt one of the hardest working and dedicated people you will ever meet and wildlife and the photography thereof is her greatest passion…

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Meet the Blog Team: Adam

August 22, 2011

Adam Bannister is passionate about the African bushveld. Having worked as a Londolozi guide for just under three years, Ad is even more enthusiastic about the bush than when he first arrived. An in depth understanding of lion dynamics at Londolozi, stunning photography and of course his naturalist abilities, make Adam a valued member of both the ranging and blog team at Londolozi…

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The Plaque Rock

August 7, 2011

The “Howard Mackie” plaque, seen in this picture, is in memory of Howard and the great contribution he made to the start up of Londolozi and also as a Founder Pioneer in creation of “Helicapture” – the original and first ever game capture company in South Africa. Howard became a leading expert in the capture and after care of wild animals. This poignant photograph demonstrates the timelessness and enduring renewable cycle of nature as yet another generation of the Leopards of Londolozi visit at “plaque rock” in the heart of Londolozi…

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The Blues of the Bushveld

August 5, 2011

Blue is probably the last colour you think of when you think of the bushveld; especially whilst in the throws of a dry winter! Here are a couple of photographs we have gathered together to show just how beautiful blue is and how wonderfully it can be expressed out here at Londolozi. Enjoy…

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The Day I Nearly Died

August 2, 2011

We rode down the rapids in our life jackets miraculously avoiding a head-on collision with the many rocky outcrops that punctuated the rapids. One canoe snapped in two. One of the guys in it went missing for several hours: we thought he had drowned. It was to be the first of many close shaves with Africa. Eventually, bedraggled and shocked, we pulled ourselves out onto the north bank of the river, altogether forgetting about the Zambezi crocodiles and the fact that we had now illegally crossed an international boundary. More was to come…

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Safari in Syd Afrika!

August 1, 2011

Johanna Hagman visited Londolozi in January 2011 together with her family, including her grand parents and her cousins. This is an article she wrote for the WWF Panda Magazine in Sweden…

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My Friend Jerry

July 29, 2011

I’ve written before about Jerry’s specialness as a person and I frequently introduce him to guests as the nicest person on the planet. Spending as much time as I do with Jerry is a privilege and I’ve subconsciously added him to my shrinking list of close friends…

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My Friend Cry

July 21, 2011

During my two and a half years of working at Londolozi, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Cry Sithole. With a mile wide smile and a tacit knowledge of the service industry this man delights guests at every opportunity. The Granite Camp guest book is a tribute to him from all the many travellers that have had the pleasure of staying in this exquisite lodge. Apart from the beautiful camps, breath taking views as well as some of the best game viewing in Africa, Londolozi is distinguished by the incredible people that devote each and every day to producing a world class experience for discerning travellers.

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My friend Solly

July 14, 2011

There is nothing more rewarding in the bush then tracking down ‘your own animal’. The thrill of chase…the ultimate hide and seek. Even if you don’t find the animal, the excitement of searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack is the essence of raw joy! The trackers at Londolozi are superb and this ‘needle’ is often uncovered. We are treated to spectacular sightings and it is thanks to the trackers that you leave here with poster size images of wildlife at it’s best. But there is so much more to the tracker – ranger relationship…

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A Southern Boy in Southern Africa

July 7, 2011

I was a long way from home when I stepped out of the twin-engine prop plane that delivered me to Londolozi on the morning of Saturday, June 18. Trying to distinguish myself from the arriving guests, I skirted the ranger greeting line and approached a group of trackers, hoping someone would know where I was to be taken. Other than my name, I had no answer to who I was or what I was doing here. All I could tell the tracker was that the Varty’s were expecting me, and shortly after, Dave Varty, one of the few familiar faces in a very foreign place, pulled up to the airstrip to pick me up…

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Land Rover’s Revolutionary Electric Game Viewer

July 4, 2011

A few weeks ago, Land Rover unveiled their brand new electric Land Rover at South Africa’s Tourism Indaba held in Durban. Their product is, quite simply, stunning and heralds a turning point in the era of sustainable tourism and zero emissions safaris. For us at Londolozi and, in particular, for our General Manager Stoff Kane-Berman, the commercial production of this electric Land Rover is the realisation of a three year dream pioneering this new aspect of the African safari experience…

