Travel Africa Sampler

Leopard spots

Tracking elusive cats

Namibia

Groundbreaking eco-tourism

Stirred, not shaken The ride of your life

Malawi’s Majete Back from the brink

AT H F W DE O UE I E S S L P E IN IS M L N A LIK A O T I S I T I A KS G I D E D E E O R S D E O U T O TO CA L N I E O R T ER AFRI P E H B R I K U R L C O SC O CLI RAVE B T U E T B I OS R T C E S R B E U H S K O C T E CLI R E H CK I L C Good Safari Guide Awards • Ngorongoro Crater • Tunisia guide The hunt for Angola’s giant sable • The Naro • Limpopo National Park www.travelafricamag.com Edition 51 Summer 2010 £3.95 US$12.99 ZAR 39.50

The power of one Some spectacles require a cast of millions. Others need only one. Just one.

It’s a lone lammergeier cruising along a Simien Mountain ridge, the hushed notes from the wind flowing over its wings and sounding like a symphony in the quiet air. It’s a single oryx walking the crest of a Namibian dune, its elongated shadow turning the rich, red sands into an abstract painter’s canvas. It’s a

Travel Africa Spring 2010

solitary wildebeest wandering across a Zambian plain, swimming in an endless ocean of greens and yellows.

Africa’s jagged peaks, sculpted deserts and rolling savannahs may be arresting in their own right, but it’s witnessing the individual relationships between land and animal that truly brings a sense of perspective and majesty to the continent’s epic landscapes. l

By Matt Phillips

This is Africa

DALE MORRIS

Spring 2010 Travel Africa

Indaba

News, views, events and readers’ letters and stories – all with Africa at heart

ersce rafreicaan d experien

Hats off to SANParks Samantha Pinnell of KwaZulu-Natal writes in to tell us about a unique experience at Kruger, and to give credit where credit it is due.

Our family recently spent our annual holiday in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. One afternoon, approximately 3km outside of Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, we came across a pride of five lionesses and noticed that the biggest female had a snare around her neck, which had cut badly into

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Would you like to share your unique Africa tales with other readers? Or would you like to be featured in ‘My Africa’? Write about your African travels, or answer our seven ‘My Africa’ questions, and send to: 4 Rycote Lane Farm, Milton Common, Oxfordshire OX9 2NZ, United Kingdom or emailing editor@travelafricamag.com with ‘Campfire Tales’ or ‘My Africa’ in the subject line. If we publish your story we’ll give you a one-year subscription (or extension) to Travel Africa magazine.

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her skin. My husband phoned Pretoriuskop and was put through to the camp ranger to explain the situation. Within 10 minutes Ranger Dalton was on the scene, and he immediately contacted the veterinarians at Skukuza.

The vets arrived within 40 minutes, and after a quick

assessment of the situation they headed off to Pretoriuskop to acquire an open-topped 4WD. Using the vehicle as a moving platform, they darted the lioness and then scared off the rest of the pride. After the team had carried the sleeping lion on a stretcher to the roadside, we were invited to get out of our vehicles and to stand quietly around the lion, while the vets removed the snare, cleaned the wound and gave her an antibiotic.

Within five minutes, the vets were gone and we were all back in our vehicles. Ranger Dalton and his assistant remained, guarding the lion until she regained consciousness. We would like to congratulate all the staff involved.

The entire incident took less than an hour, and when we met Ranger Dalton the following day, he confirmed that the lioness had woken up and walked off absolutely undisturbed by the whole event. To Ranger Dalton, Kenneth Muchocho and all the assisting staff members, we were privileged to witness a unique situation and you deserve recognition for your efficiency and professionalism. 

22/3/10 10:58:06

16 Travel Africa Spring 2010

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?

1

Which of northern Tanzania’s parks has the largest elephant population?

2

What are solifugae?

3

What is the name of East Africa’s largest vulture?

4

Which bird leads people to wild beehives?

5

How can you tell the sex of a buffalo from its horns?

6

Which member of the African dog family is named after its rather large ears?

7

Where is Kenya’s tea industry based?

8

What small mammals in Africa have gestation periods of up to eight months?

9

Which is the largest heron in Africa?

10

Where is the lowest point in Africa?

ANSWERS ARE FOUND ON PAGE 27

Journal

MY AFRICA My first footstep in Africa...

My favourite footstep in Africa...

My fab five...

I’m still hoping to see... ... is at the top of my African travel wishlist My best cultural experience in Africa...

My favourite activity in Africa...

Kate Silverton

André Schoeman

Ian Hempstead

Acclaimed journalist and BBC presenter

Pilot/guide Skeleton Coast Safaris

Travel Africa subscriber

Backpacking as a 17-year-old in Egypt. It felt terribly adventurous.

I adored Egyptians for their hospitality and humour.

I have an early memory from the age of four – I was stepping into Uncle Pete’s aeroplane on the Skeleton Coast. Seeing Africa from God’s perspective sealed my fate.

Victoria, Seychelles – It was like arriving in paradise. Except I was exhausted after a dreadful flight on Air Seychelles!

In 1990 as a venturer in Zimbabwe for Operation Raleigh (now Raleigh International). It was an extraordinary experience and I made friends I still have today. It’s a country that typifies Africa to me, and I long to return.

It must be something about first impressions… My favourite step – no matter where in Africa – is into a small aircraft.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town. It’s the most beautiful city, and the botanical gardens are a fantastic place for views, flowers, birds and food!

Cheetah (after presenting Big Cat Live, I’m smitten!); pangolin; lion; elephant (so wise, so knowing and it’s easy to feel a connection with them); hyena (fascinating matriarchal society).

Desert-adapted elephant and blue whale (just nine minutes apart on the Skeleton Coast); oryx (casting long shadows over delicate dunes); mountain zebra (thundering over a dusty desert plain); and lion.

Cape dwarf chameleon (spotted at Hermanus); carmine bee-eater (observed in the Okavango); ground hornbill (they’re just weird!); African wild dog (seen near Serondela); leopard (always a privilege to see).

A pangolin in the wild (this endangered species never gets sufficient press for being the cutest, multi-skilled creature!).

Botswana – I’d love to do a horseback safari and visit the Okavango Delta.

After following drumming sounds on a densely forested Lake Kariba island, we stumbled upon a witchdoctor carrying out a ceremony. We were allowed to join – a very surreal experience!

Meeting Africans is tops, with safaris second and rafting third.

My distant cousin twice removed – the mountain gorilla – in its natural habitat.

Pangolin – I realise it’ll never happen, but I always look!

Angola. I witnessed it as a young child before the 1975 revolution.

Today, it seems like an new adventure in waiting.

Gabon – I’d love to see the surfing hippos, but the whole country looks amazingly unspoilt.

