When my daughter was quite young, one day she asked “when I graduate from college will you take me on safari?” I replied “sure”, and our daily lives continued. Fast forward to 2009, the year of the long awaited college graduation, and one day she asked “Do we still get to go on safari? Once again, I replied “sure”, and wondered how my loveable, high-maintenance, girly-girl of a daughter whose idea of getting up early is 10am would fare “on safari”, but the thought of me being able to go back to Africa once again pushed aside any doubts and we began to plan.

I have traveled to Africa several times with friends and although I have always been the “arranger of travel”, everyone had input as to where, cost, etc. As my daughter would be a “newbie” and everything would be exciting and a new adventure for her, I thought about where I had been and what I would like to see. Not much to think about……leopards and meerkats. I really wanted to see a leopard in the wild, and, next to warthogs I have a serious fondness for meerkats. Knowing there are no guarantees about animal sightings, I chose camps that would hopefully give us an advantage on leopard sightings and a morning with the meerkats.

Our itinerary:
SFO –JNB overnight InterContinental
3 nts Mala Mala
Back to JNB overnight again at InterContinental
3nts. Camp Kalahari
2nts Little Vumbura
3 nts Mombo – private vehicle
2nts Vic Falls
JNB-SFO

Our flights from SFO to JNB were uneventful and we collected our luggage and walked across to the Inter-Continental for a good night’s sleep. Early the next morning, we walked back across to check in for our Safari Link flight to Mala Mala, only to be told by the polite ticketing agent that she could not find either our flight or our names! I could sense my daughter’s unease as the agent asked us to please wait “down there, someone will come for you”, where there was only an empty ticketing desk. After about a 15 minute wait, a casually dressed women approached us and asked “going to Mala Mala?” She explained that the Safari Link planes “were not flying” and that she was taking us over to the smaller airport for a charter flight! Dumb me had to ask about why the Safari Link planes not flying, to which the response was “they have had too many planes go down lately so they are all grounded”. I was so glad I had asked….

The charter consisted of the two of us and another family of five. The flight to Mala Mala was short and smooth and Meagan was excited to see elephants and impalas as we began to descend. We arrived at Main Camp, which is lovely, just in time for lunch. The camp is certainly not new and shiny, but it is still very nice, and with each room surrounded by sturdy walls and a thick thatch roof, it was a good starting point for someone new to the bush. Our guide, Alan, had worked there as a guide full time for 8 yrs, then off and on during university, and now part time during the busy season as he is now an attorney in Durban! On our first game drive that afternoon we saw plenty of game, including the Emsagwen male leopard just as the sun began to set.

We saw all of the Big 5 before the end of our second day, and they even present you with a “Big 5” certificate. I certainly don’t need all the fanfare, as I am excited just to see any and all animals, and we saw plenty, including a pair of mating leopards, many white rhino, a wild cat, the Styx lion pride and even the old Rollercoaster male (who sadly passed away the day after our departure). As it was December, the grasses were quite long, but if we missed seeing anything, we were blissfully unaware of it. There were grey louries, ground hornbills, weavers, rollers and owls.

We only had one day (out of 3) with six people in the truck, the other days we were only four.

Our last game drive on the morning of our departure proved to be an exciting one. There had been reports of a leopard moving around fairly close to camp, so off we went. We were stopped in the road watching a leopard cross when a baby impala jumped up just on the opposite side of the road. After staring at each other for several seconds the leopard started to chase the impala, but the little impala went under the truck and the leopard had to go around. By then the little impala had disappeared into the long grass. Whew. Lots of mixed emotions, lots of energy expended. Further down the track, not five minutes later, a baby impala (the same one?) sprang from the grass right into the side of our truck, thunk. I was in the very back of the vehicle and as I turned to see if it was there and heard Alan ask “can you see the impala?” a hyena jumped out of the grass, snatched the impala and dragged it out of sight!! When I told Alan that a hyena took it, he couldn’t believe it. We turned around and I pointed to where I thought they had disappeared and Alan turned off the truck. In the silence, we could hear the crunch, crunch of the hyena with his meal. We moved a bit further and there he was!! He quickly drug the impala away again was gone! Wow, what an end to our stay at Mala Mala!

Next up, the Makgadikgadi and Mombo (and hopefully, some photos).

