Simon Calder's Travel Week
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My (senior travel writer Natalie Wilson) dreams of a trip to see the Big Five in the wild have always felt reserved for a milestone holiday or future honeymoon. Particularly as convoys of tourists descend on safari hotspots from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti. But, determined to stop waiting, happy to glimpse even one lone elephant trunk from behind a bush – and with no prospective husband in sight – I headed to central Kenya's Borana Conservancy for a safari experience that transcended the game drive. I never expected to ride a horse across the plains, shoulder to shoulder with a dazzle of zebras. Nor did I predict welling up at the alien vision of a giraffe gently stripping an acacia tree, or being humbled during a CrossFit session with the rangers that protect the conservancy. These were just some of the highlights of my adventure in the Laikipia region earlier this month, where I tracked endangered black rhinos on foot, beaded jewellery with local Maasai women and sipped sundowners on an outcrop just like The Lion King's Pride Rock. |
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Natalie horse riding in the Borana Conservancy |
Other travel writers at The Independent have shared different walks on the wild side, from gorilla treks to female-led bush drives in Botswana. For Isabella Machin, a half-marathon run through the landscape of Borana's neighbouring Lewa Wildlife Conservancy provided miles of "complete surrealism" as she twisted and turned across the plains. Elsewhere in East Africa, on a wade through Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Bella Falk found the ultimate encounter with silverback gorillas. She writes: "Magara, the silverback of the Posho family […] now sat just a few metres away, observing us with bright amber eyes. Nearby, a cast of characters sprawled and fidgeted like relatives after Sunday lunch: teenager Bucyenura lounged on the flattened ferns, while six-year-old Rutakara perched in a tree snacking on fresh leaves." Anyone keen to drive headlong into excitement might follow in the footsteps of Victoria Richards, who faced Botswana's wilderness alongside the first female African Bush Camp guide in the Okavango Delta. "It's not for the fainthearted", she writes. The secret to safety? "Respect for the animals and for the terrain […] as long as you follow the rules of the wild and the people who understand it, you should be perfectly safe." Below is some more safari-based travel inspiration, as well as our top article picks from this week. Introducing Independent Trips: Explore the Atlas mountains on an adventure through Morocco |
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| Pilanesburg national park, just three hours' drive from Johannesburg, occupies an ancient volcanic crater created 1.3 billion years ago. Gaze down at the teeming wildlife during a one-hour hot-air balloon safari. |
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| Etosha, a Wales-sized patch of north-east Namibia, offers a succession of safari joys. Around the waterholes, watch a theatrical performance by an ark-full of creatures including nimble gazelles and slow-motion elephants. | |
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| Save on your next adventure with Cosmos tours – featuring great hotels, expert guides, and perfectly paced itineraries. Choose from Europe, North and South America, the South Pacific and Asia. Learn more. |
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| We've spotted some great deals on sailings from Southampton with MSC Cruises. Explore charming new shores and relax on board with fine dining, entertainment and attentive service. Various dates and itineraries available. Learn more. |
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| | Escape to the Cotswolds and unwind among golden stone villages and rolling hills. Great Little Breaks have some brilliant deals on Cotswolds stays, complete with added extras such as meals, drinks and excursions. Various dates available. Learn more. |
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| Best portable projectors for travel and camping |
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Ta Prohm is an otherworldly sight, where tumbling chunks of limestone are smothered with preternaturally green moss |
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| After a year of political disruption, Cambodia has finally become a celebrated destination in its own right. |
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| This serene hotel is an outstanding stay for luxury lovers who want to be close to the heart of Milan. |
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