Best trip yet....Phinda, Sabi Sabi, Tswalu

[Rocco626]

@@PCNW - Wow, wow, wow...what an amazing trip and an equally amazing trip report / photo gallery!! Of the properties on your itinerary, I've only been to Sabi Sabi and loved it. Out of curiosity, what was your original Zambia itinerary that your daughter vetoed and where in Zambia have you visited in the past? My favorite property in all of Africa is Chiawa in Lower Zambezi National Park but I also love South Luangwa National Park.

[PCNW]

@@Rocco626 thank you for reading and the kind words on my trip report. My itinerary for Zambia was going to be through Bill Givens and The Wild Source. We would have done eight nights total with The Bushcamp Company, four at Chindeni and four at Bilimungwe. With 8 nights with them we would have had a PV included. We would have added another four somewhere else too.

 

On our first trip to Zambia we went to Sausage Tree but I looked very hard at Chiawa as you know it comes very highly recommended. I think Sausage Tree is one of my top 3-4 camps too.

[Morkel Erasmus]

@@PCNW lovely report and photos, and good to "see" who you really are (having interacted on ODP under your handle there).

I'm so glad the dogs are doing well on Tswalu - the more viable and successful packs we have in SA the better for the species!

[PCNW]

@@graceland I contacted Roger, our guide at Tswalu, about the bird app and was told that it was Roberts Birds. I couldn't find it in the app store but when I googled it this came up:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=za.co.sabirding&hl=en

 

And this:

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roberts-vii-multimedia-birds/id556554062?mt=8

 

He also mentioned Sasol Birds.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sasol-ebirds-southern-africa/id332205031?mt=8

 

Hope this helps.

[graceland]

@@graceland I contacted Roger, our guide at Tswalu, about the bird app and was told that it was Roberts Birds. I couldn't find it in the app store but when I googled it this came up:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=za.co.sabirding&hl=en

 

And this:

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roberts-vii-multimedia-birds/id556554062?mt=8

 

He also mentioned Sasol Birds.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sasol-ebirds-southern-africa/id332205031?mt=8

 

Hope this helps.

 

Terrific, thanks so much Patsy!

 

My new birder is getting rather fanatical; these will do even more (good) damage! haha

[TonyQ]

@@PCNW

I am a bit late coming to this report, but I am very glad I found it.

Your writing is very engaging and gives a real flavour of the different lodges.

Your photos are really superb - consistently throughout the report.

I love the hornbill shots, and in particular the wild dogs. Seeing a den being dug in front of you is amazing

Thank you for taking the time to put this together

[Atravelynn]

Best trip yet is a forceful statement from someone who has had some great safaris. I only got as far as the naughty monkeys. They resulted in a highlight for an 18-year old visitor when they peed on his table from above, knowing that would scatter the guests and make for easy pickings. Not everyone would have viewed that incident so positively, but he was thrilled. You got some good action shots.

 

The crash of rhinos rivals a wildebeest herd!

 

Another Phinda Fan! Looking forward to the rest.

[Atravelynn]

Wonderful silhouette shots of "Ellie Mae" on several occasions. Now I want a serval slobbering on my shoe too.

 

You mention the fever trees along the river. I still remember the beautiful light on them. The different habitats add another interesting dimension.

 

You had some great sightings and photos of Phinda's signature species, including the spraying shot.

 

What a coincidence with Marc Lindsey Rey, but then it is a small world in the guiding community.

 

"All this way" using an Ipod. Maybe these folks live closer than you think. I've run into lots of South Africans in Phinda.

 

Excellent stay at Phinda that produced excellent photos! Peeking at your next stop, more spotted cats!

[Atravelynn]

"...really wanted to try my hand had a backlit predator." You certainly got your wish. Stunning lions!

 

You have my attention with Tswalu, especially those meerkats. Thanks for the Tswalu logistics. Seems simple.

 

I admit it, that's what I was thinking--"you’re thinking I went waaaay overboard on the saturation and you would be very wrong." So that's what nipply looks like!

 

Your photos are beautiful!

[PCNW]

Thank you @@TonyQ for the kind words, much appreciated.

