Zambia - All creatures great and small

By Rob Barbour:  Zambia may not be top of most safari-goers list of destinations but the country offers an impressive list of possible adventures, activities and special places that should be considered when considering any trip to Africa.

Young elephant

Victoria Falls and the Lower Zambezi (both shared with Zimbabwe) and a wide range of beautiful and remote wildlife areas which arguably may be the home of the original walking safaris.  I recently had the pleasure of spending time in Zambia where my clients were able to experience a range of activities from our first base at Livingstone close to the  Victoria Falls, then South Luangwa National Park and finally the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River themselves are incredible but when you consider the possible ways of seeing the area around Livingstone (walking, rafting, ultralight, helicopter, conventional vehicle or boat safari) you could conceivably spend a very active few days in the area.  You can even see it upside down via Bungey with an 80 metre free fall, or upright by zipline across the river gorge, or swing from the river bridge.  Just describing the options can be tiring!

Yellow billed stork feeding

Once beyond The Falls and into the wild areas you get a feel for the vastness of Zambia and the fact that there are still places where mass tourism is yet to find.  We walked from one camp to another in the South Luangwa Valley.  At one point having to walk between an inquisitive male lion to our right and a bull elephant to the left.  Most of the time we were appreciating the smaller pleasures of birdsong, the tree blossom, the light and the chance to exercise.

Canoeing on the Zambezi

In the Lower Zambezi National Park the mighty Zambezi takes centre stage and many of the activities centre around the river.  Game viewing by canoe and by boat, walking the incredibly picturesque riverine forest along the banks and catching tiger fish - Africa's premier freshwater flighting fish.   Accommodation, food and lodging is generally in small intimate camps with excellent hosts and guides who are prepared to organise bush breakfasts and sundowner drinks followed by candlelit dinners on a boat while drifting down river.  Each possibility adds to the vast variety of experiences that make a trip to Zambia so rewarding.

For more information on southern African experiences, or to connect with Rob directly, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Moved by Rwanda - Recovery and Optimism

By Rob Barbour: Being able to guide first time travellers to Africa is one of those experiences I get immense pleasure from.  I have yet to meet anyone who has not had been profoundly touched and influenced by the experience.

Most people make the decision to travel to Africa to see the amazing big game and they are rarely disappointed.  However most people take away a lot more than that and often their most memorable experiences relate to the many amazing people they meet in villages on farms or in the hospitality industry as they move around - the waiters, the chefs who conjeur magic from supposedly nowhere and the amazing local guides.  Those patient, eternally optimistic, humourous people who explain and interpret the experience with complete passion and humility.

A baby gorilla, just 3 months old

In August some first time safari goers travelled with me to  Rwanda, primarily to see the endangered mountain gorillas.  Rwanda is a small, landlocked ( they say land "linked"), densely populated country with an incredibly painful recent past and an even more incredible reconciliation and recovery.  First time visitors can't help but be moved by this history - as presented in the various genocidal memorials - be humbled by the ability of the people to try to forgive whilst never forgetting, and to be motivated to spread the word and share Rwanda's wonderful recovery and infectious optimism for their future.

Rwanda clearly is working its way to breaking the world's stereotypical view of Africa as unsafe, unclean, corrupt and hungry.  I can't wait to show more people that vision.  We haven't even begun to talk about the mountain gorillas - that is another story.

For more information on Rwanda, or to connect with Rob directly to discuss more East African experiences, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Croc Bides its Time with a Thirsty Herd

By Richard Field: It was late June and we had judged that the bulk of the wildebeest migration should be around the Grumeti River in the western Serengeti. Flying in we soon saw that we had timed it to perfection, with herds of thousands upon thousands of wildebeest covering the plains both north and south of the river.

Once on the ground and in our safari vehicle, we found what looked to be a good drinking spot. There were a few wildebeest drinking already, and within minutes an enormous herd started moving down, with thousands of anxious wildebeests eager to quench their thirst. They jostled and jumped and generally kicked up dust, and with it being the rutting season, the male wildebeests were particularly anxious to maintain contact with their harems of females. Their grunting filled the air and there was an atmosphere of general pandemonium – spectacular to see.

At the same time as the wildebeests arrived, enormous crocodiles slowly moved into the water and began to swim towards the unwitting ‘beests’.  For two very tense hours the crocs crept closer and closer – we knew that it was just a matter of time before a croc made an attempt. Sure enough one struck out at a young wildebeest, but missed (see the photo below).

