Great Walk of Africa: a 100-mile walking safari across Tsavo National Park, Kenya

JANUARY-MARCH 2020 TRAVEL AFRICA

by Geoffrey Dean

Our Samburu tracker had seen the three bull elephants nearly a mile away, high up near the top of the Yatta Escarpment as they were beginning their descent down through thick vegetation towards the Galana river. It was a remarkable piece of spotting that even Iain Allan, the doyen of Kenyan walking guides, admitted he would not have made with the naked eye, for the elephants blended seamlessly. Knowing the decades-old trail they would follow to the river, he led us to within 25 yards of where they would cross our route and motioned for us to crouch low and make no sound. Soon after, the three bulls sauntered noiselessly past us, completely unaware of our presence, for the wind was blowing our scent back behind us. The oldest, whom Iain put in his mid-thirties, had massive tusks that almost touched the ground. “Ninety-pounders,” he estimated afterwards.

All fifteen of us - nine walkers along with Iain and his five-man Samburu team - watched transfixed. It was one of those magical bush moments, a real hair-tingler. We were the only people for miles, for the northern sector of Tsavo East National Park is accessible only with special permission from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Iain receives that for both his walks and specially-selected camps on the Galana river.

Nobody knows Tsavo better than Iain, an honorary warden of the park. It would be an exaggeration to say he knows every inch of it, for it is just too vast at 22,812 square kilometres, making it the second biggest national park in Africa and 10% larger than Israel. But since 2001, and at the time of writing, he has led walks across it 89 times. Each lasts ten days and is 100 miles, the width of the park from Tsavo West to Tsavo East. Throw in the scores of shorter five-day walks in the park he conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, and you realise he has traversed around 15,000 miles of Tsavo. And despite being 71, he has no intention of stopping. “I’ll keep walking here till I drop,” he chuckled with his Scottish lilt, still detectable six decades after he arrived in Kenya on the boat from Glasgow with his parents as an eight-year old.

Wild dog pups

Iain’s ‘Great Walk of Africa’, as his company Tropical Ice has coined it, is the last remaining foot safari of its type in Kenya. Indeed, very few walks of this length are still undertaken in any African national park or game reserve. Yet, it is the best way to gain a genuine feel for a park and to surprise its wildlife. “It’s like an old-style hunting safari except with cameras,” Iain declared. Moving noiselessly through the bush, for silence is strictly observed, we chanced on a cornucopia of animals and birds over the 100 miles. Some highlights included an elephant and her calf wallowing in a mud bath, oblivious to our prying eyes; a pride of lions coming down to the river to drink, totally unaware of our camp a hundred yards away; a hippo and a week-old calf on the riverbank opposite; several sightings of the rare fringe-eared oryx; and a leopard that drank long on the other side of the river before eventually seeing us. In all, we saw four leopards over the ten days, including one memorably silhouetted at sunset on the top of a kopje. Although we came across wild dogs, we were not so lucky with cheetah, seeing none, for their numbers are down in Tsavo.

A leopard drinks from the Tsavo River

Wildlife numbers in the park are a recurring subject matter for Iain, given the worrying fall in lion populations throughout Africa and the appalling levels of elephant and rhino poaching. Lion numbers in Tsavo were estimated at 300-350 in a count in mid-2019, although Iain thinks the figure is higher. Certainly, we encountered many, with males being predominantly maneless there. The park’s elephant population is put at 12-13,000. “It’s been that for the best part of a decade,” Iain mused at the campfire one night. “Fortunately, we’ve not had much poaching in the park in recent years, and it remains not just the biggest elephant population in East Africa, but also the one with the most super-tuskers. That’s when tusks touch the ground. As for rhinos, if there are any, we don’t see them, although there are an unspecified number in the heavily-guarded sanctuary in West Tsavo.” 

Iain Allan

Iain fears the effect of any surge in poaching in the park. “Elephants can only increase their numbers by 5% per annum, but they are being poached in Africa as a whole at 7% each year,” he said. “If that continues, the species may only have fifteen years or so left. Several factors are at play here - the demand for ivory from China’s burgeoning middle class; the lack of political will in an African sense; and the killing by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, Lord’s Resistance and Al-Shabaab. The latter are involved in the trafficking of ivory.  The stance of the Vatican has not helped either, for they have refused to endorse CITES in banning the international ivory trade. The main reason is felt to be sales in religious trinkets made from ivory, in predominantly Catholic countries such as the Philippines.” 

For the moment, though, KWS are working hard to meet the challenge of poaching, although in Iain’s view, “they will have their hands full, and will need to implement militaristic style tactics.” Important support comes from the Tsavo Trust, which has three spotter planes that clock up a monthly average of 72 flying hours and an annual distance of 102,000 kms around the park. Flying low-level at an average speed of 116 kph, they can keep an eye on the super-tuskers as well as identify cattle intrusions and potential poaching. Numerous KWS ground field patrols, with TT staff working alongside, are out every day and cover a combined distance of 180,000 kms in the park over one year.  They do a vital job removing snares (458 in the first 8 months of 2019) as well as arresting illegal grazers (39 in the same period) and bushmeat poachers. A lioness was found poisoned in August 2019 not far from an illegal cattle boma. Human encroachment into the park is a major issue.

Happily, no evidence of poaching confronted us in our 100 miles of walking. The field patrols we occasionally encountered were the only people we came across on the entire walk, apart from a couple of safari vehicles on an evening game drive. We started walking at 7am every day and finished around midday, by which time Iain’s highly professional camp team would have driven ahead to set up our tents and mess tent. For logistical reasons, two of the days were double-headers with three hours of walking in the afternoon. Make no mistake, the Great Walk of Africa is a physical challenge. Without the deliciously wholesome food we ate - thoughtfully chosen by Iain’s wife Lou and cooked by his able Kikuyu chef of 40 years, Kahiu - the walk would have been that much more testing.

Pod of hippos

The park’s terrain differs quite markedly in West and East Tsavo. Riverine bush predominates in the hilly west, while the east is much more open with saltbush vegetation a feature along with the Yatta Escarpment. Saltbush needs careful negotiation, or avoidance, as it is favoured by lion as well as hippo, buffalo and elephant. Iain recalled how once a client’s mobile phone once went off in the vicinity of a matriarch, who promptly charged requiring him to fire a warning shot over her head. Quite rightly, walk rules stipulate phones must be off, although any signal was invariably unavailable.

Crossing the Tsavo River

Our walks always followed the two rivers: the Tsavo and the Galana (which starts at the confluence of the Tsavo and the Athi rivers). We could not walk every bend as the trip would have doubled in length. Rather we cut corners and walked inland some of the time. Every day, we had to cross a river at least twice, which may sound dangerous but by selecting wide shallow areas that were known elephant crossings, any risk of crocodile attack was negated. Not once in any of the Great Walks has there been any incident with a crocodile. Similarly, in camp, Iain says a solitary moment of alarm came when a leopard shredded a shower tent in the middle of the night.

