Mana Magic 2.0. - A Return to the Best Place in the World

[michael-ibk]

On 9.12.2017 at 5:04 PM, Peter Connan said:

According to the forum, I have run out of likes. I disagree.

What a magnificent trip and report, thank you very much!

 

Thanks a lot, @Peter Connan - Mana is waiting just for you!

 

On 9.12.2017 at 5:35 PM, Tdgraves said:

Grrrr @michael-ibk you got a broad billed roller at kanga. I spent two weeks looking for them with no success ? ! Well done.

 

Actually we saw several of them in Kafue as well and they were very present at Kanga though I do not think we saw them on the floodplains. I´m not really familiar with their seasonal movement but this site here suggests they only arrive in Southern Africa in September so maybe you were just a tad early for seeing them? "Birds of Zambia" also states that they are there between mid October and mid February.

 

On 9.12.2017 at 10:03 PM, Seniortraveller said:

A fabulous trip report, so glad you had such a wonderful trip. Reading about Kanga was difficult, after our experience of being there after the rains.☹️

 

Thank you, @Seniortraveller, and I am really very sorry that you visited Kanga at a very problematic time for that particular camp. Did animals come to the pan at all? I can imagine that given the choice they probably prefer waterholes without humans around.

 

On 10.12.2017 at 7:16 AM, Ratdcoops said:

Such a great report with so many great viewings. Loved all of the photos, my personal favourites were the Carmine’s. I am in Mana late September early October 2018, with my family and can’t wait. Two of the things I have always wanted to see are the large flocks of Quelea and a Carmine colony, so I have my fingers crossed.

 

Thank you  @Ratdcoops, I am glad you enjoyed it. I also love the Carmines. You really can´t miss the Quelea and there are several Carmine colonies along the river (the locations change each year) so I´m sure your guide(s) will know where to go for them. Where are you staying in Mana? I´m sure you will have a wonderful time!

 

On 10.12.2017 at 7:44 AM, Sangeeta said:

I want to know who is writing these reports for you in such impeccable English!?

Really beautiful images, Michael. They get sharper with each trip and I can see your camera experiments clearly. Have you changed/upgraded your gear?Darn, I want to go back too!

 

Thanks, @Sangeeta, English just comes natural to us Austrians, see here or here. No changes to equipment.

 

On 10.12.2017 at 10:41 AM, xelas said:

Why?! Already planned out?? I think you might change your mind even if so, flight tickets for 2019 are still not on sale !

Wonderful trip report, one of those that makes readers starting to re-shuffle their short and long terms travel plans.

 

Not booked anything but pretty clear thoughts on what we´d probably like to do (return to Botswana, Patagonia). But it would not be a first if we end up doing something completely different, let´s see. And thanks, @xelas

 

On 10.12.2017 at 11:21 PM, janzin said:

 

I know what you mean...I have no Africa at all in 2018 and actually today reading your report (and a few others) I actually started feeling physically ill at the thought. Could it be an addiction?

Great report and photos, that goes without saying!

 

Many thanks, @janzin, and I am afraid it is a serious condition - prepare for cold turkey in 2018!

 

On 11.12.2017 at 2:49 PM, Zim Girl said:

@michael-ibk, @AndMic

Great trip report and photos as usual

So good of the dogs to see you off the floodplain and I loved all the Kudu pictures at Kanga Pan.

 

Thank you @Zim Girl, the Dogs were really great to us this time and we are grateful for that - it´s not like seeing them is guaranteed! And we loved seeing all these Kudus, camp manager Andy said he had never seen 10 males together, that really was extraordinary.

Edited December 12, 2017 by michael-ibk

[Ratdcoops]

17 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Thank you  @Ratdcoops, I am glad you enjoyed it. I also love the Carmines. You really can´t miss the Quelea and there are several Carmine colonies along the river (the locations change each year) so I´m sure your guide(s) will know where to go for them. Where are you staying in Mana? I´m sure you will have a wonderful time!

We are on a private mobile safari with Mike Scott from Khangela Safari's, unsure exact camping spot (or spots) at the moment have emailed my agent for these details, we are there for seven nights.

