Okavango Delta

Simply beautiful. The mokoro ride is one of the most zen things I've ever done. Anyone that has ever appreciated a bird MUST go to the Okavango. Out of 2 weeks of beautiful sunsets, the ones in the delta were the best.

The Delta, pan handle, is very beautiful. Many waterways meandering through this area, seperated by islands. Have been here twice. The first time many elephants, zebra and antelopes were there. The second time we only saw some birds. However this area is famous about the birds which can be seen.

The Okavango Delta offers many experiences which no other places in the world can possibly give. Its diverse range of wildlife and stunning scenery and variety of habitats makes it one of the most incredible places on Earth.

Beautiful and full of wildlife.

Especially birdlife is fantastic, but hippo's, crocks and other game, vegitation and scenery is breathtakingly beautyful.

Wow, just wow, no lions or leopards for us but plenty of hippos, frogs, antilopes, etc

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.