Under African skies

No longer the preserve of the super-rich, African safaris have become increasingly popular. Cheap flights, the opportunity to shoot with the camera as well as the gun and the family experience which Africa can offer form a seductive package, but what are the pitfalls? GEORGE WALLACE dons his pith helmet to lead the beginner into the safari jungle.

I don’t know if younger people feel the same but certainly those of us who like to hunt and who can remember the British Empire react strongly to the merest mention of Africa.

Our minds are filled instantly with a tumble of intense, vivid, crowded images. Images of heat and dust; of the sun hammering down from a bleached white sky; of thirst and mirage; of hard, wild battles hand-to-hand with the people who were then called ‘savages’; of sturdily independent Boer voortrekkers heading North, away from British bureaucracy (which still doesn’t seem such a bad idea in 2006); and, above all, of a variety of hunting and fishing which cannot be experienced anywhere else on Earth.

 

The names and writings of F.C. Selous (perhaps the greatest of them all), of W.D.M.‘Karamojo’ Bell, of the incomparable John ‘Pondoro’ Taylor and a hundred others call us to Africa more bewitchingly, more seductively, than Lorelei ever called to sailor.

The trouble with such images, imprinted on young minds and reinforced in later years by books, films and TV programmes, is that we are afraid to trust them.

We are afraid that if we visit this magical place all our illusions will be shattered by concrete jungles and by a ‘wilderness’ tamed and turned into a theme park, where the pride of lions under the tree are outnumbered by zebra-striped Land Rovers full of goggling tourists. We are afraid that the heat and the dust will still be there but the magic will have gone.

Fear not, my friends. Certainly a city is just a city and their horrors don’t vary much wherever you are in the world; but leave them behind and you will find Africa more wonderful, more exciting, more magical than anything you could have dreamed of.  Africa herself will never disappoint. You will be impossibly captivated and wish to return, as my wife and I do, year after year after year.

Africa, the real Africa, is still there if you look for it. And when you find it, it is totally addictive.

You have been warned.

African hunting is also something very, very special. There is nothing remotely like it on the face of the Earth. The extraordinary variety of animals, the landscape, the climate and the manner of hunting combine to make a package unique to southern Africa. Done properly with the feel of the land under your feet and the smell of the bushveld in your nose, the experience is mind-blowing. It is hard to imagine a more complete escape from life in 21st century Britain.

But, enough of all this wide-eyed romanticism. Let’s look at some facts.

If you’ve stuck with me thus far you are probably interested in Africa; or perhaps just curious about it; or maybe you’ve already been there and had a memorable experience; or perhaps your safari failed to live up to expectations. Disappointment is, of course, perfectly possible for a variety of reasons, as it is with any holiday, but following a few basic rules greatly decreases the risk.

People often think that an African Safari is only for the very rich but that is far from true in these days of cheap air travel, of more competition between providers and of a strong pound. Two weeks in South Africa, where Julia and I go almost every year, sightseeing, game viewing, sea fishing and doing a bit of hunting, is much cheaper than driven pheasant shooting and no more expensive – as I found out last summer – than the same length of time on the Costa Plenty. And as far as quality experience is concerned, there’s just no comparison; no comparison at all.

Finding an operator

As with any holiday, the key to success lies in proper planning well in advance, which absolutely must begin by finding a reliable safari operator. Advertisements and Websites can help but if you go that route always ask for references and then talk to clients who have already hunted with the safari operator in question.

For the best chance of a perfect first safari there’s really no substitute for a recommendation from someone you know and trust and, just as important, whose tastes you share.

If, like me, you are, somewhat past the exuberance and indestructibility of youth, the advice of a super-fit 25- year-old may be interesting but perhaps not all that useful. He may be able to climb up and down the hills of Zululand all day, carry a blue wildebeest two miles to the bakkie (South African for a pick-up truck) and then party all night, but I certainly can’t. Better in that case to seek advice from someone with similar tastes and abilities to my own. (If I can find someone like that who is still alive!)
 
For a foreign visitor to hunt in South Africa, he or she requires a Registered Safari Operator and also a Licensed Professional Hunter (PH). One man may hold both qualifications but you absolutely MUST have both if the trip is to be legal and go without a hitch.

A PH may take foreign clients hunting but he is not allowed to organise the trip or to arrange export of trophies; that must be done by a Registered Operator. Lack of attention to these details can result in disappointment when your trophies, the tangible memories of your hunt, do not arrive in the UK.

A good professional hunter (PH) will, without really appearing to do so, tailor each day to the wishes and physical ability of his client. He will be a knowledgeable, friendly guide and helper, rather than a smart-Alec Jimmy-know-all. We’ve all met some of the latter and they can ruin a two- or three-week holiday the first half hour.

I have included the internet addresses of a short list of safari operators and professional hunters whom I know personally or who have been recommended to me by people whose standards I know and whose opinions I trust. You may rely on any of them to make your trip totally memorable.

The list is very short because it is restricted to those I know either from personal experience or from a cast-iron reference. There are plenty of other highly professional operators offering safaris in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania and elsewhere who are not on my list but will give you the experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately there are also a few ‘cowboys’ and rip-off merchants, so do take care. Personal recommendation is by far the safest route.

