The high water levels in the delta also seemed to be affecting Victoria Falls as they were very full when we arrived and as we managed to arrange a helicopter flight the views were beautiful and it made a great start to the trip. I know you had some concerns about Camp Moremi as the area is not as exclusive as the private concessions but we had a great time. As it was our first camp in Botswana and our previous experience is East Africa and India the area didn’t seem too busy with other visitors, there were some but not that many.
The camp itself was great, the management and staff couldn’t have been more welcoming or helpful and the accommodation was very good, it was all much better than we were expecting with a really good atmosphere. Most importantly we also had some stunning sightings of a lion pride, a pair of mating lions and an absolutely gorgeous male leopard so I’ve attached some photos (below).
Duma Tau as you know is a lovely camp and as we expected more luxurious than the others. As far as sightings went we really benefitted from the higher water levels as the Savuti Channel is flowing and this lead to a great sighting of a group of elephants crossing the channel, and lots of hippos. They also managed to find a group of wild dogs which we were so pleased to see as we’ve never seen them before, and some beautiful male lions, as well as all the usual antelopes, zebras, and giraffes.
We were also incredibly lucky at Duma Tau as we had one of the Wilderness Safari's most senior guides, Ant (Anthony), who trains the other guides. He was amazing and we not only had some great sightings but also learnt so much, you of course know how much that adds to the experience. The only slightly odd thing that we noticed is that the food and service at dinner was not as good as the other two camps but I think they are in the process of appointing new managers, we met the couple who might be taking it on and I’m sure that will be sorted very soon.
Pom Pom, was last but by no means least. Again the sightings were great with more mating lions, another leopard, elephants, though not as much wildlife as the other camps, possibly because they have less area available to them…
We saw so much across the three camps there was almost a risk of becoming blasé! The managers Sue and Brian were so friendly and again there was a really good relaxed atmosphere in the camp as well as some brilliant food, the best that we had. We did discover just how cold it can be during the winter in Botswana! Though the temperatures probably didn’t drop much below what your information suggested it took so much longer to warm up during the day that it seems much colder than it really is so it might be useful to other clients to highlight just how cold, the blankets and hot water bottles on the morning game drives were a life saver at Duma Tau. We also found out that Sefofane have a maximum luggage allowance on the internal light aircraft flights up to 20kg total luggage per person though of course it still has to be in soft cases.
This was definitely our best wildlife experience and we’ll want to return, though we’ll probably have to wait for a few years... Thank you again for all your help."
Rachel Fryer. July 2009.
Safari Holidays in Botswana - Click here
We kicked off at the remote Duba Plains camp, and saw an abundance of wildlife with our private guide Reuben. On the second morning we observed the lions of the Tsaro Pride resting in the shade of the acacia bushes and closely monitoring a herd of buffalo. Within 10 minutes, five lionesses (including the infamous Silver Eye) had spotted an opportunity on hearing the plaintive cry of a sick calf left behind at the rear of the herd. They looked at each other and seemed to communicate their strategy. With their necks outstretched, mouths watering, their gaze in the distance, they raced off and we followed at great speed. Not knowing what to expect, it was quite a thrill, and we had to hold on tight as the Land Rover followed at the same pace. My heart was racing as I saw other lions joining the hunt. We crossed through a deep channel - not a problem for these strong swimming lions. One lioness hunted the calf and the others prepared to attack its mother who had returned to protect it. 
What an adrenaline rush to witness this sequence of events at such close range. These lions were hungry, and according to our guide, hadn't eaten for 18 days, so it didn't take them long to cripple the buffalo. Once the buffalo was down, the male lion appeared on the scene and settled in by the hindquarters for his long awaited breakfast. What followed was a veritable feeding frenzy by eight growling lions and the last remaining cub from this pride, interspersed with the occasional pause to drink from the nearby channel.
We left them to it but returned at sunset and saw them still at the scene of the crime, and clearly not leaving much for the vultures and hyenas. The game was poor at our second camp, Kwetsani, due to the higher than expected water levels and fortunately we were able to transfer to another camp. I was very keen to see wild dog and leopard and our guide suggested Chitabe Lediba. Nothing was a problem for our hosts and Wilderness Safaris helped us charter a flight. We were met at the airstrip by Newman Chuma who would be our private guide for the next 3 days. That afternoon we set off with Newman in search of leopard. Within 2 hours or so we found ourselves in a dry, low wooded area and our guide listened and watched for signs. He stopped the vehicle when he heard a flock of noisy and agitated francolins in a nearby tree, then drove off through the long grass and soon spotted a leopard sleeping under a tree. It was a female, about 6 years old, and so beautiful. An awesome sight. Our guide made a scratching noise which caused the leopard to sit bolt upright, slowly look around, and make eye contact with us. Poised and ready with my camera on continuous shoot mode, my shutter release sounded like grateful applause. The leopard then fixed its gaze on something a few metres away, and we were treated to a display of a stealthy stalk-and-pounce. Its prey was a collared dove feeding in the long grass. She played with it rather like a domestic cat with a mouse. We watched her strip the feathers, then eat it but not without a fight, lick her lips, clean the feathers from her whiskers and walk off through the woods. What a promising start! 