Interacting with the Ovahimba nomads along the Skeleton Coast and cushioning their introduction to the West through responsible tourism.

Eating apple crumble from the bakery at Solitaire, Namibia.

Food is culture isn’t it?

Visiting isolated places in the African desert by plane to share the magnificent solitude with a like-minded few.

Exploring anywhere with my wife, Tracy; looking for birds, wildlife or simply enjoying the scenery.

Spring 2010 Travel Africa 17

It’s time to enjoy...

Here are our picks from the African calendar this quarter.

STEPHEN MORRISON / EPA / CORBIS

HISTORY >> 27 SEPTEMBER: MESKEL, ETHIOPIA Join Ethiopians in the centuries-old commemoration of the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Eleni (Saint Helena). Reflecting the belief that she found the cross in the 4th century by following the smoke of a massive bonfire, this celebration sees a pyre, or demera, erected in most cities. After being topped with a cross and laden with Meskel daisies, the demera is blessed before being lit. Crowds then dance and sing around the rising flames. Afterwards, the faithful take charcoal from the fire’s remains and mark their foreheads with the shape of a cross.

These celebrations are particularly grand in Addis Ababa, Gonder and Aksum.

DAVID COHEN / WITH PERMISSION FROM Letloa - Kuru Family of Organizations

CULTURE >> 20-21 AUGUST: KURU SAN DANCE FESTIVAL, D’KAR, BOTSWANA Celebrating the traditional dance style of Botswana’s first people – the San, Bushmen or Basarwa – this festival takes place at the Kuru Development Trust in D’Kar, some 35km north of Ghanzi. Those taking part have travelled across the Kalahari Desert, not only from Botswana, but also Namibia and South Africa. Once together in D’Kar, they unite in song, dance and play. Although the festival’s main purpose is to foster the San’s faith in their own traditional culture, it is hoped that it also encourages respect for different cultures through the sharing of the local traditions.

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African events

WILDLIFE >> 24-28 SEPTEMBER: HERMANUS WHALE FESTIVAL, HERMANUS, SOUTH AFRICA Touted as the only enviro-arts festival in South Africa, the Hermanus Whale Festival is held each year to celebrate the return of southern right whales to the waters of Walker Bay. Also in store for visitors are performances of music, comedy and cabaret. For more details, visit www.whalefestival.co.za

CUBOIMAGES SRL / ALAMY

MUSIC & THE ARTS >> 16-24 JULY: FESTIVAL NATIONAL DES ARTS POPULAIRES, MARRAKECH, MOROCCO Initiated in 1959 by His Majesty King Mohammed V, the Festival National des Arts Populaires attracts singers, dancers, musicians and poets from across Morocco. While designed to inspire Morocco’s youth to carry on age-old traditions, it certainly delights those who travel to Marrakech to take it all in.

For more information, visit www.marrakechfestival.com

ACTIVITY >> JULY-AUGUST: HIKING THE RWENZORIS, UGANDA Although a UNESCO World Heritage site for its outstanding natural beauty and its biodiversity, the Rwenzori Mountains of western Uganda are still one of Africa’s most underrated hiking destinations. With ample annual rainfall – Rwenzori translates to ‘rainmaker’ – being the only dampener, those interested in hiking its lush slopes should take advantage of the decreased rainfall in July and August to explore.

Summer 2010 Travel Africa 23

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REACHING NEW HEIGHTS l

When word of a snow-capped mountain on East Africa’s equatorial plains reached Europe in the mid-19th century, the public, and London’s Royal Geographic Society, scoffed at such an unbelievable notion. Although Kilimanjaro is now one of Africa’s greatest icons, it must be said that the idea of it is no less astounding. Incredibly, the sense of disbelief in people typically reaches its zenith when they first set eyes on the mighty mountain. Whether catching a glimpse of it on a clear day from Nairobi, some 200km away, or witnessing its glaciated summit suddenly materialise on a bed of clouds, appearing to hover almost five kilometres above a golden savannah peppered with elephants, Kilimanjaro seems more fit for a dream than any reality. Fitting then, that Africa’s tallest mountain plays a part in so many people’s dreams.

Each year, thousands of visitors attempt to fulfil their lofty ambitions by climbing Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain and one of the planet’s coveted Seven Summits.

Although there is much working in their favour – a mild climate, easily accessible slopes, an abundance of porters and guides, and no need for technical climbing abilities – many don’t make it to the top. Jeremy Gane, the man responsible for recently getting all 34 of the Comic Relief team to the summit, and someone with more than twenty Kili climbs to his name, is here to help you stand on the top of Africa.

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forest to the first stirrings of bacterial life on the summit.

And while climbing Kilimanjaro will inspire you to greater levels of physical and mental strength, your efforts on the mountain can also benefit Tanzanians. Much like your guide and enthusiastic porters help you achieve great heights, your tourist dollars help hundreds, both directly and indirectly, in the Tanzanian tourist industry.

For those of you wishing to reach Uhuru Peak for a charity of your choice, the rewards of your efforts are compounded even more.

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Looming large over the East African savannah, and providing what is arguably the most spectacular sunrise venue in Africa, is the majestic summit of Kilimanjaro. Set at the uppermost reach of the Kobo crater rim, Uhuru Peak is not just the top of the mountain – it is the top of the entire continent.

However, Kilimanjaro has much much more to offer you than just the ability to bag Africa’s highest summit.

In a matter of days you’ll climb from the Equator to what feels like the Arctic, moving through grasslands, tropical rainforest, alpine meadows, moorland and desert uplands to snow and ice. Along the way you can trace the grand process of evolution in reverse: from the animals of the

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l PRE-TRIP PREPARATIONS Body and mind

Preparation is critical to improving the chance of success on the mountain. The fact that 17 per cent of physically fit climbers fall victim to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), compared to 44 per cent of those who are not in good shape, only underlines the importance of creating or maintaining a good level of fitness before your first step on Kilimanjaro.

Physical fitness and readiness for the trek can be best achieved by working on the muscles that you will use on your climb. While legs are the obvious targets, your abdominal core is also key to avoiding back problems. As aerobic fitness will help you cope with the thin air, cardiovascular workouts are also wise. If you go to a gym, ask one of the trainers to put

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together a suitable programme for you; it should include simple core fitness routines, the step machine and the treadmill with increasing inclines. Outside the gym, the best training for hill trekking is – wait for it – hill trekking, so get out and try walking for increasing lengths of time with a daypack weighing up to 8kg.

Don’t forget to spend time walking down hills as well.

The preparation is not just physical though, as the difficult conditions on the trip will also test you mentally.

If you’re already over the hurdle of accepting a life of tents, long-drop toilets, lukewarm water for washing, and extreme conditions, which can range from baking hot to wet and freezing cold, you are on your way.

