Drumbeat Winter 20

2 3 | www.aardvarksafaris.com www.aardvarksafaris.com | As more of us travel, it gets ever harder to find those unspoilt gems that allow us to disengage for a while from our busy day to day world. How lucky we are, then, to deal exclusively in Africa where it’s still possible to find the rarely visited and unexpected. While each of our safaris is different depending on your wishes, every single one is planned with the same attention to detail so you return restored and re-energised – which is, after all, what a holiday should be about. To that end, we’ve had a busy few months travelling across Africa re-visiting old haunts and discovering the best of what’s new. Tanzania features regularly in these pages but we make no apology for covering it again in some detail - it’s a fabulous destination with many surprises away from the well-trodden routes. Lucinda has been to Mahale and Katavi out to the remote far west while Francis has been exploring, mostly on foot, some of the rarely visited northern parts. We take a good look at Zambia, where many of our team have worked, and round up the best of what’s new across safari Africa. If you’re considering time on the beach, whether as a standalone holiday or part of a safari we hope you’ll find our guide to the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles a useful read. It is Becky’s turn in the Ask the Expert seat and we start a new series focussing on some of our favourite safari camps. Do get in touch, even if you are at the earliest stages of planning. We’ll give you flawless travel with a personal touch as well as those unexpected moments that will raise your safari to the next level. We look forward to talking to you. RICHARD WELCOME TO AARDVARK SAFAR I S ’ WINTER NEWSLETTER ZAMBIA'S ZOOLOGICAL DELIGHTS 8 SEYCHELLES, MAURITIUS OR MALDIVES? Marlin Beach Lodge was a ‘go to’ on Benguerra Island when we started offering this idyllic beach spot in southern Mozambique. Soon to reopen in its new guise as Azura Marlin Beach, on a glorious stretch of white sand, we’re looking forward to an old friend returning. Mashatu is big in every sense: home to huge elephant herds, the world’s tallest mammal, the world’s biggest antelope, and theworld’s largest bird. Add luxury to the list with the opening of Mashatu Euphorbia Villas - a perfect spot to enjoy this very different Botswana reserve. Scenery takes centre stage at Kwessi Dunes - the colourful landscape a mix of red dunes, fairy circles, open plains and craggy mountains. Activities include horse riding, star gazing (truly out of this world), quad biking, nature walks and hot air balloon trips. Can you improve a legend? Well, the team at the iconic Jack’s Camp in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans think they can. After a six month rebuild, Jack’s reopens in the spring, in time for its 25th anniversary, with a luxurious new look. AZURA MARLIN BEACH Beach bliss in Mozambique MASHATU EUPHORBIA VILLAS Luxury in the Land of the Giants KWESSI DUNES Disconnect with the world in Namibia JACK’S CAMP An icon reborn in Botswana Here’s what to look out for in the 2020 crop of African openings Xigera Lodge is going to be superb. A true water camp, most wildlife viewing will be by mokoro and motorboat, with 4x4 wildlife drives when water levels permit. It’s a magnificent area, full of wildlife and a dream for birdwatchers. XIGERA SAFARI LODGE Paradise awaits in the Okavango Delta Of the treehouse-style lodges in Africa, Chisa Busanga Camp looks to be the most intriguing yet. Four treetop pods, designed to mimic weaver birds’ nests, overlook Busanga Plains’ shallowwetlands and abundant wildlife. CHISA BUSANGA CAMP Treehouse ‘nests’ in Zambia NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS 14 KATAVI & MAHALE THE ULTIMATE WILDLIFE ESCAPE