Trip report part 3 Rattray's at Mala Mala
Oct 10th, 2008, 02:06 PM
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Trip report part 3 Rattray's at Mala Mala
Photo link: www.pbase.com/scfphoto
OK, on to Rattray’s at Mala Mala.
The accommodations were over the top. They were huge, with full views of the trickle of water known as the Sand River. Heated plunge pool. Outdoor showers, sitting and dining areas, his and her bathrooms. We felt very spoiled and almost guilty. This was our big splurge so we sucked it up and enjoyed it. The room style is very colonial Africa meets big game hunter. The overall emphasis at Rattray’s is definitely on the game experiences, even though in the down time it is very luxurious.
All the meals at Rattray’s are served buffet style. The food for breakfast and lunch was very good. Dinners were terrible. I don’t know how to put it any other way. I have never seen so much overcooked meat and mushy vegetables, even at my Kiwanis meetings! We started electing to dine for dinner in our room and made lots of special requests. Stuck with soup and salads and kept it simple. The beverage policy here is stupid. The prices on wine were fair but for the price per night a bottle of house wine or some beer or soft drinks in the mini bar would be nice. It was a hassle to go talk to the guy at the bar and go through the list etc, to his credit Alan was a good guy, very knowledgable and we had some good wines.
The ranger - guest set up at Rattray’s is different than at Phinda. The ranger that is assigned to you is with you almost constantly. They sit with you at meals and for us this was not a comfortable arrangement. Our guide was 9 months out of university and not a great conversationalist. After a few minutes of animal talk there was mostly awkward silence. I am sure it was awkward for him as well.This was another reason we elected to have dinner in the room every night. Rattray’s was very understanding and accommodated this without any awkwardness. So if you would rather have romantic private dinners don’t hesitate to ask.
The other thing we found different was that there did not seem to be anyone working at Rattray’s over the age of mid 20’s. Alan the bar man seemed to be the only adult in residence. All the guests were over 70 except for us and we are in our 50’s. Nothing wrong just seemed an odd mix.
Mala Mala game drives definitely were intense. The amount of animals encountered was staggering. We saw the big 5 within 45 minutes on the first drive. The big cats were the main emphasis. The two big lion prides each with 9 cubs of varying ages. KayeN I am sure can give the pride names etc. but our guide did not get into that with us. The one young male cub was showing a milky blue eye and they were pretty sure it would go blind. We also saw the coalition of 5 young males trying to take over the territory. We also saw one of big prides with the very small cubs all feasting on a buffalo killed that day. It was pretty gory and the small cubs were all covered in blood with grass and dirt stuck to them. That was the only time we saw the dominant male. He and one of the adult females took off into the brush to mate.
We saw leopards on almost all drives and I can not tell you which ones as our ranger thought naming them was not appropriate. A female was in hot pursuit of a male trying to get him to mate. She would rub him and paw at him until he would roar and chase her away. She hung around him for several days but he did not seem interested.
The new addition to Mala is the African wild dog pack. There were 17 dogs in the pack and 6-7 were pups. They have left the den and are hunting all the time now. We saw them shred a duiker with the pups fighting over the head. It is amazing how they feed almost like piranha devouring the prey within minutes then off again to find more prey. They spotted some imapala and they were off. 3 safari vehicles tried to keep up careening and crashing through the bush. It was more than a little scary at times and both couples in the vehicle were not all that thrilled. I now know I am old 30 years ago I would have been yelling at them to step on it. Our ranger seemed to be so excited and enthralled with the dogs, explaining their way of hunting and how rare they are. Sorry folks I am a cat person at home and the dogs just were not that big a deal to us. The one really unique sighting with the dogs that even the guides had not ever seen was the dog pack treed the leopard pair I spoke of earlier. The male leopard in one tree and the female in another a few hundred feet away. The dog pack was snoozing under the tree with the male in it. They had just fed so were not going anywhere for a while. The female leopard thought they had left and tried to climb down but instantly 4 adult dogs ran to the base of the tree and chased her back up. The leopards survived as we saw them on another game drive.
