Our Excellent Adventure - African Safari 2004

Our Excellent Adventure - Zambia/Botswana Safari 2004
Day 9-10 - Jul 30-31 - Nkwali Camp

Trip start
Safari start
previous - Travel day - Lusaka -> Mfuwe -> Nkwali Camp

Nkwali Camp

We arrived at Nkwali Camp in early evening (sun sets around 18:00 and
rises around 06:00) on the the 29th. We were picked up by Kiki (an RPS
guide assigned to Nkwali ... had a great laugh) and transferred to a
game drive vehicle for our first game drive (in the dark) in South Luangwa National Park.

Accommodations

Each couple had a separate chalet

July 30th

Gathering of all tourists and staff for early breakfast

Sunrise ... after breakfast

Predator meal-table - lots of antelope abound (these are puku)

Lilacbreasted roller, national bird of Botswana

On the game drive that afternoon, we watched three elephants try to cross the river just upstream from camp

They discovered the bank was too high to climb

They came charging back very frustrated

Kiki (had the best laugh) having fun with a water buffalo skull, during the afternoon game drive

James showing us how the aardvark had eaten the larva from this dung beetle larva nest made from elephant dung

Young hyenas waiting outside their den for mother to return from a hunt

July 31st

My convertible pants were quite difficult to change to shorts, during our morning game walk

Tea and cookies break during our morning game walk
Each walk involved a scout (with 375 rifle), a guide, and a tea carrier

At the main shelter, after our morning game walk

Sunrise, looking up the Luangwa River

South Luangwa National park entrance

First sighting of a hippo feeding out of the water (they do this mainly at night)

Our river transport for the morning game walk involved driving down thru the river bank onto a barge and being manually pulled across the river on a pontoon boat
I will try to include a video of the manual involvement required