Innholdsfortegnelse for Edition 97 i Travel Africa

<INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE> TUK TO THE ROAD One of the best things to emerge from lockdown must be the Tuk South crew. Jasper, Josh, Ivo and Robbie are four conservation-minded adventurers who are now six months into an epic adventure, driving (sometimes dragging or pushing) two 8HP Piaggio Tuk-Tuks from Kenya to Cape Town. Why? To raise awareness of and funds for wildlife rangers and anti-poaching units across Africa. Supported by the charity For Rangers, in partnership with Save The Rhino International, the lads are filming a documentary on how the pandemic has affected conservation as well as those brave rangers on the frontline of wildlife protection. So far, highlights have included spending time with the rangers from Big Life in Kenya’s Kimana Sanctuary, hanging out with beach chimps and the…

<INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE> Tony Fitzjohn was born out of his time, one of those restless, swashbuckling Englishmen that only the wildness of Africa can satisfy. Like Elsa, the Born Free lioness who would influence his life, he was an orphan, adopted and raised in the London suburbs, where he grew up reading Tarzan stories and worked as a milkman until one day, by chance, he met a former Serengeti game warden. “If you want to see wild Africa you’d better go now before all the game has gone,” said the warden, adding: “It’s probably too late already.” But Fitzjohn went anyway, travelling by sea to Cape Town and then hitchhiking his way north to Kenya, where he ended up working for George Adamson. That is where I first met him, in…

<READING MATTERS> EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE OF BOTSWANA THROUGH TOURISM: OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER Anyone who has stayed in a safari lodge or camp will appreciate what it takes to efficiently run such facilities. Sited in remote locations, the practicalities involved in building and maintaining the infrastructure, in sourcing fresh produce and other consumables and in looking after guests and protecting the environment are immense. Inevitably, employees are drawn from the local area and, more often than not, will have had no prior hospitality experience. In isolated conditions, mechanics and housekeeping teams become experts at ‘making a plan’ to keep things running smoothly. Kitchen personnel need to be innovative and guides consistently on top of their game. The whole team needs to be singing from the same hymn sheet. And despite spending…

in northern Tanzania, the volcanic ash that belched out during the seismic past created the rich soils that today nourish one of the world’s great grasslands: the world-famous Serengeti National Park. This vast savannah has become the definitive picture-book landscape of Africa. On my first visit, I was — like most visitors — gobsmacked by the sheer sense of scale: not just the uncountable masses of blue wildebeest and zebra, which munch their way clockwise around the park in a ceaseless annual migration, but also the landscape itself, with its scudding cloud shadows turning the grasslands into an apparent ocean. I found lions everywhere — the 3000 or so that inhabit the broader Serengeti ecosystem represent Africa’s highest population of its signature animal — and my guide located both leopard…

Western Tanzania is a land of lakes. This region is defined by the course of the western Rift Valley, which extends from Lake Victoria southwards along the shores of Lake Tanganyika — forming the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo — to Lake Malawi, in the south. Its habitats grade southwards from tropical savannah to miombo woodland, with several large rivers that drain west into Lake Tanganyika and, in the process, feed important wetlands. A fringe of tropical forest — an overspill from the Congo Basin — flanks the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. In tourist terms, western Tanzania is the country’s least-visited region, with some of its most remote and thus most exciting (and most expensive!) parks. For those who have never been, myself included, its highlights sit…

Of course, no account of Tanzania’s wildlife should overlook the influence of the world’s most conspicuous animal species: Homo sapiens. Today, Tanzania’s human population of around 60 million is Africa’s largest south of the equator. As the country continues to develop, pressure on land and resources increases and, inevitably, wildlife gets crowded out. Forests are felled for settlements, soda lakes developed for industry, and impoverished farming communities clash with large mammals such as elephants and lions that threaten their crops and livestock. Meanwhile lucrative foreign markets continue to fuel an illegal wildlife trade that, in recent decades, has seen the loss of tens of thousands of Tanzania’s elephants — continuing a bloody tradition of foreign plunder that began in colonial times and, among other things, virtually wiped out the country’s…

