Sarah Packham Photography

Gosh that went quickly! Its freezing cold in Chalgrove and I am missing the peace and quiet of the African bush.

We had brilliant drives all week and our last but one was particularly brilliant. Also the last sundowner was spectacular.

I’m sitting in a club waiting for K to appear and it’s rammed with noisy people, there is a poster on the wall that says ‘follow your dreams…..they know the way’ So perhaps we should move to the middle of the African bush. Dreams!!

So I’ll just post some pics and I’ll try a slideshow, not tried before so it may be a disaster. OK so I can’t do that!

Awoke to rain, that nasty fine persistent soaking rain! But…..had a brilliant drive with some amazing sightings, who’d have thought!

The light was poor, and these are all raw photos straight off the card with a few minor tweaks, so not necessarily perfect!

Very good day yesterday watching Sunset leopard as she strolled through the bush.

We have been joined by another British traveller, Brian, who I think we have met on previous trips, a keen birder and general photographer, easy to talk to. Also a lovely young South African couple who work in conservation. Very interesting to talk to them and get their views on hunting and culling! A couple of young American honeymooners, and a slightly strange South African born but living in America chap who looks like he only eats protein shakes and testosterone shots! He spent most of dinner on the phone, talked a lot about all the companies he has, he is accompanied by a very young American girl with perfectly manicured hands, and about half his age! Judgemental….me?!! Nah! I would say there does seem to be a slightly different demographic since the upgrade to the camp.

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!

Didn’t seem to post anything yesterday. Now sat at Jo’burg airport lounge waiting for flight home this evening. Always sad to leave Tanda Tula, but we are going back to the new camp in November so it won’t be long. Rather suspect November will be our last trip to TT. They are building this huge great new camp and I think, and I’m not alone!, that the demographic will change greatly and the prices are going to sky rocket. It’s not cheap now and we do get a discount as regulars but even so, it’s going to be out of reach. But we have been so so lucky to have experienced brilliant safaris with a fantastic team at Tanda Tula.

So.. I’ll try and load up some photos, fingers crossed the local free WiFi is up to it.