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Finding the perfect operator

With a seemingly endless array of tour operators offering Kilimanjaro experiences, there are some important questions you need to ask to ensure that your climb is as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Qualifications and experience Ask about the qualifications, training and experience of their staff. Tanzanian Kilimanjaro guides must have Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) qualifications.

First aid qualifications are also important. Additional training in local flora and fauna, and in foreign languages is also a good indicator of quality service.

Choose local guides whenever possible.

Tanzanian guides with good operators not only have far more experience on Kilimanjaro than those from overseas, but they are also a key part of the local economy, spreading their income around the greater community.

Dealing with an emergency Ask the tour operator how they handle an emergency.

They should have solid answers that deal with all aspects of a potential situation: evacuation from the mountain, communication facilities, which hospitals are used etc. Reassure yourself that you will be rescued safely and your family informed if you are injured or taken ill.

What to pack Most operators provide items such as tents and cooking equipment, so you’ll most likely be required to only bring personal items. As conditions are so varied, pack for all weathers. Several operators also provide items such as sleeping bags, sleeping mats, down jackets and rain gear, so double check with them before your departure.

Among the essentials, you will need: a Large waterproof kitbag or rucksack (60-90litres) a Waterproof daypack (30-40litres) a Four-season sleeping bag with at least a -10 degrees Celsius rating (A fleece liner is a great idea) a Quality sleeping mat such as a Therm-a-Rest® (both for comfort and ground insulation) a Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support (wear these in before your trip)

Transport

a Waterproof windbreaker and trousers

Can transfers be organised safely and efficiently from your point of arrival in Tanzania/Kenya to the pre-climb hotel, and then on to Kili the next day? What vehicles do they use? Are they insured for tour operation?

a Down jacket or insulated ski jacket

Acclimatisation

(essential for summit night) a Thermal underwear a Balaclava or insulated hat

Ask the tour operator how their itinerary will help you acclimatise to altitude.

a Insulated gloves/mittens & thermal inner gloves

Staff welfare

a Insect repellent and malaria prophylactic

Does the company have a policy for staff welfare, payment and tipping? Are they a member or partner of an ethical tourism association such as the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC)? Are they taking part in the IMEC’s Partnership for Responsible Travel and/or the Porter Assistance Project? Are clothes, food and tents provided for staff on Kilimanjaro? A well looked-after crew will look after you well.

a Water purification filter or tablets

Environment How does the climb company protect the environment? Ask about removal of rubbish, latrines, etc.

Cost There are plenty of cheap options for climbing Kilimanjaro, but they are not necessarily safe or successful, and the local staff may be poorly treated.

Prices should include: transfers to and from the mountain, all park and rescue fees, full board on the climb, a a of at least three support staff to each climber, and quality camping equipment.

a Sunhat, sun lotion and sunglasses

a Basic first aid kit (plasters, antiseptic, support bandages, aspirin, Imodium, lip balm etc) a Telescopic walking poles with rubber tips

The tallest free-standing mountain in the world?

Although many consider Kilimanjaro the tallest free-standing mountain on the planet – heck, there’s a sign stating as much on the summit itself – the volcano’s claim to the title is not clear-cut. Kili’s grip on the moniker depends on a very subjective definition of one word. The word? ‘Near’.

To determine the largest free-standing mountain, geographers measure the freestanding rise of the summit over the lowest closed contour line that encircles, and stays near, the summit. If a 50km radius is considered ‘near’, Kilimanjaro retains the title as the lowest contour that makes the grade is 1395m, giving Kili a free-standing rise of 4500m. However, if 75km is used, Columbia’s Pico Cristóbal Colón takes the prize with a free-standing rise of 5000m. If the radius is expanded to 120km then Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano is top dog – it rises over 10,203m from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

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TeA wItH tAnDaLa We sent John Warburton-Lee and his young family to Kenya in search of great child-friendly safari options. Here is his first report, from the wilds of the Laikipia Plateau.

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he Laikipia Plateau of northern Kenya is spectacularly wild. Commanding granite kopjes glower down on a harsh, rolling landscape in which ridge follows ridge, torn by dramatic river gorges. This vast rugged land is the setting for a number of Kenya’s best-known bush homes, substantial private ranches that offer visitors not only access to some of the best wildlife and most inspiring scenery in the entire country but the freedom to enjoy a more personalised experience with a far greater range of activities than is generally permitted in the national parks and reserves.

We had come to Kenya with our three boys – Ned (ten), Kit (seven) and Jamie (five) – looking for adventure. For a family, safaris provide amazing experiences and the chance to explore together one of the most exciting environments on earth. But planning a safari with young children poses challenges: regardless of your children’s devotion to the Discovery Channel, hours of bumping around on endless wildlife drives can quickly pall. Standard safari schedules, which begin before dawn and finish long after dark, may produce tears of tiredness not joy.

Variety and flexibility are the formula for success and the bush homes we visited catered for this perfectly.

Children enjoy lots of stimulating activities tailored to their interests and attention span; mealtimes fit into their normal regime, with food they at least recognise; pools or rivers are nearby for them to cool off in; parents can programme in needed downtime for rest and realistic bedtimes.

Perched on a cliff edge, Ol Malo House looks out over towards the bald dome of Ol Donyo Lotim and on over the Ewaso Nyiro valley to the distant jagged peak of Mount Kenya on the far horizon. Built by owners Colin and Rocky Francome and their son Andrew, Ol Malo House is a flight of fantasy. With its individual rooms, quirky design, spiral staircase and central tower, it is a kind of African Hogwarts.

On arrival, the children run ahead of us to choose their room.

“That’s my bed.”

“That’s mine!”

“Dad, come and look!” 

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John Warburon-Lee is a travel writer and professional photographer. He first went to Lewa 29 years ago on his gap year.

Kenya

Clockwise from top: Ned and his new African idol, Andrew; Camels are a kid’s best friend; It’s not what your children see on holiday – it’s what they learn; Male kudu at Ol Malo; A room with a the view, Ol Malo; Meeting Tandala, the Francome’s pet kudu

Ned has become Andrew’s shadow and bombards him with questions about everything from dung beetles to a bright green chameleon that we stumble upon

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The friendliness of the Samburu children and their eagerness to learn strikes a chord with our boys  Following the noise down a tight spiral stairwell, we enter the Cave Room – and gawp. I am not sure if I am in Narnia or Fred Flintstone’s House. Two colossal beds are cocooned in a painted concrete tunnel with irregular rounded openings. In the similarly fantastical bathroom a huge sunken bath could accommodate an entire pod of hippos.

The boys race on. Exotic gardens lead to the swimming pool – a stunning infinity pool that looks straight out over the abyss to the wilderness beyond. Kit wanders round mouth open. Not normally our most expressive child, he yells to Louie, “Mummy, I have arrived in paradise!”

