Innholdsfortegnelse for Edition 110, November 25-January 26 i Travel Africa

My childhood in Zimbabwe was blissful in so many ways. I would spend hours and hours outdoors, playing games barefoot in the sand. There was a freedom in all that space; an unhibited sense of adventure, possibility and joy. A curiosity about nature inevitably arose: there were trees to climb, colourful, noisy birds to catch the eye, hands to get dirty and a seemingly endless array of weird and wonderful creatures, large and small, to avoid, investigate or be awed by. When our daughters were born, we were determined to grab every opportunity we could to give them as much time as possible in the African bush. Some of our most cherished memories of their toddler years are of them spending hours scratching in the dirt for antlions, collecting lucky…

For decades, operators have sold African safaris through a single sense: sight. The lion padding through golden grass; the elephant raising its trunk against the horizon; the leopard's eyes glinting in torchlight. But the most unforgettable journeys are never just about what you see. They're about what you hear in the dark, what you taste at the fire, what you smell in the air after rain and what you feel in your hands and beneath your feet. It's no wonder that multi-sensory safaris are on the rise. Increasingly, guides and lodges are encouraging guests to engage all five senses, shifting focus from passive observation to full immersion. Neuroscience backs the approach: the more senses you recruit, the stronger and more enduring the memory. When you let every sense lead the…

1920 The first section of Gorongosa receives protected status when 1000sq km are set aside as a hunting reserve. 1940 The first tourist camp is built. It is abandoned two years later because of flooding and is taken over by lions, becoming an attraction. 1951 Construction begins on Chitengo camp, including a restaurant and bar. 1960 Gorongosa is declared a National Park by the Government of Portugal. 1964 The Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) launches a war for independence. Fortunately, the park isn't affected. 1975 Mozambique gains independence from Portugal. 1977 A civil war breaks out between the ruling FRELIMO government and the anti-communist Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) rebels. 1981 RENAMO fighters attack the park's Chitengo campsite and kidnap several staff, including two foreign scientists. 1983 Gorongosa is shut down and…

Humans thrive in nature. As proved in a clear mind after a long walk, or the feeling of ease that accompanies warm sunshine on a crisp winter’s morning, or the restful slumber of a night in the bush lulled to sleep by the honks of hippos and the cackle of a distant hyena. Yet, so many of us spend much of our time in decidedly unnatural environments. From high-rise flats encased in concrete and steel to windowless offices defined by fluorescent lighting and drab off-white walls, it’s no wonder we spend our spare time seeking a return to nature to find comfort or reignite our creativity. Biophilia describes the human inclination to affiliate with nature, and using biophilic design principles enables us make that connection even in our built spaces.…

Even in a sturdy Land Cruiser, being driven from Soalala in northwestern Madagascar to the seldom-visited Tsingy de Namoroka National Park is an adventure. We make our way along rough roads, passing villages that are home to the Sakalava people and fording streams formed by the irrigation of bright-green rice paddies. Raffia palms, which thrive in wet conditions, line the fields. My guide, Ernest Manarina, explains that the word ‘raffia’ has its origins in Malagasy, referring to the palm tree as well as to the fibre extracted from its fronds. These leaves are the longest in the entire plant kingdom, growing up to 20 metres. “It’s the highest quality of raffia in the world,” Ernest tells me. While Madagascar is a prime global exporter of raffia, these long, strong fibres…

Knowledge: In a forest where you can't see far, the Samburu read by sign and sound. A track, a snapped twig, the tone of birds — each is a line of code in the forest's programme. Continuity: For visitors, walking with them feels like a step into the past, a way of life rooted in culture, community and ceremony. For Kenyans, like me, it's a reminder of a cultural inheritance still intact. Agency: You are on community-managed (rather than company-leased) land, where guiding and conservation fees flow back to the people leading you. That changes the equation. Voice: Expect honesty: about overgrazing, the pull of towns, the weight of keeping traditions alive. It's not a performance — it's a powerful perspective. Traveller's note: Ask their names and what those names…

"Daddy, do leopards roll in every animal’s wee?” The singsong query cut through the African night, above the insect thrum, the hyena whoops and the camera shutter fusillade of the four other guests. The young leopard cavorting in our headlights froze, eyeballing us intently. “Yes,” I whispered, when the cat at last looked away, trying frantically to hush my young inquisitor. “I mean, no. Probably. Now just watch, darling. We have to be very quiet — remember?” It was summer 2006 in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park. My wife and I had upped sticks to the bush with our four-year-old daughter Flo for a three-month stint as conservation volunteers. Excursions with the upmarket local safari operators were generally beyond our means, but we had managed to blag the odd freebie…

