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Botswana

Cheetahs, cheetahs, cheetahs

9th October 2020

Cheetahs, cheetahs, cheetahs


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Cheetahs, cheetahs, cheetahs

For many visitors to Africa, seeing the big cats is #1 on their wish list.  Nobody wants to go home only to have to say ‘no’ to the inevitable question about having seen lions.  Even though the total number of lions in Africa have dropped alarmingly over the last few decades – largely due to habitat loss – they are still relatively easily seen in most wilderness areas.  Lions are also prolific breeders under the right conditions – with enough prey animals around – so they bounce back quickly and predictably after setbacks such as prolonged droughts.  Which means that on your next – or first – trip to Africa, you will almost definitely bump into lions if you spend a few days in practically any major game reserve or national park.  In Southern or East Africa.  So, did you see lions?  Yes.


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Other big cats are less frequently seen.  Leopards are supremely adaptable creatures and they are common in almost any non-urban African habitat except true deserts.  What makes them difficult to find and observe is their naturally elusive, shy and mostly nocturnal nature.  They are mostly solitary and stealthy creatures of the night. That is when they are out and about in search of prey such as unsuspecting smaller antelope, monkeys, baboons and the like.  Consequently, visitors see them mostly very early in the mornings or in the late afternoon, when they start to get active after resting up.  In areas where they are habituated to the presence of vehicles, such as the Sabi Sand reserve in South Africa, in parts of the Masai Mara and the Serengeti, in private concessions in Northern Botswana and at Mashatu in south-eastern Botswana, they are more readily seen as they don’t conceal themselves at the first sign of vehicles, movement or humans.  


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The other big African cat – the cheetah – is in a different league altogether.  It has a relatively tiny total population of about 7,000 in comparison with lions (approximately 25,000) and leopards (approximately 700,000).  Despite being as sparsely distributed as they are, cheetahs are quite visible where present, due to their diurnal nature and preferred habitat.  Cheetahs are adapted to hunt during the day which reduces competition from the nocturnal big cats, notably lions.  Cheetahs also prefer open terrain where they can use their amazing speed to its best advantage.  And they will often clamber onto anthills or stumps or other elevated spots to check out the area for potential prey – or danger.  Open terrain, broad daylight, a spotted cat perched on top of an anthill?  Bingo!  For me personally, a cheetah sighting is a highlight of any Africa trip.  They are just so rare, so beautiful and so special that even a brief glimpse of one of them will make your day.  

Here are some photos we took of cheetahs in six different areas in Southern and East Africa where they are regularly seen.  The captions summarize the back story about each photo and how it came to be.


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Selinda, Northern Botswana

This cheetah was part of a coalition of two brothers which used to move up and down along the Linyanti River in northern Botswana, spending weeks or sometimes months in an area.  For no apparent reason, they would then move along to a neighboring concession.  Less competition from lions or hyenas, more prey animals?  Who knows.  The reasons are hardly ever readily apparent.  The day on which we bumped into this particular cheetah and his brother, marked the first sighting of cheetahs on a game drive from Selinda, in several weeks.  So essentially, we got lucky. Being in the right habitat and spending enough time scanning open terrain along the Linyanti floodplain, just improved our luck somewhat.  We would get even luckier later that day, when we saw the cheetah coalition hunt and bring down an impala.  My advice to anyone wanting to see a cheetah kill?  Bring your best patience game as cheetahs take their time sizing up the area, the conditions and whatever their instinct dictates.  It took the brothers the better part of four hours to finally attempt a charge.  They were successful though.  Cheetahs are the most efficient of the big cats in terms of hunting success, bringing down about 40% to 50% of prey, as a percentage of total attempts.  By comparison leopards are successful about 30% to 40% of the time.  Lions bring up the rear in a significant way, being successful less than 20% of the time.  


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Tswalu, South Africa

Tswalu in the northern Cape Kalahari in South Africa is better known as one of the best places in Africa to see pangolins and aardvarks, but it is no slouch for some of the big cats, notably lions and cheetahs.  On our most recent visit to Tswalu (we will be returning this November) Kathy had set aside one afternoon to do some horseback riding.  We were at the stables and she was just about to set off into the veld with one of Tswalu’s beautiful steeds, when word came on the radio that a couple of cheetahs had been spotted.  Kathy and I looked at each other and there was no disagreement:  the horses would have to wait for another day.  It was a longish drive to get to the cheetahs, with the light fading fast by the time we pulled up to them.  Even so, the decision was the right one.  Looking in our direction in the gathering gloom, the cheetah’s ordinarily yellow eyes shone almost red.  The sighting would be brief but eminently memorable. 


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Masai Mara, Kenya

When I first saw these cheetahs on a game drive out of Mara Explorer Camp, one of the cheetahs had jumped on top of a game drive vehicle from Mara Intrepids.  I do not like to see behavior like that: it should have been prevented by the Mara Intrepids driver-guide.  The guides in the area are all aware of the propensity of some of the cheetahs to try to use the vehicle as an observation post.  And the guides know to avoid an incident, by staying clear of ‘known perpetrators’.  It is potentially dangerous for the guests and for the cheetahs.  Getting bitten or getting run over, respectively.  Too risky all round.  We left the scene, deciding to rather return early the next morning.  It made all the difference.  We had the cheetahs to ourselves for the better part of an hour, observing them walking around and getting onto anthills – not vehicles.  The way it should be.  


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Serengeti Plains, Tanzania

Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains and its northernmost extension, the Masai Mara in Kenya, are likely Africa’s single best repository of cheetahs.  This is their habitat par excellence.  Open, rolling grassy plains with rocky outcrops, patches of woodland and riverine thickets, and plenty of prey in the form of Thomson’s gazelles and impala.  Irrespective of the status of the annual wildebeest migration, the Serengeti and the Mara are great for the big cats, who have territories to defend and who do not move around with the wildebeest and the zebras.  In fact, on the day we saw this cheetah on a game drive out of Nomad Tanzania’s Lamai Serengeti Camp, we experienced a rare big cat trifecta:  lions, leopards and a cheetah.  All in one game drive, not during the migration season.  Other parts of the Serengeti where we have experienced above-average cheetah sightings include the southern Serengeti (Kusini camp) and the western Seronera area (Namiri Plains camp). 


