African Safari

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After a long haul starting with overnight stay in Bribane, 7am flight to Sydney, rush through to iternational terminal to catch our 14 hour flight to Johannesburg, 3hours in J/burg airport and then 4hr flight to Nairobi, we finally arrived 26 hours later in the capital of Kenya at 1.30am. The hotel picked us up from the airport and we finally got to bed around 3am. Ian was up at 6 and I slept til 8. We walked into the city and found ourselves the target of many men trying to coax us to their market stores and story tellers acting like they were interested in where we were from but were really beggars. the city markets were really interesting with butchers, florists, fruit, art, jewelery and carving stalls. I controlled myself from buy anthing as it will be a struggle to transport art etc.
14 September
After our first night we were up early and drove in the truck from Arusha to a local Maasai museum to learn more about the Maasai culture and visit the snake park next to the museum. We then met up with ours new guides who would take us through the Serengeti. We split into 3 groups to go in 4wd's for the next 4 days. Our driver Michael was the lead driver. We drove for 3 hours to the Nogorongoro crater park. The Maasai are the only people allowed to live in the park and no new Maasai tribes can settle here. On the crater rim we stopped to see the heards of wildlife in the crater and then for lunch at a small grass clearing where we saw our first zebra and elephant. We then drove on the Serengeti NP where we had to stop to pay NP fees. The Maasai can not live in the Serengeti. On our way to the camp we saw zebra, giraffe, elephant, warthog, ostrich, hyena and impala as well as a Simba and a number of lioness and cubs. As we drove into the camp it was getting dark but luckily our tents were all setup at the camp and dinner was being prepared by our cooks. We were warned not to got to the toilet block during the night as hyena or other animals roam the park at night. Of course Ian didn't really believe this and decided to go to the toilet block around 2am with no dramas. About half an hour later we were woken by hyenas in the camp and Ian agreed he should probably heed the guides advice in future.
15 sept
Today we woke early and headed out on safari and saw a large herd of elephants eating the trees, knocking them over as they wanted. We passed more massive herds of zebra, warthogs and impala as well as a dickdick couple. We then came across a waterhole where a several lions were enjoying a recent zebra kill. There were 5 lioness and 4 mature cubs feasting with another 3 cubs up a large tree nearby. There were a dozen or more hyena waiting impatiently about and one jackal as well. As we watched one of the lioness got up and the 4 cubs followed. They walked right beside our car onto the road behind us and down to the waterhole. They could not drink as there was a hippo in the water that scared them away by snorting and growling sound. The hyenas got excited and started making screeching noises similar to the sounds they made during the night as they thought they might get some food,only to be disappointed as the lioness and cubs returned to continue feasting.
We moved onto another area where we saw a leopard sitting in a tree about 30m from the car. Just as we arrived he got up and jumped out of the tree and into the long grass so we could no longer see him. As we drove on we saw more zebra, elephants, buffalo and many different types of bock- antelope.
We headed back to the camp for lunch and rest and then headed out again around 3 as the animals are most active at dawn and dusk.
We spent much of the afternoon looking for cheetah. We found 2 a long way from the car sitting under a tree. For the first time we saw monkeys and baboons. There was also a leopard sitting on a rocky outcrop overlooking the plains. These rocky outcrops were the inspiration for the Simba movie.
16 sep
This morning we packed up camp and headed out for our last safari in Serengeti NP. We saw amazing heards of zebra,elephants giraffe antelope. We also came across a feshly killed baby zebra. The cheetah that had killed it had run off as the car before us arrived and it was sitting about 200m away waiting for us to leave, so we did. We saw lots of prides of lions including one Simba lying in a concrete pipe under the bridge cooling off!
We drove out of Serengeti and stopped at a Masi village to visit a tribe. It cost $50 per car and then you are allowed to take photos. Otherwise photos are not permitted. We then drove up to the Ngorongoro crater rim to our camp for the night. It was a great spot just next to the crater road entrance. It was freezing cold and difficult to sleep as I just couldn't get warm enough.