Thanks SP, great start. If I recall, been other recent problems with flights to MM, was it SAA who quit flying there? And Fed Air took it over? I don't recall hearing anything about the charter Safari Link. But they are "legit", seem to base out of Nairobi, http://www.flysafarilink.com/ . Except, when looking, they show nothing flying out of JNB or South Africa. And then there is tour operator named "Safari Link", so wondering? Who did the lady that rescued you represent, what was the name of the charter you did fly? Inquiring minds want to know .

And looking forward to more report!!!

regards - tom

Tom - My apologies. I went back and dug out my flight itinerary. It was SA Airlink, not Safari Link. So much for relying on memory after a year! The lady that rescued us was actually only with the shuttle transfer company that took us to the charter side of OR Tambo. The charter company was Anglo American Aviation Services and the plane was a Beech B1900D (18 pax) twin engine turbo prop.

Great start, looking forward to your photos.

Thanks lbj2. I have not posted pictures before, so it could get interesting!!

Our return flight to JNB was also a chartered flight. The bad news was that we had another overnight at the InterContinental; the good news was that the hotel had a spa, so we treated ourselves to a New Year’s Eve massage! Early the next morning we were back at the airport for our check in with Air Botswana to Maun. The flight was a bit late but uneventful, however the Sefofane check-in counter at Maun was sheer chaos!! There were tourists and luggage everywhere trying to check in and find their designated pilot. When we finally were shown to our pilot and he had squashed our bags into the tiny hold (it was a 4 seater Cessna), he said he would have us at Jack’s Camp in no time. Jack’s Camp????? We were booked at Camp Kalahari. Again, the uneasy look appeared on my daughter’s face. “Say something” she said. I mentioned that we had booked at Camp Kalahari and he said “It says Jack’s Camp here”. Okay, besides who was I to complain about the possibility of a giant upgrade anyway!!! We took off and headed towards the Kalahari. About halfway through the flight a very large thunderstorm appeared in the distance and I started searching for “the little white bags”. Luckily, we were able to skirt most of it and land in between the downpours!


There to meet us (on time) was our guide, Super, one of the main guides at Jack’s and someone who definitely lives up to his name!! Once again, I mentioned Camp Kalahari to which Super responded, “No Camp Kalahari, you are staying at Jack’s”. We looked at each other and grinned. Jack’s it was! The camp consists of ten tents set in a palm grove and a main eating/gathering area all done in 1940’s safari style with Persian rugs underfoot. There is no electricity and lanterns are used after dark (supposedly, this is changing and electricity throughout camp is eminent).

It was very hot, and the fire ants had total control of all sand pathways throughout camp. Everyone would make a mad dash for their destination, stamping and hopping, slapping at the ants. Although annoying, it was amusing to watch people trying to avoid the evil ants!!

The game was much scarcer than in Mala Mala, and much more timid. We did encounter the Kalahari migration of wildebeest and zebra, but all was viewed from quite a distance. We saw many lion tracks, but no lions. The night drives provided aardwolves and another small wildcat, a marsh owl and some non-habituated meerkats. I was ever vigilant for a porcupine or an aardvark, but no luck. We did find some quills and there is a stuffed aardvark at the camp in the small museum there.

The sheer size and silence of the Makgadikgadi Pan cannot adequately be put into words. One afternoon, we drove out into the middle of the pan, parked the vehicle and each walked in different directions and sat down facing away from each other. It was the quietest quiet I had ever experienced, and there was nothing to see but the pan in all directions. It is amazing how Super always knew where he was and which way he needed to go, as it all looked the same to us.

Day two. Meerkat day. There are several groups of habituated meerkats that are near Jack’s. We were up and out before dawn, to be at the meerkat burrow for sunrise. We arrived at the burrow, the sun appeared………..and no one was home! Not one meerkat. I was devastated. Super checked with the man that keeps track of the meerkats and found out that they had not returned to the burrow the evening before. Next, he called the other guide and their meerkats were just emerging. They kindly asked us to join them at their burrow and we all took turns, flat in the sand with these tiny little animals. The flight, the heat, the ants……….it was all worth it for that short morning with the meerkats. You can have as close an encounter as you would like, as long as you are willing to sit absolutely still in sand full of bugs!

We came across two cheetah brothers that had brought down an ostrich sometime in the night. Nothing had chased them off their kill and their stomachs were proof that they had eaten their fill. Not much left was left of the ostrich. They were very close to the road and we could hear them eating and panting and we spent quite a long time just observing.

