Hi gary...

I'm just back from my holiday in south africa and Zambia... I stayed at Londolozi Tree camp and yes its beautiful... Its very personalised and attention is given even to your slightest needs... I enjoyed watching elephants, impala's , kudus, etc from my living room.. the location is great...

BUT i'm disappointed with the game drives as my interest was the leopards and lions of londolozi.. I got to meet only Manaleythi Male i.e Shorty's dad (high on my list was Camp Pan Male and Shorty)

Well I'm glad i got to see Tailess Lion i admire her character. She was with her 2 daughters (tsalala pride) with a Mapago male... I saw them just zzzzzzzzzzz for an hour.. I so wished for some action but with their tummiess filled i doubted that... The ranger did mention there are chances of these lioness being pregnant...

I definately wud go back to sabi but am thinking of MM.... (reason being MM does not share transvering rights with anyone) MM stick to themselves and my favoourite leopards seem to be moving in MM these days...

But gary i'm so JEALOUS of your sightings *sob sob* ( i guess i should have stayed for 5 nights instead of 2)

Having said that i was so blessed to view the BIG 5 when i drove from Malene gate to Londolozi... That was splendid... and it gave me ideas that it wub be raining wild cats in Londo LOLZ...

Thanks

hi gary,

thx for your response to my question!
regarding the sole use: it's excellent when one wants to get away from them all and do full day drives and if one is keen solely on photography of particular animals.

when we go to camps/lodges of which we don't know the car:guest ratio we book sole use in order to make sure we get what we want in view to photography.

regarding londo as a venue and its rating: i have to agree it's the place to go especially for leopard encounters.
a friend of ours visits 4 (!) times a year and mostly books her sole use as she is very much into leopard photos. so she takes off with her driver guide in the morning and gets back after dark.
she is also extremly pleased with londo and reluctant to try any other venue because she is so pleased with the service, personal attention and wildlife in partciular. she even gets sleep-outs there which sounds marvelous.

div

Drinking rhinos, drinking lions, leopard and cub!!

How do you get 3 free nights at Duba Plains?

Hi vns

I go fairly regularly to MM and I am wondering which leopards in particular are your favourites? And lion prides?

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi kaye

My fav leopards are Shorty and his arch rival Camp Pan male....and of course not to forget the legendary 3:4...

In lion pride its the Tsalala (glad i got to see them specially tailess shes such a wonderful mother)... I love Lions for their family bond. In fact my ranger at londo mentioned that wild dogs share a stronger bond then lions...

But Kaye am i not correct in assuming that MM is excellent for game watching, while Londo is the best for personalised service... I loved my stay at the tree camps...

Thanks

Hi vns

You will get fans for each camp. I have been to 3 of Londo camps over 2 visits. If I hadn't already paid a deposit for the 2nd one, I would not have returned. Very little was right in the first trip, but I was convinced to return a second time by an offer of a private vehicle for my 10 night stay, and this time I had nice rooms and more importantly, a wonderful ranger/tracker combination. I have been to MM over a dozen times, and for a while now I don't bother going anywhere else. Gameviewing is my absolute passion and for me, nowhere comes close to MM - in gameviewing and in rangers and the history of the cats. While I like being comfortable and fed, the room and food is not a high priority. But given the amount I have paid, I do expect a reasonable standard in both.

I have certainly seen the leopards and lions you have mentioned. I have only seen the 3:4 Female a couple of times, but remember her to be a really old looking female. In July this year, I saw her sister quite a few times, and can't believe they are sisters as so very different in every department. I also like the older lioness of the Tsalala Pride and saw her not long after her injury - lionesses do seem to survive injuries that seem quite severe. I saw her quite a few times in 2003 with those 2 younger lionesses on MM but they are not seen there now. But I love the Styx Pride which at last count has 11 cubs and of course the Eyrefield Pride down to 3 lionesses raising 9 big cubs.

Sorry I am rambling on and as you asked me, yes, I think MM is better gameviewing but some will differ and that is fine. Service wise I have always been very happy with MM - I love having the rangers at meals as sometimes I do go alone and sometimes with a niece, and while fellow vehicles guests can be good, sometimes they are not, so at least I have the ranger for good company.

