The next day came early because we had to get up at 4:45am to be ready for our pickup at 5:15am. Livingstone Tours was the safari guide that would be taking us on this journey through Botswana and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. They arrived promptly on time and to our surprise there were only going to be a total of 4 of us, including our guide, for the first week. Aside from Liz and I, there was one girl from Holland named Aniekh and our South African born guide/driver/cook Andre. Our entire first day was dedicated to about 11 hours of driving up into Botswana and making it to the city Nata. The campsite we stopped at that night was called Elephant Sands and Andre made it known that it was called this for a reason: elephants were known to wander through the camp grounds (as indicated by all the trees that had been knocked over within the campsite). Not thinking we would be so lucky as to see one, we set up camp and sat around the campfire to have a beer and relax after the long day of driving. The dinner bell sounded and we walked over to see an amazing buffet spread of steaks, potatoes, salads, fresh rolls, and other items and we took full advantage. While at dinner everyone suddenly turned their heads and began to point at something by the pool and upon getting closer we saw a massive male elephant sucking up water from the campground swimming pool. As we all stood there in amazement staring at this animal no more than 30 feet away from us some people were dumb enough to take pictures with their flash on which can easily agitate them. He stayed there for a good few minutes before finally walking away and we decided that Andre had been telling the truth after all. We went to sleep early because we had another early wake up and more driving to make it to Maun, which would be our last stopover before heading into the Okavango Delta.
We reached Maun in the early afternoon and set up camp in a much less eye-appealing campsite, but one that had a nearby crocodile farm and a volleyball court as well. After lunch we headed over to the crocodile farm to see literally hundreds if not thousands of crocodiles living in their own filth and so cramped that they walked on top of each other. They had several different cage areas that separated the crocodiles by size and it was a sight to see. The most savage part of the farm was when it came to feeding time: they fought each other to try and get to the disgusting meal. The farm worker fed them by throwing shovels full of chicken heads into their enclosures and from there it was a free-for-all for which crocs would eat. At one point one croc had grabbed another’s arm and they began barrel rolling across the backs of other crocs in a vicious battle. Later, we saw the croc who had been attacked missing half an arm. It was not the most humane animal farm we had visited but it was how they ran things there. We got to see some of their larger crocs as well and their biggest one made it up to 6.5 meters (About 20 feet) and was 86 years old, and apparently they can live to be over 180 years. The rest of the day was comprised of playing a friendly game of volleyball and having a traditional South African dish, Bunny Chow, for dinner which is similar to chili and served in a bread bowl, and very delicious. We went to bed early again as the next day we were off to the Okavango Delta.
Crocodile Farm
We took an open air vehicle from our campsite out to the Delta which was about 3 hours and at 7:00am it was freezing in the open air. The vehicle was made for any type of terrain: deep sand, small trees, and river crossings. From our drop off point we loaded all our stuff onto Mokoros (dug out canoes) and had a 2 hour cruise to our campsite. The mokoros were a fun way to travel as the driver would stand on the back of the boat and push off the ground with a big stick to drive the mokoro forward. Andre did his best to scare us going into it as he claimed that 40-50 spiders would most likely fall on us because they cling to the reeds that we would be knocking in our boat, but fortunately it was not the case; I only had 1 fall on me. As we neared our campground we heard a large animal growl/snort and by the sound of it, it was very close. Our driver informed us that it was a hippo and that we did not want to see it by any means…otherwise it may decide to attack since we were most likely in its territory…very reassuring. We saw the hippo about 100 yards away and were far enough away that it probably could not even see us so that was a relief. We made it to the campsite a few minutes later and set up camp. This would be our most rugged camping as there was no electricity or running water which meant just a hole in the ground would be our toilet for 2 days…Liz was the most excited about that news. That evening we went on a bush walk with our Okavango guide named Kalos and were not as lucky as we had hoped. It was exciting to try and do some real animal tracking following footprints and such but when it came to actually seeing animals we did not see a thing. It was quite depressing but we realized that it could only get better from there and that the next morning we would surely have better luck when it was coolest and animals would be on the move. We had a tasty beef stew and rice for dinner and played some cards after before heading to bed.
