Destinations

Kruger Park & Sabi Sand Reserve South Africa (Continued)

17th September 2020

Kruger Park & Sabi Sand Reserve South Africa (Continued)

I wrapped up an extensive educational trip in Kruger Park and in the northern, western and southern sections of the Sabi Sand Reserve, notching up multiple big cat sightings (lions, leopards and cheetahs), some of which rank among my best ever, from a photography perspective. I was also fortunate to find another big pack of African painted dogs one afternoon, on a drive in the western part of the Sabi Sand reserve. The four properties visited during the last week of the trip were Mbali Mbali, Savanna Lodge, Singita Boulders and Chitwa Chitwa.

MBALI MBALI LODGE, KRUGER PARK

Continuing where we left off on a recent late September trip, I was up a little bit later than usual on this day, at Hamilton’s Camp. After a solid English breakfast I collected my things and was driven to the nearby Mbali Mbali camp which sleeps 24 people in 12 rooms. This thatched property has a large lounge and dining room with a high vaulted ceiling. Mbali Mbali appears to be quite suitable for families and small groups in search of a moderately priced safari experience. Several of the guests were on self-drive safaris which reduce the overall cost even further. I arrived in time for lunch which was a self-service buffet with choices ranging from leg of lamb to chickpea salad, slices of pizza and couscous. None of it was gourmet fare but it was tasty and plentiful.

The afternoon and early evening game drive which lasted from about 4 pm until just after 7 pm was predictably quiet. It was simply too windy and unseasonably cold for many of the mammals to be active, and birding was practically impossible under the conditions. Even so, the game drive was not without its highlights. First off, we went in pursuit of a few sable antelope which had been spotted nearby. It took a while but we eventually located the small herd of about six or so sable antelope moving steadily from our right to our left in fairly thick woodland. I never could get a decent capture of one of the magnificent males which was too bad. Nonetheless seeing and following them for the next 20 minutes or so was quite exciting. In South Africa sable antelope are particularly rare and very seldomly seen.

Our last significant sighting of the day was a seemingly abandoned buffalo carcass, being fed on by five or so whitebacked vultures. We looked around for predators, expecting at least some hyenas to be present, but there were none. This was true for only a few minutes though because three hyenas did eventually show up, sniffed around and loped off into the bush again soon after.

Then it was back to the lodge for a plated three-course dinner which was served at 7:30 pm. It was quite good, inclusive of a chicken salad starter, impala fillet for the main course, and malva pudding to end. The highlight of the day was definitely discovering the high-speed broadband at Mbali Mbali. What a pleasure to be able to check email without being totally frustrated by glacially slow data transfer speeds like those at practically all the other camps to this point.

SAVANNA LODGE, SABI SAND RESERVE

After catching up on some work and taking a few bird and small antelope photos around the grounds of Mbali Mbali, I did a site inspection of nearby Hoyo Hoyo. It is a quaint, small camp with six rooms in a traditional African or Tonga style. The lodge had been recently updated with an enlarged deck and extra seating/dining options. It is known for reliably good game-viewing – we saw quite a few elephants close to camp – and is a popular, moderately priced accommodation option.

From inside Kruger Park, it took about three hours by road to get back to the western part of the Sabi Sand Reserve, where my capable and friendly driver from Sable Tours dropped me off at Savanna Lodge. My first impression of Savanna Lodge was mixed due to the proximity of a village, close to the western edge of the Sabi Sand reserve. As I was to see and experience during my stay there, it was not an issue. In fact if visitors want to, they can be taken on a village visit to meet and interact with some of the local people. Savanna has great rooms and amenities. I happily took them up on an offer of ‘emergency’ laundry service and the few items I handed over were back in my room, washed, dried and neatly folded, before dinner. Speaking of which, the meals at Savanna were terrific, served family style. Lots of choices, an abundance of fresh salads and produce, and a convivial atmosphere.

That afternoon’s game drive started on a high note with close-up views of several white rhinos and quickly reached ‘fever pitch’ with the sighting of a pack of about 20 African painted dogs. We followed and observed them for the better part of an hour, with young ones running around all over the place. For a moment there it looked like they might try to take on a zebra but it was not to be. The reaction of one of the zebras was pretty interesting though!

The following morning’s game drive with camp manager Paddy was simply brilliant. It started with a singularly good cheetah sighting with a male cheetah jumping into a tree and just about posing for us – so close to the vehicle that I had to switch to a 24-70mm zoom lens. There was a nice dark blue sky background, so for once no burn out issues in what might easily have been another backlit conundrum. Shortly afterward, the male cheetah – by now down from the tree – got into an altercation with a hyena. This time, I missed the shot, not having enough time to change out the telephoto lens. Note to self: always have a second camera handy for this type of situation. Even an iPhone would have done the job admirably. From there, we had another look at the painted dog pack – by then mostly sleeping. The day wasn’t over yet, though. It ended on another highlight, being a great sighting of a female leopard close to Dulini Camp, posing for us on top of a mound of dirt. If I hadn’t gotten a good photograph of that obliging leopard, I probably would have dumped my photo gear right there and then…

SINGITA BOULDERS CAMP

By 11 am I was on the road again, this time fortunately just a short drive from Savanna to Singita Boulders. I was shown around by Nicole who was friendly and informative and witty – in fact one of the best front of house people I’ve encountered in a long while. Unquestionably, Singita stands at the pinnacle of the photographic safari experience in Africa. It’s all on display at Singita Boulders: exceptional quality architecture and a luxury safari vibe, fine dining from morning until night (there always seemed to be something else delicious to eat) and impeccable service. Pretty much the ultimate safari experience – admittedly at a price.

My wine-tasting experience at Singita underscored the level of sophistication of the operation. For this experience, I was driven a few minutes across to Singita Ebony, the other Singita Sabi Sands property. The young sommelier did a wonderful job introducing a few of us to some fine South African wines including a particularly nice Pinotage blend. One of the guests present was not overly impressed with the selection of wine tasting options and almost jokingly said, “Where is the Rust en Vrede Estate?” Singita being Singita, the sommelier disappeared into a doorway and re-appeared minutes later, brandishing a bottle of Rust en Vrede Estate. Everyone was blown away by the depth and complexity of this Bordeaux style blend. Incidentally, Rust en Vrede was chosen by President Nelson Mandela to be served at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner. Rust en Vrede is produced by winemaker Jean Englebrecht in the Stellenbosch area.

Our game viewing outings from Singita Boulders were on the quiet side, compared with what I had experienced over the previous few days. Even so we (I shared a vehicle with a family from Sweden) saw more Cape buffalo in the area close to the lodge than anywhere else in the Sabi Sands. We also had some excellent rhino sightings in addition to the usual plains game. Guests who spend several days – we would recommend a minimum of three nights – in the Sabi Sands would of course have multiple opportunities to see all of the ‘Big Five’ species and much more. My Singita guide was a stand-out: fun to be with, knowledgeable and able to impart information in a credible manner without lecturing or sounding forced. Clearly in love with her job in the hospitality and wildlife conservation field. All of the other guests on the vehicle remarked on that.

CHITWA CHITWA CAMP

By 11 am the following morning I was on my way to Chitwa Chitwa. This would be the last overnight stop on my lengthy trip. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. The room and lounge layout and design were stylish and creative, without being extravagant. Chitwa Chitwa has massive rooms with air conditioning, indoor bath and shower, and an outdoor shower. It is squarely in the deluxe category, on every level. I liked the wide and gently sloping pathways and the entertaining yet thorough arrival briefing. A rambling, overly long or unnecessarily pedantic camp introduction can be off-putting, but this one was spot-on. Brief, to-the-point and light-hearted, yet touching on all the important safety stuff.

The game drive that afternoon started off on a rather shaky note, with more backlit photos of a leopard against a bright sky background. My guide displayed considerable patience and guiding acumen and somewhat to my surprise (I should have known better), the afternoon ended on a high note when we spent the last hour observing and photographing a couple of baby leopards, in the fading light. They had been secreted by their mother while she was away hunting, but their curiosity overcame their fear and they started to show themselves – barely – peeking out at us from the undergrowth. A magical experience which I will never forget.

