Delta and Deserts
Jo curated a remarkable Delta-to-Desert safari for Alison and her family, guests of Aardvark Safaris. Their journey spanned the glistening waterways of the Okavango Delta and the breathtaking expanse of the Namibian desert. Alison recounts the unforgettable moments from their family adventure here.
A safari adventure in Botswana and Namibia
Our youngest’s graduation from university last summer saw the end of formal education for us as family and presented the opportunity for a safari holiday to Botswana and Namibia with our daughter Elizabeth aged 27 and son Benedict who turned 23 while we were on holiday, which was wonderfully orchestrated by the lovely Jo at Aardvark Safaris.
The Callander family running down the red dunes of Deadvlei, Namibia
Botswana – first sights of the Okavango Delta
We all slept incredibly well on the flight to Johannesburg from London having been up very late the night before at a wedding – a great way to ensure a good sleep on a long haul overnight flight. After an onward connection to Maun in Botswana our adventure really began as we took our first light aircraft flight to Kwara Airstrip. Our first glimpse of the Okavango Delta and the sights that were waiting for us filled us all with a real sense of mounting excitement. On arrival at Kwara, we were expecting a jeep transfer to our first stop, 4 Rivers Camp, little did we know that as the camp was new, the road had not yet been completed and we would transfer on by helicopter! It was so exciting! We got our first glimpse of elephants, zebras and giraffes as we flew low over the delta and I think we all fell in love with Botswana in those very first few moments.
Taken from a 4 Rivers Camp helicopter ride over the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Our quick but deliciously refreshing welcome drink at 4 Rivers saw us serenaded by the sounds of a hippopotamus bathing in the river alongside the camp. We then set out on our first, evening game drive with a delightful couple from Australia. Our guide prepared sundowners from the back of the jeep and we watched the sun setting over the African plains, turning everything into a beautiful mellow gold. We were all a little apprehensive as we were walked across the boardwalks to our rooms after a fabulous dinner. The camp is set in the middle of a private conservancy and the animals are roaming free, therefore you aren’t allowed to walk around unaccompanied after dark. Our rooms were so beautiful and we fell asleep to the sounds of hippos and lions roaming around nearby! Benedict was a little spooked by the hippo calling out from under their bedroom floor, which was safely up on stilts, I might add!
The stilted rooms at 4 Rivers looks out onto the river
Sundowners, wildlife drives, and the sounds of the wild
We were awakened pre-dawn to be walked back into the centre of camp where a camp fire, warm drinks and a light breakfast awaited us before heading out on an early morning drive. The sun comes up so quickly in Africa; it was mesmerising watching the colour of the sky change so beautifully. Game drives at 4 Rivers were never without disappointment. At almost every turn we were greeted by elephants, zebra, giraffe and many different types of antelope. We had an incredible time watching two lions cross the savannah and sit together, perched upon a rock providing them a good vantage point of their territory. What made the drives so special is that in our two days there, we never saw another vehicle; there was absolutely no sense of hounding the animals as we had seen and heard about elsewhere. Our guides were knowledgeable and fast acting.
A Southern Giraffe, captured by Benedict Callander
We had the, very upsetting, but also privileged experience of seeing nature in all its harshness as we watched a pack of lion take down a water buffalo. It was a sobering experience for us all, but brought home the reality of how brutal nature can be and I don’t think we will ever forget racing and bouncing across the plains in hot, but respectful pursuit.
Alison photographs a pride of lions eating a buffalo
A special birthday
The hospitality at 4 Rivers was exceptional. We were entertained by wonderful singing from the staff and they made an extra effort to bake a cake and sing an early birthday song to Benedict. We swam in the little (very cold!) pool and enjoyed the beauty of the camp itself and the surroundings. It was hard to leave, but we were also eagerly anticipating the next part of our African adventure – a tented camp with Drumbeat Safaris.
The team at 4 Rivers Camp surprise Benedict with a birthday cake
Another helicopter transfer and light aircraft flight awaited our guide Scott, who was so exceptionally knowledgeable, we learnt so much during our stay in Moremi Game Reserve. We loved the camping side of this part of the holiday – it was wonderful to be outdoors so much and to start and end the day with a campfire. It was very civilised camping! Whilst the morning game drives were chilly, we were wrapped up with blankets and hot water bottles kindly prepared for us by Annelies. Not long though before the day warms up and you’re soon applying sun tan cream and putting on your safari hats!
A fabulous farewell to Botswana
One of the highlights of our time here was seeing an enormous buffalo stampede – even the sun seemed to change colour with the dust thrown up by the mass movement of these mighty animals. We also had a wonderful boat trip along the Okavango and watched elephants feasting in the reed beds. Annelies also prepared a special birthday supper for Benedict and lit the camp with lanterns. It was magical to sit out under the stars and discuss wildlife, conservation, politics and history together. When our time in Botswana sadly came to an end we took another light aircraft flight (they really do operate almost like busses in this part of the world) and a flight back to Johannesburg and then onward to Windhoek in Namibia.