Undeterred, even more wildebeest surged into the water pushing those in front to within a meter of a very large crocodile. The crocs eyes seemed to light up at the prospect and he began to move in. To find out what happened, you will need to take a minute out of your day and watch this video...

At Epic, we have extensive first hand knowledge of the full gamut of safari destinations,. Consequently we pride ourselves in putting people in the right place at the right time, with the right people in order to make your safari the experience of a lifetime. If you would like to share similar experiences to the one in the video, feel free to contact us at Epic Private Journeys.

Tanzanian family adventure - Biking through Maasailand

By Ake Lindstrom: I have just completed a 10 day family adventure safari in Northern Tanzania with a wonderful Australian family.  We successfully combined culture with wildlife and meaningful activities making for a trip as varied and exciting as it comes.  For me the highlights were riding through Maasailand and being the ones being stared at rather than the other way around!

The great aspect of biking that people perhaps don’t initially expect is the serendipity of the encounters that we have with local people.  That was especially true on this trip. The other reason I am always glad to be a part of these trips is the impact that we have, and don’t have, that really count – that means that by visiting some areas we have directly contributed to conserving wildebeest calving grounds and unique ground water forest but also we met local people on their terms and we made plenty of friends on route!

The finale in the Serengeti in our relatively simple expedition camp was also a gem – no other tourists around, sounds of predators, our own kopje to lounge and watch the wilderness around us.

These are the safaris of my childhood and the type I am glad to have the opportunity to share with others.  In the client's words:

"It could not have gone better. Your remarkable patience, endless enthusiasm, extensive knowledge and attention to detail meant that we got everything we could from our experience. It was a classroom on wheels for all of us, and I thought the balance of people, culture, nature, environment and development was perfect.

"We shall always remember the extra-ordinary experience that you and your team created for us. The children had a glimpse of what life without bedrooms, laptops and supermarkets is like and marvelled at how other people live. Some of my favourite photographs show our children on bikes and wearing sunglasses, talking to young Maasai warriors in their black robes, face paint and headdresses, complete with bows and arrows."

For more information on this Tanzanian family adventure, or others, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Leopard cubs, rhinos and owls - Oh my!

By Rob Barbour: I have just returned from guiding a lovely family through the Tarangire National Park in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.  The below snaps are a mere gesture to the variety and amount of game we encountered.

This cub and its sibling were being chased by a male lion and sought refuge in a tree.  Both survived:

Scops Owl taking a snooze, at Olivers Camp, Tarangire:

This picture was actually taken by 10 year old Ella Lewis with my Nikon camera and 300mm lense while I was giving some basic photography lessons.  The young male cub was ambushing his mother from behind the termite mound:

A Black Rhino walks in amongst the migration on the Bolangonja Plains of the Northern Serengeti:

Baby hyena - This little guy was very inquisitive while his Mother was resting:

Leopards - Mother and cub:

For more information on these or any other Epic destinations, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Anita's Okavango experience

By Anita Campbell: I recently had the opportunity to visit the Okavango Delta for the first time. Hailing from Kenya, and being a specialist on all things East African, I was excited to see for myself what makes the Delta unique.

On arrival in Maun, we took a 20 mins flight by light aircraft into the Delta – spectacular views! I landed on Jao island and was met by the manager of Kwetsani Camp, we jumped on a boat and 20 mins later through the reeds and beautiful water lilies we arrived at the jetty. As we got to the jetty we received a radio call of a lion kill close by, I had not been in Botswana for even an hour and I was watching a lion kill. I knew the Okavango was going to be a trip of my lifetime.

There are many safari camps in the Delta, with most being small and exclusive in luxury en-suite safari tents. The camps fall into two broad categories of water camps and land camps, although some combine the elements of both. Water camps offer explorations by boat or mokoro on river lagoons and permanent swamps.  Land camps offer game drives and (if in private concessions) game walks. To get an all-round experience we suggest to combine both water and land camps.

The camps I visited included Kwetsani and Tubu which are both water and land based, Chitabe a land based camp, Vumbura Plains which is a land based camp however its sister Little Vumbura is a water based camp. My trip was in April which is their dry season however the flood plains had already started arriving and after the third day the water level was already by the vehicles door, I can only imagine what it is like in the wet season. The only game drives in water I have been on is in the rainy season in East Africa where you get stuck in the black cotton soil, so this was a very different game viewing experience driving through water and not getting stuck due to the Kalahari river sand.  

