PacoAhedo

In the January Kwando Kwara game report they white this:
"Several guests have taken the additional scenic flight activity. Accompanied by their guide and a pilot with a keen eye, they have had breathtaking narrated journeys right up to the panhandle and have seen excellent game, including large herds of buffalo".
Does anyone know more about this activity:
How can be booked? What is the cost and length of the flight? Is it now always available?
What kind of "plane" they use? How low do they fly?.
It sounds fantastic,i will love to do this activity in my next visit to Kwara.

Thanks,Paco.

PacoAhedo

Hello,i posted this message a few weeks ago with no answer.

Again in the Kwando Kwara February game reports they said:
"The only guests lucky enough to see buffalo saw them from the air - either during the transfer to camp or on one of the scenic game flights"

I really like to know more about this scenic flights.
Does anybody heard something about them?

Thanks.

loru100

We just got back from Kwara. We considered doing the scenic flight but ran out of time. I can't help with cost as we didn't inquire about price but you can book it when you get there. Moremi Air (the same company that you fly to get to Kwara) offers the flight. I'm assuming they do it when they're dropping someone else off...not sure if they make a special trip. Moremi Air's website has some info (but again no cost).

MisterAviator

Just got back from Kwara a few weeks ago -- it was fabulous! A group of four guests did the scenic flight while we were there. They enjoyed it immensely! The one-hour flight was on a 6-seater aircraft from Moremi Air, and the cost worked out to about $90-US per person. A fine bargain in my opinion. They were able to see large herds of elephant that we were unable to get to on the ground.

PacoAhedo

Thanks both for the reply.

Do you know how low do they fly?
Is it low in off to be able to take pictures of the big animals with a long lens?.

Paco.

nyama

Does anybody of you eco-travellers think about the extra stress level to the wildlife caused by this kind of activity?

I also question this new fashion of helicopter transfers. Experiencing this on the ground is no fun at all, the noise levels are quite different.

exsafari

This is the thin edge of the wedge squeezing in. The aircraft noise in the Delta is already too much now adding more in the core of the Delta is not ideal. Low flying is technically illegal in the whole Delta area not supposed to fly below 1 500 feet above ground but this is seldom adhered to even with transfers. I think this is a really bad idea.

nyama

It'a also interesting to read what Peter Borchert and Ian Michler wrote about the REAL ecological footprint in the latest April edition of Africa Geographic. Maybe this is a turning pointing in public thinking about all those "sophisticated" developments in the safari industry over the last 6-8 years? Maybe in the not so far future private game drive vehicles, helicopters, scenic flights and even flight transfers are banned, and 6 paws bush structures are regarded as 1 paw, while we experience the renaissance of the good old low-impact classic safari camp? Not too bad.

exsafari

That Africa Geographic comment is a really topical and an important sign of where the real safari expereince should be headed (back to the past). Quality is not luxury but wilderness without the modern interferences. I hope their ideas take hold and become a trend, fast, before it is too late.

The bush lite people can go to the aroma therapy massage lodges in the high density areas and tell everyone how brave they were in the bush in their plunge pool without a fence. However the bush serious people have very limited choices left due to the rapacious influences of the so called luxury safari people who are "buying" up the wilderness through the lodge operators who listen to the "market" instead of leading the market to a better place. Being a leader is never easy nor necessarily popular until you are accepted.

nyama

Al Gore should make a wildlife film.

PredatorBiologist

exsafari: hopefully there are some investors out there that are content with making a reasonable return and the satisfaction with maintaining wilderness -- the trend is clearly to provide more amenities and rake in a growing profit margin. The worst thing is not only is it getting hard to find the more classic low-impact wilderness experience but many who could just barely afford the old level are getting completely priced out of this new ultra luxury world. Perhaps new frontiers like Mozambique and Gabon can provide more of an old school opportunity but I imagine they will largely skip right into emulating the up market too.

nyama

If you look at the northern Mozambique developments, it's already in the poshy market. I guess it will take some more time in french-speaking Gabon which is more influenced by European travel demands.

exsafari

The areas that are really wild in my opinion are reducing fast - existing places include - some concessions in Botswana eg. Jacks in the Pans, parts of the Kalahari and surrounding areas a few of the bigger private concessions around the Delta. Selected companies in the Luangwa like The Bushcamps company, the Lower Zambezi (although I have not been there for 7-8 years so hope it has not changed), Niassa GR in Northern Mozambique, Selous (certain concessions), Ruhaha and Katavi all in Tanzania. In all these you get a quality wilderness experience with limited modern luxuries - but still a world class expereince. These operators need your support to maintain their stand.

nyama

safariex, the situation has changed a little bit.

Jack's is managed by Wilderness since 2003. In the same season they added indoor showers and flush toilets. I don't know how far that plan of a big plunge pool has evolved.

I've been at 4 camps of the Bushcamp Co, and sorry, my definition of a bushcamp is quite different. You can't compare these with Coppinger's or Shenton's camps anymore.

Lower Zambezi? Chongwe, Chiawa, Sausage Tree, all upmarket. Looks like Mwambashi and Ana Tree (Mushika) are going the same direction. Old Mondoro is a dream of wilderness, but look at the rates.

Niassa? Maputo is a campsite and catering for the self-driving market. The first real camp is Rani's Lugenda in the buffer block, and upmarket.

Selous? Beho Beho, Sand Rivers, Selous Safari, already upmarket. Impala and Rufiji River are still low-key. For how long?

Ruaha? River Lodge is still great (my favourite). But look at most of the other camps.

Katavi? Home of Chada (upmarket), and nowadays 3-4 camps more, not quite luxury, but I guess that will change in the not so far future.