Lemurs are, of course, the main attraction to the country and, with their cute, photogenic and approachable appearance, it is easy to see why. Waking to the spine-chilling call of the Indri floating through the misty morning jungle, watching the dance of endearing sifakas as they scuttle across the orange sand and scouting the night for the eerie aye-aye under torchlight are all experiences that will last a lifetime.

With no big predators or animals that are a real danger to humans, Madagascar is the ideal destination for a family safari. As you search for wildlife, you will traverse by foot, keeping you active and involved. The guiding is fantastic and with so many small creatures, you have the chance for a much more ‘hands-on’ experience than in destinations where the focus is the big game, you may even get to hold a chameleon, whose laid back attitude and large, swivelling eyes are a sure show stopper. In many places, lemurs have become habituated, so children won’t get impatient looking for them.

There are endless trails through spiny forests, across savannahs and by deep jungles, keeping any enthusiast happy. Yet, there are also some outstanding beach locations, such as Ifaty and private or tropical islands, such as Nosy Tsarabanjina and Ile Saint Marie that are great for honeymooners, or just to end your safari in utter splendour. Here you will find fantastic diving and snorkelling, water-sports and even whale-watching in season. Accommodations such as Princesse Bora Lodge are great for whales, whereas Anjajavy mixes beach and wildlife (including lemurs, chameleons and even leaf-nosed bats) into possibly the most luxurious place to stay in the whole of Madagascar.

It is possible to visit Madagascar at any time of year, although we recommend avoiding December to March due to high rainfall and risk of cyclones, the best time to visit being outside of this. With something for absolutely everyone, whether you are looking for beach relaxation, wildlife, romance of the family holiday of a lifetime, Madagascar is one of our favourite safari destinations and it sure to leave an impression that will last a lifetime.

Combining some of the best natural history film makers, the incredible cinematography of Frozen Planet and  the live techniques used in the making of ‘Big Cat Diaries’, Planet Earth Live is sure to be a success, and the ultimate in wildlife documentaries.

The crew have already captured some fantastic material in the build up, some of which you can access on the  website. Inquisitive meerkats can be seen climbing all over a BBC 1 sign and a cheeky Macaque actually takes charge, filming the crew instead! The Kenya crew are staying in one of our favourite camps in the Masai Mara, Governors Camp, and have already set up a full transmission system for the live feeds. In fact, whilst testing they were rudely interrupted by a meddlesome herd of buffalo and hippo. This is the base for Richard Hammond as he pursues a lifelong dream of tracking lions in the wild, Sophie Darlington videoing the action. He is actually following the same pride as was featured in ‘Big Cat Diaries’, so it could be a chance for us all to catch up on their progress. The pride is going through some big changes with a take-over in place; a lioness has managed to escape with her cubs, but with limited food supply, are they going to be able to survive in the wild alone?

African lions can be found in parks throughout Southern Africa extending through Zambia and Malawi into Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Uganda (where they enjoy a spot of tree climbing), with a few prides being found across Africa, just south of the Sahara Desert. Their numbers are in decline and they are considered a vulnerable species, but you have a good chance of spotting them in the wild on safari. ‘Meerkat’ is actually a South African Dutch word meaning ‘lake cat’, and you can experience this endearing creatures in South Africa and Botswana, where they sometimes use humans as lookout posts! Macaques are old world monkeys, cheeky and clever, yet they are still a vulnerable species – Sri Lanka is a great place to spot them in the wild. If it’s the black bears that steal your heart, then as well as Minnesota, you can spot them throughout parts of Alaska, among scenery that is guaranteed to take your breath away.

These are some of the most memorable and awe-inspiring experiences of the natural world and not everyone gets the chance to experience them. However, it is not unachievable and we pride ourselves, as a company, on putting clients in the right place at the right time to maximise their wildlife encounters, whatever they want to see. We have taken the traditional safari experience and spread  it throughout the globe, so whether you are in Africa on the search for lions, want to walk with cheetah or meet the meerkats of South Africa, or even want to track leopards and macaques in Sri Lanka, tigers in India or polar bears in the Arctic, we can make it happen, with the best guides, accommodation and transport there is. We can even organise for you to stay at Governors Camp in the Masai Mara, the exact base for this incredible new series.

