Chobe Elephant Camp

Kasane Airport is undergoing an extensive expansion which will obviously increase its capacity. Other than Maun, all of the other airstrips we have been at have been nothing more than a sand path carved out of the jungle. When the plane picked us up at Selinda, it was full so Craig volunteered to be copilot. It was quite a trip as it was a six month old turbo prop, with lots of cool stuff to look at. Twenty minutes and a few bumps later, we arrived at our destination. We were picked up by Face from Chobe Elephant Camp and after the arrival of Kate from Boston and Eileen from New York, we headed out. For all those people who think we are adventurous, we are amateurs compared to these two ladies. They have an impressive résumé which we could only dream of matching. We also enjoyed the company of Andy and Natalie from Guernsey in the Channel Islands. They were just starting their safari vacation and their enthusiasm was contagious.

Chobe Elephant Camp is high on a ridge overlooking wheat coloured plains.The view is impressive. They have 11 cabins, the main lodge and a swimming pool. It is an un-fenced camp so after dark, the guides walk guests to and from their cabins. Animal visitors are not uncommon. Apparently the elephants have enjoyed the pool a little too much. It is now protected by an electrified fence at night.

Chobe is a national park which means that the hours are restricted and there is no off road driving. This makes it more difficult to view animals, but our guide Innocent worked very hard to maximize our experience. On our first morning we saw a leopard drag an impala high into a tree to escape from two hungry lions prowling around the base. We saw another pride of five lions sleeping in the shade. There were herds of buffaloes, roan and sable antelopes, and vast numbers of giraffes, zebras and impalas. We also saw many different kinds of birds, especially on our afternoon cruise on the Chobe River. We are only just beginning to appreciate birding. Sometimes, it is just too overwhelming.

The interesting thing about the Chobe River is that it is the dividing line between Namibia and Botswana. Animals regularly cross between the two countries. About twenty minutes away is the Kazangula border crossing. It is the place where four countries intersect: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This was where we went after three nights in Chobe to cross into Zambia. Thanks to Bushtracks Africa we successfully exited Botswana and entered Zambia with no fuss. The only issue was the souvenir hawkers who persistently tried to sell us their wares. We were able to escape into the van to fend them off.

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It's hard to believe, but we are down to our last four nights in Africa. How did that happen?

Selinda Explorers Camp

Brilliant! It is hard to describe what a wonderful experience we had there. Right from the start we had tremendous animal sightings. On the game drive from the airport to the camp with our guide, Mokopi, we saw the most stunning leopard imaginable. She was in a tree in a mopani forest and not at all bothered by our presence. She found a comfortable position, lay down and went to sleep. We were a mere eight to ten feet away from her, and the light was perfect. We could have sat and watched her all afternoon. We also saw a male lion sleeping in the shade of a tree, a few sable antelopes (a first for us) and a dead aardvark that was being feasted on by vultures. It was not the prettiest sight, but it is another example of the efficiency of nature. The only aardvark it was possible for us to see (a night creature) would be consumed within hours.

Selinda Explorer's Camp is located on the Selinda Spillway. It is designed to replicate the original tented safari camps from days gone past. It is casually elegant. Heavy wooden furniture, exotic carpets, oversized pillows, and lots of lounging places. We were definitely back in our comfort zone. The waterway is a popular spot for elephants. In the afternoons, they make their way down to drink, bathe, splash and play. We never got tired of watching them. If you are adventurous you can book the Explorer's canoe trip which is four nights and five days of "glamping." We aren't likely to sign up for this as Craig gets so distracted by photography that he forgets to paddle, and Lynda doesn't have enough experience to be the captain.

We were also treated to several wild dog sightings. One morning, Mokopi took us to a den where we saw both adults and puppies. The adults were all sleeping, but the puppies were whining and romping around. Another day we were near the end of our morning game drive when Mokopi spotted an excessively large number of vultures circling around. We changed course and headed in their direction. Sure enough there was a pack of wild dogs with the remains of a fresh Kudu kill. Mokopi surmised that we missed the take down by 30 minutes. All that remained at that point was the backbone, the ribs, one leg and the skin. The dogs gorged themselves to the point that their stomachs were severely distended. They need to do this because they regurgitate their food later to feed babies and other members of the pack. On our final morning, another guide found a large pack of newcomers to the area. They were in full hunting mode, but by the time we got there, the dogs had changed their minds and gone to sleep.

We had an amazing lion encounter. We stopped at a watering hole so Craig could take another hippo picture. The sound of the truck caused a head to pop up out of the grass. It did not escape Mokopi's keen eyes. There was a male lion about 100 metres away. We drove over to check him out. Although we were there for about ten minutes, the lion was incredibly uninteresting and we were going to leave. Then Mokopi spotted a set of ears in an adjacent field about 200 metres away. We quickly drove over there and discovered it was a female lion. She was sleeping in the shade, but then she decided to make a move. She led us to a mother, her six month old cub and another female. They were sleeping in the shade of their individual bushes, but they were all within close proximity of each other. We had driven right past them without seeing them in the tall grass. As the sun set and it became cooler, all the lions decided to move. We followed them, lost them, found one of them, and watched as that female met up with the male we had seen earlier. Unfortunately, it was getting dark and we had to return to camp, but it was thrilling to be so close to the lions, yet again.

