Innholdsfortegnelse for July-September 2018 i Travel Africa

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JANUARY (DRY SEASON) Elephant dig waterholes in the dry riverbed (Samburu). Wildebeest and many gazelle and antelope calve (until February). FEBRUARY (DRY SEASON) Swimming with whale sharks possible in Diani. MARCH (DRY SEASON) Best diving visibility on the coast before the long rains. APRIL (SOUTH-EAST MONSOON OR KUSI; LONG RAINS) Palearctic migrant birds gather to fly back north. Also buffalo and zebra calving season. Crocodile eggs hatch (Central Island, Lake Turkana). MAY (SOUTH-EAST MONSOON; LONG RAINS) Frogs breed in the ponds in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest. Wildebeest, impala and other grazers breed or rut. Kilimanjaro looks its best when heavy rain falls as snow on the summit. JUNE (END OF THE LONG RAINS) The Taru Desert, between Tsavo West National Park and the coast, is carpeted with flowers. JULY (‘WINTER’…

Within a glass cabinet of wartime paraphernalia inside Monrovia’s national museum is a jarring photograph from Liberia’s civil war. A tall, elegant young woman wearing a red croptop is firing an AK-47 into the open door of a vehicle. Fear is etched upon the faces of horrified bystanders. If successive bloody civil wars (1989-2003) left me reluctant to visit Liberia, then the subsequent Ebola outbreak (2014-16) that cost 4810 lives extinguished any desire. I imagined Liberia’s grim recent history appealing only to connoisseurs of dark tourism. Yet I was sensing a different vibe by January 2018 when I was invited for a four-day recce. Africa’s only female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was being succeeded after free-and-fair elections by Africa’s greatest ever footballer, George Weah. Euphoria surrounded his victory, yet still…

The first time we took our twins on safari, they were six years old. Our guide commanded instant awe in them by scooping up giraffe droppings as if they were chocolate-coated raisins. He showed them lion tracks in the dry sand near a waterhole and taught them how to make pancakes on a camp stove in the bush. Joe and Ellie are nearly 18 now. Following that first wide-eyed brush with Africa, they’ve become seasoned safari-lovers, tracking Kenya’s Great Migration, canoeing the Orange River and foraging with Kalahari Bushmen. The thrill of an African safari still fires their imagination — later this year, we’re travelling to Botswana and they’re behaving like six-year-olds again. Even the prospect of long periods without Wi-Fi hasn’t dulled their enthusiasm. That’s not to say, however,…

PUBLISHER’S PICK The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C allows you to transfer files between your smartphone, tablet and computer so that you can free up space for more photographs on safari EXPERIENCE Q I’ve heard that the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers of Tanzania are fascinating. Is it possible to experience their way of life? ALEX WALKER, ALEX WALKER’S SERIAN We can organise a stay with the Hadzabe and they can show you how they live out in the bush. Your guides will teach you to read the pug-marks and prints, as well as how to harvest honey, light fires the real way, make bows and arrows and silently stalk your prey. You can learn to see the landscape through the eyes of this tribe, immeasurably enhancing the way you experience it.…

WHY VISIT? Few places offer as much diversity as South Africa. Reborn as ‘the Rainbow Nation’, this enthralling country offers culture, wildlife, landscapes and history – all as varied as the country itself. Vibrant Cape Town and the magnificent Kruger National Park attract most attention, but South Africa is dotted with private reserves, boutique properties and loads of activities for all ages. HIGHLIGHTS: Here’s a few of our favourite things: Cape Town and Winelands ▪ Cable car up Table Mountain for a spectacular view over the city. ▪ Take a boat to Robben Island, the former prison where Nelson Mandela was once incarcerated. ▪ Make the most of the many world-class museums and restaurants. ▪ Visit the Diamond Museum, District Six Museum and Kirstenbosch Gardens. ▪ Go wine-tasting in the…

