Game drive in Moremi Game Reserve

We woke at 6 am when our guide, GB, came by the tent announcing the wakeup call. He came back to escort us to breakfast at 6:30. We don’t know GB’s complete name, but he assures us that it is unpronounceable. Breakfast was a porridge unlike any we had ever eaten but was very good. It was made of cooked grain but was finely ground, almost like cream of wheat. There was a lot of fruit and a selection of breads with breakfast that everyone enjoyed.

Zebra grazing in the savanna

The morning was very cool so were were all in layers topped off by a fleece or jacket. GB provided us with a “bush baby” which is a wrapped warm water bottle as well as blankets in the modified Land Cruiser.

Wildebeest, zebras and impalas

We were in the vehicle for our morning game drive by 7:30 and went into the park. As we were boarding, we saw a large warthog inside the camp digging near one of the tents. We passed large herds of elephants, zebras, impalas, and lechwes. Impalas and lechwes are both types of antelope, but the lechwe is adapted to marshy habitat with wider hooves and shorter forelegs. We came upon groups of giraffes, zebras and the young male lion who had been roaring in the night. We saw several hippos in the shallow water and large herds of Cape buffalo and wildebeest. At one stop we saw several ostriches and warthogs. We stopped at a water hole where we saw a tremendous variety of African wildlife all in one place. It reminded us of the African exhibits at zoos in the US. We assumed that the zoo curators gathered all of the animals that are native to the African savanna in put them in one enclosure. However, we saw that these animals live this way naturally in the wild.

Spotted hyena mother and pups

As we were watching the menagerie of animals at the water hole, GB had a radio call that a mother spotted hyena and pups were out. GB raced us there in the jarring Land Cruiser to see the mother hyena with the two pups playing like any domestic dogs. As with other animals we encountered in the park, we stayed in the vehicle where we could get a good view and not be in danger. GB positioned the Land Cruiser to give us an excellent viewpoint.

African wild dogs

GB had a call on the radio that a pack of African wild dogs had been spotted. Since wild dogs are rare and hadn’t been seen in the park for several months, we raced to the area where they were seen. We were fortunate enough to see the group of young dogs lounging in the sun. A few tsessebe started by, causing the dogs to give chase. Tsessebe are the largest and fastest species of antelope and can sustain a speed of 56 miles per hour. However, since the dogs were young and inexperienced, they failed to make a kill. Experienced packs of African wild dogs are reputed to be among the most successful predators on this continent. One of the young dogs had a GPS tracking collar that park rangers use to monitor the population of the African wild dogs.

Third Bridge entrance to Moremi Game Reserve

We made a stop at the Third Bridge entrance to Moremi Game Reserve for tea and snack before heading back to camp. There were several vehicles at the entrance from several of the camps and guide groups. We had a nice visit then continued back toward Camp Xakanaxa for lunch. We saw even more elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes and hippos.

Entrance to Camp Xakanaxa

When we got back to camp our tents were surrounded by dozens of baboons and vervet monkeys that scattered when they saw us coming. Several of the female baboons were carrying young on their backs. There were also some smaller monkeys around.

Lunch was a pot pie with ham, vegetable quiche, lentils and a selection of cheese. A choice of wine was available, but I had a gin and tonic made with the good Okavango gin with lunch. We took a rest and changed into cooler clothes for the afternoon outing on a boat.

Malachite kingfisher

After lunch and a break, the six of us cruised through the Khwai River the stream running along the camp. This includes the Xakanaxa Lagoon, GB was excellent at spotting interesting plants and birds then explaining them to us. Some of the highlights included malachite kingfishers, darters (a type of anhinga), pigmy geese, Jacana (Jesus birds) whose large feet make them appear to walk on water.

The malachite kingfisher is one of the most beautiful birds we have ever seen. The tiny bird’s head is a brilliant blue with a red beak. The small pigmy geese were also brightly colored.

Sunset in Moremi Game Reserve

After being on the river for two hours, we pulled to the bank to watch a beautiful African sunset as we sipped gin and tonic snacking on beef sticks and pistachios. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day. We asked GB to do a trip tomorrow much like today.

Elephant warning us away

We were escorted to dinner at 7 pm with traditional African singing and dancing by the Camp Xukanaxa staff. We sat with a group from Guadalajara, Mexico and enjoyed their company. They were a very fun loving group, some of whom may have been a bit overserved with the special tequila that they brought. Some of their group even joined the staff in singing and dancing. We appreciated meeting them. Dinner was lamb and fish with a selection of delicious sides. The lamb was a little tough and dry for our taste, but the Brits found it to be excellent. We enjoyed the local fish that was poached and served with a light sauce. We had a glass of wine with dinner and had a good time chatting about our day.

Since we were very tired and still somewhat jet lagged from the six-hour time difference, we turned in early and slept well.