01/144 front and back cover.qxd:Audley brochure ... - Audley Travel

A FRICA &T HE I NDIAN O CEANNAMIBIASOUTH AFRICABOTSWANAZAMBIAMALAWIMOZAMBIQUETANZANIAKENYAUGANDARWANDAMADAGASCARSEYCHELLESMAURITIUSTAILOR- MADE J OURNEYS FOR THE D ISCERNING T RAVELLER

Dear TravellerAfrica is one of the earth’s most excitingcontinents, with some of the world’s greatestwildernesses, richest cultures and mostawe-inspiring wildlife. Our Africa teamand Audley travellers never tire of visiting,and it seems that the more people see, themore they want to see, for Africa representsa never-ending source of adventure.Keeping up with developments is always achallenge in Africa. Not only do camps andlodges change regularly, but game fluctuatesin and out of areas depending on the rainsand vegetation available.There have recently been a lot of excitingchanges in Africa. Of particular note isthe opening up of the eastern country ofMozambique as a safari destination.Zambia’s South Luangwa is becoming moreaccessible in the rains – a wonderful time tosee nurseries of tottering impala, birds inbright breeding plumage and increasedpredator action. Namibia remains aspectacular self-drive destination and newcamps along the Caprivi have made possiblean excellent two week self-drive safari.Finally, many of the islands we feature inTanzania, Mozambique and Madagascarare nesting sites for turtles. What better wayto finish a trip to Africa than on a sandybeach littered with turtle tracks?Our Africa team is highly experienced andwe travel to the reserves frequently, keepingabreast of not only the accommodation butalso the game and birdlife in a particularregion. Whether your interest lies in seeingleopard, wild dog or ring-tailed lemurs, wecan suggest the best places to find them.Craig BurkinshawManaging Director2

Introducing AudleyAfter developing a real passion for travel in the early 1990s Craig Burkinshaw foundedAudley, or Asian Journeys as we were then called. Craig wanted to make it possible forothers to share the same experiences and, from these small beginnings, the company was born.Audley offers a new type of travel – individual journeys, designed to match the traveller’sinterests, tastes and budget, created with an absolute commitment to quality, authenticityand a passion for travel. Today Audley is one of the UK’s most highly regarded specialist touroperators, providing tailor-made trips throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East, LatinAmerica, Australasia, Antarctica and the Arctic, Canada and Alaska.Tailor-made journeysThe beauty of tailor-made travel is that every tripis unique. Whether you want to stay in simple orluxurious accommodation, have great guides onhand or explore under your own steam, travel forone week or five, we can create a trip to matchyour tastes and budget. We can also design tripsfor a special occasion, where added touches canchange an adventurous journey into a spectacularhoneymoon, anniversary or birthday celebration.Your trip can be tailored to suit your particularinterests, such as wildlife, photography or diving,and we have the specialist knowledge to match.Throughout the brochure you will find suggesteditineraries and some of our favourite places tostay. These are included purely to offer inspirationand give you a flavour of what is possible, as eachjourney is created individually to give you theopportunity to experience a destination inexactly the way you choose.Specialist knowledgeOur Africa and Indian Ocean specialists have alltravelled extensively throughout the countries wefeature and in many cases lived there, so you canrely on their extensive first-hand knowledge. Theyregularly return to see the accommodation, meetour guides – many of whom are firm friends –experience all the excursions and activities, andkeep up-to-date with local developments. Theypride themselves on having an honest ‘tell it howit is’ approach to planning your trip and, as wellas their own extensive knowledge, are able todraw on the considerable collective experienceof their colleagues. We believe this approach isunique to Audley and the only way we cangenuinely offer you a tailor-made service.Financial securityAll travel arrangements in this brochure thatinclude a flight are ATOL protected by the CivilAviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 4817.Please see our booking conditions for moreinformation. If your arrangements do not includeany flights they are protected by a separatefinancial scheme, for further details please visitwww.audleytravel.com/protectPlanning your tripOnce you have some ideas for your trip, or ifyou just want some general guidance, call oneof our Africa and Indian Ocean specialists on01993 838 500. They can offer advice and discussyour plans with you, before creating a detaileditinerary, which will be forwarded to you togetherwith maps, accommodation information, colourphotographs and a price. Your specialist can thencontinue to refine the plans until you arecompletely satisfied. They will be on hand fromthe start of the planning process to your returnand are always available to answer questionsand offer sound advice.ContentsIntroduction 2-9Namibia 10-25South Africa 26-27Botswana 28-41Zambia 42-55Malawi 56-61Mozambique 62-71Tanzania 72-91Zanzibar 84-87Kenya 92-105Kenya’s beaches 102-104Uganda 106-107Gorilla tracking 108-109Rwanda 110-111Madagascar 112-127Madagascar’s beaches 122-126Seychelles 128-137Mauritius 138-142Useful information 143Introduction 3