Travelling anywhere with children can be stressful, not just because you want them to have an amazing holiday, but also because you worry that they might ruin someone else’s. Are they being too loud? Are they splashing too much? Are they asking too many questions? Are they annoying other guests? All of this goes through your mind (on repeat). This is why, when we took our children to South Luangwa in Zambia, we opted to stay in exclusive-use houses, namely Robin Pope Safaris’ Robin’s House and Luangwa Safari House. This meant that Noah (12) and Casey (10) could be themselves 100 per cent of the time and, consequently, we, as parents, were more relaxed. Staying in an exclusive-use property offered us the home-away-from-home that we needed. It also meant we…

Q What if I don't want kids on my safari? It's understandable that some travellers prefer a quieter, more contemplative safari experience, says Izzy Defourny of Kafunta Safaris — and that doesn't have to be compromised by the presence of families. Many safari lodges and camps offer ways to ensure everyone enjoys their time in the bush. For those who prefer not to share activities with young children, it's worth selecting properties that offer optional exclusive-use safari vehicles. In many cases, lodges welcoming young children require those families to hire a private vehicle, or they allocate different vehicles for parties with young children and those without. Some camps also have separate family units, such as Sunset House at Kafunta River Lodge in South Luangwa, or dedicated family-focused guides and activities,…

Thanda Island Within the Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, Thanda Island works with Tanzanian Marine Parks and Reserves Unit on projects that include Shungimbili's coral reef restoration. Lying 13km north of Mafia, it also supports Mafia Island's Marine Park Rangers to prevent illegal fishing around its western shores. PEMBA CHANNEL, ZANZIBAR Pemba has deep channels, home to turtles, manta rays, dugongs, dolphins and sharks. Non-profit Blue Alliance has partnered with Zanzibar’s government to manage and protect the rich biodiversity of the Northern Pemba Channel Conservation Area (PECCA), working with Pemba’s fishing communities to improve sustainable livelihoods. MAFIA ISLAND MARINE PARK Mafia’s habitats encompass coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds, home to an array of fish, invertebrates, and herbivores such as turtles and dugongs. Whale sharks are the stars here, with many resident…

When I was driven by a poaching incident to found the Remembering Wildlife series, I thought conservation was simple. In my mind, stopping poaching simply meant arming rangers so they could catch the poachers. A decade later, I realise how naive that was. I know now that it is far more complex — but also that with the right support, many creative solutions are within reach. One of my first shocks was realising that poaching isn’t just about ‘bad’ people. It is often driven by poverty, with those risking their lives earning very little compared with the crime syndicates who profit most. I came to see that effective anti-poaching isn’t only about arming rangers — it’s about providing the tools to do the job: vehicles, fuel, passable roads, radios and…

At the turn of the 20th century some 100,000 cheetahs roamed across Africa. Today, around only 7500 survive and there are concerns that the world's fastest land mammal — capable of speeds up to 70mph — is running headlong towards extinction, facing threats which include habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and high demand as captive pets from the insidious illegal wildlife trade. EARLY DAYS Dr Laurie Marker first became involved with the big cats in the 1970s, while working as a veterinary technician at Wildlife Safari in Oregon, USA. “The cheetahs came under my care, and I discovered nobody really knew anything about this amazing animal,” she told me during a fundraising trip to London. “People just said ‘they don’t have a long lifespan, they don’t breed well in captivity and…

Have you ever wondered exactly how many animals you have seen on your safari? Subscriber Bill Dick did. So,on a recent 14-day self-drive in Kruger National Park, he documented every sighting, discovering that he saw an incredible 5134 animals and birds across 874 separate sightings — an average of seven sightings per hour. This doesn’t include the hundreds of LBJ (‘little brown job’) birds he couldn’t identify. Top of the list was impala (1914 from 199 sightings), followed by buffalo (684/13) and elephant (387/72). “It shows what a fantastic place Kruger is,” he says.…

