Trip Report - Feb 2007 Victoria Falls and Botswana
Feb 24th, 2007, 08:01 AM
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Feb 10th
As I mentioned, even though this was the "rainy" season we didnt have a lot of rain. This morning, was the first real rain we had, and it delayed our leaving that morning until 6 am. At that time the call came through that some Cheetah tracks had been spotted and that they were very fresh. Spencer and I jumped into the vehicle, and soon found the same 2 male cheetahs from the previous night. They went for a nice stroll, and posed for us atop several termite mounds. After following them for a couple of hours, they decided to have a rest... too bad, we were hoping for a hunt and kill. We waited around for about an hour with them, and it seemed they were going no where. We decided to go back to camp, and get back to the Cheetahs later.
Unknown to me, Spencer sent our tracker out to watch the Cheetahs. About 12 30 Spencer came to get me, saying that they Cheetahs were on the move. We soon caught up with them, and followed for about 20 minutes. We came to an open field with grass about 2 feet high. As the Cheetahs were moving along, we spotted some Warthogs in the distance. Spencer said hold on, we grabbed a good spot on top of a hill, and watched the action. The Cheetahs soon saw the piggies, and crouched down to creep in. At almost the last second, the family of warthogs with 3 babies noticed the Cheetahs and took off... with the the pursuit just behind. Spencer said hold on, and I did barely... lol, hes a crazy driver. In an exciting chase, we came across the 2 Cheetahs who had caught one of the babies, and were feeding. We watched for over an hour, as they ate around the stomach (which I understand gives off a scent that would attract other preds). They fed as quickly as they could. Every minute or so one would look up and scout out the area for anything else. We did notice a little jackal that was following the Cheetahs, and was awaiting its turn. It was amazing to watch the Cheetah as they did the hunt and kill.
We got back to camp, had a nice lunch, and I got to spend some time with Charles. He talked about his enjoyment of his job, and some of the regulars. Johan, if you are reading this, Charles says hello. You left them some amazing pictures in your book to the camp. Our evening game drive was nice and we got to see a lot of different animals. After a nice sundowners we returned to camp for dinner.
As I mentioned, even though this was the "rainy" season we didnt have a lot of rain. This morning, was the first real rain we had, and it delayed our leaving that morning until 6 am. At that time the call came through that some Cheetah tracks had been spotted and that they were very fresh. Spencer and I jumped into the vehicle, and soon found the same 2 male cheetahs from the previous night. They went for a nice stroll, and posed for us atop several termite mounds. After following them for a couple of hours, they decided to have a rest... too bad, we were hoping for a hunt and kill. We waited around for about an hour with them, and it seemed they were going no where. We decided to go back to camp, and get back to the Cheetahs later.
Unknown to me, Spencer sent our tracker out to watch the Cheetahs. About 12 30 Spencer came to get me, saying that they Cheetahs were on the move. We soon caught up with them, and followed for about 20 minutes. We came to an open field with grass about 2 feet high. As the Cheetahs were moving along, we spotted some Warthogs in the distance. Spencer said hold on, we grabbed a good spot on top of a hill, and watched the action. The Cheetahs soon saw the piggies, and crouched down to creep in. At almost the last second, the family of warthogs with 3 babies noticed the Cheetahs and took off... with the the pursuit just behind. Spencer said hold on, and I did barely... lol, hes a crazy driver. In an exciting chase, we came across the 2 Cheetahs who had caught one of the babies, and were feeding. We watched for over an hour, as they ate around the stomach (which I understand gives off a scent that would attract other preds). They fed as quickly as they could. Every minute or so one would look up and scout out the area for anything else. We did notice a little jackal that was following the Cheetahs, and was awaiting its turn. It was amazing to watch the Cheetah as they did the hunt and kill.
We got back to camp, had a nice lunch, and I got to spend some time with Charles. He talked about his enjoyment of his job, and some of the regulars. Johan, if you are reading this, Charles says hello. You left them some amazing pictures in your book to the camp. Our evening game drive was nice and we got to see a lot of different animals. After a nice sundowners we returned to camp for dinner.
Feb 25th, 2007, 10:47 AM
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
Richard,
It seems that you were at the right place at the right time.
