Northern Botswana: My Top Ten Wildlife Moments

Africa Tour Consultant Paul Tyler recently travelled to Botswana with Cox & Kings.

During the second half of November last year I had the privilege to travel to a part of the world known for its incredible array of wildlife. From an early age I have had an avid interest in animals, particularly birds, so I knew I was in for a huge treat.

Botswana is a shining light on the African continent having enjoyed continued peace and political stability since it’s independence from Britain in 1966. It is also a very wealthy state; it’s the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value and has stockpiled foreign exchange reserves worth over $7 billion in 2005/2006. It has a population of 1.64 million and it’s other big money spinners are tourism and cattle ranching.

My trip was to focus primarily on the Okavango Delta; I was also to visit the Linyanti, the Savute and the Kwando River concession. I was to stay at 9 different lodges, viewing a further 9.

November is considered the low or "Green Season" in Botswana. Situated in a summer rainfall area (October to March) the bush tends to be rather thick at this time of year making game viewing a little more difficult, however it is also the time when animals are giving birth, the migrant bird species are around and generally the bush is buzzing with life. During the winter months, the bush dies back considerably (virtually no rain falls between late April and early September) making game viewing easier.

The Okavango Delta is a complex wetland system, consisting of oxbow lakes, channels, lagoons and palm dotted islands. The Okavango River is the longest river to not flow into the sea and its delta is the largest inland delta in the world. It begins its journey in the highlands of Angola, flowing southwards for 1600 kilometres, forming the border between Namibia and Angola flowing through the Caprivi Strip and finally into Botswana.

The delta is subject to seasonal flooding. The water levels start rising in March and reach their peak in June/July. During this time the animals are forced onto the islands and game viewing is at it's best. Chief's Island is the largest of these, and is considered by many as the best game viewing spot on the planet.

After 11 days in Botswana I had some magic wildlife moments; here is my top 10 (in no particular order):

1. We were to spend two nights at Duma Tau Camp in the Linyanti. Shortly before we arrived a pride of lions had brought down a giraffe. For the duration of our stay we watched them devour the carcass, during the latter part of our stay the hyenas and vultures moved in, it was fascinating how they interacted with the lions. By the time we left, the bones had been picked clean of any flesh.

Lion are found throughout the Savute, Linyanti and Kwando Concession and are a lot more sporadic in the Delta.

2. My favourite animal is the leopard. I was very fortunate in having two separate sightings of this elusive cat during my stay. The first was a young female (seen near Tubu Tree Camp-on arrival I was told that there had been a leopard under my tent that morning), the second a young male (near Stanley’s Camp), both were in a tree with unobstructed views, stunning...

Leopard are found throughout Northern Botswana and may be encountered anywhere, however due to their skulking habits they are notoriously difficult to find.

3. We were out early one morning in the western part of the delta when we came across a pack of hyena hassling a female giraffe. She was protecting her dead calf, which had been killed by another carnivore, a leopard perhaps which could have been scared off initially by the hyenas or the giraffe. The mother would not allow the hyenas to come close, thrashing out potentially fatal kicks toward the hyenas. Initially there were 4, after a good half hour there were 8, too many for the giraffe to handle, she moved off and within minutes there was nothing left, the vultures didn't even have a sniff.

4. Every so often while on safari you see something that you will probably never see again. I was to stay at Eagle Island Camp for 1 night. On the afternoon of my arrival I was to go on a helicopter trip. To be honest I wasn't all that excited about it, I had been flying between all of the camps, I had already seen the Delta from the air, how different could it be? Within minutes of the flight taking off, I had changed my mind. A helicopter flight gives one a much better view of the ground below, and the pilot removes the side doors affording even better views. We were about 10 minutes into our flight when I saw a herd of impala running at some speed. I though it was a bit odd as we were still quite far from them, and the animals we had seen prior weren't at all alarmed by the aircraft. And then I spotted it; a cheetah was in hot pursuit of the antelope. Eventually it brought down a youngster, it was all over in a matter of seconds, or so we thought. The pilot didn't want to stress the cheetah out, so we continued on our flight. On the way back the pilot thought it would be a good idea to see how "our" cheetah was getting on. It didn't take long to find it again. The little impala had managed to get away and had found refuge in a small waterhole. The cheetah was crouched beside the water, waiting. Eventually it got impatient and darted into the water, the little antelope ran, but was brought down on the waters edge, this time it was game over...Amazing.

Cheetah are found in most areas of Northern Botswana (they also occur in the western and south western areas in fairly large numbers) especially where there are open areas where they use their sheer speed to hunt down their prey.

5. After my helicopter flip I had a few hours to relax before my game drive. I was fortunate to be the only one on the drive that afternoon. I explained to the guide (Sugar) that I had seen lots of game and would really like to focus on birding. I also mentioned that I had been unlucky in my pursuit of the Pel's Fishing Owl. This owl is one of Africa's largest. It is highly prized among birdwatchers as it can be quite tricky to find and it is nowhere common. I had seen one once before along South Africa's Limpopo River, but I wanted to see it again. Sugar said he knew of a place very close by where they often roost. 10 minutes later he stopped the vehicle in the middle of a mature stand of Mangosteen trees, we got out, I looked up and there it was, a Pel's Fishing Owl, brilliant!

