Edition 23: Spring 2003
The renowned wildlife photographer takes us to his five favourite places in Africa.
1. Kaokoveld, Namibia
My first visit to this harsh, arid and extraordinarily beautiful region of Namibia took place in 1990. I have endeavoured to return every year since. Home to the acclaimed desert rhino and elephant, the Kaokoveld is not so much about big game as untrammelled, spectacularly beautiful wilderness. Namibia has been described as "the land God made in anger" - well, I think He actually made it in one of His more inspired moments. The basalt and granite mountains, the deeply-scoured ephemeral river courses, the pebbled plains and shifting dunes of these north-western reaches are His masterpiece. Neither words nor pictures do this land justice: it reaches deep into your soul, finds a niche and stays.
[IMAGE1] 2. Masai Mara, Kenya
One of the greatest natural wonders is East Africa's annual wildebeest migration, and Kenya's Masai Mara is my favourite place to observe it. The frenetic river crossings, when crazy gnus leap into the swift Mara River as they return south to their Serengeti calving grounds, are an awesome spectacle. I particularly enjoy the Mara for its wide, rolling plains, backed by the purple-blue shadows of the Isuria (or Olooloo) Escarpment, which make game viewing and photography particularly rewarding - though it's important to know when and where to travel, to avoid the minibus hordes.
3. Mombo, Okavango Delta, Botswana
My introduction to the heart of the Okavango was at Mombo in the eighties, shortly after its conversion from a hunting to a photographic concession. It has been particularly rewarding to enjoy its transition into perhaps the finest wildlife viewing area in Africa. It was renowned through the nineties for wild dogs, although a burgeoning lion population has seen these predators in decline. But Mombo's leopards have become the stuff of legend, the cheetah grace the covers of National Geographic, a White rhino reintroduction programme has been hugely successful and the variety of habitats is outstanding - from acacia woodland and Kalahari sandveld to flood plains, palm islands and permanent waterways.
4. Shaba, Kenya
The Cinderella of Kenya's northern circuit, Shaba offers great rewards - without the crowds. Situated across the Great North Road from better-known Samburu and Buffalo Springs, and with only one lodge, it will hopefully remain one of Kenya's better-kept secrets. The northern game specials abound - reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx and Guenther's dik-dik. The spectacular rocky kopjes (dominated by the landmark Ololokwe Mountain), swaying Doum palms and the turgid waters of the Uaso Nyiro ("brown river") make a wonderful setting for the region's acclaimed elephant herds. I pitch camp in a private site and enjoy the solitude that drew Joy Adamson with her leopard, Penny, the Queen of Shaba, all those years ago.
5. Selinda, Botswana
While the Okavango, Chobe NP and the Kalahari are Botswana's better-known attractions, the Selinda Reserve, tucked away in the north-east, is growing in stature as one of Africa's premier game destinations. A private concession with several luxury tented camps, Selinda has recently been my first choice for photographing wild dogs, along with elephant, lion and hippo. The perennial Kwando/Linyanti River and the associated Zibalianja Lagoon form the area's heart, while the seasonal Selinda spillway, down which overflow from both the Linyanti and the Okavango systems can run, attracts migrating herds of buffalo, zebra and other ungulates. Selinda is Africa in the raw, sometimes harsh and cruel, but always entertaining. |