I challenged our tracker John to find us serval, wildcat, caracal and pangolin as we had by this time seen everything else on the checklist they provide. He laughed. We passed a tree with 4 tawny eagles in it and I asked to get closer for a photo. Reluctantly our ranger moved through the bush. He was not as keen a birder as we were. He always seemed on the move making sure any new guests saw the big cats. Anyway, John says something very quietly and then repeats it, Wildcat. Sure enough there it was. I got several very good daylight photos of it. See photo link. Sometimes just looking at what is in front of you leads to something else. Wildcat but no serval caracal or cheetah at Mala but many leopards, lions and dogs.
The last day in between drives the large herds of elephant made their way down the river channel and this was a highlight for us we could just sit and watch all the interaction between the different groups. This lasted at least 2 hours and made my wife’s day.
Rattray’s was a great experience even the dismal dinner food could not dampen our overall experience. They do a very good job.
The one drawback of Mala IMO was the terrain is all the same and got a little tiresome. In the dry season with all the trees bare and brown it was not near as scenic as Phinda but the game was outstanding. I did feel that our ranger was on the move too much. I think it is great to just sit and observe the behavior of the animals versus being on the move to see how much one can see. Quality vs. quantity I suppose.
I can’t explain how thrilling our safari experience was. I am sill dreaming of cheetahs and leopards at night. After 9 days of game drives we were worn out! So off to Azura Beach in Mozambique for some relaxation.
I am still editing photos, a little thing called work is starting to get in the way. I will post new ones as I get to it.
OK, on to Rattray’s at Mala Mala.
The accommodations were over the top. They were huge, with full views of the trickle of water known as the Sand River. Heated plunge pool. Outdoor showers, sitting and dining areas, his and her bathrooms. We felt very spoiled and almost guilty. This was our big splurge so we sucked it up and enjoyed it. The room style is very colonial Africa meets big game hunter. The overall emphasis at Rattray’s is definitely on the game experiences, even though in the down time it is very luxurious.
All the meals at Rattray’s are served buffet style. The food for breakfast and lunch was very good. Dinners were terrible. I don’t know how to put it any other way. I have never seen so much overcooked meat and mushy vegetables, even at my Kiwanis meetings! We started electing to dine for dinner in our room and made lots of special requests. Stuck with soup and salads and kept it simple. The beverage policy here is stupid. The prices on wine were fair but for the price per night a bottle of house wine or some beer or soft drinks in the mini bar would be nice. It was a hassle to go talk to the guy at the bar and go through the list etc, to his credit Alan was a good guy, very knowledgable and we had some good wines.
The ranger - guest set up at Rattray’s is different than at Phinda. The ranger that is assigned to you is with you almost constantly. They sit with you at meals and for us this was not a comfortable arrangement. Our guide was 9 months out of university and not a great conversationalist. After a few minutes of animal talk there was mostly awkward silence. I am sure it was awkward for him as well.This was another reason we elected to have dinner in the room every night. Rattray’s was very understanding and accommodated this without any awkwardness. So if you would rather have romantic private dinners don’t hesitate to ask.
The other thing we found different was that there did not seem to be anyone working at Rattray’s over the age of mid 20’s. Alan the bar man seemed to be the only adult in residence. All the guests were over 70 except for us and we are in our 50’s. Nothing wrong just seemed an odd mix.
Mala Mala game drives definitely were intense. The amount of animals encountered was staggering. We saw the big 5 within 45 minutes on the first drive. The big cats were the main emphasis. The two big lion prides each with 9 cubs of varying ages. KayeN I am sure can give the pride names etc. but our guide did not get into that with us. The one young male cub was showing a milky blue eye and they were pretty sure it would go blind. We also saw the coalition of 5 young males trying to take over the territory. We also saw one of big prides with the very small cubs all feasting on a buffalo killed that day. It was pretty gory and the small cubs were all covered in blood with grass and dirt stuck to them. That was the only time we saw the dominant male. He and one of the adult females took off into the brush to mate.
We saw leopards on almost all drives and I can not tell you which ones as our ranger thought naming them was not appropriate. A female was in hot pursuit of a male trying to get him to mate. She would rub him and paw at him until he would roar and chase her away. She hung around him for several days but he did not seem interested.
