Botswana here we come…

Day 21 – 25  9^th – 13^th October

We had a lovely tail wind on our way back to Maun, so the journey took us only 3 hours instead of 3 ½.  We then spent the next two nights at the delightful home of Keren & Duncan Rowles, although they were unable to be there.  Lovely sunsets, chilling out, watching zebra in the garden!

Then it was just a short 15 minute flight to Stanleys in the Okavango Delta.  The drive from the airstrip to the camp was a real eye-opener – we had no idea that the ‘roads’ would be partly ‘rivers’.   And this is dry season!  In the very wet season, clients are collected from the airstrip by boat!

As we drove to the camp we were immediately greeted by a lovely group of ellies, and then found a very handsome male lion with 4 females, so we stopped and admired them for a little while.  The camp was lovely, looking out over a plain. 

Our evening game drive was interrupted by a call for assistance from another vehicle, that had slipped into deeper water whilst crossing one of the wet areas and got stuck.  We found them with water up to the seats, so we came alongside (hoping we would not suffer the same fate!) and the clients had to then clamber across the gap into our vehicle – exciting stuff!  We then went back again for the sundowner coolbox!!  Here is a short snippet:

Sundowner time was spent with the other clients (who were badly in need of a drink!) whilst watching the tractor rescue the stranded vehicle, then we all went back to the camp for dinner.

The following morning, we found a lioness and her adult cub and followed them for a couple of hours at a suitable distance as they searched for their breakfast, whilst occasionally stopping to play.  At one point we were driving along a river bit with the lions on the bank beside us!

Eventually, after tippy-toeing through some water, they reached the airstrip where a herd of wildebeest had settled in for a nap, where they patiently settled down behind a bush hoping they might move in closer, as they were just too far in the open to hunt.  We so enjoyed watching the eager cub trying to show off her rather inept stalking skills, whilst her mum watched indulgently from behind an anthill!

A violent migraine (probably due to 38-40 degrees temp) curtailed the rest of the day for Sherry.

On our third day, we were joined by a delightful couple from Hampshire, who were fairly new to safariing.  Having started the morning fairly uneventfully, our guide suddenly spied some leopard tracks and we were off. 

We found her up a tree having a doze, but a little later she got up, stretched and headed down the tree and off over the swamp, giving us a wonderful viewing. 

We were joined by another vehicle from the camp which tried to follow a bit further and – you’ve guessed it – got stuck!  This time we were able to drag it out, whereupon they ventured forth once more, and got stuck once more!!  Same again!  Meanwhile, the leopard had long gone…

Another highlight from our game drives, was a beautiful pair of Bataleurs and also two Verreaux Eagle Owls – an adult and sub-adult, along with wonderful ellys, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, impala, kudu, steenbok, etc.  Oh, and an old termite mound housing dozens of cute little banded mongooses who kept popping out one after another!

We wound up our stay with our new friends on a sundowner trip in two mokoros – a fibreglass version of a dugout canoe, being poled through the channels with tall reeds either side, watching a wonderful sunset.

Next:  Chiefs Camp