Botswana, Maun - Thamalakane River Lodge

Salt Pan 

After our three days at San Camp, it was our last small plane ride to the city of Maun. Maun is considered a tourist transit point. This area is starting to be developed as more tourists come to the area.

Last Flight

Our arrival at Maun Airport was very smooth. After departing the plane we were driven to the terminal where our driver carried our bags inside and helped us find our transportation to Thamalakane Lodge.  After a 30-minute drive to the lodge and through the town of Maun we arrived at our accommodation.

In Maun, we stayed at the Thamalakane River Lodge outside of town.

Room at the lodge

Thamalakane River is located at the south end of the Okavango Delta.

We took a sunset river cruise to see the farm life and birds along the river. The farm animals consisted of cattle and donkeys. There were a few large birds. The sunset was spectacular.

We also indulged in a couples massage before our river cruise which helped with the sore muscles from being on safari for the last nine days.

The next day we will be picked up by our Namibian guide to cross into Namibia for the next part of our Southern African adventure.

Botswana, Kalahari Salt Pans - San Camp

Our last camp in Botswana was San Camp. We departed for the Tsigaro Airstrip after three nights with the hippopotamus and elephants walking by our deck. The flight over the Okavango Delta was spectacular. This delta is the second-largest delta in the world. The animals in this area are very healthy due to the vast quantity of water and vegetation.

Okavango Delta

Jacks Camp Airstrip

San Camp is one of three camps in this private reserve. The camp is a temporary camp in Kalahari's Salt Pans and is only set up during the dry season. The edge of the camp is along the Ntwetwe Pan.

The theme of the camp is the Sahara Desert or Arabian Nights. 

A Bed for a Queen or King

Morning Coffee

Our room was the furthest from the main camp. So we made sure that we took everything we needed for the morning activity when we went for breakfast. We enjoyed learning about the animal that lived in this area during the dry season. The salt pan floods in the rainy seasons so a lot of the animals leave the area. This is also a prime nesting area for birds when the water is present.

Quad Drive onto the pan

Bill drove the quad on the salt pan which was a new experience for him. Since I am not allowed to drive this type of vehicle anymore. We learned how to tie a traditional scarf so that our faces could be covered by the dust and salt from the pan. When you're on the pan there are no landmarks to determine where you are so people can easily get lost and just travel around in a circle. It is also extremely important to carry water and keep hydrated.

Sunset on the Pan

We had a wonderful meal out on the salt pan and then a relaxing night. The stars in this area are pheonominal as there is no light to affect their brightness. 

Getting back to our tent we had a slight problem as the lights in the bathroom did not work. It is extremely dark. Thankfully we had our flashlights. Getting into bed was an even bigger challenge for "E" as she could not reach the bed even with the one-step stool by the side of the bed. Hopefully, we would not have to get up in the middle of the night.

The next day we were delighted to go see the Meerkats. This was the reason that Bill wanted to stay at this camp. To our delight, the Meerkats were out looking for larvae and we got to follow them as they searched for food.

Meerkats are constantly taking turns checking for predators. They want to climb on the highest rock or persons to be able to see further.

We also saw the remains of a Zebra that was killed by a group of lions the night before. When we arrived the lions had finished eating and the jackals were taking their turn.

Nature takes care of every animal and insect

Satisfied Lion

After the male lions eat it is the lioness's turn.

During our stay, the bush along the salt pan caught on fire. This is a problem in this area and can threaten the camps and their solar panels. One day all the camp staff from the three camps went out to fight the fire. Only a minimum amount of staff was left to take care of guests and prepare food. Not only did they have to feed the guests but they were also sending food to the groups fighting the fire. We remained at the camp for the day and had time to rest. Several guests helped out so the tables were set, and food and wine were served. Later we sat around a campfire and watched the glow from the fire in the distance. It took the staff 18 hours to put out the fire.

Tonight when we made it back to our tent there were four kerosene lanterns glowing in the bathroom area. This made for a very romantic ambiance. When I talked to the manager she said that she did not want us to have another problem with the lights so had the lanterns placed in our room. It's a good thing that Elaine knows how to turn them off or we would have had them on all night until the kerosene was gone.

