East Africa: Safari in Style

by David Rogers (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2006

  $3.25

  East Africa is to be the focus of Africa Geographic's third book in the highly successful and acclaimed Safari in Style series. It will combine the aspirational and inspirational elements of enticing travel experiences, wildlife, landscapes, architecture, decor and the individual ambience found at some 30 prime game and country lodges throughout Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. In order to ensure that only unique, intimate destinations are selected, each of the establishments to be included in Safari in Style will be chosen with great care by an editorial committee comprising the authors and Africa Geographic's editors and travel consultants. The book is organised into eight chapters, each of which captures the spirit and sense of place as well as the scenic and wildlife diversity of southern Africa. The first chapter is 'The South, and West to Lake Tanganyika': The southern wildernesses of Tanzania may lack the cache of Serengeti and Ngorongoro to the north, but for many visitors the area embraces some of the most alluring conservation areas of East Africa. Selous National Park is possibly the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world and photographic safaris are offered in the game-rich northern region where Tanzania's largest river, the Rafiji, is joined by its biggest tributaries, the Ruaha and the Kilombero. Ruaha National Park is regarded by Tanzania's safari cognescenti as possibly the country's best-kept secret because the region attracts a fraction of the visitors that teem to the famous areas of the north. Certainly Ruaha is one of the best places for encounters with big predators: large prides of lion and wild dogs which, although relatively abundant, are notoriously difficult to predict other than at denning time because of their wide-ranging nomadic habits. To the west is Rungwa Game Reserve, Lake Rukwa and the gem of Katavi National Park, as well as Mahale Mountains National Park, which lies on the shore of Lake Tanganyika and is best known for its habituated chimp communities. The second chapter is 'Serengeti and the North': Tanzania's famed 'northern safari circuit' embraces by the standards of many, the most famous wildlife areas of the African continent. The vast, and surprisingly cool (because of their elevation), plains of the Serengeti, together with Kenya's Masai Mara, are home to the spectacle of wildebeest on their never ending migration cycle as they follow the rains and good grazing. Here too is Ngorongoro Crater, densely packed with wildlife and probably the best place in East Africa to see black rhino. Not to be overlooked, however, are the national parks of Lake Manyara, noted for its tree-climbing lions and the baobab-strewn landscape of Tarangire which comes into its own during the dry winter months when elephants congregate along the river. The third chapter is 'Arusha, Meru and 'Kili'': Arusha is the 'safari capital' of Tanzania and many visitors en route to wilderness areas will overnight here. Nearby is Arusha National Park, which not only includes Mount Meru, Africa's fifth highest peak, but also boasts spectacular views across the plains to Mount Kilimanjaro. Arusha National Park is a wonderful experience for those seeking relief from the often tourist-heavy environments of Serengeti and Ngorongoro, while the three-day ascent of Meru is thought by aficionados to be a worthy alternative to conquering Kilimanjaro, at half the price too! But if you are determined, Kili beckons, soaring five kilometres above the surrounding plains. The fourth chapter is 'Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast': To experience first-hand the spice-laden air and mystique of Zanzibar is an ideal finale to the dust, drama and wildlife of Tanzania's safari circuit. Here other opportunities beckon: the culture and history of Stone Town, diving in crystal-clear waters, or simply lazing on a palm-fringed beach. Coastal extensions could include a trip to Nungwi on the northern end of the island, or inter-island excursions to Mafia Island in the south or Pemba in the north. The Arab/Swahili influence extends up along the Kenyan coast, embracing Mombasa, Malindi and the magical archipelago of Lamu where the world heritage site of Lamu Town and visiting turtle nesting sites are amongst the highlights. The fifth chapter is 'Tsavo, Amboseli, the Central Highlands and Laikipia': Tsavo East and Tsavo West, bisected by the Mombasa highway, together form Kenya's largest conservation area. Large game abounds and, particularly in the dry season when the animals concentrate around available water, elephant viewing can be spectacular. Elephants, too, are the signature species in the picturesque Amboseli National Park to the west of Tsavo, but even they are dwarfed against the soaring peak of Kilimanjaro, just over the border with Tanzania. Nairobi lies about 250 km to the north of Amboseli and from there the road journeys on across the plains of Thika to the Aberdares and the snow-capped peaks of Meru and Mount Kenya, then west across the Laikipia Plateau to the pale, terracotta waters of Lake Baringo. As a wildlife destination, Laikipia is gaining the reputation it should have, as the game viewing is superb with the area boasting big carnivores, elephants and many of the northern specialities such as gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx and the Somali ostrich. The sixth chapter is 'North to Samburu and Turkana': Kenya's northern reaches are not for the faint-hearted for this is a vast, remote place, arid, often scorchingly hot, and sparsely populated by nomadic pastoralists. Here, camel-trekking can be part of the experience. Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserves with their rolling volcanic plains and the swamps and riverine forests associated with the muddy waters of the Ewaso N'giro River, are excellent places to see the northern game species. Lake Turkana, often referred to as the Jade Sea because of the ever-changing hues of its turquoise waters, has the dubious claim to having one of the world's highest populations of Nile crocodile, some 20 000 it is estimated. The Turkana basin is also one of Africa's most important paleoanthropological research areas, a World Heritage Site that is a rich source of evidence tracing hominid origins. The seventh chpater is 'The Mara and West to Lake Victoria': If ever there is a wildlife reserve that encapsulates the African safari experience it would have to be the Masai Mara. With its rolling backdrop of the Oloololo Escarpment, wide, open plains dotted with trees, and the easy mingling of game and Maasai pastoralists it is the setting that, together with the adjacent Serengeti, epitomises it all. Not surprisingly, it is the most visited of Kenya's wildlife reserves, especially during the migration when guest-laden safari vehicles throng the banks of the Mara, jostling to gain the best sightings of huge wildebeest herds running the gauntlet of the river crossing. By contrast, Kenya west of the Mara is little visited by tourists, yet it is a beautiful part of the country that embraces gems such as Mount Elgon, Saiwa Swamp, Kakamega Forest and the shores and islands of Lake Victoria. The eighth chapter is 'Uganda - Home of the Gorilla': Bordered by the two main arms of the Great Rift Valley, Uganda is strikingly different from its eastern and southern neighbours. Here, in this relatively small country the great savannas meet the tropical rainforests of western Central Africa. It is a lush, verdant place where crops and other foods grow abundantly and the spectre of drought and starvation that can often hang over much of Africa recedes. When it comes to wildlife experiences, reserves such as Queen Elizabeth and Semliki are worthwhile, but the great draw is undoubtedly primates amongst which the chimpanzee and mountain gorilla reign supreme. Bwindi, an ancient montane rainforest dating back beyond the Pleistocene Age, is the epicentre of Uganda's gorilla trekking industry. More than half the world's remaining mountain gorillas live here in some 15 family groups.