I have always wanted to do something unusual in my life. However, I have honestly never come across anything that is worthwhile and thrilling. Recently though, I read about some activity called gorilla tracking on the internet. The members of my chat room said only interesting things about this activity and it left me wondering whether I was the only one who had not done it.
I knew at this moment that I wanted to do this on my next holiday vacation. I am not sure whether it was because of the need to keep up with the trend or for the thrill that the activity promised. However, now that I have done some research on the subject, I have come to realize that the activity is one of the most exciting and amazing activities in tourism at the moment.
The prospect of seeing the mountain gorillas in the natural habitat on an activity commonly referred to as gorilla trekking and not viewing them in some enclosure at the zoo is exciting enough. The mountain gorillas are so rare in the world that they are found in two conservation areas in the world, Virunga and Bwindi areas. Yes, I did my research and I have a few of the facts at hand right now like the gorillas cannot survive in confinement and because of this reason, you will not see these amazing primates in a zoo or something like that.
I have heard from some of the people who have been on such trips that you can get as close as 10 metres of the primates and who in their right mind would pass up an opportunity like this to interact with our near similar relatives. It is always good to enjoy these kinds of experiences with your friends by your side and because of this I hope to go with some of my friends. Knowing the kinds of people my friends are, I have a strong feeling that they cannot say no to this.
I have also learned that tracking the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is on constant increasing demand and that I must book my gorilla tracking permit well in advance. Rwanda is also a very beautiful country and I have been assured that this will be a life changing experience as I will meet people who enjoy the forest life and in some way they are not obsessed with the luxury that life in the city offers.
I am therefore in the process of booking a safari to Rwanda with the best deal that I got from Go Gorilla Trekking. I have been communicating with several tour companies organising safaris in Rwanda and i chose GGT because of their available discounts and quick communications that are straight to point. I have also been told that Rwanda has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and that I will enjoy my trip safely and without any interruptions.
Also, from my correspondences with Go Gorilla Trekking, i have realized that Rwanda has very good hotels which is surprising for a country which in 1994 was embroiled in a catastrophic genocide. There are several luxurious, mid range and budget hotels. Though i have been traveling frequently on budget, am looking at staying in midrange accommodation. The trip promises an exciting and amazing experience and I am looking forward to enjoying my time in this small east African country and I promise to tell my story to whomever wishes to listen.
Tourism in Jerusalem is intertwined with Israel’s occupation. However, while Israel’s Ministry of Tourism officially governs Jerusalem’s tourism industry, there’s a new, rising movement of alternative tourism initiated by Palestinian activists and guides who aim to counter the Israeli perspective. This type of tourism is known as justice tourism, political tourism, or alternative tourism.
Osama Resheq, a legal supervisor at Al-Quds University and a proponent of alternative tourism, explains the goal of the movement is to “turn the Israeli occupation into an exhibition”. Since the tourism sector in Israel is heavily regulated and only presents one side of the conflict, it is up to Palestinians in Jerusalem to share their own perspective and narrative.
Osama’s tours reflect his experience as a Palestinian living under occupation. “I show the colonial features of Jerusalem and how Israel restricts our movement,” he added.
“In 1972, East Jerusalem – mainly Palestinian – had 34 hotels while West Jerusalem – mainly Israeli – had 23. Over time, the division of hotels changed. Now East Jerusalem only has 133 rooms, compared with over 10,000 in West Jerusalem”
The attendees of Osama’s tours are often international academics or activists that are interested to know more about Palestine.
The Israeli occupation controls the tourism sector in Jerusalem. Foreign tourists typically arrive through Israeli-run agencies that direct them to Israeli-owned hotels and markets.
In 1972, East Jerusalem – mainly Palestinian – had 34 hotels while West Jerusalem – mainly Israeli – had 23. Over time, the division of hotels changed. Now East Jerusalem only has 133 rooms, compared with over 10,000 in West Jerusalem.
