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Saari

echo through the orests each morning.

My trip took me down the spine o the

country rom Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

in the eastern rainorests to the parched coastal

village o Iaty in the south-west. We visited all

the national parks and community reserves en

route Ranomaana, Anja, Andringitra, Isalo

and Zombitse and in total viewed 12 species o

lemur. At Lemur Island, in the eastern rainorests

o Andasibe, we had remarkable photographic

opportunities as black and white rued lemurs,

common brown lemurs and Eastern grey bamboo

lemurs posed and paraded or us even jumping

rom human shoulder to shoulder to introduce

themselves. Whilst this experience did not provide

that genuinely wild encounter, it was great un!

Throughout the trip, walks in the rainorest were

not too strenuous or long, though occasionally

there were steep or muddy sections. Night walks

were good or seeing the diminutive mouse

lemurs and chameleons, but varied in quality and

were more rewarding in Andasibe/Mantadia than

along the main road at Ranomaana!

In addition to lemurs, we saw a wide variety

o reptiles and birds. There is nowhere better

to look or chameleons o all shapes, colours

and sizes, particularly on night walks. Our trip

was a little busy to concentrate too much on

MadagaSCarrb xps h f h mu

TelegraphSafari conSulTanTS lTd auguST 2012

rob diScoverS

1

>>>

Iam not sure why I had waited this long to

visit Madagascar or some reason I hadnt

been totally convinced o the relative

hype that oten surrounds a lesser known

destination. However, 2012 was the year to take

the plunge and go and see or mysel whether

Madagascar was genuinely an incredible

destination or just somewhere a bit dierent.

I you are looking or a total wilderness

experience, you will nd limited options in

Madagascar, which is surprising considering

how huge the island is. Compared to what I am

used to on mainland Arica, extensive natural

environments in Madagascar are ew and ar

between, and wildlie reserves are oten pockets

o protected land rather than great tracts o

wilderness. Where the popular parks are airly

extensive (Ranomaana, Andasibe/Mantadia),

tourism is oten ocused around one very small

area where accommodation exists and lemur

sightings can be guaranteed. The one area that

does oer a true wilderness eel is the Masoala

Peninsula in the north-east, though typically this

region is slightly more complicated to access!

However, in all other acets, Madagascar is an

amazing island that delivers a varied, intriguing,

slightly adventurous and richly rewarding

experience. The lemur viewing is obviously o

key interest to anyone keen on the natural world.

The lemurs are oten habituated to the presence

o humans (in a similar ashion to gorillas and

chimps in mainland Arica), which makes it easy to

get a really good look and take good photographs.

Lemurs are unique and beautiul, very photogenic

and quite charismatic! Ring-tailed lemurs and

the dancing Verreauxs siaka preer drier habitats

and thereore tend to be seen in the south and

west o the country, whilst the rainorests o the

central and eastern regions are home to a wider

variety including the rare golden bamboo lemur,

the stunning black and white rued lemur and the

largest o them all, the Indri, whose haunting cries

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birding, but keen birders will be enthralled,

not just by the variety o birdlie but also the

number o endemics that Madagascar oers. The

country seems to have its own version o many

species Madagascar kingsher, Madagascar bee-

eater, Madagascar buzzard, Madagascar lovebird the list goes on. Then there are the rainorest

specialties, such as the beautiul blue coua, and

the drier scrub specialties such as Bensons rock

thrush and sickle-billed vanga. The variety o

terrain and habitat across Madagascar make it a

ascinating birding destination.

I do eel that Madagascar is a country to

experience above and beyond wildlie or beaches

(o which there are many, oering relaxation,

whale-watching, snorkeling and scuba diving).

Madagascar is one o those countries which are

simply worth exploring or the sake o it. Ever-

changing scenery, riendly and relaxed local people

(with varied ethnicity and history), wonderul

walking and non-stop photographic opportunities

all add greatly to your holiday experience. It

is a very poor country which has not become

too commercialized. For the most part you can

walk through villages and markets without that

unwarranted attention that tourists oten attract.

Local people are riendly and are usually happy or

you photograph them, and children in particular

love seeing the images on your display screen.

Overall, I think Madagascar is a ascinating

place to visit. Tourism inrastructure is limited,

road journeys are oten long, and as a wilderness

destination, I did nd it a little lacking at times (I

didnt however have time to visit Masoala Peninsula

which arguably oers the greatest wilderness

experience). However, as a wildlie destination I

ound it unique and rewarding, culturally I ound it

rereshingly relaxed, scenically it was hugely diverse

and oten stunningly beautiul, photographic

opportunities were constant and amazing, and it

was a joy to get out on oot so much.

...Continued from page 1

A

long way rom Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro,

Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and

the Selous (to name just a ew o

Tanzanias enviable list o star attractions)

is a lesser known gem Katavi National

Park. Famous (within the industry) or huge

herds o elephant and bualo in the late dry

season (August to October), gigantic hippo

pods conned to receding water pools and

crocodiles that escape the scorching October

sun by digging earth caves along the rivers

edge when water levels are low Katavi is raw,

uncompromising Arica, tsetse fies and all.

