Sabora Camp, Tanzania To view the animals you don t have to live like them These wise words were spoken in the seventies by Mike Rattray, who pioneered upscale accommodations in safari country, when criticized by others for spoiling it all with too much luxury. Rattray s Mala Mala soon became the brand associated with comfort and style in the African bush. It won numerous awards abroad for Best Small Hotel in the World. Others caught on to the idea and today there are many of them, combining comfort with unique styles and designs that blend nicely with their wild surroundings. They harvest truckloads of awards and special citations in magazines such as Condé Nast, Travel and Leisure and Tatler. Prospective safarigoers have a wide choice, ranging from basic movable tents, replete with chandeliers, to super luxury tents and chalets that can best be described as Hemingway on Steroids or Roosevelt for Royalty. Linkwasha Camp, Kudu Zimbabwe bull
Ernest Hemingway circa 1954 Teddy Roosevelt circa 1909 Both President Teddy Roosevelt and author Ernest Hemingway feature prominently among those who brought the joys of camping in the midst of Africa s wildlife to the attention of the outside world. Today there is a wide range in bush chic for discerning clients: Chalets and permanent structures, luxury tents on wooden platforms and mobile tents. While the latter may have drop toilets and bucket showers (invented years ago by George Eastman of Kodak fame and improved since) you also might be looking up at a solar-powered chandelier from your comfortable bed. Elevated tents on wooden platforms equal any luxury suite in the best city hotel in the world with an added feature called a loo with a view. Instead of reading dog-eared magazines when nature calls you can look out over the African plains and even see animals passing by. These safari lodges and camps are more than mere overnight accommodations. Food is outstanding and the wines excellent. The middle of the day, between morning and afternoon game drives, is siesta time in the animal world. Back at the camp guests have Singita Serengeti under Canvas Hemingway basic circa 2016 Hemingway on Steroids
Blending with the environment Ulusaba, South Africa Lagoon, Botswana Little Ongava, Namibia Little Kulala, Namibia Abu Camp, Botswana
AFRICA S GAME PARKS Africa s premier safari countries are situated in Southern and East Africa. Between ten of them Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe there are more than a hundred national parks and game reserves. They not only differ in size but in animal and birdlife. In the words of the song, Lion King: There s more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than can ever be done; There s far too much to take in here. More to find than can ever be found. NAMIB Swakopmund Walvis Bay Luderitz ATLANTIC OCEAN Groo ontein NAMIBIA DAAN VILJOEN GP Windhoek Sossusvlei NAMIB NAUKLUFT NAMIB DESERT ETOSHA Oranjemund FISH RIVER CANYON RICHTERSVELD Rundu W CAPRIVI Kasane MUDUMU MAHANGO MAMILI KHAUDOM KGALAGADI TRANS- FRONTIER PARK AUABIES FALLS LIUWA PLAIN OKAVANGO DELTA SIOMA NGWEZI CENTRAL KALAHARI MOREMI RESERVE Maun VAALBOS WEST LUNGA CHOBE SOUTH AFRICA BOTSWANA Gaberone Bloemfontein KAFUE MOSI- OA-TUNYA MAKGADIKGADI & NXAI PAN Makgadikgadi Pans Sowa Pan Xau ZAMBIA Pretoria Johannesburg BOTSWANA Bisina STH. TURKANA Kyoga Albert MT ELGIN LOSAI MARALAL NR KENYA G SANCT. Mt. UGANDA MT. ELGON SAMBURU Stanley SHABA MT. RWENZORI Kampala Baringo KIBALE FOREST MT KENYA MERU RAHOLI LAKE Entebbe PARK NR QUEEN NAKURU LAKE KARA Edward ELIZABETH MBURO RUMA Mt. Kenya N. KITUI NR Victoria ABERDARE