Innholdsfortegnelse for Edition 104, May-July 2024 i Travel Africa

Running On Empty by Guy Deacon is published by AD Lib. All proceeds go to Parkinson's charities. www.guydeacon.co.uk Aged 60 and having lived with Parkinson's disease for over 10 years, Guy Deacon CBE set out in November 2019 to drive from his home in Dorset in the UK to Cape Town. The inspiring adventure, captured in his book Running On Empty, took the former British Army officer more than 12 months, covering 18,000 miles and passing through 25 countries, with five breakdowns, an emergency evacuation and 3650 prescription pills along the way. Q What made you want to drive the length of Africa? Africa has a romance no other continent has. It has history, excitement, edge and fascinating people. It has interested me since I was a young boy. Q…

Tanzania Are you up for a challenge? Intrigued by the idea of pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, testing yourself with an all-new adventure? Perhaps the lure of Kilimanjaro can offer the ultimate bucket list ambition — even if you don't go all the way to the summit — and leave you feeling on top of the world? Over the next 19 pages, we draw on the experiences of writers, guides, operators and readers to bring you a comprehensive look at the continent's tallest mountain, offering an honest insight to what's involved, and what you might be rewarded with. While standing atop ‘the Roof of Africa’ may be the prize for many, there's so much more to the mountain than summiting Uhuru Peak. So, whether or not you've previously considered…

Tanzania There are several routes up Kilimanjaro. These vary not only in length, cost and scenery, but also in difficulty and success rates. Selecting your route is one of the most important decisions you'll have to make. There is no easy route and no single best way up. The one most suitable for you will depend on several factors, including time available, money, previous experience, fitness level, time of year and, of course, preference. MARANGU 5-6 days The quickest, cheapest, oldest and busiest route and the only one that offers hut accommodation. The short ascent can have negative repercussions regarding acclimatisation, though. Mistakenly thought of as an easy route, summit success rate statistics show fewer than 60 per cent of climbers reach the top (usually because of altitude problems). MACHAME…

Tanzania Twenty years ago, when I first started climbing Kilimanjaro, it's fair to say the mountain was in a pretty parlous state. Its campsites were filthy, its paths strewn with litter, while the people who made their living on the mountain — the porters, cooks and guides — were often underpaid and overworked by the companies that employed them. Worryingly, there were also some very gloomy predictions that the mountain's famed snowy summit was disappearing due to global warming, with the mountain's glaciers predicted to disappear altogether by 2030. Thankfully, since then several dedicated NGOs have brought these problems to the attention of the wider world. They've also set about fixing them. At their forefront is the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, or KPAP (www.kiliporters.org), which is dedicated to improving the…

Tanzania SAGE ADVICE I have climbed Kili twice, just before and soon after my 50th birthday. Both were spectacular experiences. The final ascent in the dark was the only section that I found really challenging. On my first climb — with ten work colleagues, eight of us reaching the top — we took the Marangu route, staying in huts. On the second, my two daughters and I trekked the Rongai route, which was preferable because there were fewer people and tents were better than huts. For both climbs, we stayed an extra night at 4000m and we all thought this was worthwhile to help with acclimatisation. I'd recommend this to anybody with a sense of adventure; you don't need to be super fit. The biggest risk is altitude sickness and…

Photoschool THE SCENE I prefer to visit the same areas repeatedly, as this helps me to familiarise myself with the surroundings, develop a connection with the terrain, and plan ahead. This sequence of images were taken on an early July morning in the Maasai Mara. Initially, we found a female cheetah lying on a small mound under some bushes. We had been following her and her two cubs for a couple of days, and knew she hadn't had a successful hunt in that time. So we decided to wait some distance away. Sometimes you may have to wait four or five hours or more, however this time we were lucky. It wasn't long before she woke up and immediately became interested in a herd of impala about 500 metres away.…

Comoros You could be mistaken for thinking you already know the story — one featured on a thousand holiday adverts for a half-dozen destinations. A tale of tropical Indian Ocean isles resplendent in their geographic isolation, where snow-white beaches slip gently towards warm shallows of turquoise waters hiding offshore reefs. Of obligatory coconut palms arching over the sands, echoing with mysterious bird calls and providing shade for nesting sea turtles from a sun that radiates from a near cloudless sky. But you don't. At least not the whole story. Located in the northern Mozambique Channel, the tiny tri-island nation of Comoros is emerging as an adventurous alternative to the better known Seychelles, as little as 400km northeast. It's unlikely you'll find the beaches of Grande Comore (also called Ngazidja), Mohéli…

