Game Viewing at Chobe National Park, Botswana

Day 6

A long morning drive from Namibia found our safari at Thebe River Safari Lodge early in the afternoon. We quickly set up our tents and prepared for our evening activity; a Chobe National Park sunset cruise on the Chobe River. We boarded the pontoon style boat which had plenty of room for our group and situated the cooler full of drinks right in the center. We cruised up the river towards Chobe National Park in search of more wildlife.

As soon as we left the dock, one of the Aussies notified everyone about a snake in the water. Our driver turned for closer inspection and we all saw a Monitor lizard swimming across the river. There were actually quite a few on the banks along with some crocodiles bathing in the sun. We ventured further into the park and were greeted by grazing elephants. They were in the shallow waters pulling up the grasses and whipping them around to get the soil off before popping them in their mouth. As our boat inched closer and closer, they did not seem to be phased by all the enthusiastic tourist snapping pictures on the various boats.

The boat cruised past the shoreline which was full of playful baboons and blissful buffalos. Our group was excited to be seeing some of the Big 5 – with elephant and buffalo complete, only lion, leopard and rhino to go! We stopped in front of a termite mound where the guide pointed out the bird which somehow makes its home in the hard surface.

We crossed the channel to another section where hippos were grazing in the shallow grass filled waters. Their constant chomping reminded me of a game I played as a kid called Hungry Hungry Hippos. They were a bit more shy than the elephants and would move away from the boats if we made too much noise.

As the sun lit up the shore and grassy waters, our safari group enjoyed some drinks and each other’s company. After almost a week of traveling together, the group took to constant laughter and joking around. We all had our cameras ready and captured a spectacular African sunset over the river.

We returned to camp for another wonderful meal by our chef Nash. We had steak and sausage grilled on the fire with potatoes, coleslaw, and squash as sides. That evening, we celebrated the German couple’s 25th anniversary with cake and cookies.

Day 7

We woke before sunrise for a early morning game drive through Chobe National Park. As the group gathered, the day guide introduced himself and requested the men join him to get the truck. Apparently, he had difficulty starting the engine and the guys had to give it a push start. All 18 of us piled in the back of the safari truck and headed to the park.

The sun began to light the sky as we entered the park (thankfully because it was a cold morning). We drove through a grove of dying trees and observed the marabou storks perched on top. They are considered one of the Ugly 5 and I can see why – they actually remind me of a grumpy old man (croc, hyena, warthog, and vulture complete the Ugly 5).

We drove along a ridge where we could see the river below and were excited to see hippos out of the water! Because they only venture out of the water during nighttime we were excited to catch them before they jumped in to avoid the sun.

We continued to drive around looking for animals but didn’t see any movement for almost an hour – we were all starting to get worried. Finally, we turned a corner and found a herd of impala, a troop of baboons and a few buffalo! The baboons were the most fun to watch especially all the babies piggybacking on their parents.

As we progressed, several other safari trucks stopped to talk to our guide. I assume they were giving tips because soon after we began to find the hot spots. Our driver then told us to keep ahold of everything to ensure nothing is lost outside of the truck because we would not be able to retrieve it. Moments later he pulled around a corner for prime viewing of three lions! The females were all laying in the grass out in the open and all seemed to be taking cat naps. The guide told me that they were sitting out in the sun because it was such a cold morning. They were beautiful in the morning sun. I could feel their power even in their relaxing state.

We continued to circle to park seeing more impala, some kudu, elephants, giraffe and warthogs. The three hour drive was beautiful with lions being the highlight. We were all one step closer to seeing the Big 5!

Back at camp, Nash and Jojo served us a wonderful brunch complete with scrambled eggs and pancakes. After cleaning up, we hit the road for Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.