The new addition to Mala is the African wild dog pack. There were 17 dogs in the pack and 6-7 were pups. They have left the den and are hunting all the time now. We saw them shred a duiker with the pups fighting over the head. It is amazing how they feed almost like piranha devouring the prey within minutes then off again to find more prey. They spotted some imapala and they were off. 3 safari vehicles tried to keep up careening and crashing through the bush. It was more than a little scary at times and both couples in the vehicle were not all that thrilled. I now know I am old 30 years ago I would have been yelling at them to step on it. Our ranger seemed to be so excited and enthralled with the dogs, explaining their way of hunting and how rare they are. Sorry folks I am a cat person at home and the dogs just were not that big a deal to us. The one really unique sighting with the dogs that even the guides had not ever seen was the dog pack treed the leopard pair I spoke of earlier. The male leopard in one tree and the female in another a few hundred feet away. The dog pack was snoozing under the tree with the male in it. They had just fed so were not going anywhere for a while. The female leopard thought they had left and tried to climb down but instantly 4 adult dogs ran to the base of the tree and chased her back up. The leopards survived as we saw them on another game drive.
I challenged our tracker John to find us serval, wildcat, caracal and pangolin as we had by this time seen everything else on the checklist they provide. He laughed. We passed a tree with 4 tawny eagles in it and I asked to get closer for a photo. Reluctantly our ranger moved through the bush. He was not as keen a birder as we were. He always seemed on the move making sure any new guests saw the big cats. Anyway, John says something very quietly and then repeats it, Wildcat. Sure enough there it was. I got several very good daylight photos of it. See photo link. Sometimes just looking at what is in front of you leads to something else. Wildcat but no serval caracal or cheetah at Mala but many leopards, lions and dogs.
The last day in between drives the large herds of elephant made their way down the river channel and this was a highlight for us we could just sit and watch all the interaction between the different groups. This lasted at least 2 hours and made my wife’s day.
Rattray’s was a great experience even the dismal dinner food could not dampen our overall experience. They do a very good job.
The one drawback of Mala IMO was the terrain is all the same and got a little tiresome. In the dry season with all the trees bare and brown it was not near as scenic as Phinda but the game was outstanding. I did feel that our ranger was on the move too much. I think it is great to just sit and observe the behavior of the animals versus being on the move to see how much one can see. Quality vs. quantity I suppose.
I can’t explain how thrilling our safari experience was. I am sill dreaming of cheetahs and leopards at night. After 9 days of game drives we were worn out! So off to Azura Beach in Mozambique for some relaxation.
I am still editing photos, a little thing called work is starting to get in the way. I will post new ones as I get to it.
Oct 10th, 2008, 07:28 PM
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Hi scfphoto
Had a quick look at the photos and loved your African Wild Cat. Very lucky sighting!
No doubt Rattray's is a beautiful camp. I am surprised to hear your comments about the meat as I find it to be undercooked for me, but one niece likes it almost raw and she loved the meat.
Who was your ranger at Rattray's? I have always found plenty to talk about with the rangers and cannot recall any that didn't have good conversation skills. I am really surprised the lion prides were not mentioned by their area name - really surprised and I say this as I have heard it all the time when I am sitting at a sighting and each ranger comes up and speaks about the pride. Not all rangers, especially the newer ones may be as familiar with the leopards, but over the radio they will know what leopards are being seen and where, so unless the sighting is very brief they will know what leopard they are viewing. Did you ever ask the name of a lion pride or leopard? The 9 younger cubs would be the Styx Pride and the 9 cubs that would be approaching 18 months of age would be the Eyrefield Pride. The Eyrefield Pride having 3 lionesses while the Styx Pride has 7 lionesses.
Shame you did not enjoy the wild dog experience as they are such a treat to see in the wild, so I can fully understand your ranger's excitement.
I also am not sure what checklist you had, but I have never seen everything on the check list except for the 4 you mentioned - not that I have ever used a checklist.
Shame you didn't seem to enjoy your MalaMala experience - besides the odd guest, I absolutely love it, and I guess I find it hard to believe when others don't. You almost sound disappointed with the wild dog sighting, and really, when something is seen infrequently that is really a very lucky sighting.
Kind regards
Kaye
Had a quick look at the photos and loved your African Wild Cat. Very lucky sighting!
No doubt Rattray's is a beautiful camp. I am surprised to hear your comments about the meat as I find it to be undercooked for me, but one niece likes it almost raw and she loved the meat.
