Botswana & Victoria Falls

Aug 23-Sept 2, 2013
AC876 YYZ-FRA, SA261 FRA-JNB, Aug 26 SA8300 JNB-MUB, BA6282 VFA-JNB, SA236 JNB-LHR, AC869 LHR-YYZ

Last year at the same time, we had our first safari in South Africa.  When I found out about a special business class fare to Johannesburg, I started planning another safari to build on the experience.  Although we really enjoyed Kruger, we decided to branch out and try something a little different.  The Okavango Delta was our first safari stop, and the private camp on the reserve really connected us with the wild life.  The accommodations, food and service were incredible.  We then headed on to Chobe for a slightly different experience, connected a little more to the river.  Finally we headed to the incredible Victoria Falls, and we took a side trip to Zambia for me to swim in Devil's Pool and hang off the edge of the falls.   With the falls under our belt, we headed back home via Johannesburg and London.

Aug 23-25
Overnight flights to Frankfurt and Johannesburg with day in suburbs

Aug 26
Morning flight to Maun, Botswana, charter flight to Lodge in Okavango Delta

Up close with a large elephant on our afternoon game drive in Kwando Kwara lodge

Giraffes feeding on the leaves

Elephants cooling off in the mud

Aug 27
Up bright and early for the first of two drives in Kwando

Our tracker (Master) trying to find some lions, armed with a machete for his protection

We successfully found a pair of female lions

Bonding and apparently posing for the camera

African Wild dogs from a pack of this endangered species traversing the game reserve

Showing us her teeth

Alpha Wild Dog showing off their profile

Honey badger (of the honey badger don’t care meme)

Elephants posing in front of the sunset as we enjoy our sundowner cocktails

A nocturnal springhare, our last sighting before heading back to camp for dinner

Aug 28
Up early for our last drive from the camp and then on to the Chobe Valley

After a roller coaster like ride across the reserve we get our first cheetah sighting

Up close with cheetah

Apparently the cheetah area had a few thorns, this was our second of three flat tires

Roughing-it conditions in our tent

Although the inside was a canvas tent, the outside structure was more permanent

Our charter flight arrives after we had checked the runway for animals

View of the Okavango Delta from the air

Sunset from our hotel on the Chobe River

Aug 29
Day in Chobe with a morning game drive and afternoon and sunset boat drive

Although there were many opportunities, our only interesting impala picture

Although we didn’t see a lot of new wildlife in Chobe, we found a large herd of elephants

A very well camouflaged bird in her nest

Swimming hippo in the Chobe

A crocodile shows his teeth

One of buffalo grazing on the island in the chobe

Monitor lizard having a hard time consuming a hard spine fish

One very well fed hippo

Large pod of hippos resting in a pool on the island

Another boat gets a little too close for comfort with the deceptively dangerous hippos

Hippo rolling on the ground

Large herd gathers for water at the riverbank

Another of the many crocodiles along the delta

More of the buffalo herd grazing and resting

Heard of elephants along the riverbank at sunset

Another boat up close with the a large elephant

Aug 30
Morning game drive in Chobe National Park and bus to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The biggest payback from our drive was a number of lion cubs gathered around a kill

We had a great view of the animal interaction from the vehicle

Some motherly affection

The whole family

Our reward for a long trip: a first of many rainbow views of the incredible Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls Bridge connecting Zambia to Zimbabwe

Aug 31
Start the day in Zambia and finish on a Zambezi River sunset cruise

The falls from Livingstone Island

More rainbows

Our group of daredevils with our guide in Devil’s Pool at the edge of the falls

Trying my best to smile and hold on to the ledge

Some perspective on my shot before I swim back to the island for breakfast

Vultures gathering for the noon feeding at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

Looking back at the lodge

Marabou stork hoping for scraps from the vultures

Baboons along the Zambezi River Bank

Our last African sunset from our river cruise

Sep 1-2
Flight home via Johannesburg, Paris and Toronto