Day 11 – Chobe – Nata

Morning River Cruise on the Chobe River

Not content with just one boat trip on the Chobe river, at 7am we turned up slightly grumpy and disheveled from our night camping for our morning boat trip. We had hired a private boat for when we had been advised would be a good time for high game densities. However in June because it is so cold at night the animals by the morning are not thirsty or hot enough to try the risky business of drinking. Consequently, there was very little game on our morning trip, just an incredibly beautiful experience and a feeling we’d got the whole of the Chobe River privately to ourselves in the magical morning light bathing the idyllic tranquil water.

Any early morning grizzly tempers were soon dispelled by the sight of Baboons on the banks sifting through the elephant poo for tasty snacks that the elephants eat but don’t digest. The Botswana flag flew proudly on the contested island in the middle of the river, clearly stating claim over the land against the opposition in Namibia. Hippos wallowed in Hippo Heaven, and we saw one pair mating, proof of how happy they are in these lovely conditions. We saw some buffalo, an African Fish Eagle, and some other interesting birdlife, but otherwise nothing and the many elephant from the night before had all vanished. However I believe later in the dry season the animals may be more desperate for water and the nights are hotter, so the morning trips may yield more sightings. Teeming herds of game or not, I still recommend a private boat trip, it was idyllic, and a beautiful way for us to have one final look at the Chobe River.

Later that morning we restocked with more supplies in Kasane and headed off on the main tarred road south to Nata and our next destination, Nata Lodge. On the way we had to stop at a Vet Fence where we had to wash our feet and car in disinfectant like when foot and mouth had infested the UK, and we were also told we couldn’t take any fresh animal produce through, so any dairy or meat produce. Just as well we didn’t have any as our fridge was still not working.