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Hwange, Zimbabwe

Since we regularly started visiting Hwange National Park in north-western Zimbabwe in the 1990’s, we’ve come to recognize it as a good and reliable area for cheetah sightings.  Just like elsewhere in Africa, the Hwange cheetahs move around and can’t always be seen in the same spots.  So if you’re keen on seeing cheetahs on a trip to Zimbabwe, we would suggest including two different camps, such as Somalisa or The Hide or Khulu Bush Camp, combined with Little Makalolo or Linkwasha or Camelthorn.  And give yourself plenty of time to find the cheetahs; five to six nights in the area would be ideal.  This trio of young cheetahs were following their mother around and getting a lesson in patience.  She wanted them to stay back and stay low while she approached some antelope.  It was not to be.  They kept showing themselves and following too closely behind her.  Which naturally spooked the antelope. All in a day of growing up.  


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Mashatu, Botswana

Mashatu Game Reserve in far south-eastern Botswana is currently one of the best big cat destinations in Southern Africa.   Spend three or better yet four nights there and you will most likely get to see lions, leopards and cheetahs.  And not furtive ‘drive-by’ sightings either.  On a recent September visit to the area, we had multiple good sightings of both lions and leopards, and notched up two different cheetah sightings in the course of a 3-night stay at Mashatu Tented Camp.  What makes Mashatu a particularly good bet for cheetahs – and other big cats – is the fact that off-road driving is allowed which means that you can get quite close to these magnificent cats.  For photographers this is a major advantage over many other areas where vehicles are not permitted off-road.  Also, compared with most other good big-cat destinations, the Mashatu properties namely Mashatu Lodge, Mashatu Tented Camp and Euphorbia are moderately priced – at about half the cost of camps of similar quality in northern Botswana.  We recommend combining a 3-night WalkMashatu foot safari with a few days at one of the Mashatu camps, to make the most of the area.  


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In our blog post next Friday, we will focus on one of the most popular and also instantly recognizable African mammals, the Giraffe.  There will be photographs, of course, as well as some information about places where they can be seen.  We will also review the various species you are likely to encounter in Southern and East Africa, and their conservation status.  

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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A Visit to Northern Botswana Continued

3rd September 2020

A Visit to Northern Botswana Continued


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A Visit to Northern Botswana Continued

JAO CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

Having taken my farewell of the Kalahari for a while, I was driven back to Maun where I got back on a small plane for the half hour flight or so, to Jao in the western part of the Okavango Delta.   What more is there to be said about Jao other than that it is perfect. Since way back to when we first visited it in 2000, not long after it was opened, Jao has been on our ‘Groundhog Day’ list – a place where you can wake up every morning for the rest of your life and be happy.

The rooms are gorgeous: massive, romantic, dramatic, the stuff of dreams.  The same adjectives can be applied to the rest of the property:  the main lounge and bar area, the outside seating areas, the library, and extending right out to the gym and spa.   Even the dingiest of camps can look romantic at night, but Jao passes the daylight test with flying colors. Does it still look good in the unflattering glare of the midday sun? Definitely yes. Which puts it in very select company.


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Dinner was predictably excellent on the night I was there.  Even the most jaded of travelers will long remember nightfall at Jao.  The sensational views of the sun setting over the Delta, the soft pink glow lasting for what seems to be hours as the birds go silent, the reed frogs start up to their metallic clinks, and the last few baboon noises dying away as they settle down in the trees.

On an afternoon boating outing I caught (and released) a decent-sized tiger fish, much to my surprise and much to the delight of the guide, who was even happier about it than me.  Even if I hadn’t caught a thing, it would have been a great afternoon.  Being in a small aluminum skiff exploring the bywaters and lagoons of the Okavango Delta can easily push you into a Walter Mitty moment.  There you are, expertly piloting the craft along the deceptively serene-looking waterways, taking just the right line to smoothly glide around a tight corner.   Fortunately, the imaginary helmsman doesn’t have to concern himself with the myriad of unseen obstacles lurking below the surface.  Shallow sand-banks, hidden tree stumps and sometimes – a misplaced hippopotamus.  Those ones that are supposed to be in deeper water…


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Our morning game drive at Jao  was fairly uneventful except that I got a couple of  nice bird photos including a Plainbacked Pipit and a Malachite Kingfisher in superb morning light.  To be sure, there were lots of elephants around and some general plains game.  Ordinarily, we’d advise guests at Jao to take a day outing to nearby Hunda Island, if they are keen to see predators such as leopards and lions, among others. 

Upon my return to Jao, there was a surprise waiting for me: a 20-minute helicopter flight over the Delta with Helicopter Horizons, courtesy of Wilderness Safaris.  What a treat and what a special experience!  This was fast turning into the ‘helicopter trip’.  Great to start working on a new skill, aerial photography.


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PELO CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

En route to Pelo Camp – which would be a new property for me – I did a site inspection at Kwetsani which is now even more impressive than before. Pretty much the ideal – classic – Okavango Delta experience with rooms that are well beyond the standard of a normal, run-of-the-mill classic camp. One thing which will always be the same at Kwetsani is the time tested views over the large floodplain in front of camp, where there’s almost always some birds and animals around. Then it was on to Pelo which I liked right away.  Quite small, with only 5 rooms, tucked away on a well-vegetated island right in the heart of the Delta, Pelo is all about experiencing a typical Okavango Delta water camp with boating, mokoro outings and walking on the islands.  Pelo has a particularly nice communal area, intimate and inviting. The afternoon boat trip was rather quiet but the other boat saw a breeding herd of 50-plus elephants.  As always it’s a matter of time and place. 


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We enjoyed a boma dinner outside with an entertaining singing and dancing performance from the staff.  Great memories!

On my last morning at Pelo, I took my best photos yet of a Pel’s Fishing Owl, a rarely seen nocturnal bird.  Prior to my visit, I had been alerted to the fact that there was a female Pel’s raising a chick outside tent number four.   Emerging from tent #4 that morning, there it was:  staring me down as it was bringing some food (it looked like a piece of fish) for the baby.  I managed quite a few exposures in good light. Simply an amazing bird!  Later that morning I enjoyed yet another enjoyable and interesting boat ride.  There were lots of colorful birds to be seen, with African Fish Eagles being visible practically every few hundred meters.  We also had great looks at a few decent sized Nile crocodiles.