In the Mokoros
Our morning bush walk was at 6:45am and this time we had slightly better luck. We came upon a pack of zebra as well as several wildebeest and impala, all of which were at a bit of a distance away. We also saw a couple ostriches running away from us as they heard us coming and a crocodile along the edge of the Delta catching some sun. At this point we realized that the Delta was more about the scenery and the feeling of being out in nature rather than seeing hundreds of animals in an all-out battle while we had front row seats (like I had initially imagined). That evening we went on a “Sunset Cruise” in the mokoro and while making our rounds we saw 2 huge elephants in the distance that our guide made sure to row over to and track them. We hopped out of the mokoro and followed them for a bit and did our best to stay hidden as elephants not used to seeing humans are more likely to charge you compared to the one we saw at Elephant Sands. It was a great site and a pleasant unexpected surprise as we had already accepted defeat in the animal sightings category. The sunset out in the Delta was unbelievably impressive and even more so than the more famed ones on Santorini, Greece so this evening was a great bonus for us before leaving the next morning to head back to Maun.
The final morning we did one last game walk and saw much of the same stuff as we did the previous morning, but with one twist. As we were making our way back down the path that we had originally taken to start the walk our guide stopped and looked at the ground. We took some time to examine the print below him and told us that a lion had recently been through there at a running pace based on the space between the prints. We asked him how he knew and he said that they were not there when we began the walk so within that hour’s time we were out a lion had crossed our exact path…kind of scary considering what may have happened if we had actually run into him. We considered tracking him but we were too short on time and had to get back soon to pack up camp and get on the road.
Open air vehicle
We took the mokoro back to where we boarded them 2 days before and took the same open air vehicle back to the same campsite we stayed at in Maun. The rest of the day was a time to relax and have a hot shower as we were all getting a bit grimy after not having showered for a few days. We played some more volleyball and some cards that evening until heading to bed as we would be heading back to Elephant Sands again in Nata to meet up with 9 more people that would be joining us for the remainder of our safari up to Victoria Falls.
We made it to Nata mid afternoon and set up camp. The 4 of us were playing cards and waiting for the others to arrive when another huge male elephant wandered up to the campground and began drinking from the pool. Only Liz, Aniekh, and I were out by the pool to really see it as it walked up and as I tried to get a bit closer to get a good picture I saw it turn and shake its head at me…which is a big warning sign to back off as I was invading its territory. I took a few steps back and the big fella seemed content enough, but it was such an amazing site because this time it was in the daylight and you really got to see just how massive this animal really is up close. Dinner began and the others had not shown up yet and it then became known that their van had gotten stuck in the sand leading up to the campgrounds (apparently their driver sucked and he gets stuck every time going to Elephant Sands). They made it out and came to set up camp after they just had their 11 hour driving day from Johannesburg which we could sympathize with how crappy that day is.
Elephant Sands campsite
Having a drink from the pool
As they joined us for dinner we told them of the earlier elephant sighting and they were definitely bummed they missed it, but almost on cue everyone began pointing again to the pool and we saw a family of elephants (2 kids and a mother) head up towards the campsite and all go to the pool. The 3 of them stood there for about 10 minutes, all taking huge trunks full of water (8 liters per gulp) to the point where the pool pump was no longer under water. The rest of the night we got acquainted with each other. We added 2 Canadians (Heather and Julianna), 2 Americans (Josh and Reka), 2 Italians (Stefano and Gabriela), 2 Dutch (Cesana and Kirsten), and 1 English woman (“T” for Therese). We all went to sleep early as everyone was beat. At 1:30am I awoke to what sounded like very heavy breathing from something that sounded huge. I made sure that it was not Liz just breathing heavy and I began to wonder what on earth what right outside my tent. I made sure not to even flinch for the next few minutes as the breathing sounded like an elephant like 5 feet outside my tent. The last thing I wanted to do was startle it and have it trample us so I made sure to not make a sound. I then began to hear large footsteps walking away from the tent and felt a sigh of relief until about 10 minutes later I heard them again come back. Terrified and nervous I did my best to calm down and just go to sleep and fortunately it worked. The next morning our guide Andre claimed to be the elephant I heard but I chose not to believe him as he was known for lying to us and everyone else found it more entertaining that Andre was the man behind it rather than an actual elephant.
