2022 POSTCARD FROM AFRICA [BOTSWANA & SOUTH AFRICA] Tuesday 15 February – Monday 14 March 2022

 

Having had my flight from Jo’burg to Botswana delayed by a dayI delayed my flight from London to Jo’burg by 24 hours so I eventually took off on Tuesday evening, and had a very smooth flight to Jo’burg.  

Only one lot of cobbles over the Med, just when I had a large glass of red on my tray!!!  Very easy arrival in Jo’burg and managed to get my room early so next step was to re-pack everything for my safari!

On Thursday morning I set off to connect with my Airlink flight to Kasane.  The hotel porter kindly wheeled my luggage to the check in desk which made life a lot easier.  After a short and comfortable flight I arrived in Kasane where they decided that no PCR test was required just confirmation of my three vaccinations – very easy!  There I was met by Innocent, my Guide, and driven to Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero Lodge.  After checking in, unpacking and getting myself sorted I went out on a boat trip on the Chobe River where I had some wonderful viewings,  In the evening I had an average dinner and then spent an hour or so sorting my photos.

 

On Friday Innocent took me off on an early morning safari drive, but we saw very little thanks to some rain that morning.  We then spent an hour or so on boat on the Chobe River but saw little else, so returned to our car and did an afternoon/evening safari drive when we saw so many elephants it was unbelievable, many blocking our road for quite some time.  That evening I was the only guest at the lodge so had VIP treatment!

 

Saturday was a very different day – we saw so much – half from our car and half from our boat.  Lions [and their kill of a buffalo], jackal, hippos, zebra, a Tower of giraffe! and many elephants, watching them playing in the water off our boat as I enjoyed a sundowner or two at the end of the day. 

 

Sunday was another good day spent half on the safari car and half of the river boat – we must have seen 5-600 elephants – herds and herds of them off the car and the boat.  And we saw many giraffe too as well as a couple of lions.  

 

On Monday Innocent and I went off by car to search for lions, although we found them eventually, they were difficult to see under a very dark and large bush.  So we moved on and spent the afternoon on a boat on the Chobe River, watching elephants, hippos amongst many others as well as some beautiful birds.  

 

On Tuesday 22 February it was back to Kasane airport for my flight back to Jo’burg.  After sorting my packing I had an early dinner and an early night as I had to be back at Jo’burg airport by 8am!  So next morning I flew to Skukuza where I was met by Mike and taken to Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge.  I gave lunch a miss and spent the afternoon unpacking and catching up with myself.  Went on an evening game drive with a couple of Americans, saw quite a lot but nothing earth-shaking!  Buffalo, lions asleep, rhino in the distance, zebra.  In the evening there was a boma dinner which was OK!  On Thursday morning it was a 5.30 wake-up call, and off at 6am on a game drive.  Had a very good viewing of a beautiful female leopard, also some wildebeest, both of which were a first for this trip.  On return to the Lodge spent the day quietly, including a short swim!  In the evening we had a quiet game drive, although towards the end saw a pride of lion by torchlight.

 

On Friday, we found the pride of lions but they were all sleeping!  We then saw some hippos before moving on to see a big male leopard which was great.  Another quiet day at the lodge, and another swim before my evening safari.  The American couple having gone home, I was on my own which was fantastic.  Amongst other things, we saw a rhino with a baby and a pride of lions moving around – all fantastic.

 

The following morning, I discover I am to be alone on my game drive all day which was great.  We saw an amazing thing in the morning – six lions had killed a zebra and were enjoying their ‘kill’.  However, a ‘clan’ of hyena arrived and after a lot of stalking the hyena eventually moved in and took the kill for themselves – something incredible to watch.  The lions just moved away from their kill – amazing!   In the evening it was a quiet game drive, finishing up with some large male lions, but not easy to see by night.

 

The next day I had my guide, Mike, to myself in the morning which we spent following a leopard and two large cubs – in fact difficult to tell the mother from her cubs. Seeing three leopards together is a very unusual experience.  In the evening I was joined by another couple and we were lucky enough to see two cheetahs so a very good day!  The following morning, the new couple failed to turn up so I was on my own again and had a wonderful morning.  Within ten minutes of leaving the Lodge we found a leopard in front of us - we stuck with him for quite some time, and he moved around our car with no problem, so some great close-up photos.  We then moved on to a pride of lions who were a bit sleepy but got some good photos of them.  From there we found a leopard in a tree so another photo-time spent with her, and after that we found a ‘crash’ of rhino – five to be precise so more great photos. The evening was quiet but no problem after such a great morning.  My last morning was very quiet, the only excitement being a cheetah and her cub.

 

I left the lodge at 11.45 and was driven to Skukuza airstrip, from where I flew to Jo’burg for the night.  On Wednesday 3 March I flew down to Cape Town and checked into my lovely room on the 8^th floor of the Table Bay Hotel.  The hotel still has annoying things like badly organised breakfast, small pool with large floats in it! Spent the first morning shopping for food and booze in Pick’n Pay, and organising my diary for the next ten days.  Then went to the pool but not much fun with too many kids and loud men so retired to my room to catch up with myself before meeting up with my friend Kerry for dinner at Quay Four that evening. A fun evening!

The next few days were spent by the pool or wandering around the Waterfront.  I had a lovely dinner with some friends at Zest at Sea Point one evening, and took myself out to supper on the Waterfront on three or four evenings.  

 

On Thursday 10^th March my friend Kerry took me on a trip into the winelands.  We kicked the day off by visiting “The Long March to Freedom” near Century City.  There are 100 bronze life-size figures, mostly African.  Quite something!!!  We then travelled on to have a wonderful day of wine-tasting – visiting Lanzerac, Oldenburg and Signal Gun vineyards and lunching at Fairview vineyard.  It was a glorious day and we had a great time travelling around the winelands.

The Friday was my first dull day – but thankfully I was out to a fun lunch with my friend June in Claremont, Saturday was also rather chilly - the sun disappeared around midday, and that was that!    Sunday was even worse with a lot of rain.  So a morning to pack up and get out of my room by 2pm.  Then a rather tedious BA flight home in a plane with a new [and strange] set up, followed by a nightmare at Passport Control thanks to a strike, and then a rather long journey into London in my car which was very late picking me up.  So…. was glad to be home around 9ish on Monday.