African Encounters - Safaris Beyond Your Expectations

02/09/2026

Huge congratulations to my friends at Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps. Porini Mara Camp has just been named Kenya's Leading Tented Safari Camp 2026 at the World Travel Awards, for the third time! Another well-deserved win. 🦁

Porini Mara in Ol Kinyei Conservancy has been a firm favourite of mine and my guests for many years, and it's easy to see why. Drinks round the campfire before dinner, a lion roaring somewhere out in the dark, then a delicious meal to follow. Later, tucked up in your cosy bed, Simon the resident hippo grunts you goodnight from the river behind camp.

Porini guests get exclusive access to Ol Kinyei Conservancy, which is home to the highest density of lions anywhere in the Mara ecosystem. That's real proof of what long-term habitat protection can achieve. Leopards and cheetahs have found their own peaceful haven here too, away from the busy Maasai Mara Reserve, and have established their own territories in Ol Kinyei. Sitting with these big cats, no other vehicles in sight, is the kind of moment that stays with you forever.

18/08/2026

A sad day with the news that Baraka, the blind black rhino who was an amazing ambassador for Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, died on Sunday. Many of my guests will remember feeding him, giving him a scratch behind the ear, and touching his impressive horn.

14/08/2026

There's a funny thing I often see happen when people plan a safari. They start adding.

Another country. Another park. Another lodge. Before long, the itinerary's full, and so are the travel days. Packing up, checking out, flying somewhere new, unpacking again, getting your bearings, then doing it all over again a day or two later.

But here's my top tip. Sometimes the best thing you can add to a safari is another night.

It's why I build my itineraries around three nights in each camp. Long enough to know your camp staff by name. Long enough to go back to the spot where you saw something interesting the day before. Long enough for an afternoon with no plans at all. Sometimes incredible wildlife encounters happen right in camp!

You're not seeing less. You're giving yourself the chance to notice more.

That's the luxury of less. 🌿

14/08/2026

Elephants are masters of disguise. Even after all these years of travel to Africa, it never ceases to amaze me how six tonnes of elephant can just blend into the bush. 🐘

You're out on a game drive, scanning the treeline, and then an ear or the curve of a tusk gives it away, and suddenly there's an elephant standing right there, quietly watching you back.

I love these moments. Have you had an encounter like this on safari?

📍 Botswana

11/08/2026

Giraffes sleep less than 30 minutes a day, and rarely more than five minutes at a stretch. 🦒🦒🦒

Most of it happens standing up, in a kind of half-sleep. Eyes half open, ears still twitching at every sound. Every now and then they'll lower themselves to the ground (it's a whole process getting down there), legs tucked underneath, head resting back on the rump.

Out on the plains, staying half-alert isn't a bad habit; it's what keeps them alive. Getting up from the ground isn't a quick process for a giraffe!

I took these photos in Ol Kinyei Conservancy, part of the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem. There's a natural salt lick nearby that attracts wildlife, so it's a spot where we often find giraffes, zebras and antelopes gathered together.

05/08/2026

Zambia - if it's not on your bucket list, here's why it should be!

Today's report from my partners on the ground:
Leopards, as always, have been stealing the show at Musekese (and our Lower Zambezi camps), while lions have been plentiful on the Busanga Plains 🦁🐆🐘🦛🦒🐾🐾

Who knows what these pods are that this cute cub has discovered?

31/07/2026

There's nothing quite like a bush picnic in Africa. 🌍 Some of my best memories have come from good food and a cold b**r out in the middle of nowhere, with a group of people who were strangers just days before and feel like old friends by the time we pack up the chairs. 🥂

That's the magic of a small group safari, Africa does most of the work bringing people together.

26/07/2026

Some of your favourite safari memories may be around the campfire at night. You sit down with a delicious drink, cozy up to the warmth, and share your day's memories. And you dream about doing it all again!

This is one of my favourites: a dry riverbed in Ruaha, southern Tanzania, with lanterns tucked into holes in the riverbank, and a canopy of stars above. ❤

26/07/2026

African Wild Dogs are an endangered species, and we can't afford to lose any pups at this vulnerable stage in their development. Please respect them, and DO NOT encourage your guide or group to seek out dens.

🚫 BAN ON NO TAN? THERE SHOULD BE NO DEBATE.

