I soon discovered that in the Selous at least, whilst the November rains had arrived on time and begun to transform the habitat as expected, the reserve had then received little rain in December or January. Some of the grasses that had sprung up had withered and died and the leaves on the bushes were visibly wilting. It is difficult to gauge exactly how much effect this lack of rain has had in game-viewing terms, but there is no doubt that game-viewing conditions in February would normally be more challenging than I experienced. Never-the-less, wild dogs, lion and leopard were seen by guests from different camps during my 3 day visit.

I began to wonder how dry Ruaha might be, but within seconds of landing I had my answer as I stood watching zebra heads moving through six foot high grass close to the airstrip. This is the primary concern we have with green season game-viewing – if sizeable creatures can be  mostly hidden from view, what chance is there of finding smaller species. There are of course several other realities – the heat and humidity (especially in Selous), the potential for rain affected activities, limited road networks for game-viewing, and the typical ‘spreading out’ of animals during times of plenty.

This year in Ruaha the rains had actually arrived late in December and for this reason the park was indeed a pretty lush paradise, though perhaps ‘paradise’ would include fewer tsetse flies! I did find predators during my three night visit, especially lions, but we had to work hard to find them and there is no doubt it will be far easier from late June onwards. Elephant viewing was good, but buffalo were nowhere to be seen, moving away at is time of year to more remote regions of the park. Some, but not all, areas suffer heavily from tsetse flies at this time of year  (the breeding season makes them more active), and certain routes are not passable due to poor road conditions, but the birding was excellent and the scenery really stunning.

If I look back at what I saw in six days on safari, I think it is a pretty impressive list for a ‘green season’ and it certainly was enough to make the trip worthwhile. My safari was not a wash-out, limitations and inconveniences were manageable, the scenery was beautiful, I saw few other safari vehicles and the birding was terrific (as always expected in the green season). However, there is no doubt that conditions are much more challenging and potentially limiting during the green season, and nobody should embark on a wildlife safari to southern Tanzania at this time of year unaware of these realities. If your priority is big game and predators, then stick to traditional dry season times for the best experiences. Ultimately, I think it all comes down to personal choice and ambition.

Newsletter Jan 13 by

The iconic Table Mountain towers over the city and you can hike or take the revolving cable car to the top. We took the cable car on this occasion, but whatever you decide the view from the top is the same – spectacular!

The beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens lie on the lower slopes of Table Mountain and cover an area of 528 hectares with 36 hectares of cultivated garden. Fynbos, proteas, cycads and rolling lawns are intermingled with streams, ponds and well-laid out pathways for easy walking. Whether you visit for a casual stroll and lazy picnic, or a more in depth botanical experience, the gardens are a must see when visiting Cape Town.

Spend a few hours on an excursion to the famous Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years, a truly unforgettable experience which offers a glimpse into the life and times of the apartheid era.

We also took a drive to Cape Point, enjoying spectacular coastal scenery especially along the Chapman’s Peak drive out of Hout Bay. En route back to Cape Town, we stopped off at Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African Penguins.

Within easy reach of Cape Town, and only a couple of hours drive east, is Hermanus, the whale watching capital of the world! I loved my stay in the heart of this quaint town, hugging the famous coastal area of Walker Bay where Southern Right whales are often spotted close to the shoreline during whale season (July through to November). A personal highlight for me was a boat based whale-watching trip giving us the opportunity to really get up close to these gentle giants.

The next day, I took to the ocean again, this time in search of the Great White shark! In years past you had to be a fully qualified diver but this is no longer the case and you can easily enter the cage with simply a wet suit and mask. When a shark approaches you pull yourself underwater for the sighting. I was a little dubious at the thought of getting in a cage but the excitement got the better of me as I waited for the call. ‘Down, eyes right’. With my heart pounding, I ducked underwater to see a four metre Great White approach and glide by – my eyes fixed on him and more disconcertingly, his on me! In the early years, Shark cage diving had a bad reputation regarding bating. However this has changed considerably, and reputable companies follow strict ethical guidelines. Each trip is accompanied by a marine biologist to records all sightings, and the company I used were dedicated conservationists working hard to raise money to conserve these endangered predators.