Hopefully Planet Earth Live will inspire those who haven’t considered a wildlife safari before, or those who have thought about it but never committed or even people who have been before, to re-think, get out and experience the natural world. Make sure you get in touch and we can tailor-make the perfect trip for you!

Planet Earth Live is starting on the BBC on the 6th of May this year at 8:50pm, continuing on Thursdays and Sundays at 9pm. If you’re not in the UK, then follow this link to see what channel and time it will be on in your country. ‘Like’ our our Facebook page for updates as we go along and we hope you enjoy the program as much as we will!

When you decide that you just have to head out to these areas, contact us on:

Tel: 0044 (0) 1273 691 642      
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569      
Australia Toll Free: 1800 668 890
Email: sales@naturalworldsafaris.com

Over 90% of Madagascar’s original rainforests have been destroyed, either through logging, mining or slash-and-burn agriculture. This has resulted in the habitats and homes for many rare, endemic and, now, endangered animals, especially lemurs, to be severely limited. This exotic island is full of magical critters, from chameleons smaller than your fingernail and giant millipedes, to about 800 frog species and a myriad of colourful birds. These animals need the help of the local people to survive, yet being one of the poorest countries in the world, educating this island nation becomes the priority…

The Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership
The Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership is a non-governmental organisation that has recognised not just the problems the Red Island faces, but the cause and solutions. The MBP has been involved in conservation projects throughout Madagascar for over 14 years and, through scientific research aimed at aiding the protection of endangered animals, has discovered 21 new lemur species. It’s not just through science that the MBP works however; recognising that the future of Madagascar’s incredible diversity lies within the hands of the Malagasy people, they have also led numerous community and education projects. This aims to instill a sense of pride in their national treasures, educating them in how to conserve them and inspiring them to think about the long term effects of their actions.

Kianjavato Ahmanson Field Station (KAFS), created from four shipping containers, has served them as a dorm, kitchen, research lab, office space and headquarters. Centrally located, it serves as a base for all of their research and outreach projects in Kianjavato, as well as projects by partners, volunteers and students. This is the base from which our clients will have the opportunity to track 3 species of critically endangered lemurs, learn about how to help them and delve into the research projects with the local communities. KAFS is not just a base from which to work from, but has seen many changes over the years – now featuring numerous plant nurseries and a working well.

Lemurs
Of course, when we think about the wildlife of Madagascar the first thing that springs to mind for most people is the lemurs. Totally endemic, these wonderful creatures range from the tiny 25 gram pygmy mouse lemur to the huge Indri, and all displaying different behaviours, like singing or even dancing across the sand. The Greater Bamboo Lemur is one of the world’s most endangered animals, with just 300 known to be left in the wild. Having once thrived, its territorial range is now limited due to forest fragmentation and the largest populations now live in the forests surrounding Kianjavato where they can enjoy their, highly specialised, diet that consists mainly of Greater Bamboo. For the Greater Bamboo Lemur to have a chance at survival, swift action must be taken and the MBP is contributing in more than one way to this. As Madagascar is an economically impoverished country, with 70% of people surviving on less that $1US per day, the people often turn to the forests to meet their basic needs. The MBP believes that by educating these people, you will encourage them to make smart choices, helping to preserve the habitat and ensure the survival of the Greater Bamboo Lemur, as well as improving the quality of life of the Kianjavato community. Currently only 20% of the countries national budget goes towards education, and 95% of that goes towards salaries. It is not just through education that the MBP are making a difference. In 2007 to provide immediate protection, they provided employment of local guides – this not only establishes a valuable connection to the community, it means they gain employees that are already familiar with the land, a win-win situation. This is being monitored and the data compiled will provide information on population genetics, group dynamics and seasonal movement to compare with other Greater Bamboo Lemurs found in other areas of Madagascar.