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism’s website provides a comprehensive list of over 6,800 certified tourist guides, including both Israelis and Palestinians. To obtain certification, these guides are required to undergo a two-year study of Jerusalem’s history at Israeli universities and institutes.
Abdullah Salameh is among these certified guides. Abdullah told The New Arab that the majority of tours are typically organised by Israeli tour operators. “Tourists who come from Israeli agencies have a pre-arranged plan and the tour route cannot be altered by the guide,” Abdullah explained.
British graffiti artist Banksy’s ‘Walled Off Hotel’ in Bethlehem encourages tourists to confront Israel’s occupation [Getty Images]
As a result, Abdullah often partners with Palestinian tour operators to highlight Christian sites in Jerusalem. This is particularly important to him as a Christian with in-depth knowledge of Christianity and its historical significance in the city.
According to Abdullah, Israeli tourism agencies are required to hire Palestinian tourist guides for cities under the control of the Palestinian Authority, such as Bethlehem, which is a top destination for Christian tourists.
However, these Palestinian guides who offer alternative tourism experiences are not officially certified and may face scrutiny and apprehension by Israeli police. To avoid any issues, they often claim to be spending time with friends without accepting payment for their services.
Osama argues that the Israeli schools where the certified tourist guides receive education follow curriculums that present a biased, one-sided narrative, often centred around biblical content. He also points out that alternative tourist guides are remunerated with lower wages compared to their certified counterparts, “but this doesn’t matter, because our goal is to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause, not anything else.”
One of the leading organisations of alternative tourism in Jerusalem is Grass Roots in Jerusalem. Administrative and Financial Manager Yazan Jawad says the organisation aims to give an accurate narrative about the history of Jerusalem and Israel’s occupation.
“Besides our political tours of Jerusalem, we provide maps and infographics about the history of Jerusalem as an Arab city, and how Israel attempts to erase this. Even if you ask Google to lead you downtown in Jerusalem, they will take you to Jaffa Street in West Jerusalem, not East Jerusalem’s Old City – the real centre.”
“As Palestinian refugees who are unable to go to our homeland, when we see people going, it feels like a stab in the back, as we cannot return – out of respect for our wishes, we do not endorse tourism to Palestine or in any settler-colonial case.”https://t.co/26I4MmyzSE
In November 2018, Human Rights Watch reported on the violations of Airbnb and Booking.com, popular housing and hotel reservation websites. They were found to list apartments located in illegal Israeli settlements.
“The business activity that Airbnb and Booking.com conduct helps make West Bank settlements more profitable and therefore sustainable, thus facilitating Israel’s unlawful transfer of its citizens to the settlements,” the report stated.
In 2018, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report highlighting tourism-related activities “ensure the sustainability of residential settlement communities” and “contribute to the profitability of the settlements”.
According to Amnesty, Israel’s strategy of establishing a tourism industry centred on settlements coincides with a surge in visitor numbers experienced by the country. In 2018, Israel recorded a historic total of over four million visitors.
“Israel has constructed many of its settlements close to archaeological sites to make the link between the modern State of Israel and its Jewish history explicit. At the same time, Israel downplays or ignores the significance of non-Jewish periods at archaeological and historic sites,” Amnesty reported.
In 2021, the Lifta Boutique Hotel was inaugurated in the Palestinian village of Lifta, situated in Jerusalem. The village had its Palestinian presence erasure in the 1948 Nakba when the town was ethnically cleansed. However, On the hotel’s website, they described the location as “an abandoned village”.
Despite the rising of alternative tourism in Jerusalem as pro-Palestinian tourism, it still has many challenges. “We’re just individuals who are working against the system. We aim to expose the occupation for what it is,” Osama explained.
Yet Osama remains optimistic that the tours he and his colleagues can create a positive change among visitors: “The more tours we make, the more people are informed. We hope they will become ambassadors for the Palestinian cause when they return home.”
