A guided photographic workshop in two of Africa’s finest

wildlife areas.

Bob Brind-Surch and Safari Consultants

© Bob Brind-Surch

Southern Tanzania 2012

© Bob Brind-Surch

© Bob Brind-Surch

Introduction.

The Northern Tanzanian Safari route with its big name locations such as the Ngoro Ngoro crater and the Serengeti is often seen as offering the classic safari experience with ample associated photographic opportunities. It certainly is a superb area to visit but its sheer popularity is becoming a problem for

photographers wishing to observe wildlife in a more natural setting without the disturbance posed by other vehicles or photographers. In the Ngoro Ngoro crater it is actually becoming very difficult to photograph animals such as lions and rhino without other vehicles appearing in your shot.

By comparison Southern Tanzania is far less frequented by the western tourist but yet has some largest and best preserved parks in East Africa. Southern Tanzania offers the real bush wilderness experience in an area with some of the purest remaining tracts of unspoilt game parks in Africa. It

is home to a select group of national parks and reserves covering truly huge areas and offering superb and really remote game-viewing opportunities. The safaris I organise in Southern Tanzania are based at small, select and extremely well equipped tented lodges where local safari guides, unlike Northern Tanzania, drive you around in completely open 4WDs which provide truly excellent photographic opportunities and allow you to enjoy a real feeling of wilderness. At our first camp we also have the opportunity for boat safaris on the mighty Rufiji river or one of the three huge local lakes. Such an approach with the expert boat men I use allow us to get very close to hippos, crocodiles and water birds all on their own level.

In keeping with the unspoilt nature of the environment, the properties in these parks are of the small, low-impact variety, mainly taking the form of small permanent tented camps rather than the large lodges of the Northern circuit. The hosts of these camps don’t attempt to compete with the majesty of the wilderness to be found around the camps. They manage this yet still maintain the luxuries we have become accustomed too. Each tent has low wattage lighting and is comfortably furnished with an en-suite bathroom with shower, wash basin and flushing toilet.

This trip is designed for the enthusiastic photographer interested in producing memorable images of African wildlife. It will explore two of Africa’s finest wildlife areas - the vast Selous Game Reserve and wild Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania. We’ll spent four nights in the Selous exploring the Rufiji River (East Africa’s greatest waterway) and surrounding woodlands by boat and by vehicle, before heading off to Ruaha for a further four nights of spectacular wildlife viewing particularly for elephant and giraffe. We’ll be staying in two small tented camps, both of which offer high standards of wildlife guiding and accommodation. In both camps we’ll have our own open safari vehicle for all game drives. The number of guests per vehicle will be limited to 4 with each guest ensured of a prime seat in specialised open sided 4WD vehicles with plenty of additional room available for equipment. Your tour leader Bob Brind-Surch is a lifelong naturalist and photographer who has never lost his wonder for the natural world nor his early interest in wildlife and wildlife behaviour. This started as a child in the late 50’s when he was fortunate to

© Bob Brind-Surch

© Bob Brind-Surch

spend a number of years living in Kenya and he has held a fascination with Africa and its wildlife ever since. Bob is passionate about sharing his enthusiasm for Africa and its wildlife with guests on his trips.

As your photographic guide Bob’s aim is to help you to take superb photographs to capture for ever this unique location and especially its wildlife. As a capable and experienced photographer and naturalist Bob is also a qualified teacher and patient tutor able to support everyone from the novice photographer to those who are considerably more experienced. His goal on this trip is to help you to capture the magic of the delta and as such this special trip is suitable for all wildlife enthusiasts irrespective of their photographic experience or interest in wildlife photography.

Bob will help you to master the field techniques required by a competent wildlife photographer. He will be with you throughout the trip making sure you have a rewarding time and helping you translate your experiences in to great and memorable photographs. Working with you in the field and back at the camps, he will help you improve and refine your photographic skills understanding better digital photography techniques and how to achieve creative images.

