Arc Earth

07/06/2024

If you know you know…

This unassuming little ‘shed’ is in fact the entrance to one of the most desired restaurants in South Africa, if not the world.

Created and then curated, by celebrated, Michelin starred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, ‘Klein Jan’ is found nestled amidst the burnt orange sand dunes of the Kalahari .

Exclusive to Tswalu Guests, Klein Jan takes guests on an understated yet exquisite culinary journey with touches of Afrikaans food nostalgia perfectly paired with the Cape Winelands’ best wine.

The food is complimented by the pared down yet on point attention to detail from the simple, soft candlelight to the willowy white linen and exceptional staff.

It’s so sought after, it’s so discreet. Utter Bliss.

📸 .degouveia on an Arc Earth Safari.

05/06/2024

An exquisite image of a large, male gorilla captured by .degouveia

Gorillas can be found in both Uganda and Rwanda and generally guests choose the country based on the experience they want to have and want they want to explore.

Rwanda is seen as the much more expensive cousin of Uganda, with lodges catering to the upper echelons of society and those seeking a more luxurious landing. Rwanda’s park fees and permits are also significantly more expensive than Uganda.

But not to be outdone, Uganda is a bit little grittier but no less sensational than Rwanda. What differs is also the ecosystems and habitats of where the gorillas live.

The main difference is the landscape and vegetation. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is part of a dormant volcanic mountain range known as the Virungas, where gorillas primarily inhabit the a dense, bamboo forest zone.

This setting provides open vegetation, making it ideal for easy, clear viewing of the gorillas.

But in contrast, Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a tropical rainforest, which can sometimes make it more challenging to obtain clear views of the gorillas due to the denser vegetation but no less exciting. As it’s a rainforest, the cacophony of ‘jungle’ sounds is simply stunning as is the ecosystems that jostle together here.

Rwanda has 12 trackable gorilla groups, while Uganda has over 25 groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and one group in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Uganda also offers more options for a broader safari experience, including Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, while Rwanda is less established as a stand-alone safari destination but has some off-the-beaten-track gems.

Best Time to Go you ask? The best time for gorilla trekking in both countries is during the dry seasons, from May/June to September and then December to February.

What month is it now? Ohhhh June? We’re completely booked for this year, but there is always next year or 2026…

03/06/2024

A different form of 'necking'. These giraffes are actually in graceful fight mode.

Before the battle begins, they slowly 'size' each other up by rubbing heads and necks or leaning into one another, to assess each other's weight.

A lot of thought seems to go into this process, as they pause and gaze into the distance before submitting the first blow.

They use their necks to gain momentum, and swing them round in an arc, thus using their heads as a battering ram to connect with their opponent's flanks, rump or neck.

What's so interesting is that Giraffes have the same amount of vertebrae in their neck as humans but of course, they're just much longer.

27/05/2024

There's something ethereal and magical about black and white wildlife photography. Stripping away the colour, we focus on the essence, the textures, and the raw crux of the wild. Every shadow and highlight tells a story of its own.

meyer africa has encapsulated the unfiltered essence of the African bush, from the perfect dangling paw to Zebras on the move to the eerie gaze of the cats, their mottled markings and spots sharply brought into focus. 🖤

24/05/2024

Look what Richard De Gouveia captured on video! Elephants or ellies as they are affectionaly known, are busy learning social skills by 'play fighting' and interacting with one another at this water hole.

Here are 3 more facts about these gentle giants:

1. When they're not together, elephants use infrasound, that are sounds below the range of human hearing, to communicate over long distances.

2. Their exceptional memory helps them remember water sources and migratory routes that are crucial for survival.

3. By creating (and sometimes digging) water holes and clearing vegetation, elephants shape their ecosystems, benefiting other wildlife, by allowing others to drink from the same water sources too. By pulling down trees an dbranches, they also give small antelope the chance to eat the juicy green leaves from the top of tall trees.

23/05/2024

TEAM SA shines again at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

South Africa's Chelsea Flower Show exhibit, inspired by the Cape Mountains, led by designer Leon Kluge and artist Tristan Woudberg, wowed with its fynbos explosion, rare hybrids and a triumphant return after a hiatus, showcasing the country's rich biodiversity and securing a record-breaking 38th Gol...