On my last game drive of the trip, I was up at 5 a.m, ready to go. If there’s one requirement for a job in the photographic safari business, it is to embrace the routine of getting out of bed super early – often in the dark and when it is cold – day after day. It turned out to be a nice sunny morning, a bit breezy and colder than what one may expect for the South African bushveld in early October. It was yet another productive game drive and perhaps not unsurprisingly, we saw more big cats. I had to stop myself from getting blasé about cat sightings. They are just too rare and too special for anyone to be indifferent about seeing them. Initially, things were quiet but then picked up with a great buffalo sighting. We spent some quality time with a herd of about 50 or 60 Cape buffalo, getting photos of them from a variety of angles in very nice if somewhat bright morning light. And then things got really interesting when the guide spotted a female leopard and her sub adult cub walking through the open woodland, eventually jumping into a tree very close to us. Again, I was caught with too much lens: the fixed 300 mm lens on my D4 was not ideal for the close up action which followed. This is the type of situation where one should ideally have two cameras on hand: one with a shorter zoom lens such as a 70-200 mm. Fortunately the advent of lighter and smaller mirrorless cameras is making this less of an issue than it had been up to now, because of weight restrictions.

My brief stay at Chitwa Chitwa turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire trip. It was friendly, everyone seemed to enjoy working there and every facet of the experience was excellent. The food was a highlight: the dinner starter – a grilled prawn (shrimp) salad – was one of the best I had had in many years. The perfectly cooked lamb loin chops were just as praise-worthy, and ditto for the malva pudding dessert, simply divine.

At the time of my visit, a serious drought was affecting much of the greater Kruger Park area. One of the worst droughts in many years, in fact. It had a serious impact on grazing species such as hippos and buffaloes, many of which died or moved out of the area, either because of a lack of food or as a result of being pursued by lions. There were no issues with the overall quality of the game viewing, in fact it was stellar. Clearly, the predators were having a field day. In 40-plus years of game-viewing, I had simply never seen and photographed such an abundance of big cats and other predators, in one extended trip. Not soon to be repeated either.

In next week’s blog we look at the first of a couple of walking safari options, this one being the WalkMashatu trail in the Tuli block of Botswana.

More Info

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Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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A visit to Kruger National Park & Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa

10th September 2020

A visit to Kruger National Park & Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa

Over the course of a week or so in the Kruger Park area I discovered a couple of superb new camps and revisited an old favorite, saw lots of animals – including many big cats and African painted dogs – benefited from expert guiding and was served some of the best food I’ve ever had on safari.

SINGITA LEBOMBO

On a recent September visit to South Africa, I traveled by road from the southern Sabi Sand area for about three hours to Singita Lebombo, on the eastern edge of the park.

This was my first visit to Singita Lebombo, and it did not disappoint. Singita sets an exceedingly high standard for the safari experience, at all of their Southern and East African properties. As I was to see for myself at Singita Lebombo as well as at Singita Ebony and Singita Boulders – which I were to visit later on – the properties excel at every facet of the guest experience. You might think that the food at Singita is out of this world – and it is – or that the lodges have simply the best stocked wine cellars, which is also true. But it doesn’t stop there. The same attention to quality and detail extends throughout the operation, from the selection and training of guides, to the front of house staff, property management, as well as the planning, design and execution of the lodges. Even more important is how successful the company has been in mobilizing its resources to create programs that benefit the people, wildlife and the areas in which it operates, all to safeguard Africa’s most vulnerable species and natural habitats.

Singita Lebombo is an architecturally striking lodge with clean modern design, lots of glass and plenty of natural light. The main dining room, bar and lounge have beautiful views over the foothills of the Lebombo mountains and Mozambique in the distance. The expansive kitchen turns out simply fantastic food. It takes confidence to attempt dishes of this quality and then to actually live up to advance billing is an achievement anywhere. All the more so here, in such a remote area.

The evening’s entertainment started with drinks in the Boma, by the fireside. It was a festive affair with a range of splendid South African wines and other beverages on offer. Guests had the choice of four white and four red wines including a Chardonnay, Chenic Blanc, Rose, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

The food was bountiful too. The main offering was a range of charcoal grilled meats including beef, springbok, eland, lamb and beef ribs, pork ribs, and boerewors, the traditional South African ‘farmer’s sausage’, usually made with ground beef, sometimes a mix of beef and either pork or lamb. The starters were fantastic including snook pâté and chicken liver pâté, sweet corn fritters, Moroccan quinoa salad, citrus beetroot salad, ostrich sausage with bread pockets, sourdough bread, hummus, and marinated olives. If all that didn’t quite do it for you, you could also opt for fish fillets, grilled chicken, and oxtail stew. Side dishes included lentil bobotie, traditional ‘pap’ (a version of polenta), cabbage, shish kabobs with peanut sauce, sweet potatoes with a citrus reduction, broccoli and cauliflower, corn on the cob, and fruit skewers with ginger sauce. For dessert the chefs prepared a couple of South African traditional favorites, namely malva pudding and milk tart, and a peppermint crisp mousse. In recounting this menu, it occurred to me that I need to go back to this property immediately.

The morning game drive at Singita with our guide Margo started just after 6 am on a cloudy, rather blustery day. Margo succeeded admirably in making it a fun experience for the couple of safari veterans she had on board, as well as for a honeymooning couple from the USA, for whom it was game drive #1.

Although there were not large numbers of general plains game around, we did see a good variety of animals including plenty of giraffes, lots of Impala, some waterbuck, steenbok, several zebras here and there and a few wildebeest.

Of the bigger game species, sightings of note included two different male lions. One young intruder into the area just under four years old, the other a fully mature black maned individual, one of the dominant males in the local pride.

We also had good looks at a solitary old Buffalo whose face was often almost covered with several red billed oxpeckers and a large, handsome white rhino. Rhinos are apparently not easily seen in this area.

Lunch was started off with a flavorful focaccia bread with olive oil and fresh feta cheese. The tapas menu included carrot and coconut soup, apple walnut grape salad, beetroot polenta with white wine reduction, shimeji mushrooms, a butternut risotto, salmon tartare and carpaccio of kudu. All interesting, all expertly prepared and delicious.

The afternoon game drive at Singita was as good as any I had experienced on the trip thus far. Early on we observed a female leopard snoozing close to a recent kill, an unfortunate impala strung up in a tree just a few meters from where the leopard was resting. The leopard was the most relaxed of any of the Lebombo leopards and she paid not a whit of attention to our vehicle or to the two others which came and went. From there we proceeded to a different area where another leopard had killed an impala, close to the overhang of a cliff, alongside the Nuanetsi river. There was no sign of the leopard and the carcass seemed to have been abandoned. Later that afternoon we watched a black backed jackal sniffing around the area.

Shortly afterwards, having picked up our tracker Lawrence again – he had to do some remedial work on tracks our vehicle had left in the riverbed – we went on to our second lion sighting at Singita Lebombo. This time around there were two female lions belonging to the Mountain pride, walking away from a pan where they had been drinking. One of them crossed the road in front of us and it was painfully obvious that she had a bad case of mange. No doubt brought on by the stressful conditions of the drought. We were told that the cubs in this pride were currently malnourished due to an injured free-loading male lion who was hogging much of the food supply. One of the lionesses turned around and went back to the water where we had a chance to see her drink. And then almost as an added bonus we enjoyed our second leopard sighting of the day. This time it was a female lying on the road. She got up as we approached and slunk off towards the bushes, in the gathering darkness. Not alarmed or spooked, but somewhat more apprehensive than some of the more habituated individuals we had seen. There was not enough light to focus for photography but it definitely didn’t matter – the experience was firmly embedded in our personal memory banks. Dinner was superb again with a starter of seafood and ostrich fillet main course.

KIRKMAN’S KAMP, SABI SAND RESERVE

In somewhat of a departure from the usual early morning game drive, I did a site inspection at the nearby Singita Sweni Lodge, and the adjacent African village shopping area. Both impeccable. Singita Sweni Lodge’s seven spacious, open-plan suites are tucked into the banks of the Sweni River. The rich and vibrant interiors add to the dramatic look and feel of the lodge. The suites feature sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling glass, there are daybeds for sleeping under the stars and private decks that seem to float above the river.

