Savuti to Zambia

On our final morning at Savuti, we had an abbreviated morning drive. Our plane to Kasane, Botswana would pick us up at 11AM. We would go through customs in Kasane then fly over the border of Botswana to Livingstone, Zambia. This was our last game drive as our time in Zambia was to be spent exploring Victoria Falls.



We came upon a troop of agitated Chacma Baboons. At first, we didn't know what had them so upset. Then Goodman pointed out some unwelcome visitors on the left side of the trail:



The wild dogs looked hungry. As much as they look like our own domestic canines, don't be fooled... They are ruthless predators and can take down an antelope in a matter of minutes. They won't take on the baboons - the primates are too fast, have too many options for escape and they outnumber the dogs by a handsome ratio. Here, one of the dogs sizes up a baboon:



Chacma Baboons are a social animal. They travel in large, family groups and are quite vocal. I found this family quite cute:





After watching the theatrics of the canines & primates, we moved along to the runway. One of the other guides, Vincent, would meet us at the runway with our bags. We were off to another country and other great adventures.

Here is the approach to Kasane Airport (I got to sit next to the pilot!):



Once we cleared customs in Kasane, we followed the beautiful Zambezi River downstream, coming upon Victoria Falls. Our pilot received clearance for a fly-over - so we enjoyed a spectacular view of the falls before landing in Livingstone.









It was a 30 minute drive from the airport to our lodge, The Islands of Siankaba. This was the most meaningful part of the visit to me - I was so excited to visit this lodge.



We were greeted at the mainland reception building and within a few minutes were on our boat, to get to our island hideaway. The four of us (me, James, Ed & Marty) were the only visitors at the 6 chalet resort. We had the entire staff at our disposal, which was a luxury we had not ever experienced. Our chalets were accessible by a network of rope bridges which dangled above the very swollen Zambezi River:





Here is the view from the deck of our chalet:



And of course, no day is complete without a 'Sundowner' - which we joyfully enjoyed from our boat:





Our first Zambian sunset:



The following day, Saturday, we were off to visit Victoria Falls and make the descent to the 'Boiling Point'. You'll love seeing the photos!!! Until tomorrow...!

Chitabe, New Friends & Little Vumbura

We spotted these handsome lion brothers on our first full day at Chitabe.


I guess before I go into a description of another day on Safari, I should give a basic outline of what a day in camp consists of… So, here’s how it usually goes:

5:30 AM – Wake up call (a personal knock on the door of our tent)

6:00 AM - Escort comes and we are taken by flashlight to the lounge area. We grab a cup of coffee, some yoghurt or a muffin and then head out for the game drive.

6:30AM – Game drive starts.

11:30 AM- 1:00PM – Return to camp and grab some brunch.

2:00 PM- 4:00 PM – Siesta

4:00PM – Tea is served in the lounge area. Light snacks, beers, wine and tea are served.

4:30 PM – Evening game drive begins

6:30 PM - About this time, we pull off to a safe spot and enjoy a ‘Sundowner’. Light snack and drinks as we all enjoy the sunset.

8:00PM – After returning to camp, we are given about 30 minutes to shower, change and join the group for dinner. Dinner is shared with our guide, members of the staff and hosts/managers.

9:00 PM - After dinner drinks, conversation around the campfire.

9:45 – 10:00 – Lights out

The atmosphere at Chitabe camp was just fabulous. There were just 6 guests in total: James & me; Ed and Marty; and Tom and Leigh. Tom & Leigh, from Cleveland, Ohio, married last Fall and were on a belated honeymoon. We all enjoyed an instant camaraderie, and the six of us had such incredible moments together… so many discoveries, so many laughs and truly joyful times.


We were having so much fun on our first morning game drive that the 6 of us decided to continue on, without returning to camp for brunch. We had so many incredible game sightings, that we didn’t want to miss a thing. Imagine our surprise when we came to a clearing and found the following scene:



We even had a ‘loo with a view’ !!



We enjoyed our brunch in the bush and had a fantastic afternoon. We enjoyed the setting sun that day with such excitement - the things we had seen were awesome!!





We returned to the camp around 7:30 PM having spent 13 hours with our guide Oates. It was a long day, but we were so happy that we did it because the following morning drive (Monday) was our last at Chitabe. Our flight into the Okavango Delta and the Little Vumbura Camp was to leave at 11:30AM. It was only a 20 minute flight, but it could have just as well been a world away - so different was the environment in the Delta.







The Game viewing at Little Vumbura took a back seat to exploring the channels of the Delta. There was, however, plenty to see. On our evening sunset cruise, I located what I thought was just a really pretty owl. Turned out to be a Pell's Fishing Owl - an owl revered by birdwatchers and apparently quite elusive. Marty was calling it 'Michele's Owl' and we ended up chasing it from tree to tree for a good hour, capturing incredible photographs of this stunning creature.



Check out the talons on that big boy!!



