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African safari talk...recommendations?

berimbolo
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p.66 #1 · p.66 #1 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Does anyone have a complete list of conservancies in the Mara? It looks like there are a few smaller conservancies (like Ripoi mentioned earlier).

Sep 08, 2024 at 04:33 AM

Abuttolph
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p.66 #2 · p.66 #2 · African safari talk...recommendations?

artsupreme wrote:
Great safari report, I'm glad you ended up loving your 300mm prime and also that you didn't get stuck in the NP for two weeks as you would have missed out on a lot.

You will find this experience is the same at nearly all mid to top tier camps in the Kenya conservancies. The guides are local Maasai people and they are the true experts who put you in the right spot and educate you along the way. You will likely have the same comments above for every camp you stay at. This is the reason why we had...Show more →

It really is amazing how much difference there is between being in a quieter area and areas where there is a lot of vehicle traffic. It simply feels nicer to be in a quieter area and to be honest, sometimes the large numbers of vehicles around specific animals was not good - I will write more below regarding a leopard.

The vultures were indeed fun to watch and it was a kind of spectacle all its own to see that feeding frenzy. The bickering and fighting together with the intensity in which they went for food was incredible - almost mesmerizing in a weird way. And you are do right about the vultures wanting to be the king of the hill. They fought over that until a jackal appeared and took over.

I did see two leopards during my time there. One was in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in a quieter area in the north. The leopard had left a kill in a tree and was taking a nap in some bushes. All I really saw were spots in the bushes. The second leopard was in Serengeti National Park. It was in a tree and many vehicles had gathered around to see the leopard but were keeping a reasonable distance away, although it was apparent that even at that distance, the leopard was not comfortable with all of the vehicles. Then, one driver took off toward the tree and most of the rest (including our driver, unfortunately) did the same. The leopard did not like it at all and got down from the tree and disappeared. Our driver, while he did approach the tree like everyone else, was not happy with the situation. I was not either and some of the other people with us were unhappy about it as well. The leopard was clearly stressed and in all honestly, I felt (and still do) bad about being a part of it. While yes, I really wanted to see a leopard, I don't feel that my desire to see one should impinge to that extent on the animal. Granted, it was a collective approach of vehicles, but still, each one contributes.

Sep 08, 2024 at 10:25 AM

Abuttolph
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p.66 #3 · p.66 #3 · African safari talk...recommendations?

ajamils wrote:
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Thanks for the report. Based on your reply and others, is it safe to assume that I should leave UWA (14-30 F4) at home as it is not needed? My widest FL would be 35mm (Tamron 35-150) and longest would be 600 mm (Nikon 180-600 and Sony RX10 IV)

Yes, I would say leave your UWA at home. There may be opportunities to use it, but it probably would not be worth carrying with you - at least in my limited experience.

Sep 08, 2024 at 10:40 AM

Abuttolph
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p.66 #4 · p.66 #4 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Primus wrote:
.

Looks like you had an awesome time, thanks for the report. Look forward to seeing some photos as well. PMd you separately about the Ripoi Conservancy, it sounds really promising.

I think the hardest thing for us to experience well is a river crossing. With the climate changing so much, it is such a hit and miss, even more than it used to be. And the crowds are ever increasing. The one and only crossing I've seen was on my very first visit to Africa, in 2007. In all my trips since, despite being there in season, there was...Show more →

It sounds like the crossing that you saw was spectacular. And with only a few cars too. That would be really hard to duplicate at this point in time, I think. You are fortunate to have been able to witness that and to photograph the croc with the wildebeest in its jaws! You experience is probably quite a rare one.

During the first and best crossing that I saw, a crocodile did take a wildebeest. I did photograph it, but it was far enough away that the crocodile and wildebeest were fairly small in the frame. However, the story did not end there. The crocodile brought the wildebeest to a spot just across the river from where we were parked. Another croc tried to take it away. I don't know which one won, but the winner took the wildebeest downstream. Then, about an hour and a half later, it brought the head back and stopped right across the river from us again and tossed the head into the air to get a better grip on it I guess. I did not capture the head in the air, but started shooting just after that. It was a little shocking to see when I reviewed the images, but here is the most powerful one (cropped image) - it looks like something out of a horror movie. I am glad that my other images don't look like this one, even though it is a very real situation there.

I will post other images once I get them ready - they will be more normal than this one.

ILCE-1 FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter lens 600mm f/7.1 1/4000s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV

Sep 08, 2024 at 10:58 AM

Abuttolph
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p.66 #5 · p.66 #5 · African safari talk...recommendations?

I went ahead and posted some of my initially selected images to the Nature & Wildlife thread: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1872478/0?year=current#lastmessage

ILCE-1 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II lens 197mm f/2.8 1/640s 12800 ISO 0.0 EV

Sep 08, 2024 at 01:44 PM

Visually Oriented
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p.66 #6 · p.66 #6 · African safari talk...recommendations?

berimbolo wrote:
Does anyone have a complete list of conservancies in the Mara? It looks like there are a few smaller conservancies (like Ripoi mentioned earlier).

