I went on a camping trip to Botswana a few years ago, on an organized tour with Explore (www.explore.co.uk) feeling that it was safer to have everything coordinated and someone at least knowing whom to contact if I was eaten by a hippopotamus or honey badger. It turned out to be a wise precaution (no I didn't get eaten by a honey badger)

The following morning we flew to Maun (rhymes with "town" as our guidebook informed us, or Mou-ooon, rhymes with tow-ooon as our local rep. jokingly informed us) in Botswana. Our baggage had now reached Windhoek. We then met up with an English honeymooning couple who were apparently with our group and the four of us, and two pilots flew in a Cessna low over the beautiful scenery and startled animals towards the Okavango Delta. This really is a wonderful way to see the plains of Africa and the amazing spectacle of the Delta itself. The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta and has no outlet to the sea, so there is seasonal flooding of the Kalahari Desert, forming shallow lakes and islands that change constantly. We landed at a tiny, dusty landing strip near where we were going to be camping and were picked up by the main guide, who took us by Land Rover, then boat to the island we would be camping on, stopping off a couple of times for a spot of game viewing on the way. Our baggage was now in Maun.

The next few days consisted of exploring the area, mostly in "dug-out" canoes (made of fibreglass, but quite realistic) being punted slowly through the shallow water, but also occasionally in larger motor boats in the deeper water or in the Land Rovers. The canoes were a wonderfully tranquil way to travel, gliding between the tall reeds, making almost no noise at all. We stayed in the shallow water because the hippos are visible there, whereas in the deep water they can be grazing underneath you and you really do not want to be over a hippo when it surfaces. They may be vegetarian, but they have enormous mouths, easily big enough for a medium sized tourist. One afternoon was spent fishing in a larger metal boat, in the hope of catching enough for dinner. We caught one fish between the 10 of us, but the chef was quietly sitting on the riverbank reeling them in. He buried his catch, wrapped in leaves, and then built a fire on top. Delicious.

The main guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, university educated in Botswana in subjects associated with ecology, zoology and tourisms. Having a good guide really does add to the experience. On the game drives we saw a huge variety of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, jackals, elephants, many different antelope and a huge variety of birds. The most memorable sight was perhaps watching the sun go down near a waterhole as the elephants drank and thousands of small birds swooped past. As seems to be the tradition on safari in Africa, sundowner drinks were served as we watched this glorious sight. Despite camping, this really was frightfully posh.

After traveling across Chobe, and a brief game-viewing excursion into Zimbabwe, we arrived at Victoria Falls, for a short stay before being reunited with our luggage and our flights home. There are various things to do here, such as shopping and bungee jumping off the bridge above the falls, but it is a wonderful place just to relax and enjoy that incredible waterfall. The thundering noise was deafening, and we got completely soaked in a short time as we approached the falls. Helicopter flights from Zambia, just over the border a few miles away were significantly cheaper, so we took a flight over the falls, from the Zambian side, including some more game viewing from the air. It
gives a stunning view of the falls and is certainly worth doing.