Late last year journalist Anna Chittenden visited some of Nomad's more remote camps. Her first time to Africa, and struck by the wildness around her, she produced this photo diary of her escapades.
"It was love at first sight when I arrived at the ever so remote location of Chada Katavi, in Katavi National Park. After a couple of days travelling, first from Singapore to Kilimanjaro, and then from Arusha to Katavi on a light propeller plane I was beginning to wonder if the destination could match up to the expectations mounting during this marathon of a journey… I wasn’t disappointed. It was an early morning start leaving from a shack of an airport at Arusha, past an active volcano and then coming into land skimming the tree tops below where you could see the heads of giraffe munching on green leaves from your little plane seat.
Chada Katavi is an intimate boutique safari camp, with only six canvas tents accommodating a small group of 12 people at a time. The design is stylish, whilst maintaining the simplicity that fits with the raw nature of the environment. So while there is a strong focus on being sustainable, comforts aren’t forgotten. The rooms are decked out with lovely antique wooden beds and old fashioned campaign furniture, the storm lanterns are solar powered, and the shower consists of a 20 litre eco bucket shower which is filled up with warm water on request.
As well as the usual game drives, Chada Katavi also offer a ‘fly camping’ experience, where they take you to a secret location somewhere on the plain and set up a simple mosquito netted tent as your home for the evening. The whole point of the activity is to bring you back to nature, where you can get a chance to hear the animals howling in the night while sleeping in their territory. Again, the little luxuries are taken into account during the evening, with a fully stocked bush bar for round the campfire drinks, followed by a 3 course alfresco dinner underneath a palm tree.
A big thank you to all the fantastic Nomad Tanzania staff that runs Chada Katavi that made our trip so memorable!"
Touchdown on the sandy runway at Katavi
Keeping it high class in the VIP lounge
Flying over Ol Donyo Lengai - an active volcano
The camp at Chada Katavi
Outdoor living at Chada
Some of our group in the mess tent with our host Mohammed
Our cosy bedroom decked out in home comforts
Of course you need a wardrobe in a tent (with white bath robes)
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Antique bed and solar lantern detail
Getting up close to this beautiful leopard
A lion on the lookout
Having my morning tea to this scene!
Our picnic breakfast out during a drive, next to a pod of hippos below, with the view of elephants under the trees.
Elephants marching towards us unfazed
Not forgetting the little luxuries, a wooden loo is placed over a long drop, a bucke shower has been installed between the palm trees.
Our knowledgeable guide Emmanuel talks us through the animal footprints during our walking safari.
Saying goodbye to the amazing staff at Chada Katavi
Words and photos, Anna Chittenden from Lost Guides
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