WILDEBEESTS MIGRATION IN MASAI MARA

WILDEBEESTS MIGRATION IN MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Revisiting the thirstland with Superb Africa Safaris

Only the Himba, hardy nomads of Kaokoland, and the fleet –footed predators such as the elegant cheetah survive in the lava backed mountains, mighty dunes and ancient pebble plains of southern corner of Africa. Under the searing heat of the sun, the desert of sand and rock does not stir. Waiting like a gecko, motionless. Above, the sky is an eternal blue, sealed by neither horizons nor heavens, and to each turn the arid landscape shows no sign of comfort or hope. 

A few animals, reliant only on scarce and precious water or natures own resourceful confidence; make a home of the desert. The beauty they share is a harsh, severe beauty, a beauty sculpted form light and space and austerity. Their home is a barren wilderness, a land burnt brown by the sun, a land, they say, God made in anger.

                                                            

The dry thirst land that stretches inland from Namibia’s Atlantic shore is a vast, harsh desert that was formed 80 millions years ago. In some areas the sweeping winds have sculpted classic dunes and furrowed fields of red sand; in others the land seems to be  huge and inhospitable, a place where you would not expect to see any  form of life. Nature, however, is enormously resourceful.

In Damaraland, an arid region adjoining the bleak and hostile, skeleton Coast, a number of animals which are commonly associated with the green African bush  have, in one way or another, adapted to life in the harsh ochre sands. These include elephant, rhinoceros, bottom, and giraffe, left, the remnant populations of herds which have been forced into the desert by diminishing habitats and the constant threat of poachers.

For an animal which so revels in water, the desert is hardly an easy place for an elephant, drinking, to exist. Elephant are members of the Proboscides order, those animals with long, flexible, prehensile trunks, which elephants use to suck up water to squirt into their mouths, or to spray over their bodies to cool down.

 The arid region of the southwest has many ironies. As the fog rolls in from the cold South Atlantic Ocean each night into the dips and hollows of the dunes, the parched Namib becomes the world’s most famous humid desert. When the summer rains come, long sand rivers and bone dry canyons transform into raging torrents for a few blessed hours each year. Meanwhile, in the North, the natural springs surround Africa’s largest, driest and saltiest pan, the Etosha.

The springs and woodland scrub of the pan attract thousands of animals. Different animals all have different drinking times in Etosha. Kudu and Eland like a pint or two in the morning, zebra are normally lunchtime imbibers, elephant prefer late afternoon, while giraffe will grace any gathering. Lion drink at night and hyena in small hours after midnight.

Tall, severe – looking secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) take their name form the spring quills they have as head and tail feathers. They feed mainly on insects, but will also eat small mammals, snakes and other reptiles. These they lance with their bill, and then stamp on to soften up before swallowing whole.       

Accommodation in Damaraland>>>

Accommodation in Etosha Pan>>>

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Listen to the voice of Africa with Superb Africa Safaris part 02

The civilians of Egypt, Kush, Nubia and Axum in North Africa, great Zimbabwe in the south, and the great medieval gold-and bronze smelting cultures of Songhay, old Ghana, Ife, and Benin in West Africa, were all indigenous, but there have been many non African influences down the centuries. The Phoenicians created Carthage (modern Tunis) while Ancient Rome destroyed the power of Egypt, turning North Africa into the grain basket of the empire. In the process they also devastated North Africa’s game in their passion for gory gladiatorial contests between man and animals imported from Africa.

 In the creation of cultures and kingdoms, both Christianity and Islam have been powerful influences in Africa. Soon after the death of the Prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam AD 632, Arab followers of the new religion conquered first Egypt then, within 80 years, much of North Africa and substantial enclaves along the East African coast. Meanwhile the Trans Saharan gold traders on their romantic caravans introduced Islam to the great Africa kingdom of the Sahel.