Choosing where to goChoosing a trip in Africa can be confusing given the array of countries, lodges and campson offer. Below you will find an overview of each country giving the highlights andtypes of safari and other experiences they offer the traveller. For further details, please browsethe individual country sections of this brochure or call our Africa specialists.4Boat trip from Chiawa Camp, ZambiaViewing wild dog in BotswanaChildren in MalawiNamibiaNamibia offers desert scenery as well as big game.The network of gravel roads is easy to navigateand most people drive themselves around. It is agood country for first-time visitors to Africa thanksto the variety of scenery, wildlife and activities toenjoy. Namibia is one of the least expensiveAfrican countries to visit and trips can be tailoredto suit all budgets. See pages 10-25.South AfricaSouth Africa is well-suited to first-time visitors toAfrica, as well as families. The majority of visitorscombine Cape Town with time in the WineRegions, Garden Route and Kruger National Park.We have an extensive South Africa programme,covered in a separate brochure. For a copyplease call our South Africa specialists on01993 838 550. See pages 26-27BotswanaBotswana is often viewed as the ultimate safaridestination. Wildlife here is some of the best onthe continent and camps are small and exclusive.Many camps are set in private reserves and youwill see few other vehicles on game drives.Botswana is famous for its Okavango Delta, abeautiful wetland area with colourful birds as wellas big game. Botswana is one of the mostexpensive countries to visit in high season, but youcertainly get what you pay for. See pages 28-41.ZambiaZambia is one of our favourite countries as theparks are wild and game concentrations good.The camps are small, many with only three orfour rooms, and ingeniously constructed. It is thebest place in Africa for walking safaris and nightdrives are rewarding for leopard sightings. It willnot suit nervous travellers but is ideal for thoselooking for a wild safari. Zambia combines wellwith Lake Malawi, providing a safari and ‘beach’option. See pages 42-55.MalawiMalawi is a small country dominated by theglittering Lake Malawi, which can either beenjoyed as a ‘beach’ add-on to Zambia or as adestination in its own right. Visitors are normallydriven around the country exploring the lakeand Liwonde National Park and perhaps enjoyinghiking in the mountains in Southern Malawi.See pages 56-61.MozambiqueMozambique has an idyllic coastline. There aretwo archipelagos, Bazaruto in the south andQuirimba in the north, both of which have a smallnumber of boutique hotels. These can be addedon to safaris in Namibia, Botswana and Zambiaor used for a beach only stay. The two nationalparks of Niassa and Gorongosa would not besuited to people wanting to tick off big game butare ideal for experienced safari hands looking fora wilderness experience. See pages 62-71.TanzaniaTanzania has some of Africa’s most famous parkssuch as the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.It also has lesser-known reserves including theSelous and Ruaha which offer equally good gameviewing. Due to its terrific wildlife densities andIndian Ocean islands such as Zanzibar and Mafiait makes an ideal safari and beach combination.We prefer to stay away from the busier areasand make use of quieter parks and islands.See pages 72-91.Ring tailed lemur, Madagascar

