I was pleased to see the submissions from guides and guests, as they represent a cross-section of what everyone is seeing this month, particularly since there is also so little coverage of the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara.
The overcrowding is sickening there, but speaking to our guides, they are seeing unbelievable things away from any other vehicles out there. This includes remarkable crossings up and down the river by doing what our guides are trained to do: find the exceptional, with exclusivity.
It is not about a million wildebeest. That is not the point. It is about personal journeys and the experience, which is always best when you are engaged with the animals, not the other people watching the same animals. Well done, Great Plains guides!
Across all camps, it has been an extraordinary month, with amazing action at ol Donyo Lodge, particularly with the lions. I am reminded that when we started here, we saw lions once a month at best. Now, cheetahs and lions are regulars on the daily sightings list I see.
In Botswana, male lions in water, as we see in Duba Plains and Duba Explorers Camp, always excite and amaze me, visually and just because it’s not their natural habitat, so besides being unusual sightings, their unease erupts into bursts of energy, trying to get out of the water as quickly as possible.
Leopards and cheetahs in trees. Porcupines on the move.
Variety.
In my opinion, this variety ensures the perfect safari.
With this scope of wildlife everywhere, from the amazing biodiversity of Sitatunga Private Island to the calm of Tembo Plains as the Zambezi drifts past, our portfolio offers a balance that I feel acutely as we go from camp to camp.
We have just launched a new Tembo Plains hidecam feed, offering a completely different viewing experience from the popular ol Donyo Lodge hidecam. This is because the camera is discreetly positioned right on the bank of the Zambezi River, where hippos, crocodiles, and bee-eaters come and go. I switch between the two views of Africa during the day when I am not in the bush to stay grounded.
Another humbling experience for me is spending time with our extended family at Great Plains, which is a joy, an inspiration, and a testament to the fact that when conservation tourism is done correctly, it brings protection, jobs, skills, and overall upliftment to the areas and communities we touch.
I hope that you continue to be selective about your travel plans, but unrestrained in your excitement to visit these fantastic places.
