The Bumi Beat!

2012-02-23T12:58:00.001+02:00

Wherebetter to go on safari

PRE-EASTER SPECIAL

Valid 1^st March- 1^stApril 2012

Minimum 2 nights stay

Zim residents only

INCREDIBLE REDUCED RATES FOR A TRULY 5STAR EXPERIENCE!

Garden Rooms

USD176.-pp sharing

Premium Rooms

USD229.-pp sharing

Note: 25% singlesurcharge applies

Enquire with usfor group discounts

Special Includes

Accommodation, mealsand 2 activities per night of stay

Access Options

not included in rates quoted above

Air

From Harare atUSD375.-pp return (Tues, Fri, Sun only)

From Kariba atUSD120.-pp return (Tues, Fri, Sun only)

Boat

From Kariba atUSD120.-pp return (everyday of the week)

Flight and boat seat availability applies

CONTACT US NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Email: reservations@bumihills.comOR sales@bumihills.com

Tel: +263 (0)4 307 087 or AH: +263 (0)772 135 664/5

Visit Us: 2^nd Floor PaSangano (DTSV) Building,Avondale, Harare

Website: www.bumihills.com

Normal Terms &Conditions Apply

Access Rates arenot commissionable

There really is no better place for romance than Bumi Hills

2012-01-19T16:20:00.002+02:00

No betterplace for romance than Bumi!

Bumi Hills Valentines Special

Valid Tues 7^th – Sun 19^thFebruary 2011

Minimum 2 nights stay

Zimbabwean Residents

Garden Rooms

USD189.-ppsharing

Premium Rooms

USD239.-ppsharing

Regional andInternational Guests

Garden Rooms

Rack at USD218.-ppsharing

Premium Rooms

Rack at USD268.-ppsharing

SPECIAL INCLUDES

Accommodation, meals,1 activity per night of stay

+
WITH OUR COMPLIMENTS!

Bottle of Sparklingwine in room on arrival, 2 express spa treatments
and a romanticValentines pillow gift perstay

Access Options

Air

From Harare atUSD375.-pp (Tues, Fri, Sun only)

From Kariba atUSD120.-pp (Tues, Fri, Sun only)

Boat

From Kariba atUSD110.-pp (everyday of the week)

Normal Terms &Conditions Apply

Access Rates arenot commissionable

CONTACT sales@bumihills.com
+263 (0)4 307 087

Christmas at Bumi Hills 2011

2011-12-30T12:09:00.000+02:00

Updates from Bumi Hills in Tales of Bumi!

2011-12-21T10:25:00.001+02:00

Written by Nick Milne (Bumi Hills GM)

Amazing electrical storms...

My headline photograph this edition is of an amazing electrical storm which moved across the lake recently. The static build up at the beginning of every wet season always produces phenomenal lightning displays which are viewed best from up at the lodge offering an uninterrupted view out across the lake. This particular bolt of lightning is an estimated 40km away showing just how much electricity is discharged with a single bolt!

Oliver colonises his piece of Africa!

In typically inquisitive elephant fashion, Oliver, one of the bulls resident around Bumi Hills, could not resist investigating what had been going on at the waterhole in front of the lodge. We have recently raised the retaining walls around the waterhole, enlarged it and stocked it with fish. After Oliver had inspected the new improved retaining wall he strode through the water onto what has now been named ‘Oliver’s island’ where he spent over an hour surveying his new domain much to the disgust of the resident baboon troop who were unable to enjoy their daily swim because of his presence. He obviously grew lonely and not long after I took this shot he waded back through the water and melted into the lush green vegetation!

Red winged starlings hatch three chicks...

Right back in Edition 1 of the Tales of Bumi my headline photo was of the resident pair of red winged starlings having a late evening bath in the infinity pool at the lodge. This same pair are now the proud parents of three noisy chicks! The pair who normally roost on a beam in the restaurant have been missing for the past month and we had begun to fear the worst until we spotted them on their newly built nest in the car port outside the lodge reception. The parents are very domesticated and spend most mornings flying from one lamp shade to the next in the courtyard of the lodge, picking out all the insects attracted by the light on the previous night. The chicks are growing incredibly quickly with this plentiful food supply and have almost outgrown their nest!

Christmas spirit hits Bumi Hills...

With just a week until Christmas day we have spent a lot of time recently gearing the lodge up for the festive season... the anti-poaching unit gave me an early Christmas present by revealing what they have been secretly working on for the last month without my knowledge... A giant Christmas tree made entirely out of snares collected on the estate and illegal gill netting from the lake. We have also launched a special offer on accommodation over the Christmas period and had confirmation that Santa will be stopping in at the lodge to drop off gifts for all the well behaved children!

The WiyaWiya Project...

The WiyaWiya Project was started in September 2011 in an attempt to earn much needed revenue for the unit from the 4,800 wire and cable snares that have been recovered in the last year. With the assistance of Zimbabwean artist, Susan Cottrell the anti poaching scouts and other staff members learnt the basics of wire sculpture and are currently honing their skills before the official launch of the WiyaWiya product range in 2012. The tree is an amazing work of art, complete with natural decorations and will be the first product on sale after the festive season. It certainly is one of the best Christmas presents I have ever been given!

2012 will bring more wonderful sunsets!

2011-12-21T09:36:00.000+02:00

Pre-Christmas & Post New Year Specials for Zimbabweans

2011-12-16T11:08:00.001+02:00

Please book through the Bumi Head Office in Avondale or through your preferred local travel agent in Harare

Special Fly In Package to Bumi Hills for Zambians

2011-11-16T10:17:00.001+02:00

A wedding paradise at Bumi Hills

2011-11-08T18:19:00.000+02:00

The ideal setting for a wedding on Lake Kariba

Bumi Hills has to be one of the world's most idyllic locations for a wedding. Pure African wilderness, soul enhancing views over the mystical waters of Lake Kariba, sunsets to rival any destination along with the incredible hospitality, luxury and unique experience of Bumi Hills Safari Lodge.

One lucky couple and their guests experienced a picture perfect wedding ceremony in September 2011 on what was to be their own private island for the day, in the middle of the lake waters that surround Bumi Hills. The rugby-field-sized island is adorned in part by a lush green thicket of trees where a bull elephant, hidden by the dense foliage, coincidentally stood casually grazing during the wedding ceremony after his long three kilometre swim from the main land, a rare and special event for any time of year here. The occasional crack as he broke off a branch added a special touch to the service. The other part of the island stretches out into a large, idyllic, sandy beach and it is here that the couple joined their hands in marriage. To make things even more romantic this island, when viewed from the air, takes the shape of a heart, the base of which is the beach site where the ceremony was held – how perfect can it get? The colours chosen by the bridal party blended in perfectly with the soft colours of the setting. The ivory, tan, indigo and orange hints in their attire as well as the subtle pinks of their chosen protea flowers blended perfectly with the glorious colours consistent with late afternoons in Kariba. The wedding arch was built out of strong indigenous mopane branches and decorated with flowers and ribbons, whilst traditional Tonga paddles denoted the aisle where flower petals were scattered by the little flower girls and page boy in the lead up to the Bride’s arrival. A simple yet fitting service ensued and culminated in the lighting of an eternal candle by the newlyweds following with the signing of the register. Numerous photos of the bridal party followed before all were transported in style aboard the Karibezi back to Bumi Hills for a lavish reception with dancing into the night!

Bumi Hills can offer an enticing variety of wedding services and links only with the finest wedding planners, photographers and decorators to enhance and ensure lifelong memories of this special occasion.

Colours to match those of the surroundings

The wedding island in the shape of a heart

A walk through video clip of Bumi Hills

2011-11-01T17:47:00.001+02:00

Bumi Hills Spa Special 01 Nov - 15 Dec 2011

2011-10-31T10:39:00.002+02:00

Book now for a break at Bumi Hills between 01 Nov and 15 Dec 2011 and receive a complimentary back and neck massage at our Kukondwa Spa for every person booked. To qualify please book through reservations@bumihills.com and quote "FB Spa Special 01 Nov to 15 Dec 2011." You can also call the lodge on +263 772 135 664.
See you up at Bumi for some luxurious pampering!

The Chill Pool at the Kukondwa Spa, Bumi Hills.

See more photos of the Kukondwa Spa here

Farewell to Anja - our special Bumi Hills Volunteer!

2011-10-19T09:13:00.004+02:00

Anja Dobes volunteered at Bumi for a month in Sept 2011

Anja Dobes, our first volunteer, completed her month’s tour of duty last week and we sadly bade farewell to someone who has made a lasting impression on lodge life as we know it. Anja very quickly became part of the family here at Bumi and her assistance around the lodge, with the anti-poaching unit, Chalala Primary School and the local clinic will be sorely missed. She even found the time in her busy schedule to accompany the BHAPU scouts on a trip to the nearby rifle range where, despite never having fired a weapon of any sort before , she was the only person to hit the small target at 50 metres with a .458 elephant gun! Anja’s feedback will go a long way to helping us develop a structured and successful program for future volunteers. We wish her all the best in her new job back in Switzerland!