Great Walkers by the Galana River - Iain Allan third from right back row; Geoffrey Dean second from right front row

On the subject of man-eating cats, Iain led us to the cave that was the home of the two male lions that, in 1898, terrorised the Indian workforce building the Nairobi-Mombasa railway. The line cuts through the middle of Tsavo. The cave has no signs outside it, and is well-hidden at the end of a lugga, but Iain managed to locate it thanks to the photo of it in the British engineer officer, John Patterson’s book, ‘Man-Eaters of Tsavo.’ Patterson eventually shot the lions, but not until they had eaten 132 workers, many of whose bones were found in the cave. Patterson’s antiquated railway bridge over the Tsavo River still stands, although it is now dwarfed by a modern Chinese construction that is part of a new much faster railway from the coast to Nairobi.

Iain by the entrance to the cave where bones of the victims of the Man-Eaters of Tsavo were found

If the Chinese bridge is a symbol of change in today’s Kenya, Tsavo, a national park since 1948, has changed little with the passage of time. “It’s still pretty much as it was 40 years ago when I first started walking here,” Iain mused. This magnificent wilderness faces a challenging future in his view, but for as long as he keeps walking there, a very special experience awaits those who join him.

Tropical Ice was founded 40 years ago as East Africa’s first adventure travel company. Nine ‘Great Walks of Africa’ are made each year between June and Oct. www.tropical-ice.com | safari@tropical-ice.com |  +254 712 282 793

Journey through Croatia's vineyards

Croatian Stories, from Dalmatia to Istria

By Geoffrey Dean, 2015.

Tom Cannavan’s detailed précis of the Croatian wine industry after his 2011 visit to the country affords readers all the background they need to know. Since then, wines and winemaking in Croatia have continued to make significant advances as I found on an eight-day trip there in May as a guest of the Croatian Tourist Board, when I drove more than 1500km and visited 18 leading wineries. These were situated in Baranje/Srijem, Istria and Dalmatia, all regions of striking beauty and great historical interest or importance. Throw in some impressive hotels (listed at the end are those where I stayed, all recommended); outstanding cuisine, a string of lovely coastal towns and idyllic islands, and you have all the ingredients for one of the best wine tourism holidays. In short, Croatia is a place that should be high on a wine-lover’s must-visit list.

BARANJA & SRIJEM

If you think of Croatia as the shape of a horseshoe, these two regions lie in the bottom right leg of it – the south-eastern extremity. Baranja is part of Slavonia, where many top producers make wine in the sub-district of Kutjevo, but Srijem is a separate and tiny region that forms the easternmost part of Croatia. Surrounded on three sides by Serbia, it was occupied by the Serbs from 1991-8 in the Balkan War. So too was Baranja, where I visited two contrasting vineyards – the one owned by an artisanal winemaker of great repute, Mikhael Gerštmajer, who produces 50,000 litres per annum, and the other, a large-scale concern named Belje, whose proprietor is the richest man in Croatia, Ivan Todoric. Last year, it made 3.5m litres but its premium wines are top-notch.

Baranja

Vina Gerštmajer
“Forget Jose Mourinho; Gerštmajer is ‘The Special One’,” a Zagreb sommelier who was at the winery when I visited, told me. “We adore him not just because he is a very nice guy but because no one can change his philosophy. Croatians like high alcohol wine and he gives us those.” Gerštmajer certainly does for some of his wines – witness the Rajnski Riesling ’08 (16.1% abv), the Traminac ’08 (16.2%) and the Chardonnay 2011 (15%). These were all dry, but it was his more balanced sweeter wines that really impressed. A late harvest Graševina (Welsch Riesling) 2013, which was 12.8% abv and had 58g/l residual sugar, was complex and long, while his botrytised Chardonnay 2010 (135g/l RS and 13.1% abv) had fabulous concentration with a lengthy finish.

Vina Belje

A 20-million Euro winery, built in 2011, with a total of 247 100,000 litre stainless steel tanks and a bottling line with a capacity of 4,500 bottles per hour. Belje has 600 acres under vine, of which 90% are white grapes. While it is primarily an entry-level producer for the domestic market, exporting only small quantities, it makes some good mid-market wines and some excellent premium ones from its Goldberg blocks. These included a rich off-dry Graševina 2013, made from forty-year old vines and aged in old oak. It was no surprise to hear that an earlier vintage had won best regional wine at the 2014 Decanter Awards. The Goldberg Chardonnay 2008 ice wine was a delight while an off-dry Pinot Noir, with 15.5% abv, was notably big. Right: the vineyards in winter courtesy Vina Belje.

Vina Belje

Srijem

Iločki Podrumi
Wine was first produced by the Romans in the third century in Ilok, a small town by the Danube, right by the Serbian border, that was overrun by the Yugoslav army when war broke out in 1991. The famous old Iločki Podrumi (or Ilok Cellars) winery, whose dry Traminer was served at the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, was occupied, causing wine production to cease between 1991-8 when 90% of the 10,000 population fled. The occupying Serbs drained all 25 of the 15,000 litre foudres in the splendid 16th century winery cellars to make brandy, but mistakenly decided that the 2,500 bottles of off-dry Graševina 1983 were oxidised, and left the lot. There was nothing wrong with the wine, as I discovered when tasting it (notes below). Whether it is worth the current cellar door price of £125 is in the eye of the beholder. Good value were the off-dry Traminac 2011 (£14) and the ice wine Traminac 2008 (£42), both from the top Principovac vineyards. 60% of Iločki Podrumi’s 4.5m litres annual production is quaffable every day-drinking, dry Graševina, while the dry Traminer is a light and refreshing mid-market steal. About 6% of production is exported, but none to the UK.

Aerial view of Iločki Podrumi

Vino Ivan Buhač
Ivan and his son, Domagos, then aged 8, fled Ilok in 1991 at the outbreak of war, and when they returned in 1998, found that the Serbs who had lived in their house had stripped it completely bare. Almost all their vines had died, but have since been replanted and are producing some excellent fruit. Domagos has become one of the best young boutique winemakers in the region, crafting fine Graševina, Rhine Riesling and Merlot. He has the highest vineyard locally (263m). A heart-warming story of a family who came home with nothing but have bounced back. They even sell their wine to the Serbs now, as well as the Russians, who like the fact ‘BuhaBuhačc’ means ‘chronically alcoholic’ in Russian.

ISTRIA

This stunning region on the Adriatic in the north-western corner of Croatia near Italy and Slovenia is one of Europe’s most interesting wine-producing destinations. Some steeply hilly scenery, characterful inland villages and stunning coastal towns, rich in history and architecture like Pula (with its magnificent Roman amphitheatre), Poreč and Rovinj combine delightfully. There are many eminent winemakers who, in this area, specialise in Malvasia and Teran (a black grape), and who craft some superb wines. Two soil types are found in the region – soft, white stone known as ‘flish’ (which is very poor and offers freshness and minerality); and red earth which contains more iron, which works well with black grapes, giving them better structure.

