When originally planning our trip to Botswana I struggled with wanting to see as much of the country as possible but not trying to cram too much into the short time we had.  So we made a list of what experiences we wanted to have and decided on which areas to stay based on that.  On the list – the floods of the Okavango Delta and water activities that come with it, the meerkats of the Kalahari and the expansive dry salt pans, and finally something in between, a more land based experience focused on predators, which led to us staying in Khwai.  Experiencing such wildly different landscapes in one trip was truly incredible and really highlighted how unique and special each one is in their own way.

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First stop: Khwai Leadwood – Khwai Concession, Moremi Game Reserve.

Khwai Leadwood Camp is brand new!  Sadly COVID delayed their opening, but lucky for us we were one of the first to stay at the camp.

The camp is small and intimate located on a beautiful bend of the Khwai River.  My favorite spot in camp was the sunken fire pit, which not only kept us warm on chilly mornings and evenings, but it was a perfect spot in the afternoon between drives to relax and watch elephant in the distance, the lilac breasted roller and barred owlette in the tree right above and listen to the hippo arguing.  The highlights here for me were the lions and wild dogs!  After a lackluster male lion sighting in Djuma (poor Dark Mane 😂), following two big male lions on territorial patrol and having one show his displeasure at us getting too close to his lady was really exciting!

 

While in Khwai we realized there that a small pack of wild dogs was denning!  We went to the den a few times hoping to get a glimpse, but when the alpha female came out of the den the pups didn’t follow, so we assumed they were still too young.  She was definitely lactating though!  We ended up following them for a while, nearly getting stuck and losing them a few times in with their unpredictable chaotic pace!  We didn’t see a hunt but it was so much fun trying to follow them around.  It was after we lost them and were circling back to try and locate them again when I spotted a pride of lions with two cubs.  Spotting them felt like such an accomplishment since I usually spent the entire trip saying ‘what, where, I don’t see it??” whenever someone else spots an animal!  It’s also one of my favorite pictures from the trip as they walk towards us single file nearly blending into the long grass.
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Second Stop: Pelo Camp – Jao Concession, Okavango Delta

From the moment Pelo camp came into view, accessed by boat, we were in awe.

We were greeted at the dock by our host to find out that we were the only guests in camp, we had this small private island in the middle of the Okavango Delta all to ourselves!  The view here was breathtaking, surrounded by water and serenaded by hippos, frogs and fish eagles.  Anywhere you went there was a view, including their ‘loo with a view’ – the bathroom off of the main deck and common area was private but open and you literally looked out onto the waters of the delta!  Each room also had a private outdoor shower on the edge of the water that was great when you wanted to refresh yourself midday between activities!

While a scenic and fun experience, our afternoon fishing in the Delta was a bust!  We didn’t catch anything other than lily pads and we were literally surrounded by fish!  This one huge catfish kept swimming past our boat and it felt like it was taunting us the entire time!  At least we had snacks and gin and tonics to ease our failure.
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Third Stop: San Camp – Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari.

Approaching San Camp was like taking a step back in time and entering another world.

 The view for miles was a flat salt desert with a smattering of palm trees and the camp was a grouping of open canvas tents decorated in a moroccan style.  Between the scenery and decor I felt like I was on safari in in the early 1900’s.  Our personal tent was huge and comfortable with four poster beds, a unique bathroom and covered deck with a day bed looking out onto the salt pan.  The tents here were spaced very far apart so when you zipped yourself in after dinner it felt like you were all alone until someone arrived early the next the morning with a wake up call and tea or coffee.

What activity did you consider a “must”?

I think I’ve spoken enough about the meerkats 🙂, but another must do activity would be the helicopter ride at Khwai.

What made the Delta special?

I didn’t realize it before we got there, but the Delta is like bird heaven!  I love all animals, but never would have considered myself a ‘birder’.  The sheer number and diversity of birds we experienced in the Delta was incredible!  Owls, Rollers, Kingfishers, Eagles, Bee eaters, Vultures, Stork, Cranes, Jacana, Heron, Egret, ducks, hornbills, pigeon, geese, etc. – seriously, you name it and we saw it!  We definitely had a few favorites!  There was a beautiful large Pel’s Fishing Owl roosting in the tree about our tent, watching the Kingfishers dive into the water to fish was captivating, capturing pictures of all sorts of little birds perched on grasses on the banks of the water became a personal challenge and listening to the Fish Eagles call always had me searching the skies for one. On top of that simply cruising around the waterways, whether on motorboat in open water or quietly rowing through a maze of tall grasses in a Mokoro, there was always something new to see around the next bend in the Delta.

All the camps are open to wildlife and the tents are spread enough apart to offer privacy – which means it’s advised not to walk away from your tent once it’s dark to avoid predators or getting in the way of a hippo out grazing.  All of our tents came with an air horn to signal for help and either flashlights or walkie talkie to get the attention of staff if needed.  I cracked up laughing when during a safety briefing, we had to be told to only use the air horn in case of emergency and that needing a cocktail didn’t constitute an emergency – if we really wanted a night cap to please use the flashlight or walkie talkie.  Apparently, that had to be added to the safety briefing after one too many instances of staff rushing in with rifles thinking a guest was in danger!  So tip – don’t use the air horn unless you are in physical danger (and not in danger of having an empty glass).

What made the Kalahari special?

With nothing but the occasional palm tree for as far as you can see, entering the Kalahari following the Delta was a huge surprise.  Here I felt like it was more about the smaller things.

What advice would you share with those travelling to Delta & Desert?