With their rodent-like teeth, large eyes and specialised long thin finger, the Aye-Ayes were not initially thought to be part of the lemur family. Despite their eerie looks, they are indeed primates and spend their lives avoiding coming down to the ground, clinging onto branches with their sharp claws and opposable thumbs. These lemurs are not just endangered due to a loss of habitat, but were, and still are by some, thought to be an omen of bad luck. For this reason, they have been killed on sight – a form of hunting, which combined with habitat destruction, has left them critically endangered. In 2008 GPS collars were used on the odd looking Aye-Aye’s in Mantadia National Park and Torotorofotsy Site on a preliminary study of their range. These findings are being expanded upon with a long term study into their social structure, habitat use, diet, territory size (the home range of a female was found to be 746 hectares over 4 months) and population densities in four areas; Torotorofotsy Ramsar site, Mantadia National Park, Analamazaotra Special Reserve and Kianjavato Classified Forest.

The critically endangered Black & White Ruffed lemur is threatened by both habitat loss and specialised diet. Feeding on 90% fruit they serve as a vital seed dispenser throughout the forest. As part of the ‘Education Promoting Reforestation Program’, the seeds (which are not harmed by the lemur’s digestion) are collected by students and volunteers, separated from their genetic material to be germinated and transplanted. In the 1970’s poaching and deforestation led to the regional extinction of Black and White ruffed and Diademed sifaka lemurs in the Analamazoatra. The MBP, over 30 years later, confirmed that this area was suitable as a habitat for these friendly critters and implemented the most successful known wild animal reintroduction in Madagascar. As well as the above, the MBP is working with the Malagasy communities who share their homes with the Northern Sportive Lemur and Perrier’s sifaka to monitor these endangered animals and help to ensure their survival.

What we do…
We are doing our best to work with and support the MBP by sending willing clients to the Kianjavato Lemur Project at some point during their safari. Not only will you have the chance to spend time searching for the rare nocturnal aye-aye, Greater Bamboo Lemur and black and white ruffed lemurs but the opportunity to visit local schools and talk to the local communities. We are the only company to do this and for the privilege, we donate 100 Euros to the MBP each time one of our clients makes a visit. By travelling with us, you are contributing directly to their research and to supporting the habitats of these critically endangered, endemic lemurs.

There are approximately 790 mountain gorillas living in the wild distributed between 3 countries in Africa; Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Of these 790 individuals, approximately 480 live spread throughout the 447km2 Virunga Volcanoes Massif Volcanoes NP (Rwanda), Virunga NP (DRC), and Mgahinga Gorilla NP (Uganda), while approximately 310 mountain gorillas live in Uganda’s 331km2 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There is currently a new census being carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and this number is likely to increase.

In Uganda, there are currently 10 Habituated Gorilla Groups that tourists can track, increasing the total number of gorilla permits available in Uganda to 80 (a maximum of 8 guests per gorilla group). The additional Gorilla Group, the Nyakagezi Group (Circa 9) based in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, is currently not bookable at Uganda Wildlife Authorities as the family have a very large range and spend their time crossing the border between Uganda and Rwanda. It is still possible to track them, normally buying permits the day before at the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Head Quarters, but we don’t recommend them for reliable viewings. More details on Uganda gorilla groups below…

Bwindi Buhoma:

• Habinyanja Group – Circa 19
• Rushegura Group – Circa 20
• Mubare Group – Circa 6
• Orozugo Group – Circa 23 (introduced to tracking in 2011, the gorillas are still quite ‘shy’)

Bwindi Ruhija (overnight in Buhoma):

• Bitukura Group – Circa 13
• Kyaguriro Group – Circa 15 (used to be the research group)

Bwindi Nkuringo:

• Nkuringo Group – Circa 18

Bwindi Rushaga (overnight in Nkuringo):

• Nshongi Group – Circa 25 (used to be a very large group. It split in 2011 when a secondary silverback led a group of females off to form his own group (Mishaya)
• Mishaya Group – Circa 12 (at the point of splitting from Nshongi other females have joined from wild gorilla groups nearby)
• Kahungye Group – TBC (introduced to tracking in 2011)

 In Rwanda, there are officially 10 Habituated Gorilla Groups at the moment that tourists are able to track, this includes the ‘new’ Karisimbi Group, split from the Susa Group, and the two new groups; Ugenda and the Bwenge. As in Uganda, this has now increased the total number of gorilla permits available in Rwanda to 80 (a maximum of 8 guests per gorilla group).

