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South Africa March 2010

18th March 2010

 


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South Africa Trip Report March 2010

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

My March 2010 site inspection trip to South Africa was conducted in whirlwind fashion: spending one night each at 10 different properties, and covering a huge swath of South Africa’s game-rich Sabi Sand and Timbavati Reserves adjacent to Kruger Park, as well as Cape Town, Franschoek in the Cape Winelands and Grootbos in the Southern Cape.

For the first time in many years I rented a car (from Budget) and despite some misgivings about
South Africa’s notoriously bad road safety record, I was soon zipping about Pretoria and Johannesburg in a VW Polo, on the left hand side of the road. It really was not a problem getting used to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road – but it was unnerving to be passed by several drivers exceeding the posted speed limit by a wide margin. For would-be visitors, my advice would be to
drive sparingly and to avoid night driving, especially in urban areas. Be sure to include a GPS device with your car rental – you can save yourself lots of time – by not getting lost – and void the anxiety of finding yourself in potentially dangerous situations


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On March 7, following on a short stay with family in Pretoria and attending my high school reunion, I made my way to Oliver R. Tambo Airport where I dropped off the car and put some excess luggage in storage. From there it was just a short stroll to the FedAir departure office. FedAir passengers are taken by minibus to a very comfortable lounge on the other side of the airport. Here you can relax with a soft drink or juice (complimentary) or enjoy a light snack such as a sandwich and salad or fruit, likewise no charge. Soon enough, we walked out onto the tarmac, boarded the Beechcraft 1900 and took off in an easterly direction for the Kruger Park.


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MalaMala Game Reserve
First stop was MalaMala Game Reserve. Having been collected from Skukuza Airstrip (where I was offered and promptly accepted an upgrade from Main Camp to Rattray Camp), another couple and I were driven to MalaMala. I had previously spent several days at Main Camp and having sent dozens of clients there over the years, I was keen to experience the MalaMala ‘magic’ once again. There are several fancier and more expensive camps in the Sabi Sand Reserve but in terms of consistently good game-viewing MalaMala has few rivals. And so it was. From my very first game-drive (good views of rhino and then lions in a rain-storm!) the game-viewing was simply phenomenal. I had never seen so many leopards and not just glimpses of them: out in the middle of the road, strolling about and very very relaxed!

The accommodation at Rattray Camp was very luxurious. The elegantly appointed khaya was
massive with a separate lounge area, plenty of closets and of course the usual (just bigger!) his and hers bathrooms which MalaMala is known for. There’s even a wireless internet connection if you absolutely have to check Facebook… Not to mention a heated plunge pool which I did not have time to try. Most importantly, game drives at Rattray are limited to maximum 4 persons per vehicle so for a party of 4 it is like having a private vehicle.


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The next day I did a site inspection at MalaMala Main Camp and I was reminded why I liked this camp so much. The camp and the surrounding grounds are attractive and spotless – perfectly maintained, green and making the best of the ideal location along the Sand River. While Main Camp’s rooms and suites are probably a bit dated compared with some of the newer camps, they are very comfortable, with plenty of space and not lacking for anything. Over the years I have been to many safari camps in several countries but MalaMala remains at the top of my list for excellent value and above all consistently excellent game-viewing. Want to go on safari but not spend endless days bumping around poor roads in search of elusive wildlife? MalaMala is the answer. Three nights here and you’ll have your fill of point-blank sightings of the so-called Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard), not to mention many other mammals and an amazing variety of birds. The rangers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and will not only answer all your questions but will get you into the right spot at the right time for some fantastic photographs. During my short stay, the food and hospitality were of the highest standard.


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PART 2: LEOPARD HILLS, SABI SAND RESERVE

From MalaMala, it was not a long drive to my second Sabi Sand property – Leopard Hills. I was immediately struck with the beauty of the surroundings. The lodge is built on a hill overlooking a natural waterhole, and it is easy to see why the original owners selected this site. The lodge was initially built with five suites, and over time, have added private heated plunge pools, a library, three more suites, a traditional Shangaan boma, gym and sala, creating a five star lodge with the finest amenities.

The rooms at Leopard Hills are certainly amongst the most impressive ones I have seen anywhere. The luxurious glass-fronted suites, complete with their own sundeck and rock plunge pool offer superb views of the African bushveld beyond. For a romantic retreat in the bush, you really can’t do much better than this. I only wish I had more time to spend in the superb main lodge – over brunch there I enjoyed the fantastic view over the country-side from the elevated position on top of the hill. The food was excellent and my vegan diet was catered for with seemingly the greatest of ease.

But of of course any Sabi Sand lodge lives or dies by its game-viewing and Leopard Hills produced big time. On our afternoon game drive we found a large pride of lions with one particularly impressive maned male. My long telephoto lens was of no use as the lions were practically right next to the vehicle! The following morning we struck the jackpot with wild dogs – literally coming upon them just seconds after they had taken down an impala. This was just the second time I had witnessed the spectacle of wild dogs feeding at close quarters and it was no less impressive than the first time. Primeval in every sense of the word. In a matter of minutes, the impala had been reduced to little more than some scattered bones.


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PART 3: KINGS CAMP, TIMBAVATI RESERVE

On 09 March, a driver from Eastgate Safaris picked me up from Leopard Hills for the road transfer to the Timbavati Reserve, which is located along the central portion of Kruger Park. It was quite an interesting drive on a mix of gravel and asphalt road, through interesting terrain with the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment in the background. At my request, we stopped at a cafe en route; I picked up a copy of the local newspaper and some candy – the one thing that is in short supply at safari camps

By early afternoon, I was settling into my very nice room at Kings Camp in the Timbavati. First as a youngster with my family and later on my own and with my wife, I had spent many a wonderful vacation in the nearby Kruger Park, with drives from Rest Camps such as Letaba and Olifants often taking us to the edge of the Timbavati. The game-viewing was always satisfying, and I still clearly recall finding lions there regularly, as well as some of the most magnificent elephants I had ever seen. On trips to the area during the 1970’s, we kept our eyes peeled for a sighting of the widely publicized white lions of the Timbavati. That was not to be. We saw plenty of lions, but no white ones. Little did I know that I would have to wait another 30 years to finally see a white lion. But I am getting ahead of myself.


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Before going in search of two white lion cubs which had been sighted in the area, I had to inspect the camp. It is impressive in every sense: beautiful grounds creating a sense of space and freedom, with an elevated lounge/conference area, a very cozy bar & adjacent lounge and a dining room that opens up to the manicured lawns. Even though may stay was very short, I got the distinct impression of a very well run property, with everything ‘just so’, from the quality of the guiding to the cooking, and the house-keeping. The rooms are massive and luxuriously equipped with airconditioning, Victorian ball-and-claw bath, indoor and outdoor double shower, fully stocked minibar and private verandah. Dark tones of wood and thatch offset the natural colors of the bushveld.


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Kings Camp really came into its own on the game drives with guide Morne Hamlyn. Clearly, Morne was at his happiest in the bush and his enthusiasm was great to see. It wasn’t long before we came upon our first lions and sure enough, there were two young white cubs amongst them. Amazing to see how white they really are, in comparison with the normal much more yellowish/brown lions. The blue eyes were striking. Of course these lions are not albinos, they are leucistic (reduced pigmentation) which is caused by a recessive gene. So it is a condition which occurs naturally but extremely rarely – currently the two white cubs in the Timbavati are the only two known to exist in the wild.

It was apparent that the cubs were quite thin, with some of their ribs very prominent. Morne was worried about that – apparently the cubs had not eaten solid food in several days to the inability of their pride to make a kill. Morne added that it was unusual because the pride is ruled by several extremely powerful females who can literally kill anything and who are known to regularly bring down giraffe. A couple of days after our departure from the area, I learnt that the pride had in fact taken down a giraffe so there was plenty to eat for all of them.


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PART 4: TANDA TULA CAMP, TIMBAVATI

From Kings Camp it was just a short drive to nearby Tanda Tula, a really delightful tented camp. I quickly felt at home with its laid-back relaxed atmosphere. My room was a comfortable thatched East African style tent with a spacious wooden deck overlooking a dry river bed. The rooms are quite luxurious with romantic Victorian style baths and outdoor showers. The camp itself is renowned for its charming service and well informed staff. I enjoyed several delicious meals including a splendid dinner with a special vegan dish. As was the case at the other camps I visited, Tanda Tula handled my vegan dietary preference without any problems at all.

Just like at Kings Camp, the game-viewing at Tanda Tula was phenomenal. Game drives are conducted in Landrovers seating a maximum of seven people, allowing good communication with your ranger and tracker. If anything, I got even better views of the white lions on a couple of game drives from Tanda Tula. We also came across several leopards which were quite relaxed and happy to oblige for some close-up photography. On the last morning our breakfast was served in an outdoors bush venue, with chefs preparing eggs, sausages, bacon, tomato, beans, and toast on the spot. Together with fresh fruit, tea, coffee and juices, as well as various cereals it was quite a spread and a very nice touch. Tanda Tula is a secluded camp which allows traversing on 20,000 of hectares of pristine African Wilderness. With just a handful of visitors at any one time and a vehicle density of less than one per square mile, the words ‘ private, secluded and tranquil’ are very apt to describe a stay at Tanda Tula.


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PART 5: SOUTH-WESTERN CAPE

On my way back from Tanda Tula to Johannesburg, I experienced my first and only travel delay of the trip. My early afternoon flight from nearby Hoedspruit Airport to Johannesburg was cancelled (no reasons given) which meant that I missed my connecting flight to Cape Town. This resulted in a very late arrival into Cape Town, making for a very short stay at the centrally located and quite pleasant Cape Town Hollow Hotel. As was my experience on previous trips to Cape Town, the water pressure in the shower was impressive. My standard room was perfectly adequate and I even found a couple of vegetarian items on the menu at the downstairs restaurant. My only gripe was the lack of parking, I happened to find a spot across the road but had to have the car moved quite early the next morning.

The next morning, I had a business meeting at the Cape Grace Hotel where I took some time to reorientate myself with the facilities and rooms at this splendid 5-star small deluxe hotel. Great location just a few minutes’ walk from the heart of the Waterfront, with good security and superb rooms, a world-class restaurant and top-notch staff. After a nice cup of rooibos tea and some scones, I set off for the nearby De Waterkant area, where I would spend the night at a new apartment in the Cape Quarter complex.


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Cape Quarter Living
Situated on the penthouse level of the Cape Quarter, chic new Cape Quarter Living is city accommodation in De Waterkant at its most luxurious. My apartment was just minutes away from the city centre, the Waterfront and the Cape Town International Convention Center, with a nice view with a portion of Signal Hill in the background. The apartment interiors have a moody, warm and textured quality, accentuated by the natural timbers and stonewalls. I really liked the convenience and security of this self-contained lifestyle building including a private pool and roof-top garden. In search of something to eat for lunch, I wandered by a variety of upmarket boutique stores focused on decor, design, furniture, fashion, and food. The downstairs Spar Supermarket had an excellent variety of freshly baked goods, fruit, vegetables, pre-packed vegetarian and vegan items to go and much more, so I selected a few items including a chickpea salad and enjoyed lunch in my room.

By this time I had not run for about a week so I very much enjoyed an opportunity to go for a nice long and relaxing run from De Waterkant to the Green Point area – nice view of the new soccer stadium which since featured prominently during the World Cup Tournament – and from there along the Sea Point waterfront to the Sea Point pool where I turned around. I was surprised to see so many people out and about along the promenade – runners, walkers and bikers – but fortunately there was plenty of space for all to enjoy themselves. Dinner that night was a delightful meal with old friends in the Cape Town suburb of Claremont, with a simply stunning view of Table Mountain right from where we were enjoying our meal, next to the pool. It was disconcerting to see that just like in the suburbs of Pretoria, crime was clearly an issue here too as many of the houses also had high fences with electric sensors and other security apparatus.


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The next day (13 March) I made yet another move to the Cape Cadogan boutique hotel, a lovely guest house which is well positioned in the heart of Cape Town, just a short stroll away from the vibrant Kloof Street, with its roadside cafes, restaurants and stylish bars. Table Mountain, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and the beaches of Camps Bay are just a short drive away. You really couldn’t ask for a better setting! It wasn’t long before I took a walk along Kloof Street, popping into a supermarket for some bottled water and fresh fruit.

The hotel has 12 luxuriously appointed en suite bedrooms that are decorated with an eclectic mix of contemporary and antique furniture using dramatic fabrics to maximum effect. From the outside the impression is definitely Victorian, perhaps ‘Bohemian chic’ gets closest to describing the total experience. I was very happy to be upgraded to the Owner’s Villa, essentially their presidential suite. The space is decorated in a similar style to the main Hotel with fabrics and textures forming a rich woven carpet where the classic old world style of Cape Town meets the new café society. The villa has everything one could want to spend several glorious days in luxury, from a private pool to a huge kitchen, upstairs master bedroom, large lounge with big TV screen (and many channels!) and so much space I was completely lost in it, as a single.


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I was also taken on an inspection trip of the adjacent More Quarters, which offer combination of 1- bedroom and 2-bedroom apartment living with the service and hospitality of a hotel.

That evening, I explored a bit along nearby Long Street, which is famous as a bohemian hang out. The street is lined with many book stores, various ethnic restaurants and bars. Restaurants include African, Indian and several other ethnic restaurants. I had earlier checked happycow.net for a vegan place so I ended up at Lola’s, a funky spot that attracts a mix of young and old, locals and tourists judging by the accents. My window table along Long Street was perfect for people-watching, and I caught up on a few e-mails while waiting for my vegan curry dish. It was pretty good, as was the side-salad. Friendly waitstaff too. Long Street is culturally diverse and attracts tourists from all over the world. It has several youth hostels which provide accommodation guests from all corners of the world.


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Le Quartier Français
By late morning of 14 March, I was on my way to the Cape winelands. It is not a long drive – certainly less than an hour outside of peak travel periods – from the heart of Cape Town to Franschoek, where I would spend the night at the superb Le Quartier Francais, a highly acclaimed guest house with an award-winning gourmet restaurant. Le Quartier Français is a small, privately owned auberge situated in the picturesque French Huguenot valley of Franschhoek. Emphasis is on ultimate luxury and romantic charm, combined with the priceless gift of privacy, tucked away in the center of the village. My Auberge room – there’s 10 of them overlooking a central courtyard and pool – was quite charming with a massive king size bed and soft, plush cushions and sheets. I almost took a nap, before I remembered that I wanted to do another run before dinner.

I set out from the center of the village along the main road in the direction of the Franschoek Pass, running by various restaurants, shops and other typical village establishments, a long-abandoned railroad station (the main building now also a restaurant) and then a couple more guest houses before the surroundings took on a more rural feel, with small farm-holdings and some fallow fields. It was March, which is towards the end of the dry season and fast approaching the busy harvesting season. I started up the rather steep incline at the base of the pass, but had to turn around after another half mile or so, due to there not being a shoulder to run on. Dangerous. Having run back into town, I then took a side-street which led me past another guest house which we recommend – the Ballon Rouge – up the valley slope past a water reservoir and into a nice neighborhood with some townhouses with gorgeous views over the mountains. This would not be a bad place to retire, I thought to myself. I ran on for another mile or so and when I eventually turned around, I realized that I should have brought a camera. Before me the sun was setting over the Franschoek Mountains, with the shadows slowly dragging over the village as the sun disappeared from view. I made a mental note to be back at that spot someday soon, but at sunrise, when the reverse spectacle should be even more awesome. And of course I use awesome in the old-fashioned sense of the word. It was quiet and peaceful and if I did not have a dinner appointment I might have lingered much longer than I did.


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On this night I had the opportunity to experience Le Quartier Francaise’ much vaunted culinary reputation, and I was not disappointed. My meal at iCi Restaurant was perfect, with a delicately seasoned soup followed by a special vegan dish which featured butternut squash. I should have kept better notes but a bit of travel fatigue was starting to set in… I do recall that the wait staff were friendly yet not intrusive, service was prompt without ever feeling rushed, and I loved the sorbet which capped a memorable meal.

Grootbos
My last stop in South Africa would be Grootbos, a property which I have used quite frequently in the past for some of my clients, always with excellent results. It was time to see for myself what made Grootbos special. The road trip there from Franschoek was very scenic, and would certainly qualify for a ‘scenic highway’ classification on any map. It winds through mountainous country before joining up with the N-2 multi-lane highway for a few ,o;es before a turn-off on the R43. From there the road descends towards the coast, winding past several interesting towns and villages including Hermanus, before one reaches the turnoff for Grootbos. A short uphill and then swing left into the drive-way, before the lodge itself looms into view. After the briefest of check-in formalities I was shown to my suite tucked into the edge of a ‘fairy tale’ milkwood forest, complete with gnarled stumps and dense cover. On the short walk between the lodge and the room, one literally enters another world, with the deep shadows and skulking yet vocal birds giving it a slightly spooky atmosphere.


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The suites at Grootbos are amongst the best, if not the best of any of its kind I have seen. Built from locally hewn stone and timber, they are massive and clearly there were no corners cut in either the construction process or the fittings. Volumes of space under slate roofs are framed by glass, steel and natural brick to maximize the sweeping views across fynbos and dunes to the ocean.

The suites provide the ideal blend of privacy and supreme comfort. Each is furnished with rich textures, romantic canopy beds with the finest linen and down quilts, spacious tiled sunny bathrooms, separate lounges with cozy fireplaces, mini bars and tea & coffee making facilities.

Unfortunately I had no time to enjoy the views from my private deck but it is possible to enjoy ocean and mountain views and watch the sun disappear from the sky into the ocean. There really is no better way to experience an unforgettable day than at Grootbos!

My afternoon activity at Grootbos took the form of a nature drive, exploring the fascinating coastline between Hermanus and Gansbaai, where my guide and I stopped to inspect the Great White Shark diving operation. We made regular stops along the way at some birding hotspots, lookout points and interesting landmarks. From around Franskraal we swung inland on a country road, traversing some really pretty terrain where I saw some beautiful wildflowers, plenty of birds including some cranes and just enjoyed the pastoral surroundings.


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Back at the lodge, I had just enough time for a ‘rave run’ from Forest Lodge to well past the airstrip and back, a total distance of approximately 5 miles or so. On the way back, as I was running in total silence, the sun was sinking into the Atlantic Ocean on my right. It was difficult to keep my footing as I was continuously turning my head to the right to take in the awesome spectacle. No camera could have done it justice. Even several months later now I can recall it quite clearly, the image having been imprinted in my mind’s eye forever. Dinner that evening at the dining room at Forest Lodge was fantastic, befitting a 5-star hotel. Clearly, only the freshest of locally sourced produce went into the preparation of the dishes. I went to bed tired but content, satisfied that I had visited a wide array of places and properties, but realizing that I would have to return and spend more time in order to truly enjoy everything they have to offer.

