What Size Splash do Ten Elephants Doing a Bellyflop Make?

Please inquire ASAP if you are interested to brennan@journeysunforgettable.com

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/locations/international/safaris-in-the-digital-age.html

Steve, Brennan, and the entire team at Journeys Unforgettable:

Thank you for giving us the most memorable trip of our lives.  When we set our sites on South Africa for our honeymoon, we knew it would be a trip of a lifetime, but getting there was not so easy - until we found Journeys Unforgettable.  From the very beginning, your team was willing to listen to our desires and incorporate them into our trip.  Our custom made itinerary included everything we wanted and then some.  From Table Mountain to wine tasting, and from the desert to the delta, we saw it all.

We don’t know what we enjoyed the most.  It was perhaps the ride on Rovos Rail, the wine in Stellenbosch, or the food in Cape Town.  Or maybe it was the sound of a lion’s roar our first morning in the Kalahari or catching a Hippo eating outside our tent at Little Vumbura.  Its hard to pinpoint just one of the incredible moments, but one thing is certain - Africa has become a part of us.  And we thank you for introducing Africa into our souls.

Until our next trip - Cheers!

Jorge & Margaux

A few fellow Journeys Unforgettable Friends traveled to the cold tundra of Churchill Canada to visit and photograph the Polar Bears.  Although not members of “The Big 5″ these furry creatures surely provided for some memorable photographic moments…ENJOY!

Let’s be friends…and LOVE AFRICA TOGETHER =)

Stories, Photos, Events, Travel Updates and Soo Much More ! !

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Our luck appears to have changed though. A pride of nine female lions are tracking a herd of buffalo. Confidently, strategically, the lions trot behind the herd. The buffalo keep moving aware of the danger but seem unfazed. Another day of cat and mouse in Africa, or more accurately, a game of very big cat and very big buffalo. In nine trips to Africa, I have never seen a lion kill, let alone a buffalo get stalked, so I am starting to clear my fog as anticipation and excitement crest.

The herd of roughly 200 buffalo wade a lagoon, powerfully bounding through the water. To my amazement, the lions pursue – so much for the feline fear of water. It seems they are hungry. The chase is immanent and we will be front row to this phenomenon of natural selection as we cautiously shadow the events from the safety of an open-aired Landcruiser.

On any trip, there is often a magical period or defining moment that swirls in our memory banks longer. It can be an adrenaline-fueled or a blissfully relaxed experience but it seems to etch it upon our souls. They are the memory gems that often beacon us to travel again, to want more. For me, these gems often occur toward the end of the journey when I have become more in tune and settled with the rhythms of a location. Serendipity aligns with awareness, the exhausting logistics of getting from A-B have worn off and then it happens; A lifelong memory or possibly even a transformative experience.

As a professional photographer who has made a career or traveling to far-flung places in over 50 countries to document stories for the likes of the National Geographic Society and many other publishing entities, I have collected a wide range of such memory treasures that vary in size and scope. For example, in a five-week kayaking trip to Antarctica, swimming (very briefly) for fun in the 32-degree F Antarctica Ocean in just my underwear is one gem that percolates to the top of the string. On the flank of Mount Everest, getting bucked off a yak in front of a group of Sherpas who buckled over howling is another. And in the Horn of Africa, getting escorted by the US Embassy to the airport after getting kicked out of the country of Djibouti is a less shiny gemstone but equally as profound.

When I went to Botswana this last spring with Journeys Unforgettable, a travel company that specializes in customized photography safaris, I had no doubts I might add some wildlife encounters to the string of memory gems. It was a short eight-day trip though with lots of travel time involved so I feared jetlag and general fatigue would interfere with my experience (I had prior work commitments that unfortunately shortened my stay). On day two, when the first lion initiated the chase, I quickly changed my mind. Watching this pride communicate somehow so that one would attack and push the weakest female buffalo into the other eight, was something I would never forget.

