A 12 year-long dream came true. I always wanted to visit the Okavango Delta in Botswana – the largest inland delta in the world – offering pure Nature and Wilderness. I imagined myself gliding in the waterways and channels in a Mokoro (Canoe), spotting Elephants, Hippos and herds of Zebras and Wildebeest along the way.
I saw myself sitting at a Campfire, watching the stunning Botswana sunset and later the beautiful and bright African stars, while listening to the sounds of Wildlife.
In 2018, this dream came true – and I could even visit the Okavango Delta 3 times in 1 year. All good things in life are three they say. Here is the proof.
Elephants from the Air (Okavango Delta Fly-in)
One of the Okavango Delta trips started with a fly-in. What an awesome experience to see huge Elephant and Buffalo herds from the air. I knew it was going to be small plane – I thought, probably one with around 15 seats or so. But no. It actually gets a lot smaller!
Little did I know it was going to be a tiny 5-seater plane. And little did the pilot know that he was going to fly 4 ladies – one of them afraid of flying, one of them afraid of heights and one of them claustrophic (me) – must have been fun for him to fly the plane.
We were asked if we wanna fly a little higher as it is less wobbly (quite windy conditions) or rather a bit lower to be able to see all the Wildlife. All of us decided for: Lower!
So yes, wobbly it was but absolutely awesome.
Mokoro Ride to our Camp in the Botswana Bush
A wonderful 2-hour ride in a Mokoro brought us to our Camp that was set up in the middle of the African Bush. Mokoros are canoes made out of fibreglass (in former times they were made of wood).
Everyone settled into their Mokoro after all our belongings (basically, 1 little backpack, lots of water and some food) was stored in each of the Canoes. On the way, little (harmless) spiders crawled into the canoe – hitching a ride. Here and then we could hear the grunting of a Hippo – far away. During our picnic stop on a small island we could see an Elephant in the distance.
Water Lilies and a tiny Frog
On went the Mokoro ride after the picnic. While gliding through the long grass, our Guide spotted a tiny little frog – about 1,5cm tall – or small. It was a Painted Reed Frog. Many of these tiny Frogs are having their Home in the Okavango Delta – and their sounds at night are filling up the pure air.
We enjoyed another 1,5 hours gliding with our Mokoros through the stunning nature, past beautiful water lilies that are typical for the Okavango Delta. Then we finally arrived at camp and settled into our tents.
Bush Camping – Waking up to the Sounds of Lions, Hippos, Hyenas, Zebras … and Frogs
Our Guides started to cook delicious food over the open fire and we could enjoy a stunning sunset in the Botswana bush. There was no hot water (unless you boilt it over the campfire), no real bathroom (just a hole dug in the ground) – but awesome Wildlife and Nature.
We had to hide our Fruits, otherwise Elephants or Hyenas might come to visit us in our tents.
We listened to the sound of the crackling campfire – that was accompanied by sounds of grunting Hippos, barking Zebras, „laughing“ Hyenas, Red Lechwe walking through the water – and tons of Frogs.
At night, we woke up to the sound of roaring Lions – quite close to the camp. No one obviously dared to make use of the (non-existing) bathroom outside.
Bush Walks and Sunset Mokoro Safaris in the Okavango Delta
The next morning, we left camp early to go on a bush walk. We learnt a lot about different plants, e.g. the Sausage Tree and its fruits, which are loved by Baboons and Giraffes.
In the evening, we were heading out for a Sunset Mokoro Safari. We could enjoy the reflection of the setting sun in the waterways and were accompanied by colourful birds, like Bee-Eaters or Kingfishers.
Rejuvenation in Nature – Wildlife and Wellness
Nature is always the best place to rejuvenate and regain energy. Gliding in a Mokoro through wonderful nature – in either absolute stillness or accompanied by the sounds of wildlife – was almost like a „moving meditation“ – and definitely a dream come true.
So, believe in your dreams, visualize what you would like to achieve and who knows … maybe you find yourself in a Mokoro in the Okavango Delta (or the place of your dreams), soon.
- Dagmar Roscher
- : • Travel / Eco / Photo Journalist, Travel Writer (English & German) • Digital Marketer / SEO (optimizing your Website / Blog post for Google page 1) • German Translator (on Safari / at Lodges / Travel Websites) • Travel Content Creator • Travel & Conservation Photographer • Yoga & Meditation Teacher • German / English Speaker • Bachelor’s Degree: Media & Communications • More than 12 years’s experience • Specializing in the Travel, Nature, Wildlife, Safari, Conservation, Eco Lodge, Wellness, Yoga, Meditation and Media sector • I would love to continue promoting Eco Lodges and Conservation Projects worldwide in English and German • Available for collaborations / projects
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- : My Photos and Videos show my love and passion for Wildlife, Nature, Eco Travel and Healthy Living and the importance of promoting Wildlife & Nature Conservation - in combination with Healing and Rejuvenation. I love to inspire people to live a healthy lifestyle and to increase their environmental awareness by combining Wildlife and Nature experience with Gentle Outdoor Yoga, Meditation in Nature or Yoga Safaris. I am also posting interesting Facts about Wildlife and am telling Visual Stories via beautiful Photos from my travels / work.
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