Grant's African Safaris
Trip reports and images
Kalahari to the Delta - February 2010
The guests on this safari had all visited Botswana before for wildlife viewing. None of them had been at this time of year though, and we had an interesting and varied itinerary. We made use of two vehicles at each stop. Some members of the group were very interested in photography.
Our first stop after a 45 minute flight from Maun was at the new Kalahari Plains camp, where we spent two nights. Accommodation was comfortable, and the roads were smooth. The weather was extremely hot. We were lucky enough to have a lion pride that frequents the area turn up very close to camp on our first morning. We returned to the lions in the late afternoon and enjoyed a spectacular sighting as they woke up, came together and bonded. The highlight was having all 8 lions roaring at once. Later that night they walked by very close to camp. We enjoyed an outdoor meal, and sleeping on the specially made decks on the roof of each room, enjoying the desert skies in the dark.
We left Kalahari Plains in our two expedition vehicles, and made our way deeper still into the Central Kalahari Reserve, and met up with our camping crew where they had erected our camp at a place called Letiahau. This was home for the next three nights. Game viewing highlights were herds of oryx and springbok, and a late afternoon lion walking by. A giraffe at sunrise kept the photographers in the group happy. During the warm middays, we visited the artificially pumped waterhole which was just a few km from our camp to watch the small birds flocking and drinking. Harriers, goshawks, ostrich and secretary birds were seen each day.
On our fourth and fifth nights we changed venues and relocated our camp close to Deception Valley itself. Following very localized rain showers, the herds of general game were more abundant here and each afternoon several hundred springbok, oryx and wildebeest would flood out of the sheltering woodland and graze in the open grassland of the valley floor. This made for spectacular viewing. We also had a great sighting of a pair of male lions roaring and marking as the sun rose. There is a no-offroad driving policy in the reserve but we were fortunate that most of the wildlife showed up close to the roads, at one time or another. Jackals and bat-eared foxes were abundant. The heat in the middle part of the day was so great that very few mammals remained active during this time, but some pools of water attracted a good number of vultures, eagles, kites and falcons. We sat out to watch and photograph some of these impressive birds during the middle parts of the day.
Next stop was reached by means of a ninety minute flight that took us to Dumatau camp in the north. Here we spent three nights. The hot weather broke, and we experienced several thundershowers, but to accommodate this we just changed the timing of our game drives and went out after the rain. We had many excellent sightings of elephant, giraffe, kudu, impala and hippo almost every drive here. We also witnessed a short-lived but savage fight between three male baboons along the Savuti channel. With water levels on the rise in the Linyanti River, the numbers of red lechwe antelope were also increasing, and we saw herds of them crashing through the water. This time of year also brings with it a whole variety of migratory birds, and these include some of the most colourful birds to be seen anywhere. Carmine bee-eaters, woodland kingfishers and broad-billed rollers are some of these species. There are also raptors moving through the region, and Amur falcons, steppe buzzards and Montagu’s harriers were some of these.
We flew south to the Okavango Delta and spent our last three nights at Duba Plains camp. The roads at Duba are bumpy, and torturous, and there are incredibly deep water crossings. The reward for getting through the mud and water in the Land Rover is some wonderful wildlife viewing on the open plains that lie close to the camp. Buffalo, elephant, red lechwe, tsessebe and lions are all to be found here. Birding is exceptional too, with flocks of waterfowl abundant, as well as herons, egrets and a good number of birds of prey too. The open terrain makes for excellent viewing opportunities and in this regard we weren’t disappointed. Mating lions, and then a lion hunt were some of the highlights. The lions were moving around the edges of a buffalo herd, but never quite managed to separate a buffalo from the herd. Instead they snatched a young red lechwe which wasn’t nearly enough food for all seven of them. We were also treated to the sight of these swamp lions leaping over a small channel as they kept following along behind the buffalo. On another afternoon we watched 3 lionesses stalk to within a few metres of a large, solitary buffalo bull, but at the last moment, the lionesses decided that the bull was too dangerous and pulled out of a direct attack.
Our very last morning at Duba produced more special sightings when we came across some lionesses with three young cubs playing on an island in the shallow water.
This summer safari turned out to be an unusual one with regard to predator sightings in that whilst we didn’t see leopard or cheetah, we did have lion sightings of exceptional quality. We also enjoyed some wonderful summer skies, with dramatic cloud-build ups adding colour and depth to our viewing. Exceptional summer birds added still more colour and interest to the experience. Combined with the bright green-grass landscapes, it all made for an excellent photographic safari and one that left me with good memories all around.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
The guests on this safari had all visited Botswana before for wildlife viewing. None of them had been at this time of year though, and we had an interesting and varied itinerary. We made use of two vehicles at each stop. Some members of the group were very interested in photography.
Our first stop after a 45 minute flight from Maun was at the new Kalahari Plains camp, where we spent two nights. Accommodation was comfortable, and the roads were smooth. The weather was extremely hot. We were lucky enough to have a lion pride that frequents the area turn up very close to camp on our first morning. We returned to the lions in the late afternoon and enjoyed a spectacular sighting as they woke up, came together and bonded. The highlight was having all 8 lions roaring at once. Later that night they walked by very close to camp. We enjoyed an outdoor meal, and sleeping on the specially made decks on the roof of each room, enjoying the desert skies in the dark.
We left Kalahari Plains in our two expedition vehicles, and made our way deeper still into the Central Kalahari Reserve, and met up with our camping crew where they had erected our camp at a place called Letiahau. This was home for the next three nights. Game viewing highlights were herds of oryx and springbok, and a late afternoon lion walking by. A giraffe at sunrise kept the photographers in the group happy. During the warm middays, we visited the artificially pumped waterhole which was just a few km from our camp to watch the small birds flocking and drinking. Harriers, goshawks, ostrich and secretary birds were seen each day.
On our fourth and fifth nights we changed venues and relocated our camp close to Deception Valley itself. Following very localized rain showers, the herds of general game were more abundant here and each afternoon several hundred springbok, oryx and wildebeest would flood out of the sheltering woodland and graze in the open grassland of the valley floor. This made for spectacular viewing. We also had a great sighting of a pair of male lions roaring and marking as the sun rose. There is a no-offroad driving policy in the reserve but we were fortunate that most of the wildlife showed up close to the roads, at one time or another. Jackals and bat-eared foxes were abundant. The heat in the middle part of the day was so great that very few mammals remained active during this time, but some pools of water attracted a good number of vultures, eagles, kites and falcons. We sat out to watch and photograph some of these impressive birds during the middle parts of the day.
