Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report-Botswana 2007

THANK YOU FODORITES for all of the help you provided in planning my recent trip to Namibia and Botswana. I could not have done it without you. The knowledge on this board is amazing, and everyone has been so generous with their time.

My safari consisted of 7 nights in Namibia and 12 nights in Botswana. I will write a separate trip report for Namibia.

Botswana was amazing. I had a fantastic time. I absolutely adored Duba Plains. It is on a very short list of my all-time favorites! The highlight was the lion-buffalo activity, and having James 007 as my guide. I also had exceptional game viewing at Duma Tau. I had so much fun with a couple I met there that we are discussing a reunion safari. Our guide, Ronald, was so eager to please that we even went on a surprise game drive one night after dinner in search of aardvark. Tubu Tree was also very nice. The birding was excellent, but my favorite memory there is the leopard kill of a sitatunga. Chitabe Trails was also fantastic. Highlights there were our guide, Andreas, chasing wild dogs relentlessly, and seeing a baby leopard.

Botswana July 1-13, 2007

Camps, in order, 3 nights each camp
• Duba Plains
• Duma Tau
• Tubu Tree
• Chitabe Trails

It might take me a while to get the entire trip report written and all of the photos posted, but here’s the first installment. AGAIN, THANK YOU!

Dana

DUBA PLAINS

Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Danastra...ly07DubaPlains

OVERVIEW

Fantastic, Amazing, Incredible! I cannot think of enough adjectives to describe my experience at Duba Plains. The game drives, accommodations, food, and staff were all top-notch. I cannot wait to return.

James 007 was my guide. He lived up to everything I read about him, and exceeded all of my expectations. James was as enthusiastic as I when it came to each and every sighting. He definitely knows his stuff, and loves every moment of it. I asked James where he got the nickname 007 and he said from a guest. But, I never did find out if that is because the fictional character James Bond was named after James Bond the American ornithologist; the guest thought James had the skills of a secret agent; or if the guest took James for a romantic womanizer. Perhaps only James knows for sure 

The game viewing at Duba Plains was excellent. Huge herds of buffalo roamed the floodplains, as if unaware they were being stalked by a pride of lion. We saw red lechwe, kudu, tsessebe, and bushbuck. Elephants and hippopotamus filled the waterways. Baboons entertained us as they played, as did vervet monkeys. We saw hyena, jackal, warthog, porcupine, and even an aardwolf, which was a first for me.

The birds were incredible. We saw many more than I can possibly remember, although I did try to write down the names of the birds each evening. We saw reed cormorants, grey herons, and several different egrets including the great white egret, little egret, yellow billed egret and slaty egret. We saw the glossy ibis and hadeda ibis, the wattled crane, Egyptian goose, and a pink backed pelican. Given the fact that we saw a buffalo kill we also got our share of vultures as well as seeing the bateleur eagle, African fish eagle and a tawny eagle. We saw wattled starling, long tailed starling, blue eared starling, and of course the burchell’s starling. We even saw an albino burchell’s starling! We saw numerous black winged plovers, long toed plovers, and a blacksmith plover protecting her eggs. Other birds included the African jacana, the lesser jacana, the pied kingfisher, the hamerkop, the African stonechat, the red billed buffalo weaver, and a few of my favorites for their magnificent coloring: the little bee eater, the lilac breasted roller and the saddle billed stork.

Duba Plains camp is beautiful. The “tents” are permanent structures, raised well off the ground with wooden doors and large decks. Interiors have hardwood floors, twin beds pulled together, a writing desk with lamp, lounge chair with ottoman, and excellent en-suite facilities. There are plugs for battery chargers in the room, plenty of hot water during the day, and hot water bottles at night. Casual luxury at its finest! My tent (#1) is at the water’s edge. At night I can hear the hippos grunt and elephants roar; in the mornings I can hear the birds chirping and rustling in the trees. The tree above my tent is also a favorite spot for the vervet monkeys, and my balcony is the perfect spot from which to watch them play.

DETAILS

I arrive at Maun airport and am immediately met by a Wilderness Safaris’ representative. I am told by Sefofane that the weight of my bag is fine, but that it is too large to fit in the hold. I point out that it is a few inches smaller all the way around than what is listed in my itinerary, confirmed by WS, and offer to show that to them. They decline, and ask me to re-pack into a small duffel bag they are going to “loan” me. Of course I agree, until they tell me they want a $10 deposit for the duffel bag. When I question the deposit, they tell me that since I’m the only person on the flight that I don’t have to re-pack into the loaner bag after all. I never did understand how the number of the people on the flight affects whether or not the bag fits into the hold 

