If it wasn’t for some skilled networking friends able to meet inspiring people, I most likely would never have heard about the Niassa reserve in northern Mozambique. I was thrilled to tag along for a few days, taking a break from the awful pandemic and its worlwide closures, to land in one of the most remote places on the continent. I knew nothing about its geology. We cut the 11 hour drive from Nampula on a run-down dirt road to a one-hour flight in a Cessna from which we discovered the many insulbergs piercing through the plain everywhere. The view was so breathtaking I nearly didn’t notice the heavy turbulence until I saw my friend suffering intensely. We landed on a small airstrip and my first wish was to take off again to take it all in again. I was so mesmerized by the incredible beauty of this landscape, I needed to attempt capturing it in photographs.
Nic van Rensburg welcomed us and off we went to the the beautiful Lugenda Wilderness Camp where we met Derek Littleton and Paula Ferro. The following days were filled with incredible stories from our hosts, game drives and memorable bush walks. Outside of the unique geology of the region, a safari in Lugenda will not be like any other. Derek and Nic would certainly take you outside of your comfort zone. It certainly was the case for me, and never felt so alive as a result. Thanks to an amazing anti-poaching unit, the wildlife is abundant, the elephants are back in numbers after being decimated during the previous decades. It makes it all more impressive when you walk through the bush, tracking large herds of buffalos, hearing lions roar in the distance. We climbed one of the easiest insulberg for the view, discovering caves with old paintings. Very few humans settled here but traces of them can be found. It was on that walk that we decided to camp one night, under the stars, for the most memorable camping experience.
I hope to return one day, to trek by foot or canoe.
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