Botswana Odyssey | 2 tents available | 16-24 Sept 2012

Just a quick note to update you on Brad's Botswana Odyssey safari in September. We have just two tents left, so four more people can still join us.

Brad will be guiding this safari and would love to have you along. For a better idea as to what to expect, please take a look at our Botswana Odyssey video taken at a similar time last year.

More information:
The Okavango Delta is a place without peer. Aptly described as a "sea of land, land of water" it is without a doubt one of the last great wilderness areas in Africa. It is breathtakingly beautiful and abounds with game. September is the peak of the game-viewing with elephants, plains game and predators. We will embark on a very special journey starting in the Jao Flats of the north-west and finishing in the incredibly productive ephemeral floodplains of the Chitabe area in the southern central Okavango. The central portion of the trip involves a 3 day trans-Okavango by motorboat, camping on remote islands.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa - Blue Mountains

By Rich Field: To be honest I wasn’t expecting a 10 am wildlife drive through the Wolgan Valley to be too productive.  There are an abundance of kangaroos and wallabies in the valley (including four albino wallaroos), but the sightings are always best in the early morning and late afternoon.  I was just hoping to get an idea of the lay of the land for future excursions, and certainly not expecting to do any serious wildlife photography.

However this all changed when we reached Naglow Knoll – a small well vegetated hillock with a fantastic view of the incredible Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, as well as the valley itself.

I was walking up the hill with Ben, the head guide at Wolgan Valley, when a rustle in the bush caught our attention. I saw a flash of thick reptilian skin and thought perhaps a python might be disappearing into the bush. A second glance however showed two enormous goannas engaged in what appeared to be a fairly significant battle.

Initially I thought it might have been a mating ritual, but the length and the sheer ferocity of the battle seemed to indicate that it might have been two males fighting over territory. They would scratch, shove and bite each other, with one repeatedly tearing chunks out of the others shoulder, but neither looking like they were willing to give up any time soon. A half hour (and over 200 photos later) the pair was still going, but we needed to press on.

With glorious accommodation and facilities, phenomenal food (including a 7 course dinner with matching wines) and a great wilderness on your doorstep, Wolgan Valley Resort Spa in my opinion offers Sydney’s best weekend away!

By Pedro O’Connor: Marg and I also recently had the opportunity to explore Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, and would like to share our thoughts.

The resort is a 3 hour drive from Sydney through stunning sandstone escarpment and large eucalypt country. The ultimate access is by helicopter via the Blue Mountains National Park with scenic views of The Three Sisters enroute. The resort is situated on 4,000 acres and is a haven for those seeking an authentic, rural Aussie experience without compromising on any luxuries.

The abundance of wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and birdlife is outstanding. Whether in a vehicle, on bicycle, horseback or on foot one can get up close to the animals.

For avid hikers the nearby forest trails offer all levels of adventure that take in several different bio climates hence markedly different vegetation and abundant birdlife.

One of Wolgan’s greatest assets is its staff, many are locals who have a great passion for their home turf and are always proud to espouse their knowledge on the’ must see and do’ activities in the region.

The resort has no age restriction making it an ideal family destination for a short break.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Zambezi Trek and Paddle - Sept 2011

By Brad Horn: I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some footage of a "trek and paddle" safari I guided last month. This trip involved a couple of nights acclimatising in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe before flying into Mana Pools National Park in the Zambezi Valley. We proceeded to walk across Mana over three and a bit days covering a total of around eighty kilometres. We then had a two night "spell" and the beautiful Ruckomechi Camp before paddling back down the river over two days to the start point. There are few safaris that come close to this for adrenalin and action. The old saying, "from a vehicle you see Africa but on foot you feel Africa" never holds truer than in this case. Mindblowing!

To view some highlights of this amazing trip please click on the below video footage.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tanzania and Rwanda - Family Safari - June 2011

By Brad Horn:  I recently had the pleasure of guiding a great family out of Washington DC on a safari to Tanzania and Rwanda.  This was the family's third African safari with Epic, having been previously to Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.  The focus of this trip was the migration in the Serengeti and the mountain gorilla's of Rwanda.