While waiting for my flight I meet two couples from Sweden. We speak only briefly, and none of us asks where the other is headed. Little do we know that we will be vehicle mates for the next two days. I board a small Cessna, later dubbed “the mosquito” by the Duba staff. I am the only passenger on board, so I sit up front with the pilot and get my first view of the Delta from the jump seat. This is my first trip to Botswana, and my anticipation mounts at seeing the water-filled floodplains. As we fly over the Delta the mosquito is quickly passed by another (larger) plane carrying, as I later find out, the Swedes. They were supposed to be on a later flight, but their excitement got the better of them and they could not wait for their scheduled flight. They either chartered a flight or convinced a pilot to leave earlier than planned. I know immediately we will get along well. At the airstrip the Swedes are picked up by James 007 who, unbeknownst to me, was there to pick me up. I guess nobody told him how fast (not) the mosquito could fly. Francois picks me up, whisks me to camp, and on the way we have a good laugh about the size and speed (or lack thereof) of the mosquito. Even before arriving at camp, I can tell from Francois’ affable manner that I am going to like it here. In the end I don’t just like it, I love it!

Upon arrival I am introduced to the staff, and to my vehicle mates. The Swedes are absolutely lovely. I enjoy all of them, but particularly one of the women, an avid birder with an enthusiasm level that rivals James’. I never quite catch her name. She repeats it for me several times, and I try to duplicate what she is saying, but I can tell from the grins of her fellow travelers that I am not even close. All I can hear are a bunch of guttural “rrrrrr”s all rolled together. Neither James nor Francois ever gets it either. Eventually we stop trying and just refer to her as The Swede.

I arrive at camp around 2:30 and after being shown to my tent the Swedes and I are offered a proper sit down lunch. We all decline in favor of a quick snack and head out almost immediately on a game drive. James smiles, knowing he has guests who’ve come here for one reason only: to see the wildlife. I’ve come to Duba with the hope, but not expectation, of seeing the buffalo-lion interaction, the Tsaro Pride, and the Duba Boys in particular. I left the expectations at home, determined not to be disappointed if I see little or no lion-buffalo interaction at all. It’s apparently very possible for the entire buffalo herd to be on the other side of the channel On Paradise Island which, during my stay at least, is unreachable by vehicle due to water levels. In fact, as luck would have it (yes, I was a very lucky woman on this trip), the herd didn’t cross the channel until the day before my departure.

We are five in the jeep, six with James, and no one specifies what he/she would like to see. James says “I think tonight we’ll see if we can find the buffalo” and we all nod in agreement. I am sitting in front with James, and as we pass through the deeper area of the floodplains I pick my feet up every time I think the water will come into the vehicle because my backpack is on the floor. Each time James touches my hand and says “I’ll let you know when you need to pick up your feet.” Of course, he is right. Very rarely do we get wet.

In search of the buffalo herd we see red lechwe, tsessebe, elephant, baboon, numerous beautiful birds, and an aardwolf. I haven’t previously seen an aardwolf, and before James told me what it was I thought it was a striped hyena. Not long into our game drive we spot the buffalo herd. It is a large herd, and sensing the pride is near, they stay close to one another. We watch the herd for quite some time, and while most of the buffalo ignore us, a few are watching us with the same intensity as we are watching them. After a while James asks if we are ready to go, and when we say yes we travel only a short distance and come upon the Tsaro Pride, half relaxing, half sleeping. They appear to be paying little or no attention to the herd. But of course, they are actually paying very close attention. After spending quite a long time with the pride we return to the buffalo herd to see if there are any stragglers that would present the Tsaro Pride an opportunity. The herd has a young calf, and while I know it’s a fact of nature, I am secretly praying that the young calf isn’t the Tsaro pride’s evening meal. We drive around for a little while, never straying too far from the herd or the pride. Eventually the herd begins to move and it is at this moment I realize just how alert the pride is. They patiently watch from a distance, eyes focused intently on the herd. The stalking has begun! James tells us that the pride does not hunt at night, and since it is getting dark we head back to camp, stopping for sundowners along the way.

At dinner I meet two couples from JoBurg, who are leaving the next morning. I also meet Tara and Chris, managers at Jao who are at Duba Plains on holiday. All are very nice, and we have great dinner conversation, but I particularly enjoy talking about our afternoon game drive with the Swedes. I can’t tell who is more excited, the Swedes, me, or James. Dinner is excellent. I have to admit I’m a bit of a food snob, and with the exception of Damaraland Camp, the food was not very good in Namibia. While I would never choose a safari camp for quality of food, I do appreciate a great meal. After dinner I am walked to my tent, given a torch and hot water bottle, and told not to leave my tent until dawn. As I start to fall asleep I hear the sounds of the bush come alive. Elephants and hippos are in the water right outside my tent roaring up a storm. The next morning when I learn they came into camp, I am only half glad I listened to the instructions not to go outside until dawn. The other half of me wishes I had been sitting on my porch, camera in hand.

