If asked what was the world’s largest mammal migration, most people would probably guess the annual migration of wildebeest across the plains of the Masai Mara. And they’d be wrong…

Fruit bats roosting during the daylight hours.

Every year between October and December, up to ten million fruit bats make the journey from all over central Africa to the Kasanka National Park in Zambia in what is the world’s largest mammal migration. The bats come to the area to feast on the ripening fruits of the fertile valley and usually stay for around six weeks.

Being nocturnal animals, early morning sees a flurry of activity in the African skies as the bats return to roost before sunrise. Once roosting, the animals are extremely difficult to see so it is highly recommended that you join one of the early morning guided walk safaris.

The bats play a highly important role in the ecological system of the area. By coming to feast on all the delicious fruits on offer, and then returning home, the bats unwittingly distribute tree seeds throughout their journey. It is estimated that the bats are responsible for as much as 60% of the seed dispersal of African rain forest trees. How many other animals can say that about their excrement?

Bats in the skies of Kasanka National Park.

Watch the video here to see just what makes the annual migration such a special occurrence.

Ulusaba Rock Lodge - Makwela Suite Deck

Take advantage of this extended offer at Ulusaba, Sir Richard Branson’s Private Game Reserve

Stay for 4 nights or more and you’ll get one night FREE  for arrivals up to 31st March 2012 (excluding Christmas and New Year). Plus kids still go free when combined with this offer.

Contact a Safari Consultant for details.  Rates will include all meals and drinks (plus champagne), twice daily game drives and safari walks.

Our Safari Honcho, Jeff Ward, recently spent a week exploring the beautiful country of Tanzania. The below are excerpts of his trip as he recounts his amazing experiences…

Day 1:

I arrive at the Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha after a long spell of travelling. It’s the perfect spot for a one night pre or post safari stay, and it has a wonderful day room scenario for the late KLM flights out of JRO.

The Hotel has that old world charm that reminds me of the Mount Nelson in Cape Town… the perfect place to take Gran to tea.

The next day, I headed out to Tarangire National Park. The drive was extremely long but there was lots of good game on the way, including a python in a tree!

Day 2

The rooms at Tarangire Tree Tops Lodge are all built around a big old Baobab and Marula trees. A real tree house feel with great views.

Tarangire Tree Tops

There’s a watering hole right at the front of the lodge where we saw baboons playing (and fighting) while we had lunch.

Swala Sanctuary Camp

This under-canvas camp is right in the middle of the Tarangire National Park, so you can’t beat the location. With 12 tents, this is one of my all-time favorites.  The camp was completely renovated in 2009 and it shows. The place looks terrific. The large tents are permanently fixed on platforms and have full amenities. There is an outdoor shower for each room, with most overlooking the VERY active water hole. Guests at breakfast witnessed a mama lion snacking on a baby warthog this morning. The new managers are in the process of introducing walking safaris, which will be cool.

Swala Sanctuary Lodge

Day 4:

Manyara Serena Lodge

We did not have an appointment here, but Adam, my Akorn Driver/Guide thought it might be worthwhile to see.

We got a quick tour of the Manyara Serena which is right at the top of the escarpment. It has 67 rooms and was built in the 1990s. It was spacious, open, and clean, and had beautiful gardens for the grounds.

The lodge has amazing views out over Manyara and also has a refreshing pool that also overlooks the fertile valley below.

Manyara Serena Lodge

After breakfast at Manyara Ranch, we headed north-west past Lake Manyara National Park and up the Great Rift Valley escarpment  headed to the Karatu Highlands, where it was lush, green, and very pretty.

Karatu Highlands

Gibbs Farm

I loved this place. They were expecting us and made us feel so welcome. We were immediately offered lunch from the buffet, which offered food that was almost completely grown on the farm (yes, the best meal I’d had so far). The front-office manager dined with us and was available to answer all of my questions. The environment was calm, serene and very relaxing.

Gibbs Farm Bedroom

The lodge sits adjacent to the Ngorongoro Crater National Park and has amazing views that overlook the highlands. There are 21 rooms — 3 older ones (2 of which are in the old home), and 18 new ones. All rooms are basically suites with sleeping, lounging and outside terrace areas. They are very, very well done and remind me a lot of LQF in Franschhoek. There are numerous “Rhythm of the Farm” activities offered and guests can basically stay busy all day (starting with bread baking at 6:30 am). Free activities include farm and garden tours, but there are also many other lower-priced activities in the park (hiking, mountain biking, etc.).