 

@@Atravelynn I also thank you. I'm posting the original sunset photos that have no editing applied and in fact my cameras Picture Control are set on neutral so nothing is even applied in camera. When I looked around and saw those colors I was amazed.

 

 

 

Lynn I too want to go back for the meerkats...I had planned on trying back lit angles and totally forgot my plan on that morning. And then our last am trip to the meerkats was spoiled by weather....gotta go back.

 

Ellie Mae gets fed up with me and I hear Mooooom....Stoooooop...and No more after a while. She'll be off the hook here soon, we just got word that #2 son has twins on the way and I'll have a new subject(s) to photograph.

 

Small world is right. Having run into @@johnkok in Botswana and @@africapurohit in Tanzania, meeting Peter Connan in ODP and then in this forum and @DumaTau in Botswana...and several more things it's amazing how small the world is through the internet.

 

Speaking of that I saw a photo on Birdphotographers.net that I believe must have been from a trip that @@AKR1 took awhile back. It was an older photo of a heavily pregnant zebra that had just been brought down by a pack of hyenas. The photo and description seemed like one that AKR1 posted here and one that I've thought of often since she was looking into the camera lens while being eaten alive....that had to be from the same trip but AKR1 uses Canon and this was from Nikon gear....a fellow traveler maybe???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AKR1]

 

Speaking of that I saw a photo on Birdphotographers.net that I believe must have been from a trip that @@AKR1 took awhile back. It was an older photo of a heavily pregnant zebra that had just been brought down by a pack of hyenas. The photo and description seemed like one that AKR1 posted here and one that I've thought of often since she was looking into the camera lens while being eaten alive....that had to be from the same trip but AKR1 uses Canon and this was from Nikon gear....a fellow traveler maybe???

 

@@PCNW,

I did indeed travel with companions who use Nikon equipment , yet I cannot immediately recall the pregnant Zebra being eaten alive by hyenas- an event I should be able to remember. As such, it might be someone else you are thinking of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2014 by AKR1

[PCNW]

@@AKR1 I've thought about that zebra pic often since it was such a sad story and then amazingly I saw that similar photo and story in the other forum only that zebra wasn't looking directly into the lens. But for the life of me I can't find the trip report that mentions it.

[Sangeeta]

I remember that pregnant zebra too, @@PCNW. That story is on here somewhere on one of the threads but I don't have the courage to look for it. It happened in Grumeti.

 

Your Tswalu sunsets are incredible. Congratulations on the upcoming twins!

[PCNW]

Thanks @@Sangeeta. I put some time looking at the east Africa TR's but Grumeti might help narrow it down. I'm on a mission....stay tuned....Patsy

[africaaddict]

 

 

 

 

Speaking of that I saw a photo on Birdphotographers.net that I believe must have been from a trip that @@AKR1 took awhile back. It was an older photo of a heavily pregnant zebra that had just been brought down by a pack of hyenas. The photo and description seemed like one that AKR1 posted here and one that I've thought of often since she was looking into the camera lens while being eaten alive....that had to be from the same trip but AKR1 uses Canon and this was from Nikon gear....a fellow traveler maybe???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@@PCNW

Not wanting to hijacking this TR, (love the report & images BTW )

but just to clarify that the images you recall was taken by myself in the Mara (not Grumeti) OCT 2010, and yes I did post on BPN back then and one recently.

 

This is one of the very confronting images here: (feel free to PM me for more images/story)

 

 

One of the most remarkable events my wife and I witnessed was this predation by a pack of Hyenas on this poor and unfortunate Zebra mare who was heavily pregnant and simply couldn't keep up with the herd, it was the first time myself and my guide of 15 years had ever observed. Subsequently the unborn foal was savagely ripped out and carried off by one Hyena, it was heart breaking to watch, simply too much for one person in another vehicle next to us and asked to leave after this happened. All the time this mare never uttered a sound as the savagery of the pack set in, no doubt in severe shock.

We have witnessed the circle of life as last year we enjoyed a Zebra birth and now this poor mare's demise.

 

Cheers

Marc

[Atravelynn]

Horses and wild dogs, now that's a first! The puff adder interactions really got my attention. Funny how it brought out the personality of your guide. Your people and people and horse shots are a fantastic addition to all the safari photos. Such a beautiful setting for the lions at Tswala.

