31/01: Cape Town Executive Touring
Executive Touring's blog is taking a bit of a holiday but will be back soon, better and more informative.
Executive Touring however, is still going strong and it is business as usual.
Please feel free to read and comment on the existing blogs and use it as information in order to see what sort of holiday you can expect when booking with Executive Touring.
Executive Touring however, is still going strong and it is business as usual.
Please feel free to read and comment on the existing blogs and use it as information in order to see what sort of holiday you can expect when booking with Executive Touring.
At certain times of the year during winter, sparse vegetation or drought, a leopard tortoise will eat calcified dung to help with shell development or egg laying; giraffe will suck on large bones, using their tongue to manipulate the bone in and out of their mouth to obtain trace elements such as calcium and phosphorous.
Honey badgers are short tempered, aggressive and very dangerous when harassed or annoyed. They have thick loose skin which allows them to turn on attackers when being held. Combined with powerful jaws equipped with broad crushing teeth they are a formidable opponent, even lions and leopard tending to avoid them.
The aardwolf is a termite-eater with ridges on its palate that help catch termites during the five licks per second. They have papillae on the tongue to prevent abrasion from sand as it licks its prey from the soil surface. Their stomachs grind the food that their cheek teeth can't, and vast amounts of saliva neutralise any toxic secretions from prey. When threatened, an aardwolf consciously erects the mane of long hairs along the neck, back and tail, making themselves look a lot bigger in the hopes of deterring an attack.
Honey badgers are short tempered, aggressive and very dangerous when harassed or annoyed. They have thick loose skin which allows them to turn on attackers when being held. Combined with powerful jaws equipped with broad crushing teeth they are a formidable opponent, even lions and leopard tending to avoid them.
The aardwolf is a termite-eater with ridges on its palate that help catch termites during the five licks per second. They have papillae on the tongue to prevent abrasion from sand as it licks its prey from the soil surface. Their stomachs grind the food that their cheek teeth can't, and vast amounts of saliva neutralise any toxic secretions from prey. When threatened, an aardwolf consciously erects the mane of long hairs along the neck, back and tail, making themselves look a lot bigger in the hopes of deterring an attack.
African Wildlife Safari - Group Names And Name Origins -some very interesting information:
Antelope - herd, cluster, tribe
Apes - shrewdness, troop
Badgers - cete, colony
Cats (Wild) - destruction, dowt, dout
Cheetah - coalition
Elephant - parade, herd
Giraffe - tower, corps, journey, group
Hedgehogs - array, prickle
Hippo - raft, pod, bloat, thunder, school
Hyaena - clan
Impala - rank
Jackal - skulk
Leopard - leap, lepe
Lion - pride, sault, sowse
Monkeys - shrewdness, cartload, troop, troup
Mongoose - business
Pigs (Wild) - sounder
Rhino - crash, stubbornness, herd
Wild Dog - pack
Wildebeest - implausibility, herd
Zebra - dazzle, zeal, cohort
Name Origins:
Aardvark: Afrikaans word translation "earth pig" as ears and nose resemble those of a pig, also burrows a lot.
Bat-eared fox: Refers to the big ears resembling those of egyptian slit-faced bat
Blesbok: Afrikaans word translation "bald buck" referring to the white blaze on the face
Bushbaby: Lives in the "bush" and their call sounds like that of a crying baby
Caracal: From the Turkish name "garah-gulak" meaning black ear, with reference to the black ear tufts
Cheetah: Hindu word "chita" meaning "spotted one"
Duiker: Afrikaans meaning "diver" from the action of the antelope when running away
Eland: Dutch word for elk, thought to be related or similar
Elephant: Greek word "elphas" and latin word "elephantus" for the species
Gemsbok: Dutch word "gems" meaning chamois in reference to colour
Genet: Name of area in Spain the species inhabited in the 18th century
Giraffe: Arabic word "xirapha" meaning "one who walks swiftly"
Hartebeest: Afrikaans word translation "heart cow" with reference to the shape of the horns
Hippopotamus: Greek "(h)ippo" meaning horse, and "pot-amus" meaning flowing river ñ a river horse
Honey Badger: Eats honey, badger from French word "becheur" meaning digger
Impala: Zulu name "imphala" and Tswana name "phala" for the species
Jackal: Persian name "sagal" for the golden jackal
Klipspringer: Afrikaans word translation "stone jumper" with reference to the bounding action in rocky habitat
Kudu: Khoikhoi name for the species
Leopard: Greek words "pardus" for panther and "leo" for lion, shortened to leopard from leopardus
Lion: Greek word "leon" for the species
Mongoose: Indian name "mangus" for the species
Nyala: Zulu name "iNxala" for the species
Pangolin: Malay name for "peng-goling" for the species, which means "the roller" from their habit of rolling into a ball for protection
Porcupine: Greek word "porcus" meaning pig and "spina" meaning species, direct translation "spined pig"
Rhinoceros: Greek word "rhis" meaning nose and "keras" meaning horn, direct translation "nose horn"
Springbok: Afrikaans meaning "jumping back" in reference to their unique jumping action called "pronking"
Warthog: Refers to the outgrowths or warts on the face
Zebra: Portuguese or Italian name of the species in the Congo region
Antelope - herd, cluster, tribe
Apes - shrewdness, troop
Badgers - cete, colony
Cats (Wild) - destruction, dowt, dout
Cheetah - coalition
Elephant - parade, herd
Giraffe - tower, corps, journey, group
Hedgehogs - array, prickle
Hippo - raft, pod, bloat, thunder, school
Hyaena - clan
Impala - rank
Jackal - skulk
Leopard - leap, lepe
Lion - pride, sault, sowse
Monkeys - shrewdness, cartload, troop, troup
Mongoose - business
Pigs (Wild) - sounder
Rhino - crash, stubbornness, herd
Wild Dog - pack
Wildebeest - implausibility, herd
Zebra - dazzle, zeal, cohort
Name Origins:
Aardvark: Afrikaans word translation "earth pig" as ears and nose resemble those of a pig, also burrows a lot.
