Latest news with #VolcanoesSafaris
Eater
21-05-2025
- Eater
Modern Safaris Match African Cuisines With Outdoor Adventure
A safari in Africa is about more than wildlife encounters. It's an immersion into the histories, cultures, and landscapes of the host nations. But, until recently, the food served on most safari lodges featured European fine dining, British high tea, French pastries, grilled meats with imported sauces, and other relics of 19th-century European colonialism on the continent. This approach persisted long after African nations won their independence in the 20th century, upheld by assumptions among safari operators that luxury travelers expected Western food and imported ingredients instead of local flavors. Africa's rich culinary traditions were largely excluded. Today, some safari menus tell a different story. A growing number of African lodges and camps use their food programs — typically all-inclusive with safari packages — to center the culinary heritage of local communities. Chefs work with farmers to source indigenous vegetables, spices, and herbs, and draw inspiration from age-old cooking techniques. Now you can get dishes such as smoky grilled tilapia wrapped in banana leaves in Tanzania, slow simmered matoke (plantains) in Uganda, and ugali (maize porridge) with rich beef stew or sukuma wiki (kale) in Kenya. This shift is not just about making menus more interesting or harvesting ingredients more sustainably (though it accomplishes both). These menus offer visitors a deeper connection to the land they've come to experience. Across South and East Africa, where safaris are especially popular, you'll find operators designing all sorts of inventive food programs; but a few have distinguished themselves at the forefront, serving up thoughtful meals that seamlessly merge with their stunning settings. Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp Laikipia Plateau, Kenya Chefs Wesley Petersen and Amie McNeice bring their South African roots to the table while embracing East African flavors at Elewana Loisaba, set on the edge of Kenya's Laikipia Plateau. A fragrant Cape Malay curry layers warming spices, slow-cooked meats take on herbaceous depth, McNeice's pastry expertise shines in desserts like masala-spiced panna cotta with rooibos-poached pear, and the prickly pear cocktail is a sundowner signature. The camp sources fresh produce from nearby smallholder farms and the Chui Mamas garden, a women-led initiative supplying greens, tropical fruits, and camel milk. Private barbecues by the pool, lantern-lit dinners on the deck, and nyama choma (barbecue) nights — featuring githeri (a mix of corn and beans), sukuma wiki (kale), and chapati — keep things lively. Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda On the outskirts of Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the air around Bwindi Lodge is thick with the scent of damp earth and wild herbs, as the lodge's kitchen comes to life with the crackling of charcoal fires and the slow, steady simmer of spiced stews. During the day, the team might be busy plucking fresh guavas from the garden or herbs from the solar-powered hydroponic system, while chef Loyce Acom might be off sourcing beans, onions, and potatoes from neighboring Batwa communities where sales fund local schools. For guests eager to get their hands dusted in flour, the lodge's traditional cooking class offers a deep dive into Ugandan flavors. Chicken luwombo, a dish fit for Buganda kings, features chicken steamed in banana leaves, rich with smoked paprika and peanut sauce. It shares the spotlight with Uganda's beloved street snack, the Rolex, a soft chapati rolled around a fluffy spiced omelet, best enjoyed hot off the grill. Meals unfold around a communal wooden table under a high thatched roof, where guests chat over plates of curried tilapia from Lake Victoria and cool off with tart tree tomato sorbet. Some nights, chefs carry a sigiri charcoal stove into the dining room, where they roast steak and tilapia, and plate at the table. Makubi Safari Camp Nyerere National Park, Tanzania Makubi Safari Camp is set within the vast wilderness of Nyerere National Park, the largest national park in Tanzania and one of the world's greatest wildlife sanctuaries, where the Rufiji River snakes through golden grasslands, elephants roam freely, hyraxes hide in rocky outcrops, and ancient baobab trees reach toward endless skies. Tendekayi Guni, the camp's owner and chef, roots his menus in Tanzanian and Swahili heritage, while his team keeps things fun with creative twists on traditional recipes. Slow-cooked stews feature local cloves and coriander seeds, historically significant in Tanzania's spice trade, while the signature Buddha salad showcases mchicha (wild spinach), okra, and roasted pumpkin topped with dressing that blends tangy baobab fruit with honey and indigenous spices. Camp operators have formed partnerships with local farmers to source seasonal produce, including everything from sun-sweetened tropical fruits to wild-foraged greens. Guests can even help prepare meals while learning traditional cooking techniques. Throughout the day, meal settings show off the surrounding wilderness. Guests might enjoy