Chobe National Park
I loved Chobe National Park in Botswana. Part of this may be attributed to the fact that we had really nice campground facilities at Chobe River Lodge (a four star luxury resort) which added to the serenity of Chobe.
A family of elephants at sunset
I’d love to come back to Botswana and spend more time here. Even though the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park are only two small pieces of Botswana, they are firmly lodged in my heart and I can’t wait to come back and explore more of this beautiful country.
So utterly content during golden hour on the Chobe River
Here are the highlights of my time in Chobe
MORNING SAFARI GAME DRIVE
Highly recommend clicking on each photo to enlarge it and learn more about each animal..
Early morning start with our guide Webby, who grew up near Chobe. It was quite chilly in the morning with the extra breeze provided by the moving 4x4, so Webby gave us blankets to wrap ourselves in.
The game drive started out with tracking leopards who had left clear paw prints in the sandy road. We didn’t end up spotting them but it was cool to follow the leopards’ tracks around the park - I felt like a real safari explorer!
We saw a pride of lions! The excitement was tampered a bit by my first experience with the realities of tourism - once the lions were spotted, ALL the 4x4s came barreling to that spot jostling for the best view.
Webby had an incredible amount of knowledge about the biology of every animal. Some of the most interesting facts:
Impalas (a type of antelope) can hold off on giving birth if the conditions aren’t right or even self-abort if they think there won’t be enough food to help their child survive. They can control their gland that releases oxytocin, which induces labor.
When female baboons are ready to mate, their bums became red and enlarged, signaling to males that they are ready.
Certain hawks don’t fly until the weather gets hotter so that they can ride the thermal winds and save their energy for a hunt
Warthogs have callouses on their front knees so they can kneel on their front legs to better access food on the ground
My favorite animal might be the “Chobe chicken” which is actually called the guinea fowl. They are quite funny to watch and stand out with their blue heads.
AFTERNOON RIVER BOAT CRUISE
Highly recommend clicking on each photo to see the animals up close
In the afternoon I embarked on a river boat cruise on the Chobe River, and it was magical. The highlight was seeing elephants playing in the water and viewing this scene up close
Other animals spotted included crocodiles, hippos, cranes, and birds.
Watch until the end - moments like these were magical and filled me with wonder at how precious and beautiful Mother Nature is
I ended my day in Chobe not just with a beautiful sunset, but also with the moon rise! It was magical to have the sun setting on one side, and the full moon rising on the other, colored in pinks and reds from the sunset.
The smoke that thunders - Victoria Falls
It’s crazy to think that I started my Southern Africa trip with Intrepid three weeks ago and that we’ve already arrived at Victoria Falls. It feels simultaneously like we’ve been traveling for a long time and not at all, as if we just left Cape Town yesterday.
I’m currently in Mosi-oa-Tunya (the local indigenous name for Victoria Falls) which means “the smoke that thunders” because you can see the smoke (precipitation/mist) and hear the roar that the powerful waterfall generates.
The smoke and the thunder!
Most of the world knows the falls as Victoria Falls because of David Livingston, who was the first European to see the falls and named it after Queen Victoria, the British monarch at the time.
I entered the park early in the morning and was able to catch the ending of sunrise. It was lovely to see different views of the waterfalls as the sun changed its position in the sky.
Some fun tidbits:
Victoria Falls falls (hehe) in the Kaza TFCA region, which is a transfrontier conservation area whose members include Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
The world’s only quadripoint is in Africa! This is where four countries meet at one point, aka the “four corners of Africa” (Dad - I bet this is where you’ll want to visit next!). Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe meet on the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is famous for having an ever present rainbow (sun + water = magic!) and it is one of the few places in the world that is also home to the lunar rainbow. This means you can see the rainbow over the falls at night when there is a full moon as the moon acts as the light to activate the rainbow. I was excited to see this but upon learning that the entrance fee to this was $100 (on top of the $50 for a day entry park ticket) I decided to pass
The falls are split between Zimbabwe and Zambia, with ~80% in Zimbabwe and ~20% in Zambia. I stayed on the Zimbabwean side but there was a person in my group who also ventured to the Zambian side. It’s a bit tricky because to get to the Zambian side you need to go through a border crossing and have a multi-entry visa to Zimbabwe (currently no visa is required for Zambia, although that may change - TIA!) and you need to pay the Zambian park entrance fee of $35.
