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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
New wild style in Kenya’s Great Mara
Naretoi is a novel model of safari-conservation in Kenya’s Mara-Serengeti ecosystem; a 1,000-acre private estate that was once a working farm, now reclaimed, with proceeds supporting the Enonkishu Conservancy, a unique cooperative of Mara families who sustainably manage the land for both livestock and wildlife. Collection in the Wild has been operating private safari lodges here for some time; new to its portfolio are three Wild Villas: Amani, Jamani and Olmarei.
They offer variations on the same modern safari chic, with four or five bedrooms, large pools and gardens, and a full staff, including a chef. Private guides can lead game drives through 45,000 acres of nearby nature reserves in the northern Mara; walking safaris are also available.
Mozambique’s wildlife success story
Gorongosa is a national park with a checkered history (not unlike that of Mozambique, the country in which it is located), but for the past 16 years it has been the beneficiary of a unique public-private partnership between the national government and philanthropist Greg Carr. The partnership aims to restore the extraordinary wildlife populations for which the park was known in the 20th century, before the country’s civil war decimated them by as much as 90 percent. Today it is known as the Park for Peace and is considered a success story (despite the country’s occasional political frailty).
In late August, Natural World Safaris will offer an inspiring eight-day safari through the park to see Project Gorongosa in action. NWS visitors will be led by veteran private guide Rob Janisch, meet scientists on the ground (and assist with data collection), observe staff at the first permanently operating wildlife veterinary unit in a national park, and visit one of the largest pangolin research centers in southern Africa.
Maximum luxury and unparalleled nature in Tanzania
A unique private nest in a one-of-a-kind private reserve is the best way to sum up Milele, the new five-bedroom villa that forms part of Singita’s portfolio of lodges and residences in Grumeti above Serengeti National Park. The wildlife encounters here have been described as unrivalled in East Africa and the ultra-pampering quality of stay is equally unrivalled – Singita Grumeti boasts some of the most charming camps and lodges on the continent and one of its finest wine cellars.
Milele is a contemporary and spectacular venue with private terraces for each guest, a large outdoor living room (with fire pit) and a heated pool with whirlpool and gym. It has a full team of field guides to lead private safaris, a chef and housekeeping staff, and the option to spend half a day visiting any of the programs run by Grumeti Fund, Singita’s non-profit partner.
Stargazing on safari in the most remote places of the Okavango Delta
More than any other safari operator in southern Africa, Wilderness dominates Botswana from the modest to the luxurious, from the Namibian border at Linyanti to the lushest reaches of the Okavango Delta. The latest to join its ranks is Mokete, a tented camp in the vast and almost untouched Mababe Private Game Reserve at the eastern end of the delta.
It is known for having very few people and robust populations of both hyenas and lions; its combination of flatness, rich swamps and mopane The forest offers a wonderful combination of scenery and excellent potential for spotting megafauna. The camp itself is modern and small in size, with nine tents featuring modern amenities powered by solar energy and, as an added bonus, retractable roofs for stargazing at night.