One of the highlights and draws of our three-week Intrepid itinerary was the two nights that we spent in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. The Okavango Delta stretches between 15,000 – 22,000 square kilometers covering a good portion of northern Botswana. For our visit, we entered the northern part of the delta where there is no tourism infrastructure (as opposed to the southern part, where the city of Maun provides all the comforts one might wish for). After driving through fields full of wooden huts and corrals, we arrived at a juncture on the Okavango River where a ferry boat shuttled us across to the other side. Bouncing down dirt roads, we finally stopped when we could go no further; our truck would be parked on the banks of the delta for two days while we had our adventure among the waters.

Our truck backed onto the ferry for the short ride across the Okavango River.

Upon arriving on the shore, we started going through our bags to gather what we would need for the upcoming evening. A crew of local men, all of whom had grown up within a few kilometers of where we were, met us and helped us load our belongings into the dug-out canoes, called mokoros. Each of the locals took two people into their mokoro and began the journey to our bush camp. Using long poles, the ‘polers’ pushed the mokoros through the delta, navigating through tall reeds and around islands. As we were sitting down in the mokoro, it was hard for us to tell where we were going; we had to trust that Kenneth, our poler, knew the way. Chatting with Kenneth, we learned that he had began poling mokoros in the delta when he was six years old; he was more comfortable on the water than on land. He met the Intrepid groups that toured the delta a few times a month to accompany us on our visits, but otherwise spent the rest of his time in his nearby village where his wife was studying to be a nurse. Kenneth was patient with us, answering all of our questions about the delta, the plants and animals, and his life. Each time we went for a mokoro ride together, he found something new to show us and tell us about.

We rode through reeds, flowers, and lilypads on our mokoro boats.

Who can resist a selfie in a mokoro in the Okavango Delta!?

A couple hours after we left our truck, we landed on an island which would be our bush camp for the evening. Although we experienced isolation with our camps in Namibia, this was unlike anything else we had ever experienced. Tall reeds and trees helped define the island, making us glad that we had packed long pants and close-toed shoes. Once our tent was assembled, at the base of a large tree, most of us climbed into the mokoros again for an evening hippo-watching ride. Cruising along the canals, we finally stopped at the opening to an area of open water, perfect for spotting hippos. Sure enough, they started making their way along the open channel, surfacing every so often to breathe, snort, or yawn with their enormous mouths. During this time, the polers told us that the hippos are actually walking along the bottom and can stay underwater for five to seven minutes at a time. Finally, as a storm was approaching, we made our way back to camp to begin cooking our evening meal. A brief shower caused the temperature to drop, so after dinner, we snuggled into our tent for a good night’s rest.

The weather changed frequently while in the Delta; sometimes dark and stormy and sometimes sunny and hot.

As we climbed out of our tents in the morning, we bundled up again and set off for a walk through the bush with two of our polers to guide us. The island where we had camped was larger than originally thought; we walked for nearly two hours across dense grass and vegetation. Various animal tracks were pointed out, from jackals to elephants to lions. We learned about the different trees, bushes, and plants that grow in the delta and how they can all be used for food or medicine. At one point, our guide told us that we would be able to tell if a pile of elephant dung came from a male or female by tasting it; he stuck his finger in the middle of the pile and stood up, put it in his mouth, and proclaimed it was from a female. Dumbstruck and a little disgusted, we asked how he could tell; his answering smile was that he couldn’t tell from the taste – it had been a prank on us by placing a different finger in the pile than what he had licked!

We started our bush walk in the Delta at dawn and watched the sun rise in the sky.

We followed our guides on paths through the bush on the island.

After a warm breakfast of fresh crepes, jam, and coffee, we ventured in our mokoros to another island to camp for the next evening. This island was set up differently; there was a permanent camp established for groups like us who visited the delta. Large tents were erected along the edge of the island and our kitchen and bathrooms were a few minutes’ walk away. Jon and I were assigned tent #3 and when we arrived, we quickly noticed the elephant footprints and piles of dung directly behind our tent! Seeing that, we knew we were in for an interesting evening on what we had dubbed ‘Elephant Island.’

It was fairly obvious that elephants walked freely around our tents on the island!

Our afternoon was spent in leisure; I took a nap, showered, then played games with some of our friends. Jon joined the afternoon bush walk around the island with our guide, learning about tracking animals and trying his hand at poling in one of the mokoros. That evening was to be our last with our cook, Peter, who would be switching to a different Intrepid group the next day. Due to popular demand, he made his delicious chicken curry dish that we had all loved from our second night on the tour (more on the meals we ate coming soon!). After dinner, many of us retired to the bar to enjoy a few beers and games. Peter joined us, telling us stories about his time in the African wilderness and his encounters with wild animals. Once it was dark, we knew it was time to turn in and get some sleep.

We encountered all sorts of items on our bush walks, including some skeletons.

A few of our group tried their hand at poling in the mokoros; some were more successful than others!

At some point in the night, I awoke to get a drink of water. Laying on my cot in the dark, with rain droplets hitting the roof of our tent, I listened closely and heard a huffing noise coming from outside. As I focused on the sound, I started to make out footfalls and rumblings coming from a large animal. I knew then that there were elephants walking right past our tent, separated only by the bit of canvas that we had stretched between us. At that moment, I truly felt the impact of the wilds of Africa and how vulnerable we were all sleeping just feet away from such huge creatures. It took me a while to fall back asleep and when I awoke, friends validated my experience with their stories of hearing elephants in the night.

On the bush walks, we saw a wide variety of footprints in the dirt.

Breakfast that morning was spent discussing the animals who had walked through our camp; evidence was everywhere. As we packed up and had our final mokoro ride back to our truck, we reflected on what a unique experience it was to spend two nights in the Okavango Delta. Among hippos and elephants, we camped miles and hours from the nearest city, learning about a different ecosystem and having the sort of adventure that one only dreams about. Staying in the delta was a highlight of our time in Africa and not something we could have recreated anywhere else in the world. Along with our time in Namibia, the two days in the Okavango Delta were the most remote and special that we had on our entire journey. We felt lucky to visit this isolated region that now holds a special place in our hearts.

The water was flat and clear, aside from the ripples caused by our poles or the animals swimming by.