Helicopter Flight over the Okavango Delta

For the longest period, I have wanted to see the Okavango Delta, particularly from the air. This afternoon it is about to become reality – although I won’t believe it until we are actually up in the air.

We have booked a private flight for just the two of us, in a helicopter where the doors have been taken off for better viewing and photography. It is costing us an arm and a leg, so I hope it is going to be worth it.

But first, we have to get to the landing strip.

We pass a small herd of elephants on the way

And a Red Lechwe

Khwai River Airport

I would say the word ‘airport’ is way too grand for this simple dirt strip.

The runway

The departure lounge

Helicopter

We can hear the copter before we see it. The pilot flies it over the airstrip, then veers off to the right over some rough ground near a construction site. We rush off to try and meet up with him.

I am guessing he wants to have somewhere more secluded to leave the doors while we are flying over the delta.

Today’s captain is Matt, and he makes sure we are properly strapped in and ready to go. We have earphones to keep the noise out, and a communication system to enable us to talk together.

And we're off - leaving Moscow and the safari vehicle behind on the ground

The airstrip from the air

The Flight

When we take off and initially fly over dry grassy areas, I wonder if we’ve made a mistake booking a 45-minute flight, but soon the landscape changes dramatically, and we see different types of trees, grasses and shrubs. And water, of course - this is a delta after all.

We see the patterns designed by nature and the outlines created by the well-worn paths of decades of animals treading the same path.

Patterns in nature

The view from the helicopter gives a completely different aspect of the delta than what we can see from the ground. I was hoping to get some photos of the many meandering waterways that make up the delta, and I am not disappointed.

This stretch of water has a very different colour to elsewhere

What I did not expect, however, was to see so many animals:

Elephants

I am loving the long shadows. We deliberately booked an afternoon flight, hoping to get images like this.

Red Lechwe

With some Waterbucks

Giraffes

A lone Kudu

Zebras

Wildebeest

Hippos

We even see an egret from above

The biggest surprise, however, is when Matt excitedly calls out: “There's a Lion on a walkabout down there”

The 45 minutes fly by as I spend my time swapping cameras and either leaning out of the open door on my side or stretching across to capture something on the other side of the helicopter. Everything in the cabin has to be tied down, for obvious reasons. I have one camera attached to a cross-body harness with a 100-400mm lens, and the other camera, which has a 24-105mm lens, is on a strap around my left wrist. It works. I do have a bit of a near miss, however, when using the 24-105mm lens, when the knuckle on my left hand accidentally releases the lens catch, and I end up with the lens in one hand and the camera body in the other. Thankfully I have a good grip on both of the items and no harm is done.

Initially, Matt was very concerned about me taking a spare battery in my pocket (in case one ran out - which it did), but when I assured him that I would take full responsibility if it fell out of the copter and that I have several more, he reluctantly agreed to let me keep it.

As we start to make our way back to the airstrip, we fly over the village of Khwai, close to our camp. I ask Matt if he can fly over our camp, but he tells me that none of the camps allow helicopters or aircraft to fly over their premises. Fair enough, I suppose.

The sun has dopped to just above the horizon now.

And so the flight is over. There are not enough superlatives in my vocabulary to describe this experience. At the time I wrote in my note book: “Incredible, phenomenal, amazing.” It truly was an experience of a lifetime, and when you consider all the exciting things we’ve done over the years, that is really something.

The airstrip

Landed

While we take photos of the sunset, Matt puts the doors back on the helicopter.

Matt reattaching the doors

I give Matt the biggest of hugs, he checks the doors one last time, and he’s off!

My head is still buzzing, and it all feels like a dream. Moscow suggests we stop for our sundowners where we are, so we enjoy a Savanna Cider and some snacks, mostly in silence as we both try to process what we have just experienced. What a fantastic finish to an incredible day. Today is also our last day here in Okavango, and we are certainly going out on a high. Wow. Wow. Wow.

The lodge always provides interesting nibbles

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