Current News

As African safari specialists, we get lots of interesting stories from all over Africa every day. We also have our own thoughts on different issues related to safari holidays. We'll update this news page regularly with the latest offerings from Africa, Hampshire and Scotland.

Join a culinary tour of South Africa with San Diego celebrity chef “Sam the Cooking Guy”

Combining food, wine and wildlife in a completely unique way, charismatic San Diego celebrity chef Sam and his wife Kelly are hosting a South African culinary adventure in October 2013.

Quiddity Fine Art – “Travels Through Africa and Asia” an exhibition of paintings, sculpture and furniture

Come and see us at Quiddity Fine Art’s preview evening of their new exhibition “Travels Through Africa and Asia”, on Wednesday 6^th March between 6.30pm – 9.30pm.

Safari in the City Invitation

Aardvark Safaris have hit London, and invite you and your friends to join us for a Sundowner party at LINLEY in association with Swarovski, The Safari Store and Annabel Pope.

Join Aardvark Safaris' Charlie Swanson on a South African riding safari

If you've always wanted to go on a riding safari but worried about travelling to Africa on your own, this is the perfect ride for you.

Africa - the BBC's new TV series

Starting on Wednesday, 2nd January is the BBC's new six part TV series. David Attenborough takes us on a fascinating adventure through the vast and diverse African continent as it has never been seen before.

Join a Kilimanjaro climb hosted by one of Aardvark's travel experts

Your chance to join Jo Gordon, head of Aardvark Safaris’ London office, on a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro at the end of January 2013.

African Skies: A flying safari from Cairo to Cape Town

A unique opportunity to join a private flying safari down the length of the great African continent from Cairo to Cape Town.

Point Two/Ride Kenya Winner Announced

And the winner is......

Wanting to stay cool at night....

Then perhaps try an Asian technique of keeping cool by using your trunk....

A cheeky poolside visitor

Guests at Tau Camp in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve are lucky enough to see a cheeky afternoon visitor.

Ever heard of a dugong, or know where you’d find one?

Find out more about this endangered marine mammal...

South Luangwa Carmines

It is that time of year again...when the stunning Carmine Bee-eaters head for Zambia's South Luangwa National Park.

Sarara - a happy ending

Piers and Hilary sent us a great story about an elephant who'd fallen in a well - with a happy ending.

Selinda Spillway - Botswana

Find out more about canoeing on Botswana's Selinda Spillway..

Tujatane School, Tongabezi, Zambia

Many camps support their local communities by starting or supporting the local school, but it’s not enough to build the classrooms, you need teachers too. Find out more about the school Tongabezi sponsors.

Aardvark spotted...

Do you know what an aardvark actually looks like? Check out this night vision photo.

Baby Elephant Born

A new arrival at Little Governor's Camp, Masai Mara, Kenya.

Daytime Bushbabies, South Africa

Daytime bushbabies caught on camera...

Incredible game sightings at Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris

Charlie Swanson reports on some of the amazing widlife he saw from horse back on his recent visit.

Bird Book on iphone

You can now download a bird guide onto your iphone.

Wet Namibia

See the photos of the recent rain in Namibia...

Gorilla Census - numbers on the up

Read about the results of the recent gorilla census...

Kenneth Kaunda & the carbon offset tree project at Yosefe School, Zambia

Read about Kenneth Kaunda's recent visit to the South Luangwa...

Rhino Relocation in Namibia

Read about Namibia's recent successful rhino relocations...

Francis' close encouter with elephants in Zimbabwe

Francis Naumann gets up close and personal with elephants in Zimbabwe's Mana Pools on his recent educational visit.

Andrew Rogers' art at Camp ya Kanzi, Kenya

Artist Andrew Rogers, who uses the planet to create his art, contacted Campi ya Kanzi in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills, to find the right place and people to work with in Africa. See his images...

Breaching whales at Hermanus, South Africa

Some fast facts on the Southern Right whales...

Rocktail Bay Diving

Rocktail Bay has some incredible Indian Ocean diving in the marine park just offshore. Although visibility in August can be poor the plankton in the water attracts the filter feeders.

