Elephants March Through Hotel

Elephants march through hotel lobby after it was built on their migration trail. These amazing pictures show why you shouldn't get between an African elephant and its favorite food.

The animals came in two-by-two: Hotel staff and visitors have got
used to the elephants' impromptu strolls through reception

Let the porter grab your trunk: An elephant wanders through Mfuwe Lodge,
in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia happens to have been built next to a mango tree that one family of pachyderms have always visited when the fruit ripens. When they returned one year and found the luxury accommodation in the way, they simply walked through reception.

Now the family group, headed by matriarch Wonky Tusk, return every November to gorge on mangos - up to four times a day. Andy Hogg, 44, director at the Bushcamp Company that runs the Lodge, has lived in South Luangwa National Park since 1982. But in all his years of dealing with wild animals he has never seen such intimate interaction between man and beast.

'This is the only place in the world where elephants freely get so close to humans,' says the 44-year-old.

'The elephants start coming through base camp in late November of each year to eat the mangos from our trees.

'When they are ripe they come through and they stand about for four to six weeks coming back each day or second day to eat the mangos.'

Living in the 5,000 square mile national park, the ten-strong elephant herd are led to the lodge each day by Wonky Tusk.

Migration route: The hotel was built directly in the path of the elephants'
route to one of their favorite foods - mangos

'The most interesting thing about this is that they are wild animals and are certainly not tame,' explains Andy. 'They come through the lodge to eat the fruit.

'There are ten in that herd and it is only that herd that comes through. It is a strange thing.

'The matriarchal in the herd is Wonky Tusk, and she brings the nine others through and they come and go as they please.'

Mfuwe Lodge consists of seven camps and the base camp where the elephants come through.

Employing 150 staff, the management of the lodge are happy to report that there have been no incidents involving the elephants to date.

'The elephants do get reasonably close to the staff as you can see with the pictures of the elephants near the reception,' he explains.

'But we do not allow the guests to get too close.'


Check-in: But it's unlikely the lodge has a room big enough for its elephant guests

'Guests can stand in the lounge are but as long as there is a barrier between the elephants and the guests that is okay,' he added.

'The elephants are not aggressive but you don't want to tempt anything as they are wild animals.

'It is the elephants choice to come into base camp and they have been doing it for the last ten years.

'There are other wild mango trees around and they seem to prefer this one.'

And even thought the lodge was unwittingly built upon the path, Andy says they had no idea the elephants would insist on returning.

'It wasn't a design mistake - no-one really knew they were going to come through,' he says.

'The lodge was built and then the elephants started coming through afterwards.

'We keep people at a safe distance. They are obviously close enough to see what is going on from pretty close quarters but we also make sure we have staff around to make sure the elephants don't get too close.

'But as I said they are still wild and still dangerous. They are huge beasts and untamed.

'We have bricks and walls between the elephants and the guests such as the counter and other barriers to stop them getting to people and if they try to there is enough time for people to get away.'

Naturally, the lodge becomes a busier attraction for both elephants and guests during November time.

'We find that we get more people visiting us during the elephant migration because of the unique experience of being so close to wild animals in an unusual environment,' says Andy.

'But as I said this is a totally natural phenomenon, the elephants come here of their own accord and it is certainly a rare but magnificent sight.

Melbourne: The Perfect Destination to Spend your Travel Money

The current financial climate and “credit crunch” is causing prospective holidaymakers to consider traveling outside of the Euro Zone to make the most of their travel money. To many, Australia seems a safe bet in terms of value for money (after the initial flight costs, at least) due to the pound’s relative strength against the Aussie dollar over the past year – especially in comparison to its performance against the euro and the US dollar. Interestingly, some speculators are anticipating that Melbourne is the destination of choice for 2009.


Melbourne may not have been famed for its tourism credentials in the past, but recent developments are showing that it is becoming as popular with visitors as its contemporaries such as Sydney and Brisbane. The Opodo Travel News reports that, ‘according to Tourism Victoria, travellers are attracted to the city's “world-renowned, cosmopolitan lifestyle”,' causing bookings to increase by 400 percent!


Situated on the Southern Australian coast, Melbourne is a city that is celebrated for its multicultural heritage. Nearly a quarter of the city’s 3 million+ inhabitants were born in other countries, including: United Kingdom, Italy, and China – and as a consequence there is a rich variety of places to visit, cuisine to try, and culture to sample. There is an established commercial arts scene of pop music, theatre, and film, as well as many institutions that are considered alternative, such as: street art and indie music.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Subsequently, there are many festivals and events that take place in the city over the course of the year. Perhaps most notable is The Melbourne International Comedy Festival which takes place over three weeks around April Fools Day every year. Running since 1987, the festival showcases local and international comedians and comediennes specializing in stand-up and cabaret.