Abeer Ayyoub is a freelance journalist based in Amman
The most thrilling tourist activity in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is that of gorilla tracking, an activity that involve visitors hiking through the forest in search of the endangered mountain gorillas. Surprisingly, Mgahinga can be accesed by travelers taking tours in Rwanda given its location within the Virunga Ranges. This is the reason as to why there are many tour offers that combine gorilla watching in the Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga National Park offered by several tour operators.
Within this magical park, there is only one habituated gorilla group that can be visited by tourists. Known as the Nyakagezi group, this is one of the oldest habituated gorilla in the history of gorilla tourism in Uganda and it consists of 9 members; 2 silver backs, 3 adult females, 2 juveniles and 2 infants. Though most travel books indicate that gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is unreliable because of the gorilla family escapades to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, for more than two years the group has been settled within the park and a good number of tourists have gone gorilla tracking in the park.
The gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park can be booked at the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices in Kamwokya Kampala or at the park headquarters. You can also book these passes through a recommended tour operator based in Uganda.
Planning a Gorilla Trek in Mgahinga National Park
Gorilla tracking is a vigorous activity that can take a full day. During this tour, you are led by a guide through the gorilla’s empire/tracks as he/she explains all about gorillas such as their ecology, movements and general behavior.
Please note:
Like gorilla tracking in other groups within Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, the success of seeing gorillas is NOT guaranteed despite the high chance of seeing them. Since they are wild animals living in the jangle, they don’t have a fixed routine; therefore finding them requires luck and the experienced of your guides. These guides know gorillas intimately since they habituate them, they will hence take you to the area where they saw them last. They may also be able to suggest how long the hike might take at the journey start.
Please note that you are free to ask guides to slow down if they are going too fast or if you want to have a rest, look at birds /flowers, and your guide shall wait for you.
DOS AND DON`TS
-It is advisable that you put on jangle shoes best for steep muddy slopes
-The weather is unpredictable and it can change any time. Please carry rain wear, sunscreen, a hut and sun glasses, as.
-You are advised to Carry water and food because this activity is lengthy and tiresome especially to first time trackers
-Once tracked, ensure that you keep 5m distance from Gorillas. If approached by one, back away slowly.
-Avoid pointing or waiving your arms- this can scare away annoy gorillas.
please Move slowly and Keep your voice low/better if silent for better tracking
-When taking photos, ensure that your flash is off for can threaten gorillas.
-You may carry binoculars, these help u see far features and creatures in details.
Watching elephants in their natural surroundings is always a thrill, so we have put together five of the best places to get fabulous pachyderm experiences in Africa.
1. Safari Lodge, Amakhala Game Reserve, South Africa
This beautiful lodge is located on the 7,200ha Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and is adjacent to the famed Addo Elephant National Park – widely regarded as the country’s premier destination for elephant viewing. Game drives are taken on both the Amakhala reserve and in Addo. The lodge is Fair Trade Tourism certified.
2. Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Nicknamed “The Place of Plenty”, Wilderness Safaris’s Mombo Camp is located on a private concession on the renowned Chief’s Island, deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta’s Moremi Game Reserve. This is one of the best spots in Africa from which to view wild elephants at close quarters!
Mombo Camp is recognised by Fair Trade Tourism through its partnership with Botswana’s Ecotourism Certification programme.
3. Motswari Private Game Reserve, Timbavati
Part of the Greater Kruger National Park, the Timbavati is teeming with wildlife, with huge herds of elephant regularly moving through the reserve. Fair Trade Tourism certified Motswari Private Game Reserve is located in the heart of the Timbavati and elephants often pay the lodge a visit to drink from the swimming pool!
4. Oliver’s Camp, Tanzania
Deep in the southern reaches of Tarangire National Park and with easy access to the Silale Swamps, Oliver’s Camp is an echo of the early days of African safaris. Part of the Asilia Africa group, this camp is recognised by Fair Trade Tourism through its partnership with Responsible Tourism Tanzania.
