Fish Eagle Safaris

African Safari Update # 13
Oct/Nov/Dec 1999

In this issue:

Trip Report: Botswana & South Africa - Sept. 1999

One of the accommodation units at Kwetsani
Accommodation at Kwetsani Camp, Okavango Delta
My wife Kathleen and I had a wonderful time on a Jacana Safari click here for the photo gallery with Wilderness Safaris from Victoria Falls to Maun with guide Russel Crossey and hostess Trudi, earlier this month (Sept.1999) After the safari we visited two of Wilderness Safaris' new fly-in camps, Jao and Kwetsani, both located in a superb wildlife area in the NG25 concession, west of the northern tip of Chief's Island. We thought both Jao and Kwetsani were out of this world: Jao is probably the most stylish safari lodge we had ever seen, while the more intimate Kwetsani is a 'tree house' paradise. For the first time, we took the fabled Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria and the experience exceeded our wildest expectations. Although we could only spend one night at Grande Roche Estate near Paarl we made the most of it, enjoying a superb meal at Bosman's Restaurant. Another new property which we visited for the first time, Bushman's Kloof, was the surprise of the trip.

The spacious bedroom in one of the accommodation units at Jao Camp
Luxury in the bush - Jao Camp, Okavango Delta
The courtyard at Grande Roche
The courtyard at Grande Roche Estate, Paarl

My lasting impression of the 13-day Jacana Safari will be the diversity of the trip: a tremendous variety of wildlife, birds, & scenery observed in an ever-changing landscape, and equally diverse activities: game drives, night drives, walking, boating, mokoro outings & an occasional moment or two to relax or to enjoy the superb food. This simply has to be the best full-service overland safari in Botswana! One of the most interesting facets of the safari was the transfers - by vehicle, by light aircraft, and by boat (into Jacana Camp). The 2-hr. boat trip from Xigera to Jacana Camp was one of the most interesting experiences of the entire trip for everybody.

Among the many highlights the following stand out in my mind:

Chobe Game Reserve is a national park
Game-viewing in the Chobe area, Northern Botswana.

Lions at Savuti Tented Camp
'Security system' at Savuti Tented Camp
Walking in the Baobab area
Walking in the Baobab area

Our guide Russel Crossey is so knowledgeable about every aspect of natural history - it was a pleasure to experience the wilderness in his company. We were all thrilled to have had as many opportunities for walking with him as we did, in the Baobab area. A group gains its confidence from the confidence of the guide, and Russel made us all feel very much at ease. Trudi, our hostess, took care of the 'housekeeping' details in an exemplary fashion - the food was superb and she anticipated our every need, right down to reconfirming our additional arrangements, helping me with making phone calls and so on. Her bubbly personality is perfect for the job - and we all enjoyed her company.

Bushmanskloof was a revelation - I think it is destined to become the Western Cape's premier game lodge. The game-viewing at Bushmanskloof was certainly better than I had anticipated (we saw eland, springbok, grey rhebuck, Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok, Bat-eared Fox, and Aardwolf) but even if there were no game it would be a worthwhile place for a two or three night visit. The variety and abundance of Bushman rock art in the area is phenomenal and viewing it from close up is a stirring experience. The area and its attractions could not be more different than Botswana or, for that matter, any of the real 'bushveld' areas. Yet it is still very much 'Africa', offering a tremendously wide variety of adventure activities, including hiking, mountain biking, swimming and even abseiling on request. The guiding at Bushmanskloof was as good as any I have ever experienced. There's a young chap there (I believe he is from Zimbabwe) by the name of Andrè who impressed the heck out of us. Personable, articulate, knowledgeable, the lot. They are fortunate to have him.

Another view of Andrè at work
Guide Andrè on Bushmanskloof rock art walk
Kathleen having lunch while the Blue Train rocks gently through the Hex River Valley, Cape Province
Lunch on the Blue Train, Hex River Valley, Cape Province

The Blue Train trip was flawless in every respect; I would not have wanted to miss even one minute of the 25 hour trip from Cape Town to Pretoria. The food, the service, the scenery, the compartment, wow! If you are looking for the ultimate luxury train trip, this is probably it, now that the Blue Train has been completely overhauled and refitted. The cabins are a marvel of compact luxury, the ride is smooth as silk, and the service quite impeccable. The late afternoon trip through the Hex River Valley, as the sun was setting, was of picture-book quality.

