Zimbabwe Brochure & Travel2Zimbabwe is officially launched!

Last newsletter we featured the exciting and upcoming Zimbabwe brochure and website launch... This is actually about to take place at INDABA (on the 6th of May to be exact)... And since INDABA is only a few days away we thought that you, our loyal newsletter readers, might enjoy being the first to see the brochure cover and the first to check out our brand new website!

Our new website, www.travel2zimbabwe.com, is officially live! Browse through some brand new Zimbabwe safaris, read about fantastic places to stay and discover the best national parks to visit... plus more! Anything and everything you need to know about Zimbabwe and Jenman Safaris can be found with one simple click!

But, if you, like us, love brochures and would like to have a copy for yourself (and your clients) please email us on info@jenmansafaris.com and we will post you one as soon as possible.

It's definitely time to "Travel 2 Zimbabwe"!

Experience a "world in one country" on safari

This 19-day safari really has it all! And for this reason it's no wonder why we called it our World in One Country safari; exciting wildlife, breath-taking scenery with insights into culture & history... What more could you possibly want?

Travel from Johannesburg towards the Kruger National Park through the Kingdom of Swaziland and onto Zululand. Hike in the Drakensberg Mountains and go pony-trekking in Lesotho. Continue your journey south of Addo Elephant Park with wonderful game-viewing opportunities, and experience the lush Tsitsikamma Forest as it invites you to walk along the coast... Before reaching Cape Town, you will visit Oudsthoorn's famous Cango Caves and taste delicious wines in Stellenbosch. I bet you now know why we decided to call it "World in One Country"...?!

Since it's the perfect time to start planning, here are a few departure dates that you might be interested in (this safari runs with a maximum of 10 clients per trip; small group safaris really make this tour even more special...);

3 July: 4 seats available
4 September; 4 seats available
5 October: 4 seats available
27 November; 3 seats available...

One of the great aspects of this "World in One Country" safari is that you can choose to do either the half-accommodated or the fully accommodated option from only USD 2235 / EUR 1595 per person... Click here to read the detailed itinerary or email us to secure your seat!

When a breakdown happens...

Breakdowns unfortunately happen to everyone - whether it's on a tour or driving home from work... but, if it's on tour then how well a breakdown is handled shows how good the company really is... So, yes we had an unfortunate breakdown and even though this happened we can't help but feel very proud at how fast and successfully we sorted this out... this is what happened;

Our Botswana Wildlife Breakaway safari experienced a breakdown on a Saturday in early April. What had happened was while we were on tour in Botswana the rain increased dramatically causing flooding. When driving out on Saturday, from Guma, and having to cross through deep waters (as the water level had risen within those two days we stayed at the camp) we hit a submerged branch that damaged the engine beyond repair... Our guide, Blessed, then quickly secured transport to the Botswana border but as it was too late the group were not able to cross the border. In the meantime the Jenman office managed to organise accommodation for the night. The following day (Sunday) the Ops team sourced a replacement 12-seater vehicle (which would arrive late on Sunday or early Monday morning) and secured new accommodation for the night. On Monday morning a 12-seater 4x4 vehicle was delivered in record time and the clients set off to Chobe to enjoy some well deserved game drives, followed by a sunset cruise and a complimentary dinner!

As horrible as this breakdown was, it was sorted out within record time considering it was a weekend and happened during the flooding. Afterwards our guide emailed us the below... this is what makes all the hard work and stress so worth it!

Just want to thank all of you for the contributions and extra effort you put on my last tour. Firstly a million thanks to Wayne. I salute you. Trying to get accommodation, transport in such a short period of time and on a weekend was not an easy task but you were constantly on the phone with me and making sure all went on well and everyone was safe. Thanks a lot - from the time we had a breakdown until we reached Namibia you were right besides me. Thanks again to the Ops team Jo and Olivia. You girls are doing a great job and your quick response makes a big difference. Lastly but not the least. Thanks to Liz for a quick response and clearing our accommodation in Vic Falls. You are great.

My last tour would have turned out to be a disaster but you guys were there for me and we worked as a team, not just a team but a great team.
I did everything l could to make everyone happy after breakdown and it actually turned out to be an amazing tour with lots of memories and highlights. All clients were happy and all went on well at the end and this was because of you guys. Thank you all again and believe me if we keep this way we will run amazing tours and have happy guides and clients at the end.
Thank you all and see you in Cape Town Monday.

Blessed

Well done to everyone that was involved...

Well done Chloe; you have just won your tour fare back!