Nkasa Lupala tented lodge is built on the banks of one of the many channels of the Kwando-Linyanti river system in the Caprivi region of Namibia. This unique wetland paradise is part of Nkasa Lupala National Park and the lodge itself is recognised by Fair Trade Tourism through its partnership with Eco Awards Namibia.
The Rio Bidasoa is a small hotel in Hondarribia ideal for those suffering from sensitive stomachs and allergies. Their ability to meet these needs is based on the gastronomical approach of their restaurant, Sugarri. This magnificent restaurant is run by Bixente Muñoz, a great chef always on the lookout for new sensations, innovative spins on traditional menu items earning a number of prizes in multiple pincho competitions. Bixente has been recognised in several international publications, including The New York Times.
The hotel boasts spacious, hypoallergenic rooms, decorated in a minimalist style. If you suffer from allergies, the Hotel Rio Bidasoa offers special “Green” rooms. The system implemented in “Green Rooms” includes:
A selection of rooms that satisfy the appropriate conditions needed to prevent the presence of allergens.
The Regular Removal of dead skin cells, dust mites, mould spores, animal dander and other allergens.
Appropriate settings for temperature and humidity, as well as other environmental conditions.
A reduced number of surfaces and objects that might collect dust.
Treatment of surfaces and objects with vacuum cleaners with HEPA filtres
The use of sheets, pillowcases, comforters and other objects with small pore sizes and suitable materials to avoid the presence of allergens.
The development of a guide to ideal hygienic practices to control allergens while cleaning the room, the sheets, pillowcases and comforters.
Ventilation of the rooms.
Control over the presence of animals.
Input pollen control.
This dual sensitivity to gastronomical and allergy sensitivities help make this location stand out as an authentic example of a responsible hotel.
Today we bring you our most popular wilderness destination…ICELAND.
Below is an example of our 5 day Iceland Adventure.
Day 1: Drive directly to Reykjavík (45 min drive). Possibility of stopping in Blue Lagoon before going to Reykjavik. Blue Lagoon is located about 20 min away from the airport.
Day 2: Start your Iceland adventures with a drive up to the magnificent region of Snæfellsnes.
Snæfellsnes is a unique area with a variety of geological interests such as lava fields, volcanoes, glacier, mineral springs, beautifully formed rocks, yellow and black sand beaches as well as caves and very interesting bird colonies
The Snæfellsjökull glacier is one of the most picturesque mountains in Iceland, rising up 1450 meters from the middle of the Snæfellsnes peninsula this famous volcano is clearly visible more then 100 km away
Day 3: Today we’ll drive to ION hotel via Húsafell.
Head to Iceland’s second largest glacier, Langjökull “The Long Glacier”.
Board a special 8wheel drive monster truck that will take you to the glacier tunnel opening.
Ice Tunnel (40-50 min tour)
This three in one tour will enable you to explore: 1. around, 2. on and 3. within, the giant, 953sq/km glacier.You’ll journey to one of the world’s great wildernesses, perhaps the closest thing to the Ice Age.
Day 4: Visit Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can enjoy a truly unique viewpoint by walking behind the curtain of thundering water. This can be tricky in winter time if it’s icy outside- nevertheless the waterfall is very picturesque and worth the stop.
You’ll also visit the nearby Skógafoss waterfall with its seductive scenery and legend of hidden gold. Continue along Iceland’s South Coast reveals majestic mountains and a masterpiece of volcanic scenery with the highly active Hekla volcano looming in the clouds along with the glistening Eyjafjalljökull, erupted in 2010 and Mýrdalsjökull glacier which conceals the fiery secrets of Katla volcano underneath
Day 5: Of all the spectacular nature that resides in Iceland there are three ‘must-see’ highlights that are easily experienced in one day. Thingvellir National Park tremendous geological interest. A short ride across fertile farmlands in the south reveal the breathtaking Gullfoss ‘Golden’ Waterfalls where traversing a narrow path (UNESCO) is Iceland’s greatest historical site and a place of provides close-up views of the thundering waterfall below. Only a few minutes away is the Geysir geothermal area where hot springs are in abundance, geysers explode and pools of mud bubble.