I depressed the shutter on my camera and let the motor drive burst to life as the attack unfolded just 100 yards from our vehicle. The first lion leapt on the buffalo’s back and clung on until two others caught up, leapt, clung, dragged and then finally hurled the mother to her demise. To our surprise, the lions ate little. Apparently in the Dubai Plains Reserve, the one location in the Okavango Delta where lions are known to stalk buffalo, hunting is as much sport as it is for survival.

Still reeling from a bit of jetlag fogginess, I marveled out what we saw. The defining moment of the trip, maybe of any of my African wildlife trips – right out of the gates on day 2.

I was wrong.

The lion kill was just merely a preview. After seeing an elephant parade through camp, baboons do gymnastics on termite mounds, reed frogs nearly kiss my camera lens and feet stomping local dances, our group reveled in awe. I mentioned one night how I had never seen a leopard or wild dogs, but only to make a point that they are not easy to spot. I had no serious hopes of seeing them since I was already oversaturated with experiences I will fail to describe and yes, there was infamous team lion hunt. No need to be greedy. I had my memory gem and more. In addition, everyone in the group had spectacular images to go with them since we took the time and patience properly needed to produce powerful imagery. And in my opinion, the more you take to capture a moment photographically, the more you see.

On my last game drive of the trip, everything in the bush seemed active. We observed some frisky elephants in a lagoon, then an owl steal a hawk’s guinea fowl dinner. We moved on as the shadows grew. A single female lion we had seen earlier in the day was basking in the setting glow as zebra, giraffe, gazelle and kudu meandered in front of us. Everything was busy, but seemingly relaxed.

Powwww!

The world erupted around us. Everything darted, sprang, and leapt. Fear coated faces. The whites of eyes exploded with desperation. A small herd of gazelle nearly sprang over our vehicle clearly running from death itself. Even the giraffe lumbered off hastily. Nothing followed – but our guide knew the signs. “Wild dog,” he muttered. We quickly drove toward the point of danger, but saw nothing. We circled. Still nothing. Everything was quiet. Everyone had fled or froze in shear panic.

Then we saw it. A sinewy pack of muscle ran toward the sun. Ears pointed high and forward, it was obvious – a brown and black spotted wild dog. Hurriedly we pursued and within a few minutes we came across the pack mechanically devouring a helpless kudu. With little noise, they eviscerated the animal as if the pack was one giant, carnivorous being. Our cameras whirred and the light gently softened and the sun turned orange. I marveled at the ferocity, teamwork and beauty of these dogs.

And just as I started to mouth the odds of seeing such a site, our guide shouted, “Look, there, left…!” We turned. The lone lioness we had seen early was suddenly bounding across the lagoon in front of us – plunging into the depths and exploding out in bursts of water, eyes and paws poised. In just four leaps she crossed the water and the dogs fled – leaving few scraps.

As they turned to watch their loss, some baboons began to bark nearby. Then some hyenas appeared, squealing and laughing. The sun continued to drop and it quickly dawned on me that this was another one of those fleeting moments – which I will never fully be able to neither imagine, understand nor forget. Our guide hollered again… “There… across the lagoon… leopard.” I almost fainted. We drove across the lagoon for a better look. Sure enough, I lone leopard came for scraps too but thought otherwise when he noticed the lion. So he watched, like us. As the sun sank into night, the lion relented to the growing aggression of the hyena pack. And just as the sky turned pinkish orange, a crocodile shimmied up the bank to test the territorial game with the hyenas. Memory gem overload. I couldn’t comprehend the spectacle, this dance of the predators. It was pure magic. It was and probably always will be a defining moment with wildlife experiences. What a privilege to witness such grace and raw power in nature. It will always make me want to return to Africa and/or work to protect such wonders.

Welcome to the world of “Journeys Unforgettable” !

No words can describe my sincere gratitude to Journeys Unforgettable and Wilderness Safaris for this life changing experience.