Leaving the hospitable and comfortable Serena lodge bright and early in the morning we headed further west and down into the lowlands towards the Serengeti, passing solitary and regal Masai herders as the dark green turned into varying shades of yellow and brown. This is where the horizon becomes infinite and space unrestrained and this is where we were to host the Festival of Wildlife.
The welcome continued at camp with dancing by the local Wakuria tribe, poachers in a past life but now working with conservation tourism. Everyone was glad to have finally reached their home for the next 5 days.
Festival is always ‘full-on’ and this year was to be no exception. Joined by expert wildlife photographers Mark Carwardine, Suzi Eszterhas and Nick Garbutt, artist Mandy Shepherd and editor of BBC Wildlife magazine Sophie Stafford, not forgetting Selous Save the Rhino project leader Fraser Smith, Jackson Looseyia from Big Cat Live, local Masai and bushcraft expert Ole Kirimbai and Damian Bell from the local Honeyguide Foundation, we had a lot to pack in.
Varying workshops this year included beadwork with the Wakuria ladies, bushcraft with local Masai guru - Ole Kirimbai
, birding with Nick Garbutt, painting with Mandy Shepherd and the ever popular photography skills and manipulation. 
The pace is fast but there is just so much to do and see in the space of the event so a few nodding heads just after lunch are all part and parcel!
Workshops and further game drives ensure everyone is kept busy followed by a quick bucket shower before sitting down to the delights created by Leonard the camp chef and stories around the camp fire. 
Having never visited the Serengeti before, I understand now that May and June are excellent months to visit; before the numbers of visitors really kick in. As a reasonably large group taking 8 vehicles out each morning, we rarely came into contact with more than one or two other vehicles at most stopping to view a similar event. Our local Tanzanian guides were extremely knowledgeable and attentive to the needs of the group. Aware that other vehicles would encounter equally exciting events, they did not jump to grab a radio resulting in situations of vehicle overload, as can so easily happen when wildlife viewing. 
There is also another wonderful way of getting a different perspective on the whole area – a balloon ride. Six of us braved the 4:30am wake-up call and headed wearily to the take-off point. Packed like pigeons into racing baskets, with only heads protruding as we sat in our advised astronauts position. Slowly the heat built into the balloon and we were upright again and gazing out towards the rising sun and the magnificent plains. Soon we could see for miles and the rising and falling to turn of the balloon, allowed us unparalleled wildlife sightings as we skimmed vulture nests in acacia trees, saw lion cubs darting into the undergrowth and gazed in awe at the aphid-like mass of black which described the head of a huge Wildebeest herd and the tail stretching for miles behind.
Everywhere the abundance of wildlife is staggering. Big cats lounge nonchalantly in acacia branches, well fed and seemingly unconcerned by the stampeding of nearby hooves. Giraffes in their dozens browse gracefully as they create acacia topiary and hyena and jackals roam freely on the off-chance of a grabbed meal. All this and thousands of Wildebeest on a mission. I couldn’t help but draw an imaginary comparison with the bison roaming on the former plains of the USA and the cartoon by the great cartoonist Gary Larson where he has drawn a traffic report helicopter entitled ‘Herd Report’ circling above a mass of cattle with a bubble from the pilot stating ‘It’s bad out there today folks....Noses to derrières as far as I can see.
Of course we can never take these incredible spectacles for granted, and the Festival ethos is one of conservation and learning to highlight issues and promote discussion regarding solutions. We always try to raise as much money as possible for different conservation groups in whichever destination we happen to be. This year we are raising money for Save the Rhino International, The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and the Honeyguide Foundation. Even in this year of cutbacks and credit crunch, people realise the importance of wildlife conservation and we are proud to have raised £5,135 during this Festival trip alone. The Serengeti is a vast and unique wildlife reserve without boundaries which is constantly under treat from land usage, poachers, climate changes and more. Let’s try and ensure that its fate is not sealed as below…… 
If you would like to find out about next year’s 