Kind regards

Kaye

Thanks Kaye...I just had the gut feeling that MM was the best for game viewing (women are seldom wrong about their instincts WINK WINK)... I so wish i cud just pack my bags go to MM right now...MM is high on my list i need to check out the pricing...

kaye i was discussing about 3:4 and sunsetbend with my ranger and he said its a debate if they really are sisters....As you said they are so different..

Kaye i completely agree with you on going solo for game drives... Next time before making reservation i wud specify we wud not like to share the drives with other guests.

Kaye i need to ask you a very important question .... how do you make your bookings .. do you do it directly with MM or thru an agent...

Have you been to Botswana did you hear about a pride of 30 lions there (now thats something) wonder if that pride has any name,,,

Kaye do you know anything about the Sparta pride....( sorry i have so much questions i feel like a 10yr old when it comes to wild animals)

(My trip just rekindled and brought the hidden child out....)

Thank you so much

Hi vns

They are very different, the Sunset Bend Female and 3:4 Female, and sometimes I really have my doubts on some info I received at Londo, but I did email Maxine, the leopard specialist before I went there in June 2006, and she said she had photos of those 2 as cubs, as they are grand-daughters of the leopard they call Mother Leopard. I am really surprised to hear the rangers are debating it now, when for years they have been telling people they are sisters! I do not know as I unfortunately was not going to Sabi Sands in 1992 when they were born. We can only go on what information we are told, and I hate being told incorrect information as their history is a huge part of my interest. When I first starting going I saw cubs and young subadults that are now having their 1st or up to their 3rd litters which is very exciting to know who their aunts or mothers or grand-mothers are. More difficult with males, as to really know the father can be difficult as some leopards do mate with more than one
male, so to identify the father is quite tricky!

I make my bookings directly with their reservation office in Johannesburg and I have a trip in Dec/Jan 2009, so I will now be making my ones for my winter 2009 and my summer 2009/2010, as they get booked out well in advance. I find it easier dealing directly and it is hardly a difficult booking when I only go to MM, although this Jan 2009, we are going to Mashatu for 6 nights in the middle of our MM trip.

I think the pride they call the Sparta Pride is MM's Eyrefield Pride. Is it 3 lionesses and 9 cubs? My last visit I was lucky enough to see (after the kill) this pride with 2 giraffe bull carcasses each carcass lasting around 10 days. Those cubs are all a little over a year old now, 5 being males, so need quite a bit of food. Off and on I look at Londo diaries, but unfortunately, they do not seem high on their list of jobs to do, as reports are very irregular at best.

I have no problem with you emailing me at home with your questions - it is [email protected]

I love this stuff so no need to worry about what questions you have.

Kind regards

Kaye

Thanks kaye

I'll e-mail u....

Kaye-

Your reports are why I booked a ticket last Saturday for Mala Mala and Matshatu at the end of next month. Moved the trip up from next May-I was lucky to get space on such short notice and am so excited to see the Eyrefield pride one year later after so many incredible shots when all were so little.

Your knowledge of the leopards and big cats is so incredible, so I look forward to being better educated this trip and hopefully get Nils to go out for a game drive.

Take care, I leave on October 23 and will give a short report in November.

Thanks for whoever started this thread. Good info all the way around.

Shellcat

Hi Shellcat

Thank-you for your very kind compliments!

You will love seeing the Eyrefield Pride again! Those 3 lionesses have done incredibly well to have those cubs all reach 14-15 months of age. The Styx Pride are also doing well with their cubs though they are much younger, 4 lionesses have 11 cubs between them, which is just great news for both prides. Bringing cubs into adulthood is no mean feat for both lions and leopards!

I look forward to hearing your report especially of Mashatu as I will be going there for the first time in January 2009 and all reports so far have been extremely positive.

When you love it as much as I do, that is when learning is easy. It really is fascinating and scary, what those animals go through just to survive.

Have an absolutely fantastic experience and look forward to hearing about it and good luck on getting Nils out for a gamedrive!

Kind regards

Kaye