Southern Africa with Borton Overseas
My wife, Diana, and I experienced an incredible wildlife photo safari, Aug. 30-Sept. 11, 2007, arranged through Borton Overseas (Minneapolis, MN; 800/843-0602, www.borton overseas.com). The ground operator in Africa was Wilderness Safaris (Johannesburg, South Africa; phone +27 11 257 5133, fax 11 807 9733, www.wilderness-safaris.com). Land and internal air for our 12-day safari cost about $7,200 per person.
We started at the luxurious River Club near Livingstone, Zambia, where we took an evening cruise on the river and later crossed into Zimbabwe to tour Victoria Falls. We paid the $20 entry fee (it must be paid in US dollars) and entered the park.
The asphalt paths lead along the rim of the narrow gorge, with the falls on the far side. It is a very unique way to see this kind of phenomenon. Thankfully, it was the dry season and the water flow was low. They say that in the wet season the spray from the falls forms a cloud and virtually nothing can be seen in the perpetual fog.
On our trip, we participated in game drives in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and Chobe National Park, the Linyati Concession, the Selinda Concession and the Makagadikgadi Pans in Botswana. Our Wilderness Safari guide throughout Botswana was Thuto, who was well informed, a wonderful guide and a great person.
The highlights of our stay were encounters with the Border Boys, a bachelor group of three male lions in the Linyati Concession that crosses back and forth over the border with Namibia. The Border Boys were our frequent companions during our stay at Linyanti, much to our delight. We first encountered two of them loafing in a meadow. Stuffed to the gills from feasting — fat and flatulent — they lolled away the afternoon with elephants in the near distance.
That night, we went to bed expecting a restful sleep, but the wildlife was active all night. Hippos grunted and sounded their “foghorns.” The Border Boys showed up and we had two hours of roaring, some of it less than 10 feet from our heads. There were several major “cat fights.”
The most interesting thing was the day we watched the Border Boys take on a herd of about 150 Cape buffalo. We had a show. The three lions spread out in an arc. The buffalo formed a tighter herd with the calves in the center. The male buffalo, particularly the younger ones, formed a perimeter line to confront the threat.
For over an hour there were threats and bluffs from both sides. Occasionally, we had lions chasing buffalo or buffalo chasing lions, but neither side was really serious, so no damage was done. The lions eventually wandered off to a water hole for a drink and a group nuzzle.
All trips have to end. We were scheduled to fly in a small plane to Maun, then take Air Botswana to Johannesburg and KLM to Amsterdam. We got to Maun without any problems, but the Air Botswana flight was posted as delayed by two hours. Since it was a 2-hour flight and our KLM flight didn’t leave until 11 p.m., we thought everything would be okay. Wilderness Safaris invited their guests (about 40 of us) to their office lounge for drinks and snacks and a comfortable seat while we waited. Diana got in some curio shopping.
The flight kept getting delayed more and more. Some passengers had already missed their connections. At 7 p.m. we went back to the terminal and went through security. At 7:30 we were startled by a special page for passengers on the Amsterdam flight. Someone had arranged for a special 20-passenger plane to take us to Johannesburg in time to make our connection.
This was a magnificent trip. Seeing wildlife “up close and personal” is a real treat. Wilderness Safaris is a great company with a great program. We’re available for any questions; e-mail us at jdswanson2@ comcast.net.
JOHN SWANSON
Lake Elmo, MN