The Kruger, possibly the best-known safari destination in the world, synonymous with safari. Established in 1898, The Greater Kruger Park extends over some 22,000 square km (8,500 sq. miles). That’s the size of Wales if you are European, and Massachusetts if you are North American. (If you are neither, it’s flippin’ big). It supports a total of 500 bird species, 145 mammal species, and 110 reptile species, including an estimated 13,000 elephants, 40,000 buffalo, 2000 lions and more rhinos than any other protected area. We aren’t allowed to say how many, but it is lots and lots. The only decent wildlife reserve with a higher density of rhino is Hluhluwe-Imfolozi in KwaZulu-Natal. What's the difference between the Greater Kruger Park and Kruger National Park? The Greater Kruger Park is comprised of the Kruger National Park (KNP) and a number of private reserves next to the KNP. The fences between the private reserves and the KNP came down 23 years ago allowing the animals to move freely.. The KNP is managed by Sanparks, a government-run organisation, and covers about 80% of the total area. Tarmac roads run through the middle of it, there are numerous large rest camps, of which at least half a dozen have over 100 one to four-bedroom units, camping sites, and fast food restaurants catering to self-drive clients. The private reserves are managed by groups made up of small lodges and camps. Many lodges and camps only have between six and twelve one-bedroom chalets or luxury tents. No self-driving is permitted, there are no tarmac roads, and vehicle movements are carefully managed. From a fauna and flora point-of-view, there there is not much difference. The parks are next to each other and there are no fences between them, so the animals and birds who call the area home can roam freely, and are found in both. In saying that, however, the area is large, so habitats differ and of course animals gravitate toward whichever habitat is best for them. Some areas are better known for their leopard sightings, others for elephant, and so on. Exclusivity The parks that make up the GKP are quite strict about how many people are allowed in at a time. This means that your safari experience is far more exclusive and you won't be trying to get through dozens of other cars to see a lion kill or catch that special photo of a zebra baby. This is not an exaggeration. I have seen 50 vehicles in a scrum to look at a pride of lion lazing in the bush 50 yards from the road between Satara and Skukuza. Guided Wildlife Experiences Game-viewing in the private reserves is facilitated and managed by experienced and knowledgeable guides with excellent tracking skills in open-sided 4x4 game-viewing vehicles with a maximum of 9 guests from your lodge in them. Some lodges limit it to six No self-driving is permitted. The majority of the time, your vehicle will be the only one at a sighting.This ensures that you see not only the keystone species, but also the birds and the little fellas, who are arguably equally important in the local eco-system. On each game drive you stop for a break at a scenic point, get out of the vehicle, and enjoy refreshments and snacks. Game-viewing can also be conducted on foot, allowing a greater understanding of and connection with the bush. Accommodation The lodges and tented camps in the private reserves are more high-end than those found in the KNP. With limited numbers of guests at each, you are assured of a far more private and exclusive experience. Hospitality is personal and service is a priority, to ensure that you get the best possible safari experience. All the lodges have a watering hole, river, or lake, meaning that there is good chance of seeing wildlife when you are not out on safari too. Many lodges are also unfenced, so having interesting visitors around the grounds is not uncommon. Our favourite private Kruger reserves Sabi Sand Sabi Sand with Mala Mala covers 780 sq km. The Sabi River and Sand River run through the area providing diverse habitats for the huge range of animals. Sabi Sand is known especially for its big cat sightings, most notably of the elsewhere elusive leopard. We have never had a client who has spent three night here without a good leopard sighting. It is the least budget-friendly of the private reserves, but at the upper end of scale has some excellent value-for-money lodges, with excellent attention to detail and fine dining combined with top=drawer wildlife sightings. My “Big Five record” of 2 hours 35 minutes was set here. Granted, the rhino was a 10-second arse-end encounter, but we had 45 minutes with a leopard and her two cubs eating a kudu up a tree, and a 20-minute coffee break watching mating lions….. Klaserie One of the largest