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Okavango Delta Safari Trip Report

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Okavango Delta Safari Trip Report

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Old May 25th, 2009, 12:24 PM
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Okavango Delta Safari Trip Report

Part 1
I returned a few days ago from an incredible safari to 3 camps in the Okavango Delta – Sandibe, Baines and Mapula. It was my first trip to Africa and this adventure exceeded my already high expectations and fulfilled every hope and dream I had for what I wanted to experience. From talking to more experienced safari-goers I met on the trip, I think I was very lucky in my animal sightings – 34 mammals, over 100 birds, assorted other critters in only 8 nights. Multiple leopard sightings at all 3 camps, wild dogs at 2 (including an impala kill!), big male lions and 4 of the big 5 (no rhinos where I went) spotted within 24 hours of arriving at the first camp. I also did the Elephant Experience at Baines Camp and visited the De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary northwest of J-burg on the return leg.

Before going further, I want to praise Bill Given, (PredatorBiologist on Fodor’s), who put the trip together for me. He was knowledgeable, informative, suggestive and helpful throughout the complicated process of narrowing down options, deciding where to go and which camps to choose. I consider myself to be a somewhat intrepid traveler, but the intricate logistics involved in this trip, combined with traveling solo, made me somewhat apprehensive. Every aspect of the arrangements went off like clockwork and it really could not have been easier thanks to Bill’s thorough planning and comprehensive briefing. I am amazed at the myriad of people, flights and vehicles involved in shuttling hundreds of guests around this remote part of the world on a daily basis. For me at least, it all worked perfectly and I feel lucky to have found Bill and highly recommend his services.

The 18 hour direct flight on SAA (Washington/Dakar/J-burg) was brutal but uneventful in both directions. After arrival around 5:30 PM local time, I had an overnight at the Peermont Metcourt near the airport. Very nice, clean, comparatively inexpensive (if non-descript) hotel with a free, 10 minute, airport shuttle. I also stayed there the night before returning to the States. Next morning it was off to Maun on Air Botswana – new 80 seat prop plane, nice views of the Kalahari from the air, and a transfer to one of the dozens of little Cessnas lined up to ferry people to the various camps. Very scenic flight over the delta.

The routine at all 3 lodges was similar: early wake up call (usually 6:00 AM – to African drums), meet for light breakfast ½ hour later, off on an activity (mostly game drives, but bush walk and mekoro were offered at all 3 camps I visited and power boat excursions were available at Baines and Sandibe), stop for tea or coffee, back to camp by 11:00ish, a big brunch, siesta, 3:30 high tea - usually including a variety of hot and cold dishes, sweets etc., evening activity including a stop for sundowners – a most wonderful practice which always included an open bar featuring local beers, South African wines, assorted spirits, biscuits etc. - all enjoyed at a beautiful setting overlooking a watering hole, river bend or other scenic spot, then back to camp for a sumptuous dinner. (You will not starve on safari.) By this time each night I was so tired that I crawled off to bed immediately after the meal was over, to get ready to do it all again the next day.
To be continued...
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Old May 25th, 2009, 12:25 PM
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Part 2:
The 3 lodges each had a different feel, but all were special in their own way. The staffs at each could not have been more friendly or solicitous, and no request was met with anything other than “yes” or “of course”! Each room was an open air bungalow with screened views to the beautiful surroundings, very comfortable beds and there were (working) hot and cold running water and showers, flush toilets and clean linens. There was at least one electric outlet available in the rooms at Sandibe and Baines, none in Mapula.

The concentration of animals that I saw was best at Sandibe. There were many more hoofed animals sighted than at the other camps, including ubiquitous herds of impala, many red lechwe, tsessebe, giraffe, wildebeest, varieties of bucks (bush, reed, water), boks (steen, spring), kudu, warthog, frequent hippo sightings and a good sized group of Cape buffalo. Other smaller mammals includedat one point or another: civet, bat eared fox, African wild cat, genet, serval, scrub and spring hare, slender mongoose and bush baby. We were amazed to spot a female leopard less than an hour into the first game drive, and the next morning we went back to watch her consuming an impala she had brought up to a tree, this time with a hyena at the base of the tree hoping for scraps to drop. Following that, guide Tshabo (pronounced “Sahbo”) and tracker KB amazed us by following tracks, bent grasses and other signs for about 90 minutes, rewarding us with an extended stay within 30 feet of 2 big male lions with beautiful, healthy black manes.