2011-10-18T17:35:00.000+02:00

The new addition to the Bumi family!

Guests and lodge staff narrowly missed witnessing the birth of an elephant calf this week near the harbour. The calf was still lying on the ground struggling to stand when he was spotted, while his mother was gently trying to assist it to its feet. After half an hour the newest member of the pachyderm population managed to stand up and wobbled around as his mother watched closely, before slowly moving off to feed. The pink, hairy infant and his mother have been spotted several times since and have now rejoined their herd. Elephants, on rare occasions, will leave the safety of the herd to give birth alone, however cows normally prefer to be within contact of their family members during this process. After carrying the foetus, which weighs roughly 100kg at birth, in her womb for 22 months our cow seems much more comfortable and relaxed since giving birth and with two other cows in the same herd showing signs of pregnancy the new bull, that our guides have named Toto, may have a playmate soon!

Guests are treated to a lion kill...

2011-10-14T16:15:00.003+02:00

Last Sunday whilst transferring some guests to the harbour, Denise Collett and Kirsty Alexander, the female contingent of Bumi management, watched one of our lionesses stalk and take down an impala. Kirsty says ‘We followed her from the floodplain in Bumi Bay to the harbour, where she cornered the herd of impala and singled out her target, which she finally managed to take down right on the edge of the water.’ The hunt was not as simple as that though as she nearly lost her kill to a water dwelling carnivore as Kirsty points out ‘A sly croc that was nearby, upon hearing the commotion in the water swam speedily to the shore where the kill was to try his luck, which fortunately for the lioness was not on his side that day and she kept her kill.’ The lioness wet and exhausted had to rest for a few minutes before she could drag her kill off into the safety of the thick bush, all the while keeping a beady eye onthe croc who even came out of the water onto the land in pursuit of her for a short while. One of the guests who was on the vehicle commented on the lucky sighting ‘We all came away breathless and excited! Definitely a once in a lifetime experience and such a privilege.’

Bumi Hills Mobiko Terrace gets a roof!

2011-09-20T08:44:00.002+02:00

The EEZIFLEX canopy custom built by Kilobush was installed last week and its sleek lines have added a totally new dimension to the lodge. The canopy has been designed in such a way that it will provide guests the perfect place to escape to during the heat of the day, or spend balmy evenings sipping cocktails without disturbing the beautiful views from the rest of the lodge.

The furniture and lighting for this new area has been ordered, and the construction team are due back at the lodge next week to construct the water feature. Once complete, we are confident that this modern and stylish space, coupled with the Gobelo Fire Boma will become the most popular area in the lodge!

Best Bumi leopard sighting yet...

2011-09-19T13:27:00.001+02:00

Leopard at Bumi Hills

Every morning the roads and paths on the Bumi estate are covered in animal tracks which the guiding team study to ascertain which animals have been busy during the night. From these tracks we can tell that we have large numbers of leopard living in the area, but due to their nocturnal habits they are very rarely spotted, and often these sightings are fleeting as the elusive felines dash for cover! On Friday evening guests had just finished their sun downers and were making their way back to the lodge when they spotted a leopard sitting on the edge of the flood plain. The beautiful cat had been watching them enjoying their drinks! For the next 15 minutes they watched as the leopard half-heartedly stalked a herd of impala, and then rolled around playfully in a sandy area on the lake shore!

Bumi means Life

2011-09-01T13:40:00.002+01:00

After much debate amongst our Tongan staff at Bumi Hills we have ascertained the following about the meaning of Bumi!

Bumi Hills was so named by the Tonga people that have inhabited the area for centuries and long before Lake Kariba was even an idea! The Tonga are a very spiritual people and believe that when someone dies they live on in the natural form of trees located in high places. According to Tongan people still resident in the Mola district surrounding the Bumi Wilderness Area these two factors, height and tree size, are central to the belief. Bumi Hills Safari Lodge is situated on the highest hill in the surrounding area and is home to scores of Baobab trees, the biggest tree in the world.

Approximately 10km east of Bumi Hills the Ume river flows into Lake Kariba. It is one of the biggest tributaries of the Zambezi. Now this is the confusing part. Ume and Bumi sound similar don't they? Well Ume is the Shona word for Wild Dog. History would tell us that the Shona only came to the Zambezi Valley after the Tonga. This river was also called Bumi by the Tonga people. So it is relatively feasible to say that the Tonga name for the river was overtaken by the Shona and renamed the Ume.

Bumi roughly translates from Tongan as "life" in English and from the stories described above we can begin to understand why! A fascinating study on the history of this area remains an exciting opportunity for a keen anthropologist!

A child named Bumi after Bumi Hills!

2011-08-25T09:33:00.004+01:00

In December 2010 Tom and Kath Woodman came to stay with us at Bumi Hills. 9 months later their baby boy was born and they have nicknamed him "Bumi."

Max William"Bumi" Woodman

Bonny Woodman wrote us the following email yesterday:

"Tom Woodman and Kath were with you in December. They have just had a son whose name during these 9 months has been BUMI - you have guessed!! That is where he was conceived!! Bumi is 7 days old today - he arrived 4 weeks early! I am going to London to meet this little boy on Friday.

Tom has asked me to find out the meaning of BUMI please!? (OUR NEXT BLOG POST ANSWERS THIS QUESTION)

He does have a "real" name - Max William - but I am convinced that he will always be Bumi to us, his close family!

Best wishes,

Bonny"

Kath's tummy not long before the arrival of Bumi

When Tom and Kath came to Bumi last year Tom had secretly planned that this would be the place to pop the question. They went out fishing and he arranged with our guide Madison to attach the engagement ring to Kath's hook on the end of the line on her rod. Whilst they were on the boat they saw a pair of Fish Eagles and Madison explained that Fish Eagles mate for life. Just after that Kath reeled in and as she discovered the ring, Tom on bended knee asked her "Will you be my Fish Eagle?" The rest of the story is self explanatory!

The two Fish Eagles!

Tom and Kath all at Bumi Hills are flattered and touched by this story! We extend our warmest CONGRATULATIONS to you both and welcome you as part of the Bumi Family. We cannot wait for you to come back to the lodge so that we can introduce BUMI to BUMI and spoil all three of you with special treats! Please stay closely in touch!

Our warmest wishes from

The Whole Team at Bumi Hills!

Incredible game viewing from the new Bumi Hills platform!

2011-08-22T16:17:00.001+01:00

Sights from our new game viewing platform

The photographs above were taken this week from the site of a new viewing platform we have started working on and they show just how much game and birdlife can be spotted from this vantage point! With the lake dropping and more floodplain areas becoming exposed this new site will provide fantastic game viewing for future guests who would rather sit and wait for the animals to come to them than drive around the estate on the hunt! We are also adding a waterhole below the Nungu Valley Lookout point to provide a safer place for the game to drink than the lake shore which will lead to increased game sightings in future. The biggest attraction to these viewing areas is that they are positioned in such a way that the animals are not aware of your presence meaning you get to observe them behaving totally naturally!

Kopje climbing a NEW activity at Bumi Hills!

2011-08-22T16:10:00.002+01:00

As we continue to expand our array of activities on offer for guests staying at the lodge, we have added kopje climbing! Leopard Hill is situated at the heart of the Bumi Hills Wildlife area and although the climb up to the summit is pretty steep along trails following the contours of the land carved out by elephants over centuries the 360° view from the top is breathtaking and seemingly endless, certainly well worth the 20 minute climb. We counted over 40 elephants and watched a large herd of buffalo in the half an hour we spent on the summit this week!

Bumi Hills Pro-Guide Dean McGregor surveying the scene

Bumi Hills lionesses bite off more than they can chew…

2011-08-22T13:24:00.000+01:00

The Bumi lionesses certainly are coming of age! The girls have had an interesting 12 months, against all the odds Delta survived following being caught in cable snare, they have found a male to look after them in the form of Mandebvu and although she is being very secretive about them, Alpha has had 3 cubs. But they tried to bite off more than they could chew this week when they attempted to bring down an adult hippo on the floodplain near the airstrip! Guests watched in awe on an evening game drive as a hippo burst out of the tree-line at full tilt, heading for the safety of the water with two lionesses clinging to his back who only relinquished their grip at the waters edge. Mandebvu in his usual lazy fashion lay on the edge of the tree-line and watched the whole ordeal unfold without moving a muscle! Had he got involved and assisted his ladies then the addition of his bulk and strength might have led to a very different outcome!

Bumi Hills assists in a medical evacuation

2011-08-18T14:20:00.003+01:00

A guest staying at the nearby Musango Safari Camp dislocated his hip last week and as a result needed to be evacuated to Harare for further treatment. Musango is situated on an island so the logistics of moving the patient from Musango to the Bumi airstrip were quite involved! We collected him yesterday afternoon and transported him in a boat to the Bumi harbour before loading him onto a Land Cruiser for the short drive to the airstrip! We have heard today that he is safely back at home and on the road to a full recovery.

Busy times as Bumi Hills soars into the warmer months ahead!