Best time of year to visit is June/July/August (especially for birding) and November/December when everything is green and the gardens are blooming.

At the end of the inspection, they gave me a 10-minute massage with a Masai traditional healer. It was amazing. I’m sold.

Masai Traditional Healer

Manor Lodge

I loved this place, too, as it totally hit the JW-POSH button. It’s beautiful, it’s luxurious. The lodge is only 3 years old and it’s impeccable. Every guest will have each meal in a different location (of course, weather permitting). The have 4 horses (retired Kenyan polo ponies), a massage room, and a manicurist/pedicurist on staff.

The grounds are the loveliest I’ve seen in Tanzania. And the staff were all incredibly friendly.

Manor at Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorogoro Crater Lodge

Wow! This place is definitely over the top and understandably the most expensive lodge around. The B&B product is very, very tight and the customer experience is one of the best I’d had this trip.

Each room has sweeping views of the crater, and is huge with separate living, terrace, sleeping, and mombo-sized bath areas. Any one of these rooms would be perfect for honeymooners. The Tree Camp rooms are somewhat smaller and have somewhat obstructed views of the crater, due to the foliage.

The lodge is great for honeymooners and families alike.

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

Day 5:

Serena Crater Lodge

Best suited for tour groups or those seeking less-expensive accommodation on the Crater, and cannot afford the Ngorogoro Crater Lodge.

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

Lake Masek Tented Lodge

Actually not in the Serengeti National Park, but instead in the Ngorogoro conservation area. This is a lovely 20-tent property owned also by Tanzanian entrepreneur Willy Chamulo. Tents are nicely appointed with tubs and outdoor showers. Built in 2009, the camp is 100% solar powered – nice one Willy!

Best lodge in the area…

Lake Masek Tented Lodge

Sanctuary Kusini Tented Camp

After a long day of driving, I was so happy to get to this lodge. There’s a large rock formation adjacent to the camp, which is fun to climb and has a stunning 360-view of the Serengeti.

Sanctuary Kusini

Day 6:

After leaving Kasini, we continued through the Serengeti to Dunia Camp.

Dunia is a permanent tented camp lodge. The camp is 100% solar powered and has bucket showers available 24/7. There is also power available in the tents. It’s well appointed and the staff greeted me warmly. The camp feels like a luxury, mobile tented camp, but rustically elegant and a bit nicer than the standard mobile option.

Dunia Camp

Bilila Kempinski / Four Seasons

Built in 2009 this large, luxury lodge hotel is owned by a wealthy Arab investor so its super luxurious, world-class and very pretty. It has 2 dining venues, wine cellar, large spa, pool area, and sweeping views of the plains.

Perfect for guests who want a large, luxury lodge experience. Not for those who want an intimate camp.

Bilila Kempinski Lodge

Kirawira Tented Camp

This camp, built in 1998 is part of the Serena hotel group (which I learned is part of the Aga Khan’s empire). It’s a SLH (Small Luxury Hotel) property and the common areas have a clubby, intimate feel to them. There are 25 tents, all of which are on vaulted platforms offering amazing views of the Serengeti..

The one thing I didn’t like was the decor of the tent rooms. It looked like it had not been updated since opening, and the bedding was definitely not up to international luxury standards (i.e. duvet covers instead of cotton/poly bedspreads).

The management was welcoming and accommodating and the camp is in a great location with excellent common areas and views. I couldn’t find anything wrong with this place other than the outdated room decor.

Kirawira Tented Camp

&Beyond Grumeti Tented Camp

For my 6th night on the road, we stayed in Grumeti camp, which is located on a tributary of the Grumeti river, inside the Serengeti national park. The most interesting aspect of the lodge’s location is the large number of hippo in the river right in front of main lodge. There are 3 families and the hippos are very rambunctious (i.e. active and loud). Across the tributary, on the other side, there’s also a lot of other game viewing (giraffes, monkeys, impala, etc).

The staff here was VERY high-touch, with on-going name usage with all guests. The &Beyond lodges all stand out above the rest in their customer service and friendly, confident levels of service (as opposed to Sanctuary’s very timid, unconfident lodge wait staff). There’s a butler assigned to every guest, who is there for every whim (and meal).

