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Pennyanne

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Peter Connan

@@Pennyanne, great TR. Wonderfull bush camps.

 

@@Kitsafari, I am both scared of heights and suffer from motion sickness when I am flying as a passenger. However I had the privelege of being a passenger on a microlight flight a few years ago, and found it a wonderful experience. I think the reason is that in a microlight, the passenger sits higher than the pilot, so you have a clear view of where you are going.

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Good update. Chikoko is very photogenic. And yes, that bread looks delicious.

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Loved Chikoko and the treehouses. What an adventure you have been on.

 

Thanks for continuing,,,, gets me excited about Africa all over again. :D

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Chikoko Crocodile Walking Trails continued - elephant encounter

 

I had a wonderful experience with elephants one afternoon at Crocodile Camp. I was sitting by myself in one of the chairs just below the common area out near the waterhole which is just to the left of our guide in this photo:

 

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I was writing my notes and watching birds when three elephants suddenly emerged out of the nearby bush

 

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and headed towards the waterhole and therefore towards me.

 

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I hadn’t heard a thing. It’s amazing how quiet such large animals can be. I was somewhat alarmed and considered moving up to the main area but they were already so close and coming up in a very determined manner so I decided the best thing was to stay put and not alarm them. They came to the waterhole and I just sat quietly and watched them drink and play.

 

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They were very aware of me and took some good looks in my direction but they were not at all concerned.

 

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I sat feeling a mixture of fear, awe, and delighted amazement that I was sitting there by myself with three large elephants. They continued to drink and spray water and generally enjoy themselves for quite a while and then, after giving me one last look, they returned to the bush.

 

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I'm not sure why they came into this waterhole as the river is a very short distance away and would be better for drinking but maybe they just like to check out the camp. :)

 

It had been a very special moment which remains one of my favorite memories of the trip.

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SafariChick

@@Pennyanne that was a very cool experience with the elephants - and you got some great photos showing just how close they were! I was very impressed with the kitchen and the bread-making oven - it is amazing how good cooks can make so much in such simple facilities!

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that bread looks piping hot and fresh, and ready to sink my teeth into. the elephant experience is precious.

 

@@Pennyanne and @@Peter Connan = your experiences with the microlight flight have persuaded me. i'll take the plunge when i get to Tafika.

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Love your time with the ellies....very memorable I am sure. I still remember the time a young bull came to my room while in S Africa. It still brings a tug to my heart to have that experience.

 

:)

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SafariChick

i'll take the plunge when i get to Tafika.

ooh @@Kitsafari maybe you should use a different choice of words ha ha!

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i'll take the plunge when i get to Tafika.

 

ooh @@Kitsafari maybe you should use a different choice of words ha ha!

Hahaaa! I didn't even think about that. Arggghhhhhh.

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Mwamba Camp S. Luangwa 4 nights

 

Our walking trail safari had come to an end and it was time to move on to Mwamba the last camp on out trip. A special treat at Crocodile Camp had been that we were guided for part of our time by Brent Harris who had been our very first ever safari guide for a week in Kafue on our first safari in 2011. It was great meeting up with him again as we especially enjoyed his style of guiding and he had taught us a great deal about the African bush and animals.

 

Rick and Brent

 

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We crossed the river one last time to be met by a vehicle from Mwamba Camp. Mwamba is a great little camp of 3 comfortable thatched huts in an area that feels very remote. We had stayed here on our first safari in 2011 and it was one of our favorite camps due to it’s rustic atmosphere and good animal viewing, especially at the camp waterhole. Perhaps because we stayed here before I didn’t take any photos of our hut this time so I’ll show some from our earlier trip. We were not in the same hut but they are all very similar.

 

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The routine here was a bit different from the other camps with an early start to walk or drive by 5:40 am. Then back for a full breakfast then another activity or sitting at the waterhole before a light lunch at @ 1:30. Lunch is served at your chalet and it was a treat to sit and have a glass of wine or beer while watching the animals wandering by.

 

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Tea was at 3:30 then off for an afternoon/night drive at 4 getting back for dinner at 8:30. There is a small waterhole with a hide right on the camp grounds. From our chalet we could often see animals heading there and I would quickly get over to the hide to watch.

 

Elephants heading for the waterhole

 

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There were some great sightings right from our chalet including a hyena walking slowly by one morning and an elephant shrew hopping around another morning.

Lots of sounds at night. One night we were woken up to hyenas making incredible hoowoops and long drawn out howls. We’ve heard hyenas before but this amount of noise was quite exceptional. They were very close and we didn’t get much sleep that night! It’s strange but hearing animals in the bush does not bother me at all, in fact I love it, whereas if I’m kept awake by people I get extremely irritated. We also heard leopards and some very loud lions most nights. We didn’t see any leopards but we were however to have an excellent lion viewing while on a drive from Mwamba.