Next stop was reached by means of a ninety minute flight that took us to Dumatau camp in the north. Here we spent three nights. The hot weather broke, and we experienced several thundershowers, but to accommodate this we just changed the timing of our game drives and went out after the rain. We had many excellent sightings of elephant, giraffe, kudu, impala and hippo almost every drive here. We also witnessed a short-lived but savage fight between three male baboons along the Savuti channel. With water levels on the rise in the Linyanti River, the numbers of red lechwe antelope were also increasing, and we saw herds of them crashing through the water. This time of year also brings with it a whole variety of migratory birds, and these include some of the most colourful birds to be seen anywhere. Carmine bee-eaters, woodland kingfishers and broad-billed rollers are some of these species. There are also raptors moving through the region, and Amur falcons, steppe buzzards and Montagu’s harriers were some of these.
We flew south to the Okavango Delta and spent our last three nights at Duba Plains camp. The roads at Duba are bumpy, and torturous, and there are incredibly deep water crossings. The reward for getting through the mud and water in the Land Rover is some wonderful wildlife viewing on the open plains that lie close to the camp. Buffalo, elephant, red lechwe, tsessebe and lions are all to be found here. Birding is exceptional too, with flocks of waterfowl abundant, as well as herons, egrets and a good number of birds of prey too. The open terrain makes for excellent viewing opportunities and in this regard we weren’t disappointed. Mating lions, and then a lion hunt were some of the highlights. The lions were moving around the edges of a buffalo herd, but never quite managed to separate a buffalo from the herd. Instead they snatched a young red lechwe which wasn’t nearly enough food for all seven of them. We were also treated to the sight of these swamp lions leaping over a small channel as they kept following along behind the buffalo. On another afternoon we watched 3 lionesses stalk to within a few metres of a large, solitary buffalo bull, but at the last moment, the lionesses decided that the bull was too dangerous and pulled out of a direct attack.
Our very last morning at Duba produced more special sightings when we came across some lionesses with three young cubs playing on an island in the shallow water.
This summer safari turned out to be an unusual one with regard to predator sightings in that whilst we didn’t see leopard or cheetah, we did have lion sightings of exceptional quality. We also enjoyed some wonderful summer skies, with dramatic cloud-build ups adding colour and depth to our viewing. Exceptional summer birds added still more colour and interest to the experience. Combined with the bright green-grass landscapes, it all made for an excellent photographic safari and one that left me with good memories all around.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Northern Botswana Safari - October 09
Our itinerary for this trip began with two nights at the River Club in Zambia. A cultural visit to Simongwe village and a walk around the Falls kept us busy there. We also did a sunset cruise on the Zambezi too. The next day was our transfer day to Botswana. Along the way we spent the midday on the Chobe River, taking in some wonderful viewing of hippo, crocodiles, buffalo and many waterbirds. A herd of young male elephants also put on a show for us by playing in the river in front of us. We flew into Linyanti Discoverer camp for the next 3 nights and our best leopard sighting came before we even reached camp. A female leopard was feeding on an impala she had killed and we had a good, long sighting of her feeding and resting. Three lions were feeding on a giraffe, and we visited several times during our stay. Five hyaenas, and many vultures took over when the lions walked away, and reduced the carcass to some bones very rapidly.
Savuti was our next camp and the first summer rains began falling. On our first afternoon, just minutes after the rain stopped, we found a lioness with 3 young cubs. We watched them till dark. Still at Savuti, a wild dog sighting of a pack of 12, and not long after we arrived there, the resting dogs were chased by 3 lionesses. Luckily the wild dogs were alert, and managed to run off without any incident, other than getting a nasty scare. After two nights we flew to Jacana, deep in the Okavango.
There we enjoyed some boating and water birds in great variety and number, as well as some interesting mekoro (dugout canoe) trips to some of the nearby islands. A game drive on the Jao flats produced still more waterbirds, as well as herds of red lechwe antelope, and the local lion pride asleep on the grass one morning.
We spent two nights at Jacana, then boated to Tubu Tree camp. Water levels in this concession rise and fall through the course of a season, and ours was the last boat transfer to take place. The water is just getting too low for boating. Any transfers between now and April next year will be by aircraft or by vehicle. Tubu is a dry Delta area, with game drives being the main activity. There were herds of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and impala. We saw a leopard in a sausage tree, and another highlight was a flock of 54 wattled cranes flying to roost in a floodplain. We also saw big troops of baboon, and had some strong birding to end off another successful safari.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Our itinerary for this trip began with two nights at the River Club in Zambia. A cultural visit to Simongwe village and a walk around the Falls kept us busy there. We also did a sunset cruise on the Zambezi too. The next day was our transfer day to Botswana. Along the way we spent the midday on the Chobe River, taking in some wonderful viewing of hippo, crocodiles, buffalo and many waterbirds. A herd of young male elephants also put on a show for us by playing in the river in front of us. We flew into Linyanti Discoverer camp for the next 3 nights and our best leopard sighting came before we even reached camp. A female leopard was feeding on an impala she had killed and we had a good, long sighting of her feeding and resting. Three lions were feeding on a giraffe, and we visited several times during our stay. Five hyaenas, and many vultures took over when the lions walked away, and reduced the carcass to some bones very rapidly.
Savuti was our next camp and the first summer rains began falling. On our first afternoon, just minutes after the rain stopped, we found a lioness with 3 young cubs. We watched them till dark. Still at Savuti, a wild dog sighting of a pack of 12, and not long after we arrived there, the resting dogs were chased by 3 lionesses. Luckily the wild dogs were alert, and managed to run off without any incident, other than getting a nasty scare. After two nights we flew to Jacana, deep in the Okavango.
There we enjoyed some boating and water birds in great variety and number, as well as some interesting mekoro (dugout canoe) trips to some of the nearby islands. A game drive on the Jao flats produced still more waterbirds, as well as herds of red lechwe antelope, and the local lion pride asleep on the grass one morning.
We spent two nights at Jacana, then boated to Tubu Tree camp. Water levels in this concession rise and fall through the course of a season, and ours was the last boat transfer to take place. The water is just getting too low for boating. Any transfers between now and April next year will be by aircraft or by vehicle. Tubu is a dry Delta area, with game drives being the main activity. There were herds of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and impala. We saw a leopard in a sausage tree, and another highlight was a flock of 54 wattled cranes flying to roost in a floodplain. We also saw big troops of baboon, and had some strong birding to end off another successful safari.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Great Wilderness Journey - September 09
Our itinerary was Xigera, Motswiri, Linyanti, and Toka Leya. Those camps are in the Okavango Delta, Selinda concession, Linyanti concession and Zambia, respectively. I traveled with seven very enthusiastic guests.
