What have I let myself in for? In May 2015 I was invited to join a small group of friends on a 5 day / 4 night hiking trail in South Africa’s iMfolozi National Park. Without giving any real thought to what such a trail might involve I said ‘Yes’. I love being out in the wilderness and sleeping under[…]
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Witfontein, a small slice of heaven in the Klein Karoo
Every time I travel to Witfontein, our house on a private wildlife reserve in the Klein Karoo, I wonder what I will find there. On recent visits, in addition to the perennial questions like; will the veldt be green or brown? will we get sunshine or rain? I’ve found myself trying to guess who might be dropping in for a[…]
Read moreWildlife and Waves in Tanzania
Combine the Serengeti with the Indian Ocean Coast Tanzania is where crystal clear beaches meet intimate wildlife experiences. As one of the most attractive locations on Africa’s safari circuit, from the vastness of the Serengeti, to the calm waves of the Indian Ocean, Tanzania has so much more to offer than game viewing alone. From the beating heart of the[…]
Read moreDo I need to book a Private Vehicle?
The term ‘private vehicle’ is often used in the context of African safaris and game drives but what exactly does it mean? And, more importantly, do you need one? When you go on safari as part of a group you will find that you almost always have a vehicle to yourselves, exclusively for members of your group only. When you travel alone, or[…]
Read moreThe Elephants of Kanga Pan
Elephants at Kanga Pan Our first sight of Kanga Pan did not fill us with optimism. What we saw was a lot of mud, with a few small pools full of stagnant green water and it certainly bore little resemblance to the year round waterhole we’d been expecting. Appearances can be deceptive though, and over the course of the 2[…]
Read moreMana Pools and the Zambezi
to read the previous chapter of our Safari Diary An elephant named Boswell, Wild Dogs and a Leopard click here 26 September 2014 The topic of conversation when we gathered for our morning drive was noises that had entertained us during the night. I’d heard hyaenas and lions but apparently at about 5am 2 wild dogs had run through camp[…]
Read moreAn elephant named Boswell, Wild Dogs and a Leopard
This follows the previous chapter in our latest safari diary – Matusadona, a birding paradise on the shores of Lake Kariba 25 September 2104 Mana Pools here we come Our flight to Mana Pools was booked for 9 o’clock, so we had to make an early start. Our stay at Rhino Safari Camp was much too brief (much much too[…]
Read moreMatusadona, a birding paradise on the shores of Lake Kariba
The 9th installment of our latest Safari Diary follows on from – Cheetahs and vultures on our last morning in Hwange Matusadona National Park As we come into land the first plane is sitting waiting to take off again and no sooner have we taxied off the runway than it roars off kicking up another dust storm. We disentangle ourselves[…]
Read moreCheetahs and vultures on our last morning in Hwange
This is the 8th installment of our Zimbabwe safari diary and follows on from – Game Driving in Hwange National Park 23 September 2014 Our last morning at Bomani. On our way to the gate we spot a pair of Yellow Billed Kites in a tree above us, they’ve got some fresh meat. No idea what it might be though.[…]
Read moreGame driving in Hwange National Park
This is part 7 of the Chobe and Zimbabwe Safari Diary and follows on from – Elephants, more elephants and a lion 22 September 2014 One of the things that I’d been asked to arrange for this group was a visit to a local school. They had brought with them some children’s clothes and boxes of school materials (books, pens[…]
Read moreElephants, more elephants and a lion
This is the 6th installment of my Safari Diary and follows on directly from Elusive Sable and idle Cheetahs – Hwange NP Elephants everywhere Some time ago the folks at Bomani installed something that they call the ‘Look Up’. A shipping contained was buried in the ground beside one of the waterholes and converted into an underground hide or blind.[…]
Read moreElusive Sable and idle Cheetahs – Hwange NP
Part 5 of my Safari Diary and follows on directly from my previous post – Victoria Falls – so much more than just a waterfall Bomani Tented Lodge – Hwange NP As we pulled in to Bomani all the staff came out to greet us and we were led in to the large communal building that houses the bar, lounge[…]
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