Currently preparing to visit the new Safari Camp at Tanda Tula. This will be our second visit this year to see the team but the first to the newly built camp. It’s going to be very interesting to see how we react to the new camp, gone are the tents and in their place we will now have luxurious suites with no canvas. I am quite sure they will be fabulously comfortable and spacious BUT the close association to nature that canvas tents provides will be absent.

We know there are several prides of lions and excitingly there has been the birth of another white lion to one of the Birmingham females. There are now four white lions in the area out of only five in total anywhere! Though hugely exciting to see white lions the fact there are so many in the area might mean we don’t get to see too many leopards.

So…..we are now in camp. It is entirely transformed, no more tents but ‘suites’, very different. We started in number 9, which is on the same spot as the old tent number 12, furthest away from the main area. We have now moved to number 4! Much nearer to the main area so less of a walk. We have fabulous views from our bedroom over the dry river bed.

After a pretty tiring journey here with little sleep overnight on Sunday, I managed to sleep really well so getting up at 5 this morning was no big deal!

Yesterday it was very hot and sunny, around 30*, today much cooler and a little overcast. Had a quiet drive last night but did see the dogs which is always a real treat. Fabulous evening meal, Ryan on excellent form ( thank god he isn’t on leave!).

We were driven by Tristan last night and Eric is tracking for us. This morning Formen drove us as poor Tristan is not well, he seems to have cracked a rib or two wake boarding, whatever that is!. He’s getting x rayed today so hopefully will find out for sure. Chad and Glen are both on leave, shame not to see either of them but I gather they might just be back before we leave on Sunday.

Formen’s son Allied (keen young photographer) is here and I’m hoping he can help me out with one of my camera lenses, seems to have a screw loose! Need a very very small screwdriver.

Spectacular dinner with too much red wine = no sleep!

But up bright and early at 5 none the less. Coffee ++ and we are good to go.

Last nights drive was probably the wettest drive we’ve ever had but we saw plenty. Cape buffalo, lions, impala, steenbok, zebra, giraffe, kudu and probably a few I have forgotten. Due to the heavy rain I don’t think I took any photos.

This morning plenty to photograph. Two lioness and a rather sick looking male lion and a brilliant cheetah sighting. Elephants in camp too.

The South African guys we were driving with have now left so we shall have new companions in the jeep this evening. There are another couple of Brits here but it’s primarily Americans. The Brits both sound unwell so I am steering well clear of them!