Botswana 2007, a Trip Report in Pictures on 5 tented camps
 

We were there in November, our 2nd trip to Southern Africa, spending 3 nights each at the following tented camps, in order:
Jack's Camp (Uncharted Africa)
Chitabe Lediba (Wilderness)
Kwetsani (Wilderness)
Kwando Lagoon (Kwando)
Little Vumbura (Wilderness).
The Wilderness camps were all 4-paw.
Here's just a little of what we saw:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePh...341&page=1

rats. let's try that link again:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...1&y=vket9p

OK again....
http://tinyurl.com/3bgu7g

Sorry for confusion. 2nd link works. Please ignore tinyurl
Leslie

Hi Leslie,

Nice images!

Since I browsed all the way through, I will add ID's here for you:

1. Impala in tree. Tree does not look to me like Leadwood, more likely an Acacia, like Knobthorn.

2. Giraffe under Raintree. This is a Sausage tree (Kigelia africana or "Moporota").

3. Fireball lilies are Scadoxus multiflorus.

5. Spring flowers is the Weeping Wattle tree (Peltophorum africanum).

6. The next image is the Squacco Heron.

7. Next image is an immature Saddle-billed Stork.

8. Your starling is a Greater Blue-eared Starling.

My favorite shot is the meerkat resting upright against your knee. They are too cute. Nicky and I were just at Jack's this past December and spent a lot of time with the kats. Were they still digging up bull frogs?

We were also at Chitabe and LittleVum. I saw that same impala in the tree at Chitabe - out near one of the sleep-out hides if I remember correctly. Amazing that it seems unchanged and has apparently been there for months now.

James

thanks for the pictures.

Beautiful photos. Looks like a great safari.

Fantastic, I especially love the photo of the brown hyena!

Wonderful photos, even great bird shots! Sounds like a fantastic trip and now back to PP!

I agree, those are great photos. I spent several days in Kgalagadi, including many hours late at night at waterholes, looking for a brown hyena, and I didn't see any -- you're picture of one is great.

Michael

Beautiful pictures. Nice to see that the Kwando pups are doing well.
Your mongooses are Banded Mongoose not Slender.
Michael

Great pics, I love the meerkats! Are there other places besides Jack's where one can experience them like that? (I think Jack's may be out of our price range sadly...)

James and mv,
Many thanks for the corrections to my captions. I wasn't taking notes. I'll correct the information. But pretty sure that tree with the impala head was not an acacia.
Lisa,
I'm not sure about where else to see meerkats. One trip report by Patty on Namibia, she found them as house pets, so search for those pictures. I wonder if the Web site for Meerkat Manor might have info about other places you can find them, otherwise search this site or perhaps other Fodorites will weigh. I wasn't prepared to be excited by them because of all the hullabaloo about the TV show (which I don't particularly like). But they are absolutely chaming creatures.
PB,
We were thrilled to see a brown hyena, and he was gorgeous, more like a German Shepherd than a spotted hyena. The guide drove to his hole, got out of the vehicle to take a look, and woke him up from a nap. (Probably not kosher.) He was shy, but stayed in the area keeping low to the grasses. Very exciting.
Leslie

You had a great selection of camps. The brown hyena is a highlight. Lots of good bird photos. I especially liked the mother and cub lion pair, the couple of warthogs, the wild dog pack in Kwando, and the elephant herd that was not happy.

Thank you for posting.

Thanks Lynn,
We saw so many animals we couldn't get pictures of, such as a black mamba, civet, serval, even an aardwolf! And dogs, dogs, dogs...
James, the meerkats didn't dig up any bullfrogs (probably not enough rain yet) but got plenty of beetles and scorpions. Until we walked with the bushmen, I had no idea how many scorpions lurk just beneath the dirt. I had a hard time not touching the meerkats, but so many of them crawled up into my lap and rubbed against my skin I could feel their soft coats. Just a magical experience.

Leslie,

Lovely pictures all round. You certainly have a wide assortment of camps on your trip. Which one was your favourite and why?

I hope to go to Chitabe Lediba at some stage and you certainly had good sightings.

Who guided you at Kwando Lagoon? The wild dog pack i think is down to 6 pups from the litter of 9.

Cheers
Hari

Hari,
I will try my dardest to file a real trip report about all the camps. Really hard to choose a favorite. Jack's Camp was unique. Chitabe Lediba was fine, but not our favorite. Kwando was basic, and I HATED the Uris, but oh the animals! Our guide was Steve. We called him the Safari Nazi, and I mean that in a good way. First one out, last one in, and relentless. We had a forced night drive AFTER dinner one night! But we saw all sorts of things, and didn't get back till after midnight.
Alas, no cheetah this trip.
Leslie

Oh, and Hari, I believe there are 7 Kwando pups, but don't quote me...

Thanks, Leslie .... although my Jack's experience is not current, i had a great time especially the Meerkats and Brown Hyena den. Glad you had a great trip and your pictures were very enjoyable!

Cheers
Hari

LAleslie --
I would be interested to hear any details you have about Chitabe Lediba and Little Vumbura. We were at Lagoon last year and loved it. We are considering Chitabe Lediba and Little Vumbura for this Decemeber. What can you tell me about the game viewing, guiding, vehicles, accommodations, food, etc.? Thanks in advance.