Memories of a mobile safari from Maun, Botswana to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe with Elephant Trails.
We stand on the runway on a warm spring morning, waiting to board our 12 seater caravan aircraft for our 40 minute game flight and wonder about the adventure ahead of us. Its 11.30am in Maun, northern Botswana, and gateway to the incredible Okavango Delta. Our low level game flight gives a good indication of how flat the land is and shows us the lagoons and snaking river system. Excitedly we point out our first game sightings like elephant, hippo and antelope, land on a narrow dirt runway and are met by our safari operator with two open sided game-drive vehicles. We wait to see the light aircraft take off again in a dusty haze and then leave to find a shady spot for lunch. We all chat enthusiastically over a delicious lunch and begin to note various birds, animal sounds and feel we are in the heart of the African bush. All senses are fully tuned in.
We are off on a two week mobile safari from Maun in Botswana to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and although we are camping, we have the luxury of having some very friendly local guides and camp staff to ensure our stay is comfortable and relaxing with maximum time spent game driving. After a hearty 3 course meal and few glasses of good red wine, we all have a good night’s sleep and are woken at 5:30am with a “good morning” and pouring of warm water into our canvas basins beside the tent. With faces freshly washed and a bowl of porridge and cups of coffee to wake us, we head off for the first game drive of the day. At 6:30am it is fresh and we are pleased to have our bush jackets and blankets over our knees, which are discarded a few hours later. The first sighting is always exciting and we have some very fine eyes on board – a greater eagle owl in a tall tree could be mistaken for a branch; elephant, for their great bulk, can disappear magically behind thick bush; a lion or leopard seem to vanish in the long golden grass and zebra with those stripes are well camouflaged. Each game drive brings new wildlife sightings and the birdlife is prolific. From the large raptors and water birds, to the smaller but no less spectacular varieties, we enjoy watching their movements and commenting on their beautiful markings.
At the end of each day, we arrive back in camp and cool down with a bucket shower and refreshing drink. We look forward to dinner and while we sit around the fire chatting about the days events, our waiter appears and “introduces” the menu with great enthusiasm and we enjoy this tradition each evening. The daily cooked bread and rolls are too fresh and warm to decline and we sit around our dining table enjoying each other’s company. At the end of each evening our guide discusses the next day. As we are a mobile safari, we spend two nights in each location before the staff pack up and meet us at the next campsite. During our first few days in the Okavango Delta , we skirt around large waterholes spotting hippo, crocodile, lechwe, giraffe, impala, hyena and countless elephant. We are amazed to see a large elephant bull push down a Mopani tree to eat the tasty leaves and we enjoy sundowner drinks at a busy waterhole. Our boat trip meanders through lagoons and channels and we are lucky to spot the elusive sitatunga.
Driving between the Okavango and Savuti in the Chobe National Park is quite a long and hot day , but the changing landscape and game-viewing along the way makes for an interesting experience. Finding a pride of lion relaxing under a shady tree is very exciting and a highlight of the safari. They are admittedly very sleepy and barely acknowledge our existence, other than occasionally lifting their head and then flopping back down. The Savuti Channel has not flooded since 1984 and to see it flowing again is a wonderful experience. Elephant come down to drink in the evening and the wildlife enjoy having a permanent water source. We are lucky to see leopard twice, and after this exciting find, stop at a shady spot along the channel for a lunch.
A second long drive takes us to the Chobe and just as we are beginning to tire, we drive over a slight ridge and are overwhelmed by the sight in front of us. The Chobe River is teeming with wildlife and the green grassy plains are a stark contrast to the dry landscape we have been driving through. We are instantly alert and finish our camping with two magnificent game viewing days. Buffalo in their hundreds relax under trees in the midday heat, elephant mesmerize us with their interaction as a herd, young playing under their mothers’ belly, males greeting each other and herds come to the water to drink and bathe in the evening. We see another leopard, hear lion in the distance, giraffe browse a few meters from our vehicle and zebra herds graze along the waters’ edge. We come across the remains of a fresh kill and the vultures fly in from all directions, landing in trees above and finally swoop to earth, each after any remaining flesh. The smaller black-backed vulture waits whilst the one huge lappet-faced vulture dominates the scene, extending his large wings like a count with his black cloak. We drive from there to Kasane, based on the Chobe River and end our Botswana adventure with a relaxing evening river cruise. With cold beer in one hand and binoculars in the other, we sit back and watch elephant and buffalo along the banks, large crocodiles basking in the sun, groups of hippo lying together giving an occasional yawn and berating the young for disturbing the peace, whilst the fish eagle overhead calls and watches for his evening meal.
With our final destination being Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, we say goodbye to our very professional and friendly game guides and camp staff and another Zimbabwean operator collects us and drops us in Victoria Falls. We reflect on our safari over evening dinner and enjoy the luxury of our last three nights. Victoria Falls never ceases to amaze with its size and we walk the few kilometers enjoying spectacular views and have fun in the spray. With a final lunch cruise along the Zambezi we agree that this is a rather decadent way to finish our safari and overall this has been a wonderful African experience with memories to last a life- time.
