natural high

safaris, culture and wilderness travel

africa & the indian subcontinent

safaris, culture and w

ilderness travel

a simple tented camp in a hidden corner of wild africa, a homestay high above the clouds in a nepalese village, a trek with a berber guide whose family have walked high atlas paths for generations. experiences like these define natural high.

as a small company we travel extensively, get to know the places we visit intimately and make up our own minds about what’s really worth doing, rather than just what makes a good photograph. we have an eye for quirk and would prefer to offer you intelligent simplicity than impersonal luxury. over the past 20 years we’ve each built invaluable relationships with our partners in the far-flung places we visit. when it comes to your trip, to us success means creating experiences that stay with you for the rest of your life.

scramble up steep forest paths to the top of soaring mountain passes and nothing will prepare you for the moment you find yourself in the presence of one of the last remaining families of Mountain gorillas on this planet. explore the short-grass plains of the serengeti with a mobile safari camp to witness the birth of half a million wildebeest. ride an elephant through the mists of Kaziranga in search of the indian one-horned rhinoceros. follow a tiffinwala through Mumbai as he delivers one of thousands of lunch boxes across the city. spend time with the brokpa people in bhutan’s twin valleys of Merak and sakteng to understand why life revolves around their yaks.

this year alone we’ve organised trips for people from locations as diverse as tbilisi, buenos aires, liberia, bergen, Kuala lumpur, Melbourne, afghanistan, budapest, doha and reading. and while the internet is a wonderful thing, it’s no substitute for old fashioned one to one. we take real pleasure in getting to know our clients, so what we do begins with a conversation, and we continue to work closely with you as we build your trip. You leave the legwork to us but enjoy the anticipation as the plan unfolds before you, which is after all part of the pleasure.

we’ve made no attempt to fit everything we offer within these pages, but chosen a few examples to give you something of a taste. with any luck, what follows will put a smile on your face and - who knows - maybe whet your appetite for adventure.

alex edwards

what we do

never go on a long journeY with a Kid who has just learned to whistle

tanzaniaserengeti

what a Million looKs liKe

every year in mid february roughly a million wildebeest complete an annual journey that brings them back to the place where they were born 10 months before.

following the rains and the new grass, they flood onto the short grass plains of the southern serengeti and ngorongoro conservation area. the plains cover many thousands of square miles, so the sense of space is overwhelming; at times you can drive for hours off road, and never be out of sight – or sound - of wildebeest.

what’s more, extraordinarily all 400,000 calves are born in the space of a single week. for many people, safaris are synonymous with the dry season, but the scale of this event puts most wildlife spectacles in the shade.

PhotograPh: Paul joYnson hicKs naturalhigh.co.uk

jan

ua

ry

- m

ar

ch

safaris, culture and wilderness travel

indiataMil nadu

if You onlY visit one teMPle in south india, MaKe sure it’s the sri MeenaKshi in Madurai. there are 330 million gods in hindu mythology and you can make your acquaintance with most of them at this incredible temple. balancing on each other’s heads and packed up tightly between kings and warriors they smother its towering gopurams in a riot of colour that has you reaching for your shades.

twelve towers rise from Madurai’s dusty streets like multi-coloured flat topped pyramids. take off your shoes, step over the temple’s high threshold and your bare feet will lead you into another world where we guarantee you’ll find nothing fusty about religion. inside, the air is thick with incense, the sounds of bells, chanting bare-chested priests and worshipping masses.

activities include covering deities with vermilion paste and crushed marigolds, being blessed by an elephant and throwing butter balls at dancing gods (how church attendance in the uK would swell if the congregation was allowed to throw even a little bit of butter at the vicar...) children will love it.

when we’re here we love to come back in the evening for the unusual ‘going to bed ceremony’. with lots of noise and commotion, the fish-eyed goddess and her husband are carried from their separate day time places to the inner sanctum, and placed together, for a night of love.

activities include being

blessed bY an elePhant and

throwing butter balls

at dancing gods

UK: +44 1747 898104safaris, cUltUre and wilderness travel

jan

Ua

ry

- m

ar

ch

KenYathe chYulu hills

crisp dawns, breath visible in the early morning sunshine and the sublime views that greet you when you unzip your tent, mean you wake with a frisson of excitement in the chyulus. isaak denison was right when she said of the Kenyan highlands you wake here feeling “here i am, where i should be.”

the air is scented; dew on dry grass and woodsmoke from Maasai manyattas. More than 300,000 acres of open plains stretch before you to the horizon. Mt Kilimanjaro, some 25 miles to the south, appears so

in his fascinating book, “guns, germs and steel”, jared diamond hypothesises that the development of human societies was largely dependent on the availability of large mammals which could be domesticated. societies which lacked these animals were more likely to remain as small bands of hunter-gatherers, as they lacked the easy provision of meat, as well as milk products, fertilizer, land transport, leather, military assault vehicles, plough pulling and wool. humans who had access to cows, sheep, horses, llamas and the like tended to form larger and more stable societies; ones without tended to exist in a more hand-to-mouth way. and this would seem to be true for sub-saharan africa: until the introduction of cows and horses, societal development was considerably less advanced than in eurasia and central america. but wait, you say. what about elephants, hippos, buffalo, zebras? surely they could have filled mans’ needs? the argument hinges on the distinction between being able to tame them,

