Innholdsfortegnelse for Edition 95 i Travel Africa

Over the years that I have worked as a wildlife photographer, nature has taught me that being prepared and willing to photograph the unexpected can be very rewarding. This image of an African skimmer illustrates this. It was taken on the Chobe River, where my objective was to photograph elephants in or near the water. On one of the days the elephants were nowhere near, but I stayed out, hoping a herd might come to drink in the late afternoon. The boat was spacious, which meant I was able to keep two camera and lens combinations set up and close to hand, so I wouldn’t have to waste time changing lenses if a subject suddenly appeared. I also keep my cameras switched on, in Standby mode, and with a fast…

DIY SAFARI TRIPS I first visited Kenya in 1981. My girlfriend and I camped wild in a homemade, mosquito-proof tent and only stayed in cheap hotels when there was no option. Cycling around the country over the course of six months, we glimpsed the occasional zebra or giraffe, a monkey here and a gazelle there. But we didn’t experience Africa’s wildlife spectacle until a local acquaintance mentioned he was going to the Maasai Mara to see the wildebeest migration and offered us a ride. Cresting a hill as we approached the Mara River, a vast landscape of wildebeest-covered plains stretched out in front of us. Over the next few days we saw countless animals and witnessed plenty of wildlife drama, from lion cubs learning to hunt to wildebeest river crossings.…

During the dry season Amboseli turns arid and dusty, with wildlife thickly concentrated around available water sources. In the rains, however, the park is transformed into a verdant expanse of fertile grassland, with wildlife more dispersed and difficult to spot. There are two wet seasons here: the ‘long rains’ during April and May, and a shorter rainy season in November–December (except during occasional, unpredictable years of drought). The dry seasons run from June to September and January to March, when wildlife watching is at its best and visitor numbers peak. THE DRY As the rains recede, the landscape becomes increasingly arid, living up to the park’s name, derived from the Maasai Empusel, meaning “salty dust”. Vegetation dies back and the shallow waters of the seasonal Lake Amboseli evaporate, leaving a…

My top safari tip in two words? Easy. Take binoculars. I’ve been using my extra eyes for so long that I consider them a part of my anatomy (and, frankly, more valuable than many other parts), so I’m amazed when they don’t make someone’s packing list, despite the fortune spent on cameras. Do they realise what they’re missing? First up, ‘bins’ are not only for bird nerds. They will improve – nay, transform – your view of anything they alight on, from elephant to elephant shrew. Sightings on safari are often more distant than TV might suggest. Binoculars will turn a distant rustle in the long grass into a large spotted cat with a tattered left ear, or a lump in a tree into an indignant owl with surprisingly pink…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS Hwange is Zimbabwe’s most popular safari destination, thanks to its dense wildlife populations (particularly elephant) and proximity to Victoria Falls. Mana Pools offers walking safaris and canoe trips on the Zambezi, while Gonarezhou is a surprisingly scenic reserve that supports 10,000 elephants and plenty of other wildlife, including wild dog. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE Canoeing and walking in Mana Pools provides a thrilling opportunity to come face to face with the likes of lion, elephant and hippo, unimpeded by physical barriers or the distraction of a running engine. SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS Matobo Hills National Park is notable for its impressive boulderscapes, ancient rock art, and dense populations of rhino, leopard and black eagle. OTHER ATTRACTIONS Victoria Falls is the most spectacular attraction of its type in…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS Most popular is South Luangwa, which offers excellent all-round wildlife viewing and expertly guided walking safaris. Even better, in my opinion, is Lower Zambezi, where you can canoe or boat along southern Africa’s largest and wildest river, enjoying a passing parade of yawning hippos, colourful birds and foraging buffalos and elephants. Other major safari destinations include Kafue and North Luangwa national parks. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE Until recently, I’d have said leopard viewing, with South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi in particular ranking among the most reliable places to see these elusive cats. However, the stand-out memory of my most recent trip to Zambia was a succession of quality encounters with the rare African wild dog in four different national parks: Lower Zambezi, South Luangwa, North Luangwa…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS The Maasai Mara tops the list for its superb lion, cheetah and leopard viewing, supplemented by the presence of the wildebeest migration over July to September. Relatively untrammelled Tsavo is another good big game destination, while Amboseli offers exceptional elephant viewing at the base of Kilimanjaro, and Laikipia supports some of East Africa’s most rewarding private reserves and concessions. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE It’s tempting to single out the Mara wildebeest migration, or the million-strong flamingo flocks associated with Lakes Nakuru and Bogoria. But for me, it would have to be the unique dry-country ungulates – Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and so on – that roam the northern badlands of Samburu-Buffalo Springs. SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS I’ve always enjoyed visiting Meru, which attracts surprisingly…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS The Simien Mountains are the last refuge of the Walia ibex (Africa’s only indigenous goat) and the best place to see the spectacular golden-maned gelada. The more southerly Bale Mountains form the most important stronghold for Ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala and Bale monkey; they’re also superb for endemic and other birds. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE There are two, and I’m not prepared to choose between them: the joyous sight of an endangered Ethiopian wolf trotting nonchalantly through the Afromontane heather of Bale, and the immersive experience of moving with a troop of geladas through the grassy northern highlands. SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS One of my favourite spots in Ethiopia, Guassa Plateau is protected in a 110sq km community conservation area where Ethiopian wolves, geladas and 14 avian…