In 1938, Jomo Kenyatta, two and half decades later to be the first president of independent Kenya, published an account of his Gikuyu culture entitled Facing Mount Kenya. For his and dozens of other communities, Mount Kenya loomed magnificent and eternal over their lives, whether they lived in the ancient forests under its slopes or on the plains undulating away in every direction. For many like myself, however, born since the explosive growth of Kenya’s economy, the mountain has been shrouded by Nairobi’s smoggy skyline. It was only when Covid-19 swept across the globe in 2020, precipitating an unprecedented pause in air travel and industry, that residents of Kenya were shocked to see the evocative twin fangs of Mount Kenya visible from Nairobi, then the Mara, and indeed across the…

The massive silverback Malaya stoops over a rivulet in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, much of his weight supported by a brawny right arm. He repeatedly plunges his left hand into the clear brook, bringing the back of his hand to his lips so he can slurp some water into his mouth. This is extraordinary. Food such as bamboo shoots provides most of the moisture these animals need. The eminent biologist George Schaller studied them for 20 months and never saw a gorilla drink. The 28-year-old patriarch of the Makara troop, which includes four moms and four youngsters, is magnificent. I am much too close, but our guides counselled standing our ground if one approaches. I watch, just downstream, and record the moment with my Nikon. In December 1971, I had…

Crossing the Luanginga River from Kalabo into Liuwa Plain National Park feels like drifting into another, older world. Driving from the nearest provincial capital Mongu, a nippy surfaced road across the Zambezi floodplain terminates at the gateway town of Kalabo, the sort of end-of-the-road backwater where even weekdays have the feel of a soporific Sunday. There’s no bridge here, just a rusty hand-pulled pontoon, with space for two vehicles. And once you’ve been hauled across the Luanginga, it’s time to deflate your tyres, engage 4x4, and prepare for a steep ascent of the north bank that provides a foretaste of the thick sandy tracks that lie ahead. Liuwa Plain is one of Africa’s last unsung wildernesses. Extending across 3,600 square kilometres, this remote and little-visited park protects a Kalahari-meets-Serengeti landscape…

in March, as we drove around the Okavango Delta, it dawned on me that something rather odd was happening. I was becoming obsessed with grasses. Usually, at waist height after the rains they just got in the way, smothering the plains and irritatingly obscuring animals and birds we’d been so keen to see. Yet in Khwai it all seemed very different, with long grasses taking on an almost ethereal quality, like gentle waves of dew-kissed gold swaying in the breeze and the morning light. But maybe it was me that was different… This was our first trip back to Africa in two years, thanks to Covid closing all borders. Having been trapped in London for most of lockdown, I’d been yearning to return. Yet, the pandemic taught me to find…

IMPACT CONSERVATION “I am motivated by my desire to produce something beautiful to show others, to express my creativity, and to portray my vision of the world,” says Riccardo Marchegiani, winner of the inaugural Mkapa African Wildlife Photography Awards. The adage that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ has never been truer when it comes to raising awareness of conservation issues. Many wildlife photographers and conservation organisations, such as the African Wildlife Foundation — who, together with Nature’s Best Photography, launched the Mkapa Awards last year — share this view. And Marchegiani, who hails from Italy, is no exception. “When I have enough material, my goals are to host photo expositions, print photography books, and share my vision and conservation messages,” he says. “Many people may be unaware of the exceptional…

“When the Savé Valley Conservancy’s wildlife overpopulation problem came to my attention in November 2021, and I was approached to assist, I knew this was something we had to do”, says National Geographic Explorer and Great Plains Foundation CEO Dereck Joubert. “If we do nothing, there’s every chance that 3000 of the conservancy’s wild animals would be at risk.” An ambitious plan to relocate these animals is now taking shape, with the Great Plains Foundation at the helm. The aim is to transport them from the Savé Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe’s southeast — where a successful conservation effort over many years has resulted in the total wildlife population outgrowing the available habitat — to the country’s northern safari heartlands, where there is wilderness to spare. If successful, it will be one…

<SOMETHING DIFFERENT> “Dolphins!” shouts Casper, from the bridge. “Behind you.” We scramble to our feet and follow our skipper’s gaze. Just seconds ago, I was drifting into a pleasant, post-prandial stupor on the sun deck as we rocked gently in the Indian Ocean. Now I’m jockeying with the others at the stern, phone out, whooping with excitement, as we strain for a glimpse of the exuberant sea mammals. Do any other creatures have quite such an energising effect? The MY Quo Vadis is a custom-built, 75-foot, luxury catamaran launched earlier this year by Seychelles charter company Beyond the Reef. I’m one of five guests on board — it sleeps up to eight — and we’re currently heading east from Mahe Island on an overnight cruise around Sainte Anne Marine National Park.…

