South Luangwa & Lower Zambezi 2009 "Trip of a lifetime"

[Marks]

Anyway, the lady in question was very glad of the in room bar, which she attacked with a vengeance, given that being attacked by a hippo had been her lifelong fear.....it had taken her husband 3 weeks to persuade her to do it!

 

 

Well, he'll certainly never live that one down.

 

Glad to hear she was okay, though. It's easy to imagine how that could have become quite serious.

 

Love the lion/ele hide & seek. Watching elephants bully lions is quite entertaining.

[Tdgraves]

 

Anyway, the lady in question was very glad of the in room bar, which she attacked with a vengeance, given that being attacked by a hippo had been her lifelong fear.....it had taken her husband 3 weeks to persuade her to do it!

 

 

Well, he'll certainly never live that one down.

 

Glad to hear she was okay, though. It's easy to imagine how that could have become quite serious.

 

Love the lion/ele hide & seek. Watching elephants bully lions is quite entertaining.

 

 

Luckily the hippo decided to take it out on the empty canoe as it was bigger and nearer. If either of them had been in the way, I dread to think what would have happened. I can still hear the deafening, roaring noises he was making and him banging against the canoe over and over again...I am now very wary of hippos, even in larger boats. The adrenaline starts pumping when I hear them surface.

[Tdgraves]

Chiawa

 

As sausage tree only had 2 nights, our agent suggested Chiawa for our last 2 nights - what a suggestion. It was great. not as luxurious, but excellent guiding.

 

 

 

We were manoeuvering into position to get a clearer line of sight for this leopard up a tree, eating a very smelly baboon,

 

 

As we had to shout "stop" to the guide, who nearly ran this one over...

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went back to the tree the next day and a different leopard ran past in the next tree line. Altogether, we saw 11 leopard in 12 days

 

 

Another exhausted pair of mating lions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sleepy ele caused a 10 minute roadblock

 

 

 

 

 

That's all folks

 

I'm off to pack now - leaving for the airport at lunchtime, back in two weeks!

Edited August 29, 2014 by Tdgraves

[Kitsafari]

@@Tdgraves

 

"We were on the travel agents' mailing list for several years before we could afford a safari and we justified the expense as it would be a "once in a lifetime trip" little did we know...."

 

Yes, tell me all about it! i can't shake it off too. i'm in the midst of planning my 4th trip and my husband is panicking that, at this rate, we won't be going anywhere except Africa for the rest of our lives! LOL.

[Kitsafari]

oh wow, that canoe incident is quite alarming. i know the majority of canoe/mokoro trips go smoothly, but knowing my luck, i still won't dare try it in a river full of hippos. at least not in a canoe.

 

the Ele-lion chase is hilarious, so much drama unfolding in front of you. i particularly love the pix of the trees in post #16, made me think of woods in fairy tales. a nice thought, not scary thought.

 

and BBQ in the river - that would be fun!

[marg]

When we stayed at Chiawa, we went down the channel in canoes. It was scarey. Twice we had to pull off to the side to let hippos submerge and wait to see where they would come up. Guess we were lucky!

[ZaminOz]

I have never done a Zambezi river canoe safari. Not because of any particular fear of hippos, but more a rational weighing up of the potential risk, and the risk (in my personal view) isn't worth it.

Happy to go out in a motorised boat on the Zambezi, but none of this canoeing malarky for me!

Thanks for the TR @@Tdgraves

[Sangeeta]

I have never done a Zambezi river canoe safari. Not because of any particular fear of hippos, but more a rational weighing up of the potential risk, and the risk (in my personal view) isn't worth it.

Happy to go out in a motorised boat on the Zambezi, but none of this canoeing malarky for me!

Thanks for the TR @@Tdgraves

 

I'm with you on this, ZO. I envy the people who can summon the courage, but I like motorized boats too. But I am keen on canoeing the Selinda Spillway - seems to me that is good canoe country.

[Marks]

Eleven leopards and a porcupine, to boot! Hope you are having a good time on your current trip.

[Atravelynn]

You made the most of your in-room dining with that nice photo of the glasses. Flying ground hornbill!

 

"Our guide sent the tracker out of the vehicle to make the maribou stork turn its' head to get a profile in the sunset!" Now that's service!

 

That hippo peeking around the corner looks mischievous, sort of the same look as in the hide-and-seek lions. You captured their expression well. Quite comical, if you're not the lions.

 

S. Luangwa is known for leopard. You've proven they are abundant.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

The problem was we got too close - it was a narrow bend (in a channel, not the main river) and the hippo came across under the water and flipped the boat into the air, tossing the occupants into the water.

 

The worst thing was that she dropped her camera and they were at the end of a three week trip of a lifetime having not changed the memory card. (I was too paranoid to carry the camera so my OH had it - again no photos of the incident as some kind of six the sense made him put it away)

 

So later that afternoon the camp manager and guide went back with a hook on a stick and retrieved the camera, which had been squashed, but the Memory stick still worked!

Happy ending in more ways than one, with the memory stick.

 

You mention you came too close. But could you have foreseen the situation and prevented it?

[Tdgraves]

 

The problem was we got too close - it was a narrow bend (in a channel, not the main river) and the hippo came across under the water and flipped the boat into the air, tossing the occupants into the water.

The worst thing was that she dropped her camera and they were at the end of a three week trip of a lifetime having not changed the memory card. (I was too paranoid to carry the camera so my OH had it - again no photos of the incident as some kind of six the sense made him put it away)

So later that afternoon the camp manager and guide went back with a hook on a stick and retrieved the camera, which had been squashed, but the Memory stick still worked!

 

Happy ending in more ways than one, with the memory stick.

 

You mention you came too close. But could you have foreseen the situation and prevented it?

No, the first canoe had already passed....and what did I know?

[Tdgraves]

Eleven leopards and a porcupine, to boot! Hope you are having a good time on your current trip.

Thanks, we had an excellent time, first day back at work today

[Atravelynn]

Canoe and BBQ--excellent combo! You certainly did get close to the buffalo! Did he help you paddle?

[Duma Tau]

Yes Indeed, @@Tdgraves, I can see how this started your safari addiction. What great shots.....and to have the cubs so very close; as well the leopard!

OH yes, I would have been so excited as well.

 

I can't understand how people can only go once to Africa. (with the exception of finances, of course!) As there are so many variations of a safari style and places to go. I just can't imagine NOT going. I give up quite a bit "here" to be able to go "there"....else,

 

My heart would be broken.

I fully agree. I went on my first safari 3 years ago and haven't been on vacation to anywhere else but africa.

[Hads]

I have never done a Zambezi river canoe safari. Not because of any particular fear of hippos, but more a rational weighing up of the potential risk, and the risk (in my personal view) isn't worth it.

Happy to go out in a motorised boat on the Zambezi, but none of this canoeing malarky for me!

Thanks for the TR @@Tdgraves

I married a girl from South Africa and I get to go back every 2nd year.As far äs Canoe Safari's go i did a 5 Day Canoe Trip in 1999 down the zambezi Ending near mana Pools somewhere. Aewsome Trip but the Hippo's keep you on your toes.