My safari diary
Next to actually making the journey yourself, the best way to imagine what it’s like to be in the African bush for ten days is to hear about someone else’s experiences. So we asked one of our clients to describe them to you….


Day 1 – arrive in Maun, Botswana

"After the surprisingly comfortable flight from New York to Johannesburg International we transferred to an Air Botswana twin prop for the two and a half hour hop to Maun, gateway to the Okavango Delta. My excitement mounted as we looked below through amazingly clear skies towards the dried out landscape of the Kalahari Desert. Coming in to land, we could see the fringes of the desert against the buffalo fence, which was erected to protect the indigenous wildlife in the north from mixing with domesticated animals in the south. In the far distance was the incredible sight of the Okavango waters – blue and sparkling amidst a blanket of green.

We transferred to the lodge and were greeted by our very friendly ranger, Raoul, who was to be our guide and protector for the duration of the safari. We also met up with a group of other people who had traveled incognito with us, making up a party of 8 people. Being rather tired from the long journey I passed when offered to join a flight over the Delta, but from what I heard from those who did it, we were in for quite a magical journey….


Aerial view of Okavango Delta
Day 2 – enter the Moremi Wildlife Reserve

I could write for ever about the wonders of Moremi – quite one of the most beautiful, unspoilt and tranquil places on earth. The Delta itself is huge – about 200 km by 150 km – and was formed by the Okavango River sinking into a sandy depression, having nowhere else to go! The waters eventually sink into the deep water table or evaporate, only to come back as rain in this endless cycle of renewal.


Poling in the Okavango Delta

 The Delta consists of thousands of little channels, most of which are navigable in dug out canoes – they call them mekoros in Tswana – which are the main form of transport around here. We got our first sight of the Delta after a 3 hour drive towards the South Gate of the reserve. We drove to the Xaxanaka Lagoons area where we had a scenic drive before setting up camp in an exclusive wilderness camp area. Our first night around the camp fire was spent soaking in the atmosphere and listening to Raoul telling us wildlife stories.
Day 3 – Moremi and the Okavango River cruise
We rose at dawn for a game drive through Moremi’s wilderness of rivers, lagoons and magnificent scenery. The game was extremely plentiful and I saw animals I did not even know existed – about 10 species of antelope, as well as zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and warthog.

 
Warthog emerging from burrow

After lunch we took a boat trip up the Okavango River and for the first time I appreciated the vital importance of water to creating and sustaining this ecosystem. We saw the magnificent spectacle of a fish eagle diving and catching a fish, carrying it off to a tree top and then skillfully picking it to pieces. The waters were incredibly clear, so clear that you can see the Tiger fish flash past in places. I took my turn with a rod and after changing flies a few times pulled out a respectable specimen, carefully avoid its razor sharp teeth as I extracted the hook. (Raoul said that Tiger fishing requires a safari all on its own – I’m quite tempted). We ended the day with another game drive before returning to camp.

"Toyi, toyi, toyi, toyi, serwala bothloko!
You, who carry the pain of people between your horns
You, who remove the illness from the ailing chieftain so that he may once more rise and lead his people
You, who are the darling of the blacksmiths
You, who are the friend of the healers
You, who show us the way and tell us how we should live
That we may not quarrel with the trees
That we may not argue with the forests
That we may not be enemies with of the grass
That we may not be foes of the rocks!"

From Praise song to the waterbuck, by Credo Mutwa


Unsuspecting Waterbuck
Day 4 – Moremi

After breakfast we left Xaxanaka camp on an interesting river route through Moremi to set up camp within sight of the Kwai River at Moremi’s north gate (no signs of any prisoners of war or a large bridge over this Kwai!).


Negotiating muddy tracks in Savuti

 The truck really came into its own during this part of the safari – it’s extremely rugged and very well equipped, and negotiated the hazardous (sometimes non-existent) roads without difficulty. The canopy was essential – this African sun beats down with a vengeance.
Day 5 - Chobe Game Reserve and Savuti Marsh

By now I am feeling well and truly acclimatised to the bush. Being spring it’s not too hot and we have not been bothered by that many mosquitoes, which is a blessing. We began today with a dawn game drive – you soon get used to rising at 5 am and turning in at 10 PM – then after a hearty breakfast drove north to Chobe. Lunch en route, and four hours of game drive past the grassy plains of the Mababe Depression that took us to our campsite on the famous Savuti Marsh. Savuti is one of Africa’s most densely populated predator areas and well known for its enormous bull elephants. An ever-changing spectacle of birds and animals at the waterhole!