The drivers and local guides for this trip are well versed in the requirements of photographers. They know when and where to stop their vehicles, how to best position them for the available light and are prepared to wait in any location for as long as you require even if that is an hour or more. They are also more than prepared to experiment with different positions if required so long as this doesn’t stress the animals you are photographing. The animal’s welfare comes first and stressed animals never make good subjects.

Unlike many African safaris the aim on this one is not so see as many species as possible but rather to spend time observing animals and birds behaving naturally and as a direct consequence get the very best photos. This will not be an attempt to see the legendary “big five” but will certainly provide you with the opportunity to take stunning and natural photos.

The lodges and route have been especially selected by the UK based company and experts in the region, Safari Consultants. Choosing the right company to arrange your African safari is vitally important and the complexity and remoteness of Africa means you need a company who have detailed knowledge and first-hand experience of Africa. Safari Consultants are just such a specialist company having specialised in safaris to East and Southern Africa since 1983. They are a company which wants to take the time to understand guests’ requirements and desires and has the ability to create the perfect itinerary to match. The essence of this safari as organised by Safari Consultants is that you can enjoy luxury combined with a real wilderness experience in privacy and comfort. With a tiny population of people, the animals and birds have the lion’s share of the country to themselves. This trip will allow you to share in this.

The trip will be limited to no more than 8 guests and the total cost will be £4,999. This price includes all international flights on British Airways (economy); ground and air transfers as specified; twin/double accommodation, meals as listed, game-viewing activities, park/conservation fees at Selous Impala and Kwihala, laundry at Selous Impala and Kwihala, UK and Tanzania airport departure taxes. For more details please refer to the costing details section below.

© Bob Brind-Surch© Bob Brind-Surch

© Bob Brind-Surch

Detailed Itinerary.

Bob Brind-Surch Wildlife Photography

Southern Tanzania - a safari exploration of the Selous and Ruaha wildlife areas

Duration: 10 nights

Safari Consultants Ltd

Africa House2 Cornard Mills

Cornard TyeGreat Cornard

CO10 0GWTelephone: + 44 (0)1787 888 590Emergency: + 44 (0)7831 556 164

Email: info@safariconsultantuk.comwww.safariconsultantuk.com

Tuesday, 25th September 2012

British Airways - London to Dar es Salaam

Depart London Heathrow (Terminal 5) on the overnight British Airways flight, BA047 at 19h20, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Wednesday 26th, September to Sunday 30th September 2012 inclusive

Selous Impala Camp, Selous Game Reserve 4 nights - Full Board

Morning arrival into Dar es Salaam. After clearing customs and immigration, you will be met and transferred to the domestic terminal where you connect with the scheduled morning Coastal Air air transfer flight south-west to the Selous Game Reserve. Arrive at the airstrip serving Selous Impala Camp and transfer through to the tented lodge for four nights in twin tents. Game-viewing activities undertaken daily (sole-use of vehicles / boats for game drives / boat trips).

Selous Impala is a small tented lodge overlooking the mighty Rufiji River. Accommodation consists of seven tents and one family unit (two tents side by side, one slightly smaller than the other with a different bathroom configuration), each individually raised on a wooden platform with a furnished verandah and river views. All tents are en suite with the bathroom divided into a flush loo section, plumbed shower section and vanity basin with small dressing area (in the second tent on the family platform, the bathroom is open plan and open roofed with only the tarpaulin extension covering it).

The tents are comfortably furnished with a bureau, chair and standing fan. The bedhead doubles as the bedside table.

The spacious central areas including the bar, dining area (some meals are taken alfresco when weather permits) and sitting rooms are raised high on extensive wooden decking and under makuti thatch. There is a small decked area around the swimming pool. This trip will have various planned photographic activities but in addition there is an opportunity for a walking safari or boat excursions on the river. Specialist bird watching safaris are operated at no extra charge (suitable for those who wish to do a day or two of good birding). If you're keen on fishing, you can also buy a river licence (US$15.00 per session) and try your luck for catfish and perhaps even the fighting 'tiger'. Overnight fly-camping expeditions (undertaken either on foot or by vehicle) are also available at a supplement and should be booked in advance.