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SABLE ALLEY CAMP, KHWAI

After a good breakfast it was back to the airstrip for a flight to the Khwai area, where I would  spend the next two nights at Sable Alley.  The main area is about as good as it gets in Botswana, with a huge open-design deck and dining room, overlooking a pond.  The camp also has a beautiful pool.   The tented rooms – spread out along a boardwalk in a wetland habitat, were well planned and executed.  Spacious, with a large veranda and a usable bench, excellent ventilation, and superior indoor lighting – the best of any camps I’ve been to lately.  Add to that a comfortable bed and bedding, separate toilet, ample storage space, an effective waterfall shower head as well as scaldingly hot water, and an outdoor shower on a raised wooden deck.


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Our afternoon game drive with guide Tony and trainee Teenage turned out to be surprisingly good despite conditions not being ideal. There were several small groups of elephant, some seen quite close up, and we had some good views of kudu and impala. The most notable sighting was a couple of sub adult African Painted Dogs at a suspected denning site. We watched them for a while before they loped into the bush. According to our guide Tony the alpha female had already given birth to a litter of pups; it remained to be seen how many pups there were, and if the pack would raise them in that location.

We returned to camp for a quick shower, drinks and excellent dinner.


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Our Sunday morning game drive was on the quiet side although first time visitors to Africa would’ve been quite happy to see as many elephants as we did. It was noticeable that the elephants in the concession have a lot of ‘attitude’ compared with elephants in most other areas. Likely a holdover from the days in which hunting was allowed in the area, resulting in the elephants being a bit wary and giving  vehicles and people a wider berth than one might anticipate. We came across several small groups of up to 10 or so elephants with several young ones including a couple of tiny babies.  Clearly the elephants are doing well.

Later on during the drive we came across zebra, kudu, some giraffe, and plenty of impala. Fantastic birds.  In line with my previous experiences in this area, it is best visited in the dry season from July through October.


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That afternoon I relocated to Hyena Pan, which looked like quite an interesting spot, again likely to be a much better bet in the dry season than when we were there.  Located on the edge of a water hole, the camp is rustic but perfectly comfortable, with a cozy common area and large dining room. Our guide there – Daniel – was one of the best to date on the trip:  energetic and enthusiastic. We drove about 40 minutes in the Khwai village direction, mostly through non-productive mopane forest.  Once we reached the more open area and riverine bush strips of the NG 18 concession, we started to see plenty of game.  Initially a mating pair of lions and then a group of four painted dogs which we followed for a while.  They kept moving so photography was hit and miss; lots of excitement though.  The evening was rounded off with a  good buffet meal with beef stroganoff as the main attraction.


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CHITABE CAMP, MOREMI

Late this morning I was on a flight to Chitabe, a Wilderness Safaris classic property in the far south-eastern part of the Okavango Delta. Almost immediately I started seeing giraffes, zebras and  elephants –  clearly there was an abundance of general game all over the area.  Since my visit the main area at Chitabe has been rebuilt.  The rooms were superb:  plenty of space, good lighting, huge mosquito nets, hot water bottles at night, a tea and coffee station, sufficient charging points.

On the afternoon game drive we had yet more views of elephants, zebras, giraffes and a large pride of lions.  We enjoyed sundowners at a small, peaceful lake.  The excellent dinner that evening was served family style.


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I was up at 05:30 am the next morning for a light breakfast, embarking on the game drive just after six.  The drive presented our best views yet of spotted hyenas at their den, producing a few nice shots in good morning light. Then we got word about a pack of African painted dogs, and found 20 of them resting up and snoozing in the shade of a vehicle on the edge of the Chitabe airstrip. The light and vantage point was not great but I managed a few photographs.

Then it was back to camp where a huge elephant bull was barring the front entrance, at least for a while. Following on a tasty brunch, we enjoyed an impromptu drumming performance by one of the staff members.  By 2:30 pm I was back at the airport,  with multiple elephant,  zebra, kudu, impala and giraffe sightings en route.  Indicative of the wealth of game in the Chitabe area, I had to assist the guide in chasing impala, warthogs and giraffe from the airstrip to make it safe for the incoming aircraft, who would take us on to our next camp.

Chitabe certainly lived up to expectations and indeed exceeded them. The rooms are great and now that the rebuild of the main area has been completed it will likely rival just about any other northern Botswana camp for supremacy in delivering a big game experience.


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VUMBURA PLAINS, OKAVANGO DELTA

Just after 3:00 pm I was on the way to Vumbura Plains in the northern part of the Okavango Delta. A bit later than planned, due to an unexplained flight delay.  Once in camp – it is a rather lengthy and bumpy drive from the airstrip to the camp – I spent the next hour or so looking around the recently rebuilt main building.  It was quite impressive with clean, elegant lines, open to the environment and awash in natural light, with ample seating options in an expansive dining area.  Even if you spend several days at Vumbura Plains, you would rarely enjoy a meal in the same spot twice.


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After a quick introduction, we walked down the boardwalk to room number one. There were no apparent changes to the room which I had seen for the first time some years previously. Spacious, lots of natural light, decent interior lighting, an impressive indoor shower with a view as well as outdoor shower. A bathtub was oddly lacking – one would expect to see it in a deluxe property like Vumbura Plains; in fact an outdoor tub would be a nice touch.  After a delightful dinner with the camp manager it was off to bed, early.

After an early breakfast it was time to saddle up for the morning game drive with my guide Ron. Initially it was slow but after about an hour we found four beautiful young male lions, not quite into their prime but not far from it either. Next was a herd of about nine or so sable antelope.  These rarely seen and sparsely distributed antelope are fond of fairly tall grass, often seen in relatively thickly vegetated woodland such as in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.


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This particular group was as approachable as any Sable I’ve ever encountered, the two females allowing us to approach them quite closely. The light was still fairly good and I captured a few decent images. The dominant male sable was not at all cooperative. It was as if he knew that he was the one that we ‘really’ wanted to see, playing hide and seek with us for 30 minutes.  He proceeded to deliberately and seemingly determinedly walk from one thicket to another without as much as stopping even once, to give us a good look.  The sighting was a big plus in my book as Sable antelope was the one species I had specifically mentioned when asked by Ron – at the outset of the game drive – whether there was something particular I wanted to see. Being able to deliver on a very tricky animal such as this one counts a lot.


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The game drive got even better with sightings of a large herd of buffalo at the waterhole and then an equally large herd of fifty plus elephants stampeding through the woodland. Their irate trumpeting and a dust cloud announcing their whereabouts, from afar. They were apparently entering a new or dangerous area and all of the older females were trumpeting and running around.  Towards the final stage of the stampede, three of the females – including what appeared to be the matriarch female – started to approach the vehicle in somewhat of a threatening pose.  We were ready to decamp at a moment’s notice, but in the end it was not necessary.  Plenty of adrenalin though.  