An early morning outing on my last day consisted of a nature walk along a trail to some high terrain with stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean. I learnt quite a bit about some of the native plants and trees, and marveled at the giant stumps of some of the oldest milkwood trees, many of which were destroyed in a catastrophic fire some years ago. Fortunately the area is recovering rapidly and there are few visible signs of this past calamity.

I rate Grootbos as probably the best overall luxury ‘nature lodge’ I have yet visited. It is simply impeccable in every respect, from architecture, design and location of rooms, guiding and range of activities, cuisine and conservation practices. Go there by all means!


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More About Cape Town
Cape Town is a laid-back, relaxed sort of a city, a world away from the Johannesburg rat race, and first-time visitors won’t experience too big a culture shock here. A few days in Cape Town is just what you’ll need to ease into Africa, so to speak, before you tackle a safari or some such adventure further north. It may be tough to leave the city behind, though! Scenically breath-taking, with Table Mountain forming the most appealing backdrop imaginable, Cape Town offers a feast of fascinating things to do and see. Take your choice from scenic drives, tours to the nearby wine country, interesting historical monuments like the beautifully restored Castle, appealing Cape Dutch architecture & furniture, superb beaches (summer), restaurants to please every taste & pocket, the bustling Waterfront development, good hiking, biking & running opportunities, horse trails & riding, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, scuba diving, boat trips & deep-sea fishing and more.

The down-side? The weather can be so-so, especially in the winter months of June, July & August, when it’s rather cold – from 40’s F by dawn to 60’s F by 2PM- and intermittently rainy (about 3+ inches rain per month) with about 10 ‘wet’ days (with measurable rain) per month. Even so, Cape Town is like San Francisco or Seattle – worth visiting even when the weather doesn’t play along. Spring and summer, although mostly sunny & warm to hot, can be windy, and you have to experience a howling south-easterly wind which doubles up pedestrians and rocks buses to appreciate what I’m talking about. However, one soon learns to appreciate the wind as just one more facet of the incredibly varied experience that is Cape Town. A truly cosmopolitan city with its feet squarely in Africa, but with a feel that is very European.


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A ‘must do’ outing in Cape Town is a ride by cable car to the top of Table Mountain for breathtaking views of the city & environs. Amongst others, one can see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent many years of his life as a prisoner. At the terminal station the dassies (rock hyraxes) are so tame they’ll eat right out of your hand. Conventional wisdom has it that the ‘ideal’ cable car trip is at about 1800 in summer so that all the sights can be seen in daylight, following which one can enjoy the most beautiful sunset imaginable. From November through April the cableway operates until 2130 (2230 from December to mid-January). Take the cable car ride at the first good opportunity (i.e. as soon as the weather allows). Don’t postpone it until tomorrow or the day after: Table Mountain often gets socked in (unexpectedly) and then the Cable Car operations are suspended, if you’ll pardon the pun.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is Cape Town’s most popular attraction, and on weekends, especially over December and early January, it is extremely crowded. With more than 40 restaurants, fast food establishments, coffee shops & taverns, you won’t go hungry or thirsty. Take your pick from Belgian through Mexican cuisine, from burgers to seafood. Leisure attractions at the Waterfront are as varied, ranging from boat trips and helicopter flights to visiting the Maritime or Fisheries Museum. The Two Oceans Aquarium is fascinating and certainly worth going a bit out of one’s way for. Shopping reigns supreme, however, and the Waterfront boasts well over 100 shops, crammed with jewelry, curios, foods & wines, books, clothing, crafts and much more. Not to be missed.


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I never grow tired of visiting Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, one of the more beautiful spots on the peninsula, where some interesting birds and typical fynbos plant species such as Protea and Erica may be seen. The Cape has many hundreds of endemic plants and the area is in fact a separate Floral Kingdom, the smallest, yet richest of its kind in the world. The best time to visit the gardens is in spring (August & September), when many of the Protea species are in bloom, but there is always something to see.

When in the Cape, it is considered ‘de rigueur’ to visit Cape Point, the spot where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans purportedly meet (they actually meet at Cape Agulhas). It is a great outing, nevertheless, and in addition to some interesting birds, such as sunbirds and sugarbirds, there is a herd of bontebok, and some eland which are regularly seen. The baboons can be a nuisance. From the look-out point it is also possible to watch the fascinating spectacle of hundreds of Cape Cormorants, which breed on the cliffs, approach and leave the nesting site in a never-ending procession, while a steady trickle of Cape Gannet can be seen making their way around the Point, flying low over the water. The ruggedly beautiful Cape Point is worth a visit just for the view, which is hard to describe without resorting to clichés and hyperbole. The restaurant offers some stupendous views and it is a good choice for a light lunch. After lunch, take the funicular tram-way up to the look-out point.


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To slow down the pace a bit, consider a guided walking tour of the Cape Malay quarter, including a visit to the District Six Museum, a visit to one of the colorful Malay homes (whole avenues have been declared a national monument) and ending with an interesting lunch at the Noon Gun Tearoom, high above the city. Cape Town is also a good place to experience Jewish culture. A visit to the South African Jewish Museum amply illustrates the enormous contribution South African Jews have made in the building of present day South Africa.

The downtown area has several other museums and galleries which are worth visiting, such as the South African Museum, and the South African National Gallery. Try to make time for a visit to the nearby Castle, the oldest building in the Cape, which has been meticulously restored, to see the colorful changing of the guards, but more importantly, the William Fehr Art Collection. The Grand Parade, on the west side of the Castle, is transformed into a rather funky street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Yet another worthwhile outing is a day-tour of the scenically beautiful Cape winelands, including lunch at a typical estate. There are no less than 10 different wine routes within easy driving distance from Cape Town, the most popular ones being the Stellenbosch and Paarl Wine Routes, as well as the Vignerons de Franschoek. The area is reminiscent of northern California’s Napa Valley, and one need not be a wine-lover to enjoy the rural landscapes. The university town of Stellenbosch, where many excellent examples of Cape Dutch architecture may be viewed, as well as the picturesque village of Franschoek, originally settled by French Huguenot immigrants in the 1680’s, should be on your itinerary. You could actually spend a night or two in either of these towns, Stellenbosch perhaps having a bit more to ‘see and do’, while Franschoek is more isolated, and in a superb natural setting.


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With several days in the Cape, you certainly wouldn’t want to miss the ferry ride and tour to Robben Island. It is a most worthwhile morning or afternoon activity. Just be sure to buy your tickets early – seats are very popular and are sold on a first come first served basis. In addition to some great views of Table Mountain (coming and going), the tour offers a nice insight on the natural history of the island (watch for the introduced Chukar Partridge and endemic African Penguins, as well as some rather exotic wildlife, including fallow deer). The tour around the village is rather ho-hum, but few people will easily forget the size of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell, in the forbidding maximum security prison where he spent some 17 years of his life. It is smaller than many Americans’ walk-in closets. The guides talk with passion and sometimes even wry humor about their past dismal experiences as political prisoners on Robben Island.

A little further afield (about 2 hours by car) is the Hermanus area which has become increasingly popular as a whale-watching center (best time to see the Southern Right whales is from about June through November) and for great white shark observation and diving. The small hamlet of Gansbaai has some 6 boats which do nothing but go out evey day in season, to find the massive great white sharks and to hopefully see and photograph them breaching, every photographer’s dream shot! Best time is from May to September. It is also worthwhile to drive around Walker Bay and nearby coastal communities to explore some of the interesting small beaches and rocky outcrops, which attract a wide variety of birds and other creatures.

There are many excellent accommodation choices in Cape Town. A couple of years ago, we stayed in the elegant Cape Grace Hotel, on the Waterfront. It is definitely a good choice for someone who appreciates a typical small, deluxe hotel, with understated charm and polished, efficient service. The Cape Grace received a perfect ‘100’ score in a recent Conde Nast Traveler poll when it was voted Best Hotel in the World in its category. It has won several top hotel awards since then.


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In the same category is the first class Twelve Apostles Hotel, which has a superb location with unrivalled views and away from the crowds. There is a shuttle bus which takes guests into town, or you could rent a car during your stay. The staff is charming and service excellent. The hotel is large enough to have good facilities, but still small enough to feel intimate.

Another recommended hotel is the Victoria & Alfred Hotel, which is located in the historic 1904 North Quay warehouse on Cape Town’s waterfront. It has large, luxuriously furnished bedrooms with nice views of Table Mountain and the City of Cape Town. The hotel is a past winner of the much sought-after Silver Collection Award based upon consistently high standards of service, hospitality and ambience. We stayed there previously and the hotel most definitely lived up to expectations, great views from our room! Of all the Waterfront hotels, it has the best location.

Other recommended hotels at the Waterfront include the PortsWood, Commodore, and the 5-star deluxe Table Bay Sun. In the downtown area, close to the Houses of Parliament, we have stayed at the Townhouse Hotel many times previously and enjoyed it very much. In the way of boutique hotels/ guest houses we recommend Four Rosmead in Oranjezicht as well as Welgelegen. On my most recent stay in Cape Town I spent the night in a luxury one-bedroomed apartment (Cape Quarter Living) and found it to be a very interesting alternative to a hotel. Good access to restaurants and take-out options, with a superb location in the chic, hip De Waterkant area.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

 

Kenya Tanzania Trip Report November 2010

11th March 2010

 

 

 

Kenya Tanzania Trip Report November 2010

PART 1: OL DONYO WUAS

This was our first safari trip to both Kenya & Tanzania. After exclusively traveling to Southern Africa, being able to visit East Africa twice in one year (Uganda, Feb.) was very special. This trip was much more similar to our Southern Africa trips, as opposed to Uganda, but East Africa is still a unique destination. The people in East Africa are extremely friendly, and by the end of our trip we felt like the little bit of Swahili we had learned became second nature in our vocabulary.

For us, the meat and potatoes of every good safari is being able to view wildlife. In that regard, this trip was at the very top. Going on a safari in many ways is like a fishing trip. You never know what to expect and often times the results surprise you. Not only did we see a great abundance of game, but the quality of the sightings was excellent. For 4 years we hadn’t been able to see a hunt on any of our trips, but we were lucky enough to see several this time around.

Day 1:
We arrived in Nairobi and met with a representative from Origins Safaris (Our choice of safari operations for East Africa), and headed out from the airport toward the Norfolk Hotel. Nairobi is a pretty city, especially with the jacarandas in bloom, but if you’re ever there for an extended period of time beware the roundabouts. We also suggest hiring a driver, as the traffic can get ugly. We arrived at the Norfolk in the late afternoon and took the opportunity to get in a quick nap before dinner. We’ve been known to sleep away the entire first day, but luckily we forced ourselves to grab something to eat at the Tatu; one of the Norfolk’s restaurants. The food was excellent. In a trip full of delicious food, we may have had the best meal at our first stop.

Day 2 & 3 – Ol Donyo Wuas, Chyulu Hills
Our first stop on the safari was Ol Donyo Wuas, about an hour flight south of Nairobi. The camp has a wonderful location in the Chyulu Hills near Amboseli National Park and if you’re lucky, within sight of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately for us in the two days we were there we could just barely see the outline of the mountain as it was not clear enough. Despite this inconvenience we had a wonderful time at Ol Donyo. The game viewing here wasn’t as good as it has been in the past due to the recent draught which had killed a lot of the animals. But even without that aspect, this is a special camp. The surroundings are beautiful and they have a long list of activities that make it an excellent spot to stay multiple days.

Here’s a view from our room. As you can tell the room is nice as well as the view and there’s a small plunge pool that’s frequented by quite large agama lizards.

Ol Donyo Wuas has a partnership with Ride Africa. They maintain a very nice stable at a distance to the camp, which allows them to take clients out on horseback rides. There are different types of rides for people with varying levels of proficiency on horseback.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Texas grows up riding horses so we stuck with the beginner course. Nonetheless this was an enjoyable experience, especially being able to experience the bush in a new way. Unfortunately, the camera was a bit fragile for horseback especially considering Jason’s novice horseback status, so only a few photos were taken.

We also took mountain bikes out with a Maasai guide on an evening ride, another new bush experience for both of us. Even though for the most part there was little elevation change on our route, it got quite challenging at times because the area is spotted with old lava flows. Over time, the flows have been ground up into fine black sand that make getting traction somewhat difficult.

PART 2: ELEPHANT BEDROOM CAMP

Day 4 & 5, Elephant Bedroom Camp – Samburu
After a couple hours of flights, we arrived in Samburu and met our guide for the remainder of our stay in Kenya. Ironically, Jason had been to Kenya once before about ten years ago working at the Taita Discovery Center in Tsavo and the same guide, Edwin, was working there! What a small world.

The climate here is significantly different then what we had experienced in the Chyulu Hills. It was hotter, dryer, and a bit dusty when we arrived. The tents were nice and large with two beds and another plunge pool out on the deck, although this one was much smaller then at Ol Donyo. The first game drive was fantastic. Within half an hour we spotted six lions.

Even though it may look like a group of females, the males in this area do not grow manes. This is a mixed group of what we were told was four females and two males. Before the day was over we were treated to a few leopards. It was quite dark so only a few photos came out well.

Luckily we were able to spot these two leopards the following day with a bit better light. Apparently the mother had killed an impala a few days before and they had been hanging around the same area with plenty of food to eat.

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PART 3: LEWA DOWNS AND MBWEYA

Day 6 – Lewa
We left early in the morning for Lewa Safari Camp. The drive was about an hour and a half during which we gained approximately 5,000 ft in elevation, making it much cooler then Samburu.

On our afternoon game drive, the action started almost immediately as we came across 3 lions walking toward us on the road. We followed them a little ways as they found a spot to sun themselves.

Lewa is definitely a spot to see rhino as well, and we did manage to see a crash of three at a distance and one up close. Unfortunately the photos did not come out well enough to publish. We also came across two male cheetahs just as the sun went down. Our guide said they looked distressed, and sure enough they were calling out for their brother. Luckily after a little while we heard him calling as well. Following a nice reunion they promptly vanished into the night.

Day 7 Mbweya – Lake Nakuru
We got to witness an interesting spectacle as we were leaving Lewa early in the morning. There had been a moderate rain the night before which triggered millions of termites to come out of their nests and attempt to fly off. Seeing as it was the morning when this happened and not at night, the termites were sitting ducks for a multitude of hungry birds. If any made it out alive, we didn’t see them. The birds were amazingly efficient in snatching every last termite.

The drive to our next stop, Lake Nakuru, was quite long and at times very bumpy. The drive took us through the heart of the Rift Valley. I believe we crossed the equator at least nine times on a twisting road. We stayed at Mbweya Lodge, which is actually a short distance outside of Nakuru National Park.

Nakuru is quite a large park and there’s plenty of variety to spend at least a couple days in the area without being repetitive. Due to our time constraints we only had one drive through the park but it proved to be extremely productive. Of course we had to make a stop at Lake Nakuru to see the famous flamingos.

There had been a healthy amount of rainfall in the weeks preceding our visit so the water level was nice and high and flamingos were plentiful. In close proximity to the lake, we ran across this lone rhino as well.

PART 4: MARA PLAINS – MAASAI MARA

Days 8 & 9 – Mara Plains – Maasai Mara
Mara Plains Camp, our first in the Maasai Mara, was one of the nicer camps we stayed in this trip.

The room was quite large, opening up to a little stream that surrounds the camp. This meant we had to cross a bridge each time we came to or left the camp. At the time we thought the bridge was a bit wobbly, but it would prove to be the widest and most stable one we came across all trip.

Our original plan was to drive inside the park but Mara Plains camp has access to a private conservancy that actually has some of the best game viewing in Kenya. There are huge numbers of animals here. Large herds of wildebeest, buffalo, and giraffe. All types of antelope, topi, impala, reedbuck, gazelle, hartebeest. We saw a few elephants as well and, perhaps best of all, hardly any other vehicles. All of this game makes this conservancy have the largest concentration of predatory cats in the country. In fact, minutes out on our first game drive we spotted a large pride of 10-11 lions. We watched them nap, play and hunt.

We got to see these two pregnant lionesses trying to hunt just before this photo was taken. Unfortunately they were far too slow to catch any of the wildebeest that they tried to ambush.

Two of the three cheetahs we saw on the plains. They weren’t kidding about the density of predators here; it was an embarrassment of riches.

Day 10 – Mara Intrepids
Early the next morning we left for Mara Intrepids. Because it was so close we basically just went on a long leisurely game drive on our way there. We managed to see a few sleeping lion and a monstrous crocodile.

We didn’t get to see too many crocs but the ones we did manage upon all seemed to be super-sized. They obviously get a consistent supply of meals. We also came across quite a large pack of hyena, about 15. They were calling each other and fighting over a few bones from an old zebra kill. You can really tell how strong their jaws are when they settle down and begin chewing on one of those bones!

Mara Intrepids was quite nice and a bit different then what we’re used to. They had large buffet meals with quite varying cuisine. Big tents that seemed like small hotel rooms right on the river, although our part of the river was a bit smelly because of the hippos! The camp is quite a good spot for families as well, there’s even a jungle gym and learning center near the entrance to the camp.

PART 5: SERIAN AND LEMALA MARA

Day 11 – Serian Camp – Mara North
We were quite close to our next stop, Serian Camp in the Mara North Conservancy, so we decided to go on a game drive for the morning and have a picnic brunch while we tried to see a river crossing. We got quite side tracked on the way to the river though. Luckily we stumbled upon a mother cheetah, Shakira, and her six cubs! These cats are apparently stars of the BBC show Big Cat Diaries so it was quite a treat for us just to see them. As she walked along we watched the cubs playing with each other, chasing and tackling around and underneath other vehicles. It was quite a sighting, even before the hunt began. That’s right, Shakira decided that this morning she would hunt for us! We watched as she stalked a few herds of Thompson’s Gazelle but she seemed to be quite nonchalant about the whole thing. Maybe the gazelle’s thought the same, as they were aware of her presence but didn’t feel threatened enough to run away. We moved our vehicle up ahead a little bit and just as we stopped she took off like a bullet! The entire scene only lasted seconds but was quite surreal. Once the gazelle was down the cubs came out of their hiding spots, trotted toward their mother and had a nice meal.

We realized that it was quite late in the morning and we would have to hurry if we wanted to see a wildebeest crossing so we left the cheetah family to their meal. Unfortunately we would not see a crossing on our final day on the Mara. We did manage to see some crocs though.

Our final day on the Mara continued to surprise us as we came upon a lion mating with three lionesses. Other photos were taken but I don’t think the lions would approve! We did finally get to see some male lions with full manes, which was nice.

So we finally began our trip to Serian camp for lunch. They have a lovely spot on a rocky portion of the river. The room was large with two queen sized beds and the bathroom was actually not connected to the bedroom. This could make for a bit of a scary night!

The northern conservancy was very beautiful, nice and green with short grass because the migration had just mowed the lawn so to speak. We spotted plenty of elephant and a couple sleeping lion near the end of our evening drive.

