WILDLIFE BLOG

There's nothing quite like the light in the forests at the eastern end of the safari area of Lower Zambezi National Park. I love it at any time of year, but the best light of all comes early in the dry season (May-Jul) when there is some dust in the air to give colour but the light is still strong and directional. There are about 30 minutes each morning and evening when there's nowhere to [...]

Botswana is a year-round safari destination. There are extraordinary sightings to be had in any season and the unique hydrology of the area ensures that it will always be beautiful. We chose to visit at the end of the rainy season, when the habitat is rich and lush, and just before the major flood waters arrive from the Angolan highlands. In fact, it was one of the wettest years on record, so the experience was [...]

I had already been in the Serengeti ecosystem for 4 weeks when I began this trip, and I was very excited to get started again. The previous trip followed a similar itinerary and we had experienced extraordinary events -- true, we had been patient, waited for long periods and invested many hours to get the shots, but it had been well worth it. Additionally, there had been a lot of rain during that trip, with [...]

There's not too many destinations where my guests decide to revisit before we have even completed the previous trip. But the thrill of the Serengeti ecosystem (when experienced in the right way) is very strong and it lures us back. So I was excited to spend 3 weeks across 3 camps in the Serengeti ecosystem, with the guidance of Asilia's excellent team. We targeted the trip to overlap the arrival of the long rains; this [...]

October in Zambia is hot. Really hot! Night time temperatures hover around the 28'C mark, and thermometers reach 42'C and above during the heat of the day. Why on Earth would anyone travel at this time? The answer is that these hot conditions coincide with the end of the dry season, when vegetation has died back, water sources have dried up and game-viewing conditions are at their best. But that's not all; not only are [...]

It was great to welcome the Singh Family back to Zambia for safari with me. We had enjoyed a great trip in 2023 and we'd also travelled together in the Serengeti in March 2024 and I had visited them in India in October 2024 (read more about their incredible SUJÁN safari camps). But I was now back on home turf in Zambia and keen to share safari time once more. 2025 has been a dry [...]

There are some trips where I feel entirely comfortable that my group will have a great experience. I can't be sure of the sightings, of course, but I can be sure that I'll be able to make good on my promise to find whatever is out there. Trips that include Classic Zambia's camps fall into this category. Their approach to camp management is to ensure that the whole experience is geared towards safari: early breakfasts [...]

The South Luangwa has been my home for the last 16 years and I have increasingly enjoyed the shoulder season months for the rich light, cooler days and vivid colours. May is especially a beautiful month which always gives great wildlife sightings as well as the chance to enjoy them before the increase in visitor numbers of July to October. I led this small-group trip out of 2 camps in the Luangwa - and then [...]