African Safari Update: April 2022

From the Editor's Desk

Bullet holes in a wall, dating back to the legendary 1976 Israeli raid on Entebbe. Old abandoned aircraft slowly sinking into the mud along a runway apron. The original Entebbe Airport in Uganda is a place of stories, of intrigue and mystery. Very much like the country of Uganda - a fascinating destination which lives up to all one’s expectations for an Africa trip. More and better wildlife than you may think. Gorillas, of course. Living happily in a place evocatively and aptly named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest,  by a wise Englishman many decades ago. Uganda is also home to several troops of habituated - and wild - chimpanzees and no fewer than 18 other primates.  These include the spectacular black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, Holst’s and blue monkeys, and olive baboons.  Several of these can be seen during game drives, boat trips, or nature walks, along with smaller nocturnal species such as the bushbaby (galago) and potto. Uganda’s bird watching experience rivals the best of the best, with a species list exceeding 1,000. I don’t think anybody can resist being charmed by Uganda’s friendly, spontaneous people. The cultural experiences?  They could not be better.  I won’t give it all away:  you simply have to make it here to experience Uganda yourself. 

I am writing this column from Entebbe in Uganda where I am about to set off on a 2-week inspection visit, in the company of two of my Safari Pros colleagues.. We’ll visit all the places and reserves you may already know such as Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks, Ishasha, Kibale Forest and of course Bwindi. We will also make our way to a couple of areas which we don’t know and which you may be curious to explore some day. Among these will be Kidepo National Park in the north and Semliki NP in the west. 

In the next issue of our newsletter we will take you along on our Uganda adventure.

Kathy Writes About The Serengeti

In March this year our colleague Kathy ventured off to Tanzania on an educational trip operated by our Tanzania partners Nomad Tanzania Safaris.  Here is her first hand account. 

“I had a fabulous time in Tanzania and saw more than 150 bird species! Here are some of the highlights:

Giraffe Residence in Arusha. This small, intimate property was formerly a private residence. There are zebra, eland, wildebeest and other plains game all over the enormous property.  They specialize in horseback riding and they use retired polo 'ponies' that are gorgeous!  5 star all the way!

Kuro Tarangire:  A small and well managed camp. Best to visit during the dry season (July through October) as the grass was too high for us to do any walking. Even so, the game viewing was good.  A rather unexpected ‘bonus’?  Close up views of a spitting cobra!  One of the camp staff is known to catch any undesirable snakes found around the property and relocate them.

Gibbs Farm:  We had lunch at this stunning property.  Lush, green gardens, herbs, vegetables, horseback riding, bird watching - lovely accommodation!  I would gladly stay here anytime!

Entamanu Ngorongoro:  My first trip to the crater and it did not disappoint.  Our game drive into the crater was thrilling and we saw the ‘Big Five’ within the first 25 minutes. The highlight of my trip was an encounter with buffalo and a large pride of about 12-plus lions trying to take down an injured buffalo.  Trumpets please as a group of five very large elephant bulls came to the rescue - the lions scattered!!  The accommodation at Entamanu is fabulous.

Serengeti Safari Camp:  This small mobile tented safari camp is done just right.  Stylish but in a classic, authentic way.  The tents are spacious with a nice patio for game viewing. The lounge area is open sided - tented style.  We enjoyed  pre-dinner cocktails and snacks around the fire while we gazed at the stars and talked about our very exciting day in the Serengeti.  The food was delicious and the staff were friendly.

On a game drive from SSC we saw lions in the trees close to Lake Ndutu - up high where it was cooler with fewer flies.  It was very funny to see a small herd of zebras casually walk by, right under the tree.  The lions stood up but knew they would not be able to jump down the tree in time for a meal.  It was great watching the wildebeest and zebra migration and we enjoyed a nice sighting of a cheetah with her two young cubs.

Lamai Serengeti:  A stunning property - high up in the hills/boulders.  The rooms are spacious, with great decks and fantastic views.  It is best to visit this property in the dry season as the grass was quite high.  Nonetheless we did see lions, lots of game by the river and we enjoyed a great view of a leopard sitting on one of the boulders - just posing for us on our final morning drive.

Where to go Next

Which countries are the best places in Africa to visit over the next few months?  Our personal favorites for May and June include Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia.  

Botswana

From May onwards, Botswana and Zimbabwe come into their own. Flying over the Okavango Delta you can see the silvery fingers of water extending deep into the rapidly drying flood plains as the annual flood pushes in from the north west. It is a beautiful spectacle. And the game-viewing just gets better and better as the dry season sets in. 

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe the onset of the dry season brings out the elephants. It’s not as if they’ve been away during the short green season, just dispersed. As the woodlands dry up and casual water disappears or becomes undrinkable the Hwange elephants do what they have been doing for decades:  they start showing up at the pumped water holes in their dozens and hundreds. That’s where you need to be, observing as the herds emerge from the woodland, one following the other, day in and day out. 

