FLIGHT FROM VICTORIA FALLS TO BUMI HILLS

I was all set to visit the recently refurbished and reopened Bumi Hills Safari Lodge (well, it is about 2 years now since it was reopened), and to get there I flew with Solenta Aviation from Vic Falls.  The plane was a Cessna Caravan seating 12 when full, and what a great plane this is ... with it's crew of Captain and First Officer, I couldn't quite figure out if it was a big little plane, or a little big plane, but it was great being able to leave your seat to swop sides and  check out an alternative view (the flight wasn't full).  Passengers can help themselves to an assortment of ice cold drinks from the cold box at the back of the plane.

The flight from the Falls to Bumi was as smooth as can be and it was fun picking out well known places from the air.

A view of the Falls spray

Rain shower over Zambia

The Zambezi River at Deka

Msuna Island

The flight is not long .. and hour and a quarter .. so all very quickly the Bumi air strip came in to sight.  We did a low fly past (the operative word here is LOW !!) to clear the air strip of animals ... there were impala on the runway, zebra on the side, and some elephant close to the water's edge... and did a circle around the lodge, seeing it from "eye level", and giving them a bit of time to drive down to meet us.

In my next posting I will tell you about my stay at this wonderful place !

VICTORIA FALLS

I love visiting Victoria Falls !!!  This is a little town with a lot happening, amid a happy holiday ambience.  There is a huge selection of places to stay through the whole spectrum of standards and types - basic self catering, upmarket self catering, campsites, river lodges, game lodges, B&B's, hotels large and small, family and luxury .. it's all there.  And add to that the choice of activities and sights to see in the all-year-round-summer-weather, and you have a real holiday destination !!  Ride the rapids on a White Water Rafting day trip, walk with the lions, ride an elephant, see the crocodiles, view the Falls from a helicopter on the Flight of Angels, get soaking wet walking through the Rain Forest whilst soaking up the beautiful sight of the Falls themselves, cruise on the river, go shopping, try your luck at the casino, view big game from horseback .... there is plenty to fill your days, and you will probably wish you were staying longer !!  And the local people are so friendly and helpful too.

VICTORIA FALLS - OLD URSULA CAMP, STANLEY & LIVINGSTONE

Old Ursula Camp is a great spot !!!  This is a self-catering camp with some exclusivity. Only 4 tastefully furnished rooms and dining / lounge lodge, and the pool area with an elevated platform for game viewing over the vlei, make up this camp.  It is fully equipped and staffed (including a chef) and is set in a lush garden.


The "Big Brother" next door to Old Ursula Camp is the luxurious Stanley & Livingstone hotel, a sprawling colonial affair !!  The hotel is set in the private Victoria Falls Game Reserve, which is home to a huge variety of small, plains and big game .. including rhino and wild dog.


Both lodges are about 14 kms from the town of Victoria Falls, and easily accessible from the main road.  The S&L provides a complimentary shuttle service in and out of town.

Reservations for both properties can be made through Africa Spectacular.

VICTORIA FALLS - THE ELEPHANT CAMP

The Elephant Camp, situated 10 km out of Victoria Falls, is a relatively new development, and I couldn't wait to see it, as it looked quite different from anything else in the area.  Jonathan Ellway, the charismatic General Manager, met me on arrival and gave me a tour of the camp, and I have to say .. it is awesome !!!  Each suite is a stand alone unit, having its own timber deck and plunge pool overlooking the bush, the river gorge and the Falls spray, plus a full bathroom (and an outdoor shower too), lounge area, mini bar and tea/coffee making facilities, with air conditioning !!  All meals, airport and town transfers are included in the rate, and guests also get to meet the Wild Horizons elephants that live on the concession.  This is a truly special spot, and well worth staying at on your next visit to Vic Falls.

Reservations for The Elephant Camp can be made through Africa Spectacular booking office - afspec@yoafrica.com

VICTORIA FALLS - GORGES LODGE

I have a great affection for Gorges Lodge and think it is one of the most under rated places to stay in Victoria Falls, so when I made a trip to the Falls I looked forward to staying there again. For good reason, small children are not permitted at Gorges as the lodge is situated literally "on the edge". There are no photos that can do justice to the view, plus there is the awesome sound of an awesome river that resounds up the high rock walls.  The bedrooms are large and airy, and very comfortable, and I could spend all day sitting on the verandah just staring into the distance.  It is also a great spot for raptor viewing, as there are many species that nest in the rocks, some of them quite rare.  The restaurant serves simple but delicious meals, and a FULL plate !!  There is something about this place that is good for the soul .. it has to be that expansive view ......

BOTSWANA FOR NEW YEAR

For our last trip of 2010, we travelled to the Kalahari to see in the New Year with good friends.  I had not travelled to that area ever before, and so was looking forward to the new sights.  It was a long trip and so we planned a night's stopover in the Makgadikgadi Pans area, and I had read and heard about the quirky Planet Baobab, so this was where we booked in for the night.  It was everything I expected it to be and has an awesome atmosphere. One can't miss it ... just look for the signs !!!!

This is one area that I definately MUST visit again.

We continued on our way the next day, stopping in Maun for breakfast.  I liked the look of Maun, I wouldn't mind spending a little time there.

After breakfast and some supplies shopping, we continued on our way until reaching the turn off to where we were headed.  I thought we were in a "desert", but I had to open the gate in the pouring rain !!

