It’s Monday and Zambia again

I do hope that you are all well and ready for this week’s update from RPS regular guests Jane & Ian as they have given us such a lovely newsletter this week, so I am going to hand straight over to them. Over to you Jne & Ian:“This is the question we are often asked…

I do hope that you are all well and ready for this week’s update from RPS regular guests Jane & Ian as they have given us such a lovely newsletter this week, so I am going to hand straight over to them. Over to you Jne & Ian:“This is the question we are often asked by friends – followed by ‘Haven’t you seen everything?’ Well this was our 10th visit with the wonderful Robin Pope Safaris Team so I guess our friends perhaps have a point – or do they!

On paper this trip was almost the same as the trip we took last year – three nights Nsefu, two nights bush camping, two nights Tena Tena and three nights Robin’s House – but with the addition of a couple of nights at Luangwa River Camp at the start – we promised Daudi that we would return as we had not stayed there since 2015. As ever all the teams looked after us so very well – making us feel part of the ‘family’. Great guiding throughout also made for another memorable trip! Here are some of the highlights.

Each time we take a trip we arrive excited full of excitement as there is no predicting what we will see or what it will be doing so as our friends put it having seen everything we are so happy and excited with everything that we do see as the pressure is off for the big ticks. This trip we had the best ever sighting of not one but two white tailed mongoose with Daudi – they were really chilled so allowed for some great photos.

As well as plenty of birding and Ian ‘shot’ lots of birds – 140 including 4 ‘lifers’, here are just a few – giant kingfisher in flight (with hippo photobombing); two southern crowned cranes in formation; a ‘surfing’ grey heron and a martial eagle enjoying an afternoon snack of guinea fowl – the noise from the remaining guinea fowl was unbelievable as was the tale the Kiki told of a martial eagle and his sisters’ cat – it didn’t end well for the cat!!

As ever the baboons kept us amused – these two smiling were spotted whilst with Sebastian, as were the lounging wild dog

Whilst with Bertram we heard there’d been a wild dog kill so off we went – the kill was a young
puku, when we arrived the wild dog had lost out to hyena, who then lost out to two male lions –
phew! The photo shows the Mexican stand off on the beach opposite us.

Bertram then noticed crocodiles moving very fast our side of the river – we drove a bit further up to find lots of crocodiles finishing off the puku mother – so sad. Apparently puku often take to the river to escape wild dog – unfortunately to waiting crocodiles. What a sighting first thing in the morning.

We saw a large herd of buffalo with Kiki, who said ‘I know where they’ll be headed’ – on to the waterhole we went getting some great sightings of these lovely creatures.

As ever the leopard sightings were plentiful and amazing – from the leopard hunting guinea fowl up a tree at night to our last sighting of a beautiful female in the early morning light on our last morning.

As we were leaving for the airport for our flight home this lovely elephant came to say goodbye – or should we say au revoir – as we will be back.

So Zambia – again? Hopefully this gives a flavour of why we keep coming back. We will never see everything and we can never tire of the beautiful South Luangwa, nor our very good friends in RPS! The sunrise reminds us of all the beauty we see and the people we meet! Thank you for another memorable trip and see you soon.

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful safari with us what wonderful sightings and we look forward to seeing you both again next year. So what am I to follow on with from that – I don’t think that there is anything except to bid you all a very fond farewell and have a wonderful week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another