The game viewing experience was exceptional.  Coming from East Africa I am used to seeing quantity and one does not need to search far for game. While in the Okavango you have to trek the paw prints and listen to the bush to get an idea of where the game is, and when you eventually find that Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena or Wild Dog it is a great sighting, therefore the Okavango offers quality game viewing. I was very impressed with the exceptional guides and the quality of their guiding.

The daily experience includes a very early wake up call, light breakfast before you head out for your morning game drive, stop mid-morning in the bush for tea and biscuits and head back to the camp for brunch. The afternoon is at your leisure enjoying the camp facilities. Following afternoon tea you leave on an evening game drive, stop for a sundowner drink in the bush and return to camp in time for dinner. The camp's attention to detail is phenomenal all the staff know you by your first name, little gifts and notes on your beds each night.

For my last night we flew to the Linyati reserve, to Duma Tau Camp. The landscape, flora and fauna of the Linyati was very different from the Delta. The game viewing here was excellent, Hyena male and female, wild dogs fighting, Elephants crossing the channel and on the one game drive I did not go on (as I visited the new Duma Tau site), they saw a pangolin and a lion kill a teenage elephant!  Therefore I need to go back to see the finished product of the new Duma Tau Camp and maybe the Pangolin will wait for me!

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Leopards and hyena battle it out

By Brad Horn: I have just returned from a safari to Zambia with a wonderful family from the US. This is their fifth trip with Epic and fourth safari with us to Africa. We centred this trip on Zambia's two iconic national parks; the Lower Zambezi and the South Luangwa National Parks. This made for wonderful variety and with great diversity of habitats, game and experiences. .

One of the focuses of this trip was walking and we enjoyed some monumental days. Paralleling the Luangwa River over a couple of days was very memorable. Lots and lots of hippos. On one occasion we came across a pod of well over a hundred. The cacophony of noise made by the hippo at our approach was deafening.

An undoubted highlight of the safari was the fact we encountered 9 leopard in an 8 night trip. On the last morning in South Luangwa we experienced some great predator interaction. On our way to the airstrip, we chanced upon a large male leopard crossing a floodplain. This guy was moving briskly and not sauntering like leopard's tend to do. He was clearly on a mission. We proceeded to follow him for the next 20 minutes or so as he cut across islands and floodplains. As he came through the last island we noticed a female leopard on the floodplain. She had just killed an impala but had been dispossesses by a hyena. The female leopard was a picture of uncertainty. Enter the male leopard. We now understood his mission. How he cottoned onto what had transpired is amazing. He didn't hesitate and made a bee-line straight for the hyena. He promptly stole the kill from it, turning and running to the edge of the island where he scampered up a sycamore fig.

The hyena skulked around below, its face red with impala blood. It then moved off at which point the female leopard came to the tree. It gazed up the tree for a short while before moving off. No doubt she realised that all her hard work had amounted to nothing. The male leopard then proceeded down with the kill in its mouth and started moving deeper into the island. As it was doing so the hyena came back and forced the male to beat a hasty retreat up another tree. Meanwhile back at the fig the female leopard returned and she too was forced up the tree by the roving hyena. This was a wonderful culmination to the safari. The Luangwa Valley is revered for its leopard viewing and certainly did not disappoint. I hope you enjoy these video highlights.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

A multi-generational Family Safari

By Rob Barbour:  I have just come back from a safari in Northern Tanzania and Kenya with an American family that spanned three generations.  With ages ranging from 10 to 80 years old, this safari provided an all important opportunity for our clients to spend precious time as a family, far away from the influence of technology.

These multi-generational family safaris are a pleasure to guide and great fun for the families involved.  Usually arranged by the patriarch or matriarch, this kind of vacation can bring families together who live many miles apart.  Why not meet up in Africa?  The challenge is to design an itinerary that is exciting and interesting for each family member, young or old.

On this trip we stayed in Arusha - a great stepping off point for any safari.  Set in a working coffee plantation on the edge of the town, our lodge had a peaceful ambience and allowed the more energetic of the group to expend some energy after some long flights.  Our first nights on safari were at Oliver's Camp in the southern part of Tarangire National Park a short drive from Arusha.  The dry season sees a congregation of elephants and buffalo on the soft, sweet grasses of the Silale Swamp.  Just like the family on safari it seemed like the gathering of the clans for some special family celebration!  We were blessed with great sitings of a female leopard and her cub as the family’s first ever siting of a cat on safari.  In the late afternoon we watched a pride of 19 lions (including cubs) organise themselves, stalk and bring down a zebra in front of our eyes.  Having these two events on the same day was going to be hard to top for the rest of the safari!