110,514 LARGE ANIMALS COUNTED INSIDE THE PARK IN 2024: THE LARGEST EVER NUMBER RECORDED 40 TONNES of green coffee beans produced by 997 community farmers each year 4,341 STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM A SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME EACH YEAR 5O HECTARES planted for cashew prodtiofion benefitting 4,700 farmers US$120M Amount invested in Gorongosa so far by Greg Carr and the Carr Foundation 7,945 SPECIES COUNTED IN THE PARK TO DATE 400,000 native plant seedlings have been yielded to replant forests in areas chosen by the community 200,000 the number of people living in the park's buffer zone. 86KM of beehive fences deter elephants from entering communities and farms — the longest of its kind in the world…

Dolphin Beach, Jeffrey's Bay If you're a surfer then Jeffreys Bay, on the Eastern Cape's Sunshine Coast, is Mecca: 'Supertubes', its long point break, ranks as one of the best in the world. Close to the surf spots, Dolphin Beach's gorgeous sands and host of beach and ocean activities make for a great family holiday. Swartvlei, Sedgefield, Garden Route Backed by high fossilised dunes and with deep rock pools brimming with marine life, the secluded Swartvlei is a lovely beach to walk, swim, snorkel and watch the action in the waves. Humpback dolphins (South Africa's rarest mammal, numbering fewer than 300 individuals) are special sightings; bottlenose dolphins and Cape fur seals regularly appear; while in winter humpback whales migrate past, and bait balls of sardines result in feeding frenzies. Take…

You might miss the Khama Rhino Sanctuary on a map. Tucked away near Serowe in central Botswana, it doesn’t have the fame of the Okavango Delta or the Central Kalahari, yet I have always found it quietly extraordinary: a cultural crossroad, a conservation success and a personal waypoint. For years, Khama (as we affectionately call it) was the first stop on family journeys north. We’d leave Johannesburg at 5.30am, slipping out before the traffic thickened, the city still half-asleep behind us, and cross the Limpopo River into Botswana at Martin’s Drift, the quieter border post that always felt like our own secret shortcut. By early afternoon, we’d have pitched camp in the shade of the manketti trees (also known as makongwa trees in Setswana), their broad canopies welcoming us to…

While MAZA’s best-known attractions of North Luangwa and Nyika National Parks lie at each end of the transfrontier range, I was curious to learn more about what lay in between — an area very little travelled — and to get a sense of how the actuation of a TFCA, with the conservation initiatives, community empowerment and tourism that follows, might impact the region. Buoyed by the suggestion that “this route should be on the bucket list of the environmentally and socially conscious traveller who has a thirst for adventure,” I joined an 11-day self-drive expedition across the TFCA from west to east. Covering some 2000km along challenging, bumpy, sandy roads, this is a journey only possible in a 4WD, coupled with a fair degree of selfsufficiency — bringing your own…

For most travellers, a Kenyan safari means the Maasai Mara: open plains, lions at dawn, a vehicle and a buttonedup driver waiting to cover the day’s sightings. I’ve done those trips too, but the Mathews Mountain Range — also called the Lenkiyio Hills — delivers a different story. Visitors and locals alike often skip this part of Kenya (north of Mt Kenya, edging into Marsabit) — it’s further, drier and less ‘packaged’ than the southern parks. And that’s exactly why it’s special. Within this area, the Mathews stand out: a forested island inside Namunyak Community Conservancy, starkly surrounded by an otherwise arid landscape. Access is by bush flight from Nairobi, then a three-hour drive on rough roads. Here, you trade convenience for immersion. You don’t come for a checklist of…

For years, I carried a dream to one day take my grandchildren to Africa. Not only so they could see why I love it so deeply, but so they could feel for themselves the magic of the land, the pulse of nature and the raw beauty of a continent unlike any other. I imagined them witnessing the Great Migration, hearing lion roar under the stars and understanding what it means to be fully present with the Earth. I wanted them to experience the circle of life in its truest form — a sight only Africa can fully reveal. So when the opportunity came to take my 15-year-old granddaughter to East Africa, I was overjoyed. I believed she was the perfect age to absorb the depth of the experience. But what…

Don’t be alarmed if you hear hyena howling loudly when you’re next in Liverpool. That will likely be my six-year-old grandniece Seren, who heard them calling while we were fly camping under Kenya’s starry skies a world away from her hometown. Our guide Robbie taught her to mimic their call and she passed that on to her friends. Six months on, they still speak hyena, starting quietly then culminating in a wild cacophony of whoops. In May, my husband Will and I took our niece Carys and her daughter on their first safari, to Laikipia’s El Karama Conservancy. I’d pondered whether Seren might be too young to take in all the wildlife wonders I’d wanted to share. Happily, she’s proved me completely wrong. SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE We stopped first at…

