Going on safari in Africa is always special. Visiting a bucket list destination for a birthday milestone is a dream come true. Sue Maude shares her recent experience of a Botswana safari celebration with her family.
A milestone family birthday prompted us to ask African Budget Safaris to plan the Botswana safari of a lifetime - a long-time bucket list destination of the birthday girl. After consultation with our friendly travel advisor, Chris, we chose the 5-Day Chobe & Okavango Delta Botswana Safari.
The Botswana safari tour was scheduled to start with a collection at Kasane Airport for a short transfer to the first safari lodge, but ABS customised our safari to suit our travel plans.
We were coming from a weekend at Victoria Falls - Livingstone in Zambia - so an easy one-hour shuttle helped us navigate the new Kazungula border post, crossing into Botswana and delivering us to the lodge. The impressive new 923-meter-long Kazungula Bridge over the Zambezi River connects Botswana and Zambia and leads to the new border post, replacing a previously slow and congested ferry crossing. Opened in May 2021, this $260 million project has significantly accelerated truck traffic along the key north-south trade corridor and made the border crossing a breeze.
We stayed at Chobe Bush Lodge, a modern addition to the grounds of Chobe Safari Lodge, an iconic landmark in Kasane since the 1970s with a beautiful Chobe riverfront location. Our rooms in Bush Lodge were spacious, featuring luxurious bathrooms, comfortable beds with mosquito nets and a balcony overlooking the gardens with ever-present Warthogs snuffling the earth. There is a swimming pool with loungers for lazing away the day with a drink, watching the antics of visiting wildlife: warthogs, bushbuck and cheeky banded mongoose.
You can choose between dining at the a-la-carte restaurant at Bush Lodge or the outdoor fireside Sedudu Bar & Grill near the river at the safari lodge. It is named after Sedudu Island, a fluvial island nearby. It is situated in the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia. The island was the focus of a territorial dispute between the two countries, which had to be settled by the International Court of Justice in 1999. They ruled that the national border in the river lies north of the island, thereby confirming Botswana's ownership. It is uninhabited but popular with wildlife who swim over to graze on the juicy grasses, safe from predators.
We started Day 1 of our Botswana Safari with our first Chobe River Safari Cruise, embarking on the boat from a slipway at the lodge. This was an epic adventure and a highlight of our stay in Chobe. The Chobe River is the lifeblood of an otherwise dry landscape, and a host of animals come down to drink and seek out the lush plants growing on the marshy riverbanks. The riverboat allows you to quietly get up close to animals, making for an intimate safari experience. We spotted elephants, hippos, fish eagles, buffalo, crocodiles and a variety of antelope and wading birds in our first half hour!
The boats come kitted with a bar and snacks so you cruise down the river enjoying sundowner drinks as the guides tell you about the fauna and flora you encounter along the way. The real highlight was watching a family herd of elephants enter the water and swim across the river to the opposite bank. This is a sight not often witnessed on safari and it is adorable to watch the baby elephants with trunks and tails up high, following the matriarchs as they navigate the waters. Elephants are impressive swimmers it turns out.
We opted for the bush dinner at Sududu Grill on the first night and stepped off the boat to be greeted at the fireside with a glass of bubbly. The meal was a delicious buffet of barbecued meat selection and local bream fish, along with delicious salads and side dishes prepared in traditional three-legged cast iron pots. The next day we returned to Sedudu Bar during the daylight hours, a delightful place to enjoy a cup of tea or beer with a fantastic view of the river and chattering birdlife.
We opted for the a la carte restaurant at Bush Lodge on the second evening and my venison kudu steak was melt-in-the-mouth tender and cooked to perfection. I was rather uneasy the next morning when we encountered a herd of very handsome kudu on the morning game drive!
We opted for early morning game drives each morning and another river cruise the following evening as this was such an epic Botswana safari experience.
The early morning game drives were bitterly cold. I had underestimated the coolness of nighttime temperatures in July. Botswana is a hot, dry country and daytime temperatures are warm and sunny, but the middle of the year is winter and the dip in temperatures at night cannot be underestimated. I had not packed enough warm clothing. The open-game viewing 4x4 vehicle did come with blankets which made quite a difference, but I would pack a warm beanie and a more substantial jacket next time.