Yet amidst this obvious harshness there is

also a soter, more subtle and tranquil bush

experience to be had. Whilst much o the park

is miombo woodland, the core regions o the

park are dominated by the vast Katisunga,

Chada and Paradise Plains which are linked by

the Katuma and Kapapa Rivers. The scenery

along these river courses is picturesque with

riverine orests, palm groves and open food

plains, and with the general lack o visitors, you

can have these scenes pretty much to yoursel.

The game-viewing is superb in the dry season,

with impressive leopard and lion sightings as

well as spotted hyaena, wild dog, zebra, girae,

deasa waterbuck and impala. The Miombo

woodland is home to the rarer species such

as Sable and Roan antelope, Lesser Kudu and

Eland. The birding is also antastic with many

interesting species to be seen, including green

wood hoopoe, saddle billed stork, martial eagle,

grey-headed kingsher, pearl-spotted owlet,

giant eagle owl, yellow-throated sandgrouse,

speckled pigeon, ruous-bellied heron, brown

parrot, Lizard buzzard and many more. For

birding specialists, the summer season rom

December to February will be best.

Katavi is also a superb walking destination

either or short nature walks or more dedicated

multi-day trails. Chada Camp, a beautiul

tented camp overlooking the Chada Plains

and run by Nomad Tanzania, oers multi-day

walking saaris using basic, but comortable,

fy-camps or overnight accommodation. Two

nights along the Paradise Plains, as part o a

longer stay at Chada Camp, would be normal

but longer saaris can easily be catered or.

Access to Katavi is understandably not as

straight orward as the better known saari

areas. However, there are internal fight

schedules two or three times per week and it is

possible to combine Katavi with other regions

such as Ruaha and Selous in the south, or the

Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in the north.

More commonly, Katavi is combined with

the spectacular Mahale Mountains on Lake

Tanganyika (where you can undertake arguably

the best chimpanzee viewing in Arica), and it

is easy to combine the two regions over a week

long period.

Katavi may not be the obvious choice or

a rst-time visitor to Arica, but or anyone

looking or an authentic bush experience, ar

rom the madding crowd, Katavi could be ideal.

Katavi NationalPark, westernTanzania

off the beaten track

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T: 01787 888590

Landing into Lusaka recently reminded me o my rst visit to

Zambia in the mid-1980s. The Kenneth Kaunda International

Airport is a simple 70s building, accessed by a walk along the

apron rom the stairs o the aircrat in the still, slightly chilly, air

o a glorious mid-winters day. Despite a coee vendor selling more

than a hal decent cup o latte, and a cosmetic change to the

access to the international check-in area, little has changed and

so it should not have been surprising that when I landed on an

airstrip in the Kaue National Park, I elt as i I were travellingto a new, unexplored part o rural Arica.

Kaue is huge, until recently the largest National Park on the

continent. In the south and central areas, it is dominated by

Majete Wildlie Reserve is located on the

lower Shire River in southern Malawi.

As little as ten years ago you would

have enjoyed a wilderness experience there with

very little game-viewing. Poaching was rie and

the animals that did exist were skittish and low

in numbers. That began to change in 2003 when

a private non-prot organisation called Arican

Parks took over management and pledged to

re-stock and protect the reserve. Arican Parks

specialise in re-generating and managing some o

the most damaged and remote game reserves and

parks in Arica (Chad, Rwanda, both Congos, and

Zambia) and evidence suggests that their work in

Majete has been hugely successul.

The 70,000 hectare reserve alls almost entirely

to the west o the Shire River which meanders

southwards rom Lake Malawi to eventually

fow into the Zambezi. Whilst the Shire is

predominantly a wide, slow fowing river, its

passage through the reserve is ast fowing with

several rapids as it cuts through the Kapichila

Hills and is eventually dammed or hydroelectric

power just above the impressive Kapichila Falls.

These alls were visited by David Livingstone

(the grave o one o the expedition members is

close by) and the rock ormations eroded over

thousands o years reveal beautiul sedimentary

and metamorphic patterns. The habitat is

predominantly one o mixed savannah woodland,

riverine orest and miombo woodland, with

limited open grassland areas. There are a couple o

smaller river courses, most notably the beautiul

Mkulumadzi River which cuts through the

northern section o the reserve to join the Shire.

Since 2003, twelve species (and over 2500

individuals) have been re-introduced including

7 black rhino (there are now 10 in the park),

228 elephant, and over 450 bualo. Others

include eland, waterbuck, sable, nyala, zebra,

Liechtensteins hartebeest, impala, and warthog.

Since 2008 the whole perimeter ence has been

electried, enhancing security and enabling our

leopards to be introduced over the last year or so.

