The Guide's Tale Blog.

We have recently returned from a visit to two of Tanzania's biggest National Parks - Nyerere and Ruaha National Parks. These are two of the stops on on our Southern Circuit Safari ( the other park we visit on the full tour is Katavi, in remote western Tanzania).

Tanzania's Southern Circuit offers a fantastic add-on to a Northern Circuit Safari, or can be done as a stand-alone safari, with Zanzibar as an obvious add-on.

Read more about Nyerere and Ruaha in this safari blog!

South Africa offers some of the best birding on the continent. While it may not have the most number of species, it does have the most endemics. South Africa has 18 birds that are only found within her borders, but that figure jumps to 38 endemics and 30 near-endemics if you include Lesotho and eSwatini, two small nations within South Africa. In this Blog Post we look at 10 of the Best Birds to see in South Africa.

In May we finished our inaugural Birds & Wildlife of Kenya safari - 16 days covering some of the best birding and wildlife areas of Kenya. From Samburu - absolutely magical after good rains - to the Rift Valley Lakes, Kakamega Forest - a last remnant patch of rain forest that once extended much further eastwards across Kenya - to the famous Masai Mara, there was plenty to keep us occupied! Check out some great images in out Safari Photo Trip Report.

It's always more fun on the water... birding, that is. In Southern Africa birding is usually done by foot or car - car being the most used method generally, especially in national parks where there are certain creatures that can make you very glad that your medical cover is up to date. In open savanna habitat the car has certain advantages - it acts a bit like a mobile hide (or 'blind' of you are American), and also allows you to cover more distance, upping your bird daily bird count. But sitting in a car for long periods is not ideal either, and where possible, birding by boat offers a fresh perspective. Read more about the various boat trips we do on our 'Windhoek to Victoria Falls' itinerary....

There are literally hundreds of private safari lodges throughout Southern Africa, all trying to entice you, the client, into staying with them, rather than the next-door lodge, or another lodge in another country. The competition is fierce! Of course, the price tag will be the initial filter, and we find that most lodges are getting to be very experinsive overall. Some are worth it, but some aren't, and many of these tend to be a bit ostentatious (100-square foot bathrooms, 'his and hers' showers, more food than one can possibly eat etc) and just 'over the top'. Other lodges don't try to compete in this market however, but rather aim at delivering perfectly adequate food and accommodations and a good safari experience at a reasonable price. And Tuli Wilderness's Serolo Camp, in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, is just such a camp...