Day 12 & 13 – Lemala Mara
This morning we actually had a flat tire on the way to the airstrip! Luckily there was a second vehicle heading toward the airstrip which we flagged down and hitched a ride with. All for naught though, as our guide was quick enough to change the tire and meet us at the airstrip before our plane had even arrived.

Travel between Kenya and Tanzania is a bit drawn out unfortunately, as you can only fly into Kilimanjaro airport internationally. After about 4 connecting flights we did arrive in Kogatende and made it to Lemala Mara just in time for dinner. The flies were quite bad around Lemala because of the wildebeest, but they didn’t make their way inside tents so sleeping and meals weren’t a problem.

On our morning game drive we finally got to see a river crossing, albeit a small one. There was a large herd of wildebeest, but only a few of them decided to cross. Our guide said this was rare as most of the time every last wildebeest will join the crossing.

Just after the river crossing we got to see this big guy chasing an injured zebra. For some reason he gave up and took a nap after mangling the poor zebra quite badly.

Lemala itself was quite different than any of the previous camps on our trip. It is somewhat of a mobile camp, which moves between two spots based on where the migration is at the time. There were bucket showers, but still flush toilets. The tents were surprisingly large for a mobile tent as well. As always, the food was excellent!

PART 6: SERENGETI, NGORONGORO, AND ARUSHA

Day 15 – Soroi Serengeti
The next morning we made our way to Soroi and on the way stopped for lunch and a game drive in the central Serengeti area known as Seronera. The game was fantastic. Cats everywhere (our favorite)!

We saw a huge pride of lion with a recent buffalo kill – a bit too graphic to show the kill itself but there were some young lion around that we thought were quite nice looking.

Later on we stumbled upon a leopard that was walking out in the open from one tree to another. Unfortunately the grass was quite high in the area, and the tree the leopard chose was too far to get a good photo. A little bit after this we saw 3 cheetahs under a tree in the distance. Our guide said it was a mother with two mature cubs. To add to all these cats we saw 6 more lion and another cheetah, but most of the Serengeti is roads only so we couldn’t get close enough for good photos. This was my only complaint in the entire area. There were very few roads and large wide open spaces where the game would hide.

Soroi itself was a wonderful camp. The rooms were large with amazing views and outside showers on the balcony, which were interesting to say the least! Each of the rooms was similar, but a little different, which was nice as well.

Day 16 & 17 – Ngorngoro Crater Lodge
We left quite early in the morning for the Ngorongoro crater. On the way we stopped by Seronera again to do a quick game drive. Once again we saw the large pride of lion that had killed the buffalo near the road. The males were out of hiding this morning which was a nice surprise.

We had heard quite good things about the crater lodge and the crater itself. So we were very much looking forward to arriving. The drive was a long one but well worth it. The views from around the edge of the crater were lovely.

The lodge itself was everything it was billed up to be. Extravagant rooms, personal butler, fantastic food. A full (nice and hot) bath was drawn and ready when we got into the room which we thought was a nice touch. There was also a little bit of wi-fi service at our room, although there was a much stronger signal in the lounge area. We arrived too late to go into the crater, but had a full day crater drive starting the next morning. Our dinner was, as mentioned, fantastic and the staff sang and danced for us which seemed quite enjoyable to most of the guests.

In the morning we set off for the crater drive. We were expecting a quite steep journey but it wasn’t too bad. Our guide said it can be quite interesting with larger vehicles or after it has rained. We really couldn’t believe how dense the animal population was on the crater floor. We did manage to see a black rhino from a distance. There are apparently about 15-20 black rhino in the crater, which is 19 kilometers in diameter.

Not only were there large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and antelope but the crater also claims to have the highest cat density in Africa. I for one believe them. We lost track of how many lion we saw and I thought we were coming across the same ones a few times, but each time our guide said it was a new and different pride.

At one point we came across this lion, she seemed to be stuck in the tree. Her only way down was into a deep ditch which she seemed determined not to jump into.

Unfortunately our time was up and we had to make our way out of the crater. Once again, the drive out was steep but not too crazy and the views were wonderful.

Day 18 – Arusha Coffee Lodge and Departure
After a wonderful safari, our journey was coming to an end. We left the crater for our drive to the Arusha Coffee Lodge. Once we arrived we were greeted with some iced coffee, which was a welcomed change from the typical fruit juice. Neither of us are true coffee drinkers, but just trying it here made us both think about what we were missing.

The rooms were once again quite large with lots of space. We were just on the edge of the wireless internet range in our room, which was also quite nice.

The coffee lodge seemed like the perfect place to sit and relax before or after a nice safari. We had a wonderfully relaxing time and a great end to our journey.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

 

Uganda Trip Report February 2010

11th February 2010

 


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Uganda Trip Report February 2010

PART 1: BEGINS

February 4th 2010
Finally, we have arrived at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. First time traveling with Emirates so we had a pit stop with an overnight in Dubai. Getting some rest in a real bed between these long flights was very relaxing seeing as Lyndon is a horrible plane sleeper. The service was rumored to be excellent and I’m glad to say they did not disappoint. If we could schedule it again we would plan on spending a full day in Dubai, tour the city and try to rub off some jet lag before diving into the Safari. Back in Entebbe the customs moved relatively quickly, just remember your new (2000 or younger) $50.00 bill for the Visa. Anything older than that and you get turned down or a horrible exchange rate. Not just at the airport either, everywhere, make sure to bring new bills, it is almost impossible to use old ones in Uganda.

We were met by our guide Ham immediately after clearing customs and we set off to the Boma Guest House. The drive from the airport in Entebbe to our destination in the suburbs of the capitol Kampala was about half an hour. February falls under the “dry” season in Uganda but that doesn’t rule anything out. It is more of a relative term. The first day had some showers and it was overcast or even raining throughout the trip. Nothing too heavy, indeed it actually made the temperature quite bearable. We had hoped to meet our travel companions that night for introductions but they all arrived at separate times and we could not meet until the following morning. Dinner was excellent.

February 5th
Sleeping on the first night is always tricky because no matter how tired you are and how quickly you fall asleep you invariably wake up at around 3:00 AM and feel wide awake. This trip was no different for us so by the time breakfast rolled around we were ready to begin the day. We met our travel companions Nicole and Sherine over some nice eggs bacon and tea. Today we were off to visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, whose aim it is to reintroduce rhinos to protected areas in Uganda. They currently have 9 including several babies and are expecting to add some more from South Africa soon. The drive from Kampala was about 4 hours but seemed longer due to some never ending speed bumps.

Currently the Sanctuary is fully enclosed and the rhinos are actually monitored and guarded by armed park rangers 24/7. This makes locating them a cinch and partially habituates them to humans. Because of this we were able to get fairly close and get some fine photographs. This was a real joy because in our earlier safaris to southern Africa we had not had the pleasure of spotting any rhino. In all we had enough time to see 5 different rhino in two separate locations. A mother with a baby in one spot and a different mother with her baby along with a male in the other spot. When we got back to the visitor’s center we had some nice lunch, pork and spaghetti and meatballs. We then set off back to the Boma for a relaxing evening.

PART 2: SEE MORE OF OUR UGANDA PHOTOS WITH THIS SLIDESHOW

This morning we set off for Ndali Lodge with a pit stop at the town of Fort Portal. Here we stopped at a buffet for lunch and had the opportunity to try some of the local foods, the most interesting being matoke. It consists of a green plantain that looks like an unripened banana steamed over charcoal for a few hours. Always served with some type of sauce, otherwise it is fairly dry and not very flavorful. The remainder of the drive was a slow, steady climb in elevation and we didn’t arrive at the Lodge until evening. Before sunset we got to meet the owner, Aubrey, as well as some of the staff and a couple of nice dogs. Jason spotted quite a few nice birds just outside of our room.

PART 3: UGANDA TRIP REPORT

February 7th
From Ndali we headed to Chibale Forest National Park for our first chimp trekking experience, about an hour’s drive. The temperature was mild and we were fortunate to have some nice cloud coverage. Once we arrived inside the park we got to meet some of the guides and received a preparatory talk about what to expect. For example, there are ants in the forest and it is highly recommended that you roll you socks over your pants so they don’t sneak in and bite you while you stand and look over the chimps. There were two groups of 6, each having one guide and any number of porters to carry your gear (highly recommended since you need to bring your own water). The forest itself was very thick but the paths were well defined and the terrain was quite flat and easy. Almost immediately our guide spotted a mother with a baby far up high. They had been feeding on the fig tree we were under but the fruit was not quite ripe. They were difficult to spot at that height due to the dense foliage and after a few minutes we decided to move on. The guide knew the location of other fig trees so we traveled to the edge of the forest to see if we couldn’t find a larger troupe. No luck there but we had been radioed by the other group that they had spotted some chimps a short distance away. Since the sun had not really come out during the day the chimps were inclined to stay in the trees where it was cool. This made it difficult to get great views but with some patience Jason managed to get some great photos regardless. Overall Chibale was very nice and the success rate for spotting chimps is quite high. You are only allowed one hour with the chimps and it goes by fast. In order to habituate them park rangers had to spend approximately 10 years following them through the forest.

Unfortunately for us we did not have time to rest and wash up after this and had to start the drive to Ishasha following the trek. In a normal itinerary this would not be the case but we needed to see as much as we could in as short a time as possible. The drive took a solid 5 hours. There were great amounts of butterflies on one stretch of road.

We arrived at Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park and instead of heading straight to camp we decided to go on a quick game drive before sunset. We popped open the roof of the Land Rover and headed back out. In about an hour we got to see some large herds of Topi and Cob.

PART 4: UGANDA TRIP REPORT

February 8th
This morning we took off early for another chimp trekking expedition. This time we went to Chambura Gorge. Normally you would not stay at Ishasha for this as it is too far from the gorge but we had no other choice if we wanted to work in another trek. Staying at Mweya would be much easier and save time in the drive from Ndali and to the gorge. At Chambura the maximum group can be up to 8 and the guides are armed. There are fewer chimps in the gorge than in Chibale but the area is not nearly as great. The success rate is solid but not quite as good. After another briefing from the guides we set off into the gorge. The decline is extremely sharp and you really need some good solid hiking boots. There is a river in the middle of the gorge with paths running along both shores and a bridge connecting them. Luckily for us when we got to the bottom we immediately heard the chimps and our guide lead us straight to them. We spotted a large 35 year old male on the ground and proceeded to follow him as best we could. He would walk for a while and stop and glance and us and then continue his walk. He wasn’t distressed at all at our presence. Eventually he stopped and our entire group caught up so we were all able to take a nice amount of photos. Strangely, though, he doubled back and actually wound up walking past us at close range (about a foot) which worried our guide. Thankfully he just passed right on by, overall an incredible sighting. We started following him again but unfortunately for us we had an elderly couple in our group that couldn’t keep up. With a single guide we couldn’t split up so we had to go back to the entrance and climb out of the gorge to drop them off. Afterwards we went back down but the chimps had moved on.

We left the Gorge and set off for a site inspection of Mweya Lodge, on the Kazinga Channel. Once there we were invited to take a boat cruise on the Channel. There is actually a larger boat that caters to a large number of people (Mweya is a large hotel lodge) but the private cruise is a much better option. The cruise was fantastic and is highly recommended. From there we drove back to Ishasha. After freshening up we had a nice dinner with the owners and got some much needed sleep.

PART 5: UGANDA TRIP REPORT

February 9th
This morning we decided against the early game drive necessary to spot hyena, opting instead for a late morning breakfast followed by a normal game drive. Again we got to see plenty of antelope and a nice variety of bird life but the highlight was a couple of female lions in a fig tree. The famous tree climbing lions of Ishasha.

After our successful game drive we left Ishasha and headed to Bwindi for the highlight of the trip, the gorilla trekking. It was about a 3 hour drive and the scenery became very nice towards the end when we really got into the mountains. Quite a few tea plantations around this area. Buhoma Lodge was a great place to stay, very nice accommodation and food. The temperature up here is much milder with the elevation but I’m not sure I would call it cold. We were very excited about seeing the gorillas the following day and got a great night of rest to prepare.

PART 6: UGANDA TRIP REPORT

February 10th
Woke up at 6:30 this morning with breakfast at 7:00. Went ahead and had a nice big breakfast to have plenty of energy for trekking. No telling when lunch is coming. Make sure you have the proper boots as well as some long sleeve shirts, a hat, even gloves to make the trip though the forest a bit more pleasant. We took off with our gear, 2 liters of water and a pack lunch at 7:45 and met our guides at the briefing site. 3 groups leave daily each with a guide and two soldier escorts. They also provide walking sticks should you need one. Again, porters are highly recommended. Not only do they carry any gear you may have, they give you a hand whenever you need one and literally help pull you up and down the mountain. It is almost inevitable that you will fall and get muddy so don’t worry too much when it happens. The footing can get slippery and steep in a hurry. The forest, known as the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, lives up to its name. Much thicker than the areas we did the chimp trekking in and much more elevation change. Temperature was mild luckily and the density of the forest provides almost constant shade. Very early in the morning, before we are awake, guides are sent into the forest to locate the area where the gorilla families nested the night before. From there they radio the location and begin to track them. This system allows the paying client the best possible chance at catching up with the gorillas in the least amount of time. It will still take quite a few hours though, our trek lasted 2 which is probably on the lower side of the average so we got fairly lucky. Once spotted, we are allowed 1 hour to view the gorillas, exactly the same as the chimps. The first glimpse of one was up in a tree and you could really see the tree shaking. Before we knew it a mother and her child were walking by on the ground. We followed another one who led us to the whole family, which was leisurely moving through the forest snacking on leaves and napping intermediately. The whole experience is almost indescribable and was easily the top safari experience of my life. Jason actually got a “playful” tap on the leg by one rambunctious young male. Seeing the little ones beat their chests in imitation of their older family members was spectacular. They are all very calm and your presence normal to them because they are located and visited every single day without exception. This was the highlight of the trip without doubt and a fantastic life experience.

Hiking back to the briefing site took about an hour and a half. Images of the gorillas keep your mind occupied making it more easily bearable. Once we got back we sat down and tore into our pack lunches while our guide Florence (the first female ranger in Bwindi) gave us our final debriefing as well as certificates with our names and the date. After a nice siesta back in camp we visited the local orphanage where they put on a great performance for us and a couple other guests.

PART 7: UGANDA TRIP REPORT

February 11th
This morning we set out early for our final night on safari at Mihingo Lodge in Lake Mburo National Park. It is nicely positioned between Bwindi and Entebbe and most similar Uganda safaris spend at least a night here on the way back to the airport. It was quite a long drive but we had become accustomed to it by now. Before arriving at Mihingo, we set off on another cruise in Lake Mburo. While not having as much wildlife as the Kazinga Channel, we definitely managed some great photos here. Mihingo is beautifully situated on top of an enormous rocky outcrop. Lake Mburo NP is the only park in Uganda where you can spot zebra. The lodge offers horseback safaris which we did not have time to do. It would be an option if you were to spend an extra night there. They have also started doing night drives. We did, however, get to spend a nice amount of time in their wonderful pool. The main deck of Mihingo overlooks a watering hole which is often visited by antelope. Perhaps if you are lucky you can spot some eland. In the evenings they gather all the guests to view a bush baby feeding. This is incredible because they are quite difficult to spot. During the night you can hear the dassie (rock hyrax) calling each other. They are quite noisy.

PART 8: UGANDA TRIP REPORT

February 12th
Early this morning we set off for Entebbe with one last destination in mind. We were headed to Ngamba Island chimpanzee refuge. This trip can be planned as an overnight or a day trip and comes highly recommended. Ngamba Island is an island not far from the shore by Entebbe in Lake Victoria. Our boat ride lasted about an hour with times varying with the amount of wind on that particular day. The island itself is 99% forest with a visitor’s center, staff lodging, a vet station, and a few nice tents for guests. It is the home of various orphaned chimps from all over the world that are integrated into one big family slowly but surely. There are 4 daily feedings where visitors can watch from behind a tall electric fence. The final feeding of the day comes in the evening and it is at this time when they herd as many of the chimps as they can (ideally all of them) into a large enclosed pen. If you plan on spending a night here you can chose from a multitude of activities that get you up close and personal with some of the chimps.

A carrot landed on the wrong side of the electric fence. But don’t worry; chimps are quite adept at using tools to obtain their meals. While this chimp initially chose a stick that was too short, a longer stick was nearby.

February 13th
This morning we prepared for our scheduled activity with the chimps. In order to come in such close proximity you must undergo a multitude of vaccinations. We were supposed to take a forest walk with some of the chimps but not all of the adults had come in from the forest the night before. This meant that it wasn’t safe to head into the forest. Instead we participated in the infant integration activity. During this activity the two newest chimps are slowly introduced to the rest of the family. A large group of young females were brought into a separate enclosure along with the infant chimps and ourselves. A few of the staff of caregivers at the island came with us. They gave us peanuts to give to the chimps. They would actually come up to you and start searching your pockets for the goods! At one point, I suppose after they became more comfortable with us, they started climbing on our backs. Needless to say we had a blast.

After our activity we had to pack up and catch the boat to the mainland. Once we got back to Entebbe we made our way back to the Boma Guest House for our last night in Uganda. What a fantastic trip.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

 

Zambia Trip Report August 2009

1st August 2009

 


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Zambia Trip Report August 2009

PART 1: 4 MOVIES, 16 HOURS, 7 TIME ZONES & TIME IN PRETORIA

I woke up to the sound of rain yesterday morning. Not the heavy pounding of the rain I have grown accustomed to in Houston, but the light patter of rain on a tin roof, the rain of my childhood. It brought back happy memories of crisp spring mornings, flannel pajamas and sometimes – if we children could prevail on my mother – an afternoon snack of pannekoek, a South African version of crepes served with lots of sugar and cinnamon. A real treat.

Rain in Pretoria on an August morning means only one thing: a strong cold front from the Cape has
blown bad weather a good 1,000 miles north into the interior. And so it was. The cold, blustery
conditions which we have been experiencing here in South Africa the last few days are the complete
opposite of the oppressively hot weather which we left behind in Texas. We’re hoping that it
will be considerably warmer in Zambia by the time we arrive there on Tuesday next week. Otherwise
those morning game drives are going to be awfully uncomfortable.

Our flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg on one of Delta’s new Boeing 777’s was uneventful and at
least for me, less tiring than some previous trips. Sure the non-stop 16-hour flight is a doozy, but I
much prefer this ‘bite the bullet’ approach of getting to Africa from the USA, over the 2-day trip via
Europe. Of course, if one has the luxury of time to kill a few days in Paris or London or Amsterdam
en route, by all means. But for just getting there, the non-stop Delta flight has a lot going for it. Arrival in Johannesburg is around 6:00P in the afternoon which is just in time for an overnight stay
before going on to Botswana or wherever.

