On Rhinos
We came across a distinctive track in the dust. A large three-toed pad, unique in the African bush. They identify the presence of the only mammal species with three toes on both front and rear feet, the rhinocerous. This mammal is fast disappearing, mainly because of Man´s greed and a...
Qualities of a Guide
Why does A Step Ahead place such importance on your guide when you travel with us? Recently the travel industry, and especially the luxury market, has delivered improvements on accommodation, cuisine, and extras such as internet and spa facilities. The results have been amazing, and most of us, wherever we...
Dave awarded accolade
Last month (in December 2019) A Step Ahead professional guide Dave Christensen was awarded the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association "Guide of the Year" accolade. Dave and all of us at A Step Ahead are thrilled. Dave cherishes this accolade because this association of skilled professionals are his peers,...
Family time with chimpanzees
December 2018 I looked out of the window of the Cessna Caravan 12-seater aircraft as it banked and descended. The aquamarine waters of Lake Tanganyika contrasted with the emerald vegetation of the fields. A couple of days ago Laurence and Alana, my two eldest children, were at university in opposite...
Desert Lioness Update (2019)
When I was last in Namibia in January 2018 I was concerned about the chances of survival for the 3 one year old cubs, living along the Hoanib River in the Skeleton Coast National Park. They were the daughters of the desert lioness Margeaux (marked XPL-55 by Desert Lion Research)...
Gorillas, hardship and luxury in Rwanda
Africa is still the Dark Continent. It is replete with mysteries, wonders and misconceptions, among other treasures. Consider Rwanda, for example. This is a tiny country in the Great Lakes region of Africa, a little to the west of giant Lake Victoria. Few people outside Africa know where it is,...
Silence in the reeds
I sit in a mokoro, or African dug-out canoe, my eyes only a metre above the waterline. My feet are stretched out before me, with my camera gear between my knees, and I am resting on a cushion, with the expert poler standing behind me. I have no idea how...
A bark at sunset
We were in the Okavango Delta, on the edge of an island of woodland overlooking an open floodplain, sipping cocktails and enjoying the changing sky; the evolving russets, oranges and reds of the sunset. I was with a wonderful family from California - three generations, so there was quite a...
Desert lioness (2018)
February 2018 The rich ochre and black ridges and the flat, stony plains of the Skeleton Coast appear to have no life at all, but the Hoanib River wends its way through. The term “river” overflows with optimism, and not water. The Hoanib is actually a dry, sandy, meandering watercourse...
Bisate Lodge
Bisate Eco Lodge is tucked into the south-western slopes of a small extinct volcano offering stunning sunset views of two of the eight largest volcanoes in the Virungas (Karisimbi and Bisoke). The Virunga Mountains are a chain of mountains forming part of the Albertine Rift, and are the result of...
the Highlands
The Highlands is situated high on the slopes of Olmoti Volcano, and at 2,700m (8,850ft) is the highest camp in the Ngorongoro Highlands area. The extinct Olmoti rests between The Highlands and the massive caldera of Ngorongoro Crater. This is a remote area, far from any other lodges and camps,...
Mystery stripes
Ruyard Kipling wrote a wonderful book - Just So Stories explaining various mysteries including how the leopard got his spots, and how the rhino got his skin. However he never dared explain why zebras have stripes. Almost wherever you go on an African safari you will see zebras. They are...