17 sept
We drove down into the crater and saw many more zebra, wilderbeast, buffalo and antelope. We also saw a number of hippo heards and a couple of lions. We almost saw a springbok being born but unfortunately part way through the birth the mother got a fright and ran off with a male chasing her. The crater was a little disappointing compared to the Serengeti. On the way out of the crater one of our trucks broke down and we ended up having to drive up to the rim at less than 10km/hr and then sit for 2 hours while it was fixed. While we were waiting for the car repairs one of our group got grabbed by a baboon trying to get the Pringles he was eating. Luckily he wasn't bitten. We were all a little shaken. We returned to Arusha around 7.30pm and had a late dinner and straight to bed.
18 Sept Thurs
This morning we headed off to Loshoto after a slight delay with a flat tyre on the truck. We eventually got away around 7.30am. The drive took us through many towns where the local children were all dressed in school uniforms heading to school. It is amazing how formal their uniforms are with pleated skirts for girls and formal shirt and long pants for boys. We stopped on the side of the road at the base of the mountain to have lunch, with everyone pitching to prepare and pack up before setting off again. We arrived at the top of the mountain town of Loshoto around 3pm and quickly dropped our bags and 7 of us headed out on a hike with two local young guides (Amos and Michael $15US pp). We were all glad to be using some energy so there were no complaints as we hiked uphill at a fast pace. At one point we stopped for a brief rest and the guide picked a chameleon out of a bush to show us. We walked to a cliff edge with spectacular views of the valley below. Along the way local children ran alongside us at each village giving high fives and waving with jumbo greetings. At one stage a group of children took our hands and walked with us. I talked to them as we walked. We even practiced counting and saying the alphabet. They were very friendly and looked on as we took in the lookout view. Our guides explained the village life including brick making, crops and plants as well as se if their customs. It was a strenuous walked, but so worthwhile. We arrived back at the lodge around 6.40 and the others were already having dinner. After a quick dinner we went back to our room for a cool shower 😞 and to repack our bags for Zanzibar.
Friday19
Up at 4.15 and in the road at 5am towards Zanzibar. We stopped around 7.30 for breakfast in a carpark beside a hotel and fuel station. Luckily I was able to catch up on a little sleep as we drove. At one town we stopped to talk to another Nomad guide who had stopped his truck due to engine problems the day before and was under the truck fixing it when another truck slammed into the front cab. It was completely crushed and amazingly no one was hurt. The villages along the way were very poor with no electricity. We crossed one bridge where we saw a hippo in the water below. Many of the village houses along the road have been marked with red crosses which indicate they are with the highway upgrade zone and will be torn down.
We arrived in dar es Salam port around 2 and walked a couple of blocks into town to change money and buy lunch. We then boarded the ferry to Zanzibar at 3.45 which took about 1.5 hours across the ocean.
21 Sept Sunday
Ian headed off fishing with Arnold and Marcus while I went snorkeling with Annemiek and Ella at Moro reef. Nothing happens on time in Zanzibar. We finally headed off on the boat at 9.30 and motored 1.5 hrs around to the other side of the island to snorkel a tiny private island atoll about 1km from main island. There were many reef fish around the colourless coral. There were also some bright blue finger starfish as well as crown of thorns. After snorkeling we motored across to the main island (you can use the atoll island as it is privately owned) where we had a fish lunch that had been backed in the ground. We then sailed back to our hotel. That afternoon a group if us had rooftop cocktails at one of the flash restaurant bars and watched the sunset, followed by a seafood dinner and acrobat show by a local boy troupe.
22 sep Mon
Our final day on Zanzibar we woke early and took a long quiet walk on the beach as very few people were up, followed by a swim. After a relaxing breakfast we headed back to the port. We were a little early so 4 of us walked back to Old Town to buy a few souvenirs. The ferry trip was pretty rough and many people were seasick, but me luckily. When we arrived back at Dar es Salaam we had to walk to another ferry and then take the truck to our next accommodation at the beach. We played a new card game that night call jungle snap. Our accomm was two story bungalow which felt like a treehouse.