Madikwe Game Reserve lies in a malaria-free part of South Africa's North West Province, 4-5 hours’ drive from Johannesburg. There are also scheduled flights, which take about one hour. Although Madikwe is state-owned, it operates like a private reserve. It is home to around 20 small and exclusive lodges and camps, all of which operate on an all-inclusive basis, providing meals and guided activities. Day visitors are not permitted, and while self-drivers are allowed to drive between the entrance gate and their camp or lodge, unguided game drives are forbidden. Madikwe Safari Lodge, where we spent our first two nights, is a stellar property whose spacious luxury chalets, spread along the base of a rocky hill, have a wonderfully organic bush chic feel. The lodge's swimming pool overlooks a waterhole,…

It's like clockwork. Right on the hour, the big birds start falling from the sky. You can hear the rush as they sweep low over the treetops on the final approach, wings spread for landing, then the cackling and hissing as they hit the ground and bound towards the carnage. Within seconds there are 30 squabbling for the spoils. Soon this rises to 50. Most are white-backed vultures — big, biscuit-coloured birds with naked reptilian faces. Among them are a few smaller hooded vultures. A couple of marabous arrive, and even a tawny eagle, but they can't get a look-in. This feathered feeding frenzy is not over a carcass. I'm at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe, which for the last 23 years has been running a ‘vulture restaurant’: in…

Q How did you get started? I started Wildlife Worldwide in February 1992, having worked in the Luangwa Valley as a camp manager and safari guide for a couple of years after leaving university. My personal interest was wildlife, so creating a tailormade tour operator felt obvious. At the time there was no other company that specialised in tailor-making wildlife holidays around the world. I had the knowledge, so it was a niche that I was delighted to fill — and it grew incredibly quickly. Q You state, “our commitment to conservation informs all that we do”. In what way? Essentially, if we are not conscious of the environment and how we and our clients interact with it, then at best we shoot ourselves in the foot and at worst…

ISLAND (WITHIN AN ISLAND) LIFE The first overwater villas in Zanzibar open their doors on 1 June on Bawe Island, 15 minutes by speedboat from Stone Town. The 0.3sq km ‘island within an island’ — complete with abundant flora, a beautiful lagoon and a sweeping white beach — is now home to the Cocoon Collection. Housing from two to nine people, each of the 70 villas boasts a private pool, outdoor living spaces overlooking the ocean and a butler service, as well as access to four restaurants and a cocktail bar.…

Tanzania The climbers who had disappeared, exhausted, into their tents after successfully reaching the summit were a very different bunch to those who'd started on this journey a week before It's midnight and with only our head torches to light the way, I can hear laboured breathing all around me. The sky is crisp and clear, and the stars seem close enough to touch. It's taken a while for the group to get into climbing mode. Heads down, each climber focuses on the feet of the person in front of them. As we stop for our first break, the cold bites hard. Temperatures are somewhere around -5°C, though with the wind chill it feels more like minus fifteen. Ahead and behind us, the torches of other groups strung out along…

Marangu Rainforest Drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park headquarters in Marangu village, from where you will hike (medium fitness) through the rainforest for three-five hours up to Mandara Hut, at 2720m. After a picnic, take a side trip to Maundi Crater (time and weather permitting), before descending along the forest trail back to the park gates (three-four hours). Shira Plateau Drive to the Morrum Barrier, at 3400m, where you start your two-to four-hour hike (low to medium fitness) through the upper heather/moorland and into the alpine desert to the plateau, with spectacular views of the collapsed cathedral and main Kibo cone. After a picnic lunch, descend along the same trail to the barrier for your transfer back to Moshi.…

The highlight of my recent photographic tour to Ethiopia was, ironically, somewhere we weren't even supposed to visit. The trip had initially included the Simien Mountains in the north of the country, but prior to departure the area was deemed unsafe to travel in, necessitating a change to our itinerary. In its place our operator added the Danakil Depression in the country's arid northeast — which, it turned out, blew my mind. Ethiopia has had more than its share of adversity over the years, but, recently, conflict in the Tigray and Amhara regions brought tourism to a standstill. Fortunately, the owner of Simien Eco Tours, Marco Degasper, an Italian expat living in Ethiopia, assured us the remainder of the country was safe to visit. Indeed, at no time on the…

