There are few safari destinations as popular as Kruger Park, and for good reason! The problem is that with popularity come the crowds, the commercial tours and the endless sound of shutters trying to capture a flustered lion. Fortunately, you can experience all the benefits of Kruger Park with privacy and comfort at Chitwa Chitwa lodge.
Safari sophistication oftentimes entails great intrusiveness. Sable Alley Camp has been designed with the opposite effect in mind: being a great deal sustainable while at the same time providing one of the most intimate and exclusive wildlife experiences in Botswana. The camp is located Northeast of the Okavango in a private reserve that is devoted to wildlife conservation and ethical travel.
On the edge of the Makgadikgadi salt pans, Jack’s Camp is the right place to relive the heyday of exploration and the rugged glamour of golden-day safaris. There is something irresistible about taking a dip in a luxurious tented pool and enjoying the decadent comfort of the camp… in the middle of one of the harshest environments on Earth!
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is nestled in the impenetrable forest of Bwindi, Uganda. It is a remote enclave that mixes luxury and comfort with an experience of nature that is intimate and meaningful.
The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the stage of Africa’s second largest zebra migration. Everything happens on a large scale here. But it pays to notice the smaller denizens of the pans too. While staying at Jack’s Camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi, a mob of habituated meerkats likes to get quite close to avid explorers. Perhaps not Botswana’s wildest encounter, but certainly the cutest.
I am on a safari at Pench National Park, in Central India, right in the geographical centre of the country. Pench is a forest of deciduous trees, mainly teak. It is home to tigers, leopards, wild dogs, jackals, deer and peacocks. It is very appealing to naturalists because it is practically unknown to tourists. There is an opportunity for more intimate encounters, especially with the tiger.
What would be the best way to experience the Indian wilderness? Certainly not to seclude yourself in a normal hotel with all the trappings of modernity. Thankfully you do not have to forgo luxury to get the best of wild India, near Pench National Park. Jamtara Wilderness Camp is a throwback to olden days when comfort and far afield excursions were one and the same.
Where the jungle meets the Indian Ocean, by a golden beach lies a cluster of arched fabric tents. These are elegantly designed and blend perfectly with its surroundings. Next to the tents, huge bamboo domes house one of the finest expressions of eco-conscious luxury, at the doorstep of Yala National Park.
There was a time when the dark forests of Central Africa were remote, untouched, perilous… In them dwelled mysterious creatures that inspired fear and fascination. We now have a better understanding of Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzee. Travelling to their natural habitat is a clear possibility for those wishing to meet them.
Safaris are all about seeing. As my plane is landing in an airstrip in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans a limitless landscape unfolds before our eyes. In the following days, I would receive a master-class on seeing.