More Information about Selous:

The Selous is Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary, covering over 54,600 sq. kms. (almost the size of Ireland). The region is dominated by the Great Ruaha River and Kilombero rivers which join to form the Rufiji, East Africa’s greatest waterway.

One of the worlds last great wilderness areas, the Selous is scarcely known even today. It is an inaccessible region, dissected by water courses which become raging torrents during the rains, forcing the animals onto high ground. In the dry season, the rivers wither away to form ‘sand rivers’. Having a poor network of roads, and limited facilities, this wilderness has been virtually ignored in the pilgrimage to see East Africa’s wildlife heritage.

The reserve is named after the famous hunter and explorer, Frederick Courtney Selous, but it was the Germans who first established a game reserve here in 1905. The first warden was an eccentric former

ivory hunter called C.P. Ionides (known locally as the ‘Snake Man’ and it was he who helped develop the reserve into its present size. Under the wardenship of Brian Nicholson, the Selous became an example of intelligent wildlife management; it is divided into controlled areas and human habitation is prohibited. However, groves of mango trees scattered through the bush are grim reminders that the main southern caravan route from Lake Nyasa passed through this region; they grew from the stones dropped by slaves as they were marched towards the slave markets of Zanzibar.

Local game animals include elephant, black rhino (although very rare), Cape buffalo, giraffe, eland, sable antelope, greater kudu, wildebeest, hartebeest, impala, waterbuck, bushbuck, tsessebe, common reedbuck, Bohor reedbuck, zebra, red duiker, blue duiker, common duiker, klipspringer, oribi, suni, grysbok, hippo, lion, leopard, cheetah, caracal, serval, crocodile, warthog, bushpig, spotted hyaena, wild dog, jackal, honey badger, aardvark, porcupine, mongoose, flying squirrel, and bushbaby. The birdlife too is superb, with over 350 species having been recorded.

The habitat and scenery varies significantly over short distances: purple rolling hills, rock-strewn plains, ‘sand rivers’ lined with salt bush, cluster lush swamps and marshes, rocky gorges, savannah bush country and miombo woodland. Altitudes range from 110m to 1250m and the climate is quite tropical - humid during the rains and pleasantly warm during the dry season (June to October).

For more information re the Selous Impala Camp and Selous Game Reserve please visit http://www.adventurecampstz.com/selousimpalacamp.htm. Details of comments left by previous visitors can be found on tripadvisor at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g488127-d623569-Reviews-Selous_Impala_Camp-Selous_Game_Reserve.html

Sunday, 30th September to Thursday 4th October 2012 inclusive

Kwihala Tented Camp, Ruaha National Park 4 nights - Full Board

Morning game-viewing activity in Selous before you are transferred back to the local airstrip where you connect with the scheduled morning Coastal Air air transfer westwards to the remote Ruaha National Park. On arrival at Msembe airstrip, you will be met and transferred through the wilderness to Kwihala Tented Camp for 4 nights accommodation in twin tents. Game-viewing drives are conducted each day with sole-use of vehicle.

Kwihala Tented Camp is a seasonal camp located on a hill overlooking the Mwagusi Sand River in central Ruaha, the beautiful and most productive game-viewing area of the park. Accommodation is for up to twelve guests in six large and airy tents, all spaced well apart for privacy and with views over the plains. The spacious beige tents all have proper beds and bed linen, bedside table and lights (solar off batteries), a writing table and luggage rack. The en suite bathroom, located to one side of the tent, has a flush toilet, a basin with running water, and a bucket shower, hot water for which is provided on demand by the staff. Meals are taken together in the central mess tent or weather permitting, alfresco under the stars. There is a small lounge with easy chairs and a library.

The emphasis here at Kwihala is on the wilderness and wildlife, both in and out of camp. Being unfenced, the game moves freely through the camp, and for that reason you'll be escorted around after dark. Morning and afternoon, or full day (with bush lunches) game drives are by open four-wheel drive vehicles and are hosted by extremely knowledge professional safari guides.

More Information about Ruaha:

Ruaha National Park was previously part of the huge Rungwa Game Reserve, with which it shares its north-western boundary. In 1964, it was gazetted as the National Park.