Who was your ranger at Rattray's? I have always found plenty to talk about with the rangers and cannot recall any that didn't have good conversation skills. I am really surprised the lion prides were not mentioned by their area name - really surprised and I say this as I have heard it all the time when I am sitting at a sighting and each ranger comes up and speaks about the pride. Not all rangers, especially the newer ones may be as familiar with the leopards, but over the radio they will know what leopards are being seen and where, so unless the sighting is very brief they will know what leopard they are viewing. Did you ever ask the name of a lion pride or leopard? The 9 younger cubs would be the Styx Pride and the 9 cubs that would be approaching 18 months of age would be the Eyrefield Pride. The Eyrefield Pride having 3 lionesses while the Styx Pride has 7 lionesses.
Shame you did not enjoy the wild dog experience as they are such a treat to see in the wild, so I can fully understand your ranger's excitement.
I also am not sure what checklist you had, but I have never seen everything on the check list except for the 4 you mentioned - not that I have ever used a checklist.
Shame you didn't seem to enjoy your MalaMala experience - besides the odd guest, I absolutely love it, and I guess I find it hard to believe when others don't. You almost sound disappointed with the wild dog sighting, and really, when something is seen infrequently that is really a very lucky sighting.
Kind regards
Kaye
Oct 10th, 2008, 07:46 PM
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I'm also surprised that your ranger was not more informative about which lion prides and leopards you were seeing. I've been to MM three times over four years and had three different rangers. Each one told us the leopard or lion pride we were viewing. And probably some history on the animals. They don't "name" the leopards as much as they identify them. There "names" are related to when they were first seen.
You're a "cat" person and not a "dog" person? No smiley
after saying that? Not even on safari with wild dogs? Well, that tells me something.
regards - tom
ps - I agree, silly of them to charge for soda, beer and wine. I think it is a religious thing (did you notice your in-room mini bar had no alcohol in it?). Has been discussed here before.
You're a "cat" person and not a "dog" person? No smiley
after saying that? Not even on safari with wild dogs? Well, that tells me something.regards - tom
ps - I agree, silly of them to charge for soda, beer and wine. I think it is a religious thing (did you notice your in-room mini bar had no alcohol in it?). Has been discussed here before.
Oct 11th, 2008, 04:25 AM
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To not appreciate a Wild Dog sighting says a lot. Do you know that many people travel to specific camps to just get a glimpse of this very endangered species? Perhaps your guide was disheartened by your attitude and as a result of his youth (envy) was unable to generate much enthusiasm for dinner conversation. I know I would have been challanged.
Ted
Ted
Oct 11th, 2008, 07:07 AM
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Should have known my words would be misinterpreted on this board. I never said we did not enjoy the Mala Mala experience just pointed out what I thought were some weaknesses. I clearly state how thrilled we were except for the dinner food. As far as the dogs go we just did not want to spend the whole drive with them. I found other animals to be more photogenic and interesting. We once asked to spend more time with elephants and were driven to the dog sighting. Dean was our ranger and as I said he was 9 months out of university and thought naming the animals was not "scientific" as did the staff at Phinda where the animals are not named. I did ask if the dominant male lion was the rollercoaster male and got a curt yes and that was it. There is a checklist in the room that lists all the animals, birds, and tress found in Sabi Sands. We were amazed at how much that was listed we were able to see in such a short few days. This may be my last post here as it seems you always are accused of something by the know it alls nad have to defend yourself.
Oct 11th, 2008, 08:37 AM
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scfphoto
i very much appreciate your post especially as there are so many mala mala fans here and it's kind of refreshing if someone posts in a not so zealous way not hesitating also to mention some disappointing things.
i would be interested to know whether
- they don't ask for a guests profile in order to prepare for their needs and interests (food, animals (whether emphasis lies on mamals and cats in particular or birding), diet, how the fridge should be stocked, drinks/snacks for sundowner, pillows, bedding in general, photographic needs as e.g. beanbags etc.)
- does the ranger asks his guests in which kind of animals they are interested?
- before taking off from a spot does the ranger ask whether it's okay with all the guests or whether they appreciate to spend a bit more time with the sighting?
- didn't the manager ask WHY you wanted to have dinner in your room?