Some Recommended Safari Operators  (in alphabetical order)

 

African Hunting Holidays 13 The Uplands Rogerstone Newport Gwent NP10 9FA Email

Lyssos Hunting Safaris 85 Hoyle Court Avenue Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire BD17 6ET 07792543895 01274592972 Email Website

RW Safaris Coley Barn Norwood Green Halifax HX3 8RD

Principal quarry species:

Kudu, Bushbuck, Eland, Waterbuck, Big pig

You can shoot with the camera too – the wildflife of Africa is spectacular. ( rhino, lion, finch, blue bird, butterfly, flower, storks, eagle, elephant etc)

Sightseeing can lead to some spectacular encounters

Travelling with Firearms

South Africa is no problem but there is a total ban at present on carrying firearms of any kind from Britain to a number of destinations, one of which is Zimbabwe. You don’t, of course, actually need to take your own firearms because something suitable can usually be borrowed for each hunt but I much prefer to use my own because, like their owner, they are old and interesting and add to the pleasure of the hunt. I’m sure I am not alone in this.

If you do want to take your own, there are some important things to remember:

• There is a concessionary extra baggage allowance for sporting equipment, so check with the airline that sporting guns are included and check the maximum extra weight allowed; probably 15kg.
• Inform the airline as well as the booking agency, at the time of booking, that you will be carrying firearms and ammunition. If your journey involves local flights within Africa, get the agent to check that they will carry firearms; Nationwide Airline in South Africa, for example, are not licensed to carry them. Black powder is never allowed, even in loaded ammunition.
• Firearms should be in a baggage-handler-proof gun case. Security will want it opened to check serial numbers etc., so keep the keys handy.
• Ammunition must be packed in your hold baggage, NOT in your cabin bag and NOT in the case with the firearm. Maximum is 5kg of ammo. It is perfectly legal to carry it in the manufacturer’s cardboard cartons but I usually put mine in one of those steel cash boxes you can buy from shops such as WH Smith. (It’s really not worth carrying shotgun cartridges.) You will be asked where the ammo is, so tell them which bag it is in and they will put that bag in a cargo bin separate from the firearm.
• Carry your UK firearm or shotgun certificate and keep them handy.
• Arrive at the airport VERY early to allow time for the paperwork. Tell the book-in desk you are carrying firearms and ask them to inform security.
• Having arrived at your destination and collected your bags, look for police security who will probably already have your firearm(s) and who will deal with the paperwork. South Africa has a new Firearms Control Act which is still in its teething stages but I can report after selflessly, and at no small inconvenience, submitting myself to it on behalf of our readers, that it works smoothly as long as you have done your homework.

Arrangements and paperwork. 

Give yourself time to get everything in order. Lots of time. It’s all perfectly simple when you know how but can be confusing the first time. Concentrate, make a list and get it right. Here are some bullet points:

• Inoculations etc. Mostly not required in South Africa but in some areas anti-malaria is advised. Consult your doctor and also your safari operator.
• Is your passport up to date? Sounds elementary, but easily overlooked in the excitement.
• Are your firearm or shotgun certificates up-to-date or likely to expire?.  Mine were due to expire at the start of my recent trip, arranged at quite short notice, but a “Help!” call to North Wales police produced rapid renewal of both certificates. My heartfelt thanks to the staff in the licensing department in Prestatyn.

For South Africa you also need a local visitor’s permit which is provided by police at the arrival airport. To obtain it, you MUST have a letter of invitation from your licensed safari operator (NOT from the professional hunter) and also complete an application form. Much time is saved by filling in the application form before your trip but you MUST NOT SIGN IT until in the presence of the police in Johannesburg or Cape Town. There have been several horror stories about difficulties with all this but I have been unable to confirm them other than in cases where the paperwork was wrong. As reported above, I carried a rifle and ammunition to South Africa in March 2006 and the system operated perfectly. The South African police officials were brilliant.

In accordance with that spirit of pure helpfulness for which I am so justly renowned, I am willing and able to provide copies of the application form, of the instructions for completing it correctly and also a specimen of the approved layout for the required letter from the operator. These can be sent by e-mail by clicking here.

And last but not least, if you have to catch an internal flight after initial arrival in South Africa, make sure you have at least two hours and preferably longer between flights to ensure time to sort the paperwork and catch your connecting flight.

You will find South African officials very helpful if you have done your part correctly and if you treat them – as you should treat everybody, always - with politeness and respect. Take your time and listen carefully to what they say. Though everyone speaks English, it is often their second or even third language and if you have not been before you may find the various accents a bit difficult.

The word safari literally means a journey. Hunting may be a part of that journey but there are also at least a million other things to do. South Africa is a perfect venue for a family holiday with hunting of plains game or dangerous game, wingshooting for an extraordinary variety of fowl, game viewing, fishing, horse riding, shopping, battlefield tours etc etc to fill the days.

Then there are evenings around the braai (barbecue) trying to keep awake long enough to eat the superb food. I also hear that South African wines are first class and their brandy (Oude Meester is highly recommended) is  memorable but, of course, I wouldn’t know about that.

When I’m talking to people and they say they are thinking of going to South Africa, my invariable advice is, “Don’t.”  Sounds like a throw-away line, perhaps, but I then go on to explain that it is a truly wonderful experience and can be very highly addictive. Julia and I were married while on Safari and we return to that magical land just as often as funds allow. As I said earlier, “You have been warned!”

When to go

The best time to visit South Africa is normally considered to be during their Winter, which is the dry season.  However, I am also very fond of the summer rain, if you can stand the humidity, which brings everything into flower and wipes out yesterday’s tracks so you can see exactly what animals have passed by since the last rainstorm. In either case, it is best to book in plenty of time if your preferred dates are to be available. Hunting is normally from April to September inclusive, so it is best to arrange that before the previous Christmas.

PICTURES Credit:  Justin Seymour-Smith/Iwaba Safaris and Ally Robins Safaris