The next morning’s drive is even more exciting than the previous evening. We head out, and almost immediately find the Tsaro Pride feasting on an unfortunate buffalo. To my satisfaction, it is not the young calf. We spend a long time watching the pride gorge themselves and we joke about how they are all so full that even the males look pregnant. They eat, they rest, they eat, they rest. All except for one, who never rests, and whose head is inside the buffalo carcass nearly the entire time we are there. I am surprised there aren’t any vultures around, but I guess it’s still a little early. Also noticeably absent are the hyenas. When the pride has more than enough to eat, each member finds a comfortable spot for a post over-eating siesta. This reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner as a child. When it is clear that the lion are too full to even move, we leave in search of the buffalo herd which, predictably, is not far away.

That afternoon we search out the Tsaro Pride again, and find them right where we left them, since they have not yet finished the carcass. We also find the buffalo herd regrouping and making its way towards the channel and Paradise Island. We watch baboon playing for quite some time, particularly enjoying the interaction between a mother and her young. On the way back to camp we see what appears to be a distressed blacksmith plover, and when we stop we realize she is protecting her eggs, which she has laid on the side of the road. The afternoon ends with a beautiful African sunset. Yet another wonderful day at Duba Plains.

The following morning the pride is finally finishing off the remainder of the buffalo carcass. The vultures are in abundance and eagerly awaiting their turn. Even though I have seen these birds numerous times I am continually surprised at just how ugly they really are. Not the “so ugly they are cute ugly” like a warthog or wildebeest, but just plain ugly. We spend quite a bit of time this morning watching elephant, including a cow and her calf. The Swedes are leaving this afternoon, so we head off for one more last look for the buffalo herd. We find them, dangerously close to the channel. The channel is not, of course, dangerous for them to cross, but dangerous for another reason. We can see three lionesses from the Skimmer Pride on the other side of the water, on Paradise Island. The Skimmer Pride is eleven in total, but recently only the three lionesses have been seen. The lionesses patiently watch the herd, as if trying to decide whether or not to cross the channel. James explains that they don’t often venture into Tsaro territory, doing so only when absolutely necessary. He also explains that while they are capable of crossing the deep water, like most cats they don’t like to swim. The Skimmer lionesses are very patient, and after quite a long time it is clear they will not cross over. Why? Because the herd decides to cross the channel instead! We beg James to take us to Paradise Island, but he tells us (again) that the water level is too high, and that it is impossible for us to cross.

We watch the heard cross and we leave in search of a few more birds for The Swede to photograph before she has to leave this afternoon. Her mother was a bird enthusiast, and she has been one for as long as she can remember. She recounts a time when she finally had enough bird sightings in Sweden (over 300) to join a birding club that she had always wanted to be a member of. I enjoy listening to her discuss various birds with James, and his knowledge once again amazes me. On our way back to camp we see Silver Eye, one of the 9 lionesses of the Tsaro pride. James explains that Silver Eye is responsible for having killed a number of Tsaro Pride cubs over the years. After having lost two cubs recently, the Tsaro Pride now consists of 9 adult females, the 2 Duba Boys, 1 young male, and 1 young female, who James has nicknamed “the mean looking one” for the look in her eyes when feasting on the carcass.

After a wonderful lunch I say goodbye to the Swedes and retire to my deck to take notes of everything I saw today. As I look through yesterday’s notes I realize that my handwriting is so atrocious that I can barely read it. In fact, I can only make out about half of it. As I continue to scribble in my illegible fashion, it dawns on me that if I can’t even read yesterday’s notes today that I am going to have a hard time deciphering things when I get home. I give up on the scribbling and decide instead to look through the photos that I’d taken that morning. I realize this probably isn’t a wise decision, but I justify it by telling myself that I am on vacation. Besides, these are lifelong memories, so I should be able to remember things a month from now, right? For this reason in particular I had originally planned to take a dictaphone. However, in exchange for the combined weight of the dictaphone, batteries and all of the tapes, I could fit in another pair of shoes. Out dictaphone, in clogs. Was I glad then that I had those clogs? Of course. Do I wish now that I’d had the dictaphone? Absolutely.

