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Jack Kramer of Fayetteville knows some things most of us will never experience. Such as that Cape buffalo tastes an awful lot like beef. And leopard tastes like pork, but stringy. Kramer, 55, and his wife Erma have lived in the area since moving here from Pittsburgh four or five years ago. He is a …
Jack Kramer of Fayetteville knows some things most of us will never experience.
Such as that Cape buffalo tastes an awful lot like beef. And leopard tastes like pork, but stringy.
Kramer, 55, and his wife Erma have lived in the area since moving here from Pittsburgh four or five years ago. He is a working service representative for Grove, a division of Manitowoc Crane.
Well, that’s what he does for a living. What he is all about is hunting, especially big game hunting.
It is a passion that has him out in woods and fields every season. Every few years, he heads off to more exotic places, such as Africa, where he has hunted in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
In Canada he hunted black bear and caribou; in Scotland, it was
highlands red stag and roe deer. In Australia he was after wild boar, feral goats, and various species of deer.
In an earlier trip to Zimbabwe, he hunted kudu, blue wildebeest, impala, zebra, and bushbuck. In South Africa, his game included eland, gemsbok, blesbok, and waterbuck. Namibia saw him hunting leopard, waterbuck, black wildebeest, gemsbok, and red hartebeest.
This summer, Kramer headed out on a 15-day hunt in Zimbabwe, a nation in the southern part of the African continent.
“We left on the 29th of June, and got back on the 17th of July,” he said.
Hunting for big game is not without its challenges. During the most recent Zimbabwe hunt, Kramer and his group were chased out of a blind by elephants.
“When you have a bull
elephant five yards from you in the dark, a .375 is not a big enough rifle,” Kramer said in a remarkable bit of understatement. “The bad part is, we had the leopard on the bait at the time.”
He also had to fire a warning shot into the ground to discourage a lioness curious about what was going on in the blind. She got the hint, Kramer said.
He described the area as a game hunter’s dream.
“We saw a lot of the big five — elephant and lion every day, Cape buffalo and the leopard. The area is better known for the dangerous game, but there is plenty of plains game, such as zebra, impala, kudu, and things like that. I was concentrating on leopard and Cape buffalo.”
The buffalo Kramer shot was of good size, but no record. It weighed in at between 1,500 to 1,600 pounds, and had a horn spread of 37.5 inches, which is within normal range. Kramer estimates it was eight or nine years old.
“He was a ‘boss’ buffalo, which means that the ‘boss,’ or central area between the right and left horns, had grown completely solid,” he said.
Killing one is nothing at all like shooting a cow. The Cape buffalo is considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in the world. Think of a VW Beetle with horns and a bad disposition.
According to Kramer and several other sources, the Cape buffalo is a member of the Big Five in Africa, along with elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinos. They grow to more than five feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh as much as about 1,800 pounds. They cause more human deaths than the others in their group. Only the hippo and crocodile killed more humans yearly in Africa.
The Cape buffalo is known to kill lions foolhardy enough to attack them. They are known for their ferocity, and males or females will attack any hunter who manages only to wound.
For that reason, Kramer said, there is only a certain class of weapon to use. He used a Krieghoff double rifle, which resembles a double-barreled shotgun. This particular rifle fires a cartridge called a 450/400 Nitro Express, a sort of baby artillery round. It fires a bullet nearly half an inch an inch wide, an inch or so long, weighing about an ounce. When the bullet leaves the gun, it has a punch of about two tons of force.
Using anything smaller won’t do the trick.
Kramer said the hunting camp sampled everything that was killed, but “the local villages get most of the meat, and the money from the hunter’s fee. It’s worthwhile. It helps their economy.”
The leopard Kramer killed weighed about 135 pounds, and was nearly seven feet from nose to tail. The skull measured 16.2 inches. Kramer said that would qualify as a record if he troubles to do the paperwork. The cat was five or six years old.
“I don’t go every year,” he said. “I go for deer every year, but every three or four years I try to go somewhere for a trip. If I could afford it, I’d go a couple of times a year. But that’s not in the cards.
“I have a few things I’m working on; I’m always thinking about what’s coming next. If get back to Africa, I’ll be after elephant, but that’s someway in the distance. Otherwise, I’d like to get a moose, and I plan to go the Kamchatka in Russia for a brown bear.
“I just have to work it all out.”
MORE PHOTOS: View more snapshots of Jack Kramer’s trip to Zimbabwe at http://pinterest.com/ponews/african-safari-2013.
It’s useful, then, to know Chindeni means “fornication” in Nyanja, one of the native languages of Zambia. A favorite of honeymooners, the private chalets of Chindeni camp are tented, raised, and have hammocks overlooking an oxbow lagoon with two resident hippos. It’s also where, in typical safari fashion, we wake each day with the sunrise, …
It’s useful, then, to know Chindeni means “fornication” in Nyanja, one of the native languages of Zambia. A favorite of honeymooners, the private chalets of Chindeni camp are tented, raised, and have hammocks overlooking an oxbow lagoon with two resident hippos. It’s also where, in typical safari fashion, we wake each day with the sunrise, have breakfast (corn porridge, French-pressed coffee, thick bread toasted over glowing coals, local peanut butter), and clamber into a Land Rover for a morning drive.
Often, when it’s safe, our group will get out with Manda and walk around the bush, which requires a trained scout carrying a rifle to take the lead. The fact that our scout is six feet tall is comforting, but I only truly believe I won’t be maimed when he tells us that his first name is Priest.
When Manda finds something of interest, practically every three feet or so, he stops and speaks with a quiet authority. “The park can be dramatic,” he says. “Always be ready for surprises.” Many are underfoot. One lesson strangely left untold in The Lion King (and its two egregious sequels) is the disparities in mammal dung. Lion scat appears white because of calcium from all the bones they’ve consumed; buffalo waste looks as you’d expect, like giant, deeply furrowed raisins; an elephant’s dark pellets likely mean he ate earth to cure an upset stomach.
African civets are most active at night.
One afternoon, we encounter a herd of elephants, or “ellies,” as Manda nicknames them. “It’s tough to be an elephant,” he says. “They move about the bush all day eating.” Sounds familiar, I think, remembering our week of 6 a.m. breakfasts, 11 a.m. brunches, 4 p.m. tea times, and 8 p.m. dinners. The smaller ellies dutifully follow the herd. “Matriarch stops, everyone stops. Matriarch moves, everyone moves,” Manda says. “The matriarch is everything in the elephant world.”
More facts fly fast and furiously: the African wild dog (which we never find) is more closely related to the jackal than the dog; the gorgeous seven-colored lilac-breasted roller is the most photographed bird in Africa; hippos can hold their breath for eight minutes, and in order to mate, the males, those showoffs, possess what Manda calls “extended urinary instrumentation”—a nifty euphemism coined on safari by a creative physician and one that I tuck away for future cocktail conversation.
Not all is quiet and serene on the South Luangwa front, though. There are other stories, too, full of strife and injury, like the one where a water buffalo attacked two men near the airport, putting them in the hospital for two weeks. Sometimes animals are their own worst enemies. Wart hogs, which we often see darting in the middle of the road, can keep running and running, Manda says, but because they lack sweat glands, occasionally they’ll convulse and die. This fact makes me grateful for sweat glands for the first time.
Sightings of honey badgers are rare.
The guides and camp managers often talk about animals with the caveat “We shouldn’t anthropomorphize.” Yet even Manda laughs when we come across a group of male buffalo, calling them bachelors, old and alone, without a female in sight.
