Makalolo Camp Zimbabwe Safari Report - June 2004
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Either we've all acclimatised to the Hwange weather or Mother Nature is saving a cold surprise for later! The winter weather has been quite bearable with minimum temperatures ranging between 3 and 12 degrees Celsius. Overall, these sunny days have boasted a comfortable average of 27 degrees Celsius and the pleasant temperatures can be attributed to the cloud cover that has been keeping the warmth in. However, after sunset, the temperatures drop quite rapidly and it is necessary to wrap up! Some guests have donned their bath robes on the morning and evening drives and have started a new fashion trend at Makalolo!
On 8 June we witnessed the transition of Venus with the sun - looking through welding helmet glass; Venus was seen as a small dot on the lower right hand side of the sun's circumference. Considering the last one was seen 1000 years ago, it was quite a highlight for our young generation!
False Mopane and Zambezi Teak appear to be the only trees resilient enough to withstand the colder temperatures and proudly display their green foliage amongst the surrounding tones of brown, tan, khaki and yellow. The abundance of dry grass carpeting the plains could be a potential fire hazard this season, which our pans seem well prepared for! The bush is brittle and thinning out gradually as awesome herds of buffalo and elephants plough and mow through the desiccated maze of moisture less vegetation. Seas of skeletal dried wild hibiscus will hopefully be eradicated in the process, as they are making the landscape look rather unkempt.
Some of our guests had the privilege of experiencing the big six all in one day, plus wild dogs and honey badgers thrown in for good measure! Our most memorable sighting of the month was that of a very relaxed rhino cow and calf captured at Little Mbiza amongst the tall golden grass in the soft light just before sunset. Foster and his guests did an approach on a male rhino whilst on a walk at Mbiza and everyone found that rather exhilarating! Leopard sightings are improving drastically and most of them have been close encounters! Most sightings have been on the way back into camp from evening game drives and have been on the road which junctions the road to our compound - obviously, this is a young male clambering around familiar territory which is being seen on a regular basis!
Wild dogs have once again hit the headlines as our resident pack of 5 has been sighted hunting and killing both impala and kudu at Ngweshla. One misty morning, we heard the cry of a young animal in front of tent 9, and upon investigation, discovered the dogs devouring the body a young kudu cow. After eating their full, they sunned themselves at the pan in front of camp for a few hours.
During an evening of dinner table conversation, our guides debated the size of honey badgers! It was very ironic that on the following morning's transfer to the airstrip, a honey badger was nearly flattened when it ran onto the road in front of the vehicle! That same evening, a pair of honey badgers was seen at Somavundla and apparently this had been the best honey badger sighting for Doug Kew. After having not seen honey badgers in our concession for some time, as well as the guides contesting whose size was more accurate, it made for fantastic first hand experience for our guests!
Lion sightings have been poor, due to the fact that our former resident pride now belongs to Linkwasha! Apparently the new male in or concession (aka Vuka) has been lingering around Little Mak. Though his spoor has been seen on the road on several occasions, he himself has been extremely elusive but Lion Research has confirmed that he is definitely in the Little Mak area. On an evening drive to Mbiza, game drive guests and guides discovered the fresh carcass of a young collared lioness. The remains were brought back to camp for research purposes and it is believed that the 18 month old lioness was killed by the eight young male cubs that are part of the pride prowling around Linkwasha, intending on forming their own coalition/s. Foster recovered the skull from this young lioness and has put it on display in our living area!
Elephant and buffalo activity have been outstanding! Elephants are congregating in large herds around various mineral licks and water holes and are still amazing our guests with their frequent visits to the swimming pool for a quick drink. Valentine awed guests on an afternoon drive with the sighting of a baby buffalo that had been born just minutes before! They witnessed the mother buffalo eating the after birth!
Some good probability sightings for the month have been as follows: 100% for elephant, giraffe, impala, black-backed jackal, springhare, wildebeest and zebra. Aardwolf 3%, bat-eared fox 13%, lesser bush baby 3%, bush buck 3%, buffalo 87%, caracal 3%, cheetah 7%, eland 27%, genet 7%, honey badger 7%, hyaena 7%, hunting dog 10%, side-striped jackal 43%, kudu 53%, leopard 20%, lion 17%, rhino 13%, roan 13% and wildcat 3%.