When the Swedes leave I wonder how my future vehicle mate(s) could possibly be so enjoyable. Then I meet Julie. Another wonderful safari companion and all around fun person to spend time with. I’ve decided that I am one lucky person and that if the rest of Botswana is anything like these first three days, then this is going to be an awesome trip! Julie came to Duba Plains with the hope of seeing large herds of buffalo. Not the buffalo-lion interaction, not the Tsaro Pride, but the buffalo themselves. When James asks what we would like to see this evening, she sheepishly admits what seems like a simple request. And of course it would have been had the buffalo not crossed the channel only a few hours earlier. James explains that the herd is now on Paradise Island, and I can see the disappointment in Julie’s face. However, Julie and I have James all to ourselves that afternoon and the following morning, and we have a fantastic time. Well, all to ourselves with the exception of the quiet but not invisible man in the back of the jeep, who I believe is with the Okavango Community Trust. I do not recall his name, and don’t know how to address him, so I’ll just call him the ranger. His presence is important, because later it comes in quite handy.

During our afternoon drive we see one of the Tsaro Pride lionesses basking in her recent gorging. We watch her for a while, and then spend time with some ellies. We see numerous birds, and while I thought I would miss The Swede’s interaction with James about the birds I am enjoying Julie’s excitement at seeing these birds for the first time. We stop for sundowners and I take photographs of the beautiful sunset. African skies must be some of the most beautiful in the world, and I particularly enjoy the sunsets over the wide open floodplains. On the way back to camp we get stuck in the mud, and James and the ranger get out of the jeep to assess the damage. When it is clear that they have to jack up one side of the jeep pretty high, put a board under the tires, then do the same with the other side, Julie and I offer to get out. Of course it would be easier for them with less weight in the vehicle, right? Wrong. By this time the sun has gone down and we could tell by James’ stern admonishment to stay in the vehicle (and by his continuous looking around) that he does not think it is safe. Besides, he doesn’t want us to get dirty. Julie and I both laugh, thinking “we’re on safari . . . who cares?” but we obey James’ instructions nonetheless. After making a very difficult job look like child’s play, James and the ranger get us out of the mud and we head back to camp. It is quite dark by now and James is using the spotlight. On the way back to camp we see a mother and baby porcupine. This is the perfect ending to my last evening game drive at Duba Plains.

We have yet another fantastic meal. Some of the best food I’ve had on safari has been here at Duba Plains. A beautiful sky, an excellent dinner, a nice glass of wine, and wonderful dinner conversation: what more could I ask for? I’ve gotten to know Tara and Chris over the past couple of days and really enjoy their company. At dinner we had a good laugh about why I hadn’t used my outdoor shower yet. I told Tara about my experience at Londolozzi when the vervet monkeys ran away with not only my towel, but my clothes. If you want to use the outdoor shower, tent # 1 might not be right for you. There is no access into the tent from the outdoor shower without walking out onto the deck, which is easily viewed from the dining and main lobby area. So, beware of vervet monkeys and keep your towel close at all times. I have also really enjoyed getting to know the Duba staff. It must be very difficult to make guests feel at home, like one of the family and like a pampered guest all at the same time. Not only does the staff at Duba Plains manage to do this, but they do so without belying the efforts of what must be a huge endeavor. That night I stay up late recalling the prior couple of days and what a wonderful time I’ve had.

The following morning Julie and I head out on what will be my last game drive with James. We spend quite a bit of time watching elephant, particularly the interaction between a cow and her calf. I put my camera down and take in the sights that I’ve been watching through a lens for the past couple of days. I tell James how much I love it at Duba, and I can tell Julie understands why I think this is such a magical place. My last morning is actually bittersweet. I do not want to leave. In fact, I ask if I can stay. In hindsight this is quite an odd request for me, because I’m usually looking forward to the next adventure. Moreover, I came here hoping to see the buffalo-lion interaction, which thanks to good fortune I was lucky enough to see, and the buffalo are now on Paradise Island, out of sight. My request is in earnest, and while I’m trying to figure out how to re-arrange my schedule Francois says they have no space for the next few days. Thinking that I’m joking, however, in jest he says that the following week he is on leave and that I could have his house. When he realizes that I might take him up on his offer he urges me to keep my existing itinerary and assures me that I will love Duma Tau. But how could I possibly love any place as much as Duba Plains?

Here is the second part of the trtip report: Duma Tau. Sorry, it's so slow coming, but I'm swamped with work!

DUMA TAU

Photos:
I know there are way too many photos, but I just could not decide which ones to delete.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Danastra...aJuly07DumaTau

OVERVIEW

Another absolutely incredible experience. As with Duba Plains, all aspects of this camp were perfect. The game viewing was phenomenal, the accommodations exemplary, the food fantastic, and the staff superb. I¡¦m going to run out of superlatives by the time I get to the end of this trip report. ƒº

My guide was a young man named Ronald, who had an energy level quite like none I¡¦d seen before. My vehicle mates and I told Ronald that none of us were the sort of people that liked to sit still for very long, and he kept us busy. Boy did he keep us busy. In the mornings we grabbed a cup of coffee, bowl of porridge, and headed out as soon as we were ready. Instead of taking a siesta we went on a boat ride on the Linyanti River. We got extra time on afternoon game drives by skipping tea and leaving early, and by staying out late, often until only moments before the dinner bell. Ronald even took us on a surprise game drive one evening after dinner and did not return us to camp until after midnight. It seems like we crammed a week¡¦s worth of activity into just a few days. Looking back, I wonder when Ronald found time to sleep.