We also can’t help but reverse-anthropomorphize ourselves with the question, “If you could be any animal, which one would you be?” Manda has his answer at the ready: “A martial eagle,” he says. “Because in my dreams I’m always flying.” When asked to assign animals to everyone else in the group, he chuckles and wisely declines. No one wants to be told she’s a hippo.
Throughout the week, animals are plentiful: ambling giraffes; thieving baboons; napping lionesses; the elusive honey badger, so rare Manda hadn’t seen one in three years; and uncountable impala, so prevalent the running joke is that the furry white “M” around their tails stands for McDonald’s, because “there’s one on every corner.”
“The Famous Prague Corruption Safari”, announces the website, implying an exclamation mark. “Something entirely unique in the history of tourism. A safari of the habitats of cronies in the wild. Inconspicuous nests to divert unwanted attention. Ostentatious dens to intimidate the meek. The Safari takes care to keep pristine the natural habitats of these national …
“The Famous Prague Corruption Safari”, announces the website, implying an exclamation mark. “Something entirely unique in the history of tourism. A safari of the habitats of cronies in the wild. Inconspicuous nests to divert unwanted attention. Ostentatious dens to intimidate the meek. The Safari takes care to keep pristine the natural habitats of these national treasures.”
I know what you’re thinking: how did the citizens of Prague—Prague!—beat enterprising South Africans to a business concept that seems perfectly suited, indigenous even, to these parts? Corruption, as the CorruptTour people point out, is everywhere. Nor does it seem like the phenomenon is fading. Might as well monetise it. Might as well take some tourists along for the ride.
In the Czech Republic’s gilded, glinting capital, which on most days looks like a well-iced wedding cake, the intrigue is apparently not restricted to how much one can pay for a latte. The country, despite its European Union membership and its ostensibly First World veneer, is run by a legion of miscreants who seem intent on matching their one-time Russian masters in matters of filth. Ever since the Velvet Revolution terminated the old regime and heralded an age of democratic rainbowism, led by Vaclav Havel’s rectitude and forbearance, (sound familiar?), Prague has been a comfortable lair for those intent on self-enrichment and sexual relations with tall, leggy blondes in exchange for Louis Vuitton handbags.
Take the guy who used to run the joint, former President Vaclav Klaus, who was almost done for high treason after offering amnesty to a bus-load of individuals who were charged with financial misdeeds. There is the usual crowd of influence peddling lobbyists, with tight connections to power, some of whom are on trial for serious offences, like attempted murder. Take Roman Janousek, snagged in a wiretap sting for being too cozy with Prague’s mayor over the usual grab-bag of real-estate and office-appointments high jinx that we have become so familiar with. Janousek, referred to in the Czech press as Lord Voldemort—Harry Potter’s evil nemesis, and thus probably not meant as a compliment—allegedly had $8 million in cash in a sting that was designed to nail the Prime Minister in a related scandal.
As far as most Czechs are concerned, it’s been a long slither into the slime pit of reality since those heady days of Velvet, back when the Iron Curtain was being tentatively raised and the End of History was upon us. History didn’t end—instead, it turned into a farce. Presidents fighting corruption charges, their cronies with access to the levers of state power, all of them bankrolling lifestyles and systems of patronage that threaten the very mechanisms of governance that locals fought so hard to install? Yeah, we get it.
CorruptTour offers packages for individuals or groups, and drives or walks them around the city of Prague, offering glimpses of where the big game does its business. For $20, the intrepid trekker drifts through a city caught in the pincer grip of filth. “The best businesses,” the website reminds us, “take inputs that seem unpromising and conjure them into a stream of profits. The CorruptTour Travel Agency is one such business.”
Are you smelling what I’m smelling?
Just think about the possibilities for South Africa. We have the safari blather down pat (“the juvenile goshawk likes to forage blah, blah, blah…”), we have the capacity and skill sets to spread a warm blanket over the chilly knees of a German tourist in less than two seconds flat, and we love enriching Saudi Arabian princes by driving around in 4x4s looking for large apathetic beasts that are indifferent to our existence.
CorruptTour only implicates people who have been named and shamed in two reliable news sources, which in a South African context means the entire kleptocracy—there is almost no single current or former Minister whose house wouldn’t warrant a visit. There are the sidekicks and bit players, like the Glen Agliottis of the world. Perhaps sundowners and biltong could be taken in the parking lot of The New Age, the paper owned by President Jacob Zuma’s boon pals—our very own Voldemorts—the Guptas. The SABC would be like visiting the Etosha Pans at sun-up, so plentiful would the sightings be. Pretoria is our Okavango Delta—it would take a hardy 4×4 and an energetic guide to make it through the day.
A three-hour tour? Are you joking? The South African CorruptTour would necessarily involve day trips out of Gauteng. I’m thinking Limpopo, our very own Savannah plains. Where to begin in Limpopo? North West would be a nice little weekend trip. And then, of course, we veer south, where the Big One lurks, luring his prey, sharpening his claws, smacking his lips.
Nkandla.
Two hundred million rands’ worth of corruption safari bliss awaits the traveller. This is one of the world’s great presidential gangster palaces, and it’s right here in sunny Mzansi! Sun-up, sundown, high noon—doesn’t matter. There is always something to marvel at, something to admire, something to blow a billion digital bits and bites photographing with those absurdly long lenses that safari tourists employ as compensation for their shortcomings elsewhere.
I’m convinced: this is the next big thing. That CorruptTours in Prague is something of a performance art project makes it no less piquant, and no less useful. Who watches the watchmen? Why not us, for entertainment? Shooting big game with guns, followed shortly by cameras, is the second oldest pursuit in Africa. Time it gets an update. At the rate we’re going, there won’t be much actual big game left in a few years. But we can be certain that Nkandla will still be standing. DM
Photo: President Jacob Zuma’s residence in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, 4 November 2012. Picture: Giordano Stolley/SAPA.
Follow @MadeItInAfrica Pages: 1 2 The tourism industry is a major income earner and employment provider in many African countries. However, this industry faces many obstacles. The uprisings in North Africa, the threat of terrorist attacks, political instability and recession in developed countries have all negatively affected the tourism industry on the continent. Richard Corcoran …
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The tourism industry is a major income earner and employment provider in many African countries. However, this industry faces many obstacles. The uprisings in North Africa, the threat of terrorist attacks, political instability and recession in developed countries have all negatively affected the tourism industry on the continent.
Richard Corcoran
Richard Corcoran has been involved in the tourism industry in Kenya for over 30 years and has weathered many storms. Corcoran is the co-founder and president of Liberty Africa Safaris, a destination management company based in Kenya that provides services for tour operators from all over the world. The firm has a fleet of 40 minibuses and 25 Land Cruisers. The business also operates two lodges along the Kenyan coast, Delta Dunes Lodge and Kipalo Camp.
Last week a fire at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport left thousands of people stranded, many of them tourists. “It was a horrific week,” says Corcoran. “We had more than 50 people stranded here trying to leave and more than 50 people trying to get in to join the safaris. It [the fire] has cost us a lot of money but I must say I am also quite impressed… we were back in operation two and a half days later.”
Corcoran began running wildlife safaris as a young boy with his father, and fell in love with the bush. After completing high school he decided to start his own business with his wife Annie. “I used to do safaris with my dad. I grew up with a passion for the bush, a passion for Africa, a passion for the people and, slowly, over my whole life, [it’s become what I do best],” says Corcoran.
