Makgadikgadi Afternoon Game Drive

Returning to Makgadikgadi Pans National Park after spending the morning in Nxai Pan National park and our emotional visit to Baines Baobabs, the first thing we see inside the park is a couple of zebras.

The entrance gate to Makgadikgadi

Burchell's Zebra

The track is just loose sand and we sway from side to side as Moscow makes his way back through the park.

Cape Glossy Starling

Yellow Billed Hornbill

Burchell's Sandgrouse

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Several cars stop as they pass us, quizzing what we are looking at. A blank expression seeps over their faces as Moscow states that “we are just doing some birding”. This is usually followed by another question: “Have you seen lions?” Seeing big cats is the main target of most of the safari-goers here, and I can certainly understand that first-time guests would want to see lions, cheetah, and leopards. This being our 16th big-game African safari, and we have seen literally hundreds of lions on past game drives, we are just happy to see whatever nature has to offer us each day.

Wildebeest

Maasai Ostriches

Crocodile

We return to the area where we were yesterday afternoon, and the dried-out riverbed and surrounding waterholes are again teeming with wildlife.

Zebra at a waterhole

A 'few' more zebra mingle further down the valley.

A White Headed Vulture flying above

A handful of giraffes join in.

The long-necked and long-legged animals are at their most vulnerable while bending down to drink – not only are they less able to spot any approaching predators, they have to get into a very clumsy-looking position in order to reach down from their lofty height, making it slow and awkward for them to get up again.

A lone elephant arrives and heads straight for our car, but changes his mind at the last minute.

The second elephant to make it down the hill is not at all happy with us, however, and Moscow starts the engine of the car and reverses rapidly out of harm’s way.

For most of the time, we’re the only humans in this incredible wild habitat – I guess the other visitors are rushing around looking for lions. We do see another car at one stage, driving through the animal crowds without even stopping.

Marabou Stork

More and more elephants arrive, and it seems to be a perfect time for a dust (or mud) bath.

Kudu

Hippo

Steenbok

Grey Go Away Bird

Impala

More elephants at a waterhole

Look at the tiny baby - he must be just a couple of months old (once they reach three months old they can no longer fit underneath their mummy's belly)

Here you can see the baby trying to drink - he obviously hasn't learned how to use his trunk yet

Time for a wash with some nice, 'clean' mud

Better to wallow in it, maybe?

Dust is the way to go!

African Fish Eagle

Boteti River Camp

We return to base with time to shower and change before dinner.

Kitchen staff announcing that dinner is ready

Starter is a thick, spicy butternut soup, followed by Peppery Fillet Steak with roasted vegetables and rice

The steak is nothing short of superb, lean, and tasty, worthy of a five-star restaurant in my opinion

Malva pudding for dessert, a spongy pudding with apricot jam, and served with custard. Yum.

Goodnight from Boteti River Camp, and thank you to Undiscovered Destinations and their local teams for arranging this amazing Great Africa Trip 2024.