Ordinarily in the latter part of June the migration is principally in the western and lower sections of the northern corridor of the Serengeti. We hedged our bets by choosing two camps; one in the west and the other a little further north. This way we covered all bases. If the migration was more advanced than normal or lagging somewhat we would still be within striking distance. It was just as well we did as this year the migration moved north very early with only rear guard elements still in the western corridor. We did however hit "paydirt" at the more northern location, the Grumeti Reserves.

The Serengeti is such a vast expanse of wilderness and it never ceases to deliver on the game experience. To see the migration in all its glory is certainly one of the wonders of the nature and something that everyone should see at least once in their life. It is hard to comprehend the sheer mass of animals. It is even harder to capture the scale effectively on film. In addition to the million or so bleating wildebeest, all the usual suspects were in attendance; lion, cheetah, hyena, elephants, buffalo and a host of other plains-game species. One of the highlights of the trip was a balloon ride over the Serengeti's vast plains. Words can't describe how special it is silently floating above the animals.

From the Serengeti we flew onto Rwanda and embarked on two days trekking for the highly endangered mountain gorillas. With only 700 or so of these animals left on earth, they are a very rare commodity. In my experience Rwanda delivers the best gorilla experience and it certainly didn't fail to measure up. Our two days couldn't have been more different; the first was a challenging day from both a terrain and weather perspective. The gorilla family we were visiting were lodged deep in a re-entrant. Luckily we were all in good physical shape to make the most of the day. My clients were real troopers and revelled in the challenge. We were rewarded with good viewing including seeing two mothers with very young twins. It is very rare for gorilla's to give birth to twins. The second day was much easier; the weather was fine and we chanced upon the gorillas in a clearing in the forest. We spent a magical hour with a family of 13 gorillas, including the biggest silverback in the Virunga Mountains named Gahonda (weighing an impressive 220 kgs – 480Ibs) all around us. What a way to finish the safari!

To view some highlights from their amazing trip please click on the below video footage.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Botswana - Trans Okavango - New Video & Report

By Brad Horn: I recently returned from an incredible safari in Botswana.  This realised a long held dream to conduct a transect of the famed Okavango Delta by boat from north to south.  In all my years of living in Botswana and guiding safaris there I never took the time to partake in a trans-Okavango.  Well, good things come to those that wait.  It exceeded all expectations and more!

The trip started in the Kalahari Desert where we spent a couple of days in a wonderful little camp called Kalahari Plains. The Kalahari has just enjoyed a fantastic wet season so the landscape was alive. I have never seen Oryx (gemsbok) in such numbers. One of the highlights was sleeping under the stars on a moonless night. The umbrella of stars is so clear in the pristine unpolluted environment of the Kalahari it is almost suffocating.

From the Kalahari we flew north into the Okavango. Talk about going from the "sublime to the ridiculous". Northern Botswana has enjoyed a double average wet season. Add to this the fact that the highlands of Angola (which supplies the majority of the water to the Okavango) have had similar rains. The Okavango is experiencing the biggest flood in a generation plus. Talk about a "sea of land and a land of water"! Prior to our boating sojourn we spent a deal of time in helicopters over-flying the delta.  It is only from the air that one really gets an appreciation of the extent of floodwaters. Many a safari operator is scrambling to bund airstrips and camps. We also took time to visit the fabled Tsodilo Hills on the north-western extremity of the delta to see the famous bushman rock art. This was a very special side trip.

From the heli's it was into the boats. We didn't see another soul on the water for the next three days (until we got south towards the buffalo fence). Where else in the world can you experience such solitude these days? The game-viewing and scenery were spectacular.

To get a feel for what's in store, check out the below video.  I hope it does the trip justice.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Epic Kilimanjaro Climb - February 2011

By Brad Horn: Epic Private Journeys led another successful climb up Kilimanjaro via the scenic Machame route.  Led by Kevin Jackson the team of six experienced a variety of weather throughout the climb including periods of rain, snow, wind and sun as they progressed through the various ecosystems. The team consisted of 5 Australians from the beautiful town of Townsville on the northeast coast of Queensland.

