King's Pool, Jao, Singita Ebony Trip Report
Special thanks to the members of this forum for helping us plan this very special, once in a lifetime trip!
Ericka -------------------------------- TRANSPORTATION We were lucky enough to fly Singapore Business Class from JFK to Frankfurt and then Lufthansa First Class to Johannesburg. Both provided lay-flat seating and excellent service, but the highlight had to be the First Class terminal in Frankfurt. Lufthansa is the first to provide this unique service to its passengers – a small, discreet, fully functional terminal with security, passport control, and free services including a wonderful sit-down restaurant, unlimited French Champagne, a personal concierge, driver and valet. At boarding time, the driver brought us to the belly of the 747 in a Mercedes S Class to ensure a more private and efficient boarding process. Once in Africa, our flights were somewhat less luxurious, particularly in Botswana. Most of our transfers between camps were done by light aircraft (4-6 seats) and the thermals made the trips very uncomfortable and nauseating. When we were lucky enough to board a 12-seater Cessna, the trips were much better. Federal Air, which operates in South Africa, seemed to be the only charter company that had larger (18+ seat) planes, which were better all-around. ACCOMMODATIONS All of our accommodations were luxurious, but in different ways. The one common element between them was the exceptional service. Since the properties were consistently small and the staff to guest ratio was consistently high, anything was possible. All we had to do was ask. The important thing to note is that we are confident we had just the right mix of lodging types and geographic areas when it came to the overall safari experience. There were also an abundance of animals that came very close to our rooms and often onto our decks for both water and mischief. These included elephants, hyena, vervet monkeys, baboons, and ngalas. **Grace in Rosebank: Johannesburg, SA** This is the sister property of the famous Cape Grace in Capetown. It is located in a Joburg suburb and has a very intimate feel. It is a smaller property by Joburg standards and we relished the quiet. We especially liked the traditional décor – painted wood, dark stained wood, lovely shades of green, and Ubatuba granite. **King’s Pool: Linyanti Reserve, Botswana** This is a luxury tented camp in a very dry (we were there in the dry season) area of Botswana. Free-standing suites are on raised platforms and have large decks, private plunge pools and salas. Hippos and elephants snored under our suite each night. **Jao Camp: Okavango Delta, Botswana** This is a luxury tented camp in a tropical, very wet part of Botswana. It was recently featured in Architectural Digest for its phenomenal layout and Balinese influences. Free-standing suites are on raised platforms with private salas. The walkways leading to the suites are raised as well. We especially enjoyed the songs of the birds and bell frogs each morning – they were so loud, they must have been fighting to be heard! Jao is best known as a water camp and offers a unique mokoro (canoe) experience. **Singita Ebony: Sabi Sands Reserve, SA** Singita is an award-winning lodge in South Africa. What set the Singita Ebony property apart from the others were the amenities available in each free-standing suite – air conditioning, full power, hair dryers, etc. The suites here also had plunge pools. We loved the British colonial décor, the claw-footed bathtubs and the slate floors. GAME VIEWING (please forgive spelling) **King’s Pool: Linyanti Reserve, Botswana** Red lechwe Hippos Lots of elephant and babies Giraffe and youngsters Antelope Red hornbill Pregnant leopard Red billed francolin Tree squirrels Vervet monkeys Go-away bird Grey headed sparrow Cape turtle dove Lilac breasted roller Fork tailed drungle Crested barbet Fruit bat Scrub hare Lesser bushbaby Hyena outside our front door Warthog and piglets Impala Baboon Blacksmith plover 2 male lion – cuddle sleeping Lesser bee eater Crested francolin Hunting spider wasp Jacana bird Pied kingfisher 700 cape buffalo – breeding heard w/babies Zebra Bataleur eagle Brown snake eagle Steenbok Crocodile Monitor lizard Tropical gecko Green spotted wood dove Carmine bee-eater colony Greater blue-eared glossy starling Guinea fowl Genet White-tailed mongoose Waddled crane Giant eagle owl Bell frog Waterbuck Hawk eagle w/ a francolin kill Female leopard in a tree