Gorilla in the gift shop

A gorilla from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park decided to have a look round the gift shop at Gorilla Forest Camp in Uganda.

Porcupine and Leopards

Porcupine and leopards are rarely photographed individually, let alone together, which is why we're excited to present this set of photographs from South Luangwa National Park.

Microlighting at Tafika

Incredible views and game viewing opportunities from John Coppinger's microlight at Tafika Camp in Zambia's South Luangwa.

Offbeat Riding Safaris

Enjoying the Great Migration on horseback...

Ol Malo Lodge’s charitable trust builds nursery school

Ol Malo Lodge’s charitable trust has built a very special nursery school to educate up to 100 children.

Okonjima Cheetah Release

Updates on the Okonjima cheetah release programme.

Enterprising Tailor in Malawi

Enterprising tailor turns cushion covers into dresses...

Baby Aardvark at Colchester Zoo

Baby aardvark born at Colchester Zoo in the UK in February this year.

Africa's biggest tuskers

Big tuskers in Kenya...

Olare Orok Wildlife Conservancy

Olare Orok wildlife conservancy is an area of community owned land adjoining the Masai Mara reserve.

Ballooning over Africa

A selection of fantastic hot air ballooning shots taken over Zambia, Namibia, South Africa Tanzania and Kenya.

Incredible sighting in the Okavango Delta

Guests at Footsteps Camp in the Okavango Delta in Botswana witnessed an incredible and startling sighting on their morning game drive, as two lions attacked a hippo at one of the pans.

Tongabezi's new look

A sneak peak at some of Tongabezi's newly refurbished rooms...

New daily flights from the Mara to the Serengeti

New daily flights link the outstanding safari destinations of Kenya and Tanzania.

Listen to your guide

Listen to your guide - The value of listening to your guide, and trusting their experience, came home to riders in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills on a riding safari with Patrick Stanton.

Lake Malawi

Fast facts on Lake Malawi...

Migration Report - The Masai Mara

Monday 26th July

Migration update - wildebeest enter the Masai Mara from the Serengeti.

Uganda Chimps

A baby chimp arrives in the Chambura Gorge in Uganda....

Okavango Horse Safaris

Okavango Horse Safaris in Botswana’s Okavango Delta have resolved the problem restricting many heavier riders on safari...

Tree Guardians rewarded in Zambia

With the school borehole out of action pupils dug to find water in a nearby dry riverbed and brought it back in watering cans to ensure the survival of the seedlings which are part of our offset scheme.

Migration Watch - Mara Plains Camp

Monday 19th July

Richard Pye at Mara Plains Camp sent us a briefing and some great photos last night .

The Whales are back at Pambele

The whales have arrived close to Pambele Lodge as part of their migration along the coast of Mozambique

Rhinos arrive in Zambia

The final five black rhinos in a relocation/restocking program arrived recently in Zambia’s North Luangwa National Park.

Wildebeest migrate into the Mara Reserve

This week it’s our friends at the Kicheche camps in Kenya who have provided us with some super migration photos of the wildebeest moving into the Mara Reserve.

Chipembele Trust welcome back former pupil

The Chipembele Trust is a charity in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley supported in part by Norman Carr Safaris, one of our favourites.

Mnemba Island Photos

We've been sent some super photos from Mnemba Island, off Zanzibar - both above and below the sea.

Cheetah in Namibia

Two male cheetah were released into the Kulala Wilderness Reserve in Namibia on June 27th.

Migration watch - Wildebeest

Migration watch - Rekero Camp in the Masai Mara reports an estimated 2,000 wildebeest crossing the Talek River right in front of the camp.

Zebra Migration in Botswana

The dry and wet seasons are currently crossing over in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans.

Giraffe Manor in Nairobi

Giraffe Manor in Nairobi has a new male giraffe to aid their breeding project.

A Kitchen Nightmare at Rekero Camp

Forget Kitchen Nightmares and Top Chef. Rekero Camp, one of our favorites, had a slightly hair-raising night last week .