During our three nights at Xigera we boated to Xigera lagoon, where we had fantastic viewing of African skimmers flying over the clear water. Skimmers breed on exposed sandbanks and are rare. We also did a full day boat trip to the north, passing through a wonderful variety of habitats on the way, some permanent water, and some seasonal. We saw hippo, elephant, giraffe, crocodiles, and the highlight was a pride of lions moving about near the water’s edge. Some of the lions looked as if they might cross through the deep water channel we were boating in, but they never quite built up the nerve. Hundreds of waterbirds kept us entertained as we cruised along through the channels. We had a midday picnic under some shady trees. Birding highlights of our Xigera visit included Pels’ fishing owl, and western-banded snake eagle.
We flew onward to Motswiri for 2 nights where our activities were more physically active with some canoeing on the Selinda Spillway, as well as some game drives on which we saw elephant and buffalo.
We then flew again, this time along the now-flowing Selinda Spillway, to the Linyanti concession in the north, and there we stayed for 4 nights. We hadn’t even reached camp yet when we found one of the Linyanti pride lionesses with her 3 month old lion cub, but she was stressed and searching for a second cub, which was missing. I had seen her on my last safari with both cubs, so it was sad to see that one had gone missing. Before reaching camp that evening we also got to watch a pack of twelve wild dogs on the move along the river. Aside from these large carnivores, the road provided us with a steady procession of elephant, kudu, baboons, warthogs, impala and red lechwe, all moving about close to the river. This is a great time of year for the Linyanti concession as the rising daytime temperatures push many animals towards the river, especially from the late morning onwards. More highlights were to follow. Many elephant herds were to be seen each day, especially in the afternoons. Several elephant bulls visited us in camp.
Early one morning we came across a female leopard and her cub, sunning themselves on a termite mound. They provided us with excellent photo opportunities and as we had several very eager photographers on board, this was most appreciated. Male lions resting next morning, one called Silver Eye and his coalition partner, were more highlights. On our last afternoon drive we found a male leopard on territorial patrol. At first we had some difficulty trying to approach him, as he was continually being warned off his course by a herd of elephants, but then he went up a termite mound and sat down. Next moment he put his head into a large hole at the base of the mound, and two warthogs exploded out of a hole on the other side of the same mound, leaving the leopard standing in a cloud of dust. If only the other hole hadn’t been there, he may have gotten lucky with a meal. Apart from spotted hyena, our stay in the Linyanti also turned up some great birds like whitebreasted cuckooshrike, rednecked falcon, gabar goshawk, whitefronted and carmine bee-eaters to name but a few.
We flew again to Kasane, where we spent our midday on a Chobe boat cruise, viewing great herds of elephants along the river bank, as well as many crocodiles, buffalo, hippo and scores of birds. One more very short flight took us to Livingstone where we had a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River and then had a very comfortable night in the luxurious accommodation at Toka Leya lodge.
I said goodbye sadly to the group next morning at Victoria Falls itself, from where they were heading to the airport and home. This is a great time of year for big game viewing in Botswana, and the Linyanti especially didn’t disappoint.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Our itinerary was Xigera, Motswiri, Linyanti, and Toka Leya. Those camps are in the Okavango Delta, Selinda concession, Linyanti concession and Zambia, respectively. I traveled with seven very enthusiastic guests.
During our three nights at Xigera we boated to Xigera lagoon, where we had fantastic viewing of African skimmers flying over the clear water. Skimmers breed on exposed sandbanks and are rare. We also did a full day boat trip to the north, passing through a wonderful variety of habitats on the way, some permanent water, and some seasonal. We saw hippo, elephant, giraffe, crocodiles, and the highlight was a pride of lions moving about near the water’s edge. Some of the lions looked as if they might cross through the deep water channel we were boating in, but they never quite built up the nerve. Hundreds of waterbirds kept us entertained as we cruised along through the channels. We had a midday picnic under some shady trees. Birding highlights of our Xigera visit included Pels’ fishing owl, and western-banded snake eagle.
We flew onward to Motswiri for 2 nights where our activities were more physically active with some canoeing on the Selinda Spillway, as well as some game drives on which we saw elephant and buffalo.
We then flew again, this time along the now-flowing Selinda Spillway, to the Linyanti concession in the north, and there we stayed for 4 nights. We hadn’t even reached camp yet when we found one of the Linyanti pride lionesses with her 3 month old lion cub, but she was stressed and searching for a second cub, which was missing. I had seen her on my last safari with both cubs, so it was sad to see that one had gone missing. Before reaching camp that evening we also got to watch a pack of twelve wild dogs on the move along the river. Aside from these large carnivores, the road provided us with a steady procession of elephant, kudu, baboons, warthogs, impala and red lechwe, all moving about close to the river. This is a great time of year for the Linyanti concession as the rising daytime temperatures push many animals towards the river, especially from the late morning onwards. More highlights were to follow. Many elephant herds were to be seen each day, especially in the afternoons. Several elephant bulls visited us in camp.
Early one morning we came across a female leopard and her cub, sunning themselves on a termite mound. They provided us with excellent photo opportunities and as we had several very eager photographers on board, this was most appreciated. Male lions resting next morning, one called Silver Eye and his coalition partner, were more highlights. On our last afternoon drive we found a male leopard on territorial patrol. At first we had some difficulty trying to approach him, as he was continually being warned off his course by a herd of elephants, but then he went up a termite mound and sat down. Next moment he put his head into a large hole at the base of the mound, and two warthogs exploded out of a hole on the other side of the same mound, leaving the leopard standing in a cloud of dust. If only the other hole hadn’t been there, he may have gotten lucky with a meal. Apart from spotted hyena, our stay in the Linyanti also turned up some great birds like whitebreasted cuckooshrike, rednecked falcon, gabar goshawk, whitefronted and carmine bee-eaters to name but a few.
We flew again to Kasane, where we spent our midday on a Chobe boat cruise, viewing great herds of elephants along the river bank, as well as many crocodiles, buffalo, hippo and scores of birds. One more very short flight took us to Livingstone where we had a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River and then had a very comfortable night in the luxurious accommodation at Toka Leya lodge.
I said goodbye sadly to the group next morning at Victoria Falls itself, from where they were heading to the airport and home. This is a great time of year for big game viewing in Botswana, and the Linyanti especially didn’t disappoint.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Three Days at Mombo - September 09
This was a short trip to Mombo, to guide just two guests for three nights. I usually get to guide several times a year at Mombo, but I am not able to remember any time when the game viewing was quite as strong as on this trip.
