CITYAM.COM28 MONDAY 8 APRIL 2019LIFE&STYLE

TRAVEL

WHERE TO STAYLocated in north Devon, HighbullenHotel is surrounded by 127 acres ofbeautiful garden and parkland. There’salso an 18 hole golf course, spa and TheCellars restaurant that makes awesomescones. Visit highbullen.co.uk

WHERE TO GOThe natural beauty of the JurassicCoast is not to be missed. A WorldHeritage Site on the English Channel, itstretches from Exmouth in East Devonto Studland Bay in Dorset, a distance of96 miles. Visit jurassiccoast.org

WHERE TO DRINKThere are views for miles at Start BayInn, the 14th-century pub in the littlevillage of Torcross. The pub has wonplenty of awards for its fresh seafoodcaught from the inn’s own boat. Visit startbayinn.co.uk

WHERE TO EATOrestone Manor, run by chefs Neil andCatherine D’Allen, curate dishes usingingredients grown in the garden.Awarded two AA rosettes for fine dining,this cosy restaurant is a rare gem. Visit orestonemanor.com

DEVON,ENGLAND

ing – the dawn neon pink and pastel bluein the sky – hyenas lumber across ourpaths, golden jackals sweep the ground forgiant mole rats and Maasai farmers standsentinel in blood-red tartan. One morning we hike through tangled for-

est to the Empakei Crater at the foot ofOldoinyo Lengai volcano (last eruption:2008). Chinchilla-like tree hyrax poke theirnoses out of their holes as we pass. Bluemonkeys scurry through the trees and lan-guid, beady-eyed chameleons make theirplaintive way across pea-green leaves. Whenwe reach the lake we come across flocks ofsquawking lesser flamingos, troupes oframbunctious baboons and fresh leopardtracks in the salt that send a jolt of adrena-line through my body.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK But to really get away from the crowds inTanzania, you need to head south. Awayfrom The Crater, away from the buzzing

Serengeti, to somewhere a lot more se-cluded. Ruaha, Tanzania and East Africa’slargest national park, is a vast, wild place.A land of bulbous baobabs and perky can-delabra trees, its landscape is far denserthan the wide plains of the NgorogoroCrater. A number of conservation projectsin the area – including a successful lionguardianship programme that works tolessen the conflict between local farmersand the big cats – also means wildlife hereis flourishing. In fact, the park is thoughtto be home to 10 per cent of the world’s re-maining population of lions, while it re-ceives just a fraction of the visitors of theSerengeti (so you’re unlikely to see anothersafari vehicle while you’re out here). Jabali Ridge is Ruaha’s newest luxury

lodge. Built around a pyramid of huge gran-ite boulders, the camp looks almost as if ithas been hewn out of rock itself. Stiltedsuites with bird’s nest roofs blend effort-lessly in with the surrounding landscape,

TANZANIAFACT

The country is home to

Kilimanjaro, thehighest mountainon the continent

and mentioned byToto in their classic

1982 hit, Africa

The air is thick with the scent ofslaughter. It hangs heavy, ripe,dancing around my nostrils with itssour tang. The dead hyena has hadits throat slashed, its neck lacerated

by the jaws of what is almost certainly a lion.A quick, clean dispatch, just to remind allother creatures that here, it is still king. I’m in north Tanzania’s Ngorogoro Crater

– a land so dense with wildlife you can’tdrive five metres without running into adazzle of zebras or a pack of hyenas furiouslylicking clean the bones of a grisly kill. We’vealready seen lions, hordes of them – lyingprone in the long grasses, lazily flickingtheir tails in the fug of the midday heat; 15of them clustered around a tea-colouredswamp, a crash of russet-coloured bodiespanting and bearing pink tongues flankedby needle-sharp teeth. The Ngorogoro Crater – the earth’s largest

unbroken caldera, formed when a hugemountain collapsed in on itself some 2.5myears ago – is undoubtedly a popular place.Wildlife sightings are essentially guaran-teed, so tourists flock here in their droves.But I’m here to see if it’s possible to take astep away from the crowds for a more peace-ful, private take on the safari tradition. I’m staying at the wonderfully futuristic