STRAW-COLOURED FRUIT BATS ● Where? Kasanka National Park, Zambia ● When? October-December ● What? Welcome to the biggest mammal migration on Earth. From mid-October, intoxicated by the seed-rich fruits that fill Kasanka’s trees, enormous colonies of fruit bats descend on a small swamp forest in northeast Zambia. Soon, some 10 million flying foxes – who wing their way from the Congo Basin, a trip of about 2000km – have invaded a space no larger than a hectare, ready to eat their way through 5000 tonnes of fruit each night. ZEBRA ● Where? Chobe and Okavango to Makgadikgadi Pan, Botswana ● When? End of November to March ● What? Some 30,000 zebra create a dazzling scene as they travel 250-400km from Chobe and the Okavango to Makgadikgadi, and anywhere from 500-800km on…

Humans are very visual creatures and, generally, we let our eyes be our guides. But the bush teems with vocal animals and insects, creating a wonderful orchestra of life, and we are not likely to even notice this unless we concentrate and focus on the sound environment. A good way to start is by closing your eyes (so not to be distracted by visual clues), cupping your hands behind your ears and pushing them slightly forward to create bigger sound-catchers. Practise this at home before venturing out into nature. Listen to the sound of wind rustling leaves, the gurgle of a stream tumbling over stone. Slow your thoughts down. What else can you hear? The buzz of insects. The tap of a woodpecker searching for food. The crack of a…

lephant are pulling up clumps of lush grass with their trunks. Feasting. Content. Or are they? Take a closer look. One brings her trunk up to her mouth, but there’s no food being ingested. What does this mean? When elephants become aware of someone’s presence, they will pretend to feed while observing you, trying to decipher your intentions. You are not yet a threat, but they are on alert. You are too close for comfort. Understanding this type of behaviour can greatly enhance your wildlife watching experience. But what are the key elements to look for? Guide training company Ecotraining shares a few pointers… HABITAT Animals display a specific set of habitat requirements, which may be influenced by factors such as vegetation, prey, water and temperature ranges. For example, when…

Impala!” “ I’d never seen anyone as excited as my Dutch friend Caroline when she saw the first of a herd of these ubiquitous antelope wandering out of the bush in the afternoon. It had been a quiet few hours in north-west Hwange, so the first animal to come into view was a cause for celebration. The Game Count is the perfect antidote to the ‘Ferrari Safari’: take a break from speeding around the bush looking for animals, sit back and wait for them to come to you. The idea is to count and sex everything you see, and work out how old it is, over a 24-hour period, from midday to midday. Here are some tricks I’ve learned from participating in 22 annual Counts, which could enrich any wildlife-watching…