The highlight of Sandibe was finding a pack of 13 wild dogs on my last evening at the camp. 2 of them were returning from a kill with bloody faces and the rest crowded around them, performing what Tshabo called “the ceremony” – avidly licking the face of the returning hero. After they had settled down for a bit and dispersed somewhat, one of the dogs started vocalizing, seeming to be somewhat agitated. Just then a male impala, running at top speed, crossed directly in front of our vehicle with several of the dogs in hot pursuit! We followed them and missed actually seeing them take the impala down, but we arrived only seconds later and watched the pack devour it. It was over in less than 10 minutes. We then heard from the other Sandibe truck that they had discovered a hyena with what was apparently the remains of an impala stolen from the first 2 dogs and watched the hyena finish this prize off as the sun went down. A reasonably interesting hour on safari! I wasn’t able to film the chase, but have video of the ceremony, dog vocalizing, pack consuming the impala and the hyena eating the impala too.

Baines Camp was the most upscale of the 3 camps, with large accommodations and a bed that rolled out onto the deck so you could sleep under the stars. I took advantage of this both nights I was there. The night sky in the Okavango is truly a revelation. I could not believe how brilliant and numerous the stars were. The Milky Way gleams crystal clear across the vast openness. At one point I woke up in the middle of the night wondering what light I had left on that was so bright I almost had to squint. I looked up and realized it was the waning half moon shining down, brighter than my night light!

I visited Baines Camp in order to do the activity with the 3 orphaned Elephants and was not disappointed. It is not a “wild” experience as such. These gentle giants are clearly well trained, but it was a fascinating opportunity to get close to an animal that is usually very shy in the wild. I came away with a new appreciation for their beauty, intelligence and highly developed emotional and cognitive abilities.

After Baines I flew to Mapula, one of the northernmost delta lodges. This camp has a very homely, family oriented feel and is rustic in the best sense of the word. It is less upscale than Sandibe or Baines, but the facilities were every bit as good as the others (best showers of the 3 camps) and the food was excellent. It is on a huge concession that had a lot of water due to the recent high flood levels, some areas were out of reach and the grass was particularly high, so large animal sightings were more spread out and took a bit more effort. Still, a long visit with a leopard, several big breeding herds of elephants, quality time watching a troop of baboons, the usual incredible bird life and rooms overlooking a lagoon from which hippos and elephants were regularly visible made for a most enjoyable 2 days.
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Old May 25th, 2009, 12:27 PM
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Part 3:
On the bush flight to Maun, the pilot was nice enough to fly low (500 feet), allowing me some great video of the delta in all its lush green flooded glory. My South African Air flight to the U.S. was scheduled at 5:30 PM, so on Thursday I had most of a free day. I used it to tour the De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary northwest of Johannesburg. Like the elephants at Baines, not a truly wild experience, but the work they do there is important in the efforts to breed and reintroduce the cheetah, wild dog and other endangered species. It also gives you a chance to get up close to and even touch their “ambassador” (acclimated to humans) cheetahs, and to see how the large facility works and be closer to the other animals living there than is likely in the wild. Well worth a look.

Some random thoughts:
- The time of year made for very chilly mornings and evenings. I was told to bring layers, but wished I had made the extra effort to bring a heavier coat with a hood. Still, the weather was near perfect – sunny, cloudless days, clear nights, low humidity, occasional gentle breezes. But the temperatures swung from around 45F to 85F on a typical day, and the wind from driving around in the safari vehicles can cut through you. Even with layered clothing, ponchos, blankets and sometimes even hot water bottles, I was cold a good deal of the time on morning and evening drives.
- Side benefit of the cool weather – a remarkably bug-free trip. There were occasional clouds of small, non-stinging flies in watery areas, and you come back from a mekoro ride through the reeds covered in spider fluff, but I was not bitten by anything. There were numerous large black wasps in each of my rooms. Reports were that their sting could be painful, but they were not aggressive and when they grew too numerous for my taste, succumbed to the “Doom” bug spray offered in all my rooms.
- Though not exactly hard work, this kind of trip takes a lot of “inertia”. Long overseas and domestic flights, spending 8 to 10 hours a day driving around chasing after wildlife, often bouncing truly off-road or traversing through deep water is not everyone’s idea of fun. Throw in the effort required to move your possessions from camp to camp every few days, and I came back feeling very glad that I had a couple of days to unwind before heading back to work.
- The pervasive smell of wild sage and basil everywhere was an unexpected bonus.
- The staff singing on arrival and at some dinners was a beautiful, moving experience.