What makes you decide to choose one particular place to visit over another? Perhaps a friend recommends it, you see a programme on TV, a post on social media or are inspired by a book or a magazine article. Maybe it is simply your tour operator’s suggestion, an expert’s advice. But ultimately there will be some trigger, something that piques your interest: the prospect of seeing an animal or wildlife event, the appeal of a camp or activity, the lure of a landscape. I’ve been pondering this while editing this issue, particularly when working on our big wildlife-lover’s guide to Tanzania starting on page 28. The country is colossal, with so many alluring attractions, the weight of the words felt particularly important. How do you summarise a park in such…

<FOOD FOR THE SOUL> Since suffering from mental health challenges like psychosis, I have found art to be an extremely helpful coping mechanism and I’ve noticed the benefits it brings, such as decreasing my anxiety and stress levels. It also allows me to channel my passions for Africa, wildlife and nature. Understanding of mental health conditions is increasing, and there is a compelling case that immersing oneself in creative activity has a positive impact on mental and physical health, whether you are an artist or not. You can explore techniques such as meditative or expressive drawing and much more. Art serves as a great relaxation tool that can slow the mind; the creative process itself offers much needed respite. I believe that everyone has an inner artist that needs to…

<READERS’ EXPERIENCES> THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING SALLY HERBERT, USA One evening at Chikoko in Zambia, we were presented with a trifle for pudding. It was rectangular, with fruit and green jelly underneath, custard and cream on top and it was decorated with cherries and blobs of green jelly. “Is Patson your chef?” I asked our host. He was rather taken aback by this. But, yes, he said, Patson was indeed the chef. I explained that two years earlier we had had an amazing brunch above the bank at the Mwaleshi and Luangwa confluence, and Patson had produced an identical trifle. The chef was delighted that we had remembered both his trifle and his name. MAGIC MOMENTS JOE AND JAN MCDANIEL, USA Friends ask why we keep going back to…

The wildlife spectacular that is Tanzania should need little introduction. For many visitors, myself included, the names alone — Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro — crackle with the breathless excitement of childhood adventure stories. And if you’re lucky enough to get there, the reality never disappoints. From big cats and the famed ‘great migration’ to rumbling elephant herds, hippo-crammed lakes, hunting wild dogs and shrieking chimps, pretty much every marquee African wildlife experience awaits you. Don’t trust the hyperbole? Then check out the stats. That afore-mentioned migration — comprising some 1.5 million blue wildebeest and fellow grazers munching a vast swathe across the Serengeti grasslands — is, in biomass terms, the greatest movement of large mammals on earth. On top of that, the country’s population of some 14,500 lions now comprises more…

Early mornings are chilly in the Ngorongoro Highlands. At over 2600m, this is hardly surprising, I suppose. I zip up my fleece as we continue our descent into the crater. No, not that crater. This is Empakaai Crater, which lies some 40km northeast of its celebrated cousin and sees barely a fraction of the tourists. In fact, we’re the only people I’ve seen since we left The Highlands lodge — bar a handful of Maasai herders leading their cattle along the horizon. What’s more, we’re entering this crater on foot. The word ‘Ngorongoro’ generally conjures up images of wall-to-wall big game flanked by an army of safari vehicles. The popularity is understandable: the huge volcanic caldera that is the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater undoubtedly offers one of the world’s greatest wildlife…

Eastern Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coastline stretches for 1424km between the borders with Kenya in the north and Mozambique in the south. The colourful history and tourist hotspots of Zanzibar and the offshore ‘spice islands’ have traditionally seen this region marketed as a post-safari beach break. However, the islands are also home to plentiful wildlife — both above and below the surface — while away from major developments (which include Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city), the mainland offers undisturbed marine habitats and a unique beachfront national park. So unpack your flip-flops, by all means, but don’t put away the binoculars just yet. The Zanzibar archipelago centres around the islands of Unguja and Pemba. Here there is excellent snorkelling and diving in several protected marine parks. On land, the tiny Jozani…

The most important factor when choosing where to go (other than money, of course) is time. How long do you have for your vacation, and how many parks do you wish to include, keeping in mind likely travel time between camps? To get a feel for the larger parks, experts have traditionally recommended planning for at least three days in each. While five- to six-day combinations of the big four northern parks — Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire — are doable, it’s probably best to either drop one or allow at least seven days to avoid feeling rushed. A good rule of thumb for the more remote parks in the west and south is to allow at least three nights in each. Nowadays, as advocates of the ‘slow safari’,…

