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Photographic Safari in Botswana Guided by Ollie Porote

October 24, 2016 Southern Africa Bush Tails

Photographic Safari to Botswana for the Ernest Wong Party – Guided by Ollie Porote

I had the pleasure of guiding the Ernest Wong party for their Botswana safari. After arrival at Maun Airport we flew to Xigera Camp where we started the trip. After a short flight we landed in the middle of the swamps, the Okavango Delta. The idea here is to explore this inland Delta but unfortunately the water level is very low. The mokoro was good as it brought them close to watch some water birds including the wattled cranes. The game drives were very productive. I tracked and spotted two juvenile leopards. Then I spotted another leopard the same morning, it was watching the impalas. But it had no luck as they all moved away from him and he came off the tree and followed them. There was a good sighting of wild dogs hunting the lechwes and killing one. We watched the wild dogs finishing it up. This was all about learning and discovering.

The Xigera Team went the extra mile by preparing the birthday cake for Lilian. This was requested by her sister to help her celebrate her special day.  They also put champagne in the room for Ernest and Edith for their Wedding Anniversary celebration.

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Chitabe Camp was so great, very productive with game and warm service from staff and management. They really loved the camp. The highlight was the sighting of the three cheetahs, mother and two cubs. The adult was so relaxed which gave good photography chances. We covered lot of lessons in photography which they all liked and appreciated. The second night was a special day to have dinner in the Boma and barbecue was done featuring local beef. They prepared a bush brunch by the lagoon with a good view of hippos and elephants.

We had a chance to see and watch the pride of four adults with twelve cubs of different ages. They saw them every day. We did an extended morning safari towards Gomoti River where we saw a herd of three hundred buffalos. The game was unbelievable. As this was the summer and beginning of the hottest month, the kikois helped them to survive the climbing temperatures of Botswana.

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After Chitabe the other four of the party was the end of their trip, they had to fly back home. It was sad to say goodbye. Then I continued with the two to Dumatau Camp.

Linyanti was so wonderful with good game. As we are in the middle of the dry season the game is concentrated along the river. The African buffalo are everywhere in the area. The highlight here was watching a kill, eleven lions taking down a Cape buffalo.

Due to a squirrel alarming signal I located a leopard along the riverine, it was just retiring from the night hunt with no luck. We had a great barge brunch along Osprey Lagoon and elephants were crossing into the islands for grazing. This was lovely time and they said “this is a unique experience and the only place to do it”. It was a lovely trip with some incredible game viewing moments.