Everyone needs a bucket list. Mine consists of places I want to see – especially while physically able to do so.  One of those opportunities came up and I was able to go on a Safari – specifically South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  A-MA-ZING!  And a bonus was that I had a fun group to safari with! It's difficult to beat those types of trips.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of an African Safari?  I immediately thought of wildlife.  It definitely included that…and so much more.  I’ll warn you right now this is a longer blog, but also has pictures from my trip!

To begin with, this trip was the longest distance I’d ever gone by myself, and it was the most consecutive number of days being away from home.  Now as I look back it doesn’t seem so momentous, but it gave me the impetus to do more solo travel.  Don’t get me wrong – love traveling with my husband, but in this space we have divergent interests and he gets to say ‘thank you for letting me stay home’.  It’s a win-win situation.  If you’re wondering how you could do it … know you can.

My trip began with a direct flight to/from Atlanta, Georgia and Johannesburg, South Africa.   My Type-A kicked in so I flew in a day early and stayed at a hotel near the airport as I needed to make a connecting flight.  The next day I returned to the Johannesburg airport to catch a flight to Maun, Botswana (South African Airways was very comfortable).  It was in Maun that I was met by our Wilderness Safari host, Yandisa, and also met other group members Crystal and Jerry (we are all from different areas of the US) – all were such a hoot to travel with and I’d do so again.

From Maun we took a smaller plane via Wilderness Air Botswana and headed to Mombo Trails Camp, which was a temporary camp as Mombo was being rebuilt (it has been finished now – check it out:  https://wilderness-safaris.com/our-camps/camps/mombo-camp).  We landed on a dirt airstrip and then transferred to a 4x4 amphibious viewing vehicle. It was SO comfy and tiered seating so there is no bad seat in the vehicle and one you’ll be in when you go out on safari.  While there are steps, it took me a little coordination to climb in and out of the vehicle at first, but was a pro by the end of the trip in my eyes.  

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The very first photo I took at this point was of a termite mound – it is quite the circle of life with these mounds as they feed on things and things feed on them.  And they can get quite tall and wide (I’m talking feet here, not inches).  Not quite the same termites as you’d find in a house inspection, either.  

And then I spotted my FIRST large mammal in the wild in Africa. So cool! It was a gorgeous giraffe.  And yes, I was the giddy traveler taking all sorts of photos – I took thousands of photos on this trip, many of which need to be culled, but it’s so difficult to decide which ones.    

Mombo is known as “the place of plenty” and boy was it.  Our guide Yompy asked us what we’d like to see during our trip … my ask was the big cats.  And I got that and more!  Mombo is able to rightfully boast about the volume of plains game and predators they have; they also have bragging rights on their conservation efforts of the reintroduction of both black and white rhino into the wilds of Botswana.   And we got to see them!!  SO EXCITING!    

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Mombo is also considered one of the best areas for game viewing, also, and being on the Okavango Delta, they have fresh water for the animals.  

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Felt like I was in the “Out of Africa” movie at this camp.  You hear lions in the night hunting, you see the vast, beautiful night sky with stars blinking back, you inhale the clean, fresh air, all while drinking your favorite cup of coffee or nightcap.  Every day.

We got to take a helicopter from Mombo to Vumbura – saw some hippos in the Delta – so cool!!  It was a short flight, but such a neat aerial view of the Okavango Delta and the paths the wildlife make throughout.  Worth the change in scenery as you’re usually ground level.

Our next camp was Vumbura Plains North in Botswana.            https://wilderness-safaris.com/our-camps/camps/vumbura-plains  Another Wilderness Safaris premier camp, Vumbura Plains did not disappoint.  This camp in on the Okavango Delta.  Talk about a suite-feel!  Elevated en-suite bedroom, outdoor shower for when you get out of your personal plunge pool, outdoor dining and sitting area, I could go on and on.  No matter where you are, you’re looking out over wildlife – seeing woodland edges, watching sable and kudo roam with the red lechwe and reedbuck, listen to and see the many fowl.  

Going out on our safari we were able to enjoy pop-up teas … that means in the middle of the plains your guide will stop, bring out a basket full of goodies and hot beverages from the camp, and we got to sip our coffee or tea while snacking on a cookie and watching wildlife – that’s right, just standing in the open.  Wow.  

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Then we had a mokoro ride  - the guides would go out and make sure it was clear of hippos – hippos are not to be taken lightly – they can move quickly and have quite the jaw strength.  Just like any other animal, their space should be respected.   Talk about peaceful.  It was truly a time to just hear.  Your captain is punting through the Delta.  Just thinking about it makes me want to go back.  And the frogs are so cute – the lilies even prettier.    Papyrus … anyone ever try to grow that in your ponds or water feature?  Well, I have - and I can say I am not good at it.  This stuff is at home and healthy in the Delta!  Taller than boats and elephants, lush green, growing like mad, it makes for a neat boat ride through it.  Our fab guide Emang was a great boat captain, also.   At this camp we were treated to an enjoyable and festive evening with cultural dancing and delicious authentic meal in the on-site boma.  

