Oh, the Places We'll Go

Here are some interesting figures from our 2nd continent:

• 3 – Months we spent in Africa
• 46 – Number of beds we slept in
• 8 – Countries Visited (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya)
• 39 – Days we spent in South Africa
• 3 – Hours we spent in Lesotho
• 7 – Cars we rented in South Africa
• 5900 – Kilometers we drove in South Africa (3600 miles)

• 30 – Number of deeply discounted or comp’d hotel nights through Ted’s tourism connections
• 26 – Days spent with family in Africa
• 35 – Percentage of nights we paid for accommodation (thanks Moms and Dads, and tourism connections!)
• 38 – Hours on a bus (nothing compared to the 182.5 in South America)
• 14 – Beaches visited
• 45 – Number of game drives
• 50 – Number of lions seen on game drives
• 2200 – Photos taken (and kept)
• 12 – Number of guides and porters assigned only to us for our Kili hike
• 13,393 – Vertical feet climbed on our summit hike of Kilimanjaro
• 19,341 – Highest altitude in feet we’ve ever climbed to
• 6 – Flights on big airplanes
• 6 – Flights on small airplanes
• 10 – Visits to the Johannesburg airport
• 1 – Number of police reports filed

Check out our Best of pics from Southern Africa, East Africa, and African Mega-Fauna for some visual highlights.  Now, on to the Indian Subcontinent…

Check out these stylin’ sandals, worn by many of the Masaai people (who are one of the last nomadic cultures on earth).  Made out of used car tires!  In Africa, everything gets reused (though nothing gets recycled).  Our cultures could stand to learn a bit from each other.

Cut straight from the tire

At least you know they won't lose their tread

If you talked to us before we went on our trip, we would have told you that we had a month to spend traveling between Tanzania and Kenya. However, what actually happened is that we spent 30 days in Tanzania and just one in Kenya on our way out of the continent.

That’s not to say there isn’t loads to do in Kenya, however, the country highlights are very similar to what we had just experienced in Tanzania. For island paradise, Kenya has Lamu where Tanzania has Zanzibar. For mountain climbing, Kenya has Mt. Kenya (the second biggest mountain in Africa) and Tanzania has Mt. Kilimanjaro. And for the ultimate in safari, Kenya’s Masaai Mara National Park borders Tanzania’s Serengeti. Though we would have loved the opportunity to compare and contrast these country highlights, our timing and our budget simply didn’t allow it.

As a result, we had just one night in Kenya and we spent it in the notoriously unsafe capital of Nairobi. Nairobi is up there with Johannesburg as one of the most dangerous cities in Africa and though I’m sure it has earned that title for a reason, we were pleasantly surprised by the place. We comfortably and easily walked from our hotel into downtown. The buildings were proper sky-scrapers and thousands of business professionals, as well as the to-be-expected touts were out on the street going about their business. It was the most urban city we had visited outside of South Africa and we were happy to see that it felt modern and we felt safe.

We don’t have a lot to say about Kenya (nor do we have any pictures to share), but it is certainly worth a much longer visit when we can give it the time that it deserves.

During our Northern Circuit Safari, we had the opportunity to visit a cool tented camp lodge that is doing amazing work with the children of their local community.  Check out the story I wrote about it for World Nomads here, or copied below:

Tanzania – Two Hills, One Goal

Tented camps are my favorite.  They offer a uniquely intimate interaction with your surroundings, while also providing the necessary amenities of any standard (and sometimes luxury) hotel.  Only a piece of canvas and screen separate you and the great outdoors (which in Africa may mean wild and dangerous animals).  I’ve had the opportunity to visit nearly a dozen such camps during my travels on on this continent, and I’ve seen some pretty impressive eco-initiatives associated with these properties.  But nothing impressed me more than my final tented camp experience, the first to use a community development project as the basis for their tented lodge.

Rhotia Valley is a property perched atop two adjacent hills, overlooking the rural village of Rhotia, along Tanzania’s famed Northern Safari Circuit.  On one hill sits the Rhotia Valley Children’s Home, a safe home and school for local children in need.  Due to a very high rate of HIV/AIDS in the region, many children are orphans, and along with issues such as malnourishment and family breakdown, the Children’s Home has become a key piece of the village’s social support network.

Rhotia Valley Children's Home

Atop the second hill is the Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge, an eco-focused property with 15 spacious tents.  Environmental initiatives abound – from solar thermal and photo-voltaic installations to an organic garden providing most of the veggies for the on-site restaurant.  Most importantly though, the lodge exists primarily as a funding mechanism for the Children’s Home, with a minimum of 20% of lodge revenues going towards operating costs for the home.