KARISIA WALKING SAFARI • 7 nights in the Mathews Range• Camel-ported camps priced from comfortable to fabulous• Energetic mountain walking WHY: It’s that timeless lure of mountain and forest topped up with fascinating nomadic culture. The Mathews Range is an island of green in an arid sea, buzzing with life, from butterflies and cycads to behemoth trees. Criss-crossed by the trails of Samburu camel herders, this is idyllic trekking country with the constant promise of a surprise wildlife encounter — perhaps a De Brazza’s monkey, a flamboyantly handsome water-loving primate. The harrumph of the camels at camp may evoke echoes of hard living in the Horn of Africa, but camp comforts and cuisine are top notch. The final night is spent at Kitich Forest Camp in a well-watered valley favoured…

With world-class contemporary museums, vast public art spaces, abundant craft fairs and a thriving gallery scene, South Africa has become the art and design hub of the continent. International collectors have swooped in and given notoriety to local artists. All of this has only highlighted the nation’s creative spirit. Everywhere you go, you can see it, feel it, smell it, taste it, hear it… you even get to wear it. THE CAPE In Cape Town there’s talent from all over Africa, like Jabu, a Kloofnek-based street artist from Zimbabwe, who weaves life-sized animal heads; Martin from Malawi, who hand-carves the ‘Big Five’ in Noordhoek; and Bikis from Brazzaville, who creates magnificent oils of tribal art and sells them at the V&A Waterfront. At the other extreme, there’s the world-famous Zeitz…

My wife didn’t believe me. When gazing at an astounding vista — the staggering Drakensberg escarpment for example, or a kaleidoscopic sunset over the Karoo plains — I’d say to her: “But it just ain’t Kariba”. It became a running joke that usually earned me a punch in the arm. Then I took her there. I’d been to Kariba on various occasions, from a tot on family vacations, to an adult embarking on fishing expeditions or assignment for magazines. Most of the time I’d drive there along the Harare-Chirundu road, which culminated in a winding switchback down the escarpment. Sometimes I’d fly in a light aircraft that bounced on the updrafts from the valley below. On every occasion, the first glimpse of Kariba roused deep silence in the car or…

There’s no such thing as a typical African capital, but Windhoek’s charms are more distinctive than most. Ambitious but unassuming, it would feel more like a country town than a capital city if it weren’t for the gleaming investment banks and apartment blocks looming over the genteel Germanic buildings at its heart. Modest though it is, however, Windhoek has its fair share of curiosities and treasures, and one of the best ways to discover these is to walk. My morning begins not with a bowl of porridge, as it normally does, but with a post-coffee, pre-brunch ramble in a leafy bowl of gold and green. Windhoek’s National Botanic Garden, a jumble of native trees and shrubs interlaced with paths, occupies a 12-hectare hollow between the pleasant suburb of Klein Windhoek,…

WWW.LEWA.ORG WHAT’S IN A NAME? Nestled at the foothills of Mount Kenya, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a model for conservation across the continent. Established as a cattle ranch hosting wildlife in 1922, it evolved into one of Kenya’s first private ranches to host visitors, welcoming its first guests in 1972. But the 1980s poaching crisis in Kenya drove the Craig family, together with ecologist Anna Merz, to set aside 5000 acres of land to protect northern Kenya’s near-extinct black rhino population. In 2015, Lewa and neighbouring Borana Conservancy removed the fence separating them to create the thriving 93,000-acre Lewa-Borana landscape. Today, Lewa is an exemplary non-profit organisation, held in trust by a Kenyan board of directors. WHAT DOES IT DO? ● Provides secure habitats for endangered and vulnerable species ●…

Emboo River, located on the banks of the Talek, claims to be Kenya’s first carbon neutral camp. Solar-powered electric Land Rovers offer a silent safari experience, gliding through the Mara plains, but the owners have tried to look deeper into every aspect of their operation, focusing foremost on minimising their carbon emissions and then on offsetting the carbon they have incurred. Using their own carbon calculator, they are able to track their emissions accurately to ensure carbon neutrality. Their strategy is shaped around the three scopes of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol: • Carbon emissions that Emboo controls: What can they do to directly control their emissions? For example, solar-powered vehicles emit no CO2 in the safari experience. • Energy sources: Emboo derives all its energy from solar power. • Emissions…