There are many similarities between medieval Europe and Africa. Around the time William the conqueror invaded England, the king of the Wolof of Senegal had an army of 10,000 horsemen; In Southern Uganda subjects dared not look into the eyes of their Kingsland, in the south, rich cattlemen at Great Zimbabwe were building the magnificent stone structures that were to become the focal point of a city of 40,000 people. By 1450, however, a new wave of invaders, the Portuguese were sailing down the coast of Africa intent on capturing the fabulous spice trade of the East. They were followed by the Dutch 200 years later, then the English and, in the last century, the Germans, Belgians, French and Italians.

For Africa keeping these horse riding, musket-firing Europeans at bay was a tough task and one after the other African nations collapsed under the onslaught. A total of ten million Africans were transported out of Africa by the slave trade, along with the treasures of the Pharaohs, gold, diamonds, ivory, and every manner of living creature.

 “Listen to the song of Africa”, as a Senegalese poet Leopold Sedar Senghor begs us, “Listen to the beating of the dark pulse of Africa in the midst of lost villages”.

Listen to the song of Africa with Superb Africa Safaris, Part 01

Two million years ago, Africa was the cradle of man. Our ancestors emerged from the great forests of central Africa ad stood on the open, sun shot plains of East Africa for the first time. There were angry volcanoes flanking the Great Rift Valley, elephant larger than they had ever seen, buffalo, lion, hornbill birds and silver lakes of pink flamingos.
 

 The first true Africans were the nomadic Stone Age hunter gatherers who lived in many different parts of Africa thousands of years ago. Not only were they the first Africans, they were also Africa’s first conservationists. Cathedrals of Stone Age art dating back thousands of years ago have bee discovered in the great mountain ranges of the central Sahara, the Brandberg of Namibia and in thousands of aloe-strewn and boulder-tumbled overhangs throughout Zimbabwe. All reflect a symbiotic relationship between man and nature, between man and the array of animals that existed alongside him. Thousands of years ago in the areas of the Sahara that are now desert there were golden grasslands, with giraffe and oryx, leopard and elephant, and rivers of hippo and crocodile.

Today the same plains are bleak and sun ravaged, where only a mystic journey to meditate or a lone Tuareg trader would pause with his caravan. The bleak Tassili hills of the central Sahara, wind and sun blasted folds of rock, searing hot by day and bitterly cold at night, contain more than 4 000 paintings and engravings. In caves and overhangs the arts show us that the Sahara 6000 years ago was literally a land of milk, flowing rivers, pastures and honey. Combined with archaeological finds, we know that there were settled communities here earlier than elsewhere else along the Nile which made pots for cooking and carrying water, and also fished with harpoons in the many rivers in the place called Tassili-n-Ajjer, which means “plateau of rivers.”

At the end of the continent, right across southern Africa, there are rock paintings similar, and engravings of equal beauty, to those in the Tassili of the Sahara. They reflect the all embracing spirituality of the San, or Bushmen as they are known, and the deep importance to them physically, symbolically and mystically of the animals of the wild.

All Africans have a tradition in their folk memory of having arrived from somewhere else. Starting three thousand years ago there was a slow but steady movement of people, farmers and craftsmen skilled in iron, away from the West African rainforests of eastern Nigeria and Cameroon. There were two streams: one went east, reaching East Africa by AD 100 and South Africa 200 years later; the other headed south via Zambia and Angola. These migrations were not exodus with massed columns of people on the move, but rather a long process that took about 1 500 years and, by 1800, when Europeans began exploring began exploring the interior of what to them had always been the dark and unknown continent, they found settled communities everywhere they went. Even then, Africa had a population of around 100 million people.

“Morning has risen, Asobe God, take away from us every pain…..”

                                                Prayer of the Mbuti (pygmy) people of Zaire.

Top Namibia Destinations with Superb Africa Safaris

Namibia is in Southern Africa, bordering South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia and the Atlantic Ocean. Formerly a colony of Germany, Namibia was administered by South Africa under a League of Nations mandate after WWI, and annexed as a province of South Africa after WWII.

