Edgewater Travel Adventures

Edgewater Travel Adventures ETA Safaris specializes in custom designed independent, and guided Safari tours.

12/25/2024

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Holiday Season.

Hugs,
Richard and Judy

“All I want for Christmas is paper bags and plastic springs”

11/28/2024

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and want to thank you all for following and supporting ETA 🦃

Have a safe, happy Halloween 🎃
10/31/2024

Have a safe, happy Halloween 🎃

It’s rare that I make multiple posts about one lodge. Usually it means something special happened, or they have some rea...
10/18/2024

It’s rare that I make multiple posts about one lodge. Usually it means something special happened, or they have some really unique conservation initiatives that we feel should be shared.

Did I happen to mention Royal Zambezi Lodge already???🤔. Special it is!!!

Our last full day, Mainza wanted to show us wild dogs (yeah, sure) We left camp early, and headed west through the GMA (game management area). He told us if we left early we might catch them going to drink. Half hour drive, stop and look at the waterhole, no tracks. Maybe another kilometer, we stop, and Mainza says, “keep watching that path”. On que, maybe two minutes later, a group of 8-9 dogs pop over the ridge and walk right past us. We follow for a few minutes before they rocket into the woods in hot pursuit of impala!!!
Wild dogs, and home for breakfast by 0900😁. Not a bad start.

Judy, and I, love night drives. Not for the excitement of big critters but more the anticipation of seeing the unique nocturnal creatures. Mainza and Johnathan agreed to take us out for a couple hours after dinner.

In jest Judy told the guys, “if you can find one of these three, I will be very happy, an aardvark, pangolin, or bush pig”. She received a couple smiles a laughs in return.

Off we went. Down to the Chongwe river we find lions, around the bend, we see a civet, next up a couple porcupines.

We are looping towards home when we decide to stop and look at the stars. Patrick goofs around with camera, laser pointer, and phone to get a couple very cool pictures. Drive up and over the river bank when Johnathan yells, “AARDVARK!” He’s just walking down the road, chill as could be! (We’ve seen glimpses of 2 or 3 in 18 years)
Almost home and the boys make a pass close to the staff quarters. “Shine your torch that way” says Mainza. Three, super cute, Bush pigs are staring at us.

Minutes later, we’re getting out of the jeep, I see Judy is crying, “two of my three! THE BEST DAY EVER!” She smiles…

10/16/2024

Just when you think you have seen it all… We are fishing on the Zambezi river when suddenly, Judy is yelling, “look alive, look alive” her hands in the air, a hawk is hovering a couple feet above us. Our fishing Captain, Johnathan runs to the front of the boat. The kite appears to attack him. We never saw him put a piece of bait on his head until we looked back at the video. Just another amazing day. Royal Zambezi Lodge

Royal Zambezi LodgeWild dogs were on our minds. We made plans with our safari guide “Mainza”, for an all day trip, deep ...
10/13/2024

Royal Zambezi Lodge

Wild dogs were on our minds.

We made plans with our safari guide “Mainza”, for an all day trip, deep into Lower Zambezi NP. Our goal was to leave early and see if we might find the dogs when they left their den to get water.

Breakfast, and lunch snacks were loaded, and off we went. The plan was 1.5 hour drive east towards the last lodges in the park. Plans are great until animals change them for you 🤷‍♂️.

We didn’t even cross the Chongwe river before we ran into a pair of lions mating. Couple miles further along and we are stopped by elephants blocking the road.
Next stop is for a herd buffalo stampeding then blocking our path. It has already taken more than an hour and we’re a quarter of the way. Eventually we are in the right area. Mainza talks with a couple local guides, no one has seen the dogs today.

We’re about to stop for breakfast when Johnathan points out lions. Two females and two cubs, the cubs were sharing the remains of a small warthog (sorry Judy). Of course our breakfast is delayed.

Finally we stop for coffee, fruit and sandwiches. By the time we are loading up, the guys point across a small ravine. The lions have walked pretty close, pretty sure they smelled the bacon…

We venture off again. Great interaction with a bull elephant. Lots of life here, hippos, crocodiles, antelope, baboons everywhere.