It is impossible not to agree.

Over tea, shared, to the boys’ delight, with the Francome’s pet kudu Tandala, Colin describes how the family’s unrelenting effort over the past 18 years has rehabilitated the once neglected and over-grazed landscape.

“At first, I couldn’t think how we would ever do it, but it was so beautiful I knew we had to try,” said Colin.

We have arrived at the beginning of the long rains; the land is uncharacteristically green and lush. Yellow anisoppapus africanus flowers blossom everywhere like buttercups in an English meadow. Wildlife is plentiful. The elfin features of Guenther’s dik dik seem to appear behind every small shrub. We see many classic northern species: oryx, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe and the majestic spiralhorned greater kudu after which Ol Malo is named. Herds of elephant drift through the ranch at will.

The Francome’s informal approach is perfect – less safari lodge and more family home. The children treat Colin as a surrogate grandfather and Andrew – bush-pilot, guide and instigator of all things exciting and dangerous – with a reverence verging on worship.

A walk with Andrew is a relaxed affair. Slinging his Winchester .458 over his shoulder, he leads us through the bush with his border terrier and Labrador at heel. Along the way Andrew points out a klipspringer poised daintily on an implausibly steep rock. We scramble up a dry gulley and into a small cave to find a colony of bats, which flit within inches of our faces. Ned has become Andrew’s shadow and bombards him with questions about everything from dung beetles to a bright green chameleon that we stumble upon.

Just as the two smaller boys are flagging, as if by magic, Hussein Lachangai, Ol Malo’s charismatic head guide, appears leading a train of five saddled camels. Camels are perfect for children – controlled by Samburu handlers, they are comfortable, require no riding skill and provide a fantastic viewpoint. At our fly-camp that night on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, the camel saddles make great bush sofas from which we watch Andrew teaching the children to cook over an open fire.

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Kenya

With its wildlife, awe-inspiring landscapes and adventure activities, Africa may just be the ultimate playground for kids; however, what children will remember most are their interactions with their African peers – understanding their differences, and seeing their similarities will undoubtedly change their outlook on the world

Days blur happily into a catalogue of spontaneous adventures and visits to see the Ol Malo Trust’s work with the local Sumburu community. Andrew takes us hurtling down rapids in the chocolate waters of the Ewaso Nyiro on inner tubes whilst his girlfriend, Chyulu, leads us on horse riding safaris to find the elephant herds. One afternoon we visit the Sampiripiri Art Project. The Samburu teacher overseeing a group of children painting shows our three boys how to begin their own watercolours. Ten-year-old Pires Tiresi Lochopoko paints red and blue giraffe browsing from green topped acacia trees watched by a blue rhino. His brushstrokes are made with infinite care and delicacy.

In 2000, after two years of protracted drought, and with their livestock dying in alarming numbers, the Samburu were literally starving. Having rapidly realised that the soup kitchen they had set up was unsustainable, Colin and Rocky’s daughter Julia started teaching the local children to paint pictures of life as they saw it, which were then sold to guests in the lodge shop. Within weeks the children were supporting up to 200 families with their earnings from their pictures.

Regardless of the language barrier, our boys make friends and interact with the Samburu children. Ned shows pictures of England on his digital camera while Jamie sits drawing with two little girls, one of whom keeps surreptitiously stroking his blonde hair. 

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What is the most dangerous animal in Africa?

It’s a question asked by thousands of people each year. Here, Mike Unwin puts each of the popular contenders for the title in the dock and contrasts Big Five yarns with sound natural history, and counters myths with statistics. Is our obsession with killer beasts more a reflection on us than them?

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TRAVEL AFRICA’S CASE FILE “Did you know that the hippopotamus is the most dangerous animal in Africa?”

UNWIN TA48 Mike Unwin is a UK-based writer who has spent eight years in Africa. He writes books and articles for adults and children, and edits Travel Zambia magazine.

No doubt you’ve heard this one before. Africa’s third biggest land mammal has become the subject of Africa’s biggest safari cliché. And its reputedly murderous ways are generally offered as a revelation, inviting our astonishment that this rotund grass-muncher should be anything other than friendly. “What, them?” we protest, as the beasts slumber in the shallows, all naked innocence and endearing comic grins.

You may have wondered, however, why this chilling ‘fact’ so seldom comes with backup. There is, sadly, no denying it: hippos do occasionally kill people. But while stories of gruesome tragedies abound, any search for statistics produces wild discrepancies, with estimates of casualties varying from 250 per year to 33 per day. This is hardly surprising: most fatalities involve remote communities, where accurate data is as thin on the ground as adequate medical care.

The confusion is compounded when we examine the hippo’s main rivals for the coveted ‘most dangerous’ crown. This generally comes down to the Big Five, enshrined in safari lore as the hunter’s most feared adversaries. And indeed, lions, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes and elephants, just like hippos, will all happily dispatch a human being in certain circumstances. But how often does this really happen? Again, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. And with the popular imagination fired by sensational stories of tramplings, maulings and impalings, perhaps we should look more closely at just how ‘dangerous’ these animals are.

HIPPO HOMICIDE Starting with the prime suspect, then, let’s get one thing straight: the hippo is a herbivore; it has no interest in eating us. Admittedly, it is not always as placid a beast as it may appear. Those massive incisors can do serious damage in territorial fights, as the animals’ scarred flanks bear witness. But hippos tend to direct their ire more towards one another than us. Most attacks on people occur in one of two circumstances. First, in the water, when a small boat gets too close, especially when young calves are present, or interrupts a conflict between two testosterone-fuelled rival males. Second, on the land and usually at night, when a hippo’s response to a

perceived threat is a headlong dash back to the safety of the nearest water – in which case you really don’t want to be standing in the way.

But hippos generally go out of their way to avoid people. After all, any conflict with us involves putting themselves at risk too.

That accidents occur at all is due largely to the hippos’ habitat: being confined to river systems, they have nowhere to go when people invade their space. Generally hippo and human rub along well enough together, but once in a while something goes wrong.

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JUMBO JEOPARDY Even bigger than the hippo, of course, is the elephant – and many rangers contend that this is the animal for which they have the most respect. The issue here is more one of unpredictability than size: these intelligent animals are prone to mood swings. Cows with young calves and bulls in musth (a periodic state of sexual arousal) are the most volatile. “Just when you feel you’ve got to know an elephant that comes around your house often,” says Tanzania-based safari guide Craig Doria, “it gets into a foul mood and tries to squash you.” That famously powerful memory also plays a part: thus jumbos in areas with a history of persecution are, understandably, more jumpy.

Tshokwane, one of the Kruger’s best-known tuskers, once had a run-in with a photographer who provoked a series of mock charges in search of the ultimate shot. Vehicles subsequently became targets whenever the great beast heard a camera motor drive.