breakfast in the camp's open-air restaurant, a boma dinner around the fire with the stars overhead, or a private sunset meal by the lake. During the dry season, tables might be set near watering holes that attract elephants to create a front-row dinnertime show. The Bushcamp Mfuwe Lodge South Luangwa National Park, Zambia A taste of Zambian cuisine at Mfuwe Lodge starts at the property's farm, spread across 50 acres of lush land, that supplies 80 percent of the fruits and vegetables served at the lodge, including okra, eggplant, bananas, and lemongrass. Guests wrap their hands around mugs of hot coffee while the chatter of southern ground hornbills cuts through the quiet and breakfast takes shape over an open fire: nshima (cornmeal porridge) and sauteed chibwabwa (pumpkin leaves) with thick-cut bacon and eggs. For a hands-on experience, guests can craft bush pizzas, layering vibrant vegetables onto thin, blistered crust. Or they can just wait for dinner, when the scent of grilled meats drifts from the braai, a traditional African live-fire barbecue. Even the cocktails tell a local story; the lodge's Luangwa Gin and Vodka, infused with regional botanicals like baobab and wild lemon, swirl into sundowners that are best enjoyed to the tune of hippos grunting in the nearby lagoon. Nomad Kuro Tarangire National Park, Tanzania The first thing you'll notice — other than the elephants who occasionally wander through the grounds — at Kuro Tarangire, a luxury hideaway in the heart of Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania, is the craftsmanship in every detail. The eco-minded retreat features locally sourced linen drapes, woven baskets, and throws. On the handcrafted wooden dining tables, you'll find wine glasses made from recycled bottles and fine ceramic coffee mugs. This dedication extends to the food, which features traditional Tanzanian Swahili flavors. Seasonal fruit like mangoes, pineapples, watermelon, and passionfruit are artfully laid out on wooden breakfast platters alongside freshly baked bread and eggs. After game drives, guests enjoy signature dishes like coconut-crusted chicken filets with sauteed vegetables, spicy yogurt sauce, and potato wedges. The chef's secret pilipili sauce (hot sauce) adds a good kick to it all. Volcanoes Safaris Virunga Lodge Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Virunga Lodge, Rwanda's original gorilla lodge, is set high on a ridge, where it enjoys panoramic views of the Virunga Volcanoes and the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Mornings here are slow and quiet, the mist rolling in as guests sip strong Rwandan coffee on the private terraces of their bandas (stylish suites outfitted with handwoven textiles, locally sculpted wood furnishings, and sisal rugs) before morning treks to meet the local gorillas. Throughout the day, the property's private butlers guide guests through meals without need for rigid menus. Breakfasts of passionfruit and warm sorghum porridge are already in motion as the first light slips across the Virunga volcanoes. Slow-cooked stews like ibihaza, made with cassava leaves, appear at lunch alongside roasted plantains and delicately spiced lake fish. And to finish on a sweet note, there's pineapple imineke, a soft lemon-curd base layered with bruleed banana, bright pineapple, and shaved lime zest. Mara Bushtops Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya During the Great Migration between June and October, herds of wildebeest, zebras, eland, gazelle, and impala journey over 1,000 miles across grasslands and river crossings through Kenya and Tanzania. They cross through Kenya's Masai Mara, where you'll find Mara Bushtops' 6,500 acres of private conservancy. At the property, chef David Ngungu and his team focus on Kenya's diverse regions; pilau (rice cooked in broth) from the coast shows off its Indian influences in fragrant cinnamon and cardamom, while hearty mukimo (mashed potatoes, pumpkin leaves, and maize) has spread from the Kikuyu community in central Kenya to become a hearty favorite all over the country. And ingredients like sukuma wiki (kale), which the team gently sautees with onions and serves alongside soft maize ugali (porridge), maintain their earthy aroma from the camp's garden. Under the spreading shade of an acacia tree, guests enjoy breakfast as chefs fill the crisp morning air with the smoky scents of chapatis cooked over open flames. Signature breakfast dishes include mbaazi na mahamri (pigeon peas slow-simmered in coconut milk), served with maandazi (golden-hued Swahili doughnuts). Evenings bring sundowners: happy hour drinks enjoyed at sunset as zebras graze nearby. Finally, lantern-lit dinners beneath the stars feature slow-roasted nyama choma (grilled meats) sizzled over charcoal, paired with spicy kachumbari (tomato and onion) salad. Joyce Oladeinde is a British Nigerian travel and food writer who specializes in African culinary tourism, drawing from her experiences living in Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria. She uses her passion for African food and travel to reshape narratives and in her work as co-founder of Crescendo Digital, an award-winning marketing and PR agency helping tourism and hospitality brands across Africa reach global markets. Dispatches from the Eater staff about the world's culinary destinations worth planning an entire trip around