Susa Group
Family Size: 33 gorillas (incl. 2 silverbacks, 3 babies & 1 set of twins)
The Susa Group, meaning ‘stinging nettles’ due to the area where they were originally found being full of them, was famously studied by Dian Fossey and was the largest gorilla group, featuring young twins names Byishimo & Impano. This group has now split into 2 separate groups, the Susa & the Karisimbi. The Susa Groups are now usually found relatively low down in the forest.

Karisimbi Group
Family Size: 16 gorillas (incl. 2 silverbacks & 2 babies)
The name Karisimbi refers to snow-capped Mt Karisimbi, in the local dialect ‘isimbi’ means something that glitters. This group have established their range quite high up on the slopes of the Karisimbi caldera, meaning that tracking them can end up being an entire day’s worth of trekking – perhaps better suited to the more serious hikers!

Kwitonda Group
Family Size: 23 gorillas (incl. 4 silverbacks & 2 babies)
This group, Kwitonda being the name of the dominant silverback and meaning ‘humble’, were originally habituated in the Democratic Republic of Congo – moving into Rwanda in 2005 they have stayed there ever since.

Hirwa Group
Family Size: 16 Gorillas (incl. 1 silverback, 1 baby and a set of twins)
Since my last update, this group has grown by 4 members. Being a relatively new group, established in 2006, they hold their own among the other longer-established groups. The name Hirwa means ‘the lucky one’.

Agashya Group
Family Size: 27 gorillas (incl. 1 silverback & 2 babies)
The silverback, known for being particularly relaxed, in this group is names Agacya and is referred to as ‘the special one’, it is said that he just cam from the wild and took over a group that was already habituated. Agashya means ‘something new’ and the group was the first habituated, initially called group 13. It has now expanded from 13 members 27.

Amahoro Group
Family Size: 18 gorillas (incl. 2 silverbacks)
Meaning ‘peaceful’, this group is the most tranquil of all the groups, led by Ubumwe. The relaxed silverback, Ubumwe, is so peaceful and calm that he has lost members to Charles, who has now formed his own group (below). This group live atop some fairly steep terrain so the trek to visit them can be quite challenging.

Umubano Group
Family Size: 13 gorillas (incl. 2 silverbacks & 2 babies)
Led by Charles, formerly part of the Amahoro Group, this group contains some females ‘snatched’ from their previous group. Charles, seemingly fed up of taking orders from Ubumwe, who was of similar rank, challenged him for leadership – finally forming his own group, the name of which means ‘friendship or cooperation/togetherness). This has commanded the respect and recognition of Ubumwe ever since.

 The Amahoro and Umubano Groups usually live between the Karisoke & Visoke peaks, further from the park headquarters than Sabyinyo and Agashya Groups, yet within easier reach than Susa and Karisimbe.

Sabyinyo Group
Family Size: 13 gorillas (incl. 2 silverbacks & 2 babies)
Meaning ‘old mans teeth’, as well as being named after Mt Sabyinyo, this group is led by the powerful silverback, Guhonda, who has kept his main challenger, Ryango, out of the group as a lonely silverback. This group are usually found relatively close to the edge of the forest, in the gentle slopes between Mt. Sabyinyo & Mt Gahinga, so are quite easily accessible.

Ugenda Group
Family Size: 11 gorillas (incl. 2 silverbacks)
Settled in the Karisimbe area of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, their name ‘Ugenda’ means being on the move.

Bwenge Group
Family Size: 11 gorillas (incl. 1 silverback)
Led by Bwenge himself, this group was formed in 2007 when he left his natal group and was gradually joined by females from other groups. This group has had some hard times, seeing the death of 6 infants for different reasons – they now seem to be growing strong with 2 successful births in the last few years and a strong capable silverback leader.  