and being able to domesticate them. elephants can be tamed but not domesticated, for instance, and the hippo is pretty resistant to either. Man is still trying to breed animals like the eland in south africa, with a remarkable lack of success. and perhaps the best example of an animal almost impossible to domesticate is the zebra. at first sight, the zebra would appear to be a

perfect candidate for adoption by man. available in large numbers, strong, highly breedable, they would seem ideal. but the problem with the zebra is its volcanic temper. zebras have the unfortunate habit of biting people and refusing to let go, and their temper and irascibility apparently get worse as they get older. zebra annually injure

more zoo staff than do lions. they are also nearly impossible to lasso, as they can watch the rope and duck their head out of the way. so you can’t ride them. they are of a nervous disposition, and run at the slightest provocation, making them difficult to keep in captivity. so, in the final analysis, sub-saharan africa might now looked like Milton Keynes if it wasn’t for the intransigence of the zebras.

ride ‘eM cowboY

close some days you feel you could hit it with a stone. iconic flat topped acacia trees and soft rolling

hills dotted with zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and gazelles. elephant feed in the woodlands and lava flows, cheetah, lion and leopard are never far away. if you’re planning to explore on horseback in africa, it doesn’t get much better. ride by day, stay in superb traditional mobile camps by night. hot showers, cold drinks, great food and mile upon mile of perfect riding country to explore.

facebook.com/naturalhightravelsafaris, culture and wilderness travel

jan

ua

ry

- m

ar

ch

indiajaiPur

indiacentral india

...but i have seen you”. so reads the faded sign near the park entrance at satpura. tigers are notoriously elusive creatures (some would say not elusive enough) and your first sighting is an experience you’ll never forget. the national parks of central india were immortalised by rudyard Kipling’s “the jungle book” and, tigers aside, are sanctuary to a whole gamut of fascinating wildlife; 350 other species of mammal, nearly 1300 species of birds, 600 species of reptiles and amphibians plus myriad insects and flowers.

Wordsin the English language derived from African languages: aardvark, apartheid, banana, banjo, basalt, basenji, bedouin, biltong, bongo, braai, bwana, chachacha, chigger, chimpanzee, civet, cola, coffee, commando, commandeer, conga, dashiki, dengue, djembe, fandango,

Wordsin the English language derived from Indian languages: aubergine, avatar, bandana, bangle, bungalow, cashmere, catamaran, cheetah, chintz, chit, chutney, coolie, cot, cowrie, crimson, crocus, curry, cushy, dinghy, doolally, dungaree, ganja, gunny, gurkha, guru, gymkhana,

2 incoMPlete listsfunky, gnu, gumbo, indaba, jambalaya, jamboree, jazz, jive, jumbo, kalimba, kraal, kwanzaa, kwashiorkor, laager, impala, macaque, mamba, mambo, marimba, merengue, millet, minaret, mumbo-jumbo, mojo, obeah, okra, okapi, safari, samba, sambo, sjambok, spoor, tango, trek, veldt, voodoo, yam, zebra, zombie.

hullabalo, jackal, jodhpurs, juggernaut, jungle, kedgeree, khaki, lacquer, lilac, loot, mahout, mandarin, mantra, mongoose, mugger, mulligatawny, orange, pariahpashmina, polo, pukka, punch, pundit, putteepyjamas, sandal, shampoo, shawl, sorbet, sugar, swastika, tantra, thug, veranda, vivid, yoga, zen

each park has its own character and the experience is often as much about how you see the wildlife as what you see. whether in bandhavgarh (where this photo was taken by charles lowdell), Kanha or little known tadoba, using small owner run lodges we work with people who are passionate about the wildlife and conservation. at satpura we like the way they buck the trend completely, and, quite content with the fact that their tigers choose to remain hidden, offer fabulous walking, boating and elephant safaris.

“You MaY not have seen Me...”

PhotograPh: charles lowdell

facebook.com/naturalhightravel

jan

ua

ry

- m

ar

ch

safaris, culture and wilderness travel

zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra wildebeest zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra

zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra ze-bra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra zebra

botswanaMaKgadiKgadi Pans

the (MostlY) zebra Migration, as seen froM jacK’s caMP

PhotograPh: dirK schwager USA: +1 415 906 5264

jAn

UA

ry

- m

Ar

ch

SAfAriS, cUltUre And wilderneSS trAvel

nights are cool in the desertlittle or no moisture in the air and clear skies mean that the heat of the day rapidly disappears and temperatures plummet as soon as the sun sets over the desert.

a private tented camp in a remote desert location, the contrast of such an elemental location with the elaborately brocaded caidale tents, a camp fire and a firmament bristling with celestial bodies. cool doesn’t adquately describe how this feels.