Top Guides as voted by Wanderlust Magazine

We’re very excited that guides at two of the camps we recommend have been voted as among the top eight guides in the world.

Impala Escapes

It didn’t look good for this young impala as it was caught by these three cheetah brothers. However the cheetahs didn’t kill it, and it eventually escaped unharmed.

Whale Watching from Cliff Lodge in South Africa

Cliff Lodge on the South African coast, close to the town of Hermanus, reports that the first of the Southern Right Whales have been sighted

Lunchtime wildlife at Sirikoi

Sirikoi recently had eleven different species of mammal at their waterhole at the same time

Rhinos in Tanzania

Five black rhinos arrived in Tanzania this week from South Africa as part of a relocation program

Shoebills in Uganda

Tor has always wanted to see a shoebill and reports here on a sighting in Uganda

A Recommendation For Two Excellent Books On Zimbabwe

I've just finished reading two great books on Zimbabwe - Christina Lamb's book 'House of Stone' and Douglas Roger's book 'The Last Resort'. Both are very readable and recommended..........

Uganda Introduces Two New Gorilla Families for Tracking

Aardvark Safaris is very pleased to hear the news this week that from June 2010 the Uganda Wildlife Authority will introduce two new gorilla families for gorilla tourism in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

A Solitary Wild Dog Forms Unusual Relationships

A wild dog left on her own was not expected to be able to survive without other pack members. However, despite the lack of other dogs, she was not on her own for long.

Pack for purpose - small space, little effort, big impact.

We're often asked by clients if there's anything they can take with them that will be useful to local people in the areas they are visiting. Pack for a purpose is a great new site that's got some excellent ideas.

Londolozi Goes Green With An Electric Game Viewing Vehicle

Based in Londolozi’s private area in Kruger’s Sabi Sands, we think it’s the first of its kind……

What did you do in the holidays?

I’m sure most kids hate this question from their teacher at the start of a new term. However Liam Stanton has more to tell than his friends who’d eaten too much and played on their Wii consoles.

The Pope and The President

Robin Pope has been leading safaris to the remote Liuwa Plain, on Zambia’s border with Angola, since the 1990’s. During his latest visit a VIP called into camp unexpectedly and stopped for a chat.

The Chyulu Hills are Green again

Like much of Kenya, the Chyulu Hills have had good rain over the last two months. Grass is becoming green and thick, wildflowers are sprouting, and wildlife and horses are feeling relieved.

Leopard News from Kicheche Camp

Perhaps the greatest year Kicheche have ever had for leopards. All last year Supuu and her two mixed sex cubs provided stellar sport for all, being seen on about fifty consecutive days. Well those halycon days are over as she has disappeared.

A Walking Wonderland

Walking Wild in Laikipia Masai-land is a walking safari experience through some of Kenya's best wildlife-viewing habitats, and some of the most stunning landscapes in Africa.

Against The Odds

Whether you are a predator or prey it’s probably not ideal to stand out from the crowd. However a lechwe in Botswana is certainly doing that.

How Cute Are These Puppies?

Madikwe National Park in South Africa has always been known as a good place to see wild dogs. One of the two packs local to Jacis Camps currently has six puppies...............

Lettuce In The Desert

The high quality of food produced on safari is often a pleasant surprise to our guests. Many camps also grow fresh produce close to the lodge, a particular challenge when you're in the middle of the desert............

Up Close and Personal with Marine Life at Rocktail Bay

Rocktail Bay Lodge and Rocktail Beach Camp, both on South Africa's rugged and wild KwaZulu Natal coastline enable guests to have some fantastic snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities, as Tor found out during her visit there last September. Turtles, large Potato Bass, Eels, Octupus and Rays were among the names mentioned in her log book after her two dives there.

And More Gorilla News

Humans may be restricted to spending an hour with the gorillas when they go gorilla tracking, but no-one told the gorillas at Bwindi they couldn't spend longer around humans.

Gorilla News from Rwanda

Some rain has come to Rwanda's gorilla tracking park and changed gorilla behaviour. Additionally one of the larger groups, the famous Susa group, appears to have split into two groups with the dominant males avoiding each other.