The United Kingdom joined global leaders in the fight against the ivory trade this spring when it announced one of the world’s toughest ivory bans. A ban on ivory trade across international borders has been effective since 1990, but many countries allow domestic buying and selling of ivory. Research has shown that European countries, including the U.K., are the largest exporters of such legal ivory, often to Asian countries. The problem is that the legal trade of accumulated ivory products not only stimulates demand, it can provide cover for illegal ivory. The new U.K. ban covers ivory of all ages, even old or antique ivory. The punishment for breaking the law includes an unlimited fine (i.e., the ban sets no maximum) and a sentence of up to five years in…

AWF protects key species within priority landscapes, using a range of approaches designed to benefit local human communities as well as wildlife and habitat. Among these key species (elephants, rhinos, great apes, giraffes and large carnivores) is the world’s most endangered canid, the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis). Also known as the Simien fox or Simien jackal, this highland wolf numbers no more than 440, and perhaps as few as 360, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Ethiopian wolf is the only wolf species native to Africa, with the largest populations in Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains and the second largest in the Simien Mountains. It has a regal bearing and looks similar to a red fox, with a tawny orange or reddish coat, long snout and…

During more than five years in the Kalahari Desert, I developed a craving for water, and lots of it; and elephants, and lots of them. We wanted to explore a totally different environment and spend enough time to get to know it intimately, especially its wildlife and individual animals which we could follow to study their quaint habits and characteristic behaviour under different conditions. What better location for this than the Okavango Delta? There we could capture the animals on film, in a waterlogged environment, studying the effects on them of both an abundance of water and a lack of it, looking particularly at seasonal and unseasonal changes in the circle of life in this large ecosystem. We fell in love with a unique part of the African continent and…

Saadani is one of Tanzania’s best-kept secrets. Here, the white-sand beaches are empty and game drives can be completed without seeing another vehicle Here’s why I think you should visit Saadani National Park. People talk about places offering a ‘unique’ safari experience. And while every encounter is unique, Saadani, in eastern Tanzania, really does boast a very unusual, and appealing, combination of attractions. Many of us seek a beach-bush itinerary, and here at Saadani, you have the only big-game wildlife reserve that hugs the East African coast. The beach comes built in. “It’s not uncommon for us to see an elephant stroll by the beach, seeking coconuts to eat,” says David Guthrie, owner of Simply Saadani Camp, tucked under the doum palms, metres from the lapping waters of the Indian…

The water stretched to the horizon and beyond. I went to ask my guide, Black, if it was tidal, and then stopped myself. Contrary to how it looks, Lake Malawi is not a sea or an ocean. This African Great Lake — the second deepest in Africa — covers almost a quarter of Malawi’s land area, making it one of the most watery nations in the world. The liquid that flows through its rivers are the lifeblood of the country’s farmlands and villages, and the fishermen who sail their boats on the lake keep the local economy afloat. But increasingly, Lake Malawi — often referred to as the Lake of Stars for the reflections of lanterns glittering on the surface after dark — is the hub of Malawi’s nascent tourism…

Zimbabwe: a land full of charismatic personalities, prolific wildlife and spectacular landscapes. The country in which I was born, and which I proudly call home. Its vibrant heartbeat is its resilient people, eager to see their nation reborn as one of the most sought-after destinations in Africa. With its rich cultural history, natural wonders and scenic beauty, Zimbabwe should be on every Africa enthusiast’s bucket list, a country to which it is possible to return time and time again, and experience something different on each visit. We have indeed had our fair share of challenges, but given our tumultuous political and economic past, the country’s wildlife and habitats remain for the most part intact and in a healthy state. This is largely due to the conservation-focused approach of many of…

