Kudu bull

“To view the animals you don’t have to live like them”

unique styles and designs that blend nicely with their wild surroundings. They harvest truckloads of awards and special citations in magazines such as Condé Nast, Travel and Leisure and Tatler.

Prospective safarigoers have a wide choice, ranging from “basic” movable tents, replete with chandeliers, to super luxury tents and chalets that can best be described as Hemingway on Steroids or Roosevelt for Royalty.

These wise words were spoken in the seventies by Mike Rattray, who pioneered upscale accommoda-tions in safari country, when criticized by others for spoiling it all with too much luxury.

Rattray’s Mala Mala soon became the brand associated with comfort and style in the African bush. It won numerous awards abroad for Best Small Hotel in the World. Others caught on to the idea and today there are many of them, combining comfort with

Sabora Camp, Tanzania

Linkwasha Camp, Zimbabwe

Both President Teddy Roosevelt and author Ernest Hemingway feature prominently among those who brought the joys of camping in the midst of Africa’s wildlife to the attention of the outside world.

Today there is a wide range in bush chic for discerning clients: Chalets and permanent structures, luxury tents on wooden platforms and mobile tents. While the latter may have drop toilets and bucket showers (invented years ago by George Eastman of Kodak fame and improved since) you also might be

Teddy Roosevelt circa 1909

looking up at a solar-powered chandelier from your comfortable bed.

Elevated tents on wooden platforms equal any luxury suite in the best city hotel in the world with an added feature called “a loo with a view.” Instead of reading dog-eared magazines “when nature calls” you can look out over the African plains and even see animals passing by.

These safari lodges and camps are more than mere overnight accommodations. Food is outstanding and the wines excellent. The middle of the day, between morning and afternoon game drives, is siesta time in the animal world. Back at the camp guests have