The terrain within the park is well wooded and undulating. The Great Ruaha River gives the park a permanent supply of water, but there are also numerous sand rivers which become raging torrents during the rains (from December to April). In addition to the Great Ruaha River, there are also numerous waterholes, swamps and seepage areas which provide water throughout the year.

Generally speaking, the park is divided into four different habitats consisting not only of Miombo, but also of undulating hills dominated by baobabs, the albida woodland along the main river courses and areas of open ‘black cotton’ grassland. Mammal viewing is superb particularly in the dry season (June to October) when the animals are forced to congregate around water sources – elephant, buffalo, lion, impala, zebra, giraffe, hippo, waterbuck, roan and sable antelope, eland, greater and lesser kudu, and Grant’s gazelle are just some on the many species to be seen.

Local birdlife is exceptional as Ruaha lies in the convergence zone of species found both to the north and south of the region. Amongst the 540 or so species recorded in the park, you can expect to see bateleur and fish eagles; ostrich; spurwing and Egyptian geese; crowned cranes; guinea fowl; yellow-billed, saddle-billed, Abdim’s and open-billed storks; and numerous species of ibis, plover, kingfisher, bee-eater, parrot, duck, barbet, dove, francolin and roller. The local red-billed hornbill has recently been recognised as its own species.

For more information re the Kwihala Tented Camp and Ruaha National Park please visit http://www.adventurecampstz.com/kwihala.htm with details of the accommodation at http://www.adventurecampstz.com/kwihala2.htm and tripadvisor reports at

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g488126-d1910449-Reviews-Kwihala_Tented_Camp-Ruaha_National_Park.html

Thursday 4th October 2012

Southern Sun, Dar es Salaam 1 night - Bed and Breakfast

Morning at leisure for game-viewing in Ruaha, before you are transferred back to Msembe Airstrip in order to connect with the late morning Coastal Air scheduled air transfer service via the Selous Game Reserve back to Dar es Salaam. On arrival into Dar es Salaam, you will be met and transferred to the Southern Sun hotel for overnight (arrive in the mid-afternoon) in twin rooms.

The Southern Sun Dar es Salaam is centrally situated within the city of Dar es Salaam close to the Botanical Gardens. For a city hotel, it is small enough to give the feel of a property which cares! There are a total of 152 air conditioned guest rooms, including 2 suites, 10 executive rooms and one specially adapted disabled room. All rooms are well appointed with either Queen size or two double beds, satellite TV, modem connection (there is wi-fi throughout the hotel too), room safe, tea/coffee making facilities and an en suite comprising separate shower and bath, vanity and loo. Most rooms are non-smoking.

The general facilities include a gymnasium, outdoor swimming pool, gift shop and Concierge services. Restaurant facilities include The Baraza Grill, Café and Bar, and the Kivulini Restaurant (breakfast and week-day lunch only). Please note an evening meal is not included in the charges but is available at the hotel.

For more information re the Southern Sun, Dar es Salaam please visit http://www.southernsun.com/hotels/dar-es-salaam/pages/overview.aspx

Friday, 5th October 2012

British Airways - Dar es Salaam to London 1 night - Bed and Breakfast

Early morning transfer back to the airport where you connect with the daylight British Airways return flight to London. Late afternoon arrival into Heathrow Terminal 5.

Costing Details:

This itinerary makes use of light aircraft air transfers which have strict baggage restrictions. All bags should be of the soft 'hold all' variety, with a maximum weight of 15kgs per person including hand luggage. Laundry can be done daily and is included at the various camps.

Included

International flights on British Airways (economy); ground and air transfers as specified; twin/double accommodation on board basis mentioned; game-viewing activities, park/conservation fees at Selous Impala and Kwihala; laundry at Selous Impala and Kwihala; UK and Tanzania airport departure taxes.

Not Included

Visa fees (currently US$50.00 per person); travel insurance; personal items and gratuities; optional tours and excursions (balloon safari etc.); drinks and laundry unless specified.