But this doesn’t mean that elephants generally

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go out of their way to harm humans.

Indeed in a tourist context attacks are extremely rare.

Experience enables guides to interpret an elephant’s behaviour and act accordingly, with prudence always being the better part of valour.

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THE HORNED ONES Buffalo enjoy a special place in bush horror stories. But you may notice that their supposedly deadly character traits, such as ‘vicious’ and ‘cunning’, usually come with the caveat ‘when wounded’. My advice, then, is not to wound one. A large herd of buffalo, imposing as it may appear, will turn tail at the approach of people. It’s only the solitary old bulls that you need worry about, as these cranky individuals – if disturbed at close quarters – may charge first and ask questions later. Safari lore tells how a buffalo bent on your destruction will hunt you down with ruthless persistence. How often does this grisly fate befall the casual by-passer? Death by exploding toaster is about as likely.

Rhinos, by contrast with ‘vengeful’ buffalo, are generally stereotyped as ‘grumpy’ and ‘stupid’. But regardless of their personal failings, these armoured behemoths pose little threat today as there are simply so few of them. The smaller black rhino is generally held to be more irascible than the white. Where both species occur, however, guides warn that this assumption can breed a dangerous complacency around white rhinos – and indeed the Kruger Park’s only serious rhino incidents on walking trails have been with the larger species. In reality both prefer a quiet life. Excellent hearing and smell, but poor eyesight, means they are quick to perceive a threat but slow to identify it. If in doubt, they may charge – but just as often away from the target as at it. The fearsome reputation of the black rhino was earned during the days of sport hunting in East Africa, when thousands were slaughtered. Some unfortunates did indeed end up on the wrong end of that lethal horn. Many, frankly, were asking for it.

How often does this grisly fate befall the casual by-passer? Death by exploding toaster is about as likely

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of threat.

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Philip Briggs has been hooked on African travel since he backpacked in East Africa in 1986. He’s authored ten Bradt guidebooks to African destinations and contributes regularly to Travel Africa magazine.

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Presence of gr e On the fringe of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Philip Briggs steps into the land of the Naro for an experience like no other.

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARIADNE VAN ZANDBERGEN

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Botswana

brooding purple dusk illuminates the wideopen Kalahari sky. I feel a long way from… well, anywhere. And unsurprisingly so, considering that the Grassland Safari Lodge is the epitome of remoteness, sharing its eastern boundary with the 52,800-square-kilometre Central Kalahari Game Reserve – the world’s second-largest game reserve, covering an area greater than Lesotho and Swaziland combined, yet practically untouched by tourism.

It’s not unusual for Africa’s wildest corners to evoke this sense of remoteness. But here my feeling of dislocation from the everyday world possesses a second and more singular dimension. Before me, a group of perhaps a dozen Naro hunter-gatherers is engaged in a mimed dance whose themes and rhythms resonate back through goodness-knows-how-many millennia. Slight of build and – as their name, literally ‘red people’, implies – bronze of skin, the Naro circle around a fire, women chanting loudly and clapping their hands, while the men and boys enact a complex fable whose central figure holds two straight sticks to the side of his head, mimicking the straighthorned gemsbok (oryx).

This is a hunters’ dance, explains our host and translator Neeltjie Bower, who grew up around the Naro, and is one of the few outsiders to speak their strangely haunting click-based language. First of all, the dancers imitate a succession of different antelope, all of which sensibly flee from their pursuers. Not so the gemsbok, which bristles with aggression as it takes centre stage, and turns to confront its pursuers, playing right into their hands – the dancers, now mimicking domestic dogs, surround the confrontational antelope and bring it down, providing their human masters with a veritable feast.

If you’ve travelled much in Africa, you’ve probably seen something not too dissimilar elsewhere… local dancers putting on a brief display over sundowners. But the performance at Grassland Safari Lodge feels different, for several reasons. For one thing, this is no isolated post-safari performance, but the climax of a long and fascinating day spent in the company of the Naro. Furthermore, while traditional pastoralist cultures remain widespread in Africa, albeit with varying concessions to modernity, the hunter-gatherer lifestyle has vanished almost entirely over the past couple of centuries, to the extent that most of its former practitioners and their languages are now moribund or extinct. e

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Opposite: In full flight, a Naro woman playing the melon game

 The Naro, like the other hunter-gatherer peoples of southern Africa, are frequently referred to by outsiders as Bushmen or San, terms that are not only pejorative, but which also negate their cultural and linguistic diversity. The Naro language, for instance, though native to a mere 10,000 people in Botswana’s Ghanzi District and some 4000 in neighbouring parts of Namibia, is mutually unintelligible with any of the other surviving click-based tongues that form the loosely affiliated Khoisan linguistic group associated with the region’s hunter-gatherers.

It’s the first part of the hunter-gatherer equation that dominates modern perceptions of this ancient lifestyle, but most such societies obtained about 80 per cent of their nutrition from plants gathered as they moved nomadically through the bush. And the Naro, as we’d discovered earlier in the day, are no exception. Over the course of a three-hour bush walk with an amiable family party, led by the bearded Qhigxau Qoma and his young sidekick Qoma Qoma, comments and quips translated by Neeltjie, we have the rare opportunity to see this seemingly monotonous landscape of dry Kalahari scrub through the resourceful eyes of its oldest human inhabitants.

Qhigxau Qoma stops next to a shrub he refers to as bi (Raphionacme burkei), methodically digs out its footballsized tuber, and scrapes off a large chunk of fibrous flesh.

He passes the spongy mass to Qoma Qoma, who lifts it above his head, crushes it in his fist, and directs the bitter milky liquid into his mouth with his thumb. We then stop to look at a shepherd’s tree (Boscia albitrunca), whose small berries make a sweet energy-boosting drink, and whose roots are used to make the Naro equivalent of coffee.

Further on, we are shown an anonymous carrot-like root that produces a blood-like liquid said to help with kidney problems; a wild asparagus whose colourful wood is used to make beaded necklaces; and the hardy creeper Tylosema esculentum, whose oil rich marama beans taste a little like chestnuts when roasted.

Neeltjie explains that while the Naro women are largely responsible for gathering edible and medicinal

plants, the men take charge when it comes to locating water and hunting. The velvet raisin-bush (Grewia flava) is a particularly useful shrub for hunters, with flexible branches that make good bows and arrows, and a fibrous bark used as rope to tie things together. It is also used to make traps for kori bustards – massive flying birds which, as their Afrikaans name gompou (gum peacock) suggests, are attracted to the gum, and which Qhigxau Qoma assures us taste better even than guinea fowl.

