TRAVEL | THE OKAVANGO DELTA

Soaring high, our first glimpse of this incredible ecosystem was of elephants grazing on the bank of one of the delta’s many winding waterways, and the scenic flight over Botswana’s incredible Okavango Delta entranced us for the entire journey from Kasane to Pom Pom’s airstrip.

Travelling across this vast delta, the aquatic landscape continually changed from tiny waterways, almost like threads in a swampy marshland to a meandering river and then a maze of lagoons and islands. The only constant was the juxtaposed blue waterways and lush vegetation. It was a stunning introduction to the incredible Delta, our home for the next few days.

We were warmly greeted by Hendrik, our guide at the airstrip, and whisked away to Pom Pom camp, where en route, we were pleasantly rewarded with a close up encounter with a family of elephants, happily eating away.

This was my first safari in almost 20 years after seeing the Big 5 in the Kruger and to be honest, I naively thought that the Okavango would be the same, ticking off each sighting over each drive. However, this was not to be the case, and although disappointing, it’s important to remember that places like the Okavango are fenceless allowing the animals to freely roam. Further each camp also operates within their own concession so if the animals are on their patch, then you need their permission to enter.

Pom Pom’s guiding is second to none and it really is a case of being in the right place at the right time to spot the big game. We saw three of the Big 5; leopard, buffalo and elephant. It was only on the final night as we headed back to camp that the notoriously shy leopard crept into view and then walked down the road before slipping back into the grasses. We could have easily missed it.

There are a few rhinos in the Okavango but with the prevalence of poaching, their numbers are rapidly diminishing. This year alone, two dozen rhinos were killed in Botswana, facilitated by the help of a full moon in May, making the rhinos easier to spot from the air.

Lions are usually an easier bet and only a day or so before our arrival, they had seen a pride but the grasses were very high enabling them to be well hidden, and despite gaining permission to enter another camp’s concession where they had been last seen, luck was not on our side.

Netherless, the Okavango Delta is one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited, and Pom Pom camp gave us some incredible memories. Our first night, we woke up to elephants right next to our tent eating the fruits from the Marula tree. We were absolutely petrified and glued to our beds, but it was amazing to be in the thick of it with these gentle giants close by. As we dined one evening, another elephant wandered into the camp, giving us all a lovely surprise.

Being our honeymoon, they had set up a private table under the stars but with an adolescent hippo grunting in the nearby water, and having been seen earlier walking through the camp made for a very quick dinner.

Daily sundowners delivered the most incredible sunsets, that could have been paintings with the trees silhouetted against a brilliantly pink and orange sky. Listening to the guides’ near animal encounters from a leopard hiding under the stilts of one of their tents, and having to briskly jump back into the vehicle after escorting terrified guests, to climbing a tree to escape a pack of hyenas who surrounded it all night waiting for their chance kill had us captivated.

What also makes the Okavango extra special is the magical mokoro (a traditional wooden canoe) ride, gliding through the reeds and channels and knowing that crocodiles and hippos are almost at our level only adds to the thrill.

Despite not having the big game viewings that we expected, instead we spent time in one of the most amazing places on Earth, and although you never need an excuse to return to Africa, ours will be to see lions.