Warmest Regards,

Pete

www.petemcbride.com

Bariar waited for me on the crest of the dune.  We were there because he wanted to show me his favorite place in Sossusvlei (Home of The Oldest Desert in The World!).   As I fought back my approaching vertigo, Bariar, my desert guide, coaxed me up “Big Mama”.  With the temperature in the low 100s, we had spent the past 48 hours tracking gemsbok, trekking through gorges, and climbing over dunes.

When I reached the top, I sat down next to him to catch my breath.  Gesturing towards the vast vista of red sand and sky in front of us, he explained that this was his television.  We sat together in silence and watched the sun start its descent.  The desert was casting its magic spell, as the dunes changed from orange to golden brown.  And then I heard it, the stillness of the desert.

Three days earlier, I arrived in Namibia exhausted.  I was nearing the end of my journey. I had been on the road for 45 days, circumnavigating the globe.  Africa was the last destination of my larger sojourn to walk on seven continents in one year.  My journey had included the ultimate destinations of travel: Patagonia, Antarctica, Mount Everest, Angkor Wat and the Great Barrier Reef.  Exploring the northern coast of Namibia, I saw shipwrecks as I flew over Skeleton Coast, watched crocodiles resting along the Kunene River shore waiting for their next meal.  I met the Himba people who have thrived in the desert for centuries.

But the greatest surprise of my journey in Namibia was meeting the silence of the desert.

I read a poem once that said, “Nobody returns from the Namibia unchanged”.  Now, I know that this is true. It’s been five months since I sat on top of that dune, appreciating the stillness and realizing for that one magical moment, my thoughts had become still as well.  When my life becomes chaotic, I simply recall that stillness, take a deep breath and move forward with a renewed sense of peace.

Thank you to the staffs of Journeys Unforgettable and Wilderness Safaris for making my discovery of this far away land possible. There is no better crew to take you to the silent ends of the earth in Africa and once there, help you find yourself.

After the two and a half weeks with eight hour work days hammering,hauling bricks, and slapping on mortar in Katete,Zambia I took my rest and relaxation with Wilderness Safaris planned by Journeys Unforgettable in Namibia!  A Perfect Ending!

My journey started in the Skeleton Coast, where I traveled alone.  Magical is the only word to describe my guide Jonathan’s explanations of the desert and its inner workings.  A full moon in the desert, a rainbow over the dunes, sitting high above the dunes watching the sunset, walking through quicksand, watching elephants in mating, spotting a lizard in the middle of a dune and watching Jonathan run up and get it for us to look at are just some of the highlights. Because we were a small group of only two guests, our intimate circumstances meant that we had a lot of one to one time with the staff and at dinner we were able to learn and share our cultures and life stories. This beautiful but stark environment could be a little desolate for some, but the feeling created by the staff was incredible and so warm and welcoming no one wanted to leave this “moonscape”.

When it was time to go, off to Ongava Tented Camp,in Etosha, for a another different but equally magical experience.  I was the only guest at Camp and in short time I would feel like “Elaine at the Plaza” but it was “Elaine at Ongava” ! As soon as I arrived, I requested a walk and within an hour we ran into a huge Rhino who “mock” charged ! It was the perfect thrill to start my stay!  When I returned to camp the dinner table was set for two at the water hole.  I kindly asked the camp manager that we should really invite more of the staff to join us, and our dinner turned into a safari party!! Everyone coming around the table, pulling up chairs, talking and laughing was a night I will never forget.  I asked my guide if we could go for a night drive and learned that none of the staff had ever been on a night drive.  We recruited everyone…kitchen staff,waiters and all who were in camp that night and piled into the truck for this adventure. The staff were like children for the first visit to Disney World.  They were intrigued by the experience and “fought” over who got to hold the spotting lamp and who was best at doing it.  Many laughs were shared by all.  We were equally awed by two male lions and several females we came upon, but after twenty minutes the staff wanted to see more!  The rare brown hyena came to give us a special welcome and my guide Wilhelm would later exclaim to all “we saw a brown hyena, and he even made time for us!”.