Two hours later, still no dogs, decide to
park by a tributary, stretch, and have lunch. Judy and I walk back to water a bush, we stop in our tracks, look at each other, and point, definitely a Kudu “alarm calling”. Back to the truck, Mainza and Johnathan have heard it also. We all jump in, lunch coolers left sitting on the ground. 100 yards away, I see kudu, and impala, looking towards a bush. Mainza pulls around, we catch a glimpse of a leopard with an impala under her feet!!! She has killed in the last couple minutes. Seconds later she disappeared from view.

Back to our lunch spot, little wine, sandwiches, and sides. Morning has been pretty amazing.

We slowly start working towards home. Two more lion prides, a male leopard, and more. Make it back to camp in time for sundowners on the river. Who needs dogs?



Edgewater Travel Adventures

Hopefully all of you made it through Hurricane Milton without any harm. We are waiting for power but, in the big picture...
10/12/2024

Hopefully all of you made it through Hurricane Milton without any harm. We are waiting for power but, in the big picture that is nothing compared to people whose homes flooded or were seriously damaged.

As I sit here dwelling on “1st world problems” my mind drifts back to last month. The fabulous time we had visiting Lower Zambezi National park, Zambia. Another place that has been on my radar for a few years. Directly on the mighty Zambezi, hippos, crocodiles, and tiger fishing, the big cats are common, elephant come to visit, but lately the super pack of wild dogs is stealing the show!!!!

Home to several packs of Africa’s most endangered predator, the African wild dog, or “painted wolf” thrive here. One of the packs is a super pack of nearly 40 dogs. This pack has become famous for hunting full grown buffalo!!! Buffalo are 30 times the weight of a dog, the dogs normally hunt antelope that weigh a couple hundred pounds, not a couple thousand pound wrecking machine…

The Royal Zambezi Lodge would be our home for four nights. A beautiful place with stunning amenities, we all opted for “Royal suites”. Indoor and outdoor showers, bathtubs on the back deck, daybeds overlooking the Zambezi. The place is magical, texts started bouncing around almost immediately, “hippo in my yard” “elephant is on the side walk” “warthog coming your way”. This is one of those places that you truly have to make a decision to stay at your room, or go for a game drive, walk, fishing, boat cruise. None are bad choices.




MalaMala safari lodgeOne thing we always recommend is 3-4 nights at any safari lodge. Our rationale is that 3 nights giv...
09/28/2024

MalaMala safari lodge

One thing we always recommend is 3-4 nights at any safari lodge. Our rationale is that 3 nights gives you 2 full days of activities while 4 nights gives you 3 full days. Otherwise you are constantly moving and don’t have time to enjoy these beautiful places.

I did everything I could to get us three nights at MalaMala, just could not work out the connections. 🤷‍♂️

Our first afternoon was great. The next day would prove our theory correct.

0545 coffee and snacks. Nick had us first out of camp at 0600. I think his plan was to head way south, maybe find the wild dog pack…

We leave camp see elephant, Kudu, giraffe, even find a large pride of Lions relaxing near the road. Not a bad start, coffee by the river trying to thaw a bit, this morning is definitely chilly. Off we go again, make a stop for Bill to take a picture of an Impala (yes, true!).

Judy hear’s an alarm call, so does Nick, and we’re off through the bush!!! Off-roading at its finest. Over this ridge, then the next, quick stops to locate the direction of the sounds again. We see impala freaking out and snorting. Nick points, there is a leopard who looks disturbed, not hunting but, looking around. Nick says, “look there! another leopard is chasing her!!!!”

This leopard is slightly larger and very pissed off, obviously the smaller cat is a young female who has encroached upon the her territory. Foaming at the mouth and growling the dominant female is following the scent of the little girl. The younger cat makes a break for it by going in circle and leaves the older girl confused by the overlapping scents. Wow!

The little girl has disappeared. We finally decide to leave the the winner alone. Start to head south again, one of the anti poaching guys calls Nick on the radio. The big male lions from last night have attacked a young hippopotamus not far away from us. Off we go, close to his directions, no lion or hippo???? Nick looks at tracks, they went this way…

We get close to the river and find the lions. One is chilling in the grass, the other is staring into a little pond at a bend in the river. It looks like he has blood on his face but we don’t see a kill.

Suddenly, as we watch, a hippo launches up the bank and almost takes the lion’s head off!!!!! We saw the true meaning behind “cat like reflex’s”!!!!!
Hippo lives to graze another day!

This was just our second game drive.