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Does your guide know which carnivore has the strongest jaw? Are they a specialist in your area of interest? Do they know what to do if a buffalo charges? Can they change a tyre in the bush? What if a guest falls ill on a game drive? The standard of guiding can make or break your trip. Many countries employ a rigorous accreditation of their guides, others less so, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the guiding there will be of inferior quality. Most guides will have years of experience and have been mentored by professional guides. We recommend checking the standard of guiding – and whether your guide specialises in your area of interest – with your tour operator or lodge. If you hire a guide independently, ask to see…

FAMILY GUIDE BAROBI ‘ROBBY’ GARENAMOTSE KER & DOWNEY BOTSWANA With our Young Explorers safaris, the sense of achievement comes from giving the kids the best time they could have imagined, so they will want to come again. We teach the children how to track wildlife, how to recognise animal spoor, identify birds, pole a mokoro, drive the game drive vehicle, shoot an air rifle at tin cans and other fun activities such as making animal traps and starting a fire from sticks. Guiding children is so different to guiding adults. You need a lot of patience and a great sense of humour. You need to be aware of where they are, keep them safe and watch their energy levels. You need to always be in control. The best way to engage…

LLOYD CAMP IS THE AUTHOR OF AFRICA BITES: SCRAPES AND ESCAPES IN THE AFRICAN BUSH AND CONFESSIONS OF AN AFRICAN SAFARI GUIDE: TRUTHS, TALES AND TABOOS OF THE SAFARI LIFE I guided a teenager once who fell in love with the idea of being a safari guide. Lovely kid. His enthusiasm so impressed me that I arranged an apprenticeship at the game reserve for him. He arrived with new binoculars and a vast library of wildlife reference books. We immediately put him to work in the bar by night and he carried spanners in the workshop by day. During his short breaks he was expected to learn all the local trees, insects, birds and reptiles, as well as the road network from maps. After two weeks he was allowed to…

Whether or not you are a photographer, there is much to be gained from spending time watching and studying animal behaviour, as it is only after animals become accustomed to your presence that they will start behaving naturally. Then it is possible to learn specific habits, such as the approximate time elephants will frequent a favoured waterhole. With this understanding, plus the nuances of the environment – such as light, time of day, background and weather – one is able to create or ‘make’ a great photo. This photograph, taken in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at dawn, reflects one of those impromptu or serendipitous moments that we are gifted occasionally. It is then that it’s necessary to think quickly and make fast decisions to ensure you get the best possible results.…

There’s no escaping it: until the day that transport technology delivers genuinely eco-friendly planes that don’t burn fossil fuels and don’t pollute, holidays that include long-haul flights will remain an environmentally damaging luxury. But that doesn’t mean we should chuck out our safari kit. It simply means it’s more important than ever to ask searching questions and pick our destinations, accommodation and activities with care. In Africa, ecotourism and conservation safaris have the power to deliver benefits that easily outweigh the damage done by flying. The Covid pandemic revealed with devastating clarity that when tourism grinds to a halt, poaching in impoverished rural areas increases. Well-designed eco-safaris help eliminate this, while empowering rural communities to protect wild habitats from urban expansion, overgrazing and deforestation. Such trips limit the damage done…

We soon realised the traditional safari format – early morning game drive, rest in camp, late afternoon game drive – was not for us. We craved going where we wanted, when we wanted, literally spending all day in the bush, and all within our (limited) budget. Since 1983, we’ve done nothing but self-drive in Africa. With roots in Zimbabwe, our first trips were to Hwange National Park. Arranging these was relatively easy – we already knew the place like the back of our hands and we still had friends there who could help with national park reservations. All we had to do was book a flight and arrange car hire. Going further afield brought with it much more legwork, but we’ve always been happy to do that – and each…