- did they ask prior to arrival for your preferentials?
regarding the names for the animals:
many camps and lodges don't give them names because then the animals become somehow "too familiar" to the guests and that provides them with sadness if nature takes its course and a lion/leopard/cheetah/eli etc. dies or has to be put down.
have you mentioned your disappointment on spot? and if so how was the reaction of the management?
- after night drives did they await the guests with hot towels, sherry or similar?
- when did they start in the morning and how long did each game drive last?
as yu mention the terrain became some kind of boring.....that's amazing because one of the USP of mala mala is their vastness compared to other concessions.
as this is the first post of yours i am reading i might have missed your earlier posts and therefore i might have missed information already provided.
i would highly appreciate your information and i do hope you continue to post!
thank you!
div
i very much appreciate your post especially as there are so many mala mala fans here and it's kind of refreshing if someone posts in a not so zealous way not hesitating also to mention some disappointing things.
i would be interested to know whether
- they don't ask for a guests profile in order to prepare for their needs and interests (food, animals (whether emphasis lies on mamals and cats in particular or birding), diet, how the fridge should be stocked, drinks/snacks for sundowner, pillows, bedding in general, photographic needs as e.g. beanbags etc.)
- does the ranger asks his guests in which kind of animals they are interested?
- before taking off from a spot does the ranger ask whether it's okay with all the guests or whether they appreciate to spend a bit more time with the sighting?
- didn't the manager ask WHY you wanted to have dinner in your room?
- did they ask prior to arrival for your preferentials?
regarding the names for the animals:
many camps and lodges don't give them names because then the animals become somehow "too familiar" to the guests and that provides them with sadness if nature takes its course and a lion/leopard/cheetah/eli etc. dies or has to be put down.
have you mentioned your disappointment on spot? and if so how was the reaction of the management?
- after night drives did they await the guests with hot towels, sherry or similar?
- when did they start in the morning and how long did each game drive last?
as yu mention the terrain became some kind of boring.....that's amazing because one of the USP of mala mala is their vastness compared to other concessions.
as this is the first post of yours i am reading i might have missed your earlier posts and therefore i might have missed information already provided.
i would highly appreciate your information and i do hope you continue to post!
thank you!
div
Oct 11th, 2008, 08:47 AM
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Cheetahcubs2646
leopard3557
Leopard3501
Wildcat3779
Lions3260
stephen,
these are my favourites - but all pics are very good.
this is not a fotocommunity but i would like to point out one thing.....(i hope i get not bashed for that ;-) ) you should make sure that you don't "cut" paws. generally speaking i love your cuts and the composition of the pics!
are you a memeber of a fotocommunity like flickr, view or similar?
div
leopard3557
Leopard3501
Wildcat3779
Lions3260
stephen,
these are my favourites - but all pics are very good.
this is not a fotocommunity but i would like to point out one thing.....(i hope i get not bashed for that ;-) ) you should make sure that you don't "cut" paws. generally speaking i love your cuts and the composition of the pics!
are you a memeber of a fotocommunity like flickr, view or similar?
div
Oct 11th, 2008, 08:59 AM
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Naming - At Ngala I asked my second ranger what was the name of the leopard we were viewing. He said, "Oh, we don't name them, it is demeaning to the animals to give them names". I said fine, I understand that you don't want to call them Suzy or Bill, but how do you identify this leopard in conversation with other guides? He said "That leopard is the Clara Dam female".
Give me break folks, every specific noun we want discuss with someone else has a "name". Ok, so don't call it a "name" call it a "label", or a "descriptor", or a "designator". Whatever multi syllable scientific jargon you want to. Rant over.
regards - tom
Give me break folks, every specific noun we want discuss with someone else has a "name". Ok, so don't call it a "name" call it a "label", or a "descriptor", or a "designator". Whatever multi syllable scientific jargon you want to. Rant over.
regards - tom
Oct 11th, 2008, 09:34 AM
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Divine54 Yes I was rather shocked and disapointed with how many of the photos had the animal's feet cut off. I think I was concentrating so hard getting the face and eyes in focus. I was using long lenses wide open with very little depth of field in low light a lot. Even with the VR lense it was difficult. Most of the time the feet were not visible in the grass anyway, but I was still annoyed with myself. The ranger at Rattray's did not ask us our preferences nor was there a guest profile. We did tell him our interest in birds and we did not just care only about the big cats all animals were of interest to us. We had 3 differnt couples at different times in our vehicle so maybe he felt the new guests needed to see the "show" animals before they left.