The group was assisted by 44 local porters and guides who created an amazing experience on the mountain for the team. As we climbed through the various camps we were welcomed with an unusually low snow level that made for fantastic views. Each camp offered a different vantage point of all three volcanoes as we slowly made our approach to Barafu Camp.

Once we made it to Barafu Camp, our final camp before the summit, we were provided with unobstructed views of the summit and Mt. Mwenzi.  Our team prepared for the summit with a hearty meal and an early night.

We set off for the summit at 11.50 pm with a team rally as we embarked on our long tourney into the dark. As we progressed through the night our team pushed through the urge to make stops and slowly plodded along until we all made it to Stella Point just before 5.30 am.

We spent 20 minutes sharing hot tea before continuing onto the summit. Only as short 45 minutes away, the views of the glaciers and deep into the crater are enough to keep everyone moving slowly as the sun begins to break through the clouds. As we reached 5,895 meters, and Uhuru peak, the tallest point in Africa, we were rewarded with a sunrise that rivaled any other. Our entire team made the summit and after a few images and video clips we made our way back down to the mountain to Mweka Camp for a final night on the mountain.

This was a spectacular climb with a great family, crew and team. Epic is proud of everyone and is excited to be able to share stories with those involved.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Community project - Gibaso Village, Tanzania

By Rob Barbour: Bill and Vonnie Wavish came on an Epic Safari which I guided to the Ngorongoro Crater, the northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara in August of 2010. They came with a group of friends to celebrate Vonnie's 50th Birthday.  Whilst at Serengeti Mara Camp in the Lamai Wedge (in the far north Serengeti) Raymond Teekishe - Conservation and Community Development Manager for AfrikaAfrika - and I gave a presentation on the efforts that AfrikaAfrika and Epic were doing in terms of conservation and community development.  As a result of this discussion Vonnie and Bill made an on the spot commitment to fund the building of a teacher's house in Gibaso Village.  This project was high on the development agenda of the Gibaso Village Government.  The house will be in honour of Vonnie's mother and so will be known as the Colleen Bayliss School Teacher's House.

A building plan was acquired with the help of Tanzanian National Parks and the project commenced in January 2011, ably managed by Raymond Teekishe himself.  Ray has been very conscious to ensure all the contracts are allocated to local village members whilst building.

We expect the project to be completed some time in late March or early April.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Gorillas, Iconic Tanzania and Chole Island (near Zanzibar)

By Heather Moreau (Director, Operations):  I have recently returned from an extended trip through Rwanda and Tanzania visiting a number of Epic’s key preferred properties.  I was fortunate enough to start with trekking to observe the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. This was one of the most rewarding and thrilling adventures I have ever experienced!  Despite having visited Africa many times before, this one hour with a band of gorillas, of which Agasha – a 200 kg male – is the head, was one of the most memorable of my life.

I then travelled to the Ngorongoro Crater, an absolute icon, where I indulged in the opulence of Crater Lodge. From there I travelled to the Grumeti Reserves (the Singita properties are stunning) and the northern Serengeti. The sheer vastness and stunning beauty of these open and expansive plains dotted with granite kopjes never cease to amaze me.  The migration hadn’t quite made its way south and I was just in time to witness a crossing of the Mara River.  I stayed in a traditional tented camp and loved the feeling of being connected to the bush once again – canvas, bucket showers and all the unmistakable sounds of Africa.

It was then down to the remote and contrasting Ruaha National Park, now Tanzania’s largest Park, and the land of the giant baobabs.  Although much drier than the north at this time, the landscape was nonetheless as picturesque and the game viewing as good.  Kigelia Camp is also a tented camp and was superb - spacious tents, great food and the staff were lovely.  I then hopped over to the Selous and to Sand Rivers, which is located on a bend in the Rufiji River with open cottages raised to take in the view and allow the hippos room to move at night.

