Not the Garden Route

Not the Garden Route - finding an alternative to the busry tourist trail

The Garden Route used to be the Grand Tour of South Africa for discerning travellers but its popularity has come at a price. South Africa is a well-populated country and when that population is on holiday the roads are filled with a constant flow of traffic. What were once scenic villages have sprawled into large towns; there are theme parks and tourist shops. So if not the Garden Route, then what?

The alternative is not a route as such but a range of options to be built into a bespoke itinerary. International travellers may wish to cherry pick the best bits of the Garden Route - the winelands and the Hermanus coast – and these are easily accessible on privately guided day trips from Cape Town - while staying in the old world luxury of a grand colonial hotel with wonderful gardens, swimming pools, tennis courts and first class white glove service.

Cape Town itself offers so much to delight visitors that it provides an excellent base for a Not the Garden Route trip. Cape Town is steeped in a wine and foodie culture with gourmet markets, world class restaurants, vibrant life style design and fascinating history as well as beaches, surfing, sailing, walking, biking, watersports and whale-watching in season.  

Add to this a trip up to Western Cape for quirky coastal villages, fabulous seafood, tea plantations, rugged mountains, wildlife and rock paintings - and particularly breath-taking during the spring flower season (August/September). 

When asked to produce a bespoke itinerary for guests, I usually start by booking tables at the very best restaurants, where waiting lists are up to six months. Creating this kind of itinerary requires a lot of local knowledge but thankfully booking via a specialist agent like ourselves costs no more than booking direct, our recommendations are unbiased and our private guides are the very best. 

What next for Africa?

Nowhere is evolution, in all its forms, more apparent than in Africa. But it is not just flora and fauna that have evolved over millennia; over the last few decades the continent’s tourist industry has evolved too. From Edwardian game safaris for the rich and privileged to mass market holidays, opportunities for travellers have undergone something of a transformation. Demand for individually tailored itineraries for discerning clients, away from the tourist hotspots, however, remains high. So what are the trends emerging in this sector and what’s next for Africa?

The pristine Okavango Delta wilderness, Bostwana

One of the major developments has been in eco-tourism. With preservation and protection of native habitats at its heart, eco-tourism is a partnership between governments, operators and the indigenous populations. One of the very best examples of this is Botswana where authorities retain a degree of control, monitoring the environmental impact of camps and operations, advising on changes of sites if existing sites have adversely impacted the area in which they operate. Those who hold leases for the concessions are willing partners in the drive to sustainable eco-tourism because it is Botswana’s stability and green credentials that help to make it such a desirable tourist destination.

Another example of eco-tourism at its best is Singita, where wildlife conservation, “touching the earth lightly”, anti-poaching and the re-introduction of black rhino projects are key to driving their ethical conservation ethos into the twenty-first century.        

Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, from Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Elsewhere, as many of the traditional safari destinations have become more popular there has also been a trend amongst experienced African adventurers towards exploring lesser-known countries to see untouched wildlife in unspoilt locations. Rwanda is a comparatively new destination and gorilla-watching safaris have been developed in co-operation with local populations who now benefit from their conservation which deters poaching.

Madagascar is another destination to watch out for, providing diverse beaches as well as unusual wildlife and interesting culture. In the 1980s I used to lead groups for the British Museum there but it became difficult to guarantee consistent standards. Thankfully new camps and lodges have emerged in recent years and we are excited to be returning there. I am visiting in 2016 for a refresher trip to ensure we can provide our guests with meticulously designed itineraries covering the highlights of this unique country.

Privately guided safaris have always been the very best way to explore and get the best from any trip. Not only do they bring a wealth of experience and local knowledge, they are able to ensure that every member of a group has his or her interests catered for, working with the individual operators on the ground to maximise opportunities to really experience select and unspoilt areas.