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CAPTURE AFRICA, KHWAI REGION

Due to a flying mix up my planned 11:25 a.m. departure from Vumbura did not take place, but it was deftly replaced by a helicopter flight of about 20 minutes or so direct to Khwai River Lodge, where I was picked up by Brian Gibson of Capture Africa. An hour or so later we were at Capture Africa‘s private campsite on the Khwai River

Capture Africa specializes in high-quality private mobile tented safaris mostly in the Khwai, Moremi and Okavango Delta areas, but they can set up private mobile campsites and provide support services literally anywhere in Botswana.

Adding a few days of “real“ camping to a mostly lodge-based itinerary adds an extra layer of authenticity and adventure to a trip; for many people this is as close as they may ever come to the bush.


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That afternoon, from our exceedingly comfortable camping site we saw an elephant walk along the floodplain, splashing its way through the shallow water and down the river. It was a pleasant change to what I had been doing seemingly nonstop the preceding few days, which was finding the wildlife out on game drives.  Having them come to you is infinitely more rewarding and relaxing.  

Brian Gibson – who heads up Capture Africa – is clearly passionate about the wilderness.  He is a highly experienced guide himself and it was quite a revelation spending a day or so in his company, trying to absorb his pithy advice and in-depth knowledge of the area and its wildlife as well as its people. On a drive with Brian the next day we got lucky with African painted dogs on the move – the thrill of the chase! – and we enjoyed a great lion sighting as well.  The Khwai region is clearly a productive game-viewing environment, however the number of vehicles per sighting was notably higher than most of the other areas we visited on this trip.


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Our party of four people enjoyed a particularly splendid meal at Capture Africa’s mobile tented camp that night, spending another hour or so around the campfire afterwards.  It was just us, a  brilliant sky, and what must have been close to 4,500 stars above.   That being the maximum number visible to the human eye, which can only detect stars brighter than magnitude 6 to 6.5.  Just as noticeably, there was practically no man-made ambient light, no noises and no disturbances.  Not that it was totally quiet.   If you knew what you were listening to, there was what sounded like a lost – or lonely – jackal, a few hungry hyenas  and a couple of African scops owls advertising their presence with their chirp-like calls.  The African bush at night.


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EBONY CAMP, LINYANTI

This morning I flew from Khwai to the Linyanti floodplain for an overnight at Ebony camp, African Bush Camps’ family option, adjacent  to the similar but slightly larger Linyanti Bush camp.  Room number 10 at Ebony Camp is the designated family room.

Either camp would be an ideal safari choice for visitors, particularly from about June/July through October and early November, in the dry season. At that time of the year the floodplain attracts good numbers of elephant, buffalo and other big game species including predators.

At the time of our visit in mid-May the surrounding bush was still quite thick which made game viewing challenging. Even so, we saw several small herds of elephants, hippos in the river and a coalition of three male lions. As well as some giraffe, waterbuck, impala and exceptionally good birdlife.


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The camp is clearly well-managed and I found the staff to be friendly and approachable. It would be nice to have the tent door zippers replaced with regular doors. Only two of the rooms (honeymoon room and family room) have bathtubs. The other rooms have showers with hot water available at all times.

The grand finale of my Botswana trip was yet another helicopter ride, this time to check out the Linyanti River and its denizens which included several pods of hippopotamus, giraffes drinking, a few crocodiles.  From the air, there was a dearth of any signs of human encroachment.  There are so few places left in the wilderness which are truly remote and this is one of them.

My next stop would be South Africa, for a return visit to the Kruger Park and Sabi Sand reserve.  Details to follow in our blog post to be published next Friday.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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3rd October 2022

Camp Okavango, Botswana

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Destinations
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A Visit to Northern Botswana

27th August 2020

A Visit to Northern Botswana


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A Visit to Northern Botswana

Abu’s elephants, meerkat moving day & brown hyenas at Jack’s Camp

LITTLE VUMBURA AND ABU CAMP

On a recent May trip to Northern Botswana, I revisited a couple of spectacular tented camps in the northern part of the Okavango Delta, interacted with the Abu Camp elephant herd – joining them in the water for a mokoro trip – flew by helicopter to Mombo for a rhino darting and tagging experience, finally made it to the enigmatic Jack’s Camp in the Kalahari, observed baby meerkats being moved from one den to another, and had my best ever outing with a small San family, at Meno A Kwena Camp.


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But first, I ran into the ‘Maun Madness’ phenomenon. This is what happens when three international flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town – operated by SA Airlink and Air Botswana – arrive in Maun at about the same time and the disembarking passengers swamp the tiny immigration and customs facility.  Essentially, it was a mess.  We arrived at 1:30 p.m. and it wasn’t until 3:00 p.m. that we were through immigration and ready to fly to our first camp – Abu.  On the way to Abu we made a stop at  Little Vumbura Camp in the northern part of the Okavango Delta, for a site inspection.  It took about twenty minutes or so for the drive to the camp, the final approach being by boat – the only way to get into and out of the property.  Since my previous visit, the rooms had been enlarged, which was a significant improvement. Little Vumbura is one of Wilderness Safaris’ most popular ‘mixed activity’ Okavango Delta camps, and it is easy to see why.  It’s beautiful, romantic and epitomizes the singular appeal of luxury tented camping in Northern Botswana.  The sandy walkway which connects the main lounge and the various rooms, retains a sense of immediacy and intimacy, guests remaining more connected to the forest environment than in a camp with a boardwalk.  


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Not too long afterwards, we were enjoying a splendid plated dinner at Abu Camp, which I had visited three years previously. There were no obvious changes:  the rooms were still large,  luxurious and well equipped.  I relished the opportunity to spend some time in the gym – not a common facility in safari camps in N. Botswana.  The following morning we were re-introduced to the Abu elephant herd.  Naledi – which had been a slightly rambunctious youngster when we were at Abu last – had now grown into an assertive juvenile and even the elephant handlers were wary around her.  Our group split into two with some of us going for a walk with the elephants, and the others doing a game drive.   We then switched, walking at quite a pace with the matriarch Kathy following behind.   The activity ended with all of us feeding the elephants their favorite snack food – dry pellets – which they consumed by the handful, and clearly very happy to do so!