privately-owned reserves in South Africa, Klaserie covers 600 sq. km of land along the Klaserie River. The owners are strongly committed to conservation and the park hosts three great conservation projects: the Ground Hornbill Project, Rhino Protection and The Elephant Project. Generally, the habitat is more open than Sabi Sand, which is great news for cheetah fans. With less of a reputation than Sabi Sand, the prices for the same level of comfort are lower too. Timbavati Bordering the KNP on one side and Klaserie on the other, Timbavati is also a prime game-viewing area, and a hot spot for African wild dogs (Cape hunting dogs), my favourite mammal (other than my kids), great for cheetah, and also pretty good for leopard. It also has the only wild white lions left in the world. Lodge rates here are also, on average, lower than in Sabi Sand. Other options Balule, Thornybush, Umbabat, Manyeleti, are good private reserves, and there are also Jocks and Lukimbi private reserves within the KNP. When to go Dry season –May to September – Winter There is virtually no rainfall during the whole of winter, humidity is very low. and there is almost no risk of malaria. As water becomes scarce wildlife is attracted to permanent water sources. Temperatures from the evening to mid-morning can be chilly. Wet seasons–October to April – Summer It is hot and humid in summer. Temperatures can reach over 40°C/104°F, although average daytime temperature is 32°C/90°F. Mostly rain falls in the afternoon or at night. The rains bring green grasses, seeds, flowers, and as a result, more birds. The rains also mean there is no dust, and, other than Christmas and Easter, fewer tourists.
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From the end of February to the middle of March, I spent three weeks on St Helena escorting three groups of divers and snorkellers to one of the remotest permanently inhabited islands in the world. Although my third visit, and my longest, in three years, the island continues to enchant with its mix of history, stunning and varied landscapes, endemic and iconic fish life, and friendly village atmosphere. The first group contained a number of fish specialists, super keen to add to their list of unusual sightings. They weren't disappointed. After the first two dives Alain Diringer, author of several fish ID bThe first group contained a number of fish specialists, super keen to add to their list of unusual sightings. They weren't disappointed. After the first two dives Alain Diringer, author of several fish ID books, said "well that's about half of them in two dives!". St Helena is home to 50 identified indigenous species of marine life, with more in the process of being classified. Some of the more common endemics are visible on most dive sites, and the St Helena Butterflyfish, a.k.a. the Cunningfish (for its ability to nibble bait off a hook without taking the hook), is on every dive, in hundreds of thousands. On most sites there is a spot with vast clouds of them, mesmerising divers. It feels like floating in snowflakes as the fish wibble and wobble individually but swaying as a group. Their abundance at this time of year is due to their reproductive cycle; they spawn around the end of December to mid-January. As well as hypnotising divers, they provide sustenance for many species. In the gallery there is shot of a grouper who has caught one the wrong way round (tail first), scorpionfish sit on the sand, sometimes next to each other, waiting for lunch to swim in front of their grumpy-looking mouth, trumpetfish are present in numbers I have never witnessed elsewhere, small schools of large Almaco jacks prey on them regularly, and soon after the spawning season, Chilean Devil Rays swim through the clouds of eggs and tiny juveniles, mouth open. The Chilean devil rays here are impressive, the size of a small manta ray, the males reaching up to 3.7 metres disc-width. They were prone to turning up on the wrecks and off the tips of ledges all along the leeward coastline. Each week we had half-a-dozen encounters, occasionally with two individuals trying to mate, as it is the mating season for everyone here. The stars of the show, the adult Whale sharks, come here to mate, and, according the world’s leading whale shark specialists from the Marine Megafauna Foundation and Georgia Aquarium, this is the only spot in the world where we think this happens. It must happen elsewhere too, but they have no idea where. Despite being the biggest fish in the oceans, we know very little about it, and St Helena has become one of the key areas for research. What we do know is that their arrival here coincides with the annual Skipjack tuna and Pompano spawnings, the results of