<BUCKET-LIST SAFARIS> WHAT’S IT LIKE? Liwonde National Park lies in the south of the country, around 120km from Blantyre and 240km from Lilongwe. Broadly speaking, there are six vegetation zones. Much of the park is covered by the floodplain of the Shire River (which forms the park’s western boundary), comprising grassland dotted with riverine thickets and patches of woodland including soaring fan palms and majestic baobabs. To the east rise the Shire Highlands, while further north are the rocky hills and sub-montain forests of the Mangochi Forest Reserve, part of the Rift Valley wall and incorporated into the protected area in 2018. WHAT TO SEE? The Liwonde-Mangochi ecosystem is home to around 120 mammal species, including lion, cheetah and leopard alongside hyenas, jackals and honey badgers. Plentiful elephants, crocodiles and…

June 2022 marked the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne and it feels appropriate to acknowledge her role as Head of The Commonwealth over this time. Formed as The Commonwealth of Nations in 1949, as an alliance or association of those countries that were or had been British territories. However, in reality many current Commonwealth member states were never British colonies; some were Protectorates and others mandated territories, including Zanzibar and Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and Uganda. More recently, Mozambique and Rwanda, both countries without any formal colonial or constitutional link to Britain, have joined The Commonwealth. Others, such as South Africa and The Gambia, have even left and re-joined. There are 19 Commonwealth member states in Africa, including two monarchies (Lesotho and Swaziland). All the independent republics…

Growing up in the small wildlife-enthused community of Victoria Falls, Tichaona Ncube had the privilege of regularly interacting with wild animals while herding cattle. This exposure inspired him to create sketches of cows and wildlife, and sparked a lifelong passion to protect Zimbabwe’s natural beauty through art. Tich believes that one of the most important ways to engage children to conserve wildlife is through art: “Art has a distinct and subtle way of speaking to the soul which, when done properly, provides a platform to communicate conservation messages without a struggle.” He runs programmes through Arts for Animals, aimed at developing talented young artists within the community. I met Tich in June 2021, when we spoke together on David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist panel. I was struck by his…

<READING MATTERS> When we hear about wildlife translocations, conservation research, dehorning and such intriguing activities, do we ever actually consider who performs this work and what exactly is involved? Who are these people, and how did they end up in that position? For many people, the idea of working with wildlife, with the sun on our back and dust on our faces, may be a romantic ideal, fueled by our all-too-infrequent forays on safari. Over the years, I have been able to gain some insight to the role that wildlife veterinarians play in maintaining and protecting our wildlife. They are, like many others, unsung heroes of the conservation effort, often working in difficult, stressful conditions and relying on a great deal of scientific and technical expertise. Without question, it is…

The key to Tanzania’s great natural diversity lies in its turbulent geological past. The country’s topography centres upon the East African plateau, a vast, domed slab of land some 1000–1500m in elevation. Around 20 million years ago, this plateau started to rupture as the underlying tectonic plates slowly drew apart, creating the Great Rift Valley. Seismic forces tore the land from beneath, leaving the surface split, crumpled and blistered — like the bubbling crust on an overheated lasagne. The formation of the Great Rift Valley is responsible for Tanzania’s best-known landmarks and, today, explains its prolific wildlife. The valley extends two arms across the country: the Eastern (Gregory) Rift to the east of Lake Victoria and the Western (Albertine) Rift to the west. The former created the dramatic landscapes of…

As you head south into central Tanzania, the open plains give way to a more heavily treed landscape, with large areas of miombo woodland — a habitat dominated by brachystegia and other broad-leafed trees that also carpets much of Zambia and Malawi to the south. At the country’s dead centre — though, paradoxically, forming a key part of the so-called ‘Southern Circuit’ — is Ruaha National Park, Tanzania’s second largest. This wild park offers superb game-viewing, without the crowds of the Serengeti. Highlights include the large elephant and buffalo herds that gather along the Great Ruaha River during the dry season, and a healthy population of large predators. On my single visit, I encountered numerous lions and surprisingly relaxed leopards, and had a memorable on-foot encounter with a hunting pack…

It’s 7am and I’m walking the Lagoon Trail behind Ras Kutani Resort. Genet prints and bush pig diggings pattern the sandy path beneath my flip-flops: it seems the forest was busy last night while we were sipping cocktails on the beach. As I crouch for a closer look, the patter of tiny hooves on leaf litter alerts me to a retreating blue duiker. I freeze, hoping for another glimpse. From beyond the forest comes the muffled roar of the breakers, while, closer at hand, a red-capped robin-chat starts up its see-saw whistle. They’ll be serving breakfast by now and a coffee would really hit the spot, but it’s hard to tear myself away. The beach — so we are told — is where safarigoers are meant to end their wildlife…