Lodge organic garden

What impressed me the most about Rhotia Valley is that the owners set out to create a community development project, with a tourism component.  Most of the time, the opposite is true.  As a result, the focus on all aspects of Rhotia Valley’s operation are geared toward the Children’s Home and the local community.  It is the community’s support for the project that has made it a success.  Children chosen to stay at the Home – those most in need – are determined by the community council and village elders.  All staff for operations on both hills come from the surrounding communities, and all of the children boarded at the school are only from Rhotia.  Village elders participate on the board of the Children’s home, and the owners are actively engaged in community discussions and decisions.  In their words: Our aim is to give support to the people – and especially the children – of the Rhotia area – in such a way that the entire village is committed and the villagers feel part of the project and embrace it.  Two Hills, One Goal.

Heading to the Serengeti?

You can be part of the Rhotia project – guests to the lodge are encouraged to interact with the community on guided walks, as well as visit or volunteer in the Children’s Home.  Even a night’s stay at the lodge provides direct financial benefits to the children.  Learn more at www.rhotiavalley.com.

By the end of our time in Southern Africa, we thought we were safari gurus. I mean, what first-time Africa travelers go on over 40 game drives in one visit? From Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta, to Kruger Park proper and the surrounding game reserves, we thought we knew the drill. Then, we went to Tanzania, and our whole concept of how a safari works went straight out the window. There are some big differences, and advantages and disadvantages to both. Here is a little comparison:

• Lodge-centered vs. Operator-centered – This is the biggest single difference. Down South, your entire safari experience is organized by, and executed through the lodge or camp where you are staying. Your game drives happen early in the morning and late in the afternoon, with the hot hours of mid-day spent lounging around the lodge. Most of the time, you do loops around the vicinity of the lodge, so location is paramount. Generally, it is the lodge’s vehicles that are used for the game drives, and the lodge employs the guides and trackers. Up North, however, you’re constantly on the move, and the lodges and camps are simply a place to spend a night or two. The safari experience is organized and executed through a tour operator, who arranges your guide and decides what camps and lodges to stay in. Game drives may last all day, with a significant commute between parks being your down time.
• Vehicle Style – Down South, most game drives cruise loops within a 20 mile radius of the lodge. Because you’re always on roads within the reserve or park, and because you want to have the most intimate animal encounters possible, safaris here use open-sided Land Cruisers. The only thing between you and Simba is a few feet of open air. Up North, you spend a lot more time in your safari vehicle. To hit all the parks along the Northern Safari Circuit (Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire), you’ve got to be on the move every couple days, and travel between parks can take a number of hours through urban and rural environments. For this reason, you can’t cruise around in the open-sided jeeps of the South, you need a Land Cruiser that is fully enclosed. But to get good photos of the animals, you also need a window-less environment. The solution – pop-top Land Cruisers.

Pop-tops up north

Open sided down south

• Fences – There is a lot of controversy about enclosing protected areas throughout Africa. Some argue it’s beneficial, and allows for better protection of the animals. Others think that animals should be free to roam as they always have, even if that means sometimes roaming into a village. Down South, just about ever protected area is fenced. Now, these fences might enclose parks the size of small US states, but if you walk far enough in any direction, you’ll hit an electrified fence. Up North, they don’t seem to believe in fences, and animals up there are constantly on the move. It’s actually the migratory patterns of the animals up North that prevent many lodge-centered operations from being sustainable – only certain times of year are animals abundant in their vicinity. To deal with this migratory challenge, they’ve developed my favorite safari accommodation – mobile camps: Temporary tented camps that pick up and move every couple months with the flow of the animals.

Mobile tented camps up north

• Vehicle Concentration – Down South, all of the game reserves and parks have strict rules on the number of safari jeeps that can be viewing a particular animal or group of animals at once – generally no more than 3. This is easy to enforce, as all jeeps belong to lodges within the reserve, and all lodges must follow reserve rules (for their own benefit). Unfortunately, up North there is no limit to the number of jeeps at any particular sighting, so it’s not uncommon to see well over a dozen jeeps looking on a pride of lions.

Line of vehicles to see a leopard in Serengeti

• Animals – Diversity and Quantity – How could I leave this for last? You can find the Big 5 both North and South, but each region also has its own set of unique fauna. The big difference, however, is that there seem to be a much higher density of animals up North. We went 10 days in Botswana before we saw a lion, and after 40 game drives down South, we were up to 12 or so. In Tanzania, we saw 44 lions over 5 days. Then there are the thousands upon thousands of wildebeest and zebras that make up the Great Migration. You can see all the cool animals in both places, you’ll just see more of them up North.

How many do you count in this photo?

