Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In Africa

Text Katie Dixon and Matthew Priest

Images www.photolibrary.com, Callan Cohen (www.birdingafrica.com)

Are safaris an East African invention? Certainly the term is derived from the Swahili word for a long journey, and the archetypical trip takes travellers out across the Serengeti and into the habitat of some of the most impressive beasts on earth. Plenty has changed since rich Europeans ventured out onto the plains to hunt down specimens of the ‘Big Five’ – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and cape buffalo. Yet the experience of seeing such wildlife up close remains undiminished. We’ve sought out a handful of the best tours going across our network – just remember to pack a zoom lens rather than an elephant gun.

Safari

What better way to explore Brussels Airlines’ East African destinations than by embarking on a safari? We choose our top five wildlife tours, from big game in Kenya to apes in Rwanda and birds in Uganda

1 Safari in style KENYA

Just because you’re out in the wild, this doesn’t automatically mean you have to get grubby. Kenya is home to a number of well-heeled safari lodges, and plenty of tour operators offer incredibly luxurious tents. Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.com) runs a two-week, East Africa in Style package, which begins and ends at Nairobi Fairmont The Norfolk hotel; both Winston Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt bedded down here. Prices start at €12,837, based on two sharing.

2 Flying visits KENYA

Various tour operators offer airborne trips across Kenya’s game reserves and national parks, so you can cover great distances and get a vulture’s-eye view of the terrain. Aramati Safaris (aramatisafaris.co.ke) offers a two-night Masai Mara flying safari with rides in both light aircraft and hot air balloons, from €1,200.

3 Ape expectations RWANDA

While you can go on Kenyan-style safaris in Rwanda, the country’s true zoological gem is the Volcanoes National Park. This 130 kilometre square reserve is home to the rare mountain gorilla, as featured in the 1988 feature film Gorillas in the Mist. A three-day tour to see these beasts in the park with Rwanda Safari (www.rwanda-safari.com) starts at €752.

4 Bird world UGANDA

This tropical state is home to an impressive selection of large mammals and primates, but its avian wildlife attracts ornithologists from across the world.

Around 1,000 species flock to the swamps and peaks of Uganda, including the much sought-after shoebill. Birding Africa (www.birdingafrica.com), a group of biologists, bird book authors and conservationists, lead specialist Ugandan safaris for bird and primate enthusiasts, with prices starting at €2,250.

5 Tiny tropics BURUNDI

This small African republic is a world away from the plains of Kenya, yet it still offers an incredible tropical menagerie in its two national parks of Kibira and Rurubu. The Ugandan tour operators, Merit Safaris (www.meritsafaris.com) run a five-day Burundi safari. This takes in Kibira’s wildlife – expect to see antelopes, hares, buffalos, baboons and crocodiles – before ending up at Rutovu, where travellers view the little river which has been certified as the source of The Nile. Expect to pay around €800.

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