Travel Africa

We were out on an early morning game drive in the Maasai Mara and had already managed a “cat-trick” (seeing all the big cats) before breakfast, when Sam, our resident Amazing Mara Camp guide, suddenly jumped on the brakes and grabbed his binoculars. He couldn’t see anything clearly, so drove up the road a bit further before turning down a disused track towards one lonely dead tree trunk in the middle of the plains. As we approached, a young serval clambered up the tree and hung on, rear legs dangling, before its sibling appeared and the two began to chase each other around. We stopped the car a short distance away and soon spotted the mum and a third kitten relaxing in the grass. We spent at least 20 minutes with them…

What makes you decide to choose one particular place to visit over another? Perhaps a friend recommends it, you see a programme on TV, a post on social media or are inspired by a book or a magazine article. Maybe it is simply your tour operator’s suggestion, an expert’s advice. But ultimately there will be some trigger, something that piques your interest: the prospect of seeing an animal or wildlife event, the appeal of a camp or activity, the lure of a landscape. I’ve been pondering this while editing this issue, particularly when working on our big wildlife-lover’s guide to Tanzania starting on page 28. The country is colossal, with so many alluring attractions, the weight of the words felt particularly important. How do you summarise a park in such a way…

As the pioneers of the Silent Safari in Zambia, extending solar power to even their e-Cruisers, e-Boats and e-Mountainbikes, GreenSafarisis constantly determined to push the boat (or game vehicle, or bike) out a little further when it comes to using eco-innovations to heighten their luxury guest experience. In 2021, despite the many challenges of the year, Green Safaris recovered 100 percent of their carbon emissions, making them one of the first safari companies to claim total carbon neutrality: Their lodges, as well as their land and water fleet, are powered in the majority by solar farms; their building operations are made more sustainable thanks to the innovation of sandbag building; they provide zero single-use plastics; and they grow much of their own organic produce. But these initiatives alone merely minimise the Green Safaris…

<INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE> TUK TO THE ROAD One of the best things to emerge from lockdown must be the Tuk South crew. Jasper, Josh, Ivo and Robbie are four conservation-minded adventurers who are now six months into an epic adventure, driving (sometimes dragging or pushing) two 8HP Piaggio Tuk-Tuks from Kenya to Cape Town. Why? To raise awareness of and funds for wildlife rangers and anti-poaching units across Africa. Supported by the charity For Rangers, in partnership with Save The Rhino International, the lads are filming a documentary on how the pandemic has affected conservation as well as those brave rangers on the frontline of wildlife protection. So far, highlights have included spending time with the rangers from Big Life in Kenya’s Kimana Sanctuary, hanging out with beach chimps and the Tongwe Trust rangers…

<FOOD FOR THE SOUL> Since suffering from mental health challenges like psychosis, I have found art to be an extremely helpful coping mechanism and I’ve noticed the benefits it brings, such as decreasing my anxiety and stress levels. It also allows me to channel my passions for Africa, wildlife and nature. Understanding of mental health conditions is increasing, and there is a compelling case that immersing oneself in creative activity has a positive impact on mental and physical health, whether you are an artist or not. You can explore techniques such as meditative or expressive drawing and much more. Art serves as a great relaxation tool that can slow the mind; the creative process itself offers much needed respite. I believe that everyone has an inner artist that needs to be nurtured. Through art…

Growing up in the small wildlife-enthused community of Victoria Falls, Tichaona Ncube had the privilege of regularly interacting with wild animals while herding cattle. This exposure inspired him to create sketches of cows and wildlife, and sparked a lifelong passion to protect Zimbabwe’s natural beauty through art. Tich believes that one of the most important ways to engage children to conserve wildlife is through art: “Art has a distinct and subtle way of speaking to the soul which, when done properly, provides a platform to communicate conservation messages without a struggle.” He runs programmes through Arts for Animals, aimed at developing talented young artists within the community. I met Tich in June 2021, when we spoke together on David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist panel. I was struck by his enthusiasm for addressing…