KenyaPeople often imagine minibuses and busy beacheswhen they think of Kenya. This is true in theeastern Mara and Mombasa, but outside thesespots, the country offers large wilderness areas.The western side of the Mara is much quieterwith excellent game densities and is ideal forfirst-time visitors to Africa. In the north of thecountry you can walk with Samburu tribesmenon the Laikipia Plateau. Time on safari is easilycombined with the Kenyan coast or the islandof Zanzibar. See pages 92-105.Uganda & RwandaUganda and Rwanda are famous for theirmountain gorillas which you can track in theVirunga Mountains. Both countries are relativelysmall and a week in Rwanda and ten days inUganda is normally sufficient to see the highlights.See pages 106-111.MadagascarMadagascar is unique and offers an experiencethat is quite unlike other African countries. Themain attraction is the lemurs which are viewedon foot. Walking in Madagascar’s virgin rainforest,you see chameleons, frogs and all sorts of weirdand wonderful insects, and the forest is easilycombined with the beach. Hotels are not veryluxurious on Madagascar so it will not suiteveryone, but for those who love an adventure,we cannot recommend it highly enough.See pages 112-127.SeychellesThe Seychelles are well-known as an idyllic setof islands and their picture-perfect beaches withwhite sand and palm trees do not disappoint.You can tailor an island-hopping holiday orvisit as an add-on to a safari. There are a rangeof properties from simple guesthouses toluxury hotels so trips can be tailored to suitmost budgets. See pages 128-137.Sossusvlei at sunriseMauritiusMauritius is a large island ringed by sandy beaches.There are a number of hotels and guest houseson the island and it can be hard to know whichto choose. We have selected a few properties onquiet stretches of beach as well as some in themountains to create an original itinerary. Whilstservice levels are high, prices are competitive andoffer value for money. Mauritius is easy tocombine with a safari in either Southern orEastern Africa. See pages 138-142.01993 838 500 ● Introduction 5

WildlifeThe focus of most trips to Africa is the wildlife. Whilst game is found across thecontinent, there are some specific areas that are particularly good for certain species.We have included a rough guide here to get you started on where to find some of Africa’sbigger game. Do call our specialists who can advise you in much greater depth.Red lechwe, Okavango DeltaTree climbing lion in UgandaKlipspringer, NamibiaLionLion are usually not hard to find on any safari asthey tend to enjoy lying around for large parts ofthe day. Of particular note are Kenya’s MasaiMara, where the stars of the Big Cat Diary seriescan be seen, and Botswana’s Duba Plains whereyou can watch lion stalking buffalo on an almostdaily basis. We also always find the Ruaha inTanzania rewarding for large prides.LeopardThe best place for leopard is Zambia. Night driveshave been operating in both the South Luangwaand Lower Zambezi National Parks for manyyears and the guides know a number of leopardsand the places they tend to frequent. Other goodareas for leopard include Tanzania’s Selous GameReserve and the Masai Mara in Kenya.CheetahWith open plains and an arid environment,Namibia holds 40% of Africa’s cheetahpopulation. They can be found in Etosha, or fora close-up experience you can visit the AfricatFoundation based in Namibia’s NorthernHighlands. Tanzania’s Serengeti Game Reserve isalso well suited to cheetah.ElephantElephant can be found in large numbers in mostof the reserves we feature. Of special interest arethe desert-adapted elephant which roam freely inNamibia’s Damaraland region – seeing themagainst a backdrop of dunes and gravel plains isspectacular. Chobe in Botswana is known for itshuge population and hundreds come to theChobe River to drink. Finally, the NgorongoroCrater in Tanzania has some large bulls withimpressive tusks.BuffaloBuffalo are at their most spectacular in large herdsand Katavi National Park in Western Tanzaniaand Duba Plains in Botswana have probably thebiggest concentrations. From June to October,Katavi’s herds number around 3,000, making foran impressive sight of snorting, dust and flutteringoxpeckers. Duba Plains has a herd of around1,000, hounded every day by lions, giving rise tospectacular photographic opportunities.RhinoBoth black and white rhino have been heavilypoached in Africa, but thanks to increasedprotection many are thriving. Black rhino canbe found roaming freely in northwest Namibiaand guests can track them on foot with SaveThe Rhino trackers. Namibia’s Etosha NationalPark also has good numbers of both black andwhite rhino.Mountain gorillaMountain gorillas are found in the VirungaMountains which straddle Rwanda and Uganda.On the Rwandan side the mountains areprotected by the Volcanoes National Park and onthe Ugandan side by the Mgahinga National Park.We feel that gorilla tracking is best from theRwandan side as there are a greater number ofgorilla groups and walks are shorter.6Mountain gorilla

