We started a new season!
Yes, June 2016 sees the beginning of the fourth season at Fanjove Private Island.
Two months of rain have left us with lash green bushes and healthy coconut trees.
It’s the summer solstice and while the sun rises south east, we are having bloody beautiful sunsets on the north west side of the island just in front of the dining.
The Southern Cross, Jupiter, Mars and the Milky Way shine brightly through the night and meteorites shoot in the starry sky.
The south wind brings along stories from far away places; whales migrating, boats sailing and a fresh breeze that cools us through the night.
Wildlife wise, a group of migrating birds from last year seems to be enjoying it here and we are also glad with their pleasant presence.
The same goes for the schools of Sweetlips who have made one of the corals their permanent home.
New baby born Batfishes get curious when swimming with snorkelers and the sardines come to visit us in the days around the full moon causing a feeding frenzy for the many egrets on the shore.
We had an early sighting of around 200 spinner dolphins with our first visitors on the first week of June.
At night, we have seen a few of what might have been newly born coconut crabs.
A turtle nest carrying 136 eggs has been safely relocated and we are waiting for the hatching to occur – watch the video.
All in all, it’s new beginnings on Fanjove and we are proud of the achievements made and that the magic is still here around us.
Looking forward to meeting the many of you this season!
Hassan, Hakim and all Fanjove Team.
Fanjove’s-dhow-at-sunset
sunset
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waders
yummy
The green, green grass of home. That is what greeted us all on our return after the good rains the Selous experienced during the rainy season. Nature does not change and everything felt exactly the same as when we left at the end of last season. There was a hive of activity in camp by all staff for the preparations and maintenance to be done before we could reopen on the 1st of June 2016.
The guest experiences and sightings have been exiting and memorable from two packs of wild dogs in one day to the witnessing of the Manze pride taking down a zebra and a Wildebeest. The beautiful pictures of dogs after a kill in this gallery are from a sighting happened last December: thanks to guest Stef Schliekelmann for sharing them with us!
Seeing the young Manze pride cubs ripping into the fresh kill is a revelation knowing they have survived without our presence – watch the video.
Many vultures were in attendance waiting for their chance to gorge themselves with a couple of Hyenas lying low in anticipation of the feast to come.
Laygos made a brief appearance on a couple of occasions but it seems that with the plentiful food and water around he is on the move. The other group of one tusk Elephants have been around a couple of times enjoying what Lake Manze has to offer. Various Leopard sightings in different areas has had the guests tongues wagging with excitement as they relay their stories during dinner.
Thanks to guests Faris Algosaibu and Rebecca Benson: their pictures have enriched this newsletter!
See you all soon,
Safe travels.
By Shaun, Milinda and all Manze Team.
Elephant-front-on
Black-headed-Finch-by-Faris-Algosaibi
Collared-Palm-Thrush-by-Faris-Algosaibi
Elephant-close-to-the-tents-by-Shaun-O’Driscoll
Elephant-hiding-by-shaun-O’Driscoll
Ellies-joining-for-dinner-by-Shaun-o’Driscoll
Fish-Eagle-in-the-tree-by-Rebecca-Benson
Fish-Eagle-on-Lake-Manze-by-Rebecca-Benson
Hyena-on-the-prowl-by-Shaun-O’Driscoll
Lake-Manze-boats-on-the-lake
Lion-cub-after-a-meal-by-Shaun-O’Driscoll
Lion-cub-by-Shaun-O’Driscoll-(2)
Lion-staring-by-Faris-Algossaibi
Lion-with-missing-tooth-by-shaun-O’Driscoll
Lion-yawning-by-Faris-Algosaibi
Lions-with-zebra-by-Rebecca-Benson
Lions-Zebra-kill-by-Rebecca-Benson
Northern-Carmine-Bee-Eater-by-Faris-Algosaibi
Vulture-hotel-by-Shaun-O’Driscoll
Dog-by-Stef-Schliekelmann
Dogs-by-Stef-Schliekelmann-2
dogs-by-Stef-Schliekelmann-3
dogs-by-Stef-Schliekelmann
It has been an exciting start to the season here in Ruaha, after the heavy rainy season that we had it was very nice to come back to the start of the dry season. Due to the heavy rains there is still a good amount of water around and we have been pleased to see that the Mdonya river is continuing to flow for longer than it did last year.
With the change in seasons we have seen many elephants returning to the Mdonya woodlands and we have been excited and relieved to see the safe return of our friends the big bulls such as Sikio Mbovu, Charlie, Louis and Kino.
The Mdonya pride was around to welcome us back and we were excited to see three new cubs familiarizing themselves with the camp. The pride’s loud and powerful roars informed us that they were staying close by and they even spent a night in our car park admiring the maintenance work that we had just completed. The curious younger members of the pride returned a couple weeks later and kept us company whilst we were having dinner in the old riverbed.
Encouraging tracks and signs indicate that a buffalo herd is hanging around and we look forward to the progression of the dry season where sightings of buffalo and many other animals will increase due to the long grass being knocked down and water sources becoming scarcer.
By Rebecca, Andrea and all Mdonya Team.
Posing-leopard
A-birds-view
A-good-place-to-chill
Acacia-at-sunset
Baobab-at-sunset
Bright-moonlit-night
Bull-in-the-golden-hour
Bulls-in-the-Mdonya-River
Bulls-on-the-road
Candle-lit-dinner
Drinks-by-the-fire
Dust-bath
Evening-safari
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Great-Ruaha-River
Guinea-Fowls
Hilderbrant-Frankolin
Hyperrhenia
Kino
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Leopard-crossing-the-road
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Lesser-kudu
Lion-tracks-in-sand-river
Majestic-tree
Mdonya-Camp
Mother-and-Calf
Pretty-lady—Cleome-Hirta
Resting-croc
The-bar
Young-female-leopard