This is a decent map of the greater Mara conservancies and shows many of the camps in each conservancy.

Note that Olare Orok and Motorogi have merged into Olare Motorogi and is one of the premier conservancies.

https://maraconservancies.org/mara-conservancies-map/

Sep 08, 2024 at 04:45 PM

1bwana1
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p.66 #7 · p.66 #7 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Visually Oriented wrote:
This is a decent map of the greater Mara conservancies and shows many of the camps in each conservancy.

Note that Olare Orok and Motorogi have merged into Olare Motorogi and is one of the premier conservancies.

https://maraconservancies.org/mara-conservancies-map/

The far South East corner along the Sand River border with Tanzania is my favorite area. Beautiful geography, rich in wildlife, relatively sparse in tourists. You can see that there are few camps in the area, and the tourist busses don't like the long rough drive. For even more fun do some wild camping just outside the park boundaries. Still plenty of wildlife there.

Sep 08, 2024 at 05:53 PM

Primus
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p.66 #8 · p.66 #8 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Abuttolph wrote:
It sounds like the crossing that you saw was spectacular. And with only a few cars too. That would be really hard to duplicate at this point in time, I think. You are fortunate to have been able to witness that and to photograph the croc with the wildebeest in its jaws! You experience is probably quite a rare one.

During the first and best crossing that I saw, a crocodile did take a wildebeest. I did photograph it, but it was far enough away that the crocodile and wildebeest were fairly small in the frame. However, the story did not...Show more →

Oh wow, this does look disturbing, but nature is what it is. On my last visit to Kenya I witnessed a cheetah kill for the first time. The wildebeest calf was still alive and trying to get up when one of the cheetahs began feeding from the back end. It remained alive for a long time after that. Difficult to watch and one family member with me who was in Africa for the first time was badly grossed out.

Thanks for sharing the photos, no matter what the subject matter is, these are difficult to take and a reflection of our natural world, warts and all.

Sep 08, 2024 at 06:31 PM

350lcpete
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p.66 #9 · p.66 #9 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Hi we are going back to Zambia next year, South Luangwa

We last went to Zambia in 2013 and stayed at Kafunta who were excellent this time we are staying at flat dogs
Is off careful track game driving still allowed ?
Our guide was able to get us into good positions for photography, he was careful and didn’t get too close to the animals
If I understand the situation correctly it’s not allowed officially but careful and considerate positioning of vehicles is ok and tolerated

Sep 09, 2024 at 03:44 AM

robert_in_ca
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p.66 #10 · p.66 #10 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Well there’s no such thing as “careful off track” driving in South Luangwa or any national park. Even well before 2013 it wasn’t allowed when I visited in 1995.

The reality is the further you go from the area around the Mfuwe gate, the less the rules are adhered to. You still take the risk if you get caught—just get ready to pay the rangers in USD —no matter what your drive says. Remember the guides and drivers want to make you happy since you’re the client even if it’s not allowed. Hope you have a wonderful time.

350lcpete wrote:
Hi we are going back to Zambia next year, South Luangwa

Sep 09, 2024 at 10:31 AM

Primus
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p.66 #11 · p.66 #11 · African safari talk...recommendations?

robert_in_ca wrote:
Well there’s no such thing as “careful off track” driving in South Luangwa or any national park. Even well before 2013 it wasn’t allowed when I visited in 1995.

The reality is the further you go from the area around the Mfuwe gate, the less the rules are adhered to. You still take the risk if you get caught—just get ready to pay the rangers in USD —no matter what your drive says. Remember the guides and drivers want to make you happy since you’re the client even if it’s not allowed. Hope you have a wonderful time.

I am booked for a trip to Zambia next year in June. Staying at the Kaingo camp in the SLNP then moving to Lower Zambesi for a few days.

Never been there so it is exciting, however, this is the most expensive safari I will have ever done, so a bit apprehensive about value for money. Can only know once I get there. It is not a conservancy so cannot predict vehicle traffic, hopefully will not be too much where we will be. I did not know there is no off-roading, but it is what it is I suppose.

Sep 09, 2024 at 12:11 PM

ajamils
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p.66 #12 · p.66 #12 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Any suggestions or recommendations for Pilanesberg National Park? Planning to be there for a day and half.

Sep 09, 2024 at 12:15 PM

Abuttolph
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p.66 #13 · p.66 #13 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Primus wrote:
Oh wow, this does look disturbing, but nature is what it is. On my last visit to Kenya I witnessed a cheetah kill for the first time. The wildebeest calf was still alive and trying to get up when one of the cheetahs began feeding from the back end. It remained alive for a long time after that. Difficult to watch and one family member with me who was in Africa for the first time was badly grossed out.

