July 2024 Botswana Mobile Safari

[nluke19]

Imagine flying halfway around the world knowing the aim is wildlife watching, only for one member of your group to state they didn't want to see them -- notably the bigger animals. This is SafariTalk, so I doubt this scenario has crossed your mind. 

 

Well, that happened to me. My girlfriend's father made the statement weeks before our 11-night mobile safari in northern Botswana kicked off. He feared animal attacks and may not be the best sport. Of course, this sentiment was conveyed approximately eight months after he did not voice any concern about the itinerary, accommodation style, and camp locations. The trip had already been paid in full. How do I handle this admission? The whole scope of the private mobile safari is in question. Can you actually avoid large game on safari? 

 

 Luckily, @Kingfisher Safaris, its guide, and the camp staff were amazingly professional. With three people wanting to watch animals and one claiming we were their meal ticket, the guide and camp staff were placed in an unwinnable situation. I think they and I balanced group dynamics as best we could. Sightings were terrific, and nobody was mauled to death. Aside from negative comments about animals and the Cape Town airport's condition, everyone had a good time. 

 

The 2024 trip's itinerary included: 

-Two nights at Discovery Bed & Breakfast in Maun
-Three nights in the Chobe National Park’s Mababe region
-Three nights in the Khwai Concession
-Three nights in the Moremi Game Reserve’s Xini area

Discovery had a friendly, community-oriented vibe. Communal meals were served in an open-air dining area, and I saw bushbabies both nights. My girlfriend and I had a 3mx3m dome tent with an ensuite bathroom for safari. Her parents had a 5mx4m meru-style tent. It was very roomy, if space is important to you. Camp staff was terrific, cooking fabulous meals and providing superior service.

 

As for sightings, Botswana really delivered. The most striking were serval, genet, lions at sunset, honey badgers, leopard with kill in a tree at sunrise, four-cheetah coalition at sunset, malachite kingfisher from a mokoro, giraffe tower at sunset, hyenas with pups in the den at sunset, and wild dogs hunting at sunset.

 

This was my second trip with Kingfisher. The first safari took place in 2021, and I was lucky to see wild dogs in camp. An impala and wild dogs raced through at breakfast. This trip also featured wild dogs in camp, surprisingly. During the night, there was a sudden bang and the bathroom section of my tent shook. Wild dog noises were heard all around. At sunrise, the pole supporting the bucket shower at the tent’s rear was observed knocked over. It was concluded that an impala attempting to outrun wild dogs -- or possibly one of the dogs -- may have struck the pole. The impala’s remains were meters away. Of course, this event was kept from one person until we got home. 

 

Some photos:

Malachite kingfisher taking flight in Khwai

 

Leopard pulling a kill up a tree in Moremi

 

Male lion lounging at sunset in Khwai

 

Khwai campsite at sunrise

 

Wild dog in Moremi

 

Elephant with calf in Chobe

 

Giraffe tower at sunset in Chobe. Although not the best of the trip technique-wise, it was my most memorable photo. 

 

Wild dogs working on an impala at sunset. High ISO situation. 

 

Hyena pups playing around the den at sunset in Khwai. 

 

Bull elephant heading to a water hole at sunset in Chobe

 

[offshorebirder]

Great intro and photos @nluke19.    Thanks for doing this trip report - I am looking forward to following along.    I imagine Botswana was something of a "temperature" vacation from Texas in July?

[JimS]

Wow - every good story should start with a complication, and a safari-goer who wants to avoid animals is definitely a complication!

 

I’m looking forward to hearing more on how you worked around this!

[Scooter]

You have me hooked at the photo of the malachite kingfisher.     A tough situation for the staff/guides I am sure!!   I am hopeful your reluctant safari companion eventually eased into sightings.     Looking forward to more.

[Treepol]

So sorry to hear about the diverse interests in your group, quite a difficult situation I'm sure.

 

I hope the safari fans in your group managed some great sightings and lifelong memories. Looking forward to more when you have time.

[madaboutcheetah]

Lovely images and great you saw the 4 male coalition …. They have a huge home range from xini to black pools to the dinare concession and beyond ….

[Peter Connan]

Fantastic photos!

 

What a father-in-law! Usually it's the mother-in-law one has to be concerned about. I wish you lots of patience (but not strength) for the future.

[Kitsafari]

gorgeous shots. I'm not sure why your FIL would want to go and waste his money and time on a safari if he didn't like animals. But if his major concern was about becoming animal fodder, I'm very sure you and Kingfisher did everything in your control to assuage his worries. I hope he has overcome his dislikes and fears, if not, then no danger of him ever joining you on safaris again. 

