Okavango Delta

Awesome!

First the bad news: the flights (usually at least 3) are endless and exhausting; for most mortals; for most mortals, the prices are painful; getting up at 5:30 every morning is not my idea of pleasure; and there are mosquitoes.

The good news is that the wildlife and the vistas more than compensate for the long flights, the high prices, the early rising and the occasional itch. The wildlife is forever changing from camp to camp and from day to day. You experience the wildlife with an electrifying, personal immediacy - - - without the distraction of competing vehicles that mar game viewing in much of southern Africa.

After three separate visits to Botswana and stays at some 10 different camps, we have come to prefer the smaller (perhaps 12 guests) and less luxurious camps.
We are too old to enjoy roughing it, but jacuzzis seem out of place to us. We also prefer for a longer time at fewer camps, getting more familiar with the locale, the local wildlife and the guide.

The photography is wonderful, but it can be a distraction. From time to time, the distracting camera should be put back in its bag while you just breathe in deeply and try to absorb the scene around you. Another photographic distraction might best be described as 'lens envy". There is always someone at your camp with a longer, faster lens. The pricey equipment makes sense for professionals and serious bird-watchers, but most of the game is so large or gets so close that lugging a $5,000 is no necessary.

The pleasures of Botswana reflect the commitment of the government, the camps and their skilled staff to sound, protective care of the environment and the creatures in it.

On the same day as the drive through Chobe, we were on a boat for a few hours cruising the Delta which was unusually high that year. We saw several huge hippos, some crocodiles and some impressively large birds including a fish eagle and shiny black waterfowl drying his wings.

Overall, the Okavango Delta blew us away. I think it was the area our guide knew best and he literally knew which termite mounds and trees to stop at for spotting the tiny and feathered wildlife that could so easily be missed on a commercial safari. This was the magical almost mystical part of the safari. We also had very close encounters with some animals here, which was scary but made the whole thing feel very real.

Wild beauty of nature.

Both Game and Birds were in full bloom during our visit

There is nowhere in the world like the Okavango Delta.

Great sightings - Many photographic opportunities.

Anyone at all interested in the natural world should visit the Okavango at least once. It is a unique habitat with some unique animals and great bird life.

I was seized by the reality of the Okavango Delta upon seeing a leopard in a tree with its kill.

We booked our southern Africa tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), because we had an exceptional experience with them in Egypt and Jordan in the prior year. The African tour also proved to be as seamless, from one connection to the next. July proved to be the best month for the tour: clear skies; no mosquitoes; and temperate weather, albeit cool mornings.

Upon landing on the Okavango Delta dirt strip, on July 14, we were met by our guides and driven in open "jeeps" towards Dumelang Wilderness Tented Camp. En route, we saw red lechwe and white beaked vultures. Then, our driver, a keen tracker, drove up to a tree. Perched high in the yoke was a leopard calmly eating the remains of a fresh impala. I had to remind myself that I was face-to-face with a big untamed, wild cat. In real time. We sat there for several minutes taking spectacular pictures. Then the leopard slowly let herself down to the ground. To our delight, our guide/driver paralleled the leopard as she loped through the savannah, paying no attention to us. She then stopped and sat down. Next to her was a female cub, about two months old, according to the guide. We stopped, approximately 40 yards from the cats. Then, the cub got up and walked towards us - the cub was curious! Mama leopard stayed where she was, but stood, hyper vigilant, tail pointing to the sky. The cub walked up to our jeep, looked around, then went back to her mother. All this occurred before reaching our lodge.

The amenities of the tented cabin were splendid. Big, comfortable king-size bed protected by mosquito netting, ceiling fan, 12 volt electrical system for lighting, hot and cold running water, shower, sink and flush toilet, plus adequate storage for our gear. A hot water bottle was provided for warmth to ease the cool nighttime temperatures in bed (low tech, but worked well - and its refillable, if needed).

Breakfasts were warm and hearty. Lunch was provided on the afternoon game drives in the savannah, with plenty of snacking opportunities. The evening dinners were a feast, often at the gourmet level. The constant supply of goodies reminds one of a cruise ship.

Elephant, cape buffalo, impalas, lions, hippos, crocodiles and several bird species war in abundant supply. Every game drive revealed a changing array of animals.

This is a unique water world that cannot be experienced anywhere else. Visitors going to Okavango should not primarily want to see many animals. The secret of Okavango is its water, the hidden channels, the islands, the remoteness. And you must experience this from a makoro, not from a motor boat.