Roughing it around Botswana with Moses and Joster from Unlimited tours and safari.

[Marks]

Great shot of the elephant in the water. Quite a gruesome hyena carcass.

 

Also the elephant "faceoff" is beautifully framed.

[Kitsafari]

Great shots of the leopard stretched going down the tree, and those of mama leopard and cub. Poor hyena (carcass).

[Big_Dog]

Beautiful pictures of beautiful animals, loving this T.R!

[Africalover]

Thanks everybody.

 

@@basto - I really cant imagine that one needs better tents , bedding ect. It was by far the best camp set up I ever tried. I have done safaris with lower standard than UTS and still enjoyed it a lot.

The elephants were really meaning business . They went into the mopane and we could hear the tusk smashing together. Suddenly they ran towards the car, one bleeding from the head and we had to drive very fast. We were all a little nervous.

 

Yes the hyena was not a pleasant sight. It was funny to see how disapointet the lions were, when they discovered that there were no free dinner. As you know, they dont fancy to eat other predators.

 

I have still some great leopard pics. to show you.

 

More later.

[ice]

@@Africalover - love those leopard photos, such beautiful animals. What a way to spend a day! Thanks a lot for sharing, made this morning coffee even more enjoyable

 

Thanks for sharing the campsite pictures as well. This is our participation camping set up, which really gives you a great home in the bush. In our full service camp we also add en-suite shower and toilets, different beds, bigger gazebo and a few other comfort improvements. I will get the boys in Maun to get some pictures of that as well.

 

 

 

just to be on the safe side:

 

you say the pictures show the participation set up and yet I believe to recognize bedding with frames...yet, when we did our trip we basically slept on the ground...could you clarify?

[basto]

@@ice - I am impressed, you have eagle eyes ;-). We normally run with just bedrolls on participation, but as @@Africalover was a single guest we had room to pack a bed as well this time.

[graceland]

Fabulous report and photos, @@Africalover

 

Leopards awesome. Sounds like a fabulous way to explore Bots.

[Africalover]

@@ice - I was told that because I was traveling alone, they did an exception. I dont mind sleeping on the ground. Since it was a participation safari I was the cook on the whole trip - I think we all gained weight and helped with camp up/down

@@graceland - to me this the only way to stay in the bush.

 

Second day in Khwai.

 

During the night we heard elephants trumpeting a lot. We sooned found out why - lions had killed a baby elephant during the night. We witness the male lions trying to keep the hyenas away from rest of the kill. But they were too full and nothing much left - so they abandoned the remains. Only a few bones and the pelvet was left. the hyenas really know how to clean up - licking the juices of the ground. Great to watch up close.

 

As mentioned ealier we thought there were only one cub - since we didnt saw it the day before. But in the afternoon when they have finally finished the carcass and the hyena got the rest - the second cub emerged. We had a great afternoon with them.

 

 

[graceland]

LOVE, LOVe this report; oh the leopards, after my heart...and the elie just strolling by the tent, hoping for some left over veggie options, perhaps?

 

Ok..I could stay in the bush camp @@Africalover, but I'd starve the staff...so if you need a chef can you hire one?

 

Who buys the food?

 

Seriously...is there an ice box?

 

Who buys the drinks?

[ice]

@@graceland

 

since I have also travelled with Moses I can answer your questions:

 

yes, you could travel with a chef at an extra cost

 

if there is time enough, you will buy food and drinks together with Moses in Maun before you start your safari

 

yes, there are ice boxes

[SafariChick]

Wonderful photos and report so far! I absolutely love the leopards - beautiful, and some great elephant shots as well - love seeing them in water especially. Looking forward to more.

[basto]

@@Africalover, wonderful photos, I love those leopards! Yes, Moses told me you fed them well, he was really happy! Perhaps you can go part time as chef with Unlimited!!

 

@@graceland - if you choose the full-service safari we will take care of everything for you. We then have an extra vehicle with camp hand and chef that go in advance and set up camp and prepare everything. We will bring everything with us and the chef will prepare three meals daily (he usually does it over the campfire, I see that @@Africalover was cheating with the gas burner ;-) ). All food and all drinks are included, and of course we bring the icebox along, how else would you get your sundowner G&T with ice??

 

For participation it is just as @@ice says, if you want we can buy the food together before starting your safari, or we can prepare everything and just go straight out to the bush. This is up to the guest to choose how you want it.

[Africalover]

Thanks for your kind comments everybody.

 

@@basto - we only brought the gasburner because of the rainyseason and the chance of heavy rains. But it turned out to be a dryseason trip. Botswana is suffering from very low rainfall in feb. this year - which affected the gameviewing in Central Kalahari.

