We leave Little Kwara at 11 a.m. for the one hour flight to their sister camp, Lebala, on the far northern edge of Botswana. Near the Linyanti Swamp, the Kwando Concession is known for predators, especially wild dogs and lions.
We make a short stop at Shinde to pick up other passengers. They turn out to be the same 3 we dropped there 3 days earlier on our way to Kwara.
Between Kwara and Shinde the flight is so short that the plane doesn’t reach its normal flying altitude giving you a better chance to observe wildlife.
The flight to Lebala passes over desolate landscape. I can just make out an elephant or two in some of the drying mud holes.
When we land at the Lebala airstrip we are met by the guides. We make sure that the plane takes off OK before we drive the 10-15 minutes to camp.
From the plane we saw a river in the distance but on the ground the area looks more desolate with lots of dry bushes and small trees. Bali, one of the guides, explains that they have not had the normal flood waters for the last two years.
Lebala Camp
The camp is set up much like Little Kwara, a compound of wooden structures with thatched roofs – common areas, dining room and fire pit.
The tented cabins are bigger and nicer than at Little Kwara with high rafters and open walls, but otherwise the same set-up with the bathroom in the back.
Brunch was just Don and I as the others had already eaten. OP, one of the staff managers, sits with us while we eat.
The selection includes: a cheese and vegie casserole, meat pie, cucumber with mint, citrus and hot chili, rice, fruit, cheese and crackers, fruit punch and/or coffee to drink. In general the food is same recipes and preparations as Little Kwara, but somehow the food tastes better at Lebala.
The wind has picked up and it could be quite dusty, still a pleasant temperature in the shade albeit warmer than at Kwara. We rest up before the afternoon.
For more information on Kwando Camps and arrival in Botswana see the previous post.
August 27, 2016
For links to all the posts in this series see the Botswana/Zimbabwe page.