which the Whale sharks love to gobble down. We also green turtles mating on the surface several times. On each of our twice weekly Whale shark snorkels (and each of the four snorkels the non-divers did), we got to spend an hour swimming alongside these 9-metre-plus docile giants. Twice we found them in James Bay, by the yacht moorings, and they also put in an appearance on a few of the dives. The snorkellers were treated to large schools of pantropical spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, and Rough-toothed dolphins, mating green turtles, and more Chilean devil rays. Ona trip to Egg Island they also encountered Madeiran storm petrels, Red-billed tropic birds, Brown and Masked boobies, Brown and Black noddies, and Sooty and Fairy terns. St Helena also has its own endemic bird; the St Helena Plover, a.k.a. the Wirebird. We found it up on the open ground just past Longwood, Napoleon’s last residence, on the open plain that once held 6000 Boer War prisoners of war between 1900 and 1902. Our one day 4x4 island tour also took in the varied landscapes of the island, the Governor’s residence of Plantation House and the oldest living terrestrial mammal on the planet, Jonathan the tortoise (189 candles on his last cake), the now-defunct flax mills, the myserious Bell Stone, and numerous fortifications including Sandy Bay and the massive High Knoll Fort. Overlooking Jamestown, the view from the top of the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder leading to the Ladder Fort on the west side of town, and Munden’s Battery to the east, were favourite short walks each week. For two groups, I also arranged private visits of Longwood House and Plantation House on spare afternoons, and others walked up to the highest point of the island, Diana’s Peak (822 metres ASL). Dinners at the Mantis Hotel were as popular as ever, and I got the chef to concoct “Saintviche”, a local derivative of the South American fish dish, Ceviche. Getting coriander is almost impossible, there is little local agriculture, despite the island’s temperate climate with good rainfall, as the steep terrain makes mechanised farming impossible. Lime is also not commonly imported, so we used lemon, grapefruit, mint, parsley and some just-caught tuna. The result was universally popular, and hopefully it will be added to the menu on the next update. Fresh fish is abundant, yellowfin and skipjack tuna and wahoo are the most common, and we also sampled Soldierfish, Bullseyes, and Grouper at Annie’s. I also bought some fresh spiny and slipper lobsters from our excellent skipper, Duffy, and had them grilled at Annie’s. All in, the lobster dinner cost us £11 for two half lobsters, salads, and chips. Next year’s trips are filling up already, so if you want to join, don’t dally. We have a budget week in self-catering accommodation five minutes from town, and a week in the Mantis Hotel in the heart of Jamestown, that can be found here. We also create bespoke itineraries tailored to your requirements any time of year. St helena underwaterst helena Top SideSANTORINI, MOZAMBIQUEWe moved off the islands to the mainland, and had a night to check out the beautiful boutique retreat called Santorini, 12 kilometres from Vilanculos. With just five suites in the main villa and lots of lounges and salas to chill in, it is a great place for couples to relax and unwind after a safari. There are also 2 private 2-bedroom villas available, Villa da Praia and The Chapel. The villas sit on a hilltop, looking out over Kingfisher Bay, deserted beach as far as you can see, the island of Benguerra on the horizon, a few dhows sailing across the bay. Activities include SUP, kayak, sun downer cruises, snorkelling and visiting the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago, catamaran cruises, and fishing. Scuba diving can be arranged, Fat tire bikes will be available soon. Or you can just relax with a book and let your butler bring you a glass of wine. &BEYOND, BENGUERRA ISLAND, MOZAMBIQUE&Beyond Benguerra Island is a mix of classic chic in the spacious and beautifully appointed 'casinhas" and simple safari elegance with it's dhow bar on the beach, evening beach dining by paraffin lantern light, and star-gazing around the fire. The casinhas all have their own infinity pool, shaded outdoor lounge on a private deck, beach loungers, and a shaded outdoor double bed swing. The food was absolutely top-notch, Ines' vegetarian needs were deliciously catered for, and our butler Gilario was charming and on the ball. For our last meal they set up a private beach lunch on the wild side of the island, at the foot of the Red Dune, and we had as far as we could see of the 11k of coastline to ourselves. At azura