I wrote about my visit to Zimababwe's Singita Pamushana back in November, so it is with great pride that I am able to share the news that Singita Pamushana has been awarded "Global Winner" at the World Travel & Tourism Council's Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

One of Singita Game Reserve's nine low-impact/high-end game lodges in southern and East Africa, Singita Pamushana is often referred to as 'one of southern Africa's best kept secrets'. It was selected as winner in this prestigious global competition amongst two other outstanding finalists in the Conservation category: Frégate Island in the Seychelles; and The Jane Goodall Institute/Budongo Ecotourism Development Project in Uganda.

Singita Pamushana was established with the core purpose of making a meaningful contribution towards the cost of conserving the extraordinary 130,000 acres Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in south-eastern Zimbabwe. This confident venture into a world-class tourism product for Zimbabwe impressed the panel of international judges as a model for private tourism practice that uniquely subsists solely to generate income via high value tourism. The goal is to make a major contribution to the national goal of rehabilitating the country's wildlife and tourism industries.

The natural habitat in the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve has now been rehabilitated to its original state, and today Singita Pamushana has the finest quality wildlife in Zimbabwe. These range from endangered Black Rhino to Roan Antelope and Lichtenstein's Hartebeest. Under Singita Pamushana's sensitive management, the wildlife populations have shown exhilarating growth after the carefully managed reintroduction.

Luke Bailes, CEO of Singita Game Reserves says:

"It is a great honor to be recognized by an organization such as the World Travel & Tourism Council for our approach to conservation, and for the conservation-related programs that are in place at Singita Pamushana. These create the context within which our guests can experience African wildlife at its very best. Singita Pamushana exemplifies our approach to sustainable tourism and is a paradigm of how we can contribute meaningfully to conserving vast ecological zones, in so doing preserving these areas and their wildlife for future generations."

One day in 1998, in South Africa, I followed a yellow-billed kite into a thermal on my paraglider. We soared together close enough that I could see the individual feathers on its wingtips making adjustments. I still get goosebumps more than a decade later.

Watch this beautiful footage of Kerri Wolter doing it for the joy AND for a cause: the protection of the Cape Vulture. Less than 2,900 breeding pairs remain. Conservationist Kerri Wolter and paraglider pilot Walter Nesser fly with them. The footage is sublime.


Kerri founded the Vulture Conservation Program in Magaliesberg, South Africa. A beautiful place to fly! Support the program here.

This was also part of the filming of the documentary series Path into the Future.

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) might be surprised about many things in 2011, but he would not be surprised to hear this: Cape Town was voted the number one destination in tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards.

In 1579 Drake declared it ‘... the fairest cape and the most stately thing we saw in the whole circumference of the globe’. We agree. We're not surprised either.

Cape Town recipe:

• One part Rio de Janiero
• One part San Francisco
• One part Monaco
• A dash of Malaysia
• The essence of Africa

Leave to mature on the tip of Africa.

Now imagine your Central Park is a 3,000 ft mountain and the Napa wine lands are in the suburbs - welcome to Cape Town! Now come and visit.

Cape Town on our website here.

See the Travelers' Choice 2011 results here.

Have a look at this short video of Uthando's work in South Africa. James Fernie takes you on a short tour of their grass roots projects and gives thanks for the donations. Have a look at why we support Uthando and ask us to work a half day visit into your trip.

Why go and "see a township" on a tour when you can experience the township, engage with the people, and help at the same time?

Other Uthando stories here.

Uthando website

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