White backed vulture Swallow tailed bee eater Violet eared waxbill Blue waxbill Egrets Tetse fly Ground hornbill **Jao Camp: Okavango Delta, Botswana** Squacco heron Lilac breasted roller Steenbok Red lechwe Arrow-marked babbler 2 male lion Yellow-billed egret Breeding heard of elephants – watched a baby nurse Tsessebe Blacksmith plover March owl 4 male lions fighting over territory Hyena in camp Lioness in camp Pied kingfisher Night and day lilies Fish eagle Malachite kingfisher African jacana, nest and eggs Young crocodile Emerald spotted dove Red billed buffalo weaver Cape buffalo Baboons Kudu and baby Ostrich and babies Wildebeest Zebras and babies Spur-winged geese Impala Brown parrot Vultures Go-away bird Black coucal Open billed stork Saddle billed stork Pygmy geese White faced whistling duck Sacred ibis Waddled crane Tilapia Water skater Reed cormorant Green pigeon Vervet monkeys Dragonflies Purple heron Red billed buffalo weaver Reed frog **Singita Ebony: Sabi Sands Reserve, SA** Ngala mother and baby drinking from plunge pool Impala Waterbuck Zebra White rhino Grey duiker Barn owl White tailed mongoose Scrub hare Greater kudu Hyena Bull elephants Giraffe Brown snake eagle Steenbok Yellow billed hornbill Leopard with kill in tree, cubs stashed somewhere Magpie shrike Waxbills Red billed oxpeckers Vervet monkeys Baby crocodile Zebra Wahlberg eagle Go away bird Gabar goshawk Woodpecker Crested barbet Dwarf mongoose Starlings Striped kingfisher Blacksmith lapwing Chameleon Cobra Guttural toads Wildebeest Hyena mothers and cubs at den (they laugh!) Lions on wildebeest kill Arrow-marked babbler Carnivorous ants Hippo Vulture Yellow-throated longclaw Scrub hare Spotted genet Lion steals kill from leopard/tree Troop of hyenas steal kill from lion Found dead hyena mother (killed by lion) |
Welcome home!
When you list your sightings as you have done, just seeing the length gives a good impression of the abundance of wildlife Africa has to offer. You had a a great variety of both mammal and bird sightings. Hyenas at their den with little ones is such a treat. The dead mother hyena is sad, but that's nature. How nice you saw a nursing elephant. How did the lion stealing the leopard kill in the tree work? |
Wow, sounds like great trip -- you really saw everything. And a dead hyena -- I have only seen one dead large predator, a lion kicked by a buffalo in South Luangwa and all but its head had been eaten -- when we arrived it was being picked clean by vultures.
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ditto on the wow--for both the accommodations and the sightings. thanks for posting.
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thit cho,
That's exactly the same scenario of the only dead predator I've ever seen. But it was a juvenile lion in Moremi and we had seen him the day before. |
We came upon the lion just as it was dragging the kill away from the tree and into the dry riverbed. The leopard had it the night before but was no longer present. Our ranger said that it is not unusual for a lion (especially one like this, who was older and no longer part of a pride) to climb a smaller tree. They are actually good climbers, it is the getting down part that is difficult for them! Watching the hyena come upon her was magical. It was very early morning. One hyena called out for reinforcements - it echoed beautifully across the valley of the dried riverbed. Pretty soon, a dozen of them were there and what made it special was the fact that the lion and the kill were hidden by the riverbed reeds. So, it was more an audio show than visual - and boy was there audio!
As for the dead hyena, it was terrible to see. Only the night before we experienced what wonderful mothers hyenas make and how much joy the cubs experience when the mothers come home. It appeared that the hyena's death was quick, but we dare not think about the fate of her cubs... |
thanks for sharing your trip report! Sounds like it was a great trip! Pictures coming soon?
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Here are a few pictures. I also posted these on a separate thread. :-)
http://community.webshots.com/album/460573912SZWfWm |
Welcome back and thanks for the reports, will view the pics tonight...
Sounds like a marvellous trip both accommodation and safari-wise. Any additional anecdotes about individual sightings or experiences would be very welcome! |
Thanks for the wonderful report!
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