Aloha from Mala Mala!
 

Aloha everyone. The self-drive through Kruger was great fun!!!! Saw just about all there was to see-rhino, elephants, lions, giraffe and many hyenas, my new favorite animal. No misadventures, just a lot of good times!
Got to Mala Mala yesterday, on the first game drive we followed the 22 dogs for over an hour(which is good that we saw them then as it was reported today that they had crossed over into Kruger), saw 2 rhinos, a leopard and spent some time with the Roller Coaster male, who has an injury to his back leg. This morning we followed a beautiful leopard for some time, came across another rhino and a huge herd of buffalo, then watched the three lionesses with their 9 cubs.
Just waiting for lunch...
Having a great time!
Aloha,
Dennis

I am not sure that this sort of posting should be allowed ! Am thoroughly depressed now but very pleased for you, Dennis. Keep the reports coming even though it is a form of torture for some.
julie

Hi Dennis

Aloha yourself! I also really like hyenas, though we are in a minority. Surely you are kidding yourself thinking that you saw all there was to see??? Remember, a reason to return! Hope the injury to the Rollercoaster Male is not too serious.

Always remember, what goes around comes around. So I am green with envy now, but later on it may well be yourself!! I would love to be seeing those 9 cubs!

Kind regards

Kaye

Dennis,

Glad you are having such a great time in MM. Great viewing.

-Granny Joan

Sounds like you saw as much in one day as did in my four days there last week! However, I won't risk going back to MM as I was pretty disappointed with the whole experience there, to be honest.

Aaawwww. I wanna go back to Afreeka ...wahhhh ;)

Glad Kryger worked out well and Mala Mala is living up to expectations.
Hubby has a penchant for Hyenas too ... AND the cubs are soooo cute!

Imelda

Tanky
Can I ask why you were disappointed by Mala Mala?

Hey Dennis,
More dogs, cubs, leopards a couple of rhinos for good measure and G+T's - talk about rubbing it in. Don't worry about us we're fine.

Enjoy!

Dennis, sounds like a great trip -- 22 dogs in one pack must be a rarity now in Africa (when I was in Karen Blixen's house in Nairobi I read an account of how she once watched a group of several hundred run past her home -- a sight likely never to be witnessed again).

Looking forward to some more detailed info, especially on Kruger (I may try to get to the northern part of that park on my next visit to South Africa).

Michael

Great sighting of the wild dog pack, Dennis! enjoy the rest of your trip!!!

((Y)) ((Y)) ((Y)) ((Y)) Great to hear all the animals have returned from "you know where" to see you!

When I saw Aloha I knew it had to be you. Outstanding sightings! Hope you continue your adventures without a single misadventure.

Tanky, I want to know what happened at MM also.

Dennis, I agree about Kruger, you will likely see more grazers and browsers there than in Mala.

Tanky, what happened, or didn't, at MM?

The Roller Coaster male is still limping like it was two weeks ago? Bad news for the Eyrefield pride.

regards - tom

Aloha Dennis. Why are you wasting your time in front of a computer? Just to make us jealous? I hope you missed a pack of 25 dogs because of this.

Aloha Dennis! Glad you're having a great time. Can't wait to hear all about it when you get back.

Hey Dennis, remember our many discussions about why MM charges for soft drinks? You probably have noticed that your mini-bar is empty, it does not have any alcohol NOR Cokes in it. At lunch or dinner ask your ranger why such are not in there waiting for you. (Like at every other camp I've been to). That is the key to the real truth behind the reason of their charging for soft drinks and alcohol.

regards - tom

Sounds like you're off to a great start at MM. 22 dogs! Wow.

Tom--will you tell us the reason behind the drink charges at MM?

CW

Ok, thought you'd never ask.
My reasoning goes like this. Fact - MM does not put alcoholic drinks nor drinks with stimulants in the rooms. (Main Camp and Sable, for Rattrays?) No, not even in the room. Why not one would ask, why can't they even be in the mini-bar? Answer from MM management - because certain cultures/religions are not permitted to be even in the same room with such. So, it follows that the same cultures/religions would object to having the room rate include payment for such. Does it not?

