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"When one tugs at a single thing in nature... he
finds it attached to the rest of the world."
- John Muir |
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| Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - South Africa | April 2008 | ||||||||
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 I have now had the distinct pleasure and privilege of having stayed at all of Sabi Sabi's four 5-star luxury lodges. Each of my visits have been rewarded with uncompromising luxury and superb service, not to mention the many excellent wildlife sightings that have produced some exceptional photographic opportunities. Sabi Sabi is renowned for providing visitors with intimate encounters with Africa's Big 5, with this last visit proving no exception. Tucked away deep in the bush is the most intimate and secluded lodge of them all - Sabi Sabi's Little Bush Camp, my favourite. The pool deck overlooks a riverbed where animals cross only meters away from you. For those who really want to get away from it all, in tranquility and peace, in your very own world, glowing with contemporary warmth and comfort. The suites are widely spaced from one another for the ultimate in privacy. Romantic meals in the boma are the perfect way to end each day. And the breakfasts and lunches are just as delicious. Click here to read more... |
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| The Leopards of Londolozi - South Africa | April 2007 | ||||||||
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 In April 2007, I visited Londolozi, one of the premier private game reserves in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, just west of the world famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. I was extremely privileged and fortunate to be the guest of BeJay Watson and the Varty family who provided a safari experience virtually unmatched in my 10 years of travel throughout Africa. BeJay, Shan, Dave, Bronwyn and Boyd, as well as the Tree Camp and Pioneer Camp Teams - thank you so much for the wonderful welcome and warm hospitality extended to me during my stay. Alfred my driver and Bennet my guide, thank you for introducing me to Mashabeni, she was so beautiful! Over the past thirty years the leopards of Londolozi have developed legendary status, owing to the truly remarkable partnership between the leopards and rangers and trackers. These naturally elusive creatures have become Londolozi’s icon species and guests regularly witness remarkable leopard sightings. I was really fortunate to get this photographic opportunity of Mashabeni, the female leopard, moments before she caught a duiker. It was amazing to see how she allowed her young male cub that was accompanying her to "play" with the prey, preparing him for his eventual independence. Click here to read more... |
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| Amboseli National Park - Kenya | April 2007 | ||||||||
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In April 2007, I led a group to
visit Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Amboseli
National Park provides the classic Hollywood image of
Africa. Set in rolling savannah scenery it is dwarfed by
the presence of the pink-tinged, snow-capped peak of
Mount Kilimanjaro which, at 5,896 meters, is the highest
free-standing mountain in the world and topped by one
fifth of all the ice in Africa. Against this magnificent
backdrop roam vast herds of elephant accompanied by a
kaleidoscope of other fabulous beasts - lion, buffalo,
cheetah, giraffe, baboon, gazelle, hippo and wildebeest
to name but a few. There are also over 400 species of
birds, all manner of reptilian, flora and fauna and some
of the most soul-searing views in Africa. |
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| The Okavango Delta - Botswana | November 2006 | ||||||||
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 In November 2006, I visited the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and stayed at Wilderness Safari's luxury camp Vumbura Plains. Vumbura Plains (pronounced Voombera) Camp is a luxury camp situated to the north of Mombo, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta. The Vumbura Reserve offers both land and water activities in a park that has a wonderful variety of habitats and a great diversity of wildlife. The reserve offers an enormous traversing area of close on 130 000 acres. Click here to read more...
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| Photographic Safari - Rwanda | August 2006 | ||||||||
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 In August 2006, I led a group of very keen wildlife photographers on a 10-day photographic safari to Rwanda. Our group travelled to the east of the country to visit Akagera National Park, to the south to visit Nyungwe Forest, to the west on a boat trip on Lake Kivu and to the north to visit the mountain gorillas in the Volcanos National Park. Click here to see the map.