Benvenuti Vina
Olivio Benvenuti, and his two sons, Nikola and Albert, are a top-quality team who fashion some outstanding dry and sweet wines. Their Malvasia Anno Domini comes from vines planted in 1946, with the yield of the just-released 2011 a mere 30hl/ha. Fifteen days of skin contact give this wine a golden colour. Aged in old oak foudres for two years, it is full-bodied and complex with apricot and peach notes, the abv of 14% counter-balanced by a low pH of 3.2. Very much a food wine – “good with white truffles and pasta” Nikola advised, adding that the forest by the nearby town of Motovun is the best for truffles in Croatia. The 2010 Malvasia straw wine (13%, 150g/l RS) and the Muscat 2011 (14%, 180g/l RS) both showed fabulous concentration and length, while the sweet Teran 2011 was an unexpected boon (notes below). The dry Teran 2012, which had two years in oak (10% new) had soft tannins, bright fresh red fruit and good length. Sales to UK were started last year.

Kozlović
Gianfranco Kozlović is one of Croatia’s most accomplished winemakers, producing 200,000 bottles per year, 70% of which is Malvasia. The rest is Teran and Muscat from the rare Muscat Momjanski clone. All his vines are grown on ‘white’ soils, with the oldest dating back to 1960. His three different Malvasias are exported to the UK on-trade, and all are made from the Malvaziya Istriana clone. “This variety is very important to our region, and we’re lucky to have it,” he said. “It’s a good fit here and is part of our tradition. It has potential for ageing. The climate works well and is similar to Friuli, where they have a bit of the same clone.”

Cellar door at Kozlović

Kabola
The first winery to be certified organic in Istria (in 2009), it also has vines up to 50 years age. Three different Malvasias are made – one in stainless steel, one in old 3,200-litre oak foudres and one in clay amphoras for six months. The latter wine also spent that time on the skins before going into old oak for 12 months and into bottle for 18 months before release. The 2009 (14.6% abv) was complex and very full-bodied with good length and balance despite the high alcohol. No one else in Istria uses this method of production.

Degrassi
A serious producer near Umag on the coast with as many as 27 different labels as well as grappa. Winemaker, Moreno Degrassi, has 28 hectares under vine with a dozen cultivars including traditional Croatian grapes and the Bordeaux red varietals as well as syrah, pinot noir, viognier and chardonnay. His sweet passito style Petit Manseng/Malvasia has wonderful length and concentration, coming from very low-yielding vines.

Coronica
A more engaging host than Moreno Coronica would be hard to find in Istria. He is also a very fine winemaker with some attractive vineyards a couple of kilometres from the sea. Minerality is his watchword, which he thinks derives from a low humus content (1%) in his very deep red soils. Some fifty-year-old vines help provide complexity to his Malvasia, Teran and Cabernet-Merlot wines. Exports 20% of his 140,000 bottle production to Europe and North America, with plans for the UK soon.

Vineyards at Coronica

Matošević
Top-class producer who exports a quarter of his wines to as many as 20 countries, including the UK. “My philosophy is drinkability, not high alcohol, so I pick early,” Nica Matošević says. Extensive range of wines from clean single varietal Malvasia to a concentrated Merlot-Teran blend. In contrast to Coronica, 95% of his soils are white, and he likes to use both oak and acacia barrels.

Fakin
The Fakin family – Marko is winemaker and and father Elio cellar-master – have been on their picturesque farm near the walled castle town of Motovun since the 18th century. They are a fine boutique producer, making around 50,000l per annum from 15 hectares from six grapes. Their three different Malvasias make an interesting contrast – one matured in stainless steel; one in old acacia barrels; and another in new acacia ones for a year before six months in stainless steel.

Prelac
Rino Prelac, who farms ten hectares right by the Slovenian border, is another noteworthy boutique winemaker. His fresh, citrusy whites (Malvasia, and Chardonnay) are unoaked, while his reds (Refosco and Cabernet, both under 13% abv) see old oak and sell well in his on-site restaurant, which is famous for its meats (including his donkey goulash).

DALMATIA

The Pelješac Peninsula and the island of Hvar feature some of the most dramatically beautiful vineyards in Europe. The former is home to wines from Dingac, a small top-quality denomination with exceptionally steep, south-facing vineyards overlooking the sea where Croatia’s celebrated black grape, Plavac Mali, is grown. It also thrives on Hvar, a two-hour ferry ride south of Split. Other Dalmatian islands such as Pag and Korcula are likewise home to some quality wines.

Hvar Island

Tomić
The family, who have been producing wine for 150 years, built a winery and atmospheric 40m-long cellar (with dining alcoves in the Roman manner) into the side of a hill on the edge of the pretty town of Jelsa in 2007. Eighty per cent of their production of 120,000 bottles per annum is red wine. White is made from Bogdanusa, the island’s indigenous grape, and Pošip. Reds only are exported to the UK. The flagship red is called ‘Kaplar’, a blend of Plavac Mali and Cabernet Sauvignon (50:50), matured in 100% new oak. Light in colour with elegance and minerality, it is ‘produced as a combination of Hvar, love and knowledge’ (so the label says in Croat). Interesting range of wines with excellent single variety Plavac and a superb late harvest white, made up of Bogdanusa and Marastina.

Zlatan Plenković
A lengthy and beautiful drive (that includes going through a mile-long tunnel wide enough for one vehicle only) takes you to the southern side of Hvar Island, where the remarkable Plenković winery is situated as close to the sea as you could possibly get. In fact, they keep some bottles actually in the sea. This top producer is renowned for its peachy Pošip and outstanding Plavac Mali. The grapes for the latter are grown on rocky vineyards with a 30-50% gradient. Exports to the UK as well as the US and Germany.

Ultra steep vineyard at Zlatan Plenkovic

Pelješac Peninsula

Korta Katarina
New high-end winery built by the stunningly-located Riviera Hotel site that is being reopened next year in the pretty town of Orebic. Lovely views towards the island of Korcula, whose dolomite and limestone soil is ideal for Pošip, Croatia’s best-known indigenous white grape. Korta Karolina’s Pošip 2013 comes from Korcula and has lovely intensity of flavour and good length. Twelve hours on the skins gives it some complexity and body, enhanced by 50% spending time in oak (10% new). Complex and elegant Plavac Mali 2010 comes from low-yielding, steep, hillside rocky vineyards overlooking Orebic. Owners are Croat expatriates based in the US, one of 25 countries to which exports are made. Not the UK yet though.

Vineyards on the Pelješac Peninsula

Saints Hills
Ritzy inland winery between Orebic and Trpanj completed last year following major recent investment from a wealthy Zagreb businessman. It has an English name owing to the owner’s love of saints (his four children are named after them) with local law precluding use of Croatian word for ‘saint’ on the label without church permission. Fine Malvasia/Chardonnay blend and Plavac Mali produced, with 50% exported (not yet to UK).

Saints Hills vineyards

Matuško
Marto Matuško is one of the most flamboyant winemakers in Croatia – he looks like he could have been one of their national footballers with his long, straggly hair and Maserati parked outside the winery. He has a speedboat and two motorbikes as well, and was hobbling around after falling off one when I met him. His 1500 square metre cellar is the biggest in Dalmatia, and he produces 500,000 litres per annum (90% red wine). He exports about 10%, with a small amount going to the UK. He has 11 hectares of his own Dingac under vine, and buys fruit in from the area. Plavac Mali is his specialty, and he has entry-level, mid-market and premium/super-premium examples of it. His Dingac Reserva spends five years in barrel (25-30% new) as does his Royal Dingac, which is not made every year. A sweet Plavac Mali with 22g/l residual sugar and 16.4% abv is his most expensive wine (€90), while a sparkling wine (66% Plavac Mali and 34% Schipon) showed well.