I left the dust of safari for the coast and flew to Zanzibar where I enjoyed a walking tour of Stone Town and Matemwe in the north-east for some beach time, a perfect add-on to any safari and for those wanting to take in the culture and history of the island.

Chole Island and Chole Mjini Lodge was my next stop –  an untouched, pristine marine haven for diving, snorkelling and swimming with whale sharks.  The local village is supported by the lodge and the village visit was a highlight of my stay. I stopped in at the primary school and saw projects being undertaken here such as boat building, still all done by hand.  I finished with a luxurious night at The Oyster Bay, a beautiful boutique hotel in Dar es Salaam – before heading home.

Rwanda and Tanzania are two countries that should be put into everyone’s “top 10”.

To find out more, please contact us at epic@epicprivatejourneys.com 

Wilderness adventure in Australia's remote Kimberley region

Trekking, paddling and abseiling their way through the remote north-western Kimberley region of Australia, Brad Horn and his small group of like-minded adventurers have just returned from a spectacular trip. Challenging, yet intensely satisfying, they lapped up the wilderness and camped in swags each night. Of course an Epic expedition wouldn't be right without a little luxury thrown in - they finished up with an extended low level helicopter flight through the dramatic landscape.

Check out the video to get the full picture.

This adventure was designed for a group of friends all wishing to push themselves and test their mettle in a challenging environment. Please note that we can fully tailor to suit a variety of fitness levels.

Wildebeest Rescue in the Northern Serengeti

For years, poaching has been a way of life (and a means of income) for some Tanzanians in the northern Serengeti region. It is due to the constant monitoring of the area and diligence from the likes of Epic's own Rob Barbour and his associates, that the wilderness is now being seen as worthy of protection. 

By Rob Barbour:  Ray Teekishe (our Community and Conservation Manager) and I were doing a liaison visit to the Kenyanganga and Lamai Ranger Posts in the northern Serengeti in September.  Sadly we came across quite a number of wire snares.  As we continued to find them and pull them up we found a young wildebeest alive and still caught in one of the vicious contraptions. 

Despite its very sharp horns I managed to get a small acacia between me and its horns which allowed me to release it safely.  Amazingly, its only wound was a small laceration on its lower right back leg.  It was able to walk but did not appear thankful for its rescue. Ray courageously took the pictures from on top of the bonnet of the Landrover while shouting encouragement (mainly to the wildebeest). 

We are picking up a lot of wire snares and cooperating with TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks). Our presence in the area and our collaboration with the local community will hopefully offer them choices other than poaching and at least discourage them to be in the Park. 

For more details on the conservation efforts taking place within the Lamai Wedge region, and other areas of East Africa, please do not hesitate to contact us.

New Botswana & Zambia Video

By Brad: Here is a short video taken in Botswana and Zambia, while guiding clients there recently.

It was an incredible safari with some amazing game interaction.

You will see that we enjoyed many close up encounters including witnessing a cheetah kill, a couple of wonderful sightings of the highly endangered wild dog, leopard on a kill, and numerous fantastic experiences with elephants.

Sardine Run - Great Migration of the Sea | 26 Jun - 3 Jul 2011

Epic Photo School 2010, with Greg du Toit

The plans for a photographic expedition had been in the pipeline for quite sometime, and last week saw the launch of the Epic Photo School. This is a brand new safari product and caters specifically for wildlife and nature photographers. The Epic Photo School functions much like a normal safari but with a few important distinctions:

The first being that you are hosted by internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer Greg du Toit (http://www.gregdutoit.com/), who guides and coaches you every step of the way. While on safari, photographers draw on Greg’s extensive bush knowledge and photographic skills, as he highlights unique photographic opportunities and shares camera settings and techniques. The second important distinction making Epic Photo School unique, are the specially designed lessons presented each day. These lessons have been created by Greg and, drawing from his years of wildlife photographic experience, are especially aimed at nature photographers. The course content is structured to contain all the necessary information required to become an expert photographer and cater for all levels of photographers from complete novices through to semi-professionals. As part of the lesson time, each photographer receives valuable feedback on their own work, allowing each to grow and develop in their own personal style of photography. Lastly, the Epic Photo School is unique in that it aims to take photographers to the best wilderness and photographic locations on the African continent.