Each year from February to February we run an exciting review competition where you can win the cost of your safari back! Yes! All you need to do is travel with us, share your experiences online, let us know and you will be entered into a lucky draw.... This means that you could, in actual, fact be travelling (or have travelled) for FREE!

This year the winner (and our first winner ever) was Chloe who has just being given back her entire package fare cost (about USD 3300 / EUR 2600)! Below is a short exert from her Namibia Lodge Safari that was randomly selected out of over 70 submissions: "The following day my adventurous spirit came out and I went quad biking and sand boarding in Swakopmund. After such an energetic day it was wonderful to reach Sossusvlei. We spent the day relaxing and taking in the majestic red dunes of Sossusvlei. The most incredible experience was climbing up the dunes and taking in the spectacular view of the 'dune sea'. But thank goodness we climbed those dunes early in the morning when it was relatively cool - apparently these dunes (with its rich red colour) attract the sun & its heat at midday" ... "I can say without a doubt that this was a holiday I will never forget, and I would recommend visiting Namibia to anyone who wants an incredible mix of wildlife, scenery and culture! Since I had such a great time in Namibia I have decided maybe to try a camping option next... " (click here to read the whole review)

When we told Chloe about her prize she was thrilled and immediately started asking about travelling to Kenya...

Thank you for everyone that entered - we loved reading your reviews!

And yes, we are running this competition again. If you have or will travel after February 2011 then post your review/s before February 2012 and you can stand a chance of winning your package cost back!  Click here for more details of how to enter.

Jenman guide training 2011; lots of learning and lots of laughs

A Jenman Safaris guide is no easy task; they need to be able to drive safely with impressive 4x4 skills, they also need to inform and educate clients on a wide range of topics (and be able to answer some very interesting questions!), manage timings, cater for guests meals (and some strange food requirements), manage trip finances, deal with border finalities... and the list goes on and on!

And for this very reason we host our annual guides workshop in Llandudno, Cape Town. This year, like before, the workshop was a complete success! All of our current and potential guides gathered for a week filled with learning, presentations and fun... the workshop included; 4x4 training and challenges, equipment updates, company presentations, food preparation and menu discussions, animal sightings, story comparisons, 2011 product briefs and more.

At the very end of our guides' workshop we presented the eagerly awaited 'guide of the year' award which was based on tour feedback, online reviews, company feedback and a few other important factors... Well done to Chantal van der Linde (click here to read more) who won a long weekend for 2 in Madagascar for being such an exceptional guide in 2010! We have to admit that the competition was so close we almost had to give out 5 awards this year!

Overall it was a great success... well done to all the guides who completed the workshop and a big congratulations to the Operations Team for organising such a fantastic event!

Meet Asheeqah - definitely not one of safari drivers...

Asheeqah ("Ash" as we all call her) started at Jenman Safaris as an intern over a year ago and since October has become our very valuable Database Administrator! This means she deals with our databases, our booking & quoting programs and anything technical that we need help with.

When Asheeqah isn't hard at work fixing something we broke (not that we would ever admit that) you can find her walking along Cape Town's beaches, driving along the coast and exploring the hidden areas around the mountain. When we asked Ash where she would like to go for her next holiday, this is what she said: I am not too crazy about wildlife (what? Scared of a little lion? Jokes), as I am about water. I would love to visit Victoria Falls to see the magnificent water displays and Mozambique for the beautiful beaches as well as Madagascar for the Lemurs...I wonder if I can do that all on one holiday...?!"

If you are wondering why we are so adamant that Ash will definitely never be one of our safari drivers... this is why: her friends call her a "hell driver"... When we asked her about this she gave us the innocent 'face' and said that she drives perfectly fine as she has had a drivers for 6 months already (only???) but insisted that if anyone gets into her car "they better make sure they use the seat belt"....! And for this reason we are going to keep her as our treasured Database Administrator, sorry no driving for you Ash... ever!

Things you should know...

1. Starting June 30, Zambezi Airlines will introduce new flights connecting Cape Town directly with Livingstone and on to Lusaka. Flights from Cape Town are scheduled to operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The return service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
2. Last month we featured an April fools about our Botswana Wildlife Breakaway safari (making it a bicycle tour)... Please note that this was a joke and no change has being made to our popular safari with regards to making it a cycle safari...

World Wide Reservations
South Africa
Toll Free: 0861 JENMAN (0861 536 626)
USA and Canada
Toll Free: 1866 487 4323
Australia
Toll Free: 1800140 835
United Kingdom
Tel: 0871 284 5010 Fax: 0871 284 5011
New Zealand
Toll Free: 0800 528 101
Rest of World
+27 (0)21 683 7826

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