One of Matusko’s vineyards

Grgić
Small-scale but high quality winery opened up in 1996 by Mike Grgić, who found fame in California after emigrating there in 1958 aged 35. He did not return to Croatia till 1991 and still lives in the US. Two wines only made – Pošip, whose fruit comes from Korcula Island, which has complexity and minerality; and Plavac Mali from nearby vineyards. An old-fashioned label for the latter features artwork with the sea and a yacht, with the winery and vineyards in the background.

The stunningly situated Grgic winery

A worthy wine from each producer

Belje, Goldberg Chardonnay Ice Wine 2013
13.5%, 50g/l residual sugar. Figs and honey notes, wonderful concentration and long length. 93/100.

Gerštmajer, Chardonnay 2010
13.1%, 135g/l RS. 60% from botrytised grapes, very low yield (20hl/ha), fantastic concentration, last year this wine made. 96/100.

Ilocki Podrumi, Graševina 1983
13%, 7g/l RS. Light gold colour, pear notes, notable acidity, impressive length, some complexity. Has aged very well. 92/100.

Ivan Buhac, Merlot 2013
13.5%. Juicy red fruit with pronounced intensity of flavour, vibrant acidity, approachable tannins. 90/100.

Benvenuti, Teran straw wine 2011
15%, 130g/l RS. Fruit left for 3 months to dry on straw, aged 24 months in old oak, fresh acidity balances high abv (TA 7.6g/l), round and soft. 92/100.

Prelac, Refosco 2013
12.7%. Bright red fruit, soft tannins, brisk acidity, good length and pleasing intensity of flavour, very drinkable. 90/100.

Kabola, Dolce Muscat Momjanski 2012
15.4%, 30g/l RS. Big production mid-market dessert wine with exports to UK and rest of Europe, great value at €8 cellar door (375cl). 90/100.

Kozlović, Santa Lucia Malvaziya 2006
13.5% abv. 5 days on skins & 12 months in large old oak vessels, notable acidity balances high abv (15%), highly complex with bready notes. 96/100.

Degrassi, Passito Terre Bianche 2011
16.5%, 30g/l RS. 70% Petit Manseng, 30% Malvasia, apricot/figs, very long and concentrated. 93/100.

Coronica, Gran Teran 2011
14.8%. Vibrant red fruit, well-integrated tannins, big yet elegant. 94/100.

Matošević, Grimalda white blend 2011
13.5%.: Chardonnay (45%), Malvasia (40), sauvignon bkanc (15), one year in French oak (20% new), long finish with minerality and some complexity, £15-16 RRP in UK. 92/100.

Tomić, Piosek Hectovevich Late Harvest 2007
15% abv, 106g/l RS. Blend of Bogdanusa & Marastina. Fabulous concentration and length. 92/100.

Zlatan Plenković, Grand Cru Plavac 2010
15%. 18-24 months in barriques (65% new), best fruit & barrels, wild yeasts increase complexity, good balance despite high abv. 94/100.

Korta Katarina, Pošip 2013
13%. Half in stainless steel, half in oak (10% new), 12 hours on skins add complexity and body (full), lovely intensity of flavour and good finish, 93/100.

Saints Hills, Nevina Istra 2012
13.6%. Blend of Malvasia (70%) & Chardonnay (30), 6 months in oak (25% new), best fruit from St Ante vineyard, complex and long, 91/100.

Matuško, Royal Dingac 2007
15.7%. Five years in barrel (30% new), best Plavac Mali fruit from best sites, some tartaric acid added to counter high abv but no spikiness, overt tannins but well-integrated, powerful & classy with real concentration, 95/100.

Grgić, Plavac Mali 2009
15%. Half fruit from Dingac and half from Trsrenik, two years in oak (30% new), overt tannins need more time, long finish and plenty of complexity, 93/100.

Hotels

Hotel Osijek, Osijek (Baranje)
Beautifully appointed, by river, in university town with fine architecture.

Villa Iva, Ilok (Srijem)
Comfortable, small hotel in middle of border town.

San Rocco, Brtonigla (Istria)
Charming boutique hotel with superb cuisine in village near coast

San Rocco Hotel

Hotel Indijan, Orebic (Dalmatia)
Stunning sea views from modern hotel in resort town on Pelješac Peninsula

Valamar Lacroma, Dubrovnik (Dalmatia)
Well-located five-star ten minutes drive from the old town and its multiple attractions. Easy commute to Pelješac Peninsula.

A magical safari in the foothills of Mt Kenya

Geoffrey Dean travels to the Lewa & Borana Conservancies in Kenya where Prince William proposed to Kate

We flew in the open-air Waco biplane at no higher than a few hundred feet above the dry East African terrain for thirty minutes.  Taking off at 6.45am on a golden January morning from savannah near the foot of Mt Kenya in the Lewa Conservancy, we passed over a herd of elephants and were soon bisecting a narrow valley that twisted and turned. Will Craig expertly navigated his way through it, dipping his wings with the intuitive understanding from years as a crop-spraying pilot. Soon we crossed over into the spectacular adjoining Borana Conservancy and flew over a pair of black rhinos that were browsing beneath us.

One of Borana's renowned sheer rock faces popped up as Craig flew alongside it. Then, after enjoying majestic views of the snow-capped Mt Kenya, on whose slopes Prince William proposed to Kate, we dived through another steep valley and returned to the airfield near the Lewa Wilderness Lodge. So ended the most exhilarating of starts to a day. Lewa is the only place in Africa where you can do this flight - two passengers able to sit side-by-side in the front seat with the pilot behind them. In Tiger Moths, which look almost identical, the pilot is always in front, and seats are single.

This unique flight is one of the many factors that makes the Lewa and Borana Conservancies so special. In 2013, Lewa was inscribed with UNESCO World Heritage Site status, and Borana may soon follow. The two are now a single entity in wildlife terms after the fences between them were taken down at the start of 2015. This was done because Lewa had reached its rhino carrying capacity (70 blacks and 65 whites), while the smaller Borana, with its 20 black rhino, is able to absorb double that number. 

With the fence down, allowing freedom of movement, rhino numbers can be spread more evenly and increased as a result. Given the critically high rate poaching of rhinos in Africa, fuelled by Asian demand for their horns, it is gratifying to report that not one rhino has been poached in either conservancy since the second half of 2013. Local community initiatives, particularly subsidies of schools, have yielded vital intelligence against the poachers, who have been foiled by a well-armed team of Kenyan rangers, trained by a former member of the SAS.

To get the most out of a visit to the twin conservancies, it is best to spend a week or ten days and stay at each of the three best options: Lewa Wilderness Lodge, Lewa House and Borana Lodge.  All offer something different, being in different areas, and allow you to experience the full scope and variety of the 93,000 acres that constitute the combined area. It is completely malaria-free due to its altitude of around 6,500 feet above sea-level.

