Seychelles tour packages take you to the beautiful coral reefs

The archipelago of 115 islands that comprise what is referred to as the Seychelles is often likened to a string of pearls. It must have earned the description from someone who first achieved an aerial view of the pretty isles, which comprise granite rock islands with tropical vegetation as well as the hidden gems − coral atolls that barely break the water’s surface.


Seychelles tour packages are designed to give visitors the best experience of these islands, dotted about 1 000 miles off the east coast of Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean.


The aptly named Coral Strand Hotel is one of the Seychelles hotels that offer special deals on holiday packages, which is good to know when you need to make your travel budget work for you.


You can arrange your visit through a tour operator, who can assist you with your bookings. This Seychelles hotel is located on the largest island of the group. It is called Mahe, which is big enough to have a capital city and an airport.


The hotel is 20 minutes from Seychelles International Airport, which provides easy access to Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Ste Anne Marine National Park, and Port Launay Marine National Park. It’s also worth visiting Morne Seychellois National Park to see, among other wonders, the island’s tallest mountain. Morne Seychellois stands 905 metres high.


Much of Seychelles land is preserved, and still unspoilt. Fishing and waterskiing, for example, are forbidden in Ste Anne Marine National Park, which itself comprises six smaller islands. It is one of the best locations for diving, cruising on glass-bottomed boats and snorkelling among the colourful coral reefs.


Part of the magic of staying at the Coral Sands Hotel is the evening entertainment provided by local musicians. During the day, guests who aren’t into watersports can choose from four different tours of Mahe Island or tour to Praslin and La Digue islands. Praslin is a World Heritage Site, and well worth a visit.

Choose your Victoria Falls safaris

Go big. Why not? A holiday doesn’t come along that often. So live a little… follow your dream. Save to splurge if you must or simply block off the time in your diary and book a break at Victoria Falls lodges.


The attraction? None other than the Smoke that Thunders, of course. The Victoria Falls, so named after Queen Victoria but originally called Mosi-O-Tunya (Smoke that Thunders) by the indigenous Kololo tribe, is one of the world’s greatest spectacles. It’s no wonder that Victoria Falls safaris top the list of things to do by visitors to the area. Tour operators have a number of exciting activities and excursions to offer them.


This is not the type of destination where you can consciously sit in your hotel room or at the pool and do nothing else. There is too much to absorb and experience there, which you can’t accomplish anywhere else. The location also provides easy access to sights in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa.


If your goal is to see the Victoria Falls in all their glory, book into Victoria Falls lodges following the peak flood season when that “smoke” can be seen 80km away.
To get the best view of its magnitude, you have to take flight – microlight or helicopter, anyone?


Conversely, the dry season between November and December diminishes the water supply to small rivers of water. Do not be perturbed, however, because that means you can explore more at the bottom of the Falls on foot. One visitor says the best thing to do at what is commonly known as Vic Falls is “an unsolicited walk on the edge of the walls”. Risky, but unforgettable. An elephant was photographed recently doing something similar – he walked right to the edge with his sights firmly set on a succulent leafy plant.


Of all the fascinating activities and tours on offer, Mosi-O-Tunya National Park is another must. In terms of accommodation, the Elephant Hills Resort and the Victoria Falls Hotel are both strong recommendations on the Zimbabwe side.

Unforgettable Tanzania safari

Living life under threat of death by thirst, hunger, exhaustion or predation is not anybody’s idea of fulfilling, but for the two million wildebeest that have made the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania their home – it’s all they know.

Visitors to Africa have developed a fascination for their widely publicised annual migration between the Plains and Kenya’s Maasai Mara. It’s for good reason that it’s nicknamed “the greatest show on earth”.


Tanzania hotels gear up for an influx of tourists between April and June. This time of year offers the best sightings of the wildebeest herds and other grazing mammals like buffalo, eland, zebra and gazelle as they make their way across the Serengeti towards better grazing and water in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.


It’s a circular migration that sees the herds in Kenya from July to November, before they return to their birthing grounds near the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. So, if you’re planning a visit to this part of the continent, a Tanzania safari must be on your itinerary.


Award-winning Tanzania hotels like Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge have an enviable position on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world. The crater measures 20km across, 600m deep and 300sq km in area, and harbours a unique biosphere that provides a magnificent habitat for elephant, rhino and lion.