Phumlile Mabuza, All Out Africa Where Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Kingdom of eSwatini “A snake is always exciting to spot. I recently caught a glimpse of a 3.8m southern African rock python in the midst of an afternoon meal: an adult impala! It is not common to spot a python in the Kingdom of eSwatini; they spend most of their time hiding, often in termite mounds. They catch and kill their prey by constriction and asphyxiation, tightening their grip every time the unlucky creature exhales. It will take weeks for it to digest the impala and the serpent will live for months on this one catch alone, probably the whole of winter.” Christine Coppinger, Remote Africa Where Luangwa Valley, Zambia “A wild dog hunt is particularly exciting to witness — if…

ZIMBABWE Victoria Falls Safari Club This superb property has recently reopened after a US$600,000 redevelopment. The new club includes a swimming pool, sundeck and gazebo, and an expansion and general upgrade of its main building. KENYA Leopard Hill Camp, Mara Naboisho Conservancy This new property gets you up close and personal with local wildlife. Strategically located next to a series of watering holes, it’s a great spot to watch nature. The Star Beds here are a highlight. &Beyond Bateleur Camp, Masai Mara National Reserve A refurbishment that began last November is finally complete, with the brand-new North Camp opening last month. New finishes include deep bathtubs, sumptuous furniture and fittings and chrome ware. Alfresco showers, swimming pools, butler hatches and a coffee-cum-gin bar make this a top-notch place to stay.…

Ethiopia is quite possibly the world’s most misunderstood country. So far as most outsiders are concerned, it is simply the Land of the Famine, a barren wasteland where, in the influential words of the anthem ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, “nothing ever grows, no rain or rivers flow”. Well-meaning they might be, but these lyrics have done few favours for Ethiopia’s international profile. They’re also less than accurate. “Nothing ever grows”? Oh yes it does: in fact, the fertile central highlands of Ethiopia form the largest tract of arable land anywhere in the eastern half of Africa. “No rain”? Actually, half of Ethiopia receives an average precipitation in excess of the 750-850mm mark shared by, for instance, London or Dallas, and parts of the south-west are saturated by more than…

The fatal poisoning of 11 lions in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park in April was a blow to conservation and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). But more than anything, the tragic event highlights the plight of African lions, who, like other large carnivores, are vulnerable to retaliatory killings. Authorities are still investigating how the eight lion cubs and three lionesses died. “Initial forensic examinations point to poisoning as the likely cause of the death of the lions,” the UWA said in a press release. Across Africa, communities living near lions are known to poison big cats in retaliation for killing cattle. AWF works with communities to improve livestock husbandry and reduce such killing of predators. The lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for their arboreal perching, are a tourist…

AWF CONTINUES TO strengthen its presence in critical landscapes in southern Africa, including in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The European Union will support AWF efforts to reduce illegal wildlife trade by engaging local communities in the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools Transboundary Conservation Area. AWF partners in this project include Conservation Lower Zambezi and Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association. The project will establish models for strengthened community engagement in sustainable natural resources management, anti-poaching efforts and integrated land use that ensures conservation and compatible land uses. The transboundary conservation area covers 40,000 square kilometers including Mana Pools National Park and Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia. The vast ecosystem is home to significant populations of elephant, lion and African wild dog. The area is also a bird haven, as it includes the Middle Zambezi…

Although rhino horns are composed of keratin — the same material that is in our hair and fingernails — rhinos are slaughtered because people believe the horn is a cure-all for ailments ranging from cancer to hangovers. In demand centers across China and Southeast Asia, an upwardly mobile market continues to seek out rhino horn as a high-status traditional medicine, and poaching networks continue to benefit. This demand, investment from demand-market countries, the involvement of organized crime, and the emergence of Vietnam as a primary importer for rhino horn, has caused the number of poached rhinos to increase dramatically in the last 10 years. In 2007, just 13 rhinos were killed in South Africa (which has about 80 percent of the world’s rhinos), and in 2014 this figure rose to…