Prices:

The total cost will be £4,999 per person. This price includes all international flights on British Airways (economy); ground and air transfers as specified; twin/double accommodation, meals as listed, game-viewing activities, park/conservation fees at Selous Impala and Kwihala, laundry at Selous Impala and Kwihala, UK and Tanzania airport departure taxes. For more details please refer to the costing details section below.

The price is per person and based on two people sharing although a single room can be provided on payment of a single room supplement subject to availability. Unlike some other tours if you are a single person booking this trip you do not have to pay single supplements providing you are happy to share. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired with another single client of the same gender. Single supplements are however payable if you specifically request to have a room to yourself. If you have requested single accommodation we will do our best to secure this although this may not always be possible.

Deposit required to confirm arrangements: £ 499.00 per person by 31st March 2012

The prices quoted for this itinerary are valid for outward travel on dates shown

All our holidays are fully bonded for your financial protection under the CAA ATOL scheme or through the AITO Trust. Remember, if you decide to book direct with companies in Africa, or through a non-bonded company here in the UK, your money is at risk. Please do not hesitate to ask us for further information.

Exchange rates - please note that the exchange rates between the US$ dollar & UK£ pound are currently extremely volatile, with the recent trend being a huge devaluation of our UK£ pound. As many costs relating to your holiday are paid in either of the currencies, the price of your holiday is closely linked with these exchange rates. For this quotation, we have used the current exchange rate, however, we will need to reconfirm the holiday price with you at the time of booking. Please see section 8 in our Terms & Conditions for further details on our pricing policy.

Fuel Surcharges: You will appreciate that we are currently living in a very uncertain time with regards to increases in fuel costs. The above price includes the current fuel surcharges being levied by the relevant airlines. We will not surcharge this price unless further fuel surcharges exceed 2% of the total cost of this itinerary, in which case you will only be surcharged the amount which is over and above the 2% increase.

All guests will be required to complete a Safari Consultants Booking Form which will be subject to acceptance of Safari Consultants Terms and Conditions.

Safari Consultants and Natures Photos reserve the right to cancel the tour if the minimum number specified is not reached at by March 31st 2012. In this event and this event only you will receive your deposit back in full.

For Safari Consultants General Information and current terms please visit.

http://www.safariconsultant.net/library/CurrentTerms.pdf

© Bob Brind-Surch

Safari Consultants Ltd Africa House 2 Cornard Mills Cornard Tye Great Cornard CO10 0GW Telephone: + 44 (0)1787 888 590 Emergency: + 44 (0)7831 556 164 Email: info@safariconsultantuk.com www.safariconsultantuk.com

© Bob Brind-Surch

This year’s trip to Sothern Tanzania certainly lived up to its deserved reputation of a true photographer’s paradise.

Selous Southern Tanzania never disappoints and this trip was no exception. This year more rain than usual in late September ensured that the great Rufiji River was flowing well and the undergrowth and trees unusually green. Selous Impala, our first camp, is one of the smallest in the Selous area, with only 8 tents, discreetly spaced apart. These are very well camouflaged and all overlook the river or a lagoon ensuring you can see but not be seen. This fabulous camp is under the expert management of Barbara, the only woman with a staff of 60. She ensures that everything runs incredibly smoothly resulting in a top class experience for all the guests on this trip and a superb introduction to Africa. We were there to experience and photograph Africa and its wildlife but an extremely comfortable and welcoming camp really helps. The staff at Impala are always excellent class and for this trip we were to have the services of the top boatman Abdullah, the top driver and guide Mpogo and for the walking safari, the head guide Musa Makomba. We could not have had better! To this add Evans and the team of waiters and bar staff who worked so hard to please and this was bound to be an unforgettable experience.

With his superb boat handling skills Abdullah provided us with extremely close encounters with hippos and crocodiles both on the main river and one of the major lakes. Only someone with his experience could approach such dangerous animals as closely as we did. It provided truly excellent opportunities for stunning photographs of hippo heads filling the frame and without resorting to a particularly long lens. Having the opportunity to observe these magnificent animals relaxing, fighting and vocalising all in their natural habitat and at our level was a truly memorable experience.