To get a sense of the range of specialist family activities available across Africa, we asked luxury tour operator Mahlatini to select some favourites WARRIORS ACADEMY AT SARUNI SAMBURU Guided by a Samburu moran (warrior), this is where fun meets authentic, ancient wisdom. Tailored for ages seven and up, the academy provides a taste of Samburu life. Kids learn to track wildlife using traditional methods, engage in (safe) spear-throwing competitions and master essential bush skills, such as fire-making and milking goats and cows. Why it’s perfect for kids: The active, skill -based curriculum and mentorship by a charismatic Samburu wanior makes learning about survival and culture deeply exciting and memorable. FAMILY ‘WILD-CHILD’ CAPE PENINSULA DAY TOUR Forget the standard sightseeing trip, this is the Cape reimagined as a family adventure. Led by specialist…

In the spotlight: TOSCO (TOURISM SUPPORTING CONSERVATION) Johan Fourie of Mushara Lodge, on the outskirts of Namibia's Etosha National Park, supports TOSCO for its variety of programmes, from research to conservation and community work “TOSCO brings together key stakeholders in tourism and communities, promoting and coordinating conservation projects at grassroots level across Namibia,” explains Mushara’s Johan Fourie. “These projects help preserve important conservation areas and help communities co-exist with wildlife, playing a key role in the Namibian tourism landscape.” A membership association of tourism and conservation partners, TOSCO has always been known for channelling tourism resources to where there were gaps in conservation needs. Now, their focus is as much on actively generating funding for conservation, aiming to make places better and uplifting communities. A flagship programme is ReGen Namibia,…

HIGH FIVE, This photograph of a young male mountain gorilla in Rwanda was one of 40 shortlisted entries in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025, which seeks to fuse exceptional photography and humour to promote conservation, working with Whitley Fund for Nature. "On this particular day, we came across a large family group gathered in a forest clearing," explained photographer Mark Meth-Cohn. "One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair; pirouetting, tumbling and high kicking. Watching his performance was pure joy, and I'm thrilled to have captured his playful spirit in this image." www.comedywildlifephoto.com…

KORI BUSTARD PORTRAIT BY JASMINA MULALIC (NORWAY), SOMEWHERE ALONG THE SPECTACULAR GRAVEL ROAD BETWEEN THE VILLAGE OF MTO WA MBU AND LAKE NATRON, TANZANIA. ELEPHANTS AND BAOBAB BY RAINER KUEHNER (SWITZERLAND), IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA A life in motion BY STEVE GETTLE (USA), IN THE MAASAI MARA, KENYA "I wanted to capture the essence of a wildebeest's life — which is a journey driven by instinct and the relentless pursuit of sustenance. I chose a solitary, stationary wildebeest as the focal point, symbolising resilience and the quiet strength of survival. The background is a dynamic blur created by a slow shutter speed, depicting the continuous movement of the herd as they follow the sacred path of their annual migration. This contrast between stillness and motion encapsulates the rhythm of…

Ive just returned from an extraordinary seven-night trip to the Okavango, though it wasn't a trip for the faint-hearted; we heated our shower water in an oil drum over a fire, charged our devices with solar power, and the camp had no fence to keep wildlife out. We were in Ngamiland East, in the middle of bushy mopane woodland — a flat terrain of thick white sand, peppered with waterholes. There was one cardinal rule at night that we all obligingly stuck by: You. Must. Not. Leave. Your. Tent. Once you zip your flaps at bedtime, that was it until morning. It was only when I heard one of the staff boiling the kettle at dawn that I knew it was safe to emerge. The first night, however, was the…

Africa and I was 19 Leif Lorentzon, a Swedish teacher and academic, looks back on the epic journey he made 50 years ago, when he was 19 years old, hitchhiking solo through most of the African continent. An African Song: My Life Amongst the Maasai Italian Antonella Bonomi tells the story of her life, focusing on her experiences at Campi ya Kanzi, a luxury safari lodge in Kenya that she and her family own and operate. Dusty Boots to Boardroom Adrian Stratta and his wife Catherine follow their dream to drive a Land Rover between the southern and northern tips of Africa, a 35,248km journey that helped the burnt-out English couple reconnect with each other. From the East End to East Africa Steve Foreman recounts how his life shifted from…