2011-08-09T12:22:00.000+01:00

The winter term in Zimbabwean schools has come to an end, combined with a public holiday weekend has resulted in a dramatic increase in occupancy levels at the lodge this week! Bookings for the remainder of August continue to flood in and we are expecting a very busy end to the year. Being a school holiday month we have decided to waive the, otherwise strictly observed, no under 10 children’s policy to provide an ideal location for a family holiday.

With the days getting longer, temperatures getting hotter the fishing has improved with good catches of bream and tiger being recorded this weekend. The bush is drying out, improving game sightings and the hazy sunsets seem to last for hours! August really is the perfect time to visit Kariba before the temperatures get too hot in the coming months so why not take a few days off and bring your family to share a few magical days with us! For more information or to make a reservation please contact Justine on reservations@bumihills.com

Nature gets tough on a waterbuck at Bumi Hills

2011-07-18T08:47:00.000+01:00

Nature is tough at the best of times and recently guests at Bumi Hills were given a once in a life time viewing of just how tough nature can be. Read the story below:

While on an evening game drive this week with guests Dean McGregor, resident professional guide, watched the resident pride of lionesses ambush a fully grown waterbuck ram on a floodplain near the Nyanzirau Point. Somehow the waterbuck managed to escape from the grip of one of the lionesses before she could suffocate it and ran straight into the lake, with 3 lionesses in hot pursuit. Waterbuck are the best swimmers of all antelope and often use this tactic to escape from lions and other land based predators. The waterbuck swam out to a shallow grass island 50 metres from the shoreline, and the waiting game began! The lions, knowing that the waterbuck would have to swim back at some stage, fanned out along the floodplain and lay in wait. An hour later as the sun was setting, the waterbuck desperate to get back to the mainland before nightfall, warily began to swim back towards the waiting lions. Dean, sensing he and his guests were about to be treated to a spectacle watched on as a very large crocodile swam up behind the waterbuck and pulled it under the water just metres short of the shoreline. With a small splash both animals disappeared below the surface and the ordeal came to a very rapid and unexpected end… The lionesses and Dean waited for another 20 minutes before moving off, in which time neither crocodile nor waterbuck resurfaced, some more frustrated than others!

The New Bumi Hills Fire Boma

2011-07-11T15:51:00.001+01:00

The NEW ‘Gobelo Fire Boma’ has now been Christened, although it is not quite finished yet. Guests staying at the lodge this week, who had been watching the progress of the construction team closely, requested to have their sundowners in the boma even though it was not totally complete and they enjoyed themselves so much they nearly missed dinner! The name ‘Gobelo’ is derived from the local Tonga language, used to describe the place where the elders gather in the evenings in a traditional Tonga village.

The fire boma is being built adjacent to another new development at Bumi, which will be a beautiful wine terrace, currently still under construction. The finishing touches will be put on the beautiful new developments this coming week.

Construction

Just another special way to take in those magic colours of Bumi!

Tremedously popular already!

Dinosaur Fossil Site Discovered at Bumi Hills

2011-07-06T15:50:00.003+01:00

While on a walk this week Bumi Hills resident professional guide, Dean McGregor, spotted a few unusual looking rocks, upon further examination he deduced that these rocks contained fossilized bone fragments. He has since returned to the site to study the rocks in more depth, and discovered an area the size of a tennis court littered with fossils formed millions of years ago. In amongst the fossilized bone fragments there are large amounts of Dadoxylon fossils formed from prehistoric glossopteris trees.

This discovery is extremely exciting as there are large amounts of these fossils on the surface of the ground leaving the only question “What lies beneath?”

The area is fairly accessible and Dean will certainly lead more guests to the site on his morning nature walks in the future!

Hardy cyclists stop for a break at Bumi Hills

2011-07-01T10:01:00.001+01:00

Braam le Roux and Carol Mostert from Cape Town, South Africa arrived at Bumi Hills on Thursday afternoon on bicycles!

The intrepid pair had cycled from Victoria Falls along the Zambezi River and the shores of Lake Kariba without any back-up on a journey of discovery. Their intention was to continue along the shoreline to Kariba Town but they had not realised that the Ume River stretched all the way back to Siakobvu where they had turned off to come down to Bumi 2 days prior. We arranged a boat transfer to ferry them across to Kariba so they could continue their journey from there down to the border town of Kanyemba, thus covering the entire length of the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, some 600 km.

Mandebvu secures his kingdom…

2011-06-27T14:17:00.001+01:00

The nomadic male lion who arrived in the Bumi Hills Wildlife Area in February this year has made it clear to us, and any other male lions lurking in the vicinity, that this is his piece of turf, and the lionesses are his too! He has spent the week patrolling the boundary of the entire area, evidenced by fresh tracks, scent marking and loud roaring every few minutes day and night. This behaviour is standard in lions and we all hope this means he will stay with us for many moons to come!

Summer is on its way!

2011-06-27T14:14:00.002+01:00

The Sun at its furthest point to the east before it makes its long journey back to the west again

The winter solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet is farthest away from its star, the sun in the case of the earth, depending on the polar hemisphere of reference, southern, in our case. This point occurred at exactly 5:16pm on Tuesday last week, which very coincidentally is almost exactly when I took this photo of an amazing sunset from the restaurant deck at the lodge! The days start getting longer and hopefully the temperatures start to climb soon as well!

Unusual animal behaviour…

2011-06-27T14:07:00.002+01:00

Guests and lodge staff were treated to a very unusual display of behaviour by a resident herd of elephants this week. This all played out on the beach right in front of the lodge.

A large number of vultures descended onto a carcass on the floodplain near the beach and no sooner had they begun feeding than a herd of 7 elephant cows appeared, and took turns charging at the birds trumpeting loudly. Over the next 2 hours this behaviour continued and we came to the conclusion that it must be the remains of a still-born elephant calf that they were trying to defend from the scavengers. Once the situation has calmed down we went to investigate and found the remains to be an of an impala, obviously killed by either a leopard or the resident lion pride the previous night. Just why these elephants behaved in such a way over the remains of an antelope is a total mystery…

Bumi Hills goes WILD with its local rates!

2011-06-16T14:04:00.000+01:00

GM's Corner: "Lion Cubs at Bumi Hills?"

2011-05-23T09:15:00.001+01:00

Five of our usual six lionesses and the male have returned to their favourite haunts along the airstrip this week and we have received a report from a scout employed by the Nyaminyami Rural District Council, based in Chalala, that he saw a lioness with three small cubs crossing the Chalala road, near Leopard Hill while on patrol this week. On a game drive this morning senior guide, Madison Siyakalangu, and guests watched a lioness, who he has not seen in the area for nearly 6 months, kill an impala ram. He followed as she dragged the carcass for over a kilometre, away from the rest of the pride, towards Leopard Hill before losing track of her. These two incidents certainly suggest that she has her cubs hidden away in the vicinity of Leopard Hill, safe from the nomadic male who would kill them if he did not sire them. We will keep monitoring the situation and hopefully she will let us see them soon!

Text by Bumi GM Nicholas Milne

The unique magic WOW of Bumi

2011-04-10T15:18:00.003+01:00

We defy anyone stepping through the Bumi doors for the first time not to exclaim “WOW” as their first word! The panorama is truly incredible...but here’s another recent WOW in the unique and remote Bumi wilderness....

A handsome young male lion has recently taken command of the resident pride of six lionesses at Bumi and two are pregnant. We eagerly await the cubs!

When Welsh rugby legend Gareth Edwards touched down at Bumi recently he sent an sms to his wife in Wales before he even got off the plane......”I have landed in heaven” You can see what he means from this photo taken on March 28 on the runway! Impala seemed unconcerned and a small elephant herd in the background makes its way to the lake. CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE!

Scenes such as these are the magic elixir that is uniquely Bumi.

Bumi appoints in-house marketing duo

2011-04-10T15:06:00.001+01:00

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, the eminent luxury property of Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, has taken a dynamic step forward by appointing a marketing and management team under its own auspices in order to provide rifle-shot focus for the famous brand.

Since the re-birth of the new, upgraded Bumi Hills two years ago Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) has held the primary marketing remit in a triangular Zimbabwe circuit of Bumi Hills, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and The Hide Safari Lodge in Hwange National Park.

While AAT will continue to offer this successful circuit, and affinity with Bumi, under its branding on a preferential partner basis, the full scope of Bumi management and marketing will now fall under the current joint general managers of the lodge, Luke Brown and Suzanne Everaerts, who will relocate to Harare.

“AAT provides immense prowess in international marketing, chiefly through CEO Ross Kennedy’s enviable network, and we don’t wish to disrupt that pipeline,” said Bumi chairman Steve McCormick. “This is bearing fruit in meaningful ways, such as Bumi’s inclusion in several world-leading tour wholesaler package tour brochures and group bookings. We are pleased to be able to continue our liaison with them on a preferential basis.

“However, we judge the time to be ripe to enact our own focused in-house marketing in order to make the lodge accountable for all aspects of our business – reservations, management, procurement and marketing. In Luke and Suzanne we have the perfect combination of youth, expertise and a deep passion for Bumi as a powerful brand.”