We did tell the mangement why we wanted to eat in our room, explaining we were not big group dinner people. We both have to do that for work and did not want to do more of it. They were very accommodating.
Again we enjoyed our Mala experience there were just a few glitches that I felt others might want to know about to help them make decisions on what lodge to book.
We did tell the mangement why we wanted to eat in our room, explaining we were not big group dinner people. We both have to do that for work and did not want to do more of it. They were very accommodating.
Again we enjoyed our Mala experience there were just a few glitches that I felt others might want to know about to help them make decisions on what lodge to book.
Oct 11th, 2008, 09:49 AM
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steven,
thank you for posting these details!
it's kind of poor performance that such a high-end lodge does not ask for guest's preferatials prior to arrival. or maybe your TA has simply forgotten to provide them with it. maybe you check with your TA next time so that he/she prepares your stay.
there is a painter in south africa: elga rabe. she does exceptionell great painting not only humans but particularly animals and here the big cats.
the lion coalition (3260) appears similar in style to some of her work:
http://www.elgarabe.co.za/new_detail.php?id=715
div
thank you for posting these details!
it's kind of poor performance that such a high-end lodge does not ask for guest's preferatials prior to arrival. or maybe your TA has simply forgotten to provide them with it. maybe you check with your TA next time so that he/she prepares your stay.
there is a painter in south africa: elga rabe. she does exceptionell great painting not only humans but particularly animals and here the big cats.
the lion coalition (3260) appears similar in style to some of her work:
http://www.elgarabe.co.za/new_detail.php?id=715
div
Oct 11th, 2008, 09:56 AM
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A review of the Mala Mala site shows that the naming convention Tom describes is exactly what they use. Names such as the glassy eyed female, describe a leopard with one eye. I suppose they could have named her Div Seriously, how else could these guys be identified?
Seriously, how else could these guys be identified?
Oct 11th, 2008, 10:32 AM
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"We had 3 different couples at different times in our vehicle so maybe he felt the new guests needed to see the "show" animals before they left."
Believe me, I've been there many many times. New guests, first safari, first game drive, and maybe heaven forbid, newly weds on honeymoon.
I have had chats with camp managers about inquiring of guests of their safari experiences and game viewing desires. And assigning guests with like safari experience or desires to the same vehicle. Managers are not receptive to this probably because it adds another layer of work for them. And also for the guides, if guests are with them churning every day it makes it harder to know what the guests have seen. And then there is the tipping problem.
I started a thread here on just this subject on 6/16/2007, it drew 87 replies. Titled "An Open Suggestion for Safari Operators" Here is link to it on Fodors-
http://tinyurl.com/26lkkd
In 25 word or less, only way to avoid being on a continual big five hunt is to have your own group in the vehicle or a private vehicle.
regards - tom
Believe me, I've been there many many times. New guests, first safari, first game drive, and maybe heaven forbid, newly weds on honeymoon.
I have had chats with camp managers about inquiring of guests of their safari experiences and game viewing desires. And assigning guests with like safari experience or desires to the same vehicle. Managers are not receptive to this probably because it adds another layer of work for them. And also for the guides, if guests are with them churning every day it makes it harder to know what the guests have seen. And then there is the tipping problem.
I started a thread here on just this subject on 6/16/2007, it drew 87 replies. Titled "An Open Suggestion for Safari Operators" Here is link to it on Fodors-
http://tinyurl.com/26lkkd
In 25 word or less, only way to avoid being on a continual big five hunt is to have your own group in the vehicle or a private vehicle.
regards - tom
Oct 11th, 2008, 11:24 AM
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Tom,
All you say is quite true. Perhaps in this new economy, camp operators will begin to value repeat clients and treat them with fair rates on private use vehicles. Most of the private rates are outrageous, most particularly Mala Mala, but all of the Wilderness rates are also overdone. Perhaps these guys read this forum, who knows. They will certainly have more time in the coming months.
Ted
All you say is quite true. Perhaps in this new economy, camp operators will begin to value repeat clients and treat them with fair rates on private use vehicles. Most of the private rates are outrageous, most particularly Mala Mala, but all of the Wilderness rates are also overdone. Perhaps these guys read this forum, who knows. They will certainly have more time in the coming months.