Our next stop was Kings Pool in Botswana.  https://wilderness-safaris.com/our-camps/camps/kings-pool-camp.  This is a camp with a lot of nostalgia and named for Scandinavian royalty.  It is a 100% solar powered camp and has thatched roofs (not tents) and its location is at the crux of a wildlife corridor – so you’ll see a lot.  This one felt like an Ernest Hemingway decorated location to me when I walked into my room.   There were herds of elephants here – “Es” as we called them.  We rode on the Queen Sylvia boat where we were able to watch a herd of elephants cross from country to country, see hippos, and fowl in abundance while our guide, Fanie, educated us. Watching the elephants cross between Zambia and Zimbabwe was so neat – especially the baby!

The first three camps were in Botswana, and now on to Zimbabwe.  We took a plane ride with Wilderness Air to The Elephant Camp.  This was a tented camp http://www.theelephantcamp.com/ with a more permanent structures - meaning it had concrete floors.  Nice décor and air conditioned, it was plenty roomy.  It is here that we were able to take a side trip and visit Victoria Falls – wow … I can see why it is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.  A suggestion for when you go that our guide did – we went to the far end (there are several numbered stops – go to the last one first), then make your way to the entrance which is the first stop.  You’ll beat the crowds and believe me, the viewing is pretty cool.  Be prepared for lots of spray in the air as it is quite a powerful and large waterfall.  No way to get this in one photo!  It is here where Devil’s Pool is, too, in case you’re wondering.

On to Wilderness Safaris’ Linkwasha Camp in Zimbabwe https://wilderness-safaris.com/our-camps/camps/linkwasha-camp.  Linkwasha is more contemporary in design.  Again, very comfortable tented rooms with gorgeous views of the plains and a waterhole so you see all sorts of wildlife gathering at different times.   These tents are air conditioned and offer en-suite accommodations, loved the size of the rooms with a sitting area.  

Joshua was yet another great guide for us and quite the musician.  It was here we had our guided walk – important you follow their instructions – you are out in the wild. I felt completely at ease in their care.  The walkways were raised and connected the areas – neat to walk around. At all the Wilderness Safaris camps the guides are also the escort to the tents – and they come through and provide the wake-up ‘good morning’ call-out,  too.  Wandering around at night un-escorted isn’t something that is done.    

Our typical day was …

5:30 a.m. – Good Morning call from our guide

6:00 a.m. – Get some breakfast and get ready for our morning drive

10:00 a.m. – Morning Tea stop while out on a drive

Noon – Lunch (usually back at the camp)

3:30 p.m. afternoon tea at the camp

4:00 p.m. – head out for the afternoon drive, a Sundowner, maybe a night drive, then dinner and sleep – usually in that order

It was flexible, of course, depending on what animals folks were interested in seeing and what animal activity is occurring.  But if you want to get out and see as many animals and fowl in their habitat, you’ve got to get out there early in the morning and in the evening.  The night drives were interesting – hearing animals is different than seeing them – really makes you appreciate and respect the wildlife in their space. You ARE the visitor here.

Wonder if you’ll really see any animals … well, by the second camp we’d seen so many elephants, giraffes and impalas they were now “Es”, “Gs” and “Is” for short.

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Many thanks to Yandisa and Wilderness Safaris for this opportunity - it was such a fabulous, life-changing experience!  I laughed so much I made others laugh doing so and that was because of the great group I was able to safari with – Jerry,Crystal and Yandisa – cheers to Wilderness 4! And seriously, folks, how often do you get a background like that - pretty sweet!

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So a few things I thought of if you skipped to the end of this article …

·        Once you’ve been to Africa, zoos look very different.  

·        The camps may be called tented and officially are, but believe me, they are no ordinary tents!

·        All the Wilderness Air pilots were fabulous – and obviously love their jobs – kind of a neat job, actually.  

·        This was an extraordinary experience without being snobby.

·        It is a life-changing experience.

·        If you ever have the opportunity to go, take it.  Go with an open mind and be ready for a fun adventure that you will never forget!

A few tips when traveling to the bush in Africa - there are more, but it's a start:

·        Luggage – know there is a restriction because of the smaller bush planes – but the camps provide laundry service so you’ll be just fine

·        Toiletries – the camps are ecofriendly and they are very conscientious about using products that do not negatively impact the animals.  Leave your scented washes and scrubs at home and use what they have available – believe me, they do

smell nice.

·        Bugs – yep, they do exist and sprays are provided at the camps.  If you have something you like, take it.  I did the wipes so it wasn’t a liquid and made it easier to carry.

·        What to take – sunglasses, a hat, hiking boots, layers of ‘sweatable’ clothing (keep colors neutral), good hiking shoes, and lip balm come to mind … AND

·        A Camera … whether it’s your phone a separate camera.  And take your bigger lense – it is worth it – thank goodness for the ability to delete digital photos later.

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Please reach out if you're interested in experiencing a trip like this! I would love to help you plan your Safari!