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The Galapagos of the Indian Ocean

Holders of the Stick of God

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Exciting flying & adventure in Africa

One of the many highlights of our journey into CAR

One of the many highlights of our journey into CAR were the Dzanga Bai Elephants. Amid the rainforests of Central African Republic there is a place where forest elephants go, unique to the Congo Basin. Here Bais are muddy sandy pools of mineral rich water within a natural clearing (arguably cleared by elephants in the first place) in the forest. Hundreds of elephants come here everyday to obtain these minerals. From an observatory platform you can spend hours watching these elephants, very different from their Savannah relatives. Forest elephants have 5 toenails on their front feet and 4 on their hind feet compared with 4 & 3 with their bush relatives. There are other differences as well which you can see in these pictures not least their long straight tusks. The large bull in these pictures had lost a tusk and was clearly nursing a painful inflammation. An incredible place to watch closely the behavior of all the different family groups. Superb interaction and a total joy to see it all unfold beneath your position on the wooden structure amid the rainforest.
#dzangabai #sangha #centralafricanrepublic #congobasin #clairessafaris #sanghalodge #forestelephants #explore #remeote #travelphotography #natgeo

Been off the grid for a week but Congo Brazzaville

Been off the grid for a week but Congo Brazzaville & a visit to Odzala Kokoua Park was fantastic. Second largest tropical rain forest in the world lying in the Congo basin. Abundant precious wildlife, forest elephant & buffalo on the edge of Lango Bai, Green pigeons & African grey parrots. Waist deep walks in water and fabulous views of magnificent trees, clear star filled night skies. Very cool place. #lango #congo #africanparks #clairessafaris #discover #forestelephant #elephants #travelphotography #africa #explore

I couldn’t leave Angola without telling you more

I couldn’t leave Angola without telling you more about Sao Martinho & the Isle Baia Dos Tigres. The Portuguese first inhabited this place for the fishing & Octopus in 1860. 2 fish meal plants & an Octopus canning factory were built. The Church was built in 1949.
They built a community along with a church, town hall, houses, a school & everything necessary to live with other people, including a runway running down the center of the village. I have seen pictures of extraordinary planes such as Dragon rapides that landed there. In 1962 the sea came up and cut off the island from the main land & their water supply. And that was the beginning of the end. By 1974 everyone had left & now remains a ghost town. Everything has been pillaged and destroyed but the remaining buildings tell an extraordinary story. The church bell was stolen by fisherman very sadly. There is something extraordinarily surreal about this place. #clairessafaris #angolaunchartedsafari #angola #explore #mystery #history #flyingsafaris #exploreafrica #nikon #deserts #natgeolandscape

I am now in Angola and what an unbelievably surpri

I am now in Angola and what an unbelievably surprising and stunning country this is. Words cannot convey the raw beauty of Iona national park, the desolate Namib desert, it goes on & on as we travel to wildly differing locations. A massive country with myriad species of plants & trees. Many endemic to parts of Angola only. Fascinating stuff & loving this place.
Iona - Espinheira arrival at sunset, more in the park, Baia dos Tigres The Ghost town ( more about that later) & The Ovamwila people.
#clairessafaris #angolaunchartedsafari #westairnamibia #angola #mystery #tigresisland #africanparks #tribesangola #travelphotography #exploreeverything #safariafrica

The kingdom of Eswatini is one of the world's last

The kingdom of Eswatini is one of the world's last remaining absolute monarchies. The king rules by decree over his 1 million subjects, most of whom live in the countryside and follow traditional ways of life. The old Buick in this post was one of the old cars in King Sobhuza’s collection. Prior to 2018 it was still known as Swaziland. Eswatini has had the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world The virus has killed countless Swazis and left thousands of orphans. A tiny but beautiful country and very safe to visit. We stayed at Reilly’s rock where we had the greatest privilege of spending time with the owners, Ted & Lizzie Reilly. Passionate conservationists and an inspiration to us all.
#swaziland #eswatini #clairessafaris #exploreafrica #offthe beatentrack #natgeo #tamantours

Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. One of the largest waterf

Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. One of the largest waterfalls in the world on the Zambezi river & seen from both Zamia and Zimbabwe. Livingstone identified these falls in 1855 naming them after Queen Victoria. The smoke that thunders. Twice the height of Niagra. At the moment there is a lot of water and the spray on the walk along the falls gave us a thorough drenching. A spectacular sight.
#victoriafalls #zimbabwe #zambia #clairessafaris #travelphotography #nikon #iphoneonly #explore #offthebeatenpath #rainbow

