Africa Overland with Absolute Africa

If the hippopotamus is your favourite animal, then you cannot go past Queen Elizabeth National Park. They are everywhere. In fact it boasts the greatest concentration of hippos in all of Africa. They are a grazing vagabond of the night. The only remnants of their passing are the fragile foot prints cast in the mud many kilometres from the water’s edge. Allowing the enthusiast a short time to contemplate their existence until the next rain. They are a peculiar lot. Large bodied. Large head. Big teeth and a temperament so cautious that they are ashamed to display their massive bulk in the daylight. Only willing to expose themselves in the safety of the night. But don’t be fooled by their cautious behaviour. They are the Jekyll and Hyde of the African animal kingdom. Able to change personality from the cute water-loving introvert into a crazed mass of aggression.

So, while in the park, sit back and enjoy the company of the hippo from the safety of a boat on one of the lakes of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Watch them frolic in the lake water with the buffalo in close company and the occasional Nile crocodile, laying motionless, blending into its surrounds. Watch Kingfisher birds diving behind the boat and catching small fish disorientated by the slowly passing boat. Enjoy the serenity of the lake and its 600 species of bird, with just the hum of the boat and the guides’ voice in the background. This is a great park. Its highlights are its hippos, but keep an eye out, or an ear. There are elephants, lion, hyena and leopard in the park. Oh, and be careful of the warthogs they like your food!

Written by Denis Grace, one of our trip leaders who recently visited Queen Elizabeth with his group on a November gorilla safari. Photo by Alex Pervanoglu, our new driver.

To find out more on our trips that include Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park please click here.

I  have just returned from one of your overland trips (the Absolute Safari  departing on the 24th Aug) and i just wanted to write to you to commend the crew – David and Moses.

David was an excellent driver who went out of his way to maintain the truck to the highest standards and always drove with great care and incredible skill on the bumpiest roads in Africa! He was also great at getting the truck into brilliant positions for game viewing on the game drives. He was really responsible and always went to bed early if he was driving the next day.

Similarly the tour leader Moses was fantastic - he was totally dependable and reliable in an emergency, for example, taking clients to hospital and always went out of his way to organise requests from clients.  He was great fun and very entertaining - he totally made the trip! his local  knowledge was incredible and he had a wealth of contacts which meant that we got to see a bit more of the country and got to meet more local people.

Having an African crew made a huge difference to the trip – they both spoke local languages, had more respect from local people,  understood the cultures in more detail and could speak from personal  experience. I met several other overland trucks that had non-African crew and  speaking to them found that their experiences were not as in-depth as ours. I  think that its important that a big company like yourselves put something back into the communities you visit, and employing local people is an excellent way  to do this and would certainly be a deciding factor in how I recommended friends to the trip.

Anna

I don’t think anything can prepare you for Africa. People use words like ‘colour’, ‘life’, ‘welcoming’, and ‘beautiful’, but truly - it is more than just words. It reaches inside you and pulls at your heartstrings, and leaves you amazed, enthralled, and desperate to return.

Absolute Africa made it possible for me to experience a small part of this continent without making sacrifices because of my limited budget. The friends I made onboard Makako a year ago are still as dear to me now as they were when we bid a tearful farewell in Vic Falls. Some of the greatest experiences I have had in my life were shared with these incredible people - from visiting orphanages in Malawi, to toasting sunsets in Zimbabwe infront of elephants and hippos. It was one big, fat, crazy ride, and I enjoyed every second of it. If you’re prepared to give a little and enjoy the ride, then Africa is the place for you. She’ll give you far more than you could have bargained for.

Thanks!
Jess

Prior to her trip to Africa Jess was involved with fundraising for Soft Power Education (A British/Ugandan NGO working with communities in Uganda to improve quality of life through education) involving a charity mud-wrestle(!) Since her return to London she has continued fundraising for the orphanages she visited on her trip. These donations were most gratefully received and will help the kids a tremendous amount. Jess consequently has quite the fan club in Rwanda and Malawi now. Awesome work Jess!

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