Innholdsfortegnelse for October-December 2017 i Travel Africa

Working on this, our 20th anniversary issue, got us thinking about the origins of Travel Africa and the travel context at the time. Our heads were too full of dreams to pay much attention to the workings of the travel industry. We were simply on a mission to encourage people to visit our homeland that we love so much. That was 1997, before the Internet arrived, when people used to phone their local travel agent (on a landline) to request a brochure. There was a chronic lack of coverage on Africa in the travel media, and we hoped that a magazine offering reassurance, inspiration and advice to prospective safari-goers would get people flocking to the world’s most exciting continent. Today, of course, there is so much content available to us…

1 Mike Unwin Zimbabwe, page 90 “Africa exposes you to a sensory feast beyond anything elsewhere. It takes only tiny details to carry me back: the keyboard error tone on my laptop, for instance, sounds like a scops owl, evoking a night in the bush. The tourism industry has conditioned us to thinking of Africa in images, but when I return, I find it is the sounds, smells and textures that make the deepest impact.” Mike Unwin has been contributing to Travel Africa for more than a decade. 2 Philip Briggs West Africa, page 158 “Africa has been the setting for so many adventures over the past 20 years, it’s difficult to know where to start. A multi-day trek through Mali’s Dogon Country, the ascent of Ethiopia’s Erta Ale volcano…

MAKING AN IMPRESSION FLASHBACK This essay revisits Brian Jackman’s article, The Attraction of Africa, which opened our very first issue in 1997 and which can be enjoyed again at travelafricamag.com. Few writers are able to capture the essence of Africa quite so evocatively, and we are thankful for Brian’s support over the past 20 years. The tiny six-seater bush plane bucked viciously in the hot African sky. As we drew closer to our destination we reduced altitude, bouncing from thermal to thermal over an infinity of open plains on which herds of buffalo stampeded away beneath our wings and elephant shook their huge ears at us as we zoomed overhead to land at Governors’ Camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. It was 1974, my first visit to Africa, and…

There is no such thing as a scheduled safari in this part of the world. As a co-owner of your own private 20,500ha game reserve in Botswana’s magical Tuli Block, you are in charge of how you want to experience your day. You can go out on a game drive whenever you want (day and night). There is absolutely no rush and you can spend as much time as you like in the bush and with the animals. But this project is about so much more than the freedom to go on safari whenever you want. This is about contributing to the preservation of Africa’s precious wilderness and the endangered wildlife it sustains. The creation of the reserve saw farmland returned to its natural habitat, coupled with the reintroduction of…

ARCHITECTURE Over the past 20 years, safari accommodation has come a long way, but change is set to continue. With this in mind, we at Travel Africa began to ponder what lodges might be like in 20 years’ time and beyond. In 2037, what impact might technological advances have on their design and construction? Will there be substantial developments in materials? How will camps meet guests’ high standards, while remaining as green as can be? How might they be truly integrated into the environment? To set the discussions in motion, we posed these questions to Niel Crafford and Arno Pieters of PlanEco, before instructing them to conjure up their ‘lodge of the future’. We gave them free rein to be as whimsical and whacky as they’d like, and the result,…

Mary Purvis gives her view on how the continent is evolving My goodness… So many changes throughout the years! Indeed, change seems to be the only constant with this continent. Technology has made huge strides in East Africa. It seems that everyone in Kenya now owns a mobile phone. In the 1990s, guides still communicated with two-way radios and some lodges had no phone connection. Back then, safaris were pure; guests savoured every moment without any distractions of iPads or computers. Today, cell phone towers jut out of Kenya’s Masai Mara’s plains like aberrant trees. On my last safari, phone coverage had been erratic, so when one of these towers was spotted, much excitement ensued. I couldn’t conceal my laughter as everyone in my group pulled out their phones to…

SUPPORTED BY AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION AWF.ORG Saving the rhino Page 136 Conservation work in Ethiopia’s Simiens has been taken to the next level with the African Wildlife Foundation’s (AWF) recent efforts. One of the greatest perils to the landscape, the collection of wood for heating and cooking, is being combated by the organisation’s recent scheme to introduce fuelefficient stoves. Funding has also been provided for the community-owned Limalimo Lodge, which opened last year, as well as a new primary school. Moreover, the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf has not been forgotten. In partnership with the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, the AWF has been engaging local people in monitoring populations and assessing the threat to habitats. The future is certainly looking up.…