Red-billed francolins have topped the charts this month with their breeding behaviour! We are seeing new little clutches of chicks running around camp almost on a weekly basis! Twice during the month, the guinea fowls in front of camp have had close encounters with a Martial Eagle! One morning the guinea fowls went into a raucous flutter as a Martial swooped down onto the flustered flock and connected with a guinea fowl in mid-flight! Fortunately for the guinea fowl it was a near miss and it escaped unscathed, bar a few feathers which we retrieved for display purposes! The second time it happened, the guinea fowls had wisened up to the Martial's tactics and made for the trees! A little banded goshawk was seen drinking in the bird bath outside the dining area on a very cold winter's morning. We spotted a juvenile crowned crane waking across the plains at Ngweshla with both parents. We were rather excited with this finding because it proved that our familiar friends' nest had withstood the abundance of water during the rainy season and they had a young one to prove it!
Makalolo Plains is situated in a remote area within the vast Hwange National Park and is one of the few camps built within the Park. Hwange is legendary for its wonderful array of wildlife and massive herds of Elephant and Buffalo - especially in the dryer winter months.
There are excellent opportunities to view game from open 4x4 vehicles during the early morning and late afternoon, when game is most active. Foot safaris are also offered, and are accompanied by an armed professional guide. The camp is set in a unique location, overlooking the Samavundhla Pan - which attracts game in good concentrations.
The entire camp is raised on wooden boardwalks and platforms, giving guests excellent views over the waterhole and floodplain in front of the camp. Accommodation consists of nine large, comfortable tented rooms with en-suite shower, toilet and basin - all with hot and cold running water.
There is an outdoor shower for those who enjoy showering under the stars. The lighting in the rooms is battery powered - ensuring peace and quiet in camp. Meals are enjoyed in the separate raised dining area.
There is also a lounge, pub and plunge pool. The camp has hides overlooking the waterhole, which allow guests to enjoy close up game viewing.
Summer sees the large antelope herds migrate onto the plains, closely followed by their predators. Elephants, Buffalo, Sable, Roan, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Impala and sometimes even Gemsbok can be seen here. The area is one of the best for predators - Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog and Cheetah are regularly sighted, along with the smaller African Wild Cat, Serval, Honey Badger, Civet and Hyena. The area has a number of waterholes which attract game in large concentrations, especially during the winter months. Guests can sit at a waterhole and watch the passing parade of animals as they come to quench their thirst. For the bird watcher, Makalolo offers a wonderful range of birding, from Miombo species right through to the Kalahari species.
LOCATION
o Situated in the South Eastern section of Hwange National Park on a private concession.
PRICING
High Season: 1 July - 31 October
Low Season: 1 January - 30 June and November/December
ACCOMMODATION
There are nine tents consisting of:
Seven twin bedded tents (can be set up as double beds if required)
One honeymoon tent, and one tour leader or guest tent.
This camp can accommodate 16 guests and one tour leader or 18 guests, if all in one group, with tour leader in basic staff accommodation.
Sold to a maximum of 16 guests on a FIT basis
Tent details:
o Luxury tents raised off the ground on teak decking
o En-suite bathrooms within tents with showers
o Fans
o Tents have outside showers
o Honeymoon tent has an outside bath
o Wooden doors, and no zips
o Mosquito proof
o Gas radiator heaters in winter months
o Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each room
CAMP DESCRIPTION
The camp is built on a raised teak platform under thatch overlooking the Somavundhla plain, and set in a stand of teak trees.
o Telescope for on-deck viewing
o Plunge pool on raised deck
o Curio shop
o Conference facilities available on request, if group books out whole camp o Dining room, lounge and pub are thatched
o Library
o Game viewing platform
o Bunker hide in pan in front of camp
GAME VIEWING
There are Lion, large herds of Elephant, Buffalo, Hyena, Giraffe, Sable, Wildebeest, Impala, Waterbuck and Reed Buck.
The highlight here is the large open plains, where one can see large quantities of animals. Summer game viewing is excellent with Wildebeest, Zebra and Eland found in abundance on the plains. In winter the water holes are magnets for Elephant and on some days each water hole can get up to 1000 Elephants coming down to drink.
ACTIVITIES
o Game drives in 2x7-seater and 2x9-seater vehicles (wind-resistant ponchos are provided during winter months)
o Walking safaris with armed professional guide
o Bunker hide underground in front of camp next to waterholes
o Hides in the trees overlooking waterhole
SUGGESTED DAILY ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
Below is only a suggestion as to what may happen in camp - as daily wildlife sightings tend to throw the schedule right out of schedule.
summer/winter
05h00/06h00 - Wake Up
05h30/06h30 - Light breakfast
06h00/07h00 - Game drive, canoeing, boating, walk with drinks and snacks
10h30/11h00 - Brunch/lunch
- Option to rest or sit at hides
15h30/15h30 - Afternoon tea
16h00/16h00 - Game drive / walk with drinks and snacks
20h00/20h00 - Dinner under the stars or under thatch
ELECTRICITY & WATER
o Camp has 220v generator-powered electricity, power is stored in 12v batteries which power the lights and fans in the rooms
o Video camera batteries can be charged while out on a game drive
o Water for showers etc is heated by solar power
DRINKS POLICY
All drinks are included in the nightly tariff, except for imported champagne and hard to obtain drinks such as Bourbon.
