We were up 4:45 AM and drove for 300km to Kisane, near the Zimbabwe border. A stop was made for “bushy bushy” and the guide checked that there were no wild animals to surprise us while we took a pee. At Kisane we stopped for supplies, and transferred to the safari vehicle for a visit to the Chobe National Park. The park is named after the Chobe River, which is gorgeous. It is divided into 3 sections, and is quite huge. To see it all you need to stay there overnight Our 3 hour safari took us along the Chobe River. We saw lots of game, many many elephants, some with babies suckling, one had a baby lying down under the mother’s legs.. All very close to us, and making for the river to cool down. We saw warthogs, birds, many giraffe and some were licking the ground to get minerals from the soil, and were very close range. It was a privilege to see the sable antelope, which I have never seen. Many kudu ( antelopes). We saw a buffalo hiding under a shady tree. It was either sick or injured, and didn’t move: we were very close to it. These creatures are quite dangerous . Impala were everywhere, but it was great to see a huge herd of them under shady trees close to the road, and quite unafraid of us. This trip was optional but was well worth it. Kennedy our guide was very knowledgeable. The trip along the river bank was very impressive. We saw tourists on a boat photographing animals. There was a monitor lizard in the river almost on the bank….it was huge. Then we saw a huge family of mongeese tumbling and playing. I could not get a pic as my phone battery died on me. The mongeese were close to a depression with water, and there were many many yellow butterflies, quite small, attracted to either the water of something in it. The highlight of the trip was the pride of about 12 lions resting under a tree close to the water’s edge. Other vehicles were around watching them, but they took off. We stayed behind to watch and a lioness, very huge, slowly come out of the treed area to drink. She came in full view and went to the water to drink, just in front of the vehicle. She drank for a long time, and was quite used to safari vaehicles, and paid no attention to us. She walked about 5 feet past us to join the other resting lions. Just as well she was not interested in us, as it was an open vehicle. She could have easily jumped on board with us. We just sat spellbound, and took pics. This was the highlight of the tour. Then we journeyed back to the park entrance. Soon we were back in camp. I had my phone charging right away. Not long after we left at 3 pm for a game cruise on the Chobe River. Unfortunately, I left my phone charging so have no photographic record at all. It was a gorgeous trip,, but I was miserable, as I had allergies ( hay fever) and heat exhaustion. I had left my water behind too.
We sailed close to the water’s edge on a huge boat with roof canopy. A highlight of the cruise was watching a herd of elephants drinking and bathing. One elephant went right under water several times. Then they made for the bank, and used their hoofs to kick the red soil into the river to make more mud. They rolled in the mud, and then left. We saw a crocodile but it was mostly submerged. The boat took us to a group of hippo who blew air, and snorted, sometimes coming out of the water. The birds along the riverfront were lovely.Pied kingfisher, a malachite, Egyptian geese. A lone buffalo was resting along the water’s edge too. Some tourists brought booze with them to drink while viewing game. I was impressed with the vegetation along the bank. Saw many kudu along the bank, The males with impressive horns were following the females around, and bothering them. Saw a lot of impala males also doing the same along the bank! Baboons came down to drink too. Many trees were covered with creepers right to the water’s edge. There were many five star lodges along the water’s edge, well nestled under the trees. So many boats of all sizes were carrying tourists along the river at the same time. The cruise ended about 6:30 PM, and I was totally done with the heat, and took two sachets of electrolyte pouches in my water bottle. Touring without exercise like this is hard on me.
The tour has been excellent, but I have not coped with it. Too fast for me. I am tired all the time, and trying to survive. Fellow campers have helped me get it together, and without their kind help I would not have coped. Most to he campers are young twenty somethings, but there are some older coupes as well. All coped better than me. On our return, I showered, and had supper, then after our guide’s instructions for the next day, went to bed.
Game viewing vehicle, open sides, no windows
Above: entrance to Chobe..a magnificent game park, and very large
Above: so many elephants in Chobe.....no poaching here, so they multiply
Below: impala hiding under the shade of trees to avoid the heat
Below: the lioness rewarded us by waiting till it was quiet. She was enormous.
Took her time to drink as it was so so hot
She walked about 5 feet from our vehicle. She could have jumped up onto the vehicle with us as it was open. Lions are used to safari vehicles, and they are not a threat. They don't see you, just the size of the vehicle. We were darn quiet, but clicked away!! This sighting was the best of all my game viewing.
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