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| Photographic Safari - Tanzania | April 2006 | ||||||||
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 In April 2006, I led a group of very keen wildlife photographers on a 9-day photographic safari through the Serengeti National Park, Olduvai Gorge, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Manyara area, all making up the so called "Northern Circuit" of Tanzania. Our group was fortunate to experience exceptional sightings of the Big 5, including the highly endangered black rhino, which was sighted in the Ngorongoro Crater. Our group was also treated to an exceptional sighting of the only active volcano in Tanzania - Ol Doinyo Lengai (the Masai translation for "Mountain of God"). Ol Doinyo Lengai erupted on the 30th March 2006, forcing approximately 3,000 people to evacuate the immediate vacinity. The last significant eruption was in 1983, though the inside of the crater is active all year round. The group was treated to a low fly-over of the summit, allowing for some spectacular photography. Click here to read more... |
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| Lake Nakuru - Kenya | October 2005 | ||||||||
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 In
October 2005, I travelled through Kenya and visited Lake Nakuru, world
famous as the feeding grounds of tens of thousands of
both lesser and greater flamingos. Surrounding the lake
is the Lake Nakuru National Park where, apart from the flamingos,
more than 400 species of birds can be seen. Hippos,
reedbuck, waterbuck, black & white rhino, giraffe, buffalo,
lion, leopard and bushbuck are also present. Between the
lake and the cliffs in the west, large pythons inhabit the
dense woodland, and can often be seen crossing the roads or
dangling from trees.Created in 1961, this park covers 180 sq km and now rivals Amboseli as the second most visited park in Kenya after the Masai Mara. Like most of the other Rift Valley lakes, Lake Nakuru is a shallow soda lake. For a number of years the water level decreased steadily to the point where the lake was almost dry between the rains, forcing the huge flamingo population, once synonymous with the lake, to seek pinker pastures elsewhere, mainly on Lake Bogoria. |
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| Gorillas in the Mist - Rwanda | October 2005 | ||||||||
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 In
October 2005, I trekked into the Virunga Mountains of
Rwanda in search of the rare and endangered Mountain
Gorilla. Over a two day period, two groups were
encountered, Group 13 and the Sabyinyo Group, with
exceptional close encounters allowing for some fantastic
photographic opportunities.Nothing prepares you for that surge of emotion when you first look into a gorilla’s eyes. However much you’ve anticipated the moment, the mutual recognition between man and animal is profoundly and surprisingly moving. Countless visitors recount the exhilaration of meeting these gentle giants. On a continent renowned for unparalleled wildlife, it’s generally held at the apex of the game-viewing pyramid. Watching them play, feed, relax or share affection in the rich, damp bamboo forest captivated the American primatologist Dian Fossey for almost two decades. Her life among the gorillas was celebrated in the film Gorillas in the Mist, which was partially shot on location in Rwanda. |
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| Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) - United Arab Emirates | December 2004 | ||||||||
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 In
December 2004, I joined the UAE Photo Club on a 3-day
unforgettable overland adventure through a section of
the Empty Quarter, or Rub al-Khali as it is more
traditionally known. In the south of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and spilling over into the neighbouring
countries of the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen is
the famous Rub al-Khali (the Empty Quarter), a massive,
trackless expanse of shifting sand dunes - one of the
largest sand deserts in the world - which covers an area
of more than 250,000 square miles (650,000 square
kilometers) and extends to 1,200 by 500 kilometers.The Rub al-Khali is a world of harsh extremes that may rank as both the least, and most, hospitable place on Earth receiving almost no rain at all, although on the first day of our trip we did experience a light shower. The team of 5 vehicles ventured into this vast desert under strict expedition conditions requiring self sufficiency To view a mini-video (uses Flash) on the National Geographic site, go here. |
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| Overland through Namibia | December 2002 | ||||||||
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In December 2002,
I
led a two week overland expedition covering more than
6,000 Kms. Starting from Cape Town in South Africa, we traveled through some of the most spectacular
areas of Namibia, including Sossussvlei, the
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Damaraland, Etosha Game
Reserve and Kaokoland, finally reaching the magnificent
Epupa Falls, located along the Kunene River, which forms
the border between Namibia and Angola. Located in the far north-west, Kaokoland (also called Kaokoveld) is one of the relatively untouched regions in Namibia. The almost inaccessible area south of the Kunene river is the home of the Himba ethnic group, who have kept their ethnic individuality and culture in the seclusion of Kaokoland. |
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| Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve - South Africa | July 2000 | ||||||||
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 I
have returned to the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve on
numerous photographic safaris. Sabi Sabi is located in
the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which adjoins the south
western boundary of the Kruger National Park in the
Mpumalanga Lowveld/Eastern Transvaal Lowveld. Southern
Africa intrigues everyone who is lucky enough to
experience its power and magic. The concept of 'Safari'
conjures up images of adventure, thrilling landscapes
and absorbing wildlife. The advantage of Sabi Sabi
Safaris stems from the fact that animals on the Reserve
have not been hunted for over half a century. Because
they have become habituated, they perceive the outline
of a vehicle carrying humans as non-threatening.
Visitors can therefore look forward to the unique
experience of being driven extraordinarily close to the
large mammals which, despite being totally wild,
continue unperturbed in their natural patterns of
hunting, feeding, mating and suckling. Each morning and
evening, Safaris in open Landrovers drive through a wide
variety of habitats, allowing you to view the vast
interactions of the wild. After breakfast, guests on
guided walking trails can experience the natural
environment on foot. The dedicated, skilled and
passionate Rangers lead you to discover miracles of
Nature you may never have dreamed existed.
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