LAUNDRY POLICY
Daily service, weather permitting, included in the nightly tariff.
EXTRAS PAYMENT
Curios and/or tips/gratuities will be billed to the tent number and settled on check-out. Payment can be made in cash (US$), travellers' cheques and Visa or MasterCard credit cards.
If guests wish to tip, our recommended tipping schedule is as follows:
Guides - US$5.00 per person per day
General camp staff - US$3.00 per person per day
Specialist guides (if applicable) - US$10.00 per person per day. This is the suggested gratuity schedule only and is subject to service standards.
FLYING TIMES
to/from Hwange Airport - 20 minutes
Victoria Falls to the camp's strip - 55 minutes
Makalolo to Giraffe Springs - 30 minutes
AIR STRIP DETAILS
Linkwasha airstrip is located 30 minutes' drive from camp.
Air strip co-ordinates: S19.07.93, E27.12.79
1000m long, grass strip, can take King Airs 90's, provided that they have high flotation landing gear.
HEALTH
There are a few basic health matters that require care and attention. We are obviously not medical practitioners and the following points are recommended guidelines only. Please consult your doctor and also check with your health department prior to departure for any changes in health regulations.
a) Malaria
Malaria within South Africa's borders is only prevalent in a few areas. It is encountered mainly in northern and eastern Mpumalanga, northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the border areas of the Northern and North West Provinces. Malaria is also common in the lower lying areas of Swaziland. It can also be found throughout Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and much of Botswana. Northern Namibia is also a malaria area. Should you be visiting these areas malaria precautions are advised.
Malaria transmission is at its highest during the warmer and wetter months of November through to April. From May through to October the risks of acquiring malaria are reduced.
The malaria parasite requires a human host in order to complete its life cycle. In most cases, our camps are situated in remote, unpopulated areas, so the chances of contracting malaria are very slim. Nonetheless, it is worth taking preventative measures.
Both chloroquine-resistant and normal strains of malaria are prevalent in Africa. Malaria is transmitted by a very small percentage of female Anopheles mosquitoes. They are only active in the early evening and throughout the night, at the times when one is usually sleeping or sitting around the campfire.
MALARIA prophylactic recommendations for southern African travellers:
Expert opinion differs regarding the best approach to malaria prophylaxis. It is important to bear in mind that malaria may be contracted despite chemoprophylaxis, especially in areas where chloroquine resistance has been reported. Please remember that the best insurance is the preventative kind: avoid being bitten by using mosquito repellents liberally. Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers/slacks in the evenings. If staying in a bungalow or tent, spray with an insecticide like DOOM to kill any mosquitoes that may have flown into your room. Mosquito coils are effective.
If you become ill on your return, while still on prophylaxis or even once you have stopped taking them, ensure that your doctor does everything to establish that your illness is not malaria.
Malaria is not a serious problem if you are sensible and take basic precautions. There have been very few cases of our guests contracting malaria during our 19 years to date, of operation.
b) Water
It is very important that you drink plenty of water especially during the warmer months. It is generally recommended that guests drink at least 2 to 3 litres (4 to 6 pints) of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration. This excludes tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages, which act as diuretics and can actually contribute to dehydration.
Generally, water throughout Southern Africa is safe to drink directly from the tap. However, bottled water is readily available, so please do not allow yourself to become dehydrated.
c) Other Health Issues
There are no other health issues that one needs to be overly concerned with.
GUESTS COMMENTS
"Thank you for making our 40th anniversary celebration so very memorable! We had the most incredible guide spottings - just unbelievable! We definitely will spread the word about how wonderful game and staff are!" BARB & JIM GIFFORD, WISCONSIN, USA
"Thank you Foster, Tendai and Shelley for a wonderful time here at Makalolo. We loved all the personal attention and friendly atmosphere here. Yay for the walking safari - right up to that big white rhino! I'm sure some of our best photographs and best memories will be from you guys here!" THE HEARD FAMILY, WASHINGTON DC, USA
"Thanks so much to all for a wonderful and heart warming experience here! It's a magical place full of very special moments. Can't think of a place I'd rather be". DENISE LANDAU, COLORADO, USA
Hakuna Mutata from all at Makalolo!
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