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Were back in camp around 11:30 a.m. for lunch and in the afternoon enjoyed a talk by Map Ives from Botswana Rhino Conservation about the challenges facing both White and Black rhino in Southern Africa.  If conservation efforts fail to curtail the current rate at which these animals are being decimated, they could all be extinct in the wild as early as 2024. A rather depressing scenario.  In the afternoon, we enjoyed a typical Okavango Delta activity – boating along a channel in a beautiful, serene environment.


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MOMBO CAMP AND RHINO DARTING

This day turned out to be one of my best days ever in Africa. It included two scenic helicopter flights from Abu to Mombo, one in the morning and another one in the afternoon, both totally exhilarating and as exciting as anything I’ve experienced in my life. In the morning there was more cloud cover resulting in the light not being as good in the afternoon, when the natural color showed up much more effectively.   At Mombo, we observed and participated in a rhino darting experience from start to finish.

In what turned out to be a textbook operation, the team members consisting of Rhino Conservation Botswana and Wilderness Safaris with operational support provided by a local veterinarian and three pilots from Helicopter Horizons fully concluded and completed the operation in just over two hours, with the darted rhino being immobilized for less than 40 minutes. Once the animal was down and stabilized, the veterinarian and her assistants kept it cool and monitored its vital statistics while a security-related procedure was completed.  Less than a minute after being injected with an antidote, the rhino stood up, looked around for a few seconds and then slowly and calmly walked into the bush. Clearly not suffering from any major side effects, it started to browse on some shrubs, almost immediately. 


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In addition to the expense of translocating rhinos from one country to another which costs about $80,000 per animal,  a single darting and tagging operation costs as much as $15,000. Much of this goes towards helicopter and vehicle expenses, as well as for manpower and related costs.

While organizations such as Botswana Rhino Conservation have good support in the way of manpower and physical assistance they are in dire need of money to pay for professional services, fuel and specialized equipment.  Visitors to Northern Botswana are encouraged to contribute to this vital undertaking, either directly at the BRC site Donate to Rhino Conservation or by supporting one or more of the BRC partners in the area.


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The following morning, I was up early to go on a mokoro outing along with the elephants.  Getting out on the sparkling clean water of the Delta is always a great experience and being able to do so alongside the Abu herd is even better.  In fact, it turned out to be one of my best outings yet at Abu Camp:  very intimate and close-up with the ellies, observing them walking through the water splashing and playing and enjoying the area.  A couple of the younger ones were occasionally just about totally submerged, diving and jostling with each other, while Kathy was lumbering through the water just a few meters away to my right. Later in the morning I flew back to Maun and then connected with Major Blue Air to Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikadi Pans.


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JACK’S CAMP, KALAHARI

Never having made it to Jack’s Camp until this trip, I was super amped to finally be there, to contextualize all those romantic photos I had seen over the years, and to substantiate all the fascinating stories and tales I had heard and read about.  It’s always a bit risky to actually step into such a highly romanticized place:  how is it ever going to live up to the promises?  Can it be as good as advertised?   I need not have been concerned.  Nothing can prepare you for your first visit to Jack’s Camp.  It starts with the location right on the edge of the massive Makgadikgadi Pan,  an archetypal desert outpost setting if there ever was one, complete with palm trees rustling in a warm breeze.   You don’t have to suspend your disbelief – much – as you step into the 1940’s, entering a romantic, long ago era.  The design, the rooms, the carpets, the Persian tea tent, the artifacts, they all work together to create a wonderful, one of a kind atmosphere.


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The simple but spacious tents, in my case a twin with two elevated beds, have teak furniture everywhere, with a wonderful Persian rug practically inviting you to take your shoes off and duck beneath the tasselled bed canopy for a well-deserved nap between activities. 

Jack’s Camp is all about mounds of pillows, oriental rugs, brass lamps, and low tables inviting you to sit down, cross your legs and enjoy the genteel atmosphere of bygone days.  A Pimms No. 1 cup cocktail with some smoked salmon and delicate cucumber sandwiches?  Of course.

The camp is slated for an extensive rebuild, to re-open some time in 2021, with much larger rooms, wood-burning stoves for the cool evenings and morning, and an overhead bed cooling system for the summer months.  The ensuite bathrooms will have both indoor and outdoor showers and each veranda will have a private plunge pool.  There will be a new, larger mess tent, the natural history museum will be retained, and it will be rounded off with a library, antique pool table and a well-stocked drinks chest. The iconic nomadic Persian tea tent will be made larger, whilst the swimming pool pavilion will be reimagined with the addition of a sun deck. A dedicated spa tent will be added.


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I can’t say that I was thrilled by the rather dimly lit tent which I returned to after dinner. Over the years, some visitors to Jack’s may have considered the storm lamps to be romantic, others – like me – might have been put off by the detectable smell of paraffin fumes.  Not that it bothered me that much, but I am a stickler for adequate lighting in any safari environment.  Poorly lit tent interiors pretty much guarantee a never-ending struggle with getting dressed and getting ready – almost always done when there isn’t sufficient ambient light.  

Dinner at Jack’s Camp was excellent.  The standard set menu (unless you had dietary requirements) was a superb curry dish with a tamarind infused sauce. The sides – which included roast potatoes – were just as good, as was the starter of butternut soup and the dessert, a rich lime tart.  I slept exceedingly well in the dry, cool desert night. 

The next morning was supposed to be all about the meerkats.   The planned activity was to spend time at one of Jack’s Camp’s habituated meerkat colonies.  As it turned out, we spent a bit too much time scouting around for lions which were present in the area, resulting in us getting to the meerkats just as they were leaving the den for the day,  dispersing into open scrub terrain where they spend much of their time, foraging for food. We were fortunate to get a few decent pics of the meerkat minders moving a few of the youngest babies from one chamber to another.


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As it turned out, the fruitless morning search for the lions was not an issue as we would have another crack at the meerkats, the following day.  That afternoon, we went out looking for the  lions but came up empty-handed once more.  Even so, it was quite an adventurous outing.  Late that afternoon,  just before sunset, we observed several brown hyenas in decent light and relatively close up.  We spent a good amount of time observing these beautiful, rarely seen creatures, the young ones being quite dog-like in appearance.  Back in camp, yet another tasty dinner was enjoyed by all, this time a rather peppery, nicely tender lamb shank.

