For the morning activity we are just 4. We have a flight to catch at 10:55 to go to the next camp and need to be ready to by 10:30. The other couple, which turned out to be just Aiden as Beckie was having allergy difficulties, wanted to do the mokoro lagoon float which we’ve already done. Since I wasn’t crazy about another ride in a wobbly canoe with my camera gear, we decided on a compromise to take the mokoro to the island for the nature walk.
This turned out to be a nicer mokoro ride as you go along the edge of lagoon like before and then through the reeds along the hippo trails to the island.
Pretty and peaceful with the hippos staying at a distance.
Out of the brush a bull elephant appears, crossing in front of us as he strolls from the island to the mainland.
A little unnerving in the wobbly boat, but no worries. He just gets a drink and continues on his way.
The nature walk is with an armed guide in front, another guide in the rear and the guests walking single file in-between. We stop from time to time as the guide tells us about the area or various plants – blue bush used for cleaning teeth, a type of basil that smells like menthol. We also discussed animal tracks and droppings. A different and more intimate side of safari than driving around and photographing big game.
On the way back to the vehicles the hippos are a little more active, splashing about in the water just off Kwara Camp, the big sister to Little Kwara.
Not much activity on the drive back to camp – a few elephants and the usual impala, zebra in the distance.
Back at camp we gather our gear quickly, say our goodbyes and drive the 10-15 minutes to the airstrip to meet our plane.
Waiting area looks like a bus stop. Plane arrives on time, drops two passengers and we board.
August 27, 2016
For links to all the posts in this series see the Botswana/Zimbabwe page.