Moroccojebel saghro

rajasthan and its history are inextricably linked with the rajputs - the “sons of Kings” - directly descended from the sun or moon who modelled themselves on rama, hero of the great hindu epic the ramayana. rajput history is a litany of bloody battles - often internecine or else repelling Mughal invaders - in which whole armies chose to die fighting rather than face the shame of surrender. in such cases the women burnt themselves to death as happened not once, but three times at chittorgarh.

in the 20th century valour and honour were all too often replaced by spectacular decadence and eccentricity; the Maharaja of alwar bought 10 rolls royces during his visit

to england for the coronation of edward vii (and later cut off their tops and used them for collecting waste). the Maharaja of jaipur travelled to britain with two huge vessels made from 14,000 melted silver coins filled with 4,000 litres of ganges water as a precaution against british water. after independence princes saw their way of life radically transformed and now, more than 60 years later, some have converted their forts and palaces into magnificent hotels. wander around any of these and take in the oversized portraits of these elaborate individuals and you’ll quickly sense the scale of the personality cult that surrounded the warrior rajputs.

indiarajasthan

PhotograPh: alex edwards naturalhigh.co.uksafaris, culture and wilderness travel

jan

ua

ry

- m

ar

ch

“we have a weird and ProbablY unhealthY obsession with Moths”

catherine and MarK soon agreed that naMibia wasn’t feasible in the tiMe available. so, desPite MarK’s concerns about budget and his fear that east africa was ruined bY too ManY tourists, we Persuaded theM to head off for seven nights into the wild edges of the serengeti with a Private vehicle and guide throughout. four of the nights were in their own Private tented caMP. we arranged for there to be an indePendent Power source to run the Moth light.

the sheer concentration of larger mammals in northern tanzania has to be seen. i cannot believe that there is another country that could rival the numbers and diversity of higher order animal life. i was very pleasantly surprised to have my somewhat jaundiced views of east africa corrected. it really was like going back to the Kenya of my childhood and so much the better for it. that being said, it is clear that without expert guidance, the unwary traveller/nature lover could get it all horribly wrong. seronera is to be avoided like schistosomiasis...Your advice was spot on. the kopjes were another world away, just us and miles of undisturbed nature.

“

”“ ”

we do love a challenge, so when MarK vincent got in touch with this request, we were intrigued. here’s how the conversation , and the holidaY went

“Your advice was sPot on. thanKs for organising

such an excellent triP”

...and how it went

the request...

how we resPonded...

actually we’re all butterflies

three people: me, my wife and our 12 year old son george. we have a slot from 15th april for 1 week to get away somewhere and, currently, southern africa is on the radar. could you let me know how practical it would be to travel to namibia in the middle of april? also, we have a weird and probably unhealthy obsession with moths. we have given serious consideration to a serengeti trip...however, our plans ground to a halt when we realised that tanzania seems to be extraordinarily expensive...i would be delighted to be corrected but our impression is that it’s outside our budget. also - we need you to check that it will be ok to run a moth light each evening from the 4x4. this involves taping a white sheet to the side of the vehicle and hanging a special uv light on it for a couple of hours each evening. it’s a 12v light that runs from a cigarette lighter or battery.

UK: +44 1747 898104

nePalKathMandueverY other building’s a teMPle, everY other daY’s a festivalsmall, mountainous and wedged between tibet and india, nepal packs a punch with cultural diversity and ethnic variety as big as those of its mighty neighbours. a fascinating place to dip into this melting pot of cultures is the Kathmandu valley where the old saying that every other building is a temple and every other day is a festival seems spot on.

once separate kingdoms, the rivalry between Patan, bhaktapur and Kathmandu manifested itself in architecture and the arts; the indigenous newar people are even credited with inventing the pagoda. today these world heritage sites are still very much part of everyday life and tradition. wander the streets and you’ll find ash-smeared and dreadlocked sadhus meditating in the shade, flower sellers stringing together orange marigolds for temples and goats munching on discarded vegetables unaware they are being fattened up for the next festival sacrifice.

You can join buddhist monks making ritual perambulations around a perfectly proportioned giant stupa, catch a glimpse of nepal’s very own living goddess, the Kumari devi, or walk between medieval villages where families practise the same ancient wood carving skills that preserve the valley’s architectural heritage. the finest mountain scenery in the world is never far from view but for many visitors it’s the warmth, hospitality and humour of the nepali people that leads to a long-term love affair with this wonderful country.

facebook.com/naturalhightravelsafaris, culture and wilderness travel

ap

ril

- j

un

e

indialadaKhbhutanMeraK and saKteng

the twin valleys of Merak and sakteng, hidden in the far flung regions of eastern bhutan have only recently opened to visitors. where the roads peter out, yak trails begin and here semi-nomadic brokpas depend on the yak for their livelihoods. from the animal comes transport, food and clothing, and in an age when young bhutanese in the west of the kingdom have discovered baseball caps and t-shirts worn with pride under their traditional gho, brokpa fashion remains steadfastly traditional. Men’s black shamo hats have five fringes hanging from the rim, spun from yak hair. the result is both distinctive and practical, working as a gutter and drainpipe when it rains, or head cushion when carrying heavy loads.

in small groups dotted across the remote hills between trashigang and the porous border with assam and arunachal Pradesh in india, the brokpas move seasonally with their animals between fresh pastures while keeping their eyes open for the revered yeti, or migoi, an animal so important in this part of the world that sakteng wildlife sanctuary was created to protect it – as well as other inhabitants including himalayan black bear, fox and squirrel.

in the autumn brokpa men on horseback race

to the sacred mountain jomo Kukhar to honour their protective deity, the mountain goddess jomo Kuengkhar. racing is followed by rounds of home-brewed ara, prayers, songs and dances offered in return for blessings for prosperity.

as frost begins to cover the high pastures at the onset of winter some of the herders descend to the lowlands with the animals on their ‘grain journey’. Yak produce; butter, cheese and dried meat, is bartered for corn and grains, all the while enjoying the hospitality of a nepo host who, though entirely unrelated, takes them in and treats them as members of his own family. the favour is returned when the nepo people in turn head to the hills in the summer months.

the immense privilege of trekking in this remote wilderness is to find a people whose culture seems frozen in time as they continue to live and practice age old customs and traditions in much the same way as their ancestors did. the intrepid travellers who make it here though the deep valleys and over the 4153m nachungla Pass might even be lucky and be treated to ache-lhamo nomadic opera or a Yak cham – the dance of the yaks.