Many thanks for sending Charles greetings. He's a great guy and an excellent guide. I can't wait to see him again and hopefully we still have some luck left. In general the guides at Kwando are great and from my own experience the senior guides are among the best I've seen in the safari industry.
I hope to see some of your photos and read the rest of your journey.
Best regards,
Johan
It seems that you were at the right place at the right time.
Many thanks for sending Charles greetings. He's a great guy and an excellent guide. I can't wait to see him again and hopefully we still have some luck left. In general the guides at Kwando are great and from my own experience the senior guides are among the best I've seen in the safari industry.
I hope to see some of your photos and read the rest of your journey.
Best regards,
Johan
Feb 25th, 2007, 03:25 PM
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Feb 11th
I had a very good sleep.. I think I am getting used to the "sounds of the jungle" as I sleep. There was a hyena in the area last night, and I think he / she was right outside my tent for a while.
Our morning drive started out well, with Spencer seeing some Cheetah tracks, and we had a good sighting. They didnt seem to be doing anything, so we decided to move on, and soon found 3 lions, which we followed for a while. We stayed with the lions until they went down for the afternoon heat, and went back to camp. After a good breakfast, I packed and got ready for my transfer to Kwara. I have to say I wish I was staying longer at Lebala. It is a great camp, and Spencer a great guide, exactly as advertised by many on this forum. After a couple of Windhoek's with Charles and Spencer, and a lot of funny tourist stories, we were off to my transfer.
We had the big plane this time, with 7 of us transfering from Lagoon / Lebala to Kwara / Little Kwara. After a smooth flight, we soon arrived at our destination. Tibo (spelling) came with us, and was going to be a guest guide. We were driven to Kwara, and met with the acting manager, Bleu. I soon met my new guide, Doctor, and tracker Justice. Kwara is a beautiful camp, and I liked the view from the bar area, overlooking a large pond with hippos and crocs. Doctor and I had some laughs, and I explained my priorities... he promised some good sightings, and I looked forward to our drives.
Again, with having a private vehicle, Doc and I decided to leave a little early, and go look for some lions that were seen earlier. We soon found the pride, who were lounging around in the sun. We left them, and went hunting. Justice soon spotted a Cheetah lounging under a tree, and we stayed there for a while. The Cheetah didnt seem to be doing anything, so we left and again went hunting. We saw a lot of various game, and I really noticed that the grass was not nearly as high as it was in Lagoon, and Lebala. After about 30 minutes, Justice was like STOP LEOPARD!!! We backed up, and the Leopard was about 5 feet from the path, and in tall grass. I dont know how he saw it... a great sighting. Doctor positioned me for some great pictures, and he made the call. Soon we had 2 more vehicles join us. The Leopard soon got up, and went for a stroll. We greatfully followed the Leopard for about a mile, and he disappeared into some bush. Now I was at a dilema.. lions, cheetah, and leopard.. which to follow. I decided on cheetah, and off we went. It turned out to be 2 brothers, and we followed them for about 30 minutes, with some good posing pictures. It was starting to get dark, so we followed to where the cheetahs were lounging, and went for a well deserved sundowners. We had a night drive back to camp, and had a good dinner. A funny story here... Ostrich was served as the main course... several of us were looking at it funny, including Doctor. He soon took off for about 20 minutes. I asked where he was, and was told he was eating in the kitchen. I joined him, and was given some chicken. We had a few drinks around the fire, and planned to leave early in the morning. When we went to my tent, I heard a noise, and was like, wtf is that... we looked over about 15 feet away was a hippo shuffling by. WOW... time to get into my tent.
Next up... another Cheetah hunt.
I had a very good sleep.. I think I am getting used to the "sounds of the jungle" as I sleep. There was a hyena in the area last night, and I think he / she was right outside my tent for a while.
Our morning drive started out well, with Spencer seeing some Cheetah tracks, and we had a good sighting. They didnt seem to be doing anything, so we decided to move on, and soon found 3 lions, which we followed for a while. We stayed with the lions until they went down for the afternoon heat, and went back to camp. After a good breakfast, I packed and got ready for my transfer to Kwara. I have to say I wish I was staying longer at Lebala. It is a great camp, and Spencer a great guide, exactly as advertised by many on this forum. After a couple of Windhoek's with Charles and Spencer, and a lot of funny tourist stories, we were off to my transfer.