Southern Africa has often been at the forefront of conservation initiatives on the African continent. The region’s experience in game capture, managed game parks and translocating elephants being a few examples of where it has set standards.
Over the past couple decades it’s been doing the same in cross-border conservation initiatives, such as establishing Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA). These are wilderness areas which have no political boundaries, entities created to encourage natural game migration across ecosystems that are allowed to flourish.
Along with TFCA comes a group with its own particular focus – balancing community needs with those of nature and the over-used but all-important buzzword, ‘sustainable tourism’ (now known as ‘Better Tourism’).
This is Transfrontier Parks Destinations (TFPD), run by co-founder Glynn O’Leary, who finds tourism locations where development is needed most – in or adjacent to Transfrontier Conservation Areas – and there revitalises and operates community-owned hospitality facilities, which essentially translates into lodges.
The TFPD then assists in commercializing these community assets, such as !Xaus Lodge – exactly 91 dunes west off the Auob River road in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (linking South Africa and Botswana), on ancestral land owned by the ‡Khomani San and Mier communities. Sometimes it may involve a national park, or a provincial tourism authority; whoever is involved, it’s all about partnership.
!Xaus Lodge has 12 individual chalets, each with its own deck overlooking a vast saltpan and waterhole fed with fresh water. Watching gemsbok traipse across the pan in energy-saving desert fashion is a wilderness treat, as is exploring the dunes with the resident ‡Khomani San bushmen.
At over 3,5 million hectares, the park is almost twice the size of the Kruger National Park, and is home to the famous black-maned lion.
An area that has more socio-economic need, given its history of civil war, social and political upheaval and associated rural poverty, is the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP). Fifteen years ago it was proclaimed with the signing of an international treaty involving Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, thereby connecting the Kruger Park, Zimbabwe’s Ghonarezou Game Reserve and Mozambique’s Parque Nacional do Limpopo, a conservation area of 35 000km².
All three countries’ borders meet at Crooks Corner, at the lush and wooded confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers. This is the northernmost Pafuri section of the Kruger National Park, a location of great elephant herds, historical legend and crocodiles. It has tourism, and the opportunity for responsible development, written all over the landscape.
Travellers who support the increasingly popular model of ‘Better Tourism’ can access this land rich in stories through Awelani Lodge, situated near the Pafuri Gate entrance to the Kruger. The lodge offers visitors the opportunity to walk or mountain bike through the wooded conservancy, a lush landscape dominated by significant woodland, sandstone outcrops and over 700 species of birds.
Over the border in the Mozambique section of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, home to the Big 5, the unfenced Machampane Wilderness Camp offers full-service accommodation and guided wilderness walking trails, especially significant in an area where jobs are almost unheard of, and bush skills abound.
At 2200m, Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge in the Maluti Drakensberg TFCA is far south of what is known as ‘the bush’, and the highest lodge in South Africa’s statuesque northern Drakensberg remote mountain range. As with the other TFPD operations, the lodge provides essential employment opportunities and secondary economic activity that has proven to impact positively on the local economy.
The lodge provides access to Sentinel Peak and the Maloti Drakensberg that draws backpackers, hikers and climbers, probably viewing the endangered bearded vulture and the extraordinary mountain flora, like the sewejaartjie, that has adapted to grow at high altitudes.
Each TFPD managed lodge is a holistic entity, providing essential work and local economic activity in an area of great natural beauty.
Just recently O’Leary spoke of a meeting involving serious tourism players where he highlighted the following: “What we see is that these community-owned tourism activities create strong rural development, and that ‘Better Tourism’ is helping create great places to live”.
Catherine Capon is a naturalist and adventurer who is passionate about responsible tourism.Thank you for joining us here at Justice Travel for our first Wilderness Week.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you became an eco-adventurer?
