Our 6 days in the Okavango Delta with Okavango River Safaris was one of the high-lights of my life! We have lived in and travelled Southern Africa for 50 years and rate Okavango River Safaris owned and run by Jacques Conradie as amongst, if not the best. We have just returned from a six-day Okavango Delta river safari experience which I find hard to describe - words cannot express this experience. We left Maun at about 10h30 - had a wonderful lunch on an island that Ace [our guide] found - saw lots of ellies, hippos, buffalo and bird life, arriving at the camp site at about 18h00 where, Jacques, Mush and David were just finishing erecting the tents and Jackie was just finishing getting his 'kitchen' sorted out. The boat was extremely comfortable [large enough to accommodate 9 passengers with ease], and had both a large canopy and ports for charging batteries - cameras etc. Also on board was a large cooler box filled to the brim. There followed 5 absolutely fantastic days.
The camp site, on the banks of the Okavango within the Moremi Game Reserve was wonderful - we only saw one other boat, twice - department of water affairs - and not another sole for the whole of our stay. Reasonable size tents, very comfy beds, outdoor loo [with a decent loo seat] and a shower right behind each tent - almost on-suite, a basin and mirror alongside the tent.
Most meals were in camp - breakfast and dinner under the open sky while most lunch was set up under a gazebo. Other lunches were on islands and one actually in the water [table & chairs - swim, sit, eat, splash!]. The food served was absolutely fantastic - full breakfasts; lunches, one hot dish and a variety of cold meats dishes and salads with daily freshly baked bread, cheese and biscuits; dinners - three course and the best deserts one could get in a 5 star restaurant! Days started with cereal & fruit, then a walk [saw quite a bit of game], back to camp for a full breakfast, then out on the boat until lunch time [or later if lunch was thus organised], after an afternoon zzzzzzzzz out on the boat again ending with sunset drinks and snacks before returning to camp for more drinks & snacks around the fire, lots of chatting, then dinner and bed were we lay listening to the lions roaring [every night - one night they passed next to the camp], ellies, [actually had them in camp the one morning], hippo's and a myriad of night birds calling.
The nights were fantastic. The days on the river - no words can describe the beauty of the surroundings, palm trees, enormous groves of trees, the clarity of the water [can see every grain of sand, every plant and stem on the water base - crystal clear water], the hundreds of water lilies and other water plants the thousands of water birds [and land birds]. Many, many ellies both on land and in the water, just as many hippo's, croc's, letchwe, buffalo, impala, giraffe, wildebeest etc.
Our guide and host, Ace was not only one of the most knowledgeable guides that we have ever been out with, but also one of the best hosts we have had on similar trips. In fact, all the staff were fantastic.
