Hanging Out In Botswana’s Parks!
We had 5 days in Botswana and spent most of it exploring the fabulous parks and great outdoors.
Chobe National Park
Our first stop in Botswana was Chobe National Park! We spent the early afternoon on a game drive, checking out tons of elephants, giraffes, hippos, and even some lions!
In the evening, we went on a sunset cruise to see some more wildlife. Again, we spotted buffalo, elephants and hippos and had an amazing sunset!
Okavango Delta
The highlight of our trip to Botswana was a visit to the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta.
We spent two nights in the delta camping in the bush. This was our first experience camping in the woods and not at a campsite with facilities. We got dropped off at the river and were transported in mokoros (traditional canoes) about an hour to an island where we set up camp. There were no facilities – we brought in all of our own food, drinks, and supplies. We went to the bathroom in a hole in the ground. It was the most rustic camping we’ve ever done!
We were accompanied by a group of locals who pushed the canoes, helped us set up, and took us on various nature walks in the park. They taught us about different plants and their uses and helped us spot wild animals. We spent our days here going for walks, swimming, relaxing in the shade, and chatting by the campfire. On our second night there the guides performed song and danced with us. We stayed up late playing games and chatting.
The following day we went on a scenic flight over the delta. It was extra special after spending two nights camping there; we got to see how massive the region is and get a sense of how truly remote the area we stayed in was. We also got to spot herds of animals from the air. This was extra cool because we got a sense of how large the herds are and how many animals there are in this region. The plane was tiny – only an 8 seater! – so that was an adventure in and of itself.
We spent our final afternoon in the area relaxing at our campsite which was located at a nice hotel. We got to use the pool and enjoy the on-site restaurant which was a treat alter being in the woods!
Next up: we’re off to Namibia!