AGNES JOFRISSE GUIDE "I grew up in Malawi but came back to Mozambique with my uncle. I always wanted to work with animals but I needed the opportunity to do so. I heard about this job from a neighbour's daughter. When I came here in 2018, I already knew about the national park. I knew they were doing work with the community and putting up beehives to move elephants away from crops. "The park employs us — the community people — so other girls can see what's possible. When we take them on safari, they tell me 'I want to be like you. I want to be a guide, to drive a car, to see animals'. It's unusual in the community to see a woman driving and going on safari…

“You don’t want to startle a rhino,” he said, “because if they run, it will either be away from you or towards you. You just don’t know which one it will be.” Namibia has a magnificent landscape. Vast wide-open spaces peppered with picturesque highlights. All too often, the urge is to rush between the big-hitters, from Fish River Canyon in the south to Etosha in the north, via the likes of Kolmanskop, Sossusvlei (well, mostly Deadvlei), Swakopmund and Twyfelfontein. And you arrive home exhausted from the long days behind the wheel — because you didn’t take the chance to slow down and explore the spaces in between. With this in mind, half way between Windhoek and Etosha National Park we turned off the B1 highway. Driving down a gravel farm…

1850S-LATE 1800S WILD AND FREE Rhinos, both black and white, roamed northern Botswana, including the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Overhunting, habitat loss and poaching drove them to extinction in the wild by the late 1800s. 1967-1986 EARLY REINTRODUCTIONS Botswana reintroduced 138 white rhinos to three northern reserves. Chobe National Park received two pairs from South Africa as an independence gift. Even the Makgadikgadi hosted rhinos, as recalled by Ralph Bousfield of Jack's Camp. 1990S POPULATION CRISIS AND KHAMA RHINO SANCTUARY Aerial surveys in the early 1990s revealed an 80 per cent population decline, with carcasses observed. Remaining rhinos were moved to fenced reserves such as Khama Rhino Sanctuary (1993), proving that small, well-protected populations could grow rapidly and serve as a source for future reintroductions. 2000-2016 REINTRODUCTION…

VERNACULAR: Architecture without architects, built with locally available materials. This popular method has always existed in many regions. Examples: Impluvium houses in Casamance, Senegal; earth mosques in the Sahel; traditional village architecture. COLONIAL: Style and materials imported by colonisers. An architecture reserved for the administration and an elite, found in former colonial cities. Examples: The city of Saint-Louis, Senegal; the city of Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast; Hill Station houses in Freetown, Sierra Leone. MODERN: Inspired by the international style popular in the 20th century. Some buildings were designed during colonial times and others just after, but always by foreign (mostly European) architects. Examples: La Pyramide in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; National Museum of Ghana; Hôtel de la Paix in Lomé, Togo. DUBAI-INSPIRED: Real estate projects mimicking new cities in the Middle East.…

WHAT'S THE BEST AGE? Having spoken to travel experts, tour operators, lodge owners and parents who’ve explored Africa with their own children, there’s no hard and fast rule on when the best time is to take kids on safari. Some suggest the right age is when they are able to follow instructions, for safety. Others say it’s simply a case of when parents feel their family is ready. But the answer that came up most was “around the age of five or six years old”. Many camps and lodges don’t allow children younger than this. All Asilia properties, for example, are for ages five and above, while Wilderness set the lower limit at six. Others, such as Kwara (Botswana) and Londolozi Tree Camp (South Africa), are ‘adult-only’, setting the minimum…

In 2013, when Phil Jeffery and Tyrone McKeith first arrived in Kafue National Park to start a safari camp in the Musekese-Lumbeya sector, they found the area wild and untamed, with no roads, vehicle tracks or anti-poaching protection. With a team of helpers, they carved out a 40km access road linking their new Musekese Camp with the main Lusaka/Mongu road, also forming a considerable network of game viewing tracks. Five years later, they founded Musekese Conservation (MC) to protect the infrastructure and combat illegal activities, going on to provide logistical support to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) on anti-poaching patrols and law enforcement within Kafue, along with wildlife research and community engagement activities. When African Parks signed a 20-year co-management agreement with the Zambian Government in 2022,…