According to the latest tourist arrival statistics, visitors to South Africa from India were up 16.8% for the January to October period in 2012 compared to that of 2011 and AHA managing director Neil Bald said this growth had prompted the company to appoint a representative to focus exclusively on this strategic source market.

“Renuka is a seasoned travel and tourism marketer, who is currently employed at the Schilthorn Cableway in Switzerland. She has also held a number of positions at Kuoni Travel India, including head of marketing and promotions: India at the Kuoni Academy, regional head: Eastern India, branch head: Bangalore at SOTC Kuoni’s FIT division and product head for Kuoni’s World Famous Tours. We are delighted to have Renuka join us and look forward to the value she will add to our business by growing our share of this market,” he said.

TAA chief executive Gary Elmes added that Renukawould hit the ground running at AHA, given that she also heads sales and marketing: India and Sri Lanka at Vintage Africa, TAA’s East African inbound tour operator, ground handler and travel agent, and was therefore already familiar with Tourvest’s business, people, culture and systems. “In fact, it is greatly beneficial for us to have her representing both Vintage and AHA and we believe her appointment will positively impact the two companies in the division.”

The 11 000-hectare reserve, voted South Africa’s leading nature experience in the 2012 World Travel Awards, is the only fynbos reserve with free-roaming Big Five game. In addition to the Big Five, the reserve is also home to a many endangered species including the Cape mountain zebra, black rhino and black harrier.

The reserve’s flagship Kwena Lodge comprises 14 suites modelled after traditional Khoi-San dwellings but with a modern twist. Each suite commands spectacular views of the surrounding Outeniqua and Swartberg mountain ranges, relics from the prehistoric supercontinent Gondwanaland, after which the reserve takes its name. The suites are equipped with clay pot fireplaces, deep baths, walk-in showers and internet access, while the lodge itself sports a large infinity pool, open-plan lounge and bar, a dining room set around two open fireplaces and an outdoor boma.

Additionally, the reserve has several large bush villas. These privately situated two, three and four- bedroom bush villas are ideal for families or groups looking for more space and exclusivity. The villas can be staffed with a personal field guide, chef and butler or rented on a luxury self-catering basis.

Activities on offer include game drives and Africology spa treatments. It is also within easy reach of many championship golf courses including Pinnacle Point, Pezula, Oubaai and Fancourt as well as excellent swimming beaches and the popular coastal towns along the Garden Route.

AHA managing director Neil Bald notes that the property is the company’s second along the Garden Route – it manages the popular The Rex boutique hotel in Knysna – and that Gondwana would cement AHA’s growing footprint in the region. “It is a welcome addition to our growing portfolio of boutique hotels, lifestyle retreats and game lodges and we look forward to adding considerable value to the daily operational management and marketing efforts of this reserve ” he says.

AHA represents and operates a collection of boutique city hotels, lifestyle retreats and game lodges throughout Southern and East Africa. For a full list of properties currently under AHA management, please visit www.ahagroup.co.za or www.tourvest.co.za.

Early one morning as the last bits of sun rose from the horizon, our guests departed on a game drive along the banks of the Zambezi River.

Shortly into the drive I heard a call over the radio that a baby elephant had been trapped in the mud on a marshy area close to the rivers edge, not to far from camp.

These incidents happen when the water levels recede and wet clay areas are exposed. Along these areas one can find large amounts of Papyrus growing in the shallows of the river bank.

Papyrus is a part of a few animals’ diet as it is nutritious and contains a substantial amount of water and liquids in its stem.

Elephants are particularly drawn to these areas and when moving towards the luscious vegetation they become stuck and sink deep into the mud, causing them to dehydrate and loose blood circulation to their legs, if not found these animals will eventually die or be eaten alive by vultures, hyenas or any other predator that may be drawn to the petrified screams and bellows for help.

When we arrived on the scene it was apparent that the young elephant had been trapped in the early hours of the evening before. Amazingly he survived at least twelve and a half hours of this tragedy before being seen by one of our guides (Richard). My wife and I gathered our recovery team, as well as 2OO litres of water so we could cool off the young one and soften the mud that surrounded him in order to pull him gently without damaging his legs as they were well trapped by fast drying clay that was hardening due to the heat of the sun.

Initially we could not use the Land Cruiser as the elephant was facing the wrong direction and by pulling him backwards we risk a chance of injury to the young bull. We had to pull him by hand, (see pictures below) – at least for the first part of the ordeal so we could shift his weight and have him facing the vehicle for an easier recovery. The only safe place to put the ropes is around his neck. Elephants have a very strong neck that can take a lot of strain. If we had tried to pull him out by any part of his legs which eventually become exposed, we risked breaking them.