Young elephantChimpanzeeChimpanzees can be found in the MahaleMountains in Western Tanzania and KibaleForest in Uganda. In both places they aretracked on foot.LemursLemurs are endemic to Madagascar and onceyou are in the country’s national parks, they arenot hard to find. There are a number of bothdiurnal and nocturnal species which can be seenon day and night walks. Lemurs can often beobserved from close quarters as they arenaturally curious animals.WhalesHumpback whales can be seen migrating upAfrica’s east coast from June to early September.They are particularly easily seen on boat tripsfrom Ile Ste Marie in Madagascar and theQuirimba Archipelago in Mozambique.MongooseResponsible travelWe’re passionate about travel but alsodeeply aware of the responsibility we haveto the people and places we visit. We believethat a visit from an Audley traveller shouldhave a positive impact on the destinationand, wherever possible, bring real benefits.We always endeavour to use locally ownedhotels, work with local guides and operators,and promote community and wildlife projects.Our Traveller’s Code offers tips and adviceyou can use to ensure your trip does notthreaten the sustainability of the places youvisit. We carbon offset all our staff flights andyou can choose to do the same, please speakto your specialist about this or follow the linkon our website www.audleytravel.com/offset.Our commitment to responsible travel hasbeen audited by AITO (Association ofIndependent Tour Operators) and we haveSpotted hyenabeen awarded five stars, the maximumachievable. We also support a variety ofsocial and environmental charities andprojects around the world. Our Africa safariteam has funded a water pump for AitongVillage in Kenya, supports a tree-plantingproject in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley andsponsors two elephants in the DaphneSheldrick Elephant Orphanage. In additionto this we funded the building of a bio-gasuntil, which turns manure into cooking fuelfor a village on the outskirts of the MasaiMara, eliminating the need for villagers toventure into the bush to collect firewood,where predators are present, and alsohelping to prevent deforestation. Shouldyou wish to visit one of these projectsduring your trip, please speak to one ofour Africa specialists.Cheetah in Botswana01993 838 500 ● Wildlife 7

