Being part of the bush and not just an observer - what a wonderful idea. I hope it all turned out well.

Momliz:

Yes, it really did work out well! At Chittabe Trails, in particular, we stayed in Tent number 1, the honeymoon tent, which is farthest out from the main tent. Talk about being part of the bush! It was absolutely amazing! We had a marilla (sp?) tree right outside our tent, and it turns out that elephants love this nut! Day and night, we had elephants right outside our tent, eating nuts, tearing bark and breaking branches, vocalizing and moving about. Several times, we had to wait for them to leave before we could go to the main tent, as they were right at our walkway. I fell asleep to the sounds of elephants moving about, and more than once, we had elephants literally surrounding us on all sides.

And then there were the baboons! They spent time at our tent, too, barking and fighting, using our roof as a trampoline! And, one night, as I was falling asleep, I heard an amazingly loud hissing sound, four times in a row, which as it turns out, was a cobra!!

Yes, I felt as if we were truly part of the bush, not just observers! It was marvelous, amazing, and magical!

Lisa

Lisa,

Was it a marula tree? That's where amarula comes from.

Those elephants have good taste.

CW

Lisa, that sounds just wonderful! Did you feel that you saw what you wanted, that your wildlife viewing wasn't lessened by the time of year? We will be travelling next year in mid - late March, the 12th through the 26 more or less, since that's when we can afford it, and the kids have spring break. It should be green, lush and beautiful, and we will be able to hear well, but what will we see?

But, thanks so much for helping me put into words one of the main things that I am looking for: an overall sensory experience! Northern Botswana sounds absolutely magnificent - huge and wild - and I think that our trip will be way more than seeing the animals, although that is the main reason we are going. I would far prefer to be out in the wilderness, without fences in a tent.

CW: Yes, it was a marula tree. I knew my spelling left a lot to be desired!

Momliz: You will see plenty of game! We saw just about everything one could wish for: leopard, lion, hippo, elephant, buffalo, rhinos (in South Africa), kudu, impala, tsesebe, red lechwe, porcupine, wild dogs!, bushbaby, warthog, an amazing array of birdlife, blue wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, and a host of other wildlife! So much to even list! It was amazing, and the combination of camps we chose in the Okavango worked out perfectly. What we didn't see at Chittabe Trails, we saw at Vumbura Plains! I feel we were very fortunate, indeed, and I must attribute this to the excellence of our guides.

You will have plenty of sightings next year; of course, nothing can be promised as weather and the flood play a role in what we see, but I think you will find that the Okavango is a wonderful and vibrant experience for all of the senses!

Lisa

i just posted on Botswana but if anyone is out there, i would love to find out the itinerary you did for march, what safari camps, how long you stayed and what you liked or would have changed. Thank you! [email protected]