January's newsletter focuses on South Africa as a top safari destination. We have created an e-Book of images taken in some of South Africa's leading game reserves, together with a variety of Cape Town's many incredible sights. 

The wealth of superb game viewing is perfectly complemented by a few days in this wonderful city, and offers a vastly different African experience. The current financial climate and favourable exchange rate make this popular tourist destination even more tempting. 

This month's screensaver is a portrait of a female leopard contemplating a leap into the cool shady branches overhead. I hope you enjoy the newsletter. Regards, Lee

In December's newsletter, our e-Book and trip highlights take us on a recent privately guided photographic safari to the open plains of the Serengeti, and a dramatic wildebeest crossing on the Mara River. 

From here, we venture across the border into Rwanda's misty mountains to trek and photograph the incredibly rare mountain gorillas.  Our blog article covers some frequently asked questions about what to expect during such a trek. In keeping with the gorilla theme, our screensaver, taken during this safari, shows a moment of reflection for one of the animals that we spent time with. 

Finally, we'd like to thank you for your support over the past year, and wish everyone a relaxing holiday. We hope you enjoy the newsletter. Regards, Lee

We've got Zambia in our sights this month, and we focus on adventures with elephant charges, photographing wildlife from specially designed hides, exploring these remote parts on foot and taking full advantage of the variety of activities on offer. Our e-Book contains some fantastic images taken during our recent photographic safari to Zambia. 

In our Blog, we highlight the advantages of using wildlife hides that are specially designed and positioned for optimum photography. Phill discusses the aims of a walking safari, its expectations, and where best to experience this. For this month's screensaver, we've chosen a portrait of a lioness, which captures the essence of this powerful predator. We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Regards, Lee.

Our recent Tanzanian safari produced a variety of scenarios, from the diversity of landscapes to the sheer volume of wildlife. We were also lucky enough to witness several interesting interactions between different species of animals.  October's e-Book is the picture-story of this journey. 

In "Making a Difference in Africa", we pay tribute to guests who travelled with us back in Essential Africa's early days. A visit to a fishing village in Zimbabwe planted an idea, which has grown into a very worthwhile project for the villagers in this impoverished part of Africa. 

Phill's blog article, "Kids on Safari", is a thought-provoking look at family safaris. A fresh approach to a much-photographed subject provides us with this month's screensaver. Until November, enjoy our latest updates. Regards, Lee.

Once again, I'm in Tanzania and my tent is my "office", where I have the pleasure of reflecting upon this safari, which was a combination of wildlife and culture. 

I've compiled a cross section of people and wildlife images for my e-Book, which I hope might capture some essence of the wonderful people as they shared glimpses of their lives with us.  The tremendous energy of the Mara River crossing was difficult to describe in words - an unforgettable experience, giving us dream photo opportunities. 

Phill was delighted to find himself back in Botswana, sharing his love of this magical place with the Benz family. His e-Book shows some of the diverse beauty of the Okavango Delta - the tricky part, he tells me, was deciding which photographs to include! This month's screensaver from Phill is a somewhat unusual image of an elephant skull. Enjoy this month's newsletter. Regards, Lee.

A jam-packed month gives us an equally full newsletter for August. I return from a safari in Tanzania, where we encountered massive herds of wildebeest, fabulous sightings of black rhino, leopards and much more. My trip report, along with the accompanying e-Book, will tell you about our experience.  Phill recently returned from Zambia and has supplied a trip report and e-Book showcasing this very special safari destination.

Our blog is live and we welcome any comments or contributions, and hope that you find the posts interesting. This month's screensaver gives us a serene portrait of one of Selous National Park's majestic large mammals, the giraffe. We hope you enjoy the newsletter. Regards, Lee and Phill.

July has been exceptionally busy for us on the privately guided safari front. We have recently completed two very special safaris, one with repeat guests and the second with new guests that I have the feeling will become regular safari goers. 

We covered several countries, styles of lodges, experiences and were fortunate to witness some really exceptional wildlife throughout these journeys. The two e-Books featured in this month's newsletter will take you through these safaris in detail and the accompanying trip reports will supply you with the stories behind the images. 