This was our first transatlantic crossing on Delta and we really have no complaints except perhaps
about the catering. The ‘pure vegetarian’ meals (I got the exact same sauteed veggies and rice for
dinner and breakfast) were adequate but unimaginative. The meal services in general were poorly
executed with seemingly too few attendants serving the full plane of more than 245 people. Otherwise
the seat was quite comfortable, the entertainment center had innumerable choices of movies,
TV shows, and music and there were no refueling stops at dingy airports in Dakar Senegal or Ilha
do Sol in the Cape Verde Islands.

Why is it that long-haul flying seems to be stuck in a time warp? Since the early 1980’s we have
seen computers evolve from the baby steps of an Apple IIe to the colossal strides of today’s PC’s
and laptops. Upgrade your hard drive for an additional $200 or so and you can practically take the
entire Library of Congress with you digitally, on your next weekend trip. Has crossing the Atlantic
kept pace with that kind of reality-altering progress? Not exactly. It takes just about as long as it
used to, 20 years ago: ‘modern’ aircraft have been traveling at about 500 mph for decades now.
The flight attendants are grumpier, there is less legroom, the food is a lot worse and you’d better
not hang around the front toilet area unless you are really keen to flush the undercover Federal
Marshall on your flight. No pun intended.

A client of mine once remarked that his first ever long distance flight was on a Pan Am Clipper Constellation
from the US West Coast to a South American destination. Probably sometime in the early
1960’s. “(Flying) has been all down-hill since then,” he said. If you are a rock star or a diplomat – or
have gazillions of frequent flier miles – it might be possible to upgrade to the ‘business elite’ seats
in the front of the plane. I think there were 19 of them on our flight. Having flown plain old business
class on a transatlantic crossing some years ago, I can attest to the fact that it makes all the difference.
These new seats are so much better – unless you are a basketball player you can lie down
and almost stretch out. Imagine that, it’s practically like taking a boat or a train. Except for the Federal
Marshall of course. And the liquid in tiny bottles, taking off your shoes, your belt, jacket… Still
beeping? Come with me, sir.

A couple of days in Pretoria, South Africa
My brother Nick picked us up from ORTI Airport on Thursday evening and we drove to Pretoria along the N-2 freeway, which was under construction with additional lanes in both directions being added, together with several new access roads, bridges and other improvements.

It soon became apparent that many major routes in and around the city – especially those leading the 2010 World Cup of Soccer venues – are all under simultaneous construction. If you’ve lived in Houston over the last 8 to 10 years you will know exactly what I am talking about.

As always, it was great to see the family again. We very much enjoyed a reunion with all four children and my mother together again, the first time since Nov. 2007. None of us have changed over the years; we are just a bit older and hopefully wiser. Seeing close family members sporadically, sometimes after long intervals, can be a bit disconcerting. People whom you see all the time age almost imperceptibly. Not so people whom you see in intervals measured by years. They age visibly, just like you do. None of us are Dorian Gray, the only things about us that do not change are pictures taken years ago.

The following day Nick took us on a drive around the city, past my parents’ erstwhile home on Brooklyn Avenue. The house is now just a shadow of its former elegant past, its stately thatched roof replaced with faux Spanish brick tiles. From there we drove along Charles Street – under construction – through Sunnyside and Arcadia and then took a right turn up Edmond Street straight uphill to the Union Buildings. From the high hill on which this magnificent Herbert Baker-designed sand stone edifice was built, the gardens below it and the city beyond usually make for a superb spectacle. Not so on this Saturday. It was raining quite heavily by the time we parked the vehicle. The city was obscured by clouds and rain squalls, so I passed on taking any photographs.

On Sunday morning weather conditions were considerably better, and we took a pleasant stroll around Struben Dam, close to where Kathleen and I lived in the early 1980’s. I spent many happy hours here developing my fledgling birding skills, a hobby which I had just acquired on a visit to Cape Town in December 1983. Several dozen species on my Southern Africa ‘life-list’ of birds are marked ‘Struben Dam 1984’ – it was certainly the most productive spell ever in my life as a birdwatcher. Unfortunately the dam is now but a degraded and rather threadbare version of its erstwhile vibrant self. Ironically Struben Dam was once a real bird sanctuary before it was designated as one by the Pretoria City Council.

PART 2: ZAMBIA IMPRESSIONS & THE BUSANGA PLAINS

We’ve now been back a few days after an intensive 3-week trip to Zambia in southcentral Africa. My impressions are still fresh but above all it was an authentic, classic safari experience. Everything felt real and genuine, from the greeting at Lusaka International Airport to the treatment we received at the various camps. The management, staff and guides at the various camps were friendly and accommodating, and did everything they could to keep us happy and entertained. But more than that, they seemed to take a genuine interest in us, from our dietary preferences to providing the right kind of adaptor, advising about a wireless internet hotspot, giving timely photographic hints, supplying a special lotion to ward of tsetse flies, and much more. We never ever felt like ‘just another guest’ or visitor – and this carried through to after-dinner conversations which were always lively and fun.

In summary, the trip was everything we had anticipated and more: remote, fantastic camps, excellent
guiding, great views of a dizzying variety of mammals, birds and other wildlife, amazing scenic
beauty, generally light tourism traffic except around Mfuwe, first class food and drink and seamless
transfers between camps and national parks.

Activities were very diverse, ranging from game drives to walking, boating, fishing, observing wildlife
from hides, night drives, and two firsts: a romantic private dinner for the two of us at Kapinga Camp
on the Busanga Plains and a private lunch on the Zambezi River at Chiawa Camp, with some ‘instant friends’ we had made (a couple from San Francisco). There we were, drifting downstream on one
of the mightiest rivers in Africa, being served sparkling wine and orange juice, and tucking into a delicious
meal… What made the lunch even more memorable is the fact that our departure was delayed
due to ‘elephant interference’ at the Chiawa dock. Only in Africa… If I had to pick a favorite allround
camp it has to be Shumba in the Kafue region. What a jewel, the rooms with their views over
the Busanga Plains are breathtaking and the camp is being managed at a very high level – it need
not take second place to any of theBotswana Premier Camps.

There were many many highlights. 6 (yes six!) sitatunga at Kapinga, a fantastic leopard & cub on a
kill sighting ex Shumba, amazing lion viewing at Lufupa, predators galore in the Kaingo and Nsefu
area, exceptional guiding at Kalamu (I’d walk into elephants any time with Petros and Luckson is
one of the best all-round guides I have ever seen in action) and a though-provoking visit to a village
near Kalamu. I am still sorting through the emotions I felt upon observing such staggering
poverty on the one hand, and such ‘joie de vivre’ displayed by the many kids we met in the village.
‘What is your name’, ‘how are you’, ‘take my picture’… All they wanted from us (other than for us to
take their pictures) was a container to carry water to school. Not money, not food, just a container
to carry fresh water.

This is Zambia – 20 little dusty kids pressing up against you to scan the camera playback screen
for their likeness, exclaiming in delight when they saw themselves, or hamming it up with their
friends for the next pic. No sullen faces negotiating payment for photographs, just pure, unadulterated
joy in the face of seemingly overwhelming social problems.

As far as the tourism infrastructure goes, for a relatively small player on the African safari scene, we
were impressed with how smoothly everything went. Over the space of 21 days, we experienced
just one delay of more than 2 hours, all the other flights and transfers were right on time or within
minutes of the scheduled times. Better than the USA. The road network inside the reserves was
mostly adequate with some rough spots in Kafue, courtesy of hippo that seem to leave their deep
footprint indentations on every square meter of muddy ground in the wet season.Certainly we’ve
seen worse roads, such as in parts of the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania.

With one or two minor exceptions everything in the camps worked: water was warm when it needed
to be (the solar water heaters are amazingly effective!) the toilets flushed, there were adequate
battery recharging facilities, and laundry was done at no extra charge. Kathleen did have a large
hole burnt into one of her synthetic safari pants: it is probably best to let the staff know not to iron
certain items.We did have an issue with lighting at one of the smaller bush camps but it is being attended
to.

The food and catering in general were of very high standard, comparable with the best we have
seen elsewhere. My special dietary request (vegan meals) was handled without a fuss, and it was
simply a delight to enjoy such a wide variety of foods, including a few local specialties such as
nshima, at the various camps. Fresh vegetables and salads, the most delicious home-made breads,
creative desserts, baked goods, lots of legumes and grains, there was plenty there for even the
most discerning palate. Omnivores would do pretty well too as there is invariably some kind of
meat, chicken and occasionally seafood on the daily menu, plus of course eggs to order for
brunch, several varieties of cheese, preserves and more. If there is one thing that is a given on safari,
it is that guests are always well fed!

By and large insects were not too much of a problem, butZambia is certainly a country for which
one needs to take adequate protection: take your Malarone, apply mosquito repellant regularly, and wear long-sleeved shirts around dawn and dusk and in areas where tsetse flies are active during
the warmer hours of the day. Tsetse flies were marginally bothersome in the Lufupa woodlands,
but were effectively warded off with a lotion of Dettol mixed with water and Johnson’s Baby
Oil. Tsetses seem to have been just about wiped out in the central and Nsefu areas of theSouth
Luangwa, no problems there. At Kalamu Lagoon Camp, we really had to duck and dive to escape
them, and in the warmer months of the year this could certainly be a problem. We hope that additional
measures to combat them will be effective.

The 4-wheel drive vehicles were all spotless and in good condition, with ample leg room and unobstructed
views.Most of the camps made use of a driver-guide plus a spotter/assistant, often a
trainee guide. Predominantly men, with one notably exception: Freya, a female American guide at
Kaingo. And excellent she was too! We cannot say enough about the quality of the guiding: it was
as good as we had experienced anywhere in Africa, and in some instances the best ever. Just one
or two of the guides (for just a couple of game drives) could be described as ‘okay’, all the others
were exceptional and some were a revelation.Like good sports commentators, the best guides anticipate
and predict, beyond just reporting and interpreting. We experienced many instances of this,
for example at Chindeni when our guide Peter saw ‘active’ hyenas and said that we should be on
the lookout for leopards. We spotted a leopard – with its cub feeding on an impala carcass in a
tree – barely a minute or two later.

Jo’burg to Lusaka and on to the Busanga Plains
On Tuesday August 4 we were finally on our way to Zambia, a land-locked country in south-central Africa, bordered by Namibia and Botswana, Zimbabwe to the south, Mozambique and Malawi on the east, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the north, and Angola to the west. The capital Lusaka is some 1,194 km (742 miles) almost exactly due north of Johannesburg. We got there in well under two hours on an SAA Boeing 737.

Shortly after landing at Lusaka International Airport we were met by Sefofane Air representatives
Grace and Clever who ably assisted us with luggage retrieval and passport and visa formalities –
US$50 per person for the privilege to enter Zambia – one time only. We were then advised that our
flight to the Busanga area would be delayed by about 2 hours due to travel plans by the President
of Zambia, which resulted in some airports being temporarily closed. I can’t say that we were thrilled
with this development, which put paid to any thoughts of an afternoon activity at our first camp.
However this was not a first for Kathleen and I; we once spent a couple of hours cooling our heels
in the lounge of Tananarivo Airport in Madagascar, which was closed due to the imminent return of
the Malagasy President and his wife from a shopping trip to Paris.

We were treated to lunch at a restaurant inside LusakaAirport terminal. Even for omnivores, the
choices were limited; the vegan amongst us had to settle for nshima (known as sadza or pap – a
staple food in many parts ofAfrica – essentially the African version of grits or polenta) with baked
beans, and some veggies which tasted like kale or mustard plant. We were by then rather hungry
so quite frankly everything tasted like foie gras.

Eventually we were escorted across the runway to our Cessna 210 for a flight of about 1 hr 15
minutes to the Busanga Plains, where we dropped off a couple of guests (co-incidentally also from
the Houston area) and then continued on for an additional 15 minutes to Lufupa Tented Camp, on
the Kafue River. I was immediately taken with the beautiful setting of this low-key camp, which
struck me as peaceful and relaxed. A member of the Camp management staff took us through the
usual do’s and don’t – no walkabouts at night, emergency horns only to be used for real – such
as medical – emergencies, etc. before we were escorted to our cozy yet unassuming tent in a
perfect spot overlooking the water. I was looking forward to spending some time just sitting on the
little porch staring at the beautiful body of water making its way slowly from left to right, all the way
from the interior of Zambia eventually to link up with the Zambezi and finally to spill out into the Indian
Ocean, almost 1,000 miles further east in Mozambique.

Dinner at Lufupa Tented Camp was simply excellent. Kathleen and I had a delicious plate of couscous
with a Curried Chickpea Tagine and some fresh green beans. A soft, almost biscuit-like bread
roll was served on the side. The regular menu main course was chicken. Dessert for the vegetarians
was a delectable pear in a red wine syrup, one of the best versions of the dessert I have ever
enjoyed.

I did not expect much from the evening night drive, and after more than an hour we had spotted
little more than a few white tailed mongoose and some nightjars. But then the evening was turned
around in a hurry when our guide Brian and his spotter located 3 cheetah brothers on a termite
mound. They were lolling about, alternatively lying down, yawning and looking quite contented after
what must have been a good meal earlier that day. It was a great ending to a day that started
out not so well, with the flight delays.

PART 3: LOTS OF LIONS AT LUFUPA TENTED CAMP

August 5 – Lufupa Tented Camp
We were up at 0600 this morning, and sat down to a continental breakfast half an hour later, with maltabella porridge, cereals, croissants, vegan crumpets, a fruit salad, tea and coffee. By 0700 we were in the vehicles and off on our game drive. Within literally minutes we came upon a pride of lions: 2 males in the prime of their life, two 1-yr old cubs and 5 females. We sat and observed them quietly for what must have been the better part of an hour. The two youngsters started to tussle with some tufts of grass and then with each other, just like two little kids would do.

The superb lion sightings certainly made the day. Even so, general game-viewing was on the quiet
side, with mostly puku and impala to be seen. Later on during the drive we had some really nice
views of a group of Southern Crowned Cranes and Yellowbilled Stork.

Back in camp we enjoyed the customary 1100 brunch, with eggs to order, pasta, a beef dish, a
vegetable dish, delicious home made bread and a mixed green salad. Then it was siesta time until
1530. The afternoon activity consisted of a boat trip on the Lufupa River, specifically to try and find
some African Finfoot, a rarely seen duck-like species which tends to skulk around the edge of
large rivers, often in areas with overhanging vegetation.

After seeing lots of other birds, including four types of Kingfishers (Giant, Pied, Brownhooded and
Malachite) Darters, storks, herons and egrets, our guide Brian spotted a Finfoot and excitedly pointed
out its whereabouts. “Finfoot, Finfoot – right there on the river bank!”. And so it was. An adult
male Finfoot with the brightest of bright red feet and legs was walking from our left to right in a
completely open area, enabling us to clearly see its distinguishing features. Definitely my best sighting
of a Finfoot yet. But not for long. Hardly half an hour later, Brian saw a female Finfoot by the
water’s edge. When we went closer to get some photographs, it quickly became apparent that this
individual was completely relaxed. She swam slowly upstream, feeding all the time, totally oblivious
to several lenses pointed in her direction. At one stage the prow of the skiff on which we were sitting
bumped into a clump of bushes right by the Finfoot but instead of fleeing the scene she opportunistically
went after some insects which were disturbed by the boat. We quietly followed the
Finfoot all along the river’s edge for nearly half a hour, with Jan (a keen Dutch photographer) getting
some superb pics. I managed a few myself, but I have a long way to go to match Jan’s expertise,
especially with birds in flight.

Our evening meal was yet another marvelous combination of roasted peppers, potato wedges,
butternut squash and a superb lentil stew, followed by a baked apple stuffed with almonds and
raisons. The cooking at Lufupa Tented Camp is definitely at a very high level. Half an hour around a
cozy campfire punctuated what was really a perfect day on safari.

PART 4: A GREAT DAY ON SAFARI IN THE KAFUE

If you’ve ever been on an African safari, you’ll know that it is so much more than just about animals. Of course it is about seeing and hopefully photographing a lot of large (and small) mammals and other living things first and foremost.No keen photographer in Africa likes to waste the wonderful morning and afternoon golden light without something to reflect it.

There are days though when the experience of being in Africa transcends the clicking of the camera, or even the sheer visual impact of raw nature in all its glory. On this day, there were a couple of occasions when I felt as much a part of the African environment as I am a denizen of the asphalt jungle of Houston. City slicker or not, at least for a few moments or minutes, I was connected to Africa at a primal, even visceral level. Even though it was just in my mind, I was at home here, thousands of miles from home.

Africa will do that to you, if you will let it. Take your time over the experience. Don’t rush from camp to camp and area to area (like we had to, working you know…). Make time to just do nothing other than looking and listening. Of course in these remote parts of Africa – including the Zambian wilderness – you are often hearing hardly anything, just one level of silence piled onto another one. Is there anything out there? Of course there is, but not something nearly as jarring as the rude sounds of ‘civilization’. Concentrate and you will experience an almost overpowering sense of quiet and peace, interrupted only by the gentle and soothing sounds of nature.

Breakfast this morning was a winner: oats, fruit salad with watermelon and honeydew, fresh toast with marmalade or strawberry jam, cereals, vegan muffins and naturally, eggs to order. The morning activity started out with some birding. Wattled crane, several ground hornbills, Yellowthroated sandgrouse, guineafowl, Capped Wheatear, Arnot’s Chat and many more. We also had our first good look at a couple of Oribi antelope; small dainty animals, reminiscent of steenbok. Our guide Brian followed some lion tracks along a dirt road for several kilometers and then Kathleen spotted a solitary lioness purposefully strolling through the veld. She momentarily rested under a tree but then continued with her pursuit. There were some very nervous Impala watching her just
as intently as we were.

Morning tea was enjoyed at one of Brian’s favorite spots, overlooking a big raft of about 30 to 35 hippo, densely packed into a large dambo, close to the Lufupa River. Cheek by jowl, they were constantly jostling and arguing, pushing and shoving, sniping and snarling, swishing their tails and swiveling their massive heads around. Warily, they moved a bit further soon after our arrival, but eventually settled down as we sipped our tea and coffee, and enjoyed a snack of chicken wings
or fresh dried fruit.

Brunch was yet another winning combination of rice and beef stew, with a vegan option of rice with mushrooms in a red wine sauce. Absolutely delicious. There were some carrots, a fresh green salad and freshly baked bread as well.

During the siesta period Kathleen and I were shown around the main camp complex by manager Bas, inspecting everything from the terrific lounge area overlooking the Kafue, to the popular pizza oven, the curio shop, office, kitchen, camp ground, boma and of course the bar. I managed about
an hour or so of real work on the computer, courtesy of a slow yet free wireless internet connection.

In the afternoon we set out for another game drive, during which we saw several new mammals for the trip: kudu, zebra and Defassa waterbuck, as well as a nice group of elephant, drinking at the water opposite from the hippo pool. And once again we got lucky with lions, coming upon the same solitary female from this morning, walking along the dirt road, still in search of who knows what. We also enjoyed some good photographic opportunities with birds, including guinea fowl, wattled cranes, and more francolin.

