Travel Africa

Well, what a year it has been! In my editorial for issue 89, back in January, I said it felt like the world was in a bit of a mess and that we had become more aware of the need to be kinder to each other and to the planet. And then Covid-19 came alon

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Usually thick, grey and covering large portions of the sky, stratus clouds are the harbingers of dreary overcast weather. The higher cirrostratus (above 18,000ft) contains ice crystals that bend rays of light to create a halo around the sun. If they

Flight shame. It touches a nerve among thinking, caring travellers, putting us on the defensive. We know that planes emit greenhouse gases and pollute the atmosphere, but many of us choose to look the other way. Before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, a

Will we make it back in time? The storm clouds have been building all morning and now, as our Land Cruiser lurches towards camp, lightning flashes along the horizon and a sky of rumbling purple hangs above us, poised to burst. The first heavy drops c

The arrival of the rains is perhaps more noticeable in the Luangwa Valley than in most parks. The Luangwa River that forms the spine of the South Luangwa National Park floods every year, rising by as much as six metres. In places the floodplain is se

Height of the rainy season; high humidity. Scores of migrant bird species. Heavy rains. Thick, lush vegetation. Birds still in abundance. Rains still heavy. Most summer avian visitors leave. Rains abate. Flood peaks in the Panhandle. Cooler nights. A

Radio collars: researchers have fitted radio collars on to a select number of wildebeest, with the trackers regularly relaying information back to the team, telling them exactly where the animals are and how they are moving — for example, if it is a

Recent research suggests that the mantle of leadership rotates around the herd, based on an individual’s motivation. For example, one animal starts feeling hungrier than the rest of the herd and its individual response becomes stronger than its herdi

In Kenya, there is a wildebeest contingent that doesn’t venture south and instead performs its own mini-migration, trekking from the banks of the Mara River to the Loita Plains, just north of the Masai Mara. “[In March], all these animals should be i

Look closely at this acacia and you will notice that it produces long, straight spines, always in pairs and often with a large bulbous base. Look closer still and you will find tiny entry/exit holes in these swollen nodes which have been made by ants

Most visitors to The Gambia sizzle on sunshine beaches, scarcely venturing inland to explore West Africa’s most interesting and navigable river. Yet the arrival of a 49-berth Greek luxury yacht, Harmony V, is an exciting opportunity to experience the

In April 2018 I was driving across the flat expanse of Tsavo East National Park. A huge storm was hanging over the Voi River to the east; dark curtains of rain trailing below the cloud. As I approached the storm blew away and the sun came out, but th

1 Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park protects gallery forest and savannah next to the River Gambia. Wildlife here includes chimpanzee, lion, leopard, eland, a large population of elephant and over 350 species of bird. 2 A boat trip from Timbuktu al

On past safaris I have sometimes felt a disconnect between the accommodation and the natural environment I’ve come to enjoy. Are diesel generators really necessary? Should guests be receiving single-use plastic water-bottles? Do certain supplies need

Once the rains have gone seasonal camps spring up, welcoming guests for six-nine months before being carefully packed away again when the storms return. There are many such facilities in Zambia, including Three Rivers and Island Bush Camp in South Lu

The sweet, distinctive smell of fresh dung filled my nostrils as we crunched along the gravel track, spraying a torrent of tiny particles of moist sand in our wake. We passed through an emerald and gold tunnel of branches, the swish of brushing leave

Tourism has people at its heart; connecting with one another and moving from A to Z via everywhere in between. Never did I imagine a scenario where aircraft fleets would be grounded, borders closed and the tourism world coming to a grinding halt, yet

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