The Okavango Delta is one of the easiest places to find this elusive owl, all guides know about it and if they are around they will take you to look for it.

6. Sunsets are a highlight on any safari. After a day of sensational wildlife viewing, there is no better way than to grab a drink and watch the sun go down with your fellow safari companions discussing the day's events. We were doing just this one evening, when we hadn't noticed a small breeding herd of elephant approaching. By the time we had spotted them it was to late for us to get into the vehicle, all our guide said to us was to be still. They casually strolled by as though we weren't even there.

Elephant are common in Botswana and are found throughout the northern region.

7. Lions are still common in many national parks throughout Africa. Having visited the Kruger on numerous occasions I have had many sightings of this magnificent cat. My group and I had just enjoyed a boat trip on one of the largest lagoons in the delta. We were driving back to our camp when our guide spotted two male lions; they were big boys and were behaving in a very skittish manner. We initially lost them, but after a few moments found them, as we appeared they focused their gaze on us. There was something very wild about them. The one guy in particular stared at us very uncomfortably and at one point I thought he was going to make a dash for the vehicle. Eventually they moved off. It seriously got the adrenaline pumping and one of the sightings of the trip.

8. Baboons aren't everyone's favourite but they can be very entertaining. It's a bit like people watching at a busy place, like an airport. On one very hot afternoon we came across a large troop, they were extremely entertaining and kept us captivated for over an hour. Some of the males were particularly fascinating. They were out on a mission; to impress the ladies. Of course the girls were playing hard to get and pretended to ignore the attention they were getting. One of them decided that she would be a tease and climb to the top of a dead shrub. It barely could support her weight so every time the male attempted to reach her he would fall off. He gave up in the end and decided he would wait, it was a wait in vain and he eventually found another female to pester.

9. Wild Dogs are one of the rarest predators in Africa; there are only a few areas where they can still be found. When not breeding they are highly nomadic covering huge distances. In November they start moving, and so can be tricky to find. While staying at Duma Tau in the Linyanti, we had come very close to finding them, so close that we could actually smell they had been around. Following that we had come close but not seen them. It was my second last full day in Botswana and finally after some serious off roading in the Kwando River Concession we found 4 dogs, an alpha male and female along with two pups. Our guide informed us that the rest of the pack had most probably gone hunting. Wild Dogs are highly sociable and packs vary in size from 4 to 20 odd individuals. Only the alpha pair has pups, if another female gives birth, the offspring are killed.

Wild dog are most easily found in the Kwando, Savute and Linyanti areas. They are not common and can be difficult to find.

10. The Birds of Prey. In all I managed to see 22 different species of these magnificent birds, including 11 species of Eagle. It could have been more and on a dedicated bird watching safari you could easily see over 30 species. Because this conservation area is so massive, these birds thrive. Highlights included the Red-necked Falcon, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Dickinson’s Kestrel and Lappet-faced Vulture. The African Fish Eagle is very common in the Okavango and their magnificent call is heard frequently throughout the day.

In addition to the above I also saw Red Lechwe, Hippo, Buffalo, Sitatunga (rare antelope), Kudu, Zebra, Wildebeest, Crocodile, Tsessebe, Caracal, Warthog, Black-backed Jackal, Banded Mongoose and 247 species of bird.

In all I had a very rewarding trip, even though I travelled at the time of year when game viewing is most difficult I still saw a huge variety. If you don’t mind the heat, travel in the Green Season, the light is excellent for photography (no dust), the lodges are largely half full or even empty (twice I was the only occupant in the entire lodge), the wildlife is spectacular and generally the rates are a lot more competitive.

Travel with Cox and Kings on the Great Botswana Safari or alternatively call 020 7873 5000 to speak to one of our Africa experts about tailor-making your holiday in Botswana.

Ooh Aah Devi Garh

Cox & Kings’ Marketing Director, Philip Hamilton-Grierson, has just returned from a trip to Rajasthan in northwest India. Here, he writes about a particularly luxurious haven.

Devi Garh, also sometimes known as Devigarh, is probably the most ‘luxy’ of the many heritage hotels that have emerged from the rubble of crumbling Rajasthani palaces in the last ten years or so. Since opening on Millennium Eve, it has cropped up in many a glossy mag, with its crisper than crisp minimalist marble interiors, its fantasy exterior of cupolas, terraces and balconies, and the odd celebrity guest. But does its allure go deeper than a glamorous exterior and what is it actually like to stay there?

My partner and I spent two nights there recently to find out.

The village of Delwara, where Devi Garh sits amid the ancient Aravali Hills, would be under an hour’s drive from Udaipur’s airport if you didn’t get lost. We did. Our more circuitous route took over twice as long and required several stops for our driver to receive conflicting directions from arm-waving locals. Never mind - road journeys in rural Rajasthan are all part of the fun and the extra hour on the road was sixty minutes of gentle surprises and several bovine obstacles.