We had a female game ranger which was a refreshing change in what has always been a male-dominated industry, and she was determined to seek out the best game-viewing opportunities. Chobe National Park is teeming with wildlife and we had most satisfying drives spotting a host of animals. There is great camaraderie between the rangers in the game viewing vehicles, stopping to report to one another important sightings of the day.
Everyone was chasing down the location of the big cats and once a pack of lions had been sighted, they were chased down by a host of vehicles all eager to get a good vantage point for their clients. It was a bit overwhelming participating in this bunfight chasing down a good view of the lions but I admit we were delighted when one of the female lions sat very close to our vehicle to survey the scene, seemingly unconcerned about the crowds of humans all straining with their cameras to get that 'National Geographic' shot.
We were well cared for by all the staff at Chobe Bush Lodge and our transfer to the airport and flight to our next destination went off seamlessly. Kasane Airport is close to the lodge and is an impressive building newly built and hosts a squadron of small aircraft shuttling passengers to lodges all over the country.
I was slightly alarmed squeezing into a 6-seater Airvan for a 1 hour 20 minute flight to the heart of the delta. However, our female pilot (another one for girl power!) was cool, calm and collected and we soon settled into the flight enjoying amazing views of the landscape growing drier as we moved away from the river, flying over the desert until we reached the Okavango Delta.
2024 has been a very dry year, so the delta is not as lush as usual, but it is still a green oasis compared to the dryness of the desert scenery.
After a perfect landing on the tiny Moremi Crossing airstrip, we were greeted by our rangers who would be our dedicated delta safari team for the duration of our stay at Moremi Crossing. The rangers arrive early to the airstrip to ensure that no stray animals are wandering across when the plane comes in to land on this remote airstrip.
For the next two nights of our Botswana Safari, we stayed at Moremi Crossing which was pure heaven. We could not have felt better cared for, from the warm greeting on our arrival to the little touches like night-time hot water bottles, a riddle before dinner and the most delicious food served by ever-friendly staff - everyone from the gardeners to the cleaners, rangers, food staff and managers. The safari tents are canvas but furnished with every comfort, from luxurious beds, en-suite bathrooms, private outdoor showers, and a deck with chairs for enjoying the stunning view over the delta waterway.
You settle into the African safari routine easily. Start the day with an (extremely!) early wake-up knock on the safari tent by your ranger and collect half an hour later to go to the main area for morning coffee and snack. From dusk till dawn, you need to be accompanied by rangers when going to & from the safari tents as the camp is unfenced and often has large visitors like buffalos, elephants, and the occasional leopard.
We opted for a comforting bowl of warm sorghum porridge before the chill of the early morning game drives. Lined ponchos and hot water bottles are waiting on the vehicle. These take the chill off the early morning, so we game viewed in style. Stopping later for a warm drink with a beautiful view rounds off the game drive nicely.
On our return, we tucked into a delicious brunch buffet with a choice of dishes to suit almost anyone. Then rest and siesta until high tea at 3 pm when another selection of fresh baked goods is on offer. The afternoon game drive ends with a stop to watch a spectacular sunset over the bush as you enjoy a sundowner drink served by the rangers. Then you return to a delectable supper, again delicious. You return to your tent at the end of it all satisfied after a full day of wildlife spotting and good eating.
The Okavango Delta is a fascinating wilderness destination and we learnt so much about this unique landscape and the creatures that inhabit it. It is a miraculous river system, with no path to the sea, emptying into a desert - crazy! Moremi Crossing is so-named because it is located on a private concession alongside the Moremi Game Reserve. Game drives are conducted on the concession itself and also in Moremi Game Reserve by crossing the water channel in front of the lodge in the 4x4 vehicle, a dramatic crossing that involves lifting your feet as the bottom of the safari vehicle gets soaked.
Towering termite mounds can be spotted everywhere. There are thousands of islands in the delta and many of them started as termite mounds, some of which are hundreds of years old. 4 species of termite inhabit the delta. The termites that build the tall mounds are fungus farmers. On one drive we spotted a vividly coloured lilac-breasted roller bird on the ground who didn't even fly off when we approached. It became clear why when we noticed the ground crawling with large black-headed termites. The bird was enjoying a morning feast of these juicy bugs.
We came across a dead impala strung up in a towering tree. This was the work of a leopard who somehow dragged the body of a full-grown buck up the tree to keep it away from hyenas and other scavengers. That is also a way of marking its territory.