We saw so much wildlife at Duma Tau, both large and small. One highlight of the game drives here was chasing wild dogs, following them on a hunt, watching them play, and seeing them get the better of a hyena. Other highlights were seeing a honey badger, and an impromptu late evening game drive during which we found aardvark. All of these were firsts for me. While at Duma we saw numerous antelope including impala, kudu, red lechwe, reedbuck, steenbok, and waterbuck. We also saw giraffe, zebra and wildebeest. We saw prides of lion, herds of buffalo and the former feasting on the latter. We also saw an African wild cat and black-backed jackal on several occasions. We were mock-charged more than once by the many elephants that inhabit the area. We saw hippopotamus, crocodile, and a monitor lizard. Primates included baboons, vervet moneys, and a lesser bushbaby. Other small finds were the banded mongoose and slender mongoose.

Accommodations were heavenly. With 10 rooms the camp is a little large, but somehow still managed to feel very intimate. This was partially due to the fact that it was not full during the majority of my stay, but also very much a result of the staff¡¦s efforts in making guests fee at home. The tented rooms are quite large, with en-suite facilities and an outdoor shower. Walls are canvas, but there ends the similarity with a ¡§tent.¡¨ The rooms are accessed by raised wooden walkways, the rooms have high ceilings with ceiling fan, the roofs are thatched, and sliding glass doors open to a very nice deck. Rooms have a writing desk with lamp and plenty of outlets for recharging batteries. Accommodations at Duma Tau were more spacious and a lot nicer than many hotel rooms I¡¦ve stayed in.

DETAILS

At the airstrip I¡¦m picked up by Rrrrrrrrrronald. Yes, that is how he pronounces his name. He has a very deep voice, and combined with the rolling ¡§rrr¡¨s, it comes out quite comical. Although he is not, at this moment making a joke, I do find out later that he has a great sense of humor. Between Ronald and The Swede I met at Duba, whose name I still cannot pronounce, I¡¦m wondering if this is going to be an ongoing occurrence. The rolling ¡§Rs¡¨ that is. Well, at least I can pronounce Ronald¡¦s name.

I arrive at camp around 3:00 in the afternoon, drop my bag in my tent, and find out that Janet and Martin, with whom I¡¦ve ridden from the airstrip, will be my vehicle mates. It¡¦s just the three of us, four with Ronald, for the next four days. We don¡¦t want to waste any time, so we spend little or no time chatting, skip tea, and are immediately off on a game drive. Janet and Martin came directly from the U.K., via JoBurg, then Maun. They haven¡¦t even had a hotel overnight and are still ready for this game drive. Like me, they arrive ahead of schedule for the afternoon game drive. Hard core safari-goers. Yippee! I instantly know I¡¦m going to like them.

Ronald asks what we¡¦d like to see and each of us mention, as if it is a pre-planned response, that we¡¦ve been on safari before and are interested not only in the larger game but the smaller more elusive animals as well. During my entire stay in Botswana I never encounter vehicle mates proclaiming ¡§I want to see the Big 5¡¨ or any that ask the guide to rush around to tick things off a list. I am pleasantly surprised. On the contrary, most of my vehicle mates want, like I do, to spend time watching animal behavior and interaction. I count myself extremely lucky in this regard.

As we drive through the mopane forest that looks like something out of the twilight zone Ronald explains that the damage is from the elephants. I¡¦m glad he¡¦s explained this because my first impression is that of a forest fire. On the afternoon drive, before the sun even begins to set, we see impala, kudu, giraffe, wildebeest, and of course elephant. Elephant are so plentiful here that we see them on practically every game drive. We are mock charged twice during this one game drive, and this becomes somewhat of a game drive ritual for us. We stop for sundowners and over a glass of wine I have my first opportunity to talk with Janet and Martin. Once again I¡¦ve hit the jackpot with vehicle mates. In fact, we have such a great time together that by the end of our stay we are discussing a reunion safari. We don¡¦t dawdle during sundowners, preferring rather to be back to the reason we¡¦ve come here: seeing animals and nature at its best.