BWINDI MGAHINGA MASAI MARA ARAWALE VOLCANOES RUMANYIKA Nairobi RESERVE STH. KITUI BONI NR NAIROBI DA AKAGERA BIHARAMULO AMBOSELI TANA RIVER SERENGETI TSAVO PRIMATE RES Kivu NYUNGWE Natron BURIGI FOREST Mt. Kilimanjaro Tsavo NGORONGO ARUSHA East CRATER Kilimanjaro Intl. BURUNDI UN L. MANYARA Arusha Tsavo West MOYOWOSI Manyara KIGOSI MKOMAZI Mombasa GOMBE STREAM MAHALE MTS LOWER LOCHINVAR ZAMBEZI Lusaka Kafue MANA POOLS Dam Kariba MATUSADONA Livingstone CHIZARIRA Victoria Falls ZAMBEZI HWANGE Kimberley RWANDA ZIMBABWE Buluwayo Zimbabwe MATOPOS Ruins Polokwane Nelspruit SWAZILAND DRAKENSBERG NSUMBU Bangweulu KASANKA KRUGER Sagara UGALLA RIVER KATAVI PLAINS Rukwa Tanganyika UWANDA KISIGO RUNGWE RUAHA Malawi MUHESI LIWONDE Chiuta Blantyre Chilwa Cahora Basa MAJETE LENGWE MWABVU Harare ST.LUCIA WETLAND HLUHLUWE UMFOLOZI SOUTH LUANGA Skukuza Maputo Mbabane Durban MURCHISON FALLS NTH LUANGA NYANGA CHIMANIMANI GONAREZHOU KIDEPO VALLEY NYIKA VWAZA MARSH Beira Turkana TARANGIRE TANZANIA Dodoma Mbarika Mts KASUNGU NKHOTAKOTA LAKE MALAWI Lilongwe MARINE PARK SIBILOI MIKUMI MOZAMBIQUE CENTRAL ISLAND MARSABIT NR SELOUS INDIAN OCEAN PANDE Pemba Zanzibar Zanzibar Island Dar Es Salaam Nacala KIUNGA MARINE Cape Town Cape Point TANKWA KAROO BONTEBOK Cape Agulhas KAROO WILDERNESS George MT ZEBRA East London ADDO ELEPHANT Port Elizabeth Parks/Game Reserves Major Airports Towns Capital ci es 0 500 1,000 1,500 km www.theultimatesafari.com
Dining and relaxing at the camp Massage, Little Kulala, Namibia Singita dishes Private deck, Kings Pool, Botswana Plunge Pool, Lion Sands, South Africa Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania Earth Lodge, South Africa Outdoor bath. Eagle Island, Botswana
a choice of activities. Some camps may offer fitness facilities, pools and nature walks. A few provide WFi connections and fewer are within cellphone reach. Air conditioners are not always present and hair dryers may be absent. No television or radios. Keep in mind that most of these camps are in remote areas and rely on solar power. They are eco-friendly in every sense of the word. The main purpose is to escape from the hustle and bustle of our busy world with its cacophony and immerse oneself in the tranquil domain of God s wonderful wild creatures. What better way to end a day than to eat out in the open in a boma, sitting next to a campfire with fellow guests and recap the splendid sightings of the day? And afterwards turning into bed lying awake for a while, listening to the sounds of Nature the snorting of hippos, the plaintiff call of prowling hyenas, the chatter of baboons, the trumpeting of elephants and, ultimately, the roaring of a male lion. Hemingway said it best: All I wanted to do now was get back to Africa. We had not left it yet, but when I would wake in the night, I would lie, listening, homesick for it already. President Roosevelt summed up as follows: There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm. Feel free to call me when you are ready to follow in the footsteps of Roosevelt and Hemingway. I will be happy to assist you in picking a destination where the accommodation suits your taste and your budget. But rest assured that no camp, regardless of its luxury and comfort, makes up for a mediocre wildlife experience. The animals don t live like us but in safari country they take center stage. Dr. Les de Villiers les@theultimatesafari.com www.theultimatesafari.com Please feel free to contact me directly or visit my website at www.theultimatesafari.com for further information and assistance in arranging your trip of a lifetime. Lions, Botswana Picture: Les de Villiers