This month's screen saver has an abstract theme, presenting a somewhat unusual take of a pair of familiar creatures that form a tiny part of the ever-moving and massive wildebeest migration. We hope you enjoy our newsletter as much as we've loved putting it together. Regards, Lee and Phill.

Some of this month's content literally comes from my tent whilst in the Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti in Tanzania during a privately guided safari, guided by Phill and me. 

Also featured is shark viewing off the coast of Cape Town, a camera review of the Canon 60D from Phill which offers good, easy-to-read information on choosing a camera for safari, and the differences Phill has noticed with the newer technology compared to his previous camera model. 

This month's screensaver was taken during our recent safari to Tanzania and shows how being aware of the greater picture can have stunning results. We hope you enjoy the newsletter. Regards, Lee.

We prepare for the busy season ahead, cameras are cleaned and readied, packing list are rechecked, and anticipation of what lies ahead for the coming safari year runs high. 

In this edition, Phill supplies us with a trip report of a recent family safari in South Africa. He has also created an e-Book based on their adventures. Guiding families on safari is always rewarding, and we hope this is reflected in his e-Book. Please click here to view it.  We have included a short write-up on Marnie and her background, and the role she will play in the company.

This month's screensaver takes a full-page look at a large elephant bull that was enjoying the cool waters of the Chobe River in northern Botswana. There is always a story behind an image - we decided to include a brief history of this month's shot, and go into a bit more detail than usual on where, how and why it was taken. Enjoy the newsletter. We look forward to sharing a great safari season with you. Regards, Lee.

With our busy season almost upon us I am proud to announce that we have a full season of safaris throughout Africa.  We welcome Phill Steffny as a permanent part of Essential Africa's guiding team.  I am looking forward to co-guiding a safari in Tanzania in June with Phill where we will be covering a great cross section of wildlife and experiences.  

We have compiled an e-Book that covers some of Phill's photographic work and experiences over the years and we hope you enjoy paging through this.  Please click here to view Phill's e-Book.  We have updated two "sample itineraries" on our website, namely the "Classic Tanzania" and the "Tanzania and Rwanda" combination.  

The incredible annual flood has arrived in Botswana's Okavango Delta, we take a look at how this is influencing the game viewing and what excitement is expected during this season of change.  This month's screensaver is of two cheetah brothers in some beautiful late afternoon light, just prior to their afternoon hunt.  Enjoy the newsletter.  Regards Lee.

March is a busy month for us at Essential Africa.  We expand our business and move our offices to Cape Town's scenic Noordhoek valley.  

We have put together an e-Book made up of some slightly abstract, black and white images taken on safaris over the past few years.  This will hopefully give you a different impression of Africa's wildlife.  To view this e-Book please click here.   

Phill's use of a cell phone during a close encounter with a lion shows that cell phones do occasionally have their place in the wilds.  This month's screen saver is of a young leopard that I photographed in Botswana's Savuti channel.  I hope you enjoy this newsletter.  Regards Lee

I spent New Year in Cape Town and had a whirlwind taste of endless beaches with barely a soul in sight, fabulous restaurants, and soaring mountains watching over it all.  It reminded me once more why many of you are inspired to begin or complete your safaris here.  It is truly one of the most spectacular cities in the world.

Looking ahead, we've put together a few of the highlights that you may expect from our planned safaris this year.  We'll be spending a lot of time in Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana and Zambia and I'll go into more detail in my "year ahead" section.  Phill supplies us with a touch of humour, and in keeping with the light-hearted theme, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some escapades from my early guiding days and things that went wrong whilst I was pretending to know what I was doing.    

This month's screen saver of a lioness and a cub was taken during the annual flood in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and we are looking forward to sharing the years experiences with you. Regards Lee.

With the festive season upon us, we thought we would base this month's newsletter on family orientated experiences in the bush.  

