Unlimited fun with Unlimited Tours on a Mobile Safari - 4Rivers at Kwando plus Vic Falls excitement - Green season January 2024

[Peter Connan]

Still really enjoying tagging along.

Those muddy pools play havoc on brake pads! 

A note on the elephant tusk you picked up: the hole in the back is for the "root" or nerve. That whole section is normally inside the skull, and that was thus not a broken tusk, but from a dead Ellie.

 

Your new roller is a broad-billed. That would have been a lifer for me.

 

[Africalover]

What a fantastic leopard sighting. I’m sure the lions is ready for you in Xini 😊

[offshorebirder]

Great trip report @Hads - thanks very much for taking the time to post all this wonderful content.

 

I can't imagine how special it must have been to share with your family.   Unlimited Tours and Joster are moving up my bucket list!

 

 

[Hads]

Thanks to everyone for following along, my wife has mentioned I am putting too many photo's in the report, I am loving re-living the Safari and might be getting carried away.

 

Thanks @Peter Connanfor explaining the elephant tusk, Joster had explained when we were in Khwai that quite alot of Elephants had died of a disease, maybe the same happened to this one.

 Yes @Africaloverwe had a lion or 2 in Xini  , they were definitely in Khwai but elusive, we heard them roaring every night. 

A Safari with my wife and kids @offshorebirderwas awesome and plenty of wonderful memories and moments were created. I will definitely go on another Safari with Joster and Unlimited Tours.

 

[Hads]

Joster sorted out the paperwork etc at Moremi Northgate and off we headed southwards and stopped at South Gate and met more Unlimited Tours crew who were on a Safari with another client (more on that later).

We could not head straight to our Xini campsite due to the crew needing to set up camp again.

We were also waiting for our Unlimited camp crew at Southgate where we had lunch, we later found out that they got bogged, the other Unlimted crew went and helped them.

We slowly made our way towards Xini.

We stopped on our way to South Gate about 10 minutes from North gate in a beautiful plains area.

Along the way the track had plenty of Wild dog and lion tracks.

For those who have traveled this road you will remember it is very dense with Mopane trees making sightings very difficult.

Edited April 23 by Hads

[Hads]

The track from South gate to Moremi was pretty wet, the Safari vehicles get a workout and hard time in the Green season.

Getting closer to Xini

We got a flat tyre a few Km's from camp and our spare also had issue's.

 

Our first Giraffe of the trip, been fighting by the looks.

Lovely open plains in Xini

 

Lots of Lechwe

 

 

Stunning Fish Eagle

 

Plenty of Cattle Egrets amongst the game.

 

Edited April 23 by Hads

[Hads]

We slowly continued on around the South western area of Xini and came across a large breeding herd of Ele's.

We spent plenty of time with them and Joster put us in the perfect position as they were walking towards us.

 

 

 

Iconic Moremi shot with the Palms  

 

 

Nice Panoramic shot

 

 

 

Plenty of little ones in the herd.

 

Lovely sunlight

 

Plenty of playtime with the little ones.

 

 

 

Stand still please

 

 

Drink time

We still had not been to our new campsite in Xini, Joster spotted this lovely lady.

Edited April 23 by Hads

[Hads]

We had a nice time with this princess of Xini, it was great to see our first lion,  around 6.30 pm we finally arrived at camp.

It had been a big travel day but very enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 23 by Hads

[Hads]

A few photo's around camp site at Xini.

Beautiful plains in front of camp.

Some exercise in camp.

Well earned drink.

Searching the plains

Edited April 23 by Hads

[madaboutcheetah]

@Hadsenjoying your report ..... Did you make it to blackpools from Xini?  

[Hads]

Thanks for following along @madaboutcheetah, we didnt get to Blackpools due to the heavy rain that had fallen. We did head northwards of Xini to Bodamatau and first bridge area.

[Hads]

Xini to Bodamatau and back.

Lots of lions roaring over night.

Well, we had an action-packed morning in Xini, this wasnt due to sightings (they came later) but getting bogged for an hour or so.

We had had a leisurely morning spotting Ele's and lechwe etc then we got stuck, real stuck.

It took Joster and I  a good hour or so getting us out.

