Mala Mala - First Game Drive:


Cape Buffalo, an evening drink before bed.

Thanks for the posts and spectacular photos!!! I read Mala Mala's Facebook posts about the new lions and wondered how it would be to encounter them.

Mala Mala afternoon

Jacque one of the Rangers said he wanted to go and see the wild dogs and see if we could catch them on the evening hunt. It is a long drive so some did not want to do that. So eight of us set out on the "wild dog hunt"

So we went straight to where we saw them this morning. This time they were in the road and in the bush. There were eight dogs. So a much better sighting. We waited and they moved around and played a little. The other vehicle arrived and within about 15 minutes they were off running straight down the road. Each vehicle took a turn at the front and we had four cars with us. My adrenaline was flowing there is nothing better than chasing wild dog. This lasted about 10 minutes and then the dogs crossed over the boundary into Kruger and we could not follow.
We could see them for a while and then they disappeared.

We stopped and had a sundowners at a beautiful spot on a bank overlooking the river.

Any day I see a wild dog is a great day! Distemper and rabies is killing off whole packs of dogs at an alarming rate. This pack lost their alpha female to lions. We have had a resurgence of dogs in recent years estimated 450 in the greater Kruger area. But I am concerned things are not heading in the right direction for the dogs.

This morning we decided to go North in the search for cheetahs. This is an area with wide open plains. On the way our vehicle saw a usual assortment of animals. The highlight was a hyena sitting on the side of the road. He became mobile and headed for a group of Impala. If there was a weak Impala or a baby he may have tried on his own so you never know. He walked past the Impalas and we followed him off road for about 15 minutes. He double backed towards the Impalas again coming from a different direction. But nothing happened he slumped down to sleep.

When we got to the plains area there were a lot of animals. A big herd of buffalo, zebras with babies, wildebeest, warthogs and of course impala. Perfect place for cheetah. We have seen them here before. But alas today they were not found. We did get some wonderful shots of the zebra at the watering hole. Then we had a joint coffee break and the scene was so pretty we decided to take a picture.

On the way back we saw lots of elephants, monkeys, and a beautiful male kudu. Now 9 of the group are going shopping at the main camp gift shop.

Ken is working on pictures hopefully he will get some up today.

In addition to what Ngaire reported our vehicle also spent some time with 6 or 7 dwarf mongoose (mongeese?). So Cute!
We are back from the shopping excursion. We saw elephant, giraffe and a tawny eagle on the way back. We also came upon a big cardboard box in the road that presumably fell off the trash truck. I was then struck by the total absence of litter anywhere! Didn't really think about before but there is not a scrap of paper or a plastic bag anywhere in the bush. These properties are meticulously and lovingly maintained.
I am on my back patio having a Diet Coke and watching the world go by. Next up,is lunch and the afternoon game drive. It's a tough life.
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Helen

Wild Dogs in Mala Mala:



We followed them until they went into Kruger National Park. We are hoping they will come back soon.

Sundowner on our way back to Mala Mala.

Hyena by the side of the road.

Impala were watching the hyena as it walked by.

Lilac Breasted Roller.

Lilac Breasted Roller & Yellow Billed Horn Bill.

Zebra came down for a drink.


We stopped for a coffee break.

Found a male Kudu on the way back for breakfast.

Today Ken and I went to visit another lodge. One I will no be using. However it was an action packed morning for the group.

This morning they found two Buffalo kills.

The females we have been seeing moved way north to the territory of the Styx pride and killed a Buffalo. The Styx pride will become aware of this kill and may turn up and confront the Nomad lions. A lot of lion growling, posturing and possibly fighting could occur.

The other Buffalo kill has attracted a crocodile that is laying close to the kill.

Going to be a fun afternoon

More Mala Mala:


Our Rangers: Fritz, Theo, Daniel, & Jacques.

The Sand River.

Woody Stork.

Male Warthog.

Hyena running down the road.

Watching Elephants crossing the Sand River from our deck.

Jim loved the warthog. Give us an update on temps. Looks like you have had a glorious first segment. Ready to be out in the bush and away from the real world for a little while. Happy sightings to all.

Will write up our last drive shortly but the weather is as expected. COLD first thing in the morning, hat, gloves, fleece or warm coat. By about 8.30 am it warms and by 9.00 am perfect temperature. Evenings have been warmer than the mornings but still cold after dark when driving. Clear blue skys and sunshine.

Ken - your photos are magnificent, they bring it all to life. We leave in a weeks' time and are as excited if not more so than the first time we went.

Great to see some water in the Sand River after last year's drought. Heaven on earth to sit on your deck at wonderful Mala Mala and watch the animals.

Hope the sightings continue to be as good as it's been so far. The 2nd and 3rd Cheetahs are in for a wonderful safari.

So off we go for the afternoon game drive.

That entire Buffalo was consumed so quickly. The lions were done eating by the time we got to the area after lunch and were all laying down with bulging bellies. The hyenas and vultures were around but basically no carcass left at all. The hyenas had pieces of the carcass all over the place, we counted six hyenas. Vultures were carrying around bits and pieces as well. It was still quite a scene.