“Launching Bumi Hills back into the market has been challenging and exciting since mid 2009,” said Ross Kennedy, Chief Executive of Africa Albida Tourism (AAT). “Now the groundwork has been done and Bumi Hills is once again a recognised brand and destination with growing support from many markets, it is the right time for the Lake Lodges shareholders to assume control."

AAT’s handover to Lake Lodges will take place during April 2011. Travellers holding Bumi Hills reservations will have their bookings transferred to Lake Lodges as of 1 May 2011. All enquiries, rates and reservations should now be directed to:

Justine Price

Reservations Manager

Telephone: +263 773 135 664

Mobile: +263 773 423 079

Email: reservations@bumihills.co.zw

Website: www.bumihills.com

Skype: reservations.bumi

Multiple property bookings with AAT will continue to be honoured until 14 January 2012 through AAT central reservations on aatreservations@saflodge.co.zw

Lake Lodges will maintain rates issued by AAT until the expiry of the current rate period on 14 January 2012.

Luke Brown and Suzanne Everaerts will be at Travel Indaba in Durban 7-10 May and will be on the Zimbabwe stand within the SADC Hall (Stand SADCC018).

AAT’s Ross Kennedy concluded: “Bumi Hills Safari Lodge is a very special place and AAT has been privileged to assist with the re-establishment of this iconic Lake Kariba property. Although this lodge will no longer fly the AAT banner we will continue to endorse Bumi as our preferred Lake Kariba destination.”

Issued by: Glen Byrom

On behalf of: Lake Lodges (Pvt) Ltd, t/a Bumi Hills Safari Lodge

Date: 9 April 2011

Email: glenbyrom@yoafrica.com

Vayeni Travel: Kariba Sunsets - Incredible!

2011-02-27T11:46:00.000+02:00

Vayeni Travel: Kariba Sunsets - Incredible!: "It's difficult to describe the feeling one gets when the sun sets on Kariba. These pictures can only capture the beauty of the colours..."

McGregor's Reflections - Episode 1

2011-02-27T11:16:00.001+02:00

The first in a series of Bumi Hills Wildlife Estate reflections narrated by our Pro-Guide, Dean McGregor.

"Our early morning walk, started just the same as usual, a quick briefing about some safety hints and general plan of action, when a low rumble from elephant alerted us to their presence. Finishing up on the briefing we headed off to find the source of the noise, elephant have a language and use this low rumble to communicate with each other over 8km or more, many of the vocalizations we cant hear being so low in frequency. We never found our bull elle, it was a bull from the tracks we found, the sheer size and fact that he was traveling alone indicated so, but what we did share was 5 min with a young grey duiker who showed no signs of fear or of being alarmed. At times we were only 15ft apart and we were left with the distinct impression of being the 1^st people he had ever seen. A lovely moment of trust."

Solenta Aviation complements the Bumi Experience

2011-02-25T15:01:00.002+02:00

Incoming Solenta Cessna Caravan catching a birds eye view of the lodge before landing, whilst Bumi guests enjoy the refreshing blue waters of the Bumi pool overlooking one of Africa's finest views.

There is no doubt that the simplest, quickest and most stress free way to come to Bumi Hills is by plane. Solenta Aviation has regular flights into Bumi Hills from Harare, Victoria Falls, Lusaka, Hwange and Kariba. Within less than 2 hours from any of these destinations one can be sitting enjoying a cocktail in Bumi's refreshing infinity pool, overlooking one of the very best views in Africa.

Solenta's professional crew of pilots will carry you swiftly to Bumi in the comfort of a 12 seater cessna-caravan. This aircraft is powered by a turbo engine and has a great safety record. Big windows allow for great views during the flight, so have your cameras ready and you are sure to capture some great shots. Soft drinks and snacks are served on board and seating inside the aircraft is very comfortable. The pockets on the seats in front of you contain a collection of interesting magazines and information on southern Africa to ensure that you are kept entertained. A soft touch down on the Bumi air field, arguably the best bush strip in Zimbabwe, brings you within 5 minutes of the lodge and you'll be picked up by one of our guides. Straight away a miniature game drive precedes your arrival at the lodge, giving you a taste of the beautiful wilderness estate the lodge is located on.

Arriving at the lodge you are greeted by our management team and immediately spoiled by a view that will simply take your breath away. A refreshing cold towel and welcome drink with a briefing on this exciting lodge and location ensues before you are free to sample all its delights. This is pure indulgence and invites nothing less than total relaxation. With our partner in the skies, Solenta Aviation, it's possible in double quick time.

Recent wildlife sightings on the Bumi Hills Estate

2011-02-12T16:59:00.000+02:00

Mr & Mrs Holmes 02 Feb 2011
"The highlight was the battle between the lionesses and the elephants at the airstrip. This was one of our best game sightings in 35 years!"

Mr & Mrs Follet Smith, Luke & Suzanne 04 Feb 2011
"At about 20.00hrs we followed our resident pride of 5 lionesses down the main tarred road from the lodge. They scared a little Grysbok out of her hiding place. The frightened little creature dashed straight towards our stationary vehicle from where we had watched the whole spectacle. One of the lioness followed in hot pursuit. The attempted kill ended unsuccessfully right next to the front passenger door as the little Grysbok escaped into the darkness and confines of the thick bush on the side of the road."

Dean McGregor (Bumi Professional Guide) with guests 06 Feb 2011
"A 12 foot crocodile was killed by an even bigger crocodile up the Nyanzi River on our Estate. It now lies bloated and floating with it's bottom jaw ripped off."

Deab McGregor (Bumi Professional Guide) with guests 08 Feb 2011
"In a single day we had some incredible sightings. First our pride of 5 lionesses pulled down a mature buffalo cow near to the Nyanzi River on our estate and we watched the lionesses feed on the carcass. Not far from here we then discovered tracks that showed Hyenas had likely stolen an Impala kill from a defenseless leopard."

From the Cotswolds to Bumi Hills

2011-02-10T20:11:00.001+02:00

John presents his tiger fish catch!

John and Bernice are currently with us for four nights at Bumi Hills. They hail from a beautiful farm in the famous Cotswolds of England. They found out about us through Trip Advisor, but were still not quite sure what to expect. They've had an incredible time here at Bumi Hills and have vowed to sabotage the Solenta pilots so that they don't have to fly out tomorrow. Every day they've been entertained by Dean McGregor, our professional guide, on game drives, boat cruises and fishing excursions. It has been John's burning desire to catch a tiger fish and Bernice has been his rock solid support, joining him and Dean on the boat each day, whilst catching a tan and enjoying the view herself! Today John got his prize and he proudly presents the two tigers he caught with Bernice and our ever attentive waiter, Jaison both looking on in admiration!

The Purest Experience

2011-01-31T11:58:00.001+02:00

Suzanne and I had a welcome chance to go out on a little game drive with Dean McGregor (our new pro-guide) yesterday. It’s quiet at the lodge over the next few days with just a few guests in house, so a chance to catch up on admin, but also make sure that we enjoy the beautiful spot we’re in and beautiful it certainly is. We went out specifically to do some birding and we made some brilliant sightings including Golden Orioles, Golden Tailed Woodpeckers, Dickson’s Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby Falcons, Broad billed Roller, Scimitar Billed Wood Hoopoes, as well as some good old faithfuls like the Red Billed Hornbills, Starlings etc... Was great!

As can often be the case when one heads out with a specific task in mind (in this case to ID birds, which requires careful patience and calculation) one is rewarded with other amazing sightings that would not come about if the patience had not been applied in the first place. Sitting looking at the Scimitar Billed Wood Hoopoes in a dense thicket of Crocodile Bark Ebony and Chinese Hats we inched forward when Suzanne alerted us to a tan brown colouring, to which Dean and I casually blew off as an Impala. “No” she said “Reverse!” So we did and there, about 10 metres into the bush, lay a huge lioness munching on a big rib cage of some poor creature. Whilst watching her for the next five minutes, unbeknownst to us a small herd of three Elephant had come up very quietly to within a few metres of the back of the vehicle. Alerted to a soft crunching noise behind us, when one of their soft grey feet had met a dried twig (the only give away) we spun round and watched them as they walked just inches away past us, without even a glance of concern in our direction, but with their whole beings fixated on chasing off the feline intruder that was sitting in their grazing corridor. The lioness cautiously backed off deeper into the dense thicket, but not without her prize rib cage firmly in her mouth being dragged along too. The elephants continued on their way and disappeared as quickly and stealthily as they had arrived. The lioness continued to snack and chomp, but our visibility had been reduced and we relied mainly on sounds to locate her. We sat for a further 20 minutes listening and getting the odd glimpse - just being there was special. We heard other chomping noises and decided that it must be the rest of the pride, all of which were not visible, but it made sense because we’ve only seen these lionesses on the estate in a pride together before. We continued on our drive down a sandy road, now a dry river bed, carved out by a flash flood from the 120mm of rainfall we had the night before. We ended on a beautiful beach and were greeted by one of those sunsets that only Kariba can produce, with a big herd of elephant neatly silhouetted close by! We managed to get the vehicle stuck and then un-stuck again. A few hair raising moments ensued as Suzanne and I had jumped out to push, whilst Dean sped away in order to gain enough momentum, leaving us marooned for a matter of seconds that felt like hours. This because when we turned around after the hard push we found the elephants had quietly come within 50 metres of us, obviously keen to find out what all the fuss was about. We leapt aboard the vehicle and had a lovely drive back to the lodge.

