ETA Safaris specializes in custom designed independent, and guided Safari tours.
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South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia 2024.
Forty five days, and counting, everything is finalized we are getting really excited.
This trip will be spent in some of the best “Big 5” game areas of Southern Africa.
Kruger, Madikwe, and Hwange National Park.
The pictures below are a few teasers, all were taken within the reserves we be on safari.
Gasp! Who knew? 😱
Zambia and Malawi will be the second part of our summer trip. A return visit to the South Luangwa valley was on Judy’s list. Mine has us crossing into Malawi for the first time. These places will make for another amazing adventure.
An important part of our planning is to get to places that are conservation success stories. We are trying to support the NGO African Parks as often as possible. See more at Africanparks.org
Happy Easter to All.
Hugs,
Judy, Richard, Clawd’ya, and Marbles.
Looking forward to bed time stories. August in Africa!
South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, our first guided trip of 2024 is booked for August. The Kruger park, Madikwe game reserve, Hwange National Park, and Victoria Falls are all on the itinerary.
It’s always nice when we are able to book private aircraft between our safari camps, no wasted days!!! 😁. Two seats left, if you are interested…
We are thinking Malawi and Zambia for the second half of our trip. More information will follow shortly.
Africa in July. We just finished putting together a really nice trip for Keith and Nathalie.
Their itinerary includes 3 countries, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. 4 amazing safari lodges and a night at Victoria Falls culminating with a helicopter ride over the falls.
Should be awesome!!!
We spent last week at Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association or “ROBA” annual meeting in Brookville, IN. The ROBA association and members have become very “deer” to us over the last ten years. One the most fun, and giving groups of people we have been blessed to meet.
Although we don’t own reindeer we still get our fix each year because of these great people.
A bedtime story from the jungle
Chan Chich Lodge Belize
Currently this area is well known to birders but, that may be changing. After our first night we started picking the staffs brains for recommendations on how to find the big mammals. Emile, bartender extraordinaire, and resident camera trap expert counselled us on best trails to wander and where to sit and wait for the cats. Although he did not guarantee a sighting he was very happy to share his experience and expertise.
Persistence and a lot of walking would eventually be rewarded.
“Welcome to the Jungle”
Chan Chich lodge in Orange Walk area of Belize would be a new place for us to explore. This beautiful camp is set in the middle of ancient Mayan ruins, located in western Belize, adjoining nearly half a million acres of protected wilderness. A three hour drive from Belize city (or a short flight) the Gallon Jug Estate and Chan Chich lodge have all the comforts set in a pristine jungle. Great staff, service, food and accommodation, we’ll be back.
The Belizian jungle is a birder’s paradise with nearly 600 birds to look for. It also has two of the world’s big cats, Jaguar and Puma, along with the smaller species like ocelots, jaguarundi, and margay. Tapir, Tamandua, spider and howler monkeys are all in the area, of course we wanted to see them all. The lodge offered both day and night drives, walks, and tours of the farm and nearby locations, also encouraged visitors to walk the adjoining trails day or night! Big cats in the area and walking around alone at night was something new…
Happy Birthday Carol,
Here’s to your 5th last trip
Love you,
Richard and Judy
Bird trivia
Relative to its body size, the Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) has the longest legs of any bird in the world.
Just some elephant facts for our pachyderm lovers 🐘
Happy Birthday Jane 🎂 hope you had a good one
Things you learn on Safari!
2023 was a good year for adventures in Africa. Edgewater Travel Adventures booked clients in seven different countries, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were all part of the tours.
Judy and I would would make two trips this year. Our spring trip would include 12 people, the August trip had 13.
In February we met up in Nairobi, Kenya, did a sky safari around the northern Tanzania’s national parks, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti, LeAnn and Tara departed for home while Daron and Krista finished on the Island of Zanzibar. Five of us flew down to Cape Town, where we would pick up Mack then Patrick and Cory would catch up in Kruger Park while Carol bid farewell. John, Barbara, and Mack finished their tour at Victoria Falls. We would end the trip with our first foray into Mozambique. A couple days of swimming with Whale sharks and manta rays combined with some magical beaches were just what we needed before the long journey home.
Our second African trip of the year was in August. We were a couple weeks behind the Hartog’s and Berryman’s who would start in South Africa before heading to the Okavango delta of Botswana. The Jones’s chose to start with a week in Cape Town. Judy and I spent a few nights at a new safari lodge before Patrick and Cory picked us up at CPT airport and we met up with the two different crews in Frannshoek.
A few nights enjoying some fabulous restaurants, cute shops, and fine wines before heading north to Zimbabwe. Hwange, and Mana Pools national parks are both spectacular, up close encounters with Lion, elephants, wild dogs, and so much more. Our last camp in Zim was right on the Zambezi River. Boat cruises, spa days, Tiger fishing, along with a Relais and chateau property, we all were pampered. Patrick and Cory headed for home. Bill and Sharon visited Victoria Falls for a few days.