Will Craig and his wife Emma are consummate hosts at Lewa Wilderness, offering a wide range of things to do. They have a choice of over 30 horses to ride out in the bush, offering guests the chance to get much closer to wildlife than in a vehicle. We rode right up to some Grevy zebra, a species so endangered there are only 3,000 left in Africa, 350 being in Lewa. For those who don't fancy getting on a horse, there is the option of a camel ride, which is especially popular with children. Walking safaris are also a delight from Lewa Wilderness as I found one afternoon, when my guide and I encountered a group of six white rhinos, who came within 25 yards of us and had no idea of our presence as we we were downwind of them.

There is also excellent walking, not to mention stupendous views of the Matthews Range fifty kms away, from Lewa House. The home of Calum and Sophie Macfarlane, this is a smaller setup than Lewa Wilderness (whose capacity is 20) and delightfully intimate. An adjacent waterhole attracts a steady stream of animals throughout the day, particularly elephant, and a nearby marshy area provides some superb game-viewing. There, we were the only vehicle that saw nine wild dogs feed on a male impala they had chased down. That same day, we came across three male cheetah brothers traversing the savannah, and two lionesses with cubs on a collapsed tree trunk. Lewa House is ideal for families, the Macfarlanes having two small children of their own, although kids are also welcome at the other two lodges..

The game is so plentiful and varied on Lewa and Borana that in my five days there, I completed sightings of the Big Five, never a given due to the elusiveness of leopards. But on my final evening just after sunset, we saw a big male after being alerted by some loud barking from monkeys and baboons. Nonchalently walking away from them as if to feign a lack of interest, this  leopard allowed us to watch him for twenty minutes, much longer than the fleeting glimpses you normally get of this cat.

Ian Craig, the renowned conservationist with whom William and Kate stayed when he popped the question, has three orphaned male rhinos living round the back of his home near Lewa House. All aged between 20 and 28 months at the start of 2015, these friendly and happy youngsters live with their Kenyan handlers and love human attention. The baby-like cooing that they make tugs at your heartstrings as they allow you to pat them and scratch their heads on their bush walks. This sort of inter-action is another reason why Lewa is such a magical conservancy for visitors.

Borana, with its much steeper terrain than most of Lewa, offers views that are amongst the most spectacular in East Africa. Its lodge, too, has a score of horses, on which to ride out and encounter its wildlife and scenic beauty. A former cattle ranch, the Dyer family turned it over to game in the early 1990s and have created a secluded hideaway that is beguilingly romantic. Considerable imagination has been given to the way the lodge blends into the hillside, and its swimming pool has one of those infinity views that take your breath away. Indeed, Borana has an indefinable spirituality about it that makes it one of those places you have to visit before you die.

FACT BOX

Kenya Airways fly daily to Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport) from London Heathrow (www.kenyaairways.com).

 Air Kenya operates daily flights from Nairobi (Wilson Airport) to Lewa Downs

 (www.airkenya.com)

For bookings at Lewa Wilderness and Borana Lodge, visit www.handpickedafrica.co.uk (rates start at US$795 pp per night; Waco biplane flight for two, $600)

For Lewa House, visit www.lewahouse.com

Chene Bleu...a 'Super Rhone' winery

by Geoffrey Dean

When Harpers gave its Best Label Design Award for 2010 to Chene Bleu, months of original thought by the French winery's co-owner, Nicole Rolet, were recognised. The wines, first made in 2006, were very good too, even if they needed time to evolve, but their development in the past three years has lifted them to super premium level. Plaudits have rolled in from the likes of Bettane, Robinson, Parker and Spurrier, with the Frenchman trumpeting Chene Bleu as a new 'grand cru.' As a winery can't officially be one in this part of southern France, a 'Super Rhone' is perhaps more apt, particularly as the domaine has followed the example of the Super Tuscans in sidestepping appellation rules. One day,  Chene Bleu may be spoken of with the same reverence as Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Its wines are that exceptional.

The entrance to Chene Bleu

The story of Chene Bleu's rise and rise is a heartwarming one.  Situated on a ninth century priory near the old Roman town of Vaison-la-Romaine, the estate, known as La Verriere after its medieval glass-making tradition, became derelict in the 1960s when it stopped making  wine.  When Nicole's husband, Xavier, bought the property in the mid-1990s, he gave up his career as a financier to become a vigneron, but he was lured back into the corporate world and is now CEO of the London Stock Exchange. This has helped allow  the Rolets to invest not seven but eight figures in a state-of-the-art winery and a complete restoration of the delightful priory.

Nicole Rolet

 "When we started on the priory, one room had a fig tree growing in it and we needed a pneumatic drill to break through the sheep dung that had solidified feet deep in the medieval part," Nicole recalled. "We knew the whole investment was a huge risk, but I instinctively felt this terroir possessed something very special. It was Xavier's dream and passion. He was the one who set the crazy standard and the 25-year plan."

For the first ten years under the Rolets' ownership, La Verriere's grapes were sold to the local co-operative as there was no wine-making facility on the estate until 2006. What persuaded them to go it alone was the advice of Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, the renowned microbiologists. "It was very exciting for us to work with them," Nicole said. "Their analysis was that our site rested on a kind of Jurassic Park of micro-organisms with tremendous potential for world-class wines. This was extremely important to me as the time and investment was not worth it without this capability."

The oak tree at Chene Bleu, painted blue of course

There are several keys to La Verriere's location. Its elevation at around 630m on the slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail, which adorn the skyline above the village of Gigondas, encourages cool nights , and with it higher acidity levels, as well as a long ripening season. Chene Bleu harvests in mid-October, at least a month later than most lower vineyards in the area. A poor top soil has meant vines have had to root very deep through clay and limestone, tapping into a treasure trove of minerals found in complex geological strata shaped by the formation of the Alps. "The Dentelles don't yield great wines easily, but when you plant in the right place and work hard, the results are amazing," Nicole mused.

The hard work in the vineyard and winery has been shaped by Zelma Long, the leading oenologist from California, and Philippe Cambie, the eminent French wine consultant. "Both have had enormous influence on us," Nicole added. "Zelma has been a mentor of the project, having come here early on and been very intrigued by the vineyard. We thought we'd set very high standards, but she moved the bar even higher. She was not proscriptive but helped us find our own way with ideas well-suited to our project. Philippe has also been extremely helpful, directing barrel work and blending."

The final pieces in the Chene Bleu jigsaw make it an all-family affair. Xavier's sister, Benedicte, is  viticulturalist, while her husband, Jean-Louis Gallucci is winemaker. A former accountant for whom wine was a second career, Jean-Louis crafts the Chene Bleu wines with skill and imagination. "I make the wine I like, not for the appellation," he said. "We are not against the appellation but it is very restrictive."