Ted
Oct 11th, 2008, 06:49 PM
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Happy to oblige on the smileys!
You know how we all are always saying that Africa always comes through with surprises? Well,the wild dogs (which the guide was thrilled with but were not your favorite) treed a leopard (so you got your cat.) Dogs and cat in one viewing.
Since you ordered soup and salad instead of the main course, which you didn't like, your waistlines are probably benefitting.
You know how we all are always saying that Africa always comes through with surprises? Well,the wild dogs (which the guide was thrilled with but were not your favorite) treed a leopard (so you got your cat.) Dogs and cat in one viewing.
Since you ordered soup and salad instead of the main course, which you didn't like, your waistlines are probably benefitting.
Oct 11th, 2008, 10:58 PM
#19
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Hi scfphoto
I am guessing that I am one of the know-it-alls! Sorry you think that as I certainly do not think that I am! I do go fairly regularly to MM and I have certainly experienced a lot of rangers. Rereading your opening I still get the sense that you were less than happy with a few things, the main one being your ranger and I believe that the ranger plays a huge part in your overall enjoyment of your time in any camp.
I know a Dean but they must have a new guy called Dean as those comments do not seem like him at all. Reading your comments made by a Dean regarding the naming of animals I found astounding and think that you should report that to MM management. Naming them after areas is hardly naming them individually, which leopards are when territorial as they are single units while lion prides are named as a pride not individually. As Tom says, how else could they let others know which one they are seeing, and for me, I need to know which ones I am looking at to know if I have seen them before.
As Tom also mentioned, with new people in the vehicle, you are going to do the rounds of things that you have seen previously. Being there around 25 nights, and going through huge numbers of guests for every 2 - 3 nights, even I can say I get heartily sick of buffalo and rhino!
Speaking for myself, I am accusing you of nothing. Certainly your comments regarding your ranger need to be passed on as that attitude is one that I have never experienced at MalaMala, Main Camp or Rattray's, it would make no difference!
Kind regards
Kaye
I am guessing that I am one of the know-it-alls! Sorry you think that as I certainly do not think that I am! I do go fairly regularly to MM and I have certainly experienced a lot of rangers. Rereading your opening I still get the sense that you were less than happy with a few things, the main one being your ranger and I believe that the ranger plays a huge part in your overall enjoyment of your time in any camp.
I know a Dean but they must have a new guy called Dean as those comments do not seem like him at all. Reading your comments made by a Dean regarding the naming of animals I found astounding and think that you should report that to MM management. Naming them after areas is hardly naming them individually, which leopards are when territorial as they are single units while lion prides are named as a pride not individually. As Tom says, how else could they let others know which one they are seeing, and for me, I need to know which ones I am looking at to know if I have seen them before.
As Tom also mentioned, with new people in the vehicle, you are going to do the rounds of things that you have seen previously. Being there around 25 nights, and going through huge numbers of guests for every 2 - 3 nights, even I can say I get heartily sick of buffalo and rhino!
Speaking for myself, I am accusing you of nothing. Certainly your comments regarding your ranger need to be passed on as that attitude is one that I have never experienced at MalaMala, Main Camp or Rattray's, it would make no difference!
Kind regards
Kaye
Oct 12th, 2008, 04:15 AM
#20
Join Date: Oct 2006
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I've recently returned from Mala Mala. From my experience I'd say they work extremely hard to try and accommodate everyone in a vehicle and, as others have said, the only way to avoid a constant big 5 hunt is to have your own vehicle.
We really enjoyed our time at Mala Mala as it was my friend's first safari and she therefore got to see an awful lot in the few days we were there.
With regard to the ranger eating with you and having all meals with vehicle mates etc - we didn't enjoy that much but it wasn't the ranger's fault and we also chose to eat in our room one night. It didn't really matter though, the game viewing was the important thing and Mala Mala do deliver on that.
We really enjoyed our time at Mala Mala as it was my friend's first safari and she therefore got to see an awful lot in the few days we were there.
With regard to the ranger eating with you and having all meals with vehicle mates etc - we didn't enjoy that much but it wasn't the ranger's fault and we also chose to eat in our room one night. It didn't really matter though, the game viewing was the important thing and Mala Mala do deliver on that.