More than just a fashion stateMent

PhotograPh: hung chung chih USA: +1 415 906 5264SAfAriS, cUltUre And wilderneSS trAvel

Ap

ril

- j

Un

e

a high atlas Pil-griMMagei think you can trace the point the human race started to go off the rails, to the moment when some-one decided that life as a nomadic pastoralist life could be improved upon. actually i think you can draw a straight line between this mo-ment and the existence of people like alan (sorry i mean lord) sug-ar, the behaviour of premier league footballers and the current havoc in the financial markets.

whY we love the rainthe intense seasonality of the wide plains and valleys on the eastern edge of the serengeti are what make this area of Maasailand exceptional. in the dry season the volcanic soil is devoid of surface water; dry, dusty and home to small posses of hardy gazelles, but little else. but, when it rains, mineral-rich grasses carpet the valley floors and migrants arrive, from the wil-debeest, zebra and attendant predators, to the Maasai with their herds. visit this area in april with a private mobile camp, and you’ll see why it remains one of our favourite areas in africa.

tanzaniathe gol Mountains

PhotograPh: reggie heYworth N AT U R A L H I G H .C O .U KsAfARIs, CULTURe ANd wILdeRNess TRAveL

Ap

RIL

- j

UN

e

withered, rolled, ferMented & dried. sorted. in the 1830s darjeeling and the surrounding area was leased to the east india company by the once independent kingdom of sikkim for an incredibly modest fee. cool hills and high summer rainfall in the ‘land of the celestial thunder dragon’ proved to be perfect growing conditions and there are now more than 70 different tea gardens beneath the gaze of jagged snow-capped peaks.

nepali tea estate workers moved here and swelled the local population adding to the mix of himalayan cultures - we love this area for its fabulous people watching opportunities and shopping for the unusual. in the markets and bazaars you’ll rub shoulders with newaris, bhutanese and tibetans. You’ll find everything from tightly curled fern fronds (a local delicacy) and bamboo bags to silver prayer wheels and yak wool rugs for sale.

between March and May you can witness tea pickers deftly pluck two leaves and a bud, then head to a factory straight from a victorian novel to learn the mysteries of withering, rolling, fermenting, drying and sorting. finally you’ll get the chance to sip the ‘champagne of teas’. if a cup of golden flowery orange Pekoe hasn’t perked you up, a breath of crystal clear mountain air should hit the spot. trails meander through wooded hills of rhododendrons, magnolias and wild flowers beneath the magnificent backdrop of the indian himalaya.

indiadarjeeling & siKKiM

PhotograPh: jennY hicKs UK: +44 1747 898104safaris, cUltUre and wilderness travel

ap

ril

- j

Un

e

naMibiasossusvlei

*but onlY 30 seconds to get down again

Years of experience building sandcastles (backed up by schoolboy science) suggest that left to their own devices most things, and in particular piles of things, fall apart. so it’s fascinating to consider the invisble forces that must be at work merely to sustain, let alone create, the giant dunes at sossusvlei in namibia’s namib naukluft national Park.

stand at the base of one of the massive dunes in the cool dawn, watching the rising sun throw stark shadows across the red sand, and look at your feet, for the place where dune meets valley floor. what you’ll see is a crisp line with not so much as a grain of sand out of place that looks as though it’s been fastidiously swept. it’s easy to conclude that the dunes exist in defiance of the laws of physics.

climb to the top of one of these dunes and the view, let alone the climb, is breathtaking as the dunes extend far beyond the horizon, to the edge of the continent. it takes a while for it to sink in that these stunning natural forms are constantly in motion; the physical manifestation of a peculiar set of climatic and topographical factors... mixed with a whole lot of sand. in effect permanent standing waves in an invisible current that swirls out of the desert towards nambia’s dramatic south atlantic coastline.

it taKes an hour to reach the toP *

PhotograPh: harriet edwards facebook.com/naturalhightravelsafaris, culture and wilderness travel

ap

ril

- j

un

e

“one of the best guides i’ve worKed with

anYwhere in the world”

national geograPhic’s jason edwards on the trip we arranged for him to photograph

wildlife - including this elephant herd - in northern tanzania

USA: +1 415 906 5264

ugandaKidePo

zaMbialuangwa valleYwaKe to the druMMing call of ground hornbills,a shower under the open sky and the river breeze fresh on your skin. sit with your palms cupped round a mug of fresh coffee as the smoke from the camp-fire drifts slowly upwards.

if you would enjoy a three hour walk along tracks used by elephant and leopard during the night, before returning for a well-deserved brunch cooked in an earth oven, then zambia’s bushcamps are surely the place for you. the north and south luangwa offer an authentic, sometimes fairly raw, but always comfortable bush experience.

immersion in the natural world is the aim. camps are simple affairs and activities often revolve around getting out on your own two feet. but simple still includes a piping hot shower, a proper bed with crisp sheets, and of course delicious freshly cooked food.

tanzaniathe north

footloose and fancY freethere’s a real pleasure in the freedom that comes with exploring with a light mobile camp. the chance to get out of your vehicle and walk or just to sit and soak up the smells and sounds well away from the crowds. comfortable immersion in the wilderness.