Once we managed to get the baby’s front legs out and his knees firmly on solid ground, we then used the vehicle as he would also try to stand up and using his front legs he would eventually free his hind legs and be able to move forward using the Land Cruisers weight as an anchor for support.

When he was finally free and lay on the solid ground we had to act fast and get him to his feet, to allow the blood to circulate. Towing straps had to be placed under his belly and with our team off staff we heaved him to his feet manually.

So far baby is doing well and has been seen numerous times since then roaming around. He is approximately 5 years of age, therefore no longer dependant on his mother’s milk. Although very young, he is able to look after himself, and we are keeping an eye out to make sure he doesn’t get into any “muddy” situations.

The rescue and recovery of this young elephant has made its way around the world in just a few days since its release. The number of people concerned showing support for this young baby has been a warming and wonderful pleasure to see. We will continue to rescue and recover as many elephants and buffalo from the mud as we can and remember, 25 years and 3 generations of this kind of assistance towards conservation here at Imbabala Lodge is probably one of the many reasons as to why we still have these magnificent creatures roaming our flood plain today.

Story and photography by Bradley and Annelize White

Click here to view photography

Managers of Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge, www.imbabalazambezisafarilodge.com. Find us on Facebook for updates on this story and more.

AHA owns or manages a portfolio of properties marketed as lifestyle retreats, city hotels and lodges (see full list here), which are located in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.  In 2010, it developed the Elephant Camp Victoria Falls lodge, a low ecological impact camp on its concession in the Victoria Falls National Park; acquired the full management contract for the Chobe Marina Lodge in the north-eastern border of Botswana in 2011; and very recently acquired the full management contract for the Ghoha Hills Camp in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, which opened to the public mid-June this year.

AHA managing director Neil Bald says the success of its Victoria Falls and Botswanan lodges has prompted Tourvest to look outside of Southern Africa for further growth opportunities.  “Our initial approach will be to look for properties in countries in which Tourvest already has a presence, either through its retail travel operations or its inbound tour operator division, or to complement Tourvest’s activity-based business such as Drifters, which offers overland safari tours as far afield as Uganda and East Africa,” he says.  Tourvest is also the owner and operator of Lemala Luxury Camps in Kenya and Tanzania.

In July this year, Tourvest paid a visit to Ghana to explore areas of mutual co-operation within Ghana’s tourism industry.  The fact-finding trip included inspections of a number of boutique hotels in the capital city Accra as well as the Kakum National Park, which hosts the world’s largest canopy walkway; the Shai Hills Reserve; the Mole National Park; and the Slave Castles of the Cape Coast.

Bald says AHA will be going on similar trips to other African countries identified as having investment potential including Kenya, Uganda and the Ivory Coast.   “AHA offers hotel owners a number of benefits including integrated support functions, access to the e-Res reservation tool which plugs into as many as 22 online channels including leading global travel distribution systems such as Galileo, Amadeus, Expedia.com, Booking.com as well as the properties’ own online web booking engine and the large volumes of tourists sourced by the group’s travel agency and tour operator businesses,” he says.

AHA ADDS GHOHA HILLS CAMP TO PROPERTY PORTFOLIO

Johannesburg, 11 June 2012 – African Hotels and Adventures (AHA), the tourism property management division of Tourvest’s Accommodation and Activities division, has been awarded the full management contract for Ghoha Hills Camp in Botswana’s Chobe National Park.

Situated 20 kilometres from the Savuti Channel, which started flowing again in 2008, Ghoha Hills is a small, intimate camp comprising eight guest units and two family units, all en-suite, with views of a busy waterhole located at the foot of the hills.

Since the perennial Savuti Channel started flowing again, it has become a crystal clear waterway that has attracted a variety of aquatic species including hippos, water birds as well as some plains game. Other wildlife in the area include elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, roan antelope, giraffe, spotted hyena, jackals and a variety of birdlife.

Activities on offer at the lodge include morning and afternoon game drives, guided walks, bird watching and star gazing. Expeditions to the Savuti Channel can also be arranged on request.

TAA chief executive Gary Elmes notes that the property is the company’s second in Botswana – it acquired the Chobe Marina Lodge in September last year – and that Ghoha Hills would cement AHA’s growing footprint in that country. “We also see the contract as a strategic fit with our activity-based operations, such as Wild Horizons which are largely located in the Victoria Falls, a two hour dive from the Chobe National Park,” he said.

AHA represents and operates a collection of boutique city hotels, lifestyle retreats and game lodges throughout Southern and East Africa. For a full list of properties currently under AHA management, please visit our website, www.ahagroup.co.za or www.tourvest.co.za.