Bat-eared fox: Refers to the big ears resembling those of egyptian slit-faced bat
Blesbok: Afrikaans word translation "bald buck" referring to the white blaze on the face
Bushbaby: Lives in the "bush" and their call sounds like that of a crying baby
Caracal: From the Turkish name "garah-gulak" meaning black ear, with reference to the black ear tufts
Cheetah: Hindu word "chita" meaning "spotted one"
Duiker: Afrikaans meaning "diver" from the action of the antelope when running away
Eland: Dutch word for elk, thought to be related or similar
Elephant: Greek word "elphas" and latin word "elephantus" for the species
Gemsbok: Dutch word "gems" meaning chamois in reference to colour
Genet: Name of area in Spain the species inhabited in the 18th century
Giraffe: Arabic word "xirapha" meaning "one who walks swiftly"
Hartebeest: Afrikaans word translation "heart cow" with reference to the shape of the horns
Hippopotamus: Greek "(h)ippo" meaning horse, and "pot-amus" meaning flowing river ñ a river horse
Honey Badger: Eats honey, badger from French word "becheur" meaning digger
Impala: Zulu name "imphala" and Tswana name "phala" for the species
Jackal: Persian name "sagal" for the golden jackal
Klipspringer: Afrikaans word translation "stone jumper" with reference to the bounding action in rocky habitat
Kudu: Khoikhoi name for the species
Leopard: Greek words "pardus" for panther and "leo" for lion, shortened to leopard from leopardus
Lion: Greek word "leon" for the species
Mongoose: Indian name "mangus" for the species
Nyala: Zulu name "iNxala" for the species
Pangolin: Malay name for "peng-goling" for the species, which means "the roller" from their habit of rolling into a ball for protection
Porcupine: Greek word "porcus" meaning pig and "spina" meaning species, direct translation "spined pig"
Rhinoceros: Greek word "rhis" meaning nose and "keras" meaning horn, direct translation "nose horn"
Springbok: Afrikaans meaning "jumping back" in reference to their unique jumping action called "pronking"
Warthog: Refers to the outgrowths or warts on the face
Zebra: Portuguese or Italian name of the species in the Congo region
11/01: pictures, places and praise
Dear Clive,
Back and settled I keep looking at the pictures.... What a wonderful trip we had. We have been lots of places before but this one was real special, and I must say, also thanks to you.
So really want to take a minute and say thank you! For the help, for giving us space when we needed, for the little things that really make the difference.
I have a feeling we will be back.
Yours,
Ayelet.
Back and settled I keep looking at the pictures.... What a wonderful trip we had. We have been lots of places before but this one was real special, and I must say, also thanks to you.
So really want to take a minute and say thank you! For the help, for giving us space when we needed, for the little things that really make the difference.
I have a feeling we will be back.
Yours,
Ayelet.
African Lion – Legend of the Tsavo Man Eaters
There has been much speculation about the man-eaters of Tsavo with a fair amount of sensationalizing and dramatizing especially in the movie based on the story. "The Ghost and the Darkness" was an entertaining film but definitely a spiced up version.
"Tsavo" translates to "Place of Slaughter" which is aptly named if true. Between Lt. Col John Patterson, who was building a railway bridge over the Tsavo River (Kenya) during 1898, who hunted a wide variety of wildlife extensively, and the 2 Tsavo lions that allegedly killed and ate over 130 Indian workers the name certainly fits the bill.
