Coast Trip

Jules & I are in chilled mode after a wonderful week away at the coast with a small group of friends.  Let's call it a recce...

We started out at Capricorn, simple yet lovely self-catering bandas near Kigombe Village, about 20 kms north of Pangani.  The highlight here (apart from great seafood BBQs and delicious pizza, general chilling and much-needed R&R) was the birdlife.

Traditional ngalawa at dawn

To the north, there is a shallow bay that drains extensively at low tide, fringed with stands of mangroves, so there are hundreds of plovers, sandpipers and other shorebirds, all feeding enthusiastically in the mud.  In particular, there were lots of Greenshank, Terek & Common Sandpipers, as well as Grey & Ringed plovers.  Plus a colony of 100+ Madagascar Bee-eaters roosting in the mangroves, wheeling and trilling just before they settled for the night.

After Capricorn, we set off for Saadani safari Lodge - a great beach'n'bush destination in Saadani NAtional Park, set on a wide sweep of golden beach near the Wami River.

Beach at Saadani Safari Lodge

Top Saadani treats: tracking Marsh Mongoose, Spotted Hyena and Civet (and Jules...) on the beach each morning;

Tracking on the beach...

- stunning boat trip on the Wami (more fab birding, hippos, crocs and Angola Colobus);

Great White Egret

Spoonbills & Yellow-billed Stork

Angola Colobus

and a game drive to a beautiful palm-fringed pool, much visited by elephant and buffalo, judging from the sign; more R&R.

Here comes trouble...

... oh, and these vervets playing on the makuti roofs in camp!