We had several good friends over for dinner at Bosmans Restaurant at the Grande Roche and the food (5 course 'Flavours of the Cape' menu), was probably the single most outstanding meal I have ever enjoyed. Coconut Crusted Crayfish Tail and Samoosa for a starter; Tandoori flavored Karoo Lamb Loin, and a delicious Loin of Springbok with Pinotage flavored butter sauce were the high points for me. It certainly was not inexpensive at just over $40 per person, but it was a world class meal in every respect, with the table itself, the silver, and the superbly choreographed service contributing to a most memorable evening.

Instead of my usual long trip report, I am compiling a slide show to visually tell the story of the trip. The photo gallery is now available, as well as 15-sec video sequences (taken on a Sony Mavica camera).

Bert du Plessis
Houston

Higher Price For Privacy And Quality Guiding

On an Africa message board on America Online the other day, someone rhetorically asked why anybody would pay $300 to $500 per person per day for a photographic safari. The question elicited quite a bit of comment, ranging from the predictable 'there's a sucker born every minute...' to somewhat more reasoned observations about the intrinsically high cost of operating a lodge in a place like the Okavango Delta. So why the high prices? By no means the most important factor is the exceedingly high (and increasing) cost of permits and concession fees charged by various government bodies. The governments of both Botswana and Zimbabwe make no bones about the fact that they are intent on keeping the basic fee structures high in a deliberate attempt to discourage mass tourism.

Other factors are the almost prohibitively high price of construction (imagine the cost of moving heavy equipment into the Delta to build an airstrip); the cost of trucking in building materials, fittings, supplies, etc. Perishables often have to be flown in by light aircraft at great cost, while dry goods have to travel long distances over bad roads. Vehicle upkeep and repairs are many times as expensive as in major urban areas. Lodges/camps are quite small (most sleeping no more than 16 to 20 people compared with as many as 100 or so at many lodges in East Africa) so you enjoy a large degree of privacy and exclusivity and the prices usually included practically everything, including all drinks and laundry.

Looking at price 'in isolation' is misleading though. The question should really be: 'Why would someone pay $400 per person per day for a luxury fly-in safari compared with $50 pppd for a bungalow at a public reserve'. There are the obvious reasons such as staying in elegant, romantic 'out of Africa' style tents and enjoying all the comforts of a hotel, including excellent food and personalized service. In my opinion the two most important factors, however, are privacy and the quality of the guiding.

The most expensive lodges are almost always located in private concession areas where access is limited to the guests staying at the lodges on the property. Ask anybody who has spent some time on a safari in Northern Botswana, Zimbabwe or Namibia, and they will invariably mention seeing few other vehicles. The privacy and exclusivity of these camps create a wilderness experience that cannot be compared with a stay at a public reserve. I've had some wonderful (inexpensive) experiences in places like Etosha, Kalahari Gemsbok Park, and Kruger Park - which I have visited dozens of times - yet I have also had visits there marred by foolish behavior on the part of other visitors, such as illegal off-road driving, hooliganism and overcrowding, with sometimes dozens of cars converging on a 'kill' scene. Every visit is different and you can have the most sublime wildlife experience in a public reserve (I sure have), but by spending the extra dollars to stay in a private concession, you do not run the risk of having your vacation spoiled by some idiot throwing a beer bottle at sleeping lions. Most people do not return to Africa year after year, so for them it is a wise investment to spend a bit more in order to enjoy the proverbial trip of a life-time.

