Wilderness Safaris trip to Botswana and Zambia
May 10th, 2007, 01:56 AM
#23
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We have hijacked fsmdn's thread!
ttt
fsmdn - We too participated in an "adventure" style 9 day trip with Wilderness in 2005 and our tents did not have the promised luggage racks or working lights but we were not bothered with that - all zips were ok and the food, drink and service and guiding were all fantastic. Sorry your experience was less than - I am sure that feedback to Wilderness would be a good idea - although they are pretty slack in answering emails as generally they don't deal direct with clients, but a complaint like this should be a listened to. It is a shame when you consider how much they must be spending on upgrading camps that they can't maintain zippers! Anyway - here is a general Wilderness email address [email protected]
Jude
ttt
fsmdn - We too participated in an "adventure" style 9 day trip with Wilderness in 2005 and our tents did not have the promised luggage racks or working lights but we were not bothered with that - all zips were ok and the food, drink and service and guiding were all fantastic. Sorry your experience was less than - I am sure that feedback to Wilderness would be a good idea - although they are pretty slack in answering emails as generally they don't deal direct with clients, but a complaint like this should be a listened to. It is a shame when you consider how much they must be spending on upgrading camps that they can't maintain zippers! Anyway - here is a general Wilderness email address [email protected]
Jude
May 10th, 2007, 09:34 AM
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Excellent informative/candid trip report fsmdn - am looking forward to seeing your photos. I too would like to see your itinerary, since your report has peaked my interest in visiting Botswana and not staying at the traditional luxury lodges.
May 10th, 2007, 10:29 AM
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atravelynn, here is something for your next safari:
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/ind...?id=earthwatch
http://www.kalahari-meerkats.com/ind...?id=earthwatch
May 15th, 2007, 12:28 PM
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Detailed itinerary:
Day 1: Flew into Livingstone via Nationwide airlines, quick tour of Vic Falls (one hour), then one night at Shackleton's (great place). I would have liked to have spend a bit more time in Zambia - maybe 2 days
Day 2: In the morning, crossed the border from Zambia to Botswana (Kazungula border) and did boat ride down Zambezi. Flew in light aircraft (Sefofane charters) to our first camp in Chobe. Visited Linyanti area, etc. This was OK, not my favorite area
Day 3&4: Drive to Savute and spend two days in this area. we didn't see lions here, though I hear there usually is quite a bit of game in this area (at least in dryer seasons). Also, there is a public camping area at Savute - which I hear the lions frequent - and though I hear it gets very crowded and a bit wild in the dry season, it was quiet when we were there (April) and seemed pleasant, if basic: bathrooms and showers. Be aware though of the lions and hyenas that prowl through the public campsite. Note that it would be very tough to get here without a 4wd.
Day 5&6: Drive all day (12 hour drive) to arrive at Lechwe camp which is NE Okavango, I believe. The camp is no longer an island since the waters have receded a bit. Though the drive was brutal (12+ hours), this was the best maintained of the camps - very nice views as well.
Day 7&8: Fly to Okavango (again with Sefofane) Moremi Game reserve and spend two days. Quite a pretty location as well - definitely a different feel than all the other areas, much more lush obviously, palm trees, etc. though at this point we were just anxious to get back to Maun and be on our own.
Day 9: Fly to Maun (again with Sefofane)
After Maun, we headed straight for PB and stayed there 4 days.
As mentioned - we had three light aircraft transfers with Sefofane charters (4 seater total) and I loved them. Great pilot and I felt completely comfortable with him (though I heard they had a crash the same week we were there). The vehicle we had during most of the trip was a Landcruiser which as mentioned, needed to be redesigned because of poor game viewing from the front. Also, they were planning on raising it because they've gotten stuck in the sand a few times because it's too low.
To answer Momliz and the 4x4's out in the pans: we did drive ourselves out there, however many people double up. So if there is one or two people in your group who don't drive stick, they can just ride on the back. I think it is only in the dry season that you can head out into the pans. I think the guide said that even in Feb - March they couldn't get out there. I would recommend renting the 4x4's and spending the night out there just bc it's such a great experience, rather than driving out to the pans.
As for meerkats - we only spent less than an hour with them - it was an unscheduled stop on our way back from the pans. So we just saw them coming out of their dens/burrows/??? for a short time. However, I know that they do longer trips to visit the meerkats where you can see them doing a bit more.
Day 1: Flew into Livingstone via Nationwide airlines, quick tour of Vic Falls (one hour), then one night at Shackleton's (great place). I would have liked to have spend a bit more time in Zambia - maybe 2 days
Day 2: In the morning, crossed the border from Zambia to Botswana (Kazungula border) and did boat ride down Zambezi. Flew in light aircraft (Sefofane charters) to our first camp in Chobe. Visited Linyanti area, etc. This was OK, not my favorite area
Day 3&4: Drive to Savute and spend two days in this area. we didn't see lions here, though I hear there usually is quite a bit of game in this area (at least in dryer seasons). Also, there is a public camping area at Savute - which I hear the lions frequent - and though I hear it gets very crowded and a bit wild in the dry season, it was quiet when we were there (April) and seemed pleasant, if basic: bathrooms and showers. Be aware though of the lions and hyenas that prowl through the public campsite. Note that it would be very tough to get here without a 4wd.
Day 5&6: Drive all day (12 hour drive) to arrive at Lechwe camp which is NE Okavango, I believe. The camp is no longer an island since the waters have receded a bit. Though the drive was brutal (12+ hours), this was the best maintained of the camps - very nice views as well.
Day 7&8: Fly to Okavango (again with Sefofane) Moremi Game reserve and spend two days. Quite a pretty location as well - definitely a different feel than all the other areas, much more lush obviously, palm trees, etc. though at this point we were just anxious to get back to Maun and be on our own.
Day 9: Fly to Maun (again with Sefofane)
After Maun, we headed straight for PB and stayed there 4 days.
As mentioned - we had three light aircraft transfers with Sefofane charters (4 seater total) and I loved them. Great pilot and I felt completely comfortable with him (though I heard they had a crash the same week we were there). The vehicle we had during most of the trip was a Landcruiser which as mentioned, needed to be redesigned because of poor game viewing from the front. Also, they were planning on raising it because they've gotten stuck in the sand a few times because it's too low.
To answer Momliz and the 4x4's out in the pans: we did drive ourselves out there, however many people double up. So if there is one or two people in your group who don't drive stick, they can just ride on the back. I think it is only in the dry season that you can head out into the pans. I think the guide said that even in Feb - March they couldn't get out there. I would recommend renting the 4x4's and spending the night out there just bc it's such a great experience, rather than driving out to the pans.
As for meerkats - we only spent less than an hour with them - it was an unscheduled stop on our way back from the pans. So we just saw them coming out of their dens/burrows/??? for a short time. However, I know that they do longer trips to visit the meerkats where you can see them doing a bit more.
May 16th, 2007, 09:16 AM
#32
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Hari, I'm not an English language expert, but how I understand the meaning of a collective noun, "a coalition of cheetahs" is a synonym for "a group of cheetahs" which is independent of number and gender.