The following morning, we were up early for a second visit to the meerkat colony. This time around, there were no ‘lion delays’ en route, so we were in place to see the meerkats emerging from the den at about 7:25 a.m.  Soon, there were several meerkats out and about in good light, including three babies. One of the youngsters went out with the clan into the veld, while the others remained behind. A future leader in the making, no doubt.


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MENO A KWENA, KALAHARI

From Jack’s Camp, we drove to the quirky Planet Baobab for a site inspection (great baobab forest!) and from there about two hours to Meno A Kwena camp on the banks of the Boteti River.  The Boteti forms the border of Makgadikgadi National Park.  The camp is built on a high bluff overlooking the river, providing an unusually good view in a country which is mostly just – flat.  

Later that afternoon I joined three other guests on a fascinating nature walk, with a small San family, hailing from a Botswana village on the country’s far western border with Namibia. The group led us on a 90 minute outing along a nature trail. The outing was interesting on several levels:  observing and listening to the San family members talking to each other and singing, in their spectacularly difficult-sounding language which is full of clicks, pops and other sound effects. Just the sounds of the five vowels alone, are astonishing.


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We enjoyed the friendly and engaging nature of all of the family members, with three of the young men being particularly animated and energetic.  We were very much cognizant of the fact that the lifestyle as embodied by this small group, exists only in a few and ever dwindling pockets in the remote desert areas of southern Africa. Their way of life and their very existence are on the line due to these gentle, harmless people being pushed out of their traditional areas and being marginalized in the process.

We observed – and participated to the degree that we were comfortable with – in an impromptu game, accompanied by much hilarity.  The group leader then showed us how to make a fire from scratch in about two minutes.  Not that we’d ever be able to emulate the feat.  Once the fire got going, it was time to dance!  We observed and marveled at their spontaneous and innocent joy of life, resolving to live in the moment more often.


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The following morning we were off on a peaceful boat cruise on the Boteti River, marred somewhat by  the presence of a rather ugly and dilapidated fence seemingly running right down the middle of the river. I was told that the fence was in the process of being taken down, to be rebuilt 50 meters  off the banks of the river, in order to put the entire river in the animal protected area. This sounded like a good move and we look forward to a return visit to the area to follow the progress.  

In next Friday’s blog:  we find ourselves back in the Okavango Delta, and then travel to the Linyanti area.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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A Visit to Northern Botswana


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A Visit to Northern Botswana

If going on safari in Africa is your idea of  heaven, then Botswana is nirvana.   A few days there and you’re in a  state of perfect happiness, in an idyllic place.  Africa’s single best safari destination, Botswana offers an unbeatable combination of abundant wildlife in a true wilderness setting, where you can explore the beautiful Okavango Delta in the morning, and go out on a game drive in search of elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and many other animals that same afternoon.


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We’ve been fortunate to visit Botswana many times over the last 30 years, but it never gets repetitive or less exciting than the first time.  Always a new experience, a unique observation of animal or bird behavior or interaction, a special circumstance, meeting new people, or reconnecting with old friends.  On our most recent visit last March, we spent a couple of nights at three different camps, namely Qorokwe in the south-eastern part of the Okavango Delta, Jao in the western Okavango Delta, and Mombo on Chief’s Island.


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QOROKWE CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

Our long-awaited first visit to Qorokwe, Wilderness Safaris’ newest camp in the Okavango Delta, did not disappoint.  For one thing, we were mightily pleased with the game-viewing which was excellent, with plenty of general plains game, and several special sightings.  Over the course of a couple of days exploring the area by road with our capable guide Jacob, we had some superb views of lions, cheetahs and several African wild cats, in the predator category.  Despite there being lots of casual water around – which means that animals such as buffaloes and elephants are dispersed – we saw a wide diversity of plains game including abundant giraffes, zebra, impalas and small groups of wildebeest and tsessebe.


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We were hoping to see cheetah and Jacob illustrated his exceptionally well-honed guiding skills in finding a coalition of two cheetah brothers.  Simply watching him in action was worth driving out to the distant pan where he thought they might be hanging out.   Initially,  Jacob heard a black-backed jackal making a racket and upon investigating the noise, we also found a hyena snooping around.  For at least 20 minutes or so we didn’t see anything else but Jacob stuck to his guns.  And then we swung around a stand of vegetation and there they were:  the two cheetah brothers lounging and rolling around in the open.  Skill plus perseverance resulting in a fantastic cheetah sighting! We also had one of our best sightings of an African wild cat, and saw a great thunderstorm in the distance, on the second afternoon.


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It appears that even in the green or low-demand season, the game viewing in the Qorokwe area – as in the adjacent Chitabe concession – is of such high quality that it will satisfy even the most demanding travelers. We would encourage visitors to spend at least 3 nights and perhaps even 4, in an area during the low-demand season.  The concessions are massive and there’s so much terrain to explore that two full days (three nights) in an area is really the minimum duration one should consider.


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Qorokwe camp itself is a fresh take on the classic tented safari camp.  At first glance quite modern and stylish, the expansive main area, lounge and dining area overlook a large open floodplain, likely inundated in the wet season.  We didn’t get to experience it, but a sunken fire-place in front of the lodge looks like a good spot to spend an hour or so on a cold winter night.


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Our room was quite large with lounge, bedroom and bathroom sections, artfully separated with plenty of space for unpacking or hanging items of clothing and other stuff.

Charge points were ample and ranged from USB points to the 3-point round South African plug points.

A ceiling and standing fan (with misting option) kept things tolerably cool inside the room despite the outside temperatures which spiked to 33C one day.

The food was good and nicely varied, with plenty of choices and ample in quantity.  We’re not huge fans of buffet dinners but Qorokwe makes the most of them with the dishes being particularly tasty and well prepared.  Breakfast/brunches were nice too.  The bar in the central area (which looked like a large leadwood log) made for a lively and attractive post game drive or pre-dinner drinks spot.


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If I had any issue at all, it would be that the dining area was too dark at night, making it difficult to see what you were eating.  Nothing major.

Overall the experience was excellent and made all the more so by the professional guiding skills of Jacob who seemed to find all the ‘special’ animals notably the big cats.  On our last morning we opted to stay in camp to get a bit of packing and other preparation done, only to hear that Jacob found the African Painted Dogs on that drive!  Never miss a game drive!


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JAO CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

Our two nights at Jao were as memorable and packed with fun and excitement as any of our safaris, ever. As big fans of the old Jao, we were somewhat apprehensive about seeing the rebuilt, all new Jao.  Our fears were quickly allayed.  The new Jao is spectacular!