Soren Lindstrom

Many private guides learned their craft as hunting guides. One of our longest-standing relationships is with the legendary Soren Lindstrom who started his career as a professional hunter but since 1989 has been working with us to guide photographic safaris across Africa. His interest is, however, in no way limited to big game. He continues to be a leading expert on birds, plants and flowers and his passion for all aspects of the natural world is infectious.

As time marches on, it has also been important to build working relationships with a newer generation of guides. This has been done through contacts, regular visits and feedback from guests and Bushbuck is proud to work with the highest calibre guides across virtually every country in Southern and East Africa.

At Bushbuck, we know that time does not stand still and in order to ensure that our loyal clients are never disappointed, we continue to evolve our destinations and operators. The fact that many of our clients return year after year is testament to this, some returning for their 14th/15th safari with Bushbuck; as is the fact that many former young clients are now returning with their own families to experience the very best that Africa has to offer.

Conservation and communities

Sustainable eco-tourism brings fresh water to some of the most remote villages

The safari industry plays a hugely important role in supporting responsible tourism on the African continent. So, although a safari is first and foremost a hugely enjoyable and memorable experience for those taking part, it is also worth considering how supporting responsible organisations enables visitors to play a part in helping conservation and communities.

For Africa to remain the captivating safari destination that it is, it is important, however, that tourism is not allowed to exist unfettered by ethical and practical limitations. The key is sustainable eco-tourism, whereby there is minimal impact on the environment with local communities also receiving benefit. This in turn helps to preserve habitats and wildlife. 

Without visitors and the financial benefits to communities which tourism brings, many of the vast and varied habitats across the continent would soon succumb to the drive for human expansion. To generate income for the indigenous population, alternatives would have to be found including agriculture, which inevitably encroaches on the fringes of wild areas; and without ethical and practical controls, poaching would also have a serious impact on already-threatened wildlife populations.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
Rwanda's first ever community lodge, helping
communities and thus protecting gorillas

Travelling with responsible organisations which support eco-tourism will go a long way to ensuring that a sustainable balance is found. These operators employ local staff and are involved with community projects - sponsoring education, supporting or building rural schools, initiating healthcare facilities and educating local communities in conservation. Many also become involved in much needed wildlife research. 

In some cases, local communities own land which has been set aside specifically for wildlife-based tourism and bed night fees go into community coffers. Within these areas, there may be camps and lodges which are actually owned by the communities themselves; the bed night levies from these help to sustain the population and support their way of life. In turn, this helps to encourage them to preserve wildlife habitats for future generations. 

Northern Kenya
Camel safaris provide employment to remote communties

Sadly, simply supporting communities is not, however, quite enough. Even with the financial benefits of sustainable tourism, poaching remains a tragic problem across Africa. Driven by financial incentives, the illegal poaching for rhino horn and elephant ivory is well publicised and is decimating populations. At Bushbuck, we support Tusk and encourage our guests to do the same.  Tusk not only works to protect wildlife, but also to helps alleviate poverty through sustainable development and education amongst the rural communities who live alongside the wildlife.  

Using a responsible agent, working with operators who deliver sustainable eco-tourism, will ensure that the impact of tourism is a decidedly positive one; benefitting not only communities but also wildlife, both now and into the future.

Riding safaris for the experienced

Riding with zebra, Masai Mara, Kenya

For those used to hunting or eventing, finding a suitable riding safari can present a challenge. After all, some operators in Africa cater for a range of abilities and, inevitably, in some cases this can mean that they have to take into account the fact that not all guests have the same degree of ‘stickability’. While they will do their best to cater for a variety of abilities, slower and safer rides can be frustrating for those who have hunted all their lives and relish galloping across varied terrain.

Thamalakane River Ride, Ride Botswana

David Foot of Ride Botswana, who runs a number of rides in both the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert, is reassured when he sees ‘hunting’ on a guest’s form - he knows they will be able to cope with the pace of his more challenging rides. And while there is capacity to take special care of less experienced riders within a group, he is at pains to point out that if a ride is categorised as being for the experienced, that means being able to sit securely on a good horse at a flat out gallop across rough terrain. 