BBC News
06-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
The vital tradition of naming baby gorillas
Mountain gorilla conservation in Rwanda is a global success story, partly due to the significance and value placed on gorillas as part of the nation's culture and heritage, with annual celebrations of baby gorillas being born. In a sunlit spot of mist-cloaked rainforest, a black, hairy mass of muscle descends surprisingly gracefully down a thick mossy vine. The huge silverback stretches out and settles in for a thorough grooming session from a female, totally unfazed by his human admirers. Two teenagers tumble into view, beating their chests and grimacing at each other, a tangle of limbs in mock combat, while an adorable baby gorilla peers shyly from her mother's arms at the unfolding family drama. Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild is a magical bucket list experience, but it wasn't always this way. Poachers decimated gorilla numbers in the 1960s and 70s, leaving them at risk of extinction. Then came the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Volcanoes National Park, home to most of Rwanda's mountain gorillas, became a battlefield as the civil war raged across the country, with population numbers struggling to rise above 300. It's hard to fathom how Rwanda has managed to tackle the challenges of its traumatic past in such a short space of time, let alone become a beacon of conservation success. Yet today, mountain gorillas are the only great ape whose numbers are not rapidly descending. WWF estimates that mountain gorilla numbers have risen 3% every year since 2010, moving them in the right direction from "critically endangered" to "endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – and this success largely comes down to Rwanda's sustained conservation efforts, which include anti-poaching patrols, community engagement and regulated gorilla tourism, all of which have helped to protect habitats and ensure that local people benefit from the survival of these great apes. Three hundred and ninety-five baby gorillas have been born since 2005 in Rwanda, and each year since then these new arrivals have been celebrated in a uniquely Rwandan way. Kwita Izina, or "to give a name" in the country's national Kinyarwanda language, is Rwanda's huge annual gorilla naming ceremony that honours each gorgeous fuzzy baby born in Volcanoes National Park with a meaningful moniker. The ceremony, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is inspired by the centuries-old Rwandan tradition where families and communities would gather together to name their newborns. Since Kwita Izina began, it has played a major role in raising awareness of gorilla conservation. "It's a great story of success to mark this progress of a species that was in decline and on the edge," says Praveen Moman, founder of Volcanoes Safaris and the first international tour operator to kickstart gorilla tourism in Rwanda after the genocide. "First it was small and local and symbolic, just for the rangers and those involved in conservation. Now the government has made this an international and recognisable event to highlight conservation success." Rwandans place great significance on a person's name, and so the button-cute babies are given names based on their personality or events surrounding them at the time of their birth. Last year actor Idris Elba named a baby gorilla "Narame", meaning "long life", because its mother had previously lost two children; and primary school student Elvine Ineza named a female baby "Nibagwire", meaning "multiply" and chosen to wish the newly formed Sigasirie family continued growth. Tens of thousands of people, including celebrities, conservationists and local communities, now come together at the foothills of the ancient volcanoes for the annual spectacle held every autumn (the confirmed date for 2025 has yet to be announced by the Rwanda Development Board). As well as the official ceremony, dominated by a house-high bamboo gorilla sculpture, there are hours of music, dances and performances from the warrior-like Intore dancers pounding the ground in time to drums to cultural villages showcasing Rwandan daily life. As well as raising global awareness, Kwita Izina is also a cultural celebration of the country's collective efforts to protect the great apes and a way of saying thank you to the communities and conservationists who protect them. Irene Murerwa, chief tourism officer of the Rwanda Development Board tells the BBC that Kwita Izina serves the purpose of thanking the local community before everything else. "It's because of the community and it's for them as well," she says. Timing a visit to Volcanoes National Park during Kwita Izina is highly worthwhile, but the meaning behind it is really what's key, according to Murerwa. "It's not just the baby gorilla naming ceremony. It's the whole aspect of visiting. Guests can take advantage to understand how communities, tourism and conservation come together here," she says. A dramatic blend of striking volcanic