22 August 2025 Helicopter over the Okovango Delta

 22 August

Our breakfast was had alongside the water, with little sign of any crocodiles and a few hippo snouts emerging from time to time.

A helicopter flight over part of the Okavango Delta had been arranged, and pick up was at 9am.

The Okavango Delta covers approximately 15,000 kilometres of the Kalahari Desert. The water flows down from Angola every year and floods the plains, resulting in an area that has a concentration of animals.

Sandi and I were flying in a two-seater helicopter with open sides, and my main concerns were my glasses slipping off my face as I looked down, and the chance of dropping my phone! I have made a mental note to get some sort of contraption that secures my phone around my neck for future journeys. My glasses ended up being fine because the headset held them tight.

Our pilot was a Canadian and was very informative. Zebra were prolific, and we saw many more than when we were on land at Moremi Game Reserve. Herds of zebra and wildebeest were scattered across the shallow water. They like to stick together because zebra have excellent eyesight and wildebeest have an excellent sense of smell, so they form a relationship that protects both from predators. Also Zebra like to graze on the taller grass, and wildebeest like to suck the juices from the shorter grass.

There were also loads of elephant and at one point, we saw a wee elephant running after the herd and its mother; it was quite comical.

Water buffalo had so far been elusive, and we got to see some for the first time.

There is a long buffalo fence stretching for kilometres through the plains. It is designed to keep the buffalo out of the farming areas and prevent the spread of foot and mouth. They design the fences to be low enough for elephants to step over; however, they didn’t consider baby elephants, and the mother elephants consequently break down the fences to get the babies through.

The 45-minute flight was well worth the $255 USD as we saw the delta from such a different perspective.

Before continuing our journey, we all grabbed some lunch from The Duck Cafe. It was outstanding and is just opposite the airport in Maun. 

Back on the road, the bumps were bad, and after a 5-hour drive, we reached Swamp Stop Lodge. The lodge, which is alongside the river, is a bit more rustic than our previous accommodation, but clean,n and the people are really helpful and lovely. 

The manager was on site and sitting around the campfire, ready for a chat. Especially when he heard that we had some Australians on board. This evening, the Springboks beat Australia, and he has made sure that we know the score. But in saying that, he has been around chatting and this evening cooked BBQ ribs, and we enjoyed a braai ( African BBQ). 

The rustic charm extends to a campfire with chairs set around it to finish our evening. 

Off to the mosquito netting to sleep off our day.