Gallucci adds some viognier to his outstanding syrah/grenache Heloise 2007, made from vines that are 40 and 30 years old respectively. As he refuses to co-ferment the viognier, he does not conform to appellation rules and the wine therefore becomes Vin de Pays de Vaucluse. Hence the Super Rhone tag.  His Abelard 2007 (90% grenache from the best parcels with 10% syrah) is also vin de pays as is the Aliot 2010, an enticing blend of roussanne, grenache blanc, marsanne and viognier. Both the excellent single varietal high altitude viognier 2011 and the 2012 old vine rose (grenache/syrah) are, however, AOC Ventoux.

The wines comes at a price (their range being £20-65), but they represent value, combining the freshness, acidity and minerality of the northern Rhone with the concentration, spice and garrigue of the southern Rhone. Immaculately balanced with beautifully integrated tannins, these wines will become increasingly well-known. The final word must go to Nicole Rolet. "We don't fit into established categories," she admitted, "but once people try our wines and get to know them, they are very well appreciated."

Rhinos face potential extinction

Leading wildlife expert fears Rhinos on verge of extinction

from Geoffrey Dean in Johannesburg

Poaching of rhinoceroses in South Africa has escalated to such a
critical level that one of the African continent’s leading authorities
on the species, Clive Walker, thinks it is in danger of becoming
extinct there within five to eight years. With 109 rhinos illegally
shot by mid-March in South Africa this year, the increased scale of
the slaughter is causing major alarm in wildlife circles and the
country at large.

South African National Parks statistics show that, between 2000-7, an
average of 13 rhinos were poached each year. In 2008, the total leapt
to 88, a trend that intensified in the next twelve months when 122
were poached. This spiralled to 333 in 2010, and twelve months later,
the figure peaked at 448. If the appalling killing rate is maintained
throughout 2012, well over 500 will be lost this year. As many as
eleven were poached in the Kruger National Park on one day two months
ago.

There is disagreement over the numbers of white rhinos in South Africa
– estimates vary  between fourteen and eighteen thousand, but at any
rate, close to ninety per cent of the world’s population. The country
also possesses some 2,000 of the 4,800 much rarer black rhinos on the
African continent.

Walker, who founded the Endangered Wildlife Trust in 1963, has been
actively involved in rhino conservation since the mid-‘70s. He told
The Times from his home in Vaalwater in the Limpopo province: “At the
current rate of poaching, the species could be extinct within five to
eight years. The same poaching that devastated rhino populations
elsewhere in Africa between the 1960s and ‘80s never spilled into
South Africa. We never went through the same threat faced by Kenya,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botwana and Mozambique.

“ As a result, we built up the largest population of both white and
black rhinos in the continent, enjoying relative security until the
‘rhino war’ started here in 2007-8. There’s a sudden realisation here
now that the situation is so bad that we have got to do something
about it. But we are going to have to spend a lot of money to ensure a
decent level of protection. Ideally, you need one man per 10 square
kilometres per day, but in somewhere like the Kruger, that’s 2,000
men, five times the current force. Where’s that money going to come
from?”

Demand for rhino horn is proving insatiable in south-east Asia,
particularly in Vietnam after one of its ministers claimed it had
cured his cancer. Horn is now fetching around US$56,000 on Asian black
markets, making an average 8kg male horn worth nearly $450,000. This
is allowing poaching syndicates to invest in hi-tech equipment and
weaponry, with some even using helicopters or planes to fly in from
neighbouring countries like Botswana and Mozambique.

While foreign nationals are conducting most of the poaching, South
Africans on the ground are being paid handsomely for giving
information on rhino locations. “Spotters get offered up to 50,000
Rand (around £4,500) to pinpoint rhinos and lead poachers in,” Li
Lotriet, the regional head of the anti-poaching security company
(QUEMIC) in the Limpopo Province, told The Times.

“That is a lot of money for these guys. No reward system can compete.
As for the poaching syndicates, no one knows how many there are. If
you take down a team today, another comes in its place tomorrow. For
them , it’s low risk and high reward. Too many of those poachers who
are caught are let out on bail and abscond. Currently waiting to go on
trial are a Mozambican chef at a lodge in the Kruger, and a park
traffic officer whom we arrested. He’s back working, and not even
suspended.”

Lotriet’s frustration was partially assuaged by the 25-year jail
sentence imposed on a poacher in January. Walker, though, sees the
best solution in dialogue with south-east Asian governments. “We have
to sit down and discuss it with them,” he said. “Not just China as
horn go everywhere else in the region. We’ve got to get an
understanding of the dynamics of the trade. It’s all very well going
to CITES to get trade in the horn legalized, and the price of it
reduced as a result, but there’s a lot of work to be done before
then.”

The next CITES meeting, however, is 13 months away. At the current
rate, more than 600 rhinos alive today will have lost their lives by
then in South Africa’s killing fields.

...

IMW Esterhazy Sholarship winning essay

The Institute of Masters of Wine have awarded the 2012 Esterhazy Scholarship to Geoffrey Dean for the following essay.

QUESTION: Evaluate the potential of indigenous Hungarian varieties in the
context of the global market place.
Words: 1498
By Geoffrey Dean
From 2008 to 2010, official figures from Budapest reveal that exports
of Hungarian wine increased in each year in both volume and value. In
2008, 668,821 hl of exports worth 18,273m forints (fts) became 739,126
hl in 2009 (worth 18,664m fts) and 846,221 hl last year (20,962m fts).
Whatever the results of 2011, and even though some international
varieties are likely to have made a contribution to this rise, the
trend is still an encouraging one. The question is not just whether it
can be maintained but also how the global market place be further
‘educated’ as to the merits of the dozen or so indigenous Hungarian
varieties, particularly its lesser-known dry whites and approachable
reds. The awkward names of some of the former, coupled with their
suitability for mixing, point to the need for more blended whites.
Moreover, there is a strong case for a significant increase in market
share of the great Tokaji sweets (made up chiefly of course of local
white grapes, Furmint, Harslevelu and Koverszolo). For while the
quality of a Sauternes or Barsac costing 30 Euros cannot always be
guaranteed, a Tokaji of the same price is almost certain to be
outstanding.

Already, of course, Hungarian varietals are exported all over several
different continents, while the owner of Cos d’Estournel, the Bordeaux
second growth, has bought the leading Tokaji vineyard, Hetszolo. The
wines of the Pannon Tokaj winery, meanwhile, have been sold not only
in Europe (in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Czech
Republic and Spain), but also in the Far East (China, Japan, Taiwan
and Korea) and in North America.  Pannon Tokaji’s strength is that it
has a wide range of wines from dry and semi-dry to semi-sweet and
sweet/luscious (3, 5 and 6 puttonyos as well as Aszueszencia). The
recommended price range in the UK (sure to be reflected elsewhere in
the world) is £10-£59 at London stockists, ‘Hungarian Winehouse’,
whose owner, Balint Takacs reports that the £15 bottle of 3-puttonyos
is his best-selling Tokaji. With as much as 110g residual sugar, this
gorgeously concentrated wine appears to be one of the best
value-for-quality ‘stickies’ on the market.

Focus on new target markets still needs to be made. The Chinese are
much less keen on sweet wines than they are on dry ones, but the
notoriously sweet tooth of India’s population would suggest that its
vast new middle class, increasingly attuned to the attractions of
quality wine, is an untapped reservoir for Hungary’s sweet and
semi-sweet wines. The issue here, however, is how to find an
affordable marketing strategy to penetrate this market.

