Barefoot luxury on an African Island

 

Visiting an African Island retreat at the end of an amazing safari is sometimes the perfect way to go, and Vamizi Island is just one of those places! 

Vamizi lies off the coast of northern Mozambique, in the Quirimbas Archipelago. The Archipelago consists of 32 tropical coral islands, and stretches for 100 km along the coast from Pemba to the Ruvuma River, the natural border between Mozambique and Tanzania.  The island of Vamizi has clear blue water, abundant marine life, and thick, untouched coral reefs.  

The lodge is set on the north side of the island and set on the edge of indigenous tropical forest looking out across a white beach to the Indian Ocean beyond.  

There are many activities to do on Vamizi from diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, take to the waters in a sea kayak or just relax on the Island's dhow!

Hot springs, the Rufiji river, and wild animals

There is a wonderful hot spring about an hour out of camp and we took a detour on our game drive to have a look and explore.  Because of the rain over the last few days the water had become muddy but I still went in and the water was as warm as a hot tub.  The pool is quite narrow but as you can see from this picture quite deep and when I came out I felt beautifully refreshed.

 

The Selous Game Reserve is the home to Africa's largest population of elephants and we were able to find some every day while we were there.  In the heat of the midday sun this sensible family had found the cool refuge in the shade of a large tamarind tree.
 

The reserve is also home to over 440 bird species including this Northern Carmine Bee-eater which had caught itself a nice big snack on the wing.
 

 One of the great features of this area of the Selous is to explore the Rufiji river by boat which makes a great contrast from bouncing around in a vehicle.  The river was quite high from the recent rains but we still had to stick to the main channel to avoid grounding on the numerous sandbars which shift from season to season.
 

We slowly worked our way upstream against the current and the river got more and more narrow as we approached Stiegler's Gorge, named for a hapless Swiss hunter who was killed near there by an elephant in 1900.  We stopped here in the gorge to stretch our legs and have a coffee break all the while being watched by a crocodile which we had startled off his sandbank when we approached the shore.
 

The gorge has been suggested as a site for a hydro-electric dam to supply power to Dar es Salaam which would be a pity since it would cause huge ecological changes to the area and almost certainly disrupt the fauna and flora around the river.  At the moment these plans have been shelved but there is always the danger that they could be put into development again.

Sundown is always special in Africa, marking the end of a long, hot and busy day and a great way to enjoy the sunset is with a long cool drink in your hand and a beautiful view with friends to enjoy.  Some of the sunsets I've seen have been spectacular and this one in Selous ranks right up there.
 

All too soon it is time to get back to the office and civilization (of sorts!) and we boarded our plane back to Dar.  As we flew out I got this amazing view over the Rufiji river and it was a fittingly spectacular end to a wonderful stay.

The wild Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Time to get out of the office again but this time to Southern Tanzania and the Selous Game Reserve. Simon and I flew down to Dar es Salaam from Nairobi, a short charter and we arrived in this wild, beautiful and enormous Reserve.

The Selous is vast, at 50,000 square kilometers (19,000 square miles) it is the second largest park in the world after Yellow Stone Park or about the same size as West Virginia! We are based out of Sand Rivers Lodge on the bank of the Rufiji river from where we have ventured out exploring the immediate area.
We love walking and have taken the opportunity to do some great hikes which have been welcome after sitting in the office and airplanes. Just north of the lodge there are several lakes which are filled with birdlife, crocs and hippo. This early morning shot was looking over L. Macoubi after a night of rain.

Last day on safari in Meru

I’d heard from both Andy Campbell and Phillip Mason (who runs Elsa’s Kopje) that there is a particularly big Bull elephant in Meru and we made it one of our missions to try and see him. One evening along the Rojewero river we discovered this old boy but he was not the one we were looking for. This guy was pretty big in his own right and the strong musky smell of his urine told me that he was in musth, a sexual condition which only mature bulls get into when testosterone levels rise by as much as 60% in their bloodstream.  External signs are a flow of secretions from the temporal gland on the head and perpetually dripping urine which soaks the inside of the back legs. Elephants in this condition can be very aggressive so I kept an eye on him although he was a gentleman throughout.

