We packed pretty light this year! |
Diana took our usual "going away" photo |
Off for our adventure, "our backpacks on our backs!" |
The Kindle helped us pack so lightly |
In Heathrow airport ... we don't QUITE "fit in" sartorially |
Our usual scrabble and vodka |
Still life |
Sunrise over Zambia |
Landing at Lusaka airport, yippee! |
Our smaller plane, to Mfuwe airport |
On the way to Mfuwe, Zambia |
On the drive from Mfuwe airport to the South Luangwa National Park |
Mfuwe villager |
A nice "hello"! |
An amazing load |
Villagers and safari visitors along the road |
Mfuwe shop |
Mfuwe village |
Roofing thatch |
Our first animals of the trip! |
Zebras surround the vehicle too |
Baby zebra! |
Stop for a tea break at a small lagoon |
Pelicans and storks |
Yellow-billed stork |
We pass a dust devil! |
The honeymoon tent at Kaingo (we've been here before and love it!) |
Siesta time is great for a bath ... |
A bath alongside the Luangwa River! |
After siesta, we gather in the main chitenge |
Frogs in the dining area |
Off for an afternoon game drive! |
Jim decorated metal water bottles for our drives |
Afternoon in the ebony grove |
Other guests from Kaingo |
Sundowners in the bush ... complete with everything we need! |
Sunset in Zambia |
The sun is neon salmon! |
A bushbuck says "good morning" in front of our tent |
Morning game drive with elephants |
Mom and baby |
Kennedy shows us wild geranium flowers |
Still life with flowers |
Cyn loves the flowers! |
Kennedy does some great game spotting |
This used to be a Cape buffalo |
This used to be an impala |
Waterbuck |
Ground hornbills |
We love to see impala leaping |
Hippo parade |
Crowned plovers |
Female kudu |
Red-billed quelea |
Warthog |
Back home for brunch by the river |
A horrible sight in the main chitenge |
Cyn takes a quick shower... and washes her clothes too! |
Off for a lunch-time adventure in the hippo hide |
The tunnel into the hippo hide |
Jim gets settled to take hippo photos |
Hippo pile |
Baby hippo yawn |
Hippos have large teeth |
Hippo yawn! |
Oxpeckers "singing" on a hippo |
Afternoon game drive |
Elephants crossing the Luangwa |
Elephants deep in the Luangwa |
Convenient snorkle |
Rolling in the sand after crossing the river |
Vervet monkey |
Baboon |
Elephants on the plain |
Elie |
Baby elie |
Lillian's love birds lift off |
Lillian's love birds fly |
Lillian's love birds perch |
Zebra |
Zebra family |
Lioness by day |
Blacksmith plover |
Waterbuck |
Jim and Rob compare ... photos? |
Female hyena (she's big!) |
Female kudu with oxpeckers on board |
A trip to the carmine bee-eater hide |
Carmine bee-eater |
White-fronted bee-eaters |
Quelea at sunset |
Canoe ride back from the carmine hide |
Egyptian geese at sunset |
Another beautiful sunset |
Zambian sunset |
Elephant shrew |
Elephant shrew |
Giant eagle owl |
Water dikkop |
Lioness |
Lion! |
Honey badger |
We spend the night in the elephant hide! |
It's way up in a tree ... fantastic experience |
A visit to the kitchen at Kaingo |
Fun to see our name on the organizational board |
Writing in the book before we leave for the next camp |
The main bar at Kaingo's bush camp, Mwamba |
Our rustic chalet at Mwamba |
Our elegant bed at Mwamba |
The view from bed at Mwamba |
Marvelous outdoor loo at Mwamba |
Cyn doing the laundry |
Delightful lunch for 2 at our Mwamba chalet |
A little "hang out" spot in camp |
A visit to the small hide in camp |
Impala visit the hide |
Elies at the tea circle before our game drive |
Still life on game drive |
Perfect accompaniment for a game drive |
Another gorgeous sunset |
Mozambique nightjar |
Gently caught nightjar for us to observe |
Note the bird's insect-catching whiskers |
Fires in the distance |
Bush hare |
Giant eagle owl |
We provide our breakfast requests |
Preparing breakfast at Mwamba |
Slicing freshly baked bread for toast |
Ready for a game drive |
Leopard and hyena tussled over baboon kill |
Hyena finishes off the baboon head (ick) |
Crested barbet |
Perching doves |
Double-banded sandgrouse |
Double-banded sandgrouse showing a bit of band! |
Lilac-breasted roller |
Lilac-breasted roller |
Lilac-breasted roller |
Lilac-breasted roller |
Lilac-breasted roller flies |
Bateluer eagle |
Bateluer ruffling its feathers |
Swallow-tailed bee-eater |
Gymnogene |
Gymnogene clambering |
Gymnogene landing |
Cookeson's wildebeest |
Cookeson's wildebeest |
Cookeson's wildebeest on the run |
A baobab in the baobab forest |
