Our walking safari guide told us to stay in a straight line behind him and if we saw a big cat or an elephant to stay still. “If you run, they will think you are prey and will chase you and kill you,” he warned. “If you stand still, they will back off.” He added: “Except the buffalo, which will not stop, so run like crazy.”
While it is much safer to travel in a large vehicle, there is nothing like exploring the forest on foot or by canoe.
Walking safaris are not so much about spotting wildlife, but about analyzing tracks, learning about trees and plants, and figuring out what to do if you encounter a wild animal. You’ll soon realize why the guides carry a rifle.
We combined hiking and canoeing with vehicle safaris. Nowhere in Africa can you combine all three, except in the Okavango in Botswana. We went one step further and stayed in a tented camp with no fences. So if you didn’t zip up properly you might discover a baboon in your bed, or worse.
Frankly, it was a miracle that we were in Africa at all. After being diagnosed with cancer two years ago and enduring two operations and a round of chemotherapy, my husband Neil, 66, thought he might not live long enough to visit his homeland again.
Jane Slade travels to the Okavango in Botswana (pictured) for a nine-day walking safari
African wonders: Okavango has the world’s highest concentration of endangered large mammals, Jane reveals. Above, a snarling lion captured by Jane’s husband Neil
Neil was born in Zambia and spent his childhood there. He used to go fishing with his two older brothers and sister on the Zambezi, play with his ducks and rabbits in the garden and help care for an orphaned elephant that his animal-loving mother had briefly adopted.
Africa is ingrained in Neil’s DNA and has drawn him back many times. It’s the smell of burnt earth and sage that seduces him. We’d been to many South African game reserves before, but never to the Okavango, Botswana’s wildlife-rich oasis that is home to the world’s largest concentration of endangered large mammals.
During the summer months, water pours down from the Angolan highlands, creating an inland wetland that covers vast tracts of the Kalahari Desert and attracts herds of large beasts and huge numbers of game.
After each exciting morning walk through the woods, we would retreat from the heat and sit on our deck to chat about what we had just experienced.
Jane was warned about the belligerence of the buffalo. “Run like hell,” was the advice she was given if someone attacked.
We took a boat ride in mokoros (canoes traditionally carved from excavated tree trunks) and paddled out to a cheetah that was eating an impala with blood on its face. We also witnessed the rare sight of two lionesses swimming.
We stayed at three camps run by Machaba Safaris during our nine-day adventure in different parts of the delta: Little Machaba, Gomoti Plains and Kiri. We wanted variety to maximise our chances of seeing as much wildlife as possible on land and in the water.
Each camp varied in size, from Little Machaba, which had just four rooms, to Kiri, which had 12. We flew in four-seater Cessnas to small airstrips between each.
Machaba specialises in classic safaris centred around a boma (large campfire) overlooking a night-lit savannah.
Jane and Neil stayed in three camps run by Machaba Safaris. Upstairs is Kiri, which had 12 rooms.
The pangolin, a rare and endangered species, was among the many remarkable animals Jane saw during her trip (file image)
Jane took boat trips in mokoros, canoes traditionally carved from excavated tree trunks (archive image)
The cuisine is simple, with dishes based on local dishes, fresh fruit and vegetables, accompanied by delicious South African wines.
Our tent was like an opulent suite with an indoor and outdoor shower, a huge comfortable bed and a large terrace.
But nothing could have prepared us for the rawness of the Okavango: a hyena with a baby elephant’s paw in its mouth, a dozen lion cubs and their parents devouring a zebra, male lions mauling a younger male, and plovers swooping down on a female cheetah and her cubs. We even saw the rarest creature of all: the endangered pangolin.
We especially loved the sunset walks, watching the silhouettes of the hippos and elephants against a brilliant violet and orange sunset. With a gin and tonic in hand, we revelled in the tranquillity. That was all Neil needed. Suddenly, fears for his future vanished.