We saw a ton of elephants today with one group shielding a very tiny newborn from our view forming a circle of elephant butts. Never seen them hide a baby that much before.

A hippo was out of the water heading for a dam it was a race to see if we could get there before him - he won. All we saw once we got there was his eyes. What was a the dam was a very big crocodile. We drove very close to him and Ken got a picture.

The finale was a big male leopard. He had killed an impala at main camp right in front of the lodge. We finally found him in a thicket with the carcass in the tree above. Beautiful big leopard about seven years old.

Back for our final dinner at Rattrays everyone was sad to say goodbye. We know we have three of the Rangers for the next two groups, Fritz, Theo, and Jacque all really good.

So we will start a new thread for Cheetah two but ken will post some final pictures on this thread

That lilac breasted roller is just about the prettiest bird I have ever seen!

Oh how I wish we could do this trip every year. Keep the posts and pictures coming, they bring back such memories.

Can't describe what a pleasure it is to read the posts and see the pix from this trip! And to think, it will only get better with another Lens Ken on the way soon! Cant wait for more. Hope to have the opportunity to go back someday to enjoy it all over again!

Fish Eagle.

Young female Nyala.

A Large Crocodile.

Young Male Kudu.

Impala.

Male Leopard.

Cheetah - Group One.

I hope Cheetahans that are flying Qatar Airlines keep up on the news. So far, doesn't seem to be impacts on flights to Africa, Europe, or USA except for having to route over Iran or Turkey. Hopefully this settles out over next few days/weeks; otherwise Qatar Airlines is toast.

Marc

We are in the Emirates lounge in Dubai on our way home. I lost track of our fellow Cheetahs at Joburg airport before we heard about the Qatar situation. Hopefully they had no issues since most were flying Qatar air.

FYI re the electronics ban: we had some confusion regarding this with some saying they had been told that if your ultimate destination is the US you may not bring your laptop etc on board, meaning jerry and I would have no iPads even for the flight from Johannesburg to Dubai. This proved not correct at least for Emirates. We kept our devices but expect to have to hand them over when the gate opens for our flight from here to LA.

This was, as expected, a fantastic trip due in no small part to the skill and effort of Keene Luxury Travel. Thanks again Ngaire and Ken.
Safe travels all.
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Helen

We've made it to Amsterdam and in the lounge before we board our flight to LAX.

Last night We had a delicious dinner at Intercontinental Hotel during our layover. After dinner we sat at the bar and ordered an Amarula. Low and below, we were sitting next to Susan & Paul (group 2) so we enjoyed chatting with them about our experience and what they have to look forward to. What a nice couple, first time we had ever met face to face. I hope Group 2 has all the fun and fabulous sightings we had. Their itinerary is identical to ours as I recall.

11 hours more and we'll be in LAX. Thank you Ngaire & Ken for such a fabulous time. It was WONDERFUL !

I very much enjoyed the Cheetah Mail; it brought back some wonderful memories!

I am on the return trip from hell. We were on the runway in Johannesburg when the plane was called back to the terminal. Something about Yemen had just said no to using their airspace, so we spent one hour back at the terminal while they loaded more gas. One hour lost there and another hour added to flying time to Doha. And I had a 2 hour layover. I hoped they would hold the Houston plane, but NO. They now have me booked leaving tonight at 1 AM to Philadelphia, then another 2 hour layover, then back to Houston. SO I am now in a Doha hotel - it is nice - until midnight. Luckily they have a business center with computers because I had to sit in the biz lounge at the airport with no electronics and no passport. Someone whisked that away. I sure didn't like having my passport out of my sight, especially in a middle east country that is being accused of terrorism. Finally they return it, took me through immigration. A shuttle bus arrives to bring us here to the hotel. There are 2 other groups that were with me in biz out of Africa. A family returning to India and a couple off to Japan for a holiday. All of us are unhappy about the passport disappearing act. But now I have it back! Went to my room so I could locate it and then started for the biz center here in the hotel. Waiting for the elevator when the fire alarm goes off all over the hotel. It was a 30 minute drill but the guests didn't know that and start pouring out of the rooms, carrying all their possessions. It would probably be funny but I'm not in a funny mood. Qatar Air could have held the Houston plane for 15 minutes so I could make the flight. They are going to need to figure out how to deal with this ban. BTW - No women anywhere on the streets. And it's Ramadan so all sorts of things are outlawed during daylight.
I should be home sometime mid-afternoon Thursday.
But I did enjoy the safari. Loved the animals, the camps, the staff at both camps and of course my fellow Cheetahs.

Oh no, Betty! What a Nightmare! How scary to have your passport whisked away. We got home with no issues but were concerned about you guys on Qatar. My Emirates flight arrived just a few minutes late at LAX and I saw that a Qatar flight had landed but most of its passengers had dispersed by the time we got through passport control . Not sure if that was the flight the others were on or not and haven't heard from any of them. Good luck and safe travels getting home tomorrow. I am glad to see you say that you nevertheless enjoyed your trip. It was great to meet you after all these years of posts.
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Helen

Betty, I would have been really nervous with my passport getting taken away in a middle eastern country too. And George would probably have gone ballistic and gotten us arrested. Glad you have it back now and are hopefully on the way home.
And glad Helen and Jerry are safely home.