ACTIVE AFRICAN WILD DOG DENS MUST BE OFF-LIMITS TO TOURISM.

It is denning season, and KAWDCP is absolutely horrified by the number of videos, photographs and posts currently being shared on social media showing very young, den-dependent African Wild Dog puppies.

Let us be absolutely clear: deliberately approaching, repeatedly visiting or crowding an active den to entertain guests or capture content is extremely irresponsible.

That applies to tourism operators, guides, photographers, filmmakers and tourists alike.

An African Wild Dog den is not a tourist attraction. It is a nursery and a refuge during the most vulnerable stage of these puppies’ lives. For approximately 10–12 weeks, the pack’s movements are restricted while the adults hunt, guard, nurse and carry food back to the growing litter.

Disturbing this delicate system can have serious—and sometimes fatal—consequences:

• STRESS AND DISRUPTED CARE - Human presence can interrupt resting, nursing, feeding and normal social behavior. Adults may spend more time watching or guarding the den, leaving fewer pack members available to hunt and provide food for the mother and puppies.

• PREMATURE DEN RELOCATION - A pack that feels threatened may move its puppies before they are ready. Very young pups must be carried individually, sometimes over considerable distances. During these moves, puppies may become separated, injured, exposed to extreme weather or killed by predators. A hastily selected replacement den may also offer poorer shelter and protection.

• PREDATORS BEING LED TO THE DEN - Repeated vehicle and foot traffic creates visible trails through vegetation. Research has found that larger carnivores preferentially use human-opened trails. These pathways can make a previously concealed den easier for lions, hyenas and other predators to locate and access.

• PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE DEN - Vehicles driven too close to—or directly over—burrows can damage or collapse den chambers. Foot traffic can trample vegetation and remove the natural cover that helps conceal the den.

• REDUCED PUP SURVIVAL - Recent research has linked human or predator presence at dens with puppies being moved at younger ages, longer den moves and increased pup mortality. Once a disturbed pack relocates, further moves may also become more likely.

• LONG-TERM DAMAGE TO THE PACK - Every lost puppy matters. African Wild Dogs depend on cooperation. Today’s puppies should become tomorrow’s hunters, guardians and helpers. Fewer surviving pups can mean a smaller, less resilient pack with fewer adults available to help raise the next litter.

• A SOCIAL-MEDIA SNOWBALL - Posting current den footage, landmarks or location information advertises the den to others. One post can encourage more vehicles, more visitors and more pressure. It also normalizes behavior that should never be considered acceptable wildlife tourism.

The fact that the dogs do not visibly flee does not mean they are unaffected. An apparently calm animal is not giving consent, and the consequences of disturbance may only become visible days or weeks later.

Tourism can and should support conservation—but no photograph, video, booking, tip or social-media “like” is worth risking the life of a puppy.

KAWDCP is calling for active African Wild Dog dens to be closed to all non-essential visitation. Only necessary, authorized conservation monitoring conducted under strict, low-impact protocols should take place.

Please:

• Do not seek out or approach active dens
• Do not leave vehicles or walk into dens.
• Do not clear vegetation or create access tracks.
• Do not crowd, call, lure or wait at a den for puppies to emerge.
• Do not publish or privately circulate current den locations.
• Do not reward irresponsible den content with likes, shares or bookings.
• If you encounter a den accidentally, withdraw quietly and report it privately to the appropriate conservation authority.

Tourism operators must train their guides, establish strict denning-season policies and be prepared to refuse a guest’s request—no matter how much that guest is paying.

A DEN MEANS DO NOT DISTURB.

Respect the den. Protect the puppies. Protect the pack.

22/07/2026

Booking a trip to Africa can feel like a big decision, and I get it - there's a lot to think through before you commit.

So I want to hear from you. What's the one question that's been sitting in the back of your mind about planning a safari? Maybe it's about the best time of year to go, what to pack, the best flight options, or whether it's safe for solo travellers.

I read every single question, and I'll be turning the most common ones into upcoming blog posts so you might get your answer in more detail soon.

No question is too small or too obvious. If you're curious, chances are someone else reading this is wondering the same thing.

Drop your question below, and I'll turn the top ones into a blog post. Tag a friend who's still on the fence about travelling to Africa 👇