Certain Hungarians believe – and probably with good reason – that dry
furmint comes in too many styles for its own good, as far as exports
are concerned at least. Nyari Laszlo, managing director of Pannon
Tokaj, laments that “it is a permanent challenge for all Hungarian
wine producers to find the real and uniform face of furmint.” Every
February in Budapest, at a wine-tasting event called ‘Furmint
Februar’, many excellent examples of the varietal can be found, but
Laszlo believes there is so much difference among them that drinkers
can become confused. “We still have to work out a uniform face that
consumers can understand, one which allows them easily to recognise
the variety,” Laszlo added.

Furmint at least has the advantage of an easily-pronounceable
English-sounding name, making it that much more straightforward for
consumers around the world to remember. Other Hungarian varietals are
not so fortunate, notably Cserszegi fuszeres, a real tongue-twister.
This is unfortunate, for this is a fresh, fragrant, fruity and dry
variety that has the pedigree be as popular in international markets
as it has been in Hungary for the last decade. Hilltop exported it in
large volumes to the UK in the second half of the 1990s as
‘Woodcutter’s White’, cannily leaving the variety, with its
‘unpronounceable name’ off the label.  As long as the grape stays on
the back label only, this variety ought to be able to find favour
internationally again with a strong marketing push. Takacs reveals
that he is getting good reports back from consumers about Jozsef
Ludanyi’s version from the cooler climate mountainous region of Matra.
I liked its citrus notes, good length and limey finish, finding it a
refreshing aperitif. At 11.5% and an RRP of £10.99, it could well be
the sort of proposition that is attractive to international consumers.

Three other indigenous varietals also suffer from having names that
are a real mouthful - Kiralyleanyka, Keknyelu and Leanyka. In the case
of the former, that is a pity as it is elegant with a muscat-like
fragrance that might well appeal to international drinkers. Hungarian
Winehouse in London stock it, with retailers pricing it around the
£13-mark. Keknyelu has slowly disappeared from Hungarian vineyards as
it is not easy to cultivate, only a few hectares remaining at
Badacsony. Its high acidity and minerality lead many to argue that it
is the only dry Hungarian white wine that can follow a Tokaji aszu,
but it is needs to be blended ideally. As it is made in small
quantities, it is not cheap (typically selling at around £16 per
bottle). This does not point to success on the international scene as
a single varietal. Leanyka, an early-drinking floral white with high
alcohol, is another variety made in small quantities  that does not
appear destined for success overseas.

There are, however, grounds for optimism for a number of other
indigenous varietals in the global market-place. Irsai Oliver, a much
easier name for starters, is nicely unformed, giving consumers double
cause to remember and identify it. Light and refreshing, it has a
muscat-like flavour and aroma, and is ideal for afternoon or early
evening consumption in summer. As such, it has clear potential to gain
a foothold in the international market. Both Malux, the London-based
Hungarian food and wine importer , and Hungarian Winehouse supply it
to restaurants.

The light-bodied nature of Kekfrankos, with its pinot noir-like
appearance and earthy, spicy aromas, ought to make it attractive to
international drinkers. Pfeiszl Vineyards produced an excellent 2007
vintage that is available at an appealing sport of price point (£17)
for connoisseurs. A very popular drink in Hungary, it is known as
Blaufrankisch in Austria and Lemberg in Germany. The fact that
Gordon’s Wine Bar in Charing Cross, London have it on their wine- list
is encouraging, as is the fact that it is sold by a Bristol wine shop.
Kekfrankos forms 42% of the Hagymasi Winery’s Bull’s Blood (Egri
Bikaver) blend which retails in London at a competitive £10.90.

Kadarka (26% of that same Bull’s Blood blend) is another
light-coloured red that could well succeed internationally with its
pepper and cherry notes. Indeed, Takacs says that returning
holidaymakers from Hungary, where they enjoyed drinking it in leading
restaurants, have sought it out from him after ‘googling’ it. Having
tasted Hagymasi’s 2009 vintage, I can vouch for its juicy red fruit,
medium plus acidity and good concentration and length. At 12.6% alc,
it also satisfies the growing predilection for lower alcohol wines,
but its disadvantage is that it is prone to rot and can have
difficulty ripening.  That helps to explain why it is priced quite
expensively, even in Hungary. It also makes some excellent rose, Tamas
Duszi being the most notable producer of it, but at £13 in London,
that is a difficult sell. Nevertheless, Kadarka’s quality is not in
doubt, and Duszi’s red (retailing at £17) is selling quite well in
London according to Takacs. Its problem is that many different clones
of it are being used in Hungary, denying it familiarity of flavour.

Other Hungarian varieties like Ezerjo,  Juhfark and  Olazrizling all
have weaknesses as far as exporting them are concerned, not least with
their names. Ezerjo produces tart and simple bulk wine, while Takacs
reports that customers are put off by Juhfark’s £12.50 price label.
Laszlo thinks Olazrizling suffers because “olasz is an Italian word
and most people associate riesling with Germany.” It is actually
related to Rhine riesling only by name, and is not just the most
widespread Hungarian white variety but also the most reliable.
Blending it would seem to be the best bet for international sales.
Zenit, another white varietal, is likewise a strong candidate for
blends, ripening early as it does.

To conclude, therefore, there is no underlying reason why Hungarian
indigenous varietals should not have a bright future in international
markets. The potential stumbling block of their often unpronouncable
names can be circumvented by blending them into carefully-chosen named
brands, for the refreshing quality of their fruit, and their length,
is not in doubt. Labelling, distribution and marketing are three areas
that all need improving, however. And the great sweet Tokajis, whose
exports have been increasing in recent years, can lead the Hungarian
assault on world markets by continuing their growth in international
sales.

Mark Shand & London's Elephant Parade 2010

How London’s landmarks and streets will be invaded by the elephants of Mark Shand, brother of the Duchess of Cornwall

by Geoffrey Dean

When residents and visitors alike walk around central London on Monday morning, many will notice an overnight invasion of the capital. For, by then, an army of elephants - 258 to be precise - will have descended on the city's parks, squares and streets from their current base, a warehouse in Wandsworth. These, though, are not real but fibreglass elephants, each painstakingly painted by a host of different artists from all over the world.

Mark Shand with his elephants and sister

   The two-metre high elephants, bolted to 700-kg concrete plinths to deter thieves and coated in an anti-graffiti resin, will stay in their new 'homes' until June 23 when they are moved to the Royal Chelsea Hospital. There, the most ornate 30, painted by leading artists and fashion designers such as Peter Beard, Marc Quinn, Sasha Jeffrey, Tommy Hilfiger, Matthew Williamson and Alice Temperley, will be auctioned at a special dinner on June 30. The remainder will be sold off on three days later, and it is hoped that more than £2m will be raised, money that is badly needed.

   The whole splendid idea is the brainchild of the adventurer and author, Mark Shand, who rode his own elephant, Tara, across India in the late 1980s. Since then, and particularly in the last decade when the population of wild Asian elephants have fallen by 70%, numbers in the 13 countries that still have them have dropped so alarmingly that they are now officially endangered. Between 25-30,000 remain, approximately half of which are in India, but Shand fears that the species could become extinct within three decades.