After a morning of foraging, the afternoon is given over to play, as the Naro enthusiastically demonstrate some of their favourite games, all of which seem to be ancient precursors of more contemporary pursuits such as volleyball, javelin-throwing and skipping. One men-only stick game entails whipping a straight but flexible branch hard into a mound of sand and grass, and letting it bounce off into the bush, with the winner being the man whose stick lands the farthest away. The melon game, by contrast, is more collaborative than competitive, and for women only – the participants dance around in a circle clapping hands, throwing a ball-shaped tsamma melon to each other, with the catcher being required to freeze before she throws it to another player, and the whole ensemble erupting into giggles should she fail. Finally, everybody joins together for a skipping game, chanting “jump, jump,” then, “dig in, dig in” as the person skipping jumps lower and lower to the ground.

As evening descends, the day’s informal program draws to a close, and I watch the hunting dance unfold, its every nuance betraying the Naro’s intimate familiarity with their natural surrounds. And I am struck by the realisation that, until the relatively recent advent of agricultural, pastoral and industrial societies, we human beings were all hunter-gatherers. It is the lifestyle for which we evolved, and that sustained us exclusively for perhaps 99 per cent of our tenure on earth. Hence, perhaps, the deep sense of resonance associated with spending time with some of the last few hunter-gatherers left standing – a cultural experience as educational, enjoyable and devoid of pomposity as any I’ve had in Africa.

Plan your trip Getting there It’s best to fly into Johannesburg, from where Air Botswana (www. airbotswana.co.bw) flies to Maun, Gaborone, and Windhoek. From these destinations chartered flights can be arranged to the town of Ghanzi. Land transfers or charter flights make the link between Ghanzi and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Grassland Safari Lodge.

When to visit The best time to visit the Central Kalahari is between November and March.

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Visas Most tourists do not require visas to visit Botswana.

Books Lonely Planet’s Botswana & Namibia (2nd edition, 2010) by Matthew Firestone and Adam Karlin Bradt’s Botswana (3rd edition, 2010) by Chris McIntyre Find out more Botswana Tourism Board (www. botswanatourism.co.bw) Grassland Safari Lodge (www. grasslandlodge.com)

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It’s not unusual for Africa’s wildest corners to evoke this sense of remoteness. But here my feeling of dislocation from the everyday world possesses a second and more singular dimension…

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Seeing spots Veterans of the African bush, journalists Ann and Steve Toon join a specialist leopard-tracking safari in the heart of KwaZuluNatal. Will it leave them seeing spots or licking their wounds?

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Steve and Ann Toon are wildlife photographers and photojournalists with a specialist interest in conservation issues and southern Africa.

Their first book, Rhinos, was published in 2002

by Colin Baxter. Their latest book, Giraffes, is out later this year.

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here’s a storm coming! Ha ha ha.”

This is Daryl. He has this way of ending every sentence with a chuckle – it is as infectious as his enthusiasm for everything. Don’t get him started on mice and frogs though. They are his two greatest passions, if you don’t count birds. He is the first person we’ve met who uses two bird identification guidebooks at the same time. Amazingly, the two books are identical.

He refers to one as ‘my bedside copy’. However, his fervour for feathers is great for us – we notched up a dozen new birds yesterday; they were all hard-torecognise species that we would normally struggle to find, let alone identify.

Before his chuckle has even tailed off, Daryl excitedly leaps onto the vehicle. Meanwhile,

we are rubbing the sleep from our eyes – it’s dark and the other guests at Mountain Lodge are still snug in their beds.

“Have you got your jersey, Bernard? Ha ha ha.”

He’s at it again – this time ribbing our tracker because he’s wrapped up against the morning chill.

Yet the day will be another hot and humid one. It was the same yesterday, hence Daryl’s quip about the impending storm. It’s actually a running joke now, because the rains have been forecast to hit Maputaland for several days, yet the earth is still bone dry and the grass is still bleached blond.

Although we’re keeping eyes peeled for two sidestriped jackals, which Daryl and Bernard spotted near the airstrip recently, we’re on a different mission. This isn’t your ordinary early morning wildlife drive. 

South Africa

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South Africa

 There are just the four of us, and we’re going at a reasonable lick to make it to a particular part of the reserve before sunrise. Our quarry is unlikely to hang around if temperatures soar, so we head straight past a herd of zebra, three beautiful nyala bulls and a lone buffalo standing by a wallow…

There has been an important leopard research project at Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province for several years now. We’re on a specialist leopard-tracking safari that is linked to this initiative. A number of the leopards in the project are radio-collared, making it possible to track their exact whereabouts on the reserve using telemetry.

And, if you’re very lucky, you can enter their world, even in extremely thick bush, to observe their natural behaviour up close.

Daryl Dell, who is specialist ranger at Phinda, has been trained to use the same equipment the researchers use to track the leopards, and he feeds back information to the project’s staff about the sightings from the guided leopard safaris. He explains that we’re now heading for a part of the reserve where a female called Ngaya traditionally hangs out. She has small cubs, but her signal hasn’t been picked up for a while so she may have wandered off the reserve. Her previous cubs (two 18-month-old males) are also radio-collared and it is them we are on the trail of today.

We’ve been going for an hour, and already spiders’ webs straddling the road have twice netted Steve – he is still picking off the strong, sticky strands from his face and hair. I’m mesmerised by an iridescent bug that’s hitched a ride with us and is now strolling around on my camera bag.

At last we arrive in the sand forest, an extremely rare habitat that is a special feature of the reserve. “It’s

It’s just like the Lord of the Rings,” chuckles Daryl, pointing out giant torchwood and tamboti trees and a 1000-year-old Lebombo wattle just like the Lord of the Rings,” chuckles Daryl, pointing out giant torchwood and tamboti trees and a 1000year-old Lebombo wattle. He shows us orchids that grow on them, including, a pinhead orchid (Africa’s smallest) and, fittingly, a leopard orchid. “That’s stinkbushwillow,” he says. Some people say it smells like perfume; others, obviously less impressed, believe its odour resembles that of sweaty socks. Ha ha ha…”

“Hear that?” Daryl says suddenly. “It’s a Tonga red squirrel. They’re special to see”. We finally spot the squirrel launching itself from a low branch. This is a first. We’ve been coming to South Africa for years and didn’t even know they existed.

Now holding the aerial high above his head, Daryl starts listening for signals. He explains that the project started in 2002 partly because leopard viewing on the reserve was then so poor. “The project has even managed to change legislation in favour of leopards,” he says. “This is a high rainfall area. The bush is thick and there’s an abundance of prey, so we should have one of the highest densities in South Africa.”

We hear a ‘blip’ above the crackles on the receiver.

“That’s a really good signal.” We’ve picked up one of Ngaya’s grown-up cubs. He says it’s the one that’s more relaxed around vehicles and we start getting excited. Barnard, who’s been upfront on the tracker’s seat, hushes us. 