Wilderness Safari Camps are beautiful but the thing that makes them so magical is the staff!  I am lucky to have had Journeys Unforgettable help me plan and add these wonderful experiences to my travel journals.

All the Best,
Elaine T.

Please contact Journeys Unforgettable to learn more about these incredible Habitat for Humanity projects in Africa and other conservation programs such as The Wilderness Trust.

I wanted to write a few words about the highlight of our recent photo safari to Botswana.

How does one pick a particular highlight?!?  The whole trip was a continuation of highlights, from my first lioness sighting after arriving at Chitabe camp to the last night’s elephant herd in the Linyanti.

Between these bookends we sighted and tracked Wild Dogs.  Spent a whole day following an elusive leopard and finally found the leopard the next day.  I watched the parade of “swimming” lions.  Actually, they were wading as the water was only a few feet deep!  I also saw a lioness take her cub for a swim.  I photographed an Aadworlf at its den.  I took aerial photos from a helicopter.  I could go on and on, but here is my favorite scene…

At Selinda on the next to last night of the trip, we came across a pack of Wild Dogs devouring their victim (a kudu). A hungry lioness saw the dogs feeding and bounded through the shallow water to steal their prey. Along came a pack of hyenas who rout the lioness, in actually she just left without even a roar.  Out of the water comes a crocodile to survey the scene.  The croc left with a big splash without harming the hyenas. We had crossed the water hole to watch this all unfold.  Behind me in the bushes, watching as well, was a leopard who wanted no part of the action.  Unbelievable!

Of course, sharing these experience with my son…what more can I say ?!?!

Thanks for a trip of a lifetime!

To see more photos, please visit:  http://store.licensestream.com/ANIMALS

-Bruce

PHOTO ADVENTURE OCTOBER 4-17th 2009

Join Journeys Unforgettable and Dana Allen with Special Guest Miguel Lasa for an Extraordinary Unforgettable Photo Adventure into the Heart of the Wilderness in Zambia & Zimbabwe

This incredible photo safari workshop will be led by Professionals

Dana Allen and Miguel Lasa

The camps for this photo adventure have been specially chosen for the unique game behavior at this time of the year.  We are planning to visit the South Zambian Kafue National Park, famous for its open plains and incredible cheetah sightings.  Following this, is a visit for a couple of days on the Lufupa River which will allow for photography from a wet/water perspective with fantastic bird life.  Then it’s onto the famous Little Makalolo camp in Hwange National Park with some of the most amazing elephant sightings anywhere in the world!

PHOTO WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS:

-Daily Activities Include Fieldwork in Exotic Wild Africa

-Max. 4 Photographers Per Open Land Rover (each photographer has own row)

- 1 on 1 Instruction

-Classroom Lessons with Peer Review and Professional Critique

-Electrical Power 24/7 For Photographic and Computer Equipment

TRIP DETAILS:

October 5th Depart for Victoria Falls,Zimbabwe

October 5 and 6 Toka Leya Classc Camp in Zambia

October 7, 8, and 9 Shumba River Premiere Camp in Zambia

October 10 and 11 Lafupa River Classic Camp in Zambia

October 12,13,14, 15 and 16 Little Makalolo Classic Camp in Zimbabwe

October 17th Depart for Return to Johannesburg

SOLD OUT !!

Here are some of my FAVORITE recipes from Southern Africa & The Bush!

Visit Safari Central for Future Recipes and Treats…Enjoy!

Kindest Regards from the Cooking and Adventure Specialist,

Karin

These spicy appetizers were introduced to the country by Indian immigrants, and have been enthusiastically adopted by Cape Malays, who fill them with a wide variety of stuffings including lamb, beef, chicken and fish.

