Essential Africa Guided Safaris

29/07/2025

We operate safaris across Africa, each destination has something special about it. The most recent guided trip I have completed took place in Namibia. We started towards the south near Sossusvlei, then up into the Skeleton Coast and ended along the border with Angola. Namibia isn't for everyone, it's about the landscapes, habitats and some scattered pockets of desert adapted wildlife that manage to survive in one of the harshest environments on earth. If solitude, wide open spaces, spectacular scenery and rarities are your thing, then Namibia could be for you, enjoy the video and some of the highlights of what we experienced during 10 days.

This journey starts in the Sossusvlei area of Namibia and heads through into the Skeleton Coast and ultimately ends along the border with Angola next to the Kunene…

24/07/2025

Ive just returned home after an incredible 10 day safari in Namibia...after starting in the Sossusvlei area, then the Skeleton Coast, we ended up on the border with Angola in the Hartmann's Valley on the banks of the Kunene River. There are unfortunately few places left like this and for myself and my guests who also enjoy the feeling of being the only ones out there, these quiet corners of Namibia ticked all the boxes.

20/07/2025

We are currently up in northern Namibia's Hartmann's Valley along the border with Angola. It's hard to describe the terrain, landscape and sheer scale of everything here. Yesterday we had sundowners on a high point looking into Angola, this morning we spent time with a local Himba Tribe. There are only a few parts of Africa where we as a company feel that there is a chance to experience and authentic encounter with a local tribe, far from the over commercialized majority of such offerings, which personally we steer clear of for various reasons. The combination of incredible scenery, true wilderness and real encounters makes this journey we are on extremely special. Here are a few snap shots of the last 24 hours.

17/07/2025

This morning we left in the dark and drove around 80km east through the Hoanib River Valley cutting out of that and across some of the most starkly beautiful country imaginable. Our aim was to search for the critically endangered Desert Black Rhino. By 8am the mist had moved in creating a feeling of being on the Scottish Highlands rather than the Namib Desert, later as the mist lifted we moved from high point to high point and scanned the valleys and undulating rocky ground that stretched in all directions. It was around 12 noon when we at last caught sight of a Desert Adapted Black Rhino bull, standing motionless next to a thicket. With the help of the local rangers we approached the animal to within 100 meters as he shifted from side to side trying to locate us. We spent about 15 minutes standing at eye level to him as he tried to locate us, but as planned, never managed to. We left him as we found him, alone and in a true piece of wilderness that is hard to describe to those who have never been. For some it's too stark, silent, windswept and remote, for me, it's just about the density of people and other vehicles I like to see during a game drive, zero. All in all we spent about 12 hours out there, close to 200km of driving and absolutely no one else around. What a privilege it is to get to do this for a living and share these experiences with people who appreciate what they have seen and encountered.

14/07/2025

Namibia is about landscapes, colour, contrasts and some very special wildlife of which I’ll be sharing images of over the next week or so.

11/07/2025

Here's wishing our groups traveling at the moment fantastic safaris. Some of the destinations visited include Cape Town, the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve here in South Africa, Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park,Botswana's Okavango Delta and Namibia's Namib Desert from the southern reaches all the way through to the Angolan border in the north. Im looking forward to guiding the Namibian safari and will be sharing some of the experience as I go.

07/07/2025

https://vimeo.com/1098489427?share=copy =0

Just back from a week up in the Serengeti, starting in the western corridor we caught the tail end of the herds as they headed north bound for the Mara River area where they face their most daunting obstacle during their entire route, the Mara River. The steep banks, slippery rocky crossings, crocodiles and a host of other predators are all up there and ready for the herds to arrive. The grass is long up there at the movement, but during the course of the next couple of months around two million mouths will see to that, cropping it down to leave the area looking like a lynx golf course with a few added hazards. Enjoy the short video of some of the encounters we enjoyed over the course of 6 days.

A look at a week long safari into two of the Serengeti's popular destinations, namely the western corridor and the northern Lamai area.

01/07/2025

Just back from a short trip up into the Serengeti, the herds were between the western corridor and the northern Serengeti but heading north quickly, probably within the next 10 days they will be up along the Mara River. The crocs are waiting patiently, as are all the guides:)

25/06/2025

Yesterday afternoon here in the western corridor of the Serengeti we sat as a herd of around 30 000 wildebeest arrived for a drink at the waterhole, quite a sight and quite a sound! The herds are scattered at the moment broken up into “smaller herds” of anything between 100 individuals up to herds of thousands, very soon they will start heading towards the northern parts and the Mara River, the crocodiles will be expecting this any day now.

19/06/2025

We recently spent time with this pride, after finding the mother early in the morning drive we left her as she headed through some very long grass and we decided to catch up with her later. That afternoon we managed to find her three cubs stashed in a thicket, after waiting for only about 15 minutes the cubs "erupted' out of the bush and bolted towards the mother who had given a low contact call that they had heard. She had obviously killed something and was back to fetch the cubs. We followed as she turned and headed back towards a channel she intended to cross. Knowing what lives in these waters, she reluctantly entered and swam across safely. The cubs however were not as decisive, thankfully, as we watched several crocs react, approach and wait just ahead of where the cubs would have crossed. The cubs would start to enter the water and then decided against it, trotting up and down the opposite bank to where their mother was waiting. We left them at dusk still with the channel between them and their mother calling them across. Early the next morning we picked the tracks up on the other side of the channel and after a short tracking session found them all together and with full bellies. This is just a small incident in their daily routine of hunting, staying away from other predators and surviving. Whenever you see an adult lion or any adult animal for that matter you must know they have been through some close calls to make it to that stage of life!

16/06/2025

Here's wishing one of our groups traveling home now a safe journey after a spectacular safari that covered Cape Town, Botswana's Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, Zambia's lower Zambezi and ending in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve here in South Africa. Thanks for your support and we look forward to many more together!