Worth more than gold on the black market, powdered horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to ‘cure’ ailments ranging from rheumatism to cancer (despite no proven medical value), and horns are carved and coveted for status symbols, or made into jewellery, in China and Vietnam. While poaching numbers fell slightly last year, Africa’s rhino are in the midst of a crisis that began in Zimbabwe and soon spread to South Africa and beyond, seeing massive increases in poaching from 2009 to 2015. (See below.) Controversially, South Africa legalised domestic trade in rhino horn earlier this year. “If people don’t stop buying these products, rhino could be extinct within 15 to 20 years,” reveals South African rhino veterinary specialist Dr William Fowlds. Numbers game The rhino horn trade CONSUMERS OF…

It’s 6am and people are arriving from all directions. Some come on foot from outlying villages: women carrying heavy loads on their heads, young men dragging along a goat. Others weave in on bicycles weighed down by immense banana bunches. Others still arrive by taxi-brousse: 10- or 12-seaters crammed with a couple of dozen passengers, their suitcases, or chickens, or mattresses. It isn’t a quiet affair. Radios and cassette decks compete for airspace. Men are shouting. The cries of teenage girls selling plastic sachets of ice water rise shrilly above a cheerful babble of relatives, friends and neighbours. The women have proud postures and often their youngest baby bundled on their back. Dressing up for the weekly market is the West African equivalent of donning Sunday best: elaborate tailor-cut dresses…

ACCOMMODATION NEWS ON THE BUSHWIRE BOTSWANA Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta February will see the opening of the newly rebuilt Mombo and Little Mombo camps. Wilderness Safaris is seeking to minimise the property’s carbon footprint, so each tent will be reconstructed in exactly the same place to ensure minimal ground and vegetation disturbance. A forestry expert has also been brought in to ensure that there is no damage to the roots of surrounding trees. For guests still seeking to travel here during the rebuild, a temporary alternative has been opened called Mombo Trails Camp. Qorokwe Camp, Qorokwe Concession, Okavango Delta Surrounded by acacia and mopane woodlands, Wilderness Safaris’ new camp is set to open in December. It is 100 per cent solar-powered — thermodynamic solar geysers heat its water — making…

EXPERTS HELP YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP ESCAPING THE CROWDS Q Where would you suggest I go to really get off-the-beatentrack in Malawi? CHRIS BADGER, CENTRAL AFRICAN WILDERNESS SAFARIS Without a doubt, Nyika National Park in northern Malawi. The park is unique, made up of more than 3000sq km of miombo woodland, montane forest patches, crystal-clear rivers and vast expanses of rolling grasslands seasonally covered in a profusion of wildflowers and orchids. The region also has an average altitude of around 2300m. Elephant, roan antelope, servals, side-striped jackals and some of Africa’s largest leopards roam this dramatic landscape, and 400-plus species of bird can be found in the diverse habitats. FAMILY Q My children are eight and 10. Is Namibia family-friendly? And if so, what itinerary would you suggest? JULIE IVES,…

THE IMAGES THAT NEVER LEAVE US The evolutionary paths of mouse lemurs and humans diverged many millions of years ago when Madagascar broke away from Africa. Yet our destinies remain intertwined. The smallest primate on Earth and the most dominant share one ancestor in the past and one planet in the future.…

Since 2012 AWF has been working with partner WildAid to create global awareness of the wildlife trade crisis, focusing primarily on elephants and rhinos in an effort to stem demand for ivory and rhino horn in the key markets of China and Vietnam. Celebrities including actor Jackie Chan, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, and Tanzanian pop star Alikiba starred in a series of public service videos and advertisements, reaching millions of people, awakening them to the horror behind wildlife products. A SURGING DEMAND IN VIETNAM Because its horn is falsely believed to be a magical cure-all for ailments ranging from cancer to hangovers, the rhino has seen its populations decimated by poaching — and, unfortunately, a recent surge in demand has seen the number of slaughtered rhinos increase dramatically. In…