During a period of 9 months the Tsavo lions hunted those working on the bridge despite erecting bomas (fences built from thorn tree branches) and burning fires at night in an attempt to keep the lions away from the camp. The attacks came mainly at night when the lions would enter a tent and drag out the unfortunate victim and then proceed to devour him nearby.
Work ground to a halt on the bridge when the workers all fled in fear. Lt. Col John Patterson, after many attempts, shot the first lion on Dec 9, 1898 and 3 weeks later the second. The maneless lions measured 3m long from nose to the tip of the tail. After the lions were shot and killed the crew returned to the bridge and completed the project.
There has been much speculation about the man-eaters of Tsavo with a fair amount of sensationalizing and dramatizing especially in the movie based on the story. "The Ghost and the Darkness" was an entertaining film but definitely a spiced up version.
"Tsavo" translates to "Place of Slaughter" which is aptly named if true. Between Lt. Col John Patterson, who was building a railway bridge over the Tsavo River (Kenya) during 1898, who hunted a wide variety of wildlife extensively, and the 2 Tsavo lions that allegedly killed and ate over 130 Indian workers the name certainly fits the bill.
During a period of 9 months the Tsavo lions hunted those working on the bridge despite erecting bomas (fences built from thorn tree branches) and burning fires at night in an attempt to keep the lions away from the camp. The attacks came mainly at night when the lions would enter a tent and drag out the unfortunate victim and then proceed to devour him nearby.
Work ground to a halt on the bridge when the workers all fled in fear. Lt. Col John Patterson, after many attempts, shot the first lion on Dec 9, 1898 and 3 weeks later the second. The maneless lions measured 3m long from nose to the tip of the tail. After the lions were shot and killed the crew returned to the bridge and completed the project.
Clive,
Thank you again for the nice tour and the good time we had together.
As I told you I promised to a couple of friends to send them an itinerary for 8-10 days tour in Cape Town area.
I have received this from you and have passed it on to my friends!
Have a good 2011
Regards,
Yosh Sagie
Thank you again for the nice tour and the good time we had together.
As I told you I promised to a couple of friends to send them an itinerary for 8-10 days tour in Cape Town area.
I have received this from you and have passed it on to my friends!
Have a good 2011
Regards,
Yosh Sagie
01/01: Knysna, Thesen Island
Thesen Islands is steeped in the history of the Southern Cape. It is situated in the midst of the tranquil waters of one of the richest ecological estuaries in South Africa – home to the rare and endangered Knysna sea horse – hippocampus capensis.
Legend has it that the San – or Bushmen – were the earliest inhabitants of the island. Later, settlers made the area their home, drawn by the rich indigenous forests where herds of the famous Knysna elephant roamed. The island became known as Paarden Island – ‘Horse Island’
The name Thesen has its origins in far-away Norway. In July 1869, Arndt Leonard Thesen, a prominent timber merchant from Stavanger in Norway left his hometown with is wife and nine children, planning to start a new life in New Zealand. After their ship, the Albatros, ran into difficulties near Cape Town, Arndt Thesen decided to stay on in South Africa. The Thesens settled in the picturesque town of Knysna, surrounded by indigenous forests, where they started a timber trading company. In 1904 his son Charles Wilhelm Thesen bought Paarden Island, located in the Knysna River estuary. In 1922 he established a timber processing plant on the island, which soon became known as Thesen Island.
In the early 1980s Barlows, one of South Africa’s industrial conglomerates, purchased the island and its timber treatment plant from Thesen and Company. Barlows soon realized that the timber processing activities could not be continued on this island located in the midst of such a scenic and eco-sensitive lagoon. At the same time there was growing community concern about the environmental and industrial pollution caused by the factory's activities. As a result the plant’s doors were finally closed. In the ensuing years the abandoned derelict buildings, machinery and waste dumps increasingly turned into an eyesore and a health hazard.
In 1991 Dr. Chris Mulder, a South African environmental engineer who received his doctorate in environmental design in Houston, USA, proposed a complete redevelopment of the island into a unique residential marina.
As the Knysna River estuary is one of the most sensitive ecosystems in the country and a major tourism attraction, the development of Thesen Islands called for extremely careful and sensitive planning covering ecological, architectural, engineering, aesthetic, social and cultural criteria. After eight years of research and planning by Dr. Mulder and his team, approval was finally granted in December 1998 - but with over one hundred strict and complex conditions. In all, ten years passed from initial concept to final approval, involving twenty-five alterations to the master plan!