Congo Basin From the lush growth, a family of forest elephants appear and shower in clay under a tree brimming with hornbills. Using their trunks, they fling colour over themselves as if in the throng of India's Holi festival instead of here, deep in the world's second-largest rainforest. They become a rainbow of elephants — petal-pink, yellow and gold — and once they join the others among a ribbon of muddy pools, they stand out like shining statues. This is Dzanga Bai, renowned for its high concentration of elephants. Bais are swampy, natural forest clearings found throughout the Congo Basin. Some, like this one, are nutrient-rich hotspots with minerals in the soil, otherwise rare in a tropical jungle. They are the Center Parcs for forest elephants, where they come to…

Conservation-focused safari operator Natural Selection is joining forces with Delphine Dubray, a PhD researcher from the University of Botswana, to fund her three-year project on the impact of declining surface water caused by climate change in the expansive Makgadikgadi Pans. This arid tapestry of salt pans in Botswana was once a vast lake nourishing the Kalahari Desert and is home to the second largest migration of wildebeest and zebra in Africa. “Climate change now competes with habitat loss as the main driver of species extinction” DR JENNIFER LALLEY, DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION FOR NATURAL SELECTION Climate change has already led to hotter temperatures and lower rainfall here, and the landscape is ever-changing. The Boteti River, for example, had been dry for nearly 20 years before it began flowing again in 2008, but…

LAPPET-FACED VULTURE IUCN status: Vulnerable Size: Height: 95–115cm Wingspan: 2.5–2.9m Weight: 4.5–9.4kg (Arabian race heavier) Description: Huge and powerful-looking, upright stance; head square and pink/red, with big bill and ‘lappets’ of loose skin; black/brown upperparts; prominent white leggings; in flight, broad wings and short tail; white leggings and forearms conspicuous against dark underparts. Behaviour: Usually solitary or in pairs; aggressive and dominant over other species at carcasses; may take live prey; often soars low; makes prominent nest in small isolated tree. Where: Savannah to semi-desert; widespread across sub-Saharan Africa and into Arabia. WHITE-BACKED VULTURE IUCN status: Endangered Height: Size: 78–98cm Wingspan: 1.96–2.25m Weight: 4.2–7.2kg Description: Large, with long bare neck and small head; pale-brown upperparts with white back (not always visible when perched) and dark flight feathers; in flight, holds…

From Victoria Falls to Mana Pools to Matobo, Great Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou and the Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe is bursting with diverse attractions — and there's plenty inbetween. But they are spread far and wide across the country, largely on the periphery, which means most visitors have to decide what to prioritise. Aside from shorter options that many travellers take around the Victoria Falls area — often combining with parks in neighbouring countries — for those wanting to really experience Zimbabwe's full diversity, there are three main ‘circuits’ which prove popular: 1 WESTERN STARS • Highlights: Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Matobo Hills, Bulawayo • Best for: Diverse habitats, culture and wildlife • What you get: From Zim's second city Bulawayo, head out to Matobo Hills, best known for its incredible landscape…

Tanzania Google ‘climbing Kilimanjaro’ and you may well see it referred to as the ‘easiest of the seven summits’ and ‘Everyman's Everest’. But, while these statements are technically correct, they don't give a real representation of what's involved with the climb. It's true you don't need ropes, fancy gear or previous mountaineering experience, but Kili should not be underestimated. Only 60-70 per cent of climbers reach the top, and if you want to be one of these there are a few things to consider… WHEN TO GO: In general, the best time to climb is during the warmer and drier months of December–March and June–October. Remember, though, these are also the busiest. ALTITUDE SICKNESS: For most of those who don't reach the summit, altitude sickness is usually to blame. It strikes randomly…

Every day on Kilimanjaro will be different and the weather can change at any time. Plus, you will start your climb in tropical heat and end in artic conditions. To enable flexible, fast adaptation to the changes, there is one simple rule: dress in layers. The most common mistake climbers make is that they bring way too much gear. Be selective and follow the advice of your operator. You'll need a daypack (maximum weight 10kg), in which you will carry the items you need to reach the next camp — such as water (4 litres), snacks, gloves, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, rain jacket and camera — and a duffel bag (maximum weight 15kg) to hold everything else, which the porters will carry for you from camp to camp CLOTHING…

