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23rd april - 9th may

Overlanding across Afica in our Land Rover Defender: Botswana

Andy Lees
2006-05-16 15:19:02

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and headed out of chobe and on to the neighbouring moremi national park. between the park gates we followed the kwai river. its banks were green and the waters clear and slow moving. after being in the desert a river always looks particularly cool and appealing, and this was no exception. a multitude of birds brought the scene to life; jacana's flying up from the reeds, geese paddling, herons fishing and the mighty saddle bill storks standing tall and showing off their ridiculously bright, coloured bills.

inside moremi, it took us the remainder of the day to negotiate the narrow twisting tracks, whose inadequate signposts forced us to slowly zero-in on the camp site at xakanaxa. it was another unfenced camp and claire woke me in the night and pointed out a hyena that was sniffing around at the bottom of the ladder. but the day's driving must have taken its toll on my energy reserves, because apparently i just rolled back over and said 'wake me up if you see a lion'.

in the morning, sunrise again, we set off to scour the tip of the moremi peninsular. the best place for game. our luck wasn't in though and although we were in the best place, in one of the best parks, in one of the most game rich countries in the world at, theoretically, just the right time, we hardly saw a thing. but that's how it is with nature. these parks aren't zoos. and that's what makes it so special when you do get a great sighting, and i guess that's what makes it addictive and what keeps dragging us out of bed before sunrise, the chance that we just might.

maun - 28th april

we left moremi and were once again looking forward to a taste of civilisation. maun is the largest town in the area and being the closest town to the okavango delta, has grown into a tourist hub. we fancied going into the delta ourselves, so headed straight for the various booking offices in town. the okavango delta is the ...