Perhaps part of the reason for the strong game viewing is related to the falling water levels. Floodplains are being exposed to the sun, and with a healthy dose of sediment from the receding water, the new grass is sweet and abundant. Herds of red lechwe, zebra, impala abound. Warthogs, elephants, kudu and giraffe are also moving onto the edges of the plains in large numbers. As for predators, we had phenomenal viewing. Our first afternoon turned up the well-known female leopard Legadima. This large female featured in a documentary called Eye of the Leopard, filmed by Dereck and Beverly Joubert. The leopard was resting near an impala she had killed. Whilst we watched she dragged it up a low, slanting tree and began to feed as it got dark. Legadima appears to be pregnant, and it seems likely that within the next few weeks she is going to having cubs.
All night long we could hear lions roaring, so when we set out next morning, we immediately went in that direction, and found the male lion pair known as the Western Boys, lying resting at a place called Drift Molapo. After a few minutes they got up, and continued east, on a territorial patrol. This provided us with wonderful viewing as well as some good photo opportunities as they scent marked and walked along. Minutes after leaving the lion sighting, our attention was attracted to the sound of vervet monkeys making alarm calls. After a brief search, we located the reason…a female leopard high in a rain tree. Upon approaching we saw that the animal was a young female and also the daughter of the leopard Legadima. This young female had only recently become independent so it was good to see her doing well. She was restless, perhaps in the high tree to avoid attracting the attention of the lions who had passed by. The leopard eventually came down the tree, in a series of leaps from one trunk to the other. She then made a rapid attempt at chasing an impala, gave up, and climbed high into a fig tree and deep under the canopy.
Over the next two days we saw spotted hyenas and vultures competing with one another at the carcass of a dead giraffe. We spent some time with the Moporota lion pride, all five adult females, two adult males and the 8 cubs. We parked alongside a huge old bull elephant having a mud wallow whilst other smaller bulls waited respectfully for him to finish. Some other highlights were the Matata lion pride with their young cubs, and an excellent sighting of an African civet very early one morning.
We saw a male leopard eating on the kill that Legadima had made. We saw the lone surviving wild dog that frequently seen near Mombo. We saw a very shy female leopard hidden in a bush with an impala kill. Flocks of open-billed storks were gathering on the floodplain edges, feeding on snails. We had good viewing of several herds of elephants up close, and almost all had young baby elephants in their midst. Perhaps one of the most fascinating of all our sightings took place on our last morning when we drove to a hyena den and were entertained by four young hyenas of varying ages and sizes. One youngster in particular was extremely curious and approached to within a metre of the vehicle door, using it’s nose to try and smell exactly what our vehicle and it’s occupants was all about.
I returned to Maun to get ready for my next trip, and to sort through the images I had taken. Hope you enjoy the pictures, I sure had fun taking them.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
This was a short trip to Mombo, to guide just two guests for three nights. I usually get to guide several times a year at Mombo, but I am not able to remember any time when the game viewing was quite as strong as on this trip.
Perhaps part of the reason for the strong game viewing is related to the falling water levels. Floodplains are being exposed to the sun, and with a healthy dose of sediment from the receding water, the new grass is sweet and abundant. Herds of red lechwe, zebra, impala abound. Warthogs, elephants, kudu and giraffe are also moving onto the edges of the plains in large numbers. As for predators, we had phenomenal viewing. Our first afternoon turned up the well-known female leopard Legadima. This large female featured in a documentary called Eye of the Leopard, filmed by Dereck and Beverly Joubert. The leopard was resting near an impala she had killed. Whilst we watched she dragged it up a low, slanting tree and began to feed as it got dark. Legadima appears to be pregnant, and it seems likely that within the next few weeks she is going to having cubs.
All night long we could hear lions roaring, so when we set out next morning, we immediately went in that direction, and found the male lion pair known as the Western Boys, lying resting at a place called Drift Molapo. After a few minutes they got up, and continued east, on a territorial patrol. This provided us with wonderful viewing as well as some good photo opportunities as they scent marked and walked along. Minutes after leaving the lion sighting, our attention was attracted to the sound of vervet monkeys making alarm calls. After a brief search, we located the reason…a female leopard high in a rain tree. Upon approaching we saw that the animal was a young female and also the daughter of the leopard Legadima. This young female had only recently become independent so it was good to see her doing well. She was restless, perhaps in the high tree to avoid attracting the attention of the lions who had passed by. The leopard eventually came down the tree, in a series of leaps from one trunk to the other. She then made a rapid attempt at chasing an impala, gave up, and climbed high into a fig tree and deep under the canopy.
Over the next two days we saw spotted hyenas and vultures competing with one another at the carcass of a dead giraffe. We spent some time with the Moporota lion pride, all five adult females, two adult males and the 8 cubs. We parked alongside a huge old bull elephant having a mud wallow whilst other smaller bulls waited respectfully for him to finish. Some other highlights were the Matata lion pride with their young cubs, and an excellent sighting of an African civet very early one morning.
We saw a male leopard eating on the kill that Legadima had made. We saw the lone surviving wild dog that frequently seen near Mombo. We saw a very shy female leopard hidden in a bush with an impala kill. Flocks of open-billed storks were gathering on the floodplain edges, feeding on snails. We had good viewing of several herds of elephants up close, and almost all had young baby elephants in their midst. Perhaps one of the most fascinating of all our sightings took place on our last morning when we drove to a hyena den and were entertained by four young hyenas of varying ages and sizes. One youngster in particular was extremely curious and approached to within a metre of the vehicle door, using it’s nose to try and smell exactly what our vehicle and it’s occupants was all about.
I returned to Maun to get ready for my next trip, and to sort through the images I had taken. Hope you enjoy the pictures, I sure had fun taking them.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Northern Botswana Safari - September 09
Where We Went
Our itinerary for these safaris is a pre-selected group of camps that fit well together. We begin with two nights at the River Club, then Linyanti Discoverer Camp for 3 nights, then Savuti Bush Camp for 2 nights, then Jacana Camp for 2 nights, followed by 3 nights at Tubu Tree Camp.
About The Trip
We met our group of guests in Livingstone, Zambia, and then based ourselves at the River Club . During our time there we undertook a cultural visit to a local village, walked and helicoptered around Victoria Falls, tand ook a boat ride on the Zambezi. Our group were keen on photography, so we maximized our photo opportunities, especially at the Falls.