This discussion came up over dinner this September. It was initiated (not by me) by another couple who had just come from three safari camps in Botswana. Those camps rates were inclusive for soft drinks, beer, wine. They simply asked what the deal was with MM whose room rates were even more expensive. The MM manager gave his song and dance about drunkeness liability for guests, private pilots, etc. But it still did not convince anyone at the table. We remained puzzled. It was not until a few days later that I put it all together.

oops, posted before I could edit.

anyway that's about the jest of it.

regards- tom

Hmmm--thanks. I would never have guessed that explanation in a million years.

CW

But CW, does it make any sense to you???

regard - tom

Tom,

Were you drinking alcohol while you wrote this down???

No offense ...

skimmer, nope. But it does make some sense does it not? You don't believe this could not be the hidden reason? MM told me there is not alcohol even in the rooms because of the objections of some peoples. That's a fact, there is no alki in the rooms. If some people can object to even being in a room with alki than the rest follows easily. To my logic :-)

MM explanation makes no sense to most anyone. Not even to the two other couples at dinner that night. My Coke and wine bill there for six nights was around $40. That MM should add this to my room cost of about $3,600 only makes MM look cheap. How many high end safari camps do you know that charge for cokes, beer, wine?

On the other hand, why don't I just "get a life" :-) I'm not sure talking about it is even worth the internet bandwidth.

regards - tom

Tom, I can understand the basic premise here, but it doesn't make any practical sense to me.

Lots of people don't take advantage of what every camp has to offer--i.e. eating meat, taking walks, using spa/gym facilities. It's just easier to make it all inclusive where the customer picks and chooses.

Anyone objecting to having a stocked mini-bar in the room could just ask for the beverages to be removed.

We stayed at lodges where basic wine, beer, alcohol, and soft drinks were included, so this does seem unusual for the rates charged.

Are sundowners included? With that rationale they shouldn't be.

(Glad your bar bill wasn't too high.)

CW

CW, you have a coke at sundowners and you get charged for it. A $40 bar bill is not even worth the peanuts on the bar :-) You think I care about another $40 cost to a $10,000 safari?

I agree, it doesn't make any practical sense. It makes sense only from a religious type of viewpoint. I have since going to MM in 2005 been trying to understand their reasoning behind doing this. Which I now think is not really one for the money, it is just to satisfy the wishes of particular culture/religions. As you say, anyone objecting to a mini-bar could have it removed. But MM, goes one better, they bow to the desires of those peoples and make me request that the mini bar be added. And I acknowledge, it's their business and they can run it as they want.

One other explanation I came up with about not having the mini-bar stocked was that a guest would assume that its usage was included in the room rate. And then find a surprise at check-out, another $$$$ to their room charge. I mentioned this reason to MM management at dinner that night. Their reply was that no, the reason was some peoples objected to even being in the same room with alcohol. So, we're back to a theological basis which MM has moved into their business decisions.

If I were at Harvard Business School working for an MBA, I'd use this to write my masters thesis. With a big plus being I'd have to spend a lot of time at MM doing research :-)

regards - tom

Great to hear from you in the field, Dennis, and can't wait to read about all the wildlife you saw in detail, sounds like you have been to Angola.!

I can't wait to you get back to post a picture of my 'gift' from 'Carolines', she bought me tiny animal erasers to go with my tiny stapler! :-)

Tom--you're right. It's their business and they can do what they want.

Don't mean to belabor the subject because it is a minor cost--but that's what makes it an interesting difference in the way the camp is run.

Instead of the MBA research, apply for grant money to study the issue. When you need an assistant to verify your findings--I can work it into my schedule.

CW

we are of the islamic faith. We travel frequently and stay in many hotels and have no objection to mini bars or anyone else drinking alchohol. I have never heard that it is forbidden to be in the same room as alchohol. Its up to us to uphold our own beliefs and would never expect others to be deprived because of them. If we cant resist temptation that is our fault. I very much doubt that faith is the reason Mala Mala dont include bevereges. We dont go to Mala Mala now for this reason. Great game viewing but that is the same in most of the Sabi Sands lodges. Paying for cokes ect on top of ++++ $ per night is taking advantage of their reputation to make a few more $. Stays at Ulusaba safari, Leadwood and Ivory lodge recently have beaten Mala Mala hands down.