Baobabs at sunset |
Crossing the Luangwa River to our next camp, Tena Tena |
Our sweet tent at Tena Tena |
Tena Tena tent |
View into our Tena Tena tent |
Elegant bed at Tena Tena |
Outdoor loo at Tena Tena |
Washing laundry "smalls" at Tena Tena |
Glorious outdoor shower! |
Campfire by the sandy river bank |
Staff at Tena Tena serving a delicious lunch |
Jim's flip flop includes a bottle opener! |
Pretty decorations around camp at Tena Tena |
Jim's common game drive pose |
A romantic game drive pose |
Lagoon in the afternoon |
Elie reaches high |
Saddle-billed stork |
Blue waxbill |
Great egret |
Yellow-billed stork |
Male impala |
Female impala |
Impala leap |
Impala leap high! |
Impala leap incredibly high! |
Crazy horned impala |
Baby puku |
Baby puku |
Back for lunch at Tena Tena |
Sundowners on the vehicle (with lions!) |
Lioness at sundowners |
Young male lion at sundowners |
Lioness with scar from previous snare |
Lioness stretching |
Walking safari with Bertie |
Bertie shows us fig fruit and teaches about wasps |
The guys fix our tea and coffee |
Walking safari coffee break |
Giraffe come to watch our coffee break |
A "monkey apple" collected on our game drive |
Crocs and hippo |
Vultures (on dead giraffe) |
Banded mongooses |
Checking for yummy snacks |
Evil croc |
Mom and baby |
Mom and baby |
Tree squirrel |
Crowned cranes flying |
Crowned cranes come in for landing |
Crowned crane gathering |
Crowned crane (adult and juvenile) |
Crowned crane |
Waterbuck |
Waterbuck butts |
A hot lioness panting |
Lunch "in the bush" |
Enjoying lunch by the river |
The happy couple |
Elie mudbath |
Elies in the afternoon |
Amarula sundowners |
Bertie prepares sundowners |
Sundown over the Luangwa River |
Gecko by night |
Genet in the trees |
Genet on the ground |
At Mfuwe airport, leaving the South Luangwa |
Awaiting next flight (4 flights in one day!) at Livingston airport |
Our plane from LIvingston to Victoria Falls |
Flying over Victoria Falls! |
Our flight from Victoria Falls to Manga |
Arrival at Manga strip, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe |
Waiting a few minutes for our jeep, Manga strp |
Jim back in safari action |
A wonderful welcome to Zimbabwe |
Somalisa camp, Hwange National Park |
Forest of giraffe-thorn trees next to Somalisa camp |
Our tent at Somalisa camp |
Sumptuous bed at Somalisa |
It's a sleigh bed at Somalisa! |
Pretty decorations in our tent at Somalisa |
Wonderful outdoor bucket shower at Somalisa |
Fun view at Somalisa |
Jim washes Zimbabwean sand |
After a trip to the main loo (this is the marker to show you're in there) we are off for a game drive |
Ostrich |
Impala leap here, too! |
Zebra on the plain |
Zebra |
Zebra |
Sable running |
Roan |
Kori bustard |
Kori bustard |
Elephant and black-backed jackal |
Black-backed jackal |
Bat-eared fox running |
Beautiful black-backed jackal |
Cheetah! |
Cheetahs drink |
Cheetahs at sunset |
Cheetahs wandering off at sunset |
Jim slumbers at Somalisa |
One of the water pumps in Hwange park |
Yellow-billed hornbill |
Yellow-billed hornbill |
Crimson-breasted shrike |
Lappet-faced vulture |
Umbrella thorn tree |
Dramatic pose for splinter removal? |
Bit of a fight |
Mom and baby |
Jim and Michael, "termite warriors" |
Sunset in Zimbabwe |
We encounter rhino researchers |
The helicopter getting prepared for rhino darting |
Female white rhino in the wild, looking for her baby |
Baby rhino recovers after tagging |
Baby rhino looks confused |
Helicopter hovers for darting |
The darting team in place |
Rhino is darted ... time to move in! |
Rhino team on the way |
The scientists get to work |
We join the rhino researchers at work |
The scientists at work |
Rhino being worked on |
Rhino with ear and eye protection |
Drilling the hole for the aerial |
Putting the transmitter in place |
Everyone has a quick job to do |
Mixing epoxy to hold transmitter and aerial in place |
Pouring glue next to aerial |
Ensuring aerial is glued in place |
There's a large group of scientists! |
Cyn with rhino |
Jim with rhino |
At the rhino tagging! |
Back in camp for siesta with elephants |
Lunchtime at the pool, Somalisa |
We love the elephants so close! |
Cyn moves closer |
The elephants come really close! |
Cyn in heaven with elephants |
Game drive "activity" |
Jim having fun |
Break for coffee and tea |
White-browed sparrow weaver |
Orange-breasted bunting |
Baby underneath |
Baby on top |
