Mostly Botswana, Sept. 2009 (warning....long posting)
Nov 16th, 2009, 11:51 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mostly Botswana, Sept. 2009 (warning....long posting)
This is a long overdue trip report from our September trip to Botswana (with a short stop-over in Jo'burg and a few days in Livingstone). I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this started, but I wanted to post some photos, and I've been working hard to narrow down the field (we took about 7000....why oh why?). Anyway, sorry for the delay!
First of all, thanks to all of you who helped with the planning of this trip and gave me invaluable advice. I can't imagine going to Africa without seeking out your guidance!
As an overview, we booked our trip through African Adventure Company and were very pleased with what they did for us. This is our fourth trip to Africa and the first where we've used there services. We will definitely use them again and would recommend them highly.
As an overview, we traveled from Charlotte, NC to JFK on USAirways, then continued on with Swiss Air to Zurich and then on to Jo'burg. We stayed in a day-room for our long Zurich layover at the Radisson Blu Hotel, and spent the night in Jo'burg at the Intercontinental at the airport. From there we flew Botswana Air to Maun and then on to the various camps, primarily through Sefofane.
Our first stop in Botswana was 4 nights at Zarafa in the Selinda area and then 4 nights at Savuti. After that we moved to the Okavango Delta for 3 nights at Xudum, 3 nights at Little Vumbura and 4 nights at Little Mombo. We ended our trip in Livingstone, Zambia with 1 night at the Islands of Siankaba and two nights at the Royal Livingstone Hotel.
Our long return trip went from Livingstone to Joburg on Comair (British Air affiliate) and then Swiss Air back through Zurich and on to JFK. From JFK back home on US Airways.
I won't say much about the air travel except to say that Swiss Air was excellent. We used a two-for-one opportunity through American Express to travel First Class and the flights were excellent. Swiss Air has recently upgraded their First Class on several planes, but unfortunately we didn't get one of the new ones. While this would have been nice, we thought the cabin was fine (although the JFK to Zurich planes were a little worn....I can see why they are updating them). The service was exceptional and seats that make into a fully flat bed (complete with featherbed and down comforter) got us to Africa feeling much more rested than usual.
The Radisson Blu in Zurich was a nice hotel and it was more than adequate for getting a little sleep and a shower during our 12 hour layover.
We stayed one night in Jo'burg, primarily to visit with some friends and meet our brand new Godson (7 months old at the time). It was a wonderful visit and we were extremely pleased with the Intercontinental at the airport. The room was a good size and had much better than average amenities. It was really one of the most comfortable rooms we've had at similar hotels. We had about a half-hour to wait until our room was ready (thanks for the early check in here as well!), but were in our rooms by 11:00 am. They have a very nice patio, so we were happy to sit on the patio and have a drink while we waited. We decided to book a massage and by noon we were each on a massage table in the very relaxing spa. I had one of the best massages I've ever had and just wish we would have had time on our return trip to book another one! We met some friends in Jo'burg and just decided to eat at the hotel (they have a 7 month old baby - our new Godson) and it was easier than going out. We had a very nice meal with excellent service and even though the hotel felt like a "business" hotel (we saw no other children), they were very family-friendly. Getting to and from the airport was very easy. We have nothing but praise for this hotel and would strongly recommend it.
Botswana Air: Although we read horror reports on Botswana Air, this is our second time flying this airline and we've had two good experiences. The flights have been on-time and the service is far superior to what we've grown accustomed to on US Airways.
Wilderness-Safaris and Sefofane: Before I get into the individual camps I just wanted to take a minute to sing the praises of Wilderness-Safaris and Sefofane. We were always met by wonderful representatives and our transfers went smoothly and without incident. I always felt that we were in excellent hands and that the company took full responsibility for making sure we had a good experience. I'd give them extremely high marks. With one exception (where a guest at another camp was an hour late and therefore our flight was an hour late) our flights were on time and generally waiting for us on the airstrips. Pilots were very friendly and competent. Logistically, Wilderness does a superior job in handling the transportation between camps.
Zarafa: While Zarafa is marketed by Wilderness, it is owned by Great Plains. We loved this camp and like the eco-friendly approach of Great Plains.....solar energy, extensive use of reclaimed wood from the Tsunami, etc. The camp is furnished British Campaign style and is at once elegant and casual. The managers, Tessa and Stuart were excellent hosts and we enjoyed the small property feel (only 4 tents). Our tent (#4...the most remote) was gorgeous! It was probably 1200 sq. ft. with a large living area, king-sized bed, copper free-standing fireplace, copper tub, indoor and outdoor showers and a private plunge pool. It is very private, so it's easy to take advantage of the screening on all four sides of the tent. When it's as hot as it is here, that's very important for air flow. Our only (very small) complaint about the tent was that the outdoor areas (decking, etc.) weren't as inviting as the other places we stayed. The view from our tent (and the main area) overlooked the lagoon and provided a beautiful backdrop for this wonderful property. It was rare that we couldn't see elephants in the water in front of the camp. Our guide was Foster and he was very personable, kind, friendly and overall a great person to spend 4 days with. The first two days we shared the vehicle with another couple, but the last two days we had the vehicle to ourselves. In the past we've heard criticisms of the wildlife in the Selinda area, but we had an outstanding experience. While there was not a huge amount of general game, we were blessed with major predator sightings everyday. On our first game drive we saw two male cheetahs lying on a termite mound. Given how rare it is to see cheetahs, we took this as very good trip karma! Within 15 minutes of our cheetah sighting we saw a male leopard with a very recent warthog kill (he had not begun to feed on it yet). While we were watching this beautiful cat drag it's prey to and up a tree, one of our "vehicle-mates" turned around an spotted a second leopard coming toward us, clearly intent on taking the warthog for his own dinner. This second leopard (later identified as a male) was new to the guides and very shy around the vehicle. It crouched down and gave wide berth to us but approached the other leopard and tried to take the warthog. Much snarling and growling ensued, but the newcomer was quickly turned away. We tried to follow him, but he quickly ran away. Night was falling and we decided to head back to camp for a late sundowner.
While I was still having my jet-lagged insomnia, I heard hippos, elephants, hyenas, leopard calls and lion roars throughout the first night. A much better way to spend a sleepless night than traffic noise and sirens! The next day we saw the leopard again with his now mostly-eaten warthog and while we were watching him, we looked up and the "shy" leopard was further up the tree. He used our arrival as a distraction so he could come down the tree and escape. Again, snarling and growling, but no damage done to either cat.
Everyday at brunch, as if on call, elephants would walk up to the dining deck and walk through the camp. Our favorite, who we saw daily, we named "Buddy". He had very uneven tusks, so he was easy to recognize. While we were there, he never missed a brunch, and often kept us confined to our room. He truly seemed to be just curious and to want company. We got to know him well during our four days at Zarafa.
That afternoon we took a long, fast walk for about 1 1/2 hours. This was at the request of the other couple in our vehicle. Although we love going on walking safaris, that day was 110 degrees, so we were pretty exhausted by the end. The G&T at sundowners was the best I'd ever had! That evening Tessa and Stuart and Comfort (the cook....don't you just love having "Comfort" food?) met us in the bush for a bush dinner. It was fabulous but fortunately in ended fairly early and we finally got a really nice night's sleep.
The next morning's highlight was four honey badgers and two male lions, including Silver Eye of the Selinda pride that I had read about for years. Another "lost" brunch with the elephants (I call them this, because I usually am so involved with watching the ellies that I barely touch my brunch). That afternoon we saw the lions again and saw much more general game and then another different leopard, this time a female. So....so far...on safari for our third day and have seen 3 different leopards, two cheetahs, two male lions and 4 honey badgers! When we returned to camp, we went back to our room to freshen up before dinner and when Foster came to get us, he explained that there was a breeding herd of ellies between us and the main area, so Foster had to lead us through the woods to wind our way through the herd. It took a while to get to dinner, but it was exciting to be among those beautiful animals. Of course this was the only night we decided to get out of our hiking boots and wear loafers and we were creeping through the bushes! (We kept our hiking boots on from that point on until we reached Mombo with it's raised walkways).
The next morning's game drive was very special. We got a call early that an artist who lives on the property (brother of owner) had seen a wild dog, so we quickly went to the area where he lives and starting tracking. After searching for a while, we were very lucky to see not only 5 adult wild dogs, but 10 puppies as well! The puppies were playful and the adults were very relaxed. The pups were about 2 months old. Foster had never seen wild dog puppies, so he was as excited as we were. The adults were so attentive and tender with the pups. It was an honor to witness something so wonderful. What a once in a lifetime treat!
When we got back to camp for brunch the ellies were everywhere again. Foster was now escorting us back and forth to the room, even during the day because the elephants were always in camp. When he came to get us at tea that afternoon, a young male (one he was very familiar with) was just outside our room. He asked us to come outside and we went around on the decking and got very close to the elephant. Foster was completely at ease with this young male (and he was very relaxed). What a great experience to get so close to him on foot.
The last day we watched the wild dog family again for a long time. I've had few experiences in nature I've enjoyed much more than I did this last day with the wild dogs. That night Comfort cooked over an open fire and we had a chance to get to know the Zimbawean. He was a very interesting man and had a quick and easy smile and nature. The morning we left we were awoken by the distinct call of a leopard just on the other side of our front door flap. When we came out the next morning there were leopard tracks all around our tent.
Foster was really a treat, with a kind and gentle nature and sharing the wild dog experience with him was akin to sharing a spiritual experience. I guess by now you can tell we were over-the-moon with Zarafa.
Savuti Camp: We were met by Sefo, our very capable guide and met a honeymooning couple from NYC. A very nice couple and we could tell they would be fun to spend a couple of days with. We checked in with the camp managers Terry and Deanna, who turned out to be huge fun and excellent managers. We had room number 1 (the family tent) and it was the most private of all 7. We loved the privacy and we also appreciated being able to leave all the flaps up in the room since it was, again, very, very hot (over 100 every day). Our first game drive we saw a mother lioness with two cubs and two male cheetahs (we suspect these are the same cheetahs we saw at Zarafa, but aren't sure). We noticed that we were moving strangely in the vehicle and finally Sefo told us that something was wrong with the steering and the vehicle would only turn right. We were at the cheetah sighting and fortunately we weren't far from camp. Deanna and Terry came to our rescue and gave us their vehicle. Much to Sefo's embarrassment, we discovered later that evening that the two women were able to get the steering working again!
One minor complaint with the Wilderness properties. The vehicles at the properties (Savuti, Little Vumbura and even Little Mombo) were very old and in need of repair. At both Savuti and Little Vumbura the guide had to "hot wire" the night light spotter to the vehicle's battery, and one night at LV it didn't work. The vehicles definitely need an upgrade (especially compared with Zarafa and Xudum).
We felt at home right away at Savuti. We loved the fun and casual feel of the place. One of our favorite sightings of the trip came on the first afternoon as I was sitting on the deck of our tent writing in my journal. I looked up to see a beautiful Malachite Kingfisher right in front of me, and he stayed and hunted bugs among the reeds for over 30 minutes. I'd never seen this bird before, but immediately recognized him from the pictures I'd seen in books. I got some great photos since it was so close to the deck. I even woke my husband from a nap to have a look. It was beautiful! (Of course I also woke him up to see a sleeping porcupine, which turned out to be a "porcupine" stump!)
I realized I went on too long about Zarafa, so I'll keep this a little quicker. We watched the lioness and two playful cubs the next day and saw two more honey badgers (we would go on to see two more at Little Vumbura, so we saw 8 honey badgers on this trip!). We watched a very entertaining group of dwarf mongoose play for a while. They were very cute and curious about us.