With the completion of the inaugural Photo School just last week, this comes in hot off the press from Greg:

The Photo School kicked off in the far Northern Serengeti where we all met for the first time on the Kogatende airstrip, after flying in from various corners of the globe. The group was diverse and consisted of a couple from Sydney, Australia (he an avid photographer, while his wife was simply along to enjoy a sublime wildlife safari), a gentleman from Washington D.C., and a CSN sports photographer with an accomplished portfolio of sports images (including impressive subjects such as Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal - need I say more). We had a guy in from the UK and with his 500mm F4 at the ready, I knew he meant business from the start. And lastly, a Kenyan born lady, now living in the English countryside, although a little nervous at first on the technical aspects of photography, soon proved to have a very artistic eye.

With the group assembled, we met our guide Alex who gave a full brief on how the migration works and where we would soon find the gnus! The base camp for Photo School lay in the far-flung reaches of the northern Serengeti in an area called the Lamai Wedge. Our comfortable mobile camp was positioned right slap bang in the middle of the annual wildebeest migration. So much so, that each night, we were lulled asleep by the moans and groans of millions of wildebeest. A strangely soothing sound I might add! What made this location so unique was the utter lack of other vehicles in the area. Every sighting we had all to ourselves with no one else around, which allowed us to photograph each scene uninhibited as we worked every conceivable angle. The migration has become a popular feature on the international wildlife calendar, and as a result it draws large crowds each year. We however, due to the camp’s excellent location, had the entire migration all to ourselves!

Our days in the Lamai Wedge began with an early 05h30 start. This meant that we were out in the field when it was still dark and most days had found a subject before the sun was up. This allowed us to photograph in the warm and golden morning light! We spent the rest of the mornings out in the field and would stop for a bush breakfast, before returning to camp at midday for lunch. After a short siesta, we met in the dining tent for Photo School. I had carefully planned a series of fun and practically relevant lessons which included the following topics: RAW vs JPEG, exposure compensation, metering, histograms, dynamic range, focus, composition, modes, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, fill flash and light. The course material is specifically designed to first provide a solid foundation upon which each photographer can build. As the Photo School progressed, the lessons moved through to intermediate levels and finally we finished with advanced topics such as fill flash. For each lesson, I drew examples from my own work and I also gave the group feedback on their own photographs taken during the morning. This feedback was always gentle but I feel very important, to allow each person in their own right as a unique artist, the opportunity to learn from their personal images and develop further their own style of photography. The lessons were relaxed and there was plenty of time for questions and comments from the group. The class took to the lessons like ducks to water and from day one we were all on the same page and photography had become our preferred language of choice!

Highlights in the Serengeti included photographing a hyena den in the golden morning light and watching the young cubs gambol about on the great plains. Another highlight for me was driving through endless numbers of wildebeest each day as we left camp and again on our return. The camp was quite literally in the middle of the Great Migration! We enjoyed photographing a crossing and again we were the only vehicle there, which was special indeed! Seeing cheetah and lion that were still attentive to our presence was also a personal highlight and an indication that the place is still wild! Photographing giraffe under a rainbow or elephant and zebra dotted across the plains, interspersed by lone tress, allowed for some excellent landscape opportunities!

After our 4 nights in the Serengeti, we flew to the other end of Tanzania and into the wild bush country of the Ruaha National Park. Kigelia Camp is a beautiful tented camp on a dry riverbed in the heart of Ruaha and was our new home. Our daily routine was similar to that in the Serengeti and the Photo School classes were held around a large and comfortable dining table made from old recycled Arab dhow wood. Personal highlights for me included dining under the stars each night and photographing the giant and ancient Baobab trees. Our photographic sightings in Ruaha included seeing a leopard lying lazily on a lateral branch of a Kigelia (sausage) tree as well as seeing a family of three cheetah. We enjoyed photographing large buffalo herds moving through the wilderness and kicking up dust! A large bull elephant walked out the forest and right up to our vehicle! Spending lots of time with the ever-comical baboons was also a highlight. On one particular day, while I was giving class, a herd of elephant walked through camp. The lesson was interrupted as we all grabbed our cameras and photographed the herd as they proceeded to feed on fallen pods within meters of us. With Photo School being designed specifically for photographers, we had our own vehicle, which allowed us to work the scenes to the best of our ability. On two occasions we sat with a pride of lion for a few hours in the late afternoon and very nearly saw a kill. This flexibility and freedom is what makes Photo School such a desirable product for photographers.

