Thompsons Africa Product Highlights

Product News

Madi Madi Karoo Safari Lodge – Closure for Renovations

Madi Madi Karoo Safari Lodge will be closed from 10 April 2018 while the property undergoes extensive renovations. The projected closure including approval is 16 months. Further updates to follow.

General Update – Victoria Falls Safari Club to Reopen End March 2018

There has been plenty of much needed and very welcome rain in Victoria Falls this month, but it has hindered progress on the Victoria Falls Safari Club redevelopment, which will now reopen at the end of March.

The Safari Club redevelopment, which will include the addition of a swimming pool, as well as a larger central building, featuring a new and exclusive restaurant, had been scheduled to reopen in early March 2018. However due to the February rains, coupled with forecasts for more, this will no longer be possible, and guests will now be welcomed back at the end of March. The new Safari Club will feature a swimming pool with a horizon plunge pool, spilling into a 15m lap pool, surrounded on two sides by a split-level deck, with sun loungers, and an adjacent thatched gazebo, housing a bar, servery and change rooms. The pool area will be set in rock gardens, with indigenous bush to ensure guest privacy, and overlook a small waterhole frequented by kudu, warthog and bushbuck, as well as various bird species. The upgrade and expansion of the Safari Club’s central building will double the size of its existing deck, increase the lounge space, and create a new restaurant, with a dedicated kitchen and store rooms below. Construction work on the project began on November 1, 2017, and the Safari Club has been closed since 15 January 2018 when construction teams returned from the annual shutdown. The addition of the swimming pool and restaurant, both for the exclusive use of Safari Club guests, means that they may, from check-in to check-out, remain secluded in this private facility, venturing out only to enjoy the many activities available in Victoria Falls.

Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront – Refurbishment of Tobago’s Restaurant and Terrace

Tobago’s Restaurant and Terrace at Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, Cape Town, is to receive a complete refurbishment and upgrade. Work will commence in May 2018 and is expected to be completed by September 2018, in time for the new season at the hotel. The much loved restaurant is well known among local and international guests for its South African themed cuisine, with ingredients being seasonal and locally sourced. Guests will continue to enjoy the same culinary experience during the refurbishment. Chef Norman Heath and his team will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Harbour View venue, which offers access to an exclusive boardwalk and stunning views out over the private marina. In addition, Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront will upgrade the standard room bathrooms during this period, to further improve the guest experience.

Elephant Plains Game Lodge – Closure of Spa

The Spa at Elephant Plains Game Lodge has been closed and is being converted into an additional room. The lodge is considering in-room treatments however this is still to be confirmed. All building is taking place during game drives to keep the disturbance to a minimum.

General Update – Thompsons Africa Full Day Panorama Route Day Tour Change

An optional experience has been added to the Panorama Route Day Tour (both scheduled and private). En-route back to Hazyview, time and weather permitting, guests will now have the opportunity (own account) to experience the Graskop Gorge lift tour. Traverse 51 metres down along a cliff face into the mountain forest below. Once at the bottom, a wooden walkway, rising and falling and crossing suspension bridges, will take visitors along a 600 metre interpretation trail through the indigenous forest. This additional experience is available immediately.

Avani Windhoek Hotel & Casino – Refurbishment Update

The Avani Windhoek Hotel & Casino has recently upgraded its facilities, including a new grand entrance, lobby, café and hotel reception. The upgrade allows guests to access the hotel from the main street (Independence Avenue), while the new lobby features a deli and business facilities. This is the first of three planned renovations to the hotel. The second phase of renovation is under way and will see the first-floor buffet restaurant redesigned, the addition of two new banqueting venues, an executive block with two new conference venues and the inclusion of a new gym facility. Completion of the restaurant will be by end March 2018 and the work on the conferencing venues by end June 2018. There should be minimal if any impact on the guest experience.