Pure experiences like these remind us of how incredibly privileged and humbled we are to share in a piece of this raw wilderness!

Elephants Swimming

2011-01-24T08:45:00.003+02:00

A big bull elephant on his way back from Starvation Island stops to
greet Bumi guests on their New Year's Eve sundowner cruise.

Dean McGregor joins Bumi Hills

2011-01-07T17:29:00.002+02:00

Dean at work

"Single file, snaking out, the only sound our footsteps, I aimed our small column for the last roar we had heard, from now on hand signals and low voices dominated . We hadn’t covered more than 400 meters , when on slinking out from a mopane thicket, a patch of rufous tawny arrested me as effectively as if I had walked in to a plate glass window.... a mature male lion lay sleeping, not more than 20 meters from us."
Dean McGregor

We are very proud to announce the arrival of Dean at Bumi Hills. He will take on the role as resident Pro-Guide and Estate Manager. He brings with him a wealth of experience and his contribution in every facet of his portfolio will undoubtedly continue the rise of Bumi Hills as one of Zimbabwe's finest.

Dean began his illustrious guiding career with Shearwater Canoeing Safaris back in 1988. Here he plied the beautiful waters of the Lower Zambezi as an introduction to his bush career. In 1992 he obtained his Zimbabwean Professional Guides' walking licence, a difficult standard to achieve considering Zimbabwe's rigid examination system. What followed then was years of exploration through Zimbabwe's main wilderness areas leading walks for many esteemed clients from around the globe. In this time he has gained a powerful reputation as one of the country's most knowledgeable guides. Aside from his wanderings in Zimbabwe Dean has also extended his sojourns beyond the country's borders into neighbouring Zambia, as well as up North into the beautiful wilds of Tanzania and Kenya.

Dean has an incredible sense of humour and has numerous stories to tell of his interactions with Africa's extraordinary wildlife. One of his favourites is how an elephant bull came to the rescue of a buffalo that was being harassed by a pride of lions close to Bumi Hills in the Matusadona National Park. The elephant saved the buffalo right in front of Dean and his guests whilst they were on a walk. Having chased off the lions the elephant then focused his attention on Dean and party resulting in them making a hasty yet still dignified retreat to their tender boat moored close by the banks of the lake.

We look forward to an incredible relationship with Dean here at Bumi Hills and trust that all who meet, walk and learn with him will have memories to share far and wide.

Water Spout forming & disintegrating - captured by Vayeni at Bumi Hills

2010-12-26T17:05:00.001+02:00

VAYENI TRAVEL: Water Spouts on Kariba viewed from Bumi Hills Safa...

2010-12-26T13:16:00.001+02:00

VAYENI TRAVEL: Water Spouts on Kariba viewed from Bumi Hills Safa...: "This incredible site was captured from the deck at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge Water Spouts are a rare site on Lake Kariba. The Bumi Hil..."

Festive Season 2010-2011 in pictures

2010-12-25T13:39:00.005+02:00

The Bumi Hills staff warming to the spirit of Christmas Day

On Christmas day guests were treated to three delicious cakes

On New Year's Eve we put on a special fire show!

Solenta pilots prior to a Christmas flight

The tireless kitchen staff take a moment out to join the party!

Bumi Hills Christmas Elephants

Bumi Hills adds Sailing to its scheduled activites

2010-12-17T15:44:00.001+02:00

Our two catamarans in Bumi Bay

Two 30 foot catamarans are now stationed at Bumi Hills. The fully equipped vessels are each skippered by a qualified captain with years of experience navigating Lake Kariba's waters using the wind. Guests staying at Bumi Hills can now experience the bliss of being out on the lake and whipping along through the waves. Each catamaran has a cabin in each hull with a toilet and small kitchen facilities. The open deck area is spacious and very comfortable with space for up to six people. Our skippers offer each guest a chance to learn how to sail or to just simply kick back and enjoy the ride. The vessels are also ideally suited to fishing and game viewing. It is exhilarating powering through the waves in a strong wind, but is equally rewarding just to relax on a tranquil lake and be powered along by the little outboard motors on each.

New General Managers at Bumi Hills

2010-11-03T15:47:00.001+02:00

Luke & Suzanne - welcome to Bumi

The formidable team of partners Luke Brown (29) and Suzanne Everaerts (32) has taken up the demanding role of joint General Managers at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge as of November 1 with the clear objective of moving the famous Lake Kariba lodge into a new dimension of class and style.

Luke and Suzanne have until recently been running Vayeni, their own bespoke travel planning and concierge business out of Amsterdam, where they have earned high praise from noted tourism industry executives, such as HRG North America president Tom Gleason. He states: "Their positive can-do attitude was something we felt immediately. They are true differentiators when going on vacations in Africa. They always make sure the customer comes first."

Gleason's words came after he stayed at the 5-star Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, where in 2006-7 Suzanne ran the food and beverage department and Luke headed guest activities in the field as a guide.

Zimbabwe born Luke attended St George's College and has a BSc with honours in Zoology from Rhodes University, Grahamstown, while Dutch-born Suzanne qualified in international hospitality management from the University of Salford in the UK and international economics from University of Maastricht, Netherlands. She also has an advanced wine tasting qualification with distinction and was banqueting manager in 2004 at the five star Lowry Hotel in Manchester UK.

They have also managed safari operations in Botswana and in Victoria Falls and bring Dutch, German and conversational French to the mix of the team at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge.

Travel and sport have been their passion and they have travelled extensively throughout the world, having lived in or visited every continent except Antarctica. Somewhat surprisingly they BOTH play cricket. "We love to play and watch all forms of sport," they wrote. "We both are active in skiing, hockey, cricket, tennis and golf and have both run half marathons."

Said Luke as he prepared for their new role at Bumi:

"Once we are well established we will ensure a rock solid reputation synonymous with other world class 5 star products of the same nature. We need to implement durable and well adhered to systems that allow for minimal grey areas. We believe that Zimbabwe has every ounce of potential to be a major player on the international stage and this will come about through consistent excellence, but we aim to attain those heights.

The goal is a very achievable one however, if we are strict, realistic and professional in every facet. We must remind ourselves constantly to see things from the outside in (from the guest’s perspective) and remember that any error in the basics will be the first thing guests will pick up on. Above all we must channel and exercise our individual talents in the right areas and complement one another so that every aspect is covered though a holistic approach. The success of this must be properly measured and accountability structures put in place.

Suzanne and I promise to dedicate our efforts alongside those of all of the Bumi family to realise and achieve these very exciting targets."

Bumi welcomes this energetic and visionary couple...and we're sure all our guests will too!

Snared lioness saved near Bumi

2010-10-25T11:26:00.004+02:00

Badly wounded right around her body

A lioness has been saved from the brutal ravages of a poacher's barbed-wire snare near Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, thanks to an unrelenting community team effort.

Reports Bumi Hills Safari Lodge deputy general manager Nick Milne:

Saturday 23 October

As I got back to the lodge I received a radio call from Steve Edwards of Musango Lodge. He had just spotted one of the lionesses in our pride near Musango with a cable snare very tight around her chest area which has cut into her flesh. The lioness that was darted last year was with the pride which is good news because we have not seen her for over 2 months. The other mature female is the affected one this time around, luckily the 4 sub-adults are all in good condition.

Ian, Nina, the guides, the anti-poaching unit, our two guests and myself all left here at 0445hrs in the morning to join forces with the Musango team and we searched the area for the lions. Bumi guide Rodgers and I picked up on their tracks on the Musango side of the sausage tree, where we spotted a mature Male Lion and followed the tracks on foot. Our 28 guests arrived at 1100hrs so we unfortunately had to call off the search.

The Harare vet Roger Parry came in on the plane with the guests and he and Steve spent all afternoon searching for the pride. Steve is trying to call them in with lion call tapes he has so fingers crossed we locate them this evening

Sunday 24 October

Good News!!! The APU and I located the snared lioness on the Nyanzirau peninsula (between us and Musango) at 0530 hrs this morning. She had just joined up with the other five lionesses who spent last night near our airstrip. They then proceeded to kill a young impala on the floodplain and the wounded lioness ate very well.

She still looks in good condition, not skinny yet but the wound is terrible. It is over an inch wide right round her chest and the actual snare cuts into her flesh by about 1 cm. Steve and Roger unfortunately only arrived at the scene after they had finished the impala completely and had started moving into thicker bush. Roger had an opportunity to dart her but unfortunately the dart deflected off some grass and missed her.

The APU and I then walked up the gulley and into the very thick bush tracking them, while Steve and Roger drove around the area checking for tracks on the surrounding roads. We walked into them lying up in extremely dense bush and watched them for 30 + minutes. They will more than likely spend the day in the thicket and move again this evening.