I took Amy on her first game drive and have to say it was the most rewarding experience of my time in the bush so far.  Phill adds further to that topic with a story covering kids in the bush and his daughter Zoe's experiences at Kwandwe Reserve.  A trip report on a recent visit to Zimbabwe focuses on tracking black rhino on foot.  We then take a look at the past year and some of the highlights experienced whilst on safari.  

We are also proud to announce that we now have a facebook profile that we will update regularly.  Finally the screensaver for December is of two elephant calves and was taken in Botswana's Linyanti region.  From all of us at Essential Africa we wish you a fantastic festive season and prosperous new year.   Regards Lee.

This month's newsletter showcases the e-Books that have been created for  two recent safaris, one through Tanzania during the annual migration, the other in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley.

The e-Books, now a feature of every privately guided safari, will take you on a visual journey through these special African destinations.  I have recently returned from an incredible safari to the Sabi Sands, Savuti and Okavango Delta and have included the trip report below. South Africa's Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is in the middle of spring. Phill and Marnie have updated us on the goings on in this area with tales of young animals, blooming flowers and a fresh blanketing of green grass across the reserve.

Each time you fire up your computer a black and white image of a male leopard will greet those of you who download this month's screensaver.  We have then taken a look at how we make the most of combining local guides and their knowledge on local cultures and beliefs, with the continuity and in depth knowledge of a private guide whist on a safari.  I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Regards Lee

September's newsletter brings you stories and a trip report from my recent privately guided safari in East Africa covering Tanzania's Tarangire National Park and the central and northern Serengeti during the annual migration.  We have also included a trip report on a recent safari through Botswana.  Phill spends some more time in one of our planet's driest habitats, the Namib Desert in Namibia and has complied some interesting stories and images from that trip.

In our suggested topics we deal with managing the expectations of a safari in order to get the most out of the experience.  A slight change in the screen saver this month with a move away from mammals in action - we thought that this image of an African Shoebill in flight was fitting given the rarity of the bird combined with the impact of the image. 

My next privately guided safari combines the Sabi Sands game Reserve in South Africa with the Savuti and Okavango regions in northern Botswana.  I look forward to sharing those experiences with you in next month's newsletter.  Regards Lee

With the recent world cup having been such a huge success, we have chosen to focus most of this newsletter on South Africa as a safari destination and how it is possible to create a complete itinerary within one country given the diversity on offer in South Africa.

We have completed another e-Book looking at a recent Namibian safari and we hope that this photographic journey through Namibia will be entertaining for you.  Phill supplies us with an overview on 2 of South African's private game reserves. The suggested topic this month looks at the differences between South African National Parks and private game reserves and concessions.
 
This month's screensaver is of a lioness bounding through a deepwater channel in the Okavango Delta.  The next two month's newsletters will cover Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania and will feature privately guided safaris that I am guiding in the respective months. I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter.  Regards Lee

Firstly I would like to apologise for this newsletter being sent out a week late - we only returned from Uganda at the end of May.  On a more positive note, we are pleased to announce our first scheduled privately guided safari which will take place in Tanzania and Rwanda in August / September 2011. 
In this newsletter we have focused on Namibia as a safari destination, having recently returned from a trip there.  I have also given my opinion on Namibia as a safari destination, how to make the most of this special country and why it combines well with a safari to Botswana.

Phill Steffny has supplied us with a short story on tracking lions on foot.  We also look into taking children on safari and how to travel as a family without breaking the bank.  This month's screen saver comes from John van den Berg and was taken in Namibia.   I hope you enjoy May's newsletter. Regards Lee. 

In April's newsletter we focus on the best way to take full advantage of the diverse activities offered on safari.   By way of example I have included one of my own trip reports from Botswana.  I've also commented on the importance of camp selection and why we use certain camps and areas when putting together an itinerary.  