So, after all that, which is better? Hard to say. The lodge-centered safaris, open vehicles, and low vehicle concentration all favor the South. But, the lack of fences and shear volume of animals make the North pretty special. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

There seems to be a rule in Africa that says, “If you go on safari, you must purchase and flaunt the largest camera and lens that you can possibly find.”  Apparently, we missed that memo.  Instead, we’re trying to rig our little point-and-shoot camera through a set of binoculars which, I’m happy to report, works quite well with a steady hand.  Amateurs…

Pros? I think not...

This guy needs a pillow to hold his up

In addition to having an incredible time on our Botswana safari, I was also blown away by the responsible tourism practices of our local hosts – Wilderness Safaris.   For my latest contribution to World Nomads’ Blog, I gave them some love.  Check out the original here, or copied below.

The Second Government of Botswana – Wilderness Safaris

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how difficult it is to run a responsible safari camp in the remote Southern African bush, and the individual efforts of a few independent lodges.  Now, I want to show you how one large safari company is positively changing the landscape across the entire region through their model of “sustainable conservation through responsible tourism.”

Botswana is home to some of the best safari camps (and wildlife viewing) on the planet.  Famed for the Okavango Delta and the elephant-filled Chobe National Park, Botswana is a top destination on any safari-buff’s bucket list.  And no company knows more about running successful  camps in Botswana than Wilderness Safaris.  Started 25 years ago by a couple of rangers and a single Land Cruiser, Wilderness has grown to operate 60+ camps across southern Africa, with over 25 in Botswana alone.  The company’s active role in politics, conservation, tourism, and community development has earned them the nickname, the Second Government of Botswana.  The company’s commitment to sustainability has earned them the reputation of a world leader in responsible tourism.

“Wildness Safaris is first and foremost a conservation organization.  The reason we exist is to protect pristine wilderness areas and the biodiversity they support.”  Not too many for-profit companies have conservation as their core mandate.  Wilderness’ sustainability focus goes well beyond the environment – their commitment to the people and communities in their areas of operation has brought about unparalleled opportunity, education, skills, and jobs, with the vision of making “a difference in all people’s lives, by enabling them to find new paths, and leaving a legacy of conservation for our children.”

Children in the Wilderness

Ok, so we’ve established that the company is committed in their mission and vision.  But what are they actually doing on the ground in Botswana?  Too much to tell in this single post.  I’m going to completely ignore the operational sustainability aspect of their lodge and camp operation (responsible management of waste, energy, water, etc), as I covered some of those initiatives in my previous post.  Here, we’ll focus on the conservation and community initiatives of the company’s non-profit arm, the Wildlife Trust.

Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust currently supports 43 projects across 6 Southern African countries.  The projects fall into one of three project areas: Research and conservation, community empowerment and education, and anti-poaching and management.  A few project examples:

· Botswana Rhino Relocation and Reintroduction Project – Due to poaching, rhinos were all but extinct in Botswana until the Trust, in conjunction with Botswana’s Wildlife and National Parks Department, began an anti-poaching and relocation project to bring rhino numbers back up in the region.  In addition to relocating animals, researchers closely monitor the rhinos, their adaptation to the new environments, and their breeding patterns.  Similar reintroduction projects are also being carried out by the Trust in Zimbabwe and Malawi.

· Children in the Wilderness – Wilderness Safaris’ flagship community education program brings groups of rural kids from surrounding villages to Wilderness camps (which have been closed to the public) for a 5-night stay, where they participate in a life skills and environmental education program.  Topics include wildlife, conservation, health, HIV/AIDS awareness, nutrition, life skills, geology, and arts and crafts.  Through leadership development, Children in the Wilderness aims to facilitate sustainable conservation throughout the local communities.  Over 3000 children have participated to date.

· Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit – This team of individuals has been fighting poachers in the Vic Falls region for over 10 years.  Still a rampant problem in the area, the crew fights back though removal of animal snares (devices used to catch animals), treatment of animals injured by snares, and through direct arrest of poachers (436 were apprehended in 2009 alone) within the region.

And there are some 40 other projects funded, monitored, or executed by the Wildlife Trust.  The scope of positive impact is astounding, and these efforts are funded almost entirely by Wilderness Safaris and their guests.

With over 2500 employees, over 2.8 million hectares of wilderness under their watch, over 40 Trust projects operating simultaneously, all while running over 60 safari camps and a bush airline, Wilderness Safaris’ infrastructure may just rival that of a small country.  It’s a good thing that this “country’s” people are putting conservation at the heart of their economy.