benguerra, mozambiqueSome images from our stst at Azura Retreat Benguerra Island, our current location on a 7-week recce across southern Africa. Azura prides itself on its cuisine, and rightly so, it is delicious. We have a butler called Jonas assigned to look after us when we are not checking out the marine life. This barefoot luxury resort has been built with local materials, by 450 subsitence fishermen islanders trained by rhe resort in building techniques, from making the bricks, raising the roofs, and crafting the furniture. The resort now employs 100 locals, has built a primary school for 400 kids, sponsors secondary school education for island kids on thr mainland, and has just built the island's first clinic all through the Azura Rainbow Fund. A few pics from an overnight inspection at Chobe Elephant Camp, a very good value for money camp if you want to be close to the Chobe River, but away from the crowds of Kasane. There were lots of ellies, a couple of herds of buffalo around 400-strong, a pride of 8 lazy lions, but the cherry for me was this very cool and rarely-sighted Caracal. We work hard at what we do, we put in long hours, we do the extra miles to find special places and to really know our products, and keep our field knowledge at the highest levels in the business, and we take the time to build excellent relationships with our suppliers in order to get the best deals for our clients. And the main reason we do it is to give away the fruits of our success. The two things that make us happy the most are happy clients and good feedback, and seeing the fruits of our donations. Many of them are hard to see - we don't really see the effect of giving to Malaria No More, Water Aid, or the Rhino Trust, though we do get much satisfaction from their updates and reports of positive news - but when we get to see tangible results, we are beaming. Today I got some photos and videos from the kindergarten at Ishinde in rural Tanzania, where we contribute to the annual running costs. The project is amazing; a few determined, smart,local lads set up a foundation and decided to provide education for the pre-schoolers of their village. They raised money, built the school bit by bit, made helpful friends along the way, and now have 80 pre-schoolers attending the kindergarten. Education is the future, we believe at least, and many of our projects involve education of one sort or another. And who wouldn't smile at happy, well-fed, kiddies learning in a fun environment. February 2nd to 9th we took 10 lucky clients to Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos for a week of humpback whale watching and snorkelling. We were in the water with them 5 days out of 6, and spent 2.5 hours in the water with whales in total. We had mother and newly born calf action, a very pregnant female with suitors getting their courting in a bit early, and multiple mother-calf-two-male-escort encounters. We were lucky enough to encounter some very friendly dolphins. 5 guests also joined Ines for morning Nomad Yoga. We return next year, February 8th to the 15th. Join us. More info here. Just back from 2 weeks with clients on St Helena. Here are a few images. I don't have many as I picked up an ear infection on the 2nd day, and only did 3 days diving out of 10. The whale shark action was plentiful, the Chilean Devil Rays put in numerous appearances, we spotted a few hammerheads at the surface, and we spotted most of the endemic St Helena fish life, and even saw a tiny non-endemic frogfish to boot. Join us in 2020 - find out more here. There is a video available here https://gopro.com/v/MJWXa2amMG68R I'm sitting in Douglas-Charles Airport's cafe, selecting my favourite images from the last two weeks here in Dominica on our special permit Sperm whale swims. Two weeks ago, after the first two days with no whales seen or heard, i was wondering if this year's trips would be a damp squib compared to my last visit in 2016. I needn't have worried. From day three, the whales came to the party, with up to nine individuals, from three "units" or families, cavorting together. On the second week, the group had in-water encounters with whales every one of the first four days, and a brief Pilot whale swim, though, to give them the full gamut of whale watching experiences, on the last day they were silent again. Interactions lasted from 60 seconds, to 35 minutes at a time. Some days we travelled from the southern tip of the island to the far north searching until 3 PM, other days we found them in less than an hour and were back on the deck having tea and medals before 2PM. 2019's two weeks are both full already, there are spots left in 2020. See here. |
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