On the shore of Lake Rwanyakazinga, a pair of elephants are feeding on an acacia tree. One, known as Mihembe, is the largest tusker in the park, weighing around six tons. From our boat, we watch as the bachelors eat thorny branches and lumber along to continue the feast. Nearby, cormorants warm their spread wings. A scattered herd of impala grazes in the background. “Akagera is a special place,” guide Luke Abbot tells me as we take in the scene. “The Akagera River makes the park what it is. It’s Central Africa’s largest protected wetland — without the river, there wouldn’t be all these lakes. Every corner you turn, you see something.” There is indeed plenty to see here. What we don’t see a great deal of, though, is people.…

LAKE BANGWEULU / KASANKA NATIONAL PARK Lake Bangweulu is far from Zambia’s main safari hubs, but the surrounding wetlands are home to some true gems, with herds of black lechwe grazing to the watery horizon and rare shoebills lurking deep in the swamps. Kasanka National Park, a little to the south, hosts Africa’s largest mammal gathering — a 10-million-strong roost of straw-coloured fruit bats — and is a top spot for the semi-aquatic sitatunga. This is not a mainstream safari, perhaps, but a real treat for serious wildlife aficionados. KAFUE NATIONAL PARK Zambia’s largest park has regained its reputation of 50-odd years ago, when it was the jewel in the country’s safari crown. Scale and variety are Kafue’s watchwords, with landscapes ranging from the wetlands of Busanga Plains in the…

hours, days, weeks and even years can be spent searching for Africa’s most elusive animals. But coming face to face, head to tail or even cheek to jowl with the continent’s wildest life is worth every second spent scouring the bush. Crouched for what feels like an eternity, I’m staring at a creature so covert and mysterious I’ve often struggled to believe it exists. Having made a beeline for me, the object of my fascination is curiously sniffing while resting her paws on my lap. Although sharp, her long talons are surprisingly gentle. But when pangolins get their claws into you, they dig emotionally deep. Over the years I’ve developed a bit of an obsession for these scaly, prehistoric-looking mammals who are notoriously difficult to find. I’ve been fortunate enough…

GOOD TIMES FOR GORILLAS Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, is about to get bigger. An innovative conservation strategy — a partnership between the African Wildlife Foundation and the Rwandan government — will add 3740 hectares (37.4sq km) of prime mountain gorilla habitat to the park. Not only will this further boost the endangered primate’s resurgence, but it will also improve the quality of life of thousands of local people and increase viewing opportunities for tourists. The initiative, which projects reducing human-wildlife conflict by 80 per cent, includes a 6620-hectare buffer zone between the protected area and where people live. In more good news for gorillas, Volcanoes Safaris has partnered with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund — to the tune of US$100,000 over five years — to support the Ellen DeGeneres Campus…

<VIEW WITH A ROOM> DREAM CRUISER Guests at Onguma Nature Reserve, on the eastern border of Etosha National Park, now have the opportunity to spend a night in the wilderness on a custom-designed sleep-out deck, which has been built onto a Land Cruiser. The facility has a full bathroom downstairs, complete with shower, flush toilet and basin, whilst the upper deck features a bedroom and lounge area. It can be configured to have a roof with 180-degree views or open to the vast Namibian night sky. You’re delivered for a welcome sundowner, left with a picnic-style selection of food and chilled drinks for the evening, and collected after morning coffee/tea and taken to the lodge for breakfast. A treat? Too right.…

Canoe with elephants Opened in July, the Okavango Explorers Camp is the latest addition to Great Plains Conservation’s Botswana portfolio, located in the private Selinda Reserve. Retro designs evoke the spirit of 1920s African exploration, while activities include walking, game drives and canoeing on the Spillway, offering privileged views of the area’s wildlife, including the 9000-plus elephants which gather here at the height of the dry season. SABLE VALLEY REBIRTH In 1991, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, they stayed at Sable Valley Lodge on the Dete Vlei. The lodge, recently trading as Sable Sands, has now been taken over by The Amalinda Safari Collection and is being renovated, with a new luxury offering added and the original name restored. The 11km vlei…

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