Hot water heater in Mozambique.  Though this was our first, we’ve since encountered a lot of wood-fire hot water heaters.  Not exactly what you’d call sustainable…

Another African submission to World Nomads’ Responsible Travel Blog.  The topic this week surrounds eco-initiatives at safari bush camps.  If you’re interested, read on here, or below:

Eco-Successes in the African Bush

Running a safari camp can’t be easy.  In fact, it may be just about the most difficult hospitality gig on the planet.  In addition to all of the nuances of running any old high-quality hotel, you have to do it off-the-grid, in a very remote and hard-to-access location, within a wildlife reserve or park, with highly specialized on-site staff, while running a successful game-drive business that ensures guests see all of the Big 5 animals and more.

Big 5 sighting - Cape Buffalo

Balancing a sustainable tourism plan in this already difficult operating environment can be a tall order for any camp owner.  Some argue that there simply is not enough time (or money) to implement sustainability projects under such demanding circumstances.  Fortunately, many others have taken the opposite approach, believing that operating responsibly is a necessity for survival in the safari business.  After all, visits to the bush are all about viewing animals in their natural environment – shouldn’t a safari camp’s goal be to protect that very environment?

Thanks to the many challenges of running a safari operation, camp owners have been forced to develop some of the leading eco-innovation and efficiency techniques found in the tourism industry today.  Here are some projects that impressed me in the bush:

· Energy – Remote bush camps have two options when it comes to electricity – diesel generators or renewables.  Both systems are used to power battery units to provide power during off-peak times.  While most camps have historically used diesel fuel, those that have switched to renewables are reaping the benefits – reduced energy costs over time, no expensive diesel delivery costs, no noise pollution in the bush, no fuel-burning pollution in the bush, etc.  Solar is the new diesel, both through solar electricity and solar thermal devices.  Cutting edge camps have cut their operational diesel burn to nearly zero, using the old generators only for back-up during maintenance.

· Solid Waste – With no routine trash pick-up (some camps only have vehicle access for less than 3 months a year!), storing waste and recycling can prove to be a challenge.  Add to that the hungry and aggressive animals in these regions, and you have a waste management problem on your hands.  Composting has become a big trend, eliminating over 50% of solid waste volume. Compost pits, however, must be heavily secured and closely monitored – hyenas in particular love to dig their way in.  Recycling is separated at some of the more eco-focused camps, but most parts of Africa lack a location for processing these materials.  Material re-use is woven into every aspect of operations, from food-prep, to housekeeping, to camp decoration.  Leading camps have developed systems for eliminating packaging and excess materials prior to camp delivery, reducing the load on the back end.  Remaining waste is stored in secure cages until it can be transported back to town.

· Water Waste – Water is a precious commodity in the often arid desert environments. Watersheds are very susceptible to disease and pollution, so it is imperative that camp water is properly treated before being released back into the ground.  Old-school septic tanks are rapidly being replaced with cutting-edge bio-digester units that use natural bacteria instead of harsh chemicals to treat waste water.

Waste water treatment facility in the bush

Any single initiative listed here wouldn’t constitute a news-worthy sustainability effort.  However, when these projects are combined in a single property, and these properties are dotted across much of the African bush, we’ve got some pretty impressive and wide-spread eco-innovation.  To me, there’s something darn cool about a lodge that sources, uses, and disposes of all of its own energy, water, and most of its waste in a responsible manner.  Regardless of whether the motivation is out of operational necessity or environmental consciousness, I call these off-the-grid camps an eco-success.

After a week in Johannesburg taking care of a little admin (i.e. securing a visa for India and getting more pages in my passport), we got to take a vacation – from our vacation. We headed to Mozambique, an under-the-radar-destination for many international visitors, but a well-known and loved coastal destination for many South Africans.

The beach where we were headed after a 2-day bus journey

After our rather pleasant first bus ride in Africa, we arrived in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital city. We were told that Maputo is one of Africa’s most attractive capitals, but sadly we did not experience what earned them that title – the place was pretty run down. We met some great folks there though – an international group of safari-guides-in-training. On holiday from their studies, the future rangers were headed to the same beach town we were, and we became fast friends.

After a rather cruisy and comfortable first bus ride, our second bus ride was all Africa. Leaving the hostel, the mid-sized shuttle bus appeared nearly full with over 12 tourists plus all of our bags, a surfboard, etc. However, the driver didn’t think we were anywhere close to full. We drove to the local transit stop where the driver proceeded to pack the bus full to the brim – more seats unfolded and appeared out of nowhere; women piled on with several children on their laps and unbelievably large bags of produce, grain and/or textiles; men who had maybe showered in the last week yelled in their mobile phones – it was a full house. Leg room was non-existent and personal space was completely absent. It was an incredibly long 8 hours and we were relieved to know that the light at the end of the tunnel was a spectacular beach.

Maputo "Bus Station" - where we loaded up beyond capactiy

Our bus being bombarded by fruit sellers at a pit stop

Our new ranger friends. We thought this was the full bus. We were wrong...