 

"Be angry, angry one
Be angry at the clouds and the mountains!
Be angry at the sky and the rivers!
Be angry at the sea and the trees!
You are the elephant!"

From Praise song to the elephant, by Credo Mutwa.


African Elephant
Day 6 – Savuti
Last night we heard roaring lions close to the camp site. They sounded as though they were a few hundred metres away, but Raoul said more likely a kilometre or so. The sound is unbelievably deep and resonant, and the earth literally rumbles beneath you. There seemed to be two lion families calling to each other.

This morning we set out to track them down and after an hour we found one family basking under an acacia tree, presumably having just returned from a hunt. We got to within thirty metres of them, switched off the engine and then just sat for two hours watching. They looked so friendly I almost wanted to go ‘kitty kitty’, but what we saw next quickly brought me to my senses. A small antelope carelessly wandered past nearby and the largest lioness sniffed the air and stalked the unsuspecting deer. Ten minutes later it was all over. A very unnerving experience. The afternoon game drive brought more wonders – this time a herd of about a hundred elephant grouped around a waterhole. Again we stopped and watched. It was quite magical.
Day 7 – Chobe River


Buffalo herd in Savuti

  

The Chobe River rises in the north east of the Okavango and flows into the Zambezi just east of the Victoria Falls. The south bank is teeming with game and today we drove up and along it, greeted by huge herds of buffalo. We also made the rare sighting of a family of cheetahs ambling through the grass. They didn’t seem to notice us at all and kept on trotting on they merry way.

When we asked if there were any rhinoceros in Chobe Raoul explained that those that have avoided the poachers’ bullets have been re-located to special sanctuaries, as the governments of all the countries of the region are desperately trying to prevent the species’ extinction in the wild.


Sunset over Chobe
The sunset from our river bank camp was spectacular and we went to bed in great anticipation of seeing one of the Great Wonders of the Natural world tomorrow.
Day 8 – Victoria Falls


Victoria Falls in spate
We rose with the sun to enjoy an early morning drive east along the Chobe before crossing into Zimbabwe. An hour’s drive took us to the Falls, the first indication of which were the plumes of spray which we could see from 10 kilometres away – just like when David Livingstone saw them for the first time.
After lunch we relaxed at the lodge then spent the afternoon viewing the Falls. One of the interesting sights is the tree where Livingstone carved his initials and the date 1855. The continual presence of water has created a lush tropical forest around the Falls, and we saw the bizarre sight of a group of French tourists protecting themselves with umbrellas! We had dinner at the restaurant at our cost to the give the rangers a break, and retired early in preparation for the river rafting tomorrow.
Day 9 – River Rafting

This was one of the highlights of the safari for those of us brave enough to attempt the turbulent waters of the Zambezi in specially kitted out rubber dinghies. You embark just below the Falls where the force of the water is enough to propel you at a frightening speed downstream. The whole thing is very well organised, and we were all given instructions on how to hold on to the dinghy, tie our life belts and use the paddles. You go down in small flotillas for safety, and we opted for the half day rather than the full day to give us time to explore the rest of the area.

Other adventurers tried their luck at bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge, flights over the Falls in a fixed wing light aircraft or a microlight flight known as the "Flight of the Angels". Some of the group simply explored the Falls and the curio shops, but we all met at the traditional Boma restaurant later to try out a variety of barbecued specialities (crocodile, kudu, mopane worms, buffalo) and to see traditional dancing for the final evening of our safari.


Crocodile coming up for air
All of us were totally exhilarated, not just by today’s events but by the whole safari experience.We had also made some new friends – Raoul and the other rangers, and our fellow campers.
Day 10 – departure

It was with a lot of sadness that we packed up after breakfast and bade our farewells. I took a last round of photos (I have gone through ten rolls of film) and bought a wonderfully carved ebony walking stick as a final momento from a roadside stall. There is so much to see and do here I am already planning a return trip! The pilot swooped low over the Falls and we were able to see the deep ravine the river has cut through the ancient rock – as if to hide itself from unwelcome intruders! I downed a cool beer and immediately fell into a dreamy sleep, drifting off into more uncharted adventures high over the unchanging plains of Africa.


Bidding our farewells