Baobab 1 Safari Camp, just outside Chobe National Park, Botswana
(it’s pronounced Bootswana!)
We went to Kenya and Tanzania at the same time of year seven years ago, during what they called the “little rains.” Back then, it usually rained overnight, so it didn’t really affect our plans. Based on that experience, we didn’t think the rainy season would be much of an issue this time either.
Well… it is the rainy season here. There has been thunderstorms and heavy rain passing through. Today there was a huge storm with two bolts of lighning that struck very close the the camp: the flash and the thunder could not have been more than a few seconds apart.
It absolutely poured during our first game drive. One vehicle got stuck in the mud, so everyone piled into the remaining vehicle for the ride back. Today’s game drive was much drier, and we saw lots of birds and grazing animals. The OAT travelers still haven’t seen lions or leopards, so we’re very glad we saw lions earlier in the South African part of the trip, before joining the OAT tour.
The camp here is pretty rustic: no air conditioning, no fridge, and probably closer to a two-star hotel. It’s comfortable and clean, it just needs some work. The view from the main lodge is incredible, looking out over the plains along the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia. I took a series of panorama shots with my good camera, but I’ll have to stitch them together when I get home. This photo is from my Samsung phone.
I suggest making the photo full size by clicking the square in the bottom right corner. Then you can scroll around with your mouse. Press “Esc” when you’re done. It’s only a 180-degree view, so it loops back to the beginning and keeps scrolling, which makes it look like a full 360.
It’s hard to see, but there are waterbuck, giraffes, and impala in the picture—and even some cows from Namibia that wade over the shallow river to graze.
We had a game drive along the Chobe River yesterday evening, followed by an eight-hour game drive today that took us much farther into the park. Both drives had periods of rain, but we persevered and were rewarded with seeing a lion yesterday and a leopard walking along the highway today. We’ve also never seen such large herds of impala or such large towers of giraffes as here in Chobe.
Sarah and I are playing a real life game of Survivor: outwit, outplay, outlast. There is a family of 5 geckoes living in our tent and they seem to have made a home behind the bathroom mirror. The most adventurous of the bunch, who I’ve named Gordon, was missing his tail. Perhaps Gordon was a bit too adventurous. Sarah and I are at the age where making it through the night without a bathroom visit is unlikely. I slyly outwitted and outwaited Sarah in the middle of our second night, so she had to run the gauntlet of geckos first. She survived, didn’t step on any gecko appendages so the path was safe and clear for me to go. Pheuw. But last night, I couldn’t wait, so had to go first. Mission accomplished, but we’ll have to figure out how to break the tie.
The visit ended with a traditional Botswana meal, and then the staff entertained us with song – the typical african music of a lead singer amd chorus. It was wonderful.
We’re scheduled to fly to the Okavango Delta today. The groups ahead of us were each delayed by a day getting to the next camp in the Okavango Delta because the airport runway was too muddy. I hope we can move on successfully!
Beautiful animals!
What makes up the local cuisine?
We had shredded beef, roast chicken, pap (made of corn & like polenta) tilapia (breen) and some vegetables that I can’t remember. I think they purposely picked local foods that we would like. No mopane worms, or fried alates.
It looks like the rain isn’t affecting you too much, and you two are seasoned travelers! Your story of the geckos is hilarious- I can just picture your nightly trips to the loo to tiptoe through the geckos!
Your photos are beautiful !