The African Wildlife Foundation will miss an exemplary leader and an incredible friend. Africa will miss an inspirational Democrat and a peacemaker. Former President of the Republic of Botswana Sir Ketumile Masire's loss will also be felt in places most people will not immediately think of — Africa’s wild lands. Masire was a long-time board member and trustee of the African Wildlife Foundation. It is part of Masire’s legacy that Botswana has more elephants than any other country in Africa — 131,626 in all, according to the results of the African Elephant Status Report released in 2016. In a continent that loses between 20,000 and 30,000 a year to poachers, that is remarkable. Masire was one of the architects of the country’s economic transformation. By 2015, the country had one…

BIRDING IN NAMIBIA Nick Buys goes birdwatching in the Erongo area of central Namibia — one of the country’s most biodiverse areas—and captures some stunning shots. WHICH NATIONAL PARK? Overwhelmed by the number of parks in Africa? You’re not alone. The continent has more than 100 reserves to choose from, so Jackie Edwards has whittled it down to the 10 most alluring options to help you solve your destination dilemma. We are constantly inundated with amazing stories that we simply can’t fit in the quarterly print magazine, so earlier this year, we launched Travel Africa Extra, a monthly online minimagazine packed with exciting articles, image galleries, interviews, profiles, blogs and opinion columns. Subscribe to our mailing list on travelafricamag.com to receive Travel Africa Extra in your inbox at the end…

THE SAFARI EXPERIENCE RISE OF TABLETS With more and more people now booking holidays on their smartphone or iPad, sites such as TripAdvisor are on the up. Did you know this popular online travel-planning service has over 300 million users? WHAT DO YOU THINK? We would love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of booking through a tour operator and online. Please email your thoughts to editor@travelafricamag.com Booking an African safari in the late 1990s was an adventure in itself. It used to involve phoning or writing a letter to a specialist tour operator with expert knowledge. Brochures were the norm and clients would expect to be sent an itemised itinerary, a map and printed air tickets. They would then go to the library to do some…

THE SAFARI EXPERIENCE 1/14 JOBS GENERATED BY TOURISM, ON AVERAGE, 2011-2014 =21m The modern safari has its roots in Kenya. When hunting was banned there in the 1970s, the focus fell onto Botswana, with safaris pioneered by Ker & Downey. In 1983, Wilderness Safaris was established and its entry into the market proved a game changer. The company’s initial product comprised a couple of beaten-up Land Rovers, but now it offers more than 50 lodges in eight African countries with access to 2.5 million hectares of wilderness. In the intervening 35 years, the industry has flourished, in particular, the luxury end of the market. Similarly, adventureoriented, educational and experiential tourism is on the rise and improved access has meant that remote areas, such as Gabon and Chad, have come on…

THE SAFARI EXPERIENCE TOURISM PROVIDES JOBS Local people, such as the chef at Musekese Camp (pictured right), in Zambia’s Kafue National Park, are dependent on tourist dollars for their income. This article revisits Bill Adams’s piece in our first issue, Does Africa Offer Good Value?, which can be read online at travelafricamag.com THE DAILY FEE IN MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE IN 1997: US$27 THE DAILY FEE PER PERSON TODAY: US$70 Writing in the first issue of Travel Africa, in 1997, Bill Adams of Safari Consultants asked: “Is the value of travel in Africa determined simply by monetary cost, or by the way it fulfills your soul?” The monetary cost has risen steeply. A well-known tented camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara that cost US$390 per night in 1997 for a double…

MUSINGS ON TRAVEL MATTERS JOIN THE DISCUSSION Please tell us your thoughts on this subject at travelafricamag.com or email editor@ travelafricamag.com. African safaris are unique. Other countries would kill for the continent’s spectacular natural resources. The time has come for it to start selling itself across the world How well is African tourism performing in this age of the global traveller? What we know is that the continent receives just 5 per cent of worldwide tourism revenues, which does not seem like much until you compare it with Latin America, which draws in only 3.5 per cent. If you listen to the various African tourism boards, they are doing a fantastic job and visitor numbers are booming; however, if you examine the figures more forensically, you could argue that the…

▪ Getting there Several airlines fly to ▪ Getting around Although it’s possible to get around on the South African side in an ordinary sedan car, we’d recommend hiring a camping-equipped 4WD so you can access all areas of the KTP, including the Botswanan side. The unfenced campsites are extremely basic on the Botswanan side but will give you a real experience of the Kalahari wilderness. ▪ Where to stay Aim to stay in several camps to get a feel for the place and appreciate its scale. There’s now a range to suit different budgets — from simple camping to more luxurious self-catering and catered private lodges. If possible, stay in one of the bush cadges include !Xaus Lodge (South Africa), and Rooiputs and Polentswa, run by Ta Shebube (Botswana).…