We stayed there between Christmas and New Year, and I strongly recommend that you go there too..the five star Turbine Hotel is just the place to be!
www.thesenisland.com
Legend has it that the San – or Bushmen – were the earliest inhabitants of the island. Later, settlers made the area their home, drawn by the rich indigenous forests where herds of the famous Knysna elephant roamed. The island became known as Paarden Island – ‘Horse Island’
The name Thesen has its origins in far-away Norway. In July 1869, Arndt Leonard Thesen, a prominent timber merchant from Stavanger in Norway left his hometown with is wife and nine children, planning to start a new life in New Zealand. After their ship, the Albatros, ran into difficulties near Cape Town, Arndt Thesen decided to stay on in South Africa. The Thesens settled in the picturesque town of Knysna, surrounded by indigenous forests, where they started a timber trading company. In 1904 his son Charles Wilhelm Thesen bought Paarden Island, located in the Knysna River estuary. In 1922 he established a timber processing plant on the island, which soon became known as Thesen Island.
In the early 1980s Barlows, one of South Africa’s industrial conglomerates, purchased the island and its timber treatment plant from Thesen and Company. Barlows soon realized that the timber processing activities could not be continued on this island located in the midst of such a scenic and eco-sensitive lagoon. At the same time there was growing community concern about the environmental and industrial pollution caused by the factory's activities. As a result the plant’s doors were finally closed. In the ensuing years the abandoned derelict buildings, machinery and waste dumps increasingly turned into an eyesore and a health hazard.
In 1991 Dr. Chris Mulder, a South African environmental engineer who received his doctorate in environmental design in Houston, USA, proposed a complete redevelopment of the island into a unique residential marina.
As the Knysna River estuary is one of the most sensitive ecosystems in the country and a major tourism attraction, the development of Thesen Islands called for extremely careful and sensitive planning covering ecological, architectural, engineering, aesthetic, social and cultural criteria. After eight years of research and planning by Dr. Mulder and his team, approval was finally granted in December 1998 - but with over one hundred strict and complex conditions. In all, ten years passed from initial concept to final approval, involving twenty-five alterations to the master plan!
We stayed there between Christmas and New Year, and I strongly recommend that you go there too..the five star Turbine Hotel is just the place to be!
www.thesenisland.com
Hi Clive
We are back at home and we would like to thank you very much for the great time we have spent together and for your patience. You were great!
Thanks a lot
Menahem
Israel
We are back at home and we would like to thank you very much for the great time we have spent together and for your patience. You were great!
Thanks a lot
Menahem
Israel
This time of year almost everyone have made their plans for the holidays and those who joined the mass Exodus from Cape Town have taken to the road. The shops are horrifically or fantastically busy, depending on your point of view and those who stay behind is looking for something to do. Here is a list of events offered by the V & A Waterfront:
until 2Jan an Enormous Christmas tree
until 25Dec - a Giant Christmas cracker
until 28Feb - The Wheel of Excellence
until 16Jan - an Icerink by the Sea
The spectacular New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display
Free and fantastic 5pm concerts - various artists
Cheerful Christmas bands
until 2Jan an Enormous Christmas tree
until 25Dec - a Giant Christmas cracker
until 28Feb - The Wheel of Excellence
until 16Jan - an Icerink by the Sea
The spectacular New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display
Free and fantastic 5pm concerts - various artists
Cheerful Christmas bands
Deep within the shadows of the dense valley bushveld of the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape lies the Addo Elephant National Park. Here, the evenings are punctuated by the strident howl of the black-backed jackal, and the francolin's call heralds each new dawn. Safe from relentless persecution in the past, the grey leviathans of the bush now roam in peace.
The original Elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only eleven elephants remained in the area - today this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 450 elephants, Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species, as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. And their Addo has only just begun. with plans to expand the 164 000 ha Addo National Elephant Park into a 360 000 ha mega-park. In addition, plans include the proposed proclamation of a 120 000 ha (296 500 acre) marine reserve that includes islands that are home to the world's largest breeding populations of Cape gannets and second largest breeding population of African penguins.
There are various private guest lodges within the park, but on our trip we stayed at SANPARKS tented camp and it was absolutely wonderful.
www.sanparks.org.za
Photo: Libor Dubi
The original Elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only eleven elephants remained in the area - today this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to over 450 elephants, Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species, as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. And their Addo has only just begun. with plans to expand the 164 000 ha Addo National Elephant Park into a 360 000 ha mega-park. In addition, plans include the proposed proclamation of a 120 000 ha (296 500 acre) marine reserve that includes islands that are home to the world's largest breeding populations of Cape gannets and second largest breeding population of African penguins.
There are various private guest lodges within the park, but on our trip we stayed at SANPARKS tented camp and it was absolutely wonderful.
www.sanparks.org.za
Photo: Libor Dubi