Mashatu, south-eastern Botswana

Mashatu in south eastern Botswana is excellent in the late southern African fall and early winter. The weather is perfect for a foot safari - and everything else. Take advantage of Mashatu’s recently introduced 6-night long-stay discount by spending three nights each at two camps in the reserve. Over the course of a week there you are likely to see lions, leopards and cheetahs. The rare big cat trifecta. Not rare at all in Mashatu!

South Africa

Yet another country to consider for May and June?  South Africa. In fact May is one of the better months of the year to combine a safari in the interior with a few days in the southwestern Cape. You may get to experience a few sparkling days in Cape Town before the weather gets really messy from June onwards. Be sure to ask Bert about hiking one of the routes up to the summit of Table Mountain!  

Namibia

And then there’s Namibia. In our opinion - shared by several other Namibia experts - May is the single best month to be in Namibia. There’s a little bit of green left from the brief wet season and the animals are generally in good condition. The climate is near perfect, and it’s not yet as bone dry as it gets by July and August when dust is a real issue. Plus you get to take advantage of shoulder season prices. 

A couple of our Southern African partners have some space available over the next few months, so please give us a call or email me at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com for more information. 

As of April most of the African safari destination countries no longer require entry or exit Covid testing or certificates for fully vaccinated travelers.  Since we last touched on this, Zimbabwe also announced that fully vaccinated travelers would be allowed to enter the country without producing a negative Covid PCR test.  

Thinking further ahead than 2022?  Right now there is still space available for the summer  of 2023 but that is changing rapidly.   So do call us at 800-513-5222 or get in touch by email, to avoid disappointment.  

Introducing the Fish Eagle Safaris Team

If you’ve called Fish Eagle Safaris recently you’ll have noticed that you often get either Lyndon or Jason on the line.  They have both been a part of the fish Eagle safaris team since 2007.  

Here’s a little more about the two brothers who were born a year and a month apart, in the mid 1980’s. 

Lyndon Duplessis

Like his father and brother, Lyndon was born in South Africa.  Like his brother (and unlike his father) he moved to the United States when he was young and was raised in Houston but still fondly remembers trips to Kruger Park and Namibia as a kid.  Since his graduation from college in 2007 he has been periodically visiting and re-visiting different countries in Africa as well as his family in Pretoria and Sedgefield.  When Lyndon goes on safari now he gets to bring his wife, Christine, and watch her reaction to seeing and experiencing some of what she grew up watching on the Discovery Channel or Nat Geo.  Over the years he has developed an appreciation for being in the vehicle that spots the animals, not the one that gets the call over the radio about the leopard sighting.  He has also developed an appreciation for high tea and any pastries that might come with the trip.

Jason Duplessis

Jason went on a few safaris before officially working with Fish Eagle Safaris, but his real love for African safaris started in 2007 on his first official fam trip to Zimbabwe. During that trip, he and Lyndon took a very exciting canoe trip down the Zambezi among other things! Since then, he has narrowed his focus to photography and videography while on safari. Birds in flight, predators on the prowl, and elephants at play are just some of his favorite memories to capture in the bush. Jason has been on over a dozen fam trips with Fish Eagle Safaris, each one as unique and interesting as the last. His favorite sightings include kingfishers, cheetahs and lion cubs. During a trip to Uganda, he fondly remembers being slapped on the leg by a juvenile gorilla and he hopes to visit the gorillas again soon.

Jason is also very good with computers and technology, so if you need help with e-visa applications or any of our electronic submissions he is your guy!

Fish Eagle Safaris Flight Reviews - Part 2

Delta (business class) Amsterdam to Houston

The Delta One suite on this 9-hour flight was perfectly comfortable with plenty of leg room and a 180-degree lie-flat option.  There were 2 USB charging points.  Access into and out of the suite was easy enough, even though the door felt like it could go off the rails pretty easily.  The Delta in-flight entertainment center had an above-average selection of movies and TV series and other options, and navigating was better than any other system I had experienced lately.  

The in-flight service was efficient and friendly, with the flight attendants checking in regularly.   The food options were not extensive (two meat/fish/chicken choices and one vegetarian) but my selections ended up being quite tasty and the bread, salad, and dessert were excellent.  The flight was on-time and communication from the flight desk was thorough and clear.  The toilet was spotless for the duration of the flight.  My only minor beef?  That sparkling wine was on offer prior to take-off, but not tonic water, which would have been my preference.  

JOIN BERT & KATHY IN KENYA THIS NOVEMBER

Interested in joining Fish Eagle Safaris’ Bert and Kathy on a safari to Kenya in November?  There are just two seats left, so call or email us soon.  We will be joining a research team from the Tsavo Trust in an effort to find one of Tsavo’s legendary 100-pounder elephant bulls or failing that, an emerging super tusker.  Another highlight will be an exclusive, close-up experience with the orphan elephants at Galdessa, one of the Sheldrick Wildlife Society’s reintegration units.  For the duration of our time in Tsavo and in the Masai Mara we will be accompanied by private Origins Safaris guides.   We’ve traveled with them before and we know that their expertise elevates a safari like this from being great to being extraordinary.  

Link to  Kenya trip itinerary - Nov 2022