A MATTER OF OPINION SUPPORTED BY AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION Hope? There is always hope. But we do live in very turbulent times. You need only pay passing attention to the major global news networks to grasp the uncertain, unstable nature of the world we live in. Just as depressing is the deep undertow of events pulling so many of the animals and plants of this cosmic speck, maybe us included, into the planet’s “sixth major extinction event”. Scientists are so worried about this threat that they have abandoned their usual scientific reserve and have labelled it a “biological annihilation”. The World Wide Fund for Nature’s 2016 Living Planet Report is perhaps a little more restrained but nevertheless warns of dire consequences: “Unless we take immediate action… Earth will become much…

AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION We walk in silence for an hour, every snap or crunch of Africa’s sun-scorched bush ricocheting through the burning air like a gunshot. Sound and smell could betray us here, in this vast expanse of the Sera Conservancy in northern Kenya, and while I keep my eyes to the ground, dodging branches and side-stepping leaves, my Samburu guide Sammy is watching the wind. Shaking a sock, a wisp of ash floats south before he signals me to move on, slow, silent, single file, and then: Do. Not. Move. A thorn-laden acacia, just 20m ahead, begins to shake violently. The perpetrator is hidden, but undoubtedly huge. I stand, transfixed, seesawing inwardly between excitement and fear, my body wrestling with its primeval, protective response: fight or flight? A look…

WHITE RHINO Conservation status: Southern white rhino: near threatened. Northern white rhino: critically endangered Population: Southern white rhino: 19,666-21,085. Northern white rhino: 3 Scientific name: Ceratotherium simum Current range: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe Habitat: Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannahs and scrublands Height: 1.5-1.8m Weight: 1800-3000kg BLACK RHINO Conservation status: Critically endangered Population: 5040-5458 Scientific name: Diceros bicornis Current range: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe Habitat: Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannahs, deserts and shrublands Height: Around 1.6m Weight: 900-1350kg SUMATRAN RHINO Conservation status: Critically endangered Population: 100 Scientific name: Dicerorhinus sumatrensis Current range: Sumatra and East Kalimantan (Indonesia) Habitat: Dense highland and lowland tropical and subtropical forests Height: 1-1.5m Weight: 500-960kg JAVAN RHINO (LESSER ONE-HORNED RHINO) Conservation status: Critically…

From the jungle-lined coast to the Sahara, West Africa is a region of astounding geographic and cultural variety. As you travel, an architectural landscape of extraordinary mosques, timeworn colonial relicts and mud-and-thatch homesteads rolls past International tourism makes a strong contribution to economic growth, job creation, conservation and national pride, while enabling people from across the globe to understand one another. It is a powerful force for peace. Historically, however, West Africa has largely been excluded from its benefit. The region remains poorly developed for tourism, due to a combination of unsettled politics, poor transport infrastructure and lack of governmental and grassroots investment. If that is to change, given that the region offers less in the way of wildlife than East and southern Africa, tourism will need to be based…

TRAVEL NEWS ON THE BUSHWIRE PARTICIPATE IN CONSERVATION The famous Lewa-Borana Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya is inviting guests to participate in their invaluable wildlife conservation efforts. For one week commencing 24 February, guests can be part of the ranger team helping to locate and count game species for the annual Big Five wildlife census and to track and ID rhino at Borana. Trailblazing Spanning montane grasslands and woodlands, the Sangwala Trail in Malawi’s Nyika National Park has been launched by Central African Wilderness Safaris (CAWS). Guests of Chelinda Camp or Lodge can now embark on this 43km (2 night, 3 day) trek with the chance of seeing antelope, zebra, leopard, servals and many species of bird. The hike is fully catered. A silent future Bollinger Motors has released a…