I found the food above-average, and some of the best I had on the trip.

Singita-Grumeti Camp

Day 7:

After leaving Grumeti Camp, we were able to do a site inspection at one of the Singita Grumeti camps:

Singita Sabora Lodge

The first of the 3 Singita lodges in the Grumeti concession, adjacent to the Serengeti national park, this luxury tented camp is run like the other Singita proprieties — all-inclusive with game package. Basically, all the East Africa tour operators drop the clients at the lodge and step away.

There are 9 luxurious tents, built on platforms, that are suite-sized. 6 of the tents are arranged in pairs (but still can be sold as singles), sharing a library tent between them.

The lodge is pure Singita in every aspect. It’s luxurious, serene, and tasteful on all fronts. There is a pool, spa, tennis courts, wifi throughout, and air conditioning in the tents.

Sabora sits out in the middle of the plains and is beautifully located. There’s nothing around besides the resident family of zebras in the camp, just in front of the main lodge.

The game is starting to come back after years of depletion.

Game viewing at Singita

After flying back to Arusha, and then to DAR, I transferred by land out to the Ras Kutani Beach Lodge.

With no traffic, it’s a 1:15 drive from the DAR airport (mine was 1:45 in traffic), or a 12-minute air hop. This lodge provides a very nice, relaxing alternative for an after-safari beach experience. The lodge is part of the Selous safari company portfolio, along with their 2 Selous lodges. The property has 4 suites, with private plunge pools, 9 “castaway chic” cottages, and 1 family cottage. a few of the cottages have lagoon views.

Their cottages have large verandas with hammocks, spacious king/twin rooms, and large bath areas. The resort is super causal, with most guests walking around barefoot. There’s a beautiful beach with very warm water for those mid afternoon dips.

For my return flight out, I had a 7am air hop transfer back to DAR, in more than enough time for my 8:35 am BA flight back to London.

Ras Kutani is a well-kept secret and the perfect solution for guests needing to overnight in Dar es Salaam. Two nights here after the northern circuit, or Selous, is the perfect way to end a safari. It’s also closer than Zanzibar and provides a good alternative.

Ras Kutani Beach

All said, Tanzania is a beautiful country with plenty to offer a variety of visitors. Get in touch with us here at African Safari Consultants and we’ll make sure your trip is as unforgettable as Jeff’s.

NBC’s popular TV show “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” began it’s 10th season today, with the location clue reading as follows:

It conjures up thoughts of a child’s worst fright, but there are no people to scare in this skier’s delight

Any guesses?

Matt is (of course) referring to the sand ski haven of the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. The skeleton coast is aptly named as shipwrecks and animal skeletons dot the desert landscape. Only the tough survive out here!

Along with the shipwrecks, the area is famed for it’s distinctive Welwitschia plants (considered living fossils) which are indigenous to the region. These hardy plants thrive in the harshest of conditions and some individuals may be as many as 2000 years old!

The fascinating Welwitchia plant.

Colonies of Cape Fur seals are found all along the coast whilst inland one can expect to see animals as diverse as elephants and crocodiles to a myriad of bird life.

The skeleton coast provides adventurous types with a real ‘off the beaten track’ feel, and one cannot but marvel at the fascinating landscape which all sorts of weird and wonderful fauna and flora call home.

The Skeleton Coast is famed for it's many shipwrecks.

Speak to African Safari Consultants to arrange your Skeleton Coast experience.

The sight of a giraffe browsing on the leaves of a majestic acacia tree is synonymous with Africa.  Giraffes have a fondness for the tree that is unrivalled by any other, and this fondness results in a fascinating ‘to and fro’ relationship between fauna and flora.

The beautiful acacia tree at dusk.

Giraffes can eat as much as 29 kilograms of acacia leaves and twigs daily. Herds of three or more giraffes spend hours browsing in acacia thickets, greedily gobbling up as much of the delicious foliage as they can. They don’t have it all their own way however…

Over time, the acacia tree has developed several clever defence mechanisms to prevent giraffes from munching on them unabated. As I’m sure most travelers to Africa can attest to (after painfully stepping on a fair few), the acacia does not mess about when it comes to thorns. Taking their name from the Greek word for thorns – akis – some species grow thorns that are as long as 8-10cm, and sharp as a knife.

Acacia thorns are nicknamed 'Devil Thorns' in Africa.

