Botswana – Chobe National Park

As part of the 27-day group camping tour that I took with G Adventures, we spent several days making our way through Botswana. After visiting the Okavango Delta, it was time to head further north to Chobe National Park.

Bumpy Rides and Baobab Trees

After waking up early to watch the sunrise, it was time to head back through the Okavango Delta to our campgrounds in Maun. Before we could leave, our guides had to scare off a nearby hippo so that we could safely pass through the waters. We had a peaceful ride in our mokoros (canoe-like vessels) and then a long drive in our small safari vehicles. The roads were even bumpier than when we had arrived, and I almost hit my head on the ceiling at one point. Our truck also nearly got stuck in the sand a couple of times. I was very happy when we finally arrived back at the camp.

We had a quick lunch break, and then it was back to our Lando (our overlanding vehicle) to head to Gweta. We drove along the “elephant highway” and saw elephants everywhere. It was amazing! During the dry season, they like to break the concrete water storage systems along the road since access to water is so limited. Indeed, we saw a few elephants drinking from these reservoirs as we passed through.

Drinking from a water storage system

We arrived at Planet Baobab, our next campsite, named for the massive baobab trees scattered around its property. The campgrounds also had a pool and some much-needed WiFi, which was a welcome change from our prior bush camping adventure. After dinner we sat around another campfire and listened to our guide Phillip’s crazy stories. Before long it was bedtime, where we were grateful to have our warm sleeping bags in the cold weather.

A baobab tree at sunset

Elephants and More Elephants

We had yet another early morning since we had a long drive to the town of Kasane. The drive was uneventful and we made it to our next campsite without issue. After getting our tents set up, we had a sunset river cruise on the Chobe River. The wildlife on the river was incredible! We saw hippos, a giraffe, a crocodile, water buffalo, and tons and tons of elephants. They were crossing the river which was a cool sight to see. The little babies would walk in between the older ones, and the leaders (usually the moms) would put their tails out of the water so that the babies could follow without getting lost. We learned that the teenagers are often scared to cross alone, so they wait for a leader before crossing.

Elephants in every direction!

A mom and baby elephant crossing the river

Our guide taught us many interesting facts about the elephants throughout the cruise. In my opinion, the most interesting fact was that no solo creature can kill a healthy adult elephant except humans. We also learned that elephants often communicate through the ground which is why they are so quiet. We watched the large groups of elephants until the sun went down; I could have stayed there all day! It was an incredible sight to see.

A very large crocodile

Watching the elephants from our boat

As we were heading back to the campsite, our boat got stuck in the mud… with nearby hippos… as the sun was going down. It was a little bit frightening, especially knowing how dangerous hippos can be. We were stuck for an hour until a bigger boat finally came to our rescue. We all had to climb onto this boat so that ours could get pulled out of the mud. Everyone made the best of the situation, but it was a little scary! Finally we arrived back at the campsite for socializing and another group dinner.

Chobe National Park

We had another early morning, although this time we would be going on a safari drive through Chobe National Park. Our guide had warned us that the drivers were crazy (which was a lot coming from him), and he was right! They were driving at least 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and brought us really close to the wildlife. I was relieved that we all had seatbelts.

Thankfully the drivers were very experienced, and we saw lots of wildlife during the morning drive. At one point a lion walked right beside my seat; it then passed right by a group of impalas, but luckily for them she wasn’t hungry. Instead, she was making a calling sound looking for her family. We also saw a group of three lion sisters eating a cape buffalo which was quite gross, although it was interesting to see the circle of life in action.

My first lion sighting

In addition to the lions, we saw elephants, giraffes, and zebras. Then, as we were heading back to camp, we saw a leopard in a tree! It had hidden its prey up there for a meal, and after watching it for a couple of minutes, it jumped out of the tree and quickly disappeared into the bush! Our guide told us how extremely lucky we were to see her; he goes into the park 4 to 5 times a week and only sees a leopard once every two months.

A rare leopard sighting!

A mom and baby elephant in Chobe National Park

We made our way back to the campsite, and I had a smile on my face despite the freezing cold wind. I had now seen all of the Big 5 safari animals during my first 7 days in Africa (the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo) and could relax and enjoy the rest of our safaris even more. I had minimal expectations about Botswana, but I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for unique safari experiences and memorable African adventures.