In 1997 Mario Enzesberger, founder and CEO of destination management group of companies Liberty International, joined one of Corcoran’s safaris as a client. Enzesberger enjoyed the trip and decided to expand into Africa through Corcoran’s business. “There was no way we could grow our little operation. We were never going to become major players. Today we are the third biggest operation in Kenya thanks to being part of an international group. Mario also has a big passion for Africa,” says Corcoran. With the backing of an international group, Liberty Africa Safaris was able to expand and now operates across Africa with offices in South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Libya and Kenya.
Corcoran says the expansion was partly inspired by the need to diversify into other markets as a cushion against difficult times in East Africa, referring to the 1998 bombing of the US embassy, repeated tribal clashes and post election violence in Kenya in 2008. “There are times here when things are really bad. Generally, when East Africa is not doing very well, South Africa is booming. If it is South Africa that is struggling like it did after the World Cup, then East Africa is booming and it kind of swings like a pendulum,” says Corcoran.
But the expansion also presented challenges. “The last time I saw our office in Libya was on the news and there was no wall on the front of it. The whole place was destroyed,” says Corcoran. The company’s Egypt branch has also been struggling since the country’s political unrest began in 2011. “The office has been downscaled,” says Corcoran. “In Egypt and Libya all [we] can do is keep our team. Tourism is all about people. You keep your team, your contacts… until things improve and then you reawaken everything. It is going to take time, but things will get better.”
In Kenya, the kidnapping of tourists in 2011 and last year’s tribal clashes in which more than 110 people were killed resulted in tourists cancelling their bookings at Delta Dunes Lodge.
Corcoran says such difficulties have brought out the resilience and tenacity of African people. “This is Africa. I struggle to explain to my partners how Africa works, how things can turn around so quickly, both for the positive and for the negative. Europe is all about stability.”
Passion for Africa
“In Africa everything is done with the heart, not with the head. If you sit down with a calculator and start doing all these risk analyses, then Africa is not for you,” he says. “You have to have a passion for Africa.”
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Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, the pristine 22 000 ha (54,000 acre) reserve situated in South Africa’s malaria free Eastern Cape, has reopened Melton Manor as an exclusive use villa. With emphasis placed on comfort, spaciousness and easy living the extensive refurbishment sees this lodge transformed into a luxuriously elegant yet laid-back safari home for guests …
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, the pristine 22 000 ha (54,000 acre) reserve situated in South Africa’s malaria free Eastern Cape, has reopened Melton Manor as an exclusive use villa.
With emphasis placed on comfort, spaciousness and easy living the extensive refurbishment sees this lodge transformed into a luxuriously elegant yet laid-back safari home for guests seeking privacy.
Remarkable attention to detail has been incorporated into the new décor to reflect the splendor of Melton Manor’s remote location and the scale of the surrounding landscape. Distinctively South African, feature pieces of simple colonial furniture have been sourced from across the Eastern Cape, up-sized deep comfortable sofas custom made whilst subtle game and bush references have been added throughout to embrace the local environment.
In contrast to the previous design a calm natural palette has been used to give this contemporary house its character and tone. Furthermore, the use of textured fabrics and hides as well as color built up in interesting layers along with the use of wood, stone, pewter, ceramic and wicker, and bespoke lamps, mirrors and tables, gives each of the four oversized suites a unique identity.
Considerable emphasis of the refurbishment has also been on repositioning Melton Manor into an exquisite yet practical option for families. The addition of a hidden perimeter fence and the opening up of the surrounding bushveld provides a safe environment for kids to explore and watch animals going about their day from safety. Interconnecting doors have also been added to each of the two large suites situated either side of the open courtyard, making it easier for parents to check on their children during the night. Also for the benefit of younger children the library has been made more user friendly and now an eclectic hideaway for reading, games and watching TV before bedtime.
This 900 square meter home will offer a variety of private spaces and open plan areas for guests young and old to relax and gather in when not out exploring the reserve: loungers on private decks for afternoon snoozes between safari excursions; covered and uncovered verandahs and decks for good weather dining and to gather and recount the day’s excitements; an interactive kitchen leading onto a dining area for cookery activity; a spacious lounge with handcrafted furniture and sofas to snuggle up on during cooler evenings, and a swimming pool with sunbeds for relaxation and tanning.
In keeping with its pristine wilderness setting, Melton Manor offers a magnificent whole-house experience for families and groups to enjoy themselves – and each other’s company – in. Providing a truly exclusive experience guests also have the use of a private 4×4 safari vehicle, ranger and tracker as well as a butler and chef inviting them to set the tone and order of events each day of their stay.
Costs starting from ZAR 16,530 per night based on 1 – 4 guests sharing (approx £275 per person per night) on full board basis, including meals, drinks and safari activities.
For more information and bookings contact Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: http://www.kwandwe.com/melton-manor/
Using Google Maps APIs, online visitors can now also see the insides of a fancy Emirates jet, a California car wash, the top of Mt. Fuji and more. Google Maps deliver more than just directions to far-away destinations. With the help of clever developers, Google Maps APIs are constantly being used to create cool, intriguing …
Using Google Maps APIs, online visitors can now also see the insides of a fancy Emirates jet, a California car wash, the top of Mt. Fuji and more.
Google Maps deliver more than just directions to far-away destinations. With the help of clever developers, Google Maps APIs are constantly being used to create cool, intriguing Websites and online features for visitors around the world.
With that in mind, it’s time for yet another eWEEK roundup of some of the most interesting sites recently discovered online that incorporate Google Maps APIs and use maps in different ways.
African Safari on Your Web Browser
If you’re lucky enough to head to Africa on safari, you can likely see many wild animals—from elephants to lions to giraffes—in their native habitats. But if a safari isn’t on your agenda any time soon, you can at least share in the wild animal sightings of others through Wild Africa Live. The site uses Google Maps to invite visitors to report the live animal sightings they have made in the wilds of South Africa and surrounding nations while the visitors are on safari.
Wild Africa Live shows the sightings made in the last 24 hours and designates each sighting with a tag that lists the animal type, date and time and the sighting, and the Internet handle or name of the person who made the report. The site doesn’t offer photos of the sightings, but there are different icons used on the map to show what was spotted, from giraffes to lions, elephants, hyenas, leopards, kudu and more.
The map, created by Satpack Travel of Johannesburg, also has a database of long-term sightings over the last eight months that features more sightings across much of the African continent. Visitors can search that database by animal species and date to see what sightings were reported. There’s also a Website and Android and iPhone apps to use the maps.
See the Night Sky and Constellations
For years, publishers have printed books with detailed maps of the night skies and constellations, but to use them, you need to head outside with a flashlight and the books to begin your search for the stars. Not so with developer Paul Neave’s Planetarium map site, created with Google Maps APIs.
Planetarium is an interactive sky map for exploring the stars and planets that uses a visitor’s location to provide accurate maps of the night sky in an area. Users can view the stars and planets in skies by night or day, and can hide or see the constellations on the map. They can also set the time and date of their visit to get the most accurate sighting information.
What makes this map very cool is that instead of taking your star map book outside with you, you can take this site outside with you on a tablet computer and compare it to what you are actually seeing in the night sky. That’s awesome.
Hurricane Safety in New York City
When Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast in late October 2012, key parts of the New York City metro area were inundated with floodwaters due to the powerful storm. And though the city had an online evacuation map ready for residents to use, the high number of people who went to use the site overwhelmed it, which caused the city to move to a new map using Google Maps Engine for future storms, according to Google Maps Mania.
