I was thoroughly looking forward to this adventure into the wilds of the Botswana wildlife areas in the months leading up to a safari. For this trip, we had 8 nights at two Kwando Safaris camps bordering the delta, and then we finished with 4 nights on the Pangolin Hotel in Kasane using their amazing boats on the Chobe River.
Joining me were 4 guests who had travelled with me in previous years in Zambia and were keen to explore more widely in Southern Africa. We had chosen the shoulder season in Botswana to enjoy the early season light, the lower rates and the chance to stay longer in the best camps. It certainly worked out for us!
We spent a total of 13 days together. As always, we put in long hours, early starts and lots of time in the bush, especially as the weather cooled dramatically from the start to the end of the trip so we could enjoy long mornings by the end. It was a pleasure throughout. Please read the camp-by-camp summary below and have a look at the highlights section of my Instagram page for the daily diary too.
Even better, check out my guests images on Carol’s Instagram page; I always love to see the images that come from their hard work on these trips.
We started the trip with a night in Maun before an early flight into the Delta to stay at Splash Camp. This is a beautiful, classy camp overlooking a waterhole and with access to the rich grassland areas along the Moanachira channel of the delta hydrology complex. We were able to drive, boat and explore off road since this is a private concession.
During our time at this camp, we had several sightings of wild dogs, including two hunting sessions, a pride of lions feeding on zebra and another splashing through the increasing flood waters and, finally, towards the end of the stay, an amazing evening with two cheetah brothers who were scouting from a termite mound.
During our time there, the water levels increased noticeably and the temperatures in the mornings dropped. It’s an unusual combination in Southern Africa where the winter season usually brings dry conditions alongside the colder weather. The delayed arrival of the flood waters from Angola is the driving force which turns this arid desert zone into the wildlife bonanza that it is.
We flew from Splash Camp in the Kwara concession to Pom Pom which lies south of the delta. The habitat here is more open with scattered trees and rather less tall grass. But we could also see that the flood water was arriving in this area too, and we hoped that we were just in time to enjoy the flooded scenery without being too limited on driving areas!
We had a feast of wildlife here, with leopards on almost every drive, a superb encounter with young lions early in the morning as they clambered on logs and, over 3 days, the story of a young male leopard and his adventures with a kill which he had been sharing with his mother. Hyaenas took it, but he got it back and then hauled it to safety in the branches of a very photogenic tree!
Our final evening gave us a pack of wild dogs at their den, then the fastest successful hunt of a lechwe that I have ever seen, and then the dogs’ return to the den with full bellies, just as the light was fading. We had really loved this place, and I will certainly return. Thank you to Kwando Safaris who had given us the first 8 days of wonderful safari.
For contrast, and because the guests were very keen on photographing birds, we chose Pangolin as our final camp. We booked a private boat and spend all 8 safari activities on the river. Every time we left the camp, we had beautiful sightings of elephants, birds, buffalo, eagles and even the interaction between crocodiles while they fed on a rotting buffalo carcass that was floating in the river.
Memorable were the visits to a pied kingfisher colony, and afternoon with a family of elephants playing in the water, a large bull elephant drinking on an island at sunset and the hunt for as many kingfisher species as we could find.
The Pangolin hotel, with all its industrial style, was totally different from the bush camps of the earlier part of the trip. But what might be missing in rustic-bush-emotions is more than made up for with the comfort, clever design, great staff and excellent food. It’s also a great starting point from which to access the river early in the mornings.
I am always honoured to welcome guests back for a second or third time, and this was no different. As always, we rose early and worked hard to find the sightings and were rewarded for the effort. I would gladly repeat this itinerary in future (as I will do in May 2026) and I know that both Kwando and Pangolin will provide the excellent launch pad for our safaris.
Thank you for reading to the end, and I would love to hear from you if you are considering a photo safari and would like to travel with me, or simply chat about your options.
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