This month will see our lions make the reserve

their home. The plan is that more predator

numbers will ollow, but it is a delicate process so

it will be some years beore there are thriving, sel-

sustaining populations. Other animals which were

already resident prior to Arican Parks taking over

include greater kudu, reedbuck, Suni antelope,

bushbuck, Sharpes grysbok, duiker, bushpig,

hippo, crocodile, spotted hyaena, porcupine, civet,

genet, serval, vervet monkey, yellow baboon and a

variety o smaller creatures.

Birding is also superb, with year round

residents including Bohms bee-eater, green

Magnifcent Majete

is bouncing back

and scimitar billed wood hoopoe, dark chanting

goshawk, red-throated twinspot, lizzard buzzard,

palmnut vulture, white-headed vulture, osprey,

Arican hoopoe, cordon bleu, little bee-eater, Pels

shing owl, rock pratincole, spotted eagle owl,

green-backed heron, black-crowned night heron,

Egyptian geese, Arican darter, great white egret,

brown-hooded kingsher, malachite kingsher,

white aced duck, Arican jacana, brown crowned

tchagra, western banded snake eagle, pied

kingsher, brown snake eagle and martial eagle.

It is possible to sel-drive in the park, though

guided game drives are available through Arican

Parks (they have a small tented lodge called

Thawale, inside the park) or through Mkulumadzi

Lodge run by Robin Pope Saaris who have a private

concession along the Mkulumadzi River in the

north-east o the park. Mkulumadzi is a lovely lodge

oering high levels o comort in combination

with an extremely exclusive and tranquil bush

experience. Walking, night drives and boating

are also available, and there is a hide overlooking

a waterhole oten requented by black rhino.

Majete will take a ew more years to oer

genuine predator viewing, but by then it will

be better known and will attract more visitors.

However, the next ew years will be ideal or

anyone looking or an all-round magical bush

experience, and not just big ve sightings!

Bill re-visits

miombo woodland which stretches out rom the banks o theimpressive Kaue River and its tributaries. In the north-west, the

miombo gives way to the Busanga foodplains, inundated by

waters o the Luupa River and largely inaccessible or much o the

year. The terrain, as you can imagine, is rather fat and it has its

air share o tsetse fy, the saviour o wilderness Arica but menace

to many a saari traveller. Not much going or it then?

Not in the slightest. I travelled extensively through the park

staying at six dierent properties, none with more than 24 beds

and each with its own old-style saari character. Game-viewing,

although a bit challenging in late June (a bit too early to visit),

was certainly exclusive the great thing is that most o the lodges

are really spread out but over the week I did see a good number

o elephant, lion, hippo, and bualo, and a wide range o antelopespecies including sizeable herds o both sable and roan. The

birdlie was as usual superb, and even in mid-winter I managed

138 species including at least seven Arican noot. The Kaue

River itsel is beautiul and alluring you dont get the immensityo the Zambezi or Ruji, but its more than large enough to be

captivating as you travel along by boat, pontoon, or canoe.

Kaue will not rival the Luangwa Valley or Lower Zambezi or

sheer numbers o animals, but it does oer the saari enthusiast

the chance to see an area o Arica reminiscent o the 70s and

80s, something quite dicult to nd in these modern times.

old time kafue

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Safari SnippetS

Saari Consultants Limited

Arica House, 2 Cornard Mills, Mill Tye,

Great Cornard, Suolk, CO10 0GW

Tel.No.: 01787 888590

Email: ino@saariconsultantuk.com

Website: www.saari-consultants.co.uk

With best wishes as always and

many thanks or your continued

support.Bill, Rob, Michele,

Mary, Michaela, Josie and Jane.

Book early

f Zmbi 2013Due to its relatively short saari season, we are nding that Zambia experiences very high demandduring the peak season months rom August to October. This is especially true or the smaller camps

in the Luangwa Valley and Lower Zambezi, such as regular avourite Old Mondoro (Lower Zambezi).

So, i you are thinking o a Zambia saari in 2013, we would urge you to talk to us as early as possible!

2013a year of

celebrationWere celebrating our 30th

birthday next year. Do you have

any celebration plans? Give us a

call to discuss how Arica can make

your year extra special!

Skeleton CoaSt newSFollowing a re earlier in the year, Wilderness Saaris have ceased operating their Skeleton Coast

Camp in the heart o the restricted northern zone o the park. There are no plans to re-develop

the camp and were unsure as to whether the current concessionaire will be seeking anotherpartner but well let you know o any development. This means that the Schoeman amilys

incredible fy-in saaris are the only way to experience this remote and remarkable corner o

Namibia (see Robs report rom September 2010).

Phbs h ChbThe last couple o seasons have seen the launch

o a couple o specially designed photo boats

on the Chobe River. The boats look similar

and cater or up to eight photographers on

swivel chairs with camera mounts a perect

conguration or photographing rom the

water. Pangolin Saaris oer the chance to buy

a morning or aternoon excursion under the

guidance o a proessional photographer.