WEB Explore the AWF wildlife gallery AN IMPORTANT PART of AWF’s conservation work involves promoting understanding and knowledge of Africa’s many wildlife species. Are you aware that awf.org features a wildlife gallery with images and profiles of more than 80 species? You can dig into lots of details about species, including habitat, physical characteristics and behavior and diet. There’s also information about different AWF programs as they relate to threats facing different species. And, the whole database is filterable — alphabetically, by size of animal and by level of endangerment. Some of the species you can learn about include geladas, hartebeest, ratel (better known as the — thanks to YouTube, famous — honey badger) and the serval. SHOPPING Is AWF your smile.amazon.com charity? Did you know you can shop online…

Swampy We were recently in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, where, one day, we discovered a tiny elephant trapped in a swamp. The mother had abandoned the baby hours before. Night was coming on fast and the poor thing was crying piteously for help — and, to make things worse, a 15ft python stood in our way. Our guide rang the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS), who were, frankly, uninterested. The youngster would not survive the cold night or the nearby hyenas, so we rang the elephant research office, who set out straight away with a vet, food and medicine. The only problem was they were over an hour away, plus preparation time. So, we decided to stay with him. We sang to him and gave encouragement as the hours passed; he…

Most Travel Africa readers love Africa and all she offers; her diverse landscapes, enthralling wildlife, delightful people, enviable climate… and the way of life she offers. Perhaps part of the reason we visit as often as we can is to reconnect with the spirit of this ancient land, to feel the dust on our feet, smell the rain, watch the sun set over endless wilderness and sit around a campfire losing ourselves in the dreams of a million stars. No doubt a passion for her wildlife has grown into a deep desire to help protect our endangered species, while appreciating the role that tourism clearly plays in the development of local communities. There are many reasons people fall in love with Africa, and keep returning. Certainly these are some of…

Silence. Suddenly. The maniacal shrieking that has ripped through Kibale Forest National Park for the last three minutes stops abruptly, as though unplugged at the wall. The chimps, wherever they are, appear to have calmed down. The forest breathes again. We take a break, rummaging for packed lunches and finding seats among vine-festooned buttress roots. But as we munch in companionable reflection, I realise that the forest is far from silent. Other subtler sounds emanate from the dark tangle. A soft descending hoot signals a tambourine dove. A liquid chirrup is an eastern black-headed oriole. And an insistent four-syllable phrase right overhead is an emerald cuckoo. “Hello, Georgie!” it repeats, cheerfully. Birds. And these are just the ones I recognise. My guide Bosco, noticing my interest, helps me with others:…

1 LAKE KARIBA As the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, Lake Kariba boasts fabulous sunsets and relaxing houseboat accommodation from which to explore its wildlife-rich shores or to go fishing. ACTIVITIES: Game drives, boat cruises, guided walking safaris, catch and release fishing, and more HOW LONG: 2 nights in Kariba, 4–5 nights on a houseboat ACCESS: Road or air charter ACCOMMODATION: Some boutique lodges in Kariba, houseboats on the lake 2 ZAMBEZI NP Zambezi National Park, located close to Victoria Falls, is home to a wide range of Africa’s larger and smaller wildlife species. ACTIVITIES: Game drives, walking safaris, fishing, boat cruises, day trips to Victoria Falls town HOW LONG: 2 nights ACCESS: Air, road and boat ACCOMMODATION: Exclusive tented camps, Zimparks lodges and campsites 3 VICTORIA FALLS Built…

Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park lay to one side of us and Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools to the other as we gently puttered along the Zambezi, enjoying a serene lunch. We spotted birds and hippo, and kept an eye out for crocs, until at last, a family of elephant came into sight. They dawdled near the river’s edge, then began to wade into the depths towards an island. Soon the adults were in up to their shoulders but our eyes were fixed on the two babies. Both under a year old, they were fully submerged with the exception of their tiny trunks, which waved and wiggled above the murky water as they snorkelled along. It was a truly amazing spectacle. Equally impressive was the immaculate feast of culinary delights that lay…