Top: Phinda specialist ranger Daryl Dell radiotracking leopard Second from top: Making tracks, the team rush to a leopard hotspot Second from bottom: Daryl Dell and tracker Bernard Mnguni looking for leopard spoor Bottom: Spot the difference: it’s not all about leopards at Phinda; Ann and Steve witness a thrilling cheetah chase

Leopard conservation In 2002, when the Mun-YaWana Leopard Project started in Phinda, leopard sightings were rare. Between 2000 and 2005, some 80 per cent of the CITES permits to hunt leopards in the region were granted to properties neighbouring or nearby the reserve. At the same time local cattle ranchers were applying for destruction permits to shoot ‘problem leopards’ that were believed to be taking their livestock. It was pretty much open season.

Working hand in hand with the state wildlife body, and by improving communication

with local farmers, the project has succeeded in turning things around: the whole process of destruction permits has been reviewed; sport hunting has been curbed; and there’s now only one CITES hunting permit each year for the area (out of five for the whole of KwaZulu-Natal).

Leopard numbers have gone up from just five per hundred square kilometres to 13. Today as many as 50 use the reserve, and around 14 out of the 20 collared animals to date provide working signals for the researchers to learn more about their behaviour.

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ESSENTIAL AFRICA Malawi

Nyika National Park

There is no denying the importance or allure of Lake Malawi. It is one of southern Africa’s greatest biological treasures, and its bounty of beaches and crystal clear bays make it a superb place to unwind. However, to appreciate the country fully, you have to dig a little deeper. Philip Briggs, author of Bradt’s Malawi guidebook, is here to help you do just that.

Few countries are so strongly associated with a single geographical feature as Malawi. Little wonder, when you consider that Lake Malawi – Africa’s third-largest lake, running along the Rift Valley floor for 585km – accounts for more than 15 per cent of the country’s surface area.

More still, the nation’s borders even seem to mimic the lake’s serpentine shore.

But these points tell only half of the tale of Lake Malawi’s significance. Ask anybody who has been privileged to stand on one of its trademark sandy beaches, studded with ancient baobabs and tall palms, and gazed across its deep turquoise water, and they will simply tell you this: Lake Malawi is one of the most stunning places on earth.

And yet there is a great deal more to Malawi than its lake’s beauty. Beneath the lake’s surface there is the opportunity for divers and snorkellers to explore the world’s greatest freshwater showcase of piscine diversity – an astonishing tally of around 1000 fish species, most not found anywhere else on earth. Scenically, the waterscapes of the lake are complemented by some truly spectacular montane scenery, ranging from the sheer Rift Valley escarpment that towers above the western shore to the isolated majesty of the Mulanje Massif and singular Nyika Plateau.

With regard to safaris, Malawi doesn’t quite belong in the same premiership league as neighbouring Tanzania or Zambia. That said, reserves such as Liwonde, Vwaza Marsh, Majete and even Nyika offer some great game viewing in a thrillingly untrammelled setting, and the country is consistently rewarding when it comes to the smaller stuff: birds, antelope, monkeys, lizards and such.

Inevitably, tourism to Malawi centres on the great lake, which has acquired something of a legendary status in travel circles as the ultimate chill-out venue along the popular backpacking route between eastern and southern Africa. Today, the lakeshore is lined with dozens upon dozens of resorts and hotels – not only the cheap ‘n’ cheerful backpacker haunts for which it is renowned, but also posh colonial relicts and upmarket boutique resorts that complement the excellent network of exclusive tented camps and lodges that service the country’s mountainous retreats and game reserves.

PUMULANI/ROBIN POPE SAFARIS (4)

Malawi highlights

Flying high, birlife in Malawi is prolific

The lake is the lifeblood of many, but it’s not the only site to visit

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Malawi’s rural countryside has plenty of sights and smiles

Extending over 3134 square kilometres, Nyika is Malawi’s largest national park, protecting a spectacular plateau of undulating grassland incised by wooded gorges along the border with Zambia. The main attraction is the mountain scenery, which can be explored from the central Chelinda Lodge and Camp, either on foot, or by 4WD, or on horseback. There is some wildlife around, notably elephant, zebra, eland and leopard.

Botanical highlights include 200 orchid species, which generally bloom over January and February.

There are more than 400 bird species, including the striking wattled crane, Denham’s bustard, mountain marsh widow and scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird.

Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve On the Zambian border, this underrated reserve, with elephant, buffalo, hippo and a wealth of birds, forms a convenient and rewarding stopover en route to Nyika.

Kazuni Dam is the reserve’s game viewing showpiece and site of its only accommodation. Also present are smaller populations of lion, various brachystegia-associated antelope and rare groups of African wild dog.

Chongoni rock art One for the adventurous, this cluster of 127 rock art sites, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, is centred on the Chongoni Forest Reserve, close to the pretty highland town of Dedza. Attributed to a long-gone race of hunter-gatherers, the prehistoric art on the granite shelters of Chongoni is unusual in that it is also linked to extant Chewa female initiation rituals. There’s little in the way of a tourist infrastructure here, but the beautifully sited and budget friendly Chongoni Forestry Resthouse lies within walking distance of several fascinating sites.

Liwonde National Park Malawi’s top game-viewing destination protects 550 square kilometres of classic African bush, which is hemmed in by the magisterially sluggish Shire River. This compelling waterway, fringed by tall palms and giant figs, has a presence comparable with the Nile below Murchison Falls or the Rufiji as it runs through Selous, and is almost as densely populated with hippos and crocs. Back on terra firma, Liwonde supports large herds of elephant, buffalo, roan and sable antelope, introduced black rhino, and a fair selection of large predators, though lion sightings are very irregular. Game viewing activities centre on Mvuu Lodge, a superb tented camp with a perfect riverside location, and while game drives can be rewarding, it’s the hippo-dodging boat trips that linger in the memory. For birdwatchers, there are few more reliable sites for white-backed night heron and Pel’s fishing owl, while Mvuu is a good place to seek out localised species such as brown-breasted barbet, Livingstone’s flycatcher, Boehm’s bee-eater and Lilian’s lovebird.

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Livingstonia Founded by Dr Robert Laws at Cape Maclear in 1875, the Livingstonia Mission was relocated to the escarpment in 1894 to escape the ravages of malaria associated with the lakeshore. Reached via a snaking road with 20 hairpin bends, Livingstonia offers fine views from the Rift Valley rim to the sparkling lakeshore 900m below.

Today, one of the mission’s original stone buildings houses a museum. Outside town, Manchewe Falls crashes an impressive 125m over the escarpment to support a microhabitat of lush mist forest.