Unfortunately we have guests departing at 1200 hrs so I had to come back and see them off but Steve, Roger and the APU are still monitoring the pride and we will hopefully get a dart in her this afternoon. Will keep you all posted.

The pride have moved about 2 km away but I’m sure they will find her today now that she is mobile. Due to the nature of a darting operation we could not include any guests, but we did inform them all of the progress and everyone was very concerned and interested in what we were doing. All the guests in the lodge on Saturday night saw the lions on a kill in Bumi Bay which was great for them. We are all very tired but very satisfied that she has finally got a good chance to heal fully.

Sunday 24 October (1900)

EXCELLENT NEWS!!! Roger and Steve managed to get a dart in our snared lioness at 1830hrs. They removed the cable snare from her waist and treated the wound with all the necessary antiseptic ointments before giving her a couple of anti-biotic and vitamin injections. By 2100hrs she was still recovering and we took over from Steve and Roger on watch to ensure that no harm was done to her in her vulnerable state while she slept off the effects of the drugs.

At this stage the rest of the pride who had stayed nearby throughout the whole process got up and moved off.

Monday 25 October

We left her at 0200hrs by which stage she was propped up on her haunches and still very wobbly but alert enough to protect herself if needs be. We went back to where we had left her at 0530hrs this morning to find that she had moved but a few anxious minutes tracking led us to where she was sitting under a tree. She got up and walked off towards her favourite hideout down to near the sausage tree looking much more comfortable than before.

It was a great team effort from all concerned over the 5 days, and special thanks must go to Roger all the work and time he puts into our area. I am now working on a plan with advice from anti-poaching professionals on developing a program / model we need to put in place to clear the entire area of snares and prevent this kind of thing from happening here again. I will keep you updated on her progress over the next few weeks as we continue to monitor her recovery."

Tiger tales from a Londoner

2010-10-24T19:26:00.000+02:00

Jamie lands his big tiger at Bumi

Recent visitor to Bumi Hills Safari Lodge was London asset fund manager Jamie Allsopp. He took great delight at all around him in this wild African paradise - particularly his fishing experiences with Bumi's local Tonga guide Rodgers.

Here's what he wrote to us: "Thanks for such a wonderful trip, I really enjoyed staying with you! Great rooms, food and fishing. I've been speaking to a few mates who fish tiger and they were amazed at the size of those two fish. The Zimbabwe brokers are very jealous!".

The New WOW Website!

2010-10-07T18:33:00.000+02:00

The spectacular Bumi pool at night. Click the image!

Hope you like our new crisp, simple but dramatic website. The Gallery has a series of great photos that aim to entice you to choose Bumi for your holiday or for your Executive Board getaway, as we have a quality air-conditioned conference room that seats up to 80 classroom style.

Just click here and take a look...we'd value your feedback and ideas as we're sure there will still be some flaws and glitches...and things we have omitted! www.bumihills.com

You can fly to Bumi from either Victoria Falls or Harare (1hr 10min) and here's the website www.solenta.com for those solutions.

Or drive from Harare to Kariba Marineland and take a speedboat or leisurely cruiser over to remote, beautiful and sensational Bumi Hills Safari Lodge!

Bumi Beats Louder!

2010-10-06T21:05:00.002+02:00

Dinner under the stars on the Bumi shoreline

Guest accolades this year have made us proud of Bumi...and now leading travel agents have also given it the thumbs up as a lodge of distinction.

At the recent annual ball of the Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents (AZTA) Bumi was voted the first runner-up in the Best Safari Lodge in the Country category. This is a significant feat as these are Zimbabwe tourism’s most prestigious awards and Bumi has only been re-opened in its rejuvenated luxury style for one year.

Our congratulations to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge who won the Best Safari Lodge award for the 14^th consecutive year – an amazing and deserved feat. VFSL is part of the Africa Albida Tourism Group and Bumi is also part of this distinguished stable. Look at www.africaalbidatourism.com

It’s the perfect 1-2 combination – stay at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and then fly for just over an hour over Lake Kariba directly to Bumi’s airstrip in authentic wild territory.

A heartfelt THANK YOU for Saving our Animals

2010-09-19T09:25:00.004+02:00

May we thank the following for their fantastic contributions in assisting with the exercise in the middle of this year of saving the animals on Starvation Island opposite Bumi Hills Safari Lodge. In the main pool photo above that's Starvation Island in the background. In times of need these people reacted instantly and with their hearts – we are proud to have been a small part of this very important exercise with all of you.

The water level has now dropped over a metre and fresh green grass has emerged around the island. The animals are still very thin but should make a full recovery as the lake continues to drop. The three smaller northern islands have all joined now making movement between much safer for the animals as they no longer have to run “the crocodile gauntlet” in order to feed.

We also have a bull elephant who has swum across from the mainland and taken up residence so all in all a happy ending and only because of the people and companies listed below.

Jim Perry and Jim Perry Transport for a 7 tonne truck to and from Kariba

Willie Ramby and Prime Seeds for 5 tonnes of mixed grain, and 50 game blocks

Peter Van Deventer for transport across the Lake of the 1^st 7 tonnes of food

Richard and Michelle Vickery for use of their boat during rescue operations

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge for use of vehicles, boats and staff

Ian Harris and Kariba Ferries for transport across the Lake of 35 tonnes of food

Nigel Philp, Andy Johnson and Produtrade for 7 tonnes of wheat screenings and a 30 tonne truck to and from Kariba

Adrian Chant and Alro Transport for a 30 tonne truck from Harare to Macheke to Kariba return

Stuart Tippett for 20 tonnes of hay bales

Simon and Sarah Philp and Veg & Vine for 10 tonnes of hay bales

Nicholas Duncan and SAVE Australia for US$1125

Peter Blinston and Painted Dog Conservation for US$1000

Kimberley Franklin for US$100

Derek Beauchamp, Twine and Cordage for rope

Now it's Lusaka to Bumi in 35-minutes!

2010-09-09T17:41:00.002+02:00

The Bumi Solenta Caravan

Click on the headline to go to the Bumi web page

Bumi Hills, Zimbabwe’s iconic safari lodge at Lake Kariba, is targeting the vibrant market in Zambia’s capital Lusaka - an oh-so-easy 35-minute direct flight away.

A 12-seater Solenta Aviation Cessna Caravan is stationed at game-rich Bumi - already operating flights to and from Victoria Falls three times a week - and a new schedule to Lusaka has been added as from 1 October. This will operate on Mondays and Fridays and will link in well with the British Airways schedule from London Heathrow to Lusaka.

It is confidently expected that Bumi will soon be granted Port of Entry status so that Bumi-Lusaka direct may be an effortless and scenic 45-minute flight. However, in the interim while final official authorisation is processed, the flights both ways will touch down in Kariba for customs and immigration facilitation before a 15-minute hop to Bumi’s airstrip in the wilds or the 30-minutes to Lusaka.

Steve McCormick, chairman of Bumi, said the new flights were “a major boost for Bumi as we will tap in to both international tourists arriving in Zambia and to a rewarding local market that is thirsty for an easily accessible and genuine safari experience.”

The new Lusaka flights will allow clients to choose from three or four night special packages now being devised as a launch offer. Lusaka travel agents and tour operators are also being invited to experience Bumi during the month of October.

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge has been a famous brand for 35 years, but lay idle and derelict for some years until re-opened to a new level of luxury and style in September 2009 by Lake Lodges (Pvt) Ltd. The impact has been powerful and several international tour operators have been happy to place the superior Bumi safari and wilderness product in their brochures .

The panoramic view from Bumi overlooking the massive lake is unsurpassed by any safari lodge and the signature infinity pool and spa are major wow factors.

Look at www.solenta.com

Celebrities JAKE and JACKERS at Bumi

2010-08-22T06:46:00.001+01:00

Staff at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge sing happy birthday and present a cake to a delighted Robin Jackman on the occasion of his 65th

In August 2010 two international sporting celebrities visited Bumi Hills - former Springbok rugby coach Jake White (whose team won the World Cup) and TV cricket commentator Robin Jackman, the former England Test player. Both successfully caught tiger-fish!

And both were equally enchanted by Bumi. Wrote and ecstatic Robin: "Bumi Hills is a very special piece of Africa and I wish you an enormous amount of success in the future.

The work that has been done on the existing property is simply outstanding and provides a comfortable, homely atmosphere that typifies the ambience and the friendliness of the staff. There cannot be any dining room, bedroom or, for that matter, bar in the world with such a spectacular view. When you first enter the premises, it is very difficult not to say “wow!”

Jake's happy Tiger Time at Bumi

2010-08-06T14:28:00.001+01:00

Look who stayed at Bumi this week! Famous ex Springbok rugby coach Jake White and wife Lindy soaked up the warmth, the peace and tranquility...and relished their fishing. Jake loves his fishing and on one day they stayed out from sunrise to sunset on his first visit to Lake Kariba.

In a bag of more than a dozen Lindy caught the 3.5kg tiger and Jake the 3kg specimen they are proudly showing here from the Bumi deck at sunset. They were simply enchanted with Bumi.