Judy and I flew back to Mozambique and out to Bazaratu Island for a few days before moving south to Tofo to meet back up with Bill and Sharon. Diving was good, whale watching was unbelievable!
Back to South Africa, meet up with Daron and Krista then out to the Greater Kruger National park. Four nights at a private safari lodge with one of our favorite guides, Lex. It is such a unique experience to “self cater” a safari camp, we are totally in control of everything, no set schedules here! Love it! As usual another great stay with Lex. The Weishaar’s would head back home while the Jones’s and us would fly cross country to the Kalahari.
Tswalu is a giant ranch covering more than 1000 square kilometers of conservation land. Famous for rare and unique species like pangolin, aardvark, and bat eared fox, then add in exclusivity and surreal landscapes. This is the place for people who are looking for a truly unique experience. Pretty awesome ending to a great trip.
Where will 2024 take you? We always have more ideas. Somewhere new? Congo, Central African Republic, Madagascar, the Pantanal of Brazil, India tiger safari? Tried and true stomping grounds? Namibia, Botswana, Zim or Zam, South Africa?
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024!
Hope you enjoy our year in photos
Safe Travels,
Richard and Judy
Edgewater Travel Adventures
Wishing a very Merry Christmas to all 🎄
Happy birthday Sharon 🎂
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with friends, family, and food
🦃
Happy birthday James. An extraordinary guide and a wonderful representative for Kenya and the Masai people.
Happy Birthday LeAnn 🎉
Fun animal facts! Did you know elephants continue growing their whole lifetime!
Ready for another trip yet?
Happy birthday Bill
Dreaming of Africa?
Yes, I am sitting on my couch and realized that we spent two months of this year between 5 different African countries, and I am ready to go back already.
It’s not like we don’t go other places, we’ll be in the Caribbean, Mexico, or maybe Central America in February. Europe is cool, cruise ships are easy but, I’m just really not into the crowds.
It’s nice to hear the birds, hippos, lions and other natural sounds without the traffic, hustle and bustle. I’ve lost count of the times I wake to Judy saying, “shhh, can you hear that?” “lion”, “Leopard”, “hyena”, or other critters. Some can be miles away but sound like they are just behind our villa. No noise pollution, no light pollution, just look up and see the “Milky Way”.
Our last couple days with Lex would be great, as usual. Kristina is an amazing chef and even with load shedding disrupting the power we didn’t lack for wonderful food.
When we first went to Africa I didn’t put a lot of thought into what we would see. Everything, I guess?
Over the years I’ve had lot of requests for specific animals. A # 1, is the elusive Wart Hog (or secret 6 ), followed closely by Giraffe and Elephant and the Big 5. For the guys it’s usually predators, Leopard, lion, wild dog…
This trip had a fair share of all the above and plenty more. Day 3 in the Timbavati would satiate a few of those requests.
The “Greater” Kruger National park has always been a special place for Judy and I.
The designation “greater” refers not only to the actual park but, includes all the unfenced private and public game reserves that adjoin the park’s western boundary. These private reserves effectively increase the size of the park by an additional 25%.
Our first safari was on our honeymoon trip. A new friend would put together the “trip of a lifetime” for us. That trip would take us to some of the best safari spots in Southern Africa. Cindy blew our minds, Judy and I were in heaven! To this day we anticipate the next trip with the same excitement of the first, hence our desire to share this experience with our friends.
The Kruger Park, Sabi Sand and Timbavati game reserves, the Okavango delta, and Victoria falls, are still favorites. We have returned numerous times and still recommend visiting all.
A chance meeting with Lex Hes would introduce us to a more intimate version South African Safari. “Self catering” a safari camp is very different from the traditional safari lodges. We trade the spa, and large staff, for an smaller intimate camp that solely caters to our tastes. This is not trading comfort or amenities. These camps are beautiful, private homes, located in the same special game reserves, without a predetermined schedule. If we choose to sit and watch elephants swimming, lion cubs playing, or wild dogs hunting for hours, our staff doesn’t care! It’s all about enjoying the wildlife that we traveled half way around the globe to see.
Day 2 with Lex would confirm that we made the right decision to visit the Timbavati with him.
After another amazing Mozambique visit we hopped a flight back to the “Rainbow Nation” South Africa. Pick up Daron and Krista. Overnight in Johannesburg, then catch a mid-morning flight to Hoedspruit.
Our good friends at “Safari for Real” have a driver waiting for us. 30 minutes later we arrive at Nyala camp, our good friend Lex Hes is waiting for us. Let the fun begin!!!