22/05/2024

A real life 'bambi' doing a little jig.

One of the wonderful times to visit the game reserves is in the 'green season' - Spring - when it's calving time. It also means increased predator time as the young antelopes are easy prey.

Do you know what antelope this is?

22/05/2024

In other news, Johannesburg zoo is hailed as leading the way in endangered species conservation. To mark Endangered Species Day, for the whole month of May, Johannesburg Zoo is highlighting its conservation efforts for species such as the Pickersgill Reed Frog, African Wild Dogs, Wattled Crane, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Owl Education project, and Durban Dwarf Burrowing Skink.

The Joburg Zoo, as it's affectionately known, has had huge success in breeding schemes such as re-introducing the Pickersgill Reed Frog back to St Lucia in order to combat malaria.The zoo now houses 274 species and approximately 2127 individual animals, including some of the world’s rarest and most vulnerable specimens.

The well known Reptile curator, Mandla Dlomo participates in the Reverse the Red initiative worldwide, promoting collaborative efforts to ensure the survival of endangered species.

📸

17/05/2024

Animal sidekicks, like this Giraffe and Red Billed Oxpecker (tickbird) are often found together.

This feisty Oxpecker will spend their days clinging to large mammals, such as this pretty giraffe or buffalo, rhino, hippo and antelope, feeding off the parasites they find infesting the animals’ fur.

While this provides these blood thirsty birds with a delicious meal, it also keeps their hosts well groomed. Ticks and other external parasites, as well as blood, mucus, dandruff and ear wax make up the oxpeckers food source.

Parasites such as ticks can pass on deadly diseases as well as draining the blood of their mammal host. Although recent research suggests that the oxpecker does not make a significant difference to the parasite load on an animal, surely a few less ticks is a win win for all mammals.

15/05/2024

The 'Clean up Crew' features vultures, jackals, and hyenas who all squabble over carcasses in the African bushveld.

Vultures are specialized scavengers with piercing eyesight and an acute sense of smell, allowing them to locate carrion up to 6 miles away. As you can see by these images, they'll typically dominate carcasses due to their size and ability to tear through tough hides with their powerful beaks.

Vultures and hyenas will also salivate over the carcass as can be seen in the first image. Hyenas are also formidable hunters but are best known for their scavenging characteristics. Their powerful jaws can crush through the thickest of bones, even a large antelope like an Eland.

Lastly, jackals are opportunistic predators and scavengers that often compete with vultures (as seen in picture 3) for carcasses. Agile and cunning, they'll sneak in and steal food from vultures given even half a chance.

Without these 3 species eating carcasses, there would be a fundamental shift in the environment. Why?

They help limits the spread of diseases within the ecosystem.

They help in controlling the population of scavenger species by efficiently consuming carcasses and preventing other scavengers from becoming overpopulated.

They all play a vital role in maintaining the balance and cleanliness of ecosystems.

📸 De Gouveia

06/05/2024

Why do you think this Giraffe has saggy skin?

A giraffe with saggy skin and a strange-looking bird? Our experts answer readers’ questions.

29/04/2024

The autumnal Impala Lily, is a shrub of great beauty that comes out in the Fall in the Southern Hemisphere. This bright pink stands out like a beacon in a landscape almost void of colour.

This plant contains a watery latex, a poisonous ingredient that has killed many domestic animals. Amazingly though, there have been no noted deaths in wild animals that feed on these vibrant flowers.

The poison is extracted from the bark and trunk and used to poison arrows for hunting, and hooks for poisoning fish. Other San cultures use other species of the Impala Lily as treatments for snake bites and scorpion stings.

Lastly, the lily is used as a magical poison by many different African cultures.

24/04/2024

Today is World Penguin Day and what better way to acknowledge Earth Week and the need to protect our planet than celebrating these cute little creatures.

Did you know that our own African Penguin is on the red list of threatened species with its population radically decreasing by 95% in the last decade?

There is a key NGO that supports penguins in South Africa, SANCOBB, and they work actively with BirdLife International. You can even adopt a penguin through them - from an egg, to a chick to an adult bird. They're not going to come live in your bathtub but you get to make a tangible difference!

