The Spirit Moved Me - Two Wonderful Weeks in Botswana

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Photos and Story by Eric Schmidt + Michelle Mann - Repeat Next Adventure Clients

Thanks to Kili, Jeremy and team we enjoyed two wonderful weeks of safari planned meticulously by Next Adventure.

Everything ran exactly to plan except the Delta was fairly dry; a combination of it taking months for the water to arrive from the mountains, coupled with a local drought. Initially we were disappointed that we wouldn’t get those iconic shots of animals in water. Instead, we had to reset and remind ourselves that we are not in control of the natural world and the open plains afforded us a chance to see many animals on the edge of the thicket.

The Okavango Delta is divided into a number of very large concessions catering to low-impact high-dollar tourism. Each concession has a limited number of small lodges. We rarely saw another car on a game drive and only once in 12 days did we see two. The animals seemed relaxed around cars, even when crashing through thicket. The concessions had two more advantages over traditional parks: the vehicles could and did drive off the roads, and the trucks stayed out well after dark every night.

Selinda - This Leopard had two cubs at the base of the tree. She eventually came down to hunt an impala, After 60 minutes of sneaking around, she finally gave up as the impala wandered further away.

Four Rivers - The Delta was pretty bone dry, so in the watering holes and rivers, there were a high concentration of hippos They frequently put on aggressive displays at each other and at us, so we got a number of shots of this type of behavior.

Four Rivers - Bee Eaters are beautiful and plentiful. They sit waiting for bees, so if you are close enough you can get a good shot.

Four Rivers – We followed a solo young male lion as he moved around to avoid being challenged by older dominant males. This is a tough time for these teenagers. They don’t have their moms for protection or food and all the other males are after them.

Selinda - Malachite Kingfisher - We were stopped by a watering hole awaiting game when some birds came out. This is a very small female or juvenile, but still colorful

Selinda - We were following a pair of lions through the thicket and the guide had the idea to go ahead to the watering hole. We stopped the truck and waited quietly. Both came to drink and relax.

Four Rivers – There were some inlets that were beginning to flood. In this case we drove the truck across this lagoon for a sundowner on the water.

Each of our camps was very small 4-10 tents so on many of the days we were among only a few couples in camp. We ended up with private tours, as others checked out. This is one of my highlights. We could tell the driver exactly what we were hoping to see and over a number of trips, we usually got what we asked for. When we had the car to ourselves, we could sit in our own row and see both sides clearly. The driver could head for a destination that was likely to have the animals that we were looking for and was perfectly willing to stop anywhere along the way, for example to spot a specific bird.

A second highlight was the mokoro (traditional dugout canoe). We liked it so much; we went out twice. Very peaceful and beautiful way to spend an afternoon. The accommodations were spectacular, and the food was delicious. I especially like eating family-style with a few of the other guests. Some meals were more structured while others were private and romantic. In all cases they were outdoors and after dark, which was very nice.

Kanana – A family of elephants is on the move after a mud bath. This was at dusk and is not as colorful a daytime shot, but still interesting with the mud cakes

Kanana - We saw Leopards at all three camps, some with cubs. This female was up in a tree just hanging out. She may have had a cub stashed someplace below.

Four Rivers - We saw Zebra at all the camps, but they were often walking away from us, so this was a lucky sot of us being close and them looking.

Four Rivers – One of my highlights were the stars. Since we could stay our after dark, you could really see a ‘dark sky’ and the whole of the southern hemisphere starscape. Here the Milky Way obliterates the constellations around it.

Four Rivers – Yellow Billed Storks – Because the landscape was so dry, watering holes that still had rainwater were full of fish. Many large birds could feast on easy to catch fish.

Four Rivers – There were some inlets that were beginning to flood. In this case we drove the truck across this lagoon for a sundowner on the water.

This was our third trip with Next Adventures. Prior visits to Zimbabwe and Kenya were outstanding and packed with adventure. Game drives are always filled with awe. One evening in Botswana, as we enjoyed snacks and watched the sunset, I was overcome with a feeling of serenity in my soul. With the sun setting in the vast open space, I could only stretch my arms and let the calm and peacefulness fill me up.

Nothing beats an African sunset. Nothing.