mountains, ethereal montane forests and neat, terraced hills that roll endlessly across the countryside, Rwanda is tiny but one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. Space is limited, so people living near the gorillas must have incentives to protect them. "If you want to save the gorillas you need to focus on the people, because these are tiny, fragile habitats, surrounded by some of the most densely populated areas of the world," says Moman. "Unless local people see some specific benefit from tourism and conservation, there's no reason why they should support the future of the gorillas, and equally importantly, the future of the habitat. What they need is farmland and bread on the table. From the small number of visitors, you need to make enough of an impact through the income and make sure that some of it is shared with the community." More than 1.4 million travellers visited Rwanda in 2023, generating a record US$620m. At $1,500 per permit, watching gorillas is an eye-wateringly expensive experience. Yet, income from gorilla tourism provides vital funding for the continued protection of the park and animals within and, crucially, 10% of the park fee revenue goes to the people who live around the park margins to help build schools and houses, improve infrastructure and sanitation, provide clean water and support health centres. This impactful funding has transformed villages and encourages stewardship of the forests. Tourism now also provides thousands of people with livelihoods. Greg Bakunzi, founder of Red Rocks Rwanda, a social enterprise integrating tourism, conservation and sustainable community development in and around the Volcanoes National Park, says, "Kwita Izina helped to mobilise communities and people who were interested in conservation and tourism to be a part of the growing tourism industry." Red Rocks Rwanda offers safari tent accommodation, gorilla trekking and many immersive activities throughout the year for visitors, and Bakunzi now also hosts the annual Red Rocks Cultural Festival that aligns with the dates of Kwita Izina and features music, poetry, comedy, art, exhibitions and talks about conservation and community empowerment. "I wanted to create a week-long event that could also integrate community conservation when travellers come for the naming ceremony," he says. "The culture of the communities are intricately tied to the natural world surrounding them. They preserve not only the Virungu Mountain environment but also the historical cultures and traditional arts of the region, gaining access to sustainable sources of income from tourism." More like this:• Where people go to bars to drink milk• Is there such a thing as guilt-free safari?• The West African nation welcoming the world Over at the Gorilla Guardians Village in the small town of Kinigi, which is also home to the park headquarters, former poachers have swapped snares for stories. Visitors can immerse themselves in Rwandan dance, craft and food, make Rwanda's potent banana beer, learn traditional skills like fire-making and archery and hear the tales of the people who used to hunt in the forest. Also in Kinigi, upscale Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is Rwanda's first community-owned lodge. The pretty stone cottages and access to gorilla trekking provide an income for many local people and also support healthcare, infrastructure and education projects, such as building homes for widows of the Rwandan genocide and new classrooms for children. Eunice Umumararungu, assistant manager at Sabyinyo, told me, "Everyone's job is vital to successful conservation. From the porters, trackers and guides to research partners, rangers and those who are involved in the tree planting initiatives – they are all ensuring future naming ceremonies as the gorilla population grows thanks to conservation efforts. Kwita Izina has helped all Rwandans from various communities to understand the value of gorillas and their contribution to the country's economic prosperity." Cementing the region as a conservation hub is the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which opened in 2022 just outside the park. As well as being an education and research centre for the next generation of conservation leaders, visitors can take quizzes to find out which gorilla matches their personality, leaf through Fossey's field notes in a highly realistic version of the acclaimed primatologist's research camp and explore 12 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. Gorilla families are doing so well now that Volcanoes National Park is being expanded to give them more space. In addition, a Conservation Master Plan, published later this year, will set out guidance for the protection and management of all Rwandan biodiversity. As people are seen as important stewards of conservation in this nation, those who will have to relocate out of the expanded national park will be supported with new livelihood opportunities and improved living conditions. "Kwita Izina has really put our name on the map," says Bakunzi. "It has brought us more global visibility and has shown people why conservation matters." -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