naturalhigh.co.uk

july

- s

epte

mb

er

safaris, culture and wilderness travel

ugandabwindi

the journeY to Meet soMe of Planet earth’s last Mountain gorillas ought to have an eleMent of PilgriMage to it

these days scheduled flights can get you from Kampala to the bwindi impenetrable forest in a couple of short hours. however, if time allows, we think it’s worth considering the slow route and going overland. there’s something about the time taken; ten hours or so, perhaps stopping on the way in lake Mburo national Park, followed by the steep and strenuous walk through the dense forest undergrowth, that serves to underline quite how special an opportunity this is. it feels appropriate that the journey to meet some of planet earth’s last Mountain gorillas ought to have an element of the pilgrimage to it. time to contemplate.

only 150 years ago many in the west believed gorillas to be as mythical as the unicorn, and in the past few decades that analysis has come perilously close to being the case. these days though, albeit in the face of a continuing threat of total global extinction, bwindi’s gorillas are for the moment a story of success. with numbers in recent years increasing to 400, half of the population of the world’s Mountain gorillas now live in bwindi.

with time restricted to one hour in the presence of the gorillas, it could be argued that it’s a long way to go, one hell of an uphill struggle to get there and only a short time when you get there. but then without the support of dedicated conservation efforts, aided by the tourist dollar that supports the communities around bwindi this could more truthfully be said to apply to the plight of the gorillas themselves.

PhotograPh: catherine ronan TEL: +44 1747 898104

juLy

- s

EpTE

mb

Er

safaris, cuLTurE and wiLdErnEss TravEL

MozaMbiqueisland hoPPing in the quiriMbas

tanzaniaflY caMPing in the selous

+ good food+ cold drinks+ hot shower

+ 1 bed roll+ 1 million stars

(the parts)

-----------= Perfection

(the whole)

PhotograPh : Paul joYnson hicKs

than the suM of the Parts

soMetiMes the whole is greater

facebook.com/naturalhightravel

july

- s

epte

mb

er

safaris, culture and wilderness travel

the bushMen of the Kalahari trace their ancestrY bacK over 20,000 Years and have left their legacY Painted in bile and PigMent on the rocKs of africa

scenes of hunts, spoor depicted alongside their respective animals for teaching purposes, records of the arrival of white people in pith helmets with ox-wagons.

no one else in their right mind calls the Kalahari home and it’s no small feat to subsist in this hostile landscape. as semi-nomads, the bushmen move with the seasons, their destinations determined by the availability of food and water. it’s hard to imagine that there are still people whose street knowledge includes how to concoct lethal poison from bits of a tortoise, which stunted and desiccated shrub will yield a juicy tuber, and remembering where, in an immense landscape, you buried an ostrich egg filled with water a few months ago. it rather puts a trip to tesco in perspective.

the bushmen are hospitable to strangers and place a high value on family (particularly children), gift-giving and story-telling – told in their largely unwritten “click” language. their deep understanding of the environment and its inhabitants goes beyond textbook stuff; hunters are so tuned to the psychology of their prey that they can follow animals where the spoor has long since vanished and still come up with the goods. walking in the footsteps of the bushmen is something we all ought to do at least once.

botswanathe Kalahari

PhotograPh: alex edwards USA: +1 415 906 5264SAfAriS, cUltUre And wilderneSS trAvel

jUly

- S

epte

mb

er

indialadaKh

bactrian caMels crossed deserts between ladaKh, tibet, YarKand, Kashgar and the caravanserais of central asia.desiccated, stark and wildly beautiful the ‘land of the high Passes’ once extended its influence far across the indus valley, tibetan plateau, himalaya and Karakorum mountain ranges. along its branch of the silk road tea, salt and wool, apricots, turquoise and silk laden on shaggy bactrian camels crossed high altitude deserts and fluid borders between ladakh and tibet, Yarkand, Kashgar and the caravanserais of central asia.

by the 19th century the potential of such routes was apparent to britain and russia whose expansionist ambitions had brought the boundaries of their empires uncomfortably close. in the shrinking space between, the ‘great game’, a cold war of exploration and espionage was played out.

caught up in the excitement of the times every foreigner was a player whether he wanted to be or not. tales of their derring-do read like boys’ own adventures involving bandits, blizzards, assassins and each other. cartographers, geologists, political agents, explorers, and spies travelled disguised as ‘natives.’ others took only a sense of adventure, but their findings were always eagerly seized upon by their respective governments.

Mountains were mapped, new borders drawn (and are still disputed) and the raj retained its interests in india for a while longer until history took a new course.

life in ladakh remains seemingly untouched by modern progress. to travel here is still a great adventure.

N AT U R A L H I G H .C O .U KsAfARIs, CULTURe ANd wILdeRNess TRAveL

jULy

- s

epTe

mb

eR

tanzaniathe Mara river

this drawing is a poor reproduction from one of charles darwin’s notebooks, called notebook “b”. it dates from the period after the return from the “beagle” voyage, but before writing “origin” and is concerned with “transmutation”; fledgling thoughts that species change one form into another. in other words “evolution”. the

hastily scribbled tree is one of the most important doodles of the modern era, and helped change the way we look at the world and ourselves forever. it starts to describe a world where all species, all plants and animals – every living thing – is connected through time and space on a vast tree of life.

