Of black maned lions and rampaging hippos

[bPeteb]

Otoh, I could not be more pleased with the results from my iphone15promax.
No more lugging heavy hardware for me.

I took some great pics with mine, and amazing videos. We had someone in the group who just pinch zoomed everything and took some cracking photos with their 15PM, but they just don't have the clarity when you zoom in that the cameras can take.

This is the first trip in a while we've bothered to take cameras and we're very glad that we did. Even though the Sony is quite big, it's still small backpack size when we're out and about and the NX500 with a small lens is big pocket size.

 

[bPeteb]

To add - one feature I love is that the camera can talk to my phone via the Canon app and its own wi-fi. So each evening I could download the Canon pics to my phone (and then to iCloud if regular internet was available) as a back-up and then post them in the running TR

But next time I must remember to change the time setting in the camera to local - which will avoid the timed sort of all the pics (incl iPhone ones) to be 12 hours apart.

I synched everything while I was on the flight over. When I'm working with two phones and two cameras, editing is a nightmare if I forget.

 

[tgh]

they just don't have the clarity

Indeed , but I have already travelled extensively with a multi lens slr outfit.
I have sometimes grabbed a pearler which is rewarding however the pearlers are all lingering in the cloud with tens of thousands of also rans.
I have found it cathartic to just pull the camera out of my pocket and shoot, it always there and aways ready.
It is also, I guess, a challenge to make the phone work and use it's capabilities

 

[VPS]

To add - one feature I love is that the camera can talk to my phone via the Canon app and its own wi-fi. So each evening I could download the Canon pics to my phone (and then to iCloud if regular internet was available) as a back-up and then post them in the running TR

But next time I must remember to change the time setting in the camera to local - which will avoid the timed sort of all the pics (incl iPhone ones) to be 12 hours apart.

That's really annoying when you are using both phone and camera - one day they will invent a camera that automatically changes time zones for you like the phone

 

[RooFlyer]

I have found it cathartic to just pull the camera out of my pocket and shoot, it always there and aways ready.

I use both . Phone always there for a quick shot, out the van window, where light is iffy and I don't have time or inclination to fiddle around with light settings on Canon.

Canon where any type of zoom is needed or where enlargement might be warranted afterwards.

After I showed that the iPhone and my old pocket Sony zoom had the same quality of images without zoom, I went phone-only for a few trips. But then realised its zoom sucks and I was missing out a lot. Hence the Canon for Antarctica, and since.

 

[tgh]

What iphone are you using to compare ?

 

[kookaburra75]

That's really annoying when you are using both phone and camera - one day they will invent a camera that automatically changes time zones for you like the phone

Agree. After a trip to the US and Canada some years ago. trying to match up the photos from my 'old' Samsung NX300 (where I had forgot to change the date/time) and my mobile phone photos (with GPS coords and local date/time), I ended up writing some code into an Excel spreadsheet so I could dial in the date/time shift I needed to rename the photos from the camera. That let me sort all the photos from the camera and phone by the 'correct'date/time stamps. Until then, I just need to remember to change the date/time in the camera when I arrive.

 

[RooFlyer]

@bPeteb , I'm looking for a Botswana tour like yours - this seems very similar to yours (Botswana portion) - but itinerary reversed days 12-6?

Botswana Delta & Wildlife Explorer | Botswana Wildlife Adventure | World Expeditions

Experience the full diversity of the greatest wilderness areas in Botswana and the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls on this exciting accommodated overland traverse

worldexpeditions.com

Looks good value when I compare with what you got on that portion of your tour.

 

[bPeteb]

@bPeteb , I'm looking for a Botswana tour like yours - this seems very similar to yours (Botswana portion) - but itinerary reversed days 12-6?

Botswana Delta & Wildlife Explorer | Botswana Wildlife Adventure | World Expeditions

Experience the full diversity of the greatest wilderness areas in Botswana and the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls on this exciting accommodated overland traverse

worldexpeditions.com

Looks good value when I compare with what you got on that portion of your tour.

Looks like a great trip RF. If you contact WE they'll be able to confirm if it's with Kibooko but I'm pretty sure it will be. Some of their shorter 'lodge' trips are in smaller vehicles (MB Spinters) but I'm not sure if this will be classed as that. This goes to both sides of the delta as well, so you get an opportunity to fly over the wide part of the Okavango.