A couple in my Intrepid group took a helicopter ride and the photos were stunning! They had an aerial view of the falls and could see the “smoke” from the falls all the way from above. Apparently you can see the spray from the falls up to 40km away! If I come back to Victoria Falls I’ll be sure to take this option as viewing the Falls from ground level means that the precipitation mostly blocks your view of the falls
The precipitation made it hard to view the falls sometimes
You get WET! I thought visiting would mean that there would be light misting so I’d get damp, but you actually get very very wet. Even though you’re viewing the Falls from a bit away, going to some viewpoints means that you experience a torrential downpour! This level of rain contributes to the Victoria Falls rainforest where you can see plants that are endemic to rainforests rather than the local climate
Victoria Falls is considered to be the largest waterfall in the world*. (*with some interesting calculations in place)
Calculation of “largest” factors in height, width, and flow rate.
Height: Victoria Falls wins (108m as compared with 51m at Niagara Falls and 82m at Iguazu Falls)
Width: 1708m at Vic Falls, 1203m at Niagara, and 2700m at Iguazu
Mean annual flow rate: Vic Falls has the least with 1088m3/s (2406m3/s at Niagara Falls and 1745m3/s at Iguazu Falls)
If you do a Google search, there are different definitions on what constitutes the “largest” waterfall in the world, but at least in Zimbabwe Victoria Falls is #1
There’s not much to do in Victoria Falls outside of adventure activities (did not partake) and small craft shops, but I did visit the small local Jafuta Foundation cultural center to learn more about some of Zimbabwe’s indigenous tribes.
Guess who else visited the Jafuta Cultural Center?
Found UNC Kenan Flagler in the guest book from 2019! Looks like the MBA program conducted a visit as part of a Global Immersion Elective.
I also ran into a troop of vervet monkeys outside the entrance to Victoria Falls National Park. These monkeys are quite playful and mischievous. I saw one sneaking into our campsite to steal some nuts and a fellow traveler saw one open a Coke bottle!
Playtime! Young monkeys monkeying around
A self-care day and time to groom
Otherwise it’s been a couple of chill days conducting personal admin (laundry! Pay the bills!) and wrangling the WiFi. Internet speeds can be slow, which means some difficulty in uploading photos here, but I’ll continue to do my best!
Chilling at a local cafe
Look at this beautiful presentation of my cappuccino! Best part was the accompanying biscuit (behind the cup) and a shot of amarula, a sweet cream liqueur (17% alcohol) - it’s party time!
Peace and serenity in Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Known as the Kavango in Namibia and the Kwango in Angola, the Okavango River is the fourth longest river in Africa and ends in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The Okavango Delta was one of my “must-see’s” when creating my Africa itinerary. The landscape is beautiful - stunning blue waters and skies, acres of reeds and papyrus that sway and rustle gently with the breeze, and yellow, purple, and white water lilies that dot the river’s surface.
I spent one night actually camping in the Delta which meant true camping in the bush! Oh boy the mosquitos were EVERYWHERE. They ot me through my pants on my bum and all over my legs but the views and 氣 were (almost barely) worth it.
The Okavango Delta is one of those places that just brings about a feeling of peace and serenity and pureness. I hope you enjoy the view!
Etosha National Park
The animal post you’ve been waiting for! A dazzle of zebras, a tower of giraffes, a herd of impala (antelope), a crash of rhinos, a coalition of male lions. I had a bit of trouble with the Wi-Fi here so there are lots of photos but little text (not that you need it anyways as the photos speak for themselves! Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it for a better viewing experience.)