The Skeleton Coast:

Once upon a time the entire coastline of Namibia was called The Skeleton Coast. Today, the moniker mostly refers to the Skeleton National Park, which stretches the northern one-third of Namibia’s shore. The landscape in the park ranges from wind swept dunes to rugged canyons with walls of richly colored volcanic rock and extensive mountain ranges.

The park’s ominous name is well earned given the scores of shipwrecks littering the beaches – the work of the Benguela Current, dense fog and rough surf. Bleached whale and seal bones also are visible back from days when the whaling industry was still active. But despite its appearance, the Skeleton National Park houses a great variety of species with its borders – big cats, desert-adapted elephant, black rhino and many more.

Etosha National Park:

Namibia's best-known tourist attraction, and one of the most  interesting game reserves in the world because

of its unusual terrain, Etosha is a combination of dried lake (salt pan) in the north and grasslands, dens brush  
and open plains in the south. Etosha National Park is one of the largest and most impressive game reserves in 

the whole of Africa. The Ovambo name Etosha, means “place of dry water” - and the reserve was named 

this because of the vast, shallow salt pan which shimmers a silvery bright-white, from salt across its entire 

surface.

Almost all African animal species are represented in the nature reserve. Well maintained gravel roads lead to 

watering holes, where game viewing is best. The water-holes, scattered throughout this area, are the basis of 

life for countless wild animals. There is an estimated number of 300 lions in the park, 300 rhinos, 2000 

giraffes and 1500 elephants.

Accommodation in Etosha Pan >>>

Damaraland & Kaokoveld:

Damaraland and Kaokoveld demand a certain level of respect. Beautiful, but arid and unforgiving, attractions near this area have names like Burnt Mountain, the Petrified Forest, the Skeleton Coast – all aptly named and an indication of the drama found here. Occupying a huge, harsh stretch of landscape to the northwest of the country, even the people and wildlife have adapted accordingly.

The Himba, a tall, slender and statuesque people, rub their bodies with red ochre and fat to protect their skins against the climate. Desert adapted elephants have special behavioral characteristics, large annual and seasonal ranges and a social structure and daily activities to cope with the environment.

Thankfully for visitors, there are many great desert accommodation options, which means you don't have to rough it in Damaraland and Kaokoveld in the slightest. 

Accommodation in Damaraland >>>

Swakopmund:

Swakopmund is Namibia’s playground, a holiday destination for tourists and locals alike looking to escape the heat of the interior and to have a little adventure. 

The city itself resembles a small German town and manages to create a feeling of timelessness with its palm-lined streets, seaside promenades, restaurants, cafes, art galleries and museums. And while there’s plenty to do within city limits, the real action happens in the desert surrounding Swakopmund. Quad-biking, sand-boarding, sand-skiing, parasailing and dozens of other guided adrenaline inducing activities are available by reservation from many of the adventure companies operating in the area.

Walvis Bay:

At Walvis Bay, visitors can join a dolphin cruise or explore the lagoon on a kayak tour.
Even with all this excitement Swakopmund serves as a good break during a busy vacation. Relax and have fun in a place well suited for both.

Windhoek:

Windhoek is a bustling, cosmopolitan city with good hotels, sophisticated shops and convivial bistros. Stately buildings range from the home of Namibia's parliament, to the newly founded Hero's Acre. Day tours can be undertaken into Katutura, several museums in Windhoek, the National Library, National Archives, National Art Gallery and the National Botanical Gardens.

Accommodation in Windhoek

Fish River Canyon:

The incorporation of the Ai-Ais Hot springs Resort, Fishriver Canyon and Huns Mountains in 1989, into one conservation area of 346 117 ha, led to the establishment of the Fishriver Canyon Park.

The main attraction is its isolated and otherworldly landscape and wealth of interesting xerophytes plants such as the "halfmens" or elephant's trunk. Eroded over many millennia, the Fishriver Canyon is the second largest natural gorge in Africa. Set in a harsh, stony plain, with drought-resistant succulents such as the quiver tree, this spectacular natural phenomenon with its full length being 160km - 27km wide and a depth of 550m.