 

[bPeteb]

One thing I just realised I hadn't added was bAlt's fantastic list of creatrues we encountered on our trip

MOSI OI TUNYA and Zambezi River
White Rhinos 9, Burchell’s Zebras, Giraffes, Elephants, Chacma baboons, Vervet monkeys, Swallows, Vulture, Bee-eater, Hamerkop, Egrets, Goliath heron, Spoonbills, Crocodiles, Water monitor


CHOBE and Okavango
Elephants thousands, Giraffe dozens, Hippo 50+, Buffalo 50+, Kudu, Roan antelopes, Impala thousands, Antelope on Chobe islands (not sure what), Water Monitors several, Water buck? at Vic Falls (we think), Red lechwe, Burchell’s Zebras, Lions, Leopard, Warthogs, Oryx, Chacma Baboons, Banded Mongoose, Vervet monkeys, Crocodiles, Tiger fish jumping, Funnel web spider, catfish (bubble run), Vulture, African Darter, Southern ground hornbill, Red billed hornbill, Egrets, Marabou stork, Yellow billed stork, African openbill, Fish Eagles, Skimmers, Goliath Heron, Black Heron, Pelican pink backed, kingfishers different kinds, Jacana, Kori Bustard, Spoonbills, Helmeted Guinea fowl, Glossy ibis, Whistling ducks, Egyptian Geese, Pied Crow, Ring necked drive, White crowned lap-wing, Common quail, Bee eaters, Hamerkop

ETOSHA
Thousands of Springbok, Impala, Elephants, Giraffes, Honey badger possibly eating scorpion, Black Rhinos, Spotted Hyaenas, Black-backed Jackals, Burchell’s Zebra, Gnu / Wildebeest, Ostriches, Oryx, Kudu, Tawny eagle, Fork-tailed Drongo, Hornbills, Pied crows, Huge Sociable weaver nests, Crimson-breasted shrike, Crested shrike, Southern pale chanting goshawk, Steenbok

Swakopmund/Sandwich Harbour
Greater and lesser flamingos, a flamboyance of (Lesser eats plant life), Kelp gulls, Seals Cape fur, Black cormorants, a brief of Great white pelicans flying in formation, Shovel-snouted lizard

Sossovlei
Pale winged Starling, Shovel-snouted lizard

Fish River Canyon
Hartmann's Zebra, Klippspringer

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park / Kalahari
Ostrich, Yellow mongoose, Springbok, Ground squirrel, Gnu/wildebeest, Jackel, Meerkat, Cape turtle dove, Tawny eagle, African wild cat, Steenbok, Northern black Corin bird, Yellow beaked hornbill, Emu, Lilac-breasted roller chicks, Meerkats, Oryx, Red headed finch, Yellow green finches (don't know name), Gabar goshawk, Fork tailed drongo, Red hartebeest, Kori bustard, Secretary bird

Cape of Hood Hope
Cape fur seals, Eland, Ostrich, Southern right whale


COMBINED LISTING

Predators etc
Jackal, Black-backed
Hyena, Spotted
Lion
Leopard
Wild Cat, African

Larger Animals
Cape Buffalo (I'm sure I was told somewhere everything we saw wasn't necessarily Cape as there are four different sub-species of the African buffalo)
Elephant
Giraffe
Hippo
Rhino - Black, white
Zebra - Burchell’s, Hartmann's

Antelope and similar
Antelope - Puku, Roan
Gnu / Wildebeest
Impala
Klippspringer
Kudu
Oryx
Red Hartebeest
Red lechwe
Springbok
Steenbok
Water Buck

Others
Baboon, Chacma
Crocodiles
Ground squirrel
Honey badger
Hyrax
Lizard, Shovel-snouted
Meerkats
Mongoose - Banded, Yellow
Monkey, Vervet
Seal, Cape Fur
Southern Right Whale
Tiger Fish
Warthogs
Water Monitor

Birds
African Darter
African Openbill
African Penguin
Bee Eater
Black Cormorants
Cape Turtle Dove
Common Quail
Ducks - whistling, others
Shrike - Crested, Crimson-breasted
Eagle Fish, Tawny
Egrets
Egyptian Geese
Emu
Flamingo - Greater, Lesser
Fork-tailed Drongo
Glossy ibis
Heron - Black, Goliath, Night, lots of others
Goshawk - Gabar, Southern pale chanting
Hamerkop
Helmeted Guinea fowl
Hornbill - Red-billed, Southern Ground, Southern Yellow-billed
Jacana
Kelp gulls
Kingfisher - so many different on our Okavango delta cruise
Kori Bustard
Lilac-breasted roller chicks
Northern black Corin bird
Ostrich
Pelican - Great White, Pink backed
Pied crows
Red headed finch
Ring necked dove
Secretary Bird
Skimmers
Spoonbills
Starling - Pale winged, Red winged
Stork - Marabou, Yellow-billed, Various others
Vulture
Weavers - sociable, white-browed sparrow-weaver
Whistling ducks
White crowned lap-wing

 

[Seat0B]

who was imprisoned for nearly six years. Just so so sad while at the same time inspiring, listening to his stories of resilience, support and solidarity.

I felt the same feeling whilst touring the Stasi prison in Berlin (Hohenschönhausen). The ingenious cruelty of the conditions and punishments left me feeling very down and I share the concern that there is little hope for humanity whilst evil such as these examples is perpetrated at institutional level.