Below are animals stopping by the watering hole during the evening of our first night in Etosha National Park in Namibia. The watering hole was right next to our campsite and it was amazing. We were lucky enough to see black rhinos, which are an endangered species.
One of the highlights during our day game drive was seeing all kinds of animals mingle together at the local watering hole (there’s a theme here). During the day animals will amble over to the watering hole to cool off in the hot weather. I loved watching the giraffes steadily walk over and then awkwardly bend down to drink.
One of the best experiences in Etosha was the night game drive. Our guide was such a badass! She had a keen eye and was able to spot animals in the dark. It was quite impressive how she could simultaneously drive (manual/stick, with one hand!) and search for animals with a red flashlight in her other hand.
The use of red light at night is preferred since it’s less harsh, but it does impact the photos - you’ll see some red animals! . We stumbled upon a coalition of male lions, which was amazing!
Deserts and Dunes from dawn til dusk
This entire day in the southern Namib Desert (Namib-Naukluft National Park) was a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to visit Sossusvlei, Dune 45, and Deadvlei for several years, after a friend showed me photos of his visit. You’ll see why the stunning landscape piqued my interest!
Sossusvlei
Deadvlei
Another dream come true! This area is famous for its dead skeleton trees, which are scorched black due to the desert sun. The trees are believed to be 800-1000 years old. The starkness of the trees against the jeweled-tone blue sky and orange sand is stunning.
The desert night sky
No words. Being able to see the Milky Way every night has been incredible. Looking up gives me such a strong feeling of wonder and joy and gratitude to be alive and living.
Western Cape (South Africa) & Fish River Canyon (Namibia)
I’ve been traveling with Intrepid Travel on an overland trip that will take me through Southern Africa!
Daily life
Overland trip = traveling by land (in our case by bus/truck - see below!)
We have a truck that fits 22 passengers, but luckily there are only 9 of us, which means that we have a spacious vehicle as we make our way throughout Southern Africa
The truck includes lockers for our bags, two tables (playing cards, journaling), filtered water (important to stay hydrated!) and storage compartments at the bottom of the truck that stores our tents, cooking equipment, groceries, chairs, and much more
We have a trip leader/tour guide (Victor), a truck driver (Ben), and a cook (Nicko)! Our three guides are from Kenya and have been working with Intrepid for quite a number of years. In fact, Nicko was the cook for a trip that another fellow passenger took with Intrepid in Eastern Africa back in 2019!
Each night we camp in local camping facilities and Nicko whips up our meals. It’s quite incredible what he feeds us - he has a whole set up of setting up the stove (with his own gas) and table for chopping vegetables. After every meal we wash the dishes and “flap” to dry the dishes (this consists of holding a dish in each hand and flapping like a bird to dry them off)
Wine Tasting in the Western Cape
This was our first stop on the tour - nothing better than wine and a good view (photos and descriptions below!).
Because we were still in South Africa, we still experienced load shedding (see my Cape Town post for more info) so dinner was cooked by Nicko and eaten in the dark with our headlamps.
Drive from the Western Cape, crossing the Namibian border, and into Fish River Canyon
When stopping by a gas station, I saw that the map of Namibia shows a restricted area where there is no entry which seemed odd. It turns out this area is where all the mining happens (diamonds, uranium, and more, aka $$$), so the government doesn’t want anyone to enter this area. Mining is the #1 industry in Namibia, with construction at #2 and tourism as #3.
After crossing into Namibia, we had our first game sighting! We saw mountain zebras and a lone giraffe while driving. It’s incredible to think that these type of animals are just normal occurrences.
Did you know…a group of zebras is called a dazzle of zebras! I was dazzled by the dazzle of zebras, which included a baby zebra galloping alongside its parents.