In two days at MalaMala we would see 5 different leopards, more than 16 lion, buffalo, elephant and plenty more. Yes, we will be seeing Nick again.






MalaMala game reserve, Kruger National ParkWe said goodbye to Cory, Patty, and Michael in Joburg, picked up Bill and Sha...
09/25/2024

MalaMala game reserve, Kruger National Park

We said goodbye to Cory, Patty, and Michael in Joburg, picked up Bill and Sharon and we were off to Kruger National Park.

MalaMala is one of the original photo safari camps in the area. Nestled between the Sabi Sand game reserve and Kruger, MalaMala is true “Big 5” country.

We arrived in Skukuza to rain and a very dreary day. 45 minute drive into the reserve started off well, elephant, giraffe, antelope. Lunch at camp was scrumptious but we were forced under cover by a rain storm. Rain is a very uncommon this time of year. We met our guide, Nick, then went to our rooms to relax until the afternoon game drive.

High tea then out into the bush, not a mile out of camp Nick points out an Impala hanging from a tree. Below is big leopard he is called “the Flat rock male”. He’s laying on the ground grooming and panting, definitely fat and lazy. Not one, but two impala carcasses hanging above him in his tree. Sun is breaking through what a great start!





World Rhino day 2024World rhino day was started back in 2010 by World Wildlife Fund to make the public aware of the plig...
09/22/2024

World Rhino day 2024

World rhino day was started back in 2010 by World Wildlife Fund to make the public aware of the plight of this special species.

Rhinos once roamed many places throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa and were known to early Europeans who depicted them in cave paintings. At the beginning of the 20th century, 500,000 rhinos roamed Africa and Asia. By 1970, rhino numbers dropped to 70,000, and today, around 27,000 rhinos remain in the wild. Very few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves due to persistent poaching and habitat loss over many decades. Three species of rhino—black, Javan, and Sumatran—are critically endangered.

Poaching is driven by markets in Asia that use the horn for traditional medicine, hangover cures, and status symbol trophies. Despite the horn being nothing more than keratin!

Numerous reserves, NGOs, and conservation organizations are working hard to save this vulnerable animals for future generations. All trying different approaches to protecting the 5 remaining rhinoceros species from extinction.

African Parks is a champion of rhinoceros conservation. They have brought rhino populations back into countries where rhino were extinct for years. African Parks really stepped up by purchasing the largest captive white rhinoceros farm in Africa. Their mandate is to release the nearly 2000 animals into protected areas where they will “hopefully” have the chance to survive and thrive.





09/19/2024

Elegant male Kudu

Kudu are probably my favorite antelope. 5’ tall at the shoulder, over 600 pounds, and can run nearly 60mph. Rare to get this close without them running away.




Majete to Liwonde National Park, Malawi After our night under the stars, we were off to our second African Parks managed...
09/14/2024

Majete to Liwonde National Park, Malawi

After our night under the stars, we were off to our second African Parks managed reserve. We elected to take the 5.5 hour overland route from Mkulumadzi to Kuthengo camp in Liwonde.

Our stay in Majete was well worthwhile. The reserve is definitely working its way back into a quality big 5 reserve. The amount of life is impressive. We saw at least 8 different antelope species, 4 of the big 5, yellow baboons, monkeys and plenty more. They do have wild dogs, cheetah, and rhino but, we’re not lucky enough to see them.

Our drive across southern Malawi was uneventful. Coffee stop, and a/c recharge in Blantyre and we were off to Liwonde. Roads were good and we got a view of both city, and rural Malawian countryside.

After checking into Liwonde National Park we had a short drive to the Shire river. “Enni” our guide, was waiting with a locally crafted boat to ferry us upriver about 20 minutes to our next destination. Kuthengo camp is a 4 room bushcamp on the east side of the Shire river. Well appointed, elevated, tents all with great river views would be our home for three nights.

On top of good food, and service, we had great sightings. Lions, buffalo, elephants, hippos everywhere, plenty of other fun creatures to watch. In all of previous years of safari I have never seen the large herds of sable antelope that we encountered in Liwonde.

Night drives here were over the top. Up close encounters with the nocturnal creatures, porcupines, genets, civets, serval, lions hunting, and quick glimpse of a black rhino.

