It’s always a pleasure to host guests’ images and reports from safaris with me in the Luangwa. Mike has been on safari with me 3 times; each year the sightings have been better, and his improved skill and technique has ensured he’s made the best of each encounter. Have a read here for his story and a selection of his favourite images. I hope you enjoy reading about his trip.

Trip 3 –  The Year of the Cats and Dogs

This was my third trip with Ed in three years.  The first one was great and the second one was even better; so I was holding my breath that the third wouldn’t disappoint, and boy how it didn’t!

As always, Ed delivered another outstanding trip, with some spectacular moments.  As he will tell you, I’m always relaxed about what we see, as I take the view that it will be whatever it will be, and all sorts of situations can create great photographic moments e.g. backlit baboon on termite mound last year, which might have been the star pic.  However I’d be lying if I didn’t say that this time I wanted to see more Leopard than previous years (including in a tree, and on a kill) and wild dogs, which up to now had eluded us.  As you’ll see from the photos below I couldn’t have asked for more!

This year, like the first one, we spent the whole week at one location on the edge of the Nsefu Sector.  I like this place mainly because of the location, which gives us the ability to access the park earlier than most, which I think has some real advantages and feels really special. The advantage of staying in one location is that over the course of a week you really get a feel for the place and I think that improves the opportunities, as you can re-visit certain situations e.g. the wild dogs this year, which we caught up with on three different occasions.

Having had three trips with Ed, there’s one thing that really makes them special and that’s Ed’s expert guiding and advice, always somehow finding the best vantage points and offering just the right amount of advice but never being intrusive.  He’s also a really good scout that, with his spotter, Aaron seems to come up trumps time after time, testament to the too-numerous-to-mention leopard encounters this year.  For me that’s what turns an interesting trip into a great one!!

You may be wondering whether I’m planning another trip in 2019 – well of course! Thanks again Ed!

Thank you Mike! As always, it was a pleasure to take you on safari, and I look forward to 2019!