Leaving Camp Xakanaxa and arriving at Xugana Island Lodge

We awoke at 5:30 to the bellowing of hippos in the river near Camp Xakanaxa so we finished our packing and prepared to leave in the early afternoon. When I got dressed, I discovered the pin to my watch in my trouser pocket. When the spring-loaded pin came out of the band, it must have bounced into my pocket. I was happy to have found it and quickly put my watch back together. Our guide picked us up at 6:30 to go to breakfast and get instructions for checkout and flight to Xugana Island Lodge.

Steve, Cindy, Mark, GB, Mary, Gav & Mel

Breakfast was oatmeal, fruit and homemade breads. We got in the Land cruiser and met GB for the morning game drive. When he asked what we wanted to do, Mel wanted to see sunrise, I said that I wanted good photos of impala and lechwe. Cindy wanted to see the bushes she thought might be acacia. GB drove along a nearby camping area for sunrise then on to the Fourth Bridge of Moremi National Park where saw the impalas and lechwe, zebras and elephants. We saw a large elephant herd and witnessed elephants mating. We especially enjoyed watching a beautiful saddle-billed stork feeding in a marshy area.

Saddlebill stork

We saw lion tracks in the dirt road and followed them for some distance but lost the tracks a few times before eventually finding the lions. GB thought we might find the cheetahs that we had seen over the weekend in the same area. We drove around the area and saw a couple of jackals and knew that the cheetahs must be nearby. Jackals often lurk around cheetahs to go after the remains of a kill after the cheetahs abandon the carcass. After a search, we saw the two male cheetahs lounging in the shade of a termite mound. We took a few photos then started toward the Camp Xakanaxa. When we stopped for tea near a large baobab tree, Cindy found the shrub with long thorns and confirmed that it is an acacia.

Hammerkopf

We arrived back at Camp Xakanaxa for a lunch of chicken skewers with peanut butter sauce and a vegetable lasagna. The homemade seed bread was especially delicious.

After lunch, Gav and I went to the bar for a glass of Amarula, which is a cream liquor made from the fruit of a Botswanan tree. As we finished our drinks, camp staff picked up our bags and loaded them on the truck. We left gratuities for the staff in the tip box at the office. Our party of four along with Gav and Mel got in the truck and GB drove us to the tiny airstrip near the camps. We said our goodbyes to GB and gave him a special tip for his excellence in locating everything that we hoped to see. We flew the short distance to the Okavango region in a tiny bush plane where we were going to Xagana Island Lodge, while Gav and Mel were going to nearby Camp Okavango. We very much enjoyed our outings with Mel and Gav and promised to exchange photos of our trip.

The Xugana Island Lodge staff picked us up and took us to the camp by boat. We boated past a 15 foot Nile crocodile that the staff calls Moses. We were shown to our tents which are only a few months old following the complete renovation of the camp. We met our new trip mates, Alex and Rebecca, from near Birmingham in central England. We will travel together for the next 2.5 days while we are at this camp.

Cindy and Mark in a mokoro

Upon arrival at Xugana Island Lodge, we were taken on a mokoro ride. This replica dugout canoe was the traditional means of travel in the Okavango Delta. Alex and Rebecca, Mark and Cindy, Mary and I got in our mokoro with a guide who poled us along the shallow river where we saw a crocodiles, tiny Angola reed frogs and a variety of birds including the carmine bee-eaters, possibly the most beautiful bird we had ever seen. The calls of some of the Central African birds seem to be everywhere. One of the common ring necked doves made a call that sounded like “work harder,” “move over” or “drink lager” depending on who was describing the call. Mark and I enjoyed the crested barbet that makes a beautiful trilling whistle. Many African birds are named based on their call. For example, the call of the go-away bird says exactly that.

Traditional African songs and dances before dinner

When we arrived back at Xugana Island Lodge, we were met with gin and tonic as we awaited dinner. Before the meal we were treated with an introduction of the staff and a performance of traditional Botswanan songs and dances.  Like at Camp Xakanaxa, there appeared to be more staff at Xugana Island Lodge than there are guests.  This isn't surprising since both camps are operated by Desert and Delta Safaris, who take pains to assure that each guest's needs are met. 

Dinner was an ostrich appetizer, followed by beef stew, roast pork, butternut squash and homemade rolls. Dessert was pudding with ice cream.