To Mokopi, Kerrie, Ashley, Freeman, Joe, the chef and all the kitchen and room staff who took such great care of us, we send a huge "thank you." We especially appreciated the romantic dinner for two on our second night when we were the only guests in camp. They set a beautiful table, hung some lanterns, made a fire right outside our tent, and we dined under the stars. On our last night, the camp was full and we were all treated to a traditional Botswana meal. Tradition dictates that the women wash their husband's hands, serve him his meal and sit on the floor at his feet. You had your moment, Craig. It is not likely to ever happen again.

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A final note: None of this could have been possible without the commitment and dedication of the owners of Great Plains Conservation and the Selinda Concession, Dereck and Beverly Joubert. They have been studying, filming and photographing African animals for twenty five years. Their efforts allow people like us to share in the wonder, and for that we are eternally grateful. (We were lucky enough to see the Jouberts in their vehicle the morning we went to the wild dog den. They hung back while we spent some time there. We are looking forward to seeing the results of their latest project.)

Sango Safari Camp

Sango Safari Camp is situated in a peaceful location on the banks of the Khwai River. It is an open camp which means that animals are free to wander in at any time. The tented cabins have hardwood floors, comfortable beds, outdoor solar showers and decks facing the river. The sounds at night are spectacular. We were awakened one night by a chorus of thousands of frogs. Another night we were sandwiched between two hungry elephants.

We enjoyed the friendliness of the staff members. Led by Neo, they exuberantly sing the most beautiful welcome song every time new guests arrive. The food was plentiful and delicious. Unfortunately, our stomachs are getting into some very bad habits. It's like being on a cruise ship for a month. There were twelve guests in total, divided between two vehicles for our game drives. Meals were shared around a communal table so we were able to socialize with everyone.

Sango has the luxury of being situated between two parks. Moremi, which is a national park, and the Khwai Concession. We went into both for our game drives. The benefit of Khwai is that you can drive anywhere. In the national parks, you are required to stay on the designated roads. We saw lots of animals during our time at Sango. Leopards kept showing up everywhere! It was especially exciting to finally see some babies. We saw a leopard and her adorable cub, frisky African wild dog puppies and baby hyenas nursing at night.

We knew that Sango would be a different experience than Footsteps. For one, we were sharing the camp with other people. Secondly, Sango is located near a village and is popular with self drivers and mobile safaris. The greater volume of traffic means the scarcer animals like leopards and lions and hyenas seem to be scattered further out into the bush. We maximized our time there with game drives, night drives and a mokoro ride. Now we are more than ready to return to the bush and bucket showers at Selinda Explorer's Camp.

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Footsteps Across the Delta

We were extremely fortunate! Not only were we the only passengers aboard the Safari Air flight to Shinde, but we were the only guests at Footsteps for the four nights we stayed there. Eight staff members and us. What a treat! Led by our guide, Moses, and our driver, Noah, we saw a huge array of animals and birds. There are so many birds that it was difficult to keep them straight in our heads. The mammals are easier to remember. Our days revolved around food and game drives. Breakfast at 7:30 am. Lunch at 12:00 pm. Afternoon snack at 3:30. Dinner at 7:30. If we eat this well at all the camps we will have some serious weight to lose when we return home. For the most part, the game drives were after breakfast and before dinner. We also went on a couple of walks, had a mokoro (hollowed out log boat) ride and went fishing twice. For safety reasons, Moses carried a 458 calibre rifle any time we were out of camp and not in the safari vehicle. Luckily, he didn't have to use it.

We were fortunate enough to see a pride of eight lions three days in a row. They reminded us of house cats. Every time we saw them they were warming themselves in the sun or sleeping in the shade. One afternoon we had our sundowners with them. One of the juvenile males was six feet away on one side, while a juvenile female was the same distance away on the other. It was quite intimidating. In real life, everything about them is big...their heads, paws and teeth! We kept thinking they would get hungry and start hunting, but no such luck. At least they didn't go after us.

There was also an abundance of hippos at Footsteps. They love their water holes. In most cases, all you can see as you approach is the tops of their heads sticking out of the water. They disappear under the surface, only to reemerge a few minutes later. Hippos are quick to show their displeasure when you get too close. They raise their heads and shoulders out of the water, open their mouths wide and show their teeth. We also saw them at night on our game drive. They were scuttling across the plains, munching on sweet green grasses. We must have seen a hundred of them over four days.

Another highlight was the male and female leopards we saw not long after arriving at Shinde. The leopards had been sighted in the morning so we started searching the area around their last known location. We searched high and low.  We were just about to give up when we found them sleeping at the base of a shaded tree. They looked dead to the world. Moses explained that they were mating and they would have sex often, so if we waited, we would likely see some action. Sure enough, it happened. For safety in the wild it only takes about five seconds and then they both went back to sleep. It was amazing to be so close to two such beautiful creatures.

