Posts by Pygmalion19

Hi Sylvie,

Thanks for this trip through the Kenya you love so much. Beautiful images—maybe not too many mammals, but what a show of big cats and birds! A lovely outing, wasn’t it🙂!

See you soon for more adventures in the wild, wild Africa...

Good evening Sylvie,

Wow, that lion portrait is stunning... Still so striking in black and white. Evening wear, I imagine, to blend into the African night. The hunt is on!🙂

Hi Sylvie,

Thanks for the photos and the text. Could you tell us exactly where in Meru it is?

Hi Sylvie,

+1 for the roller if that’s what it is! We didn’t see all these animals in Meru during our trip. Oh, what a regret, isn’t it?

UPDATE

But geez, it’s so tiring! :)!

Right?

Hi Pierre,

Used to traveling independently, is it possible to rent a vehicle and manage on our own, or is a guide essential, especially for accessing the parks? Best regards

I think the "average tourist" means someone without much field experience. In that case, many of us here have struggled with a self-drive trip without any special skills.

Yes! You can travel solo and rent a car (4x4 with a roof tent) for a trip to the wildlife parks in Namibia and Botswana. Some parks in Botswana are indeed very busy—I’m thinking of Chobe—while others, like KTP, are less so. In Namibia, vast areas are almost desert-like, but animals are rarer there. Spotting them isn’t easy.

Etosha NP is worth the trip, but it’s popular. If the campsites are pricey in the evening, the crowds thin out during the day, giving you a bit more space.

RJuly95’s advice is worth following. Many posts here will help you plan the trip of your dreams.

Cheers,

Good evening Sylvie,

Nice catch with the Varan and the unseen scene. Great shot of the Singing Goshawk. What’s its Latin name 😉? The series on the lions is really interesting... and what a great atmosphere.

Hi Pierre,

In Tanzania, I also suggest Ruaha National Park for its wildlife and atmosphere. I had the pleasure of spending a week in this less-visited southern park, where it's very easy to find solitude as long as you have the right location and guides who align with your plans. The same goes for Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania. In Kenya, Tsavo and Samburu are also great spots that fit your criteria. But in my opinion, Southern Africa—especially Namibia and Botswana—takes the crown.

Happy thinking,

Hi both,

In nearly half a century of traveling, we’ve seen a honey badger in Zambia for the first time—but never a pangolin. Its future looks bleak since it’s heavily poached to supply Chinese cuisine.

I’m desperate to see one!

Hi Bernard,

Creating a travel journal on VF? Why not, but I still have my Ethiopian bird album to finish... I think you’ve been to Katavi, right? So, a journal or a short trip report?

You’re mistaken. I haven’t been to Katavi, even though it’s on my list. So, a journal about Katavi would be premature for me—but not for you... because "all it takes" is a powerful recollection, which you’re perfectly capable of, to gather your memories around your beautiful photos. Maybe I’ll do the same for Ruaha, Selous, and Zanzibar. See you,

Hello, hello,

Lumo is a small park, sure, but quite beautiful with some really interesting wildlife. Did you see the honey badger? Congrats on spotting that cat lounging in the grass with its chest up—such a sweet image, just how I like them.

I’d also definitely recommend checking out "Bernard et sa blonde"’s site photo safaris in Tanzania and beyond safari-tanzanie.fr—it’s fantastic in its new version and packed with info.

And let’s not forget the travel journals from all those hardworking travelers who, right after their trips, share valuable and varied insights about Kenya with our readers. Just to name one: "From Old Pejeta to Tsavo West"

" https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9855279;search_string=Kenya 😎.

But the others are just as fascinating for their different perspectives.

More to come, more to come!

Hi Sylvie,

Any big space for a lost safari-goer, please? Sure, my travel bag isn’t too heavy since I’m bringing all my Field Notes and a few photography technique books on this trip. Just to keep the conversation flowing and peaceful with Bernard 😎.

Take care

Good evening you two,

I’m all for Zambia, but I wouldn’t say no to a bit of Ethiopia too😉.

Looking forward to reading from you

Good evening Bernard,

I just looked at your great shots of the animals in Katavi on your favorite site. But what a shame there’s no story to go with this safari. Maybe we’ll read about your adventures on VF soon.

Hi Ludo,

Is the 24-600/2.4-4 lens interchangeable? If not, there are also the A-series mirrorless hybrids that are top-notch.

Good evening, fellow travelers,

Thank you for this exchange, for the words and images you’ve devoted time and passion to. What were you trying to tell us with them? That nature, wild as it may be, is as beautiful as it is dangerous. That it deserves both our respect and our admiration. Great idea to immerse yourself in it—as long as you’re not too bothered!

I share this opinion and Max’s about the formula. As for the destination, Ethiopia could be next, and Southern Africa, of course, is still on the list ;). Why not Sri Lanka? There are critters there. Until we’re out of lockdown, I’m dreaming of the Americas. It still feels so far away, the day we’ll have wings again!

Positive thoughts to you both and to everyone else

Hello, hello,

Jacky, I notice in your post that you’ve really got a knack for birding. All those bird names—amazing! 🙂 While photography can sometimes lose the connection to the subject, I see that well-crafted words can bring it back to life... Hats off to you! Reading your posts feels like a stroll. In these constrained times, it’s a blessing. Hallelujah!

Yolande, I *love* your photos. Like Bernard, I have a soft spot for vultures. Like them, I don’t leave anything on my plate 😉. Extra points for the playful lion scenes and the vulture portrait at the end of the page. The swallow shot is a success (what focal length?). The atmosphere shots of the early migration make it feel like we’re right there under that scorching sun! Straight down, I assume?

Hi Régis,

Would the charter get our camera bodies to agree? Great article, and thanks!

Hi Bernard,

Heh, heh, heh! The oh-so-crucial role of the subject in photography. Many of us still think—or rather, perceive—that Nikon and Canon cameras have different native color renditions. It’s hard to say what the lens/sensor system actually senses at this level, but here on this forum, we living, breathing folks collectively and cordially agree that it’s not just a rumor. What we’re comparing is different. It doesn’t come down to our eyes but rather how the lens/sensor system processes and renders the information. So, subjectivity might actually lie with our machines, which aren’t as neutral as we’d like to think... oh!

This lockdown really does make you daydream... to be or not to be😉.

Good evening, everyone!

From there, we set off in a canoe with a guide and three other canoes. In the evening, we slept under mosquito nets on a light frame by the Zambezi River. It was amazing—one early morning, a leopard passed between our individual mosquito nets to reach the river. You just hold your breath and stay still. But what an experience—100 km like that, from Mana Pools to the Mozambique border.

Oh, I can just imagine it—no noise, breathing in stealth mode... It reminds me of Ihaha in Botswana. We were camping near the Chobe River (4x4 + tent on the roof). In the middle of the night, a young elephant was devoured on the riverbank by lions. We heard its cries, the roars of the predators, and the bones of the animal giving way under the pressure of their jaws. A little later, once the feast was over, the pride settled at the foot of our vehicle, roaring even louder (the car was shaking). They stayed there, right at the foot of the vehicle, "singing" for a good hour before heading back into the bush. The next day, we cautiously approached the animal’s remains. The lions had eaten it alive from the inside out. Of course, no death by strangulation here...