After our 4 nights in Ruaha, the inaugural Epic Photo School concluded with a slide show presentation given to the staff of Kigelia Camp featuring the ‘Best of Photo School 2010’. The show contained a diversity of work and this was testament to our early mornings, practical application and gigabyte upon gigabyte of images shot!

Looking back, it was a privilege and a joy for me to share my passion for both photography and Africa with others. The group was incredibly receptive and it was really rewarding to see the progress that each photographer made. I think the Kenyan student got over her fear of the technical side of photography and learnt that her creative eye is her greatest gift. Our Washington D.C. buddy on the other hand, came into the school with a sound technical understanding but worked hard on the creative side of his photography as we applied the various ‘rules’ of composition. The Sydneysider arrived not knowing how to use his histogram as an effective tool to gauge his exposure and safe to say that he is now a histogram guru and sunsets will never be the same again. I was very pleased to be able to work with our professional sports photographer in solving and perfecting his autofocus technique, which I am hoping will help him with his sports work back in the USA.

All in all, photography again proved to be a language that crossed all borders and the Epic Photo School provided a wonderful framework for us to capture great images, to further our photographic skills, to make new friends and to enjoy a sublime African outdoor adventure.

A special thank you to all at Epic involved in the planning of the Photo School and to the managers, guides and staff at Serengeti Mara Camp and Kigelia Camp - Thank you for putting up with our early mornings and bizarre requests! Lastly, I want to thank my newfound friends and photographers for a wonderful trip. May your horizons always be straight and your histograms bell shaped!!!

Until next time…

Best wishes,

Greg

For more information on this and Epic's many adventures, please contact us.

Great Migration - New Video & Report

By Brad Horn: I recently returned from guiding a safari in Tanzania incorporating the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Mnemba Island (just of the coast of Zanzibar). I had the great pleasure of the company of three families of repeat clients who had collectively been on safari with me in Botswana a couple of years back. It presented a wonderful opportunity to rekindle friendships and also see how the kids had matured in the intervening years. In fact by my way of thinking, the greatest benefit of a family safari in Africa is that families are removed from the outside world, presenting unrivalled “family time” (given that there are no external influences to dilute the experience).

We had the good fortune of experiencing some wonderful wildlife and cultural encounters; with families it is more often than not the latter which makes the biggest impact. In my experience the people of Tanzania are very special. In the north it is of course the Maasai people who are iconic. Tall, stately and proud, they encompass a bygone era through their very simple pastoralist existence. We also had some great cultural experiences on the coast with the Swahili peoples of Zanzibar. The following “showreel” of highlights hopefully gives some insight into what I am alluding to.

On the game front the viewing was as always very productive as one expects with the northern parks of Tanzania. Among the highlights were; a lioness kill of a wildebeest, mating lion, and black rhino on the Crater floor, incredible elephant encounters on the Serengeti plains in addition to the Migration being in full movement north. Zebra and wildebeest were very much the “order of the day”.

The trip concluded with a stay on Zanzibar culminating with the beautiful Mnemba Island, a small atoll off the far north coast of Zanzibar. The lodge itself is the epitome of unparalleled rustic elegance. Some of the highlights here included night scuba diving, snorkelling with a large pod of dolphins and the hatching of a green turtles’ nest. Some of the kids also undertook an introductory dive.

All in all it was a safari to savour; great company, great game and life long memories.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Great Barrier Feast, Hamilton Island | 26 - 28 Nov 2010

New Luxury Lodge, Tasmania - Saffire