 

[Seat0B]

Late to finishing your TR because of other drains on my time - but I also wanted to say a big thanks for the time and effort in putting it together. It has really opened up my eyes to travel in this part of the world.

I have a question for you and any others with first hand knowledge (paging @RooFlyer and @kpc). I am totally NOT a morning person. I like to go to bed at midnight and get up about 0830 and feel dreadful (like permanent jetlag) if I have to wake up early. This is mainly because I struggle to go to sleep early even if I am exhausted after a busy day/early start, and even if I take melatonin to help me go to sleep it can still take over an hour after I turn off the light before I sleep. So I am rather anxious about all the very early starts that have been described. Are there any alternatives or is it like, "if you want to see sunrise, you have to be up before the sun." Any tips to help manage this?

 

[kpc]

Late to finishing your TR because of other drains on my time - but I also wanted to say a big thanks for the time and effort in putting it together. It has really opened up my eyes to travel in this part of the world.

I have a question for you and any others with first hand knowledge (paging @RooFlyer and @kpc). I am totally NOT a morning person. I like to go to bed at midnight and get up about 0830 and feel dreadful (like permanent jetlag) if I have to wake up early. This is mainly because I struggle to go to sleep early even if I am exhausted after a busy day/early start, and even if I take melatonin to help me go to sleep it can still take over an hour after I turn off the light before I sleep. So I am rather anxious about all the very early starts that have been described. Are there any alternatives or is it like, "if you want to see sunrise, you have to be up before the sun." Any tips to help manage this?

Africa (where we went) is 8 hours behind Sydney time so I often found I was already up by 3-4 am

 

[VPS]

Late to finishing your TR because of other drains on my time - but I also wanted to say a big thanks for the time and effort in putting it together. It has really opened up my eyes to travel in this part of the world.

I have a question for you and any others with first hand knowledge (paging @RooFlyer and @kpc). I am totally NOT a morning person. I like to go to bed at midnight and get up about 0830 and feel dreadful (like permanent jetlag) if I have to wake up early. This is mainly because I struggle to go to sleep early even if I am exhausted after a busy day/early start, and even if I take melatonin to help me go to sleep it can still take over an hour after I turn off the light before I sleep. So I am rather anxious about all the very early starts that have been described. Are there any alternatives or is it like, "if you want to see sunrise, you have to be up before the sun." Any tips to help manage this?

This is me exactly and why I am reluctant to do the safaris

 

[bPeteb]

From a safari perspective, if you're not ready to go Seat0B you'll miss out. We were also leaving lodged for our next destination by 7.30 on a number of mornings. Could be problematic for you.

 

[RooFlyer]

I have a question for you and any others with first hand knowledge (paging @RooFlyer and @kpc). I am totally NOT a morning person. I like to go to bed at midnight and get up about 0830 and feel dreadful (like permanent jetlag) if I have to wake up early. This is mainly because I struggle to go to sleep early even if I am exhausted after a busy day/early start, and even if I take melatonin to help me go to sleep it can still take over an hour after I turn off the light before I sleep. So I am rather anxious about all the very early starts that have been described. Are there any alternatives or is it like, "if you want to see sunrise, you have to be up before the sun." Any tips to help manage this?

Nearly every day on our Namibia tour was an early start - say, brekkie from 6:30 and then 7:30am on the road (groans all round). This was usually to be able to start the first activity before the heat of the day. Safari days up before dawn, as early morning is when to see the animals before they too retire in the heat of the day.

So no alternative, unfortunately.

 

[drron]

An independent itinerary is a requisite if you are not an early riser @Seat0B. Smaller lodges can also be a help. We did a Btswana safari using 4 Sanctuary lodges. At one of them we were the only passengers for one of the guides. He wanted us desperately to get up early but we negotiated a later start. yes not as many animal sighted as it was much warmer but ended up having our best safari experience following a pack of wild dogs trying to run down antelope. they were unsuccessful but the chase was an amazing experience.
The other negative is that the cost will be greater.

 

[Quickstatus]

I bought a good Canon camera with zoom

long zoom lens

@bPeteb @RooFlyer

I have a Canon DSLR, Zoom 70-200 f2.8 L lens, 50mm plus another lens with f1.8
These things are heavy and the more zoom the more fuzzy the image becomes unless a tripod is used. No lens is fast enough at zoom. Great in low light though without having to jack up the ISO too much.

Are trips like yours conducive to tripod shots?

Sometimes less is more.

 

[kpc]

Are trips like yours conducive to tripod shots?

No. The animals don't stand still whilst you are getting your camera ready...I'm not a camera expert but people take mutiple shots for maybe 2 or 3 good ones. Sometimes by the time you get your camera out, the animal is gone

 

[JohnM]

No. The animals don't stand still whilst you are getting your camera ready...I'm not a camera expert but people take mutiple shots for maybe 2 or 3 good ones. Sometimes by the time you get your camera out, the animal is gone

Burst mode is your friend.