Thanks for sharing the photos, no matter what the subject matter is, these are difficult to take and a reflection of...Show more →

The sighting of the wildebeest being eaten alive must have been difficult to watch as well. It would have been for me. However, as you said, that is nature and it is like that whether we witness it or not. What makes it hard, I think, is to put ourselves in the place of the prey on some level.

Because of the nature of the image of the wildebeest head in the crocodile's mouth, I really was on the fence about posting it even while I was still in Kenya. However, other members of the group that I was with put it in the same perspective as you - this is the reality of the natural world. So, in the end, I decided to post it.

Sep 09, 2024 at 01:09 PM

Primus
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p.66 #14 · p.66 #14 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Sep 09, 2024 at 02:05 PM

robert_in_ca
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p.66 #15 · p.66 #15 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Around Mfuwe will be busy, but outside that area it really won’t be. Even so, it won’t be nearly as busy as other NP in Africa. Off road or not you’ll have a wonderful time.

Primus wrote:
I am booked for a trip to Zambia next year in June. Staying at the Kaingo camp in the SLNP then moving to Lower Zambesi for a few days.

Never been there so it is exciting, however, this is the most expensive safari I will have ever done, so a bit apprehensive about value for money. Can only know once I get there. It is not a conservancy so cannot predict vehicle traffic, hopefully will not be too much where we will be. I did not know there is no off-roading, but it is what it is I suppose.

Sep 09, 2024 at 02:51 PM

artsupreme
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p.66 #16 · p.66 #16 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Abuttolph wrote:
The sighting of the wildebeest being eaten alive must have been difficult to watch as well. It would have been for me. However, as you said, that is nature and it is like that whether we witness it or not. What makes it hard, I think, is to put ourselves in the place of the prey on some level.

Because of the nature of the image of the wildebeest head in the crocodile's mouth, I really was on the fence about posting it even while I was still in Kenya. However, other members of the group that I was with...Show more →

Don't sweat posting that image, I'm glad you posted it. Before I had been to Africa it would bother me seeing animals get taken down on TV in safari videos. But once I got there and saw my first kill in person I learned it didn't bother me as much because you realize this is how the food chain works and it happens every day out there. My first kill experience was a poor zebra that was taken down by a female lion. She held her down while struggling without fully suffocating her for quite some time while she waited for the male lion to show up so he could eat first. I was about 15ft away and down wind...I can't describe the smell as I had never smelled it previously, but it was a smell of warm fresh meat on another level. And the loud sounds they make while tearing into the muscle and bones...it's much louder than one would expect.

The thing that will always bother me is watching the babies get hassled or taken. Watched a Topi being born and while the Mom was trying to clean her two Jackals show up and start pestering and snapping at the baby for a couple hours. Also saw a baby giraffe and impala in the same situation. Those are not fun to watch, but it's likely you'll see something like this while on safari.

Sep 09, 2024 at 03:31 PM

robert_in_ca
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p.66 #17 · p.66 #17 · African safari talk...recommendations?

I’ve seen a number of kills and as exciting as one might think it is to see it’s also very humbling. One of the hardest things I saw was a leopard take a lion cub (as it was calling for its mother) up into a tree and slowly kill it, and then drop it from about 15-20 feet to the ground. Predators will kill each other and especially the young within a territory as they are seen as competing for the same food source. But either way it’s tough.

artsupreme wrote:
Don't sweat posting that image, I'm glad you posted it. Before I had been to Africa it would bother me seeing animals get taken down on TV in safari videos. But once I got there and saw my first kill in person I learned it didn't bother me as much because you realize this is how the food chain works and it happens every day out there. My first kill experience was a poor zebra that was taken down by a female lion. She held her down while struggling without fully suffocating her for quite some time while she waited...Show more →

Sep 09, 2024 at 04:17 PM

350lcpete
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p.66 #18 · p.66 #18 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Thanks looking forward to it we had leopard sightings every day except 1
Last time was a general wildlife trip with 9 people in the jeep but still managed some nice images this time we’re going on a specific guided photography tour so should be good

Sep 10, 2024 at 04:06 AM

VKM2F
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p.66 #19 · p.66 #19 · African safari talk...recommendations?

Primus wrote:
I am booked for a trip to Zambia next year in June. Staying at the Kaingo camp in the SLNP then moving to Lower Zambesi for a few days.

Never been there so it is exciting, however, this is the most expensive safari I will have ever done, so a bit apprehensive about value for money. Can only know once I get there. It is not a conservancy so cannot predict vehicle traffic, hopefully will not be too much where we will be. I did not know there is no off-roading, but it is what it is I suppose.

I stayed at Kaingo in 2019 and absolutely loved it. Had wonderful leopard and wild dog sightings there and great guiding. When I was there we rarely saw other vehicles, it felt quite remote and wild. I hope you have as great a time as I did!

Sep 10, 2024 at 10:09 AM

berimbolo
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p.66 #20 · p.66 #20 · African safari talk...recommendations?

What lodges in the Okavango Delta and Chobe NP do people recommend? Is March a good time for Botswana?

Sep 13, 2024 at 12:15 PM

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