If you are interested in visiting and tracking the endangered mountain gorillas, please get in contact with us. When tracking gorillas in Uganda, you will be allocated your gorilla group. In Rwanda, permits are not attributed to any gorilla group at time of purchase, and you are allocated your group in the morning before you set off. If you have a preferred group to track, you are able to request this in the morning, whether you get your requested group will depend on the others tracking at the same time, if four tourist groups have requested the same gorilla group, only one will be able to track them. Whether you choose Rwanda or Uganda and whichever group you end up tracking, this is a (usually!) once in a lifetime chance to encounter some of the most amazing animals on the planet. Watching them interact with each other is absolutely heart warming and something totally unforgettable, even for the most seasoned traveller or experienced wildlife tracker…

Contact us for more information on the following details:

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 691 642
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569
Email: sales@worldprimatesafaris.com

By Craig Kaufman, our East Africa specialist.

safari in Kenya

In my mind, my experience at Serian Camp was to be the highlight of the entire safari! So you can imagine that my expectations were rather dashed as a storm was on its way at the exact time of beginning our game drive. Luckily, the rain was light and it soon blew over to leave a stunning golden sunset.

During the past two days Zawadi, the Leopard, had managed to secure her meal up in an acacia tree giving guests great leopard sightings. Unfortunately, as I arrived into camp, she had just finished with the carcus and returned back into hiding. Despite this, we came across a parked vehicle and there playing was a mother cheetah with her cub. This was one of the most amazing wildlife encounters that I have ever experienced. We were only a number of metres away from one of the most beautiful cats and the fastest land mammals on this planet and we spent over an hour watching the baby cub and the mother playing as the sun began to set. For most of this experience, we were the only vehicle watching it. It was nice to swap interesting stories with my guides, Towet & Christina (trainee from the Mara Koiyaki Guiding School), over an African spiced chai tea as the sun set.

The morning guided walk was great, despite having to initially push for local wildlife and cultural knowledge. Christina was young and enthusiastic and liked the fact that I wanted to learn the art of tracking through the dung.

N.B. The 5 hour return walk to the ‘Serian Tree House’ on the Suguroi Hill of the Oloololo Escarpment can be wet upon beginning the walk, i.e. lack of sun at this time in the morning. We didn’t see a huge variety of mammals; spotting giraffes, zebra, impala all far in the distance. But, it was a great walk for views of the Conservancy, the escarpment and learning about the culture of the Maasai. Breakfast in the tree house was with 180 degree views was a rewarding experience, presenting some views that I certainly won’t forget. 

Towet and Christina put up a wonderful bush lunch before transferring me through the Musiara Gate, into the Mara Reserve and dropping me off at Little Governor’s Camp. The lunch was great, proper serving dishes & plates all spread out on a table. They chose a great location, known for its leopard sightings, overlooking the plains of the Mara North Conservancy and looking into the Mara Reserve.

Hopefully this has inspired a few more people to try Kenya as their next safari destination. Please get in touch if you would like more details, and make sure you check out some of our suggested safaris!

Tel: 0044 (0) 1273 691 642
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569
Email: sales@worldbigcatsafaris.com

My next major highlight (to avoid overloading you with every single place I visited!) was Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. I loved that fact that the Conservancy was set up in a way that enabled visitors to learn as much as they wanted about how its run, its security, the management of the wildlife, and the partnerships with the local communities. There are also many very interesting activities on offer enabling clients to enjoy a very diverse itinerary, from horse riding, camel safaris, guided game walks, nocturnal game drives and tracker bloodhound dogs, to bi-plane, hill/river hiking, Ngare Ndare Forest canopy walkway/blue pools & waterfalls, fly-fishing at Lake Rutundu on Mt. Kenya, bird watching, game viewing from a wildlife blind and cultural village visits. Furthermore, with ‘Walking Wild’ guests can enjoy fly camping by walking, horses or camels for a number of nights.

The wildlife in Lewa is very good; large herds of elephants & giraffe, good sightings of lions, including a huge male which we encountered a few minutes before getting stuck in the mud! There also includes 69 black rhino & 50 white rhino as well as Grevys zebra, oryx, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, klipspringer, impala, baboon, vervet monkey, & great quantities of water-birds. We head out very early on horseback one morning; trotting over the plains through a tower of giraffes and even witnessed an attempt at them copulating.

After so many days game driving on Kenya‘s hot plains I wanted to experience something different, a walk in a forest, a refreshing hike in a cooler lush habitat. I had previously learnt that you could journey to the Ngare Ndare Forest and decided to organised a visit to the ‘Blue Pools’ that afternoon to explore the waterfalls and canopy walkway.