I'm sorry, but the religion theory is absurd. The reason, one word: MONEY. They are trying to squeeze the guests for every cent because they know they have what is arguably the best gameviewing situation on S. Africa nad will always fill rooms because of that. They may lose a few customers who object to being nickel-and-dimed, but they don't care. And apparently a majority of their very satisfied customers don't either.
Anyway, Dennis, who cares about the cost of cokes when you're seeing 22 dogs?

Why are we questioning their rules? We know up front that wines and spirits are not inclusive in the PPPN rates .... so, you go there with that in mind. Why do we come back home and complain about it?

I am Hindu and yes, most drink ..... but, if people of some other faith have requested MM about the mini bar rule .... then i would respect their decision without any question. We need to be a little more considerate to people from all over the world and all walks of life ......

Peace,
Hari

Drink water..it is free

I think its the penny pinching of the place that gets peoples backs up and the inconvienience of having a bill to pay at the end. However as folk are happy to pay Mala Mala wont change. I choose not to go on principle.

Think of it this way ..... you could pay something like $40 for 6 nights ( whatever your bill is) or have something like $200+++ extra $$$ charged to your pppn rates for just in case you over-do the booze! what do you prefer?

My experinence of Mala Mala didn't have anything to do with the drinks (although it seems rather petty), just in the way the camp was run and the way the game drives operated.

I'll expand in another thread when I've sorted the photos out but put simply Mala Mala seemed 20 years out of date. I did hear rumours of a possible future CC Africa involvement at Mala Mala. It certainly needs it.

Ignoring the side debate on non-inclusive drinks at MM...

Can I just give a WOO HOO to Dennis! What a wonderful start to your trip!

Aloha again! Didn't mean to start a war about soda pricing, will chime in when I get my bill!

Agree with Tanky about the way game drives are run here, not happy about how they operate.

One of the Styx females is now "humping" the RollerCoaster male, bad leg and all, he's giving her his best shot(s).

The dogs are definitely gone to Kruger, saw a new leopard today, a shy male...that brings the total to 4 leopards seen.

2 more drives then off to Dubai tomorrow.

I'm glad to hear you're having such a wonderful time.
Could you (or Tanky since Dennis may be too busy) enlighten me about the game drives? You say you don't care for the way they're run?? I'm on the verge of confirming for Mala Mala next summer but if there's something I need to know I'd rather hear it now!
Thanks
Lily

Awesome sightings Dennis!! Sounds like you did a great job of self guiding in Kruger too which I'm sure was very rewarding. Looking forward to a great trip report, safe travels the rest of the way.

From the continuing MM drink debate to dozens of wild dogs, to humping lionesses. This is quite a thread.

Looking forward to photos and your opinion on how the game drives were run.

Dennis, It sounds like you're having wonderful sightings! To get to follow the 22 dogs for over an hour, oh boy. I am hoping some of those were the 14 puppies I saw at the end of June (they were 3 weeks old then).

I am eager to hear about your opinions of MM. We were at Rattrays and other than a rocky start with the car mates from *ell (okay, not as bad as the poor poster who had the teens who slapped her), we felt this was our favorite camp/lodge ever. We found the drives were very well thought out and they were open to what we wanted to do. We had two different driver/rangers and loved both of them. They were smart, funny, always thinking. And our trackers who rode in the upper back seat were terrific.

About the drinks... we were told the story about some pilot who drank too much. However it doesn't explain why the cocktails we have at the bar go on our tab, does it? However, I am of the mind that this camp is so well-run that I don't care about that. The camp we were at right before MM had a free full mini-bar but the game was nowhere near as good as MM.

So back to Dennis, I am wondering if there is a big difference between Rattrays and the main camp in terms of the game drives?