23 September tues
We had two new group members join today. After breakfast we headed back through the city and out along the highway to Mikumi. We had lunch on a pull off alongside the highway again which is always amusing to the locals and passing traffic. 16 of us setup around a table with folding chairs eating our lunch on the dirt roadside. To get to the town you have to travel about 30 km through the middle of the Mikumi national park. There were impala, zebras, giraffe and elephant all along the sides of the road. We had two new members join our group today, and for the first time we all introduced ourselves after dinner. Our room was very basic and from experience I tested the toilet to check if it flushed properly, only to see water spout out everywhere from where the cistern was supposed to enter the toilet. Pays to check before using! The maintenance boy came to fix it and wrapped the pipe in electrical tape and pushed it into the pipe it was supposed to connect to. It worked somewhat effectively. The shower was also cold, so it was a quick scrub after a long hot drive.
24 Sept Wednesday
We had an early morning game drive in Mikumi NP so were were up at 5.30 and in our open side cruiser by 6.30 for a cold and damp half hour drive back though the NP to the ticket gate. In the park we saw hippo, small crocodiles and a few elephant, giraffe and impala. We also saw a lot of giraffe along the highway again. The park was not as interesting as the Serengeti but I expecting that not much will match the Serengeti. We then drove the truck up and over the Udzungwa mountains to the town of Iringa. Our accommodation was at a local Haire Haire tribe farmhouse where they have turned mud huts into stable rooms, cook houses and a bar and restaurant. It was so beautifully done and a donkey hot water system feed the shared showers. The bar and restaurant were unpowered so we ate by candlelight at a long table a delicious meat, vegetable and potatoes meal prepared by the locals.
25 Sept Thurs
Waking again at 5am to be ready to leave at 6 for a long day of traveling as we cross the final leg of Tanzania heading towards Melawi. We spent almost 13 hours in the truck with a border crossing and lunch stop beside the highway again. It was a good chance to catch up on sleep, diary entries and finish my 2nd book.we stopped ongoing the way to see the tea plantations and to buy fresh fruit and veg. At the boarder crossing Malawi it was the first time I saw them using computers fir processing. We also changed $50USD to Kwacha (21,0000). We stayed the night at Citchua on the shore of lake Melawi. It is hard to imagine it is a lake as you cannot see the other side as it is so massive. The people were very friendly and children would run to the roadside to wave to the truck as we drove along. The camp was very nice on the beach front with our rooms directly facing the ocean. We went for a stroll to the beach and felt the water which was warm bit very choppy.
26 Sept Friday
We woke extra early due to our phone not adjusting to Melawi daylight saving time so the alarm woke us at 5.30 instead of 6.30. We drove along the lake front for a few kms and then headed up over the mountains towards Kande Beach. The view if the lake from the mountains was spectacular. There were baboons along the roadside and communities alive with daily chores. We stopped at Mzuzu to buy groceries for a party. It was our guides birthday so we decided to cook him dinner and five him the night off. It was fun with everyone pitching in to help prepare and cook. We also made him a banana smoothie as he doesn't drink alcohol.
27 Sept Saturday
The local village tour at Kande beach was a true insight into the hard life if local villagers. Unfortunately local beach boys (con artists) tagged along in the hope that they could talk us into buying something. The local villagers opened their homes and continued with daily chores as we made our way through the sandy village paths. Children ran along beside us holding our hands and looking at the photos of themselves as we took them. We visited the local primary school which had 1500 registered leathers and 10 staff with 8 classrooms. The classes often have 120-150 students with one teacher. There are so few resources available and we were able to make a donation to assist the school.