It looks like something out of the movies… but here, in this part of Africa, it’s very real.


The Lodge is close to the prehistoric site of Olduvai Gorge, which is one of the day tour opportunities. Game drives into the crater are a favourite option. There are adventure hikes too (around the Crater and nearby volcanoes) or more sedate wildlife walks to sign up for. Equally appealing are a barbecue lunch at a hippo-filled pool in the depths of the Crater or a visit to Empakaai, a 300m deep crater with a lake where flamingoes flock.


A tour guide can also lead you to authentic Maasai villages where you can see traditional homesteads, cattle markets and women's handicrafts.

Ease your worries away at a Zanzibar beach resort

If you’ve got your eye on a Zanzibar beach resort for your next holiday, there are several options to choose from. Zanzibar offers an idyllic island getaway off the Tanzanian coast, where Zanzibar tour packages will help you get the most out of your trip.


For those who prefer a more private environment, there is the 35-room boutique establishment simply called Z Hotel. The owners have combined a chic, contemporary design with traditional Zanzibari elements and a luxury approach to the interior furnishings and fittings.


There is no fear of eyeballing your neighbour in the adjacent room if you step out onto your balcony as all the rooms have private decks that provide spectacular views of the sea. The superior Z Suite goes one better with two terraces and an outdoor Jacuzzi.


Z Hotel is set in a tropical garden that leads onto soft white beaches, which beckon you into their warm waters. That’s one of the main reasons to visit Zanzibar: experienced divers will insist on exploring its coral reefs while the less adventurous can happily snorkel among them.


The hotel’s restaurant options and menus are so well planned you might struggle to leave this venue to explore the island but, if you are the adventurous type, it’s worth signing up for one of the Zanzibar tour packages. Just make sure you’re back in time to catch the sunset at Cinnamon Cocktail Bar; it’s said to be the best spot on the island for a sundowner!


Zanzibar tour packages often incorporate Stone Town, the historic centre of the island’s capital city, known as Zanzibar Town or Zanzibar City. Z Hotel is 75km away so the journey there reveals more of the island’s beautiful scenery. It’s also about an hour’s drive from the airport.


Enquire about options for excursions to Jozani Forest (to catch sight of the endangered Red Colobus Monkey) or the Mnarani Turtle Sanctuary, where villagers nurse injured turtles back to health in their natural habitat.


Tours among the spice plantations and to Prison Island are also popular activities at Zanzibar.

Hotels in Namibia reveal the country’s attractions

Beauty is a word that is synonymous with Namibia, not only with reference to its landscape. Michelle McLean topped her win of the Miss Namibia 1991 title with her crowning as Miss Universe 1992, the only Namibian to win it. She hails from Windhoek, which is close to the Etosha National Park.

Hotels in Namibia give visitors different experiences of the country – from the Fish River Canyon to the Namibia and Kalahari deserts found in the Gondwana region. The Gondwana Four Desert Tour is highly recommended.

But Namibia’s desolate landscape is not all desert. Hotels in Namibia like the Etosha Safari Lodge, 10km south of the Etosha National Park’s Andersson Gate, are recommended by reputable tour operators who want to give guests an unforgettable safari experience.

The Lodge is close to this world-renowned, 4 500 square kilometre reserve, which consists of salt pan, woodland and grassland habitats. From a distance, its chalets are barely discernible as they are designed to blend in with their surroundings. Just their tented rooftops peep out above the bush like meerkat sentinels.

Day safaris into the park reveal wildlife incorporating antelope, gemsbok, impala, kudu and springbok; big cats like cheetah, leopard and lion; the mighty elephant and elegant giraffe plus over 300 bird species.

The bush drives start early, to catch the animals at watering holes and before the heat of the sun forces them to seek shelter, and end at sunset. Magnificent photographic opportunities await the keen photographer – of the wildlife, landscape and, of course, the exquisite sunsets.

Those who still want a taste of the city can book a day trip to Windhoek by minibus shuttle or laze around the swimming pool after a morning game drive. This Namibia hotel has disabled access and provides a babysitting service for parents who really need a break.

Don’t forget to take the necessary precautions against malaria, as mosquitoes are found in this area of Namibia.