My background is in ecology and zoology but I have always been interested in communicating science to non-scientists. This desire has seen me working in wildlife filmmaking, sustainability consultation and conservation journalism. However, it was my time working with Sam Branson at Sundog Pictures that really solidified the importance that tourism plays in the conservation of endangered species. People travelling to see wildlife brings money into the local community and the residents therefore value wildlife more alive than dead (via poaching, bushmeat, illegal fishing or habitat destruction for agriculture). I therefore decided to start a not-for-profit campaign to promote ecotourism and wildlife watching destinations around the world. Rather than seeing ecotourism as something for middle aged couples with sandals and binoculars, I wanted to also excite the younger generation about the adventure activities that wildlife watching entails. So far, I have shared the water with a green anaconda, rock climbed with marmosets, been metres from a Bengal tiger and swum with great white sharks! I’ve just started a YouTube Channel to follow my adventures too.
You have just returned from India, what were your highlights?
My last ecoadventure was in India where I visited Ranthambhore National Park to see the tigers and Kaziranga National Park for the India Rhinos. The two destinations differ vastly and it was great to have the contrast on a 2 week trip. Ranthambhore is hot and dry in March which is perfect for tiger watching as they go to the watering holes to drink. Each safari is hugely exciting as seeing a tiger isn’t guaranteed so tracking their footprints is a thrilling process. We were also lucky enough to see three leopards during our stay which is very unusual as they are extremely illusive in the area. Kaziranga is green and lush in comparison with far fewer tourists. The Indian Rhinos’ story is a phenomenal conservation success. In 1903, there were only 15 left in the area. Now, the population is comprised of over 2,000 individuals and we saw countless rhinos on our ecoadventure. Kaziranga highlights also included with Western Hoolock Gibbon which is the only ape in India and the incredibly rare Ganges River Dolphins. If you subscribe to my YouTube channel, you’ll see films of both destinations.
How do you choose your destinations?
As I’m looking to engage travellers who are new to ecotourism and wildlife watching, I tend to choose destinations with really charismatic animals. The hope is that someone might be initially enticed by the orangutans in Borneo for example, but will then be moved by all of the other animals that live in the forests too. With regards to accommodation, I look for sustainable businesses that use renewable energy, local products and employ local people.
What makes a great eco-resort?
For me, a great eco-resort is one that encapsulates life in the community that you’re visiting. This may mean that tourists have to adapt to new types of food, accommodation and customs but you’ll definitely have a story to tell when you get home. The resort should have as little impact on the environment as possible with local people benefitting from the business.
Do you have a favourite wildlife destination/s?
I’m often asked which is my favourite wildlife destination and it’s the hardest question to answer. However, Madagascar exceeded all of my expectations and I’d visit again in a heartbeat. Due to its evolutionary history, the flora and fauna on this island are like nowhere else on the planet. With 107 species ofLemur (20% of the world’s primates), Baobab trees straight from a fantastical Disney animation, mysterious Tenrecs that resemble an otter-hedgehog hybrid, and the world’s smallest species of reptile; wildlife watching here is a truly unique experience.
However, 30,000 hectares of forest are being cut down each year in Madagascar and, if this rate continues, there will be no forest left within 25 years. Ecotourism is a viable way to make the forests worth more to the local people than turning them into agricultural land. If the Malagasy people can make a good living from guiding tourists through the forests and showing off the besotting animals it hosts, they are far more likely to protect them for many more generations.
Why is responsible ecotourism important?
People have and will always travel. Travelling itself has consequences for the planet but if you compound that impact with staying at an environmentally unfriendly mass tourism resort then a 2-week holiday has a big impact on the local area and the wider ecosystem. Choosing sustainable accommodation and immersing yourself in nature during your time off work will mean that you’ll have a much deeper respect and understanding of the place that you’re visiting. At its best, ecotourism provides employment for local people and puts a real value on areas of outstanding natural beauty. Ecotourism has also been scientifically proven to benefit wildlife conservation.
Where can we expect to see you next?