As soon as we start out again Ronald eyes something running in the distance. This is our first wild dog sighting. We chase after them, and in the end do get a fleeting glimpse of a pack of five, but it is only for a few moments and those with a spotlight. This now becomes our mission: to find the wild dogs. We do not tell this to Ronald, lest he be disappointed if he can¡¦t deliver, but we know he herd the excitement in our voices. A few moments later we are radioed by another jeep that they have spotted a leopard cub. When we arrive, it is pitch black so the guides are using spotlights. We catch a glimpse of the cub in the spotlight, but one of the other vehicles is moving around so much that I think it is making the cub a little skittish. Both Janet and I remark that we wish the other vehicle would just stay still, and not move around so much. It is moving 100s of yards at a time, trying to get a glimpse of the cub who clearly does not want to be seen. This is quite odd. Guides don¡¦t usually drive back and forth frantically, spotlight moving spastically. At dinner this all starts to makes sense and the pieces begin to fall in place. The guests from that particular vehicle seem to be more than just a little pompous, quite authoritative and very demanding. Again I remind myself just how very lucky I am.

We have an excellent dinner, and after dinner everyone retires early. Janet and Martin are beginning to feel the jet lag and I am eager to go back to my ¡§tent¡¨ to write in my diary. I don¡¦t end up writing, but do jot down a few notes. I spend most of the time looking at the photos I took this afternoon. I fall asleep to the sounds of the bush, with elephant roaring and hippos snorting, neither too far in the distance. At breakfast we sit around the camp fire with a bowl of porridge and cup of coffee. Of course there is a lot more to eat than that, but we are eager to get an early start. This is the beginning of a habit of eating quickly so we can leave on our game drives as soon as possible.

When we first leave camp it seems like we aren¡¦t going to see anything at all. It is still frightfully cold, and I think the animals are probably still sleeping, bundled up with one another to keep warm. But the light is lovely, and the early start provides the time to travel to ¡§wherever¡¨ Ronald thinks we should be. Although we do not see much during the first 30 minutes to 1 hour, once the animals start coming out of their hiding places they are everywhere.

We go looking for the leopard cub we saw last night, and on the way see a journey of giraffe, warthogs, baboons, impala, ostrich, a black-backed jackal and a large male kudo. We don¡¦t find the cub, but do find the mother and we watch her for a while. At first she looks like she is posing for us, looking very statuesque with her head held high. However, she very quickly gets bored with us, plops her head down and takes a nap. We watch her for a while, and when it is clear that she is not going to wake up we leave to find the cub. We stop to watch red lechwe playing in the water. Soon thereafter we find the leopard cub hiding in a bush. We sit patiently staring at the bush for a long time, hoping she will come out and reveal herself. As if to grant our wish, she exits the bush and, like her mother, lies down and goes to sleep.

Later that morning we see more giraffe, hippopotamus, and of course more elephant which, true to form once again mock charge us. We also see an African Fish Eagle, perched on a tree as if asking for his photo to be taken. We oblige. We arrive back at camp to a lovely brunch and it is then that Janet and I discuss our mutual desire of staying out all day. We determine that we need about 30 minutes, one hour max, for a shower and relaxation time in our tents. We ask Ronald what we can do to fill up the rest of the day. He suggests a boat ride on the Linyanti River. We decide to take the boat ride right after brunch, and plan to return by 2:00 or 2:30 so we¡¦ll be ready to leave for the afternoon game drive at 3:00 when everyone else meets for tea.

The boat ride is very relaxing, and by this time the temperature has warmed up nicely. As soon as we set out we can see the camp from the boat and I now know the source of the grunting hippos the night before. I recall the video I saw on National Geographic (or was it the Discovery Channel?), and silently pray the hippos keep their distance. I also see what I now believe is the elephant that damaged not only the tree by my deck, but also the walkway to Janet and Martin¡¦s tent. But I¡¦m digressing. That comes later in the trip report. The water is like glass, a good habitat for water lilies, but for some reason I¡¦m surprised we see so many of them given the fact that it is winter and the night time temperatures so cold. When we arrive back at the boat dock we are met by the angry elephant. As if on cue, he imitates a mock charge of the boat from a distance. It is quite some time before we¡¦re able to get to our vehicle and eventually get back to camp. We have about 30 minutes for a quick shower before we depart for our afternoon game drive. While in the shower I hear a very loud noise which is clearly coming from right outside my tent. An elephant is shaking a tree in what appears a serious attempt to topple it limb by limb. My first instinct is to grab my camera and go out onto the deck to see what is going on. To this day I¡¦m not sure which stopped me from going outside -- fear or the fact that I was naked. In the rush to see what was going on, I forgot to grab a towel.

