Botswana just gets Better

My next destination was Kanana Lodge in the Okavango Delta. I took a small six seater plane ride that made a couple stops along the way to drop off other passengers. I got to ride shotgun up front, which was a pretty cool experience.  The lodges all have small private landing strips so they were incredibly isolated. 

There was a small thunderstorm sitting over Kanana as I arrived, luckily it shifted out of the way just before the pilot decided to turn around. 

Kanana is a private concession lodge. It was absolutely beautiful and wild. A fence was in place to keep the elephants out. But literally anything else could walk aroIt was a magical place where I spent two nights. On the game drives we saw plenty of lions, including some cubs. We saw leopards- one totally chill female who let us watch her patrol her borders and a skittish male who bolted like a flash.  We had a hippo that charged our jeep, monkeys swinging in the trees and a massive buffalo herd. 

The second night I did a makoro canoe ride. While these were originally hollowed out canoes, we had a fibreglass one. But expertly poled through the channels. 

It was exceptionally peaceful with no engines running, just the three of us and all the birds.  After the boat trip we had our sundowner cocktail by the water and saw the most magnificent sunset. I have never seen the sky streak like that. Myself, the American and the Swiss guy were awestruck. Our guides laughed at us and told us it’s pretty common in the rainy season. 

It was hard to leave. But the next stop is Dinaka which is in the northern Kalahari and home to lions with males who have magnificent dark manes. 

Dinaka is crazy beautiful. I’m actually writing this in a pool overlooking a water hole. A minute ago I was photographing a wilde beast that came to drink. (From the pool)

But the craziest thing happened last night. Sitting at dinner on the deck one of the guides announced the lions had come. We leapt up, quietly, and rushed to the edge. There were five lions drinking water maybe 15 feet away. (Though none with a magnificent mane)

One of the young males actually wandered over and lay down on the walkway that led to all the rooms. They were so close and so beautiful. It was awe inspiring. 

They did eventually wander off so we finished dinner, then the guides led us to our rooms. But the lions were roaring all night, from all around our cabins  it was a little nerve wracking to turn off the light knowing a screen door and some mosquito netting was all that was between me and the lions!! 

But we obviously survived as I’m writing this now! We are hoping for more lions tonight but the guides think they have kept going and are now on a neighbouring property. So worst case I’ll try my hand at some astrophotography tonight. 

There were lots more elephants, hippos and birds. Oh there are lots of birds.  There are lots of antelopes and impalas and jackals and zebras- and everyone has babies! I just love photographing the little animals.