My mum Jean and I had a truly special time when I took her to South Luangwa. Aged 75, she’d never been to Africa before, although she always loved wildlife stories and documentaries, and I wanted her to see the natural world I loved. Everything was new and wondrous to her, and that rubbed off on me too, seeing the wildlife afresh through her eyes. The bond from that trip is still strong, as are the memories, from her tears on seeing her first elephant, sundowner G&Ts, and tracking leopard on foot to flying in a microlight over the Luangwa Valley and taking a helicopter over Victoria Falls. People we met said they wished they’d taken their parents on safari and we chatted to a (grown-up) father and son who…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS Ever since I first visited it in 1995, I’ve rated Liwonde as Africa’s finest second division park, thanks largely to the magical presence of the palm-lined Shire River. Today, both Liwonde and Majete rank as top drawer safari destinations, thanks to an ambitious programme of reintroductions that ensure visitors are likely to see most of the ‘Big Five’. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE Boat trips on the Shire River as it flows through Liwonde are unforgettable: expect astounding hippo densities, plentiful elephants and a dazzling selection of aquatic birds, SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS Malawi’s largest and most remote national park, Nyika protects a vast undulating hiker-friendly plateau that’s home to leopard, elephant, zebra, roan antelope, eland and the endangered wattled crane. A visit is easily combined with…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS The top attraction is Volcanoes National Park, where you can track mountain gorillas and golden monkeys on the forested slopes of the Virungas, or hike to landmarks such as Dian Fossey’s Grave or Bisoke Crater Lake. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE As with Uganda, it would be obtuse to nominate anything other than mountain gorilla tracking! SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS Rwanda’s two other national parks are wildly underrated and deserve greater recognition. Nyungwe is a magnificent 1,000sq km tract of montane rainforest inhabited by a dozen primate species including a habituated community of chimpanzees. Akagera, by contrast, protects a lush mosaic of savannah and wetlands where you might see elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and recently reintroduced lion and black rhino. Both parks support a superb avifauna and they…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS Almost everyone heads to Bwindi or Mgahinga to track gorillas. Elsewhere, Kibale is the pick of Uganda’s chimp-tracking destinations, while plains wildlife (including the endemic Uganda kob) is conspicuous in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls, both of which offer boat trips on tropical waterways alive with hippos and aquatic birds. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE Coming face to face with mountain gorillas is quite simply one of the world’s most poignant and memorable wildlife encounters. SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS The country’s most remote savannah destination, Kidepo is a wild and scenic park where you’re likely to see lion, elephant, buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe and a variety of antelope. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to a free-roaming population of introduced white rhinos that can be tracked on foot. A low-key…

CHECK THE WHOLE VIEW Our eyes often instinctively search the mid-distance, but wildlife can be anywhere. Scan the horizon – you might spy a distant giraffe or circling vultures. Equally, check out your immediate vicinity: it’s easy to overlook a chameleon in a roadside bush. USE BINOCULARS Not just for a better view of wildlife but also to find it. Whenever you stop, scan methodically. Scrutinise promising spots: large trees, river banks, rocky outcrops. WINDOWS DOWN If not in an open vehicle, keep your windows down. This frees your ears and nose. The cracking of a branch may betray an elephant. Meanwhile, the scent of dust and dung reminds you that you’re out in the bush, not stuck in a glass bubble. PAUSE Stop as often as you can. You’ll…

I’m in the Matambeni bird hide in South Africa’s Kruger Park, sitting out a heatwave. It’s late morning, and after a long, hot game drive, the cool shade of this simple wooden shelter is a blessed relief. Wildlife-wise, though, there’s nothing’s happening. I peer out at an apparently lifeless landscape. Drought has reduced the Letaba River to a few weed-choked mud holes, and the sun-bleached sand beyond – complete with ominous buffalo skull – looks like a desert. Time to move on. As I’m about to leave, a flash of white announces a squacco heron flying in below me. Might as well take a peek, while I’m here. I raise my binoculars and follow the dapper little frog-hunter as it stalks across the water hyacinth and up onto an old,…

My guide, Rati Beula, and I departed Selinda Explorers Camp in northern Botswana at around 5:30am, with boxes full of breakfast foods and beverages so we could stay out as long as we liked. At around 7:30 we found another vehicle with three guests photographing a female leopard resting on the branch of a tree. After 20 minutes of little movement, we headed off to return to an elephant carcass we had visited the day before, but within minutes a call came that the cat was on the move. We made a hasty return and found her moving stealthily through the bush. We realised this was an incredible opportunity to observe the leopard at length, so we stayed with her – the only vehicle – for nearly eleven hours, following…