Burundi is a land locked country sitting in the Gr

Burundi is a land locked country sitting in the Great Rift Valley, Bujumbura the capital. With German & Belgian influences the country finally became independent in 1962. Bouts of ethnic cleansing, political instability & civil & wars have left this country economically underdeveloped and one of the poorest countries in the world. Bujumbura lies next to the stunning Lake Tanganyika the second deepest lake in the world and 676km long. Subsistence farming has left the country almost completely deforested. Two things surprised me, most of the village houses have beautiful clay tile roofs, almost Tuscan from above and large oil palm plantations which I did not know were grown there.
#burundi #bujumbura #laketanganiyka #clairessafaris #tropicairkenya #helisafaris #travelphotography #remote #freshwater

Uganda isn’t just about Mountain Gorillas. There

Uganda isn’t just about Mountain Gorillas. There is so much more to see. Queen Elizabeth National Park, many lakes in the Great Rift valley, Lake Edward & Lake George connected by the Kazinga channel 32 km in length, Katwe Salt mines, superb wildlife including Giant Forest Hogs where we were lucky to catch a glimpse. Uganda is a stunning lush country & no wonder it is often referred to as the Pearl of Africa. #clairessafaris #uganda #queenelizabethnationalpark #wildplacesafrica #helisafaris #tropicairkenya #craters #travelphotography

Uganda has more than half of the worlds mountain g

Uganda has more than half of the worlds mountain gorilla population, the next closest living relatives to humans after chimpanzees. They can live 35 -40years in the wild. At one time things looked rather bleak for the survival of these species but things have brightened in the last 20 years and populations have increased both with Mountain & lowland gorillas. A few more images of these magnificent creatures found in Bwindi Forest in Uganda. Hope to show some more pictures later of Lowland Gorillas in Odzala The Congo. Stay tuned!
#uganda #mountaingorilla #gorillatracking #endangeredspecies #clairessafaris #wildplacesafrica #natgeotravel #odzaladiscoverycamps #adventure

Uganda. The Magnificent Bwindi forest with Giant f

Uganda. The Magnificent Bwindi forest with Giant ferns, orchids & flowering creepers & intense sound of birdsong with red chested cuckoos calling in the back round. Then the familiar sound of rumbles & grunts from the family of gorillas that we spent the next hour watching. One huge silver back, a few females and several youngsters the youngest of which was only a month old. Divine. We had an open viewpoint looking down on them all; almost a perfect amphitheater laid out in front of us. A family scene of tenderness & playfulness unfolded before our very eyes. The big old silverback lay down for a sleep with all the others following suit. One cheeky youngster climbed onto the rotund stomach of his father & jumped & dived onto his fur without any reaction at all. #uganda #wildplacesafrica #gorillas #clouds #love #beauty #wild #remote

More from beautiful Tanzania. A stunning flight fr

More from beautiful Tanzania. A stunning flight from Ngorongoro with @tropicairkenya taking us over some incredible topography including Empakaai & Lengai Volcanoes & onwards to Lake Natron a mineral rich soda lake in Northern Tanzania. A breeding ground for hundreds of thousands lesser flamingoes. We didn’t see many as not the time of year. But the patterns and colours as you can see here were pretty incredible. We flew onto Serengeti flying low over the Serengeti plains dotted with Balanites trees & herds of Topi and Eland.
#tanzania #helicopters #clairessafaris #nikonphotography #amazing #Africa #offthebeatenpath #follow #explore

Beautiful Tanzania both in Ngorongoro & Grumeti. F

Beautiful Tanzania both in Ngorongoro & Grumeti. Fabulous locations. Ngorongoro Masai village, hills surrounding Lengai Crater, Lengai Crater, Lake Natron, Serengeti plains in Tanzania Sabora Tented camp Grumeti, Wonderful sightings. #tanzania #grumeti #singita #clairessafaris #tropicairkenya #travelphotography

Khartoum derailed our plans to visit the Pyramids

Khartoum derailed our plans to visit the Pyramids very sadly. I wish the very best outcome for the people of North Sudan who are really suffering this appalling situation. So we are now in Tanzania, a lot of last minute planning to get here from Eritrea but we made it. Ngorongoro off season what pleasure. The crater mists & clouds swirling& slipping down the crater rim providing wonderful dramatic visual effect. Teaming with game & beautiful birds and we seem to have the place all to ourselves. Lush and green & abundant wild flowers.
#tanzania #ngorongorocrater #clairessafaris #travelphotography #andbeyondtravel #onthemove #helicopters