PhotograPh: PattY sPencer

TEL: +44 1747 898104safaris, cuLTurE and wiLdErnEss TravEL

juLy

- s

EpTE

mb

Er

...and when it coMes to fish, archie Knows what he’s on about

Planning the sort of travel we offer involves getting to know and understand people. it’s one of the things we enjoy. archie smith and his four friends - all serious foodies with lots of travel experience - contacted vanessa to plan a week’s trip off the beaten path in Morocco. among other things, the process involved recommending and booking 13 restaurants. at the end of it all, here’s archie’s verdict:

‘the trip was fabulous... we have very little to recommend to improve it. hotels and guides were great, high atlas was truly memorable (as was the berber market on the way). in a nutshell, i have travelled all over the world ( 3 million miles on delta) and this trip included one of the nicest hotel rooms i’ve ever had. guides were all great. they all showed up on time, knew their areas of expertise well and were fluent in english. special kudos goes out to our driver (Mohammed). he was alwaYs on time….alwaYs upbeat….alwaYs eager to please…and never lost. he was great.

we really appreciate everything you did for us. a trip that was so great but had little to nothing going wrong is a tribute to you and the people you work with. so thank you. and i would be happy to voice that opinion to anyone.

Ps will be departing on saturday to flyfish

for giant trout on the bighorn river in Montana...i will send pictures.... “

“just fabulous. one of the best Pieces of fish i’ve ever had”archie sMith’s verdict on lunch at oualidia in essaouira recoMMended and arranged bY vanessa

PhotograPh: alex edwards

facebook.com/naturalhightravel

Moroccotelouet

PhotograPh: alex edwards

botswanaoKavango

what we Mean bYintelligent siMPlicitY

PhotograPh: russell sMith

take the road from Marrakech to ouarzazate that winds through the switchbacks and valleys of the high atlas Mountains. just beyond the tizi n tichka pass, keep your eyes peeled for a rough turning to the east. follow this road for half an hour until you reach telouet. here, on the outskirts of the village, you’ll find a large crumbling Kasbah. this was the home of t’hami el glaoui, lord of the atlas,

Pasha of Marrakech between 1912 and 1956. as recently as the 1950s the walls of this Kasbah were hung with the heads of glaoui’s enemies. climb the dark stairs and you’ll emerge in an inner sanctum of stunning screen prints, mosaics, painted and intricately carved cedar wood ceilings. all of which bear testament to the uncomfortable fact that even cruel dictators can have immaculate taste.

USA: +1 415 906 5264SAfAriS, cUltUre And wilderneSS trAvel

oc

tob

er -

dec

emb

er

indiahiMalaYa

ActIvItIEs IncludE covErIng dEItIEs WIth vErmIlIon

pAstE And crushEd mArIgolds, bEIng

blEssEd by An ElEphAnt And

throWIng buttEr bAlls At dAncIng

gods

IndIAKeralahow to MaKe a Meen Molee

it might sound like a character from a cautionary tale, but this traditional Keralan dish and its ingredients - fresh fish, coconut, cinnamon, ginger - capture the essence of this part of southern india. great home cooking is just one of the myriad reasons why this part of the world is worth a visit, but to save you the trouble we thought we’d show you how to make it.

each household in Kerala will have their own version of this recipe, but this one comes from olavipe, a great little homestay in the backwaters. velayudhan, the cook there, is over 70 years old and the third generation from his family at the house. ask nicely and he might - that’s might - share the secrets of some other recipes with you.

what you’ll need

how to make it:1. clean the fish and add a pinch of turmeric powder, some salt, and 1/2 the red chilli powder to the pieces. rub in well and leave aside for 30 minutes to an hour.2. heat about 1 cup of oil in a small frying pan and fry the fish until half done. the idea is to semi-cook the fish rather than fry it well. drain and set aside.3. heat 1 tbsp oil in another pan and sauté the onions until soft. add the flour, chilli powder, pepper, turmeric, and curry leaves. cook for another minute or so.4. next, add the thin coconut milk along with the ginger, green chillies, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. cover and cook on low heat for about 12-15 minutes until all the spices come together in the mixture.5. at this stage, add the semi-fried fish. when the mixture comes to boil, add the thick coconut milk, mix well and remove from heat (don’t bring to boil after adding the thick coconut milk).serve hot with rice and any stir-fried vegetable. and let us know how you get on.

500gm firm fish, cut into small pieces2 large onions, sliced into long, thin pieces8-10 green chilliesthick coconut milk 1/2 cup thin coconut milk 1.5 cups (if you don’t have any fresh coconuts to hand, you can dilute 1/2 cup of tinned coconut milk)1 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp vinegar1/4 tsp turmeric powder1/2 tsp pepper 2 1” pieces of cinnamon (don’t use powder)4 cloves1/2 tsp plain flour2-3 sprigs of curry leavessalt to taste(coconut) oil as needed

N AT U R A L H I G H .C O .U KsAfARIs, CULTURe ANd wILdeRNess TRAveL

OC

TOb

eR -

deC

emb

eR

sMall fish swiM through our fingers in the cool, loaMY water

treeless upper slopes dotted with eland and klipspringer surmount yellow grassed trails and thin soiled bush country below.