A small baboon argument |
Secretary birds |
Secretary bird |
Leaving Zimbabwe for Zambia again |
Enjoying "nshima" at Livingston airport |
The fantastic "Cassia suite" we've been given at Chongwe Camp, Lower Zambezi, Zambia |
Our gorgeous suite by the Chongwe river |
The sitting area in our suite |
Elegant bed in our tent at Chongwe |
View of the river from our tent at Chongwe |
Our own little pool by the Chongwe river |
The happy couple in our little pool! |
Wonderful bathroom in our suite by the river |
Our Chongwe suite bathroom includes a clawfoot tub! |
Cyn showers at Chongwe (notice leg!) |
Jim showers at Chongwe (notice leg!) |
Kids from Conservation Lower Zambezi education center! |
Not enough food for elephants during a drought |
Cyn's favorite game drive experience: lions roaring |
Lion exhausted himself by roaring |
Lions laze |
Hippos run to water |
Hippo moving fast |
Enjoying the pool at our Chongwe suite |
View of our pool at night, with dinner table in the background |
We sit by the fire to enjoy Amarula while dinner is prepared |
Elegant dinner in our Chongwe suite |
Elegant breakfast in our Chongwe suite |
On our boat ride to Tsika Island in the Zambezi (need a little battery repair) |
The main chitenge at Tsika Island |
Firecircle out front at Tsika Island |
View of the Zambezi River from Tsika |
Relaxing by the Zambezi, Tsika Island |
Still life on Tsika Island |
Nicely decorated chitenge at Tsika Island |
Our chalet at Tsika (we are the only guests!) |
Lovely bed on Tsika |
Chris provides Amarula for our sunset cruise |
Ready for sundowners! |
Sundowners on the Zambezi River |
Local fishermen in a mokorro |
Morning tea and snacks being prepared in our room, Tsika Island |
Breakfast cereals, Tsika Island |
Cultural village museum nearby Tsika Island |
The kids in the nearby village |
Older sister is responsible |
Love to see sisters taking care of each other! |
Posing for a photo |
More kids posing for a photo |
The kids go crazy, posing |
Kids wander along to the cultural village |
Cyn shows off the old-fashioned clothes made from baobab bark |
Villager demonstrates how to grind maize for nshima |
Watching the villager's dance |
Accompaniment for the village dancers |
Cyn enjoys meeting kids in the village |
Arriving back at Chongwe camp |
Elephants greet us at Chongwe |
The main gathering area at Chongwe |
Elephant at the central loo! |
Lunch being served at Chongwe, with elephants |
Lovely lunch table at Chongwe |
Jim in front of our tent, Chongwe |
Nice open-air loo at Chongwe |
An elephant joins us at siesta, Chongwe |
Standing on the loo, Chongwe, in elephant ecstacy |
Off for a game drive |
Chirapira mountain in the clear air |
Baobabs against Chirapira mountain |
The red cliffs |
Cyn loves baobabs |
A baobab holding hands with a sausage fruit tree |
Stopping for a tea break in shade |
White-browed coucal |
Pied kingfisher |
Black-winged stilt and hadeda ibis |
Hadeda ibis |
Saddle-billed stork |
Interesting erosion near the Zambezi River |
Sundown on the Zambezi |
Sunset point, Zambezi River |
Sunset with Chirapira mountain |
Amarula at sunset, Zambezi River |
Our chalet at Old Mondoro, our last safari camp of the trip |
Delivered to our Old Mondoro chalet by vehicle ... too many elephants in camp for walking! |
Our Old Mondoro chalet |
View from our Old Mondoro chalet to the little lagoon |
Old Mondoro open-air loo is marvelous! |
Enjoying our tub at Old Mondoro |
The tub at Old Mondoro is wonderful! |
Elephants come to camp every siesta at Old Mondoro! |
Elephant visiting our chalet at Old Mondoro |
Enjoying our chalet on the lagoon |
Typical siesta at Old Mondoro |
Old Mondoro bedstead is lovely |
Chameleon in camp! |
Lunch table at Old Mondoro |
Lunch at Old Mondoro |
Elephant joining lunch at Old Mondoro |
The happy couple at lunch at Old Mondoro |
Elephant in camp! |
Jim is ready for another game drive |
Cliff erosion on the Zambezi River |
Tea time on the game drive! |
Five painted snipe |
Warthog |
Yellow-billed stork ... with a KILL! |
Baby giant eagle owl |
Senegal coucal |
Red-billed quelea flock |
Leopard tortoise |
Lilac-breasted roller |
Lily pads |
Mom and baby |
Baboon familiy |
Saddle-billed stork |
Red-winged pratincole |
Sundowners at Old Mondoro |
Our last game drive of the season |
Leopard in a tree OVER us! |
Leopard runs down from tree |
Leopard begins her hunt |
Leopard by night |
TIme to leave Zambia -- until next year! |