In camp just before tea I had my ‘Africa moment ’with a little family group of warthogs, which I had seen around camp the previous day. I was standing at the car park near the Lufupa Tented Camp main lounge when they came upon me. There were three adults, one of which was much more wary than the other two, plus three youngsters. Happily feeding on tufts of green grass, they were at first oblivious to my presence.

It was really quiet. So quiet that I could clearly hear the warthogs smacking their lips as they were munching away on what appeared to be a real treat, some fresh green shoots just off the vehicle driveway. The mother warthog was extremely confiding and walked pretty much right up to me, with the ‘scaredy cat’ adult warthog sounding the alarm, but unsuccessfully so. Slowly but surely the three little piglets followed, keeping their eyes glued on me for any sign of movement. I stood dead still as they approached, all three of them making little grunting, squealing contact noises just to let each other and their parents know where they were. Then the strangest thing happened. One after another, the three young warthogs hunched down completely on all fours, as if they were suddenly really tired and had to take a rest. They sat like that for a minute or so and then got up and rejoined the group which slowly meandered off.

I really enjoyed the evening meal of soup, nshima (polenta), spinach, and a stuffed noodle dish.
Dessert was Malva Pudding for the omnivores and fresh fruit salad for yours truly.

We packed in a lot today with another after dinner game drive. Not far outside of camp there were
some elephants crossing the road. Brian gave them plenty of opportunity to move away before we
proceeded further down the road. We passed right by the airstrip where a couple of scrub hares
were inspecting a parked Cessna. Not far beyond the airstrip, Brian heard something and after momentarily
thinking that the vehicle was dragging something, he realized what it was. Evans shone
the spotlight to our right and there it was: 5 lionesses and the two cubs in a tight circle literally diving
into a fresh kill – an unfortunate waterbuck which was being devoured and torn into pieces
right before our eyes. Noisily and greedily, each of the animals was tearing away chunks of flesh,
blood all over their faces and forequarters. It was a feeding frenzy, each of the animals in an agitated,
highly excited state, growling and snarling, stopping just short of turning on each other, in their
haste to fill their stomachs. It was difficult to watch at times, but spellbinding. The guests in our vehicle
were as quiet as the lions were noisy. Such a display of ferocity is so far removed from our human
experience and frame of reference that we find it difficult to assimilate.Despite what we may
think, there is nothing shocking or cruel about it, it is just nature. Eventually the group started to
break up as first one and then another broke off with a flesh & bone trophy. We drove back to
camp quietly, our minds still reeling with the bloody images we had just witnessed.

PART 5: THE BEST CAMP IN ZAMBIA?

August 7, 2009
On our last morning at Lufupa we went fishing in the KafueRiver with Robert, but did not have much luck. We really had only two strikes of any note, and did not land either fish. So that will have to remain an unwritten paragraph, something we will return to when we next find ourselves in this part of the world.

At 1010A we took off from the Lufupa Airstrip, buzzing the camp before turning north towards the Busanga Plains. Flying quite low over the plains, we saw quite a bit of wildlife from the air, as well as a large fish trap built in the style of a beaver dam, with a central outlet where the fish gets trapped in a cage. I also saw a flat, layered construction which turned out to be the racks on which the fish are dried. This kind of activity is allowed in the Kafue National Parkwith the right permit.

We reached our next camp, Shumba, after a short but exciting helicopter flight of about 6 minutes, across a portion of the floodplain, landing right in front of the very striking main building. The imposing main lodge and dining area at Shumba has a massive central bar, a large boma area with fire-place, overlooking the Busanga floodplain, and an innovative open-sided design which clearly works very well as we were there when the wind was blowing hard, yet there was hardly a whisper of it to be felt in the dining area.

Both meals on this day were exemplary, the brunch consisting of corn cakes with a delicious filling, possibly avocado, sautéed mushrooms, a selection of sautéed peppers and a seed bread, finished off with a green salad. Dinner consisted of a broccoli curry, carrots and zucchini. Dessert was a fruit fondue. The starter was leek soup. The food was of 5-star quality.

The afternoon game drive was on the quiet side but we enjoyed it thoroughly with dozens of bird species, many hundreds of puku and lechwe, some buffalo, roan, a serval and genet on the way back.

August 8, 2009
On this day we went on a full day game drive to Musanza, a small Explorations Camp on the banks of the Lufupa River, about half way to Lufupa Tenetd Camp. I took us the better part of 5 hours to reach Musanza, as we took our time meandering along various circular routes & sidetracks, in search of game which proved to be very elusive this morning. It was likely due to a cold front that had blown into the area that very morning, causing everyone and everything to hunker down. Even so, we had some good sightings of puku, lechwe, wildebeest, zebra and a first for the trip and also a life mammal for both of us: Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest. It was rather far off and definitely in the BVD category: Better View Desired. We also saw some excellent birds along the way, including a life bird for yours truly namely Ross’ Turaco. At the time, it was just a glimpse, also BVD.

The Musanza site turned out to a real jewel: the perfect location right on the bank of
the Lufupa River, with just 4 tents hidden amongst some thick patches of vegetation and a few really
nice trees. At the very comfortable common area we enjoyed our picnic lunch of sorts, which
had come all the way from Shumba in the vehicle with us, together with a cook. So we enjoyed a
great lunch of pasta with a pesto sauce, some sausages, spinach salad, fresh fruit, seed bread,
grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. Birding around the camp we spotted a few super birds including
Olive Woodpecker and Redthroated twinspot.

On the way back we were treated to the sighting of the day, and of the trip so far, a female leopard
and cub on a fresh kill. When we first saw them, both were lying at the base of a large termite
mound which was overgrown with bushy vegetation. At first the cub ran off, but after about 15
minutes or so, responding to repeated entreaties from its mother, it returned. After exchanging a bit
of mutual affection, the cub scampered off to gambol around the dead Puku, while the female
leopard got down to another feeding session, attacking the carcass quite vigorously. There was no
mistaking the power in those sleek limbs. After more than an hour, we reluctantly parted ways with the two gorgeous animals and set off back to camp. A very clear view of the Ross Turaco en
route really made my day. What a bird, there’s every reason to describe it as bizarre, being mostly
purple with a yellow bill and crazy red crest.We also had a pretty good look at a Bushpig, yet another
new mammal for our trip list.

Dinner this evening was again 5-star all the way: a starter of vegetarian spring roll on a bed of fresh
arugula; the main course being basmati rice with a lentil dhal. Vegan heaven.

August 9, 2009
A chilly morning at Shumba: we were all bundled up in as many layers as we had, for the morning game drive with Isaac. But before that we enjoyed a light breakfast consisting of oats with soy milk, toast, crumpets with syrup, fresh fruit salad, cold meat platter, muesli, corn flakes and rice crispies. Not to mention juice, tea, coffee etc.

Isaac was intending to take us on a short boat trip from the hippo pools, but our plans changed somewhat when we received word by radio of a large herd of buffalo, south of Shumba. Off we went bumping along the roads, littered with hippo footprints in the now mostly dry mud. Soon enough we came upon this sizable herd of more than 300 buffalo, with some impressive males, and lots of youngsters as well. They were eating voraciously on the green grass on the edge of the marsh, and some of them went splashing through the water. We had a good long look, took some photographs and then left them in piece, to return to the hippo pools.

Our 45 minute boating trip was fun and we got some excellent close up looks at hippo, who were very interested in our presence, especially when we ‘anchored’ in clear sight of them, enjoying our tea break while they were giving us the evil eye, not at all impressed with the new neighbors. We also marveled at the large numbers of open-billed stork in the area, many of which took to the sky when our rather noisy boat passed them by.

Later that morning we had to finalize our packing and reluctantly said goodbye to Ingrid and Rob, the managers at Shumba. They are running this camp like a Swiss watch, it is really spotless!

PART 6: NO DOORS OR MIRRORS REQUIRED

Where most of us live – certainly here in Houston – two rear view mirrors on the left and right hand side of the car are not enough. You really need two additional wide-angle mirrors to make your way safely around the freeways. In Zambia? How about zero mirrors. In all the wilderness areas we visited, the mirrors on the game drive vehicles had been rendered inoperable. There is no need to see what is behind you because there is nobody else there. In the South Luangwa, which we would get to visit a bit later, there were not even any doors on the game drive vehicles. Don’t need them, don’t have them…

After yet another delightful brunch at Shumba, which included sautéed bream, a stuffed baked potato,
fresh fruit salad, delicious green salad, as well as focaccia bread, we said our goodbyes and
headed over to Busanga Bush Camp. BBC, as everyone refers to it, is a perfectly placed little camp,
with just 4 tents, each of them with superb views over the floodplain. Compared with Shumba, it is
on the ground (no walkways) and one feels truly connected to the environment. It is almost as if
the Busanga Plains extends right to the front of your tent, and you are literally just a few steps from
the wildlife environment. The tents are not huge but certainly big enough, with comfortable beds, a
separate shower and toilet at the back of the tent, and a front porch where you can connect
with Africa. The main lounge looked inviting and cozy, as did the boma with its unique ‘bush chandelier’.
The camp’s best feature is a lookout point from where you can just sit and relax and look
out over the plains.

From BBC it is just a short drive to Kapinga, another very small camp (4 tents) in a superb setting
on Kapinga Island, the largest island on the Busanga Plains. The tents are similar, in fact practically
identical to those at Shumba, but like BBC this camp is not elevated. We immediately fell in love with
the lounge and dining room area, which was very different from most other Wilderness Safaris properties,
being circular. The camp does have quite a lot of steps so it is not really suitable for people
with disabilities or who have problems walking or climbing stairs. Camp manager Sjanie Cuyler was
very friendly and we shared some Botswana stories over dinner, which was a very tasty mélange
of aubergine, sweet potato, tomato, and rice.

Our afternoon activity with guide Idos was specifically to see some Sitatunga, the rare and extremely
shy antelope more commonly associated with the Okavango Delta than with Zambia. Idos
drove us out to a large grove of papyrus bushes about 45 minutes drive from Kapinga.

We were hardly there when he excitedly pointed out two Sitatunga standing in a small clearing on
the edge of the massive papyrus thicket. We got a good look at them and then suddenly spotted
several more; turned out there were 6 of them in total, including two young ones which were running
around just like little impalas. Really an exceptional sighting, apparently the first time ever Idos
had seen that many together in something like 16 years of guiding in the area. On the way back
to camp we saw a family group of 6 water mongooses which Idos considered to be a unique
sighting as these mammals are usually solitary. I also got some good photographs of Roan antelope
so all in all it was a very successful afternoon outing.

August 10
Today was a relatively quiet and peaceful day, measured against the normal rather busy, actionpacked day on safari. We were up at 0600 as usual, light breakfast at 0630 and then on a game drive by 0700 with Idos. The idea was to go and find some lions which had been heard calling earlier this morning, but no matter where we looked, they were not to be found. Eventually Idos saw some vultures circling and landing, and upon investigating we found the carcass of a dead animal; it turned out to be a cheetah kill from the previous night. Unfortunately we only found the kill, not the cheetah.

Then it was back to camp for brunch, followed by a nice long siesta and then a change of pace:
we went walking for about 2 hours along the perimeter road, separating Kapinga Island from the
plains. It was refreshing and certainly a welcome change after many hours in the vehicle. We did not
see much but that was really beside the point: walking in the bush is all about the little things: animal
tracks and signs, trees, shrubs, flowers, scents and sounds, all the things that you miss while
sitting several feet above ground in a noisy Landrover. We did have a tense couple of minutes
when we walked quite close by a small herd of elephant, not far from camp. They could not see us
(we could barely see them in the thick underbrush) and we were downwind from the elephants so
it was not a risky situation. Exciting yes, but dangerous, no.

This evening Kathleen and I were treated to our first ever private dinner at our tent, with a small table
and two chairs set up on the deck. Complete with several lanterns, a red tablecloth and napkins
folded origami-style, it was quite the romantic evening. Just us, the stars and the opera of the bush:
some frogs, an occasional bark like noise from a bush-buck in the thickets, and a Barred Owl making
us aware of its presence. Dinner was delightful: a delicious tomato soup to start, main course of
pasta with a pesto sauce and an apple crumble as the grand finale.

August 11
Another fairly quiet morning with Idos at Kapinga; despite his best efforts we could not find the cheetah responsible for the kill we saw yesterday. A bit later in the morning, we met up with a National Geographic film crew shooting a documentary – the Tree-climbing lions of the Busanga. Film maker Nathan showed us where the Busanga pride was holed up across the Lufupa channel. Even with binoculars we could just barely make out the difference between male and female, they were that far away. After getting up a few times, the lions appeared to settle in for the day, so we made our way back to camp to pack & get ready for the flight to the South Luangwa area.

After a quick but exciting chopper flight to Busanga Airstrip, we were flown to Lusaka by Mike, a
vintage pilot flying a very vintage twin-engined plane. This one was even older than the beaten up
Cessna which flew us in the opposite direction a week ago. At around 8000 feet it was a very
bumpy, very uncomfortable flight, with the plane seeming to wallow through the air continuously. At
least we were the only 2 persons on board.

We made a very tight connection in Lusaka onto a Proflight turboprop for a comfortable and
smooth 1 hr 10 minute flight to Mfuwe. This was followed by a 45 minute drive on a good asphalt
road through various villages to the Main Gate of the S. Luangwa National Park, and from there another
approximately 2 hr game drive/transit drive through the park, to Kaingo, which would be our
base for the next couple of days. The thatched bungalow rooms are simple and without any frills,
but very comfortable and clean, really suitable for all but the most demanding traveler. Dinner
caused a bit of a stir as the camp had not received any notice of my special dietary needs. Even
so dinner was quite tasty: a stuffed green pepper with lots of vegetables on the side, some fresh
bread and a salad.

PART 7: IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK

August 12
We’ve been sending a few of our clients to Kaingo Camp (Shenton Safaris) for several years now, with excellent results. Everybody comes back with rave reviews. Now I know why. Kathleen and I arrived here after dark last night, so I was a little disorientated as to the general location and layout. Upon waking up this morning at 0545, I realized that we were right on the Luangwa River. Of course I should have known that, considering how loud the hippos were particularly early this morning. It is truly a magnificent location, very peaceful, surrounded by beautiful trees, with lots of hippos on the sandbank in front of camp, and elephant right in camp.

Our morning game drive was superb on many levels: the scenic beauty of this part of the S. Luangwa National Park is rivaled by few wildlife areas in Africa. It simply screams ‘Africa’ and ‘safari’; this is the African bush as you’ve always imagined it. From the wide bends on the Luangwa River to a simply amazing African ebony forest, grassy plains, pockets of thick brush, the area literally has it all. Not surprisingly, the wildlife was equally abundant with elephants just about around every corner; no large herds but several groups of up to 6 or so, many with young ones and relatively approachable, compared with the skittish Busanga Plains/Kafue elephants. We were fortunate to see a particularly nice group of the endemic Cookson’s Wildebeest, a beautiful tawny, auburn color. Other wildlife included several groups of zebra, some giraffe, and fantastic birdlife including one new life bird, the Lilian’s Lovebird.

We made a short stop at Mwamba Bush Camp, a simply delightful small camp (3 rooms) where one feels even more connected to the bush than at Kaingo. What you gain in intimacy and by being truly out in the wild, you don’t have to lose in the way of creature comforts, with nice cozy rooms, very spacious bathrooms including cold (plumbed) and hot (on demand) water showers and regular flush toilets. The camp also has a popular sundowner spot/lookout area and a hide/blind a little ways further from camp.

From there, we went back to the Ebony Forest where we enjoyed a most memorable brunch under the trees, consisting of a tasty array of toast, sausages (including some veggie ones), bacon, eggs, beans, several cereals and muesli as well as a maize porridge.

On the way back to camp, we inspected the elephant hide/lookout, a platform overlooking a wellused elephant crossing point. Guests are driven out to the lookout whenever elephant are seen to be crossing the river.

After a light lunch of pizza and a salad, with fresh fruit salad and homemade bread, we took a very short siesta and then visited the hippo hide. Here, we had an amazing close up experience with several rafts of hippos wallowing in the water, the picture of indolence, with some lolling about on the edge of the water, and others whiling away the daylight hours semi-submerged. A couple of them were resting their massive heads on the backs of willing partners, while oxpeckers were chipping away at small open wounds on the massive beasts.

By 1600 we were on a game drive again, this time heading along the Luangwa River past the hippo hide, finding elephant, puku, impala, kudu, lots of yellow baboons, vervet monkey and of course scores of hippo and crocodile in and around the water.

At sunset, we watched some elephant in the background, with a scops owl calling in a tree near to
us. Driving back onto the ‘shelf’ – an old oxbow lake – apparently a favored lion hunting area, we
came upon a large male lion which was semi-resting but keeping an eye open for movement
across the way.

We watched him for quite a while, then moved along and had the spotlight on a female leopard for
several minutes. She was busy grooming herself when a female lion unexpectedly entered from
stage left, and single-mindedly bore down on the leopard, apparently intent on killing it. Fortunately
for the leopard and for all of us, who definitely were on the leopard’s side, it must have heard the
approaching lion because it looked up and streaked away towards some bushes and safety, within
a couple of seconds. The lion ran up to the spot which had just been vacated by the leopard,
sniffed around a bit and then turned its attention to hunting down a puku. At once stage it was
stalking a puku across a small wash, but despite our unspoken wishes, the lion gave up on the attempt
when it became clear that the puku was wise to its presence. Lions are not known to waste
their energy for no reason.

The lion then turned its attention to several other puku on the south side of the ‘shelf’, but after a
few tense minutes, during which we were anticipating an attempted kill at any second, the puku
gave a couple of snorts and disappeared into the thick brush. We took one last look at the lion
and then left it in peace.

August 13
We said goodbye to Kaingo Camp and its lovely people this morning, & was driven to Mfuwe Lodge by our guide Freya. En route, we saw several of the usual suspects including elephant, buffalo, zebra, and of course hundreds of impala and puku.

One of the most interesting and educational experiences was a talk by Freya about a sausage tree just coming into full bloom: it was covered with dark maroon flowers, many young ‘sausages’ looking a lot like zucchini and a profusion of light green leaves. Freya mentioned that the new fruits grew from zucchini size to a solid several pounds in as little as a month or so. Obviously the sausage tree puts every bit of its energy into this burst of activity, with all the leaves falling off just prior to the new flowers and fruits appearing.