During my campaign so far I’ve travelling far and wide but I often get asked to explore ecotourism options within the UK. I’m heading to Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Scottish Highlands next for a weekend of hiking, biking and wildlife watching. This reserve is reintroducing species that have previously been removed from the area like the Red Squirrel and the European Wildcat. The owner of the reserve, Paul Lister, also hopes to reintroduce wolves back into the United Kingdom after a long absence due to being hunted to extinction.
Catherine Capon – Bio
“Having always been bewitched by wildlife, I studied ecology and zoology at Imperial College London where I was fascinated by the theories but yearned to see these exotic creatures in their environment. My first wildlife expedition was to study bats in Honduras.
I slept in a hammock and waved goodbye to all the ‘necessities’ that I’d become accustomed to living in London. I learnt to live a very simple life in that cloud forest. It was here that I experienced my first moment of pure awe – sitting on a smooth rock in the centre of a clear stream with the midnight forest singing around me. Fireflies and bats were dancing over my head and the sheer happiness that I felt moved me to tears. That moment changed my life forever and I became fiercely protective of that forest. I became an ecoadventurer.
My life since university has seen me working in wildlife filmmaking and sustainability communication. Throughout this journey, I have kept the sense of purpose that overcame me in Central America. At every opportunity, I have travelled to a new corner of this planet to see the wildlife and how the people interact with the environment around them.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit places so beautiful that no photograph can truly capture them, and along the way, I’ve tried to encourage my family and friends to join me.
It was these travels, through work and pleasure, that inspired my mission to write about and photograph the top wildlife hotspots on the planet.
I hope that by doing this, other awe-seekers and ecoadventurers will awaken and unite to live more consciously with our planet.
The hard earned cash that you spend on your wildlife holiday makes those animals worth more alive than dead. At its best, ecotourism provides employment for local people and puts a real value on areas of outstanding natural beauty.”
Almost an hour by plane to the north-east of Botswana’s legendary Okavango Delta, close to the borders with Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, lies an African conservation legend… The Selinda Reserve.
It’s hell-hot as the build up to the annual rains reaches its height, reducing the area to nothing more than a loose collection of permanent pools and lagoons dotting an otherwise parched landscape. And yet life is abundant here, and the dusty road to Selinda Camp is littered with amazing game sightings.
Guide Motsamai “Mots” Morundu marvels at how the resident wildlife copes with the heat and tells me about the success story we are traversing over.
Little more than a decade ago, this area was still home to a hunting concession before Great Plains Conservation, headed up by wildlife filmmakers extraordinaire Dereck and Beverly Joubert, took it under its wing – and introduced the concept of sustainable development, community engagement and conservation through low-impact, high-end tourism.
Mots has worked with Great Plains since it began, and sums up the concept very nicely: “it’s about making sure that what we have now, here, is valued by everyone and can be enjoyed by my children, their children, and their children’s children,” he says. “It’s not just about recycling, reducing energy and being green – it’s about being beneficial to everyone involved in it – whether you are an animal or a person,” adds Mots.
Selinda Camp, and its sister properties on the reserve – Zarafa and Selinda Explorer’s Camp – are recognised by Fair Trade Tourism, Africa’s leading sustainable tourism organisation, through its partnership with the Botswana Tourism Organisation‘s Ecotourism Certification Programme. This means that guests staying on the reserve can rest assured that their holiday spend is making a real and lasting difference to both conservation and communities.
Koketso “Koki” Mookodi is the community liaison officer for Great Plains Conservation. “For us here on the Selinda Reserve, and across all of the camps we operate, conservation underpins our business,” she says. “It’s vitally important that we equip young people with conservation knowledge and an understanding of the role that tourism plays in helping to protect our environment,” Koki explains.
“We have adopted two villages on the Delta’s panhandle – Seronga and Gudigwa – and have rolled out a conservation education programme in their schools to complement the work of the conservation clubs,” says Koki. “Through this programme the children have become conservation ambassadors, teaching their entire communities on the importance of protecting wilderness areas and the wildlife that call them home. They are also champions of our Big Cat Initiative and Rhinos Without Borders campaigns.”
