Africa Calls Review
by Morris Swartz
(USA)
The best part of my safari was tracking animals (lions) by following footprints. Also witnessing the cycle of life, both wildlife and plant life. Overall the trip was better than I expected; I have no regrets.
Safari Operator Performance
Trip arranged through Africa Calls (enquire about a safari with this company); heard about them from a friend.
We stayed in two camps run by the Bush Camp Company: Kuyenda and Chindeni. The last camp was Old Mondoro on the Zambezi river.
The camps were great. Terrific service. Excellent guides, particularly Phil Berry at Kuyenda. Nothing negative.
Accommodation
See list above. All the camps were pretty basic and not plush.
Kuyenda is located on a dry river bank, but near water, even at the end of the dry season. Thatch huts with outside showers.
Chindeni sits on a lagoon, where animals come to drink. Elevated tents.
Old Mondoro is located on the Zambezi river. Combined thatch and tent cabins. Elephant group wanders into camp on a daily basis. Hippo noise at night.
Food
The food was very good throughout.
Breakfast: porridge, muffins, coffee, tea; lunch with various salads, breads; dinner with chicken, fish, beef. Cold drinks and wine. Tea or coffee multiple times a day.
One night we had local traditional barbeque at Chindeni.
Overall, plenty of food; had to avoid overeating.
Wildlife
Lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, puku, kudu, cape buffalo, baboons, zebra, vultures and too many birds to count.
Highlights were spotting two lions at night taking apart a cape buffalo that they just killed.
The other was when an elephant came to our cabin at Old Mondoro, shaking the adjacent tree to get pods on the ground to eat two feet away.
Typical Day
Awaken at 5:30.
Breakfast at 6:00.
Start walking safari at 6:30.
Back in camp at 10:30.
Lunch at 11:00.
Resting in the heat of the day until 3:30, when we had tea.
Wildlife drive from 4:00 until 6:00pm, when we had sundowners in some beautiful spot.
Then night drive until 8:00.
Dinner at 8:30.
Bed by 10pm.
Other Activities
We took a canoe ride down the Zambezi one afternoon. Beautiful and exciting, trying to avoid the hippos.
Tips and Advice
Walking safaris allow you to become part of the environment and not just act as an observer; it is also great to provide some exercise.
Binoculars was the most useful item I took on this safari.
My Canon 100-400 was the ideal lens for a walking safari.
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