INGREDIENTS 

Dough:

3-½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/3-cup vegetable oil

1 ¼ cups warm water

You may substitute halved tortillas for homemade dough

Filling:

1 Tbs Oil

1 tsp finely grated ginger-root

1 onion, diced

2 green or red chilies, diced

1 carrot, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup peas

2 potatoes, boiled and diced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground coriander

½ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare dough, combine flour, salt and baking powder.  Stir in oil and water and mix well.  Turn out onto a smooth surface and knead very well.  Cover and allow to “rest” for ½ hour.

Divide dough in half.  Roll out paper-thin.  Cut into strips 3” wide and 10” long.

If using tortillas fold rounded sides over filling to form triangle and then fold bottom up and fry seam side down first.

Heat oil in frying pan.  Add ginger, onion, chilies, carrots, and garlic.   Sauté for a few minutes, and then add peas, potatoes, seasonings and spices.  Finally, add water and simmer for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool thoroughly.  Place a spoonful of filling at the top of each strip and fold into a triangle four times, until filling is enclosed.  Place samosas, a few at a time into deep, hot oil.  Fry until golden brown and drain.

Coal-Roasted Corn

Fresh green mealies (also known as corn, sweetcorn and maize) are most often simply boiled and buttered; however, they are delicious roasted over the coals.  It is important that the mealies are fresh – straight from plant to fire if this is at all possible.  Buy them with husks and all, for the silk is a good indicator of quality.  Kernels should be plump and shiny.

Fresh green mealies or sweetcorn

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Corn Per Person

Salt

Melted butter

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold back the leaves, and strip mealies of their silk.  Replace the leaves.  Immerse in cold water for 30 minutes, then barbecue over hot coals for 20-30 minutes.  Brush occasionally with melted butter until the kernels are smoky and delicious.  Turn frequently to ensure even cooking.

Mealies may also be braaied without the soaking or wrapping procedure, when their kernels attain a wonderful toasty aroma and flavor.  Brush occasionally with butter to keep them moist.  Serve warm, sprinkled with a little salt and smeared with butter.

Indian folk introduced exotic recipes like this one at a time when South African dishes were noted for their blandness.

INGREDIENTS:

 2 small chickens (spring chickens or Cornish hens)

 3/4 cup yogurt

 2 teaspoons salt

 1 teaspoon garlic powder

 1 ½ teaspoons cumin

 Juice of 1 large lemon

 4 cloves garlic, crushed

 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

 l teaspoon freshly grated ginger-root or ground ginger

 2 teaspoons ground coriander

 1 tablespoon paprika

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Split chickens down the back.  Combine remaining ingredients to make a marinade.  Marinate the chickens in the mixture for at least 1 hour, or overnight.  Pour off marinade and reserve.

Place on a rack in a roasting pan on the bottom shelf of a 400 F oven and roast for 1 ¼   - 1½ hours, turning and basting frequently with the remaining marinade.  Serve with curried rice mixed with nuts and raisins.

Serves 8

Chef Karin’s Tip:  Tandoori Chicken is particularly good cooked in a rotisserie, over an open fire, or on a barbecue.

The accommodations were very luxurious, inviting, and comfortable!  The meals were delicious and thoughtfully served, especially the campfire picnic with singing and dancing at night!  I loved the “sun-downers” when we could spend a few moments at the end of the day with the breathtaking colors of the skies and the wonderful sounds shared with the animals!

As a I traveled alone on this African journey, I appreciated how JU took care of all my travel needs.  Once I left my home, I never had to think of any other detail!  All the plans were made for me in such a competent, complete  and thoughtful manner.   The group I traveled with became lifelong friends, since we had so much fun and exciting experiences together!   I have since framed many of the excellent photographs that I took of lions curled up together, walking close to our jeeps, elephants near our swimming pool, zebra lined up in a row, hippos in the water and even gave some away at the request of family and friends!   I will cherish my memories forever!  Again, Thank You!  Oh, and by the way, I can’t wait to go on another trip!”

Warmest Wishes,

Janine B.