The next afternoon we found a beautiful male leopard in a sausage tree and it decided to come down so we followed it for over an hour while it marked its territory in various ways. It didn't seem to be looking to hunt, but rather looking for a female. He rolled around in other animals' scat and spent much time marking trees. This was the dominant male in the area and beautiful to watch. Unfortunately we didn't see him find his mate. sThe next day at lunch we met our two new vehicle mates....a couple from Canada who were extremely funny and fun. Sefo took about a day to open up, but became one of our favorite guides of all time. He was a great story teller and had a wonderful sense of humor and adventure. After we watched the leopard, Sefo seemed like he was on a mission. We thought we were on our way to a sighting, but it turned out that Terry and Diana had set us a huge bar and appetizer buffet by the water's edge for an outstanding sundowner. Everyone in the camp appeared and we had a great time until long after dark.
The next morning we saw a very shy cheetah briefly before she disappeared into the bush, and tons of general game (giraffes, zebras, impala, etc.) We watch some zebra and baboons cross the channel and this was a treat to watch. Toward the end of the drive we saw another beautiful male leopard resting.
We saw the leopard again on the afternoon game drive and got to watch him more closely. We talked Sefo into doing different animal calls (he was very impressive!) and we had a great afternoon with him and the fun couple from Canada. We had "traditional" night by the boma that night and had a lot of fun. After that, Diana and some others invited us to sit by the fire and have after dinner drinks. We sang Broadway tunes and laughed without stopping....shortly after midnight we decided to finally go to be so we could make our morning game drive. What a fun day!
For the rest of the trip we had Sefo and the vehicle to ourselves. The next morning we had a great sighting. We took our binocs up to look at some buffaloes in the distance and quickly noticed that on the old termite mound in the middle of the herd were 5 young male lions, apparently afraid to come down among the buffaloes. Clearly they had been run up onto the mound by the herd. We watched this interaction for a long time and finally the herd moved away and the lions were able to move on their way. At first the lions looked like they might hunt the buffaloes, but quickly gave up the idea. We would have loved to have seen what happened to get them up on that mound!
Toward the end of the morning drive we saw some vultures up in a tree and went to investigate. We found leopard tracks and were following them for a while. We had just abandoned our search when we rounded a corner and spotted a pack of 12 wild dogs! No one knew these dogs were around, so it was an amazing surprise. We were very close to camp, so we watched them a while and left them to their siesta. After brunch when we were back at our room we heard a very angry elephant nearby trumpeting unlike any elephant we'd ever heard. We could tell that it was coming from the direction of the wild dogs. The noise continued all afternoon. One of the guides witnessed what was happening and captured some of it on video.....this one elephant had "gone crazy" as he put it, and kept running at the wild dogs over and over again. Fortunately no dogs were injured, but, needless to say, they weren't there that afternoon when we returned.
That afternoon, it turned out, however, would be what Sefo described as the best game drive of his life. We were in search of the pack of dogs and stopped to watch some young male elephants playing in the water. It was a lovely sight as they turned somersaults, dove, got on top of one another and generally just had fun playing in the cool water. My husband later said this was his favorite sighting of the entire trip! We watched for a long time and then Jakes (another guy at camp who joined us to hunt for the dogs) spotted the wild dogs sleeping on the far side of the water. They weren't moving, so we continued to watch the elephants. While we were there, another guide asked Sefo where we had seen the leopard the day before and he went to look for the male. In a few minutes he radioed that he had found him with an impala kill just around the other side of the water. We went there, bypassing the dogs for now and watched the leopard with his kill in a bush. While we were there we could still see the wild dogs and noticed them moving. We couldn't get to them quickly from where we were, so we had to track them again to find them. On the way, we found very fresh lion poop and quickly saw the five male lions from that morning over on an island across the channel. We were watching them when we realized they were in crouch position intently looking at something on our side of the channel. We look around in the grass and found the wild dogs. We watched as the wild dogs, unaware of the lions, looked for a place to cross the channel. We kept urging them to turn around and not go to the island since the lions clearly had their sights set on the dogs. The dogs kept going into the channel and then turning back. They did this for about 30 minutes while we watched....holding our breath and hoping we wouldn't see a tragic ending to a dog's life. Then, two dogs decided to make the swim. They were further down from the lions and for some reason the lions stayed fixed on the main pack and didn't notice the two (including the alpha female) cross. All of the sudden, one of the dogs on our side of the channel saw the lions and started alarm barking. The rest of the dogs noticed the lions and saw their two "pack mates" in danger and the entire pack started to whine. We could barely stand the suspense. Finally the two dogs sensed the danger and ran, literally, for their lives. The entire pack ran as well and I had no idea how fast wild dogs could run. They continued their running and there was no way we could follow. They were safe, but we wouldn't see them again.
But that's not the end of our "dream game drive"! After the excitement we had our G&Ts in the vehicle and continued to watch the lions. While we were sitting there as the sun was setting, a lone hyena came directly to our vehicle and then walked around us. As we headed back to camp, we stopped by to see the leopard and found that a different hyena had stolen the mostly-eaten impala and chased the leopard up a tree. We watched and listened to the hyena crunch the bones of the impala (always a haunting sound) and then watched the leopard descend from the tree (he was too full and his belly was too big to find a comfortable spot to rest in the tree). Then we looked to the other side of the vehicle and there was a hippo who had emerged from the water and was standing and munching not 20 feet from us. We sat there for quite some time in the dark with all lights off, just listening to the crunching of bones, munching of grass and chirping of frogs. An amazing and melodious soundscape. We then made our way back for a late dinner at camp. What an afternoon!
We had a long game drive to the airstrip (we left Savuti about 6:00 and we arrived at the airstrip about 11:00 for our flight to Xudum) with the highlight being a sighting of the Savuti Pride (minus the two males we had seen at Zarafa). There were five lionesses and three young, active cubs. The cubs wanted to nurse, but the mom was having none of it. I got some great pictures of the mother snarling at her persistent offspring.
We landed at Xudum, but not at their usual airstrip. The regular airstrip was underwater (although it may now be in use). The result of this was a two hour transfer to camp - about 1 hour by vehicle and 1 hour by boat. When their airstrip is in operation, I think it's only a 15 minute transfer. Ona, our ranger and S.K., our tracker made the transfer with us and we picked up another couple (who would be our "vehicle mates" from Xaranna). I can't say enough good things about Ona and S.K. They were great rangers and trackers and they were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Before I go into the details (I promise, I'll keep them briefer), the places where Xudum excels is it's excellent guiding/tracking, it's beautiful and comfortable lodging, excellent service and the best food we've ever had in Africa (and probably top 10 of places in the world). Unfortunately, for all these superlatives, the wildlife is just not as plentiful here as in the other areas of Botswana we visited. However, we expected this part, so Xudum more than exceeded our expectations. We planned our three days at Xudum to be restful and pampering and it certainly was. We also had some amazing sightings, so we were very pleased that we chose this property.
Our first afternoon game drive was not terribly productive, but we did see a spotted genet and some common duiker, which were fairly uncommon sightings for us. Dinner was excellent, and Chris, the dining manager is wonderful. Unlike our other properties, communal tables were not used at Xudum, and in fact, the first night we were there is was just us and the other couple in our vehicle and they sat us at separate tables. The private dining is both a plus and a minus in our minds. We liked a break from the communal dinners that we always had at the Wilderness properties (although we had a couple of requested private dinners at our tents), but we didn't feel like we had the opportunity to get to know the other guests as well. Another good/bad thing is that there is no set dining time so you can eat whenever you like, but again, this doesn't encourage interaction with other guests. I think it would be nice to do a combination where one night there is a communal dinner at a specified time and the next night private tables with flexible start times are used. I do think, however, that the approach at Xudum will be a hit with honeymooners. On balance, we enjoyed some time to ourselves since we had 3 weeks of communal time. The other point I'll make here is that our guides did not eat with us at Xudum (which is different from every other property we've ever stayed in in Africa). Usually the guides alternate, but at least once during our stay we've been able to eat dinner with our guide and we like this.
The next day at Xudum was one of the best days we've ever had in Africa. About a half hour into our morning game drive we found fresh lion tracks and tracked the pride for about 3 hours. Now, we love to do tracking and are very patient with it, especially since we've been on several other trips to Africa, but some people may not enjoy this as much as we did. Ona and S.K. were excellent trackers and we had a great time with them. We were just about ready to give up when we found the pride (five lionesses) in and around a big fig tree. I was probably more excited for Ona and S.K. than I was for us because they had worked so hard to get us a good sighting. Also, the other couple with us were on their first trip to Africa and had not seen any predators at Xaranna (this was their third day on safari) so they were in heaven. I love to be with first time safari-goers because it's so much fun to see it through their eyes.....it's like being back for the first time again. One other thing I should point out is that we were the only vehicle out in the concession that day (no one from Xaranna and no other vehicle from Xudum), so Ona and S.K. had to do all this without the benefit of other rangers/trackers sightings. Anyway, we watched the pride for about an hour or so and then went a short distance away and Ona and S.K. set up an amazing bush breakfast for us (propane cooker, etc.). We had a wonderful meal and checked on the "girls" again before heading back to camp. We also saw a single Roan Antelope while we were out. We had only seen one other Roan before, so this was a good sighting for us.
After a great lunch and wonderful massage (yes this was a perfect day) we went back out to watch the lionesses on our afternoon drive. Ona and S.K. thought they would probably hunt that night since they looked very thin. After we watched them for a little time....right about sunset, they started to hunt and we followed. Just after darkness we watched them take down a large male wildebeest. Fortunately it was a clean and quick kill and an amazing experience to witness. We've only seen one other kill happen (at Sandibe) and it is such a powerful and emotional event that it's hard to describe. Ona and S.K. were over the moon, as were the rest of us. This was the first kill that had been seen at Xudum. That night at dinner (we requested a table with our new best friends!) we drank champagne and toasted our great fortune. We just wish that Ona and S.K. could have joined us.
The next day the other couple had to leave early, so we said goodbye and went on our morning drive. We went back again to see the lionesses with full bellies and a totally eaten carcass. We were hoping to see some hyenas, but the lions went back again to pick the bones, and no hyenas. The main sighting of this morning was a rare Pel's Fishing Owl. What an amazing bird! The afternoon game drive was not very successful, but Ona and S.K. tried hard to find a pangolin for us, without luck. That night they set up a nice dinner for us in a beautiful, romantic spot and it was a good way to end our stay there. They next morning we slept in a little and then took the two hour transfer back to the airstrip.
In summary, Xudum's property is magnificent. It's architechturally beautiful and quirky enough to feel casual and comfortable. Since it was so hot (some days about 110 F.) it was nice to have air conditioning and we could actually take naps in the afternoon since we could stay cool. We caught up on our sleep a little and left for the second half of our trip more refreshed. Ona, S.K. and Chris were fantastic, and I have corresponded with Ona and S.K. several times in the past few weeks. I sent my feedback to &Beyond (Melanie, an agent there who booked our last trip had asked me for feedback on Xudum) and they responded very well and quickly. What I told them is that, even though Xudum exceeded our expectations, at the price point where they are, I'd have a hard time recommending the property until the wildlife becomes a little more consistent. I really felt terrible for the folks at Xudum. Not only are they trying to turn a hunting concession into a photographic concession, but most of the roads they had put in (plus their airstrip) were flooded out. The unusually high floods had dispersed the animals more, so it was even harder to find the plains animals (although we did see one fairly large herd of buffalo from a distance). With spotty occupancy, there are sometimes only one vehicle out, so finding the animals that are there is more difficult. So, they certainly have their work cut out for them. But they have excellent service and wonderful staff, so at some point, the animals will come into this concession and this will be one of the best places to stay in the Delta. I just hope for them that this happens sooner than later.