Highlands Camp, set away from the massesin the tangled forests of the surroundingNgorogoro Conservation area. Here, guestssleep in bubble tents – each designed tohave a minimal impact on the environ-ment – with transparent walls affordingsprawling views across the bush-fleckedEmpakei crater below. The highlands them-selves are quite remarkable, a place whererolling bruise-coloured cumulus do battlewith the land. We’re 2,600 metres highhere, enveloped in a constant murk thatgives the earth a ghostly, bewitching pallor,and as we set off for the crater each morn-

HOURS IN...

THE SAFARIPARK INSIDEA CRATER

With over-tourism becoming a keyconservation issue, is it possible to escapethe crowds on safari? Lizzie Pook heads tooff-the-beaten-track Tanzania to find out

29MONDAY 8 APRIL 2019 LIFE&STYLECITYAM.COM

THE WEEKEND: For lavish five star luxurycoupled with warm Irish hospitality, thereis nowhere better than Limerick’s AdareManor, an elegant neo-gothic stately homebuilt in 1832 by the 2nd Earl of Dunraven.Now owned by locally-born Irish billionaireJ P McManus, the hotel was closed for twoyears for a major overhaul and has sincebeen voted the best hotel in the world.

WHERE: After a short flight from London,Adare Manor is 25 minutes from ShannonInternational Airport down a suitably awe-inspiring driveway that winds past theruins of a 13th century castle. Set in 842acres of grounds so pristine they look likethey’ve been trimmed with scissors, thehotel itself is suitably imposing, withgargoyles at every turn, intricate stonecarvings and no fewer than 365 ornateleaded windows. The grounds themselvesboast an Insta-perfect river, a magicalforest enclave decorated with tiny bells, artinstallations and poetry, walled gardensand an immaculate Tom Fazio-designedgolf course already tipped to host theRyder Cup in 2026.

THE STAY: The interiors have the seriouswow factor; from the dramatic lobby withits huge roaring fire, double height stone-vaulted ceiling and wooden minstrels’gallery to the antique tapestries, originalstained glass windows and extravagantchandeliers of The Gallery where breakfastand afternoon tea are served. My ownroom was equally impressive with its ownfireplace, 19th century oil paintings, astandalone roll top bath and acres ofmarble, and every room comes with freshfruit and flowers, a complimentary mini-bar stocked with soft drinks and local

Siobhan Grogan checks into thisrecently refurbished stately home

chocolate and an iPad to controleverything from the curtains to thetemperature.

THE FOOD: The bright terrace of theCarriage House restaurant is the perfectspot for lunch, serving wood-fired pizzas,pies and the best club sandwich I’ve evereaten (and I’ve done extensive research).But intimate restaurant The Oak Room isthe real star, showcasing the best Irishproduce over six stunning courses withoutthe formal fussiness that often spoils fine-dining like this. Smile very nicely at thewaiters and they may even invite you toenjoy a course in the kitchen, where Idevoured exquisite turbot with Dooncastleclams and roe sauce under the watchfuleye of head chef Michael Tweedie.

WHAT TO SEE: Blarney Castle, Killarneyand Aillwee Caves are all nearby, but you’llhave a better weekend staying put,strolling to a cosy pub in pretty Adarevillage and enjoying the hotel, where youcan try falconry, archery, clay pigeonshooting or fishing and borrowcomplimentary bikes, Dubarry wax jacketsand boots. If the weather’s bad, curl up inleather armchairs in the hotel’s owncinema with popcorn and hot chocolate.

AND AFTER THAT: Spoil yourself at thespa, the only La Mer spa in the UK andIreland. Their signature Sleep Soundtreatment was so effective, I dozed off inthe middle of it. Perhaps not surprisinggiven the whole weekend felt like a dream.

NEED TO KNOW: Rooms start at £285 pernight B&B. Book at adaremanor.com or call+353 61 605 200.