Further along the Rojewero the next morning we visited the hippo pool where this raft of hippo were snoozing.  They are quite used to visitors here and although they kept their eye on us we were able to photograph them from quite close on the bank.  The big bull had just put his head on the neighbours back and you can easily see the gape which allows him to open his mouth extremely wide.

On our last day we decided to take the long drive down to the Tana river which runs along the eastern boundary of the park to see if we could find any crocs to photograph.  We explored down the riverside track for a few kilometres but the track had become so overgrown from lack of use that we turned back so as to save some of the paint on my car! After a picnic lunch at Adamson’s Falls which has a jumble of amazingly smooth and weathered rocks we headed back. That evening we again found our musth bull elephant who gave us a great show while he had a drink and a mud bath. At one point as he walked down to the marsh he shook his head and displayed to us before continuing on his way.

This was our final evening on safari and Fraida and Bob celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a romantic dinner under a full moon and a bottle of champagne at Elsa’s Kopje.  The safari was an anniversary gift to each other and we hope to see them back here in the future!  Congratulations! 

 

Last day at Lewa Downs

On our last evening at Lewa Downs we watched the sunset from the top of one of the hills and then drove back to our lodge with the spotlight.  We were rewarded with two beautiful male lion just on the edge of the swamp and spent some time with them before heading back.

Our last destination on this wonderful safari was Meru National Park and our lodge, Elsa’s Kopje built high on a rocky outcropping looking over the bush.  Meru is one of those wild and untamed places which has managed to stay under the radar so the wildlife and beauty of the park is a secret which we mostly keep to ourselves.  Like a shy person at a party, Meru will at first seem to have nothing much to offer but as you spend more time there the wildlife and scenery are gradually revealed so that when the time comes to leave you want to stay on longer! Unlike the Serengeti where it is much easier to find the game over the open plains, Meru is quite wooded and cut through with streams and marshes. The game is also more shy here and will often disappear like ghosts into the bush when you drive up.

Despite these challenges, we still got to see some great game and also were able to appreciate the woodland biome from the other ecosystems seen so far on the safari. One of the distinguishing trees seen here is the venerable and bloated baobab, rising majestically above the bush and providing homes, food and shade to multiple species of animals.

 

Lewa Downs Conservancy, day two

As so often happens when one is having a good time out on a game drive we can forget the time and it takes the animals to remind us that only ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun'.

Most sensible citizens of the bush will seek out a nice shady tree to sleep under or simply chew the cud. Some look at us with the kind of eye which seems to ask us not to disturb them.  We at least have a fridge with cool drinks in my car and the prospect of a dip in the pool when we get back and no one, least of all Fraida or Bob, have been complaining. 

The birds can be such a beautiful show on safari and certainly ‘fill the gaps’ between big game viewing.  These two Hornbills were contemplating their reflections in my window at Wilderness Trails and did not see me photographing them in the wonderful afternoon light.  

The Somali ostrich has blue legs and neck compared to the maasai ostrich which has red ones. This one walked right past our car with his aloof look.

 

Lewa Downs Conservancy, Laikipia Kenya

 

I always enjoy staying at Wilderness Trails on Lewa Downs.  Will and Emma Craig have managed to create an atmosphere of easy comfortable elegance which perfectly compliments the beauty and abundance of the wildlife on the ranch.  Being a wildlife conservancy with the greatest population of the rare and beautiful Grevy Zebra and with one of the country’s largest populations of both Black and White rhino it is difficult to have a bad time!  

To top it all the ranch lies under the towering peak of the magnificent Mt. Kenya, Africa’s second highest peak at 17800 ft. and this mountain was out most of the time we were there.  Now that the rains are over Lewa has already started to return to the dry season colours of Khaki, beige, and grey, but the swamp and the streams which flow through are defined by deep greens which make a lovely contrast.

It is wonderful to sit in one place for a while and watch the animals come to you, perhaps near a water hole or salt lick or with a herd of elephants.  In this way you know that you are not really disturbing the animals since they have come to you of their own volition as opposed to us driving close to them in the car.  

We spotted these two courting Black rhino from afar and positioned ourselves to get a good view.  As we talked quietly they made their way towards us with their large radar like ears swivelling about then stopped and watched us for a short while before making their way off towards the shade.