My final few days were spent in the beautiful winelands region, about an hours drive outside Cape Town. The village of Franschhoek has an idyllic feel with Victorian whitewashed houses backed by rolling vineyards and the soaring slopes of the Franschhoek Mountains. A visit to the area is of course enhanced with some excellent wine tasting and I would highly recommend having a guide and vehicle for the day. I had a superb day visiting many vineyards and learning about the history of the industry as well as the various grape varieties, and of course was able to sample many difference wines!

As well as enjoying all these wonderful activities, I also managed to fit in a huge number of hotel and guesthouse inspections – there are so many places to stay in the Cape! Almost every style of accommodation is catered for, from friendly, owner run guesthouses to the ultimate in five star luxury. It is easy to see why Cape Town and the extended Cape region is so popular!

This routing will also allow travellers to the great East African plains much easier onward access to the fantastic wilderness areas of Botswana – the Chobe, Savuti, Selinda and Okavango.

Contact us now to plan your safari of a lifetime.

Departure dates on 20^th, 22^nd, 24^th January and 01^st, 03^rd February 2013 starting in Arusha.

Basic itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Kilimanjaro/Arusha to be met and transferred to Arusha Coffee Lodge for overnight (dinner included)

Day 02: Morning tour of coffee plantation. After lunch, transfer to airport and fly to Tarangire National Park. Two nights Tarangire Treetops (full board and activities)

Day 04: Game drive en route to airstrip with picnic lunch. Early afternoon flight to Ngorongoro highlands. Arrive Manyara airstrip and transfer to The Manor at Ngorongoro for two nights.

On Day 05, you’ll enjoy a full day excursion into the famous Ngorongoro Crater, game-viewing on the Crater floor and taking a picnic lunch to avoid having to return to the lodge early (full board and activities).

Day 06: Morning departure for Lake Manyara National Park where you enjoy a game drive. Connect with afternoon flight to Serengeti for two nights at Serengeti Migration Camp. Game-viewing on the plains each day (full board and activities).

Day 08: Morning game-viewing. PM flight back to Arusha. Chance to relax before transferring to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight out (breakfast and lunch).

Price includes all local travel described, meals as described, all game-viewing and excursions as detailed, National Park and Crater fees, house drinks and laundry service.

Extras: visas (US$50 per person), travel insurance, optional expenses and gratuities, international flights.

The itinerary will work very well with KLM flights from Europe into Kilimanjaro International Airport. Book your own or contact us.

EXPERIENCE the savannah of the BBC’s AFRICA series

Call us now to book your place +44 (0) 1787 888590

Last night’s first episode of AFRICA on BBC1 gave a spectacular glimpse of the Kalahari and Namib regions of southern Africa. Amazing photography showed off areas of Namibia particularly well, including the remote Hoanib River, the Namib and Etosha National Park.

Roll on the second episode on Wednesday 09 January which features the savannah.

Uganda as a safari destination tends to be considered primarily if people wish to view mountain gorillas in the wild – the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the best places to see them. However, both Bwindi, and Uganda as a whole, offer far more than just seeing gorillas.

Many other primates, including our closest relative, the chimpanzee, can be seen throughout the various national parks. The scenery is stunning throughout with particular highlights being Murchison Falls on the Nile River, The Ruwenzori ‘Mountains of the Moon’, the Virunga Volcanoes, lakes Victoria, Albert, George and Edward, Mount Elgon and the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Big-game is found in good quantities in Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo and Murchison Falls national parks, and interesting cultural experiences and photographical opportunities await around every corner.

In addition to all this, Uganda is a fantastic birding destination and after the gorillas, birding is probably the second biggest reason people to travel to Uganda – we covered much of the country over November/December and the variety of habitat is incredible, allowing Uganda to support over 1000 species. There are rich forests home to colourful birds such as the Greater Blue turaco, open plains where Crowned cranes gather and Bateleur eagles soar, river courses that are teeming with herons and kingfishers, and swamps that are home to one of Africa’s rarest and most unusual species, the shoebill.

One of my aims for the trip was to ‘unearth’ a fantastic birding guide, and we did just that. In fact, I think we really hit the jackpot with a guide who runs his own private tailor-made birding tours. He’s a lovely person to tour the country with too!

Amazing birds, big game, gorillas, chimps and other primates, friendly people and beautiful scenery – yes, Uganda really does have it all!