Iam so pleased to have this opportunity to introduce myself and share news of our work on behalf of Africa’s wildlife and wild lands. As AWF’s president, I often meet with government and business leaders who are shepherding our great continent into a bold future of economic growth, infrastructure development and other advances. One of my key roles is to represent Africa’s wildlife, to make sure its voice is heard. During these meetings I often relate our shorthand strategy for addressing Africa’s poaching crisis: “Stop the killing, stop the trafficking, stop the demand.” Ivory poachers kill an estimated 100 elephants every day — one every 15 minutes. A recent survey showed a 30 percent decline in the savanna elephant population (2007-2014). Habitat loss is one factor, but poaching is the…

Since the launch of Travel Africa in 1997, the continent has evolved dramatically. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we present you with a themed edition which reflects on the changing nature of the safari experience. It has been fun and fascinating to compile. In order to achieve a balance of past, present and future, I have had the great pleasure of talking to some truly inspirational people, from tour operators and lodge owners to conservationists and rangers. Something that has consistently shone through has been their mutual determination to conserve Africa’s amazing wildlife, habitats, landscapes and communities—which was also the aspiration on which the magazine was founded. There are innumerable remarkable individuals working their socks off every day to achieve this—people with the great reserves of passion, proactivity and persistence…

The changing nature of holiday planning Page 20 Growing up in Zimbabwe, my appreciation for wildlife and Africa’s wilderness areas developed from regular excursions to the Matobo Hills and on holidays to Hwange National Park, where there seemed to be drama and excitement around each corner. The Hide safari camp has become a firm favourite, both personally and professionally. It is a place where serenity surrounds you, where wildlife and birdlife abound, and where you feel instantly at home — for me, it resonates with memories of special family reunions. Professionally, The Hide has supported Travel Africa since issue 1 (in 1997), and is the only company still advertising that exists in its same form: a familyrun enterprise born from a passion for Hwange’s enduring appeal. The roots of our…

1 Tourism is one of Africa’s most promising sectors in terms of development. The number of international tourists visiting Africa has been steadily increasing over the past 17 years. 2 Tourism is an industry that has a direct effect on the employment of vulnerable people . studies have shown that it draws on women, youth and unskilled workers, who may otherwise be unemployed. 3 In many African countries, tourism has replaced declining industries, such as tobacco, which has dwindled due to anti-smoking campaigns in Europe. The sector provides vital income.…

ROSS KENNEDY, AFRICA ALBIDA TOURISM “The African tourism industry has changed dramatically since 1997, with significant development spurts, then serious declines due to local, regional and international events that are followed again by new growth and investment, resurgence of existing and new destinations across the continent. Tourism is directly impacted by local conditions and events, such as terrorism, Ebola, elections and violence, as well as global ones in source markets. To take one example: in 1999-2000 in Zimbabwe’s Hwange/Dete area, there were close to 30 accommodation options of varied kinds, locations and budgets. By 2006, this had fallen to around eight, yet now in 2017, has risen again to 16, with new investments taking place as I write. The graph may well repeat itself across Africa. Possibly the best-known case…

THE SAFARI EXPERIENCE ARMCHAIR SAFARI It’s possible that in 20 years’ time, we may be able to view wildlife live through hi-tech virtual reality goggles, making Africa accessible to all. In 1836, a young English artist, explorer and hunter by the name of William Cornwallis Harris led an expedition to Africa to record wildlife. Every morning, Harris and his team would follow a similar routine: they would wake for sunrise, spend their day walking and observing the animals, enjoy an afternoon nap somewhere shady, resume wildlife-watching late afternoon, and then share stories in the evening over a slap-up, alcoholand- tobacco-fuelled dinner. Harris had embarked on what many regard as the world’s first safari; a formula high on romance that is now repeated across the continent millions of times a year.…

OUR READERS REFLECT ON THEIR AFRICAN EXPERIENCES OVER THE DECADES Having lived in Africa my whole life, and travelled through the southern, eastern and south-western parts, I have become enchanted by my home continent. Reading the novels of Frederick Courteney Selous DSO, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Stuart Cloete and other African explorers as a teenager sparked a fascination with adventure that I’ve never quite given up. As a South African, I have, unsurprisingly, seen many changes over the past few decades — sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better, particularly since Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island. Since the end of apartheid, travel from South Africa to the rest of the continent has been much easier. My wife and I have travelled to East Africa several times and…