That afternoon we go in search of the wild dogs. We do not find the dogs, but to our satisfaction stumble upon a pride of lion feasting on a buffalo. There is also a large elephant herd watching from nearby. Initially Ronald thinks this is the Savuti Pride but fairly quickly determines this isn¡¦t the case because he doesn¡¦t recognize any of them. Ronald guided at Savuti for two years prior to coming to Duma Tau. In the end he says he thinks that the pride has come over from Namibia, from the Caprivi Strip. We watch the pride for a while, and I am amused by the cat-and-mouse game the vultures, one in particular, play with the lions. We pull up closer for a better look, and as we do so, one of the lionesses gets so close to the jeep that Janet could probably have reached out and touched her. We all stay very still. Not one of us moves in the slightest, not even to reach for our cameras. We spend the majority of the afternoon with the pride, watching them roll in the grass, some seeking shade under a nearby tree while others post guard lest the hyenas or vultures take their catch. It starts getting dark and eventually we leave to find a good spot from which to watch the sunset and have sundowners. Ronald chooses a lovely spot, and as I¡¦m staring at the African sky I once again remark at just how incredibly beautiful it is.

The following morning we watch vervet monkeys playing in the trees; a black-backed jackal lounging in the sun; kudu and zebra quenching their thirst; and giraffe, with their long tongues, coaxing leaves from thorny branches. But the highlights of this morning¡¦s game drive are the cackle of hyena and the leopard with impala kill up a tree.

Yesterday a lioness was so close to the jeep that Janet could have reached out and touched her. Well, today it¡¦s my turn only it isn¡¦t a lion but a hyena. There are four hyenas in all, and three of them are not the least bit concerned that we are there. In fact, they don¡¦t seem to even notice. The youngest one, however, is quite curious. He walks around the vehicle a couple of times, getting closer each time, and finally decides to stop circling within what seems like only inches from where I am sitting. He is so close I can see the color of his eyes (they are deep brown), and the water on his whiskers. After a few moments of playing the ¡§who¡¦s going to blink first¡¨ game I muster the courage to move (which I do very slowly) and get a good up close and personal photo of his face. His mother, who up until now has been watching from a distance, comes to fetch him; eventually they move away from the vehicle, but not before I get a good look at her as well.

We leave the hyenas and shortly thereafter find a leopard with impala kill up in a tree. It is the mother leopard we saw yesterday, so we¡¦re hoping that the cub is nearby. The mother is quite comfortable, legs splayed across the branches, her tail off to one side being used to balance her on the tree limb. The impala kill is high up enough in the tree that she isn¡¦t worried about losing it, particularly since she appears not to realize the hyenas aren¡¦t far away. Just as we think she will never move, and plan to leave in search of something new, she descends the tree as if on command. Much to our dismay, however, she does not lead us to her cub, and eventually we go looking for the cub on our own. Which, incidentally we do not see again.

That afternoon we see several herds of elephant, two of which are breeding herds, and we enjoy watching the interaction between cows and calves. We stop to watch a giraffe drink, which even though I¡¦ve seen it before, find comical due to the giraffe¡¦s long legs. We stop to take a photograph of one of my favorite birds, the lilac breasted roller. Although it is very common, I love it for its brilliant colors. We ride along the river watching the hippos and crocodiles. We see what I thought was a white stork but now that I look at the photos I¡¦m not sure because I thought the white stork had an all-white head and red legs. In any event, it¡¦s a beautiful bird, and I take several photos. We also see great white heron, and a ground hornbill. The ground hornbill reminds me of a turkey, and in fact Ronald calls him the ¡§turkey bird¡¨ although I never find out whether this is for my benefit or if that is really the bird¡¦s nickname.

We leave the river and go back to see what the mother leopard is doing, but she¡¦s asleep in the tree, so we leave in search of the wild dogs. Along the way we stop to watch a couple of wildebeest, one of whom is sharpening his horns on a small tree. We resume our search for the dogs but almost immediately see a honey badger. This one seems a little skittish, and moves quite rapidly. I am not quite fast enough with my camera but I do manage to get a couple of bad shots. It¡¦s rather ironic¡Kthose bad shots often bring back more pleasant memories than the good ones. I will always remember watching the honey badger, since I had never seen one before, and only as an afterthought thinking to pick up my camera. We later joke that if we did not stop for the honey badger that we would have missed the dogs. Yes, we do eventually find them, but you¡¦ll have to read on to find out when.

The sun has already set, so instead of finding the perfect spot for sundowners we just pick a place with a large termite mound. Just behind the termite mound are a couple of giraffe and several impala. It¡¦s already about 6:30 by now, and since we left at 3:00, it is time for a bush break. Martin first, then Janet, then me. No sooner do I have my pants around my ankles that I see the giraffe freeze and impala run. As quickly as possible I grab my pants and run back to the jeep. Ronald hands me a glass of wine, and says to all of us ¡§we can have sundowners or we can chase the dogs.¡¨ We jump in the jeep, drinks in hand, and are on our way. The chase has begun! Ronald is driving so fast that we dump our drinks over the side and hold on for the ride. We find one of the dogs, and watch it for a couple of minutes, but it gets away from us. We chase it for awhile, but it is dark by now and it eludes us when it runs into the brush. For those of you feeling sorry for me at this point (two separate dog sightings, both at night, and each only for a fleeting moment), well don¡¦t. The best is yet to come.