At private game lodges such as MalaMala in South Africa and Mombo in Botswana, the quality of the guiding is superb. Let me give you an example: last year at Mombo, we were fortunate to have had Hayden Oake as our guide. Hayden was born in Zimbabwe in 1968 and emigrated to Botswana in 1976 with his parents. In 1995 he was inaugurated into the Botswana Tribe and he is at present, one of the 20 or less expatriate tribal members. In 1989 Hayden, who had studied photography in the UK, helped in filming "Okavango, Jewel of the Kalahari". From there he went on to guiding Frans Lanting of National Geographic, who was at the time working on his book and the Geographic article on the Okavango. Since then Hayden has worked on a number of wildlife documentaries. For the last four years, he has been based at Mombo Camp, where he has developed an uncanny ability to find that most elusive of African cats, the leopard. A game drive with Hayden, a charming fellow with a keen sense of humor, is a veritable education. Like all the best guides in the business, he not only finds the animals and birds and other wildlife, but he interprets their behavior, explains their interaction with each other, and even predicts what will happen next. Being with someone like Hayden Oake in Botswana is like being 'in' one of those National Geographic films.

Wilderness Safaris To Offer Skeleton Coast Fly-In Safaris

Wilderness Safaris recently announced that the Namibian Government has allowed them to take over the management and marketing of the private concession within the northern sector of the Skeleton Coast Park. The Skeleton Coast Park is one of our planet's most inhospitable yet hauntingly beautiful places. It is wild, desolate and uninhabited. It has everything from roaring sand dunes, windswept plains, towering canyons, and salt pans to seal colonies, shipwrecks and even one of the most productive fishing grounds found anywhere.

Freshwater springs permeate through barren sands to create rare oases in the desert that sustain pockets of wildlife. Springbok, Gemsbok (Oryx), the Desert Elephant, Ostrich, Jackal and Brown Hyena eke out an existence in this rugged terrain, along with vegetation like Welwitschia that has adapted to the harsh conditions.

The arid desert environment in the Skeleton Coast is within the northern reaches of the Namib Desert. The Benguela current brings cold waters all the way from Antarctica and helps to moderate temperatures. The cool air off the ocean meets the hotter desert air and nearly every morning, a cool mist envelops the coastline, bringing life sustaining moisture to the desert.

There are many regions in the Skeleton Coast. On these safaris, we visit the most isolated, beautiful, remote (and private) northern sector of the park, from just north of Mowe Bay to just south of the Kunene River. This area has been set aside by the government for low volume, exclusive safaris.

We offer two safaris, one for four nights / five days and another for three nights / four days with weekly departures. Both are flying safaris, starting and ending in Windhoek. However, once we arrive at the Skeleton Coast we spend all our time in vehicles. Both safaris can usually be combined with Wilderness Safaris' "Best of Namibia Wing Safari" to create the Ultimate Namibian safari.

This safari is unlike any other of our safaris. The area is so vast and there is so much to see and experience that we abandon our traditional early morning and afternoon activities. We leave camp after breakfast and spend the full day exploring the park. A picnic lunch is enjoyed out in the wild and we return to base camp in the late afternoon. We travel in 4x4 Land Rovers and cover an extraordinary variety of terrains.

Even though this is a "Five Paw" safari, the terrain is harsh, rough and rugged. We will try and make this as comfortable as possible, but we have no way of hiding from the elements. Sometimes we can experience cold temperatures - and then 400m up the valley, we encounter hot desert winds. This is not a safari for the faint-hearted, but it will be enjoyed by those who are looking for a true wilderness experience, in some of the most spectacular scenery in southern Africa.

Scheduled departures start on the 1st of April 2000 - and groups of 4 or more can book to go anytime before then.

Availability On Millenium Safaris

There is still space available at many lodges in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe for the Millenium period, at normal peak season prices. Lodges with space available include Sossusvlei in Namibia, Ndumo in South Africa, Giraffe Springs, Makalolo and Little Makalolo, Matusadona, Water Wilderness, River Club and Chikwenya in Zimbabwe and in Botswana, Kings Pool, Savuti, Chitabe Trails, Duba, Jacana, Jedibe, Kwetsani and Vumbura. Please do give us a shout if you are interested in traveling over this period.

There are also a limited number of seats available on a Jacana Safari in Botswana, as well as on two Mopane camping safaris.