Jake coached the Springboks from 2004-07 and famously was coach of the team that won the World Cup in 2007. He was also coach for the Tri Nations championship in 2004 and the Under-21 Springbok World Cup triumph in 2002. He was the International Rugby Board coach of the year in 2004 and 2007.

21 Planes land at Bumi on one day!

2010-06-14T12:03:00.000+01:00

Saturday 12 June saw the amazing spectacle of 21 light aircraft landing on the Bumi Hills airstrip one after the other!

These were the planes taking part in the 2010 annual Zimbabwe Air Rally (ZIMNAVEX) and they landed for a luncheon finale for 57 people at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge. Very positive comments were received all round re the food, the condition of the landing strip and the new-look Bumi that re-opened in September last year.

Musango petition draws phenomenal response

2010-06-13T09:40:00.000+01:00

Musango the gentle giant splashes near Bumi

The killing, in a hunt, of the amiable Musango bull elephant, has drawn local, regional and international condemnation on a phenomenal scale. Musango was a notable tourist attraction in the areas near Bumi and had a satellite tracking collar fitted for research and protection. This collar may be clearly seen in the above photo as it looks like a growth on top of his head.

A group of concerned professionals recently launched a petition (see other story on this blog) and a letter will now be sent to the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association (ZPHGA) requesting an investigation and assistance in altering some hunting laws, such as prohibiting the shooting of a collared animal.

The petition will be attached to ZPHGA and it is to be hoped that their chairman and committee will take time to read the hundreds and hundreds of comments that elicit concern, sorrow, contempt and even stronger emotions.

Waterbuck feeding on Starvation Island

2010-06-08T11:56:00.001+01:00

A mini version of the famous 1950s Operation Noah at Lake Kariba is now well underway to save hundreds of animals stranded on Starvation Island, opposite Bumi Hills Safari Lodge.

The first load of 5 tonnes of hay bales and mixed grain cleanings reached Bumi via the large houseboat Big Daddy late on Sunday afternoon and Bumi staff, with the help of several willing guests, took it across the 3km to Starvation Island, where the baboons and waterbuck were quick to tuck in. PHOTO ABOVE taken Sunday. Fifteen tonnes of supplementary food has so far been raised.

Leading that team on Sunday were Bumi general manager and pro guide, Richard Vickery, and Bumi management company (Africa Albida Tourism) CEO Ross Kennedy. "It's been an amazing experience to be part of," said Ross. "We spray the hay with molasses and the game likes it. We have enough food for about six weeks but need to keep the momentum going as we are also now scouting other islands in the area to assist as we can. The response has been fantastic and we have donations from many quarters, local and international."

Trucks from Nigel Philp's Produtrade and from Alro Shipping are in Marondera today collecting loads of hay from Stuart Tippett and they will unload tomorrow at Kariba, where Ian Harris has also generously donated one free Sea Lion ferry trip to transport the feed to Bumi this Thursday. Willy Ramby of Prime Seeds has also given very generous amounts of "special mix" from maize and grain gleanings. All food will be stored at Bumi near the harbour and taken across to the islands week by week.

Among others whose donations have been golden are Jim Perry Transport for free trucking Harare to Kariba; the Zambezi Society for 200 litres of fuel for the transport Bumi to Starvation Island; SAVE Australia for cash of US$1,000. SAVE, headed by Nicholas Duncan, has raised about AUD300,000 per year for the past 19 years to assist wildlife in Zimbabwe, especially the black rhino. A group of 10 from SAVE was at Bumi last week and saw the plight of the animals first hand.

There were two incidents last week when groups of waterbuck set off to swim the 3km from the island to the mainland in their desperation to find food. "In each family group two were lost to drowning, but ewe saved a further three on each occasion that were drowning and going round in circles after losing touch with the herd," said Ross Kennedy. "We came alongside in boats and used ropes and muslin cloth to [pull them by their horns or their ears to the mainland.

"Several were so exhausted that they simply lay on their sides for 10-20 minutes as though dead when they reached safety. They then shuddered, stood up on wobbly legs, looked at us in amazement and ran off into the bush."

Starvation Island was so named as at the end of Operation Noah in the early 60s they found the last animals starving there and this is where some of the most famous footage was taken. That's now on DVD and we show it to guests on many an evening at Bumi Hills."

Donations are still urgently needed and will be hugely appreciated. Those wishing to assist can use the following accounts for the Bumi management company Africa Albida Tourism, whose CEO Ross Kennedy and managing director Glenn Stutchbury will ensure are acknowledged and a full audit done on how money was spent:

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (Pvt) Ltd

CABS Harare

Account No: 901 2715 996

Ref: Starvation Island donation.

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (Pvt) Ltd

Barclays Bank Harare

BirminghamRoad branch

Account No: 1008963

Sort Code: 2157

Ref: Starvation Island donation.

Musango bull shot in a hunt

2010-06-05T11:49:00.001+01:00

Musango, the bull elephant, was iconic and often spent happy times near Bumi, where guests were always entranced by his sheer size, large tusks and gentle manner. Musango is now dead, shot in a hunt. A petition is underway and is vital to bring weight to bear on various authorities to change some laws. Please just leave your name, email address and comments here on this Blog or email musangobull@yahoo.com.

The picture here, by one of Africa's top professional guides Garth Thompson, is of Musango this year splashing happily in the Kariba water just beneath Bumi Hills. Look at the extraordinary beauty of this gentle creature that allowed anybody to approach it quite closely.

Musango is also wearing a clearly visible satellite tracking collar. Indeed, Roger Parry - having been given permission by National Parks to dart this animal - was able to get within a few metres of it before firing the dart. Musango was estimated to have another 15-20 years of life ahead of it.

He is now Dead!

He was shot around 23 May 2010 by a professional hunting organisation in the Omay North area, adjacent to Lake Kariba. This hunter did nothing illegal, according to existing law within Zimbabwe. It is not illegal to shoot a collared animal, unless specially protected by the Minister. But the international and local reaction to the ethical and moral issues involved in this incident has been overwhelming.

Accordingly the aim of this petition is twofold:

1. To request the authorities, once the Minister has given special protection status to any animal, to take immediate and proactive steps to inform the hunters and hunting institutions of such protected status. The Musango bull was regarded by many as part of Zimbabwe's national heritage, and is now gone.

2. To get the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters' Association to define their own ethical and moral standards in relation to collared animals, and specifically this elephant, and to fully investigate, with independent observers, in situ the killing of the Musango bull.

A highly respected professional guide comments: "The killing of such a great tusker is made more tragic by the fact that these living monuments are so rare. I am appalled that he was shot by a hunter whose fraternity is one of the main custodians of such magnificent animals and our wildlife heritage."

How to support? Email a letter to musangobull@yahoo.com or comment here on this Blog.

Operation Noah - the Original

2010-06-03T11:36:00.000+01:00

Those interested in the fascinating history of the legendary original Operation Noah at Lake Kariba, then that hero's (Rupert Fothergill, above) grandson has a site and photos worth looking at http://operationnoah.blogspot.com/

Mini Operation Noah underway at Bumi

2010-06-02T13:25:00.000+01:00

The high drama of animal rescue continues at Bumi and yesterday (Tue 1 June) saw a second wave of starving, stressed and enfeebled waterbuck attempt the 3km do-or-die crossing from Starvation Island to the mainland beneath Bumi Hills Safari Lodge.

More than 20 animals in crisis took the plunge yesterday, but sadly Bumi general manager and staff did not have the boat nor manpower resources to save them all and seven drowned. The others all reached safety and were exhausted, some having to be assisted by holding their horns to keep their heads above water for the last part of their journey.

Thus a mini version of the famous Operation Noah of the late 1950s is quickly unfolding and about US$3,000 has been donated so far for transport, food, manpower, etc. Lake levels are still rising and more and more animals are in peril.

More photos here
http://picasaweb.google.com/glen.byrom/StarvationIslandRescue03#

Bumi SAVES waterbuck!

2010-05-31T14:47:00.003+01:00

As Bumi moves to take hay bales and feed blocks to distressed animals on Starvation Island there was drama today when seven desperate and weakened waterbuck set out to swim to the mainland, now 3km away in crocodile-infested waters.

It was apt that a group of 10 from SAVE Foundation in Australia had just arrived at Bumi and was having lunch when general manager Richard Vickery spotted the animals. He takes up the story:

"The SAVE group have just had their lunch interrupted by a group of waterbuck swimming from Starvation to main land. By the time I had spotted them two males were already lagging and they were only two thirds the way across. We rallied the troops into two boats and sped out to them, the boats managed to grab one male each by his horns and ferry it to shore safely. My boat had to race back to the group to rescue a female which had cramped up and could no longer swim, we got her to shore safely and she recovered enough to walk after about 20 minutes. Some of the SAVE group got in the water and helped her out, she was so exhausted. The rescued waterbuck would not have made it with out our intervention!

The swim across the gap is now 3 km, if these animals attempt this crossing in their weakened state most will perish!"

This afternoon the SAVE group has gone walking on Starvation Island to do a game count so we have accurate data on how many animals now need to be fed because their grazing has been wiped out by the fast-rising water levels.