We headed for Chobe National Park that next day where we would get the chance to do some real game drives and hopefully spot some, if not all, of the Big 5. We got there mid afternoon and set up camp before boarding another open air vehicle and going on our first game drive. Everyone else on the safari had already been to Kruger Park and seen most of the Big 5 and even one incident where an elephant charged their car (cool video footage). Within minutes of entering the park we could see herds of elephants out in the distance, groups of submerged hippos in the water, giraffes roaming within 20 yards of the car, and countless impala and baboons all over. It was an amazing site as this entire park looked like the ultimate animal wonderland. As far as you could see were open marsh lands mixed with dense bush and scattered trees. We continued to drive along the edge of the water and came up close and personal with packs of baboons which are very interesting to watch: the baby baboons will run and hop on their parents’ backs, groom each other, and even some playful wrestling which made these guys fun to watch. Upon making our way up further away from the water’s edge we came across a pack of elephants that were headed right for our car en route to cross the road we were parked on. They came within about 10 feet of the car and seemed plenty comfortable with the fact that we were all right there with them but causing no threat. The drive ended with seeing an amazing sunset going down at the opposite side of the park we were at which casted a glow across all the watering holes throughout the park. We had a delicious steak and sausage BBQ that night and took some time to get to know the new guys who joined our group the night before. Bedtime came early again because we had another game drive the following morning at 5:30am.
Chobe National Park
The morning was absolutely freezing…the sun had not yet begun to rise and there were absurdly strong winds as we boarded the open air vehicle. The winds did not let up through the entire drive making it an absolutely miserable experience. Sand was constantly blowing in our faces and getting in our eyes for 3 hours all while freezing the entire time. To make matters worse, we saw only a few animals because they tend to hide when it’s too windy. The highlight of this morning drive was our spotting wild dogs which are a rare sight for most people and it appeared that they had recently got a kill and were taking turns feeding. Aside from this brief moment of rare appreciation, the drive was very rough for everyone all around because of the weather. Upon returning we had a great hot breakfast and hopped back in the van to head to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Morning game drive
We made it to Victoria Falls early in the afternoon and upon arrival went over to the activities coordinating company Shearwater to plan out what bonus activities we wanted to do. Considering that money was a factor we were only able to choose 1 activity which was tough after seeing all that they had to offer. We stuck to our original plan to do the White Water Rafting down the Zambezi River which flows between Zambia and Zimbabwe and is created by the falls that pour into it. The rafting is said to be ranked #1 in the world so it seemed like an obvious choice for us even though neither of us had any sort of experience with these types of rapids. We were able to gather 8 total people from our group including our guide Andre who agreed only to go if I sat front left on the raft while he sat front right. Not really sure of what to expect I figured it would be a great time and said I was up for the challenge. After planning out the next couple days we all had to bolt to make it to our sunset river cruise that was an all drinks/snacks included cruise on the Zambezi River where we would get to see hippos, elephants, and crocs up close. It was a great time in a relaxed setting where we could enjoy a drink with beautiful scenery and animals surrounding us. After the sunset cruise we headed back to camp where we had a group of Zimbabwean tribal singers and dancers come and perform for us. With only a couple percussion instruments they performed some great music for us and got the audience involved by bringing the girls up to dance with them which was hilarious (Liz looked like a natural). After they were done I walked by and rocked out on their drum for a second trying to learn their basic beat but failed miserably. Overall it was a great night.
Sunset Zambezi River cruise
Drum lesson
Sunset Cruise
Hippos near the boat
The following day was dedicated to seeing the actual falls that makes this place so visited by people all around the world. I went in with unbelievably high expectations and was not let down in the slightest. It is probably the most stunning natural sight I have seen in my life as these waterfalls go on for miles in the gorge where the Zambezi River is formed at the bottom. While you stand hundreds of feet above where the water hits below you are blasted with mist such that it feels like it is raining at certain points. When you get to the Zimbabwe/Zambia divide where the falls flow down the gorge dividing them is where you get the most unbelievable view. As far as you can see in either direction the falls are pouring off and creating rainbows and color schemes because the way the sun reflects off the endless supply of mist. We really could have sat there for quite some time just looking out appreciating the sight in front of us, but the constant flows of other tourists who are there just for a picture rather than actually appreciating the sight before them can get a bit annoying after a while.