Over the next few days we were lucky enough to see a female lion and her newly born cubs try and cross the Ngorongoro Crater rim road, a cheetah feeding on a Thomsons Gazelle against the stunning back drop of the Crater wall.  In the northern Serengeti  whilst staying at a private camp, we managed to see the big five all in one day including juvenile baby leopards being chased up a tree by a male lion and a black Rhino in amonsgt the 1.5 million wilderbeest of the annual wilderbeest migration.  On the Kenyan leg of the safari we stayed in two private safari houses in a private concession on the border of the Mara.  We were introduced to the Maasai culture through walks, home visits, stories around the camp fire and countless explanations of the Maasai history and traditions. For the children bow and arrow lessons, spear throwing, tracking and bush survival lessons kept them intrigued for hours.  One of the highlights of the trip was walking to school across the grass plains with Maasai children in the early morning light surrounded by wilderbeest and impala. Within seconds a boy from California was racing across the plains with a boy from Kenya, kicking a ball and wrestling as if they had always known each other and teaching all of us that we aren't that different after all.

Despite the amazing count of 68 lions, 8 leopard, 1 black rhino, hundreds of elephant, three cheetah, countless wilderbeest of the migration and a myriad of other creatures, it was the variety of activities - geology, birds and flowers - and the people we met that made this multi-generational family group such a pleasure to guide on safari.

To start planning your multi-generational safari, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Selous in February - Tanzania

By Rob Barbour: Spending 3 days in the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania is always a pleasure but no more so than in February after the short "mango ripening" rains have stopped and before the towering Cumulo Nimbus clouds that signify the coming of the torrential thunderstorms of the long rains.  The rivers and lakes have ample water and the short green grass and foliage of the  predominantly miombo/ acacia/ terminalia wood land supports an abundance of birdlife and mammals. It was a particular pleasure to stay at arguably one of  East Africa's best lodges, Beho Beho, with some clients from Muscat in Oman who had never traveled to Africa before.

The Selous is one of the largest protected areas in Africa and has a primeval feel - the lifeblood of the northern part of the Reserve being the mighty Rufiji River and its network of flood channels, sand rivers and lakes.  Beho Beho is tucked up in the north west corner of the park and has a wide range to terrain to explore and at this time of year we were lucky enough to see only one other vehicle on our travels.

The wide range of activities kept us all busy and active.  Afternoon walks - guided by Ian, Walter and Onesmo were always interesting and informative.  Walks lasted no  more than 3 hours and took us passed hippo pools and calmly browsing bull elephant.  The calm and professional attention of the guides insured that my first time to Africa travelers were always comfortable.  Inevitably we would end up at some scenic spot to watch the sun going down over a landscape that can be captivating at any time of day.

A bush breakfast in the shores of Lake Tagalala followed by boat safari across the lake was one of the highlights.  Lake Tagalala is incredibly rich in fish and supports perhaps the highest concentration of Nile Crocodile than any body of water, as well a huge variety of birdlife, not to mention several pods of hippo. The day was capped off by soaking in the hot springs that bubble out of the hills before returning to camp for a late lunch and a swim in the refreshing Beho Beho pool. I don't think we ate a meal in the same place for the whole time we were there and the food at Beho Beho is as good as I have had on any safari.  Of course we saw a vast array of wildlife including lion, elephant, vast herds of Cape Buffalo, Maasai Giraffe and Nyasa Wilderbeest.  Our search for wild dog (which had been sited recently)  was unsuccessful however just the process of the search was enjoyable enough as we were constantly closely escorted by large flights of colourful Northern Carmine Bee Eaters that would use the movement of the vehicle to flush out tasty grasshoppers which were caught in flight.

I was delighted that even this short journey to the Selous allowed some first time visitors to develop a deep appreciation and passion for Africa and to feel moved enough to express a strong desire to return soon. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best safari in 25 years

By Ian Johnson: My recent clients are fanatical wildlife photographers!! This would be there 3rd safari with me - I had planned to concentrate the safari around the southern Serengeti to maximize the opportunity of seeing the great wildebeest migration and the plethora of predators who are always close by!

Due to the late rains we only managed to see the migration for the first 2 days of a 14 day safari. This proved to be no problem! As my dreams of a young boy of ten when I first saw a photo of wild dogs hunting on the Ndutu serengeti plains were to be realized. We managed to locate a pack of 24 adult wild dogs!  On two consecutive days they hunted and killed an adult wildbeest and a calf, offering hours of amazing photography as they are extremely social animals! The safari was to become one of the best I have ever done in more than 25 years!

