Africa: New Book

The new Lonely Planet Africa guide is out now. For this edition I had the mammoth, but utterly brilliant, task of updating Sudan, Republic of Congo and DR Congo. I also wrote the Ethiopia chapter, the coffee table-style South Sudan chapter and contributed to the Central African Republic chapter. When a book covers a continent the size of Africa coverage of some places can be rather short but for me this book is Lonely Planet at its ground breaking and adventurous best.

http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/africa/africa-travel-guide-13/

New Website

I have finally joined the modern world and got myself a website. Please see  http://www.stuartbutlerjournalist.com/ for more examples of my books, articles, photographs and information on my wedding photography.

Kenya

Kenya June 2013, a set on Flickr.

Back in June (yeah I know I've been slack on the blogging front...) I had the great pleasure of once again visiting Kenya. This time i was there for a variety of international publications writing a range of articles on conservation, tourism and tribal rights. I split my time equally between the northern regions of Meru and the remote and wonderful Matthew's Mountains and the Maasai lands further south (the Maasai Mara itself, Olarro conservancy and the stunning and little known Loita Hills. Highlights of the trip included staying in both Samburu and Maasai manyattas (farmsteds), walking and camping in the Loita Hills, spending a day learning about conservation in action at the Olarro conservancy, walking in the Matthews and having Meru national park pretty much to myself.

The following are a selection of images that I took during the trip.

Sudan Photos

Sudan 2012, a set on Flickr.

I recently had the very great pleasure of once again travelling around Sudan whilst updating the Sudan chapter of the Africa Lonely Planet guide.

Sudan suffers from a very bad rep, but I love the place. I'm not normally very interested in old ruins etc but in Sudan, where sand half buries temples and pyramids, they are just so romantic. Combine that with beautiful desert scenery, some of the friendliest people you can hope to meet and a fascinating ethnic jigsaw and you get what I consider to be one of the most rewarding countries in Africa - even in it's shrunk down form after the independence of the south.

Here is a small selection of photos taken on my most recent trip.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25936994@N00/sets/72157633377689127/

Best of Ethiopia

I have just written a piece for the Lonely Planet website on the Best of Ethiopia - now if only I had had the space to include some of the southern parks, Addis, Lake Tana and so on...
Here it is http://www.lonelyplanet.com/africa/travel-tips-and-articles/77723

New Books

There's new Lonely Planet books that I have co-authored falling out of the sky this week - France, Spain, Discover Spain, best trips France and Indonesia all out now! Buy them at  http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/