Southern Tanzania

A True Photographers ParadiseTrip Report – October 2011

It was not just the large animals that presented themselves to our lenses. Abdullah’s skills also enabled us to photograph the brilliant Malachite Kingfisher from less than 10 feet producing some superb images. Pied kingfishers perching and hovering were a test of our photographic skills but also produced memorable photos as did the young Giant Kingfisher spotted on our last day. Further along the river the colourful Little and White Fronted Bee Eaters provided excellent subjects for our cameras and just watching as well as photographing a large colony nesting in a sand bank was a true privilege.

The list of birds seen on both water and land grew daily with really special species such as the giant Goliath Heron at 5 foot tall and the magnificent African Fish Eagle with its haunting and distinct call which is a true sound of Africa. Others included the Black Egret or “umbrella bird” with its specialised approach to catching fish and the Jacarna with its huge feet that seems to simply walk on the water surface.

Abdullah’s skills with the boat were matched by Mpogo’s skill as a driver. We covered large areas and his excellent driving, superb eyesight and fantastic local knowledge coupled with an enthusiasm to show us Africa made for really memorable game drives. We found all the usual suspects including lions, hyena,

plenty of baboons, even more impala, tall giraffes, zebra, kudu, wildebeest and warthogs as well as elephants and some of these right inside the camp!

For each animal encounter Mpogo positioned the vehicle expertly which made great photos just that much easier. We didn’t manage to see the local speciality wild dogs but that didn’t stop Mpogo trying, it takes a very special skill to track such elusive animals from a land rover but Mpogo was a master and it was just sheer bad luck that we didn’t manage to find them. We did however manage to find a vast number of vultures gorging on a dead hippo. They just stood around crops clearly bulging and too heavy and lethargic to take off. We mused on the various collective nouns for vultures, I knew of three a committee or, as with crows, a parliament or a murder. We all felt that given scene what we were watching, a murder was probably the more appropriate.

Our third escort was the camp’s head guide Makomba who took us on a walking safari and explained the signs and animal tracks as we walked straight out into the bush getting very close to towering adult giraffe and baboons. He saw this area as his home and like the other guides took it as a true privilege to share with us his fantastic knowledge of the wildlife and countryside. The game walk ended with a real treat, breakfast beside a wonderful lake and a journey back to camp by boat.

Ruaha

Four days was not enough but we had to leave to travel to our next destination, the pretty and even smaller Kwihala camp in the Ruaha, only 6 tents this time. The two camps are about 250 miles and a 1½fhour flight apart and in what is very different countryside. Ruaha at this time of year is very dry with even the major rivers reduced to mere trickles. Kwihala means "bush" - and this is some of the most beautiful African bush you can find. The camp is set in a high area with views over the surrounding countryside; it is near the Mwagusi Sand River and in one of the best game areas in the National Park. Kwihala is quite different to Impala being built more on the traditional safari camp style. It offered us a really refreshing combination of adventure and style, and took us even closer to the wildlife and the excitement of Africa. It still however provided for those who crave their creature comforts with huge tents, each 40 square metres and situated in their own plot with proper beds and a comfortable mattress, freshly pressed linen and a well-equipped bathroom with hot shower and flush loo. They were little havens in the bush and for those brave enough to leave the curtain open the sounds of the night often were accompanied by eerie shadows in the moonlight as lions padded past the tent crunching the dry leaves as

they went.

All the tents and particularly the “mess tent” were designed by well-known contemporary African designer – Jacquie Resley. The mess tent at 150 square metres was spacious and the social centre of the camp, it has separate dining and relaxing areas to create a homely feel, although canvas walls and open sides leave one with no illusions that one is definitely in the African bush.

Our driver and guide for all our trips around Kwihala was the camp manager, Marius Swart, a South African who had a superb knowledge and understanding of the game and wildlife of the area. Couple this with a keen interest in photography and we had the best guide we could for this section of our trip. This was really important as in Ruaha we would be spending our days travelling the bush in custom built land cruisers. These were specially designed to provide us with a superb vantage point to see and photograph the wildlife, and what wildlife we saw! Never on any trips I have ever run to Africa have we seen leopards on each and every day! To see these superb animals in their natural habitat is a privilege and watching a young and beautiful female leopard walking along the track right beside us or a half grown cub hunting down a mongoose in a log pile is an experience beyond words. On one occasion we even saw two different individual animals in the same morning.