Devi Garh certainly has wow factor for the new arrival. A manicured drive leads through a large gate into a long courtyard of neat lawns and fragrant shrubs. Above, the palace looms large and imposing. And then you start the ascent. Devi Garh will delight many people, but not those who are unsure on their pins – there are steps everywhere and from memory almost all of them are going up. There are a couple of lifts but they can take you only so far and they don’t deal with either the lowest or highest reaches of this towering palace.

High up in the main part of the palace are the rather ritzy Aravali Suites and Palace Suites. The more ‘basic’ accommodation is in the Garden Suites in a separate ground level area - but basic isn’t even faintly basic, it’s just relative. You’ll have noticed that there’s nothing so humdrum as a ‘room’, just 39 individually designed, elegant, luxury suites.

We were shown to an exquisite Aravali Suite, with two enormous balconies complete with resident parakeets. All the suites have a different theme, usually based around one of the semi-precious stones. Ours majored on inlaid mirrored glass and a lot of white. There was an elegant white bedroom, a long white sitting room leading onto the main balcony, a white dressing room leading onto the other balcony and a vast marbly (white) bathroom. Marble is to Rajasthan what ice is to Antarctica and much of it has ended up cladding the walls, floors, ceilings and pools of Devi Garh. The detail in the rooms is superb, from delicate inlay work, to water bowls sprinkled with scented petals and intricately embroidered silk cushions.

So the interiors are undeniably glamorous, but what about the guests? In a place where relaxation is the main activity, high quality people-watching is a necessity. On this score we were not disappointed:

The Poseur: Our trip happily coincided with a two-day fashion photo shoot. The focus, a male model, was an Indian narcissus of such absurd vanity that every movement was contrived to look like a pose. Every minute he was not in front of the lens or a mirror was spent with a mobile phone pressed against his ear. In his wake trailed a small entourage of people carrying clipboards, make-up, huge lamps and white umbrellas.

The Europeans: The British contingent was primarily made up of well-to-do folk of a certain age and the Queen’s vowel sounds. The other Europeans, mostly Germans and French were younger, smart-looking types who were sufficiently hooked on fashion for the absurdity of the poseur to have been lost on them. But they added a bit of boutique chic to the pool-side.

The Japanese: There was a conga of five or six young Japanese, mostly women, who processed round the palace taking lots of pictures and looking rather self-conscious. These were those cool, sulky looking Japanese, rather than the ever-smiling kind. I suspect they might be big news in Japan – maybe a Spice Girls type outfit.

The Noisies: The peace and beauty of dusk viewed from our crow’s nest was briefly shattered by a gaggle of young women, possibly Bombay rich-kids, who started blasting out a series of faded hits by the likes of Pat Benatar and Bryan Adams from a stereo in their private jacuzzi area. Songs that were agony in the ‘80s were insufferable as the sun set on a gorgeous Rajasthan evening. But once they were asked to turn the sound down we never saw or heard from them again.

The Celeb: On the first evening we took dinner on a lofty restaurant terrace overlooking the pool and beyond. We were talking to the waiter about the kind of people who stay at Devi Garh and, indicating the adjacent table, he whispered: “well here we have Mr Eric the Hollywood actor”. Thinking about it, Hollywood Erics are something of a scarcity – Eric Estrada from the ‘70s motorcycle cop show ‘CHIPs’ sprung to mind but not much else. But turning to the left we made out the unmistakable profile of that star of the silver screen, cod (make that ‘sardine’) philosopher and sometime footballer, Monsieur Eric ‘Ooh Aah’ Cantona. That was more than glamour enough for us and confirmed Devi Garh as a people-watching hotspot.

A reminder of what Eric used to do best...






The following night the hotel suggested we try a private dining experience. There are all manner of niches, courtyards and terraces around the hotel where they will set up a table for a romantic dinner. Ours was a splendid room; left untouched since it was excavated, it was covered in faded mirrored tiles, frescoes and stained glass windows. Lit up by candles it made a wonderfully atmospheric setting for an excellent dinner – with the added bonus of our own musician sitting just outside the room who made some delightful tinkling sounds with an instrument that looked to be made of a series of up-turned jam jars. We just pitied the waiter who had to take on those stairs to reach our eyrie from the kitchen every time we felt the need for some more naan bread.

The only question mark about Devi Garh is whether it is too alluring. Attentive but discrete service, spectacular rooms, excellent food (though not quite so excellent if you stray onto the ‘continental’ menu) a glorious deep green pool and a sumptuously appointed spa don’t give the guest much incentive to go out and about to see the sights - and apparently most stay put. This is a place to relax and unwind, and its many charms and high prices might be rather extravagant for those wanting to spend active days visiting Jain temples, Rajput forts and the like.

However, travelling through India provides such a bombardment of the senses that a truly luxurious haven such as Devi Garh as a sanctuary for reflection at the end of an exhilarating journey is an appealing option. Otherwise, you could always go straight there, forget ‘culture’, live it up like a Maharaja and be indulged for a week. Up to you.

Devi Garh features in the luxury version of Cox & Kings’ 12-day Princely India private journey. It can also easily be incorporated in tailor-made itineraries.