Sunset at Fish River Canyon (Namibia)
We had an afternoon walk along the Fish River Canyon. It gets so hot at the bottom of the canyon that there is no hiking allowed except in wintertime (beginning in May). The river was dried up when I went, but there were still some puddles you could see.
We watched the sunset at had a “sundown” aka drinks and snacks (local BYOB version of happy hour!).
The next morning I went for a run and departed the campsite. There was only one road, so I just ran straight until the truck and rest of the passengers caught up with me! It was quite a fun experience to run alone on the deserted highway (dirt/gravel path, not a busy highway like in the US - don’t worry Mom & Dad!) and watch the sunrise. The few 4x4s and trucks that drove by gave me a friendly wave and shout.
Colorful Cape Town
BoKapp neighborhood
Famous for their colorful houses, although it’s unclear what’s the rationale behind the transformation from white to colored paint. However, now it’s required for building owners to keep the exterior paint as a bright color because that’s what brings in the tourists (me!). I took a tour of this neighborhood through the local Cape Town free walking tours
This is a Cape Malay neighborhood. Originally designated for anyone who was a practicing Muslim and of color - whether that meant you were from India, Indonesia, Malaysian, or elsewhere, and “Cape Malay” became the catch all term for those people (yes, a bit problematic)
Had lunch at Faeeza’s, which is opened by a woman out of her home in Bo-Kaap! Delicious chicken curry with roti, with definite Malaysian influences - yum!
Sunset hike at Lion’s Head
Did the hike with someone I met during the Bo-Kaap walking tour - it’s always great when you make random connections that turn into fond memories. Moderate hike with some scramble, ladders and staples. The view was amazing - I had a 360 view with Table Mountain, different neighborhoods, and a view into the Atlantic ocean.
Sunset was gorgeous! Definitely needed my handy headlamp coming down as it was pitch black, but the views were incredible (as you can tell below). The colors were so vibrant and breathtaking
Robben Island
Prison where many political prisoners were imprisoned, including Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe
Both of my tour guides were former inmates who were imprisoned while students protesting the apartheid. It was very moving to attend the tour and visit the prison.
My first guide was imprisoned for six years for being a student activist (declared terrorist by the government), and arrived at Robben Island in 1978 at the age of 20. Part of his sentence was hard labor in the limestone quarry
Second tour guide was imprisoned when 18 for protesting. He talked about smuggling documents for reading and politics as they were banned by the government. They conducted a hunger strike for 29 days to demand better conditions (demand for beds and the ability to talk politics) since their requests to the government went unaddressed
Learned about Robert Sobukwe, a political prisoner who is unfortunately not as well known as Mandela because the government tried to suppress his legacy. He created the Pan African Congress after breaking away from the African National Congress. The government gave him harsh punishments, including years of solitary confinement, and limited his contact with the outside world so he couldn’t influence South African politics. He died in prison and never renounced his belief that the apartheid was wrong (the government promised to release him if he reversed his stance).
The island was also used to house all the “undesirables”, including people with leprosy, who were segregated even among death by type of graveyard and headstone (whites had clean and organized headstones and graveyard v Blacks and Coloureds had jagged headstones and unorganized, haphazard graveyards).
Robben Island has been a political prison for a while, all the way back to the 1400/1500s I think when it housed the local Khoi and San tribal kings.
Table mountain
An incredible hike that got my heart pumping and adrenaline running. I hiked India Venster, which is the most challenging route up Table Mountain because of the scrambles (thanks, Jimmy for the rec!)
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
I took the Skeleton Gorge route down Table Mountain (total hike ~5 hours) so that I could end up at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. I am SO glad I went. The diversity of flora was astounding, and it was so different from what I’ve seen back home.