At 11:00 I departed on a 3 hour drive to Kirkman’s Kamp, in the Sabi Sand Reserve. We first visited Kirkmans when it was still in the MalaMala stable, many years ago. We liked it then and nothing material has changed. The game-viewing is still as good as it gets, with all of the ‘Big Five’ mammals being seen practically every day, week in and week out. From the first time we saw it, we were drawn to Kirkman’s classic safari ambience. Built in the style of an original 1920’s homestead, the property is elevated on a high ridge with spectacular views over the landscape sloping down to the Sand River.

After a delicious al fresco lunch, it was time for the afternoon game drive departing at 3:20. Having received a very proper briefing, we trundled out of camp, the main objective being to locate a male lion coalition of two. We did that in short order, initially observing them in a rather sleepy, resting posture and then walking through the bush. Both lions sported beautiful black manes – and one of them had a prominent dislodged right lower incisor dangling from his lip. It didn’t seem to faze him at the time; the tooth was expected to fall off by itself soon enough.

That evening, we enjoyed a boma dinner, a rather elaborate affair capped with a lively singing and dancing performance by staff members. The menu included corn soup or asparagus as a starter; mains of chicken Cordon Bleu or grilled fillet of kudu and the grand finale was either an orange panna cotta or sticky toffee pudding.

The following morning’s activity started with a call to my room, prompting me to remain indoors for the next 20 minutes due to the presence of a leopard in the path in front of room number 10 and 11. I was in room number 13. Once the coast was clear, I made it to the reception area deck for a cup of coffee and a rusk, and then – naturally – we were off to find the ‘camp-exploring’ leopard. It didn’t take long. About 30 minutes later we were making our way through some pretty thick bush to where the leopard had been seen walking. It eventually got into a tree, where we were able to photograph it fairly well. Not ideal – due to a backlit situation – which wildlife photographers know is a problem without a real solution. You make the most of it with exposure variation, increasing the exposure by a few increments, trying to correct the exposure on the darker animal, without blowing out the lighter background. Somewhat unexpectedly the leopard snarled at our vehicle a couple of times – it was clearly not entirely happy with the situation.

Eventually the animal climbed down the tree and walked to a nearby ridge from where it observed the surroundings from its elevated position.

Unbeknownst to us the male lions which we had observed the previous night had made a kill only 300 meters down the ridge from where the leopard was sitting. In fact, we could see the lions from there. We made our way back to the road, drove around the corner and there they were: both of the boys literally sprawled out in the middle of the bush track. Just 20 meters or so away, was their thoroughly mauled buffalo victim. Its massive head had been bent backwards and sideways in an unnatural, clearly violent manner when it met its demise sometime the previous night.

The lions were not actively feeding, just lying there and resting up before going back to the buffalo carcass again. It would probably last them for a couple of days or more.

We then drove off to the bank of the Sand River where we stopped for a bush break and enjoyed a cup of coffee.

Just as we were finishing up, the radio came alive with news that a group of African painted dogs had been spotted in the Charleston sector of adjacent Malamala game reserve where Kirkman’s has traversing rights. Off we went to go and find them. After 10 minutes or so of steady but not overly fast or aggressive driving, we spotted the first of what would prove to be about 20 dogs in total.

We followed the painted dogs through the woodland, into the riverbed where they paused for a while, some of them drinking water from a depression, and then we picked them up again as they exited the river on the other side.

All the while the youngsters were sniffing at everything and clearly finding new and exciting things along the way. They stopped to inspect a buffalo skull and horns, ducked behind stumps, poked into bushes and generally followed the lead of the adult painted dogs who were running ahead of the pack, seemingly in hunting mode. By the time the pack started to disperse and move into thicker bush, it was time for us to return to camp for breakfast.

HAMILTON’S CAMP KRUGER PARK

A little later that morning I was on my way to Hamilton’s tented camp, a six-roomed property inside the Kruger Park about a two hour drive from Skukuza airport and about 2.5 hours from Kruger gate.

The camp can also be reached by road from Hoedspruit airport; this would entail a road transfer closer to 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

The drive from Skukuza to Hamilton’s was not unpleasant with good numbers of general plains game to be seen including zebra, buffalo and giraffe. I also spotted two white rhinos grazing around a depression where recent rainfall had resulted in a bit of green emerging vegetation.

I liked what I saw on arrival at Hamilton’s: it had an attractive lounge and dining room area located on the banks of a river, with beautiful tented rooms with air conditioning, a bath and outdoor shower, mosquito nets, ample storage space plus adequate lighting.

The afternoon game drive started slowly but it soon became apparent that there were lots of animals around. We were almost never not in sight of something: giraffe, kudu, zebra, elephant, buffalo, warthog, impala, there were animals everywhere. The afternoon ended on a high note with an excellent leopard sighing, being a solitary male lying up in the open on a sandy bank along a drainage line. He was apparently very full from just having fed on an impala, so not very active. It suited me just fine for a few photographs.

Our last day in the Kruger Park was not an ideal day to be on safari. It was blustery and downright cold at times with a strong wind whipping around camp, and right through the passengers in the semi open game drive vehicles. And of course the animals were not immune to the impact of the weather. My capable guide Gareth and I gave it a good shot and he did manage to find and show me the young male leopard in the marula tree, which we had briefly spotted earlier. The leopard was finishing up the last of the impala kill which was by now reduced to mostly skin, ribs and leg bones. After about 10 minutes or so the leopard dropped down from the tree and disappeared into the low bushes.

With the wind becoming even stronger and some rain making things decidedly unpleasant, we called it a day and returned to camp.

In next week’s blog: I travel to the northern and then western part of the Sabi Sand reserve in search of more special places and experiences.

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Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

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A Visit to Northern Botswana Continued

3rd September 2020

A Visit to Northern Botswana Continued

JAO CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

Having taken my farewell of the Kalahari for a while, I was driven back to Maun where I got back on a small plane for the half hour flight or so, to Jao in the western part of the Okavango Delta. What more is there to be said about Jao other than that it is perfect. Since way back to when we first visited it in 2000, not long after it was opened, Jao has been on our ‘Groundhog Day’ list – a place where you can wake up every morning for the rest of your life and be happy.

The rooms are gorgeous: massive, romantic, dramatic, the stuff of dreams. The same adjectives can be applied to the rest of the property: the main lounge and bar area, the outside seating areas, the library, and extending right out to the gym and spa. Even the dingiest of camps can look romantic at night, but Jao passes the daylight test with flying colors. Does it still look good in the unflattering glare of the midday sun? Definitely yes. Which puts it in very select company.

Dinner was predictably excellent on the night I was there. Even the most jaded of travelers will long remember nightfall at Jao. The sensational views of the sun setting over the Delta, the soft pink glow lasting for what seems to be hours as the birds go silent, the reed frogs start up to their metallic clinks, and the last few baboon noises dying away as they settle down in the trees.

On an afternoon boating outing I caught (and released) a decent-sized tiger fish, much to my surprise and much to the delight of the guide, who was even happier about it than me. Even if I hadn’t caught a thing, it would have been a great afternoon. Being in a small aluminum skiff exploring the bywaters and lagoons of the Okavango Delta can easily push you into a Walter Mitty moment. There you are, expertly piloting the craft along the deceptively serene-looking waterways, taking just the right line to smoothly glide around a tight corner. Fortunately, the imaginary helmsman doesn’t have to concern himself with the myriad of unseen obstacles lurking below the surface. Shallow sand-banks, hidden tree stumps and sometimes – a misplaced hippopotamus. Those ones that are supposed to be in deeper water…

Our morning game drive at Jao was fairly uneventful except that I got a couple of nice bird photos including a Plainbacked Pipit and a Malachite Kingfisher in superb morning light. To be sure, there were lots of elephants around and some general plains game. Ordinarily, we’d advise guests at Jao to take a day outing to nearby Hunda Island, if they are keen to see predators such as leopards and lions, among others.

Upon my return to Jao, there was a surprise waiting for me: a 20-minute helicopter flight over the Delta with Helicopter Horizons, courtesy of Wilderness Safaris. What a treat and what a special experience! This was fast turning into the ‘helicopter trip’. Great to start working on a new skill, aerial photography.