Most safari guests will have long fantasised about their forthcoming safari, be they first-time visitors or safari junkies who return whenever they can. An African safari is not an inexpensive venture, and we all want value for our money and for our hopes to be realised. Much of this rests on the guides with whom you will spend so much time. You will expect bright-eyed, enthusiastic, passionate guides who are not only excellent naturalists but who also relish the prospect of showing you the wonders of their outdoor office. Here’s hoping you get a succession of such guides throughout your safari. Being normal human beings, guides too can suffer from burnout and possibly struggle with disinterest shown by some guests. This is uncommon, but not unheard of. Guides too can…

How does going on safari play such an important role in conservation? Several reasons spring to mind: the presence of people deters poachers; by reporting wildlife sightings, tourists act as ‘researchers’; money that safari-goers spend helps fund conservation initiatives; tourism motivates the protection of habitats and creates employment for local people, enabling workers to support their extended families (and with conservancies, entire communities receive payments). The list goes on… “There is no doubt that the safari industry has a really positive impact on the way conservation plays out on the continent,” says Craig Sholley, senior vice-president of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). “The presence of people in the field is a deterrent to poaching, while the income that is generated for local communities and thousands of employees makes a massive…

I often say that elephants are just like humans, but even more so. They have everything we feel proud of as humans – empathy, trust, dignity, language, ability to think in the past, present and future, compassion – but elephants have none of the war, cruelty and inhumanity we exhibit daily. One example is a time we were watching a herd of elephants drinking at a waterhole, and a baby fell and was suctioned into the mud. They rallied quickly and delegated duties: one to break the bank, another to trample a ramp, one to lift the baby from the mud with her tusks. Some of them kept the other youngsters from panicking, and the young bulls chased buffalo and impala away. Empathy, altruism, trust, intelligence, communication and planning were…

The most important reason to use a specialist operator is the expert advice that is freely available from them. This takes two parts. First, practical advice and specialist knowledge on where to go and what to do, usually with a level of insight well beyond what you might get online. Whether it is knowing what the local game-viewing is like, what the camp layout and atmosphere is like or how meals are prepared, an experienced operator should be able to give you detailed information because he or she will have visited the camps you are considering. Over the course of a career, some specialists will have stayed at most camps multiple times, and at different times of year. Second, general guidance regarding travel to Africa and specifically, life on safari.…

The seasons dictate wildlife distribution and behaviour and set the scene for game viewing and ambience on safari. So when is the best time to visit? It depends. Seasonality differs regionally and certain locales feature specific annual wildlife events to consider. If you’re revisiting a spot, a different season offers nuance – miombo trees flushing with colour, mass termite emergences with the first rains, courtship displays, rutting and more. While bad weather and poor access close some locations for months, the ‘off season’ isn’t always off limits. When the roads flood, some creative lodges offer fresh perspectives on boating safaris. Provided the lodges in a destination are open, there’s no bad time to visit. The timing of high season rates gives a sense of the most popular season. But for…

It is exhilarating getting up just before dawn, grabbing a quick coffee and maybe a rusk or two before climbing onto an open safari vehicle and heading out into the wilds of Africa to see what wildlife you can find. Game drives are at the core of the safari experience and for good reason – they offer you a convenient and highly mobile platform from which to view animals, and are suitable for all ages. But to get a wider appreciation of wildlife and its habitat, it’s a good idea to vary the way you engage with it by looking at other activities that offer a different point of view. Here are some suggestions for your next trip. ON TWO FEET Walking in the wilderness encapsulates the spirit of Africa…