Our flight was a short hop to Little Vumbura where we were met by Kay, our guide. Kay, I understand, is legendary in his ability to find animals, and he proved this while we were there. Our travel agent has requested room #6 (based on advice from this forum). This was the "honeymoon" tent and was wonderful. There was an outdoor bathtub and it was the most remote of the tents. I think the one honeymooning couple was a little surprised that we got the tent and they didn't. I helps to book early with a wonderful agent!
We had an excellent afternoon game drive. The general game that was lacking at Xudum is plentiful here. We also saw ostriches, which we hadn't seen in Botswana before, and a group of lions feasting on a giraffe carcass. Kay asked what we wanted to see and I told him a cheetah and he said he would find one for us before sunset. True to his word, just as the sun was setting, he found a beautiful male lying in the tall grass. He has an amazing eye. We traded our Gin and Tonics, gratefully, for this wonderful cat!
The next morning we had a great drive. It was a little cooler (blessedly) and the birds at LV were the best we've seen. This was the first place we've been where the general game is so prevalent and it made for nice game drives. We visited the lions, still at the giraffe kill, but this time they weren't sleeping and the cubs were cute and playful. A nice start to the day. We next found some fresh track of a male and female lion, Kay thought they were a mating pair, and followed their tracks for a while. We didn't find the male, but saw the female on a mound and she was posing beautifully in gorgeous light and we got some of our best lion photos of the trip. She was a big, gorgeous girl. Later in the morning I saw something but concluded it was a stump. Kay agreed that it was a stump, but as we approached, it turned out to be a cheetah. The same male from the night before, but at least this time we got to see him for a while before it got too dark. He was very alert and regal.
The afternoon game drive gave us plenty of general game and birds, but the highlight was two beautiful porcupines with their quills extended. This time we got a few photos. At dinner an elephant visited the buffet and kept us rapt in our seats for a while. That night this same elephant kept us awake most of the night slapping the top of our tent with his trunk to eat the flowers from the jackelberry tree above us. We thought the tent was going to collapse around us!
The next morning we took a walk but we cut it short because we learned about a sighting of the male and female mating lion pair we were tracking earlier. We found the pair (sleeping) and later found the pride with the playful cubs again (still at the "now very stinky giraffe kill")and watched for a while. We had a very brief leopard sighting, but it ran off into the high grass before we could watch it for very long. The highlights of the afternoon game drive was a great buffalo herd (we really hadn't gotten right in the midst of any herds until now) and an incredible Sable Antelope. It was only the second time we had seen a Sable and it is one of our favorite animals. Unfortunately it kept going into the bush and even though we followed it for a while it was pretty elusive. But what a gorgeous animal!
After sunset on the way back to camp we stopped by the "stinky giraffe kill" and we saw a leopard come in to take advantage of the leftovers. The male lion was still there and at one time we could see both in the spotlight, but they were apparently unaware of each others' presence. The leopard got so close to the large male lion and it was nerve-wracking to think that the lion might kill that beautiful leopard. Finally the leopard caught sight (or scent) of the lion and ran away. We saw an African Wildcat on our way home.
That night was "boma" night....always a lot of fun.
The next morning we went out on mokoro before heading off to Little Mombo. We loved the silence and calm of the mokoro and enjoyed seeing the Delta from that perspective.
Our stay at Little Vumbura was mixed and in a ranking, would probably be last in the list of places we visited. The main reason was that we just didn't feel much comraderie from either the other guests or the managers there. The other couple we were paired with were nice, but didn't really like game drives and hated going off road (which we love) and didn't want night drives (which we also love). They were very vocal and didn't leave much room for negotiation. The only good thing was that they did several water activities, so on those times we had Kay to ourselves. The managers were nice, but really didn't interact much with the guests. There were two couples who were nice and friendly, but mostly it wasn't a very congenial group, so we just didn't have as much fun there as the other camps. This is certainly the luck of the draw and isn't a criticism of LV as much as just a reflection of our time there.
We were surprised the next morning with a helicopter transfer to Mombo. This was one of the highlights of the trip since we hadn't been on a helicopter before. It was a nice experience.
Little Mombo was the perfect mix of rustic and elegance. Within a few minutes we were already wondering how we might save our pennies to go there again! Nat, the camp manager when we arrived, was wonderful. Friendly and accommodating and easy to be with. We found out that the other couple we'd be with (for the first two nights only two of the three rooms were rented) had requested private dinners, so we would, by default also be having a private dinner that first night. This was fine. They set us up in a beautiful location and we had wonderful food and service. We especially liked the staff at LM. Of all the camps, it was the place we felt we got to know everyone in camp. It made it very comfortable. Obviously the property at Mombo is outstanding and I wouldn't say anything to detract from that. It was sumptuous.
Tsile was our guide and we loved him from the moment we met him. He reminded me of one of our best friends, so we felt like we knew him immediately. The wildlife is very abundant....what we had heard and expected turned out to be true.....there was general game everywhere. The concession was also much more lush than any of the other places....palm trees, acacias, large plains-type areas breath-takingly green. It really looked like Eden. On the first game drive we saw a small pride of lions at a zebra kill and watched them for quite some time. This was followed by finding a mating pair of lions who were interacting, but not mating for us that night. One thing we'd never seen before was a giraffe who just stood very near this mating pair. At Mombo there is this sense of calmness and serenity and it seems to extend to predators and prey.....everything seems very calm. We also saw a beautiful single wild dog that afternoon. She is by herself and has been for about 9 months, but still hunts successfully and looks healthy. We would see her almost every day we were there. It was so heart-breaking, however, to see this normally social animal all alone. It was so lonely that it had tried to take up with other animals like hyenas and now a jackal. In fact, it was with the same jackal every time we saw her. I've never seen an animal look so lonesome.
The next morning we had one of our best sightings of the trip. We visited a hyena den and saw several families of hyenas, including some tiny cubs just fresh from the den. They were so playful and curious and the affection among the group would soften anyone's heart if they didn't already care for hyenas (we actually already loved hyenas, but some people don't feel this way). It was very endearing and we got some incredible pictures. Later that morning, we made our way to a hippo pool (about 30 hippos) and Nat and the staff were waiting with a bush brunch that was fabulous. The most amazing thing was that they had set up a "loo with a view" that was beyond belief (you'll see what I mean when you see the pictures).
This afternoon we searched for leopards but didn't see the famous Legadema. We did see a strange sight...it was so hot that a male lion had settled down for a nap in a small pool of water. Who says cats don't like baths!
That night we ate at the communal table with the Finnish couple who was in our vehicle. The next day we would have two other couples arriving. The next morning we looked hard for a leopard and finally found one a long way from Mombo near Chief's Camp. It was very shy and there were many Chief's Camp vehicles, so we didn't stay long and left the poor cat alone.
In the afternoon we were joined by two other couples. One couple was on their first trip (so that was fun). The other couple we had met briefly at Little Vumbura. I have to say that the husband of the couple from LV was the worst vehicle-mate we've ever had. He had a video camera (which is fine....no problem there) and he did a non-stop (and I do mean non-stop) narration that was both loud, pretentious and dramatic. He also didn't want other people to talk because his microphone might pick it up. I could tell the other couple felt the same way we did and so did our guide, but there was no stopping this man. We think of Africa as a place for fun, but also for reverence and reflection, and having someone ham it up into his camcorder every moment was not a good fit for us. He also used a great deal of profanity, and even though we are not easily offended, it was clearly offensive to the other couple and to Tsile and made for a very uncomfortable two days. It was at this point that my love affair with Mombo started to cool off.
That night we were joined by another manager, Thompson, who would be replacing Nat while she was on leave. We really liked Nat and liked Thompson too. That night the other two couples went to bed and Nat asked if we would stay up with her and Thompson to celebrate her last night there. We did and had great conversation with the two of them (red wine usually leads to fun discussions). Also, about midnight, one of the guides from "big Mombo" came to let us know there was a Pel's Fishing Owl on a tree right next to the walkway. It was amazing. It was almost close enough to touch and was holding a half-eaten catfish in its talon. It was very calm and we watched it for a long time. There was an Eagle Owl in another tree close by so we were able to see both those beautiful birds. Unfortunately, we didn't have a camera, but the memory is wonderful.
Essentially, the next two days were just a repeat of our first few days. We went to the hyena den two other times (the second time because Obnoxious Man's wife had slept in and now wanted to see it), back to the mating lions, back to the zebra kill, etc. We briefly saw a leopard just at sunset one evening, but because we had to be in by 7:00, we weren't able to watch her very long. It also rained the last two days we were at LM, so the wildlife stayed mostly hidden and we were wet and cold.
Here is our assessment of Little Mombo. The staff and facilities were absolutely the best. The managers were engaging, the staff was friendly and fun and the place/environment was the best we've seen in Africa (it looked like the Ngorongoro Crater without the vehicles). The general game was fantastic and there was a peacefulness we haven't found anywhere else. The lions were amazing. But....we wouldn't go back to Little Mombo for 4 nights unless we had at least one other couple with us. We really felt like the last two days were just like watching re-runs. Since many people only stay 2 nights and there is only 1 vehicle, I'm not sure how to prevent this, so we just wouldn't do it again....especially given the unbelievable price for the camp. We talked with Tsile about this and he understood. If we go back to Mombo by ourselves, we would stay in "Big Mombo" to avoid this problem (Tsile said that at Main Mombo if you stay four nights, you wouldn't be put with two different groups if at all possible). Usually when we stay 4 nights, if the vehicle "turns over" we may add a couple, but most of the time we would either stay with the same people or be in the vehicle by ourselves to avoid seeing the same sightings over again. We would have really liked to have spent more time looking for Legadema or watching "minor" sightings (baboons, zebras, etc.), but we understand that when people come to Little Mombo for two days they want to see predators and there are always some lions at a kill somewhere that make for an easy sighting. I don't blame anyone at LM....it's just the way it is. I think they need two vehicles there to avoid this situation. At $3400+ per night it would seem that this would not be too much to ask. (Of course this was also exacerbated by the fact that we had the world's most obnoxious man in our vehicle and rain for our "re-run" days). Don't misunderstand...we are very glad we went to Mombo....we would just do it differently next time.
The next day we went to the Islands of Siankaba in Livingstone, Zambia. We had decided to spend a few days here just to wind down from the trip, get caught up on our sleep and just relax. The Islands of Siankaba just wasn't the place for us at that point in our trip. First of all the property was just not what we expected. After staying in the places we had just stayed, it was a huge step down. We expected it to be similar to the Wilderness Classic Camps, but it was definitely at a lower level. It was very hot and the tents were not very open and close together, so there was no breeze (it was also in the thick trees on the river, so there just wasn't much air movement). The bugs at night in the tent were horrible. They were so bad that you couldn't be in the tent with a light on. With the heat and the bugs it was very difficult to sleep, and by this time in our trip we really need to catch up on our sleep. The property was almost empty (and in fact if we hadn't left I think we would have been the only people there the second night). We were also tired of communal dinners....we'd had enough small talk over 3 weeks that we just wanted some anonymity. Finally, it was so far from Livingstone, that to do anything required an hour transfer there and an hour back, so everything was at least a half day undertaking. So....we didn't have a comfortable place to hang out and it was difficult to do "short" excursions. We really just wanted to relax, sleep, read and maybe go see Vic Falls. This didn't give us what we wanted, so we left.
We moved to the Royal Livingstone, and it was just what we needed at this point of our trip. It was comfortable (although the rooms were not great for the price) and the staff was nice. We loved being able to walk to the Falls and sitting by the river was very pleasant. We would definitely recommend this hotel. The only negative thing was that we had to pay for it on top of Siankaba, but we were so unhappy at Siankaba it was worth it.