Which African destinations will we be visiting over the next 20 years? When Travel Africa launched in 1997 a straightforward Serengeti safari sounded exotic, but the diversity of adventures open to Africaphiles today is significantly greater. Discerning travellers crave ever more dynamic experiences. They may prefer safaris on foot or horseback or seek idyllic eco-resorts far from the madding crowd. Awareness has grown that tourism can be a positive force for conservation and community development, so they want their holidays to matter. There is a hunger for multicentred vacations and increasingly remote destinations This vision for the next two decades is by no means exhaustive. You may disagree with some inclusions or sigh with frustration at omissions. Of the latter, both good and bad examples have been left out for…

Tucked away on the remote Songo Songo Archipelago, 140km south of Dar es Salaam, lies this unspoilt Indian Ocean bolthole. Managed by Essential Destinations (ED), Fanjove embodies the company ethos of making “a minimum impact on the environment while supporting conservation and helping to sustain local communities”. The six secluded bandas, bar and dining room are constructed with natural materials, such as palm leaves, coral rocks, chokaa (lime) and bamboo, so blend harmoniously with their surroundings. Solar panels provide electricity; septic tanks have been installed for the bio-degradation of waste; and fresh water is bought from the local community in order to provide business as well as being produced through a desalinator. Fanjove is a delicate ecosystem that must be protected — and the ED team strives to conserve both…

▪ Akagera National Park Following the genocide, thousands of refugees returned to Rwanda, moving into Akagera. In 1997, the government reduced the park allowing the new settlers to stay in one half, while protecting the wildlife in the remaining 1120sq km. Hugging Rwan around 20 rhinos in May, it’s now a thriving — and utterly beautiful — Big Five destination. ▪ Nyungwe National Park Gazetted ▪ Gishwati-Mukura National Park Rwanda’s newest reserve was created in February 2016 to save the remnants of a beautiful primary rainforest. Once spanning 2500sq km, it succumbed to illegal mining, human encroachment and cattle grazing by returning refugeesm, resurrecting walking trails, and new lodges and camps.…

▪ Getting there British Airways and Lufthansa code-share with Air Namibia to Windhoek via Frankfurt; South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly via Johannesburg; KLM flies direct to Windhoek from Amsterdam (with an hour’s stop in Luanda); and Qatar now offers ▪ Self-drive Namibia is a great self-drive destination but 4WD or high clearance vehicles are strongly recommended for the rocky gravel roads of this region. Wildlife and traditional carts are often found on the approach roads so don’t exceed the 80km/hr speed limit on the gravel roads and avoid driving at night. ▪ When to go The trail is open year round other than during the hot midsummer period between mid-December and mid-February. Most rain falls from October to the end of March. The days are still warm during…

What’s the best way to find your ideal place to stay on safari in Africa? Chances are, you’ll start by naming a few wildlife goals and narrowing your search down to a country or even a park. But what then? Did you know that your choice of accommodation can make an enormous difference to the quality and style of your experience? Many of us get misty-eyed at the thought of a wilderness retreat, but the options are huge. One person’s idea of romantic bliss may be a luxurious fourposter bed in an air-conditioned room with a grandstand balcony and a bathroom as big as a flat, and with quality standards rising over the past 20 years, plenty of destinations can deliver. Others may long for the simplicity of a mosquito…

GETTING TO KNOW OUR FLORA AND FAUNA AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION WILDLIFE DEFENDERS This photograph — of a member of the Blue Canyon Conservancy counter-poaching unit in South Africa — is by Harrison Cooney. With his father, he created The Wildlife Defenders, a project that tells the human story, through photographs, of those risking their lives daily to protect endangered species. To read more, visit thewildlifedefenders.org. TA TIP Before posting any images of rhino on social media, always be sure to remove the location metadata to limit GPS information that could be used by poachers. For more information about the amazing work people are doing to protect the rhino, visit travelafricamag.com. It may look invincible, but while the mighty rhino is perfectly adapted to survive the harsh conditions of the African…

GETTING TO KNOW OUR FLORA AND FAUNA SUPPORTED BY AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION REMEMBERING RHINOS This photograph is taken from the spectacular new coffee-table book Remembering Rhinos by Wildlife Photographers United, which will be published later this month. Read more at rememberingrhinos.com. Colossal relatives of the rhino roamed the planet 50 million years ago, but our modern-day species — dating back a mere 15 million years — are just as impressive, sitting firmly in the megafauna category. Size and power helped the rhino survive in large numbers, until modern man attempted to vanquish that power through trophy hunting and harness it for Chinese medicine. But aside from the economic value now placed on its much-prized head, what benefit does the rhino bring to our world? Firstly, it’s an umbrella species —…