TOP TIPLimerick is one ofa few places in theworld that claimto have inventedthe Irish coffee

ADARE MANORCO. LIMERICK, IRELAND

THE LONGWEEKEND

while the camp’s picturesque infinity pooloffers a prime spot to watch passing giraffesand elephants pick their way across the wild-flower-strewn plains. Safaris here are really something excep-

tional. It helps that my guides Lorenzo andStanley are impeccably knowledgeable,with an infectious enthusiasm for each andevery creature they come across, from thetiniest dwarf gecko, to the largest, hulkingbull elephants. We head out each morning as the sun

rises, rousing an orchestra of birdsong anda golden amber-hued light in the air. Sight-ings come thick and fast. We spot a lionesswith two mewling twin cubs, while anotherwith a heavy, swollen belly laps water froma nearby pond. On the many desiccated riverbeds that wind their way through the parkwe watch huge herds of elephants diggingwith their trunks for water. At one point,two adolescent cheetahs even slink theirway across our path. But most thrilling of all

is a scene of real carnage. As the sun sets, wecome across the Mdonya Juu lion pride –named after one of Ruaha’s great sand rivers.They are eating. Noisily. Twelve of them clus-ter around a colossal giraffe carcass, shearingoff flesh with their razor-sharp carnassialteeth. Flies buzz around flesh. Butterflies flitaround the spilled stomach contents andhuge flying beetles survey the scene with aclatter of wings. We watch in awe as the lionsset about tearing off the hind leg, theirrough tongues licking meat clean off thebone. It’s hard to tear ourselves away fromthe orgiastic feasting, and as we leave we passa coven of hooded vultures, awaiting theirturn in the gnarled branches of the sur-rounding trees.

WATER WORLD Along with Ruaha, Selous game reserve –which at 55,000 square kilometres is so vastit would take months to properly explore –completes Tanzania’s southern safari circuit.Home to packs of roaming wild dogs, elusiveleopards and dense populations of water-based species like hippos and crocs, it’smuch wetter than the rest of Tanzania.Gnarled Barr Redwoods jut upwards fromputty-coloured water like witchy fingers andthe air is filled with the ghostly whistle offish eagles. Clement, the general manager of Roho ya

Selous – a beautifully understated tentedcamp tucked away on a promontory of LakeNzerakera – is a whirlwind of warm energy.“I’ve been walking round the camp bare-foot for months,” he enthuses when we ar-rive. “First time I put boots on, there’s ascorpion in there! I was man down for threedays. It’s wild here.”The lesser-visited reserve is excellent for

walking and boating safaris – which takeyou nose-to-nose with the vast numbers ofhippos that grunt, chortle and boom inthese waters – and it’s also a prime place totake part in fly-camping. On our final night,we set off on a trek to our own private mo-bile campsite. We pass baboons, impala andwarthog, while our guide Kiv points outhyena tracks and lion dung, then hands mea giraffe skull so heavy it almost brings meto my knees. Our private camp comprises a roaring fire,

a warm bucket shower and unfeasibly poshbush toilet (complete with full seat andhand towels). A series of small cube tentsopen up to views of the star-studded Africanskies. We drink cool crisp Serengeti beeraround the campfire as we listen to hipposcrash about in the nearby water. We tuckinto a fresh dinner of tilapia and tomato rel-ish and gaze at Jupiter through heavy-dutybinoculars to pick out its tiny surroundingmoons. As dawn breaks, we wake to pinkskies and a full English, as rare African skim-mers glide silently across the water in frontof us. Forget the Serengeti. If there’s a wayto escape the crowds on safari, it’s this. Andit’s exquisite.

NEED TO KNOW Timbuktu gives safari travellers total control to designtheir dream trip online. This 10-night trip to Tanzaniacan be arranged from £7,810 per person. Including allinternal flights and logistics, accommodation, allmeals, drinks and activities unless otherwise stated,and all park fees; timbuktutravel.com (0207 193 1326)