Melbourne’s permanent sights range from the architectural to the natural. The former is exemplified by such delights as the Royal Exhibition Building, a World Heritage Site and host to many exhibitions.

Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens

For flora lovers, Melbourne is also considered Australia’s Garden City and includes many parks and gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens is renowned for its size at 354,000 metres square and for containing over 10,000 species of plant. In recent years the area has been subjected to severe water conservation in order to deal with continual dry conditions. The organisers, therefore, have to take great care of the environmental implications of the gardens, whilst the diversity of plant life is a draw for a vast range of unique and interesting fauna.

Top attractions in New York City

Visiting The Big Apple is a dream that come true for over one million people of the world yearly. The historical sites and monuments, diverse cultures, and the business mecca that is NYC places it as one of the most desired travel destination on Earth. We have compiled a to list of the top ten things to do when visiting New York City.

Top Of the Rock Observation Deck Sky high to the 70th floor of the 30 Rockefeller and you will be stunned by the majestis view. The deck tours run until midnight daily with few exceptions. If you are seeking a romantic endevor the glow of the city below will set the mood. I you would like to take it in during the day you will see centuries of history all in a moment.

Historical Landmarks The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Empire State Building are among the must see destinations that NYC has to offer.

New York Pizza Find out for yourself the question to the answer, who has better pizza, New York City or Chicago. Of course, this would require you to visit Chicago as well. Lombardi's Pizza and Grimaldi's Pizza are two of the giants of NYC Pizza.

Radio City Music Hall Bringing in visitors since the 1930's, Radio City Music Hall is the eternal flame of entertainment in New York City. Look out for tributes paid to the great Rockettes.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Feel like you are standing with famous people such as Barack Obama, Britney Spears, and Neil Armstrong. Photos can be shot so your encounter with these relistic waxculptures can last forever.

Times Square Neon Lights at night and important bussiness people during the day. Times Square in NYC harbors on Broadway and is a must thing to do in New York City.

Guggenheim Museum The It's It on modern art museums, the Guggenheim has long been a destination for aspiring artists.

Grand Central Station A historic travel hub that reeks of culture, music history, and popular culture displays and references. This should be top on your list when deciding what to do in New York City.

Yankee Stadium The house that Ruth Built. Well, not really true anymore. The new (2009) Yankee Stadium is home to one of the most historic and successful franchises in the world.

Top things to do in Europe

Paris See the ancient artifacts in the Louvre Museum as well as the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. The Eiffel tower as also a destination in Paris, France. You can acturally take an elevator both day and night to get near the top of the tower. Paris is full of great culture and history.

Rome Great Italian food and sites such as the spanish steps and the Colliseum make Rome a great place to visit. Just take a map when you are walking around the large city so you don't get lost and dehydrated like I did.

London Lots of attractions including Bin Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Tower Bridge, Trefalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace. London is a very safe and easy place to travel. You can even take a scary and interesting Jack the Ripper tour.

Amsterdam A city filled with manmaid canals, Amsterdam is both historic and overly liberal at the same time. Unfortunately, the visitors that traveled to see the Anne Frank Museum will run into travelors that came to Amsterdam to get high.

Santorini, Greece The most beautiful place I have ever traveled, Santorini, Greece is an island that offers great food, the best beaches in the world, and friendly people. The island is very inexpensive once you get there. It is the flight to Athens that will strip you money away.

barcelona Barcelona attractions include the Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi, the great Barcelona Zoo, and good public beaches. This artistic city will pleasantly satisfy you.

Berlin, Germany Beer, history, culture, and good people. Berlin was good to me. The glass dome of the Reichstag is worth a visit as is Checkpoint Charlie. It is interesting to see the differences in the east and west sides of the city since it was recently unified following the cold war.

Moscow, Russia We call it part of Europe even though some call it an Asian location. Most in the world will need a visa to enter Russia, but it is well worth it. The unique-colorful architecture domes reside in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other parts of western Russia.

Prague, Czech Republic One of the most beautiful cities in the world. Prague was erected by the work of Europe's finest artists and architects over a 600 year period. See the famed bridges, cobbles streets, and unique buildings.