PELO CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

En route to Pelo Camp – which would be a new property for me – I did a site inspection at Kwetsani which is now even more impressive than before. Pretty much the ideal – classic – Okavango Delta experience with rooms that are well beyond the standard of a normal, run-of-the-mill classic camp. One thing which will always be the same at Kwetsani is the time tested views over the large floodplain in front of camp, where there’s almost always some birds and animals around. Then it was on to Pelo which I liked right away. Quite small, with only 5 rooms, tucked away on a well-vegetated island right in the heart of the Delta, Pelo is all about experiencing a typical Okavango Delta water camp with boating, mokoro outings and walking on the islands. Pelo has a particularly nice communal area, intimate and inviting. The afternoon boat trip was rather quiet but the other boat saw a breeding herd of 50-plus elephants. As always it’s a matter of time and place.

We enjoyed a boma dinner outside with an entertaining singing and dancing performance from the staff. Great memories!

On my last morning at Pelo, I took my best photos yet of a Pel’s Fishing Owl, a rarely seen nocturnal bird. Prior to my visit, I had been alerted to the fact that there was a female Pel’s raising a chick outside tent number four. Emerging from tent #4 that morning, there it was: staring me down as it was bringing some food (it looked like a piece of fish) for the baby. I managed quite a few exposures in good light. Simply an amazing bird! Later that morning I enjoyed yet another enjoyable and interesting boat ride. There were lots of colorful birds to be seen, with African Fish Eagles being visible practically every few hundred meters. We also had great looks at a few decent sized Nile crocodiles.

SABLE ALLEY CAMP, KHWAI

After a good breakfast it was back to the airstrip for a flight to the Khwai area, where I would spend the next two nights at Sable Alley. The main area is about as good as it gets in Botswana, with a huge open-design deck and dining room, overlooking a pond. The camp also has a beautiful pool. The tented rooms – spread out along a boardwalk in a wetland habitat, were well planned and executed. Spacious, with a large veranda and a usable bench, excellent ventilation, and superior indoor lighting – the best of any camps I’ve been to lately. Add to that a comfortable bed and bedding, separate toilet, ample storage space, an effective waterfall shower head as well as scaldingly hot water, and an outdoor shower on a raised wooden deck.

Our afternoon game drive with guide Tony and trainee Teenage turned out to be surprisingly good despite conditions not being ideal. There were several small groups of elephant, some seen quite close up, and we had some good views of kudu and impala. The most notable sighting was a couple of sub adult African Painted Dogs at a suspected denning site. We watched them for a while before they loped into the bush. According to our guide Tony the alpha female had already given birth to a litter of pups; it remained to be seen how many pups there were, and if the pack would raise them in that location.

We returned to camp for a quick shower, drinks and excellent dinner.

Our Sunday morning game drive was on the quiet side although first time visitors to Africa would’ve been quite happy to see as many elephants as we did. It was noticeable that the elephants in the concession have a lot of ‘attitude’ compared with elephants in most other areas. Likely a holdover from the days in which hunting was allowed in the area, resulting in the elephants being a bit wary and giving vehicles and people a wider berth than one might anticipate. We came across several small groups of up to 10 or so elephants with several young ones including a couple of tiny babies. Clearly the elephants are doing well.

Later on during the drive we came across zebra, kudu, some giraffe, and plenty of impala. Fantastic birds. In line with my previous experiences in this area, it is best visited in the dry season from July through October.

That afternoon I relocated to Hyena Pan, which looked like quite an interesting spot, again likely to be a much better bet in the dry season than when we were there. Located on the edge of a water hole, the camp is rustic but perfectly comfortable, with a cozy common area and large dining room. Our guide there – Daniel – was one of the best to date on the trip: energetic and enthusiastic. We drove about 40 minutes in the Khwai village direction, mostly through non-productive mopane forest. Once we reached the more open area and riverine bush strips of the NG 18 concession, we started to see plenty of game. Initially a mating pair of lions and then a group of four painted dogs which we followed for a while. They kept moving so photography was hit and miss; lots of excitement though. The evening was rounded off with a good buffet meal with beef stroganoff as the main attraction.

CHITABE CAMP, MOREMI

Late this morning I was on a flight to Chitabe, a Wilderness Safaris classic property in the far south-eastern part of the Okavango Delta. Almost immediately I started seeing giraffes, zebras and elephants – clearly there was an abundance of general game all over the area. Since my visit the main area at Chitabe has been rebuilt. The rooms were superb: plenty of space, good lighting, huge mosquito nets, hot water bottles at night, a tea and coffee station, sufficient charging points.

On the afternoon game drive we had yet more views of elephants, zebras, giraffes and a large pride of lions. We enjoyed sundowners at a small, peaceful lake. The excellent dinner that evening was served family style.

I was up at 05:30 am the next morning for a light breakfast, embarking on the game drive just after six. The drive presented our best views yet of spotted hyenas at their den, producing a few nice shots in good morning light. Then we got word about a pack of African painted dogs, and found 20 of them resting up and snoozing in the shade of a vehicle on the edge of the Chitabe airstrip. The light and vantage point was not great but I managed a few photographs.

Then it was back to camp where a huge elephant bull was barring the front entrance, at least for a while. Following on a tasty brunch, we enjoyed an impromptu drumming performance by one of the staff members. By 2:30 pm I was back at the airport, with multiple elephant, zebra, kudu, impala and giraffe sightings en route. Indicative of the wealth of game in the Chitabe area, I had to assist the guide in chasing impala, warthogs and giraffe from the airstrip to make it safe for the incoming aircraft, who would take us on to our next camp.

Chitabe certainly lived up to expectations and indeed exceeded them. The rooms are great and now that the rebuild of the main area has been completed it will likely rival just about any other northern Botswana camp for supremacy in delivering a big game experience.

VUMBURA PLAINS, OKAVANGO DELTA

Just after 3:00 pm I was on the way to Vumbura Plains in the northern part of the Okavango Delta. A bit later than planned, due to an unexplained flight delay. Once in camp – it is a rather lengthy and bumpy drive from the airstrip to the camp – I spent the next hour or so looking around the recently rebuilt main building. It was quite impressive with clean, elegant lines, open to the environment and awash in natural light, with ample seating options in an expansive dining area. Even if you spend several days at Vumbura Plains, you would rarely enjoy a meal in the same spot twice.

After a quick introduction, we walked down the boardwalk to room number one. There were no apparent changes to the room which I had seen for the first time some years previously. Spacious, lots of natural light, decent interior lighting, an impressive indoor shower with a view as well as outdoor shower. A bathtub was oddly lacking – one would expect to see it in a deluxe property like Vumbura Plains; in fact an outdoor tub would be a nice touch. After a delightful dinner with the camp manager it was off to bed, early.

After an early breakfast it was time to saddle up for the morning game drive with my guide Ron. Initially it was slow but after about an hour we found four beautiful young male lions, not quite into their prime but not far from it either. Next was a herd of about nine or so sable antelope. These rarely seen and sparsely distributed antelope are fond of fairly tall grass, often seen in relatively thickly vegetated woodland such as in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

This particular group was as approachable as any Sable I’ve ever encountered, the two females allowing us to approach them quite closely. The light was still fairly good and I captured a few decent images. The dominant male sable was not at all cooperative. It was as if he knew that he was the one that we ‘really’ wanted to see, playing hide and seek with us for 30 minutes. He proceeded to deliberately and seemingly determinedly walk from one thicket to another without as much as stopping even once, to give us a good look. The sighting was a big plus in my book as Sable antelope was the one species I had specifically mentioned when asked by Ron – at the outset of the game drive – whether there was something particular I wanted to see. Being able to deliver on a very tricky animal such as this one counts a lot.

The game drive got even better with sightings of a large herd of buffalo at the waterhole and then an equally large herd of fifty plus elephants stampeding through the woodland. Their irate trumpeting and a dust cloud announcing their whereabouts, from afar. They were apparently entering a new or dangerous area and all of the older females were trumpeting and running around. Towards the final stage of the stampede, three of the females – including what appeared to be the matriarch female – started to approach the vehicle in somewhat of a threatening pose. We were ready to decamp at a moment’s notice, but in the end it was not necessary. Plenty of adrenalin though.