We spent a wonderful 5 full days with our friends .. in that time we still did not get all around the property.  We saw plenty of game .. including lions .. and learnt a lot about this flat, featurless, but VERY interesting land.  Every day we drove out, we appeared to be heading directly for the rain storm (hence we nicknamed ourselves The Stormchasers), and it became clear that being in a "desert", doesn't mean it that it never rains ... the vegetation and soil also has something to do with it !!  We visited friends of friends for lunch ... that was a 2 hour drive away !!  but what a wonderful day with lovely people.  It was an awesome trip, and once again, this area definately warrants further exploring !

All too soon our stay in the Kalahari was over and we had to head home.  We decided that on the way back we would do the drive all in one day.  It was interesting to see that the pans in the Makgadikgadi had filled with water in our absence !!  We stopped briefly in Nata to grab a Wimpy breakfast, and had a quick stop at Nata Lodge to look around !  

The border at Plumtree was a breeze, and we got home in the late afternoon.

This trip definately whetted the appetite for another trip, particularly into the Makgadikgadi Pans !!!

HWANGE GAME COUNT

My last trip into Hwange National Park for 2010 was in September for the annual game count.  This is something I have been wanting to do for years and year, and at long last I finally got it together.  I enlisted my good friend to come with me .. which for her was "going home" as she had grown up and worked in the area.  She also isn't as wary of elephants as I am, and we KNOW there are elephants in Hwange and I knew I would need someone to coax me through ... and THANK GOODNESS she was with me !!!  We arrived at Main Camp and checked in to our lodging for the night and found a few friends amongst the other participants.  Our Chalet was just a room with our beds, a fan, a wash basin, and a small porch, and we were right next to the ablution block.  The wooden cross pole holding up the thatched roof was seriously eaten by white ants, and caused me some concern about whether or not we should put the fan on !!!  Our comfortable beds were made with crispy clean and fresh smelling sheets, which made for a good night's sleep.  I used a plastic packed to jam in to the plug hole which had to make-do as a plug as there wasn't one to be found, and had a piping hot bath.  That evening we had pre-briefing from the Wildlife Society Chairperson, and other knowledgeable people.  After that we were entertained by the Ingonyama Dance Group from Dete. This group does perform at the various nearby lodges in the area, and if you ever come across them, they are well worth watching ... they are awesome singers and entertainers.

The next morning we left Main Camp and headed for White Hills Pan where we were to spend the night.  The count runs for 24 hours from 12 noon.  We arrived there in plenty of time to study the surroundings and choose a spot to base up.  We had fortunately been given some advice from a more experienced member about what to look for, and that helped us find the perfect spot to keep out of the elephants way !!!  The down side was that we sat in the full sun all day, in 36 degrees, but that was no problem ... rather that than be in the elephants path !!

The hot afternoon was relatively quiet, there was visits from some not-very-often seen Roan, plus giraffe and a couple of quiet elephant bulls who came in quietly on their own. But the quietness was not to last !!!

The sun set on a hot dusty day in front of us, and the moon rose behind us .. it was very peaceful, and I felt priviledged to have this wild piece of Africa to ourselves for the night.

 

Sunset and Moon rise

From about 6.30 until 11.30, the elephants came in to drink in their droves !!  That night we counted nearly 600 of them, of all ages and sizes.  At first I was extremely uncomfortable with all these huge creatures milling around, but they were well aware of our presence on a little rise, out of their way, but my dear friend calmly sat there telling me not to worry ... they were not concerned about us !!  She had to do quite a lot of that before I settled a little.  Late in the night we had just one fellow who came very near to have a good look at us, but he didn't threaten us in any way, and all I can say is Thanks to the Gods that he wasn't on my side of the vehicle !!!

As wary as I am of the elephants, I was to discover in the dead of the night that my good friend is equally unhappy with 8 hyenas running around our vehicle, sniffing us out !!  That part did not concern me TOO much, but she was clearly not taking any chances with them, and windows and doors were closed and locked in haste, amid much nervous laughter !!  The said hyenas did later provide some entertainment when a lioness and her sub-adult cub arrived to relax alongside the waterhole.  The cub explored whilst Mama flopped around, appearing to be totally at ease.  Naturally the hyenas were not at ease ... at all !!!  They knew she was there and were creeping closer and closer to have a look.  She in turn would get up, stretch, look around, cuff her offspring, and move closer to where they hyenas were before lying down again.  And so it went on.  Before too long, she clearly became totally irritated with being watched by the nervous hyenas and suddenly sprung up and charged them.  Well, that was the end of watching the hyenas .. they left in haste never to return !!  In time, the lions also casually moved off, in the same direction.

I was also treated to the sighting of a leopard silently moving along in the moonlight.  It was one of those occasions that could not be photographed, but which I shall always remember.  The leopard appeared to be a good size, and in good condition.

The activity at the waterhole died down in the few hours before sun rise, and in fact, stayed that way for the rest of the morning.  No more big game visited us, but we did see warthogs, kudu, and lots of birds.

At noon we left our spot and started to head back to Main Camp, meeting with other counters along the way.  Back at camp we caught up on sleep, had a hot bath, handed in our sheets to the organisers, then sought out some friends to cook dinner, have a few drinks and most importantly .. swop stories of our night in the bush !

After a solid night's sleep, we left the Park at leisure, stopping in at Hwange Safari Lodge on the way to have a feast of toasted sandwiches.  The hotel was very quiet, but the service for prompt and friendly.

We will be back for the 2011 Count !!