The New Mombo And Little Mombo

As you may already be aware, Wilderness Safaris will be completely rebuilding Mombo Camp and Mombo Trails during the summer at a new site. The New Mombo Camp and Little Mombo (as Mombo Trails will then be referred to) will be built to a great new design - retaining the canvas atmosphere. Both Little Mombo and Mombo will be of the exact same standard in the new camp. The only difference between the two camps will be in the number of tents. New Mombo will have nine luxury tents while Little Mombo will have three luxury tents. Both camps will be built on raised decks, have en suite bathrooms, in and outdoor showers and ceiling fans etc. Each tent will have a proper door as an entrance and not a zip as in the traditional "zip" safari tents. Both camps will have a communal area consisting of dining room, lounge and pub, as well as a pool, curio shop and boma for outdoor dining. The two camps will be next to each other.

News About The Overland Safaris

The Jacana Safari

The Jacana Safari has upgraded once again! The camp we set up along the Chobe River began using larger "mini-Meru" tents in 1998, and this year we have improved the interiors of the tents with coir mats and new 6-inch mattresses and lots of nice small touches. The facilities are now 100% en suite (i.e. no gaps between the main tent and the bathrooms) with chemical loo, bush shower and basin with mirror, and a shade cloth floor.

A mokoro outing from Jacana Camp, in the Okavango Delta
Mokoro ride at Jacana Camp
Our new Mokoro Trails Camp in the Okavango Delta for the Jacana Safari has been moved to the new reserve to the west of Mombo called the Jao Reserve. The new camp - 'Jacana Camp' has been built and decorated along the same lines as our permanent camps. We are using slightly smaller "mini-Meru" sized tents than we use in our main tented camps. However they are decorated and fully furnished with regular beds, a wooden chest, shelves, bedside tables, etc. The tents and en suite bathrooms have 220v lights, and the facilities consist of flush toilets, basins and solar heated showers. Activities include mokoros, boats and walks in the area and, when the floodwaters begin to recede, game drives and night drives.

The Okavango "Land Activity Camp" we stay at in the Xudum area has been refurbished with new mini-Meru tents, beds, linens and furnishings, and en-suite letaka bathrooms including a bush loo, shower, mirror and shade cloth floor. This camp will have paraffin lighting.

Namibia - Toktokkie Safari

The Tok-Tokkie Safari has been shortened by one day for 2000. The new itinerary will be as follows: Day 1-2 Fly to Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp, Day 3 Drive to Swakopmund, Day 4-5 Drive to Damaraland Camp, Day 6-7 Drive to Ongava Tented Camp (Etosha), Day 8-9 Drive to Mushara Lodge (Etosha), Day 10-11 Drive to Okonjima, Day 12 Drive back to Windhoek. The cost in 2000 will be US$3,600 per person sharing. This is an
excellent trip, and a fantastic option for folks who have more time to explore Namibia.

Zimbabwe - Rhino Safari

The 10 or 13-day Rhino Safari has added an extra charter for 1999 and 2000.

The safari drives from Victoria Falls to Hwange (to our private camp in the Makalolo concession), and then includes air transfers from Hwange to Chizarira and Chizarira to Matusadona. The optional 4 day canoe safari is run by Safari Par Excellence on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River, and accommodation is in Kayila Lodge, Chongwe Camp, and Mwambashi Lodge. This safari will remain unchanged for 2000.

Comments From Guests On Cross Country Safaris

The 1999 cross country safaris have had a successful early season. Here are a few comments from satisfied customers this year:

BFV3 (Jacana)

.....we had a fabulous time. Our guide, Rowan Calder, was exceptionally knowledgeable and knew where to find whatever we wanted to see that day. We hated to part his company as he was so pleasant to be with.

I had somewhat of an idea that the food would be very good due to some of your remarks in your reports...but it was still a very pleasant, beyond expected surprise. All the camps were great, each one in the style of its area.

We are almost recovered from our jet lag, but our safari will live forever in our memories! Guide, Rowan, was wonderful- I didn't ask a question that he couldn't answer. He was extremely knowledgeable.

BFM3 (Jacana)

What can I say about the trip when one day was just as perfect as the next? We had a wonderful time and the weather couldn't have been better.