THE EXPERT’S GUIDE TO WHAT TO TAKE ON SAFARI Packing for a safari is a bit of an art form. On long game drives or walks you’ll want to stay comfortable and protect yourself from the sun, insects and other hazards, while you’ll also need to think about more personal needs. Here’s some suggestions to get you started. CLOTHING Light, breathable, quick-drying fabrics which wick moisture away from the skin make a huge difference, and neutral earth colours (khaki, green, brown) will help you blend into the bush. And be sure not to take anything that rustles. Cotton is a traditional favourite, although modern synthetic fabrics such as BUGTech and Rufiji feature insect-resistent weaves and treatments, plus built-in sun protection, while anti-microbial or antibacterial fabrics also mean your clothes stay…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS Kruger is probably the last remaining park to support viable populations of all of Africa’s iconic species. Second to none as a self-drive safari destination, its parks share open borders with several superb private reserves. Malaria-free destinations include Madikwe and Pilanesberg in Northwest Province, and Addo and Kwandwe in Eastern Cape. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE I’ve enjoyed some mind-boggling leopard encounters at MalaMala, Sabi Sand and elsewhere in Greater Kruger. That said, if marine wildlife counts, I might nominate the engaging penguin colony at Boulders Beach or land-based whale-watching at nearby Hermanus. SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS A personal favourite is Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, whose vast desert landscape of apricot dunes and acacia-lined riverbeds is inhabited by high densities of lion, leopard, cheetah and raptors. I also…

MOST NOTABLE WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS Protected in Moremi Game Reserve and a mosaic of private concessions, the perennial swamps of Okavango form one of Africa’s most iconic and unique safari destinations. Chobe is another vast and equally alluring park, known not only for its immense concentrations of elephants, but also as the only place where lions regularly hunt these giant herbivores. MOST ICONIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE It’s a toss-up between dentist-eye views of hippos as you’re poled through the Okavango in a mokoro, or counting elephants (Botswana hosts an incredible one-third of Africa’s total population) on a motorboat trip along the Chobe River. SECRET WILDLIFE-WATCHING GEMS The 52,800sq km Central Kalahari stands high on the bucket list of many southern African 4x4 enthusiasts. Here, Deception Valley supports surprising concentrations of grazers…

West Africa is famed for its rich cultural mosaic, which encompasses curvaceous adobe mosques, mysterious ancient megaliths, colourful traditional markets, a pulsating music scene and much else besides. And its tropical Atlantic coastline is a magnet for sun-starved European tourists during the northern winter. But when it comes to wildlife, West Africa undoubtedly plays second fiddle to eastern and southern Africa. All the same, it does offer some rewarding opportunities to see indigenous wildlife. Is there such as thing as a West African variant on the classic East African-style safari? Well, that would be Benin’s Pendjari National Park, the flagship component in a 35,000sq km transfrontier reserve (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) that also includes Niger’s W National Park and Burkina Faso’s Arly National Park. Pendjari protects around 1,700 forest…

When was the last time you heard Chad mentioned as a wildlife tourism destination? Rarely, I bet, yet this Sahelian nation in the very centre of the continent, only six hours away from Europe, is definitely worth a visit. With its extensive network of national parks and reserves, protected areas cover all parts of this highly biodiverse country, from the Sahara desert in the north to the wooded savannahs of the south. Zakouma National Park is becoming increasingly well known as a tourism hotspot, with its incredible diversity of birds and mammals. And desert aficionados will undoubtedly have heard of the staggering and virtually untouched beauty of the Tibesti and Ennedi mountains, with their immense, rugged, and wind-sculpted landscapes and unique rock art. The next frontier, however, is the Ouadi…

There’s something very soothing about returning to a special place whose stories draw you back time and time again. For me, that is Nkhotakota. In 2012, a new lodge, Tongole Wilderness Retreat, first lured me to Malawi’s oldest and largest wildlife reserve, long before conservation organisation African Parks took on its restoration. Few visitors ventured here and wildlife was sparse, decimated by poaching. Despite this, Tongole was built beside the Bua River in memory of local teenager Vitu Kalanga, who had died tragically lo;;in a car accident in England. His father Bentry and British philanthropist David Cole set out to create a lasting legacy for him with Vitu’s community at its heart. Born of love and hope, the soul of Tongole emanates from the reason for its existence. Over 100…

