Into the Okavango!

Aaaaaaand we’re back! Did ya miss us?

Sorry to keep you waiting while we’ve been roaming the beautiful country of Botswana, but you’ll forgive us once you hear about our incredible experiences!

Picking up where we left off, we did some traveling (vis bus) up to Maun after leaving the Khama Rhino Reserve. We had a very low-key night of relaxation at our hotel in Maun, complete with a pool. Some of our Global Navigators made good use of it during our stay. However, the next day we left Maun to travel about two hours to Xaoo Delta Camp. What an absolute dream the camp is! While it is a bumpy ride and we had to dodge some cattle on the road, we made it! We stayed here for three nights and I could write novels about our adventures! But let me try to sum it up a bit faster than that.

On Sunday, the day we arrived at camp, we kicked it off with a game drive. During this, we saw elephants, hippos, and lots of antelope! We were all awestruck by the many elephants that live in the Delta, and it was an experience like no other to be able to see them up close! We were also able to see the sunset behind the waterholes with elephants to our right and hippos right in front! We made our way back to camp and participated in what I lovingly call “Glamping”. We did stay in tents, however, we certainly weren’t laying down in sleeping bags. The tents here had ceiling fans, sinks, bathrooms, and comfy beds to fall asleep in. We did just that the first time after some time in front of a fire. 

On day two we woke up bright and early at 5 am. We ate a quick breakfast and headed to Moremi Game Reserve. Moremi is known for its great wildlife, and we saw tons of it! More elephants than we could count, eland, wildebeest, and while we, unfortunately, didn’t see any lions, we saw plenty of their tracks! Next, we had my personal favorite activity…we went to Elephant Havens! This is an organization that takes in orphan elephants and makes sure they are safe, healthy, and happy. After the elephants are about 5 years old, they are taken to the “soft release” location. This is where human contact becomes very limited or totally ended. Then after five more years, they are fully released into the wild. During our visit, we learned lots and were even able to feed and pet the babies! A full day for sure.

On our last day at the Delta Camp, we woke up to go on a Mokoro ride (another favorite of mine). Mokoros were traditionally dugout canoe-like boats, with a poler in the back to steer and direct the boat. The ones we used were fiberglass, this way, trees didn’t have to be cut down to make the boats. We had a peaceful journey through the reeds and saw more hippos in the pools. We got out on dry land for a walk around one of the islands, seeing lechwe and zebra, before jumping back in the mokoros and making our journey back. After this, the Navigators had a chance to stop by a local business. We saw his farm and were able to buy some crafts, like baskets and bracelets. We closed the night by watching some traditional dancing! Our time at the Delta Camp was in a word: Unforgettable. 

In the morning, we left early since we had a full day of travel to get back to Gabs (13 hours, oof!). The Navigators were ready for bed straightaway, but woke up the next morning ready to get working on their final presentations! As today draws to a close, they are putting the final touches on their projects, and spending some time in front of a campfire.