Benedict photographs a herd of buffalo under the setting sun in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Namibia – a journey through the sands
Everywhere we travelled, we were greeted and aided by wonderful people that Aardvark Safaris had arranged. We spent a night at Galton House Hotel in Windhoek and the next morning our car was delivered and we sat through a very comprehensive and informative safety talk about driving in Namibia which helped to remove any slight trepidation we were feeling about self driving. There is no doubt that driving across the Namibian desert is an experience, but it was a positive one and great fun! Elizabeth soon took charge at the wheel and loved it! The roads are unmade but very wide and there is so little traffic once you get outside the city limits that you could drive for an hour without seeing another car. Once you got used to handling the corrugation on the dirt roads, you were off and away. The scenery was such a contrast to what we had seen in the Okavango Delta but the stark, barren landscape has a haunting beauty, all of its own. We stopped in Solitaire for a break and a scrumptious piece of famous apple pie and then continued to Camp Sossus, a stunning tented camp located in the private 24,000 hectare Namib Tsaris Conservancy between Namibia’s Nubib and Zaris mountains.
The meru-style safari tents at Camp Sossus, Namibia
Sossusvlei and the Namib Tsaris Conservancy
The setting for Camp Sossus took our breath away, as did the incredible food they provided. Our guide, Alion, was simply wonderful and showed us everything there was to see in this part of the world. We had the most incredible day in Sossusvlei, climbing Big Daddy, the tallest dune in the area which stands at 325 metres high and then running down the other side to explore the ‘other worldly’ sights of Deadvlei with its 900 year old dead camel thorn trees that still stand tall. After a morning of physical activity we were treated with a champagne brunch, cooked for us under the trees, which went down very well!
The Callander Family captured mid-air at the striking salt pans of Deadvlei
We loved cycling and taking nature walks in the private Namib Tsaris Conservancy and Benedict particularly enjoyed sleeping on top of their room in a bed designed for all night star gazing. We visited the incredible ancient bushmen rock art which was a real education. Every evening a bar was set up in the desert and we had healthy measures of Namibian gin and tonic as we watched the sun set.
Camp Sossus star bed
The coastal city of Swakopmund
Elizabeth had to leave us at this point to return to work in London so after waving her farewell, the three of us set off again in the car to drive across the desert to Swakopmund where we stayed for two nights. It seemed almost surreal being by the coast after days in the desert. We enjoyed an entertaining boat trip from Walvis Bay and were joined on board by a pelican and a seal. Dolphins sailed alongside our boat and we watched thousands of seals in a huge colony before docking for an incredible private beach braai where we were served mouth-watering food, the type of standard you would expect in a top London restaurant, including huge Namibian oysters, enormous shellfish and the tenderest of steaks. After such a feast we were collected for our jeep safari over the dunes and we held onto our stomachs as we careered up and down the dunes and marvelled at the coastline below us.
A luxurious finale in Damaraland
Leaving Swakopmund the next day, we headed for our final destination of the holiday – Onduli Ridge. It is hard to find the right words to describe this incredible camp – from the amazing room with their private gin bars and watercolour paints for guests to discover their inner artist, to the sundowners shared with other fascinating guests watching the sunset over the plains, to the absolutely incredible food, stunning pool and wonderful wildlife drives.
Panoramic views of the rolling plains of Damaraland, from your bedroom
Our guide, William, was a fascinating young man, dedicated to wildlife and conservation and we enjoyed every minute with him, whether it was bouncing over the rocky terrain in search of desert adapted elephants and black rhino, to mountain biking or heading out on nature walks. On our last morning, we set our alarms before dawn to sit on the rocks by our rooms to watch our final sunrise over Africa.
Desert adapted elephants
We reflected on what an incredible journey we had experienced, made possible by Aardvark Safaris. We had been recommended them by three friends who had travelled with them previously. Our expectations were set high by our experience with Jo during the booking process but it was exceeded every day with each experience we had on our holiday. The organisation of the delta and desert itinerary and the quality of the accommodation, staff and guides was faultless. We were fortunate to see so much wildlife – something obviously that cannot be guaranteed, but even the leopards came out to play for us! What we hadn’t anticipated was how we left each camp feeling like we were leaving friends rather than just guides and staff, how fascinating the other guests at the camps were – so many likeminded, intelligent people to chat to and share experiences with and finally the totally incredible food and drink that we were served wherever we went. Sadly our Namibian gin supplies are running a little low, so the only question is, how soon can we go back?
View our 16 day safari to Botswana and Namibia here.
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Wow Alison l have so enjoyed reading your wonderful blog and seeing the photos.
Thanks to your recommendation and picture show at our house one evening we contacted Jo at Aardvark Safaris and she helped us put together a similar adventure in Botswana/ Namibia .
An unforgettable holiday for our family too !