We visited a den of African wild dogs in time to witness 7 pups with their mum while the rest of the pack looked on. The babies were soon ushered down into the den and would not appear again until they heard the sound of the adult dogs giving them the all-clear on their return from the hunt. We watched all the adults in the pack set off to hunt, leaving a lookout to keep watch over the den. Nearby, a lone dog lay curled in a ball. It seems it was injured and would likely succumb to its injuries before long. The pack will bring it food when they return with food for the pups, but such is the harsh reality of life in the wild.
The next afternoon we embarked on a mokoro safari in traditional dugout canoes. These boats are the traditional mode of transport for local delta residents. The mekoro were once made of hollowed tree trunks but are now fibreglass to save the precious old trees of the Okavango Delta.
The mokoro safari experience was as magical as I expected, serenely gliding through the water, expertly navigated by our guide standing on the back of the boat steering it with a pole. Their balance is quite remarkable as they skillfully navigate the channels, pointing out the intricate details of this wetland paradise. The fibreglass boats are much more lightweight than the traditional tree trunk boats, so a greater skill in balance is required. In wetter years the camp offers riverboat safaris to travel deep into the delta in riverboats. Sadly, during this dry period, the riverboats are grounded. The mokoro ride was just 20 minutes, so we opted to take a bush walk with the remainder of our afternoon activity time.
We headed out on the 4x4 vehicle, stopping someway from camp for our excursion on foot. Setting out behind the main guide, we tread in a strict single file with the second ranger following on behind, keeping a lookout for any animals that may cross our path. An elephant was grazing in the distance and birds flew overhead. Our time was spent discovering the smaller details often missed from a vehicle - identifying footprints and droppings and learning the signs for which animals they belonged and what this told us about their digestive systems and habits. We got to learn about the plants favoured by people and animals. The wild sage plants are in bloom all over the delta, dotted between the towering termite mounds. On our way back to camp, our guides stopped at a beautiful spot next to the water and we sipped sundowner gin & tonics as we watched the most magnificent scarlet sunset take over the sky.
We returned to our final dinner at Moremi Crossing and the staff informed us there was no dessert on the menu tonight. It was a bitter-sweet occasion, spending our last meal with the rangers who had looked after us so well during our stay. After the main course, a hush filled the room and then the kitchen ladies burst into the room singing and bearing a cake with candles. The rangers joined the line of singers, adding their glorious deep voices to the chorus. The procession stopped at our table and presented the freshly baked birthday cake to our birthday girl, Liz, who had initiated this trip to celebrate her special birthday. This final thoughtful touch was the cherry on top of an unforgettable Botswana safari adventure.
The next morning we elected to skip the early morning drive and spend a blissful time in the tents, with the flaps up, enjoying a 180-degree view of the waters and the antics of the water birds, warthogs, ground squirrels, lechwe antelope and cacophony of birds waking up to feast on the fruit of the jackal berry trees towering over the camp. It was a spectacular sunrise to round off our Botswana safari experience. We bid farewell to the wonderful staff at Moremi Crossing and took a leisurely drive spotting wildlife on the way to another airstrip to catch a slightly larger 12-seater Air Caravan for a short flight to Maun.
The precinct around Maun Airport is dotted with art and curio stalls perfect for browsing and finding those last-minute souvenirs and gifts to take back home. There is a cafe nearby called the Dusty Donkey that serves excellent food and where the resident chickens are the stars of the show! We enjoyed a final meal before catching our flight home.
This 5-Day Botswana Safari flew by but will not be forgotten. Botswana is a remarkable country of contrasts and truly unique geological features that make for an exceptional African safari experience. The people we encountered along the way were friendly and the safari staff were all exceptional. Memories of the wildlife encounters along the way, and a deep sense of connection with the natural world that we felt, remain with me still. I would return in a heartbeat!
Before this Botswana Safari, we spent a long weekend at Victoria Falls - for more about this part of our safari see Reflections on a Short Victoria Falls Trip in Zambia
The Botswana safari described in this account is the 5-Day Chobe & Okavango Delta Lodge Safari. My 83-year-old mother accompanied us and she was not keen on long drives through the desert, so we chose this fly-in safari option. Africa Budget Safaris offers a range of Botswana Safari packages to suit all interests and budgets. Speak to an expert travel advisor to explore your options for an unforgettable Botswana Safari.
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