Soon afterwards, we arrived at Mfuwe Lodge, where we were shown to our large, comfortable room on the Luangwa River, again with great views over some shallow areas with plenty of birdlife, some crocodiles etc.. We arrived at Mfuwe Lodge just in time for an excellent brunch with aubergine, Asian style pasta, vegetarian roll with soba noodles, fresh salad, and fresh homemade bread. Luxury of luxuries: I took a long hot bath at Mfuwe Lodge, while Kathleen enjoyed a massage. By 1630 we were out on an afternoon game drive with Richard as our guide. It was hard not to notice that there were many more vehicles on the road than we are accustomed to seeing almost anywhere else. However, the abundance of game and plentiful big cats sightings make up for it: we saw several prides of lion, including 4 females, and also a much bigger pride feeding on the remains of 2 buffalo which had been killed early this morning. On the way back to camp we bumped in the 4 female lions feeding on a freshly killed warthog, tearing it to pieces right in front of our eyes.

Prior to dinner a local performing group of artists put on a 20-odd minute play & pantomime performances, about the conflict between humans and animals, and some other themes. It was quite physical with the actors really getting into it. The performance was well received by the audience, many of whom made a contribution at the conclusion. Dinner was a barbecue with various kinds of red meat being grilled on an open charcoal fire; nonetheless there was plenty to eat for a vegan with a traditional bean stew, sautéed leeks, potato and salad, as well as fresh bread.

The following morning we departed on a longish drive to Chindeni which would be our home for the next couple of nights. Not far out of Mfuwe, we came across the pride of about 16 lions, still hanging around the buffalo carcass, with one or two of the young lions occasionally chasing off some vultures. Got a few good pictures of amongst others the youngest cubs, then continued on towards the southern part of S. Luangwa NP.

Our first stop was at Kuyenda Camp, a lovely traditional Zambian bush camp – with all the comforts. Constructed largely of reeds, the camp is managed by Phil Berry who is a living legend in the area, one of the world’s foremost experts on the Thornicroft’s Giraffe, several of which we had seen just a while before reaching the camp.

From there it was not far to Chamilandu for another quick stop. This camp has a beautiful setting right on the S. Luangwa River, with the most amazing views to the left and right and for that matter across the river too. The camp has 4 elevated rooms, probably good for ventilation & cooling off when it gets even hotter here in September and October.

We finally arrived at Chindeni at about 1140 just in time for brunch. The superb rooms are quite massive with a separate lounge area – they are also elevated and overlook a lagoon. At Chindeni we met two really interesting couples from the UK and Australia, and we were looking forward to their company over the next couple of days.

The afternoon game was uneventful and quiet; a fairly stiff wind came up and put paid to any
predators’ hunting plants, with so many scents being blown around. Dinner was a traditional Zambian
affair, with nshima, beans, beef stew, cabbage and fresh bread rolls. We ate mostly by hand,
which was a bit of a struggle but fun nonetheless.The meal was quite delicious and very filling.

PART 8: LIONS AND LEOPARDS IN CHINDENI

We were up and about at 0545 on Saturday August 15, for an early morning walk in the Chindeni area. Plans changed when we got word that a large pride of lions had been spotted in the Kapamba area. Off we went driving for about an hour, crossing the Kapamba River in the process. Not long afterwards, we came upon the pride of 9 lions, one of them (a male) running with his head held high and something hanging from his mouth. We took some wild guesses as to what the item was; shortly afterwards we found out it was a fleece belonging to someone (a ranger from Yellowstone Park) in a different vehicle from Kapamba Camp. The fleece had fallen of the vehicle and was then picked up by the lion. By the time we got close enough to see what was going on, the male lions had already run into the woodland, out of sight. However we got some pretty decent photographs of several of the female lions.

To round off the morning activity, we embarked on a 35 minute walk through the woodland, with
Peter discussing various interesting things en route, such as the fruit of the fried egg tree, animal
rubbing/scratching posts, grape plant (vine-like plant which releases clear water when cut), tactics
employed by elephants and warthogs to get rid of ticks, lucky seeds, a warthog home in an aardvark
burrow, etc. It was a very interesting and relaxed walk, with a few small mammals scattering
upon our approach.

Kathleen and I visited two other Bushcamps during the siesta break: Bilimungwe, a
typical Zambia bush camp, has a great location as all the others. It also has 4 rooms with a very
nice lounge & dining area overlooking a permanent waterhole. We understood that the camp was
due for updating, and that it might be completely rebuilt.

From Bilimungwe, we traveled a fairly short distance to Kapamba. It is likewise a small 4 room bushcamp,
with large open rooms (stone walls) with enormous sunken baths. Guests are able to walk in
the Kapamba River, and the camp often serves meals out on the water in the hotter months of the
year.

Tea was taken at 1600 and we then departed on an afternoon game drive. Today’s drive was quite
the opposite of the previous day: almost right away we started seeing things such as elephant,
several with tiny babies, kudu, & more. One of the highlights of the drive came very early: a stunning
Painted Snipe male, in great light not too far from the vehicle. One could clearly see the golden
sheen on the wings. As pretty much everywhere, the Painted Snipe is a rarely seen bird in
the South Luangwa; it had been seen here at Chindeni once before a couple of weeks ago, and
not for 4 years prior to that.

Once it was dark, the drive got even better when we spotted two hyenas at the base of a large
tree. Peter noticed that they were active and predicted that there may be a leopard in the area.
Practically right away we noticed the remains of an impala high up in the tree, with a young leopard
(unfortunately obscured by branches) feeding on it. Literally seconds later William spotted the eyes
of a large female leopard in the grass below and behind the tree. With the vehicle repositioned, we
had a relatively clear looks on the leopard, and I got some decent photographs. At one stage the
leopard tried to get closer to the tree, was briefly pursued by one of the hyenas and then scampered
away.

August 16, 2009
We went back to check on the previous night’s leopard sighting. The now rather smelly remains of the impala was still in the tree, but there were no leopards lurking anywhere. A mile or so further on, we parked the vehicle and went on a very nice, relaxing walk along the Luangwa River. The group made some interesting observations such as looking at a wild basil bush, which the villagers crush and rub on their walls, or use to relieve sinus congestion. Our guide also pointed out a striking example of a strangler fig, which had just about totally engulfed its host tree, a sausage tree.

Standing on the banks of the river, we looked down on a crocodile nesting site, with the remains
of some egg shells everywhere to be seen. Peter remarked on the breeding behavior of these
massive reptiles; how the females lay about 80 or so eggs, keeping an eye on the site until the
eggs hatch, and then transports the hatchlings in her mouth to a quiet backwater where they grow
to fingerling size before going out on their own. It takes young crocodiles up to 3 months before
they eat anything. They have many natural predators including other crocodiles, large fish, various
birds, and the long term survival rate is only about 4 percent. On the way back to camp we encountered
several elephants, including one which we had seen earlier, with a hole in his ear. I got a
few useful photographs.

By midday we said goodbye to everyone at Chindeni and took a short drive to the crossing point
over the Luangwa River at Nyamaluma for a boat transfer across the river. A local boatman poled
us across, which took only a few minutes, and then we scrambled up the banks of the river to
where our guide for the next couple of days Luckson from Kalamu Lagoon Camp, was waiting for
us.

PART 9: KALAMU LAGOON CAMP, S. LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK

It took about an hour and a half to drive from the crossing point on the Luangwa River to Kalamu Lagoon Camp in the Luamfwa section of the South Luangwa National Park. The mostly sandy road winds through mopane forest and scrub, where an unpleasant surprise was in store for us. Tsetse flies – and bad they were too. These pesky insects tend to be more common in and around woodland areas and they become more active in the middle of the day. We were 2 for 2: driving through thick woodland in the middle of the day. I got bitten three times, and there seemed to be nothing I could do short of physically waving them off with a handkerchief, that seemed to work. We would recommend that anyone visiting the area take a 50% DEET spray, or use a repellent consisting of Dettol (antiseptic) mixed with water and Johnson’s Baby Oil.

Kalamu Lagoon Camp has a very pleasant setting with good views over the water of a large lagoon where there are lots of birds, hippo & various other animals to be seen. The best feature of the camp is its expansive open lounge area with adjacent pool and fireplace area. Much of the lounge is shaded by some magnificent trees.

The rooms at Kalamu are quite large, hybrid structures with tented (canvas) roof, but walls constructed of reeds and canvas, the end result being reminiscent of a traditional Zambian bush camp but will all the modern comforts including excellent solar lighting, hot and cold water on demand, a shower, separate toilet, large bed/sleeping area with a great view, and an elevated sitting area. The camp has 8 rooms in total including 2 family units.

Our afternoon activity commenced at just after 4, and we spent a very pleasant 3+ hours with Luckson, our superbly qualified guide, spending some time at various points, looking at everything around us, and particularly enjoying the viewpoint from the Kalamu Bush Camp. One of the most special moments of our entire trip to date occurred when a large breeding herd of elephants emerged from the tree line to our far right and started to walk towards the water. First there was just one. Then a second and third elephant appeared. Soon there were ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty and eventually nearly 50 elephants, including a very tiny baby. After spending some time drinking, the herd slowly started making its way across theLuangwa River, mostly in single file, a short trumpet blast being heard when the advance party reached the opposite shore. We just sat there and watched the procession, totally immersed in the peacefulness of nature. Awesome is nowadays a totally overused word, but this was truly awesome in the old-fashioned sense of the word.

Not much later, we noticed a large hawk-like bird with rather pointed wings, like a lanner or peregrine, but mostly dark in appearance, almost fluttering around the edge of the water over the lagoon. By now it was well after sunset, and my first thought was ‘Bat Hawk’. Luckson had some good looks as well and between the two of us we agreed that it was really the only possibility. This was not only a life bird for me, it was a sighting right up there with the African Finfoot and the Painted Snipe. These rarely seen, mostly crepuscular birds have some peculiar habits such as catching and eating their prey in flight, which I believe is what we saw.

Very happy, we returned to camp for dinner consisting of curried potato and onions, a vegetable medley with broccoli, basmati rice, fresh green salad, and freshly baked bread rolls. Really tasty and healthy. Dinner was followed by some bananas with a toffee sauce.

The next morning we slept in until 0630 with tea and coffee served at 0700. Full breakfast was served at 0730 with eggs to order, beans, potato and onions, muffins, toast, fresh fruit salad, and oats with soy milk. Shortly afterward we left on an hour long drive through the mopane woodland destined for a village (where several of the Kalamu staff members live) just outside the National Park.

I still do not know quite what to make of the trip to the village. I am always a rather reluctant participant in this type of cultural activity, as it often verges on being paternalistic, with some degree of social discomfort being suffered by both the visitor and the residents alike. Fortunately this trip did not feel like that at all; the adult villagers pretty much took it in their stride, continuing with their day to day life, such as cooking, washing up and attending to other chores and activities. It was interesting to see them prepare some beans in a pot, as well as cutting up some fresh okra. A good vegan meal in the making, especially when served with nshima (the local staple food make of ground corn, very much like polenta but just white).

Our guide Luckson drove us around the village, and we walked around the school, some of the homesteads, and down to the river where we saw a rudimentary well (actually just pits dug into a dry riverbed where clear water collects through seepage). Everywhere we were followed around by a bunch of very happy, smiling, laughing kids. It was a school holiday so they were all out and about, relishing the opportunity to interact with some people from beyond the village. What is your name? How are you? My name is John. We were bombarded with questions and then with requests for photographs, which we were happy to oblige.

It is painfully clear that these people have very little in the way of earthly possessions and that they live a tough and difficult life. They do not have running water, toilet facilities like ours, baths or showers, electricity, or proper cooking facilities. Essentially they have absolutely none of the most basic domestic conveniences which we more than take for granted in the developed world. I was later told that their hard life gets even worse in the rainy season when they are totally cut off from the outside world, unable to do as much as a visit a store to buy food or anything else. For several months there are flooded rivers which prevent them from visiting Mfuwe, about 35 km away.

It is heartbreaking to see such grinding poverty in front of your very own eyes. Even so, the children hardly notice it. They are all happy and seemingly content, with great big smiles, behaving just like kids would anywhere in the world. Some are bold, some are shy and others look at you with soulful, intelligent eyes deserving of a fate better than the hand they’ve been dealt. Visiting the local community school illustrates how tough a task it is for kids born here, to break out of the harsh situation they find themselves in. The building is the most basic of basic rectangular structures, with two large ‘blocks’ and a central smaller room (headmaster’s office/library). There is no running water or ablution blocks, and all that can be seen are a few scattered old desks and some cheap plastic chairs but clearly not enough for everybody. There is no glass in the window frames, glass being too expensive. Each teaching ‘block’ with its bare concrete floor houses three groups or classes which are taught all at the same time, by volunteer teachers. For some reason community schools like these are not supported by the Zambian Government, other than by supplying them with the syllabus as to what has to be taught for each grade level. Kathleen and I resolved to do something to help the children at this school, perhaps by sending some books.

We returned to the lodge (after having running the tsetse corridor in the mopane woodland) in a
subdued mood.Lunch consisted of various bean dishes & salads, as well as a fresh green salad,
risotto, and other veggies. The afternoon & early evening game drive was relatively quiet, but we
had some great views of three very young elephant bulls, some barely 3 years old, wandering
around all on their own; certainly a risky situation for them. A special treat was drinks for two under
the stars at a table along the Kalamu Lagoon opposite camp. Afterwards Luckson pointed out
some constellations and other celestial bodies visible in the southern sky at this time of the year.

August 18, 2009
We were up very early up this morning at 0530 for breakfast at 0600, for a short drive followed by about a 2 hr walk with Petros. It was a very relaxing, interesting outing, our third foot safari of the trip and the best one yet. I was starting to see and hear more around me, rather than just concentrating on my footing. The most exciting part of the walk was getting very close to two big elephant bulls. At one stage we had to approach them while walking in very little cover, so we had to freeze when they appeared to be looking in our direction. Elephants have poor vision, but they are alert to movement. It worked! Soon enough we were no more than 20 meters or so from the elephants, listening to them feeding by plucking large swaths of leaves from the trees, and moving slowly and very quietly from one tree to another. Being close to elephants on foot is one of the most satisfying experiences on safari.These leviathans of the bush are endlessly fascinating. Their bizarre appearance, the unbelievable things they can do with their trunks, the delicate manner in which they can turn and quietly move around the bush, there is just no end to their ‘entertainment’ value. And when you find yourself in their space, it just amplifies everything about these animals that have kept nature lovers spellbound since they were first observe.

PART 10: LIONS, WE’VE GOT LIONS

Around mid-day on August 18 we said our goodbyes at Kalamu Lagoon Camp and flew 20 minutes to Mfuwe, where we were met by a Robin Pope Safaris representative, for the less than 2 hour drive to Nsefu Camp. Nsefu is the oldest photographic safari camp in the entire South Luangwa National Park, having been established in 1951. The camp is still just like it has always been, on the same superb site with the same buildings (now slightly bigger with bathrooms added in the back). It lies on a huge bend in the Luangwa River, actually quite close (down-river) to Kaingo Camp, which is just on the opposite side of the Luangwa River. Nsefu has a striking location with 8 very comfortable rondavels (round bungalows) all with views of the river. Kathleen and I enjoyed a light lunch at the bar, with camp manager Vanessa. There was plenty to see in the way of wildlife, with baboons all over the place, as well as impala, and later on also three large buffalo quite close by at the camp waterhole which is lit at night. My only criticism would be that the rooms are noticeably close to each other, so there is not a whole lot of privacy. I suppose at the time when the camp was first built this was not much of an issue and of course it would be daft to tamper with something as well-established as Nsefu.

I caught up on my trip report, we unpacked and then departed on an afternoon game drive. At first
it was a bit quiet but we saw some good birds, and of course when you’re stopped looking at
birds, you also tend to see other things. As a result we enjoyed some very good sightings of
bushbuck and kudu. Just before sunset we had a front row seat with perfect lighting, of a pair of
mating lions. I did manage to underexpose the photographs, which was a real pity as an opportunity
like this might not ever come around again. Nonetheless, the pics turned out not too bad. After
dark, we saw several more lions, so all in all it was a most very productive outing. The area clearly
has lots of game, as we had expected.

The next morning, after an early breakfast, we did a short road transfer (in lieu of a game drive) to
Tena Tena Camp, for a site inspection. En route, we saw severalmore lions, including one very conspicuous
on an anthill.Tena Tena is a lovely little camp, with a very ‘classic’ safari feel. We looked at
one of the large hybrid tents which had a very good view over a waterhole (or at least a marshy
area), where there just happened to be a mother and calf elephant pair feeding. Naturally, we took
some photographs. This is definitely a camp that would be worth including in a S. Luangwa itinerary.
It has more privacy than Nsefu.

From Tena Tena, it was just a 15 minute trip to a Luangwa River crossing point, where we took a
short banana boat trip across to the Mfuwe/Central sector, and from there a road transfer of approx.
1 hr 45 pst Mfuwe Lodge and the Main Gate, to Nkwali Camp, outside the reserve. Nkwali is a
very pleasant and seemingly well run camp (it also serves as HQ for Robin Pope Safaris, whose offices are adjacent), on the banks of the Luangwa River. The camp has spacious thatched bungalows
with outdoor shower/bathroom, mains electricity and wireless internet – at least in a few
spots. Over the short time we were there, we met some interesting people from Germany (a fellow
opera lover, thanks for the hint about Edita Gruberova!) and the UK, enjoyed a really excellent lunch
and dinner, caught up on some work and skipped the afternoon game drive. This would be a very
good camp for a first and/or last night stay, when starting or ending a S. Luangwa trip. Camp manager
Michelle was most helpful and also gave us some valuable insights into the Walking Mobile safaris.
Nkwali is definitely a place we would like to return to at some stage. We were very pleased to
meet Jo Pope who spent quite a bit of time with us, and who conducted us on a very thorough
and extremely fascinating inspection of the Luangwa House and Robin’s House, both of which are
superb accommodation options for families or small groups of friends/associates.

PART 11: ELEPHANTS AND TIGER FISH IN THE LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK

August 20
Late this morning, we were our way to the Lower Zambezi for a quick 2-night stay at Chiawa and Chongwe River Camp. Our flight in a Cessna Caravan to the Lower Zambezi National Park took about 1 hr 40 minutes; our pilot dropped off some passengers for a different camp (Sausage Tree)
at Jeki Airport and then continued on to Royal Zambezi Airstrip, where we were collected by a Chiawa driver. From the airstrip, it was a short drive to the Zambezi riverfront, where we walked down to a dock and took a pleasant (cool) boat trip of just under 20 minutes to Chiawa Camp. This tented camp consists of 7 tents, and it is situated on a sandy bank overlooking the Zambezi River. The tents are very luxuriously appointed with lots of nice touches, including a superb Victorian style bathtub, inside and outside shower, large bathroom area with his and hers vanities, two desks with mirrors, plenty of hanging/storage space, and 24-hr electricity with good lighting. The only slight blemish was not having hot water in the morning.

The front of the rooms is not covered at night, so in the early morning the gauze cover allows a lot of natural light to light up the room. By now, our body clocks were in synch with the day and night, so it was perfect to wake up to an African dawn. Chiawa was all about elephants. On our arrival there were a couple of elephants in camp and in fact we could not use the regular walkway to the tents, had to take a roundabout way to get to the room. Later on, during tea-time, there were several elephants right around the river dock and in front of camp, making for some exciting moments for guests trying to get to the dining area.