The 90km Fish river Canyon hiking trail is regarded as one of the major challenges of Southern Africa and takes about 4-5 days to complete. Accommodation is available at Ai-Ais Hot Spring Resort and at Hobas campsite.

Kalahari:

The world’s largest continuous stretch of sand, the Kalahari Desert isn’t technically desert at all. Thanks to a modest measure of rainfall the landscape is well vegetated with a variety of trees, shrubs, camelthorn, red ebony and other acacias. In springtime the plains are covered in blankets of flowers and grass while the summer rains bring a fair share of greenery.

This physical beauty only enhances the real, true allure of the Kalahari – the liberating silence and solitude found in so much open space. Visitors describe their visit as an almost spiritual experience and emotionally enriching.
And of course, no visit here is complete without meeting the proud San Bushmen. Tour operators will respectfully make such introductions with the tribe where you can learn about their traditions, origins and knowledge of living in the bushveld. In some cases you can still listen to their unique use of ‘click’ language, a wonderful experience in itself. 

Caprivi:

Caprivi is a narrow strip of land in the far northeast of Namibia. About 400 km long, it protrudes from the rest of the country like a finger, owns a very unique history and shares borders with 4 other countries – Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is the wettest region of Namibia by a great margin and consists mostly of extensive wetlands, floodplains, woodlands and rivers, like the Okavango and Zambezi. This habitat sustains a large variety of animal and bird species. Spectacular herds of elephant, buffalo, red lechwe and reedbuck are among the highlights of any game viewing experience. But be careful, the waters are also home to five-meter long crocodiles and families of hippopotamus, which venture onto the floodplains at night to feed.

Other attractions include Popa Falls, which are more rapids than waterfall, but nonetheless impressive as they rage through a four-meter high rocky riverbed intrusion amongst beautiful scenery. 

For more information regarding Namibia, click here >>> 

Visit our website on www.superbafricasafaris.com 

Lake Nakuru revisited by Superb Africa Safaris

VISITING LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town, was established in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity. Now it has been extended to include a large part of the savannahs. Currently, the fenced Lake Nakuru National Park covers around 90 square miles. It has unusual but beautiful vegetation. The forest vegetation is covered with Euphorbia, tall cactus like trees and acacia woodland. The forest region is a host to over 400 migratory bird species from around the world.

The park's lake is internationally known for its Lesser and Greater Flamingos. Ornithologists often describe Lake Nakuru as "the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world".

The Black rhinos have been slowly multiplying over the years, and are well protected.

 Lake Nakuru National Park also boasts an increase in White rhinos. There are plenty of waterbucks, impalas, dik-diks, grants gazelles, lions and leopards. In 1977, the Rothschild giraffe was introduced to the Park. The park also has large sized python snakes that inhabit the dense woodlands, and can often be seen crossing the roads or dangling from trees.

Distance from Nairobi: 156 km Northwest of Nairobi on the main A104 Road. The main gate is 4km from Nakuru Town Centre.  

Size: 188 KM2

Major attractions:

An orthologist’s paradise with 450 species of birds including flamingoes

Kenya’s first rhino sanctuary

   

Makalia waterfall

Viewpoints: Lion hill, baboon cliffs and Out of Africa

Hills: Enasoit , Lion hill, Honeymoon e.t.c.

What to do:

Game viewing

Bird watching

Camping

Where to stay:

Inside the park:

• Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
• Lake Nakuru Lodge
• Naishi House – KWS self catering accommodation
• Campsites situated in the park

Outside the park:

• Flamingo Hill Tented Camp
• Mbweha Camp 

To book accommodation in Lake Nakuru, contact us

For other safari packages in Kenya, contact us

To book any other lodge or hotel in Kenya, contact us

Visit us on www.superbafricasafaris.com