The wily giraffes have developed a counter to this though, by way of their incredible tongues. The giraffe’s tongue is about 45cm in length and highly prehensile. This allows the animal to successfully negotiate the bigger thorns and pull the leaves from the branch. Coupled with tough lips and palate, the giraffe has seemingly overcome this particular hurdle. But the acacia trees have a plan B.

A giraffe's tongue almost has a mind of it's own.

Just in case their thorny perimeters are breached, which they often are, the acacia trees have developed a further defense – the release of tannins. Tannins are water soluble, carbon based compounds found in plants that are very important to man. Their chemical and physical properties allow the binding of alkaloids, gelatine and other proteins in the making of leather, or tanning. They are also used in food processing, fruit ripening and the making of wine and cocoa. But they’re no good to giraffes!

Besides tasting awful, tannins inhibit digestion by interfering with protein and digestive enzymes and binding to consumed plant proteins making them more difficult to digest. What’s even more amazing is that acacia trees within 50 yards react to the release of the tannin by their neighbour and jump on the bandwagon by emitting their own. The simultaneous tannin release by all nearby acacias essentially thwarts the greedy giraffe(s), who must now travel upwind to trees that have not yet ‘caught wind’ (irresistible really!) of his insatiable appetite.

So next time you see a giraffe browsing on an acacia, using his amazing tongue to navigate the devilish thorns, bare in mind the ace up the acacia’s sleeve – it’s only a matter of time before it’s played.

Giraffes getting while the getting is good.

Most conservationists believe that man should not meddle with the natural order and that we should allow nature to run her course however cruel or grim it seems to be. We agree on the whole, unless a wildlife problem has been created by man (for instance in the case of snaring or being trapped in a fence, in which case it’s justifiable to intervene). Otherwise nature should be left to her own devices. For the most part…

Every rule has an exception, and this is the tale of just such an exception. In the Luanga Valley of Zambia, Norman Carr Safaris came across this remarkable sight of a mother and calf elephant getting horribly stuck in the mud, and Abraham Banda was on hand to capture the rescue process on film.

The Kapani Lagoon is a source of drinking water for the animals of the area, as well as the place to go for a relieving mud bath. Unfortunately though, a young calf was unlucky enough to get stuck in the mud when visiting the lagoon recently. The calf’s cries attracted her mother who rushed to her rescue, only to get stuck in the mud herself. The pair had been there for a day, exhausted and dehydrated, when the Safari group came across them.

The startled animal lovers simply could not stand by and watch them struggle and slowly die. The group contacted the South Luangwa Conservation Society, who agreed that the elephants should be rescued. The following pictures detail just how this amazing feat was achieved.

The herd inspects the mother and daughter.

The struggling left the mother and calf exhausted.

The skilled rescue team bravely slip a rope under the calf.

Slowly but surely, the team begin hauling the calf out.

The terrified calf tries desperately to stay with her mum.

Nearly there! The bulk of the calf is now out of the mud.

The newly freed calf is reluctant to leave mum's side.

The team pull the calf further away from the mud.

The team unwrap the rope and let the calf on her way.

The calf rushes to rejoin the herd who call her from the banks.

Attention now shifts to the much bigger, much heavier mum.

The hard work is starting to show results as mum has two legs out.

The last stretch as the exhausted elephant struggles out.

Success! Mum rushes off to rejoin her herd.

t was extremely heartening for all to see how many local people joined in the efforts to free these two elephants. The cheers of joy, first when the baby ran to his cousin and then when Mum was finally released from the jaws of the sticky, cloying mud were wonderful! Everyone seemed to identify with the mum’s plight  – we all saw the incredible emotional bond between the worried herd members and mum and baby.

A big well done to the South Luangwa Conservation Society and also all the Norman Carr Safari staff who bravely fought to make this a happy ending!

Story by: Norman Carr Safaris

Images by: Abraham Banda

A jaw dropping YouTube clip was recently circulated like wild fire on all the major news networks and social media platforms. You must have seen it by now – the guy on a mountain bike who gets slammed into by a flying antelope.

Click to view clip :  Red Hartebeest collides with biker

If we sold mountain bikes, helmets, or insurance we’d be focussing on the guy. But this is an African Safari’s blog and so here is a bit more about the antelope (which was unharmed in the accident by the way).