We had the big plane this time, with 7 of us transfering from Lagoon / Lebala to Kwara / Little Kwara. After a smooth flight, we soon arrived at our destination. Tibo (spelling) came with us, and was going to be a guest guide. We were driven to Kwara, and met with the acting manager, Bleu. I soon met my new guide, Doctor, and tracker Justice. Kwara is a beautiful camp, and I liked the view from the bar area, overlooking a large pond with hippos and crocs. Doctor and I had some laughs, and I explained my priorities... he promised some good sightings, and I looked forward to our drives.
Again, with having a private vehicle, Doc and I decided to leave a little early, and go look for some lions that were seen earlier. We soon found the pride, who were lounging around in the sun. We left them, and went hunting. Justice soon spotted a Cheetah lounging under a tree, and we stayed there for a while. The Cheetah didnt seem to be doing anything, so we left and again went hunting. We saw a lot of various game, and I really noticed that the grass was not nearly as high as it was in Lagoon, and Lebala. After about 30 minutes, Justice was like STOP LEOPARD!!! We backed up, and the Leopard was about 5 feet from the path, and in tall grass. I dont know how he saw it... a great sighting. Doctor positioned me for some great pictures, and he made the call. Soon we had 2 more vehicles join us. The Leopard soon got up, and went for a stroll. We greatfully followed the Leopard for about a mile, and he disappeared into some bush. Now I was at a dilema.. lions, cheetah, and leopard.. which to follow. I decided on cheetah, and off we went. It turned out to be 2 brothers, and we followed them for about 30 minutes, with some good posing pictures. It was starting to get dark, so we followed to where the cheetahs were lounging, and went for a well deserved sundowners. We had a night drive back to camp, and had a good dinner. A funny story here... Ostrich was served as the main course... several of us were looking at it funny, including Doctor. He soon took off for about 20 minutes. I asked where he was, and was told he was eating in the kitchen. I joined him, and was given some chicken. We had a few drinks around the fire, and planned to leave early in the morning. When we went to my tent, I heard a noise, and was like, wtf is that... we looked over about 15 feet away was a hippo shuffling by. WOW... time to get into my tent.
Next up... another Cheetah hunt.
Feb 25th, 2007, 05:12 PM
#28
Guest
Posts: n/a
Yep, good choice 
Btw, i agree with you about staying longer at Lebala.
However, your trip report is a bad influence to my mental health....
I am trying to deciede if i should ask to see if i can switch atleast two nights to Lagoon(from my current reservations).....
Btw, i agree with you about staying longer at Lebala.
However, your trip report is a bad influence to my mental health....
I am trying to deciede if i should ask to see if i can switch atleast two nights to Lagoon(from my current reservations).....
Feb 27th, 2007, 08:18 AM
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Feb 12th
We had an early start this morning as we wanted to find the 2 Cheetahs that we had left the previous night. Unfortunately, they were not there, so we moved on. We heard some baboons hooting off to the side, and Doctor said lets go investigate... they were hooting at something. When we got there, things had calmed down, but they were looking off in one direction. We drove off in that direction, in a large field with 2 1/2 foot high grass. Our tracker got down to look at some tracks, and I was like Cheetah, like 20 feet away. Our tracker got into the vehicle with me, and we moved over. Sure enough, there were 3 Cheetah's who had just made a kill of an impala, and were just starting to feed. We had remarkable timing... again I was impressed that this all started cause of the Baboons, and Doc led us from there.
We watched the Cheetah feed for about an hour. Unlike Lebala where there seem to be a lot of Hyena's, we didnt see many at Kwara. Eventually all 3 had their full, and that time the other 2 vehicles showed up.. not good timing. We left the site to them, and went about our morning, with some good game sigting, including the 2 other Cheetah from the previous night, as well as a lion pride, who were just relaxing in the sun. We stayed with the Lions for a while, and finally moved back to camp around noon for breakfast. After a little siesta and lunch, we were good to go again. I invited 2 people who I knew from a couple of earlier camps to join me in the vehicle, and off we went. We found the Lions from the morning, but it looked like we were too late.... they already had made a small kill, but the main male had eaten the kill. There wasnt a lot left. As they didnt seem to be doing anything, we moved on, and had a nice relaxing drive with some good jokes by Doctor. We had a nice sundowner, and night drive back to camp. Dinner was relaxing, and we stayed up over many drinks at the fire. We got to bed around 1 am, again with Hippos around the area and my tent.