One afternoon as we approached a big kigelia or sausage tree, Marius started explaining how a week before we had spotted a male leopard laying on the horizontal branch and when we rounded the corner there he was again! The next morning we drove down to an area where the lions had been roaring all night. As we stopped to photograph a Lilac Breasted Roller, we heard baboons barking abuse at something on the opposite side of the creek. Quickly we made our way there and on checking to see which direction the baboons were looking found a beautiful 2 year-old leopardess walking along the track.

Ruaha is well known for its lions and we had some superb sightings including a magnificent male who had been nicknamed Grumpy. He lay on the ground feet away from our vehicle and in the failing evening light roared out his challenge to others in the area. There is nothing more primeval than the roar of a lion, it typifies the wild side of Africa and when heard at a distance goes straight through your body and triggers a

primitive fear which is at the same time fantastically exhilarating. Place that same lion only a few feet away and the effect is truly awesome even if the light was so poor that it made photography difficult. He might be as grumpy as his name suggest but what was absolutely certain was that this was one male lion not to be argued with and he was letting everyone know that.

The other real spectacle at Kwihala this year were the buffalo. We stopped one day and watched a herd of over 700 of these huge and magnificent animals approaching what was left of the river for a drink. Marius positioned the vehicle expertly and we simply sat stunned as the herd moved towards us through a dust cloud and approached the water where they stopped for a drink right in front of the mound on which we were parked. Little can improve on this.

The hot dry dusty conditions meant water was in short supply and thus the elephants and zebra have to dig in the dried up river beds to find precious supplies. This did however allow us to get much closer than would normally have been possible.

As with Impala the real beauty of Southern Tanzania is the lack of other people and vehicles, Ruaha is another perfect example. The NgoroNgoro Crater in the north is a beautiful area but now more resembles Woburn Safari Park in the UK.

One morning we watched two bull giraffe fighting. When bull giraffes fight they stand side by side and swing their heads using their long necks to deliver a serious blow to their opponent. Battles can be fatal, but are more often less severe, generally ending when one giraffe surrenders to the other. The longer the neck, and the heavier the head at the end of the neck, the greater the force a giraffe is able to deliver in a blow. As we watched they seemed quite graceful but communicating with Marius after we returned to the

UK I learnt of the true seriousness and risk in this form of combat. The day after we left Africa these two continued their battle and with one tremendous and well-aimed swing one bull connected the other a dealt a very rare fatal blow felling his opponent to the ground never to rise again. Instantly there was a 3 day feast ready and waiting for the lions.

Another pride of lions we were watching needed this sort of luck as their hunting skills were really not that well honed. It was quite a large pride with a magnificent

light coloured male who posed for our cameras on some rocks beside the dried up river bed. One lone lioness however spotting a few zebra in the dried up river bed decided to stalk them. She managed to use the limited cover to get right to the edge of the sand river and after a brief moment studying her potential

quarry burst from cover in full pursuit. It was a spectacular experience to watch as was the sound of the zebras hooves as they fled. Unfortunately as she didn’t have any back up from the rest of her pride the

zebra escaped. It would have been very different if the other pride members had joined in and especially as they had such a great vantage point on the edge of what was a vast expanse of dried up river bed. Maybe if the lioness we had photographed posing at the feet of the magnificent male lion had thought more about her next meal rather than the handsome hunk beside her things would have been different!

We felt for a couple of chaps who were trying to film a lion kill for National Geographic and

had now spent 90 days in the field but had still failed. Ruaha is such a great area for lions they surely had to succeed eventually. They did on our last day when they managed to film two lionesses killing a warthog. We arrived sometime afterwards to watch a few hooded vultures and two black backed jackals squabbling over the warthogs head.