I learned that Cape Town is one of the most diverse areas in the world in terms of having the most endemic (native) plants per square kilometer. I took a lot of photos of flowers and plants. They made me so happy and at peace. Mother Nature is truly incredible
Walking around here and just enjoying the “qi” (Dad - you would’ve loved this place) was so peaceful. I could’ve spent the whole day wandering or picnicking in the gardens
Day tour of Cape of Good Hope
Included stops along the coastline with beautiful scenic drives
Also happened to be the day of the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon! It was exciting to watch runners go by. The two oceans represented are the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean (west side of South Africa is the Atlantic, east side is Indian), and this race is supposedly one of the most scenic in the world)
Stopped by Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point of the African continent)
First animal sighting! Saw some ostriches running along the side of the road on the way to Cape of Good Hope
Sunrise hike at Lion’s Head
An incredible sunrise that almost didn’t happen because of load shedding! South Africa has periods of electricity blackouts across the country in order to ensure there isn’t a nationwide blackout. This has been going on for around 9 months so far. The morning of my sunrise hike there was several hours of load shedding, so I couldn’t open the electronic gate to my hostel!
Oranjezicht City Farm Market
My favorite place in Cape Town! This is a local farmer’s market that happens during the weekends and was absolutely lovely! There were so many vendors selling fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, and more.
There were also so many food stalls that made choosing a bit overwhelming! It was so lovely to experience a small slice of local life and be a part of the bustle of the city.
Postcards from Cape Town
My favorite moments from Cape Town - it’s crazy to think it’s already been a week here.
In case you didn’t know, you can click on the photo to enlarge the image.
30 hours later…From New York to Cape Town!
No that’s not a typo. 30 hours later, I have arrived! It was surprisingly a very smooth journey for which I’m very grateful.
A Jersey send-off
As I mentioned in my last post, I spent some time home with my family for several days to feel pampered while doing last minute prep for my trip. While there was a lot of anxious packing, there were also so many lovely moments.
I live on a plane
The 30 hours consisted of:
JFK > LHR (Virgin Atlantic) - Short 6 hour day time flight that ended up being only 5:15. Easy peasy! Was an early start (8 am flight + early subway in), but caught up on pop culture from last year. I love airplane food but unfortunately this one was very mediocre. Was very grateful for booking this flight back when I still had Delta status because it meant I got a free checked bag.
LHR > JNB (Virgin Atlantic) - An 11 hour red-eye flight turned into 10:15 hours. Guess the winds were behind my planes! I didn’t realize when booking just how far away London and Johannesburg are (I know, dumb American who only learned one side of the map). Thumbs up for airplane food and for an empty economy class - I got to sleep across an entire row.
JNB > CPT (Airlink) - Because I’d booked this flight using Capital One Venture X’s travel voucher (Mom would be so proud) and had searched for the cheapest flight, I thought this would be a budget airline. False! There was free checked baggage AND a sandwich for a two hour flight. Amazing.
CPT > Hostel - Ordered an Uber thanks to Airport Wifi (bless the Internet) as I’m not planning on getting a SIM card for South Africa. Great travel hack - You’re still able to use Uber as long as you have internet during the ordering process. Sometimes the WiFi doesn’t extend to the pick-up zones so I’ll just wait until the Uber is a couple of minutes away before leaving the WiFi safety net.
At long last - Cape Town!
Not sharing the hostel name just quite yet for security reasons (this site is public) but I’ll share later on if it’s one I’d recommend or avoid for the future.
I arrived in the evening and was pleasantly surprised to hear that I got upgraded from a 6 bedroom dorm to a private room with an ensuite bathroom. I think it’ll be nice to have my own private space for a week before I head off to the next stop, which is a 49 day tour of Southern Africa (more to come on that later).
I originally chose this hostel because it’s supposed to have a great community, so hopefully I’ll get a balanced mix of quiet May time and social time. The hostel has free yoga mats so I got to sneak in a quick yoga session to unwind before preparing for bed.
I’ve got a couple of things in mind that I want to do here, but I think what’ll be more important is just getting accustomed to the fact that this is now my life!