We then went to visit the hospital which consists of 2 open air areas, one room which is the ward for women and children where 6 beds were crammed together. There were 3 women who had given birth in the last 12 hours as well as another mother with a 2 year old boy who had severe malaria. The clinic manages most births for an 8 km radius (22,000 people) and has 2 male midwives. We then walked back to the camp for a swim and lunch. The lake was fresh water and swimming in it seemed strange as it looks like the ocean but feels and tasted so different.
We spent the afternoon reading in the bar area overlooking the lake, which was very relaxing.
For dinner we went to the local village where the local women had prepared a variety of local dishes for us to try.
28 Sept Sunday
Today we travelled all day through the southwest of Malawi to Lalongwi the capital of Malawi. It was over 8 hours of driving cutting over mountains and alongside lake Malawi for about 5 hours and eventually heading further weta away from the lakeThe city is very spread out and we weren't able to see the old part of town as traffic is too congested and streets are too narrow for the truck. We stayed in small accommodation place just outside of town on about an acre of land with lovely bungalow rooms. It would impossible to find on your own as we wove the truck around numerous dirt tracks to get there. We had a nice dinner and then played darts with a few of the group.
29 Sept Monday
We left the capital and headed for the Zambian border. It only took a couple of hours to get to the border but the Zambia customs took over an hour to process our visas and passports as the one officer was extremely slow and decided to take his morning break part
way through.
Once in Zambia we headed to Chipata to change money and buy some groceries. The city was large with grocery stores and fuel stations. As we headed to the national park the villages got less and less frequent and poorer. At one stage the truck spluttered and stopped for no reason. We all clambered out and walked into the village nearby for some shade. The villages were not used to visitors and they all gathered around a little awestruck we tried to talk them but their English was very poor. After about 15 minutes we were back on the truck and heading to the national park. For lunch we pulled over to the side of the road next to a local farmer trying to sell chickens in the middle if nowhere. We offered him and a couple of other farmers who came along on their bicycle our left over food. They were very grateful. We drove off the main road for about 10km on dirt road to the camp. It was located on the Luangwa river and our permanent tents (bungalow) were on the bank overlooking the river with ensuite attached. Hippo were in the river and impala grazed on the river banks. Giraffe also came down to the water to drink. Baboon and mongoose were also around in packs. The monkeys tried to steal food from the table while Munza wasn't looking. We spent the afternoon swimming in the pool and having a few drinks while watching the wildlife.
30 Sept Tuesday
Another early start as we headed out on a 4 hr game drive into South Luangwa NP. We saw hippo fighting in the river , wild dogs eating their kill, endemic giraffe and large heard of buffalo. We also saw puku, waterbuck, bushbuck
We came back and had a delicious breakfast and lazed around the pool during the heat of the day.
We went for a sunset game drive and saw more antelope, including kudu, bushbuck and waterbuck. We also saw a leopard at a distant as well as a young leopard right up close. Our driver took us through the brush so we could see home closely. There were elephants crossing the river, hippo exiting the water to graze and giraffe feeding as well. We also spotted a large pride of lions at a distance but couldn't get close to them. The driver had taken beers for us so we all sat beside the river at sunset and had a beer. We didn't get back until after 8 and Muza had our dinner ready.
It was Annameik's birthday so we had balloons and cake. Ian tried to go to our bungalow to get the candle for the cake but almost ran into a very large elephant. We had just been warned that 3 people had died in the region in the last week due to elephant injuries. We found another candle and got a guard to take us to our bungalow after the party.
1 Oct Wednesday
Waking to our last morning in the park we could hear the elephants crossing the river again heading back into the park after raiding the village vegetable gardens and mango trees.
We visited a local village cultural centre where we learned more about the Zambian traditions, their housing and communal structure as well as dances. It was a lot of fun and the children loved spending time with us.
We also visited tribal textiles where almost 100 local people are employed hand painting fabrics for sale. These are sold all around Australia. I bought a cloth for $130US hoping to help the locals.