The SAVE Foundation was founded in 1987 and is entirely committed to saving Africa's endangered species from extinction, especially the black rhino. Nicholas Duncan and his SAVE team are at Kariba to meet National parks at Tashinga to assist in projects. In the last 20 years they have raised AUD$300,000 for Zimbabwe wildlife - a magnificent contribution from these Aussies. Nick Price and David Gower are patrons of SAVE. Take a look at their link by clicking on the headline above.

SOS for Starving Animals trapped on Island

2010-05-25T11:37:00.001+01:00

The sparkling pool on our main photo will catch your eye....but today, May 2010, there is suddenly life-and-death drama on that narrow island you can see in the background.

Aptly named Starvation Island, from the famous animal rescues of 1958-64, it is again living up to its name 50 years later. The unprecedented level of Lake Kariba this year has seen the grazing and the shoreline of this brutal island suddenly disappear and we have just discovered that hundreds of animals are in imminent danger of perishing.

This SOS just received from Bumi general manager and pro guide, Richard Vickery: " The time has come where Starvation Island is living up to its name!! I have walked the island a couple of times and there is zero grazing for the animals, the flood plain is completely covered and animals are already starting to die of ‘Starvation’! We must urgently help? We need donations to purchase hay bails and game feed in an attempt to keep them alive."

Bumi is gathering resources as best possible and will respond.....any help or ideas appreciated! We'll update here as often as possible.....the link below shows you the location right opposite Bumi. Click on the headline to this story and it takes you to a history of the amazing Operation Noah 50 years ago.....

Lion mauls Tashinga camper

2010-05-24T20:49:00.000+01:00

A lioness has mauled a man camping at Tashinga in the Matusadona National Park and he has been evacuated by air to Bulawayo. The incident happened at 04h00 on Monday 24 May when a group of men on an annual week-long boat outing from Deka to Kariba was camping at Tashinga Main Camp.

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge was called in to assist and facilitated the Medical Air Rescue Service (MARS) evacuation from the Bumi air strip. Bumi general manager Richard Vickery explained: "The man was dragged out of his A Frame while sleeping and mauled on his face. MARS emergency air ambulance was called and landed at Bumi, where we helped with medical supplies and attention before he was stabilised and flown to Bulawayo."

Bumi is Flying!

2010-05-21T11:06:00.002+01:00

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge has utopian Location, Location, Location. Now it also has Access, Access, Access that will trigger a tourism revival across all of Lake Kariba.

As from June 1 a Solenta Aviation 12-seater aircraft will be stationed at Bumi and will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Victoria Falls and return to the lodge. Each leg takes a comfortable 1hr 15min of pure scenic delight over the vastness of Lake Kariba.

Solenta also has a second plane based at Harare Main Airport that will ply the Harare to Kariba route on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays with lodge hops, including Bumi, as required.

The modern single-engine turbo-prop Cessna Grand Caravan, flown by two experienced pilots, is specifically designed for bush runway conditions and dominates the safari lodge circuits in southern Africa. Its reliability as a workhorse is acclaimed and it can operate safely from short, unpaved runways, as it does worldwide for Federal Express.

The Bumi gravel air strip of 1700m, with 250 metres of tar for the landing, is in excellent condition and offers abundant space.

Bookings to Solenta Aviation at bookings@solenta.com or call Chantelle or Corrina in Harare +263 4 746257. In South Africa Federal Air are Solenta’s GSA partner and bookings may also be made there at www.fedair.com

BUMI Spa is Pure Ecstasy

2010-05-18T14:24:00.002+01:00

Take a look at this glorious photo (click it for sensational enlarge) and tell me if you’ve ever seen a Spa anywhere on the planet with such ambiance and surreal location. It’s pure Ecstasy for BUMI guests and you are in the expert hands of trained therapist Michele Vickery. Set on a private deck overlooking the lake and shoreline it includes a sauna, separate spa plunge pool and a “juicy lucy” style health bar. Great deck for aerobics, gym sessions, too. Hour-long massages are $30 and a half-hour back, neck and shoulder massage is $20. You can just feel the stress melting away........with the elephants strolling on the shoreline and that's Starvation Island in the background.....

Some dazzling photos!

2010-05-13T11:10:00.003+01:00

A bit cheeky, I know, to state with such certainty that Bumi has the best location of any safari lodge anywhere, but it would surely be hard to surpass! Take a look at this batch of photos and see what I mean....CLICK ON THE HEADLINE

Lake Kariba turns 50

2010-05-12T15:15:00.004+01:00

Happy birthday to Lake Kariba! Zimbabwe’s spectacular inland “sea” turned 50 on May 16, 2010, as that was the day in 1960 that Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, officially opened the Dam by switching on the first hydro-electric generators. At that time Kariba was the largest man-made lake in the world and today it most certainly remains the most unique eco and wildlife wilderness of any dam on the face of the earth. We also believe, but need to verify, that it still remains the largest by volume of water.

Due to heavy, late and persistent rains in the Zambezi Valley it is apt that this Golden Anniversary year should see the lake rise to unprecedented levels and the spectacular showpiece of three floodgates being opened (above photo May 2010).At the beginning of May the lake level was at 486,89m, the maximum being 488,50. Although the floodgates will probably be closing during May inflows will continue into Lake Kariba until June and thus the lake is expected to rise to its highest ever level. A fitting celebration of the dam’s 50 years!

During construction from 1956-60 as one of Africa’s most ambitious projects Kariba was acclaimed as one of the engineering wonders of the world – a double-curvature, concrete-arch, dam wall standing 128 metres high above the river bed and spanning 617 metres across the Kariba gorge, thus stemming the flow of Africa’s legendary river, the Zambezi. The statistics are incredible: 280 kilometres in length, covering an area of more than 5,500 sq km and holding back more than 180 billion tons of water. Today it remains one of southern Africa’s primary electricity generating stations.

The dam has created a vibrant fishing industry and an ever-developing tourism industry, marked by unique safari lodges like Bumi and a plethora of houseboats in a pristine and rugged wilderness of breathtaking scenery and a remarkable diversity of fauna and flora. Fishing for the famed fighting Tigerfish is legendary and the international tiger tournament each October still draws hundreds of anglers from all over the world.

In future blogs I shall also showcase two other notable events that shaped the rich history of Lake Kariba – the evacuation of the Tonga people from their Zambezi Valley ancestral homes (that evoked the wrath of their river-god Nyaminyami) and the inspiring tale of Operation Noah that saved thousands of animals from the rising waters as the dam filled and where ranger Rupert Fothergill became the hero.

Now that's real WOW!!!!

2010-05-12T15:05:00.001+01:00

Anyone who has ever stepped out onto the Bumi Hills Safari Lodge pool, viewing and bar decks...or the balcony of their own superlative rooms knows that this is real WOW! Happily, Bumi is a beloved brand and has been since it was first built 35 years ago.

Now we're back...and with panache! After several years of neglect a group of entrepreneurs has invested in a total revitalisation and the new-look luxury Bumi Hills Safari Lodge re-opened in September 2009 with 20 rooms – 10 Premium (with astounding views) and 10 Standard.

One guest wrote with passion: “Few things in life transcend your expectations, but to step out on the Bumi deck high above this awe-inspiring lake is genuinely one of them. The word ‘Unique’ is apt and authentic and I can’t imagine a safari lodge anywhere on the planet with a superior wilderness location.”

Ask any Zimbabwean outdoor type, living anywhere in the world, and the word “Bumi” will immediately conjure up visions of sheer pleasure and delight, probably because its supreme wilderness and wildlife location once experienced can never be forgotten. Nor can many of the characters who have managed or who have been rangers at Bumi – names like Jeff and Veronica Stutchbury, Roy and Cilla Meiring, Garth Thompson, Peter Tetlow, “Spike” Williamson spring to mind.

Construction of the Bumi lodge by Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco began in 1973 and it opened in 1975 under lease, for 10 years, to Meikles Africa. Then Zimbabwe Sun took over the lease until 2001, followed by Safari Lodges of Africa and Conquest Tours. Now, since refurbishing started in January 2008, Lake Lodges have taken Bumi to luxury levels it has never seen before and guests are ecstatic! All rooms are air conditioned, with fans, mini bars, safes, tea/coffee facilities and, of course, those awe-inspiring views when you awake to glorious sunrises over the lake and with a view down to the shoreline so often teeming with elephant, buffalo, impala and so much more.

There’s a new infinity pool that also captures the view – gin and tonic or ice-cold beer in hand – and the bar has been moved alongside the pool and viewing deck to create an idyllic ambience. The old bar, on the lower deck, has become a Spa with its own small, tranquil plunge pool and sauna. Again, it begs the question: Is there a Spa anywhere in the world with a superior 180 vista, defined by the wildlife on the shoreline, the vastness of the lake and the rich history of Starvation Island (Operation Noah) at dead centre?

The new Bumi has re-ignited interest and excitement from international and regional inbound markets and several notable global wholesalers, such as Kuoni and Thompsons, have placed the lodge in their mid-year 2010 brochures – a significant and positive development.

I hope you'll join me for this continuing journey!