It is certainly a major departure from the usual safari camp style, with soaring ceilings and stunning use of natural light.  The main lounge and dining room area is a veritable work of art, with striking design elements accentuating the vastness of the space.

The huge folding glass panels which enclose the space when needed, were mostly open for our meals (brunch and dinner), creating a pleasing indoor/outdoor feel.  Much of the property is elevated on a boardwalk which is as high as 5 meters in places, making for great views over the surrounding floodplains.


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Our suite at Jao was incredible:  simply massive with huge glass panels and screens making the most of the ambient light and fresh air.  In fact it got quite breezy inside the room once or twice.  

The room had all the expected amenities and conveniences, including a good sized tub, indoor and outdoor shower, two toilets, coffee and tea making facilities, ample storage space, and a large outdoor patio with a private plunge pool.


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Unusually for a Northern Botswana tented camp – perhaps a harbinger of what other properties should be doing – the room was effectively cooled by an energy-saving Climate Wizard evaporative cooling system.  Even with some unseasonably hot weather – well above 33 Celsius/91 Fahrenheit – the interior of the room was comfortable at all times and we never had an issue with heat.

For the colder winter months, there is also an environmentally friendly fireplace which burns pellets made from sawdust.


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The overall impression of Jao in its new iteration is one of modern, cutting edge design, with form and function in good balance.  Nothing seemed out of place or artificial.  The whole of it is pleasing to the eye and the subdued use of greys and light blues remove even the slightest hint of garishness.  One is left with simply an amazing visual impression.

The 2-bedroom villas (there are 2 of them) are more of the same, with two near identical huge rooms (practically the same size as the suites), joined by a central lounge and kitchen area.  There is also a private plunge pool and extensive outside decking.


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We spent some time at the gym on the treadmill, enjoying the setting right on the edge of a huge floodplain.  The highly acclaimed Jao spa, which is tucked away under a grove of African ebony trees overlooking the floodplain, offers a full range of spa therapies and massage treatments.

Jao is 100% solar-operated, with energy drawn from one of the largest lithium-ion battery banks in Southern Africa.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game-viewing at Jao – which is not known as a game hotspot – was as good as anywhere we’d been on the trip.  In a matter of a day and a half we enjoyed several superb sightings with our friendly and capable guide Jakes.  On the first afternoon we were enthralled by the antics of two young leopard cubs (a brother and sister), and we had our overall best lion sighting of the trip.  On this occasion we spent the better part of an hour with two female lions with two sets of young cubs, with the two dominant males in the area as well, plus all of the other usual suspects including elephants, zebras, impala, a sitatunga, some nice herds of lechwe and more.


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MOMBO

Our fourth visit to Mombo started with a bang, just like the ones of previous years.  Within 20 minutes of the start of our first game drive, we were watching a female leopard and her cub up in a dead tree stump.  The cub repeatedly tried to one-up its mother, crawling past and over her, and sometimes clumsily falling down a log.  Mombo is special.  We’ve known that all along, but it was great to see that Mombo could deliver, even in the low demand season with thick vegetation everywhere.

Certainly, we had never seen so many elephants in and around Mombo.  There were small breeding herds all over the place and one morning the place seemed to have been overrun by an influx of huge bull elephants.


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Kathy and I loved the spacious new rooms with large patios, making for great views of the animals in the floodplain.  The food at Mombo was delicious and made dining a very special experience.  We were thrilled to spend some time chatting with the friendly, Zimbabwean-born Mombo Executive chef, Tonderai Chipfupi, who gave us a little insight on the daily menu options.  In fact, all of the Mombo staff were wonderful and they made us feel very comfortable and at home.


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We were in tent #2 which was terrific, but we did have a bit of ‘tent envy’ when we learned that our neighbors in room #1 had an elephant visit regularly and drink from their splash pool. It turned out that  their pool was a lot closer to the ground than ours, making it convenient for the elephants. Oh well…  We did enjoy the splash pool and deck while watching the animals in the floodplain.  One thing Mombo lacks is an evaporative cooling system in the rooms, like the ones at Jao.  We did take advantage of the air-conditioning in the gym when we went for a workout.


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Our fantastic guide Rogers got us into the right spots for some memorable sightings including great views of a male ostrich showing off with his mating dance.  It was most entertaining.  We watched the male ostrich run towards the female and then stop about 20 feet away, squat down while waving his beautiful black feathered wings and dancing like crazy! And success – it paid off.   We also enjoyed following a young female leopard returning to her young cub hidden in the bush – it turned out to be an enthralling experience.  Another great sighting initially looked like 4 lions lying down in tall grass but after further inspection it turned out to be a total of 10 lions partially hidden in the grass, watching a large herd of elephants.   We still have no idea how Rogers found a well hidden hyena den with a few young and skittish hyenas. 


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On the last evening we were to be collected at our room and escorted to the boma dinner.  The wait ended up being a bit longer than usual, because our guide and the party from tent #1 were running late due to the pride of 10 lions we had seen earlier, marching through camp right under their room. When you experience a ‘lion delay’ you know that you are at Mombo! We thought the boma dinner and entertainment was exceptional and it was obvious the staff was having a wonderful time which made it even more memorable for the guests.


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We were scheduled to leave Mombo for Maun and then fly to Johannesburg on March 17th which was just in the nick of time as South Africa closed its borders on March 18th.  Covid-19 was rearing its ugly head.  The last night in camp ended up being quite emotional, particularly when listening to the staff’s moving rendition of ‘Beautiful Botswana’.  Looking around at the other guests and the staff members, I wondered what the future had in store for all of us.  We knew that Mombo and all the other Botswana camps would be closing in a matter of days, with an unknown future re-opening date.  With the exception of a small group of care-takers, the staff would be heading home.  People would be losing jobs and conservation programs would be affected in a negative way.  We didn’t know it then, but the entire Botswana tourism industry would come to a standstill from which it has yet to emerge.  As of the time of writing, we expect international travel to Botswana to resume around September/October 2020.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Then & Now


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Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Then & Now

My first trip to the Okavango Delta – like all the subsequent ones – was quite unforgettable.  Arriving in Maun on a rainy day in February 1990, I was asked to while away some time in the Duck Inn, a dive bar adjacent to the tiny 2-roomed Maun Airport terminal.  Our destination bush airstrip was waterlogged, and it would take several hours to become operational. The Duck Inn was a perfect hangout, jammed with what appeared to be character actors from a movie set.  Bush pilots, business types, hunters, professional guides, safari operators, a few back-packers and a smattering of tourists. For a first timer like me, it was all rather mysterious, even intriguing. Even before I had set a foot into the wilderness beyond, I knew that this trip would change my life forever.

