VENI. VIDI. AMAVI. (WE CAME. WE SAW. WE LOVED.)
Adjacent to Moremi National Park is the Chitabe concession with Chitabe Lediba, the first stop on my Botswana adventure. Our journey from the airstrip to the lodge leads us through a forest of dead acacia trees. The eerie effect created by the dark naked limbs of these ancient trees is wonderfully dramatic. A small herd of elephants make their way through the bare forest. But everything, including the trees, is soon teeming with life again and hidden within the wilderness surrounded by water lies Chitabe Lediba. The dirt soccer field is flooded and currently a lioness is making more use of it than the staff. Overlooking a floodplain, the beautiful lodge is stretched out along the edge of an island. We admire a family of hyena at their den just before sunset that evening. Five different generations in one view. The younger ones learning their curious ways from their older cousins. Our game drive the next day is highlighted by a pride of lions. We follow them as they stalk a herd of impala through the thick brush. The sheer density of animals in this wilderness wonderland astounds me. While we wait for the lions to make their move we watch a herd of elephant graze on the green foliage. Zebras look on, ears perked and alert. The impala are skittish, they know something is afoot. The slightest provocation from an overeager feline sends the entire herd into a panic and they flee the scene. Maybe next time girls… Gin and tonics next to the river are the perfect end to a day unwinding with the setting sun.
Tea-time on our last Chitabe day is marked by a quick, yet highly informative geography lesson. Lodge manager Thompson tells us about the wonders of the delta. How it was formed, the ever-changing landscape and the movement of animals. I’m amazed at the intricacies involved in the construction and constant renovation of the southernmost point of the Rift Valley. He describes how the islands in the delta are formed: changing water levels, a build-up of debris, shifting Kalahari sands and even termite mounds culminate in an ever-changing system of river courses and islands forming one of the greatest and most visually dramatic wetland areas in the world.
GOOD PEOPLE BRING OUT THE GOOD IN PEOPLE
Botswana, home to the largest population of elephants in Africa, is also home to an abundance of smiling faces. The Setswana speaking Batswana people and the conservancies they call home are direct beneficiaries of joint-venture lodges such as those owned and managed by Wilderness Safaris. Operating according to a similar system as their Namibian counterpart, Wilderness hires local. These locals know their native land and thus are the obvious choice to host and guide guests from across the world. The delta is not only teeming with incredible animals and bird life, but also generates incredible voices and stories of inspiring individuals working their way up into management positions, often after starting out as kitchen staff. The guides I was lucky enough to not only meet but befriend on this excursion into the wilderness ticked-off everything on my “how to be an amazing guide” checklist. It’s all about the personality. You have to be one strong, intelligent, out-going, assertive, patient, benevolent, organised, efficient, patient, funny and kind person with an excellent memory and a great sense of humour to be a great guide. Did I mention patient? Well, our guides succeeded in spades! There are few things that I love more than listening to guides’ stories. They have a wealth of tales to tell and amazing bush life experiences to share, so listen with bated breath and hang on their every word!
BREATHING DREAMS LIKE AIR
Taking to the sky in a Cessna with a bush pilot at the helm, we set off from Chitabe to our next destination, King’s Pool. The bird’s eye view over the delta is something every Africa-lover or travel enthusiast should put on their bucket list. Having learned all about the different island formations from Thompson the day before, I kept a keen eye on the amazing sights below. I was even treated to the view of a massive elephant bull grazing along the marshlands. On the southern bank of the Linyanti River lies a breath-taking camp. The welcoming staff and utter luxury sets King’s Pool far above the benchmark of safari luxury. Treated like royalty, fed like a queen and spoiled rotten with luxuries such as a full body massage in my room overlooking the river while a hippo chortled downstream, it was quite a tear-jerker moment when it became time to leave… Our stay at King’s Pool was filled with all the best Botswana has to offer: lush green and wet landscapes, an abundance of animals and birds…. so many birds. On safari expeditions such as these, one often spends up to eight hours a day driving around the bush. Not to worry though, the phrases time flies when you’re having fun and time spent having fun is never wasted were coined for moments such as these.