Marius Coetzee has recently returned from Victoria Falls in Zambia, the Chobe River in Botswana and the Zambezi River and Caprivi region of Namibia - his trip report makes interesting reading.  Brad Hansen joins us as one of our preferred guides for Tanzania and has written a report on some of the "must see" destinations in Tanzania.  This month's screensaver shows a slightly different look at an elephant, I hope you enjoy the newsletter. Regards Lee

My daughter Amy has her first birthday at the end of the month so I thought I'd include a family photo to start things off!  
The focus of this month's newsletter is on the positive role that photographic safaris and the game lodge industry plays in the conservation of flora, fauna and habitats in general.  We recently formed an alliance with Great Plains, an incredible conservation company operating camps in Africa, India and the Seychelles and co-owned by world renowned photographers and documentary producers Dereck and Beverly Joubert.  Included is a fascinating article on their work highlighting the plight of all Africa's big cats and lions in particular.  

Upcoming safaris in April and May include Namibia to experience the vast expanses and towering red dunes of the Namib Desert as well as a trip to Uganda to view and photograph the gorillas.  I am really looking forward to these trips and will be sharing my experiences with you in the April & May newsletters.  Matt Copham's report covers his last trip to Mombo Camp in Botswana.  On a lighter note, I have included a trip report on how not to cross a deep water channel when following lions! 

The suggested topic for this month is on how to maximize your safari time and structure your trip accordingly.  We are trying to optimize the delivery of our newsletters so if you find your copy gets delivered to your spam folder, please drop me a mail at leew@essentialafrica.co.za and we will try and sort out the problem.  Best regards, Lee.

First of all a very happy New Year and best wishes for 2010.  An exciting year lies ahead with a good selection of safaris to remote and pristine wilderness locations.
To whet your appetite, I'm focusing this month's newsletter on the Luangwa Valley in Zambia, a place I truly believe should feature high on everyone's "must see list" when planning a safari.  No matter how often you return to explore this part of Africa, dramatic seasonal changes will mean every visit to this amazing valley remains an utterly unique and exciting experience.  
John van den Berg recently returned from a privately guided safari here and the new mammal and bird species he encountered as well as plenty of leopard sightings made for an interesting trip, we have included his trip report below.  Our preferred guide in the Luangwa Valley is The Bushcamp Company's Manda Chisanga, winner of Zambia's Guide of the year Award.  His high level of guiding together with the attention to detail provided at the camps are the main reasons we chose to use this operator.  
This month's screen saver is of a large male lion wading through ankle deep water early one winter's morning.  In "Your Suggestions" I've been asked to broach the subject of tipping whilst on a safari.  I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter.

In this month's newsletter I have focused on the Kalahari experience in both South Africa and Botswana.
A recent trip to Tswalu in the Northern Cape, South Africa, gave me my first view of this part of the Southern Kalahari. I have also done a write up on past trips to Jack's camp and the Makadikadi area of Botswana.
We welcome Johann Lombard to the company as one of our preferred guides. Johann is well known and respected in the guiding industry and we look forward to him working with us.
The month of August sees me travelling to Botswana's Okavango Delta, as well as the Selinda/Savuti areas. I'm looking forward to seeing the levels of the water, especially in the Selinda area and the start of the Savuti channel. The water in the Okavango will still be relatively high and I am hoping for some opportunities to photograph animals, especially cats, moving through the water.
This month's featured DVD is "Meerkat Manor", a documentary that follows the lives of a family of Meerkats. I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and please contact me if there is any extra info needed on any subject.

Well, at last this day has come where I am writing a newsletter for my own company – a move that I have been planning for a number of years.
A combination of circumstances and personal contacts has allowed this dream to eventually be fulfilled. After spending the last 16 years in the Safari industry, either guiding or managing camps throughout Southern Africa, I felt it was time to start my own venture. Together with my wife Libby and business partner Anne Czerner, we have created Essential Africa, a company that believes in providing exceptional service to each and every client.
We have handpicked the guides we work with, each of them bringing years of experience in the industry and having a track record of providing exceptional service.
The company started “officially” in March and we have had a good start planning and booking several trips already. We are hoping to offer our clients the best possible itinerary for their interests, budget and time constraint. Having a good knowledge of each of the areas, the seasons and the various camps and lodges, allows us to put together an itinerary that is totally suited to each client’s individual requirements.