Well, hello there. I hope that you are well and have had a wonderful weekend and now all set for the week ahead.
Here in the Luangwa it may be winter and super chilly in the mornings but that is certainly not stopping us. In fact, it means that up at Mobile Walking Safaris its perfect walking conditions and the guides and guests are able to explore way further afield without overheating.
The packing up and setting off of the big truck is always so symbolic to me as it marks the real start of the season; after this all the camps are open and we know we have our busiest months ahead. This year we were really pushed as we wanted to make a few modifications to the truck to make everything run even more smoothly. And whilst there are a few teething problems (most especially with the portable ice machine) the solar system and freezers are working brilliantly and Alfred’s gas stove which pulls out from the back to the truck is also now even better and that combined with a brand-new set of tents there is absolutely no stopping the team. So now it’s all up to the guides – no pressure!!
The first few safaris are always slightly tougher as the animals have literally not seen anyone for months on end but despite this Kanga has been having some lovely sightings. On both of his trips on the journey up they have been treated to, along with other game, Grysbok and Roan which are always a real treat as neither are regularly seen in the main game viewing area.
Out on the walks there have been a few buffalo scattered about but on the last trip the guests saw a big herd out on the plains, so they are starting to come into the river area. As is always the case as the inland lagoons dry up the density of game around the rivers increases. That being said it certainly hasn’t stopped the elephants and giraffes that are now pretty much resident in the area which is such a shift from 20 odd years ago when they were rarely seen up there. Its always wonderful to find a nice spot under a bush and sit and watch them going about their business. That is one of the great joys of the Mobile Walking Safaris as the pressure is off with no other noise around, it’s a true wilderness experience enjoying and taking in the smaller things that nature has to offer and watching animals’ behaviour is one of them.
Around camp 4 there has been no end of zebra, a few smatterings of wildebeest sightings and even a regular herd of Eland although the latter have a tendency to be incredibly skittish and at the slightest sniff of a human or snap of a stick they disappear into the middle distance.
Lastly the lions have been really teasing the guests leaving their tracks all over the place and keeping everyone awake at night as their magnificent roars float down the river. However after much perseverance and some good leg stretching, there was a glimpse of a lioness. She didn’t seem terribly bothered but sauntered off or should I say simply disappeared into the bush as if further teasing everyone.
From this start we can only expect a fantastic season up at the Mobile Walking Safaris and we look forward to sharing more of the adventures with you. For now, I shall bid you a very fond farewell and hope that you have a fabulous week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