We have chosen tented mobile to maximise time in both Botswana and Zimbabwe and also have complete freedom in how we want to spend our time. We had a difficult experience on our first Safari to Botswana with a very strong personality.  Will be accompanied by my Wife and two boys 12 & 14.

[Seniortraveller]

Thanks for your commiserations @michael-ibk, the only wildlife we saw at Kanga pan were a resident hippo and a small crocodile. Some vervet monkeys did make a brief appearance on the far side of the pan.

Just before we stopped for a sundowner on our first evening, there was a call informing our guide that wild dogs had chased an impala into the pan. He said the camp was too far away, so we did not follow up on it.

[TonyQ]

A wonderful report Michael and Andy.

really special encounters with the dogs, the elephants and a fine selection of handsome antelope. I think you scruffy lion is rather handsome.

 

excellent photos throughout and it seems like Doug was the ideal guide. Thank you for posting.

[Kitsafari]

I should really stop reading TRs like yours because they make me depressed and miserable that I'm not in the bush now. 

Your enjoyment at the carmine bee eater cliff nests resonate with me, and so well reflected in Andreas sitting contentedly at the bank. (I'm also sure he'll look dashing in the colourful dressing gown). 

But love love those pups playing and tumbling all over! so wonderful to get a farewell from them. 

you did good with those movements in motion photos! wish I could do them but as you know, i'll never be able to learn. 

thank you for sharing the MP trip with us! 

 

[Alexander33]

Well, the holiday season caught up with me, but what a way to end the year by finishing your trip report!  Another fantastic one, Michael.  Thank you.

 

You had many great sightings, but that of the wild dogs/buffaloes/hyenas was simply amazing.  I keep scrolling through your photos, thinking how unforgettable being there must have been.  The Mana light truly is magical.  I will have to figure out a way to get there someday.

 

Thanks again for a great report, and Happy New Year to you and @AndMic.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks Peter, and a happy new year to you and J. as well. And not hard to figure out a way to get there - just drop Doug a mail. :-) 

[Hads]

Great TR and photo's thanks @michael-ibk

Your lion and wild dog encounters would of been amazing on foot.

 

[michael-ibk]

Many thanks, @Hads!

[Galago]

@michael-ibk Just caught up with your trip report and absolutely loved it. Your photos are superb and you were so lucky with your sightings too. It's convinced me that MP should be on the agenda and, as I also want to visit Musekese in Kafue, your trip report has shown me that it's possible. So now I'm excited about this prospect, thanks to your great report (yet to catch up with your Zambia report, but it's the next one to read, time permitting!)  As Tyrone and Doug are the guides for my Chad trip in a couple of weeks time I'll be able to figure it all out face to face! Thanks for a great report.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks, @Galago, glad you enjoyed it. I was surprised actually how easy it is to combine Mana and Zambia. But after all, Lusaka is closer to Mana than Harare. 

[vikramghanekar]

@michael-ibk Just read right through the whole trip report. Wow!! Makes me want to go back to Mana asap. The interaction between Wild dogs and Hyenas as well as dogs and buffalos was just superb. Thank you for sharing this!
 

[michael-ibk]

Thank you, @vikramghanekar, glad you enjoyed it. That afternoon certainly was one of my best safari experiences.

[SafariChick]

@michael-ibk and @AndMic I had started this report and then got distracted by life but I've come back to finish it! Just got done reading the WILD wild dog-buffalo-hyena afternoon report - and wow, what a day - fantastic!

[Ritsgaai]

What a wonderful trip you had to MP. I just love the action-packed sequence in #59 to 61 posts. You got properly spoiled. 

Not to mention the pampered ending at Kanga!

Thank you and well done.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks, @SafariChick and @Ritsgaai.

[dlo]

Great report and fantastic doggo interactions Michael.I needed some Africa interactions and you are always guaranteed to give me a great getaway!

[Marks]

@michael-ibk Some of the best dogs I've ever seen in this trip report. I had a very pleasant evening catching up on this one.