Every single day we were offered unique and exceptional sightings by the glorious untouched Ngorongoro-Serengeti ecosystem:

• Two mother cheetahs; one with 5 cubs (only 3 weeks old) and a more active mom with 4 cubs of 8 weeks old. We watched them hunt, kill, miss and teach their cubs all the skills necessary for life on the plains!
• We were also privileged to see a very rare mother striped hyena feed a pup at their den with a wildebeest calf kill.
• In total we spent time with 68 lions, 29 cheetah, 24 wild dogs, striped hyenas, jackals, bat-eared foxes, 122 spotted hyena, in between Ndutu and Ngorongoro Crater.
• On our second last day just when we thought we had seen it all we witnessed a titanic battle between 2 male lions and a lioness trying to kill a buffalo cow in Ngorongoro Crater!  I have waited my entire wildlife career to capture images of a male lion jumping onto the back of a buffalo! She promptly used her immense power to toss the 230kg male lion off her back as if he weighed nothing:  The power of adrenaline and the will to live!

The Ndutu area in the southern Serengeti-Ngorongoro conservation area is truly one of the last great places on earth to witness all of Africa's  predators.

For more information on this or other safari options, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Botswana Odyssey | 2 tents available | 16-24 Sept 2012

Just a quick note to update you on Brad's Botswana Odyssey safari in September. We have just two tents left, so four more people can still join us.

Brad will be guiding this safari and would love to have you along. For a better idea as to what to expect, please take a look at our Botswana Odyssey video taken at a similar time last year.

More information:
The Okavango Delta is a place without peer. Aptly described as a "sea of land, land of water" it is without a doubt one of the last great wilderness areas in Africa. It is breathtakingly beautiful and abounds with game. September is the peak of the game-viewing with elephants, plains game and predators. We will embark on a very special journey starting in the Jao Flats of the north-west and finishing in the incredibly productive ephemeral floodplains of the Chitabe area in the southern central Okavango. The central portion of the trip involves a 3 day trans-Okavango by motorboat, camping on remote islands.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa - Blue Mountains

By Rich Field: To be honest I wasn’t expecting a 10 am wildlife drive through the Wolgan Valley to be too productive.  There are an abundance of kangaroos and wallabies in the valley (including four albino wallaroos), but the sightings are always best in the early morning and late afternoon.  I was just hoping to get an idea of the lay of the land for future excursions, and certainly not expecting to do any serious wildlife photography.

However this all changed when we reached Naglow Knoll – a small well vegetated hillock with a fantastic view of the incredible Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, as well as the valley itself.

I was walking up the hill with Ben, the head guide at Wolgan Valley, when a rustle in the bush caught our attention. I saw a flash of thick reptilian skin and thought perhaps a python might be disappearing into the bush. A second glance however showed two enormous goannas engaged in what appeared to be a fairly significant battle.

Initially I thought it might have been a mating ritual, but the length and the sheer ferocity of the battle seemed to indicate that it might have been two males fighting over territory. They would scratch, shove and bite each other, with one repeatedly tearing chunks out of the others shoulder, but neither looking like they were willing to give up any time soon. A half hour (and over 200 photos later) the pair was still going, but we needed to press on.

With glorious accommodation and facilities, phenomenal food (including a 7 course dinner with matching wines) and a great wilderness on your doorstep, Wolgan Valley Resort Spa in my opinion offers Sydney’s best weekend away!

By Pedro O’Connor: Marg and I also recently had the opportunity to explore Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, and would like to share our thoughts.

The resort is a 3 hour drive from Sydney through stunning sandstone escarpment and large eucalypt country. The ultimate access is by helicopter via the Blue Mountains National Park with scenic views of The Three Sisters enroute. The resort is situated on 4,000 acres and is a haven for those seeking an authentic, rural Aussie experience without compromising on any luxuries.

The abundance of wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and birdlife is outstanding. Whether in a vehicle, on bicycle, horseback or on foot one can get up close to the animals.

For avid hikers the nearby forest trails offer all levels of adventure that take in several different bio climates hence markedly different vegetation and abundant birdlife.

One of Wolgan’s greatest assets is its staff, many are locals who have a great passion for their home turf and are always proud to espouse their knowledge on the’ must see and do’ activities in the region.

The resort has no age restriction making it an ideal family destination for a short break.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.