Wild Wings Safaris, is proud to announce the opening of its UK office in Bromley, Kent. “It is a logical extension of our South African operations,” says Onne Vegter, CEO of Wild Wings Safaris. “Many of our clients are from the UK and they now have the convenience of visiting or contacting our local office …
Wild Wings Safaris, is proud to announce the opening of its UK office in Bromley, Kent.
“It is a logical extension of our South African operations,” says Onne Vegter, CEO of Wild Wings Safaris. “Many of our clients are from the UK and they now have the convenience of visiting or contacting our local office for more information on a wide range of safaris. Some UK consumers are more comfortable dealing with someone on home soil. Our London office now makes that possible, while our South African based consultants ensure that we remain tuned in to local conditions and continue to offer first-hand destination expertise.”
Solid reputation
Founded in 2005 by brothers Simon and Onne Vegter, Wild Wings Safaris has grown into a reputable company with a growing list of glowing reviews on Tripadvisor. Since 2011, the company has been awarded with an annual Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence, and in 2012, Wild Wings Safaris was honoured to appear on a global Tripadvisor list of 10 Great Wildlife Tours, as independently chosen by the Tripadvisor community.
As a ground operator, Wild Wings Safaris (wild-wings-safaris.com)offers regular, scheduled open vehicle safaris to the Kruger National Park, departing from Johannesburg, Nelspruit or Cape Town.
As custom tour operators, the company designs tailor-made itineraries covering all the top travel destinations in Southern Africa. In order to provide expert, hands-on advice, the team relies on their combined personal travel experiences to private game reserves and safari lodges throughout southern and east Africa.
Wild Wings Safari’s South African office is based in George in the scenic Garden Route. It also has a satellite office based in Hoedspruit, close to the Kruger National Park.
The new Wild Wings Safaris UK office can be found at:
34 Southborough Rd, 5 Melbury House,
Bickley, Bromley BR1 2EB Kent, UK
T: +44(0)20 3474 0093 / F: +44(0)87 2111 6401
Kenya In Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve, all four members of the Governors Camp Collection conduct game drives on the east bank of the Mara River in the vicinity of Musiara Marsh, Rhino Ridge and Paradise Plain—the territories of the Marsh Pride and five other lion families depicted in the long-running BBC TV series Big Cat …
In Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve, all four members of the Governors Camp Collection conduct game drives on the east bank of the Mara River in the vicinity of Musiara Marsh, Rhino Ridge and Paradise Plain—the territories of the Marsh Pride and five other lion families depicted in the long-running BBC TV series Big Cat Diaries. According to host and professional photography guide Jonathan Scott, lions regularly stalk the tree-lined water courses east of the marsh. Scott and his wife, who have been observing the prides for years from their base in the Governors concession, are sometimes available to lead private safaris by arrangement. Also working in the area, often from Rekero Camp, standout guide Jackson Looseyia, one of Jonathan Scott’s presenters for the Big Cat DiariesTV series, is regarded as one of the best the Mara and his bush sense has resulted in extraordinary lion sightings for clients, including the makers of Disney’s 2011 “African Cats” documentary.
More talented guides work for Great Plains Conservation, a company founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, Emmy Award-winning filmmakers who have made many documentaries about lions for National Geographic. GPC is a consortium of four small and superb safari properties in Kenya, with five more in Botswana, and the Joubert’s personal passion for and involvement in protecting lions (and elephants and rhinos) helps ensure that guides at all GPC camps and lodges have in depth lion knowledge. In Kenya, Joubert particularly recommends Mara Plains Lodge guides Johnson Ping’ua O Nkukuu (aka “Ping”) and Kevin Parmalal Saiyalel. (For more on Mara Plains and other GPC properties check out the upcoming World on Sale event, for which safari specialist Cherri Briggs is organizing a trip.)
London, South Africa, August 09, 2013 –(PR.com)– Specialist safari company and ground operator, Wild Wings Safaris, is proud to announce the opening of their UK office in Bromley, London. “It is a logical extension of our South African operations,” says Onne Vegter, CEO of Wild Wings Safaris. “Many of our clients are from the UK …
London, South Africa, August 09, 2013 –(PR.com)– Specialist safari company and ground operator, Wild Wings Safaris, is proud to announce the opening of their UK office in Bromley, London.
“It is a logical extension of our South African operations,” says Onne Vegter, CEO of Wild Wings Safaris. “Many of our clients are from the UK and they now have the convenience of visiting or contacting our local office for more information on a wide range of safaris. Some UK consumers are more comfortable dealing with someone on home soil. Our London office now makes that possible, while our South African based consultants ensure that we remain tuned in to local conditions and continue to offer first-hand destination expertise.”
Solid reputation
Founded in 2005 by brothers Simon and Onne Vegter, Wild Wings Safaris has grown into a reputable company with a growing list of glowing reviews on Tripadvisor. Since 2011, the company has been awarded with an annual Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence, and in 2012, Wild Wings Safaris was honoured to appear on a global Tripadvisor list of 10 Great Wildlife Tours, as independently chosen by the Tripadvisor community.
As a ground operator, Wild Wings Safaris offers regular, scheduled open vehicle safaris to the Kruger National Park, departing from Johannesburg, Nelspruit or Cape Town.
As custom tour operators, the company designs tailor-made itineraries covering all the top travel destinations in Southern Africa. In order to provide expert, hands-on advice, the team relies on their combined personal travel experiences to private game reserves and safari lodges throughout southern and east Africa.
Wild Wings Safari’s South African office is based in George in the scenic Garden Route. It also has a satellite office based in Hoedspruit, close to the Kruger National Park.
The new Wild Wings Safaris UK office can be found at:
34 Southborough Road,
5 Melbury House,
Bickley, Bromley BR1 2EB
Kent, UK
Telephone number: +44 (0)203 474 0093
Fax number: +44 (0)872 111 6401
For more information, please visit Wild Wings Safaris website or call its local offices on +27 (0)44 871 4070.
A fire destroyed much of the Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airpor in the middle of the tourist seaspm, the main arrival point for years for tourists wishing to visit the Serengetti and other safari lands. The BBC said incoming flights have been diverted, but there were no reports of deaths though a few staff suffered …
A fire destroyed much of the Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airpor in the middle of the tourist seaspm, the main arrival point for years for tourists wishing to visit the Serengetti and other safari lands.
The BBC said incoming flights have been diverted, but there were no reports of deaths though a few staff suffered minor injuriesK.
Allafrica said domestic and cargo flights would operate from the facility’s cargo terminal.
Thousands of passengers were stranded in Nairobi and elsewhere in the world where their flights were grounded.
While the cargo area was not affected, the international arrival and departure lounges were burned. the BBC said it took a couple of hours for fire trucks to respond. Officials admitted crews ran low on water.
The nearest airports with similar facilities are thousands of miles away, in Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, and Dakar, in Senegal in East Africa. Kenya has a smaller airport in Mombasa on the coast.
But none of the foreign airports would bring visitors close to the land that has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors since Ernest Hemingway made “the great white hunter” famous.
South Africa and Botswana also offer safaris.
Kenya also attracted many celebrities, starting with Academy Award-winning actor William Holden, who made it his second home.
The cause of the fire was being investigated, and there was suspicion it had to do with a dispute over the ownership of the duty-free shops, according to Allfrica.
“President Kenyatta wishes to reassure the entire aviation industry, investors, local and international travellers that everything is being done to resume normal operations,” a statement from the president’s office said.