Victoria Falls
The rest of the day was free time for people like us who were not doing activities to hang by the pool, play some volleyball, or go check out the craft (crap) market. We decided to go down to the market to find a bracelet as that has been the item we try to collect in the various places we visit as a cheap personal memento. Upon walking up you find yourself bombarded with vendors trying to get you to enter their “shops” (cloth on the ground with all their items exactly the same as the guy next to them) to just “take a look”. We did our best to just take a walk through and did well by not buying anything since we have no room to carry it. Some vendors really try to build some rapport by following you through the market making small talk and while they may seem nice they are ultimately after your money. One guy, Stanley, met us this day and was determined to get our business. We continued to run into him around the city even through the next day. That night we had some Bunny Chow again since the new guys had not yet tried it and then hung around the fire for a while before going to bed as we had a big day of rafting ahead of us.
We made it to Shearwater at 7:30am and were out at the top of the gorge before the Zambezi River an hour later. A miserable 30 minute walk down a dirt and rocky trail leading down to the river made for a rough start prior to actually beginning the rafting. We practiced all the commands in the calm waters off the beach and were feeling confident as we finally began to paddle for the rapids. We were starting at rapid #11 and ending at #24 as the first 10 rapids were closed since the water level was still too high for about another month or so. The first couple rapids were no problem until we hit the first class 5 rapid “The Oblivion” where we narrowly avoided tipping over. The whole river was a blast with these sorts of adrenaline rushes heading up to a big rapid and the amazing scenery all around us. The hardest part was the physical toll it takes on your body as your arms are dead tired and for some reason my legs/butt muscles would cramp (which most people found entertaining). After about the 2nd rapid going down I began to realize why Andre had made sure I rode at the front of the raft and it’s because how much wetter you get than those people behind you. I would say around 90% of the water that hit the people behind me, broke most of its force after hitting me in the face and without a wetsuit it was a bit chilly to say the least. I had an amazing time though as it was such a fun rush of adventure the entire way down. The worst part of the day was when we had to get off the raft and hike up out of the gorge we were in. It was a brutally tiring hike followed by some suspect food at our BBQ but the included cold beer made for a great relief.
Rafting down the Zambezi
That afternoon we went back to the craft market to pick up our bracelet and as we entered, Stanley, the vendor from the previous day, seemed to be awaiting our arrival. He pleaded with us to at least see his shop and because he was a nice guy we decided to take a look. Unfortunately, it was not on the main street and located at the very back of another long line of shops where we were the only tourists and it was obvious. We looked at all the stuff he had laid out and had no intention of buying anything but it became very awkward and we eventually settled for 3 wire crafts shaped like animals in the Big 5. His friend was constantly trying to push stuff on us the entire time and eventually became a bit hostile by saying things like “What, so you don’t want to support Africa?” and “Ya just go home and enjoy your money…have fun with your money”. We decided it was time to leave at that point before it got any stranger as we were not in any clear site of anyone if we needed help. That evening we relaxed and had a delicious BBQ buffet put on by the campsite where we tried some warthog…very delicious and tender meat. We went to bed knowing that the next 2 days were going to suck since they were pretty much consecutive 10 hour driving days stopping in Palaype, Botswana and then making it back to Johannesburg.
On our last night together as a group we pitched camp in Palaype, played some soccer among a few of us, and enjoyed another BBQ dinner from the campsite. We exchanged contact details with everyone to stay in touch as we all had a great time over the course of the week getting to know everyone. A big thanks to Reka for being the unofficial photographer of the week as well as finding a way to get the rafting footage and pictures to all of us as well. The next morning was a long 10 hour drive back to Joburg where we had a 1 night stopover before heading on our next safari to Kruger National Park in South Africa.
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