Tristan Voorspuy of Offbeat Safaris offers perhaps the most challenging and exciting riding for guests in a number of locations including the Masai Mara. His five or ten day rides are not for the faint-hearted but they do provide thrills and spills sufficient to satisfy the most experienced cross-country rider.

Offbeat Safaris, Kenya

The advantages of matching riding ability to operator, ride and terrain are obvious. Viewing game close up is not without its risks, but galloping alongside herds of wildebeest or among zebra is truly thrilling. As is seeing an elephant at close hand or galloping in a moonlit desert. But if an operator is confident about the abilities of a group, more risks can be taken and experience is often enhanced by the frisson of a little bit of danger.

Drinks stop, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana

At Bushbuck Safaris we are always happy to discuss the exact abilities and ambitions of every guest, whether travelling in a group or as a single person, and we will advise on all aspects of a trip so that we can ensure the reality matches the dream. Prices are the same whether you book through Bushbuck Safaris or directly through an operator so there is nothing to lose and an awful lot to gain.

Why a combined riding safari delivers a better experience

The zebra migration on the Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari. Botswana

Warning: when planning a riding safari, using a specialist riding holiday agency may lead to disappointment. Of course, it sounds counter intuitive, but bear with me. Those who specialise in riding safaris may know a lot about individual riding operators across Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, but that is where their expertise ends. Few of them know much about the wider questions associated with your holiday.

Boating safaris in the Okavango Delta with Jacques Conradie

Is this a good time of year for game viewing in this particular area? Should we stay in one place for a whole week? What will the non-riders do all day? What else is there on offer other than riding? Where else should we consider visiting to give us the best overall game viewing?

You only have to meet people who have spent five days riding around in one spot, at the wrong time of year, and without seeing anything more exciting than a stray baboon to know that sometimes focusing just on the riding element can be mistake. Of course it is important to know about the quality of horses and the facilities of the camp, but few people invest in a safari to simply fly in, ride and visit one place.

Consider this: wildlife areas with high populations of lion or other dangerous mammals are not generally suitable for riding. By definition, environments that are safe for horses may exclude some of the most interesting animals.

Best not seen from a horse: 

a lioness viewed from a vehicle, Selinda, Botswana

For most, a combined safari works better; visiting other areas which may be higher in predators and big game and enjoying game viewing from vehicles, boats or on foot, for a complete game viewing experience. The riding element of the trip should be central to the planning but it should not be its sole purpose. 

An experienced African agent, who also specialises in riding safaris, will know all the options and will be able to advise you on the best camps (and the best times of year) to meet your needs. Nor should their safaris cost you any more than booking a riding safari direct. But they will also give you inside knowledge about the other opportunities available within a reasonable distance which will enhance your trip, delivering a better all-round experience and lasting memories. 

When is a tent not a tent?

A tented room at Kings Pool, Botswana

Anyone who has ever wondered whether they would find a tented safari in Africa a bit primitive needs to reconsider their definition of the word ‘tent’. For many of us the word conjures up images of soggy canvas, constricted space, outdoor ablutions and charred food. But tented camps in Africa have taken the term ‘tent’ and elevated it to a whole new level. Think glamping and then double or treble it, adding a long list of creature comforts along the way. This is luxury at the highest end of the scale; and tents are veritable palaces. While some retain an element of canvas, at the top end of the scale, they come with thatched roofs and wooden floors, vast canopied beds and sumptuous armchairs, flushing loos and power showers, decks, day beds and plunge pools.

Bathroom with a view: Serra Cafema Camp, Namibia

Of course, you don’t go on safari simply to enjoy the indoor facilities. So it is important when selecting camps to visit to ensure that you will be visiting areas with great game viewing too. Many of the top camps have been long established in the best spots in the finest concessions, making game viewing from your own terrace a realistic prospect. What is more, from the dining and sitting areas of the camp, it is often possible to see animals crossing a river or grazing in the near distance. This is what makes a high end safari so special: privileged game viewing without any compromise to your creature comforts.

