Maun - Okavango

We are not leaving quite so early this morning, so have time for a decent breakfast. I enjoy muesli, yogurt, and some jam (I couldn’t see any fruits this morning), while David has Cornflakes and a fry-up.

Today is also the day we take the Larium anti-malarial tablets, oh joy! For someone who suffers from a lot of bad dreams at the best of times, these nightmare-inducing tablets are the icing on the cake. To us, however, the side effects of these are the lesser evil than other anti-malaria prophylaxis available.

It's cold when we leave at 07:30 this morning

The Road from Maun to Okavango

Initially, the road is dry and bumpy, causing havoc with my bad back

Whenever another vehicle passes in the opposite direction, a cloud of dust is thrown up, creating a total white-out

It gets better, both the road and my pain (after I take some painkillers).

This area has suffered serious floods followed by severe droughts leaving behind a number of naked trees.

Marabou Stork

Hammerkop

Glossy Ibis

We pass an area with elephants on both sides of the road - I love the variety of wildlife before we've even entered the national park

Slender Mongoose

The road is closed during the wet season when this area is flooded. It is very dry now and quite safe to proceed.

Picnic

Part way through the trip we stop under an acacia tree to enjoy a cup of tea and a break.

I am loving these rusks - a typical Southern African breakfast staple

Steenbok

More elephants

These large animals are very destructive and can cause a lot of problems for local people, destroying the crops of subsistence farmers.

Zebra Crossing

Striped Swallows

The bridge over the river is home to several Striped Swallows, and we spend some time photographing them, hoping they are going to take off.

Open Billed Stork

Sango Safari Camp

As we pull up outside the camp, all the staff turn up to welcome us with a song. Moscow joins in too, and other staff from the kitchen come running.

The staff serves us welcome drinks to sip on while we are given a briefing about the camp, meal times, safety concerns, etc.

Lunch

After the briefing, we go straight to lunch before we’ve even checked out the room.

Chick Pea Curry, Salad, and Naan Bread

Followed by Cheese and Crackers

The mess tent has a lounge area and bar, which is on a self-service basis. All the drinks, including premium spirits, are included in the price.

We are pleasantly surprised to meet up with an American family we dined with at Deception Valley Lodge and got on very well with. It is like meeting old friends.

Our Room

The camp features six spacious safari tents, each with a balcony overlooking the river to Moremi Game Reserve.

Tall privacy screens separate the tents, although, as we discover later in the trip when a couple of honeymooners move into the tent next door, the screens do not stop noise travelling, especially not during the night.

The view from our terrace

The room has two single beds, each with a bedside table, plus shelving for luggage.

Artistic decorations on the beds

The bathroom is in two parts – a toilet and basin in a thin strip of room at the back of the tent, and the shower is outside under the open sky.

We spend the next couple of hours on our private deck, where I set up my 600mm lens on a tripod.

African Jacana

Warthog

Waterbuck

Southern Ground Hornbills

Hippo

With a young calf

Close up!

Great Egret

Kurrichane Thrush

I am in awe of the amount of wildlife we can see from our balcony, especially considering it is now the middle of the day. Time to chill a little before this afternoon’s game drive.

Thank you to Undiscovered Destinations and their local teams for arranging this incredible Great Africa Trip 2024.