Another great day at Kwando...
We had an early start this morning as we wanted to find the 2 Cheetahs that we had left the previous night. Unfortunately, they were not there, so we moved on. We heard some baboons hooting off to the side, and Doctor said lets go investigate... they were hooting at something. When we got there, things had calmed down, but they were looking off in one direction. We drove off in that direction, in a large field with 2 1/2 foot high grass. Our tracker got down to look at some tracks, and I was like Cheetah, like 20 feet away. Our tracker got into the vehicle with me, and we moved over. Sure enough, there were 3 Cheetah's who had just made a kill of an impala, and were just starting to feed. We had remarkable timing... again I was impressed that this all started cause of the Baboons, and Doc led us from there.
We watched the Cheetah feed for about an hour. Unlike Lebala where there seem to be a lot of Hyena's, we didnt see many at Kwara. Eventually all 3 had their full, and that time the other 2 vehicles showed up.. not good timing. We left the site to them, and went about our morning, with some good game sigting, including the 2 other Cheetah from the previous night, as well as a lion pride, who were just relaxing in the sun. We stayed with the Lions for a while, and finally moved back to camp around noon for breakfast. After a little siesta and lunch, we were good to go again. I invited 2 people who I knew from a couple of earlier camps to join me in the vehicle, and off we went. We found the Lions from the morning, but it looked like we were too late.... they already had made a small kill, but the main male had eaten the kill. There wasnt a lot left. As they didnt seem to be doing anything, we moved on, and had a nice relaxing drive with some good jokes by Doctor. We had a nice sundowner, and night drive back to camp. Dinner was relaxing, and we stayed up over many drinks at the fire. We got to bed around 1 am, again with Hippos around the area and my tent.
Another great day at Kwando...
Feb 27th, 2007, 09:39 AM
#33
Guest
Posts: n/a
Wow!!! i wonder if the two you are referring to are the two brothers i saw in 2005? They were very skittish back then.....
Yes, probably the three brother coalition?
Like i said in the cheetah Masai mara thread......you have great luck riding with you and wish you are at Lebala in June........
Hari
Yes, probably the three brother coalition?
Like i said in the cheetah Masai mara thread......you have great luck riding with you and wish you are at Lebala in June........
Hari
Feb 27th, 2007, 02:13 PM
#34
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The 3 brother coalition has been regularly in the Kwara area for over a year now. I am curious about this other pair, Richard do you know anything about them, history, age, etc. Kwara has become a real hot spot for cheetah!
Feb 27th, 2007, 05:04 PM
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, the 3 were the 3 brother coalition... I was very lucky with Cheetah;s, seeing 25 different ones on my trip. They are probably my second favourite animal in Africa to the wild dogs...
PB, I am not sure the details of the 2 brother coalition. We spent time with them on 3 different occasions, but I wasnt given, or dont remember the details from Doctor.
Its hard to get back into work here in Canada... snow, ice, and lol, work... really wish I was back in the bush at one of the Kwando camps...
Richard
PB, I am not sure the details of the 2 brother coalition. We spent time with them on 3 different occasions, but I wasnt given, or dont remember the details from Doctor.
Its hard to get back into work here in Canada... snow, ice, and lol, work... really wish I was back in the bush at one of the Kwando camps...
Richard
Feb 27th, 2007, 08:26 PM
#36
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Enjoying your trip report immensely and hoping our sightings are as good as yours when we go in two weeks. Glad we booked a private guide/vehicle as it seems well worth the extra expense. Any other advice/tips appreciated.
Mar 2nd, 2007, 05:19 AM
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Feb 13th
After a nice needed sleep, I awoke to my last day at Kwando... was kinda sad, as I had really enjoyed my trip so far. Doc and I took off and had some good game sightings. After a while, we came across some lion tracks, and slowing tracked them to an open field. This was a small pride of around 6 lions, with 3 younger ones. It was great timing as they were in a playfull mood between them all. We watched them for about 45 minutes until they went into the forest, which was too thick to follow. We stayed out and just drove around until about noon, returning to camp. As my transfer to Chiefs wasnt until 2 30, and I needed to check out of the room, I relaxed in the lounge with Bleu and Doc. It was finally time to say goodbye to Kwara, and Kwando... I was really going to miss their camp, and promised to return one day.