That evening, we enjoyed one of the best dinners of the entire trip. After a delicious soup, we had potato fritters with onions, and a choice of beef fillet with mushroom sauce, a stuffed pork chop or vegetable kebabs with an intriguing sauce, served with rice. Dessert for yours truly was an apple crumble with a custard prepared with soy milk, while the other guests enjoyed a rich chocolate mousse. We had a most enjoyable after-dinner conversation with Grant Cumings, owner of Chiawa and its sister property, Old Mondoro, a bush camp in slightly different terrain about 1 hr away, by road.

August 21
After breakfast, three of us departed on a fishing trip on the Zambezi with our guide Isaac. Being out on the water was a great experience, even if the fishing itself was initially a bit slow. Things took a turn for the better when Kathleen hooked and landed a magnificent Zambezi Tiger fish of 5 lbs, a very respectable size. She was so excited that we are likely to try some more fishing later today at Chongwe River Lodge, where we will be staying for the last night of our safari. Both myself and Jay, a guest from San Francisco who was fishing with us, lost fish but we agreed that it was a fun experience which we recommend very highly.

After yet another delightful brunch, we were boated the few kilometers upstream on the Zambezi to Chongwe River Lodge, a perfectly located lodge at the confluence of the Chongwe and Zambez Rivers. The lodge definitely has the best of both worlds: fantastic views over the Zambezi River, the Chongwe River in front of camp and also to the left, the Zambezi Escarpment. Before it became a safari camp, Chongwe was a private family camp ground, and it is easy to see why this particular spot was chosen.

Fittingly our room – the Cassia Suite – was hands down the best of any we stayed in on the trip. It
was truly magnificent with a massive central (screened) room with private plunge pool, patio and
huge outdoor bathroom with shower and bathtub. Our own private butler/chef Martin was there to
attend to anything we might need. We opted to have dinner with the other lodge guests that night,
but had we stayed any longer, we most definitely would have opted for a private dinner. The suite
was just the right place for it.

The camp grounds are dominated by several huge trees, including several Winterthorns, much loved
by especially elephant at this time of year when their seed pods drop.

Our afternoon activity consisted of yet another fishing outing on the Zambezi, but despite our
guide’s best efforts we did not hook another Tiger Fish. It was fun and very relaxing, just what we
needed to really slow down the pace and enjoy the tranquility of our environment. Our last African
sunset – at least for a while – was quite stunning and there was little to be said as we watched the
light slowly fade away.

Our very last dinner on safari turned out to be a vegetarian meal – the main course being a fabulous
curry stew with all kinds of other veggies, salads and of course excellent fresh bread. One
more time, we fell asleep in an ocean of silence, with nothing other than a few hippo grunts, some
frog noises and the distant hooting of an owl to disturb us.

August 22
This morning, we had a last glimpse of a couple of lions en route to the airstrip.It would be a day of lions by morning, transatlantic flight by night. It was a short flight by Caravan back to Lusaka, about 2 hours on an SAA Boeing 737 to Jo’burg and then the monster transatlantic crossing on Delta’s B-777, just a few minutes shy of 16 hours all the way to Atlanta. Just after midday on August 23, we were home in Houston. Al always, I was much less affected by the westward flight. One or two nights fighting off fatigue and you’re back on schedule! In an earlier blog entry I wrote, “In summary, the [Zambia] trip was everything we had anticipated and more: remote, fantastic camps, excellent guiding, great views of a dizzying variety of mammals, birds and other wildlife, amazing scenic beauty, generally light tourism traffic except around Mfuwe, first class food and drink and seamless transfers between camps and national parks. I think the photographs which I have used to illustrate these various entries underscore the conclusion. Zambia is a safari destination right up there with the best of them. Right now much of it reminds me of what Botswana was like 20 or so years ago. So go before the rest of the world discovers it.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

 

Botswana Migration Routes Safari May 2009

12th May 2009

 


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Botswana Migration Routes Safari May 2009

Fish Eagle Safaris’ Lyndon and Jason Duplessis recently left home for an adventure trip in Botswana, the Migration Routes Safari. They did get an adventure trip, but it wasn’t quite what they expected!

The trip had everything: big game, riding elephants, mokoros, boat cruises, amazing food, sunrises
and sundowners. We’ve always been suckers for predators, and we saw plenty at Linyanti. Lions
Wild Dogs, Leopards, and Hyena. Every day there was something new and exciting to see there.
We’re not sure how different the trip would have been without the upgrades. Obviously we
wouldn’t have had the opportunity to ride elephants, but the game viewing would not have
changed. All in all it was one of our best trips to date. It would have been nice not to deal with the
bugs at Xigera, but what can you expect from an island in the middle of the Okavango Delta? And
while mokoro rides and nature walks are nice, we think one fewer day at Xigera would have
worked out better.

Here is a short diary of a few of our early days on safari, but our trip can be summarized quite easily
by the photographs taken.

April 28
After a long and completely relaxing flight from Houston through Washington to Joburg we finally get to our hotel, The Mondior Concorde. Fighting the urge to collapse and sleep for about two days straight we unpack and settle in. After just relaxing for a couple hours we have a small debate whether to get up and grab a bite to eat at the nearby Casino, or just crash for the night. Jason wins the argument and we make our way out of the hotel. It is a short walk, and before we know it we’re inside scouring the different restaurants. Quickly we spot an Ocean Basket and dart over, having been to a few on our previous trips. After dinner we head back and collapse knowing that our adventure would begin early the next morning.

April 29
After an early breakfast we head to OR Tambo to catch our flight to Livingstone. This flight seems like ten minutes after our recent trans-Atlantic flight. We land and meet our Wilderness rep who helps us pack and takes us immediately to see Victoria Falls. It is our first time to view it from the Zambian side. Unfortunately it is difficult to see much of the falls because the excessive rains from this year have flooded the Zambezi.

Which then pours such an enormous amount of water down the falls that all you see is a fine
white mist. After getting nice and wet while crossing a small bridge (sorry, no photos, couldn’t risk
the camera) we are on our way to the first camp, Toka Leya. It is located outside of Livingstone,
on the Zambezi about 12 km from Vic Falls.

April 30
The next morning we set off for Botswana. After a short drive we found ourselves on the water again taking a scenic boat transfer to get to our waiting Land Rovers.

May 1
The next morning we awake for our first game drive. Our guide, Richard, had heard some lions calling
early in the morning and he found their tracks on the road shortly after leaving camp. After
about fifteen minutes we found two females with a younger male.

May 2
The next morning the plan was to have a full day drive in order to reach the Savuti Channel. On the way we came across a pair of enormous male lions, nicknamed “The Border Brothers”. At one point they both started roaring, which was probably the highlight of the trip for me.

May 3
On our final day at Linyanti Tented Camp, we were able to do a short game drive on the way to the airstrip. Our next stop, Abu Camp, was very special. Not only were the accommodations first rate but the elephant back safaris were something we will both remember forever.

May 4
The elephants live on an island with the mahouts, or handlers. Here we are leaving the island, heading
towards the bush.

May 5 – 8
Our amazing adventure at Abu Camp was coming to an end. Luckily, we were all allowed to have a
group picture taken with the Matriarch of the elephants, Cathy.
Our next stop was Xigera Mokoro Trails Camp. After a short flight and a lengthy boat transfer, we
were on our own little island in the middle of the delta.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

Virtual Itinerary

 

Southern Tanzania and Zanzibar Trip Report for February 2009

18th February 2009

 


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Southern Tanzania & Zanzibar Trip Report for February 2009

PART 1: STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR ISLAND

It is a very long way from Houston to Dar Es Salaam in southern Tanzania. Getting there entailed two long back to back flights from IAH/Houston Intercontinental to AMS/Amsterdam, then AMS to JRO/Kilimanjaro, followed by a final hop of about 45 minutes to Dar, as Dar Es Salaam is commonly referred to. The first leg was pleasant enough with a good cabin crew making up for the extremely limited legroom in the Boeing 747 Combi. Candy and cookies in the galley between meals helped to relieve the unbelievable tedium of spending so much time in so little space. Our dogs have more room in their crates.

The second leg was on a relatively much roomier Boeing 777 but by then we were starting to get very fatigued. When we finally arrived in Dar, it was already 1145P. And a day later. And we still had to get visas.Should have done this before we left the USA! So we completed a visa application form, and handed over a C-note each for the privilege of entering Tanzania.The official scrutinized the bills and handed them back to me. Only ‘new’ US money is acceptable – my ‘vintage’ $100 bills
(printed in 1996) were no good.They could buy you a nice dinner for two in the USA, but not even a loaf of bread, never mind a visa, in Tanzania… Thinking but not verbalizing a few choice expletives, I handed over some crisp new 20’s instead.Much scrutiny of the ‘born by’ dates later, the currency was given the thumbs up. Swell. Then followed a 20 minute wait while four other officials seemed to be taking turns handing off our passports to each other for additional scrutiny. Eventually we were off to the Kempinski Kilimanjaro Hotel in lovely downtown Dar. Even at night we could tell the place was a dump. The hotel was first class though. We were in a zombie-like state by then, but we did enjoy the huge big bath with scalding hot water. Otherwise the room was so-so. The highlight of our short overnight stay was watching the end of the last one-day cricket match between South Africa and Australia. The South African Proteas humiliated Australia by a 4 to 1 margin in the 1-day series having already clinched the test series.

Breakfast at the Kempinski was amazing. The array of fresh fruit was stunning, including excellent papaya, honeydew, bananas, apples, mango, watermelon, pineapple and granadilla (aka passion fruit). There were several types of bread, a dozen varieties of jams and preserves, sweet cakes, pastries, croissants, apple fritters etc. I was very happy with the choice of cereals with soy milk. For
those people wanting a ‘real’ breakfast, you could have eggs to order, three types of sausage (beef, chicken and pork), fish cakes, roasted vegetables, bacon, beans, and Belgian waffles.Not enough for you? Well then try the yoghurt, wild honey, dried fruit, three kinds of smoothies, cured ham, beef stew, or the large variety of cold meats and cheeses.

It is a short 25 minute flight on a Caravan from Dar to Zanzibar Island. At the tiny and rather dismal airport our guide Fauz picked us up and drove us to the Zanzibar Serena Inn where we would spend the next two nights. It was an excellent choice: a well-run property right on the beach with great views over the placid, clear water of the Indian Ocean. We ended up in one of the best rooms in the place, a corner ‘prime room’, with stunning views. I unpacked, laced on my running
shoes and went for a 5-mile jaunt along the beach, staying just on the edge of Stone Town. For lunch I enjoyed a spicy Zanzibar pilaf, and Kathleen had some locally caught cobia, also known as Ling.

Our first activity was a tour of Stone Town with our private guide Fauz, walking through the maze of narrow alleys, gawking at a bewildering array of old, decaying buildings of several different styles, mostly Indian and Arabic but also Portuguese. The place was somewhat reminiscent of Lisbon’s Alfama district with its narrow streets. Stone Town is a fascinating place where an unrivaled cultural experience awaits visitors who cannot fail to be bowled over by the impact of this place. Stone Town hits you on many levels. Of course there’s the dazzling visual impact of the place. Beyond what is visible, the sense of history and of bygone times is palpable. I would not have been surprised in the least, if a real Sultan appeared around the next corner. There is just so much to
see: the ornate doors, the plethora of balconies, both exterior and interior, the beautifully designed and often quite ornate lobbies of several building which are now hotels such as the Al Johari, the Dhow Palace, the Tembo Hotel and many others. There are houses of worship galore; some 48 mosques, a magnificent yet sadly dilapidated Catholic Church and many others.

The Wednesday and Sunday market adds an olfactory level to the Stone Town experience. Squeamish visitors beware: the fish market flat out stinks, at least on a hot Sunday in early February. But what a place! It would last about a week in any major US cities by which time the health authorities would shut it down.Refrigeration? Don’t need no stinking refrigeration…And then there’s the people of Stone Town. One is often hard pressed to even guess at their ethnic background. African, Turkish, Indian, Arabic, the diversity is astonishing. One thing that most of them do have in common is the Islamic faith, and the Swahili language.

PART 2: MANGROVES, MONKEYS, AND A SPICE TOUR

On February 2, still jet lagged, we were up at 0445A just in time to watch the second half of the Superbowl, broadcast live in Zanzibar on ESPN – without the commercials. What a game! Breakfast at the Serena dining room overlooking the ocean, consisted almost totally of local items, such as pigeon peas, fried banana, sweet potato, rice cake, Swahili donuts (mandazi), and sesame bread. Just after 0700A we departed with Fauz via a couple of small towns, en route to Jozani Forest. Driving in Zanzibar is an otherworldly experience, especially early on a weekday morning, when everyone seems to be on the road at the same time. At any stage, the narrow road would be replete with dozens if not hundreds of bikes, many with passengers and other loaded to the hilt, swarms of overloaded matatus (minibuses), and hundreds of pedestrians all seemingly hell-bent on crossing the road as soon as possible and in the most unpredictable manner. The effect is a ballet of traffic mayhem, performed in double quick time, with bandits flying at you from every angle. The impact is somewhere between frightening and hilarious, comical and suicidal, insane and inane.

At Jozani Forest our plus minus 3 hour outing included a stroll to the Mangrove Forest, some excellent Red Colobus monkey sightings, and a walk through an astonishing mahogany gallery forest. Our guide was an accomplished herbalist, and provided us with detailed information about a dizzying array of plants and their medicinal uses. The Mangrove Forest was particularly interesting with many species of tiny crabs, fish, and plants adapted to the saline water environment. The journey to Jozani is definitely worth the effort just to experience the lovely walk along an elevated boardwalk through the thick mangrove forest.

Another view of the mangrove forest showing the peculiarly adapted tree roots, typical of mangrove forests throughout the world. These trees are keenly sought for all types of construction, boats, furniture and a myriad other uses, making them (and the forests themselves) a very threatened habitat type

At the Jozani Forest Reserve, the ‘must see’ mammal is the endemic Red Colobus monkey. There were many of them moving low down in the brushy vegetation between the mahogany forest and the mangroves.

From there, we took a short detour to a small local ocean village resort, with rustic bandas overlooking a simply gorgeous and semi-deserted beach. If this were Miami, there would be hundreds of beach goers spread out on the sand. Here, there was barely a handful of people strolling along the soft white sand.

The highlight of this day was a Spice Tour. I didn’t know quite what to make of the Spice Tour idea in advance of going. It sounded rather touristy, and I anticipated a visit to a factory or spice outlet, looking at different types of packaged spices. The tour instead turned into a fun and highly educational experience, with two young, enthusiastic local guides showing us where spices really come from. For example, we saw a pepper tree with green, red and black berries all on the same tree. We were treated to handling and smelling fresh turmeric root, lemongrass, cinnamon tree bark, some roots with a menthol (Vicks) flavor and several others. And of course the tour would not have been complete without Zanzibar’s signature spice – cloves. We saw it right on the tree in three stages: immature, green with a small bulb (best for picking), and reddish mature. Along the way there were many kinds of fruits which we got to sample, including lychees, mango (green), banana, the weird Jack fruit, and fresh young coconut, from which we enjoyed both the juice and soft pulp. Finally, there were some vanilla beans on the vine and then a nutmeg demonstration. This was really amazing. You are shown a nondescript fruit, somewhat like an apricot in appearance. When split in half, it reveals a hard nutmeg kernel (the way you and I would buy it in a bottle), but here still surrounded by a red plastic-like sheath.

For dinner that evening, Kathleen and I wandered down a narrow alley in Stone Town (it is quite safe) to the Al Johari Restaurant, where she enjoyed some grilled prawns while I had a herb perfumed vegetable medley with a side order of spicy couscous. It was altogether quite pleasant, in an attractive room which was air-conditioned, an important consideration in Zanzibar at this time of the year.

Malaria is definitely an issue in Zanzibar: our driver-guide Fauz and the Jozani forest guide both mentioned multiple bouts with malaria; even their children have had to deal with this scourge.

The next morning (February 3) we had an early breakfast, and were then driven to Zanzibar Airport (like so many things in Zanzibar it really needs some work!) for the short 25 minute flight to Dar Es Salaam. From there, a friendly Canadian lady pilot flew us by Caravn (30 minutes) to Selous Game Reserve, where she dropped off a couple of passengers and picked up two more for the 1 hr 15 minute flight to Jongomero in the Ruaha National Park. Our Tanzania safari adventure was about to begin.

PART 3: INTO THE WILD, RUAHA NATIONAL PARK

The Cessna Caravan flight from the Selous Game Reserve to Ruaha National Park on Feb. 3 was one of the most interesting safari flights we have undertaken in several years. Just as we were gaining altitude coming out of the airstrip at Selous, the pilot pointed out the location of Sand Rivers Camp to us. We would return to this property a couple of days later. It has an ideal location right on the bank of the Rufiji River, overlooking a wide expanse of water.

Further along the way to Ruaha, we flew over some massive sugar cane plantations. Next was an impressive mountainous area which demarcates the escarpment. From the air I could clearly identify some prominent gorges, cliffs and waterfalls. Our pilot put the more than willing Caravan into a gentle climb as the ground was now 3,000 feet closer to us than when we were flying over the Selous. Finally, we descended into the Jongomero Airstrip for a rather tricky uphill landing. The Canadian pilot handled it with skill and confidence. I’d fly with her again anytime.

Jongomero had arranged a very nice welcoming ceremony for us with what appeared to be the entire camp staff complement bidding us a warm welcome, complete with damp towels and a refreshing drink. Our hosts Greg and Isabel introduced us to the camp, gave us the usual briefing (don’t go walkabout at night, watch out for Kingo the ‘camp’ elephant, by all means drink the water but there’s bottled mineral water at extra cost if you prefer) etc. and then left us alone to unpack and settle in.

Soon after, we were treated to a splendid lunch on the riverbank of the dry Jongomero River, a tributary of the Ruaha which in turn spills into the Rufiji. Yeah it took me a while to get it too. How vegan can you be in a place like this where people have to drive for 9 hours one way for a fresh tomato? Very. Jenny’s Noodle House here in Houston would have been thrilled to serve such a nice spread including cellophane noodles, a fresh green salad, and an excellent aubergine side dish. The omnivores had some chicken satay.

At 1530 that afternoon, over tea, we met with our guide Kim for a safari briefing and then set out on our first game drive in Ruaha National Park, which is just about as remote an area as you can get to, nowadays. Remote, beautiful and very atmospheric. This is the Africa of old, when the word ‘safari’ did not immediately conjure up images of massive designer rooms, fresh cut flowers in the room and spa treatments. Ruaha is the real deal where you don’t see many other vehicles. How about NO other vehicles! It might not be the best destination for people going on safari for the very first time. For them, Northern Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara would be a better bet, with their wide-open spaces where the animals are essentially just waiting for you to clap your eyes on them. At Ruaha, you have to work a little harder to gain your game-viewing spurs. And certainly at this time of the year (February, after the first rains had fallen & many of the animals had dispersed) the game-viewing can be challenging, as the bush is exceedingly thick and you have to be persistent – and get lucky – to see some of the more elusive mammals. For example, we had a tough time finding buffalo, even though there are several thousand of them resident in the park.