we leave in the early morning, walking in single file along narrow trails, brushing through heathers, tall protea trees, senecio and reedy grasses. red hot pokers and deep green tree ferns punctuate the autumn colours. the air temperature climbs quickly and soon coats and scarves, so necessary before the sun rises over the mountain corona, are discarded; cold is so often a short-lived luxury in africa. our guide walks ahead, carrying drinks, fruit and nuts, talking about this high plateau land and the people and wildlife that live here.

this chain of mountains, which formed with the break up of gondwanaland, are thought to be some of the oldest mountains in the world. we stop to see fine bushman paintings in a hidden cave, left by hunters 800 years ago. reaching a high waterfall, the children scramble over rocks reaching a deep cave and stand inside watching the curtain of water splashing into the pool below. small fish swim through our fingers in the cool, loamy water.

to our children, this and the myriad cultural and wild experiences that unfold in this eastern state of south africa, Kwa zulu natal, bring a passion and intense colour to exploration and discovery which will remain with them for ever.

south africathe draKensberg Mountains

PhotograPh: vanessa janion TEL: +44 1747 898104safaris, cuLTurE and wiLdErnEss TravEL

oc

Tob

Er -

dEc

Emb

Er

tanzaniaMahale Mountains

time spent in the company of the Mahale chimps is unlike game viewing anywhere else. the steady climb through the quiet of the forest to find them leaves time for the mind to wander and idly contemplate the streams, waterfalls and massive forest trees. but there’s a persistent frisson of suspense, heightened by occasional chimp calls echoing through the tree tops ahead. occasionally the canopy parts and lake tanganyika, turquoise, cool and alluring, is visible several thousand

feet below, its waters receding towards the distant shores of the congo. and then - often quite suddenly - the chimps are there, among you. these are habituated animals, entirely oblivious to the presence of humans. they feed, play and fight sometimes within a few feet of the assembled people. the individual characters of these animals are well known by the guides, their relationships, feuds and politics well documented. this is game viewing with a touch of the soap opera.

oManwahiba desert

the wahiba sands in oman’s sharqiya region are an immense expanse of dunes 50 miles wide and stretching over 100 miles in an unbroken belt.climb the dunes behind camp to watch as the sun paints a swathe of light along the valley floor. below, the view is straight from a film set; black and white striped goat-hair tents specially made in aleppo, syria and a

majilis decorated with silver coffee pots, fine wool blankets and indian silks.

the magic lies in arriving at the perfect hour, when the setting sun turns the dunes pink and russet and the heat falls away. on arrival back in camp a hundred kerosene lanterns illuminate the paths between tents and the fire.

PhotograPh: Marc PasternacK facebook.com/naturalhightravelsafaris, culture and wilderness travel

oc

tob

er -

dec

emb

er

holYcow

red and Yellow and PinK and green, orange and PurPle and blue

and that’s just the walls. rural rajasthan is the stuff of your imagination; sweeping deserts and craggy hills, forgotten forts and fairy-tale palaces, snooty camels and wandering cows, the essence of india all in glorious technicolour. no visit to rajasthan is complete without including one of its iconic cities but to find the real india head off the beaten track to some of its villages and smaller towns.

indiarajasthan

PhotograPh: rohet gahr naturalhigh.co.uksafaris, culture and wilderness travel

oc

tob

er -

dec

emb

er

brilliant green terraces, hillside villages and soaring snow-capped mountains are sublime, but typical in nepal’s annapurna himalaya.

the mountains march across nepal’s northern border - eight of the world’s ten tallest are located within its tiny confines - but their stunning natural beauty is no longer the preserve of hardy prepared to rough it in tents. while nepal continues to be the trekking and climbing mecca of the world, it’s a walker’s paradise too, within the capabilities of anyone who takes regular exercise – and there’s even the promise of a comfortable bed at the end of the day. on foot with a private gurkha guide

nePalthe annaPurna

you’ll share your path with local hill peoples, passing by on trails trodden for centuries by traders and pilgrims between yak pastures and villages, through forests of oak and rhododendrons that burst into colour in spring, past temples and holy lakes.

there’s no rush to reach the next lodge and plenty of time to visit villages, photograph the scenery and soak up the spirit of the mountains. some of the steep stepped paths will give your legs a thorough workout but with a hot shower, home cooked meal and a hot water bottle ensuring a good night’s sleep you’ll be raring to hit the trail for more the next day.

ranK Mountain range countrY feet

1. everest hiMalaYas nePal/tibet 29,0352. K2 KaraKoraM PaKistan/china 28,2503. Kangchenjunga hiMalaYas nePal/india 28,1694. lhotse hiMalaYas nePal/tibet 27,9405. MaKalu hiMalaYas nePal/tibet 27,7666. cho oYu hiMalaYas nePal/tibet 26,9067. dhaulagiri hiMalaYas nePal 26,7958. Manaslu hiMalaYas nePal 26,7819. nanga Parbat hiMalaYas PaKistan 26,66010. annaPurna hiMalaYas nePal 26,545

the world’s ten tallest Mountains

life above the clouds

UK: +44 1747 898104safaris, cUltUre and wilderness travel

oc

tob

er -

dec

emb

er

standing on the lonely airstrip at 6 o’clock in the morning, i can see the plains where rocks are strewn as if in a giant japanese garden, stretching to the foot of the mountains beyond. towering flat-topped basalt hills encircle me and there is not a living thing to be seen.

