Having just returned from Botswana and Planet Okavango’s Pre-BTTE agents fam trip I (Dirk) had to share on this experience. Waiting at the Maun International airport for my agents to arrive I started to get really excited as I was going on my second helicopter flight. We organised that myself and the 5 agents would in 2 separate flights be transferred into the Okavango Delta to meet Bruce for our first evening in the wilds of the African bush.  Stepan, Natasha and Jenny took the first flight whilst myself Rosy and Ellen waited eagerly at the airport for the helicopter to return. When the assistant came to collect us the heart started to beat a little faster in anticipation for the flight. We were taken by vehicle to the helicopter pad and loaded into our helicopter and the adventure started.

Leaving Maun by air you realise how big Maun has grown over the years. I still remember travelling to Maun for the first time many years ago and how you travelled on a dirt road from Nata to Maun. Now there are even a few robots in Maun!

After leaving the outskirts of Maun you see the mass of unspoilt wilderness approaching as you head into the Okavango Delta. Our pilot Barry took us low down to experience the various channels the delta has like little fingers stretching out across the Kalahari basin. We had the pleasure of seeing Elephant, Hippo, Buffalo and general game from the air as we approached our landing spot being a cross made of elephant dung.

Touching down we meet up with Bruce and the other agents and headed into the delta by mokoro to our camp already set up and waiting for us. A relaxing afternoon was had by all in the camp with bucket showers after their long flights from across the globe. After a wonderful delta stir fry everybody retired to their tents for a good night’s sleep and preparation for the early morning walk the following day.  At 5am we all woke to the sound of the local guides getting the hot water ready for coffee before our walk. Heading out on our walk we bumped into a 2 buffalo within the first 10min. A quick re-planning of our direction took us out into the open so that we could see the buffalo and the direction they were taking so that we didn’t bump into them again. On the 3 hour walk we had great sightings of more buffalo and general game. Back in camp we had a quick breakfast and packed our bags. Packing the mokoro’s we headed back through the maze of channels to the polling station to meet our local guide Moses who would take us through the parks.
Stopping in at Mochaba Crossing we had a quick lunch and packed the vehicles to head into the Moremi Game Reserve for our next evening in the wilds of Botswana. Arriving at our camp the agents and Bruce left me behind in camp to prepare dinner and went out on drive. They had an amazing experience whilst sitting with a male lion a young elephant bull approached from behind a bush and chased the lion around for a few minutes, a wonderful experience for anybody to see on a first trip to Botswana. That night in camp we heard lion and hyena off in the distance as we had dinner around the fire. It was a very quiet evening after that with only the odd snoring coming from the tents in camp.

Early the next morning I woke to get the fire going to heat some water for coffee, a must in the African bush before heading out on game drive. We packed our bags into the back seats of the land cruiser and headed out on drive, firstly in the Moremi and then in the Khwai concession on route to the Savuti. Having seen lionesses hunting and some nice old elephant bulls we headed to the Khwai. We had heard that Wild dogs had been seen early that day and headed in the general direction of the last sighting. Nothing! Whilst driving through some Kalahari apple leave thickets something caught the corner of my eye, a flick of an ear. I asked Moses to stop and reverse a little so that I could see what it was. Wild dogs!! We had found them relaxing under some trees digesting the Kudu they had killed a few hours earlier. Wow!! What a start to the day. After watching them a few minutes we decided to move on as we needed to be in the Savuti before sunset. A quick lunch on route was enjoyed by all and then we hit the long sand road across sand ridge to our camp on the banks of the Savuti Channel which is bone dry. The channel only flows when tectonic plates move in the area and allow water to flow over the sand ridge from the Linyanti swamps. After 27 years being dry the channel started to flow again a few years back creating the Savuti Marsh again after many years. Unfortunately this did not last long and the channel is yet dry again. Having been in the vehicle for most of the day we arrived at our camp set up under some massive camel thorns. Johnny and the team welcomed us all and we were allocated our tents.

Now the first evening was spent in our accommodated set up in the delta where the tents have an en-suite chemical toilet and stretcher beds. The second night in the Moremi was wild camping with bush toilet and bucket shower. The next 2 evenings in the Savuti was our serviced Mobile camping set up with stretcher beds and en-suite chemical toilet and bucket shower per tent. No more cooking for me!! The camp comes with a chef, camp assistants and manager that look after you like gold whilst overnighting in the Savuti as per our classic journey Botswana Baobabs BPac09. The next 2 days we went out on drive and had some amazing sightings of lions, elephant hippo and wild dogs. The second evening in Savuti we even had a vistor being a Puff Adder.

As with everything good it does come to an end and we packed the cruiser for the last time to head to Kasane. Arriving in Kasane we dropped our agents off at Mowana Safari Lodge and Spa and headed to Thebe River Safaris to check in to our rooms. The next 2 days where filled with presentations and meeting with agents from across the globe. After a great farewell party held at Chobe Safari Lodge it was time to head back home to our families. An experience next to none was had by all and I look forward to hosting agents again at BTTE in 2018.
Thanks to Natasha (New Zealand), Rosy and Ellen (UK), Jenny (Germany) and Stepan (Czechoslovakia) that travelled with us, we look forward to all your bookings!!