 

 

[John M.]

   I too am puzzled by your reluctant companion.

   Lovely images. The hyena pups are  especially appealing.

[ElenaH]

@nluke19, great images!! 

for me giraffes in sunset would be also the most memorable picture because it has some special mood and atmosphere like from the other planet.

The other shots are also great! Fluffy hyenas, a lion, ellies. Having been to Africa a couple of times I figured out that you must stop during sunset and take pictures of animals which are available (and sometimes even pose) than trying to find an alusive leopard or other predator. Sunsets are very short in Africa and each animal is beautiful and deserve a portrait or photo with a setting sun in the background or in the fornt. I can see you brought this rule in life!

I have a few questions: did you have a private group, right? 

Have you seen a leopard in Khwai or only in Moremi? In Moremi was it by Paradise Pools?

Did you see lions by Xini lagoon?

It is also interesting that you were in the Mababe region and not in Savute. I assume thia is because it was not crowded? Were the sightings good at Mababe?

Where was located your camp in Khwai? Not at the Mogotho campsites area, right? It looks different on the picture... Like Hippo Pools or so... Very nice view. I know, you were on BOGA or HATAB campsite and as I can see they are on he other side of Khwai river. But mokoros are done on Mbudi river AFAIK.

I will be having a  similar trip as a self-driver in a month and try to figure out where I shall look for animals ... This is why I have so many questions 

I will be following your report!

[michael-ibk]

Great photos to start with, and definitely one of the most unusual (and complicated) group setting I've heard of. "How to avoid seeing animals in Botswana..."

 

Looking forward to more.

[nluke19]

On 8/23/2024 at 8:34 AM, ElenaH said:

I have a few questions: did you have a private group, right? 

Yes, it was just the four of us, the guide, and three camp staff.

 

On 8/23/2024 at 8:34 AM, ElenaH said:

 

Have you seen a leopard in Khwai or only in Moremi? In Moremi was it by Paradise Pools?

 

Yes, we saw leopards in Khwai and Moremi, and the Moremi sighting was near Black Pools. I can't recall visiting Paradise Pools, so I can't speak to any leopard presence there. 

 

On 8/23/2024 at 8:34 AM, ElenaH said:

Did you see lions by Xini lagoon?

Ha! We heard but did not see them. It's a long story, but predator densities in Mababe were low, and the reluctant visitor started to get comfortable (or so we thought). The first lion sighting was in Khwai -- a stunning male lion with many lionesses -- and he firmly requested to leave. He stated something to the effect of, "What are we waiting on? Them to eat us?" during the Khwai sighting. Afterward, it was deemed lions were a bridge too far. It was decided not to actively pursue the Xini lagoon lions, despite hearing them and seeing their tracks nightly. 

 

On 8/23/2024 at 8:34 AM, ElenaH said:

It is also interesting that you were in the Mababe region and not in Savute. I assume thia is because it was not crowded? Were the sightings good at Mababe?

 

On our first visit to Botswana in 2021, we camped in Savute. It was amazing. it was decided to stay in Mababe for this trip to cut down on travel time. 

People who frequent this forum are very knowledgeable about the safari destinations they visit. After staying in Mababe for four days, I feel the prior comments written here about the location are reasonably accurate. Animal densities were lower than Savute, but it was far less trafficked. It also had fewer roads to traverse. Aside from a couple self-drivers stopping to ask our guide directions to Savute, the only other vehicle we saw was from Mokete Camp, the Wilderness accommodation in the private concession adjacent to the park. While we never shared a sighting with the Mokete vehicle, we saw it so regularly that I asked the guide if we had ventured into the private concession. He said no, they had entered the national park, possibly looking for a specific sighting not found within the concession. 

 

The comment about lower game density shouldn't be interpreted as we saw little. Sightings included elephants, honey badgers, giraffes, cheetahs, and many birds. If you prefer solitude, Mababe is better suited to your tastes. Savute for more game, but also greater vehicle numbers. 

 

On 8/23/2024 at 8:34 AM, ElenaH said:

Where was located your camp in Khwai? Not at the Mogotho campsites area, right? It looks different on the picture... Like Hippo Pools or so... Very nice view. I know, you were on BOGA or HATAB campsite and as I can see they are on he other side of Khwai river. But mokoros are done on Mbudi river AFAIK.

I will be having a  similar trip as a self-driver in a month and try to figure out where I shall look for animals ... This is why I have so many questions 

I will be following your report!