However, if you are a real safari aficionado who had been to a few other places already, and if you appreciate Africa’s truly wild and unspoiled places and everything they offer, then Ruaha is for you. By all means stay for a few days. Certainly no less than three nights, four would be even better. This place is made for slow travel. Put aside the Blackberry, banish thoughts of spreadsheets from your mind, and embrace the relaxed pace of the bush. Look at the stars, wake up with the light and enjoy the cleanest air you might breathe all year. Ruaha’s climate is about as good as it gets on safari. This was mid-summer and we had to wear wind-breakers on the early morning and later afternoon game drives. There were some pesky tsetse flies here and there on game drives, but we found Mossi Guard (it is available for sale at the camp) to be practically 100% effective against these persistent pests.

On this late afternoon, we did pretty well by finding a couple of male lions, many dik-dik (superb tiny little antelope, bring your binocs!), some zebra (they just would not stand still for a pic!), a couple of elephants on the move, a few waterbuck and giraffe everywhere. I also picked up several new life birds, always a thrill. Ruaha is simply a dazzling birding destination, so if you also happen to be a birder, you’d be in heaven. Our guide Kim was an expert on the local birds so it was great to have him around.

The next morning, I was up very early and tried to do some ab and core exercises, but my heart wasn’t in it. Even with the best of intentions, it is difficult to remain in an ‘exercise’ mode when you are on safari. However I think even camps without mains electricity would do well to make a stationary bike and a rowing machine (a Concept2 of course) available to their guests. But I digress. Breakfast was ‘a la carte’ with eggs to order, and sides of bacon, sausage, beans and mushrooms. I settled for a very creamy porridge of oatmeal cooked with soy milk, some toast and more of the lovely fresh fruit which turned out be a staple item at every meal we had in Tanzania. While enjoying breakfast, a dark shrike-type bird hopped out of the bush on my right hand side, and starting calling quite prominently, duetting with another bird not far away. Setting aside the marmalade, I picked up the binoculars, had a good look, checked out Birds of Africa and voila, a life bird (almost) before breakfast! Slaty-coloured Boubou.

The morning game drive (it starts at 0800A at Ruaha) was somewhat on the quiet side, although we got some excellent looks at giraffe, which seemed to be abundant in the area. Other sightings included Defassa waterbuck, some very elegant kudu (my favorite antelope I think), the ever entertaining warthogs, ubiquitous impala, zebra (skittish!), several troops of yellow baboons, vervet monkeys, and dik-dik around every corner. We were back in camp around 1200 noon.

The afternoon game drive initially started out slow but picked up later when we saw a nice herd of elephants with two young babies, in a very relaxed mood in the middle of the road. We stopped and observed them from far away, so as not to spoil their almost contemplative mood or cause them any stress. The elephants remained in the road for quite a while, peacefully milling about, browsing here and there and just totally in control of the space. Finally, they slowly drifted into the bush and disappeared from view.

At the conclusion of our sundowner stop on the banks of the Ruaha River, where we had been observing some waterbuck and a few marabou storks staring at the water in their usual desultory fashion, Kim started to pack away the fold-up table and other paraphernalia when Kathleen spotted something on the other side of the river. More lions, six of them in fact, standing and moving around in what appeared to be an agitated state. They were just a bit too far for a useful photograph but we had some good looks through the binoculars. Anticipating some action, Kim skillfully maneuvered the truck closer. Maybe the lions had some designs on the waterbuck? It was not to be and we returned to camp.

In the middle of the night Kathleen and I woke up to the sound of running water, of the ‘babbling brook’ variety. I immediately realized what had happened. Sometime the previous day, heavy rain had fallen in the catchment area of the Jongomero well upstream from the camp and this was essentially a flash flood. This was confirmed the next morning at first light. The Jongomero had turned into a real river overnight, having been a river of sand until then. Apparently this usually happens a little earlier every year, but we were happy to be there to observe the phenomenon. The water flowed quite shallow but more than 30 meters wide, the advancing rush of water carrying large chunks of foam with it. Some of the animals in the area must have been just as excited as were were to witness this welcome event. At around 0500A I had heard heavy splashing noises, no doubt caused by some hippo getting their feet wet.

Our last morning game drive at Ruaha was one of the best yet with some great close-up views of an elephant, a most relaxed bull who stood just meters from the vehicle, contentedly selecting mouthfuls of fresh green shoots. We also spotted several black-backed jackals, grey duiker, and naturally more giraffe.

All too soon we had to say farewell to the friendly people of Jongomero Camp. We hope to return here someday perhaps in the dry season and we will be sure to go out on a walk with Molly if he is still there. Next stop: Sand Rivers Camp on the mighty Rufiji River.

PART 4: SAND RIVERS SELOUS

By the time we made it to Nomad’s Sand Rivers Selous lodge in the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania, we had twice flown over the property so we had a notion that this might be a special place. And so it turned out to be. The location is absolutely perfect. Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the broad and slow-flowing Rufiji River, the camp is everything any first-class African safari lodge aspires to be. Romantic, authentic, visually striking and very private.

The huge wood, brick and stone rooms with high canvas ceilings are totally open in front, with dramatic views over the river. Nights (at least in summer) are sultry but quite comfortable inside a huge mosquito net, a powerful yet quiet fan providing a cool breeze. Sleep comes easily among the rhythmic drone of frogs, the occasional grunts and snorts of hippo, and the pleasantly lulling effect of millions of liters of waters rushing off to the Indian Ocean, just meters away from your room. This is truly a place that dreams are made of.

On our first game drive, it quickly became apparent that wildlife is quite abundant in this part of the Selous Game Reserve. In short order I had taken my best photographs yet (at least on this trip) of elephant, one of which twice mock-charged us. Somehow I missed those pics but working with a brand new camera I guess that was to be expected. We also had some superb views of large numbers of Carmine Bee-eaters. Unfortunately our afternoon drive was cut short by 45 minutes or so due to a flat battery. Help came quickly enough for us to get back to camp in time to enjoy a hot shower before dinner at 2000. Compared with the stellar fare at Jongomero, my vegan dinner (beans and couscous with a mixed salad) was nothing special, but nonetheless quite satisfying. The regular main course was grilled snapper with veggies and couscous, dessert being a chocolate pudding. We joined an interesting group table hosted by camp managers Steve and Lynn, an Australian couple. Other than the two of us, all the other guests were British.

On February 6 we were up quite early at 0600 for an 0630 departure by boat up the Rufiji River into Stiegler’s Gorge. The trip on a flat-bottomed aluminum skiff started out from just below the lodge, where the Rufiji stretches out for nearly a half mile wide, with massive sand banks and dense riverine forest on the edges. We saw literally dozens of hippo during the 2-hour trip into the Gorge, where we enjoyed a light breakfast consisting of sandwiches, fruit and tea/coffee. Despite several attempts, I just could not get a decent photo of a hippo, due to poor light and excessive movement on the boat.

Stiegler’s Gorge was definitely worth the trip. Its raw African setting has been spoiled somewhat by a rather prominently placed new lodge, whose air-conditioned units seem out of place. Once past this lodge, the majestic beauty of the gorge with its very heavily wooded slopes is striking. Along the way we spotted several crocodiles on the sandbanks; apparently the bigger ones had been h0ther than the occasional baby-like wail of a Trumpeter hornbill, the screechy territorial calls of many rock rabbits, and the liquid gurgle when an upwelling of water boiled to the surface of this mighty river, one of the largest in Africa together with the Zambezi, the Nile, the Niger and the Congo. The three of us were mostly quiet too. There is little one can – and should – say when the force of nature is on display all around you.

Soon, we were back at the lodge for lunch: your choice of Coronation chicken (I did say many of the guests were British…) or a delicious vegetable curry with couscous, brown rice, a fresh green salad and an excellent fruit salad for dessert. Just as lunch got underway, a massive thunderstorm rolled through camp, sending everybody scampering for cover and the staff dashing around lowering protective canvas around the edge of the dining area. It was a formidable storm with drenching rain, high wind and a few massive thunderclaps.

The storm soon blew over and by 1600 we were ready for tea, followed by a quick inspection trip to nearby Kiba Point, Nomad’s adjacent private camp, with just four rooms. Kiba Point appeared to be an ideal option for an extended family group or friends wanting total privacy and exclusivity. In the busy season, another advantage of staying there is that it has priority in terms of activities; the camp shares vehicles and guides with Sand Rivers. The rooms are similar to those at Sand Rivers, with larger bathrooms, a private plunge pool and two showers, one outside in the garden.

After checking out Kiba Point Kathleen and I and our guide Philip tried our hand at fishing off a large
sandbank across from camp. It was a fun and relaxing outing, even though we only caught one
small catfish. With the river in flood stage, fishing conditions were just not ideal. At other times of
the year I believe some very good catches are possible. Philip was a star – so personable, knowledgeable
and confident, everything you’d want your safari guide to be. Dinner was quite a convivial
affair with our hosts Steve and Lynn. It was tempting to stay up a bit later, but we were scheduled
to depart at 0530 the next morning on a long overland trip to Selous Safari Camp on the northeastern
edge of the Reserve.

Very early on February 7 we were having tea and coffee in our room when a bush baby – there
are several in and around the lodge that have become semi-habituated – lightly jumped onto the
railing in front of our room and then bounced up to the tea box. As I was trying to focus on the
animal in the semi-darkness (they are crepuscular, i.e. mostly active in the dawn and dusk hours) it
stuck its head into the milk pitcher and when we reacted, it jumped back, spilling milk all over the
place. I got off one or two more pics before we ushered our little mammalian visitor out of the
room and cleaned up its mess. This adds to the bottom line for staying at Sand Rivers: the rooms
are open so if you won’t mind a visit from a small furry animal and won’t get freaked out by an occasional
bat or two, then it is for you. We very pleasantly surprised at just how few insects there
were in the room, and this was the season when one would expect more.

Of course we were absolutely delighted at the unexpected company. Would have liked to have
gotten a better photograph though! Next: the long drive to Selous Safari Camp.

PART 5: OVERLAND TO SELOUS SAFARI CAMP

We were up at 0530 on Feb 7 2009 for yet another early breakfast (toast, jam & fruit – alas no soy milk at Sand Rivers Lodge for cereal). With Philip behind the wheel, we set off for what turned out to be a 5.5 hour overland expedition to Selous Safari Camp. Initially, it was very slow-going due to wet and muddy roads. Kathleen and I were both a bit tense but Philip capably guided the heavy Landrover vehicle through or around some nasty spots where it would have been easy to get stuck. As time went by, conditions improved and we started to relax and enjoy the trip. Early on, there were literally hundreds of birds around hawking flying termites from the sky. It was particularly impressive to see many carmine bee-eaters swooping around.

As a game drive, the overland trip was very successful with good views of hyena, side-striped jackal, several small herds of wildebeest, some zebra (still skittish), kudu, warthog and loads of giraffe.

The most amazing experience of the day was a stop at a small lake which produced as interesting a spectacle as I have ever experienced in Africa. There were literally hundreds of crocodiles in the receding lake, lined up side by side and nose to tail, just their heads and backs visible, lurking in the water while waiting for fish to get close enough. When this happy event (for the crocodile, not the fish) occurred, it resulted in jaws snapping shut, with a simultaneous splashing effect. As we were watching, all we could hear and see was one splash followed by another and then another, sometimes several in rapid succession. It’s a tough life out there for a fish in an African lake, when there’s literally nowhere to go. Philip told us that there was an estimated 1,000 crocodiles in this small lake. There were at least 300 of them visible from where we were parked, with many others either submerged or out of sight. There was also a massive raft of hippo in the center of the lake – with several egrets using them as convenient perching spots. Just to top it all, we spotted at least 20 different bird species in and around the lake. Too bad we couldn’t spend more time here, but we had a long way to drive. Sand Rivers Selous Lodge uses this area for a stop-over point for their all-day game drives. I would recommending spending at least 3 nights at Sand Rivers and including the full day game drive in order to reach this area.

From here onwards the change in terrain is noticeable. It changes from riverine bush to open woodland approaching the Beho Beho Camp area, and then morphs into dense woodland in the eastern section of the reserve towards Selous Safari Camp. Just before we reached the designated meeting spot (where a Selous Safari Camp driver would meet us for the last stretch of the drive) we made a stop at Selous’ gravesite. Selous Game Reserve was named after Frederick Courtney Selous, an Englishman whose knowledge of the African bush has entered the stuff of legends. From 1871, and for 40 years hence, Selous developed his intimate knowledge of the wilderness and served as hunting guide for personages as illustrious as (then) former US President Theodore Roosevelt. He died during World War I when he was shot by a German sniper not far from the Ruffiji River near Beho Beho on January 4, 1917. Selous was buried near the site where he died.

Our accommodations at Selous Safari Camp was one of the best designed tents we had experienced to date, octagonal in lay-out with a large veranda both in front and behind the tent; there is a large separate bathroom area and an outdoor (enclosed) shower.

Later that afternoon, we were taken on a pleasant boating outing on Lake Nzerakera, observing many species of birds, some gorgeous natural scenery as well as plenty of hippo and crocodiles. Dinner that night was one of the best on the trip, with delicious stuffed butternut squash as the main course.

On February 8 (another early morning) we enjoyed our first guided walk of the trip, with guides Mpoto and Mashaka. In single file, we walked for what must have been 4 miles or so total, through a variety of habitats including riverine forest and open woodland, making frequent stops when Mpoto would point out animal spoor, droppings, interesting plant species, etc. For example, Mpoto illustrated the symbiotic relationship between ants and a local type of acacia tree. As soon as the tree is disturbed (such as when a browser tries to feed on it), the ants appear in their hundreds and thousands, ready to defend their home against all comers. We also saw quite a bit of game which is unusual on a foot safari: hyena, warthog, giraffe, impala and elephant. At the end of the walk we were treated to a surprise breakfast in the bush, with fresh juice, tea/coffee, toast, egg frittata and oats porridge with soy milk for the vegan. There was also a fresh fruit starter.

Our last game drive at Selous Safari Camp was rather quiet; significant amounts of rain had fallen in
the area lately and this disperses the wildlife. Even so, we had our best sighting yet of a hyena with
a newborn cub. Other visitors who had stayed at this camp just days earlier reported excellent
game-viewing. Given the abundance of resident wildlife in the area, one can confidently visit Selous
Safari Camp with expectations for good to excellent game-viewing. The dry season from June
through September is the best time of the year to visit for game-viewing. As for Jongomero and
Sand Rivers Selous I would highly recommend spending a minimum of three nights at this camp. We
loved Selous Safari Camp and would definitely want to return there. Camp manager Jenny could not
have been nicer and the camp chef went out of his way to accommodate any special diets.

PART 6: SEA, SAND AND TURTLES AT RAS KUTANI
RESORT

Ras Kutani is a relaxed, friendly Indian Ocean Lodge, about a 90 minute to 2 hr drive or a very short flight south of Dar Es Salaam. A few days here make for a perfect end to a safari. No 0530A wakeups, no long bumpy game drives, no getting into and out of safari gear, identifying various new species or jockeying for the best position to take a photograph. None of that. It is easy to have fun at Ras Kutani. It involves a minimum of clothing, lots of sand and sea, great food, exotic cocktails for those so inclined, and great glorious sleep, with a real live ocean and actual wave sounds to take you away. Did I mention a beautiful, big white beach? Ras Kutani is the place to indulge in today’s greatest luxury which is to do nothing. Just sit on your comfortable veranda gazing out over the Indian Ocean, take a nap, read a book, have another meal with some of the freshest ingredient you can imagine, or if you have to, catch up on your safari notes and photographs. The rooms are huge and have fantastic views over the lagoon and ocean, and great big comfortable beds where you’d be tempted to spend a lot of time.

Over the course of a 3-day stay there, we enjoyed some excellent meals including fresh seafood (caught by local fishermen and hand-delivered to the lodge), lots of exotic sub-tropical fruit such as granadilla, papaya, pineapple and mango, some wonderfully creative salads and some vegan staples such as herb-flavored couscous and tabouleh.

One morning Kathleen and I strolled over to the remnants of a ship which stranded near Ras Kutani many years ago and snorkelled in and around what remains of the wreck, observing many colorful species of reef fish. I was also able to resume my training for the Boston Marathon. On both full days there, I ran for about an hour along a sandy track to the main road. It was hot and humid, the sandy footing was not ideal and I was running with new shoe inserts. Even so, it was great to be back on my feet again. There are other things to do at Ras Kutani such as horse-back riding, kayak trips on the lagoon, a forest walk and village visits, but that is not why people come here.

On Tuesday Feb 10 we were told to gather at the beach at 1700 (high tide) to witness some young sea turtles being released into the ocean. The local representive of ‘Sea Sense’ removed the sand from some nesting sites (to which the turtle eggs had been relocated some 55 days previously) and voila, some 40 or so tiny hatchlings started a single-minded scramble to the ocean. The release was timed to occur right at high tide so as to give these vulnerable creatures the best possible chance to make it into deeper water. They need every break they can get: their chance of survival into adulthood is only 1 or 2 in a thousand.

Too soon, our trip came to an end and we had to get back in a car for the bumpy drive back to Dar Es Salaam. Ras Kutani will remain in our memories as a warm and special days to spend a few wonderful, relaxing days. The staff and management were incredibly caring and responsive to our every request – I never needed to ask for soy milk or rooibos tea! Special thanks to Jules for the Dar suggestions – they were all spot on!

We had the better part of a day to kill in Dar Es Salaam and ended up paying a cab driver about
US$45 for three hours, to drive us to various places around town, including The Oyster Bay Hotel,
Sea Cliff Hotel – where we enjoyed lunch with a glorious view – and ending up at the Slipway,
where we made a contribution to the local economy. Kathleen tells me that curios are about 50%
less expensive there than at the safari camps. We had a day room at the Kempinski Hotel which we
would highly recommend to other visitors in the same situation. We made use of the excellent
pool, I spent an hour on a treadmill in the well-equipped gym and we enjoyed a superb dinner at
the Oriental restaurant, reputed to be the best of its kind in Dar Es Salaam.

And then it was time to drive back to the rather dismal DAR Airport, submit to the usual indignities
and inconveniences of multiple security checks and eventually take to the air for the lengthy journey
back to Houston. We had packed a lot into what was not even quite a two week trip and I
would certainly recommend a much more leisurely visit for anyone else. So if you ever find yourself
planning a trip to this marvelous and largely unknown part of Tanzania, take it easy and spend
more time in fewer places. It is the secret to a great safari.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

 

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