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Botswana: a love letter in photos

I have by now lost count of the number of times I’ve been to Botswana, but with my long-standing interests in wildlife and photography, I can say without hesitation that I don’t think I will ever tire of it. Put simply, Botswana inspires me – and in turn it inspires our travellers. Of all the […]

Emeralds in the rough

Whenever I’m asked when the best time to go on safari is, my enthusiastic –  if rather unhelpful – answer is “it’s always a good time to be on safari’. So, with a view to being slightly more helpful, I wanted to talk a little about Emerald Season. Conventional wisdom for years has been that […]

The Wild is Waiting

It’s a rather obvious point to make, but the last 2 years have been a bit shitty. As we sat hunkered down at home for months on end watching the news, it was as if the sense of physical and mental oppression caused by Covid was being exacerbated by the relentless fire-hose of human-caused catastrophe […]

A Walk in the Woods

In the dry season, parts of Northern Botswana can start to look like the world has ended. Everything is dry, elephants in their hunger push down trees to get at the remaining leaves, and wide swathes seem like they could be heavily bombed and look no different. A key feature of this apparent desolation is […]

Conde Nast Travel Specialists: Trufflepig’s Magnificent 7

Last week Conde Nast Traveler released its annual Travel Specialists list, kind of like the Oscars of the travel world. And with another record-breaking 7 Trufflepig planners with their names in lights (again), we feel more than usually justified in describing ourselves as the Tiny Company with the Great Big Nose. We are of course […]

1 Elephant, 2 Elephant, 3 Elephant

My idea of a fabulous time on safari is exploring by mobile tented camp, going from place to place, deep in the bush. To make that experience even better, add the possibility of tracking and counting herds of wild elephants in Botswana. No, I am not daydreaming of my own perfect little world – the […]

Safari In The Time Of Covid

I think I speak for all of us at the Pig when I say that we’re chomping at the bit to be back on the road. But trying to figure out should one travel let alone can one travel, right now is a pretty complicated dance. There’s a lot to take into consideration, to put it […]

Duba from the air

Not that I ever look for a justification for a doors-off helicopter flight, but if you feel you need one, Duba Plains in the Okavango Delta in Botswana is it. Duba Plains is in a remote area of the Delta, so the best way to get full exposure to the camp’s huge area is by helicopter. […]

Simply The Best

We may be a tiny travel company (with a great big nose) but when Conde Nast Traveler magazine published its “2017 Top Travel Specialists” list last week, we blushed hot pink to see that Trufflepig has more experts listed than any other outfit. Our very own Dan, Rudston, Tyler and Sebastian, for Italy, Spain, Southern Africa and Myanmar. CNT describe them as “the […]

Superb Safari Savings

If you’ve ever dreamed about going on safari but figured it was too expensive, think again. Wilderness Safaris’ 6 Countries Summer Special is back and this year its better than ever. Wilderness Safaris began offering the Six Countries Special a few years ago, to run during the North American winter, and each year it seems […]

Capping Off Your Safari

On paper I’m a trip planner, but when I get right down to it I’m a photographer who loves being in Africa. I love snapping a photo of a camouflaged leopard, or capturing the majesty of a herd of elephants on the move. Birds have always been less of a priority—they’re hard for a photographer. […]

Going Small on Safari

The thing most people don’t know about safari in Africa is that it’s not all about seeing the big animals. Of course the sight of your first elephant in the wild is impressive (even more so if it’s charging you), and hearing a lion’s bellowing roar will rock your eardrums like nothing else. But when […]

East Vs. South

Every campfire conversation in Africa promises a lifetime of embellishment, exaggeration and sweeping generalization. Having sat around many a campfire myself, you’ll have to forgive me the indulgence. I’ve heard many a Kenyan take pot shots at Southern African safaris, and Southern Africans are no less opinionated, so I’ll try here to present a balanced […]

Where to go in 2013

Let’s go out on a limb and predict that the world isn’t going to end tomorrow. Christmas and New Year’s will come and go, and then those of us in the northernmost parts of the northern hemisphere will enter what one Trufflepig planner calls “the long, dark tea time of the soul.” Give your soul […]

Seeking Adventure

Let’s say you’ve been on safari in Africa a few times. If you’ve gone back more than once it’s pretty safe to say that you’re a fully-fledged safari junkie, and a traditional safari (a couple of weeks long with comfortable tented camps and two game drives a day) puts you right in your happy place. Let’s […]

The Central Kalahari

The only view most people ever get of the Central Kalahari is the vast expanse of featureless, light brown plain you see out of the airplane window as you fly north to Maun and on to the Okavango Delta. If you pull out a map of Botswana (handily there’s one below this article), the Kalahari is […]