Given enough time, clients may be able to spot some interesting bird species but to be honest, it was really just a scouting expedition for me rather than spending time birding myself. By venturing in the Ngare Ndare Forest guests will be able to climb out of the hot humid plains and gain stunning views of the Borana land and the whole of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. It is quite stunning to see the dry landscape quite instantly change into a rich fertile forest.

It would be very difficult to access this area during the wet season, even during my trip (January) it was quite hard, with quite steep terrain in places. Eventually, we left the vehicle and started our hike to the pools and waterfalls. It was much more beautiful than I had imagined and after 20 minutes of hiking up fairly steep terrain we came across the river and a series of pools. It’s a really beautiful sight to see the water rushing down the rocks and crevices. The pools are safe to swim and that visitors can jump off the rocks for real refreshment. Upon our return to the vehicle, we had a warming spice tea masala with homemade flapjacks!

The Naibosho Conservancy is most certainly somewhere to look out for. Its mammal and predator population is steadily growing at a healthy rate. Its grasses were short due to the agreement with the local Masaai (grazing of their cattle is allowed in certain sections of the Conservancy), and it is scenically quite beautiful.

Once again, what followed was another highlight of my entire safari. We began our game drive late after I had conducted a lengthy interview with Jackson (of the BBC’s ‘Big Cat Diary’ fame) overlooking the plains of the Naibosho Conservancy. We passed a wealth of wildlife as the plains turned a wonderful golden colour, perfect for photography. The pinnacle of the evening was following a bull elephant on must and staying within meters of him as he met up with another herd. We followed the herd for over an hour, stopping the vehicle and switching off the engine under a blanket of stars, which were eventually our only light source, and focussing on the hefty outlines of the elephants through our binoculars. It was quite an experience. The sounds in the pitch black were quite memorable. And, of course, it didn’t need must persuading to crack open the first drink of the evening under the African night’s sky! This certainly was something special despite failing to spot the cats.

Then once more, Justus and I were off speeding through the bush as we began our journey to Topi House and Mara Plains in the Olare Orok & Motorogi Conservancy. Yet again, the lack of signage caused us many a problem, but the wrong turns each added to the fun and excitement!! Normally, you might expect to follow the one dirt track to the next destination but here there were dirt tracks crisscrossing each other and the simple instruction of “follow the hill around” became a real problem!! We had to call into Kicheche Bush Camp and talk to the management, Darren & Emma, for directions as well as arrange the evening activity in advance with the hope that we could complete our two site inspections in time!

Soon, Justus and I were on our merry way but this time slipping and sliding on black cotton soil through the Masaai and Community land of the Mara North Conservancy, this time to Mara House and Acacia House. En-route, we winched an Australian family out from a trench before we got lost, having to follow a boda-boda rider to the House’s. Mara & Acacia House are surprisingly located a lot further away from anywhere, perfect for families or groups that would like a little seclusion and privacy!

The third and final instalment still to come in the Mara North Conservancy! In the mean time, feel free to contact us for more details on Kenya safaris and we will be happy to discuss your options with you.

Tel: 0044 (0) 1273 691 642
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569
Email: sales@worldbearsafaris.com

“Nile Safari Lodge – wonderful! (and thank you for arranging room 5 for me – obviously I don’t know what the rest of the rooms are like but I was very happy with No. 5). The staff, particularly Davidson and Dennis, were absolutely lovely and the meals delightful. I can’t praise Joseph Junior (my driver/guide) highly enough. Not only was his knowledge of the area and wildlife incredible but I feel he went beyond the call of duty retrieving my errant luggage for me. As I think I said earlier, my luggage didn’t get to me for 4 days but not only did Joseph lend me a t-shirt and arrange another for me from Wild Frontiers, he also spent a night away from Murchison retrieving my luggage from a bus (possibly in Pakwach???). Anyway I had two wonderful game drives with Joseph and two trips on the Nile (I thought Murchison Falls were spectacular) and loved the walk to the top of the falls. Some fantastic animal and bird sightings and just an experience I never thought I would have. The trip to Budongo Forest was very interesting and my guide (Sam) was very knowledgeable, unfortunately the chimps were rather elusive although we did see two very high in the trees. Nevertheless an enjoyable trip.