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The African STAR Retreat 2011

June 23, 2011

We sit in absolute silence gazing into the hazel eyes of a 5 ton elephant cow as she carefully and methodically uses her trunk to pick up dead pieces of wood, placing them to one side. She then proceeds to eat the grass previously hidden to other grazers. Moist, soft and green, she rumbles in delight! The scene unfolds bit by bit. I glance down at my watch and realize we have been here for 45 minutes and still not one word has been spoken. I slowly start the engine and we roll away heading for a raft of hippo that are stirring in a watering hole not too far away. Words would have added nothing to the remarkable experience we had all just had.

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Best of the Best – Pioneer Camp 1926

June 20, 2011

Pioneer Camp 1926 Londolozi has been selected by Robb Report’s editors as a “Best of the Best” Resorts in our just-released signature June issue. This 23rd annual “Best of the Best” edition culminates an entire year’s search for the luxury world’s most exceptional new products and services and we are delighted that Pioneer Camp is in it…

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Backpacking Madagascar

June 15, 2011

Ever since I watched the movie I had wanted to go! So why wait and wish any longer? At least that was my thinking when I made a rash decision to book a flight to Madagascar. Two days later and I had landed in Antananarivo, capital of the Land of Lemurs. To say that this [...]

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1926 – Londolozi’s Private Collection Body Range

May 23, 2011

Londolozi’s new signature body range was inspired by the seasonal bounty of untamed Africa and the sensuous allure of clean running streams. Set deep in the heart of 6 million hectares of wilderness Londolozi Private Game Reserve is a veritable floral hothouse in the rainy season…

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Ranger of the Year

May 18, 2011

“A true, professional ranger is not only a competent ornithologist, tracker, protector, botanist, behavioral specialist and inquisitive naturalist but also a patient, well groomed, kind, passionate, selfless and enthusiastic people’s person who dedicates 18 hours of his or her day to creating the perfect wildlife holiday experience for someone else.”

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Granite Suites – Not about the Bathroom

May 17, 2011

Londolozi has once again pushed the boundaries to create an authentic safari experience. A while back the Varty family declared that a true wilderness experience was, “not about the bathroom.” In their view the true essence of safari is the meditative luxury of nature itself and this goes way beyond the bricks and mortar of the lodge. Now they’ve taken themselves quite literally and in the exclusive Private Granite Suites guests will find that when it comes to riverside bathing it is truly not about the bathroom…

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‘The Best Wedding I have Ever Photographed’

May 9, 2011

In October last year, Londolozi was incredibly pleased to host a fairytale wedding for two of our closest ambassadors and their friends. In the midst of the wedding party was renowned Wedding Photographer, Ryan Graham, who spent the weekend taking a selection of extraordinary and beautiful images of the event…

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Love and Pride

May 6, 2011

“From their base at Londolozi, the pioneering game reserve in the Sabi Sands that has been home to their family for four generations, sister and brother Bronwyn and Boyd Varty are breaking boundaries in communicating their new vision of conservation. Conde Nast’s Liz Morris savours their sense of purpose…”

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A Royal Wedding

April 27, 2011

Dear William and Kate,
First and foremost I write to congratulate you on your forthcoming marriage and wish you well for what I’m sure will be a marvellous occasion. Many thanks also for your splendid invitation. I finally received the much anticipated envelope yesterday, amidst a great deal of excitement, but was immediately saddened to discover that the big day is to be so soon! Possibly there have been some delays in the Royal mail reaching the Skukuza Post Office. This is a shambolic affair because it simply does not leave us enough time to shuffle our dates around and organise a visit abroad…

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Happy Easter 2011

April 22, 2011

Easter in the bush is a dangerous time for bunnies. Lion and leopard are frequently on the prowl making it difficult for these noble little mammals to go about their duties and deliver this year’s plethora of Lindt Chocolate Easter Bunnies…

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Londolozi Winter Calendar

April 8, 2011

Londolozi is excited to announce the Winter Calendar. Now in its 6th year, the Winter Calendar is all about offering you extra activities on your safari, allowing you to maximise your experience at Londolozi and to enjoy the beautiful balmy days during the months of May, June and July…

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