More from my recent visit to Eritrea. Starting wit

More from my recent visit to Eritrea. Starting with the Opera house built over a 100 years ago. We were lucky enough to have gone inside as more often that not it remains locked. #eritrea #history #italy #clairessafaris #asmara #dhalakislands #keren #massawa #travelphotography #remote #offthebeatenpath

Eritrea What a place! Totally off the grid in term

Eritrea
What a place! Totally off the grid in terms of time lapse. Asmara full of timeless art deco buildings that are still standing but starting to crumble. An opera house no less, where all the Italians congregated after it was built a 100 years ago. Full of coffee shops with an aroma of coffee always in the air. The city is busy with bicycles and cars & a few delapitated Fiats that just keep going. People going about their daily business. Beautiful women with thick curly hair covered in swathes of Gabi cloth wrapped elegantly around their heads. Mainly Coptic Christian’s in Asmara and Muslims towards the coast and Keren.But a mixture of ethnicity and all seemingly harmonious. Bustling markets fully of fresh fruit and veg. People fighting to make a living and earning a pittance.
There is something about the Eritreans. Polite, charming, friendly and above all else welcoming. Someone described the Eritreans as people who value life over money. So the country feels very safe. Walking the streets not a problem.
Amazing scenery, mountains and winding treacherous roads built by the Italians. Everything done by the Italians and to such a high standard.
Massawa is a derelict town. Crumbling buildings destroyed during the war with Ethiopia. The Governors palace barely still standing but evidence of grandeur and opulence a very long time ago. The sea is turquoise blue and the islands of which there are around 365 with white Sandy beaches and empty of people and construction. Paradise really. Turtles, sting rays and fish are prolific. Sleeping under the stars a magic experience. We have scratched the surface of what this place has to offer. The people are longing for change. We that visit, of course, love it as it is, we have seen what change brings in our own countries, but the simplicity of life here has a charm of its own. If it were not for the economic hardships and enforced conscription and obvious suffering I would say don’t touch a thing!
#eritrea #asmara #explore #offthebeatenpath #travelphotography #architecture #dhalakarchipelago

I am about to embark on the longest & most challen

I am about to embark on the longest & most challenging safari of the last 20 years, taking in 12 countries. I will be starting in Eritrea a tiny nation of around 6 million people. From there I will travel to North Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Angola, Congo, CAR, Sao Tome & Principe finally Equatorial Guinea. I hope tell a story through my pictures & share the experiences as much as I can. 40 days and 40 nights & it is with perfect timing that I begin this adventure with start of the celebration of Easter for all the orthodox Christians around the world. Photo credit @ericlafforgue
#clairessafaris #explore #travelphotography #mystery #africa #exploretheworld #remotetravel #tropicairkenya #safari #instaphotography #courage #travelawesome #nikonphotography #adventure #bespoke

Some of my favourite Leopards seen in Botswana & K

Some of my favourite Leopards seen in Botswana & Kenya. Such a wonderful independent solitary master of stealth. Never tire of watching and following these gorgeous animals.
#Kenya #botswana #leopard #panthera #clairessafaris #travelphotography #visitkenya #safari #bushpilot #traveladdict

A few big landscapes from a 2021 trip that took me

A few big landscapes from a 2021 trip that took me to 5 African countries. Interestingly most of these shots were in North Kenya. Selection and editing takes months!! #Kenya #uganda #clairessafaris #travelphotography #visitkenya #safari #bushpilot #traveladdict

Tribes of southern Sudan, Ethiopia & Kenya. All ve

Tribes of southern Sudan, Ethiopia & Kenya. All very striking in their own way and all with their own traditions, customs and scarifications. Gorgeous colours and stunning jewelry. #kenya #laikipia #turkana #kara #mundari #pokot #clairessafaris #travelphotography #visitkenya #safari #bushpilot #traveladdict

As you can see here Zebras communicate using vario

As you can see here Zebras communicate using various facial expressions! Stripes are unique to each individual. #zebras #stripes #blackandwhite #masaimara
#Kenya #laikipia #clairessafaris #travelphotography #visitkenya #safari #bushpilot #traveladdict

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