WE KNOW FULL WELL THAT IF AND WHEN WE DO FINALLY CROSS PATHS WITH ONE, THE ULTIMATE GRATIFICATION WE EXPERIENCE WILL COME LACED WITH NO SMALL SENSE OF SADNESS AS WELLH unkered down in the dim, cosy sleeping chamber, our eyes adjust to the semi-darkness and we just about make out three bodies. Two lie prone; low rhythmic noises emanating from their direction suggest they’re sound asleep and oblivious to, or totally disinterested in our arrival. The third, a much smaller individual, is more than a little curious – shuffling and snuffling about excitedly, disturbing its bedding in order to investigate us with its funny, bunny ears and long, permanently twitching snout. It’s not every day you get invited to meet the latest member of an aardvark family, especially here…

When you first arrive in camp, resist the common temptation to head out right away in search of animals. Rather, make time at the outset to acclimatise to your new environment – you want to become part of it, instead of someone misplaced. It will stand you in good stead later, allowing you to appreciate your safari so much more. How we interact with our surroundings is very different depending on where we live. If you live in a city, you will know the potential dangers and how to avoid them – traffic, people on the sidewalk, unsafe areas. A San bushman in the Kalahari will have a very different experience – all senses tuned to his natural environment where his survival depends on identifying possible dangers there. Imagine a…

Travellers on safari and wildlife filmmakers share many of the same ambitions: to seek out intimate and exciting wildlife encounters, to witness fascinating behaviour and to experience the unique atmosphere of wild Africa. From over three decades of making natural history films, these are some of the lessons we’ve learnt that we’ve also found useful for watching wildlife on safari. PATIENCE Filming the split second that a Nile crocodile leaps from the water to catch a drinking wildebeest is a particularly difficult challenge. Once a year, on their long migration, wildebeest approach the Grumeti River in the Serengeti to drink. Giant crocs are waiting. But precisely where and when might the most dramatic encounter happen? Day after day we tracked the approaching herds, placing hides on the riverbank at likely…

On my first trip to Kenya, I was enjoying a beer in our campsite bar near Lake Naivasha when my friend unexpectedly asked: “How do you feel about bugs?” Her eyes were focused keenly on the top of my head. “I think I’m ok with them,” I replied, bemused. “Good,” she said. “Because there’s a strange, long green thing crawling in your hair…” That strange green thing was a praying mantis. I later discovered that these are voracious predators – albeit harmless to humans – with the female of the species even known to eat her partner after mating. To me, it was simply a bizarre yet beautiful creature, about 10cm in length and resplendent in colour with a heart-shaped head, skinny legs and strong, almost muscular forearms, like a…

1 SOUTH AFRICA Zimanga Private Game Reserve is a photographer’s dream. Its nine hides were designed by Bence Mate, an award-winning photographer and world authority on hide design. Focusing on different subjects ranging from large mammals to bird baths, from reflections to backdrops of fever-tree forests, they come with high-spec equipment and one-way glass, allowing those inside to remain invisible to their wild subjects. 2 ZIMBABWE The Hide Safari Camp in Hwange has two hides overlooking a busy waterhole. The smaller is disguised as a termite mound and your guide needs to accompany you there. But you can go alone to the larger, mostly submerged hide right on the water’s edge – it’s reached safely from the lodge by a connecting tunnel, which also houses the wine cellar. 3 NAMIBIA…

When watching wildlife, do you choose to pick up your camera or just enjoy being in the moment? What if you could do both? Every year, I host safaris to wonderful places where wildlife viewing is always at its best, such as the Great Migration or Mana Pools. Those guests without cameras almost always carry binoculars. They enjoy simply watching – they soak it in and save it to memory, perhaps capturing a few photos or videos on their phone. Photographers, on the other hand, tend to spend a lot of time studying the scene through a viewfinder while scrolling through the camera menu. It’s a different experience, but equally rewarding. To capture incredible moments in nature and be able to share them with followers across the world is truly…