The mokoro trips through the water were the most peaceful thing we had ever experienced. We did see a Pel's fishing owl and also a Sitatunga.

All the camps had something to offer. Linyanti was simply beautiful. A ride into the Savuti area brought a mating pride of lion and two lionesses and two adorable cubs. I can't even name all the animals I had seen: Jackals, African Wildcat, Serval, Bushbabies, Hares, Black Mamba snakes, Monitor lizards, Wildebeest, Kudu, Honey Badger, Tsessebe, and at Mokoro Trails two Sitatunga sightings and two gorgeous Pel's Fishing Owls! And we ended the safari the last day with a kill in Chobe. Four hungry lionesses who had walked by our tents earlier that morning had taken down a young Puku right in front of us. About twenty minutes after leaving the lionesses we saw a young male lion stalking a buffalo by a lake but the young thing went after a lizard instead and the buffalo chased him. After that we saw another mating pride of lion and did I forget to mention the hundreds of elephant, the crocodile feeding on a baby elephant carcass, the leaping herds of red lechwe, and the over 100 species of birds? (That's where I stopped counting) oh, and another dog sighting at the Chobe border! One thing I absolutely cannot forget to mention is what an exceptional guide Hayden is. He knows animals so well and is an amazing guide. Also quick. He was able to read us as well as he could read the animals and has bionic hearing and sight. Trudi was an equally wonderful hostess and chef. I'm already trying to decide which trip to do next with my boyfriend. He can't believe he missed this one and we are seeing if we can go together possibly this November.

BFM2 (Jacana)

It is hard to know if there is a better guide than Hayden Oake - I doubt it.

NS1 (Tok-Tokkie)

....there were no "worst" places. David Ward was, for us, the luckiest choice. In every aspect he was the best guide we have ever had in 12 years of extensive overseas travel. He is witty, humorous, with a great source of stories and experiences which we suspect are all true! If we were recommending this tour to our friends we would advise them to make sure Dave is their guide. He was the icing of the cake on a wonderful and memorable tour. His knowledge of fauna and flora, geological info and historical Africa was exceptional. The best ever - absolutely fantastic and a great guy.

The air trip from Windhoek to Wolwedans was unbelievably brilliant. The Africats was a wonderful ending and experience. We now have a greater understanding and grasp of Africa's wonder and problems and will identify with it more readily.

NS2 (Tok-Tokkie)

Namibia was beautiful and we saw lots of wildlife there including desert elephant. The Tok-Tokkie proved to be a well laid out safari and our guide Jacques was very knowledgeable about anything to do with Namibia.

ZBT3 (Rhino)

Craig (van Zyl) is one of the finest people I have been fortunate enough to meet - intelligent, warm, humorous, encyclopedic in his knowledge of biology and wildlife, a great organizer, raconteur, a person of boundless energy. It would be impossible for me to imagine anyone who could surpass his overall skills and character as a guide. He should be cloned at once!

By far the best trip I've ever taken (I say this having been to Africa once before in 1996, as well as some hiking in Alaska, the west coast and New England).

Mana Canoe Trail

The overland division in Wilderness Safaris is now handling the reservations for the Mana Canoe Trail. This has to be one of the best canoe trips around. We have full pro guides running the safari who are also licensed for canoeing. The safari starts at Ruckomechi and then finishes just past Chikwenya and traverses the full length of Mana Pools. We have departures every Monday and Thursday in season and the duration is three nights. To this guests can add on nights at either Ruckomechi at the start or at Chikwenya at the end, if guests want a longer stay in the Mana Pools area.

The safari at present gets to Ruckomechi by a road / boat transfer - and then we charter the guests back from Chikwenya. We are about to start building an airfield at Ruckomechi and we will (for 2000) fly guests in and out of the Valley to maximize their time in the best areas.

Prices are exceptional - please call or e-mail for further information.

'Spafaris' And Jungle Gyms

The last thing you expect to find on walking into a cave in Matobo's granite wilderness is a fully equipped gym, sauna and masseuse.