It was a Red Hartebeest, a common species which occurs throughout the grasslands of Southern and East Africa. It is the second fastest antelope in Africa reaching speeds of up to 65 km/h. (The fastest antelope is the Tssesebe) A Red Haartebeest is about 1.5m (5ft) tall and weighs between 120-200kg (265-440lb) The word hartebeest originally comes from the Dutch spreaking Boer settlers who thought it looked like a deer. Hert in Dutch means ‘deer’ and beest is ‘beast’.

Being a common widespread species, and supposedly not threatened, it is a firm favourite in the hunting fraternity. We do not condone hunting AT ALL! Instead we urge you to invest in a good camera and come on a photographic safari. However, if the thrill of mountain biking in the bush appeals to you, it can be arranged. Selected non-Big Five game reserves allow controlled mountain biking trails. For more information contact one of our African Safari Consultants

Trip feedback: Notten’s Bush Camp, Kirkman’s Camp, The Royal Livinstone

Liesl & Jeff, Thanks for checking in….we will get back to you with more granular details, but suffice it to say that the safari at Notten’s suggestion was utterly brilliant. We would go back for sure. The staff, the physical plant, the food, the execution was perfection. Kirkman’s was just ok (food not so good, rooms fine but not great, wildlife viewing spectacular.) In retrospect, Kirkman’s was bigger, had more groups, and we much preferred the more intimate setting of Notten’s- as a private camp.

Transfers and flights were fine. No disruptions.

Livingstone: the Victoria Falls were amazing. The Royal Livingstone Hotel was…..I would portray it as all dressed up for the party, with no understanding of protocol of how to act at a party. They had all the accoutrements, but poor in execution. I would say very poor.

More later…..trying to catch up on being out for so long, but wanted to give you some feedback.

Beth

Non-birders on safari

Now here is a dilemma. We recently had a couple who all in all had a fantastic safari in Botswana and Kruger except for one recurring problem….They proclaimed to not be very interested in birds, but just as luck would have it, they found themselves on game drives with keen birders, or twitchers or bird fundis or whatever other
name you give to people who want to stop, reach for their binoculars, and identify and observe our little feathered friends! Our clients found this boring and frustrating, and would have preferred to have spent the time
tracking the Big Five as opposed to sitting in hushed bird-watching mode.

Now this is a tricky potentially explosive situation! And as a safari operator, I have given a solution some thought.

Firstly, serious birders would let us know that they are looking for a specialist birding trip and we would arrange a birding guide and exclusive use of the safari vehicle accordingly. Fanatical birders can be quite weird and potentially intimidating! They are known to travel vast distances in extreme conditions to tick off a sought-after rare species. Dinner table conversation will be exclusively about birds and brag stories about which SBB (small brown bird) was spotted where. They are a mixed bag of humans, coming from all walks of life but will definately have a pair of super-binoculars hanging around their neck at all times.

In this particular case, the other guests on the game vehicle were most likely just keen birders who love seeing the animals, but who have seen their share of lazy lions lying in the shade. These folk have probably been on safari a few times and want to learn more about the birds and the trees. It is generally first-time safari goers who aren’t particularly interested in birds and the ‘Little Five’, and who still have a lot to learn about the African bush. For them (and our recent past clients), being on safari with keen birders can be dull and seemingly time wasting. I am tempted to say to these folks ‘sit back, relax and enjoy the sounds and smells of the bush…you never know what might walk out from under a tree off to the left while everyone else has binoculars glued to their faces looking right!!!‘ But in all seriousness, the solution lies in the hands of the safari lodges. Lodge staff and rangers should chat to their guests and get an idea of their interests and then, if possible, assign them to separate safari vehicles so that…birds of a feather can flock together!

African Jacana - his long toes allow him to 'walk on water'

Hippopotamus amphibius  – “river horse”

This great shot of a hippo showing off his incisors was taken by Stephen Raffay, a professional photographer who is currently on safari in the Kruger National Park area care of africansafaris.com.   Contrary to popular belief, this old guy is not yawning or opening up wide for the dentist…! This is a typical display of aggression towards younger bull hippos.

Stephen visited Mala Mala Game Reserve and Tinga Safari Lodge.  If you would like to see more of Stephen’s wildlife photography or order prints, here is his website raffayphoto

Old Big-Mouth in the foreground. Rhino mother and calf are reflected in the water in the background