June 2013

I was staying in Livingstone, Zambia and had booked a 2 day \ 1 night camping safari in Chobe National Park in Botswana. Livingstone is approx 45-60min from the Zambia \ Botswana border. I booked it online prior to arriving in Africa through Kalahari Tours. It was $234US, and included pickup at my hotel in Livingstone, transportation to the border, an escort to help me through customs \ border crossing & get visas (if you know you will be exiting / re-entering Zambia during your stay, purchase a multi-entry visa for $80, rather than 2 single entry visas for $50 each), I was then introduced to a rep from Kalahari Tours on the Botswanan side and led to a ferry that crossed the Zambezi River, where I then met my Game Ranger who made sure I got on the correct safari vehicle. I'm sure if I'd attempted all that on my own, I would've been lost! Also included was a riverboat cruise on the Chobe River, then lunch at a lodge, and an afternoon game drive, tenting accomodation, all meals, and 2 more game drives on day 2 before being brought back to the border, and back to my hotel.

When taking the ferry from Zambia to Botswana across the Zambezi River, there is a point on the river where 4 countries meet ... Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Namibia. So for a brief moment I was in 4 countries at the same time

After a quick breakfast at a lodge, myself and others on the camping trip, were led to the river where we boarded a double decker pontoon boat for a cruise along the Chobe River.

Elephants were absolutely everywhere! Every bend in the river was home to yet another herd of elephants. It was incredible to watch them coming out of the trees \ hills to drink from the river, and play in the water



Adorable baby elephant!!







I saw a total of 4 pods of hippos chillin' in the river! I LOVE hippos!




Mama & adorable baby hippo




More elephants ...



Charging elephant

Pooping elephant, lol!

Cormorant

Baby croc

Nile Crocodile

"Monster" tree

I wish I had been on a smaller boat like the 1 in this photo ... look how close they got to these impalas!





Fighting ellies!

Sniffing the air for danger

Another charging elephant


After the 3hr riverboat cruise, we stopped for lunch at a lodge. Afterwards we switched to an open-air safari vehicle for a 3hr game drive through Chobe National Park.





Giraffe snuggles


Impala ... "Who's on my bum?"

THIS is the photo I came to Africa to get!!! More than anything, I wanted to see a giraffe bending down awkwardly ... and I got TWO of them, plus the 2 matching giraffes in the background! I couldnt have choreographed it better


A herd of giraffes is called a 'journey of giraffes'


Adorable baby giraffe





We got REALLY close to a herd of elephants! Uncomfortably close!




Poke ... this little ellie kept bugging the other one to play

Here he's nudging the other one, lol! He even ended up sitting on top of the other one! He just wanted someone to play with!

Love this one!

Peek-a-boo!

My favorite elephant photo!





Baby elephant trying to suckle


Dung Beetle


My game ranger, Sinka, holding a Leopard Tortoise


Dragonfly on someone's hat

Puku - a type of antelope I never knew existed! Looks very similar to an impala, but its bigger and furrier.

One of the hi-lights of the day was finding this lion eating a warthog!!!!!!



We were only a few feet away! So close I could hear bones crunching and guts squishing! Totally disgusting, yet totally awesome at the same time!



We later came across a 2nd lion ... this one wasnt all bloodied up





Traffic in Chobe

Impala

Around 5pm we drove down to the shores of the Chobe River to watch all the animals come for a sundowner. The first animals to show up were a troop of baboons.

A young baboon playing with elephant poo






Adorable baby baboon! Look at those big ears!

Baby baboon playing with a rock


Mama & youngster drinking from the Chobe River

Then some giraffes showed up at the river



Fighting giraffes!






Chobe River



Male kudu


Egyptian Goose

Sunset over the Chobe River


After the sun set we drove to our camp. There were 8 tents set up in a semi-circle, and 18 camp chairs set in a circle around the campfire. I assumed supper would be hotdogs & hamburgers, but the game rangers-turned-cooks made us beef stroganoff, steamed veggies and dessert.

Sleeping in a tent alone was scary ... it is NOT quiet at night! Nocturnal birds, animals & insects could be heard all night long!

At 12:30am I had to pee. But since I was alone, I didnt have anyone to watch my back as I walked to the bush toilet, aka pit latrine. I shone my flashlight all around a few times, looking for any eyes glowing in the dark! When I didnt see any I quickly just peed beside my tent as fast as I could, and then jumped back in! And no joke, no sooner had I climbed back into my sleeping bag, I heard a lion roar!!!! I nearly crapped my pants! I was JUST outside and there was a lion nearby! The camp was not fenced, so anything could wander past my tent! I also heard an elephant trumpet, and something lumbered past my tent! I think I slept 1hr total, lol!

Bush shower

Good morning ... I survived the night!

The morning game drive began at 6:30am. Unfortunately the 1st 3hrs were very quiet. We saw a few impala & warthogs, and lots of birds, but no big game til later in the morning.
Lilac-breasted Roller - Botswana's national bird

Vulture




Guinea Fowl, aka 'Chobe Chicken'


Warthog

Kneeling down to eat


Ox Pecker eating ticks off of an imapala


The excitement began when our ranger got a call about a male lion sighting! He put pedal to the metal and raced across the park to get us to the lion before he disappeared into the bush! We raced 'Dukes of Hazard' style, swerving around corners on the sandy roads, and flying over bumps, lol, it was so much fun ... and we got there in time. There was 1 male and 2 females relaxing by a tree. When we neared, the male went into 'pounce' position. That was a tad nerve racking cuz he was within 8ft of our open-air vehicle!




There was a buffalo that the lions were following, but nothing ever happened. We were hoping to see some action.

There was a herd of impala across the road, and every single one of them had their eyes on those lions! They were so focused on those lions that they didnt even pay us any attention! But whichever impala takes its eyes off those lions would probably end up their lunch!



Impala bum

Fish Eagle

Nile Crocodile



Martial Eagle eating a mongoose ... can you see the mongoose's tail hanging down?

Warthog in a mud wallow

He was enjoying rolling around in his very own mud bath

3ft long Monitor Lizard


Cape Buffalo & Cattle Egret


We parked near the Chobe River and watched a herd of 250 Cape Buffalo swim across.


There were 3 crocs lurking in the water waiting for a straggler! As the last baby buffalo crossed the river, a croc attacked and killed it The saddest part was that the momma buffalo stood at the water's edge mooing/calling for her baby long after the rest of the herd had moved on!

Ox Peckers eating ticks off of a buffalo's back

We came across this lone buffalo sleeping beside the river (not the smartest place for a snooze considering all the crocodiles lurking in the river), with a pesky cattle egret & ox pecker bothering him.



Pied Kingfisher

Beautiful Chobe River

Thats all for Botswana! I then headed back into Zambia for a few more nights before flying to South Africa. That will be in the next post.