All in all I could not be happier with the overall experience, the choice of Botswana and the delta for my first safari and the particular lodges I visited. Here’s what I wrote in my journal on my last night:

“Safari is:
- Exhilarating
- Intense
- Exhausting
- Thrilling
- Relaxing
- Suspenseful
- Grueling
- Tranquil
- Fulfilling
- Thought provoking
- An experience for all 5 senses
- Humbling
- Joyful
- Challenging
- Awe-inspiring”

It really is all these things and more. If anyone has questions or wants more details, please feel free to PM me. I’ll post a link to pictures and video as soon as I can whittle the dozens of gigabytes of media I brought back.

Rich
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Old May 25th, 2009, 01:14 PM
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I'm glad your trip exceeded your expectations. Thanks for posting so quickly after your return. (I know that even though you are here physically I imagine a big part of you is still on safari!)
I'm looking forward to photos and video.
Did you spend your time on the long flight back planning your next trip?
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Old May 25th, 2009, 01:22 PM
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I thoroughly enjoyed your trip report, especially the Sandibe portion, since we were there in 2007 and also had Tsabo (sp) as our guide. He was wonderful and while we weren't lucky enough to find the wild dogs while we were there, Tsabo gave us the first (and only) kill we've witnessed (a lion cub and lioness killing a warthog). We loved the staff at Sandibe and your report brought back many wonderful memories. I'm very happy that your first safari was everything you wished it would be. I can't wait to see your photos and videos!

Debbie
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Old May 25th, 2009, 02:28 PM
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Rich, this sounds like you had an amazing trip. We recently were at three camps in Botswana, and it was fun to compare your notes to mine. I look forward to the photos as well.
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Old May 26th, 2009, 06:54 PM
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Your list of words sums it up well and your sightings back it up. Thanks for sharing a great trip.
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Old May 27th, 2009, 06:58 PM
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Sounds like a great trip, and lots of stellar animals -- leopard, dogs, serval, wild cat. Whereabouts in DC area are you? (Reston for me)
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Old May 28th, 2009, 02:24 AM
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Thanks for the kind words and responses. By the way - I meant "homey" not "homely" to describe Mapula! Sorry about that.

Rickmck - I'm in Columbia - the other big planned community in the DC area.
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Old May 28th, 2009, 03:22 PM
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What a terrific trip. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I would love to visit Botswana someday! You had some great sightings, some unusual animals that many people never see even after multiple safaris.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the elephant encounter at Baines Camp? How long did it last, and what did you do? it sounds like you thought it was worth the expense...
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Old May 29th, 2009, 06:29 AM
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I'm off to Chobe/Moremi/Okavango on the 20th June, so it's great to hear up to date news on sightings and weather, plus your very interesting views, commentary and top tips. Many thanks!
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Old May 30th, 2009, 05:11 AM
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RE: The Elephant Experience
I was driven out to the area where the 3 elephants live (they are not penned, and although trained, they can come and go wherever/whenever they want). I was lucky to have only 2 other people with me, but they take as many as 10 or 12 at a time I think. Besides Doug, you're accompanied by guides from the camps and a couple of handlers who work with the elephants. Doug comes to meet you while you're about 50 yards away from the elephants and talks a little about their history, behaviors, physiology and a little pychology. Then he brings you over to meet them. After they have a chance to acclimate to your presence, Doug brings them over to you one elephant at a time. You get a chance to touch them and examine their features and of course get all the photos and video you want. Then you go for a short bush walk with them. In our case they chose to visit a watering hole, have a drink and a little mud splash. (Not sure if this is a regular place they visit - I assume so.) You end up at a shaded little clearing where the Baines/Stanley staff is preparing a hot lunch and have a picnic while elephants have their lunch of Marula and Acacia branches and hay. After lunch, Doug had 2 of the elephants show us their ability to make different vocalizations. (When you're 3 feet from an elephant trumpeting, it is LOUD!) Then they kiss you (not kidding) and wave goodbye, and you hop in your waiting vehicle from either Stanley's or Baines and head back to camp.

The whole thing lasts about 3 1/2 hours. As I said in my post, the experience is very different from the game drives - these are obviously not truly wild animals any more, though they are free (the male elephant apparently went on a 5 week walkabout at one point and they were not sure he would return, but he did). But where else are you going to get this kind of intimate (very intimate - one female will let you touch her nipple - soft as velvet!) experience with this astoundingly large animal? The money helps protect elephants and endangered species and is (to my knowledge) a one-of-a-kind experience. I think it's worth it.
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Old May 30th, 2009, 05:28 AM
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Totally enjoyed your report. Botswana was our first safari experience, too - and Sandibe our first camp back in May 2004. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

We're headed back in October to different parts of the country, along with Namibia and Zimbabwe.
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