CAPTURE AFRICA, KHWAI REGION

Due to a flying mix up my planned 11:25 a.m. departure from Vumbura did not take place, but it was deftly replaced by a helicopter flight of about 20 minutes or so direct to Khwai River Lodge, where I was picked up by Brian Gibson of Capture Africa. An hour or so later we were at Capture Africa‘s private campsite on the Khwai River

Capture Africa specializes in high-quality private mobile tented safaris mostly in the Khwai, Moremi and Okavango Delta areas, but they can set up private mobile campsites and provide support services literally anywhere in Botswana.

Adding a few days of “real“ camping to a mostly lodge-based itinerary adds an extra layer of authenticity and adventure to a trip; for many people this is as close as they may ever come to the bush.

That afternoon, from our exceedingly comfortable camping site we saw an elephant walk along the floodplain, splashing its way through the shallow water and down the river. It was a pleasant change to what I had been doing seemingly nonstop the preceding few days, which was finding the wildlife out on game drives. Having them come to you is infinitely more rewarding and relaxing.

Brian Gibson – who heads up Capture Africa – is clearly passionate about the wilderness. He is a highly experienced guide himself and it was quite a revelation spending a day or so in his company, trying to absorb his pithy advice and in-depth knowledge of the area and its wildlife as well as its people. On a drive with Brian the next day we got lucky with African painted dogs on the move – the thrill of the chase! – and we enjoyed a great lion sighting as well. The Khwai region is clearly a productive game-viewing environment, however the number of vehicles per sighting was notably higher than most of the other areas we visited on this trip.

Our party of four people enjoyed a particularly splendid meal at Capture Africa’s mobile tented camp that night, spending another hour or so around the campfire afterwards. It was just us, a brilliant sky, and what must have been close to 4,500 stars above. That being the maximum number visible to the human eye, which can only detect stars brighter than magnitude 6 to 6.5. Just as noticeably, there was practically no man-made ambient light, no noises and no disturbances. Not that it was totally quiet. If you knew what you were listening to, there was what sounded like a lost – or lonely – jackal, a few hungry hyenas and a couple of African scops owls advertising their presence with their chirp-like calls. The African bush at night.

EBONY CAMP, LINYANTI

This morning I flew from Khwai to the Linyanti floodplain for an overnight at Ebony camp, African Bush Camps’ family option, adjacent to the similar but slightly larger Linyanti Bush camp. Room number 10 at Ebony Camp is the designated family room.

Either camp would be an ideal safari choice for visitors, particularly from about June/July through October and early November, in the dry season. At that time of the year the floodplain attracts good numbers of elephant, buffalo and other big game species including predators.

At the time of our visit in mid-May the surrounding bush was still quite thick which made game viewing challenging. Even so, we saw several small herds of elephants, hippos in the river and a coalition of three male lions. As well as some giraffe, waterbuck, impala and exceptionally good birdlife.

The camp is clearly well-managed and I found the staff to be friendly and approachable. It would be nice to have the tent door zippers replaced with regular doors. Only two of the rooms (honeymoon room and family room) have bathtubs. The other rooms have showers with hot water available at all times.

The grand finale of my Botswana trip was yet another helicopter ride, this time to check out the Linyanti River and its denizens which included several pods of hippopotamus, giraffes drinking, a few crocodiles. From the air, there was a dearth of any signs of human encroachment. There are so few places left in the wilderness which are truly remote and this is one of them.

My next stop would be South Africa, for a return visit to the Kruger Park and Sabi Sand reserve. Details to follow in our blog post to be published next Friday.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Okavango Delta

3rd October 2022

Camp Okavango, Botswana

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Nyerere National Park

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Botswana

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4th August 2022

On Safari At Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta

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A Visit to Northern Botswana

27th August 2020

A Visit to Northern Botswana

Abu’s elephants, meerkat moving day & brown hyenas at Jack’s Camp

LITTLE VUMBURA AND ABU CAMP

On a recent May trip to Northern Botswana, I revisited a couple of spectacular tented camps in the northern part of the Okavango Delta, interacted with the Abu Camp elephant herd – joining them in the water for a mokoro trip – flew by helicopter to Mombo for a rhino darting and tagging experience, finally made it to the enigmatic Jack’s Camp in the Kalahari, observed baby meerkats being moved from one den to another, and had my best ever outing with a small San family, at Meno A Kwena Camp.

But first, I ran into the ‘Maun Madness’ phenomenon. This is what happens when three international flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town – operated by SA Airlink and Air Botswana – arrive in Maun at about the same time and the disembarking passengers swamp the tiny immigration and customs facility. Essentially, it was a mess. We arrived at 1:30 p.m. and it wasn’t until 3:00 p.m. that we were through immigration and ready to fly to our first camp – Abu. On the way to Abu we made a stop at Little Vumbura Camp in the northern part of the Okavango Delta, for a site inspection. It took about twenty minutes or so for the drive to the camp, the final approach being by boat – the only way to get into and out of the property. Since my previous visit, the rooms had been enlarged, which was a significant improvement. Little Vumbura is one of Wilderness Safaris’ most popular ‘mixed activity’ Okavango Delta camps, and it is easy to see why. It’s beautiful, romantic and epitomizes the singular appeal of luxury tented camping in Northern Botswana. The sandy walkway which connects the main lounge and the various rooms, retains a sense of immediacy and intimacy, guests remaining more connected to the forest environment than in a camp with a boardwalk.

Not too long afterwards, we were enjoying a splendid plated dinner at Abu Camp, which I had visited three years previously. There were no obvious changes: the rooms were still large, luxurious and well equipped. I relished the opportunity to spend some time in the gym – not a common facility in safari camps in N. Botswana. The following morning we were re-introduced to the Abu elephant herd. Naledi – which had been a slightly rambunctious youngster when we were at Abu last – had now grown into an assertive juvenile and even the elephant handlers were wary around her. Our group split into two with some of us going for a walk with the elephants, and the others doing a game drive. We then switched, walking at quite a pace with the matriarch Kathy following behind. The activity ended with all of us feeding the elephants their favorite snack food – dry pellets – which they consumed by the handful, and clearly very happy to do so!

Were back in camp around 11:30 a.m. for lunch and in the afternoon enjoyed a talk by Map Ives from Botswana Rhino Conservation about the challenges facing both White and Black rhino in Southern Africa. If conservation efforts fail to curtail the current rate at which these animals are being decimated, they could all be extinct in the wild as early as 2024. A rather depressing scenario. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a typical Okavango Delta activity – boating along a channel in a beautiful, serene environment.

MOMBO CAMP AND RHINO DARTING

This day turned out to be one of my best days ever in Africa. It included two scenic helicopter flights from Abu to Mombo, one in the morning and another one in the afternoon, both totally exhilarating and as exciting as anything I’ve experienced in my life. In the morning there was more cloud cover resulting in the light not being as good in the afternoon, when the natural color showed up much more effectively. At Mombo, we observed and participated in a rhino darting experience from start to finish.

In what turned out to be a textbook operation, the team members consisting of Rhino Conservation Botswana and Wilderness Safaris with operational support provided by a local veterinarian and three pilots from Helicopter Horizons fully concluded and completed the operation in just over two hours, with the darted rhino being immobilized for less than 40 minutes. Once the animal was down and stabilized, the veterinarian and her assistants kept it cool and monitored its vital statistics while a security-related procedure was completed. Less than a minute after being injected with an antidote, the rhino stood up, looked around for a few seconds and then slowly and calmly walked into the bush. Clearly not suffering from any major side effects, it started to browse on some shrubs, almost immediately.

In addition to the expense of translocating rhinos from one country to another which costs about $80,000 per animal, a single darting and tagging operation costs as much as $15,000. Much of this goes towards helicopter and vehicle expenses, as well as for manpower and related costs.

While organizations such as Botswana Rhino Conservation have good support in the way of manpower and physical assistance they are in dire need of money to pay for professional services, fuel and specialized equipment. Visitors to Northern Botswana are encouraged to contribute to this vital undertaking, either directly at the BRC site Donate to Rhino Conservation or by supporting one or more of the BRC partners in the area.