Whilst on our transfer into Botswana, we spent half a morning on the Chobe River, on a boat cruise. Swimming elephants, hippos, big crocodiles up close and African skimmers were memorable sightings. Later that same day we flew to Wilderness Safaris Linyanti Concession, in the north-east of the country, for three nights. Here lion and elephant sightings were exceptional. The Linyanti pride of two lionesses showed off their two playful ten-week old cubs to us, whilst their older cousin, a two year old young male whose father is one of the famous Border Boy lions, watched with interest. We also saw the Border girls, two females whose range overlaps the Linyanti pride, and who had only ten days previously lost two cubs to a leopard. The mother was still walking all around the area searching for her missing offspring. Hopefully the Linyanti lions are luckier with their cubs. On our last morning we tracked two male lions by their spoor on the road, but couldn’t quite locate them. I was hoping it was the Border Boys, who have not been seen in their territory for some time now. A bull elephant right in camp for half the day at Linyanti also kept everybody very entertained. We also saw a very well-hidden leopard late one afternoon, tucked under some thick bushes and watched a group of marabou storks feeding on frogs in a shrinking pool.
We then drove to Savuti camp for two nights, and had a good view of the two male cheetah that frequent the area. Wildebeest, zebra, impala and elephants also put in an appearance, as did good numbers of carmine bee-eaters, just arrived for our summer. Undoubtedly the highlight of our Savuti stay took place on our last morning when 18 wild dogs spent their morning alternately resting, playing and socializing just a stone’s throw from camp. They gave us lots of practice at action photography with their antics.
We flew to Jacana camp for two nights, in the Okavango Delta, and spent lots of time boating, in search of brightly coloured kingfishers and other birds. On a game drive across the open floodplains, we also came across the resident male lion, who has been in the area since December. We also enjoyed a sundowner drink on an island with a trio of massive baobab trees on it. We boated to Tubu Tree camp for our last three nights. This is a great time of year to be at Tubu, as there are herds of zebra, wildebeest and impala about. We also saw a female leopard twice, spotted hyenas, and three rather shy cheetah from a distance. Elephant herds, giraffe and many interesting birds including a spectacular grouping of pelicans, storks, spoonbills and other waterbirds at a drying waterhole. Brightly coloured swallow-tailed bee-eaters and big flocks of openbilled storks also added to our photo opportunities.
Once again it was hard to say goodbye to everybody when we reached Maun.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Where We Went
Our itinerary for these safaris is a pre-selected group of camps that fit well together. We begin with two nights at the River Club, then Linyanti Discoverer Camp for 3 nights, then Savuti Bush Camp for 2 nights, then Jacana Camp for 2 nights, followed by 3 nights at Tubu Tree Camp.
About The Trip
We met our group of guests in Livingstone, Zambia, and then based ourselves at the River Club . During our time there we undertook a cultural visit to a local village, walked and helicoptered around Victoria Falls, tand ook a boat ride on the Zambezi. Our group were keen on photography, so we maximized our photo opportunities, especially at the Falls.
Whilst on our transfer into Botswana, we spent half a morning on the Chobe River, on a boat cruise. Swimming elephants, hippos, big crocodiles up close and African skimmers were memorable sightings. Later that same day we flew to Wilderness Safaris Linyanti Concession, in the north-east of the country, for three nights. Here lion and elephant sightings were exceptional. The Linyanti pride of two lionesses showed off their two playful ten-week old cubs to us, whilst their older cousin, a two year old young male whose father is one of the famous Border Boy lions, watched with interest. We also saw the Border girls, two females whose range overlaps the Linyanti pride, and who had only ten days previously lost two cubs to a leopard. The mother was still walking all around the area searching for her missing offspring. Hopefully the Linyanti lions are luckier with their cubs. On our last morning we tracked two male lions by their spoor on the road, but couldn’t quite locate them. I was hoping it was the Border Boys, who have not been seen in their territory for some time now. A bull elephant right in camp for half the day at Linyanti also kept everybody very entertained. We also saw a very well-hidden leopard late one afternoon, tucked under some thick bushes and watched a group of marabou storks feeding on frogs in a shrinking pool.
We then drove to Savuti camp for two nights, and had a good view of the two male cheetah that frequent the area. Wildebeest, zebra, impala and elephants also put in an appearance, as did good numbers of carmine bee-eaters, just arrived for our summer. Undoubtedly the highlight of our Savuti stay took place on our last morning when 18 wild dogs spent their morning alternately resting, playing and socializing just a stone’s throw from camp. They gave us lots of practice at action photography with their antics.
We flew to Jacana camp for two nights, in the Okavango Delta, and spent lots of time boating, in search of brightly coloured kingfishers and other birds. On a game drive across the open floodplains, we also came across the resident male lion, who has been in the area since December. We also enjoyed a sundowner drink on an island with a trio of massive baobab trees on it. We boated to Tubu Tree camp for our last three nights. This is a great time of year to be at Tubu, as there are herds of zebra, wildebeest and impala about. We also saw a female leopard twice, spotted hyenas, and three rather shy cheetah from a distance. Elephant herds, giraffe and many interesting birds including a spectacular grouping of pelicans, storks, spoonbills and other waterbirds at a drying waterhole. Brightly coloured swallow-tailed bee-eaters and big flocks of openbilled storks also added to our photo opportunities.
Once again it was hard to say goodbye to everybody when we reached Maun.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Scheduled Safari - Northern Botswana - August 2009
Where We Went
River Club in Zambia, followed by Linyanti camp and Savuti camp in the far north of Botswana and then lastly Jacana camp and Tubu Tree camp.
About the Trip
August is a good time of year for safaris in the region. At this time of year water levels are still quite high in the rivers, temperatures are quite moderate, and there are gatherings of wildlife around water sources in the drier areas.
We started out at the River Club, along the Zambezi River just upstream from the Victoria Falls, and were lucky enough to coincide our stay with the last lunar rainbow of the season. This happens only on full moons during those months that the river has lots of water. For the first time I managed to get a fairly decent picture of the rainbow. The Falls were spectacular day and night.
Linyanti Discoverer camp was our next base, and here we had an excellent sighting of a female leopard, feeding on a baboon kill in a tree. We also saw 13 African wild dogs, asleep in the late morning, but for me the wildlife highlight happened on our last morning there when we spend near to an hour with two lionesses and their two young cubs, who could not have been more than 7 weeks old. The cubs were still a little unsteady moving about, and one climbed on top of a fallen tree trunk, giving us some wonderful photo opportunities.
We traveled next to Savuti camp for two nights, and here we were witness to the spectacle of deep, clear water flowing once again in the river channel it last reached more than twenty years back. Northern Botswana is an area of change in terms of river flows, and currently there are big changes happening around Savuti. We enjoyed our best sighting of an elephant herd on the trip when we were literally surrounded by more than thirty of them for half an hour. We also saw kudu, giraffe and zebra on every drive.