In addition to the animal-rich lands of Kenya, tourists also fly to Nairobi to visit nearby Tanzania and Mount Kilamanjaro, Africa’s highest peak.
International aid organizations serving the entire continent are based in Nairobi.
South Africa’s southern Kalahari, known also as the ‘Green Kalahari’, is an area that sees more rainfall than Botswana’s drier Central Kalahari region, creating a unique natural climate and wilderness where you can observe a large diversity of species, quite unlike other wildlife reserves. The Tswalu Kalahari Reserve , owned by the Oppenheimer family is …
South Africa’s southern Kalahari, known also as the ‘Green Kalahari’, is an area that sees more rainfall than Botswana’s drier Central Kalahari region, creating a unique natural climate and wilderness where you can observe a large diversity of species, quite unlike other wildlife reserves. The Tswalu Kalahari Reserve , owned by the Oppenheimer family is the largest private game reserve in the country (100,000 hectares) with over 80 species of mammals and 340 species of birds (including endangered raptors). During a stay here at Tswalu it’s very common to see and learn about the nature of mysterious meerkats, the elusive aardvark, endangered black rhino, black kalahari lion, cheetah, antelope and rhone, to name just a few. You will have the chance to see a range of extraordinary and endangered wildlife species with expert guides and trackers, while enjoying the privacy provided by luxurious accommodation, tailored safaris suited to your wants and needs, bush camp outs and sunset dinners.
The entire reserve also happens to be malaria free and its authentic and elegant Motse Camp confirms Tswalu as a particularly appealing choice for families with children or those who want to avoid the hassle of anti-malarial drugs.
Alex (Director of Jacada Travel) recently got the chance to view Tswalu’s impressive wildlife and experience first hand its esteemed safari reputation. He explored the reserve daily with Jonah, his expert guide and tracker, and had the chance to observe some rare and fascinating species which we have shared with you on our slideshow below. Safe to say he didn’t come back disappointed!
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The South African Football Association (SAFA) is wishing Premier Soccer League club Orlando Pirates well as they head to Egypt for their African Champions’ League group stage match against Al Ahly. The match is scheduled for Sunday, 4 August 2013 at the El Gouna Stadium and kicks-off at 16:30. Pirates are the only South African …
The South African Football Association (SAFA) is wishing Premier Soccer League club Orlando Pirates well as they head to Egypt for their African Champions’ League group stage match against Al Ahly.
The match is scheduled for Sunday, 4 August 2013 at the El Gouna Stadium and kicks-off at 16:30.
Pirates are the only South African club left in continental club competitions.
This is their second group stage match having drawn the opening match 0-0 with AC Leopards of Congo on July 20.
Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund believes that it is important for local clubs to participate in continental club football in order to gain the much-needed experience, which will go a long way in improving Bafana’s fortunes.
The Bafana Bafana coach urged all South Africans to rally behind the Buccaneers as they will be flying the South African flag in Cairo.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) is wishing Premier Soccer League club Orlando Pirates well as they head to Egypt for their African Champions’ League group stage match against Al Ahly.
The match is scheduled for Sunday, 4 August 2013 at the El Gouna Stadium and kicks-off at 16:30.
Pirates are the only South African club left in continental club competitions.
This is their second group stage match having drawn the opening match 0-0 with AC Leopards of Congo on July 20.
Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund believes that it is important for local clubs to participate in continental club football in order to gain the much-needed experience, which will go a long way in improving Bafana’s fortunes.
The Bafana Bafana coach urged all South Africans to rally behind the Buccaneers as they will be flying the South African flag in Cairo.
Perth Glory captain JACOB BURNS writes an exclusive diary for thewest.com.au on the A-League club’s pre-season tour of South Africa … Jacob Burns Tour Diary – Entry Three Kruger National Park Safari/Elephant Sanctuary Visit On Tuesday, we had a one-day safari in Kruger National Park, although I actually didn’t go this time as I’ve been …
Perth Glory captain JACOB BURNS writes an exclusive diary for thewest.com.au on the A-League club’s pre-season tour of South Africa …
Jacob Burns Tour Diary – Entry Three
Kruger National Park Safari/Elephant Sanctuary Visit
On Tuesday, we had a one-day safari in Kruger National Park, although I actually didn’t go this time as I’ve been before on our other trips to South Africa.
When the boys came back they were delighted because they’d been lucky enough to have a herd of elephants cross in front of them on the road, and they’d seen rhinos and hippos and quite a few other animals as well.
It was an eye opener for the lads who are on their first trip and they had a brilliant experience.
You can’t really come to South Africa without going on a safari and Kruger is probably one of the best places to see the amazing animals that are out there.
The day was capped off by a nice barbecue at our Ingwenyama Resort training base. They put on a really good spread for the players and staff, which was much appreciated and after a long day at the safari. The boys were definitely happy to dig in.
We followed that up by going to the Elephant Whispers sanctuary where you can interact with elephants.
It was my second visit, but being able to touch the elephants and get photos standing up against them and so on is something that never gets old.
It was one of the highlights of the trip last year for me and it was the same again this time. The boys absolutely loved it.
Elephants are just fantastic animals and the boys got some great pictures of themselves getting up close and personal with them.
Second Tour Game – Tuks FC 2-0 Perth Glory
From a personal point of view, I was really pleased to get through the 45 minutes feeling strong.
After the kind of niggly injury that I’ve had with my quad, you always want to get back on the park as quickly as possible.
We erred on the side of caution, with me missing the first game and only playing 45 minutes of the second, and that seems to have worked out well because I felt strong and got through it.
We went into the second half 2-0 down, so it was good that we managed to establish a bit more structure in that second period and we were unlucky not to get a couple of goals and tie the game up.
They (Tuks) didn’t really have much in the second half and we had some really good chances.
In saying that, we know we can perform better than that and that’s not taking anything away from Tuks. They were another really good, hard opponent, just like the Black Aces side we played in the first game. They looked fit, strong, organised and ready to go.
As I’ve said before, results aren’t always the most important thing on trips like this, it’s more about what you get out of the games and I think the boys learned a few things from that second game.
We definitely found out how organised the structure needs to be in order to play well against these teams.
We did have a long bus trip from Ingwenyama to the ground and we were pretty much straight off the bus and into the game which obviously wasn’t ideal, but we’re not using that as an excuse.
A lot of the simple things we can do better, although we did show that we want to build up from the back and we did create good opportunities while limiting theirs after the break.
Wednesday’s game v SuperSport United
I feel fit and back to my normal self and I’m really looking forward to playing against SuperSport.
We’ve watched them beat Manchester City in a game that they keep replaying on TV here and judging by that performance, they are arguably going to be our hardest opponents on this trip.
I can’t wait to get out there and hopefully stay on the field for as long as possible, and it would be nice to come back with a result as well as a good performance against a quality opponent.
Johannesburg
We’re in Johannesburg now and where we’re staying has more of a hotel feel.
We haven’t had much of a chance to look around yet, but we’ll be looking to explore a bit more over the next couple of days.
In addition to all of our training sessions and the game against SuperSport, we’ve got some more community clinics to do, an interactive lions tour and a trip to Soweto coming up.
We are around 30 minutes north of the city centre and the hotel is on a compound next to a casino and a shopping mall, which are only a five-minute shuttle away.
I think some of the boys will be trying their luck in the casino if we get some free time before we start preparing for Wednesday’s final game.