SUPPORTED BY AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION Our leisurely game drive takes a dramatic turn when a new lioness shows up. We’re busy cooing over two fuzzy little cubs, the mother and her sister relaxing in a nearby thicket, when the outsider appears, cautiously. “She’s not from—” our guide Dabe starts to say, but the two lionesses have already spotted her. They give chase. We follow the felines, our vehicle careering across the saltpan. The sisters are hot on the heels of the trespasser, swiping at her haunches. A startled family of bat-eared foxes leg it as the lionesses streak towards them. The pair pursue the lioness right up to the edge of their territory, where the sparse grassland fades into a vast plain of crunchy salt. She turns to face her…

AWF protects key species within priority landscapes, using a range of approaches designed to benefit local human communities as well as wildlife and habitat. Among these key species (elephants, rhinos, great apes, giraffes and large carnivores) is the world’s most endangered canid, the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis). Also known as the Simien fox or Simien jackal, this highland wolf numbers no more than 440, and perhaps as few as 360, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Ethiopian wolf is the only wolf species native to Africa, with the largest populations in Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains and the second largest in the Simien Mountains. It has a regal bearing and looks similar to a red fox, with a tawny orange or reddish coat, long snout and…

WILD DOGS IN MOZAMBIQUE The Endangered Wildlife Trust, a champion of conservation in Africa, has reintroduced ‘painted wolves’ to Mozambique. With only 6600 wild dogs left in Africa, this iconic species is one of the continent’s most at-risk carnivores. The new pack was moved to Gorongosa National Park by air transfer, where they are currently being held in an enclosure for eight weeks in order to acclimatise to their new surroundings. NEW TURTLE NEST Elewana’s hotel AfroChic Diani Beach, just south of Mombasa, Kenya, has a new addition: a second turtle nest. The Diani hatchery contained just one nest until April, when new trails were found on the beach. Some swift detective work led to the discovery of the new nest, which hatched in May. Back on track Imvelo Safari…

FIVE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THE NEW AIRBUS A330-300 1 It has state-of-the-art technology. 2 It is very comfortable and spacious. 3 The interiors’ attractive, warm colours and elegant décor ensure a relaxing atmosphere. 4 They are quieter than older aircraft. 5 They have ultra-fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent engines, resulting in lower carbon emissions. For some travellers, the prospect of a long-haul flight to Africa can be discouraging. But with newer aircraft operating the routes, the experience is considerably less daunting than it used to be. More people are flying than ever before — around eight million of us every day — with an increasing number of bigger, faster and more fuel-efficient planes plying a growing selection of worldwide routes. There are now upstairs lounges and downstairs suites; personal minibars and…

The latest conservation and project updates from across Africa AWF LAUNCHED THE Congo Shipping Project in the remote Lomako landscape in 2006 to facilitate farmers’ access to larger, urban markets to sell their crops. Since then, a tugboat named M.B. Moise, provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, has hauled manufactured goods from Kinshasa into the landscape and returned to Kinshasa with communities’ agricultural products. The barge’s round-trip journey takes approximately three months — Kinshasa is more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) away from the most remote towns on Moise’s route. Before the project, the farmers along the Congo and Maringa rivers used makeshift crafts to carry their produce to market, risking rough weather and wrecking on the river. They sometimes lost 30 to 40 percent of their crops…

Throughout its range in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the bonobo — a species of great ape known for its mellow and peaceable ways — is increasingly at risk from human beings. Scientists have noted a significant population reduction in the last 15-20 years and today estimate 15,000-20,000 bonobos are left in the wild, making these shy apes endangered. Human communities in bonobo range areas, struggling to survive, will slash and burn forest for conversion to agriculture, destroying and fragmenting bonobo habitat. This fragmentation heightens bonobos’ vulnerability to hunters and isolates bonobo groups that must interbreed to remain viable. For a long time, local taboos against hunting bonobos, who are so human-like, protected bonobos. But those mores are dropping off under the influence of cultural outsiders and with tradition’s weakening…