The last but one day provided another surprise, a report of a rare, for Ruaha, sighting of a lone male cheetah resting under a tree. It was a long drive to get there but well worth it when we arrived even though we were only able to spend a few minutes with the cheetah.

Ruaha provided us with bird species that we didn’t see at Impala like the comical hornbills, Chanting Goshawks, Bateleur Eagles, Saddle Billed Storks and the Buff crested Bustard that called throughout the night.

Kwihala was altogether a different but equally memorable experience ensuring this trip lived up to the aim of experiencing two very different aspects of Africa in the one visit, all in an area without that many visitors and with superb local guides and facilities. In the words of one of the trip members she simply “ran out of superlatives”.

October 2011

Photographic workshops such as the ones I run are excellent opportunities to visit the sorts of places you always wanted, take some wonderful photos and at the same time have someone on hand to answer all your photographic queries. As your experienced photographic guide my aim is to help you to take superb photographs to capture for ever these unique locations and their wildlife. I am a capable and experienced photographer, naturalist and a qualified teacher and tutor able to support everyone from the novice photographer to those who are considerably more experienced. I know the venues I use extremely well and liaise with local guides and contacts before the trip to ensure everything works perfectly and we get the very best opportunities. My goal on all my trips is to help you to capture the magic of the area, bring back some wonderful images and learn more about your camera as well as enjoying and experiencing a very special and unique location. Please don’t just take my word for it however but instead read the testimonials below from others who have been on this particular workshop / tour with me before. If you would like to talk in person to someone who has enjoyed a trip with me please let me know and I will put you in touch with them. If you are interested to know more please contact me either by phone 07983 427202 or by e-mailing bob@naturesphotos.co.uk and I will be more than happy to discuss any aspect of the tours with you.

Testimonials

"A photo safari with Bob Brind - Surch is an unforgettable experience. It is a real privilege to have expert instruction while seeing an unbelievable range of animals. Bob’s expert knowledge ensures that your safari will be to places teeming with wildlife. He ensures that accommodation is of a good standard and that the guides are in tune with the needs of the photographer. Bob provides excellent advice. He is sensitive to the needs of the individual and pitches his advice at just the right level. He is not over intrusive in his instruction but provides timely reminders and individual help as necessary. Bob works hard to ensure that all the participants have a positive experience and come home with a set of memorable photographs. Bob is an expert wildlife photographer with decades of experience. He has a long experience of Africa and Safaris. He therefore ensures that the experience for the budding photographer is a very positive one as attention to details such as light and composition are used to guide the positioning of vehicles for photo shoots. I can recommend a Bob Brind – Surch safari without any reservations – I am looking forward to booking another before too long!"

Hilary Spurrier

Southern Tanzania Testimonials from previous guests

Dear Bob, "I simply ran out of superlatives some days ago with which to thank you enough for giving us such a wonderful time in Tanzania. A photographic safari is something I have wanted to do all my life, but I had no idea it could be as enjoyable and rewarding as ours was. (Let alone 4,500 images to deal with!) I don’t think I had expectations in my mind as to what it should be like, but I can comfortably say this was better than I could have imagined! I appreciate you had put in a great amount of groundwork and planning and feel we were very privileged to reap the benefits of your hard work. I also think your “pre-safari” notes were very useful as we were all “ready to roll” when we arrived. The two camps, in my opinion, were an excellent choice and in both places we were looked after so well. I felt that we were also very fortunate to have the exclusive knowledge of Mpogo, Abdulah and Makomba at Selous Impala and Marius at Ruaha Kwihala. This seemed to make it possible for us to be in the right place at the right time as well as seeing “life as it happened”. I cannot thank you enough for all your help and knowledge with everything. I learnt so, so much and must now go back again to improve every photograph I took!"

Many, many thanks Diana Gamble

"If you are looking for a really good photo experience in Africa then look no further than one of Bob's trips. I had the most wonderful time in Southern Tanzania during October 2011 - just so much fun and delight and truly fond memories. His advice, guidance, enthusiasm and knowledge were just what the group wanted.

Highly recommended."

Ian Draper

© Bob Brind-Surch

Safari Consultants

© Bob Brind-Surch