PS If you're planning a trip to Cape Town, we highly recommend that you visit Boulders Beach in Simonstown - it's just voted 2nd best beach in THE WORLD!

A large amount of penguins live there and just by going there, sharing your pics on social media, you're helping create awareness, one penguin at a time!

Photos courtesy of

17/04/2024

Did the waterbuck sit on a freshly painted toilet seat?

There are many myths around why the waterbuck has a white ring around his bottom. One story is that waterbuck were believed to be the first animals to climb onto Noah’s Ark; when they climbed aboard, they went to the toilet before their long journey, and because the toilet seats were still wet with paint, they left a distinctive ring for everyone to see!

The trademark white ring around its bum is used as a “follow me” sign so that if one of them spot a predator the rest know where to follow to get away from becoming dinner for one of the hungry cats.

This photogenic antelope boast a number of extraordinary adaptations that have made it a major success in the environment such as having an oily pigment on it's fur to allow for it to be more buoyant in the water and stay relatively dry. This oil has a putrid smell which supposedly deters biting insects but sadly not crocodiles and lions!

17/04/2024

There's nothing quite as thrilling as watching a powerful lioness walking past your safari jeep as the sun sets behind her.

Lionesses are instrumental in a pride from forming bonds with other mothers and sisters, to creating the next generation of the pride by being fierce and protective mothers.Last but not least, they also do the majority of hunting for the pride.

15/04/2024

This is how it feels to get up, close and personal to an elephant drinking. A grown elephant can drink over a whopping 150 gallons per day! Did you know that their tusks are actually elongated incisor teeth? They're so smooth as they don't have enamel on them like 'normal' teeth and continue to grow throughout an elephant's life. On another note, do you know that elephants can use their trunks to snorkel across rivers?

12/04/2024

He is called 'The King of Beasts' for a reason. This male lion leisurely grooms himself with his gigantic paw. A male like this can easily tip the scales at over 500 pounds (200kg). If he is alone or in a small coalition with other males he will hunt for himself but if in a pride - he'll likely leave the hunting to the lionesses but be the first to feast.

10/04/2024

The Steenbok, love and the loo!

This tiny little antelope always manages to draw out a long “aaaahhhhh” when people see it for the first time.

In fact the little antelope is only about 60cm (1,9 feet) at the shoulders when fully grown. They are highly territorial and can have territories as small as 98 x 98 feet.

They will eat anything from leaves and grasses to berries and seeds. If the food sources are high they may pair up for life. True love can be found in the African bush!

But, in most cases, these little bucks are solitary creatures only coming together when they need to mate.

They also have immaculate toilet manners whereby they dig a hole and will urinate or defecate in. Once finished they will cover the hole up which is useful for 2 reasons, it retains the moisture and scent for longer meaning they don't have to mark their territory as much AND it leaves less of a visual marker for predators.

08/04/2024

Remember Zazu from The Lion King? Zazu was inspired by the Southern Yellow Billed hornbill - an omnivorous bush bird that will eat insects, chicks, frogs, chameleons, ants and termites.

Hornbills, like many birds, are monogamous and will live in breeding pairs or small family groups. When they begin their breeding the male will 'courtship feed' the female for up to a month before breeding by bringing her small bits of food in his beak.

Once they have mated, they will seek out a hole in a tree, usually north east facing and will use an array of leaf litter and bark as their nesting material.

Once the nest is ready the female will enter the nest and will seal the hole with her own faeces! She will leave a small slit for her devoted partner to feed her while she incubates her eggs. Now that's trust and commitment for you!

01/04/2024

The Chimpanzee and the Fruit Tree...

Chimps swing through trees in the rainforests that they live in (a handy and safe travel route).

The trees give them a place to sleep, safety and nourishing food. The chimps in return give the trees new life; when a fruit seed travels through a chimpanzee's gut, it makes the seeds more likely to develop and the dung acts as a fertilizer upon exit!

Wild figs make up half of a wild chimps diet and they eat over 80 types of fruit such as custard apples. oil palm and musanga cecropioides in the forests of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

Just another example of the extraordinary world of symbiosis.

29/03/2024

The advent of Easter is upon those who celebrate and it got us thinking about bunnies.

Or in this case, Scrub Hares, a species that is often found on dirt roads at night on game drives.