 

Like Hari, I'd be interested in any info you have on aardvark sightings.

 

You picked 3 beautiful and complementary places to visit on this safari and it really paid off!

[Peter Connan]

 

Speaking of that I saw a photo on Birdphotographers.net that I believe must have been from a trip that @@AKR1 took awhile back. It was an older photo of a heavily pregnant zebra that had just been brought down by a pack of hyenas. The photo and description seemed like one that AKR1 posted here and one that I've thought of often since she was looking into the camera lens while being eaten alive....that had to be from the same trip but AKR1 uses Canon and this was from Nikon gear....a fellow traveler maybe???

@@PCNW

Not wanting to hijacking this TR, (love the report & images BTW )

but just to clarify that the images you recall was taken by myself in the Mara (not Grumeti) OCT 2010, and yes I did post on BPN back then and one recently.

 

This is one of the very confronting images here: (feel free to PM me for more images/story)

 

 

One of the most remarkable events my wife and I witnessed was this predation by a pack of Hyenas on this poor and unfortunate Zebra mare who was heavily pregnant and simply couldn't keep up with the herd, it was the first time myself and my guide of 15 years had ever observed. Subsequently the unborn foal was savagely ripped out and carried off by one Hyena, it was heart breaking to watch, simply too much for one person in another vehicle next to us and asked to leave after this happened. All the time this mare never uttered a sound as the savagery of the pack set in, no doubt in severe shock.

We have witnessed the circle of life as last year we enjoyed a Zebra birth and now this poor mare's demise.

 

Cheers

Marc

 

Wow, what a sighting! I think I would also have wanted to leave.

[PCNW]

@@Sangeeta Marc has filled us in on the poor pregnant zebra above....such a sad scene and like the @@Peter Connan photo of the dying lioness it got "all hung up" in my mind.

 

@@africaaddict thank you so much for responding and posting this photo. I haven't seen anything like this and I may have had to leave too. But I'm wondering it might be easer if you're focusing on photography and not just watching?

 

@@Atravelynn @@madaboutcheetah we didn't see any aardvark but I didn't specifically mention wanting to either. The one animal I wanted to see and didn't is the brown hyena. And Lynn except for the cost it was nearly a perfect trip, three different landscapes and locations for four nights each.

[PCNW]

@Africaadict I'm curious is the above photo the original one posted in your TR? In my mind she was on her s side looking into the lens.

[Tdgraves]

@@PCNW madikwe is good for brown hyaena....

[Atravelynn]

And Lynn except for the cost it was nearly a perfect trip, three different landscapes and locations for four nights each.

It's always except for the cost.

 

Shock is a blessing for the zebra mare above.

[Bush dog]

This is an excellent reporting, good text, excellent and vivid pictures.

 

Very impressed by the puff adder's pictures, though I think it was a bit reckless but at least rewarded by those pictures.

[Atravelynn]

Very impressed by the puff adder's pictures, though I think it was a bit reckless but at least rewarded by those pictures.

 

I did something a little bit like that once a long time ago and have shivered many a time over the thought of what might have happened. Live and learn. At least we all lived. Hopefully others who read this will learn too.

 

Do you recall any cheetah talk at Phinda PCNW? For example I remember some of the guides saw a male cheetah while I was there that had not been seen for 2 years. We also had a poacher shot dead during my stay but that would fall under rhino talk.

 

Your choices really provided excellent variety in habitats and animals.

[wenchy]

Just awesome photos from tswalu. Place is magical. Thanks for sharing

[Peter Connan]

This is an excellent reporting, good text, excellent and vivid pictures.

 

Very impressed by the puff adder's pictures, though I think it was a bit reckless but at least rewarded by those pictures.

 

Be carefull of the perspective caused by lens length.

 

By using a long lens, it is possible to pose a scene in such a way that the people appear very much closer to the snake than they really are. Remember that these were taken with a 600mm lens, which has a minimum focus distance of over 4m, and that a puff-adder can only strike 1/3 to maximum 1/2 it's own length, and I am pretty sure no risks whatsoever were taken...

 

Just my two cents.