National Parks & Safaris
There was a lot of travelling on this holiday. We used the air-conditioned “Big Red Bus” for the long distance journeys between the National Parks and the open-sided 4WD vehicle for the actual safaris. There was a certain amount of hands-on helping out with the basic lunches between all those on the trip. We had specialist guides in the Okavango Delta, and the Moremi & Chobe National Parks.
In the 4WD vehicle in Moremi we were supplied with blankets. They helped to keep us warm in the dawn drives and later in the day when it was hot, we could sit on them as the seats were a bit uncomfortable.
Game viewing is best done at dawn and dusk, hence we often had to get up very early. My diary notes on one day “Have a lie-in & get up at only 6:30 a.m.”. The earliest we had to get up was 5:00 a.m.
The stay in the Okavango Delta was a memorable experience, even though Ann & I are not really suited to camping (try finding a contact lens on the ground in a small untidy tent!). There was a very relaxing 90 minute meandering punt on mokoros (traditionally dug-out canoes, but ours were modern fibreglass ones) through the peaceful delta surrounded by tall grasses & lilies, avoiding the odd families of hippos.
The tented camp was very basic – no electricity or running water or sanitation. In the day time there was a nearby latrine tent that we used with a shovel for the dirt. Overnight for our safety we were not allowed out of our tents, each of which had an attached toilet enclosure. Ann was woken up one evening by a curious hippo by our tent. The bucket showers were fun.
In the Okavango Delta we had a couple of walking safaris. I soon realised that the guides kept us well away from areas with any threating animals as obviously we would have been at risk on foot. At one point we were getting off our mokoros when a guide spotted a nearby buffalo and promptly got us back on the water out of danger. When in the mokoros, the hippos were a constant danger so our pollers were always on the lookout for them.
It was enjoyable, albeit a bit mucky experience when we were taken to a safe haven to have a swim & try our hands at poling the mokoros.
Poling at sunset
Campfire entertainment
Our most enjoyable stay was at the Pangolin Khwai Camp in the Khwai Private Reserve adjacent to the Moremi National Park. It had individual luxurious tented lodges, great food & drink. You could have as much to drink as you wish for free – but of course the catch was you had to be up by dawn for the safaris without nursing a hang-over.
It was in Moremi that the three most exciting animal encounters occurred: coming across lionesses with their 5 playful cubs, a pair of leopards with their fresh impala kill and beating a hasty retreat after being charged at by angry elephants. Photographs of these events are in the Wildlife section of my Botswana photos.
The relaxing centre of our Pangolin Khwai Camp complex
A narrow bridge at the entrance to Moremi National Park
The Nata Lodge was also a rather special accommodation. Our open plan thatched chalet had an old fashioned free standing bath which you can just see in the back of the photo.
Mother teaches calf road sense in Chobe
Sunset shadows in Chobe
The Chobe National Park had the advantage of the river cruise to see the wildlife on the banks- including lots of crocodiles (or as our guide corrected the miss-sightings as another “rock-odile”!)
Sundowners on the Chobe River – very decadent
