I will bet you any amount of money you like that when foraging for truffles in the likes of Piemonte and Perigord, there is no danger of you being stalked by a 550 lb black-maned Kalahari lion. I bet you thought you’d never get that chance, either—how wrong you were! It just so happens that […]
Separating fantastic fact from the equally legendary fiction in the life of Frederick Courteney Selous is no easy task. Getting a full and accurate account of his life may never be possible, but let’s be frank, it doesn’t really matter. When you count the likes of Cecil Rhodes and Teddy Roosevelt among your friends, an […]
Although there are many things that make the internet great, one of its shortcomings is the way safari companies often exercise their right to poetic licence. A small amount of embellishment is fine, outright fabrications are not. To help you see what I am on about, I need to get a little dull for a […]
I’m torn—a big part of my job is to convey to you the amazing places that I go, so that you can go there too, and see just how amazing it was. Sometimes, however, I find a place so special that I’d really rather keep it to myself. So if I tell you about my […]
On a trip to Africa you’re likely going to want a healthy dose of big-ticket wildlife. Stick with me, that’s coming, just not quite yet. The thing about a trip to Kenya is that the experience goes way beyond the safari. As I began to explain a few weeks ago, it’s about exposing yourself to something […]
I’d been in the air for so long that I’d almost forgotten where I was going, and was starting to wonder if I would ever get there. I went to the back of the plane to stretch my legs and looked out through the window when my breath caught in my chest. Stretching away as […]
In my mind, I am Russell Crowe in the movie Gladiator; charging into battle, meting out death and destruction with all manner of things sharp and pointy from the saddle of an expertly ridden horse. Or, I’m Wyatt Earp, dealing justice in the wild west on horseback… in my mind. The reality of me on […]
When an angry silverback gorilla tells you its time to leave—you jolly well listen. From Rwanda’s capital—Kigali—a two and a half hour drive into the mountains brought me to the comfortable Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge and the threshold of Volcanoes National Park. The lodge is not what I was there for, however; the following morning I met Francois—the most […]
On a recent trip I had it all—the best room, the best guide, the best meal, and yet something was missing. What has happened to me? Have I become that complicated? Quite the opposite in fact. If you take an old tree and cut through the rings of time, you will find at its heart the […]
Imagine an all-seeing, all-knowing force, constantly watching over you. It knows what you like, what you don’t like, where you’re from and where you’re going, and precisely where you are at all times. Sounds rather perfect to us. It’s a surprisingly large leap between four and five star service at a luxury hotel. There are […]
It’s a tricky thing, being off the grid. How disconnected can you be, really? I think that’s why I like Africa so much. Most of the countries that you can travel to have modern cell phone networks and broadband internet connectivity, but you can still find places that don’t. There are remote regions all over […]
My experiences in the wilds of Africa have equipped me with a specific set of skills to deal with things like charging elephants and angry lions. These skills tell me when to stand my ground, and when running is the more prudent choice. Having said that, there are certain things I’m just not ready for, […]
I slowly navigate my ATV along a winding path, through coarse salt grass and lonely stands of palm trees. The sun is low in the sky and the desiccated landscape is bathed in that magical golden African light. All of a sudden the path widens and I’m there on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans. […]
If ever you find yourself with a day in Nairobi, don’t panic; the city once referred to as ‘Nairobbery’ is much safer than it used to be. There are actually some cool things to see and do, like visiting the Kazuri Beads factory or taking high tea at Giraffe Manor. You may even have heard […]