What’s New

In May and June of 2011 Alison and I travelled to Madagascar and southern Tanzania. This provided a real opportunity to view nature in all its glory. We were accompanied by 4 friends in Madagascar and arranged as part of our 3 weeks there, through a small local company, a 7 day float trip down the Mangoky River which wound its way through territory that is relatively pristine. We were fortunate to see some of the fabulous fauna and flora of Madagascar, much of it endemic . Lemurs of many species were observed at close quarters, as were several species of chameleons , and the fossa, largest predator in Madagascar, somewhat resembling a panther, but a unique species found only on this magical island filled with strange and wonderful beasts.

The flora, too, proved to be fascinating, much of it unique to Madagascar. Six species of baobab tree are found only on Madagascar, and the spiny forest was just that, filed with strange thorny plants, looking somewhat like cacti but definitely different.

Southern Tanzania is less visited than the northern part of the country which has the justly famous Serengeti Park, and equally well known Ngorongoro Crater. We travelled only in the south of Tanzania, spending several days in the Selous Game Reserve, the largest reserve in Africa, but less easily accessible than the northern parks. This reserve and Ruaha National Park were the focus of our “safari”. We shared this adventure with 2 friends and were able to organize our own itinerary, so this trip was a very personal one. The wildlife was extraordinary , as expected, and offered many wonderful experiences, some of them captured on camera.

Please look at the “what’s new” gallery in the portfolio section of the website to view some images from this recent trip.

We leave on December 20 , 2011 for Africa again, this time seeking to explore parts of Ghana, Togo, and Benin on the west coast of the continent. Working with a local travel company, based in Togo, the itinerary we have organized will concentrate on the cultural and ethnic richness of the region. This area is the home of voodoo, but each of the large number of different tribal groups has its own traditions and religious beliefs. We know it will be a great experience, and hope it will provide some spectacular photo opportunities too.