Whatshot
The launch of a new Land Rover expedition
The launch of a new Land Rover expedition
How exciting when yet another expedition plan comes together, when scribbles on a map and shared ideas become reality. Rucksacks, boots, medical kit, grub boxes, tents, bedrolls, reference books, maps, spare wheels, jerry cans are scattered all over the place. There's also our humanitarian supplies of bales of PermaNets for our United Against Malaria work, Mashozi's Rite to Sight spectacles are carefully packed by size, and the boxes of LifeStraws for safe drinking water as well as Elephant art materials. So much to do on our way North up to Chew Bahir.
Having spent much of a lifetime adventuring in every country in Africa, including her island states, the Kingsley Holgate team is keenly aware of the rapidly changing face of 'Mama Africa'. So whilst Africa still remains one of the last great frontiers of adventure, this expedition will be part of a series of once-off journeys called Africa's Living Traditions.' to document, record, research, photograph and participate in Africa's richly colourful traditional cultural practices, many of which are fast disappearing.
Our route will take us up the Mozambique coast, through Malawi's warm heart of Africa, north through Tanzania, and on to the badlands of Northern Kenya to follow the shoreline of Lake Turkana - the world's largest desert lake. From there, we cross into the Southern part of Ethiopia, to a lake formerly known as Lake Stephanie, now Chew Bahir - the great salt ocean - discovered first by the great explorer Count Samuel Teleki in 1888 - who named it after his Princess Stephanie of Belgium, the wife of crown Prince Rudolf of Austria. Apart from our ongoing humanitarian work, the geographic and adventure challenge is a world-first attempt to circumnavigate Chew Bahir by Land Rover and land yacht - what an adventure!
"As always", says Kingsley, "There's that feeling of nervous anticipation in the pit of my stomach, not knowing quite what to expect. These volatile areas that we are going to are not called the badlands for nothing But in the words of the great Scottish explorer, Joseph Thomson, "He who goes gently, goes safely; he who goes safely, goes far." We believe that the Zen of Travel will continue to guide us."