We flew to Jacana in the Okavango Delta for the next two nights. We boated, went on dugout mekoro canoe excursions, and drove through the wide, inundated floodplains, with great sightings of herds of red lechwe antelope and a wonderful variety and number of water birds.
We boated to our last camp in the Delta, called Tubu Tree. Here we had a tough sighting of three young male lions that were tucked away in a thicket of scrubby trees, making visibility tough. Our persistence was rewarded though on the next day when we found the same lions out in the open floodplains, just after sunrise. We also saw a male leopard, spotted hyena, many zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, elephant and other creatures. One evening we went out after dinner with good supplies of steaming coffee and tea, and spent an hour under the stars, appreciating the brilliance of the southern night skies away from camp.
All eight guests had a good time, and we were all sad to say goodbye.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Where We Went
River Club in Zambia, followed by Linyanti camp and Savuti camp in the far north of Botswana and then lastly Jacana camp and Tubu Tree camp.
About the Trip
August is a good time of year for safaris in the region. At this time of year water levels are still quite high in the rivers, temperatures are quite moderate, and there are gatherings of wildlife around water sources in the drier areas.
We started out at the River Club, along the Zambezi River just upstream from the Victoria Falls, and were lucky enough to coincide our stay with the last lunar rainbow of the season. This happens only on full moons during those months that the river has lots of water. For the first time I managed to get a fairly decent picture of the rainbow. The Falls were spectacular day and night.
Linyanti Discoverer camp was our next base, and here we had an excellent sighting of a female leopard, feeding on a baboon kill in a tree. We also saw 13 African wild dogs, asleep in the late morning, but for me the wildlife highlight happened on our last morning there when we spend near to an hour with two lionesses and their two young cubs, who could not have been more than 7 weeks old. The cubs were still a little unsteady moving about, and one climbed on top of a fallen tree trunk, giving us some wonderful photo opportunities.
We traveled next to Savuti camp for two nights, and here we were witness to the spectacle of deep, clear water flowing once again in the river channel it last reached more than twenty years back. Northern Botswana is an area of change in terms of river flows, and currently there are big changes happening around Savuti. We enjoyed our best sighting of an elephant herd on the trip when we were literally surrounded by more than thirty of them for half an hour. We also saw kudu, giraffe and zebra on every drive.
We flew to Jacana in the Okavango Delta for the next two nights. We boated, went on dugout mekoro canoe excursions, and drove through the wide, inundated floodplains, with great sightings of herds of red lechwe antelope and a wonderful variety and number of water birds.
We boated to our last camp in the Delta, called Tubu Tree. Here we had a tough sighting of three young male lions that were tucked away in a thicket of scrubby trees, making visibility tough. Our persistence was rewarded though on the next day when we found the same lions out in the open floodplains, just after sunrise. We also saw a male leopard, spotted hyena, many zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, elephant and other creatures. One evening we went out after dinner with good supplies of steaming coffee and tea, and spent an hour under the stars, appreciating the brilliance of the southern night skies away from camp.
All eight guests had a good time, and we were all sad to say goodbye.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Photographic Safari - July 2009
Itinerary
The camps we visited were: Kwetsani, Savuti and Chitabe, all for 3 nights. The optional pre-trip extension was at Chitabe Lediba, and the post-trip extension was at Mombo.
About the Trip
Andy Biggs was the professional photographer on this trip, and all of the ten guests were recruited by him. We used three vehicles for game drives, so everyone had lots of space.
Gear
There was an even mix of Canon and Nikon equipment. Canon bodies varied from 40Ds to Mk3Ds, whilst the Nikons ranged from D90s to D3x. Most lenses were in the 100-400mm range whilst two photographers had 500mm lenses.
Who Came on the Trip
Skill levels of the photographers varied from one first time wildlife photographer, several intermediate shooters, and a couple of highly skilled photographers. Andy spent most of every midday assisting with computer and camera skills. Both of us spent lots of time on vehicle helping with technique and settings.
The Trip
At Chitabe Lediba, new water was creeping into the dry plains. We spent time with some very big and calm bull elephants, and a leopard that was stalking impala. We also tried some creative photography with running wildebeest and zebra. Bull elephants were headbutting those palm trees that were carrying ripe fruit, and we had some fun photographing this interesting behaviour.
Kwetsani was the next camp on the itinerary, and here we met the rest of our party, including Andy. Kwetsani is primarily a water camp at this time of year, and as such was intended to give us a chance to photograph the Okavango Delta’s more aquatic habitats. We had helicopter flights each day and we also went out in aluminium boats in search of up-close kingfishers and jacanas. We made use of mekoro (dugout canoes) to photograph trees, islands and papyrus, and one group had a great elephant sighting from the canoes. On game drives we photographed a very good looking male lion that was on the floodplains at sunrise. We spent twenty minutes with him, and everyone got great shots. The lion really turned it on for us by crossing water right in front of us.
We also managed to photograph a leopard for a few minutes, and banded mongooses on foot (that is us who was on foot!).
At Savuti we had the rare fortune of being able to visit an active wild dog den in the area. These den visits are limited to one vehicle from the camp per activity, which meant that we all got to see the dogs with their 13 pups. Also in the area were the local lion pride, all 9 of them, feeding on a freshly-killed giraffe. Kane, one of our most experienced guides, tracked them to the site of the kill. Another photographic highlight took place when a large herd of elephants took to the water of the Savuti channel right in front of the camp, and we put aside our teatime meal to try capture the action as the elephants swam, drank and played. Two male cheetah provided more great photo opportunities as they patrolled their territory with us following.
At Chitabe we had two big male lions alongside each other in perfect afternoon light, then a group of four lions the next morning playing in the grass and another single male on the move who stopped to drink water. On our last afternoon there we had a fantastic sighting of a young male leopard feeding on a baboon in a tree. There were also some excellent sightings of elephants, zebra and wildebeest.
Mombo was our last camp, and there we found some silhouetted giraffe at sunrise, as well as red lechwe antelope splashing through water. We had several sightings of the well-known female leopard Legadima, which included her resting in a tree with an impala kill. We had fun crossing a deep channel in the Landrovers with Pete (the Mombo guide) driving the other vehicle.Perhaps some of the best photo opportunities came about for us when spending time with one of the local lion prides, which consisted of 4 adult females, and their 8 young cubs. The very cute lion cubs made great subjects. We also had male lions and several hyena sightings at Mombo.
In conclusion it was a fantastic trip with hi-quality sightings, and a wonderful group of photographers who all had the patience to wait for the good things to happen.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Itinerary
The camps we visited were: Kwetsani, Savuti and Chitabe, all for 3 nights. The optional pre-trip extension was at Chitabe Lediba, and the post-trip extension was at Mombo.