We arrive at camp to find a wonderful barbeque dinner in the boma, complete with song and dance. New guests have arrived, and the timing is perfect for it is their first night and our last. The setting is beautiful, and the food smells fantastic. Janet, Martin and I don¡¦t sit together, each eager to share our experiences thus far with the new crowd. It¡¦s a little bittersweet that what I remember most from this fantastic dinner is not the wonderful food (it was excellent), the beautiful voices belting out traditional tunes (they were fantastic), or the great dinner conversation during which we could tell the newcomers everything they had to look forward to. The moment I remember most is drinking a glass of red wine while enjoying dessert when Ronald came up to us and asked ¡§are you ready?¡¨

Earlier that day Janet, Martin and I joked with Ronald about how lucky we were. First we mentioned that if we hadn¡¦t stopped for the honey badger we would have missed the dogs. Next we said if we hadn¡¦t stopped for the ostrich we would have missed the honey badger. This went on for a while, culminating in Martin saying ¡§the only thing we haven¡¦t seen today is an aardvark.¡¨ It was meant as a joke, and I¡¦m sure Ronald knew that, but little did we know that he would take it upon himself to try to find us an aardvark.

When Ronald asks ¡§are you ready¡¨ we of course reply ¡§ready for what?¡¨ He responds by saying ¡§to go in the green jeep¡¨. This was another joke between us. Before each game drive Ronald told us he would meet us in the green jeep. Of course all of the vehicles are green and, in fact, none of them are actually jeeps. As I mentioned, Ronald has a sense of humor ¡V and a dry, witty one at that. We loved that sense of humor and we loved having him as our guide. We also trusted him explicitly. So, as instructed, and without question, we all got in the green jeep.

We joked the next morning that none of us thought to even go back to our tents to get warmer clothes. I didn¡¦t have either my hat or gloves, neither of which I went anywhere without. And I was only wearing one fleece, when I normally had on anywhere from two to four layers. We joked that Martin wasn¡¦t wearing socks. I don¡¦t recall if Janet was properly dressed or not. What I do know is that each and every one of us froze our butts off. What I remember most, however, is having the thrill of a lifetime.

We depart camp around 9:30 pm, and when Ronald does not turn on the spotlight we know something is amiss. When we ask him about this he gives us his canned response ¡§there¡¦s a spot I want to check out¡¨ coupled with that grin we have come to know and love. We drive for at least an hour or so, and I must admit I doze off more than once. I try as hard as I can to stay awake, but think that if I do fall asleep that Janet or Martin will wake me. Little do I know (until the next morning when Janet tells me) that she and Martin were quietly dozing in the seat behind me. Of course it is Ronald that wakes us all when, of course, he finds the aardvark den! Actually, he wakes us prior to arriving at the den itself, and finally tells us what we are doing out in the middle of the night. He says ¡§but you told me you wanted to see an aardvark¡¨ to which we reply ¡§but Ronald that was a joke,¡¨ and he just smiles. We are all wide awake when Ronald spots the aardvark and shines his spotlight on it for us! This is another first for me, and I will never forget it. What a funny looking animal. It looks like an anteater with the coloring of a pig. Now, if only I¡¦d also asked to see a pangolin!

We return to camp after midnight to find that the elephant that practically knocked down the tree outside my tent has destroyed the walkway to Janet and Martin¡¦s tent. We are all too tired to be the least bit concerned, and retire to our tents to get a couple of hours of shut-eye.

True to form, Janet, Martin and I are all ready to go on the next morning¡¦s game drive before the other guests even arrive for breakfast. It is our last day and we are going to make the most of it. Not long into the drive Martin yells ¡§dogs¡¨ and Ronald take off in chase. Ronald is driving on what he calls ¡§the Ronald roads¡¨ which means if you can plow it down and continue on your way, it¡¦s a road. We chase the dogs for quite a long time before they finally settle down in one spot. We spend the entire morning watching them. We watch them divide and conquer, or at least try to conquer, while they unsuccessfully hunt impala. We watch them play. We watch them sleep. We watch them, one after the other bite a hyena on the rump to chase it from what they have now claimed as their territory. The dogs are magnificent and beautiful creatures. Each has coloring and patterns so very different from the next that I now fully understand why they are called the African painted dog. It is an incredible morning. What a wonderful end to what has been a fantastic stay at Duma Tau!