Why? Scrub Hares shelter in burrows during the day, away from predators such as jackal, hyena, eagles and even cheetahs and leopard.

Recently on a night drive, we came across a tiny scrub hare, like this one pictured, who'd obviously been separated from its mother.

We believe it had been chased by a band of mongoose. We had to leave him in the road, but we crossed fingers that the little bunny would find its way back to its burrow or mum!

27/03/2024

How do you even start to pack for a trek in the rainforest?

It can be a jungle out there!

Richard De Gouveia our Co-Owner gives his advice on what will be the top items to bring and make you feel most comfortable.

The fact that you’re reading this means you’re seriously considering what could be one of the best trips of your life. Going on a gorilla trek is undoubtedly...

25/03/2024

Chimps and gorillas seem to be our most viewed and popular reels so we will keep them coming! Here a mother and her baby forage for food in the thick forest, also breaking branches off in order to make nests. Yes - Gorillas make nests!

25/03/2024

This is another nocturnal animal that’s incredibly elusive.
It’s an African Civet and you can recognise it by its trotting gait close to the ground as well as a thick bushy tail.

Civets will eat anything from insects to small vertebrates, which it kills by biting repeatedly and rips the food apart by using the forefront paws to hold the prey down.

One of its most enjoyed food sources is the poisonous millipede, which contains cyanide that’s released when exposed to the acidic digestive juices.

This potential cyanide poisoning is believed to be counteracted by civets eating the fruits off certain trees, allowing their digestive system to counteract the poison.

The civet has been used commercially for some very lucrative businesses - like perfume. Secretions from its a**l gland which it uses to mark territory and can hold the strong odour for up to 3 months, has been used as a fixative in perfume. How they originally decided to venture on this quest is a story for another time!

Another well known use for a civet is to produce the most expensive coffee in the world, whereby coffee beans are fed to the civet, passed through its digestive system and then grinded up and used for coffee called kopi.Has anybody tried this delicacy or noticed their new perfume stays on for a very long time? 😂😅

civet

18/03/2024

The vibrant sounds of a rain forest thrum with haunting bird calls and animal sounds and activity. Watch how this chimp nonchantly scratches his tummy and yawns - not perturbed by the cacophony of sounds around him.

18/03/2024

A tale of symbiosis: A big plant needs a big pollinator and lemurs are one of the largest pollinators in the world. Lemurs often scale traveller's palms, open the flowers and drink the sweet nectar. While it feeds, the lemur's long fluffy tail mops up a lot of pollen. Once it hops to the next palm, it fertilises the seeds, allowing more palms to grow.

Also, did you know that lemurs can only see in blues and greens?

13/03/2024

08/03/2024

Desert Elephants in Namibia are primarily found in the northwestern regions, including the Kunene River area, Caprivi Strip, and parts of Damaraland.

These ellies have adapted to surviving with limited water resources. They can travel long distances in search of water and are known to have a remarkable memory for locating water sources like digging for water in dry riverbeds and using their knowledge of seasonal food sources like when leaves sporut and when trees bear fruit.

Namibian Tourism and camps dotted across the country such as Wilderness and have been instrumental in implementing community-based conservation initiatives that involve local communities in the management and protection of wildlife, including elephants.

We love to travel to lesser known parts of Africa, especially to places that showcase desert adapted wildlife in exquisite settings.

🐘

06/03/2024

Wonder what he is thinking?

Many travellers often forget that yes there is Gorilla Trekking but there are ample other primates to see. Uganda for example, is called “the primate capital,” and has an estimated total population of roughly 1500 chimpanzees.

There are 3 major chimp trekking destinations in Uganda: Kibale Forest National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kibale Forest is the best place for chimp trekking, as the forest has high population densities and sightings are most common here.

Travellers are led in small groups with an armed ranger and guide (like our friendly guide pictured), and are allowed a maximum of one hour in the presence of the chimps.

You also have to stay several meters/yards away. The chimps move quickly and through dense foliage so often it’s practically impossible to really maintain that distance but it's important to try maintain a balance of equilibrium by respecting the animals while relishing time in their presence. Make no mistake, it's a trip you will never forget.

📸 de gouveia and meyer africa