Pride of lions viewed close up from game vehicle at Selinda Reserve, Botswana

Proximity to big game delivers an inevitable thrill, but not at the expense of safety. Viewing from specialist safari vehicles gets you extremely close to animals, especially in areas where they have established trust that these large mobile objects will do them no harm. The expertise of local guides, working with a network of trackers, will ensure that you have the best chance of seeing whatever game is in your area, but they also have deep knowledge of the wildlife they are following and will ensure that no risks are taken.

Sundowners, Linyanti Reserve, Botswana

Game drives are usually early in the morning, followed by a delicious breakfast; and evening game drives are never undertaken without the traditional ‘sundowner’ overlooking a breath-taking view. There is no compromise with food and drink; they are an important aspect of the high end safari experience. Fresh food is flown in regularly and chefs are highly skilled, so after an excellent lunch you have nothing to do but snooze the afternoon away. And that is where the tent comes in.

Riding safaris - horses for courses

When it comes to riding safaris, the expression “horses for courses” is particularly apt. For a start, the horses being ridden by guests will be specialists in their discipline; whether it is the Kalahari salt pans, the deserts of Namibia, the open plains of Kenya or the waters of the Okavango Delta, they all require horses with specialist experience in that type of terrain.

Thamalakane River Ride, Botswana

Different operators favour different types of horse. In the Okavango, one of the stables favours the Boerperd, a stocky small horse breed with a calm temperament that originated in South Africa. Less prone to accidents or sensitive to cuts and scratches, they are resilient in an environment where puncture wounds are a habitual issue and vets are many miles away.

Others prefer cross-breeds with Shire, Appaloosa, Clydesdale traits bred into thoroughbred and native stock. The common factor with all these, however, is not their conformation or looks but their suitability for the job. Schooling is, of course, important because visiting riders require a responsive animal. But training a safari horse requires more: they must be habituated to game, willing to gallop if required or stand still and graze while their riders watch and photograph game.

First familiarisation ride, Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari, Botswana

Sourcing the right horses and then training them is one aspect of the process for riding safari operators, but the second is matching each horse with a suitable rider (or vice versa depending on your perspective).

Everyone has their own system for matching up the abilities of riders and horses on a safari. Ahead of the guests’ arrival, they will have completed forms indicating their size, weight and level of ability. But many operators will have to read between the lines because one person’s definition of experience may not be the same as another’s.

Riding for beginners at Ant's Nest, Waterberg, SA

In some cases, it will transpire that the individual has very little actual experience of riding across rough country. Those who ride regularly in a school will have a high level of technical ability but may lack the ‘stickability’ of those who hunt or enjoy endurance riding. In very rare cases, it may become apparent that someone has exaggerated their ability and a riding test will reveal that they simply cannot ride safely in open terrain.  Then there is a problem.  

Ultimately, safety is paramount and an experienced riding safari consultant will advise the safari best suited to your ability. Ant’s Nest in South Africa, for example, is perfect for complete beginners and at Royal Tree Lodge in Botswana, there is an enclosed park of over a thousand acres which provides a safe predator-free environment for the less experienced. Whereas galloping across the Masai Mara with Offbeat Safaris is not for the faint-hearted.

Full pelt with Offbeat Safaris, Kenya

At the other end of the scale, others may be unnecessarily modest or cautious when completing a form but would ultimately become bored riding a very quiet horse. These people are likely to be spotted at the very beginning and changed onto something more suitable. Subtle signs need to be read by the guide to ensure that the best matches are made. One experienced safari operator looks at the size of women’s hands as an unspoken indicator of their experience, working on the theory that their hands are larger than average from years of being around horses.

In the end it is not, of course, an exact science, but an expert will be able to help you to find the best operators and terrain to meet your expectations together with guidance on relaying an accurate picture of your ability.