We packed our lunch on our last full day and went on a final search for a Kalahari lion. It was a long day. Lots of prints, but no lions………………until we got back to camp at dusk and spotted a lone male walking towards the water hole at the very edge of camp, nearest our tent! We sat and watched him drink his fill, and then he wandered off into the darkness.

From the air, this small part of the Kalahari looked uninviting, desolate and barren. With the help of Super and the San Bushmen, the Kalahari was brought to life right before our eyes. It was an amazing time, but so very different than my other safari experiences.

We were sitting at the table after dinner on our last night in camp and from the darkness near the kitchen we heard singing. The singing got louder and, Ocean, our head dining room staff person asked if we knew this song. “Do you hear” he said to my daughter, “they are saying your name”, and then we heard it also. Just then, the entire kitchen and camp staff entered the dining area in a giant conga line singing and carrying a cake for my daughter’s 24th birthday. There was much singing, dancing and eating of cake. They apologized because they knew her birthday was not for several more days, but they wanted to celebrate with her. A good time was had by all!

Our last night in the Kalahari ended with a majestic thunderstorm directly over the camp. There were no fire ants in the morning, just 6” of water to negotiate!

We left the beautiful, vast Kalahari and headed back to the airstrip for another small plane flight to Little Vumbura. I had been at Little Vumbura in 1999, and thought it would be fun to return as I had good memories of the camp and that area of the Okavango. The camp has been renovated, but it is still a very pretty little camp and the staff was very friendly. Our guide was Sevara, a quiet but skilled driver and guide.

By the time we got to Little Vumbura, I was a bit worried as I had not yet seen one of my favorite animals: the warthog!! I mentioned this to Sevara and he laughed and told me that we would see warthogs; he would make sure of it!! He found a mother and piglets before we reached camp. My safari was complete!!

We saw knob billed ducks, kudu, sable, giraffe, zebra, slender mongoose.Vuka the cheetah and had an exciting sundowner boat ride during a huge thunderstorm……..in a metal boat with metal camp mugs for our sundowners!!!

Thanks for posting, scruffypuma! Although I'm always eager to hear about game sightings, I especially liked your description of the Makgadikgadi Pan and "the quietest quiet I had ever experienced." It made me think of time I spent in a very quiet canyon in southwestern Colorado years ago; there's something to be said for the quiet and solitude of places like that. Feeling like you're the only person for miles around (even if you're not) can be incredibly affecting.

Thanks Windowless, it truly was an almost eerie experience being in the middle of the pan in complete silence. I am almost finished with my photos, how are yours coming? I don't have tomorrow off, so I am not sure I will finish tonight, we'll see.

How wonderful you could travel with your daughter and celebrate her 24th birthday in style!

You're probably one of the few concerned about missing the warthog. Glad you saw one. It appears you almost missed the meerkats. Lucky there was a second colony. Did you find out if the colony you were at ever returned to their den? Did you also find out why you ended up at Jack's?

I found some crash info for SA Airlink:

• On 24 September 2009, Airlink Flight 8911, a BAe Jetstream 41, crashed in the suburb of Merebank shortly after takeoff from Durban International Airport, injuring its crew of three and one person on the ground.[4][5] The captain, Allister Freeman, died as a result of complications from his injuries on 7 October 2009.[6]

• On 18 November 2009, Airlink BAe Jetstream 41 (registration:ZS-OMZ) on flight SA-8488 veered off the runway while taking-off from Port Elizabeth Airport to East London. All of the 32 passengers and crew were uninjured. The airline attributed the incident to bad weather with decreased visibility, rain and wind present.[7]

• On 7 December 2009, an Airlink Embraer ERJ 135 (registration:ZS-SJW) on scheduled flight SA-8625, overshot the runway when trying to land in wet weather at George Airport; no fatalities were reported.[8][9][10]

• On 23 December 2009 the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) grounded their fleet of 14 BAe Jetstream 41 planes.[11][12]

Your photos of the Rollercoaster male be some of the last shots of him. Same thing happened to me with his brother.

Take your time on finishing.

atravelynn - Yes, we had a wonderful trip with lots of great memories. Definitely not my normal pricerange on camps, but I kept telling myself it was a "once in a lifetime trip". I seem to have had quite a few of those!!
I must confess, I am a lover of the lowly warthog, always have been.
We were indeed lucky that the other family staying at Jack's were kind enough to share their meerkat morning with us. We were there 3 nts. and the meerkats did not come back to that burrow during our stay.
Thanks for the info on the SA Airlink, I have another blurb about them in my final chapter.
My shots of the Rollercoaster male are not good at all, but I put one in the slideshow anyway. He was in some very long grass, eating someone's leftovers of a buffalo. We saw him on Dec. 30 and he was euthanized on Jan.1, 2010. He was so very thin, it was sad to see.
My mission is to get the last chapter and the photos posted tonight!

