African Sketchbook Safari 2004

Once a year wildlife artist Katie Lee and Gametrackers (part of the Orient-Express group) join up to offer a week-long sketchbook safari in northern Botswana. This year’s trip starts on 30 May. You stay in three luxury game-viewing lodges, each offering a different aspect of Botswana’s spectacular wilderness: the desert, the delta, and the flood plain. Participants have the opportunity to view and draw the flora, fauna, and wildlife of the region under Katie’s expert guidance. Why am I promoting this particular painting holiday? Because I’m going on it this year!

June is the dry season and you can expect to see herds of elephant, zebra, lion, hippo, baboon, antelope and migratory birds as well as unusual plants, such as baobab trees, and flowers. Khwai River Lodge is situated on the banks of the Khwai River, on the northern boundary of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, offering luxuriant vegetation and prolific wildlife. Eagle Island Camp is set in the heart of the Okavango Delta, on the island of Xaxaba, providing the opportunity to cruise the waterways on a mokoro (dugout canoe) to view big game drinking at the water's edge and abundant bird life. Savute Elephant Camp is set on the bank of the Savute Channel in a dry and arid environment, Chobe National Park, a renowned place to view big game.

At around £2,125 (US$3,485) a person (excluding international flights), it’s not cheap, but it’s by aiming at upmarket tourism and limiting visitor numbers that Botswana has managed to preserve its wilderness areas. The programme includes full-board accommodation (all drinks and meals, plus laundry), painting and sketching instruction, all excursions, airport transfers and flights between Maun and the camps. You have to bring your own art materials (your total luggage allowance is only 12kg!) and must remember everything as there are no opportunities to buy more once you’re there.

The Orient-Express is also offering botanical and flower painting master classes at some of its hotels throughout the world, including the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa (August 25 to27 and August 29 to September 1) with artist Jenny Phillips; The Westcliff in Johannesburg, South Africa (September 3 to 5 and 7 to 10) with artist Jenny Phillips, and Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy (October 10 to 15) with artist Jenny Phillips.

For further information visit www.orient-express-safaris.com or e- mail reservations@orient-express-safaris.co.za.