In summary, our favorite place was probably a tie between Zarafa and Savuti (My husband and I are split on this), Little Mombo next, Xudum after that and Little Vumbura at the bottom. I know this is a marathon trip report, so if you've made it this far, thank you for sticking with it. Also, Africa Adventure Company put together a magical trip for us and there were no glitches anywhere. We knew we'd love &Beyond (because we had stayed at 9 of their other properties) and we equally loved Wilderness. They did a great job of taking full responsibility for our trip and they have a remarkable organization.
I've finally gotten our photos to a manageable number and you can see them by individual properties on flickr at this link:
Collection: Trip to Africa 2009
Thanks again for all the help in putting together this trip. Now we just have to get ready for the next one!
Debbie
First of all, thanks to all of you who helped with the planning of this trip and gave me invaluable advice. I can't imagine going to Africa without seeking out your guidance!
As an overview, we booked our trip through African Adventure Company and were very pleased with what they did for us. This is our fourth trip to Africa and the first where we've used there services. We will definitely use them again and would recommend them highly.
As an overview, we traveled from Charlotte, NC to JFK on USAirways, then continued on with Swiss Air to Zurich and then on to Jo'burg. We stayed in a day-room for our long Zurich layover at the Radisson Blu Hotel, and spent the night in Jo'burg at the Intercontinental at the airport. From there we flew Botswana Air to Maun and then on to the various camps, primarily through Sefofane.
Our first stop in Botswana was 4 nights at Zarafa in the Selinda area and then 4 nights at Savuti. After that we moved to the Okavango Delta for 3 nights at Xudum, 3 nights at Little Vumbura and 4 nights at Little Mombo. We ended our trip in Livingstone, Zambia with 1 night at the Islands of Siankaba and two nights at the Royal Livingstone Hotel.
Our long return trip went from Livingstone to Joburg on Comair (British Air affiliate) and then Swiss Air back through Zurich and on to JFK. From JFK back home on US Airways.
I won't say much about the air travel except to say that Swiss Air was excellent. We used a two-for-one opportunity through American Express to travel First Class and the flights were excellent. Swiss Air has recently upgraded their First Class on several planes, but unfortunately we didn't get one of the new ones. While this would have been nice, we thought the cabin was fine (although the JFK to Zurich planes were a little worn....I can see why they are updating them). The service was exceptional and seats that make into a fully flat bed (complete with featherbed and down comforter) got us to Africa feeling much more rested than usual.
The Radisson Blu in Zurich was a nice hotel and it was more than adequate for getting a little sleep and a shower during our 12 hour layover.
We stayed one night in Jo'burg, primarily to visit with some friends and meet our brand new Godson (7 months old at the time). It was a wonderful visit and we were extremely pleased with the Intercontinental at the airport. The room was a good size and had much better than average amenities. It was really one of the most comfortable rooms we've had at similar hotels. We had about a half-hour to wait until our room was ready (thanks for the early check in here as well!), but were in our rooms by 11:00 am. They have a very nice patio, so we were happy to sit on the patio and have a drink while we waited. We decided to book a massage and by noon we were each on a massage table in the very relaxing spa. I had one of the best massages I've ever had and just wish we would have had time on our return trip to book another one! We met some friends in Jo'burg and just decided to eat at the hotel (they have a 7 month old baby - our new Godson) and it was easier than going out. We had a very nice meal with excellent service and even though the hotel felt like a "business" hotel (we saw no other children), they were very family-friendly. Getting to and from the airport was very easy. We have nothing but praise for this hotel and would strongly recommend it.
Botswana Air: Although we read horror reports on Botswana Air, this is our second time flying this airline and we've had two good experiences. The flights have been on-time and the service is far superior to what we've grown accustomed to on US Airways.
Wilderness-Safaris and Sefofane: Before I get into the individual camps I just wanted to take a minute to sing the praises of Wilderness-Safaris and Sefofane. We were always met by wonderful representatives and our transfers went smoothly and without incident. I always felt that we were in excellent hands and that the company took full responsibility for making sure we had a good experience. I'd give them extremely high marks. With one exception (where a guest at another camp was an hour late and therefore our flight was an hour late) our flights were on time and generally waiting for us on the airstrips. Pilots were very friendly and competent. Logistically, Wilderness does a superior job in handling the transportation between camps.
Zarafa: While Zarafa is marketed by Wilderness, it is owned by Great Plains. We loved this camp and like the eco-friendly approach of Great Plains.....solar energy, extensive use of reclaimed wood from the Tsunami, etc. The camp is furnished British Campaign style and is at once elegant and casual. The managers, Tessa and Stuart were excellent hosts and we enjoyed the small property feel (only 4 tents). Our tent (#4...the most remote) was gorgeous! It was probably 1200 sq. ft. with a large living area, king-sized bed, copper free-standing fireplace, copper tub, indoor and outdoor showers and a private plunge pool. It is very private, so it's easy to take advantage of the screening on all four sides of the tent. When it's as hot as it is here, that's very important for air flow. Our only (very small) complaint about the tent was that the outdoor areas (decking, etc.) weren't as inviting as the other places we stayed. The view from our tent (and the main area) overlooked the lagoon and provided a beautiful backdrop for this wonderful property. It was rare that we couldn't see elephants in the water in front of the camp. Our guide was Foster and he was very personable, kind, friendly and overall a great person to spend 4 days with. The first two days we shared the vehicle with another couple, but the last two days we had the vehicle to ourselves. In the past we've heard criticisms of the wildlife in the Selinda area, but we had an outstanding experience. While there was not a huge amount of general game, we were blessed with major predator sightings everyday. On our first game drive we saw two male cheetahs lying on a termite mound. Given how rare it is to see cheetahs, we took this as very good trip karma! Within 15 minutes of our cheetah sighting we saw a male leopard with a very recent warthog kill (he had not begun to feed on it yet). While we were watching this beautiful cat drag it's prey to and up a tree, one of our "vehicle-mates" turned around an spotted a second leopard coming toward us, clearly intent on taking the warthog for his own dinner. This second leopard (later identified as a male) was new to the guides and very shy around the vehicle. It crouched down and gave wide berth to us but approached the other leopard and tried to take the warthog. Much snarling and growling ensued, but the newcomer was quickly turned away. We tried to follow him, but he quickly ran away. Night was falling and we decided to head back to camp for a late sundowner.
While I was still having my jet-lagged insomnia, I heard hippos, elephants, hyenas, leopard calls and lion roars throughout the first night. A much better way to spend a sleepless night than traffic noise and sirens! The next day we saw the leopard again with his now mostly-eaten warthog and while we were watching him, we looked up and the "shy" leopard was further up the tree. He used our arrival as a distraction so he could come down the tree and escape. Again, snarling and growling, but no damage done to either cat.
Everyday at brunch, as if on call, elephants would walk up to the dining deck and walk through the camp. Our favorite, who we saw daily, we named "Buddy". He had very uneven tusks, so he was easy to recognize. While we were there, he never missed a brunch, and often kept us confined to our room. He truly seemed to be just curious and to want company. We got to know him well during our four days at Zarafa.
That afternoon we took a long, fast walk for about 1 1/2 hours. This was at the request of the other couple in our vehicle. Although we love going on walking safaris, that day was 110 degrees, so we were pretty exhausted by the end. The G&T at sundowners was the best I'd ever had! That evening Tessa and Stuart and Comfort (the cook....don't you just love having "Comfort" food?) met us in the bush for a bush dinner. It was fabulous but fortunately in ended fairly early and we finally got a really nice night's sleep.
The next morning's highlight was four honey badgers and two male lions, including Silver Eye of the Selinda pride that I had read about for years. Another "lost" brunch with the elephants (I call them this, because I usually am so involved with watching the ellies that I barely touch my brunch). That afternoon we saw the lions again and saw much more general game and then another different leopard, this time a female. So....so far...on safari for our third day and have seen 3 different leopards, two cheetahs, two male lions and 4 honey badgers! When we returned to camp, we went back to our room to freshen up before dinner and when Foster came to get us, he explained that there was a breeding herd of ellies between us and the main area, so Foster had to lead us through the woods to wind our way through the herd. It took a while to get to dinner, but it was exciting to be among those beautiful animals. Of course this was the only night we decided to get out of our hiking boots and wear loafers and we were creeping through the bushes! (We kept our hiking boots on from that point on until we reached Mombo with it's raised walkways).
The next morning's game drive was very special. We got a call early that an artist who lives on the property (brother of owner) had seen a wild dog, so we quickly went to the area where he lives and starting tracking. After searching for a while, we were very lucky to see not only 5 adult wild dogs, but 10 puppies as well! The puppies were playful and the adults were very relaxed. The pups were about 2 months old. Foster had never seen wild dog puppies, so he was as excited as we were. The adults were so attentive and tender with the pups. It was an honor to witness something so wonderful. What a once in a lifetime treat!
When we got back to camp for brunch the ellies were everywhere again. Foster was now escorting us back and forth to the room, even during the day because the elephants were always in camp. When he came to get us at tea that afternoon, a young male (one he was very familiar with) was just outside our room. He asked us to come outside and we went around on the decking and got very close to the elephant. Foster was completely at ease with this young male (and he was very relaxed). What a great experience to get so close to him on foot.
The last day we watched the wild dog family again for a long time. I've had few experiences in nature I've enjoyed much more than I did this last day with the wild dogs. That night Comfort cooked over an open fire and we had a chance to get to know the Zimbawean. He was a very interesting man and had a quick and easy smile and nature. The morning we left we were awoken by the distinct call of a leopard just on the other side of our front door flap. When we came out the next morning there were leopard tracks all around our tent.
Foster was really a treat, with a kind and gentle nature and sharing the wild dog experience with him was akin to sharing a spiritual experience. I guess by now you can tell we were over-the-moon with Zarafa.
Savuti Camp: We were met by Sefo, our very capable guide and met a honeymooning couple from NYC. A very nice couple and we could tell they would be fun to spend a couple of days with. We checked in with the camp managers Terry and Deanna, who turned out to be huge fun and excellent managers. We had room number 1 (the family tent) and it was the most private of all 7. We loved the privacy and we also appreciated being able to leave all the flaps up in the room since it was, again, very, very hot (over 100 every day). Our first game drive we saw a mother lioness with two cubs and two male cheetahs (we suspect these are the same cheetahs we saw at Zarafa, but aren't sure). We noticed that we were moving strangely in the vehicle and finally Sefo told us that something was wrong with the steering and the vehicle would only turn right. We were at the cheetah sighting and fortunately we weren't far from camp. Deanna and Terry came to our rescue and gave us their vehicle. Much to Sefo's embarrassment, we discovered later that evening that the two women were able to get the steering working again!
One minor complaint with the Wilderness properties. The vehicles at the properties (Savuti, Little Vumbura and even Little Mombo) were very old and in need of repair. At both Savuti and Little Vumbura the guide had to "hot wire" the night light spotter to the vehicle's battery, and one night at LV it didn't work. The vehicles definitely need an upgrade (especially compared with Zarafa and Xudum).
We felt at home right away at Savuti. We loved the fun and casual feel of the place. One of our favorite sightings of the trip came on the first afternoon as I was sitting on the deck of our tent writing in my journal. I looked up to see a beautiful Malachite Kingfisher right in front of me, and he stayed and hunted bugs among the reeds for over 30 minutes. I'd never seen this bird before, but immediately recognized him from the pictures I'd seen in books. I got some great photos since it was so close to the deck. I even woke my husband from a nap to have a look. It was beautiful! (Of course I also woke him up to see a sleeping porcupine, which turned out to be a "porcupine" stump!)
I realized I went on too long about Zarafa, so I'll keep this a little quicker. We watched the lioness and two playful cubs the next day and saw two more honey badgers (we would go on to see two more at Little Vumbura, so we saw 8 honey badgers on this trip!). We watched a very entertaining group of dwarf mongoose play for a while. They were very cute and curious about us.