Ernest Hemingway circa 1954

Singita

Serengeti under Canvas

Hemingway “basic” circa 2016Hemingway on Steroids

Abu Camp, Botswana

Little Kulala, NamibiaLittle Ongava, Namibia

Lagoon, Botswana

Blending with the environment

Ulusaba, South Africa

Lilongwe

Beira

Blantyre

ATLANTIC OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

Nacala

TANZANIA

BURRUNDIR

UGANDAKENYA

ZAMBIA

ZIMBABWE

MBIQUEMOZAMM

SOUTH AFRICABOTTSWANATSWANA

DSWAZILANDD

NAMIBIA

BOTSWANA

Zanzibar Island

LakeMalawi

LakeVictoria

LakeTanganyika

Dodoma

Mombasa

Dar Es Salaam

Arusha

KampalaEntebbe

Zanzibar

Pemba

UNNNNNNNNN

MbarikaMts

LakeSagara

SELOUSGR

KATAVIPLAINS

NP

MAHALEMTS NP

GOMBESTREAM NP

UWANDAGR

KIGOSIGR

BURIGI GR

RUMANYIKAGR

RUNGWEGR

KISIGOGR

MUHESIGR

ARUSHA NP

MIKUMINP

LakeManyara

RUAHA NP

LakeNatron

TARANGIRENP

SERENGETINP

NGORONGOCRATER

PANDEGR

MKOMAZIGR

L. MANYARANP

UGALLARIVER GR

MOYOWOSIGR

BIHARAMULOGR

LakeRukwa

0 500 1,000 1,500 km

Polokwane

Harare

Lusaka

Buluwayo

Johannesburg

Bloemfontein

East London

Port ElizabethGeorge

Cape Agulhas

Cape Point

Cape Town

DRAKENSBERGNP

Pretoria

Gaberone

KasaneVictoria Falls

Sossusvlei

Windhoek

Nelspruit SkukuzaMaputo

MbabaneST.LUCIA

WETLAND

KRUGER NP

UMFOLOZIGR

HLUHLUWEGR

Kimberley

Durban

AUGRABIES FALLS

NP

KAROONP

VAALBOSNP

BONTEBOKNP

MT ZEBRANP

ADDO ELEPHANT

NP

TANKWA KAROO

NP

RICHTERSVELDNP

KGALAGADI TRANS-FRONTIER PARK

WILDERNESSNP

Swakopmund

Luderitz

Walvis Bay

Groo�ontein

Rundu

Oranjemund

NAM

IB DESERT

NAMIB

W CAPRIVIGR

NAMIBNAUKLUFT

NP

FISH RIVERCANYON

NP

ETOSHANP KHAUDOM

GR

MAHANGO GR MAMILI NPMUDUMU NP

DAAN VILJOENGP CENTRAL

KALAHARIGR

MOREMIRESERVE

OKAVANGODELTA

MAKGADIKGADI& NXAI PAN

NPMakgadikgadi

Pans SowaPanLake

Xau

CHOBENP

Maun

Lake Kyoga

Lake Edward

Lake Bisina

Lake Albert

BWINDI NPMGAHINGA

NP

QUEENELIZABETH

NP

MT. RWENZORINP

KIDEPO VALLEY

NP

MT ELGINNP

KIBALE FOREST NP

MURCHISON FALLS

NP

Mt.Stanley

LAKEMBURO

NP

Zimbabwe Ruins

HWANGENP

MATOPOSNP

ZAMBEZINP

GONAREZHOUNP

CHIMANIMANINP

MANA POOLSNP

MATUSADONANP

NYANGANP

CHIZARIRANP

Lake Kariba

Lake Cahora Basa

Kafue Dam

LakeBangweulu

KAFUENP LOCHINVAR

NP

SOUTH LUANGA

NP

NTH LUANGA

NP

NSUMBUNP

KASANKANP

LIUWAPLAIN

NP

SIOMANGWEZI

NP MOSI-OA-TUNYA

NP

WESTLUNGA

NP

LOWERZAMBEZI

NP

Livingstone

TSAVONP

TsavoEast

TsavoWest

LakeTurkana

LakeBaringo

AMBOSELINP

KIUNGA MARINE NP

MASAI MARAGR

SIBILOINP

CENTRAL ISLAND NP

STH. KITUINP

N. KITUINP

BONI NRARAWALERESERVE

TANA RIVERPRIMATE RES

KARANR

RAHOLINR

MT. ELGONNP

STH. TURKANANP

MARSABITNR

MARALALG SANCT.

LOSAINR

Mt. Kenya

MT KENYANP

ABERDARENP

MERUPARK

SAMBURUGR

SHABAGR

LAKE NAKURU

NP

NAIROBINP

RUMANP

Mt. Kilimanjaro

Nairobi

Kilimanjaro Intl.

LakeChilwa

LAKE MALAWIMARINE PARK

MWABVUGR

LakeChiuta

KASUNGUNP

NKHOTAKOTANP

LIWONDENP

MAJETEGR

VWAZAMARSH

GR

NYIKANP

LENGWENP

VOLCANOES NPAKAGERA

NP

NYUNGWEFOREST NP

Lake Kivu

AAARWANDADADA

Parks/Game Reserves

Major Airports

Towns

Capital ci�es

Africa’s premier safari countries are situated in Southern and East Africa. Between ten of them—Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe—there are more than a hundred national parks and game reserves. They not only differ in size but in animal and birdlife.

In the words of the song, Lion King: “There’s more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than can ever be done; There’s far too much to take in here. More to find than can ever be found.”

AFRICA’S GAME PARKS

© www.theultimatesafari.com

Outdoor bath. Eagle Island, Botswana

Massage, Little Kulala, Namibia

Plunge Pool, Lion Sands, South Africa

Private deck, Kings Pool, Botswana

Dining and relaxing at the camp

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania

Earth Lodge, South Africa

Singita dishes

a choice of activities. Some camps may offer fitness facilities, pools and nature walks. A few provide WFi connections and fewer are within cellphone reach. Air conditioners are not always present and hair dryers may be absent. No television or radios.

Keep in mind that most of these camps are in remote areas and rely on solar power. They are eco-friendly in every sense of the word. The main purpose is to escape from the hustle and bustle of our busy world with its cacophony and immerse oneself in the tranquil domain of God’s wonderful wild creatures.

What better way to end a day than to eat out in the open in a boma, sitting next to a campfire with fellow guests and recap the splendid sightings of the day?

And afterwards turning into bed lying awake for a while, listening to the sounds of Nature —the snorting of hippos, the plaintiff call of prowling hyenas, the chatter of baboons, the trumpeting of elephants and, ultimately, the roaring of a male lion.

Hemingway said it best:“All I wanted to do now was get back to Africa. We had not left it yet, but when I would wake in the night, I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.”

President Roosevelt summed up as follows: “There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm.”

Feel free to call me when you are ready to follow in the footsteps of Roosevelt and Hemingway. I will be happy to assist you in picking a destination where the accommodation suits your taste and your budget.

But rest assured that no camp, regardless of its luxury and comfort, makes up for a mediocre wildlife experience. The animals don’t live like us but in safari country they take center stage.

Dr. Les de Villiersles@theultimatesafari.com

www.theultimatesafari.comPlease feel free to contact me directly or visit my website

at www.theultimatesafari.com for further information and assistance in arranging your trip of a lifetime.

Lions, BotswanaPicture: Les de Villiers