Liwonde was the scene of the first “kill” of our trip. A Crowned Eagle flew down and grabbed a vervet monkey! As we watched, monkeys were racing around, the eagle lifted off, prey dangling from his talons!!!!!

African Parks


09/09/2024

Last day of safari, Elephants at the water hole. Couple minutes ago.

Rhulani safari lodge, Madikwe game reserve South Africa





09/06/2024

When up close just isn’t close enough 😁

This afternoon at Royal Zambezi lodge Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia.





Malawi “The Warm Heart of Africa” is a small country tucked between Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Previously known a...
09/06/2024

Malawi “The Warm Heart of Africa” is a small country tucked between Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Previously known as a destination for relaxing by the lake after safaris in other countries Malawi is working change that. The government signed a long term agreement with the NGO “African Parks” to manage and restore several game reserves to their previous status. African parks has spent the last 10 years rebuilding these areas to return them healthy big 5 reserves with strong populations of both predators, and plains animals. The focus is not just on wildlife conservation but also community enrichment to make these wild areas valuable to the local people and their economy.

After an exciting game drive out the the South Luangwa which included wild dogs harassing giraffes we would take a flight across the border to Lilongwe. Then onward to the Majete game reserve in the SW corner of the country. Malawi is the 12th African country we have visited and we were looking forward to seeing what African Parks has accomplished.

Majete and Mkulumadzi lodge were definitely worth the visit. A beautiful location just below the rapids of the Shire river with lots of wildlife, great accommodations, and excellent food.




09/01/2024

Giraffe

For our giraffe fans this was the start of our morning drive today. 😁

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. After saying farewell to our previous crew in Johannesburg we would meet up with Pa...
08/30/2024

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

After saying farewell to our previous crew in Johannesburg we would meet up with Patrick, Cory, Patty, and Michael. Fly to Lusaka for the night and we were off to the South Luangwa valley in the morning.

Judy and I have visited the park a couple times before, although it was a few years back. Know as the “Valley of Leopards” and the “birthplace of walking safari’s” the park has given us some amazing memories. This trip we were visiting the southern section, and staying with a different company, “The Bushcamp Company”. Our guide/manager, Steve, picked up at Mfuwe airport and we were off to the Mfuwe Lodge for a quick drink and snacks before heading to the bushcamps. The lodge is famous for having elephants walk through the lobby to get to the mango trees in the courtyard behind the bar!!!!

The next five days would be split between two very well appointed bush camps, Chindeni and Zungilila. Great food and service as expected, the “valley of leopards” lived up to its reputation. 5 different leopards, lions, elephants, buffalo, lots of warthogs, antelope, and the endemic Thornycroft’s giraffe were all part of the experience.

Finishing off with a sundowner while sitting in the river was magical.

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Videos

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Holiday Season. Hugs, Richard and Judy “All I want for Christmas is paper bags and plastic springs”

Attack of the Yellow billed Kite

Yellow Billed Kite attack
Yellow Billed Kite attack

Just when you think you have seen it all… We are fishing on the Zambezi river when suddenly, Judy is yelling, “look alive, look alive” her hands in the air, a hawk is hovering a couple feet above us. Our fishing Captain, Johnathan runs to the front of the boat. The kite appears to attack him. We never saw him put a piece of bait on his head until we looked back at the video. Just another amazing day. Royal Zambezi Lodge

Kruger Kudu
Kruger Kudu

Elegant male Kudu Kudu are probably my favorite antelope. 5’ tall at the shoulder, over 600 pounds, and can run nearly 60mph. Rare to get this close without them running away. #krugernationalpark #malamalagamereserve #safari #edgewatertraveladventures

Lions in the dark Just imagine, you are walking down the road and meet up with a lion pride who’s ready to hunt 😺. #liwonde #Malawi #lions #safari #edgewatertraveladventures

Last day of safari, Elephants at the water hole. Couple minutes ago. Rhulani safari lodge, Madikwe game reserve South Africa #Rhulani #madikwe #elephant #edgewatertraveladventures #safari

When up close just isn’t close enough 😁 This afternoon at Royal Zambezi lodge Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia. #RoyalZambeziLodge #lowerzambezinationalpark #safari #edgewatertraveladventures #elephant

Giraffe For our giraffe fans this was the start of our morning drive today. 😁

King of the beasts, strolling by

Tintswalo
Tintswalo

Elephant watering station #tintswalosafari

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