Lex is the epitome of the perfect Safari guide. Interesting, fun, he totally understand the animals and environment.
We have had so many great experiences with Lex it becomes hard to quantify them.
As usual, we would start off with a bang, first game drive gives us a feeling for the property, elephant, hippos, baby hyena, antelope. Of course the leopard expert, author of “The Leopards of londolozi”, would have something special in store for us. We are almost back to camp when we find a leopard and start to follow her. We are watching when she launches and pops up with a scrub hare in her mouth!!!
Just another amazing game drive with Lex.
Back to camp, Christina and Elizabeth have a beautiful meal prepared. Dinner next to the fire pit with hyena calling, and lions roaring in the distance. This is only the first night!!!!!
Praia de Tofo (Tofo Beach) is about 130 miles, as the crow flies, south of Vilankulos. It is 4.5 hour drive, on reasonably good roads, due to the circuitous route you have to take.
We would arrive right at sunset and move into our beach front accommodation. Blu at Tofo has a great location but, it’s not as cute as our last stay at Baia Sonambulas.
Dinner at a local place downtown (if you can call it that 🤣) then turned in for the night.
Wake up early and go next door to Tofo Scuba. Private boat for the day with our crew from March. Judy and I were on our own for a day, Bill and Sharon were delayed a day due to passport issues.
We elected to run north for our diving,
and it pays off. Jump in and swim with dolphins, whales breaching EVERYWHERE!
First dive and we have a giant manta ray swim by with a baby following it! Mantas are not maternal, so the baby was probably born minutes before. Next dive we would have a reef manta swim over Judy and I look right at us. Judy easily could have scratched its belly.
Bill and Sharon arrived for some great diving and a plunge in with Humpback Whales. Surface conditions started to deteriorate on Sunday luckily we only planned to dive 3 days anyway. Couple epic whale encounters would top off our last day.
🦒 giraffe trivia. Click and check your answer.
Giraffes are born with fully-formed, solid horns made of bone.
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Have you ever swam with a Humpback Whale? Today we did, totally amazing experience. A mother, calf, and their escort would swim up to us, then glide right on by. Their eyes followed our every movement, I tried hard not to even breath!!! I did not want to disturb them anymore than possible. So cool! Make sure volume is up, you can here them singing! Thanks again to Oliva, Captain Manual, Bruno, our friends at Tofo Scuba. #humpbackwhale
Magical Mana Pools. Mana pools is one of the “off the beaten path” parks that is adored by the more adventurous self drive travelers. Mana Pools is one of the only places that you can actually get a permit to do walking safari’s without a professional guide. 😳 Instead of camping we chose to be pampered by the staff at Machaba’s Ingwe pan camp. A beautiful place, above the flood plain, with a very active water hole. On arrival we had an elephant waiting to have lunch with us, Very surreal. Our guide for this trip, Henry, has all the training and experience you could ever hope for. Naturalist, river safari guide, and most importantly has his rifle qualification, and dangerous game walking guide certification. Henry told us what to do and what to expect, just can not put the experience in words… If want to see the epitome of coolness under pressure watch the video to the end. If a young bull elephant starts to come at you, just “kick some sand in his face and act relaxed”. OMG!!! TOTALLY AMAZING!
Breakfast with Cheetah this morning
Happy Mother’s Day 💐
A little sample of our most recent trip to Kenya and Tanzania
Up close with the Talamati pride of lions. Northern Sabi Sand reserve. Always amazed at how big a lion really is when you are only a couple meters away. 
When a big Bull Elephant is using the road, you get out of his way. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
We all had our African massages today. Having a great time with a fantastic group of friends. As I write this hyenas are singing me to sleep 🇹🇿
Last evenings dinner entertainment from the Masai village near our camp
Lion cub loving from Kruger park South Africa. Thanks for sharing Monica!
How do explain the feeling of having a 400 pound cat 5 feet away from you? You don’t, it has to be experienced!!!
BIG BULL ELEPHANT video 3 of 3
BIG BULL ELEPHANT video 2 of 3
BIG BULL ELEPHANT video 1 of 3
Today we finally found the first cheetah of our trip. These striking males were definitely hungry and looking for a meal. We followed them for a while then gave them a bit of room to hunt, one lone hyena would make them move on…
Nile Crocodile feeding frenzy at Finch Hattons camp Tsavo West National Park!!! This one is for Dr Mark!
Judy training for the Masai Olympics. Her professional coach is Mathew a true Masai Warrior. This is club throwing, the Kenyan version of corn hole game.
Once you hear lions roaring in the wild you can never forget the feelings it invokes! Primeval, wild, guttural… The king of the beasts saying, “it’s mine, mine,mine” Make sure your volume is turned up!
Happy Birthday Sean birthday 🍰
Happy Birthday Kelly 🎂
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