The next afternoon we found a beautiful male leopard in a sausage tree and it decided to come down so we followed it for over an hour while it marked its territory in various ways. It didn't seem to be looking to hunt, but rather looking for a female. He rolled around in other animals' scat and spent much time marking trees. This was the dominant male in the area and beautiful to watch. Unfortunately we didn't see him find his mate. sThe next day at lunch we met our two new vehicle mates....a couple from Canada who were extremely funny and fun. Sefo took about a day to open up, but became one of our favorite guides of all time. He was a great story teller and had a wonderful sense of humor and adventure. After we watched the leopard, Sefo seemed like he was on a mission. We thought we were on our way to a sighting, but it turned out that Terry and Diana had set us a huge bar and appetizer buffet by the water's edge for an outstanding sundowner. Everyone in the camp appeared and we had a great time until long after dark.
The next morning we saw a very shy cheetah briefly before she disappeared into the bush, and tons of general game (giraffes, zebras, impala, etc.) We watch some zebra and baboons cross the channel and this was a treat to watch. Toward the end of the drive we saw another beautiful male leopard resting.
We saw the leopard again on the afternoon game drive and got to watch him more closely. We talked Sefo into doing different animal calls (he was very impressive!) and we had a great afternoon with him and the fun couple from Canada. We had "traditional" night by the boma that night and had a lot of fun. After that, Diana and some others invited us to sit by the fire and have after dinner drinks. We sang Broadway tunes and laughed without stopping....shortly after midnight we decided to finally go to be so we could make our morning game drive. What a fun day!
For the rest of the trip we had Sefo and the vehicle to ourselves. The next morning we had a great sighting. We took our binocs up to look at some buffaloes in the distance and quickly noticed that on the old termite mound in the middle of the herd were 5 young male lions, apparently afraid to come down among the buffaloes. Clearly they had been run up onto the mound by the herd. We watched this interaction for a long time and finally the herd moved away and the lions were able to move on their way. At first the lions looked like they might hunt the buffaloes, but quickly gave up the idea. We would have loved to have seen what happened to get them up on that mound!
Toward the end of the morning drive we saw some vultures up in a tree and went to investigate. We found leopard tracks and were following them for a while. We had just abandoned our search when we rounded a corner and spotted a pack of 12 wild dogs! No one knew these dogs were around, so it was an amazing surprise. We were very close to camp, so we watched them a while and left them to their siesta. After brunch when we were back at our room we heard a very angry elephant nearby trumpeting unlike any elephant we'd ever heard. We could tell that it was coming from the direction of the wild dogs. The noise continued all afternoon. One of the guides witnessed what was happening and captured some of it on video.....this one elephant had "gone crazy" as he put it, and kept running at the wild dogs over and over again. Fortunately no dogs were injured, but, needless to say, they weren't there that afternoon when we returned.
That afternoon, it turned out, however, would be what Sefo described as the best game drive of his life. We were in search of the pack of dogs and stopped to watch some young male elephants playing in the water. It was a lovely sight as they turned somersaults, dove, got on top of one another and generally just had fun playing in the cool water. My husband later said this was his favorite sighting of the entire trip! We watched for a long time and then Jakes (another guy at camp who joined us to hunt for the dogs) spotted the wild dogs sleeping on the far side of the water. They weren't moving, so we continued to watch the elephants. While we were there, another guide asked Sefo where we had seen the leopard the day before and he went to look for the male. In a few minutes he radioed that he had found him with an impala kill just around the other side of the water. We went there, bypassing the dogs for now and watched the leopard with his kill in a bush. While we were there we could still see the wild dogs and noticed them moving. We couldn't get to them quickly from where we were, so we had to track them again to find them. On the way, we found very fresh lion poop and quickly saw the five male lions from that morning over on an island across the channel. We were watching them when we realized they were in crouch position intently looking at something on our side of the channel. We look around in the grass and found the wild dogs. We watched as the wild dogs, unaware of the lions, looked for a place to cross the channel. We kept urging them to turn around and not go to the island since the lions clearly had their sights set on the dogs. The dogs kept going into the channel and then turning back. They did this for about 30 minutes while we watched....holding our breath and hoping we wouldn't see a tragic ending to a dog's life. Then, two dogs decided to make the swim. They were further down from the lions and for some reason the lions stayed fixed on the main pack and didn't notice the two (including the alpha female) cross. All of the sudden, one of the dogs on our side of the channel saw the lions and started alarm barking. The rest of the dogs noticed the lions and saw their two "pack mates" in danger and the entire pack started to whine. We could barely stand the suspense. Finally the two dogs sensed the danger and ran, literally, for their lives. The entire pack ran as well and I had no idea how fast wild dogs could run. They continued their running and there was no way we could follow. They were safe, but we wouldn't see them again.
But that's not the end of our "dream game drive"! After the excitement we had our G&Ts in the vehicle and continued to watch the lions. While we were sitting there as the sun was setting, a lone hyena came directly to our vehicle and then walked around us. As we headed back to camp, we stopped by to see the leopard and found that a different hyena had stolen the mostly-eaten impala and chased the leopard up a tree. We watched and listened to the hyena crunch the bones of the impala (always a haunting sound) and then watched the leopard descend from the tree (he was too full and his belly was too big to find a comfortable spot to rest in the tree). Then we looked to the other side of the vehicle and there was a hippo who had emerged from the water and was standing and munching not 20 feet from us. We sat there for quite some time in the dark with all lights off, just listening to the crunching of bones, munching of grass and chirping of frogs. An amazing and melodious soundscape. We then made our way back for a late dinner at camp. What an afternoon!
We had a long game drive to the airstrip (we left Savuti about 6:00 and we arrived at the airstrip about 11:00 for our flight to Xudum) with the highlight being a sighting of the Savuti Pride (minus the two males we had seen at Zarafa). There were five lionesses and three young, active cubs. The cubs wanted to nurse, but the mom was having none of it. I got some great pictures of the mother snarling at her persistent offspring.
We landed at Xudum, but not at their usual airstrip. The regular airstrip was underwater (although it may now be in use). The result of this was a two hour transfer to camp - about 1 hour by vehicle and 1 hour by boat. When their airstrip is in operation, I think it's only a 15 minute transfer. Ona, our ranger and S.K., our tracker made the transfer with us and we picked up another couple (who would be our "vehicle mates" from Xaranna). I can't say enough good things about Ona and S.K. They were great rangers and trackers and they were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Before I go into the details (I promise, I'll keep them briefer), the places where Xudum excels is it's excellent guiding/tracking, it's beautiful and comfortable lodging, excellent service and the best food we've ever had in Africa (and probably top 10 of places in the world). Unfortunately, for all these superlatives, the wildlife is just not as plentiful here as in the other areas of Botswana we visited. However, we expected this part, so Xudum more than exceeded our expectations. We planned our three days at Xudum to be restful and pampering and it certainly was. We also had some amazing sightings, so we were very pleased that we chose this property.
Our first afternoon game drive was not terribly productive, but we did see a spotted genet and some common duiker, which were fairly uncommon sightings for us. Dinner was excellent, and Chris, the dining manager is wonderful. Unlike our other properties, communal tables were not used at Xudum, and in fact, the first night we were there is was just us and the other couple in our vehicle and they sat us at separate tables. The private dining is both a plus and a minus in our minds. We liked a break from the communal dinners that we always had at the Wilderness properties (although we had a couple of requested private dinners at our tents), but we didn't feel like we had the opportunity to get to know the other guests as well. Another good/bad thing is that there is no set dining time so you can eat whenever you like, but again, this doesn't encourage interaction with other guests. I think it would be nice to do a combination where one night there is a communal dinner at a specified time and the next night private tables with flexible start times are used. I do think, however, that the approach at Xudum will be a hit with honeymooners. On balance, we enjoyed some time to ourselves since we had 3 weeks of communal time. The other point I'll make here is that our guides did not eat with us at Xudum (which is different from every other property we've ever stayed in in Africa). Usually the guides alternate, but at least once during our stay we've been able to eat dinner with our guide and we like this.
The next day at Xudum was one of the best days we've ever had in Africa. About a half hour into our morning game drive we found fresh lion tracks and tracked the pride for about 3 hours. Now, we love to do tracking and are very patient with it, especially since we've been on several other trips to Africa, but some people may not enjoy this as much as we did. Ona and S.K. were excellent trackers and we had a great time with them. We were just about ready to give up when we found the pride (five lionesses) in and around a big fig tree. I was probably more excited for Ona and S.K. than I was for us because they had worked so hard to get us a good sighting. Also, the other couple with us were on their first trip to Africa and had not seen any predators at Xaranna (this was their third day on safari) so they were in heaven. I love to be with first time safari-goers because it's so much fun to see it through their eyes.....it's like being back for the first time again. One other thing I should point out is that we were the only vehicle out in the concession that day (no one from Xaranna and no other vehicle from Xudum), so Ona and S.K. had to do all this without the benefit of other rangers/trackers sightings. Anyway, we watched the pride for about an hour or so and then went a short distance away and Ona and S.K. set up an amazing bush breakfast for us (propane cooker, etc.). We had a wonderful meal and checked on the "girls" again before heading back to camp. We also saw a single Roan Antelope while we were out. We had only seen one other Roan before, so this was a good sighting for us.
After a great lunch and wonderful massage (yes this was a perfect day) we went back out to watch the lionesses on our afternoon drive. Ona and S.K. thought they would probably hunt that night since they looked very thin. After we watched them for a little time....right about sunset, they started to hunt and we followed. Just after darkness we watched them take down a large male wildebeest. Fortunately it was a clean and quick kill and an amazing experience to witness. We've only seen one other kill happen (at Sandibe) and it is such a powerful and emotional event that it's hard to describe. Ona and S.K. were over the moon, as were the rest of us. This was the first kill that had been seen at Xudum. That night at dinner (we requested a table with our new best friends!) we drank champagne and toasted our great fortune. We just wish that Ona and S.K. could have joined us.
The next day the other couple had to leave early, so we said goodbye and went on our morning drive. We went back again to see the lionesses with full bellies and a totally eaten carcass. We were hoping to see some hyenas, but the lions went back again to pick the bones, and no hyenas. The main sighting of this morning was a rare Pel's Fishing Owl. What an amazing bird! The afternoon game drive was not very successful, but Ona and S.K. tried hard to find a pangolin for us, without luck. That night they set up a nice dinner for us in a beautiful, romantic spot and it was a good way to end our stay there. They next morning we slept in a little and then took the two hour transfer back to the airstrip.
In summary, Xudum's property is magnificent. It's architechturally beautiful and quirky enough to feel casual and comfortable. Since it was so hot (some days about 110 F.) it was nice to have air conditioning and we could actually take naps in the afternoon since we could stay cool. We caught up on our sleep a little and left for the second half of our trip more refreshed. Ona, S.K. and Chris were fantastic, and I have corresponded with Ona and S.K. several times in the past few weeks. I sent my feedback to &Beyond (Melanie, an agent there who booked our last trip had asked me for feedback on Xudum) and they responded very well and quickly. What I told them is that, even though Xudum exceeded our expectations, at the price point where they are, I'd have a hard time recommending the property until the wildlife becomes a little more consistent. I really felt terrible for the folks at Xudum. Not only are they trying to turn a hunting concession into a photographic concession, but most of the roads they had put in (plus their airstrip) were flooded out. The unusually high floods had dispersed the animals more, so it was even harder to find the plains animals (although we did see one fairly large herd of buffalo from a distance). With spotty occupancy, there are sometimes only one vehicle out, so finding the animals that are there is more difficult. So, they certainly have their work cut out for them. But they have excellent service and wonderful staff, so at some point, the animals will come into this concession and this will be one of the best places to stay in the Delta. I just hope for them that this happens sooner than later.