Sorry it has been such a nightmare coming home.

They take the passports to get the visa required to enter Qatar so they can transfer you to the hotel. . This way you do not have to stand in a line while the visa is being processed. Perhaps that was not explained to you but this is always the way it is done.

We are flying Qatar on July 3 so hopefully they have it all worked out. We also have only a 2 hr layover in Doha. Oh the joys of travel. Still will deal with it so we can go on safari. Sure the US airlines are happy since they figure they can now keep charging us a lot more than Middle Eastern ones with one less competitor,.

Pam - coming over was a breeze even with a 10 hour layover. I purposely chose the flight back with the 2 hour layover. As it turns out - BIG mistake. And FYI - I had to put all electronics in my checked bags for this trip back. They went through my carry-on backpack to make certain I wasn't cheating. It is a nice airline with comfortable seats in biz and decent food. They just can't handle disruption..

No one ever uttered the word visa to me or the other 2 families that were in the same situation. If fact no one ever told us that we would be leaving the airport and going to a hotel. The Qatar employees don't seem to understand yet what has happened. To them it's business as usual. When I asked why they couldn't have held the plane to Houston 10 minutes for me I was told Qatar planes always leave on time. There was no response when I mentioned I was in this mess due to their plane leaving Johannesburg 1.5 hours late.

Have flown them before . I thought they were boxing up electronics for you. Oh well another adventure.

Thought I should add our experience since we were on Qatar Airways on Cheetah 1. Going over was no problem at all. LA to Doha was 16 hrs. We had a scheduled layover of 9+ hrs. in Doha so I arranged for a hotel room as instructed. We also hoped to take a free city tour that was offered but we arrived too late for the last tour of the evening at 8 pm. Went to the special desk to get a hotel voucher & they arranged a private car to take us to the Oryx Hotel about 15 mins. from the airport. It's a nice hotel & since we didn't want to sleep, the concierge arranged a 1 hour tour around town in a private car which cost about $30 US. There is construction everywhere in Doha & we would have liked more time to explore in daytime. (BTW, the airline is now offering free hotel if you'd like to stay over a day or two to do that.) Two hours before flight time, the private car appeared and we returned to the airport for the 9 hr. flight to CapeTown. The flights themselves were great in business class - very comfortable seats, good food & great service.

The return trip turned out to be a 48 hour ordeal because of the new restrictions in place on air space & security. We left Joburg on time but realized during the flight that they had changed the flight plan resulting in a late arrival in Doha. So we missed the connection to LA but the airline had a rep at the gate to reroute us. They rebooked us thru Dallas on American but that flight also arrived late. In Dallas we had to go thru Immigration & Customs, claim our bags, recheck them, have all electronics wrapped & boxed & go thru security again. Both of our iPads, the camera & my iPhone 6S cell phone were taken. Ray was able to keep is iPhone 5 because it fit inside the diagram they had. The new boarding passes they gave us didn't have Pre-Check on them so we had to go thru the long, regular line. Also the Global Entry machine to read our passports & fingerprints didn't work so we had to be processed manually thru there. We were able to keep our passports the whole time so didn't have the problem Betty had. We arrived at the gate exactly at departure time and, although the plane was sitting there, we were not allowed to board. So they rebooked us on a flight 3 hrs. later to LA and we finally made it home 8 hrs. after the expected arrival time. Stuff happens, as they say, but if they don't get this sorted out soon, Qatar Airways is in big trouble as Marc said. I should add that Michelle & Ed Langmaid from San Diego were on these flights with us & they did make the connection in Dallas by the skin of their teeth. They didn't have the glitches with Global Entry & Pre-Check that we had and they run really fast!

Overall, despite the return problems, it was a fabulous trip that we will never forget. The arrangements were perfect at every stop and it was such a pleasure being with Ngaire and Ken as always. Also, our group added immeasurably to the experience and we have come home with more new BFFs!

Oh Sue, What a PITA with the delays and re-routing for you all on Qatar ! I sure hope they figure out how to deal with all this. It was such unfortunate timing for Betty, Sue & Ray and Michele & Ed. At least I'm happy all 5 of you are finally home safely! I hope things are handled better when Ken & Ngaire return.

For the time being, guess it's best to fly through a city in Europe as we did. I think we'll rethink Qatar as an option for our 2018 family safari. It's a shame because everyone loves the service on Qatar and I love the idea of allowing the stopover.

I miss all the Cheetahs on our fabulous trip.

Ken has Cheetah One smugmug photos up now. Stayed tuned for CHEETAH TWO and CHEETAH THREE - other issues keeping him busy but he will get them up.

https://ngaire.smugmug.com/AFRICA/Africa-Tours/CHEETAH-ONE/