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FlyTraveler

Fabulous experience with the elephants @@Pennyanne! Your photos are getting even better throughout the progress of this epic journey. Enjoying very much the report (several months now)!

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I love the photos of the three elephants at the water hole. What a wonderful experience that would have been.

 

Such an adventure, this trip.

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Morkel Erasmus

@@Pennyanne what a wonderful report, an epic safari with amazing sightings! Now I can't wait to be in the Zambezi Valley (Mana, specifically) in August.

Zambia's iconic parks are high on my to-visit list and you've just pushed it higher.

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Lots of sounds at night. One night we were woken up to hyenas making incredible hoowoops and long drawn out howls. We’ve heard hyenas before but this amount of noise was quite exceptional. They were very close and we didn’t get much sleep that night!

 

This is my favorite sound in the bush. That hoowoop that you identify (I hear it as arr-yoop) just gives me chills - the good kind!

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Very interesting trip report.

 

Great to see Chikoko and Crocodile camps again (we were there in 2007)

Wonderful elephant encounter for you at Crocodile

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@@Pennyanne

I am catching up with these latest setions - very enjoyable

Your encounter with the elephants was wonderful - really memorable

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Lots of sounds at night. One night we were woken up to hyenas making incredible hoowoops and long drawn out howls. We’ve heard hyenas before but this amount of noise was quite exceptional. They were very close and we didn’t get much sleep that night!

 

This is my favorite sound in the bush. That hoowoop that you identify (I hear it as arr-yoop) just gives me chills - the good kind!

Completely agree with you. My best sleep is when I hear the "lullaby" of the hyena cries.

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@@Pennyanne can't wait for the next instalment of Mwamba. I'm enjoying the report a lot.

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Mwamba Camp S. Luangwa cont'd

 

There were many elephants around Mwamba Camp. This seemed to be a trip full of elephants which was fine with me as I never tire of watching elephants and love the interaction they have with each other. We had one in camp walking around being quite “naughty” so we retreated into out chalet when he came by after lunch. He then he wandered over into the kitchen area. It took a while and a lot of hand claps, shouting, and engine revving before they got him to move on. Evidently he could be quite a problem. He and his brother were orphans and did not know how to behave. I hope they team up with an older bull soon who will coach them.

 

We saw many elephants from our chalet:

 

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Elephants also frequented the waterhole in camp and one kept coming up and staring at us as we sat in the hide. He’d fill his trunk with water and then give us a cheeky look as if he was going to spray us.

 

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He didn’t but guests moved some camera equipment into a safer spot just in case.

 

 

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Mwamba Camp S. Luangwa cont'd

 

I spent many happy hours watching elephants at the waterhole hide in the afternoons:

 

Some liked to have a good scratch before coming to drink:

 

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This log was a challenge:

 

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Using the trunk is also a challenge:

 

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After the water a dust bath was called for:

 

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Mwamba Camp S. Luangwa cont’d

 

Other animals and birds visited the waterhole or were around the camp:

 

Guineafowl:

 

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White browed coucal:

 

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Impala:

 

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A big flock of quilea came in one day:

 

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Bee eater and ?:

 

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Bee eater:

 

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Bushbuck:

 

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Puku:

 

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Warthog:

 

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This bushbuck was quite tame and was often beside our chalet:

 

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Mwamba Camp S. Luangwa cont’d

 

Our walks and drives produced a good variety of wildlife.

 

Roadblocks:

 

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A lovely open area full of warthogs and impala:

 

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Typical landscapes:

 

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Zebra:

 

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Zebra with a punk haircut:

 

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Kudu

 

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Little elephant:

 

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Verreaux's Eagle owl

 

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Buffalo:

 

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On our second to last evening drive we saw lions following a herd of buffalo:

 

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It was getting dark and they went into some bush where we couldn't drive. However we met up with them again the next day.

 

 

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Lovely updates and great variety of animals. I'm sure someone will be able to ID your mystery bird that's hanging out with the bee eater...but not me, I'm afraid!

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Towlersonsafari

We are enjoying this report.Are you going to say which reserve or camp you liked best? The mystery bird might be a red billed buffalo weaver,perhaps!

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SafariChick

Beautiful photos, and really makes me feel I'm there. That little elephant - so tiny and adorable! And re this elephant in the prior post:

 

After the water a dust bath was called for:

 

 

 

Personally, I tend to get in the water AFTER I get dusty, but that's just me! ;)

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