August 8-10

As I wrote earlier, the Okavango Delta is an area of marsh and grassy plains that is rich in wildlife. After our days at Jack’s in the Desert, it was nice to be in areas that contained more wildlife in our next two camps.

Given our plan of visiting three camps in succession for two days each, our schedule went something like this:

Day 1: travel late morning to early afternoon to a camp. Unpack quickly, then take the afternoon game drive.

Day 2: wake up in the dark, get dressed and have a light breakfast. Leave for the morning drive or activity at first light. Come back late morning, have lunch, perhaps rest or cleanup. Afternoon tea at 3:30, then the afternoon drive or activity until after sunset. Dinner. Try to pack as much as possible for departure the next day.

Day 3: wake up between 5:30 and 6:30 am in the dark, get dressed and have a light breakfast. Leave for the morning drive or activity at first light. Come back, finish packing. Drive to the airstrip for the flight to the next camp.

Rinse and repeat as needed.

Vumbura was the first of two in this climate. It’s at the edge of the Delta, and we were often crossing water in our Land Rover.  The camp was located at the west edge of a wet area, giving us beautiful sunrises each morning.

Sunrise at Vumbura, August 2017

There were an endless number of birds. Our guides at each camp made sure to tell us the name of each one that we saw, and often some interesting facts about them, but all I can remember is how pretty they were. 

An ostrich, an eagle, and a bunch of other birds, August 2017

We tracked a pack of African Wild Dogs through the bush for a while, and they came to a water crossing. They all lined up to think about the best way to cross.

Should we stay or should we go, August 2017

The King of the Jungle made an appearance. Lions sleep most of the day – up to 18 hours. This one was awake but not wasting any energy. When they make a kill, they’ll eat until they’re gorged, then fall into a food coma. They may not find any more food for several days.

Lazing on a sunny afternoon, August 2017

We came across a group of baboons with some youngsters. Chris, our guide at Vumbura, estimated this baby was only a few days old. It’s being cared for by its father.

Father and child reunion, August 2017