About the Trip
Andy Biggs was the professional photographer on this trip, and all of the ten guests were recruited by him. We used three vehicles for game drives, so everyone had lots of space.
Gear
There was an even mix of Canon and Nikon equipment. Canon bodies varied from 40Ds to Mk3Ds, whilst the Nikons ranged from D90s to D3x. Most lenses were in the 100-400mm range whilst two photographers had 500mm lenses.
Who Came on the Trip
Skill levels of the photographers varied from one first time wildlife photographer, several intermediate shooters, and a couple of highly skilled photographers. Andy spent most of every midday assisting with computer and camera skills. Both of us spent lots of time on vehicle helping with technique and settings.
The Trip
At Chitabe Lediba, new water was creeping into the dry plains. We spent time with some very big and calm bull elephants, and a leopard that was stalking impala. We also tried some creative photography with running wildebeest and zebra. Bull elephants were headbutting those palm trees that were carrying ripe fruit, and we had some fun photographing this interesting behaviour.
Kwetsani was the next camp on the itinerary, and here we met the rest of our party, including Andy. Kwetsani is primarily a water camp at this time of year, and as such was intended to give us a chance to photograph the Okavango Delta’s more aquatic habitats. We had helicopter flights each day and we also went out in aluminium boats in search of up-close kingfishers and jacanas. We made use of mekoro (dugout canoes) to photograph trees, islands and papyrus, and one group had a great elephant sighting from the canoes. On game drives we photographed a very good looking male lion that was on the floodplains at sunrise. We spent twenty minutes with him, and everyone got great shots. The lion really turned it on for us by crossing water right in front of us.
We also managed to photograph a leopard for a few minutes, and banded mongooses on foot (that is us who was on foot!).
At Savuti we had the rare fortune of being able to visit an active wild dog den in the area. These den visits are limited to one vehicle from the camp per activity, which meant that we all got to see the dogs with their 13 pups. Also in the area were the local lion pride, all 9 of them, feeding on a freshly-killed giraffe. Kane, one of our most experienced guides, tracked them to the site of the kill. Another photographic highlight took place when a large herd of elephants took to the water of the Savuti channel right in front of the camp, and we put aside our teatime meal to try capture the action as the elephants swam, drank and played. Two male cheetah provided more great photo opportunities as they patrolled their territory with us following.
At Chitabe we had two big male lions alongside each other in perfect afternoon light, then a group of four lions the next morning playing in the grass and another single male on the move who stopped to drink water. On our last afternoon there we had a fantastic sighting of a young male leopard feeding on a baboon in a tree. There were also some excellent sightings of elephants, zebra and wildebeest.
Mombo was our last camp, and there we found some silhouetted giraffe at sunrise, as well as red lechwe antelope splashing through water. We had several sightings of the well-known female leopard Legadima, which included her resting in a tree with an impala kill. We had fun crossing a deep channel in the Landrovers with Pete (the Mombo guide) driving the other vehicle.Perhaps some of the best photo opportunities came about for us when spending time with one of the local lion prides, which consisted of 4 adult females, and their 8 young cubs. The very cute lion cubs made great subjects. We also had male lions and several hyena sightings at Mombo.
In conclusion it was a fantastic trip with hi-quality sightings, and a wonderful group of photographers who all had the patience to wait for the good things to happen.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Wild Coast Sardine Run - June 2009
The sardine run is a phenomenon that occurs when schools of small sardines move along the eastern Cape coastline of South Africa. The timing and quantity of fish that move each year may vary, but there will usually be some shoals of sardines to see from late May on through July.
Whilst the sardines themselves are small fish that only attain 20cm in length, they can be found in very large numbers. This, in turn, attracts predators.
Common dolphins, bottlenosed dolphins, bronze whaler sharks, Bryde's whales and seals follow the shoals of sardines and prey on them. From the air, flocks of seabirds, the most prominent of which is the Cape gannet, launch spectacular diving attacks on the shoals in conjuction with the dolphins and other marine predators. It is also possible to see albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, to name just some of the pelagic bird species that benefit from the plentiful supply of food.
This all takes place along a section of the coastline of South Africa known as the Wild Coast. As it's name implies, the sea here can be rough and unfriendly, but there are an equal number if not more, of calm days which allow for safe boating. As there are no major inlets along the Wild Coast, there are no ports for large boats, so the only way to get a boat into the ocean is to launch it through the surf. We make use of a small but fast and manouevrable inflatable boat withan outboard engine for launching through the surf.
The continental shelf is at it's narrowest along the Wild Coast, and this brings the warm waters of the Agulhas within sight of the shore at times. Water temperatures can reach above 20 degrees Centigrade but can also plunge to less than 14 degrees Centigrade overnight, depending on wind direction.
Whilst diving amongst the action is possible, there is an equally spectacular view to be had from boats on the surface. All that is needed is good weather without too much wind.
Wavecrest, situated at Nxaxo River mouth, is an ideal base to view the sardine run from, as it has comfortable accommodation in the form of a hotel, as well as great, untouched beaches, forests and estuaries with lots of birds and smaller wildlife to see when the weather may not allow access to the ocean.
This season I got to spend ten odd days at Wavecrest, which is a good base to operate from. We managed to get our boat close to the feeding frenzies on perhaps six occasions, and had some spectacular sightings.
The Cape gannets provide the clues as to where the feeding action is happening, as they start to gather in wheeling, diving flocks above the fish and dolphins. On one particular day when big surf prevented us from launching, we still enjoyed some exciting viewing from shore as a flock of Cape gannets kept diving on sardines that ended up within the surf zone, the gannets risking life and wing in their fearless dives in the breaking waves.
The sardines also seem to attract more bottlenosed dolphins to the area, and on one day we saw more than ten pods of these spectacular cetaceans between sunrise and midday. Some of our best photographic opportunities came about when the dolphins would surf close to shore.
We also had a couple of good humpback whale sightings both from the boat and from shore. Next season I intend spending three weeks at the same place.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
The sardine run is a phenomenon that occurs when schools of small sardines move along the eastern Cape coastline of South Africa. The timing and quantity of fish that move each year may vary, but there will usually be some shoals of sardines to see from late May on through July.
Whilst the sardines themselves are small fish that only attain 20cm in length, they can be found in very large numbers. This, in turn, attracts predators.
Common dolphins, bottlenosed dolphins, bronze whaler sharks, Bryde's whales and seals follow the shoals of sardines and prey on them. From the air, flocks of seabirds, the most prominent of which is the Cape gannet, launch spectacular diving attacks on the shoals in conjuction with the dolphins and other marine predators. It is also possible to see albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, to name just some of the pelagic bird species that benefit from the plentiful supply of food.
