Witnessing a lion attack during a game drive is one thing, but seeing a wildebeest fighting for its life for over 7 minutes and breaking free from the clutches of a lion’s jaws is something incredibly rare to witness.
The team at Ranger Diaries published this amazing video of the encounter. It’s sad, heartwarming and an inspiration to never give up, no matter how impossible the situation you are in may seem. Take a look at the video and feel free to let us know what you think by leaving a comment.
Who would win the fight in a gorilla vs leopard scenario? Discovery Science has created a visual re-creation of what they think would happen if a gorilla and leopard were to brawl.
We’ve got a really good example of team work for you!
At Overlanding Africa, we have a flair for the down-to-earth and up-side-down. We thrive on keeping things fun and making our daily tasks interesting and enjoyable. This kind of motto sparks great examples of team work like this:
In order to give the Overlanding Africa’s Facebook Page a boost of fans up to the 3000 mark, our Development Manager, Renier van Schalkwyk promised to stand on his head and sing the South African National Anthem in the middle of our Cape Town office. Within no time at all we had 3000 eager fans keen on seeing this good example of team work come together. Renier followed through on his promise and gave us this brilliant showcase of excellent team work:
Good example of team work right here:
South African National Anthem being sung by Renier van Schalkwyk
It was the unusual singing of the South African National Anthem this time, what will our next good example of team work be? Like our Overlanding Africa Facebook page and find out…
Camping safaris can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences you ever have, but only if you’re properly prepared with the right knowledge and the right gear, especially when you’re venturing off on safaris in Africa.
Watch this quick YouTube video about camping safari tips for beginners and get clued-up in a jiffy. Alternatively, just read the great camping tips below.
The Tent on Camping Safaris
First and foremost, you need a tent for camping safaris. The number of people you’ll have sleeping in your tent will determine the size of the tent you need. Rule of thumb: always get a tent that will sleep two more people than you intend to have. If you’re a family of four, get a six man tent. Why? You’ll need the extra room to store your duffle bags, backpacks, shoes, boots and other gear.
It’s also nice, but not necessary, to have a tent you can stand up in. It makes getting in and out a little easier, as well as getting dressed and undressed.
You’ll want to set your tent up on level ground, it is very uncomfortable to pitch your tent on uneven or slanted terrain. You’ll need all the sleep you can get on safaris in Africa, with days filled with hiking, game viewing, dilated pupils and adventure.
Meal Planning on Camping Safaris
Okay, so you’ve made it to the campground. The tent is up, the gear is in. Well, you could take a break. I mean, you worked hard! You deserve it! Crack open a cold one and relax. Okay, enough relaxation, time to plan your meals.
If you’re going camping with a group of people, then you’ve got some meal planning to do. How many people are you going to feed, and how often? Perhaps each person, or family can be responsible for one meal, or one day of meals for the entire group. Talk to each other beforehand. Good meal planning can prevent waste, and starvation. As far as what food to bring, well, whatever you normally eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner is what you’ll bring.
Okay, now you want to get some kindling. Kindling? Small pieces of wood that will burn quickly in order to get the fire started. Go out and gather some small branches. Pick them up off the ground in the area surrounding your campsite. On a camping safari, you don’t want to venture off into the bush without a guide on a safari in Africa. There are wild animals out there. Also, cutting branches off trees is a no-no. Green wood won’t burn anyway.
If you bought a bag of firewood, there should be some narrowly cut wood in there. Use that. Firstly, take some newspaper, or any other paper, for that matter, scrunch it up in a ball, and place it in the middle of the fire ring. Now you are going to build a little teepee around it. Use the kindling first, then surround it with larger logs. Now you’re just about ready for ignition. Light the paper in the middle, which in turn will burn the kindling, which in turn will burn the logs.
All right, you’re not going to have a real flamer in 10 seconds, it is going to take a little work: you may have to re-light it a few times, blow on the embers, stoke it a bit, but eventually you will succeed.
We’re not all Bear Grylls. We don’t eat live scorpions, we don’t crawl into small caves for cosy outdoor shelter and we don’t start fires using friction. Stuff like that doesn’t come naturally to most of us anyway. So if you’re venturing out on one of your first camping safaris in Africa, and you feel the need to get in touch with your primitive side, take over the duty of starting the campfire with the below tips on how to build a campfire.
Below is a quick video showing you how to build a campfire from scratch.
You’ll be sitting around the dirt eating untoasted marshmallows if you don’t learn how to build a proper campfire for your camping safaris in Africa.
You will need:
1.Wood
2. Matches/lighter
Optional:
1. Rocks
2. Shovel
Step 1
Make sure a campfire is allowed at your campsite. Some camping safari spots tend to be surrounded by dry vegetation which can ignite easily if strong wind crops up and blows embers into them.