Our flight was a short hop to Little Vumbura where we were met by Kay, our guide. Kay, I understand, is legendary in his ability to find animals, and he proved this while we were there. Our travel agent has requested room #6 (based on advice from this forum). This was the "honeymoon" tent and was wonderful. There was an outdoor bathtub and it was the most remote of the tents. I think the one honeymooning couple was a little surprised that we got the tent and they didn't. I helps to book early with a wonderful agent!
We had an excellent afternoon game drive. The general game that was lacking at Xudum is plentiful here. We also saw ostriches, which we hadn't seen in Botswana before, and a group of lions feasting on a giraffe carcass. Kay asked what we wanted to see and I told him a cheetah and he said he would find one for us before sunset. True to his word, just as the sun was setting, he found a beautiful male lying in the tall grass. He has an amazing eye. We traded our Gin and Tonics, gratefully, for this wonderful cat!
The next morning we had a great drive. It was a little cooler (blessedly) and the birds at LV were the best we've seen. This was the first place we've been where the general game is so prevalent and it made for nice game drives. We visited the lions, still at the giraffe kill, but this time they weren't sleeping and the cubs were cute and playful. A nice start to the day. We next found some fresh track of a male and female lion, Kay thought they were a mating pair, and followed their tracks for a while. We didn't find the male, but saw the female on a mound and she was posing beautifully in gorgeous light and we got some of our best lion photos of the trip. She was a big, gorgeous girl. Later in the morning I saw something but concluded it was a stump. Kay agreed that it was a stump, but as we approached, it turned out to be a cheetah. The same male from the night before, but at least this time we got to see him for a while before it got too dark. He was very alert and regal.
The afternoon game drive gave us plenty of general game and birds, but the highlight was two beautiful porcupines with their quills extended. This time we got a few photos. At dinner an elephant visited the buffet and kept us rapt in our seats for a while. That night this same elephant kept us awake most of the night slapping the top of our tent with his trunk to eat the flowers from the jackelberry tree above us. We thought the tent was going to collapse around us!
The next morning we took a walk but we cut it short because we learned about a sighting of the male and female mating lion pair we were tracking earlier. We found the pair (sleeping) and later found the pride with the playful cubs again (still at the "now very stinky giraffe kill")and watched for a while. We had a very brief leopard sighting, but it ran off into the high grass before we could watch it for very long. The highlights of the afternoon game drive was a great buffalo herd (we really hadn't gotten right in the midst of any herds until now) and an incredible Sable Antelope. It was only the second time we had seen a Sable and it is one of our favorite animals. Unfortunately it kept going into the bush and even though we followed it for a while it was pretty elusive. But what a gorgeous animal!
After sunset on the way back to camp we stopped by the "stinky giraffe kill" and we saw a leopard come in to take advantage of the leftovers. The male lion was still there and at one time we could see both in the spotlight, but they were apparently unaware of each others' presence. The leopard got so close to the large male lion and it was nerve-wracking to think that the lion might kill that beautiful leopard. Finally the leopard caught sight (or scent) of the lion and ran away. We saw an African Wildcat on our way home.
That night was "boma" night....always a lot of fun.
The next morning we went out on mokoro before heading off to Little Mombo. We loved the silence and calm of the mokoro and enjoyed seeing the Delta from that perspective.
Our stay at Little Vumbura was mixed and in a ranking, would probably be last in the list of places we visited. The main reason was that we just didn't feel much comraderie from either the other guests or the managers there. The other couple we were paired with were nice, but didn't really like game drives and hated going off road (which we love) and didn't want night drives (which we also love). They were very vocal and didn't leave much room for negotiation. The only good thing was that they did several water activities, so on those times we had Kay to ourselves. The managers were nice, but really didn't interact much with the guests. There were two couples who were nice and friendly, but mostly it wasn't a very congenial group, so we just didn't have as much fun there as the other camps. This is certainly the luck of the draw and isn't a criticism of LV as much as just a reflection of our time there.
We were surprised the next morning with a helicopter transfer to Mombo. This was one of the highlights of the trip since we hadn't been on a helicopter before. It was a nice experience.
Little Mombo was the perfect mix of rustic and elegance. Within a few minutes we were already wondering how we might save our pennies to go there again! Nat, the camp manager when we arrived, was wonderful. Friendly and accommodating and easy to be with. We found out that the other couple we'd be with (for the first two nights only two of the three rooms were rented) had requested private dinners, so we would, by default also be having a private dinner that first night. This was fine. They set us up in a beautiful location and we had wonderful food and service. We especially liked the staff at LM. Of all the camps, it was the place we felt we got to know everyone in camp. It made it very comfortable. Obviously the property at Mombo is outstanding and I wouldn't say anything to detract from that. It was sumptuous.
Tsile was our guide and we loved him from the moment we met him. He reminded me of one of our best friends, so we felt like we knew him immediately. The wildlife is very abundant....what we had heard and expected turned out to be true.....there was general game everywhere. The concession was also much more lush than any of the other places....palm trees, acacias, large plains-type areas breath-takingly green. It really looked like Eden. On the first game drive we saw a small pride of lions at a zebra kill and watched them for quite some time. This was followed by finding a mating pair of lions who were interacting, but not mating for us that night. One thing we'd never seen before was a giraffe who just stood very near this mating pair. At Mombo there is this sense of calmness and serenity and it seems to extend to predators and prey.....everything seems very calm. We also saw a beautiful single wild dog that afternoon. She is by herself and has been for about 9 months, but still hunts successfully and looks healthy. We would see her almost every day we were there. It was so heart-breaking, however, to see this normally social animal all alone. It was so lonely that it had tried to take up with other animals like hyenas and now a jackal. In fact, it was with the same jackal every time we saw her. I've never seen an animal look so lonesome.
The next morning we had one of our best sightings of the trip. We visited a hyena den and saw several families of hyenas, including some tiny cubs just fresh from the den. They were so playful and curious and the affection among the group would soften anyone's heart if they didn't already care for hyenas (we actually already loved hyenas, but some people don't feel this way). It was very endearing and we got some incredible pictures. Later that morning, we made our way to a hippo pool (about 30 hippos) and Nat and the staff were waiting with a bush brunch that was fabulous. The most amazing thing was that they had set up a "loo with a view" that was beyond belief (you'll see what I mean when you see the pictures).
This afternoon we searched for leopards but didn't see the famous Legadema. We did see a strange sight...it was so hot that a male lion had settled down for a nap in a small pool of water. Who says cats don't like baths!
That night we ate at the communal table with the Finnish couple who was in our vehicle. The next day we would have two other couples arriving. The next morning we looked hard for a leopard and finally found one a long way from Mombo near Chief's Camp. It was very shy and there were many Chief's Camp vehicles, so we didn't stay long and left the poor cat alone.
In the afternoon we were joined by two other couples. One couple was on their first trip (so that was fun). The other couple we had met briefly at Little Vumbura. I have to say that the husband of the couple from LV was the worst vehicle-mate we've ever had. He had a video camera (which is fine....no problem there) and he did a non-stop (and I do mean non-stop) narration that was both loud, pretentious and dramatic. He also didn't want other people to talk because his microphone might pick it up. I could tell the other couple felt the same way we did and so did our guide, but there was no stopping this man. We think of Africa as a place for fun, but also for reverence and reflection, and having someone ham it up into his camcorder every moment was not a good fit for us. He also used a great deal of profanity, and even though we are not easily offended, it was clearly offensive to the other couple and to Tsile and made for a very uncomfortable two days. It was at this point that my love affair with Mombo started to cool off.
That night we were joined by another manager, Thompson, who would be replacing Nat while she was on leave. We really liked Nat and liked Thompson too. That night the other two couples went to bed and Nat asked if we would stay up with her and Thompson to celebrate her last night there. We did and had great conversation with the two of them (red wine usually leads to fun discussions). Also, about midnight, one of the guides from "big Mombo" came to let us know there was a Pel's Fishing Owl on a tree right next to the walkway. It was amazing. It was almost close enough to touch and was holding a half-eaten catfish in its talon. It was very calm and we watched it for a long time. There was an Eagle Owl in another tree close by so we were able to see both those beautiful birds. Unfortunately, we didn't have a camera, but the memory is wonderful.
Essentially, the next two days were just a repeat of our first few days. We went to the hyena den two other times (the second time because Obnoxious Man's wife had slept in and now wanted to see it), back to the mating lions, back to the zebra kill, etc. We briefly saw a leopard just at sunset one evening, but because we had to be in by 7:00, we weren't able to watch her very long. It also rained the last two days we were at LM, so the wildlife stayed mostly hidden and we were wet and cold.
Here is our assessment of Little Mombo. The staff and facilities were absolutely the best. The managers were engaging, the staff was friendly and fun and the place/environment was the best we've seen in Africa (it looked like the Ngorongoro Crater without the vehicles). The general game was fantastic and there was a peacefulness we haven't found anywhere else. The lions were amazing. But....we wouldn't go back to Little Mombo for 4 nights unless we had at least one other couple with us. We really felt like the last two days were just like watching re-runs. Since many people only stay 2 nights and there is only 1 vehicle, I'm not sure how to prevent this, so we just wouldn't do it again....especially given the unbelievable price for the camp. We talked with Tsile about this and he understood. If we go back to Mombo by ourselves, we would stay in "Big Mombo" to avoid this problem (Tsile said that at Main Mombo if you stay four nights, you wouldn't be put with two different groups if at all possible). Usually when we stay 4 nights, if the vehicle "turns over" we may add a couple, but most of the time we would either stay with the same people or be in the vehicle by ourselves to avoid seeing the same sightings over again. We would have really liked to have spent more time looking for Legadema or watching "minor" sightings (baboons, zebras, etc.), but we understand that when people come to Little Mombo for two days they want to see predators and there are always some lions at a kill somewhere that make for an easy sighting. I don't blame anyone at LM....it's just the way it is. I think they need two vehicles there to avoid this situation. At $3400+ per night it would seem that this would not be too much to ask. (Of course this was also exacerbated by the fact that we had the world's most obnoxious man in our vehicle and rain for our "re-run" days). Don't misunderstand...we are very glad we went to Mombo....we would just do it differently next time.
The next day we went to the Islands of Siankaba in Livingstone, Zambia. We had decided to spend a few days here just to wind down from the trip, get caught up on our sleep and just relax. The Islands of Siankaba just wasn't the place for us at that point in our trip. First of all the property was just not what we expected. After staying in the places we had just stayed, it was a huge step down. We expected it to be similar to the Wilderness Classic Camps, but it was definitely at a lower level. It was very hot and the tents were not very open and close together, so there was no breeze (it was also in the thick trees on the river, so there just wasn't much air movement). The bugs at night in the tent were horrible. They were so bad that you couldn't be in the tent with a light on. With the heat and the bugs it was very difficult to sleep, and by this time in our trip we really need to catch up on our sleep. The property was almost empty (and in fact if we hadn't left I think we would have been the only people there the second night). We were also tired of communal dinners....we'd had enough small talk over 3 weeks that we just wanted some anonymity. Finally, it was so far from Livingstone, that to do anything required an hour transfer there and an hour back, so everything was at least a half day undertaking. So....we didn't have a comfortable place to hang out and it was difficult to do "short" excursions. We really just wanted to relax, sleep, read and maybe go see Vic Falls. This didn't give us what we wanted, so we left.
We moved to the Royal Livingstone, and it was just what we needed at this point of our trip. It was comfortable (although the rooms were not great for the price) and the staff was nice. We loved being able to walk to the Falls and sitting by the river was very pleasant. We would definitely recommend this hotel. The only negative thing was that we had to pay for it on top of Siankaba, but we were so unhappy at Siankaba it was worth it.