We drove back into Chapata town and had a relaxing afternoon and then played Jungle snap after dinner with Ela, Marcus, Martin and Annamiek. The game is pretty rough trying to win the totem pole and at one stage I end up being knocked backwards onto the dirt as the boys fought over the totem. Very funny
2 Oct Thursday
Up at 4.30 for an eleven hour drive to Lusaka the capital of Zambia. It was a long day and the roads were really rough. Tomorrow we travel to Victoria Falls where the group will split with some finishing their tour, half going to Cape Town and us and a few of the Germans going to Johannesburg.
3 October Friday
Traveling for around 6 hours we first passed through Livingstone ( the original capital of Rhodesia). The city was the best looking city we have seen with tree lined streets and well maintained European buildings. We crossed the border to Victoria Falls where the group split into two different hotels as some were finishing their tour, half going to Cape Town and us and a few of the Germans going to Johannesburg. Our hotel was about 3km out of town overlooking the Zambezi river. There were elephants in the surrounding area as well as impala on the golf course, and baboons and pumba just below us. It was a 4 star hotel, but felt like 5 star to us. We went for a swim to cool off and enjoyed a cocktail by the pool. We went back into town for dinner with Marcus, Ella, Annemiek, Arnold and Martin at the Kingdom Hotel which was a beautiful building combining traditional and modern structural techniques. On the way back to hotel in the taxi we had to stop for a group of elephants crossing the road.
4th Oct Saturday
We walked back into town from the hotel in the morning. We had to be careful in case we came across any wildlife. The bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe has a bunny jump so we walked down to watch the jumpers. It made us both realise how fearless Patrick must have been to have dived off backwards when he bunji jumped in New Zealand.
We did some shopping and bought a leopard stone carving that reminded us of the leopards we had seen.
We spent the afternoon around the pool and relaxed in readiness for the next day. Really large Pumba were walking around the pool area.
The sunset was spectacular and we watched the city lights of Livingstone grow as the night came. It was very beautiful.
4th Oct Sun
We met our new group of 18 ( mostly German speaking) and our new truck which was old and dilapidated. Visiting the Falls was interesting. While the length of the span which the Falls covers is over 1.5km, the amount of water is not that great at this time of year. The water flow is 10 times greater in the wet season. We then drove 2.5hrs to cross the boarder into Botswana. Chobe national park is the second largest NP in Botswana and we stayed on the banks of the Chobe river. There were elephant along the banks if the river but this accommodation had an electric fence so there were no worries with elephants inside the park. We helped prepare diner and had a couple of drinks at the bar which was very nicely setup overlooking the river.
5th October Monday
Ian and I both woke feeling unwell with severe stomach cramps. We spent most of the day in bed.
I decided to go on the afternoon senate river game cruise even though I would have preferred to stay in bed. At the boat I caught up with a few of our old group as their new group had just arrived and shared the cruise with us.
The were large herds of elephants, many hippo and buffalo as well as few impala and crocodiles.
Ian was still sick when I returned and neither of us ate dinner.
6th Oct Tues
Another early rise (5am) as the drive to Muan is over 600km. We saw more elephant as we drove along the highway to the end of the NP.
As we continued towards the delta the landscape remained
arid with areas dotted with massive baobab trees. There were very few villages along the road and almost no signs if life in the villages we did see, which was strange compared to Tanzania and Malawi.
We stayed overnight in Maun town while the campers stayed out of town at Sitatuka campsite.
8th Oct Wednesday
We flew in a five seater plane from Maun to the 'Oddballs' camp with the 25 minute flight providing a great overview of the delta marsh. We saw a large heard of buffalo but no other wildlife from that height. As this is the dry season there were a lot more small islands visible than there is in the wet. The camp is completely isolated with flight or boat (mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe that is pushed along by pole) access only.
When we arrived at the camp we were taken to the common area for a briefing. There was an elephant and hippo in the river right in front of us. After the briefing and introduction to our individual guides (Photo) we were shown to our tents which were built up on platforms with a separate ensuite. They were fabulous! Our tent was at the opposite end of the camp to the common area and there were three elephants grazing nearby. The camp common area had a lounge and bar area, fire pit and dinning area all open to the water as well an upstairs viewing platform.
