Africa's 'Golden Child' of conservation
CHAD
In recent years, Chad has become one of the most unlikely good news stories in the history of African conservation tourism. In 2015, Camp Nomade in Zakouma National Park was opened to a small group of safari guides who for the most part, had never even heard about Zakouma. 5 years later, Chad, Zakouma National Park and Camp Nomade headline international media platforms like this article in NYTimes featuring some of my work taken over the years.
African Parks' success here is astronomical and it has shed light on what is possible within the world of conservation.
Zakouma
Abundance in diversity, abundance in experience, Zakouma stands alone. A true savanna great, Zakouma has a feeling of an Africaa of old. Drying pools attract impossible numbers of wildlife and birdlife which has become the signature of this park. Camp Nomade run by African Parks is an all exclusive camp open only to a handful of specialist guides and their guests. A short season and high demand, Zakouma unsurprisingly has become a top list safari destination for those who wish to travel deeper. This is a destination for conservation minded travelers, the backbone of a story unseen elsewhere.
Ennedi
The Sahara is of of the 'Greats', Ennedi one of her most beautiful pillars. Ancient sandstone massifs adorn an endless sea of sand in a land habituated by the toughest of people, the Toubou. Endemic Saharan wildlife is hard to find but exceptionally rewarding when you do. Among the many thousands of caves, most undiscovered, are open wall canvasses covered in a rich plethora of ancient rock art that spans the eras of human habitation in chronological order. Exploration here feels like it would have 100 000 years ago, a rare commodity in modern times. Ennedi is best experienced in person, its one of those few destinations that words just don't do justice.