In summary, our favorite place was probably a tie between Zarafa and Savuti (My husband and I are split on this), Little Mombo next, Xudum after that and Little Vumbura at the bottom. I know this is a marathon trip report, so if you've made it this far, thank you for sticking with it. Also, Africa Adventure Company put together a magical trip for us and there were no glitches anywhere. We knew we'd love &Beyond (because we had stayed at 9 of their other properties) and we equally loved Wilderness. They did a great job of taking full responsibility for our trip and they have a remarkable organization.
I've finally gotten our photos to a manageable number and you can see them by individual properties on flickr at this link:
Collection: Trip to Africa 2009
Thanks again for all the help in putting together this trip. Now we just have to get ready for the next one!
Debbie
Nov 16th, 2009, 11:54 AM
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry, I just realized that the link to the photos doesn't work. Try this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debwar/...7622595340797/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debwar/...7622595340797/
Nov 16th, 2009, 12:39 PM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Debbie,
Thanks for putting up your trip report here.
Were you able to make your way to the Sinbira floodplains (Mombo) and Paradise (Little Vumbura)?
Did you travel agent tell you about the one vehicle in little Mombo and what the consequences of this could be?
I had a brief look at your photos and have a little question for you:
Did Keraetswe Bosigo (Little Vumbura) mention the name of the cheetah (Patrick???) at any time?
Tomorrow I'll take my time to have a closer look at your pictures as I think you have some very good ones here.
Best regards,
Johan
Thanks for putting up your trip report here.
Were you able to make your way to the Sinbira floodplains (Mombo) and Paradise (Little Vumbura)?
Did you travel agent tell you about the one vehicle in little Mombo and what the consequences of this could be?
I had a brief look at your photos and have a little question for you:
Did Keraetswe Bosigo (Little Vumbura) mention the name of the cheetah (Patrick???) at any time?
Tomorrow I'll take my time to have a closer look at your pictures as I think you have some very good ones here.
Best regards,
Johan
Nov 16th, 2009, 01:07 PM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, Johan,
Thanks for the quick reply. I don't think we made it to the Sinbira floodplains at Mombo at least not that Tsile pointed out specifically by name (some of the property was still underwater for the high floods) but we definitely spent time at Paradise at Little Vumbura. It's very aptly named. In fact, both times we saw the cheetah was near Paradise. I checked back at my journal (I try to keep a pretty detailed one) and didn't see any reference to a name of the cheetah at LV. It seemed to be a cheetah that Kay (I'm glad to now know his full name) was very familiar with if that helps. Kay was an amazing guide. Unfortunately we had another couple in our vehicle who didn't like to go off-road or stay out much after dark, so it somewhat limited our experience there. We were very happy when we had Kay to ourselves.
Our travel agent didn't mention anything about the vehicle situation at Little Mombo, but we knew (from some friends who had stayed there) that there was only one vehicle. While we understand that some of the sightings are worth more than one visit, we were not prepared for a general "repeat" of our first two days. Of course, it was rainy and windy and we know those aren't the ideal conditions for getting great sightings, so this may have influenced the situation as well. On our last night by the campfire I had a long conversation with Tsile about this and he was not only sympathetic to our situation, but I could tell that he would love to be able to take more time to track animals or to spend some time watching non-predators. On the other hand, I know that for many people this is their first trip to Africa and they want to see the "big five". We just felt that there was so much more that Mombo had to offer that we didn't get to see, and given the beauty of the environment, it would have been nice to explore a little more.
I still plan to go back and edit (delete) some of the photos. Our friends kept wanting so see some so I just put a bunch out there. Now that I look at it, I need to pare it down a little. Thanks for the nice comment.
Take care,
Debbie
Thanks for the quick reply. I don't think we made it to the Sinbira floodplains at Mombo at least not that Tsile pointed out specifically by name (some of the property was still underwater for the high floods) but we definitely spent time at Paradise at Little Vumbura. It's very aptly named. In fact, both times we saw the cheetah was near Paradise. I checked back at my journal (I try to keep a pretty detailed one) and didn't see any reference to a name of the cheetah at LV. It seemed to be a cheetah that Kay (I'm glad to now know his full name) was very familiar with if that helps. Kay was an amazing guide. Unfortunately we had another couple in our vehicle who didn't like to go off-road or stay out much after dark, so it somewhat limited our experience there. We were very happy when we had Kay to ourselves.
Our travel agent didn't mention anything about the vehicle situation at Little Mombo, but we knew (from some friends who had stayed there) that there was only one vehicle. While we understand that some of the sightings are worth more than one visit, we were not prepared for a general "repeat" of our first two days. Of course, it was rainy and windy and we know those aren't the ideal conditions for getting great sightings, so this may have influenced the situation as well. On our last night by the campfire I had a long conversation with Tsile about this and he was not only sympathetic to our situation, but I could tell that he would love to be able to take more time to track animals or to spend some time watching non-predators. On the other hand, I know that for many people this is their first trip to Africa and they want to see the "big five". We just felt that there was so much more that Mombo had to offer that we didn't get to see, and given the beauty of the environment, it would have been nice to explore a little more.
I still plan to go back and edit (delete) some of the photos. Our friends kept wanting so see some so I just put a bunch out there. Now that I look at it, I need to pare it down a little. Thanks for the nice comment.
Take care,
Debbie
Nov 16th, 2009, 02:05 PM
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,215
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report, well written, fun read, thanks.
Little Mombo has only one vehicle. Seems rather precarious, what if it breaks down? And at $3,400 per couple night I would not expect to miss a game drive if they had to bring in a replacement. A second vehicle could, like you said, also relieve the bad situation with the big shot filmer. I guess if someone like that comes in spending $3,400 a night and for only two nights they feel like they own the place. But they still would not take over/hijack my vehicle, there would be a war of some kind.
I like to spend 5 or more nights at a camp, have even on several occasions spent 8 nights in a camp. So I know what it is like to have new vehicle guests that have never seen a zebra or elephant!!! It's something you just have to put up with. But also like you said can also be fun to be with. My guides have generally been very good at putting viewing together to satisfy everyone and usually I'm more concerned with the light (photography). Of course one solution is to have your own, private, vehicle.
regards - tom
Little Mombo has only one vehicle. Seems rather precarious, what if it breaks down? And at $3,400 per couple night I would not expect to miss a game drive if they had to bring in a replacement. A second vehicle could, like you said, also relieve the bad situation with the big shot filmer. I guess if someone like that comes in spending $3,400 a night and for only two nights they feel like they own the place. But they still would not take over/hijack my vehicle, there would be a war of some kind.
I like to spend 5 or more nights at a camp, have even on several occasions spent 8 nights in a camp. So I know what it is like to have new vehicle guests that have never seen a zebra or elephant!!! It's something you just have to put up with. But also like you said can also be fun to be with. My guides have generally been very good at putting viewing together to satisfy everyone and usually I'm more concerned with the light (photography). Of course one solution is to have your own, private, vehicle.
regards - tom
Nov 16th, 2009, 04:11 PM
#7
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for a great report and photos. I will be visiting LV (I was there some years ago) and Big Mombo (first time)the first part of Jan., and know it will be hot hot hot. I sympathize about the guy with the video camera, I will keep thinking about him and maybe I will be glad that I sprung for the private vehicle at Mombo!!! Loved the porcupine, warthog at the burrow and the zebra butts, but I don't know, those little hyenas are homely little things (so ugly they are cute, I guess). I keep hearing about the lone wild dog and feel so sorry for her, at least she has a jackal friend.
Nov 16th, 2009, 05:35 PM
#8
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I got up to the lonely wild dog so far. How sad she is seeking out other species but I bet she'll find a pack eventually. You had great luck throughout your trip and to have a guide tell you it was his best wildlife viewing day ever proves it. The lion-wild dog drama was very exciting!
Nov 16th, 2009, 05:50 PM
#9
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Really enjoyed your report. What a wonderful trip.
You saw a Pel's Fishing Owl? Wow, what rare luck. Still on my list, along with a pangolin.
Unlike you, we had a great stay at Little Vumbura and found the staff very congenial at that time (Oct. 2008) and the camp beautiful. We had a very bad experience with one couple (birders who really should have paid for a private vehicle) but also met some real swell types. My theory is that the more expensive the camp, the more iffy the fellow guests.
As for the people who "didn't really like game drives" what, pray tell, did they go to Botswana for????
You saw a Pel's Fishing Owl? Wow, what rare luck. Still on my list, along with a pangolin.
Unlike you, we had a great stay at Little Vumbura and found the staff very congenial at that time (Oct. 2008) and the camp beautiful. We had a very bad experience with one couple (birders who really should have paid for a private vehicle) but also met some real swell types. My theory is that the more expensive the camp, the more iffy the fellow guests.
As for the people who "didn't really like game drives" what, pray tell, did they go to Botswana for????
Nov 16th, 2009, 05:52 PM
#10
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,528
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Debwarr,
You had some very good gameviewing. Thanks for your report! I'm very happy for you that you saw the Selinda Male Lions - not just Milky Eye and his brother, but, his sons - the 5 of them!
That pack at Zarafa is actually 6 adult dogs, isn't it? and as on October 14th there were only 8 puppies left. But, they are still healthy and strong.
You had some very good gameviewing. Thanks for your report! I'm very happy for you that you saw the Selinda Male Lions - not just Milky Eye and his brother, but, his sons - the 5 of them!
That pack at Zarafa is actually 6 adult dogs, isn't it? and as on October 14th there were only 8 puppies left. But, they are still healthy and strong.
Nov 17th, 2009, 07:47 AM
#12
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Deb,
Loved your report and your impressions of the different camps. It is unfortunate that one vehicle companion can make things difficult for everyone.
Your photos are stunning. What great sightings you had.
Loved your report and your impressions of the different camps. It is unfortunate that one vehicle companion can make things difficult for everyone.
Your photos are stunning. What great sightings you had.
Nov 17th, 2009, 12:09 PM
#13
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Debbie,
Great to hear you were able to make it to Paradise.
That's the great advantage of travelling in a group(people who you know and have more or less the same kind of interest) (permanent camps or mobiles). You go through a learning stage and you don't have to start from scratch all the time.
Would you believe I was able to travel to Chief's camp for +/- 220 USD a night five to six years ago and most of the time I had the vehicle to myself without any extra cost. And we saw the same animals as Mombo did.
I would love to see you create a set with all your best pictures of the different camps. Especially some of your leopard shots are really great.
Best regards,
Johan
Great to hear you were able to make it to Paradise.
That's the great advantage of travelling in a group(people who you know and have more or less the same kind of interest) (permanent camps or mobiles). You go through a learning stage and you don't have to start from scratch all the time.
Would you believe I was able to travel to Chief's camp for +/- 220 USD a night five to six years ago and most of the time I had the vehicle to myself without any extra cost. And we saw the same animals as Mombo did.
I would love to see you create a set with all your best pictures of the different camps. Especially some of your leopard shots are really great.
Best regards,
Johan
Nov 17th, 2009, 01:28 PM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks to everyone for your comments.
Tom, we're of the same mindset as you are. We love to spend longer time in camps to really get to know the staff and to follow the behavior of the animals. As long as they are good sports, we really enjoy people on their first trip. It's fun to see Africa again anew through their eyes and ears. I'm one of those strange people who is perfectly happy watching a herd of impalas for 30 minutes because they are so beautiful (also, so hard to photograph that it usually takes about that long to get them to give me anything but a backend view!). Two of our favorite couples on this trip were on their first couple of days in Africa and it was a delight to be with them. It's just the people who seem to take over a vehicle with no appreciation for what others want that make me lose my mind. We haven't really had this problem very much before, we just happened to run into a couple of them this time. Since I enjoy photography so much, one of these days I'm going to spring for a private vehicle.