The Boma – a surprisingly good place. I was expecting something of a lesser standard given its location in Entebbe, but I was pleasantly surprised and again found the staff and meals very good. I spent a pleasant morning at the Botanical Gardens before going to Ngamba Island (and meeting three of the other five from the small group). I thought Ngamba was delightful and although again slightly ‘false’, I felt the chimps were living quite a free life and are obviously well looked after. Also the birdlife on Ngamba I thought was wonderful and could easily have spent more time there, listening to the obviously knowledgeable and dedicated staff. It might have been an experience to spend a night there.

Moving on to Lake Mburo and Mantana Tented Camp - again a lovely place and I loved the tents but maybe not enough time there? We didn’t arrive until about 15:00 and although we had a game walk before a lovely dinner, I feel I didn’t see enough of the place and would love to have visited the Lake. Maybe two nights there would have been better.

Buhoma Lodge – what can I say? Absolutely magnificent!!!! I loved everything about the place and my only complaint is that I would love to have spent more time there, maybe doing some more walks into the forest and finding out more about the area. My room was very high up the hillside (67 steps!!!) and the views were magnificent. We had two fantastic days with the gorillas and, I feel, an experience which has changed me (I note it’s possible to volunteer at Bwindi Forest so who knows????). The first trek to see the gorillas was long and arduous ( 8 hours total) but I feel that the time would have been much less if one of our party had not been less than fit! The guides eventually had to call for the ‘stretcher’ and our colleague was carried to and from the gorillas (the porters were incredible). The second day was much less arduous – in fact we were with the gorillas in less than an hour and they were so laid back it was incredible. We spent well over an hour with them and I really felt quite emotional when it was time to leave. I can’t put into words how incredible those days were and I do hope I will get to repeat the journey again in the not too distant future. All too soon it was time to leave Bwindi and I think we all left with heavy hearts. Incidentally the journey to Bwindi was incredible with magnificent scenery on the way. Off to Ishasha.

Ishasha Wilderness Camp – again magnificent and, again, somewhere I should like to spend much more time. We had a dawn game drive which was just beautiful – seeing the sun rise over the savannah was incredible. We were aware that the lions had not been sighted much in recent days so Joseph asked one of his colleagues to let him know if they were sighted – after a couple of hours back at the camp we got ‘the call’ and duly set off, finding the lions sadly not up trees but sheltering from the sun in a thatched ‘cottage’ they have claimed. However we were able to get very close to them which was amazing. Later in the day, Joseph [the guide] offered a late game drive which only myself and two of the party decided to take up and I’m so glad we did, spotting a Shoebill on the shores of the lake. Sadly we weren’t able to get very close even though we used a herd of buffalo to creep up as close as possible but I was able to get a photograph which is distinguishable!! We stopped to watch the sun go down over the savannah to round off a wonderful day.

Another experience at Ishasha - I woke on morning to a strange sound outside my tent to find Henry the Lonely Hippo grazing happily only a yard away! Very special.

Leaving Ishasha, we moved on to Kyambura Gorge - a lovely place and again after a to and fro trek, managed to track down the chimps resident there and got incredibly good views of them.

Mweya Safari Lodge – as I’ve already indicated, a bit of a disappointment. Having said that I think the cruise on the Kazinga Channel was marvellous and getting so close to the animal and bird life just amazing.

From Mweya, the long drive to Entebbe Airport – again passing interesting scenery and time to reflect on a wonderful holiday.

As I’m sure you can glean from the above, I had a wonderful time and I hope it won’t be too long before I return to Uganda - I do think it is a beautiful country. On that note, I feel I have only just scratched the surface and the next time I would like to spend much more time at Bwindi, much more time at Ishasha, and maybe another night at Lake Mburo!! I would like to spend much more time ‘birding’ in Uganda, maybe combining that with the gorillas at Bwindi. I couldn’t return to Uganda and NOT see the gorillas!

When I met up with the small group, we all got on incredibly well and I think that added to the holiday too. Given that we were ‘thrust together’ to spend many hours in the truck for several days, it could have been a disaster but it all turned out really well.

