Returning from Africa

After two and a half weeks in Africa, we're now on our journey back to California. Luckily, the flight back is not as arduous as the flight over. Nonetheless, we have about 20 hours of flying spread over two flights.

Viewing our trip in retrospect, one of the most enjoyable aspects was the stopping at very unique lodges and the range of animals viewed from each location. Malamala was probably our favorite as we likely viewed the largest range of animals, birds and greenery while there. At Malamala, we were able to see the "big five."The Malamala ranger that was assigned to us was extremely knowledgeable and attentive. He also provided opportunities to hike during some of our drive stops. The terrain at Malamala also seemed more varied than our stops in Botswana.

Mashatu seemed to reflect a more traditional safari location and schedule. The game drives started after morning coffee and we returned from the morning drive to a full brunch. We saw a broad range of animals during the game drives, but some African animals were not present on the Mashatu reserve. The The Mashatu lodge rooms were very nicely appointed, but a bit more rustic than Malamala. On the other hand, only Mashatu had a large room dedicated to educational exhibits.

Our stay at Victoria Falls Hotel reminded my of visiting a historic lodge in a US national park. A stopover at the hotel felt like we were returned to the 1900s, though certainly with modern amenities. While there we attended the only dinner show that highlighted the dances of regional African tribes. The walk through Victoria Falls was unlike any of our other African locations. The length and strength of the falls was amazing. We didn't realize that the mist from the falls would be so strong that it would feel like a rain storm while walking along the falls.

Chobe Natonal Park provided a look into game from both the perspective of being on the river and from vehicle based game drives. We viewed the largest elephant and giraffe herds while at the Chobe Game Lodge. We also learned that the game drives in national parks and private game reserves are very different. While we had great game drives at Chobe, there is something about going off-road in pursuit of game viewing. These off-road trips yielded a number of close-up photographs that we couldn't get from being restrained to established roads.

All in all, a great trip and I'm looking forward to looking through our many trip photos and posting a few of the most memorable.