Marija, Legadema had recently had cubs (they have now found them, but unfortunately after we left), so this may have been why she was so hard to find. We did see one of her daughters and watched her try to hunt. Unfortunately, it happened right at sunset and we had to race back to camp to make the 7:00 curfew. I really wish they could do night drives at Mombo because on several days "the action" was just starting as we had to make our way back to camp. I would have loved to see the leopard cubs. I've seen cheetah cubs and plenty of lion cubs, but I guess seeing leopard babies will just have to be another reason to keep going back to Africa!
Scruffypuma (love your name!), have a wonderful time at LV and Mombo in January. I know you'll love LV....the place was fabulous and I think we just happened to hit it at a time when the guests just weren't meshing very well. Also, I think the management is getting ready to turn over. Ross and Katherine were very nice, they just seemed to keep to themselves. The manager of all the Wilderness Classic camps was there when we were there and he was quite an out-going guy. Who knows, maybe the managers just let him take charge. It's not that we didn't enjoy LV, we just didn't find it quite as congenial as the other camps. I'll be very interested in hearing from you about the lone wild dog in January, and whether she is still around and still with her jackal.
Atravelynn, thanks again for all your advice with this trip. You are always so gracious with your time and knowledge! The wild dog at LM just broke my heart. At one point she came right up to the vehicle and looked at us so beseechingly as if to ask us to take her home (there is a picture of this in my shots, I think). I know I probably read too much into her expressions, but she seemed to have such sad eyes. Tsile seemed to think that there might be some chance she would migrate over to Chitabe and find a pack there. It was very endearing, thought, to see the relationship she was forming with the little jackal. The jackal had lost its mate, so it may have been looking for companionship too. They certainly seemed to watch out for each other. The lion/wild dog interaction was the most intense experience I've ever had in nature. We just kept watching those dogs go half-way into the channel and turn around to find a better place to cross. We watched for a long time and just prayed they wouldn't cross. The lions were in crouch position and we were very afraid the night would end with the death of one of those wonderful dogs. When the two did cross, we were just sure they would be taken. They were lucky that the lions were watching the other members of the pack. I'll never forget how pitiful the pack sounded as it whined watching the two members cross right into danger. We were just thrilled for a happy ending!
Leslie, the Pel's Fishing Owls (we saw two) were very special. I had read about them but had no idea they'd be such huge birds. They have beautiful eyes and their faces almost look like a puppy. We're still waiting for our pangolin as well, always a good excuse to go back again. We did see several porcupines this trip, though and that was a first for us. Regarding Little Vumbura, I think if we were to go back next week to LV we'd have a wonderful time. Everyone we met kept telling us it would be our favorite place, so maybe our expectations were too high. It's just that no one talked to each other very much so it made for a strained atmosphere. There was one very nice couple from Germany that we enjoyed, but she didn't speak much English, so I could tell it was difficult for her to keep engaged in the conversation. That has to be hard. We're lucky that so many people speak English, especially since we're not very fluent in any other language. The couple who didn't like game drives? They had been to South Africa several times, but I don't think they were prepared for the deep sand and water in the Delta. It is a rougher ride, but just loosen up and enjoy it is my philosophy! Fortunately they did a lot of water activities, so we often had the vehicle to ourselves.
HariS, I didn't realize the 5 young males were part of the same pride, so thanks for completing the picture for me. It was so interesting to watch them on the mound, unable to come down into the midst of the buffalo herd. If a lion can look embarrassed, they did. They were the same ones that were involved in the "wild dog crossing the channel" incident. I guess it's just good for the dogs that they were so inexperienced. At Zarafa, we only saw 5 of the adults. I'm sad to hear that 2 more of the puppies have died. We had heard that there were originally 12 puppies but two had died. It was such a highlight to watch these pups and I'm glad that at least the 8 are still okay! How was your time at Zarafa?
Johan, what a wonderful deal at Chief's Camp! We sometimes travel with another couple and there are pluses and minuses....We love being with them, but it's harder to meet other people since we usually have a vehicle to ourselves. We've been with them twice and by ourselves twice. We met some really wonderful people on this trip....we just, unfortunately, had a few clunkers. We missed our friends, though. It's always nice to share a trip with friends so you can relive it whenever you're together. We'll probably be back with them next time. By the way, great suggestion on a "highlights" set. We did have great luck with leopards. I didn't keep a perfect count, but I think we saw at least 8 different leopards on our trip and got good photos of most of them. It's just wonderful when beautiful animals and beautiful light come together, isn't it?
Tom, we're of the same mindset as you are. We love to spend longer time in camps to really get to know the staff and to follow the behavior of the animals. As long as they are good sports, we really enjoy people on their first trip. It's fun to see Africa again anew through their eyes and ears. I'm one of those strange people who is perfectly happy watching a herd of impalas for 30 minutes because they are so beautiful (also, so hard to photograph that it usually takes about that long to get them to give me anything but a backend view!). Two of our favorite couples on this trip were on their first couple of days in Africa and it was a delight to be with them. It's just the people who seem to take over a vehicle with no appreciation for what others want that make me lose my mind. We haven't really had this problem very much before, we just happened to run into a couple of them this time. Since I enjoy photography so much, one of these days I'm going to spring for a private vehicle.
Marija, Legadema had recently had cubs (they have now found them, but unfortunately after we left), so this may have been why she was so hard to find. We did see one of her daughters and watched her try to hunt. Unfortunately, it happened right at sunset and we had to race back to camp to make the 7:00 curfew. I really wish they could do night drives at Mombo because on several days "the action" was just starting as we had to make our way back to camp. I would have loved to see the leopard cubs. I've seen cheetah cubs and plenty of lion cubs, but I guess seeing leopard babies will just have to be another reason to keep going back to Africa!
Scruffypuma (love your name!), have a wonderful time at LV and Mombo in January. I know you'll love LV....the place was fabulous and I think we just happened to hit it at a time when the guests just weren't meshing very well. Also, I think the management is getting ready to turn over. Ross and Katherine were very nice, they just seemed to keep to themselves. The manager of all the Wilderness Classic camps was there when we were there and he was quite an out-going guy. Who knows, maybe the managers just let him take charge. It's not that we didn't enjoy LV, we just didn't find it quite as congenial as the other camps. I'll be very interested in hearing from you about the lone wild dog in January, and whether she is still around and still with her jackal.
Atravelynn, thanks again for all your advice with this trip. You are always so gracious with your time and knowledge! The wild dog at LM just broke my heart. At one point she came right up to the vehicle and looked at us so beseechingly as if to ask us to take her home (there is a picture of this in my shots, I think). I know I probably read too much into her expressions, but she seemed to have such sad eyes. Tsile seemed to think that there might be some chance she would migrate over to Chitabe and find a pack there. It was very endearing, thought, to see the relationship she was forming with the little jackal. The jackal had lost its mate, so it may have been looking for companionship too. They certainly seemed to watch out for each other. The lion/wild dog interaction was the most intense experience I've ever had in nature. We just kept watching those dogs go half-way into the channel and turn around to find a better place to cross. We watched for a long time and just prayed they wouldn't cross. The lions were in crouch position and we were very afraid the night would end with the death of one of those wonderful dogs. When the two did cross, we were just sure they would be taken. They were lucky that the lions were watching the other members of the pack. I'll never forget how pitiful the pack sounded as it whined watching the two members cross right into danger. We were just thrilled for a happy ending!
Leslie, the Pel's Fishing Owls (we saw two) were very special. I had read about them but had no idea they'd be such huge birds. They have beautiful eyes and their faces almost look like a puppy. We're still waiting for our pangolin as well, always a good excuse to go back again. We did see several porcupines this trip, though and that was a first for us. Regarding Little Vumbura, I think if we were to go back next week to LV we'd have a wonderful time. Everyone we met kept telling us it would be our favorite place, so maybe our expectations were too high. It's just that no one talked to each other very much so it made for a strained atmosphere. There was one very nice couple from Germany that we enjoyed, but she didn't speak much English, so I could tell it was difficult for her to keep engaged in the conversation. That has to be hard. We're lucky that so many people speak English, especially since we're not very fluent in any other language. The couple who didn't like game drives? They had been to South Africa several times, but I don't think they were prepared for the deep sand and water in the Delta. It is a rougher ride, but just loosen up and enjoy it is my philosophy! Fortunately they did a lot of water activities, so we often had the vehicle to ourselves.
HariS, I didn't realize the 5 young males were part of the same pride, so thanks for completing the picture for me. It was so interesting to watch them on the mound, unable to come down into the midst of the buffalo herd. If a lion can look embarrassed, they did. They were the same ones that were involved in the "wild dog crossing the channel" incident. I guess it's just good for the dogs that they were so inexperienced. At Zarafa, we only saw 5 of the adults. I'm sad to hear that 2 more of the puppies have died. We had heard that there were originally 12 puppies but two had died. It was such a highlight to watch these pups and I'm glad that at least the 8 are still okay! How was your time at Zarafa?
Johan, what a wonderful deal at Chief's Camp! We sometimes travel with another couple and there are pluses and minuses....We love being with them, but it's harder to meet other people since we usually have a vehicle to ourselves. We've been with them twice and by ourselves twice. We met some really wonderful people on this trip....we just, unfortunately, had a few clunkers. We missed our friends, though. It's always nice to share a trip with friends so you can relive it whenever you're together. We'll probably be back with them next time. By the way, great suggestion on a "highlights" set. We did have great luck with leopards. I didn't keep a perfect count, but I think we saw at least 8 different leopards on our trip and got good photos of most of them. It's just wonderful when beautiful animals and beautiful light come together, isn't it?
Nov 17th, 2009, 03:40 PM
#16
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Checked the Zafara shots. Leopards and dogs galore! Really great ones. Brilliant colors on the roller. Stuart and Tessa had recently started in 2006 when I visited. Looking forward to the other albums later.
Nov 17th, 2009, 05:07 PM
#17
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
debwarr and atravelynn: I read on the Wilderness Safaris website (news) today that on Nov.7 they spotted 12 dogs including 4 pups at Mombo!! It said that the lone female was not with them, but they are hoping she can integrate into the pack (but that it won't be easy because of the alpha dog hierarchy). We can hope for the best.
debwarr: I will report back in Jan. about my trip. I am taking my daughter. She graduates from college in Dec. and will be a first timer. I cannot wait to see Africa through her "newbie" eyes!!
debwarr: I will report back in Jan. about my trip. I am taking my daughter. She graduates from college in Dec. and will be a first timer. I cannot wait to see Africa through her "newbie" eyes!!
Nov 17th, 2009, 08:00 PM
#18
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,528
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Debbie,
Just read some of your posts. In March, I met a couple who had been at Mombo and they showed me video footage of this single wild dog, trying to make friends with Hyenas ...... as she really misses being part of a Pack!!!
Regards,
Hari
Just read some of your posts. In March, I met a couple who had been at Mombo and they showed me video footage of this single wild dog, trying to make friends with Hyenas ...... as she really misses being part of a Pack!!!
Regards,
Hari
Nov 18th, 2009, 12:45 PM
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
scruffypuma:
What wonderful news about the wild dogs at Mombo. I hope the lonely girl will find a family! I'll love hearing about your trip in January!
atravelynn: We did have incredible luck with leopards and dogs. I just love it when they pose so nicely!
What wonderful news about the wild dogs at Mombo. I hope the lonely girl will find a family! I'll love hearing about your trip in January!
atravelynn: We did have incredible luck with leopards and dogs. I just love it when they pose so nicely!