The big question seems to be: “does sustainability really matter to tourists?” For Americans Celsea and Wyatt Jenkins it most certainly does. They are among a growing number of international travellers who choose to live sustainable lifestyles and select their destinations based on how sustainable they are.
“We travel widely and make a point of engaging in authentic, local experiences which benefit communities no matter where we are in the world,” explains blogger and fitness guru Celsea. “We live in San Franciso and use solar energy, recycle, give to community programmes and try to live as consciously and sustainably as we can. So it makes sense for us to choose our holidays based on how sustainable they are.”
Business developer Wyatt reinforces his wife’s viewpoint by saying that he is particularly conscious of where their holiday spend ends up. “We need to know where the money goes and feel comfortable with the footprint we leave behind us,” he says. “There has never been a greater need for sustainability in everything we do. Communities and people need to feel the benefit of tourism in places as remote and wild as this in order to see the value of protecting them for future generations.”
The sun is setting, and a breeding herd of elephants files silently past Selinda Camp, silently reinforcing the sentiments of all concerned.
Your travel choices can help to change the world, so remember to choose wisely!
More about Selinda Camp and Fair Trade Tourism
For more information on Selinda Camp, visit www.greatplainsconservation.com. For more information on Fair Trade Tourism and sustainable tourism destinations in Africa, visit www.fairtrade.travel or download the Fair Trade Traveller app free from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
They say a picture tells a thousand words. Whether you’re an aspiring amateur snapper with a passion for wildlife or a professional paparazzo looking for that perfect photographic moment, Jaci’s Lodges’ photographic safaris guarantee an encounter with some of the most sought-after wildlife subjects. And it’s not just adults who can join in the fun, but young people can also take part in these photographic excursions thanks to Jaci’s Lodges’ children’s photographic safaris.
The photographic workshops and safaris for children are unique to Jaci’s Lodges and are hosted by well known photographer, Andrew Aveley.
The aim is to have fun while learning basic photographic skills from Andrew, with a strong focus on creativity with no rules.
Having never been on safari before, a recent guest, 11-year-old Finlay McDonald from Scotland, was keen to learn how to properly capture some exciting wildlife moments with his new camera.
So that morning, instead of going out with the rest of his group, Finlay got to head out with Andrew in their own private vehicle to experience a one-on-one photography session with him!
Finlay describes Andrew as “an enthusiastic teacher with the patience of a saint!”
Andrew went through the basics of wildlife photography with Finlay, talking him through some of the more important aspects of photographing animals in their natural habitat.
“The thing he said that he thought was the most important was composition. Let the animal walk into the frame.” – Finlay MacDonald
They were lucky enough to see wild dogs as one of their first animal sightings, and Finlay managed to capture some great shots thanks to Andrew’s professional advice. They also saw two lions taking a power nap next to the leftovers of their breakfast feast; an unfortunate buffalo; tall and elegant giraffes; a warthog; and a guinea fowl in tree. What a fun morning!
Finlay enjoyed his first session so much that he asked Andrew if he would take him out a second time, but in the evening instead.
The following evening Andrew took Finlay and his family out on a drive and taught them about night photography, guiding them through some of the technicalities that a photographer must prepare for when photographing at night. For example, what to set the ISO to and how to adapt the camera to the artificial light created by the vehicle’s spotlight.
Again they were very lucky with their sightings – they saw a brown hyena with the remnants of a zebra in its mouth, a herd of elephants out on an evening stroll with their newly born calf, and two lions that had just killed a wildebeest. Seeing the lions was especially exciting as they had tried to track them down earlier that evening but when they saw Jenna, their amazing guide, they ran away. “I had a brilliant time with Andrew and extremely enjoyed my stay at Jaci’s Lodges!” – Finlay MacDonald, age 11
