Following a year that has seen some of the most devastating statistics about the decline of elephant and rhino populations in Africa due to rampant poaching we thought it appropriate that our first post of the year should be a call to arms. If you are one of those that has enjoyed, or hopes to enjoy, an African safari we[…]
Read more2013 has been a disastrous year for Africa’s rhinoceros and elephant populations. South Africa has seen a record number of rhinos poached and in other countries Africa’s elephants are being killed at an unprecedented rate and Tanzania has been one of the countries worst affected. Conservationists and campaigners have been in overdrive; raising public awareness through relentless media campaigns, lobbying[…]
Read moreOver the past few days I have been updating some of my recent Safari Diaries. The time that these diaries were originally written (Feb 2013) coincided with the development of our new website and as a consequence they were a little bit neglected. Now that the site has bedded down nicely and I’ve got a break in between safaris, it[…]
Read moreOn my recent visit to South Africa I had the great good fortune to be able to spend a few days in Sabi Sands. I have visited Sabi Sands before but this was the first time I had stayed at Savanna Lodge. To be completely honest, when we arrived I was a little dismayed to see how close the lodge[…]
Read moreA 6 night safari staying in 2 private conservancies for under $2, 000 may sound too good to be true, but believe it, it’s not. Gamewatchers Safaris in Kenya are offering you the chance to spend 3 nights in their Selenkay Conservancy, adjoining Amboseli National Park and 3 nights in their Ol Kenyei Conservancy, adjoining the Maasai Mara. This incredible[…]
Read more2013 is set to be the worst year yet for rhino poaching. One of Africa’s most iconic animals is being hunted to extinction by poachers wanting to cash in on the outrageously lucrative Asian market for rhino horn. One of the most distressing memories from my recent safari in Madikwe was the sight of a black rhino that had been[…]
Read moreMadikwe Safari Diary Day 3 After 2 pretty hectic days where we had been driving to all corners of the reserve, JP announced that this morning would be more sedate. We were just going to ‘bumble around’ and see what turned up; spending time with some of the other, less high profile, animals. That was fine with me. We’d enjoyed[…]
Read moreMadikwe Safari Diary Day 2 – Morning drive Where are the dogs? If there is one thing that Madikwe is renowned for it is African Wild Dogs. It is supposed to be the park where visitors stand the best chance of seeing these amazing predators because there are 2 resident packs. This was certainly one of the primary reasons why[…]
Read moreMadikwe Safari Diary Day 1 – Morning drive After a whole day of travelling yesterday – we’d driven over hours to get from Karongwe, in the North East, to Madikwe in the North West – it was great to be back out amongst the wildlife. After the dull, overcast conditions at Sabi Sands it was also great to see the[…]
Read moreSafari Diary, Sabi Sands, Day 3 Morning drive ((Excuse the quality of the photographs. I’m still on safari and not able to process photos properly on my old Toshiba Portege. I’ll re-do them all when I get back home)) As promised I have had a go at re-working the photos and you can find them in the African Wild Dog[…]
Read moreSafari Diary, Sabi Sands, Day 2 Afternoon drive ((Excuse the quality of the photographs. I’m still on safari and not able to process photos properly on my old Toshiba Portege. I’ll re-do them all when I get back home)) The skies showed no sign of clearing as we headed out for our afternoon game drive. In search of leopards We’d[…]
Read moreIf this is the best you can do you’ll never beat the poachers One of South Africa’s most iconic species is facing a devastating threat; a threat that – if unchecked – could all but wipe out both species of African rhinoceros. For some time now, conservationists and activists have been trying to make the world – and in particular[…]
Read moreWe woke to a cool overcast morning. Leaving the lodge via the back road, the first animal we saw was a lone female Kudu. Something had clearly alarmed her but we couldn’t see what it might be. Julius, our tracker, pointed over the where a group of buffalo were lying together in the grass. As we made our way towards[…]
Read moreI touched down early on Sunday morning at OR Tambo International airport after a long – long and boring -flight from London via Abu Dhabi. I was very pleased to see from the arrivals screen that Pat’s flight from Perth had landed half an hour early so I wouldn’t have to wait around too long. Thanks for the fact that[…]
Read moreIn January I flew over Kenya’s Rift Valley and was surprised to see the incredibly high water levels of Lake Nakuru. The lake had swollen so much, rising around 2 metres, that the roads used to circumnavigate the lake were now submerged. Water everywhere but no flamingoes More alarming was that the flamingoes for which Lake Nakuru is renowned were nowhere[…]
Read moreThis thought provoking opinion piece from Calvin Cottar and Wycliffe Muga in Nairobi’s Weekend Star looks at some of the reasons why Kenya’s tourism plans are not panning out as they had hoped and what can be done to put things back on track before it is too late.
Read moreRecently I was looking at bird photographs posted on Birdphotographers.net and saw a really beautiful image of two crowned cranes in a courtship dance. (click here to see the photo) As usual, I looked at the technical info to see what lens the photographer had been using and was very surprised to see that it was a Sigma 300mm-800mm zoom[…]
Read moreAre wildlife conservation and wildlife safaris just for rich foreigners? Someone recently posted on our forums that wildlife conservation was just for rich westerners. The gist of his argument was that the parks and reserves where wildlife is conserved and protected are usually remote and once you get there you need a 4×4 to get around. In addition to that[…]
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