Choosing a SafariA special family meal at Kapani LodgeThe majority of visitors to Africa will want to experience a typical wildlife safari onwhich you enjoy seeing lots of big game as well as Africa’s smaller mammals and birds.Game viewing can be enjoyed from open vehicles, in boats, canoes, on foot or even from hotair balloons. Exploring the bush in a variety of ways allows you to focus on different elements– walking safaris are good for examining tracks and listening to bird calls; game drives forapproaching elephant, lion and buffalo from close quarters; and boats are best for hippo,crocodile and waterbirds. Whatever your interest, be it a particular animal or bird or a wayof exploring, we can suggest the right parks and activities. As well as typical wildlife safaris,here is a flavour of some of the more specialist safaris we can arrange.The Luangwa House, ZambiaLearning about meerkats in BotswanaSafari & beach combinationsCombining a safari with some relaxation on thebeach is very popular. This could not be easier inAfrica, as many game reserves are just a shortflight from the coast. Tanzania’s Selous GameReserve is a short light aircraft flight fromZanzibar, making it possible to enjoy a morninggame drive followed by lunch on the island. Kenyahas an idyllic coastline just a few hours’ journeyfrom the Mara, or if you want to go further afieldit is easy to combine Kenya with the Seychelles.In Southern Africa, Zambia’s South Luangwa Parkis a morning’s journey from Lake Malawi so thismakes an ideal combination. Namibia andBotswana combine well with Mauritius andMozambique, however due to flight times a nighten route in Johannesburg is required. Finally, manyof Madagascar’s reserves stretch right down tothe beach, so it is possible to enjoy a hike in theforest followed by a swim in the sea. It doesn’tget much better than kicking off your hikingboots on the sand and running into the IndianOcean to cool off.Family safarisIf you think your children would like to learn totrack game, pick mangos from a wild mango treeor bake crocodile cakes in the kitchen with afriendly chef, then a family safari might be just theanswer. In recent years many camps have builtspecial family tents and houses in order toaccommodate every member of the familycomfortably. Activities can be enjoyed in privatevehicles, or parents and children can head off inseparate directions under the watchful eyes ofprofessional guides. Dining can be early or late,together or apart, in the house or on a sandbankin the middle of the river. There are swimmingpools to enjoy, wildlife certificates to be achievedand relaxation for parents. Speak to our Africaspecialists who have visited all the family housesand can discuss the options with you.HoneymoonsAfrica has a number of fabulous places to exploreon honeymoon. You can sleep out under theAfrican night sky on a star-bed in NorthernKenya, enjoy a bush-breakfast on a sandbank inthe heart of the Okavango Delta or simplysnooze on the deep-cushioned sofas of yourprivate villa in Mozambique. Our countryspecialists have travelled all over Africa to findthe best places for a honeymoon and will giveyou lots of ideas and suggestions. We offer aspecialised service for those who would like tohave their honeymoon as a wedding list, andwedding guests can contribute via our websiteor by telephone.8Snorkelling at Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

Walking in the South Luangwa National ParkWalking safarisA wonderful way to explore Africa’s wildlife is onfoot. Walking safaris can vary from gentle morningrambles to two or three day hikes. They werepioneered in Zambia in the 1960s and this is stillone of the best countries for walking. Smallgroups are escorted by guides and scouts andexplore areas with no roads. On a typicalmorning walk you might track elephant, listen tobirds, or have a picnic above a lagoon full ofhippo. Madagascar is another excellent place forkeen walkers as all of the activities are done onfoot here. Walks explore virgin rainforest, alivewith lemurs, chameleons, frogs and geckos.Finally, for walks in dramatic desert scenery,Namibia is the place to go. You can climb sanddunes at Sossusvlei, scramble up rocky hillsides inthe Naukluft Mountains and track black rhinoacross desert plains in Damaraland.Photographing elephant in the Luangwa ValleyLovebirdPhotographic safarisWith its dramatic landscapes, exciting wildlifeand beautiful sunrises and sunsets, Africa is aphotographer’s dream. Whilst the wholecontinent offers superb opportunities, Zambia isone of the best places for the keen photographer.In the South Luangwa there are several campsthat have specialist guides and hides above busywaterholes. There are also a number of guidedphotographic safaris each year, lead byprofessional photographers.BirdwatchingThere are thousands of bird species in Africa ofevery shape and size, from secretary birds tohammerkops and saddle billed storks to pygmykingfishers. In Southern Africa, keen ornithologistswill enjoy the Green Season (November toMarch) when birds are in bright breeding plumageand courtship displays are common. Also worthyof note is June in Zambia’s South Luangwa whenlarge parties of spoonbills, yellow-billed storks,saddle billed storks and fish eagles gather into‘fishing parties’ to scoop fish out of drying lagoons.October sees the arrival of beautiful carminebee-eaters which nest in Botswana’s Kwando andZambia’s Luangwa riverbanks. East Africa is no lessspectacular with the Selous river and lake systemhome to a myriad of brightly coloured waterbirdsall year round. Of particular note is Lake Nakuruin Kenya which is home to more than a millionflamingos at certain times of year. Finally, in thesoutheast trade wind (May to October) around800,000 pairs of sooty terns arrive to nest onBird Island in the Seychelles. This is just afraction of what Africa has to offer the keenornithologist – please speak to our specialistsfor further details of specialist birding safaris.Yellow-billed stork fishing01993 838 500 ● Safaris 9