Colourful furnishings from Likoma Island, Malawi

Aardvark Safaris’ Sponsored Students Gain Silver Guiding Award

In March 2006 I was delighted to attend the ceremony to recognise the first set of guides to graduate from Koiyaki Guide School. Since then Aardvark Safaris’ first sponsored student Mika Kileku has worked at Kicheche Camp in the Masai Mara. His guiding career is going from strength to strength as you can read here.

Sarara – bigger & better

Sarara is a small camp in a very remote area of Northern Kenya. While they are keen not to lose the simplicity which their clients have loved, they are determined to ensure the experience gets better all the time. They recently let us know about some of the improvements to the camp, the wildlife viewing and the protected area……

Lunar Rainbows on the Mighty Zambezi

Most of us smile to see a rainbow produced by light being refracted and reflected through raindrops. At the Victoria Falls it’s also possible to see rainbows produced in the spray from the falls at high water levels – not only during the day, but at night from the light of a full moon

New seven night riding itineraries in the Masai Mara

Offbeat Safaris has put together a selection of seven day rides in the Masai Mara to complement its normal ten day rides in the Masai Mara and Amboseli – perfect for good riders who can only take a week off work.

Black Rhino on the increase in Namibia

Namibia is the last place on earth that the black rhino roams freely outside reserves. However as recently as 1982 its survival as a species was in question with an estimated number of fewer than 50 animals. However a recent census carried out by Namibia’s Save the Rhino Trust has found that numbers have increased strongly over the intervening years and are now probably three times higher than at the organisation’s inception 27 years ago.

Caracal spotted during the day in the Mara

A recent email from Kicheche Camp in the Masai Mara thrilled us as it had a stunning photo of a caracal during the day. Typically nocturnally active this female was seen with her cub.

Namibia's Recent Radical Rains
Author: Victoria Langmead

This year has seen unusually high rainfall in parts of Namibia. Victoria reports on its effects on this desert country and gets some comments from fundi Andre Schoeman.

The Big 5 vs The Little Details
Author: Richard Smith

Although seeing the Big 5 is most people's safari dream, Richard argues that a good safari guide will show you much more than the obvious things.

Scots and Penguins on The Beach
Author: Gale Brown

During our stay at Constantia Uitsig, close to Cape Town, we headed off on an adventure for the day, armed with a fabulous picnic hamper.

Find out where we we went for the day.......

The Boteti River Flows Again
Author: Jo Gordon

The Boteti River in Botswana hadn't flowed for fifteen years making life for local wildlife incredibly harsh. Jo and Francis see it after it begins to flow again and witness the return of greater numbers of animals.

Why go to Meru National Park in Kenya

Alice has been getting some great feedback from clients who visit Meru National Park in Kenya. Here she tells why it's getting such rave reviews.....

Binoculars - What do you need?
Author: Francis Nauman

It's a question we are often asked before people travel and Francis Naumann gives his thoughts here about whether you can share with other travellers or a £3 pair from the garage will do

Reforest Nsefu - 2008 report
Author: Richard Smith

The Reforest Nsefu carbon offsetting scheme, based in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia, which we have promoted to our clients, has planted lots of trees and been promoting three brick stoves. Read about their activities in the 2008 report

We were sent a copy of this new book last week and everyone in the office was impressed, as was my daughter when I took it home for her to see. Here's my thoughts on the book.

Ol Malo eye project update

When Victoria climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a year ago, she raised over £3,300 for the surgical eye camp run by Ol Malo lodge in Kenya.  She received an update email a few weeks ago which in her words ‘makes me go all goosepimply’.

I’ve just dealt with a query regarding the wildebeest migration and whether one camp in the Masai Mara Reserve is likely to be a better place from which to view it.

Having read a couple of negative reports on Tripadvisor, it got me thinking about its user generated content and why there were negative reports when all the feedback I was getting was positive?

Memories of a great safari are important and in many cases people work hard to get photos of the wildlife. A good camera is vital and there’s now a choice for those in the UK who don’t own a digital SLR