Gaborone - We arrived unannounced in our own vehicle at the front entrance of the Chobe Chilwero Lodge in Botswana – a relatively rare occurrence there as most guests are either collected from the nearby Kasane airport or ferried in on tour buses.
So there was no traditional welcome committee of friendly waving staff offering cold drinks and damp face cloths to freshen up with. On the contrary, it was all quiet, the oppressive heat of the midday sun having probably sent most sensible folk scurrying off for siestas.
We had driven from Livingstone, a short haul of just 80km on our 5 000km southern African safari which had started in Durban almost three weeks previously and was now nearing its end.
The ferry which took us and our car across the Zambezi River from Zambia into Botswana had been fun with border formalities a breeze. A bridge is under construction so the ferry will sadly soon become obsolete.
There was no sign to indicate the turn off to the lodge from the main road out of the border town of Kasane. Instructions were to look out for a large tree (surely there were thousands of those?) at the roadside, distinctive because of the number of vehicle tracks around it.
Rather dicey directions, but we followed them and my wife somehow identified the right track to the lodge where we wandered into the reception area.
Looking down the hallway, through the lounge area and on to the countryside, a backdrop of sparkling blue and vivid green demanded attention.
Strolling out on to the wide veranda the stunning beauty of the Chobe River floodplains, just a few hundreds metres away, revealed themselves. A breath-taking, picture-book scene.
Animals and birds were in the water channels and on the islands, grazing, wallowing, lurking, eating, trumpeting, drinking, bellowing, calling and sleeping.
Guests have a front row view of all of this from the dining area, the verandah as well as from their thatched cottages.
What a mind-blowing African vista. We took in as much as we could from the benches in the gardens, excited at the prospect of going on a game drive down there later.
Chobe Chilwero, run by Sanctuary Retreats, is situated in the 11 000ha Kasane Forest Reserve adjoining the Chobe National Park which has one of the largest elephant populations in Africa with an estimated 60 000 to 70 000 roaming the 45 000km2 area.
There are no fences or boundaries, the forest reserve acting as a buffer zone between the park and town of Kasane. Game, especially elephant, are often seen around the lodge, on the sides of the main road and even in town. It’s wild country.
We were there in September when water in the park is scarce. The flood plains, however, provide a constant source relied on heavily by animals in the dry season.
Elephants spend the early part of the day grazing in the wooded interior and then come down in large numbers to drink, swim and enjoy mud baths, joining a variety of game and birds in the blue and green oasis.
Chobe Chilwero offers guests drives into the park and game viewing boat rides on the Chobe River which forms Botswana’s northern border with Namibia.
The flat-bottom boats get up close to elephant, buffalo, crocodiles, hippo and a variety of antelope and other wildlife on islands and at the water’s edge. Visitors are almost guaranteed sightings of elephant either swimming in, or crossing the river.
The lodge has several experienced guides able to answer questions on sightings and surroundings as well as providing interesting background and anecdotes.
Three-hour morning or late afternoon drives in robust but comfortable safari vehicles, are usually full of adventure and incident.
An encounter with two leopards which had recently made a kill was the highlight of our main drive.
We first spotted a female leopard dozing in the shade, having apparently eaten recently as her stomach appeared full.
Then wrapped around a branch high up in a nearby tree we saw the body of a half eaten impala. Close by, well positioned and camouflaged in the foliage, was a young leopard in splendid condition, his hunger also seemingly satisfied.
He gazed down on us from his elevated perch, nodding off every now and then.
It was a rare sighting and a first for us. With the excitement of the sighting still in the air, we moved on and almost immediately encountered large herds of elephants and buffaloes, slowly making their way down to the river.
The adults cared for their young, spraying sand over their backs, and encircling them when they lay down to rest.
Chobe Chilwero has 14 spacious and tastefully decorated guest lodges, each with a double bed, large bath and shower facilities, a dressing room and a walled back yard featuring an outdoor shower and a hammock.
Free wi-fi and an outside pagoda with table and chairs complete the units, all of which have views of the floodplain.
The food was among the best we enjoyed on our travels, served in fine style in a sophisticaed dining atmosphere on the veranda, candle lit in the evenings.
We left Chobe heading for home, with incredible memories of our long journey and wildlife experiences banked for future savouring.
Chobe Chilwero – contact Sanctuary Retreats phone: 011 438 4650; e-mail: [email protected]; or go to the website: www.sanctuaryretreats.com
Saturday Star