We needed to get some large branches (leadwood branches) to put under our tyre's, unfortunately there was no tree's close by ................... No problem says Joster, "come Marcus lets go get some branches", say off we walked a few hundred metres to get some large branches. I must admit I was nervous walking off leaving my boys at the car alone. If something had happened to Joster and I they would have been stranded.

Anyhow we got the wood and after several tries and lots of jacking the wheels we got out.......  

 

 

[Hads]

We got a call from the other Unlimited group who were camping at Bodamatau.

They had spotted a lion pride close to camp.

They were with a wonderful American guy who has been travelling to Botswana for many years and makes filming documentaries about "Lion life" in Moremi.

Moses was the head guide with the film maker.

There camp at Bodamatau. 

 

Edited April 23 by Hads

[Africalover]

Don’t worry about too many photos - it’s wonderful to be along.

I am a FB friend with Steve Lumpkin - he has traveled extensively in Botswana with Moses and Joster for years. Filming the wonders of Botswana. Great guy 😊

[xelas]

On 4/22/2024 at 2:47 PM, Peter Connan said:

Those muddy pools play havoc on brake pads! 

And on clutch pads!

 

 

 

16 hours ago, Hads said:

The track from South gate to Moremi was pretty wet, the Safari vehicles get a workout and hard time in the Green season.

That is how I remember Botswana; hopefully we will have drier roads in August.

 

 

@Hads, that was an epic family adventure! Great sightings, great photos, and perfect company!

[Hads]

Thanks @Africalover, plenty of photo's to come, I am back at work for next 2 weeks so there will be a delay in finishing off the report.

Nothing better @xelasthan going on Safari with the people you love and are important in your life, still plenty to come.

[Zubbie15]

On 4/22/2024 at 9:25 PM, Hads said:

I am putting too many photo's in the report

Haha, not possible for this audience I don't think. 

 

Great report so far, it's challenging to bring the whole family on safari but worth it! 

[Atravelynn]

Your rainbows are fabulous.  You deserve some after getting bogged down.  The water levels in your photos are really high.  Loved the hyena family.  Bee-eater WITH a bee, as it should be and the Ground Hornbill had an insect morsel in the bill too.  Every next hippo shot had more open mouths than the last!  Lucky with the leopard.  You've incorporated such nice shots with your family.  There is one breakfast shot with your son that makes me think he may not be a morning person.

Edited April 27 by Atravelynn

[Hads]

Thanks @Zubbie15and @Atravelynn and @xelasfor also following along.

I will keep the photo's coming  

The early mornings on Safari took its toll on a couple of family members, however on this Botswana trip my boys did not miss 1 drive, they managed to get up at 5am every morning.

@xelaswhere are you going in August? Self drive in Botswana?

[Hads]

After learning the craft of getting bogged vehicles out of a spot of bother with Joster we finally arrived in the Bodamatau area where the other unlimited vehicle was with a couple of honeymoon pairs of lions , one of the honeymoon couples kept busy and the other the lioness was not ready to be annoyed by the large male.

The lions were all in great condition, from memory there Joster and Moses said there was about 8-10 lions in this pride. We saw 5 of them , 2 males and 3 females.

 

Honeymoon couple # 1, no such action for this big guy.

 

 

 

 

 

He followed her everywhere for no action....

 

 

My as well rest in the shade.....

 

The males are in great shape.

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:35 PM by Hads

[Hads]

His mate however was working very hard.

This male had a black mark around his eye, he was also a stunning male.

 

 

 

Steve and Moses

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:45 PM by Hads

[Hads]

We left the lions and continued on up to first bridge area with a few more nice sightings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This lovely lioness was only a kilometre or 2 from the others.

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:47 PM by Hads

[Hads]

We stopped and had a coffee with Moses and Steve, it was so nice to meet these wonderful Gentlemen who work very hard making the wonderful Lion life documentaries.

Steve shared his Starbucks coffee with us  

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:50 PM by Hads

[Hads]

After a wonderful time around the Bodamatau area we made our way back to our camp in Xini, we passed by the lions who were lazy.

 

 

 

View from the other camp in Bodamatau

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:54 PM by Hads

[Hads]

We had a leisurely afternoon, from my diary report we left camp around 4.30pm.

We came across a young ele who got startled and came trumpeting at us, we saw a lovely breeding herd of Ele's again and a few other bits and pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 01:00 PM by Hads