I had a short transfer to the airstrip, and to Chiefs camp. Chiefs camp is one of A & K's camps, and a more luxury option. They have 3 rows of seats versus the 2 at Kwando. They also have room for a lot more people, I believe 24, so its not a small intimate camp. Chiefs was very nice, with a beautiful view of the plains off the main seating area. After a quick briefing I was transfered to my room... and wow, what a room. Where Kwando was nice, simple, and totally sufficient for my needs, Chiefs was much more opulent. The room was huge, there was a big fan, a bar fridge filled with your favourite drinks and chocolates, a safe, and a huge bathroom area with indoor and outdoor showers. After quickly getting ready, I was collected for our evening game drive.
Unlike at Kwando where I had a private vehicle (very much worth while), at Chiefs I was in a shared vehicle. Their costs of a private vehicle are a lot more, and they wont guarantee it until 5 days before your trip. It really wasnt a problem though, as it turned out to be just me, and a nice couple from the UK. Chiefs also has just a guide, unlike the tracker and guide system at Kwando that was so successful. We spent the evening seeing a lot of different game... including some large sleeping lions. They do have a couple of wild dogs in the area, but we werent able to track them. After a sundowner, we returned to camp for dinner. Dinner at Chiefs was very nice... we were given a large selection to choose from, and were told that substitutions were ok.. which was very nice. I had a great steak, and good company for dinner. Most stayed and had a couple of drinks after dinner, and then we were escourted to bed...
After a nice needed sleep, I awoke to my last day at Kwando... was kinda sad, as I had really enjoyed my trip so far. Doc and I took off and had some good game sightings. After a while, we came across some lion tracks, and slowing tracked them to an open field. This was a small pride of around 6 lions, with 3 younger ones. It was great timing as they were in a playfull mood between them all. We watched them for about 45 minutes until they went into the forest, which was too thick to follow. We stayed out and just drove around until about noon, returning to camp. As my transfer to Chiefs wasnt until 2 30, and I needed to check out of the room, I relaxed in the lounge with Bleu and Doc. It was finally time to say goodbye to Kwara, and Kwando... I was really going to miss their camp, and promised to return one day.
I had a short transfer to the airstrip, and to Chiefs camp. Chiefs camp is one of A & K's camps, and a more luxury option. They have 3 rows of seats versus the 2 at Kwando. They also have room for a lot more people, I believe 24, so its not a small intimate camp. Chiefs was very nice, with a beautiful view of the plains off the main seating area. After a quick briefing I was transfered to my room... and wow, what a room. Where Kwando was nice, simple, and totally sufficient for my needs, Chiefs was much more opulent. The room was huge, there was a big fan, a bar fridge filled with your favourite drinks and chocolates, a safe, and a huge bathroom area with indoor and outdoor showers. After quickly getting ready, I was collected for our evening game drive.
Unlike at Kwando where I had a private vehicle (very much worth while), at Chiefs I was in a shared vehicle. Their costs of a private vehicle are a lot more, and they wont guarantee it until 5 days before your trip. It really wasnt a problem though, as it turned out to be just me, and a nice couple from the UK. Chiefs also has just a guide, unlike the tracker and guide system at Kwando that was so successful. We spent the evening seeing a lot of different game... including some large sleeping lions. They do have a couple of wild dogs in the area, but we werent able to track them. After a sundowner, we returned to camp for dinner. Dinner at Chiefs was very nice... we were given a large selection to choose from, and were told that substitutions were ok.. which was very nice. I had a great steak, and good company for dinner. Most stayed and had a couple of drinks after dinner, and then we were escourted to bed...
Mar 3rd, 2007, 10:03 AM
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here are some of the pictures. I'll try to go through the rest over the next couple of days.
Keep in mind, I am still learning to take pictures...
Richard
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...p;conn_speed=1
Keep in mind, I am still learning to take pictures...
Richard
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...p;conn_speed=1