In my mind (which for once turned out to be reality), I had saved the best for last. Mombo. I had been reading and hearing about Mombo for years. Our guide, Pete, picked us up at the airstrip and we headed to camp. I had shelled out the extra $$$ for a private vehicle because I was secretly hoping we would see Legadema, the movie star leopard. I had seen Dereck and Beverly Joubert’s “Eye of the Leopard” video and hoped for a glimpse of this beautiful girl. Pete asked if we wanted to see as much as possible during our stay and I replied that we had seen many animals and were more than happy to sit and watch the animals being animals instead of driving around like mad from place to place (I think that I heard him breathe a sigh of relief)!

On our first game drive that afternoon we spotted 3 giant eagle owls and heard a ferocious fight in the brush. It seems that a baboon and the Mutuwana male leopard had tangled. We saw the baboon high in the trees with a huge slash on his shoulder and later saw the leopard deep in the bushes with a small wound on his face. This leopard was very shy and we left him alone. We drove further and Pete parked the truck near a large tree. We looked around and then looked up. Legadema!!!! She is beautiful. She paid no attention to us as she napped on the branch. As we had our own vehicle, we spent the rest of the afternoon with her as she slept, climbed down from the tree, checked out her territory and climbed another of her favorite trees. She has her own beautymark, an extra spot in between the whisker lines on the right side of her face. We saw her each day and I never got tired of simply watching her.

Mombo has many lions and we saw the Moporota pride with 6 females and 12 cubs, sharing a spot with several of the Jao boys, and the Breakaway Mutata pride w/ 4 lionesses and 6 cubs.

We had a fantastic surprise brunch at the hippo hide for Meagan’s birthday. They had everything already set up when we arrived and Pete fixed a great meal.

The game viewing was fantastic, and all of my “Mombo expectations” were met and we loved every minute of it.

All too soon it was time to leave this magnificent. Another small plane flight took us to Kasane where we were met and transferred by road to Victoria Falls. We stayed at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which is a 72 room lodge under thatch, a comfortable place (for a big hotel). The falls were magnificent, as always, but it was very sad to see the change in the town since I was last there in 2001.

One last SA flight from Vic Falls to JNB, and guess what; it was an SA Airlink flight……WHAT, I thought they were grounded because of the crashes? I was afraid to ask, and afraid not to. I worked up the courage and was told that the grounding was for the smaller planes, not the bigger ones. Regardless, we made it to JNB in time for the obligatory airport shopping spree before heading home.

Another safari had come to an end. Once again, I felt the sadness as I flew homeward, away from magical Africa, but as we flew I was already beginning to think about my next safari!

Link to photos: This is my first try at posting photos, hopefully it works.

http://scruffypuma.smugmug.com/Trave...15431022_bkdWo

I love these photos, scruffypuma; I can't think why you were reluctant to post! The leopard photos are amazing; I especially like the one just before the fish eagle. The fish eagle is also really cool.

I really should look into South Africa as well as East Africa whenever I get another chance to visit that amazing continent.

Thank you, Windowless. Anyone could take a good picture of Legadema, she knows she is beautiful and does not seem to pay any attention to us. I am thinking about gorillas in Rwanda w/ some time in Kenya for my next visit, and your trip report was full of good information. I will definitely look at those Porini camps.

amazing report~ Thank You! a wonderful read.

Atravelynn - my apologies, I did not answer the question about how we ended up at Jack's. It turns out that the occupancy was so low for both camps it was decided to just put everyone at Jack's. That being said, we were still only about 8 people total, with some days even less!!

chicago_bears - Thank you for the kind words. If you are really an NFL fan, good luck this weekend!!!

Quite nervous right now, Scruffypuma.

chicago_bears - go back up and click on my photo link and maybe the serenity of the African wildlife will distract you!!

You lucked out with both Jack's and SA Airlink delivering you safely. The problems SA Airlink may have been tackled, using NFL talk.

I'm so glad Mombo was what you had hoped. It seems like it from your description. Will be checking out the photos.