Personal
My kids have reminded me about their souvenir lists again and I’ve told them that I haven’t had a chance to venture out in between the community visits, training and the games.
I’m cutting it fine and I’m really under a bit of pressure now.
When the boys are all in the casino on the blackjack table, I’ll be in the mall looking for shark’s teeth or something!
There are all kinds of things on the lists and I don’t really know how I’m going to find any of them.
In terms of the living arrangements, things are blossoming with me and my room-mate Steven McGarry.
We’ve been on Twitter giving our old room-mates, Dean Heffernan and Billy Mehmet, a bit of stick because we’ve got it down to a fine art.
But looking at what he’s decided to wear to the mall today, I think I might have to make a fashion intervention and take him on a clothes shopping expedition!
Perth Glory’s 2013 South Africa tour proudly sponsored by Kaboko Mining, Live2Learn and Europcar
REUTERS The report added that the private health sector was marketing the country as the ideal surgery safari location. Related Stories Business is booming for SA tourism Fly to Cuba, get a facelift Don’t let your illness spoil your holiday Cape Town – More and more international patients are travelling to South Africa to have …
REUTERS
The report added that the private health sector was marketing the country as the ideal surgery safari location.
Cape Town – More and more international patients are travelling to South Africa to have elective procedures – and experts believe the rise in “medical tourism” is due to a weak rand.
Medical tourists travel to another country to undergo medical procedures that are cheaper or which cannot be performed in their countries. These can involve anything from dentistry to cancer treatment and cosmetic surgery.
According to Cape Town plastic surgeon Paul Skoll, most cosmetic surgery tourists come from the UK, but he has noticed an increase in the number of patients from other African countries.
“Angola and Mozambique were the most notable African countries and I have also had patients who travelled from as far as Tanzania and Kenya,” Skoll said yesterday.
He said the exchange rate and South Africa’s international reputation as a medical tourism hub were responsible for the increase.
Cape Town was seen as the hub for patients coming on cosmetic safaris and there were spin-offs for the city.
“People who come to South Africa for elective cosmetic surgery can’t just fly in and fly out. Patients need to stay up to two weeks after the surgery to recover,” Skoll said, adding this meant that patients stayed longer in the country, spending more money.
Ingrid Lomas, chief executive of Surgical Attractions, agreed that the weak rand was responsible for the surge.
She said breast surgery was the most popular procedure.
“We get patients from north of the border, including Namibia, Uganda and Nigeria.”
Lomas said India had captured the medical tourism market and South Africa should try to be more competitive – a view that is backed up by a study in the Southern African Migration Programme, which reported that medical migrants from African countries spent more time in South Africa than European medical tourists.
“This is not unexpected since medical migrants from those countries come to South Africa to access advanced private sector medical treatment unavailable in their countries.”
The report added that the private health sector was marketing the country as the ideal surgery safari location.
The study authors said medical tourism could be the next big money spinner and predicted that private doctors would specifically begin targeting medical tourists.
“At present, medical tourism is a sideline for hospitals, clinics and physicians in South Africa’s private healthcare system. However, as the revenue-generating potential of the medical tourism industry grows, dedicated health and medical facilities are likely to be established… to cater for the medical tourist.” – Cape Times
* If you use Gmail to read IOL’s newsletters, note that Google is rolling out a new tabbed inbox that filters your mail into 5 separate tabs – Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums. IOL emails will probably be sent to the “Promotions” tab instead of the “Primary” tab. If you don’t want it that way, drag the newsletter from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab. An alert will pop up. Click “yes” and your newsletters will continue to go to your Primary inbox.
CHICAGO, Jul 25, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) — In the July issue of Themes on the Economy(R), Mesirow Financial’s chief economist uses her recent safari experience as a metaphor, paralleling the promises and risks in the global economy. Diane Swonk notes, “Six of the world’s ten best performing economies are in Africa, while seven of the …
CHICAGO, Jul 25, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) —
In the July issue of Themes on the Economy(R), Mesirow
Financial’s chief economist uses her recent safari experience as a
metaphor, paralleling the promises and risks in the global economy.
Diane Swonk notes, “Six of the world’s ten best performing economies are
in Africa, while seven of the ten most corrupt can also be found there.”
She calls Nigeria “a major challenger to South Africa’s dominance in the
region,” adding that “Oil is one factor but not the only one.” Elsewhere
on the continent, Swonk warns that the Arab Spring “could become an ice
age for Egypt and Tunisia.” To learn about the economic outlook for this
region plus the Americas, Europe and more, read
this month’s issue of Themes on the Economy(R).
Liberalization in Mexico’s oil industry could create more jobs in Texas
and sharpen American manufacturers’ competitive edge in the world
marketplace, with access to even cheaper fuel. Our economics team sees
Mexico replacing Brazil as the region’s most promising for other
reasons, too. “Mexico has moved forward on reforms. Wage costs in Mexico
have dropped below competitors’ in Asia, including China (once
productivity is taken into account).”
In Asia, after struggling with deflation for two decades, Swonk predicts
that “Japan will likely succeed in hitting its 2% inflation and growth
targets over the next two years” while China risks “breaking the social
contract the Communist Party has cut with the population” as growth
slows to 6%. For details, read
this month’s issue of Themes on the Economy(R). Archived
issues can be found at mesirowfinancial.com.
Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered
in Chicago. Founded in 1937, it is an independent, employee-owned firm
with approximately 1,200 employees globally. With expertise in
Investment Management, Global Markets, Insurance Services and
Consulting, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of
institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals. For
more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its website at mesirowfinancial.com.
http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=bwnewssty=20130725006660r1sid=cmtx6distro=nx
SOURCE: Mesirow Financial
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Mesirow Financial
Karen Nye, 312.595.7147
Copyright Business Wire 2013
Luggage bags Choosing the best luggage is a key component for efficient packing. Many international airlines now only allow one piece of baggage per person in the hold which means that smaller, soft bags for use on light planes must be packed inside the large suitcase or taken on as hand luggage while the larger …
Choosing the best luggage is a key component for efficient packing. Many
international airlines now only allow one piece of baggage per person in the
hold which means that smaller, soft bags for use on light planes must be
packed inside the large suitcase or taken on as hand luggage while the
larger suitcase is left behind at a hotel to be picked up again later in
your trip.
Weight (and size) limits must be adhered to or else you get clobbered for
overweight which can really add up when you use more than one airline to get
to your final destination. We managed to get around this annoying ‘only one
piece of luggage each’ rule by splitting our four soft bags into two pairs
and wrapping each pair in the security bubble wrap service available at the
airports. (Bubblewrap and/or small padlocks are always a good idea if you’re
travelling to Africa).
You may also find yourself on internal flights in small light aircraft which
have a strict weight allowance. (It’s well worth talking to your operator to
find out the details beforehand to avoid unpleasant surprises.) Typically,
this will be between 12-15 kg in the hold with a total baggage allowance of
20 kg per person (which includes everything you carry on as hand luggage
like heavy camera equipment, binos etc).
On light planes, you must travel with soft bags so they can fit more easily
into the small hold underneath the plane. Without hesitation, our favourite
safari bag company is Sandstorm (www.sandstormkenya.com; Large Explorer bag
£245). Sandstorm is a Kenya-based company with outlets all over the world
that specialises in safari luggage whose safari-chic good looks are combined
with a strong, rugged build quality and where aircraft cabin size is key.