The pageantry of West Africa’s past is recaptured in Kumasi every sixth Sunday when the spectacular Akwasidae durbar is held at Manhyia Palace in accordance with the Adae cycle (nine 40- to 42-day month-like divisions recognised by the Ashanti). Open to all, the Akwasidae is an overwhelming occasion. Dozens of lesser chiefs assemble to pay homage to the Ashanti king, some swathed in togas of the finest adinkra (a plain white decorated with ancient stamp-dyed designs), others in an attire of leopard, serval and other animal skins. The glister of gold, upon which the Ashanti Kingdom was founded, is everywhere. The king’s arrival, heralded by a long procession of local dignitaries and Ashanti royalty, is greeted by exuberant drumming and blasting traditional horns. When we witnessed the festival, the queue…

Ideas and advice to help you plan your perfect trip Latest travel news and tips from the experts Page 168 An area like no other, the salt flats offer guests a unique sleepout experience. During the dry season, guests can leave the comfort of Meno A Kwena tented camp and drive across the parched pans, before sleeping in a simple camp surrounded by the Makgadikgadi’s vast, empty landscape. Equipped with beds, blankets and hot-water bottles, you can trace the twinkling constellations in the huge, awe-inspiring night sky. The tranquillity of the African wilderness provokes deep contemplation of our place in the Universe.…

ZEITZ MOCAA OPENS 22 September, Cape Town Last month saw the opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), a major new cultural institution committed to collecting and exhibiting cuttingedge art from Africa and its Diaspora. EXPLORERS AGAINST EXTINCTION 12 October, London One of the most important conservation events of the year will take place at the Royal Geographical Society, in South Kensington, on 12 October. Aiming to highlight the threat of extinction facing some of Africa’s most iconic species, Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE and Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE will be speaking, and all profits from ticket sales and Sketch for Survival artworks will go to the event’s charity partners, including Animals Saving Animals (ASA), Rhino Conservation Botswana, Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the David Sheldrick Wildlife…

Nigel Vere Nicholl is Chief Executive of Atta, which serves travel companies in the African 37 countries. For more information, visit atta.travel. Looking back over these past 20 years, the number of tourism arrivals across Africa has ebbed and flowed, influenced by the many factors that always affect global tourism, including accessibility, visas, exchange rates, quality and growing competition from other destinations, to name just a few. But an event far from Africa caused the greatest change for tourism since the Second World War: the attack on the USA on 11 September 2001. In just one morning, the face of travel was changed forever. Within weeks, new travel rules, regulations and restrictions were imposed. Air travel was badly affected, and the departure experience became ever more complex and unbelievably time-consuming.…

▪ AWF’s recently retired CEO Patrick Bergin was interviewed on CNN Money about the benefits of ecotourism for local African communities. http://bit.ly/2xbyZll ▪ In an op-ed for Kenya’s leading newspaper, the Daily Nation, AWF President Kaddu Sebunya explained why President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord was disappointing but presents an opportunity for Africa to step up in its fight against climate change. http://bit.ly/2wNTsNy ▪ Will Powell, AWF’s Canines for Conservation director, was interviewed in Business Daily Africa about the success of the anti-trafficking program that employs ivory detection dogs to combat the illegal wildlife trade at airports and seaports. http://bit.ly/2wNp19X ▪ The International Union for Conservation of Nature featured a blog post by AWF Director of Conservation Geography David Williams discussing his efforts to identify…

With 20,000–30,000 killed every year, the threats to African elephants are dishearteningly real and urgent. But extraordinary things are happening across the continent — stories of survival and hope for this iconic species. One of the most authoritative recent works on the numbers of African elephants is the African Elephant Status Report 2016, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Here are some metrics we can take away from the report: ▪ The population of elephants in Botswana is relatively healthy, estimated at 131,626. ▪ Zimbabwe has the second-highest population of elephants in Africa, estimated at 82,630. That figure, however, is 6 percent down from the last count. ▪ Tanzania’s elephant population is estimated at 50,433, Africa’s third-highest. ▪ Kenya had Africa’s fourth-largest population of elephants, estimated at…