12 September 2025
Today, we are heading into the heart of the Okavango Delta, to camp for 2 nights in the Moremi Game Reserve.
At 8.00 we are picked up by our guides for the next 3 days: Solomon and Bibi in 2 safari vehicles. We have the Safari Girls together again with Bibi.
First off we have to drive for about 100km on tarsal road (with pot holes) – nothing like having the wind in your hair! and we are grateful for the blankets that have been provided. I have my hooded puffer jacket on, with sunglasses and a scarf around my nose and mouth for the dust. Then we swap to unsealed road which seems to be mostly sand and we are certainly grateful for the 4WD (and the scarf/dust mask – especially when other vehicles are around).
The journey seems like forever (with little wildlife to amuse us and only a few villages) but we arrive at the entrance to Moremi Game Reserve at around 12.00. There is a buffalo fence, marking the entry into the Okavango Delta. The fence is supposed to keep people and domestic animals out, and keep the wildlife in – but no-one told the elephants and they have been know to just push the fence over.
Solomon and Bibi set up a buffet lunch under a shelter – a very nice surprise with quiche and salad, fruits, fresh bread.
Our afternoon experience is much more wildlife-filled than the morning. There are elephants lurking everywhere and lots of giraffes. We are surprised to see dead animals – we haven’t seen any previously – there is an elephant skeleton and a more recent carcass.
We watch a jackal eyeing up its prey, and then see some African painted wolves (sometimes also called painted dogs or wild dogs) snoozing in the afternoon heat.
There are lots of hippos too. We watched an elephant and a hippo making their way towards each other in the water, and wondered what would happen when they met but the elephant turned away.
A great delight of the afternoon was coming across a pride of lions with 6 cubs lying in a ‘puddle’ under a tree – I decided that an appropriate collective noun would be a laziness of lions. One big lion gets up and just plops itself down on top of the others but they are too sleepy to care. At one stage one gives a roar and several get up to see what is going on before settling back down. The cubs are just gorgeous and we could watch them all day. One gave an enormous yawn and in my photos it looks like it is giving a practice roar.
In the late afternoon, we arrive at our natural safari campsite that has all been set up for us during the day. We have tents with an ensuite at the back, with chemical toilet and bucket shower. We are introduced to our camp crew: 2 responsible for camp set up, 1 chef, 1 wine waiter, 1 lights/ water etc.
A campfire has been set up and the bar is open. Later on we move under a large open-sided tent complete with dining table and chairs and are treated to a 3 course meal accompanied by South African wines. It is absolutely amazing what the chef has produced over the cooking fire: butternut soup and bread, beef stroganoff, rice and vegetables and a dessert as well.
We have been told that we will be safe if we stay inside the tents and we are not to come out to investigate any sounds. We were pleased to have our ensuite area although it was interesting getting up in night to use the chemical loo, looking up at the stars and not sure whether you are hoping to hear a lion or not. We did hear lions and hyena during the night.
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