The following morning, I was up early to go on a mokoro outing along with the elephants. Getting out on the sparkling clean water of the Delta is always a great experience and being able to do so alongside the Abu herd is even better. In fact, it turned out to be one of my best outings yet at Abu Camp: very intimate and close-up with the ellies, observing them walking through the water splashing and playing and enjoying the area. A couple of the younger ones were occasionally just about totally submerged, diving and jostling with each other, while Kathy was lumbering through the water just a few meters away to my right. Later in the morning I flew back to Maun and then connected with Major Blue Air to Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikadi Pans.

JACK’S CAMP, KALAHARI

Never having made it to Jack’s Camp until this trip, I was super amped to finally be there, to contextualize all those romantic photos I had seen over the years, and to substantiate all the fascinating stories and tales I had heard and read about. It’s always a bit risky to actually step into such a highly romanticized place: how is it ever going to live up to the promises? Can it be as good as advertised? I need not have been concerned. Nothing can prepare you for your first visit to Jack’s Camp. It starts with the location right on the edge of the massive Makgadikgadi Pan, an archetypal desert outpost setting if there ever was one, complete with palm trees rustling in a warm breeze. You don’t have to suspend your disbelief – much – as you step into the 1940’s, entering a romantic, long ago era. The design, the rooms, the carpets, the Persian tea tent, the artifacts, they all work together to create a wonderful, one of a kind atmosphere.

The simple but spacious tents, in my case a twin with two elevated beds, have teak furniture everywhere, with a wonderful Persian rug practically inviting you to take your shoes off and duck beneath the tasselled bed canopy for a well-deserved nap between activities.

Jack’s Camp is all about mounds of pillows, oriental rugs, brass lamps, and low tables inviting you to sit down, cross your legs and enjoy the genteel atmosphere of bygone days. A Pimms No. 1 cup cocktail with some smoked salmon and delicate cucumber sandwiches? Of course.

The camp is slated for an extensive rebuild, to re-open some time in 2021, with much larger rooms, wood-burning stoves for the cool evenings and morning, and an overhead bed cooling system for the summer months. The ensuite bathrooms will have both indoor and outdoor showers and each veranda will have a private plunge pool. There will be a new, larger mess tent, the natural history museum will be retained, and it will be rounded off with a library, antique pool table and a well-stocked drinks chest. The iconic nomadic Persian tea tent will be made larger, whilst the swimming pool pavilion will be reimagined with the addition of a sun deck. A dedicated spa tent will be added.

I can’t say that I was thrilled by the rather dimly lit tent which I returned to after dinner. Over the years, some visitors to Jack’s may have considered the storm lamps to be romantic, others – like me – might have been put off by the detectable smell of paraffin fumes. Not that it bothered me that much, but I am a stickler for adequate lighting in any safari environment. Poorly lit tent interiors pretty much guarantee a never-ending struggle with getting dressed and getting ready – almost always done when there isn’t sufficient ambient light.

Dinner at Jack’s Camp was excellent. The standard set menu (unless you had dietary requirements) was a superb curry dish with a tamarind infused sauce. The sides – which included roast potatoes – were just as good, as was the starter of butternut soup and the dessert, a rich lime tart. I slept exceedingly well in the dry, cool desert night.

The next morning was supposed to be all about the meerkats. The planned activity was to spend time at one of Jack’s Camp’s habituated meerkat colonies. As it turned out, we spent a bit too much time scouting around for lions which were present in the area, resulting in us getting to the meerkats just as they were leaving the den for the day, dispersing into open scrub terrain where they spend much of their time, foraging for food. We were fortunate to get a few decent pics of the meerkat minders moving a few of the youngest babies from one chamber to another.

As it turned out, the fruitless morning search for the lions was not an issue as we would have another crack at the meerkats, the following day. That afternoon, we went out looking for the lions but came up empty-handed once more. Even so, it was quite an adventurous outing. Late that afternoon, just before sunset, we observed several brown hyenas in decent light and relatively close up. We spent a good amount of time observing these beautiful, rarely seen creatures, the young ones being quite dog-like in appearance. Back in camp, yet another tasty dinner was enjoyed by all, this time a rather peppery, nicely tender lamb shank.

The following morning, we were up early for a second visit to the meerkat colony. This time around, there were no ‘lion delays’ en route, so we were in place to see the meerkats emerging from the den at about 7:25 a.m. Soon, there were several meerkats out and about in good light, including three babies. One of the youngsters went out with the clan into the veld, while the others remained behind. A future leader in the making, no doubt.

MENO A KWENA, KALAHARI

From Jack’s Camp, we drove to the quirky Planet Baobab for a site inspection (great baobab forest!) and from there about two hours to Meno A Kwena camp on the banks of the Boteti River. The Boteti forms the border of Makgadikgadi National Park. The camp is built on a high bluff overlooking the river, providing an unusually good view in a country which is mostly just – flat.

Later that afternoon I joined three other guests on a fascinating nature walk, with a small San family, hailing from a Botswana village on the country’s far western border with Namibia. The group led us on a 90 minute outing along a nature trail. The outing was interesting on several levels: observing and listening to the San family members talking to each other and singing, in their spectacularly difficult-sounding language which is full of clicks, pops and other sound effects. Just the sounds of the five vowels alone, are astonishing.

We enjoyed the friendly and engaging nature of all of the family members, with three of the young men being particularly animated and energetic. We were very much cognizant of the fact that the lifestyle as embodied by this small group, exists only in a few and ever dwindling pockets in the remote desert areas of southern Africa. Their way of life and their very existence are on the line due to these gentle, harmless people being pushed out of their traditional areas and being marginalized in the process.

We observed – and participated to the degree that we were comfortable with – in an impromptu game, accompanied by much hilarity. The group leader then showed us how to make a fire from scratch in about two minutes. Not that we’d ever be able to emulate the feat. Once the fire got going, it was time to dance! We observed and marveled at their spontaneous and innocent joy of life, resolving to live in the moment more often.

The following morning we were off on a peaceful boat cruise on the Boteti River, marred somewhat by the presence of a rather ugly and dilapidated fence seemingly running right down the middle of the river. I was told that the fence was in the process of being taken down, to be rebuilt 50 meters off the banks of the river, in order to put the entire river in the animal protected area. This sounded like a good move and we look forward to a return visit to the area to follow the progress.

In next Friday’s blog: we find ourselves back in the Okavango Delta, and then travel to the Linyanti area.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Zambia

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Okavango Delta

3rd October 2022

Camp Okavango, Botswana

Camp Okavango is in the heart of the permanent part of the Delta. In this idyllic setting there are no vehicles, and it is just a short walk

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4th August 2022

On Safari At Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta

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A Visit to Hwange Game Reserve, Zimbabwe

20th August 2020

A Visit to Hwange Game Reserve, Zimbabwe

KHULU BUSH CAMP, HWANGE

After spending several days in Victoria Falls, my next destination was Hwange National Park. On this day I left by road for Hwange, traveling a distance of about 200 km (120 miles), mostly on a good asphalt road. It took about 2.5 hours with a short stop near Hwange town, to complete the drive. While the route is not spectacular in terms of scenery, there are some nice teak trees along the way, and eventually some good sized baobabs as well.

Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest and best known game reserve, located in the mostly dry and practically river-less north western portion of Zimbabwe, bordering on Botswana. The terrain is mostly a mix of teak, mopane, and mixed combretum woodland, becoming more Kalahari-like the further west one goes.

The life blood and also the heartbeat of Hwange is a series of approximately 60 artificially maintained pumped water holes which support and sustain the wildlife through the long dry season which stretches from about May through October/November. All of Hwange’s 30,000-plus elephants and most of its other big game species such as buffalo, giraffe, zebra, eland and their predators rely on the pumped pans to keep going in the dry season. This of course makes Hwange a year-round tourist destination. The availability of water keeps large numbers of animals around at all times; without it Hwange would be a beautiful semi-desert area, largely devoid of big game. Even with the pumps and pans the area is still subject to occasional severe droughts.

Khulu Bush Camp camp was my first stop in Hwange. It is a small six roomed, tented property just outside the park on a private reserve about 40 minutes drive from Hwange Main camp on the eastern edge of the park.