Sandstorm offer a full travel range of tan, safari green coloured leather and
canvas bags – everything from leather holdalls, duffel bags, backpacks and
wash bags. Best of all from the male perspective is Sandstorm’s computer bag
(Tracker Bag £235) which I use at home as well. It is incredibly strong and
very well-designed with pockets in all the right places so that you can
easily access wallets, passports, pens, notebooks etc while knowing that
your laptop(s) is well protected.
Binoculars
On safari, a good pair of binos are arguably more important than a camera.
Your first priority should be to watch the action through your own eyes and
it’s easy to miss out while trying to record it all for posterity.
Yes, they are expensive, but Swarovski (www.swarovskioptik.com)
binoculars have the best optics available and they are tough, waterproof and
beautifully designed. I have a pair of the CL Companion 8x30s (£720) – 8x
magnification and 30mm diameter base lens – which are incredibly lightweight
for the clarity and power they provide.
Every safari guide aspires to owning a pair of Swarovskis and one guide
recently referred to them as the ‘Ferraris of the bush’. The quality of the
optics are particularly noticeable in low light, early in the morning and at
dusk – just the time when activity in the bush peaks.
Video Camera
As well as my trusty Nikon stills camera, I always carry a Panasonic HC-X920
(£820) video camera (www.shop.panasonic.com)
on which we’ve been shooting our Bush Telegraph video reports. It’s an
incredible piece of kit for such a small unit and is light and fits neatly
into the palm of your hand. The picture quality is superb (Leica lens) and
the zoom (x12 in normal use) has a digital function that increases it to
x25, x40 and nominally up to x 700. However realistically x25 is the most
you want to use to retain picture quality. Go to
www.telegraph.co.uk/bushtelegraph to see some of our video reports shot with
the Panasonic.
Night Vision Cameras
In the best safari camps, the wild animals stroll in and out at will. A night
vision camera will capture all the action and identify the perpetrators of
those strange snorts, growls, grunts and howls around your tent. Along with
their excellent range of monoculars and binoculars, a Bushnell (www.bushnell.com)
Trophy Cam night camera (£185) is well worth it. They also make a fist-sized
BackTrack D-Tour GPS (£99) which is an excellent way of keeping your
bearings in the bush and surprising your guide with your incredible sense of
direction.
Smartphone
If you don’t feel like taking a large camera or video, the iPhone 4S
Smartphone (www.apple.com)
is a great stand-in. You never know when you might want to snap a picture or
film something and keeping your iPhone close is never too much trouble. We
have captured some magical unexpected events/appearances which we wouldn’t
have been able to if purely relying on a camera. Plus you can use Twitter
and Instagram when there’s a signal. Even if you have to stand on a termite
mound to get one.
Clothing
Lightweight packing is essential and bringing the correct clothing to wear for
the time of year is key. The only constant is heat – but you may also have
to contend with wet and cold depending on the time of year. Yes, Africa’s
weather can sometimes be just as complicated and varied as ours.
Safari
For all-round safari clothing requirements, my personal favourite is the
beautifully designed, intelligently practical and extremely stylish Swedish
outdoors clothing brand, Fj?llr?ven (stockists: +44 02392 528711, www.fjallraven.com).
Lightweight, technical and with UV and bug protection, its Micro Travel (MT)
fabric is hardwearing, cooler than cotton, and doesn’t crease.
They have a very good selection of combat style trousers, shorts, hats, cargo
pants, shirts, belts and jackets. As well as being an environmentally
responsible company they also support many conservation projects worldwide
which is how they got their Arctic fox logo.
My favourite item of Fj?llr?ven clothing is their Reporter Lite jacket (£195)
which could hardly be better designed for my needs with a plethora of
pockets perfect for lenses, notebooks and gizmos while also being water-resistant
with removable sleeves turning it waistcoat style. Beautifully designed,
love it!
Other favourite items include their Ruaha Trousers (£105) – named after the
National Park in Tanzania – which are very light and strong with two leg
pockets and zipped back pockets and inner safety pocket. The leg length can
also be adjusted to suit changes in footwear. Also, the Thistle Shirt (£80)
wicks away sweat very quickly, has mesh openings on the sides and built-in
sun protection, UPF25.
Lightweight Down Jacket
An alternative to taking a fleece is to pack a lightweight down jacket for the
cooler nights/early mornings that you get in the winter months. Kathmandu (www.kathmandu.co.uk)
have an ultralight down jacket which folds into a very small sack that
converts into a pocket (so it’s part of the jacket and you won’t lose it!).
It’s also feather-light and comes in a slate grey neutral colour that works
for the bush.
Shirts
On safari I live in my Craghoppers shirts (www.craghoppers.com)
which never seem to smell however long I wear them, are cool and
comfortable, and are also made of Nosilife, an insect-repellent material
that keeps mosquitoes at bay and doesn’t come out in the wash. They also dry
very quickly when wet.
Boots
It may seem strange to fall in love with a pair of boots, but that’s not far
off how I feel about my Alt-berg (www.altberg.co.uk) Desert Microlite Boots
(£185). Despite the Germanic-sounding name, Alt-berg is in fact British
(Yorkshire, no less) and masters of their craft to boot! Alt-berg makes
boots for the army and the police and their products have been tested
extensively in war zones around the world.
These boots are tough, light, phenomenally comfortable and keep your feet
really cool. Superb for both desert and bush.
Rain Jacket
An optional extra depending on the time of year – and many safari companies
provide ponchos – but it’s always useful to have your own. Crucially the
Odlo Air (www.odlo.com) is
extremely light, packs down small and when the wet stuff starts falling does
the job admirably while wicking away any sweat build up inside. It’s also
very comfortable to wear and as stylish as any functional clothing can be.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses with polarising lenses are vital. Oakley (uk.oakley.com)
hit the spot in every department from design to technical superiority – if
you want to spot a croc underwater before everyone else (polarising lenses),
arm yourself with a pair.
Medical/Cosmetic/Health
Like many males I have an admittedly rather stupid ‘I’m immortal’ gene and
don’t really worry about my health until something bad happens. Luckily I
have Sarah to think about these things for me so I can confidently refer you
to her words of wisdom on her earlier
‘What to pack on safari – Her’ feature.
Skin Care
Lest you should think I’m an unreconstructed male, I do like to look after my
skin! The African sun can be brutal so I swear by Skinceutical’s (www.skinceuticals.co.uk)
Ultra Facial Defence SPF 50 which is a high UVA/UVB broad-spectrum
moisturising sunscreen which works synergistically to help prevent photo
damage. Part of the reason I like it so much is that it doubles up as a
great moisturiser and has up to 24 hours hydration with an ultra light
texture and is ideal for all skin types.
I also use Phyto Corrective Gel which includes anti-inflammatory cucumber and
anti-bacterial thyme to soothe and calm sun-irritated skin. A.G.E.
Interrupter is a unique treatment formulated to correct severe signs of
intrinsic ageing in mature skin. As Bob Dylan once sang: “And may you stay,
ay, ay, foreeeever youuunggggg.”
Richard and Sarah Madden are travelling with Wilderness Safaris (wilderness-safaris.com),
which offers access to more than eight million acres of Africa’s finest
wildlife reserves through the environment-friendly camps it runs in nine
countries and its overland safaris.
Their flight to Maun was with South African Airways (flysaa.com).
A return from London with SAA costs £1,150 per person, including all taxes,
when booked through Africa Travel in London (0845 450 1520).
