Travel Africa

heaven can wait

“My team encountered this isolated giraffe late one afternoon on the dry lake, and it immediately seemed core to the prevailing mood to emphasize the dust being kicked up by the giraffe’s hooves,” explains photographer David Yarrow. “Amboseli is all about dust and its capture should make the picture, not be ancillary to it. This meant not only shooting into the light, but also shooting from behind the giraffe. This was at odds with a fairly standard rule of mine to be positioned ahead of or at least parallel to a moving subject, but given all the other factors involved, it appeared breaking this rule would be the most effective way to tell the story.” This hard-won photograph, and that on the following page, feature in David Yarrow’s exceptional new book,…

karibu

I have never met Reza Pakravan, and I am not sure I really should. I imagine he oozes the extreme conidence and self-assuredness that all explorers have from spending years out of their comfort zone, testing their limits in out of the way places most of us would never venture near. Meeting him might bruise my own inlated sense of myself as an adventurer. There’s been a Great Explorer in me all my life – which of us hasn’t had ambitions to hitch-hike across distant lands and live among strange cultures? – and while he might not get out as often as he would like, the dreams are still there (the beds are more comfortable now, though). The reality is that my travel experiences have been considerably less exciting than I might…

travel africa

Travel Africa is published quarterly by: GECKO PUBLISHING LTD travelafricamag.com safariplanner.co.uk facebook.com/TA.magazines @Travelafricamag travelafricamagazine Tel +44 (0)1844 278883 Editorial editor@travelafricamag.com Advertising partner@travelafricamag.com Subscriptions service@travelafricamag.com CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Mary Askew, Jo Austin, Laura Birtles, Phil Clisby, Shelley Cox, Adam Cruise, Cindy-Lou Dale, Greg Fox, Brian Jackman, Sarah Kingdom, Charlie Lynam, Yousif Nur, Reza Pakravan, Dick Pitman, Mark Shelton, Catrina Stewart, Mark Stratton, Richard Trillo, Morgan Trimble, Mike Unwin, Lizzie Williams, Sally Wynn-Pitman TRAVEL AFRICA EXTRA To receive our free monthly e-mag and occasional newsletters by email, join our mailing list at travelafricamag.com. We do not share data or allow third party mailings. Your email address will be used purely in accordance with our Privacy Policy. ON THE COVER Lioness and cub, by Billy Dodson, from Remembering Lions Linked to our story on page 122, a lion’s pawprint ends every feature in this issue awf.org | africanwildlife@awf.org AfricanWildlifeFoundation @AWF_Official @africanwildlifefoundation Kenya Ngong Rd,…

storytellers

RICHARD TRILLO KENYA Q&A, P80 “I didn’t know anything about Kenya. After biking and thumbing my way across Africa, I arrived in a high, sunlit land of mountains and lakes, plains teeming with megafauna, and chaotic, multi-ethnic towns. I was full of questions. Would I be able to cycle into the wildlife parks? What was the ‘great migration’? How dangerous is it to camp under a coconut tree? After six months I had some answers and the start of a lifetime of Kenya addiction. Inspiring my clients with Kenya holiday plans has always been a huge pleasure, and if I can also impart a little knowledge about what makes the country tick, then I’m even happier.” MARY ASKEW FAMILY PLAN, P146 “Fifteen years ago, when travelling through Africa pre-children, I wrote in my diary that…

indaba

Hwange, Zimbabwe Hwange is one of the least visited parks in southern Africa and Nantwich Lodge is in the quietest corner, people wise. Once a secluded ZimParks camp, Nantwich was always a well-kept secret in an area famed for its roan and sable antelope and big cats. I have spent weeks here (seeing cheetah on my most recent two visits) and some of my earlier novels are based in the area. I was heartbroken when the camp was abandoned so I leapt at the opportunity to join some friends and invest in the rebuilding of the lodge. This is where I want my ashes scattered. TONY PARK’S 17TH AFRICAN NOVEL, GHOST OF THE PAST, IS NOW OUT. SEE NANTWICH LODGE AT HIDEAWAYSAFRICA.COM WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? EMAIL editor@travelafricamag.com…

southern boy

Ollie’s roots may be buried deep amongst the wetlands and lily pads of the Okavango Delta, but his heart is with the dry scrubland of the Boteti region, a little-explored wilderness which he is proud to call home. “Working here is quite amazing because it’s totally different from where I was born. Looking at the habitat, the plants and the wildlife – it’s all different. Because in this area you will find animals like springboks, oryx and also brown hyenas. Way down in the delta where I am from you can’t find those animals there because it is too wet for them.” Over the years Ollie has worked in many wilderness areas of Botswana. Still, the Boteti region holds a soft place in his heart. “Botswana is not all about Okavango Delta…