Mark Shand & Tara crossing an Indian river

   "Every day in India, an elephant is killed by man, and so are people by an elephant," Shand said. "With the
population increase there, there's been drastic erosion of elephants' natural habitat, forests, and their rites of passage between them. We've identified eighty of these routes, and the only way elephants will survive is if we can secure these links. But it's expensive - we've just had to spend £1m to establish one in Kerala that measures 6km by half a kilometre. Thirty families had to be moved, but they were delighted to be as they're now out of the elephants' path."

   The logistics behind the so-called Elephant Parade, made possibly by £500,000 sponsorship, have been considerable. Although the tricky process of getting authorization from the relevant London authorities had to begin last autumn, Boris Johnson, the mayor, has been "unbelievably helpful" according to Shand. "We're a small team with a small budget who've survived on passion and the beautiful artwork on the elephants," Shand continued. "I really think London will go beserk when people see them. Each one is totally different."

   Throughout Sunday night, the elephants will be stationed around London. There will be groups of them in places - 30 in Green Park for example - while one, named Claudia, will be towed around daily to a different location. Volunteers will canvass passers-by for signatures to petition government to act on the very real threat the Asian elephant faces.

ONLINE AUCTION SITE: www.givinglots.co.uk

...

On safari in Liuwa Plains, Zambia

Zambia’s astounding wildebeest migration

The Serengeti-Mara migration may be more famous, but the Liuwa Plains wildebeest movement is no less staggering, says Geoffrey Dean

Geoffrey Dean, Wednesday January 20 2010, 5.22pm, The Times

As we flew low in the ultralight aicraft over the huge expanse of Liuwa Plains in the remote far west of Zambia, we could see thousands of wildebeest heading south in their quest for the fresh short grass that recent seasonal rains had teased from the sandy soil. It was a steady procession rather than the more frenetic rush associated with the annual pilgrimage in the Serengeti-Mara, but this central African migration is second in size only to that of its more celebrated East African cousin.

Wildebeest migrating

The long odyssey of the last few weeks from north-western Zambia and Angola has swelled the wildebeest population to some 37,000 in Liuwa Plains, a figure that does not include the several thousand new-born calves that have been dropping since mid-November.

Herds reach up to three or four thousand in this little-known, isolated park near the Angolan border that is the size of Sussex. From a vehicle, the flatness of the plains allows you to see the wildebeests six miles away, the limit of the horizon on land, their long lines looking like trees. The landscape and skies are vast, enhancing the feeling that Liuwa is one of Africa’s last great unspoilt wildernesses.

“You can see so far all around you that you can actually pick up the earth’s roundness,” Robin Pope, one of the most respected guides in Africa, said. Your immediate reaction is “surely not?” but when you look again, you realise he is right.

Africa has many magical corners, but this park is a gem in the continent’s crown, its shortage of trees counterbalanced by a plethora of lagoons and swathes of yellow conyza wildflowers. This natural beauty, not to mention the phenomenal birdlife the reserve attracts - we ticked off 110 species in five days including as many as 24 on one lagoon alone - is enough to make photographers drool at the mouth.

Pope’s encyclopaedic knowledge of birds affords him almost instant powers of identification, and I chuckled at his description of a spurwing goose coming in to land sounding “like someone walking in wet jeans”.

Liuwa’s very inaccessibility has also ensured it has been rarely visited in the last decade. Last year, however, Pope’s safari company returned to begin operations again at the only camp in the 2,100 square mile park (a self-catering site excepted). We had Liuwa completely to ourselves, seeing not one other vehicle in our time there.

Wild dog

There is another attraction - potentially box-office - that may make the park famous before long. Poaching was so bad in the late 90s that wildlife numbers plummeted, but since the African Parks Foundation spread its protective cloak over Liuwa in 2003, game is prospering again.

Lions were hunted so remorselessly that by 2003, the park was left with just one, a female. Her story, movingly captured in a National Geographic documentary shortly to be released called “The Last Lionness”, may well charge the emotions of audiences in the same way that Born Free did.

Cheetahs have flourished in the absence of lions

For more than five years, this remarkable lionness, aka Lady Liuwa, survived on her own, without any contact with her own species. Often chased off her kills by large numbers of hyenas, sworn enemies of lions, her miserable loneliness led her to seek, of all things, human company in the park’s camp. Given that man wiped out the rest of her pride, the irony of this is supreme.

“She would come into the camp and roll on her back,” said Sims and Alan Mwaiba, two cousins who have been permanent camp attendants at Liuwa for more than a decade.“She would follow us around the camp, never getting closer than about 15 feet but often staying from around 3pm till 10am the next morning. She was never remotely aggressive unless she felt we were too close to her when she had brought a kill into camp. She did that so that hyenas would not challenge her for it.”

News of Lady Liuwa’s plight reached a Namibian wildlife film-maker, Herbert Brauer, who made regular and lengthy visits to the park to shoot his documentary. “It took me three years to understand how lonely she really was,” Brauer, who formed a special bond with his subject, said.

“She had no other reason to visit us other than for our companionship. Sometimes, she would lie next to my tent at night. I would go to sleep and the next morning she was still there. It was amazing to experience this mutual trust with a wild predator that had only bad experiences with human beings. But, as much as I cared for her, I knew I must keep my distance. She scratched the trees in camp and once destroyed the seat in my Landcruiser. She needed a mate of her own.”

Lady Liuwa mating with one of the translocated males

Now, she has not one but two. In May this year, African Parks, after a failed attempt in 2008, successfully translocated a pair of young male lions from another Zambian national park, Kafue, to Liuwa Plains.Since then, Lady Liuwa has stopped visiting the camp and mated with both lions, most recently last week. If she gives birth next year, her special genes will be passed on, but even if she does not, the legend of Liuwa Plains will be part of natural history lore.

Robin Pope’s tips to see the Liuwa Plains migration:- there are two opportunities each year, the first in the second half of November/first half of December. By Christmas, access within the park is either difficult or impossible in many parts due to flooding from seasonal rains. The second time is in May/June when water will have receded and camps will be open again for the mass movement back north.- those staying at the self-catering camp will need to seek information on herds from the African Parks officials at Kalabo- Liuwa is reached either by a nine-hour drive from Lusaka, or by a two-and-a-half hour charter flight to Kalabo from Lusaka followed by a two-hour drive. A proposed new airstrip in the park (expected completion October 2010) would allow direct charter flights from Lusaka.

Need to know Geoffrey Dean flew to South Africa with Virgin Holidays, which offers daily flights to Johannnesburg and Cape Town from London Heathrow (www.virginholidays.co.uk or call 0844 5573859).He then travelled on to Zambia with Imagine Africa, through whom stays with Robin Pope at Matamanene Camp in Liuwa Plains can be booked (www.imagineafrica.co.uk or call 020 7622 5114). It costs from £375 per person per night including food, drinks, game drives and walks. Minimum stay four nights.

Grey-crowned cranes with young wildebeest