I had the same experience, but went ahead and hit "post my reply" and and the link appeared only once in the message -- and worked fine when I tried it from within the message.

Thanks skibumette. I will give this a try.

http://picasaweb.google.com/couchy13...iaOctober2008#

Thank you for sharing your pictures, very nice! Next time try Serian's mobile camp you will love it!

Thanks for the photos which I really enjoyed, especially the suckling giraffe calf, the D'arnauds barbet and the crocodile pair. Was that a wooden bath at Serian? How unusual.

Wonderful photos and an excellent summary of your safari. The cheetah cubs are adorable. We are looking to return to Tanzania to visit the remote parks but will probably include the Serengeti and Tarangire after reading your report.

The last picture in your album shows your guide and part of a vehicle with canvas windows. Did the vehicle belong to Oliver Camp or the Kiliwarrior company? We are keen photographers and open-sided vehicles will be our preference.

Sounds fabulous!
I'd agree that you must make sure to spend a night or more in the mobile camp next time you visit Serian!
You are right we had some problems during first part of our stay (none of the listed Alex, Nico, Paoli, Isaac or Miranda were present) but our experience was still overwhelmingly positive!
And I agree with you about Roelef and Helen at Oliver's. Very gracious hosts indeed.

Twaffle regarding Tarangire, I really had only a day and half of driving (as I did the walk one morning) but even in that short time we saw parts of the park that were fairly open bush/grasslands while other parts were quite heavily treed (not to mention the baobab trees which I think are concentrated mainly in the north), as well as swamp areas and even areas dotted with palm trees - even the soil changed dramatically as you drove through the park, with some ares covered in a deep red clay-like soil [which you really noticed when you passed the huge termite mounds!]

Re the bath at Serian it seemed to be some sort of stone to me - I didn't actually use it as I am a shower girl, although it was tempting to take a long bath and soak up the view.

Lynn sorry I didn't mean to suggest Alex was throwing in the mobile camping as a freebie :) I assume there would have been an add on if I'd chosen it, but regretfully I didn't really pursue it, so we didn't talk about the cost etc.

Gilsomenni, the vehicle in the last picture is a Kiliwarriors vehicle. I can't say if that is the only type of vehicle they use or provide, but no doubt Eben of Kiliwarriors can answer that for you. This vehicle was fine but I did prefer the type of land cruiser I had at Serian to the pop-top kind. I'm not a vehicle expert so I may not have the nomenclature right but the vehicle I had in the Mara was a fully open (including open roof) land cruiser- ie with no "pop top". Of course it had canvas you could roll over the top/down the sides if you wanted shade or of it rained but I enjoyed the fully open concept .

Love your photos, especially the waterbuck, leopard in tree, fuzzy wuzzy cheetah cubs, eles in synch, croc pair, the barbets, the crossings and you with William.

Thanks so much for posting these.

Thanks for the clarification on the landscape and the bath. Didn't think wood was such a good idea.
Tarangire sounds like just the sort of place I would enjoy.

Thanks for posting the photos. Great reminder of what a safari can be. Great photos! It does make me want to go again. Patty at www.pbase.com/pattyroth

Really enjoyed your report and photos! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Whiskey. I contacted them and our plans are proceeding nicely. We picked an extended Kiliwarrior vehicle with open sides and a pop up roof while on the northern circuit and we will have completely open vehicles in Katavi and Ruaha.

Are you planning to publish more pictures?

Gilsomenni - good luck with your trip planning and hope you have as much success with Kiliwarriors as I did. Will be interested in seeing your itinerary. When are you planning your trip - Ruaha is on my (ever growing) list, especially after seeing kimburu's pictures.

I wasn't planning on linking to any more pictures to be honest. Not that I mind sharing but I think I put up as many as possible without (a) embarassing myself and (b) boring people to death!!

whiskey

Your photos will cause others more jealousy than cause you embarrassment.

A leaping impala is so hard to capture in a photo. How lucky to see the cheetah mom bring back dinner to those adorable cubs. You saw the lion in the tree. There aren't that many wildebeest pictures cross the the Grumeti. You were in Western Serengeti in Oct and some of the migration was there crossing the Grumeti?

Thanks for the clarification on the mobile.

You have a great collection of all the animals.

Great photos...

Just in case you're a big cat diary fan, the cheetahs you saw are called Shakira and her cubs.

D

Hi Whiskey,

I, too, went solo on my first safari in September. I got news for you, girl - I'm still dreaming Africa, literally and figuratively. It's a yearning and a joy at the same time. I'm so glad I finally made it there but now I want to go back more than ever...

I enjoyed your report and pics. Thanks, and I'm glad you had such a wonderful time!
anita

Thanks Whiskey for posting your photos! Loved the leopard! I never tire of seeing safari photos! www.pbase.com/pattyroth

Dshah thanks yes I did figure out the cheetah I saw with her cubs was Shakira but only after I returned - I saw several others posters pictures who named her. I have not seen Big Cat Diary (yes I do live under a rock apparently!) although they were there filming Big Cat Live while I was in the Mara and in fact we spoke with one of the crew members (Chris) when we were watching the cubs - he was there as well observing them. He was the one who told me she had started out with six [although elsewhere I read 5?] but then 3 of them did not make it.

aknards I hear you - Having finally made it there I do now understand why there is a great community of folks here who think Africa is such a special place. I think I'm soon going to have to go cold turkey on reading the forum and other travel planning daydreaming or I will no longer have a job to pay for my trips. Am hoping to plan a return in May (its my birthday and I always go somewhere) although haven't quite determined what the best options are for that time of the year.

off to feed the "little cats".

whiskey

I finally got around to reading this and looking at your photos - as you know, I've been busy! You saw some great stuff - amazing to see crossings in both Kenya and Tanzania. And where is that waterhole in Tarangire - that looks spectacular. Love the pictures of the barbets and the coucal.... I have never managed to get a coucal without a branch or leave spoiling the picture. Funny of course to see so many of the same places (and I mean exact locations, not just parks) and even animals.

Looks like we both had good luck and a great time. You made all the right decisions and what a first trip.

FWIW, the vehicle thing is because the open type are not suitable for on-road driving so if you want the open type you need to do the fly-in option like you did in Kenya. Then you're going to pay considerably more for the private vehicle too, of course.

Hey Whiskey! (AKA Dale)
We stayed at Olakira at the same time as you...It's Natasha and Tyler from Alberta. I didnt't realize it was you until I looked at your photos. Renting that ginormous lens really paid off... you got some amazing shots. Loved reading about your trip and seeing some of the same animals in your photos as we have in ours (the leopard in the tree with it's kill). I still have my mind in Africa and my body is stuck here in Canada. Ty is still in Tanzania, but will be home in a couple of days. I'm so jealous of him, but he sees it differently. Take care... I too am dreaming of when I can go back.