Very swish afternoon tea in old Colonial hotel. Absolutely stunning hotel almost identical to Grand Hotel in Habana (bit of sneaky name dropping there....did you notice?). With grand terrace and stunning view of falls. Wild Warthogs, Baboons and Banded Mongooses ( or should that be Mongeese?) just wandering around the grounds. Doesn’t seem that much has changed over the years, with about 4 blacks attending each white! Superb opulent service and ambience. A must see experience. Then traditional Boma supper and drum/dance performance. Huge spread of traditional fare inc Warthog steak (delicious), Impala stew, Eland meatballs and roasted caterpillars (they call them worms...quite tasty but probably don’t try this at home!). Now sitting waiting for minibus to drive 3 hours over rough and badly potaholed roads (no change there then) to an African Wild Dog rehab ... read more

Not something you see everyday whilst sipping your morning coffee. The guesthouse owner’s brother has a farm and this giraffe was head butting visiting cars and getting aggressive so had to be shot. He was quite pushy and a cheeky negotiator. In fact you could say he had a hard neck. Reminded me a bit about the famous Falty Towers moose head sketch. Only weirder. Flew to Zimbabwe this morning. 29 degs up here and wall to wall sun. Our group (now reduced to 7) was hosted by a local lady and treated us to a traditional local meal of peanuts and blackeyed peas, roasted caterpillars, whitebait, chicken and local veg. We spent a fascinating couple of hours hearing about life in Mugabwe’s playground. It is hard to believe what this country has been reduced to. ... read more

Very busy last two days with several game drives in both Kruger and now kawunga reserves. Up and away by 5.30 for 3 hours. Back for breakfast 9.30. Bushwalk after. Lunch. Afternoon/ evening drive then dinner. Fall into ‘tent’ about 9pm exhausted but happy. Seen Lion and cubs, Cheetah and cubs, Jackal, Zebra, Giraffe, Elephants, Impala,rhino, hippo, Croc, wilderbeest (and ate the steak!), and countless others. Still to see the elusive leopard. Very swish ‘tent’ with wildlife all round. Also man with gun! Back to Joburg for night tomorrow with 7 he drive them flight to Victoria Falls Monday in Zimbabwe. Can’t describe the feeling of seeing lioness with cubs just a few yards away and a dozen elephants literally brushing past jeep. ... read more

Full day in Soweto township today. Although we knew what to expect, the reality of the poverty is still an eye opener. Saw equal in Peru and Laos but not as crowded as here. 4-6 living in single room tin shack in small yard with maybe another 4-6 shacks. That is 20-30 living in about half a tennis court! And no electricity. Communal standpipes. Toilet hut shared by 30-50. Most unemployed but eek out living collecting garbage for recycling for about £3 day. No police or ambulance will enter compounds but they have a communal moral code and look after each other. And as in previously visited areas, the kids are all happy and friendly, even without screens or bought toys. Even happier in my opinion. We never felt in the slightest threatened, but felt very ... read more

Well here we go again! Backpacks packed, weighed, emptied, repacked, reweighed again, until below the magic 15Kg mark. Mozzie repellent and Immodium packed in industrial quantities, along with the statutory 'Dr Livingston I presume' khakis. Dougal off for his Spa day tomorrow prior to his holidays with bestie, Hendry, and his feedy /walky people Emma & Jane. Better have plenty poop bags! Only 3 more sleeps! Best check that weight again...... read more