When six inches of rain fell in less than 36 hours in Northern Hwange recently, it likely saved the lives of hundreds of vulnerable elephants, including many youngsters, from an untimely early death.
That much rain in such a short time also has a significantly negative impact on game viewing. Literally from one day to the next, throngs of elephants and other animals at water holes vanish. Gone are the dramatic, dust-laden scenes with elephants vying for access to dwindling water. Gone are many of the chances for seeing predators stalking weakened prey animals.
What to do? Keeping guests happy under those circumstances is why we rely so heavily on a handful of Africa-based partners. In this case Zimbabwe’s Imvelo Safaris, recently approved as a Safari Pros industry partner.
Without skipping a beat, Imvelo amended the itinerary for some Fish Eagle Safaris guests in Hwange at the time. Instead of spending three nights in the rain-affected area around Nehimba, our guests were moved to Imvelo’s flagship property Camelthorn in the south. A private vehicle and guide were included at no additional cost.
The results? Pretty spectacular. Over the course of their week in southern Hwange – with a strong professional guide in the person of Eric in charge – the guests experienced many excellent sightings.
Here are the highlights, in the guest’s own words:
-Impalas and wildebeests running hard in the distance. Drove up to find a pack of 13 wild dogs inhaling an impala. Watched for over an hour as other scavengers arrived. Couldn’t leave until we saw that the jackals got something, and then watched one jackal leap up into the air and bite a vulture!
-Teenage elephant having a great mud wallow
-Two skinny cheetah brothers attempting a wildebeest chase
-An amazing walking safari to approach an elephant. Got within 20 feet before he knew we were there, then the guide had to whistle and clap his hands to get his attention. Heart-thumping!
-Two fat cheetah brothers napping in the shade. One got up to reposition and farted for us…we could ALL smell it!
-A lioness nursing her three cubs with her wildebeest catch stashed in the thicket
-Went back the next day to check on the lioness as she was lounging near her catch, and the two cheetah brothers came sniffing by. We were all very tense waiting to see what would happen…she leapt out of the thicket and it was cheetah scatter!
– Six younger elephants had a pool party at one of the watering holes, lots of swimming and splashing
-Large male lion guarding his kill in the thicket near a watering hole, could tell it was a young elephant! We had our nervous lunch nearby…
-A pride of four lions scattering a tower of giraffes
-Loved watching dung beetles rolling their dung balls
-Watched a snake and gecko battle it out…the snake won
Our guide Eric was the best! He provided tons of information, was great at meeting our needs and giving us great experiences.”
This guest experience underscores three crucial things we have come to recognize over the years as being essential to a good safari:
A good guide, someone to have your back and spending more time in fewer locations.
That’s a short sentence with few words but they reach deeply into the essence of the African safari experience.
A good guide
A competent guide interprets, amplifies and illuminates what you are seeing around you, adds his or her own perspective based on what may very well be decades of guiding. A good guide anticipates and entertains. Gets you into just the right spot for a photo, makes you think and makes you laugh. They are a rare breed.
Guides come and go and it is not always possible to request specific ones. Who to ask for? Perhaps the most energetic, enthusiastic member of the team, the one who is always first out and last back. Which is indicative of a love of one’s profession, usually accompanied by passion and just a little bit of a competitive instinct. All the better to get you out there in search of wonderful wilderness experiences.
Someone to have your back
Someone to have your back is probably the most overlooked aspect of safari travel due to the near ubiquitous electronic connectivity which we all enjoy nowadays. It’s almost as if you have a team at your disposal 24-7, irrespective of your or their physical location.
Which is true most of the time but when the chips are down you need a reliable in-country back-up network. A team of professionals who can change you from one hotel to another if that is what it takes to salvage a trip. Who can quickly and effectively mobilize emergency health resources to come to your aid in a crisis..
I experienced this first hand just 10 days ago at the start of our Tanzania trip, in Arusha. I was sick as a dog. An upper respiratory infection had me by the throat – and lungs – and things were looking grim. That’s when someone having your back in Africa saved the day. All it took was a brief email to Nomad Tanzania, our destination management company partner – and literally 10 minutes later I was on a phone consultation with an MD. Not an hour later several medications were dropped off by a courier on a bike.
Even with the best will in the world, it is not possible to adequately deliver these services remotely. If you travel with Fish Eagle Safaris you can rely on solid in-country support and you will never be left to fend for yourself.
Spending more time in fewer locations
Our recent Hwange guests did not plan on spending an entire week in the southern Hwange area. Yet when circumstances beyond anyone’s control resulted in exactly that, it turned out surprisingly well.
Spending more time in fewer areas also affects the pace of a trip. Making it less rushed and more in keeping with the ambiance of a wilderness experience. With more time in an area you will be able to enjoy all or most of the available activities and find out what makes an area special or different. Spend three or four nights at a camp and invariably you will connect better with your guide(s) and camp staff and management. Which makes for a more meaningful and memorable trip.
Haven’t been on a trip to Africa recently? Put us to the test and see for yourself what a difference it might make to work with us. Give us a call at 1 800 513 5222 during business hours Monday to Friday CDT or email Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN
10th September 2021
Chindeni and the Bushcamp Company, Zambia
By late July we found ourselves at Chindeni, a small Bushcamp Company property
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
14th October 2023
From My Safari Notebook: Wildlife Photography
Birds in flight and wildlife photographers have an uneasy relationship. Things go wrong as often as they go right. Getting focus-lock on a moving subject
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
READERS FAVOURITES
4th August 2022
On Safari At Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta
What is the ‘secret sauce’ for an unforgettable few days on safari in Botswana? It starts with the animals, of course. The elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos
10th September 2021
Chindeni and the Bushcamp Company, Zambia
By late July we found ourselves at Chindeni, a small Bushcamp Company property