In terms of size, quality of guiding, and level of luxury, this camp hits all the right notes: small and intimate and overlooking a pumped pan which is used by a passing parade of animals including a large herd of about 250 or so elephants. Some of the elephants provide guests with exceptionally close up looks when they drink from the small camp pool which is built into the deck in front of the lounge/dining room area. It is highly entertaining to watch elephants of all shapes and sizes walking right up to the edge of the pool, and sticking their trunks into the clear water, relishing the taste of the clean, mineralized borehole water. Their drinking antics can be safely observed from as little as 3 meters from the animals.

Dinner at Khulu Bush camp was a convivial and interesting evening with one of Southern Africa’s top cheetah and lion experts – Paul Funston of New York-based Panthera – talking to us about the plight of various predators but notably lions, in various conservation areas all over Africa and specifically in the KAZA region of south western Angola. We learned about Pantera‘s efforts to coordinate and tabulate anti poaching activities.

JOZIBANINI BUSH CAMP, HWANGE

By mid morning on this day I was winding my way along some of Hwange’s least known sandy trails on what was practically an all day transfer from the eastern edge of the park to Jozibanini camp in the remote south western edge of the park. Jozi is the kind of place which appeals to adventurous travelers who want to experience the African wilderness much like it looked and felt like 30 or 40 years ago. There’s practically nobody else around and certainly no other vehicles or camps anywhere close. Jozibanini provides an exciting and even exhilarating glimpse into the vast area which makes up the bulk of Hwange National Park beyond the relatively small tourist areas. A massive wilderness area stretching west and north, more Kalahari-like than any other part of the park.

As we drove past a series of pans along the way, the typical massive sandy colored Kalahari dune landscape became apparent, steeper on the windward and with less of a gradient on the leeward side. Magnificent teak forests dominate the region, with extensive mopane forests and scrub on clay-heavy terrain covering the inter dune troughs.

The pretty campsite at Jozibanini overlooks a pan and a fringe of woodland, with a low sunken hide visible a few meters away from the edge of the water. It is ideal for observing particularly elephants but also other species at extremely close range. Spending time in the hide (which has its own small bathroom) is one of the best activities available at the camp. Others include foot safaris, mountain bike safaris and game drives, the latter usually in the form of drives to nearby waterholes.

Over a couple of days in the area, we observed a large number of elephants, a good sized herd of 150+ buffalo, some zebras, wildebeest, kudu, and impala. Remarkably, we had two different sightings of gemsbok (Oryx), rarely seen in Hwange, and no less than three honey badgers on the drive out. Spending two or three nights of Jozibanini is not just about watching elephants drink and cavort right in front of your eyes as you photograph them, but that is definitely one of the highlights here.

Jozibanini is at the end of the road, literally on the edge of nowhere and driving or flying there means escaping the world of mass tourism altogether. Not that Hwange is really overly busy in any real sense but here you enter an area where the wilderness in all its raw, natural beauty dominates totally. The teak forests here are among a handful in Zimbabwe that have never been commercially harvested. And it shows.

Driving into and through a series of them reopens one’s mind to the recuperative and remedial effects of being exposed to a truly wild and natural environment. It is completely devoid of human presence for weeks and sometimes months at a time.

One morning we followed some lion tracks on foot having heard the cats vocalizing earlier, in a westerly direction. Following Imvelo MD Mark Butcher and tracker Ernest through the bush as they meticulously tracked the animals, was again one of the highlights of my stay at Jozi. No we did not find the lions but clearly it was almost beside the point. Knowing that they were around, and actively tracking them in this terrain and setting were really all that mattered. We did get close to a breeding heard of elephant in a safe and controlled manner – with Butch demonstrating and successfully executing a perfect foot safari experience. The object being to approach and observe the animals without them ever being fully aware of your presence, and thus becoming agitated or alert. The elephants in the remote wilderness are wary, not being habituated to the sounds of vehicles or the sight of humans on foot. Consequently, it is even more exhilarating getting relatively close to them.

LITTLE MAKALOLO CAMP

From Jozi we drove to the southern region of Hwange where a collection of perhaps 10 or so safari camps and lodges attract a modest but growing number of wildlife enthusiasts and birders to the area. The most popular time to visit being the dry season from June through October when viewing is good and game activity picks up noticeably around the pumped water holes, most of the natural pans being dry by then.

My destination this morning was Little Makalolo Camp, a small six-roomed property located in a large concession covering some of southern Hwange’s most coveted and most productive wildlife areas.

The camp itself and the rooms are just right, in my personal scale of things. Small – just five rooms – with a high degree of personal attention from the super friendly and helpful staff. The quality of the guiding was exemplary and the location is excellent. Halfway between two of the best game viewing areas in Hwange being Ngweshla and Ngamo pan.

Unlike some of the areas in the northern part of Hwange where the game viewing in the low-demand season becomes challenging due to thick bush, Little Makakolo and its sister camps Davison’s and Linkwasha are good year round. The reason being the presence of large open flats or pans resembling parts of East Africa which attract lots of grazers as soon as the rains come in November or December, sometimes later. These species such as wildebeest, zebra and others keenly seek out the freshly emerging vegetation on the open pans. In the dry season the number of grazers declines but elephants, buffalo and other mammals are attracted in much bigger numbers to the pumped water holes.

Over the course of three game drives at Little Makalolo I enjoyed some of the best game viewing of the entire trip with two of the drives on par with the best of my northern Botswana experiences.

We witnessed two cheetahs attempting to take down a young waterbuck (unsuccessfully) and we were in close proximity to a pride of lions actively hunting for buffalo within sight of the camp. It is not surprising that at Little Makalolo a guide with a gun in hand, escorts guests back to their tents at night. We had some of our best views of the trip of elephants walking along the grassy expanse of Ngamo Pan, going to or coming back from water. In the golden later afternoon light they were beautifully lit – every photographer’s dream subject. Likewise, spending time at the Logpile hide close to Little Mak, was a highlight. No driving around bumpy roads required. Just sitting and waiting, with herd after herd of elephant appearing from the treeline and making straight for the water’s edge. Watching them initially just slake their thirst, and then start to relax and become playful, squirting water around, with the young bulls jousting and testing their strength. There are few things quite as peaceful and relaxing to observe wildlife interaction and behavior in a setting like this. Africa at its best.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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A Visit to Victoria Falls & Hwange Zimbabwe

In late May last year, just after noon on what was a Tuesday, I stepped into a seven seater Mahindra Airvan at Saile Airstrip on the edge of the Linyanti floodplain in Northern Botswana. A click of a seatbelt and a short safety briefing later, it was time to go. The young pilot pushed the power throttle to its fully forward position, released the brakes and in less than a minute we went hurtling into the blue Botswana sky.

For me, bush flying will never get old. With the passage of time, I have come to enjoy and appreciate it more and more, since my first ‘white-knuckle’ flight in a Cessna 206 – also in Botswana – in 1990. Over the last almost 30 years the pilots have become younger and more diverse in terms of gender and nationality, new types of aircraft have arrived on the scene, and operation and safety standards have improved. The fun and excitement never went away.

Bush flying has always been different. This is ‘real’ flying with a sense of immediacy, noise, speed and a tinge of danger. All lacking from commercial flying. Even so, if you have yet to strap yourself into the seat of a single prop aircraft in which you can make eye contact with the pilot as he or she looks back right before takeoff, there is no need to be nervous. These young persons have acquired excellent flying skills, are totally safety conscious and have to be exceptionally skilled to have snagged a flying job in Botswana. It’s a plum position.

Just over 30 minutes later we were in Kasane. And 20 minutes later I was in a boat crossing the Chobe river into Zambia. The landing in Zambia is a bit jarring, having to negotiate one’s way along a somewhat rickety gangplank, amid industrial debris and the grimy, smelly environment of a working dockside. Thankfully the immigration process was quick and painless, taken care of by my Wilderness Safaris driver Angel. I paid $50 for a univisa, which allows unlimited entries into Zimbabwe and Zambia for several months.

TONGABEZI LODGE, ZAMBIA

By 2:30 p.m. I arrived at Tongabezi where the affable and efficient general manager Mark showed me around and helped me with a quick check in, almost immediately afterwards followed by a delightful lunch overlooking the Zambezi. Which was flowing strongly.