@BushMagic
(Richard); @SarahOnSafari
(Sarah)
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In the July issue of Themes on the Economy®, Mesirow Financial’s chief economist uses her recent safari experience as a metaphor, paralleling the promises and risks in the global economy. Diane Swonk notes, “Six of the world’s ten best performing economies are in Africa, while seven of the ten most corrupt can also be …
CHICAGO–()–In the July issue of Themes on the Economy®, Mesirow
Financial’s chief economist uses her recent safari experience as a
metaphor, paralleling the promises and risks in the global economy.
Diane Swonk notes, “Six of the world’s ten best performing economies are
in Africa, while seven of the ten most corrupt can also be found there.”
She calls Nigeria “a major challenger to South Africa’s dominance in the
region,” adding that “Oil is one factor but not the only one.” Elsewhere
on the continent, Swonk warns that the Arab Spring “could become an ice
age for Egypt and Tunisia.” To learn about the economic outlook for this
region plus the Americas, Europe and more, read
this month’s issue of Themes on the Economy®.
“Six of the world’s ten best performing economies are
in Africa, while seven of the ten most corrupt can also be found there.”
Liberalization in Mexico’s oil industry could create more jobs in Texas
and sharpen American manufacturers’ competitive edge in the world
marketplace, with access to even cheaper fuel. Our economics team sees
Mexico replacing Brazil as the region’s most promising for other
reasons, too. “Mexico has moved forward on reforms. Wage costs in Mexico
have dropped below competitors’ in Asia, including China (once
productivity is taken into account).”
In Asia, after struggling with deflation for two decades, Swonk predicts
that “Japan will likely succeed in hitting its 2% inflation and growth
targets over the next two years” while China risks “breaking the social
contract the Communist Party has cut with the population” as growth
slows to 6%. For details, read
this month’s issue of Themes on the Economy®. Archived
issues can be found at mesirowfinancial.com.
Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered
in Chicago. Founded in 1937, it is an independent, employee-owned firm
with approximately 1,200 employees globally. With expertise in
Investment Management, Global Markets, Insurance Services and
Consulting, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of
institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals. For
more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its website at mesirowfinancial.com.
The Southern Pride is on the move. In the menacing darkness, a dozen hungry lions circle a large herd of impala. Chaos erupts in the bush as the big cats launch their attack, taking down a huge ram only a few metres from our Land Cruiser. Moving in on the action, we position ourselves close …
The Southern Pride is on the move. In the menacing darkness, a dozen hungry lions circle a large herd of impala.
Chaos erupts in the bush as the big cats launch their attack, taking down a huge ram only a few metres from our Land Cruiser.
Moving in on the action, we position ourselves close enough to capture the ensuing feeding frenzy without disturbing the diners. It’s every cat for itself as the pride piles onto the fresh kill like a crazed rugby scrum, snarling, snapping and fighting to devour still beating organs and rip bloody chunks of flesh from bone.
Tonight, I’m an eyewitness to an awesome display of primal brutality. And confident that I’ll have the stunning pictures to prove it because I’m engaging the services of a professional safari photographer to assist me with every step.
Capturing such visceral wildlife encounters on camera has always been an integral part of the safari experience. Now, private game reserves such as Sabi Sabi, adjacent to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, offer their guests the unique opportunity to have an expert guide them through the intricacies of taking that perfect, once-in-a-lifetime coffee table book cover shot.
“Professional photographic safaris offer an incredible opportunity to take much better pictures, improving and enhancing your total safari experience,� says Zulch Conradie, manager of Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge.
“It’s almost like you’re opening the curtains on a whole new subject.�
The professional photo safari I recently took in Sabi Sabi is tailored to travellers who can afford more expensive pro and “prosumer� SLR cameras but don’t know how to most effectively use them in a challenging environment like the African bush.
It’s also a great option if you’d rather hire the services and gear of a pro for a day or two on safari than haul around expensive, hefty cameras and telephoto lenses with enough zoom to capture that perfect, once-in-a-lifetime, wildlife picture.
Either way, booking the services of a pro safari photo guide like Sabi Sabi’s Andrew Schoeman is a great idea if you want National Geographic-calibre memories.
For a few hundred dollars, this former safari guide turned photographer will accompany lodge guests on game drives, providing expert, hands-on guidance on subjects such as proper framing of your subject, what angles to use and how to use the available light in multiple situations. Then he’ll walk you through a streamlined post-production process using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to help make them look their best.
“Most of our guests arrive with basic camera knowledge and are looking for the simple explanations that can sometimes lead to that Eureka moment,� says Schoeman one afternoon as we roam the dense terrain of the Sabi Sabi reserve in a land cruiser, searching for prime lion, leopard and elephant photo ops.
“You can read about all of the camera functions in a manual,� he adds. “But it’s not getting processed. There’s nothing like having someone there alongside you explaining that if you push this button or turn that dial you get completely different results.�
The Southern Pride is on the move. In the menacing darkness, a dozen hungry lions circle a large herd of impala. Chaos erupts in the bush as the big cats launch their attack, taking down a huge ram only a few metres from our Land Cruiser. Moving in on the action, we position ourselves close …
The Southern Pride is on the move. In the menacing darkness, a dozen hungry lions circle a large herd of impala.
Chaos erupts in the bush as the big cats launch their attack, taking down a huge ram only a few metres from our Land Cruiser.
Moving in on the action, we position ourselves close enough to capture the ensuing feeding frenzy without disturbing the diners. It’s every cat for itself as the pride piles onto the fresh kill like a crazed rugby scrum, snarling, snapping and fighting to devour still beating organs and rip bloody chunks of flesh from bone.
Tonight, I’m an eyewitness to an awesome display of primal brutality. And confident that I’ll have the stunning pictures to prove it because I’m engaging the services of a professional safari photographer to assist me with every step.
Capturing such visceral wildlife encounters on camera has always been an integral part of the safari experience. Now, private game reserves such as Sabi Sabi, adjacent to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, offer their guests the unique opportunity to have an expert guide them through the intricacies of taking that perfect, once-in-a-lifetime coffee table book cover shot.
“Professional photographic safaris offer an incredible opportunity to take much better pictures, improving and enhancing your total safari experience,� says Zulch Conradie, manager of Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge.
“It’s almost like you’re opening the curtains on a whole new subject.�
The professional photo safari I recently took in Sabi Sabi is tailored to travellers who can afford more expensive pro and “prosumer� SLR cameras but don’t know how to most effectively use them in a challenging environment like the African bush.
It’s also a great option if you’d rather hire the services and gear of a pro for a day or two on safari than haul around expensive, hefty cameras and telephoto lenses with enough zoom to capture that perfect, once-in-a-lifetime, wildlife picture.
Either way, booking the services of a pro safari photo guide like Sabi Sabi’s Andrew Schoeman is a great idea if you want National Geographic-calibre memories.
For a few hundred dollars, this former safari guide turned photographer will accompany lodge guests on game drives, providing expert, hands-on guidance on subjects such as proper framing of your subject, what angles to use and how to use the available light in multiple situations. Then he’ll walk you through a streamlined post-production process using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to help make them look their best.
“Most of our guests arrive with basic camera knowledge and are looking for the simple explanations that can sometimes lead to that Eureka moment,� says Schoeman one afternoon as we roam the dense terrain of the Sabi Sabi reserve in a land cruiser, searching for prime lion, leopard and elephant photo ops.
“You can read about all of the camera functions in a manual,� he adds. “But it’s not getting processed. There’s nothing like having someone there alongside you explaining that if you push this button or turn that dial you get completely different results.