The next day we had an opportunity to see the animals in the area. There were large herds of water buffalo and zebra, a small group of lions, and a large flock of ostrich probably around 100 birds in a single file crossing the pan.

Blue Wildebeest

Antelope - Springbok

Vultures come to drink

The waterhole is manmade and helps to draw the animals to the area. Since most of the animals must drink at least once a day. Zebra and wildebeest like to cohabitate on the plain as the wildebeest eat the tender grass shoots and the zebra eats the tall grasses.

There is a group of indigenous people from the northwest close to Namibia that live at Jacks Camp during the dry season to learn their traditional ways and share this with the tourists. We visited the San Bushmen and learned how they dig for scorpions, play traditional games, use the local plants for medicine, and how they make fire without flint or a match. 

Need to move your hand before the rock hits the flat rock

Cobra digs for a scorpion with a stick.

This is the burrowing scorpion.

After our three days, we were off to Maun, Botswana on our last small airplane flight.

 

Botswana, Okavango Delta Safari Reserves

 

After three days we are departing for the Vumbura Airstrip. for the next three days, we are staying in the Vumbura Plains Thatched Suite.

When we arrived by plane it did not look like this area was much of a delta. The Okavango Delta is the second largest delta in the world behind the Ganges river delta in India and Bangladesh. 

As we got to the camp we realized that the airstrip was located quite far from the camp to ensure that it did not flood during the rainy season. The vehicle used is a Landrover which can go through water as this area can be extremely wet.

Our accommodation was spectacular. To get to the rooms we walked along a raised walkway as the area does flood.  We were located right beside a vast delta area. 

Raised walkway to the room

Room Interior

Deck Area

View from our room

We had three very different experiences at this lodge. The animals were more spread out because of the greater access to water and vegetation but our guide did an excellent job locating a great variety for us to see. The vegetation was also lush compared to where we had been.

Red Hartebeest

Beautiful mauve flowers on tree.

Amarillo Tree

Baby Baboon about three weeks.

Kudu

Boat trip on the delta.

Floating Papaus Plants

No Fish Today

Maybe we can find an Elephant in the water?

Eating lilypad risomes

Landrover

Another sundowner. After on the way back to the camp we saw a wildcat in the dark. It was the size of a house cat.

One day at Vumbura Plains Camp, we started tracking a Lion as he was walking through the water which is unusual. The guides thought he had a sent that they wanted to investigate. In the area where the lion took us the water level had been too high so they had not been in the area.

Lion splashing through the water.

As the lion left the water we saw a Leopard run up a tree. As we got closer the lions were circling the tree and the leopard was at the top. On closer investigation, you could see a dead warthog up in the tree. The lions had probably caught the scent of the warthog and had gone looking for a free meal.

Lions circling the tree.

Female Leopard

Leopards will take their kill up a tree to prevent
other predators from eating their kill.

We saw a lot of animals on our trip through Botswana. The only animal of the big five we did not see was a rhinoceros.

Waterbuffalo

Warthog resting

Hippopotamus out of the water.

Mokoro Boat Trip

Frog

Our last sundowner at Vumbura Camp.

Our last sundown on the Delta.

Example of afternoon tea.

Items that the staff makes to sell.

It is very interesting how the small planes flighting to the lodges are so efficient. We flew on three different airlines. Each company of lodges has there own airline or has contracted with a company like Mack air or  Majestic Blue Airplane Service. The size of the plane depends on which lodges have guests being flown in or transported to another lodge. When you take your first flight it can be unnerving because all you are told the night before is your pick-up time. You have no scheduled departure time, route, or flying time. We soon learned that schedules are created the day before and can change daily. Even with that, everything runs smoothly and everyone is very accommodating.  At the airstrip, your guide is responsible for clearing the airstrip of animals before the plane arrives and before departure.  When we arrived the wildebeest and zebra were on the airstrip and the plane was late so the Kudu decided to make their appearance so we made another trip down the length of the runway. The group of Kudu was not very worried about the truck on the side of the airstrip as our guide "Big O" banging on the side of the truck. They would not leave the airstrip. Big O had to get out of the vehicle and through rocks and the Kudu before they would leave.

Video of elephant parade.

Video of elephant eating water lilies risomes. They spit our the leaves and stems that they don't want.