About an hour or so later – my last mode of transport for the day being a small aluminum skiff which deposited me on a small island in the middle of the Zambezi – I had made it to my final destination of the day, Sindabezi. Here, I would spend the night. Sindabezi Island is remote, private and the ideal spot for someone open to new adventures. After a peaceful night’s sleep, I woke up not to sunlight, but to a moonbeam. I had been sleeping within sight and sound of one of Africa‘s mightiest rivers, right in front and below me. A nearby set of rapids stirring up the most soothing white noise of all. Sleeping virtually outside with just a few light curtains between you and the great African outdoors. There’s more. You’re attended to personally by several friendly and efficient staff members, enjoying delicious food from a varied and creative menu with lots of local options, and choosing from a huge list of included and optional activities. Being severely time limited, I opted for an afternoon sundowner cruise which was relaxing and fun, ending at a drinks stop where I met many of the guests staying at Tongabezi Lodge. It was a most agreeable conclusion to a busy day.

One final plus point about Sindabezi Island: good fast Wi-Fi on an island which runs on solar power. All the lodges out there with feeble excuses about sub-par Wi-Fi service. Take note. It can be done.

The next morning I woke up to an unusual sight. A bank of fog had formed over the surface of the Zambezi resulting in a spectacular if somewhat spooky sunrise, the sun itself and its light reflected, refracted and obscured by the fog. The photographs hardly do it justice but I took a few nonetheless.

After a super breakfast and catching up on a few emails I went back to Tongabezi Lodge for a site inspection. I was really pleased to see that both the houses and cottages at Tongabezi were fantastic and I would highly recommend the property for a Victoria Falls stay.

Tongabezi has the most magnificent trees and gardens including an extensive vegetable and herb garden, both featuring heavily in the planning and execution of meals and drinks.

As previously alluded to, the list of included and optional activities is exhaustive, ranging from sundowner cruises to village visits to micro light flights over the falls. Tongabezi was then in the final stages of an extensive upgrade, and their large bar and lounge had been completed, with a new reception landing area. With a new office already in place Tongabezi was looking great. By all means go there.

THORNTREE LODGE, VICTORIA FALLS

By late morning I was dropped off at African Bush Camps’ Thorntree Lodge, on the banks of the Zambezi, inside the Zambezi National Park. This property has been setting a new high standard for deluxe boutique accommodation in the fully inclusive lodge category, with 10 beautifully designed villas, each with a large deck and private plunge pool, looking out over the Zambezi. The rooms have every feature one could wish for: air conditioning, Wi-Fi, striking glass and screens, and adequate lighting. Each villa has a mini bar, tea and coffee making facilities, indoor and outdoor showers and an indoor tub, a large bathroom with separate enclosed toilet, a personal safe and mosquito netting.

The main area is an impressive – mostly glass enclosed – structure and there’s also a spa and gym on the large grounds. The lodge offers a full range of activities. The standard of hospitality which I experienced at Thorntree was exceptionally high. My day started with a peaceful and rather quiet Zimbabwe river cruise with the Thorntree activities manager – a pleasant change of pace from the hectic pace of the previous day.

En route to Zimbabwe that afternoon, I made an hour-long stop to observe the Victoria Falls from the Zambia side. I had done this outing approximately a year ago so I knew what to expect, with the Zambezi being in flood stage. Again it was an awesome sight to behold. While the view of the Victoria Falls from the Zambia side is not the best when the river is low – from September to about December or so – it is quite satisfactory and even spectacular when the Zambezi is running at flood or near flood stage.

In fact the closest one can get to the actual flow of the water – to experience an effect much like that of seeing Niagara Falls from the Canadian side – is a spot close to the entrance to the falls reserve, on the Zambia side. Powerful and mesmerizing. You inadvertently stop to think about the survival chances of someone going down there in a barrel. Only to conclude that the prospect of the person surviving to tell the tale is a big fat zero.

Crossing the wet and slippery Devil’s footpath bridge across a side gorge, you reach some more good view points over the eastern portion of the falls, observing the Angels’ armchair and the famous Devil’s pool, popular attractions for breathtakingly close approaches to the abyss. Only doable when the water in the Zambezi is low.

BATONKA GUEST LODGE

Having been driven across the Zambezi and into Zimbabwe, my first stop was the Batonka Lodge, an all-around delightful property with 16 well-equipped rooms, less than a mile away from the falls, in the residential portion of Victoria Falls town.

The rooms are spacious, effectively air-conditioned, there is Wi-Fi and even television with 10 channels. The meals were excellent. I overheard a guest complimenting the chef on a main course of pork medallions served with a caper sauce. I concurred. They were expertly prepared and deftly served and not unreasonably pricey by Victoria Falls standards.

Batonka Lodge has a nice pool in a sunny spot, there are both indoor and outdoor dining options as well as some comfortable inside and outside lounge areas, and a cozy bar.

Particularly for someone who already has a couple of scheduled Vic Falls activities planned – and who does not “have“ to be within walking distance from the falls – it is a good and affordable option with no high season premium.

GORGES LODGE, VICTORIA FALLS

After lunch that day, and a road transfer of about 35 minutes, I checked into one of the excellent tented rooms at Little Gorges, a five room tented addition to the well-established Gorges Lodge.

Gorges and Little Gorges are ideal for guests who prefer to be away from the helicopter noise and hustle and bustle of Victoria Falls town, and are keen to experience a more peaceful environment with great black eagle viewing, as well as experiencing an authentic local village and school experience. Included in the rate is a daily round-trip transfer to Victoria Falls town for a guided tour of the falls or some other Victoria Falls activity.

My afternoon black eagle activity did not have the desired outcome which was a good photo of a black eagle in flight. As is often the case with wildlife, it was circumstantial. A male black eagle did in fact fly right over us but I had too much lens and there were some trees in the way. Photography issues. I did manage to get a half decent pic of a black eagle sitting in a tree close to one of the tented rooms. Plus I had a great chat with co manager Chris, enjoyed the superb sundowners snacks and watched as the sun slowly set over Batoka gorge. A worthwhile experience unto itself.

Dinner at Gorges was quite enjoyable. As before it was a tasty home style meal with a grilled steak, grilled potato and two veg plus an excellent malva pudding for dessert.

Tent number one at Little Gorges is right on the edge of the Batoka gorge with the sound of the Zambezi rushing over some rapids, creating a soothing backdrop, making it a perfectly splendid place to fall asleep. Which I promptly did after dinner. There is nothing like a solid eight hours in likely some of the cleanest air in Africa to recharge the batteries.

Breakfast at Gorges Lodge could have benefited from a little work in the way of presentation and ‘wow’ factor; and perhaps a French press instead of drip brewed coffee. Even so, the cooked breakfast was perfectly fine – no issues with that.

VICTORIA FALLS RIVER LODGE

Rather earlier than was necessary – which caused me to forgo an activity at Gorges – I was transferred back to Victoria Falls and from there by boat from the Shearwater jetty for a pleasant 10 minute or so river trip to the Victoria Falls River Lodge.

Although brief, my stay at the Victoria Falls River Lodge was pleasant. I particularly liked the main lodge dining room area with great views over the Zambezi. The room was spacious and well equipped with an outdoor shower, indoor bathtub and plenty of space. I always appreciate adequate lighting. The food – both lunch and dinner – was a notch above the usual lodge fare.

My afternoon activity was a Bushtracks jet-boat sundowner cruise on the Zambezi, advertised as getting to within 800 meters of the falls. While I enjoyed the activity a lot, I don’t think we got closer than 1600 meter to the falls. The biggest advantage was the fact that closer to the falls, in shallower water, there were no other boats around to spoil the serenity of the area. It was only us and one other jet-boat – also from Bushtracks – in the area. We spotted quite a bit of wildlife including hippo and elephant. Plus points for Victoria Falls River Lodge were the proximity to the Zambezi, the quality of the hospitality and guiding, and also – somewhat surprisingly to me – the game-viewing in the Zambezi National Park within which the lodge is located. We had some excellent views of elephants, giraffes, zebras, waterbuck and a couple other species. Game-viewing in the park improves as the dry season progresses.

Next stop: Hwange National Park. To be featured in our blog post next Friday.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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