We settled in and had a hot lunch. After lunch we set out for a game walk. We took the makoro across the river to the national park and walked through the bush. There were 3 of us with a guide in front and one at he back. They had no weapons.
We walked for about one hour and saw red lechwe, impala, elepha?nt and pumba. It was so nice to view the animals without being in a vehicle.
When we returned from our game walk we all showered and then went to watch the sun set at the common room. We had a beautiful roast chicken dinner and then drinks around the campfire listening to the hippo munching just below us. A great day!
9th oct Thursday
We woke to the sun rise view from our bed. Up at 6 for tea and muffin before we headed off in the mokoro to the NP. We joined with, Maria, Burt and Sharon and two other guides, John and White. We walked at a good pace spotting impala and red letche (antelope) regularly for about an hour and then we came across a large heard of buffalo. We watched them for a while until they were eventually spooked and thundered off into the distance. We tracked down a couple of giraffe and a group of zebra and continued on spotting multiple bird species, pumba, red letche fighting in the marsh and then spotted another group of about seven giraffe with two very small ones. By the time we got back to the mokoro we had been walking solidly for 3.5 hours. Back at the camp we showered and washed out out clothes which dried in half an hour. Ian then went fishing with Photo. They poled across the river and dug up worms for bait. They then walked 10minutes to the workers village which is outside the NP so they could fish legally. Ian got to see their camp and used another makoro there for fishing which consisted of a few bites but no catch. I sat in the common room and read and chatted with one of the pilots while waiting for Ian to return. It was very hot and I had a bad head cold and my nose and eyes were running profusely making it not so pleasant. I was off my food also which was a shame as the food at the camp was excellent. During the day the temperature reached high thirty's and was very humid. The best we could do to cool down was to take showers, so we did regularly. Before we left for our afternoon walk at 4 I wet my shirt and pants to keep me cool, but they were dry before the mokoro left the bank. The guides took us on a botany walk for the afternoon which was slow and relaxing. We had so much fun learning about and trying to identify prints and droppings, fauna and flora, making jokes and teasing each other. When we returned to the mokoro to pole back to the camp there were 3 hippo right in our path. The guides threw palm nuts at them and ime of them jumped up out of the water and then submerged so we didn't know where it went, so we were rather scared as we had upset them and angry hippos are very dangerous. We set of for a nervous mokoro ride back to the camp, thankfully without incident.
We had another great night around the campfire.
10th Oct Friday
After our last sunrise wake up we enjoyed a slow rise and outdoor shower. We spotted baboons playing around one of the planes and were shocked to see them open the plane door and start playing inside. Ian went and alerted the staff who eventually chased them off. After watching a crocodile swim past and elephant and hippo for the last time we sadly said goodbye to Photo and the other staff and boarded our plane for the 20 minute flight back to Maun.
We drove the truck back to meet the camping group who had stayed at a different camp in the delta. There we caught up with some of our previous group (Canadians. Ella and Marcus and Martin) once again and said our final goodbyes.
We then drove 4 hours to Nata passing back through Chobe NP and having to walk through foot and mouth veterinary dips again. Can't see how they can be effective when so little of our boots actually got wet by the dip!
We arrived in Nata around 6.30 and stayed at Nata lodge about 5km from town. Our accommodation was fabulous with a massive room with free standing bath inside and outdoor shower and toilet all excellently set out. The pool, bar and restaurant area was also very nice.
11th Oct Saturday
5.30 breakfast for 6am departure as we headed for Palapye 600km away. We passed through Francistown, the second largest city in Botswana, without too much traffic and the surrounding bush land along the roadside remained very dry and arid. We arrived at camp at lunch time and had a two hour break before heading off on a 160 round trip to the rhino sanctuary.
On our game drive we saw one black rhino and a dozen white rhino as well as springbok, impala, pumba, zebra and giraffe.
We returned to camp around 6.30 and had our last camp dinner.

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