 

When I retire I might join UTS as a part time cook I will do it again on future trips.

 

Prior to my arrival I was asked if I had and food preferences. They are very serviceminded.

 

There is a frezzer in the car and I did some of the food shopping in maun with the guys - they now know how parmesan cheese tast like and will never enjoy pasta as much again without it

 

More to come...

[graceland]

@@graceland

 

since I have also travelled with Moses I can answer your questions:

 

yes, you could travel with a chef at an extra cost

 

if there is time enough, you will buy food and drinks together with Moses in Maun before you start your safari

 

yes, there are ice boxes

 

Thanks for your kind comments everybody.

 

@@basto - we only brought the gasburner because of the rainyseason and the chance of heavy rains. But it turned out to be a dryseason trip. Botswana is suffering from very low rainfall in feb. this year - which affected the gameviewing in Central Kalahari.

 

When I retire I might join UTS as a part time cook I will do it again on future trips.

 

Prior to my arrival I was asked if I had and food preferences. They are very serviceminded.

 

There is a frezzer in the car and I did some of the food shopping in maun with the guys - they now know how parmesan cheese tast like and will never enjoy pasta as much again without it

 

More to come...

Thanks @@Africalover, @@ice and @basto; good to know I (or my friends who are most interested) will not starve!

 

Yes I noticed the gasburner in the bush! Wondered how he managed to get a seat for it on the bush plane

[Africalover]

This morning it was time to head back to Maun. I was going - with a speedboat - into the delta to an Island near Chiefs Island and to do walks on Chiefs Island.

 

During our time in Khwai we tried to find the dogs. Moses constantly trying to found them,- there were tracks showing they were around.After we had put down the camp and put the trailer on the car - Moses wanted to do a detour instead of taking the shortest way out of the area. After a few minutes driving, we bumped into the dogs. Typical we had the trailer on the car and had to be in Maun at 11 o´clock.. But Moses managed to get around with the, car to follow them for a while. Need I say he is an exellent driver. They were on the hunt but after half an hour we had to leave them. I would have loved to follow them the hole day - perhaps on another trip.

 

 

[Marks]

Enjoying the dogs and the culinary musings alike!

 

I would have been relieved, if the word makes any sense in that context, that the ele calf was killed at night. That is one event I would not wish to witness.

[Africalover]

@@Marks - like you I am not sure I would like to witness a baby elephant kill. Not that wilddog and hyena kills are more pleasant to watch.

Cheers.

[Big_Dog]

@@Africalover : Have you seen many hyaena kills?

[Kitsafari]

Marvellous to see two leopard Cubs! Hope they stay safe and grow up strong.

 

I wouldn't have wanted to watch the elephant calf get taken either.

[AKR1]

One of the finest leopard picture series I have had the pleasure to see. Thanks for posting this. Just marvelous stuff.

[Africalover]

Thanks all - for your kind comments. @@Big_Dog - I have only seen hyena kills on video from friends, it is not pleasant to watch, as I am sure you know, they dont kill before they eat - dogs as well.

 

Next Kalahari and Nxai Pan.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Africalover

[Game Warden]

@@Africalover @@Safaridude and I watched a hyena kill happen from start to finish in Kenya as can be seen in our trip report here. (Sorry to hijack...)

[penolva]

@@ice - I was told that because I was traveling alone, they did an exception. I dont mind sleeping on the ground. Since it was a participation safari I was the cook on the whole trip - I think we all gained weight and helped with camp up/down

@@graceland - to me this the only way to stay in the bush.

 

Second day in Khwai.

 

During the night we heard elephants trumpeting a lot. We sooned found out why - lions had killed a baby elephant during the night. We witness the male lions trying to keep the hyenas away from rest of the kill. But they were too full and nothing much left - so they abandoned the remains. Only a few bones and the pelvet was left. the hyenas really know how to clean up - licking the juices of the ground. Great to watch up close.

 

As mentioned ealier we thought there were only one cub - since we didnt saw it the day before. But in the afternoon when they have finally finished the carcass and the hyena got the rest - the second cub emerged. We had a great afternoon with them.

 

Three! That's too much. Thanks for the camp photos. Counting down the weeks now.

[pault]

@@Africalover. Moses seems to have done an excellent job for you and earned his dinner. Khwai seems to have produced the best game viewing for you, but the leopards perhaps influence that?

 

I am looking forward to hearing about the CKGR.

[michael-ibk]

So am I. What an absolutely terrific leopard sighting you had, just wow!