Get airborne Try a scenic flight, which is, says Roheel Shah, a “sky-high feast for the eyes experience”. The aircraft flies over Kili's glaciers, peaks, plateau, crater and other natural wonders. Or alternatively, lift off in a helicopter. Paragliding After reaching the summit, take an ‘easier’ way down, by paragliding off the top — arguably the highest top-to-bottom flight on Earth. Starting from the Kibo cone, the glide down lasts about 90 minutes. “Once you get airborne, it's magical,” says Linda Willemse, director of Paraglide Tanzania. Note: you will need to be an experienced, licensed paraglider to take the leap; no tandem jumps are available. Kilimanjaro Marathon Rather than climb up, why not run around Kili? Held in February, the marathon (plus half-marathon and 5km versions) takes participants through the…

With a national park within its city limits and one of the continent's premier game reserves a short hop away, Nairobi is arguably the safari capital of Africa. But what you may not know is its's also fast-becoming a foodie Mecca. While the city hums during the day and wildlife punctuates the night with their calls, cries, growls and roars, the food scene is just as wild. With Kenya's temperate climate, sourcing fresh ingredients is an easy undertaking for the hundreds of chefs here. In Nairobi, all senses come to life as the hot kitchens turn carefully crafted menus into superb treats. Here's ten of the most captivating venues in the city to sample. From farm to fork At Cultiva Farm the emphasis is on using locally grown ingredients to…

uganada Uganda is most well-known for its gorilla trekking, however this underrated destination has much more to offer. From white-water rafting at the source of the Nile to climbing the peaks of the Rwenzoris, from game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park to gazing through the mist into Murchison's Falls, the country has an impressive diversity of attractions. If I am to send clients anywhere, I need first-hand knowledge of the accommodation options available, in order to recommend the most-appropriate places to book them into. And my recent tour of Uganda revealed an interesting, diverse range of options. Until recently the country wasn't known for the kind of luxurious lodges that Kenya and Tanzania boast, but a few truly exceptional properties have been developed. Surprisingly, though, unlike Kenya, where you…

South Africa Mid-morning at Tlou Dam. The heat of the day is setting in and plenty of thirsty wildlife is milling around. Tlou is the seTswana word for ‘elephant’, and fair enough: several dozen mighty pachyderms have converged on the dam, some drinking at the borehole-fed inlet, others on the muddier shore, while their companions greet and play on the floodplain. Elsewhere, a stealthy pair of greater kudu bulls walks past, only to be chased off by a tetchy young elephant, and a stately oryx and family of scurrying warthogs make their way along the dam wall. Birds are everywhere, demonstrating their specific hunting techniques. Red-billed teals, little grebes and a pair of South African shelducks bob and dive on the dam's surface. Eye-catching blue-cheeked and carmine bee-eaters flash neon-green…

THE LEGAL FIGHT FOR PENGUINS The African penguin has lost a staggering 97 per cent of its population over recent years, with just 8750 breeding pairs surviving in South Africa today. The biggest threat to their survival is a dearth of prey, including sardines and anchovies, as they compete against commercial purse seine fishing that uses huge nets to hoard schools of fish. Now the fight to save the only species of penguin on the continent is going to court. In the first case of its kind, BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), represented by Biodiversity Law Centre, are challenging the South African Government's decision not to impose effective fishing closures that would help save these endangered birds, alleging that scientific…

FROM THE ASHES Ila Safari Lodge in Kafue National Park, Zambia, has reopened following last year's devastating fire. Green Safaris’ flagship lodge has been reinvented, with a newly-designed central boma resembling an infinity sign — an ode to balance in nature — and includes a reception, bar, dining area, stargazing deck and swimming pool overlooking the Kafue River. The design draws inspiration from the iconic nest concept used at the company's Chisa Busanga Camp. It was constructed using abandoned termite mound sand to produce the foundation building blocks, while sustainable, locally-grown bamboo and sticks harvested from the Kafue floor were used to weave the walls. FOR MORE ON THE PROCESS BEHIND THE REBUILD, SEE ‘ILA RISING’ IN TRAVEL AFRICA ISSUE 102, P146-147…