We are now in Botswana for the first time on this trip, at the Chobe River or also called Cuando.
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The Chobe River Lodge
Is built right on the river bank and I was already here with another group in 2013.
There is now another lodge on the site, and we are lucky to get an upgrade to the better and new one
Chobe Bush Lodge
Since it’s still early as we needed only half an hour to cross the border, which can easily take up to three hours, we got to wait for the rooms.
In the meantime, we have lunch in the restaurant. After that, our rooms are ready for us and we are incredibly excited about their seize. We got a family room that not only includes the master bedroom, but also a separate children’s room with two beds and a bathroom. In the mastersuite, there is a bathtub in the room and behind it a large shower. Only the toilet is hidden behind a door. A mosquito net is stretched over the reliable double bed.
First, I pour myself a coffee and have a biscuit. Splendid! Of course, we got also bottled water, as the water from the tap should not be used to brush your teeth.
Here in the lodge, currently the breakfast cannot be taken, so we go to the Chobe River Lodge, where there is a wonderful buffet in the morning and in the evening. Here at the Chobe Bush Lodge, lunch and dinner are served à la carte. The bar is cozy and has plenty of seats for guests.
We look out over the pool and garden where warthogs, zebra mongooses and antelope freely roam around.
We enjoy the afternoon, fetch the Botswana currency Pula from the teller machine, which is in the shopping center right next to the lodges´ entrance and stock up on snacks for the long bus drives.
In Chobe National Park
The entrance to Chobe National Park is a short jeep drive away. At 6 o’clock in the morning it’s still pretty fresh, now in spring.
Soon we see impalas and baboons, who take no notice of us while they are eating.
Everywhere we see elephant droppings as large groups live here in the park. A fish eagle looks down on us, a few banded mongooses scurry about along the way and dig in the earth for something to eat. Then our ranger gets a call, and she rushes off.
Lions
have been sighted and all vehicles make their way to this spot.
Indeed, the herd of impala has already fled, but the lions don’t seem to be out to hunt. Instead, the approximately 15 pack members drape themselves under bushes and trees so that I must look closely to see them. There are cubs with their mothers, and I also see an impressive male lion, he got a very light mane. Unfortunately, he has draped himself so cleverly behind a dense bush that taking pictures is out of the question. So, I just enjoy the moment and try to take some photos of the more agile lionesses.
At some point we must go back. The opulent breakfast buffet awaits the group in the lodge.
At mid-morning, I treat myself to a Hakuna Matata massage and at 3 p.m. we start the
Chobe River Safari
In the afternoon, the thirsty animals come to the river to drink. Our captain knows the river inside out and it doesn’t take long before we see the first crocodiles warming up their bodies in the sun.
The Chobe River, the Zambezi and the Okavango are home to a huge abundance of (water) birds. Therefore, our guide Stefan Rust can hardly be stopped. As a bird lover, he owns a company, Birdscontour.
He knows every bird, no matter how small, by name, can identify every bird’s voice and knows how the birds behave. Please forgive me for not remembering all of the names.
Animals on shore
A water monitor lizard searches for prey, darters stretch their long necks and an African fish eagle stands on the shore. What is he waiting for? A family of baboons frolic and frogs croak, although we don’t see a single one. The background noise is spectacular, something I love so much about Africa!
After a while we see a herd of elephants with several young animals. I love watching them! A few hippos are lying lazily in the river near the bank. They can stay underwater for up to 6 minutes, but they cannot swim. So, they always push themselves off the bottom to get to the surface or they look for a flatter spot.
A giraffe is probably thirsty too, but we don’t get to see the spectacle of a drinking giraffe today.
The sun sets blood red, as is only possible in Africa. Therefore, our captain now steers the boat back to the lodge without interruption. The sun is gone quickly, and our three hours on board are over.
On the premises
Before we leave the next morning, Stefan takes us around the large property and shows us many birds singing in the morning sun. On the outer edge of the site is a large campsite and a bar built on stilts along the Chobe River. I really wouldn’t spend the night here, with the warning signs everywhere warning of hippos and crocodiles. But I don’t have to.
Today we cross a border again, this time to Namibia into the Caprivi Strip.
In case you missed the start of my trip, here’s a look at what we did in Victoria Falls.
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