Camp Amalinda is always full of surprises and the latest is an innovation which adds new meaning to 'jungle gym'. Yes, the 'spafari' has come to Zimbabwe.

Built in the Amalinda cave tradition incorporating native rock and thatch, the health and fitness centre is the domain of beauty therapist Sharon Cox who has gladly given up the bright lights of Harare to pamper weary bundu-bashers.

Clawing your way up a tree to escape a charging rhino can play havoc with the hands, but all is repairable in Sharon's salon. Game-walk weary feet and aching muscles are remedied with pedicure and aromatherapy body massage, while the ravages of the African sun soon fade with a full facial.

Workout-aholics who hate to break their routine will find a fully equipped gym, with a great view, at their disposal. And the entire experience is topped off with a sauna, complete with cold shower, or a plunge in the nearby rock pool.

Please call or e-mail for further information and brochures.

Refurbishment Of Rocktail Bay Lodge

The refurbishment at Wilderness Safaris' Rocktail Bay Lodge is now complete. The lodge has undergone a complete face-lift designed to reflect the calm coolness of its unique location. The beach-side lodge accommodates just 20 people in 10 wood and thatch tree house chalets, is set on stilts just feet from the Indian Ocean, in a coastal forest behind a row of some of the highest forested dunes in the world.

All chalets feature a bathroom as well as outdoor showers, designed to give the illusion of showering in the forest. The bathrooms feature detailed framed mirrors, pewter basin-side pieces. Indonesian soap dishes, alongside delicate coral and giant Cowrie shells complete the picture.

Tent-like white drapes are suspended from the ceiling of each room. Cool blue and white furnishings complete the fresh airy feeling and were designed to stave off the summer heat. The living areas at Rocktail Bay have been decorated with original 18th century botanical etchings and aged scrubbed and bleached wood pieces, including dark teak curled armchairs and chaise lounges. Ancient bronze telescopes, navigation lanterns, green and turquoise glass buoys and barometers recall bygone sailing days. Azure blue and textured fabrics bring the crispness of the neighboring ocean into the forest lodge.

In additional to the wide variety of activities offered by the lodge due to its close proximity to both the forested dunes and Maputaland coast, Rocktail Bay is renowned for its prime position during the Leatherback and Loggerhead turtle nesting season. Approximately 100 Leatherbacks and 500 Loggerheads return to lay their eggs on these beaches every year.

Guests at Rocktail Bay have the opportunity of viewing this amazing natural phenomenon first hand during the season,[mid-October through to the end of January]. Guests are taken out each evening during low tide accompanied by expert guide Andy Coetzee. Andy also assist the KwaZulu/Natal Conservation Services with measuring and micro-chip tagging the turtles, and monitoring the nests once the eggs have been dropped. In order to minimize the disturbance factor to the turtles, groups are limited to nine people who are able to observe these prehistoric creatures as they haul themselves up the beach to lay their eggs.

The hatching season begins at the end of January and continues through to mid-March. Guests are able to enjoy the experience of watching young turtles being collected as they come out of their nests, whereupon they are counted, marked and released back into the sea.

Rocktail Bay and Wilderness Safaris have joined forces with the KwaZulu/Natal Nature Conservation Services and the University of Pisa in order to assist with this project, the aim of which is to monitor and track the movement of these species, the largest of the sea turtles, as they wander the world's oceans. Guests experiencing the laying or hatching of Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles while staying at Rocktail Bay Lodge are encouraged to "adopt" and contribute to this worthwhile project. This turtle population is one of the few world-wide which is protected and increasing.

For further information on any of the above items please contact:

Fish Eagle Safaris
11152 Westheimer #150
Houston, TX 77042
Tel 1-800-513-5222 (USA and Canada)
Tel 713-467-5222 (from outside North America)
Fax 713/467-3208
E-mail: info@fisheaglesafaris.com


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***************************
Fish Eagle Safaris
11152 Westheimer #150
Houston, TX 77042
Tel 1-800-513-5222 (USA and Canada)
Tel 713-467-5222 (from outside North America)
Fax 713/467-3208
E-mail: info@fisheaglesafaris.com

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