And so it was.  That first trip into the Delta took on a dream-like tenor, with one new experience piled onto another, something new and different happening every day.

Flying from one camp to another in a bush plane, being treated like a truly honored guest everywhere, meeting the most wonderful people running the safari camps.  I was simply bowled over and could hardly wait to get up in the mornings, eager to experience what the next day had in store for me.


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I was a serious bird-watcher back then and with my guide Fish Motokwaba – who was  guiding at Xugana – I added more than 30 new bird species to my Southern Africa list.  In a matter of days. Simply stupendous. Of course, we were also going out on game drives and seeing amazing wildlife, walking on the islands, doing a little fishing for bream, and finding ourselves in the most beautiful of surroundings.  Another first was a boating trip on a sturdy aluminum skiff, the skipper expertly steering the craft along a bewildering maze of channels, to emerge in a huge lagoon edged by a dense stand of papyrus. Along the way we scraped bottom once or twice and dodged a hippo which popped up in the middle of the channel.  That afternoon outing had a distinct ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ flavor, just without the bad guys. Not surprisingly, boating is still one of my favorite activities in the Delta.

The remarkable thing is that now – 30 years later – I feel exactly like that, every time I return to the Delta.  I have a little more knowledge about what lies ahead on a day to day basis, but it does not diminish the anticipation or the enjoyment.  The only difference between that very first trip in 1989 and my most recent one in March 2020? I’ve run out of new birds to see. The excitement and wonder, the sense of exploration and adventure, the sheer fun – all still there.


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Best time to travel to the Delta?

We want our guests to experience the Delta just like that.  So whether it will be your first trip there, or you’re returning a second or fifth time, we are here to help you choose the perfect combination of areas, experiences, types of camps and to help you decide on the best time of the year – for you.    The best time for game-viewing is generally from about June through the end of October, the dry season. Visibility is good due to sparse vegetation and many animals are concentrated near remaining sources of fresh water. Predators have the upper hand, particularly towards the end of the dry season.  May through August is the cool, dry time of the year with sometimes chilly mornings around the mid-30’s Fahrenheit, warming up to perhaps the low 80’s F. by mid-afternoon.


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There’s a lot to be said for the low demand season from January through March, when rates are at their lowest.  In addition to attractive pricing, there are lots of baby animals around, predators are active, birds are in breeding plumage and there’s generally fewer other people around.  Keen photographers will appreciate the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets (with some clouds around), the beautiful green backdrop everywhere, and the herbivores being in tip-top condition due to the abundance of grass and other vegetation.  Intermittent thunderstorms – usually in the afternoons – may occasionally impact a game drive or other activity, but the average total monthly rainfall in Northern Botswana is relatively low (around 4 inches or so per month) by almost any standard.


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The Annual Flood

The month of April heralds the onset of the annual flood in the Okavango Delta. Flying into the Delta when the flood is coming in, is a singularly interesting experience on many levels.  Seeing its glistening tentacles spread out over the flat, sandy terrain from the air, like a giant wet spider web.  Listening to everyone at the safari camps talk about its status, speculate about its height and reach, preparing for its impact in terms of bridges to be built, roads to be closed, boats to be readied.  Better yet, seeing it for yourself close-up as it almost imperceptibly creeps into gullies and channels, seemingly overnight filling up vast floodplains which had stood barren for months.


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At almost every Okavango Delta camp, from April through August or so, there are opportunities galore to explore this freshwater wonderland.  Mokoro (a dugout canoe) trips going out to find the secretive Sitatunga antelope in the reedbeds, boating jaunts to experience the singular delight of navigating the labyrinth of rivers, channels, lagoons and islands.  All the while watching out for hippo and crocodile – and with luck a Cape Clawless Otter. Listening out for the shrill call of the kingfishers, observing colorful painted reed frogs hardly bigger than a thumbnail. Almost certainly seeing a bunch of African Fish Eagles – they are abundant – and with luck a Pel’s Fishing Owl.  You’ll marvel at the sight of elephants, giraffes, and herds of sometimes hundreds of Red Lechwe splashing through the water. Anything is possible and you may bump into some of the big cats or experience the ultimate thrill – seeing a pack of African Painted Dogs on the hunt.


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Getting There

How do you get to the Okavango Delta?  You are likely to arrive into your first camp by air, on a bush plane, usually from Maun, the northern Botswana town which is the gateway to the Delta.  Maun is reachable by air from Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Another entry point is Kasane, on the border with Zimbabwe. If you were to combine a Botswana trip with either Zimbabwe or Zambia, you’re likely to enter or depart via Kasane.   On a recent trip, our afternoon flight to Vumbura Plains Camp in the northern part of the Delta, was a short hop in a Cessna 208, also known as a Caravan. In this far-flung corner of northern Botswana, a flight of just 20 minutes can get you right into the wilderness, as far as you could be from civilization as we know it.  No ambient noise, no power lines, no fences, no public or any other kind of road, no cell towers and the most amazing stars in the evening sky.


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The Okavango Delta is remote, and in a camp such as Vumbura the sense of being away from it all, really hits home. This is the end of the line, about as far as you can go, and you’ll quickly realize it.  The Vumbura area, which is close to the Okavango’s outermost dry sandveld, consists of open floodplain with ribbons of riverine vegetation, dotted with woodland-covered islands. From the air, we could see that there were quite a few elephants around, and our afternoon game drive took us very close to a beautiful herd of Sable antelope. As antelopes go, Sable is probably the handsomest of them all, with Gemsbok (Oryx) a close second, I would think. There was one male in the herd which had a simply magnificent pair of horns, swept back almost to the point of absurdity. A bit later in the afternoon, just as the sun was setting, we came across a good-sized herd of buffalo, partially obscured in their own dust-cloud. Surely there could not have been a better setting for sundowner drinks: just us and the buffalo, dust and silence until a few pesky elephants crashed the party and moved across our line of sight, passing right in front of the setting sun.

We are always available for advice and insight about the Okavango Delta and other areas in Northern Botswana like the Moremi, Chobe, and the Kalahari, and how they may best be combined with Mashatu in south-eastern Botswana, or with one of the neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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