the silence is eerie and complete. there are no bird calls, no sounds of cars or planes, no conversation, no trees for the wind to rustle. the edge of a pale blue sky is scalloped by the hills; 360 degrees of rock exploding with the deep red of the dawn light. the silence, space and emptiness makes me feel light and exuberant; i feel i am the only person on earth – only it seems more like Mars.

the day before, we land on a white sand beach upon which the atlantic beats with frothy waves and the wind whips sharply around my ankles. i walk barefoot away from the plane and into the sand, rock and gravel to feel the emptiness of the desert. the wind is quick and gusty and fills my lungs with fresh salty air. there is not

i’ve coMe all this waY for nothing

a cloud in the sky. the impression is one of liberation, felt deep in the chest: it touches all the senses. desert nothingness.

the following day, from our birdlike vantage point, we witness the patterns of rock and sand created by ancient processes. at the right time of day, the paper-sheaf of angled rock is thrown into relief, the shadows emphasising every sinuous curve. Patterns like veins in the sand made by rare water courses spread beneath us. as we descend, the knobbly bald heads of rocky outcrops race by the windows of the plane.

i never knew the earth to be such a canvas of patterns and colours. it is beautiful. as i try desperately to preserve the impressions in my brain of all i have seen, touched and felt so i can revisit it all in later years, i realise that this nothingness is what i came for. and the nothingness provided one of the richest experiences i have ever known.

naMibiathe sKeleton coast

PhotograPh: diede van laMoen USA: +1 415 906 5264SAfAriS, cUltUre And wilderneSS trAvel

oc

tob

er -

dec

emb

er

alex edwards started natural high in 2002 and has been travelling to africa for the last 20 years. with his africa-born wife harriet, he lived and worked as bush pilot and safari guide in some of the wildest parts of east africa. today home is dorset, and with their three sons they take any opportunity to explore wild places and unearth new experiences across africa, the indian subcontinent or frankly anywhere they can get away with. they relish new territories, strange foods and exploring off piste; travel not simply as an excuse for adventure (which it is) but as education. which is pushing things, but sure beats latin vocabulary.

rumour has it that catherine ronan used to be a spy. we find this slightly hard to believe as she loves nothing more than to divulge her travel secrets and infect other people with her enthusiasm. she’s one of the most widely travelled people you’re likely to meet and has an enduring love for africa where she knows - and is known by - everyone. she has a particular affinity for the people and landscapes of the harsh desert regions, from the samburu in northern Kenya to the bushmen of botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans. for catherine travel is a heady mix of excitement and adventure. she brings with her an ebullient sense of fun mixed with a meticulous eye for detail.

vanessa janion’s strong artistic flair is probably one of the reasons she has such an affinity for Morocco, and her sense of style is evident in the artefacts she emerges with from her forays into the souks of Marrakech or fez’s Poterie de fes where mosaic craftsmen still create zellij mosaics in a centuries old tradition. in the past 20 years she’s lived in egypt, india and Kenya (where she once narrowly avoided landing her entire family in prison for over-taking the presidential motorcade) and has explored from the streets of asmara, locked in a time warp from 1930s italy, to a recent forays to the remote isimangaliso wetland Park on the Mozambique border to see things afresh through the eyes of her own children.

andrea hulme’s travel experiences could fill a small novel; from a bit-part (we’re convinced it was a starring role) in a tamil movie, to leading expeditions in Kyrgyzstan and negotiating landslides along the Karakoram highway. she’s helped prepare food for 50,000 in amritsar’s golden temple and between jobs lived with a Mongolian family in the gobi desert. here she learned, among other things, how to milk a horse, a skill that proved invaluable in clinching the job at natural high. travel for andrea is epitomised by incidental meetings with people and unexpected encounters with diverse cultures which leave one’s own expectations looking pale by comparison.

annie garnett keeps the wheels turning smoothly at natural high. as a traveller she’s long had a penchant for the grass roots approach; travel preferably on foot, with time to stop, sit and soak it all up. with husband anthony she has covered the skies of southern england in their own balloon, and took a memorable overland journey in a pair of renault 5s from dorset, through Yugoslavia to greece, the only glitch being a reversing accident involving not one, but both cars (but nobody else). these days annie is building her own menagerie which at the last count involved a tortoise, a plethora of fowl, a donkey, several horses, a small pack of dogs and a brace of pigs.

+44 1747 898104+1 415 906 5264enquiries@naturalhigh.co.uknaturalhigh.co.ukfacebook.com/naturalhightravelnatural_high_1 chaldicott barns, semley, shaftesbury, dorset sP7 9aw

a big

thanK Youto everyone who has travelled with us over the last 10 years, and to those of you who have been kind enough to recommend us to your friends. we rely on word of mouth to grow natural high, so if you know someone who’d enjoy receiving a copy of this almost-

a-brochure of ours, then please do let us know and we’ll pop one in the post.

thank you also to everyone who contributed images to this book; many are taken by our clients on their trips and we make a point of taking as many of our own as we can on our travels, many of which appear here. some of the great photos are from our invaluable partners in africa and the indian subcontinent; nomad tanzania, ride Kenya, uncharted africa, remote africa safaris, jehan bhujwalla, wayo, hud hud travels, Ker & downey,

thanks also to amanda Mitchell and rupert winchester

uK telusa telemailwebsitefacebooktwitteraddress

natural high

africa & the indian subcontinent

reassuringlY unexPected

naturalhigh.co.uK / +44 1747 898104 / 1 415 906 5264

safaris, culture and w

ilderness travel