Lake Malawi Malawi’s defining geographical feature – and most important tourist attraction – is lined with a seemingly endless succession of stunning sandy beaches hemmed in by the sheer walls of the Rift Valley. Indeed, Lake Malawi has enough going for it that many travellers spend weeks in the country without straying far from its idyllic shore. Highlights? Nkhata Bay is the favoured backpacker hangout, serviced by several excellent hostels as well as the world’s cheapest diving courses. For stunning scenery, relaxed kayaking, and snorkelling among a whirl of colourful cichlids, try Cape Maclear and the nearby Lake Malawi National Park (the latter inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its peerless piscine biodiversity).

The beach resorts around Chintheche, Nkhotakhota and Senga Bay also warrant investigation, and the cruise on the notoriously tardy MV Ilala to time-warped Likoma Island ranks as one of Africa’s great public transport rides.

Shire Valley Enclosed by Mozambique on three sides, the sweltering far south of Malawi is run though by the Shire River as it flows from Lake Malawi towards the Zambezi. The cataracts that blocked the way of Livingstone’s 1859 Zambezi expedition now lie within Majete Wildlife Reserve, which has been the subject of an exciting programme of reintroductions – black rhino, elephant, buffalo and various antelope including the rare Liechtenstein’s hartebeest – since it was taken over by the private African Parks Foundation in 2003. There’s also wildlife in Lengwe National Park, including samango monkey and the world’s most northerly population of nyala antelope, while the Elephant Marsh, though no longer populated by its pachydermal namesakes, is one of the best sites for waterbirds anywhere in south-central Africa.

Zomba Plateau Dominating the northern skyline above the former colonial capital of Zomba, this expansive plateau isn’t comparable in scale to Mulanje or Nyika, but it offers plenty of opportunities for gentle rambling among cool undulating grassland interspersed with patches of pine plantation and indigenous forest. It also offers lovely views to the little-visited Lake Chilwa. In addition to bushbuck, klipspringer, baboon, samango monkey and even the occasional leopard, the plateau supports a rich birdlife.

Mulanje Massif Malawi’s tallest mountain is essentially an overgrown version of the kopjes associated with parts of Zimbabwe – an immense isolated granite massif that rises above the surrounding tea estates to a lofty 3002m peak. There are some lovely walking trails in the forested slopes, while serious hikers face the country’s greatest montane challenge in the form of the steep, all-day ascent to the 650 square kilometre plateau. The top is serviced by nine mountain huts and studded with more than a dozen climbable peaks.

Now that is a family portrait

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Mantis’ mistake, Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa. This mantis took up residence on my baby son’s beach ball (which was on a deckchair with a striped towel draped over the back). It’s likely he thought it was a flower, the favourite ambush site of mantis. Shot with a DSLR and a 90mm macro lens at f10 1/80th sec with flash

Working in art Dale Morris offers advice on the rewards of low angle photography.

>> POWERFUL PATTERNS Always keep an eye out for patterns, as they can make for interesting photographs.

Patterns can be obvious (honeycombs) or more obscure (the symmetry within a group of standing flamingos).

>> RESPLENDENT REFLECTIONS OK, so you’re no stranger to Africa or your camera. And over the years you’ve become quite good at taking pictures. But are your images – portraits of people, birds and safari wildlife, landscape shots of sunsets, savannahs and mountains – starting to look quite similar?

Why not try something different for a change? One great option to add some new life to your images is to think like an artist, and look for beauty in the unusual. Whether it’s the pattern of stripes on a zebra, the curving lines of a flower petal, or the abstract nature of creases around an elephant’s eye, the key is to make the composition appealing or intriguing.

Going for unusual or artistic shots can be a risky business, especially when your topic is a living animal. After all, if your experiment in shooting a dragonfly’s eye or a lion’s whiskers doesn’t pan out, you may well have already lost your opportunity for a nice standard portrait.

But for those who dare, the rewards can be fantastic. You’ll see your photo albums evolve and diversify. You’ll begin noticing details in the world that you may not have noticed before. And, most importantly, you’ll have more fun taking photographs.

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There’s something rather nice about the way light and form are reflected from water, especially when there is symmetry involved.

Alternatively, why not try taking a photo of only a reflection (cutting out the main subject) – you may find that your results will be unusually pleasing.

>> BEWILDERING BACKGROUNDS Be on the lookout for unusual or plain backgrounds that can lend your image a canvas-like quality and help the subject stand out boldly. If doing macro shots, you can even bring along a selection of coloured cards or photographs that can be placed behind the subject, just like a theatrical backdrop.

Markets Photoschool

A different delta, Okavango Delta, Botswana. While drifting about in a mokoro, I spotted these trees reflected in the water. By flipping the final image over, I’ve created a unique take on the delta’s watery environment. Shot with a DSLR and a 18mm wide-angle at f5.6 at 1/1250th sec

>> AMAZING ABSTRACTS Sometimes a photo is made interesting merely by the fact that the person looking at it does not have a clue what it is. As long as the composition is pleasing to the eye, an abstract image can work fantastically well, especially when displayed next to a standard picture of the subject. Clever use of shadows can also shed light on the true nature of the abstract image. Patterns, textures, eyecatching lines or the simplicity of a single pleasing shape can also give life to this type of photograph.

Mushroom magic, Nigerian rainforest. This image is all about patterns, but notice that the one protruding mushroom draws the eye to it and gives the photo some depth. Shot with a DSLR and a 90mm macro lens at f11 1/80th sec with an off shoe flash pointing up from below (to highlight the mushroom’s gills)

* See more of Dale’s photography at www.geckoeye.com

SEE A PHOTO TAKEN BY YOU! Do you have a photo that you think is worthy of a spot in Travel Africa? Email the digital image, along with a short description of when, where and how the image was captured (including camera details), to editor@travelafricamag.com with PHOTOSCHOOL in the subject line, or post a CD to: Editor, Travel Africa magazine 4 Rycote Lane Farm, Milton Common, Oxfordshire OX9 2NZ, United Kingdom. Slides are also accepted, though please send a self-addressed envelope with postage attached if you’d like them returned.

She’s got legs, Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa. Although this image is fairly abstract it still manages to convey the story of a giraffe drinking at a watering hole. Be on the lookout for interesting lines, shapes and patterns while observing everyday African scenes. Shot with a DSLR with a 400mm lens at f4 1/400th sec

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Parting shot

Pretty in pollen Ladybird on a daisy, Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. Photographed by Dale Morris.

90mm dedicated macro lens; 1/250 sec at f9 with slow flash sync.

I love macro photography – primarily because I love bugs. Looking through a macro lens makes you appreciate that there is a lot more to see in Africa than the Big Five. Initially, it was the beautiful flower (growing alongside a road just outside of Addo Elephant National Park) that caught my eye, but on closer inspection I discovered this delightful little ladybird at rest amongst the pollen. It was a cold morning, and I assume that the beetle was warming itself up under the rising sun before commencing its breakfast: a yummy infestation of aphids which was clustered just below.

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