The morning we left was full of excitement. There was an elephant hanging out between our tent and tent three. He was enjoying a feast of jackal berries and made it clear he was not leaving. As we prepared to say goodbye to the staff, Noah ran up saying that he had spotted wild dogs. We yelled for Craig and Moses, quickly said our goodbyes and jumped into the truck. We caught up to them on the road. It was apparent they were hunting. They kept raising their heads to sniff the air. We followed them as far as we could, but we had to give up. We drove towards the mokoro crossing and about a km away from it the wild dogs appeared on the road in front of us. We watched them disappear into the tall grasses. Before we could move, a big male leopard shot across the road and startled us. He was going in the same direction as the dogs. We took off after all of them, but we lost them. It was exhilarating and disappointing all at the same time.

We arrived at the airfield early which was incredibly lucky. Sitting on a termite mound at the edge of the airstrip were two of Africa's finest kings. One of them was sound asleep, but the other one was alert and surveying his domain. He got up and started to move so we repositioned the truck. He came directly towards us and sat down in the shade of our vehicle. He was no more than three feet away, closest to Moses and Craig. Moses wasn't taking any chances with these big boys. He asked the driver to put some distance between us. There were a few tense moments as the engine failed to turn over, then it sprung to life. We moved a safe distance away and continued watching them as long as we could.

Footsteps was amazing. We saw so many of the animals on our list (lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos, and wild dogs) and others that we didn't even know existed (tsessebes, reedbucks, lechwes, and genets). We marvelled at the thousands of stars in the night sky and enjoyed the company of our Bostwana hosts. As we boarded our plane and headed to the Khwai airfield and Sango Safari Camp, we feel incredibly fortunate that we have the desire and the means to have had these spectacular adventures.

Lots of photos

Namibia, week four, the San

We went through another veterinarian gate and left the park. We spent one full day at a very nice lodge in the Onguma Wildlife Reserve. We were camping, of course, but we got to go on a night drive, communicate with the outside world through their wifi and clean up. Lynda's favourite animal family was spotted in the form of the rare African Wildcat. It's as cute as a house cat, and about the same size, but apparently very vicious. We also saw Bush Babies and Spring Hares which are nocturnal and seldom seen, except at night. Being served breakfast in the morning made life easy as the last two drives in our Bushlore "campa" were long ones and we appreciated the early start. 

After topping up the diesel fuel in Grootfontein we headed down, yet another, dirt track. We made great time. After only five hours we arrived at the Nhoma Safari Camp, a wonderful place. The camp is situated next to a traditional San village and employs the villagers to cook, clean, interpret and take guests on excursions. We were able to watch the women make their crafts, and play traditional games. We also spent a morning walking and hunting with four San men. They showed us how to start a fire using sticks, build a snare, and an arrow. They also have an amazing knowledge of the available plant species and their uses. Nothing ever happens in a hurry. The arrow building demonstration alone took four guys over an hour because everything comes with multiple smoke breaks. Pipe tobacco is either rolled in newspaper or pressed into a large caliber shell casing and communally smoked. When the shell casing gets so hot that it burns their lips, they roll the brass between their hands to dissipate the heat and continue smoking. On our last night for a couple of hours, we witnessed a healing ceremony which consisted of chanting and dancing around the fire. Apparently, this goes on until daylight if you have the stamina. We would have liked to have stayed for another day at Nhoma, but we ran out of time in Namibia. As we left Nhoma, we gave a ride to three men from the village. They were going to visit family in a village on the main road. We dropped them off at their destination and ended up replacing them with three different men who were going shopping in Tsumkwe. You could actually run a business as a shuttle service on these roads. Unfortunately, you'd be paid in tobacco or monkey fruit.

Our seven hour journey to Maun, Botswana was long, but uneventful. The roads in and out of the Dobe border crossing were no worse than any of the other Namibian roads we encountered. At the crossing there was a police officer, immigration officer and veterinary officer on both the Namibian and Botswana sides. We were dismayed to find out that Botswana immigration would only give us a 14 day visa when our stay is actually 18 days long. They told us we'd have to go to the main office in Maun to get an extension. As we drove to Maun, the one difference we noticed is that Namibia has acre after acre of fence line running along the roads. In Botswana there are no fences. As a result, there are goats, donkeys, and cattle wandering into the road on a continual basis. You have to be alert so you don't hit them. 

We had two nights at the Discovery Bed and Breakfast on the outskirts of Maun. We were happy to be staying outside of the hustle and bustle of town. Marije and Rene have owned the place for eight years and they have fourteen chickens and three cats. There are goats and cattle wandering around the neighbourhood. It was a peaceful setting and a great place to prep for the next part of our adventure. 

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Etosha National Park

We spent the last four days in Etosha National Park touring around, stopping at as many waterholes and pans as we could manage. The wildlife is abundant and extraordinary, from the smallest bird to the grandest elephant. Our favourites were the cats. We hope you will enjoy a selection of photos, in no particular order.

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