The Mighty Okavango
Our aerial introduction to this natural wonder was the perfect way to take in the beauty of the delta and appreciate its immensity. We landed at the airstrip where our guide greeted us and took us on a short walk to the boat that would deliver us to our lodge. |
| Okavango Delta from the air |
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| Our transport |
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| Warm welcome as we approach the lodge |
Xugana Island (pronounced Kugana)
The quintessential safari lodge, evocative of Hemingway, exuding tradition. Loved this lodge, the setting magical, tucked on the edge a lagoon alive with resident hippos and crocodiles. Advertised as a great destination for "birders", Xugana is so much more than birds. |
| Fire pit for night-time stories |
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| Welcoming details |
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| Blankets come in handy on those cold winter nights. The top half of the suite's walls are just mesh. |
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| Drying its wings |
The afternoon of our arrival we went on a Mokoro ride, low among the reeds, quietly gliding in the golden sunlight.
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| The view from our Mokoro |
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| Lilypads |
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| One of the most peaceful and relaxing activities |
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| Tiny beast |
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| As we made our way through the reeds |
Bushwalk
Probably the most exhilarating thing we've ever done, a bushwalk on Palm Island. The baboons were sounding the alarm and so was the go-away bird or grey lourie. We were given "the talk"; instructions on how to behave ourselves on this walking safari with nothing more than a stick to defend our small group from an animal attack (guides are not allowed to carry guns in Botswana). Single file, one guide in front, the other one flanking our little group. Keeping no more than an arm-length distance between each other and generally keeping quiet, we set off in search of tracks.The pictures speak for themselves:
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| On our way to Palm Island |
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| Quiet Claudia |
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| Yep, that's a lioness |
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| She's keeping a close watch, don't come any closer .... |
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| Peaceful lagoon, we hadn't seen the hippos yet |
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| And there they were, looking at us as we approached the edge of the lagoon |
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| You gotta love that hippo smile |
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| The Ferris on their bushwalk |
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| Close and personal |
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| Leaving Palm Island after a wondrous adventure |
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