Our guide Lazarus, and his game warden observer, James, pulled ashore on a small island in the channels. Lazarus gave us an incredible lesson on the Delta, the movements of flood waters and the deposits of salt left behind. He also pointed out hippo tracks which were all over the area. Those guys are fast (yes, really fast!) and we heard them snorting in the distance.





Here's a few photos of the SAME sunset as it progressed during our ride home:







Upon our return to camp that evening, we were treated to a 'Traditional' dinner. The staff sang celebration songs and danced with serious enthusiasm. I finally began to understand the phrase " A Joyful Noise"... that was what popped into my head as I listened to the harmonies of the male and female voices and the pure, uninhibited beauty of the dance.







I'm going to close for the evening and hopefully I will have some quiet time in the morning to share the rest of our time at Little Vumbura. It was at this camp where we took a mokoro (dug-out canoe) safari...Very cool.

Africa - Our Long Awaited Honeymoon!

James & I have been away for the past two weeks - on an adventure 18 months in the making. I didn't want to jinx myself, tempt fate or whatever - so I mentioned it to only family and close friends. I should begin by explaining that today is our 9th wedding anniversary! When James and I got married, we were in the process of moving from Virginia to Pennsylvania. We got married on a Friday and took a quick trip to the mountains in Western PA while Maddie (who was 6 years old) went to the beach with my Mom & Dad. Everything surrounding those few months in 2000 was done in a rush... the move, the new job for James, and the wedding. We promised ourselves that one day we would take a proper honeymoon - and we finally did.

Our itinerary included 4 different safari lodges in two different African countries. Our first three stops were in Botswana, in three very distinct ecologic and geographic regions. Our forth stop was in Zambia - to see Victoria Falls and experience a lodge that practiced sustainable tourism and responsible development. The last stop was the closest to my heart for reasons I will explain later... I will have to do quite a few entries to cover the whole of the trip, but I'll start at the beginning...

On Tuesday, May 12 we departed Dulles Airport outside of Washington D.C. and flew to London Heathrow. We took a day flight, so we didn't lose a day in transit. We arrived at our hotel, on the bank of the Thames, by 10:30 PM that same night. Our friends Ed & Marty were already in London, having flown over the previous Friday. We had arranged to meet up in London, do a bit of sightseeing, and leave for Johannesburg, South Africa on the evening of the 14th. We had two full days to enjoy the sights of London.

We spent our first day visiting St. Paul's Cathedral and walking along the Thames. We stopped for lunch at a riverside pub and continued our walk back toward our hotel which was directly across the river from the Houses of Parliment, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey - and right next to the London Eye. We had 'typical' London weather - a bit damp and overcast, but it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for being back in the city that we both loved.

The next morning, Thursday, we departed for Hampton Court. I have been totally enthralled with this palace since I first visited it back in 1990. I don't know if any of you are watching 'The Tudors' on Showtime, but I love it. Visiting this palace that was a summer home to Henry VIII was a real treat, given it is currently celebrating the 500th anniversary of Henry's coronation with special events and exhibits. James, Ed & Marty had never visited the palace and I was so excited for them to see it...














On Thursday evening, we departed London and flew overnight to Johannesburg. We used airline miles to book our seats in Business Class on British Airways, so we were able to have a good nights sleep on their 'lay flat' seat/beds. We arrived refreshed at 9AM and stayed the day in Johannesburg. We didn't have a chance to do any sightseeing, so we enjoyed the resort we stayed at... (the exchange rate was great, so I went to the spa and had a swim, a steam, a massage and reflexology!) James took care of business calls because it was our last chance for phone calls or internet service for at least a week.

On the morning of the 16th we departed Johannesburg and flew to Maun, Botswana. From there, we took another plane to our first lodge, Chitabe.







We landed at the lodge and were met by our guide, Oates. The 25 minute ride from the airstrip to the lodge was an exciting one. It was just a small taste of what was to come, but it was thrilling! Here are just a few of the sights we saw in our first hour at Chitabe.











The handsome leopard pictured at the top of this posting was actually found on our morning drive the second day we were at Chitabe. It was about 6:15 AM, the sun was coming up and the light was fantastic as our guide followed the leopard's tracks and we came upon him, as though sitting for a portrait, just 50 feet in front of us. It was a pulse quickening moment - I had to keep saying to myself, "I can't believe I'm here, seeing this magnificent animal."

You should also know that none of my photos are photoshopped or enhanced. I'm not a great photographer, but the environment was excellent and the light was fabulous. I still can't believe I was able to get some of the shots I got. In the two weeks we were gone, I took over 3000 photographs. I'm in the process now of sorting and deleting.

I'm going to close now, as I am still a bit jet lagged (we returned on Monday afternoon after spending the previous 28 hours in airplanes and airports...) Tomorrow I will share a bit more of Chitabe and then move on to our lodge in the Okavango Delta - Little Vumbura Camp. Until tomorrow...!