Brigitte organized a one month long trip for us, including Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. Living in Canada and dealing with Wide Africa was no problem at all. Between emails and the odd phone call, Brigitte was able to put together a fantastic trip for us.
Given that 6 of the 7 lodges were fly in only, and that we were travelling in what should have been the rainy season (we only had one day of rain in 30), we were initially concerned that something along the way would go wrong. However, all details of the trip were planned meticulously.
A plane was always on time to pick us up in remote locations and transfer us to the next fantastic lodge, with one pilot even having to buzz a group of elephants to get off the ‘runway’. Botswana lodges were the highlight – sitting with a pack of wild dogs fighting over a baby impala carcass and then following the pack on the run for about an hour; sitting next to the carcass of a big antelope that had just been killed by two leopards and watching (both us and the leopards) the carcass being torn apart by 4 hyenas; sitting in the midst of about 70 elephants who were bathing, a few getting stuck in their mud wallows, one elephant submerged with only his trunk up out of the water like a periscope; sitting with numerous lazy lion groups, seeing a lion couple mating and driving along with lions on the hunt; turning a corner only to be charged by a rhino who came very very close to ramming the truck; following huge groups of cape buffalo (maybe 1000) and zebra (100); and coming across virtually every other animal that you’d expect to see on safari, including a couple of cheetahs; two wild elephants eating leaves within touching distance of our balcony; having baboons use our roofed ‘tent’ as a trampoline; having a sundowner where the Abu Camp manager had a rug and two big sofas placed in front of a water hole out in the wilderness, a bartender, full bar and appetizers brought out there for our enjoyment.
Watching a crocodile eat the bone remains of an animal; hiking in giant red sand dunes, hot air balloon ride, visiting the native Himba people, helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, tuxedoed waiters serving dinner on the Rovos Rail, wine tasting in Stellenbosch, and much much more – it was all fantastic. You can definitely count on Brigitte for a truly wonderful once-in-a-lifetime trip! We shall be back!