Step 2
See if your campsite has pre-made fire pits. If not, you’ll have to make one.
Step 3
To create your own fire pit, choose a spot at least 10 feet away from brush and other easily flammable materials. Don’t forget to look up – fire pits should not be under branches. Safaris in Africa are about enjoying each area’s natural beauty. You wouldn’t want to smoke out any critters or birds away from their homes.
Step 4
Surround your fire pit with a circle of stones or rocks to keep your wood contained. If you have a shovel, dig a pit about 6 – 8 inches deep inside your rock pile.
Step 5
Gather wood. You’ll need three different types. 1. Tinder: small twigs and dry leaves. 2. Kindling: larger sticks and twigs still under an inch in diameter. 3. Fuel wood: large pieces of wood that will burn for a while.
All wood should be dry and as free of dirt, moss, and debris as possible. Pile it at least 3 feet away from your fire pit.
Step 6
Start by placing tinder in the centre of your fire pit.
Step 7
Using 3 or 4 pieces of your kindling and build a teepee around the tinder.
Step 8
Add more kindling to the downwind side of your teepee, then continue around to the upwind side. Leave an opening on the upwind side that will allow you to ignite the tinder within the teepee.
Fire needs oxygen, so be sure to leave space between the kindling in your teepee to allow your fire to breathe.
Step 9
Lay two parallel pieces of fuel wood on opposite sides of the teepee. The end should extend beyond your teepee. Lay two more pieces of wood on top of your first two, forming a square of fuel wood enclosing the teepee.
Step 10
Continue laying fuel wood building up to a box that resembles a log cabin. Two or three layers will suffice. Make sure you can still access the tinder which is now inside the kindling teepee, which is inside your fuel wood cabin.
Step 11
Light the tinder at several different locations. Stand upwind of your fire when you’re lighting it to keep the wind from blowing out your match or lighter.
Step 12
Add small amounts of tinder until your kindling catches fire.
Step 13
Once the kindling lights, switch your attention to the fuel wood. As the kindling burns up, add more fuel wood until it ignites.
Step 14
When the fuel wood has caught fire, continue feeding it with fuel wood as needed. Now if that isn’t fire making for camping safaris made easy, then I don’t know what is!
Good job! Now that your campfire is successfully burning, get ready to roast those marshmallows! Camping safaris in Africa not only broaden your view of the world but are also a great way to boost confidence and make discover your independent. Today a campfire. Tomorrow the world.
This online video campaign by US activists aims at capturing an alleged Ugandan warlord, Joseph Kony and his Rebel Group the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army). The video has gone viral with over 15 million views on YouTube.
This campaign will expire on 31 December 2012, dedicating 2012 to stopping Joseph Kony.
Watch this amazingly well produced Kony YouTube Video and reveal the horrifying truth about what is happening in Uganda. When a tourist’s life changing safari in Uganda comes to an end, a real life of terror soldiers on for those left behind…
Share this post and let’s make Kony known globally so that we can capture the man who has abducted over 30 000 innocent children and made their lives a living hell. Do it for the 30 000 children who will be next…
When you’re on a safari in Uganda enjoying the wildlife, the happy smiles of the local people and the absolute beauty of the country, we don’t stop to think about what happens when the overland truck leaves.
Wow. This is absolutely amazing! From time to time gorilla’s are known to pass by camp sites, but for a traveller to experience the closeness he has in the video below, is extremely rare.
Absolutely awesome. All he needs now is to go change his underwear and wait for his heart to stop beating against his rib cage. This may take a while.
We can always rely on National Geographic to bring us quality footage from the wild, and they’ve done it again! Watch as this brave elephant manages to open a can of ‘not-today’, and escape a ravenous pride of lions.
You’ve gotta love it! What BBC has done is gather a bunch of great footage from safaris in Africa and added voice-overs to each clip, in order to give us greater ‘insight’ as to what is happening in the clip. SO FUNNY!
After I’ve finished nursing the stitch in my side, I’m going to watch another one. Classic.
For all of us who feel like we don’t seem to have a voice in the plight to save our rhino, here is an inspiring YouTube viral video aimed at raising awareness and spreading the word:
Share the video and make a difference.
Keen to see rhino’s in their natural habitat? Go on a safari. While you still can.
With 38 countries, 307 destinations and all sorts of adventure activities to choose from, our handy destination guides give you the information and inspiration you need for your travels in Africa.
Overlanding is about having fun, soaking up the amazing sights and sounds of Africa, meeting like-minded travellers and learning a little about yourself along the way.
Go wild, let your hair down and try something different. Featuring 185 adventure activities in Africa, there is definitely something here to make your toes curl.
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