This all takes place along a section of the coastline of South Africa known as the Wild Coast. As it's name implies, the sea here can be rough and unfriendly, but there are an equal number if not more, of calm days which allow for safe boating. As there are no major inlets along the Wild Coast, there are no ports for large boats, so the only way to get a boat into the ocean is to launch it through the surf. We make use of a small but fast and manouevrable inflatable boat withan outboard engine for launching through the surf.
The continental shelf is at it's narrowest along the Wild Coast, and this brings the warm waters of the Agulhas within sight of the shore at times. Water temperatures can reach above 20 degrees Centigrade but can also plunge to less than 14 degrees Centigrade overnight, depending on wind direction.
Whilst diving amongst the action is possible, there is an equally spectacular view to be had from boats on the surface. All that is needed is good weather without too much wind.
Wavecrest, situated at Nxaxo River mouth, is an ideal base to view the sardine run from, as it has comfortable accommodation in the form of a hotel, as well as great, untouched beaches, forests and estuaries with lots of birds and smaller wildlife to see when the weather may not allow access to the ocean.
This season I got to spend ten odd days at Wavecrest, which is a good base to operate from. We managed to get our boat close to the feeding frenzies on perhaps six occasions, and had some spectacular sightings.
The Cape gannets provide the clues as to where the feeding action is happening, as they start to gather in wheeling, diving flocks above the fish and dolphins. On one particular day when big surf prevented us from launching, we still enjoyed some exciting viewing from shore as a flock of Cape gannets kept diving on sardines that ended up within the surf zone, the gannets risking life and wing in their fearless dives in the breaking waves.
The sardines also seem to attract more bottlenosed dolphins to the area, and on one day we saw more than ten pods of these spectacular cetaceans between sunrise and midday. Some of our best photographic opportunities came about when the dolphins would surf close to shore.
We also had a couple of good humpback whale sightings both from the boat and from shore. Next season I intend spending three weeks at the same place.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Travel Operator Safari No 2 - May 2009
This trip was specifically put together for a group of travel operators and agents. It's purpose was to show them as many camps areas and habitats as possible. So over just five nights we stayed in four different camps, and saw several others. My job was to escort the group and to make sure we got to see some exciting game too. Our itinerary began with water activities at Xigera and a rare sighting of a leopard near the airfield.
Next day we moved to Duba, and had great viewing of the well-known Tsaro lion pride out on the plains. Birding was good there too.
We stayed two nights at Jao, and had two excellent leopard sightings, including the cat shown in the featured image. We also enjoyed good birding, and some very scenic boat trips. The high water levels in the Okavango at the moment mean the area is at its most beautiful. There are great expanses of blue water to be seen from the air transfers and wonderful reflections adding colour to the sunsets.
Our last night was spent at Kings Pool camp, and we had a wonderful sunset cruise on the Linyanti. On our last morning we drove west along the Linyanti River, and the good sightings just kept on coming. First we saw the two lionesses and their subadult young male hunting close to camp, then we encountered the Border Boys resting in some grass right next to the river. As I last saw them in November I was especially excited to see them.
After that we visited DumaTau camp, and just beyond the camp were six wild dogs resting full-bellied. It wasn't over yet as just a kilometre further along lay a Savuti lioness with her two cubs....quite an ending for the trip.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
This trip was specifically put together for a group of travel operators and agents. It's purpose was to show them as many camps areas and habitats as possible. So over just five nights we stayed in four different camps, and saw several others. My job was to escort the group and to make sure we got to see some exciting game too. Our itinerary began with water activities at Xigera and a rare sighting of a leopard near the airfield.
Next day we moved to Duba, and had great viewing of the well-known Tsaro lion pride out on the plains. Birding was good there too.
We stayed two nights at Jao, and had two excellent leopard sightings, including the cat shown in the featured image. We also enjoyed good birding, and some very scenic boat trips. The high water levels in the Okavango at the moment mean the area is at its most beautiful. There are great expanses of blue water to be seen from the air transfers and wonderful reflections adding colour to the sunsets.
Our last night was spent at Kings Pool camp, and we had a wonderful sunset cruise on the Linyanti. On our last morning we drove west along the Linyanti River, and the good sightings just kept on coming. First we saw the two lionesses and their subadult young male hunting close to camp, then we encountered the Border Boys resting in some grass right next to the river. As I last saw them in November I was especially excited to see them.
After that we visited DumaTau camp, and just beyond the camp were six wild dogs resting full-bellied. It wasn't over yet as just a kilometre further along lay a Savuti lioness with her two cubs....quite an ending for the trip.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Tour Operator Safari No 1 - May 2009
This trip was put together by Wilderness Safaris to showcase both areas and camps to a group of travel agents and operators. The total trip was just five nights long ,but we stayed in four different camps, and each day tried to visit any other camps in the vicinity as well as take in some of the wildlife and scenery of each area. Our first night at Savuti produced elephant and buffalo herds, and a spectacular thunderstorm. Early next morning we ran across the local lion pride, all twelve of them, close to camp.
The next day we stayed at Selinda, and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon viewing a female leopard interacting with her near-adult male youngster. After that we stayed at Kwetsani, where three lions put in an appearance right in front of camp. We ended off with two nights at Vumbura Plains, and had fantastic elephant viewing as well as an early morning visit to an active hyena den.
The trip was short but full of great wildlife highlights. At both Kwetsani and Vumbura high water levels made for some spectacular landscapes with the delta undergoing it's flood season transformation in a big way this year.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
This trip was put together by Wilderness Safaris to showcase both areas and camps to a group of travel agents and operators. The total trip was just five nights long ,but we stayed in four different camps, and each day tried to visit any other camps in the vicinity as well as take in some of the wildlife and scenery of each area. Our first night at Savuti produced elephant and buffalo herds, and a spectacular thunderstorm. Early next morning we ran across the local lion pride, all twelve of them, close to camp.
The next day we stayed at Selinda, and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon viewing a female leopard interacting with her near-adult male youngster. After that we stayed at Kwetsani, where three lions put in an appearance right in front of camp. We ended off with two nights at Vumbura Plains, and had fantastic elephant viewing as well as an early morning visit to an active hyena den.
The trip was short but full of great wildlife highlights. At both Kwetsani and Vumbura high water levels made for some spectacular landscapes with the delta undergoing it's flood season transformation in a big way this year.
To see images from this safari, visit the Image Gallery
Grant Atkinson Photography & Safaris
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