Going Batty
What? Bats Where? Zambia When? November
When the loquat, milk-wood and waterberry
trees produce their fruit, 5 to 15 million strawcolored
fruit bats darken the skies of Kasanka
National Park in northeastern Zambia (www.kasanka.com). This is the greatest concentration
of mammal life on earth, and dawn is the
best time of day to witness it in all its glory.
Shocking Pink
What? Flamingos Where? Kenya When? All year
Kenya's 1.5 million lesser flamingos don't migrate
far, mostly confining themselves to a circuit
of the country's four soda lakes. Kenya overflows
with luxury safari lodges — try Lake Nakuru Lodge
(www.lakenakurulodge.com) — and, after the
recent political turmoil, a stay will not only be at
great rates but will also help keep tourism alive.
Thundering Hooves
What? Wildebeests, zebras, gazelles
Where? Tanzania and Kenya When? July
Over 1 million wildebeests and 200,000 zebras
and gazelles move from the exhausted grasslands
of the Serengeti in Tanzania to Kenya's lush
Masai Mara. As they cross the Mara River, many
fall prey to crocodiles and floods. Stay at the I.L.
Moran safari camp (www.governorscamp.com).
The Big Ones
What? Whales Where? South Africa, Mozambique
and Madagascar When? July-November
There are 37 species of cetacean found in these
waters and, in season, you'd be unlucky not to
spot several from the shore. In Hermanus, South
Africa, you can whale watch by boat or plane, or
from your hotel balcony. Check out the view at
the Marine (www.marine-hermanus.co.za).
The Greatest Shoal on Earth
What? Sardines Where? South Africa
When? June and July
Millions of sardines, in shoals several miles long,
run north from their home off Cape Agulhas to
Mozambique's warmer waters. Dolphins, sharks
and seals swarm the fish, offering a breath-
taking sight of wildlife in action. To see it up
close, go with Unreal Dive (www.unrealdive.com).