I would like to thank you again Craig for all your time and effort planning this holiday but as I’m sure you realise it is all much appreciated and I do feel as though I wasn’t just another ‘customer’ who was forgotten about once the money was handed over.”

 If you would like to enquire about joining a small group trip to Uganda, or having your ultimate safari tailored exactly to your specifications, please contact us on the below details. Judith captured some beautiful images during her trip, so make sure you check them out here!

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 691 642
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569
Email: sales@worldprimatesafaris.com

Despite the property inspections I was doing everyday, I tried to squeeze in as many activities as possible to gauge what a safari in Kenya is really like. In fact, the country inspired me so much, that I’ve had to break this down into a series of 3 blogs! My first entry is below, starting on 6^th of January and ending on the 8^th.

My first stop was Kicheche Laikipia Camp in the Laikipia Conservancy, somewhere that ended up being one of the highlights of my entire journey. It was here that I was privileged enough to try lion monitoring with Andy Webb from the camp, in search of 2 collared lionesses, Siour & Pasha. So with a VHF aerial & headset, and no sightings guaranteed, we set off out into the wild. It was hard work locating the individuals, especially when you take into account that the signal can bounce making you think they are in the complete opposite direction! Eventually we tracked them to a dense wooded area, too thick to drive through, and had almost given up when we noticed Siour, her cub, Pasha, Skela and her two cubs wandering past to the waterhole. Mission completed, albeit by chance in the end! This is a fantastic activity for those interested in lion behaviour & interaction, hard work, but a truly wonderful experience.

We also came across a male and female lion mating, a rather interesting process that can take many days. At one point a lone buffalo broke away from its herd and challenged the male lion to a fight, a long stand-off followed before the lion eventually decided to show it who’s boss! A great end to the day before Andy and I sat back with a scotch and coke and some roasted cashews as the sun set behind Mount Kenya.

Another major highlight was the visit to the Rhino Sanctuary in Ol Pejeta Conservancy which houses black and white rhinos, as well as 4 of the last remaining 8 Northern White Rhinos; Najin, Fatu, Sudan and Suni. The rhino’s were translocated on the 20 Dec 2009 from Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic and this was a wonderful opportunity to grill the rangers for more details (video coming soon),  and even stroke Laburu, a 3 year old black rhino.

My next destination was Meru National Park, a wonderful area where clients can get away from the crowds. Here you can enjoy 3 or 4 nights in complete luxury in Elsa’s Kopje, or getting in touch with how African safaris used to be with a more traditional stay in Offbeat Meru Camp. This is an excellent birding destination, probably the best national park in Kenya for birds, with 13 permanent rivers and swamps that flow into the Tana River, eventually ending up in the Indian Ocean. Straddling the equator also means that it has varied environments, hence a range of habitats for the local and migrant species, from thorn bush and grassland to rich riverine vegetation.

There is game here but you have to work harder to find it and the numbers are less in quantity. Buffalo, rhino, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, waterbuck, bushbuck, Grants gazelle, impala, warthog, greater and lesser kudu as well as crocodiles and hippo’s all call Meru National Park home, the most striking aspect in my opinion being the number of elephants wandering around. Unfortunately I didn’t spot any of the big cats, but I was only there for a night.

During my time here I only encountered one other group of tourists who were on a mobile safari for three nights. Other than that, I think I was the only other visitor in the park and this, I believe, is the main attraction to Meru. It’s the kind of park where you can explore all corners without crossing another vehicle, park up and enjoy a bush breakfast amongst the riverine vegetation after a spot of fishing (catfish & tilapia) and watch the elephants all to yourself. Ultimately, if you enjoy a quiet park and being at one with nature without having to chalk up a huge mammal list then this is the park for you.

Laikipia Conservancy, Ol Pejeta and Meru National Park ere all spectacular destinations and really bought my hopes up for the up coming days of my Kenya safari. My next entry will include the Lewa wildlife Conservancy, Naboisho, Olare Orok and an intriguing scouting expedition so make sure you check it next week!

In the mean time, if you have any questions, please contact us on the following details:

Tel: 0044 1273 691 642
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569
Email: sales@worldbigcatsafaris.com