For Khwai, we stayed in a BOGA site. I am unsure if it was Hippo Pools or Mbudi, but it was a very, very short distance to the mokoro launch location. So, it was likely Mbudi.  

 

Edited August 28 by nluke19

[nluke19]

Our first three nights were in the Mababe area of Chobe National Park. As previously discussed on SafariTalk, this area had lower animal and vehicle densities. Fewer tracks, too. We saw only one other vehicle, and we never shared a sighting with it. 

 

Mababe was a wonderful place and worth a visit if solitude is valuable. 

 

Bull elephant drinking from one of the marshes around the depression at sunset 

 

Different bull elephant leaving the depression at sunset. 

 

 

We were lucky to see a cheetah every day. It would walk from the thick tree-lined scrub into the expansive depression area in the morning, watching the comings and goings. It would disappear into the trees every evening. This is a photo of it emerging from thick brush. 

 

Buffalo keeping a watchful eye on us

 

Cheetah on its morning stroll

 

 

 

Edited August 27 by nluke19

[xelas]

On 8/22/2024 at 7:32 PM, nluke19 said:

 

As for sightings, Botswana really delivered. The most striking were serval, genet, lions at sunset, honey badgers, leopard with kill in a tree at sunrise, four-cheetah coalition at sunset, malachite kingfisher from a mokoro, giraffe tower at sunset, hyenas with pups in the den at sunset, and wild dogs hunting at sunset.

So that is now my to-see list for next two weeks 😃. Your photography is exceptional, as were your sightings. 

[Geoff]

nice pics

[ElenaH]

16 hours ago, nluke19 said:

We were lucky to see a cheetah every day. It would walk from the thick tree-lined scrub into the expansive depression area in the morning, watching the comings and goings. It would disappear into the trees every evening. This is a photo of it emerging from thick brush. 

Ah, you didn't se lions and this is why you saw a cheetah! Perhaps, the lions are only ocasionally there and a cheetah feels comfortable in this area. Good to know! 

I agree with @xelas - exceptional photography! I like also a buffalo portrait!

[nluke19]

Thanks, everyone. 

 

Some more Mababe photographs. 

 

Warthog doing its thing, taken while lounging at our campsite. Harsh midday lighting. 

 

The resident cheetah took to climbing on tree limbs to survey the depression

 

Cheetah awakening from its midday nap for an evening stroll. Sun was setting to its right, casting beautiful pink-hour light behind, minus the tree it was using as shade 

[nluke19]

Closing Mababe with what's likely my best photograph of the trip. Cheetah watching us between a termite mound and tree at sunset. Lighting, technique and subject came together on this one. 

 

 

Edited August 28 by nluke19

[wilddog]

That is a fantastic cheetah image. Worthy of a competition in my view.

Love it

[offshorebirder]

On 8/28/2024 at 9:46 AM, nluke19 said:

Cheetah awakening from its midday nap

 

Looks like it woke up cross!

[Peter Connan]

A fantastic photo indeed!

[Hads]

Wonderful report thanks @nluke19, brings back fantastic memories. Your photo's are excellent.

What month did you go?

Wow it must of been really challenging for your FIL to overcome his fear of predators.

I would have recommended he stay in camp and watch the birds  

[nluke19]

@HadsWe went July 14 to 25, 2024. The camp staff were very gracious and offered to make his stay in camp comfortable if he chose. He decided to go on drives, however. Mababe did not trigger his animal fear, I think, because we only saw cheetah and elephants from a distance. Not downplaying the sightings. They were amazing, as evidenced by the photos.

 

Things got interesting in Khwai, where large game was both more abundant and comfortable being closer to the vehicle. 

[Atravelynn]

I heard myself saying, "Oh dear," out loud when I read your intro.  Then I laughed at " Sightings were terrific, and nobody was mauled to death."  Your girlfriend's father must have been thrilled with the Malachite Kingfisher that is your gorgeous intro shot.  Was her father present to see the leopard in the tree with a kill or the wild dogs with the carcass?  Did he chill out as the trip progressed? 

 

The downed pole is evidence of a close encounter.  You ended up with fantastic results, thank goodness given the makeup of your safarimates.

[nluke19]

@AtravelynnYes, he saw all. He appeared be okay with cheetahs and leopards. Shouldn't be taken as like, as he'd look away. Our first lion sighting was upon arrival in Khwai, and that's when things went south. He asked what were we waiting on? Them to attack us? Afterward, it was decided to focus on other animals rather than cats. We still saw leopards and cheetah, but there less emphasis on searching.