The colourful sounds and smells of Botswana had been calling me again since I first visited the Okavango Delta space in 2011 – the yr after I gained Olympic gold within the skeleton on the Vancouver Olympics.
I used to be in Botswana filming a survival actuality TV present, and after it was over I stayed in contact with Robert Barber, one of many guides who had helped prepare us for the present.
He saved telling me superb tales of the unimaginable areas of Botswana that I ought to come again and go to someday.
And this is us in Africa: Amy travelled together with her fiance Craig on her second go to to Botswana in three years
I could not resist, and three years later he ended up placing collectively a personalised safari for me and my fiance, Craig.
Rob has been guiding safaris in Botswana and all through Africa for over ten years.
He and his accomplice Charlotte Bennett-Diver run Golden Africa they usually concentrate on attending to the core of why folks go on safari, and what they need to expertise.
Rob known as me one night and stated: ‘Proper Amy, I am taking you on a journey, not a vacation.’
At Maun airport in northern Botswana – the ‘gateway to the Okavango Delta’ – Rob and Charlotte loaded us up of their open-sided game-viewing car.
I switched off my cellphone and let the journey start.
Our first vacation spot was Meno A Kwena, within the Kalahari.
This quirky, intimate camp, run by David Dugmore and his son Daniel, sits on prime of a 90ft-high cliff, wanting down on to the Boteti River at precisely the purpose the place animals come to drink.
Simply hanging out up right here: Amy encountered native leopards throughout her grand journey by Botswana
We had been greeted by 5 bull elephants consuming within the river, with a few zebras roaming round shut by, and a hippo seeming to look at over all of them from the center of the river.
With a gin and tonic in our arms, we watched a wonderful sundown with the wildlife beneath.
I by no means realised how alive the bush of Botswana might actually be. As we awoke the subsequent morning to the sounds of birdlife surrounding us, sizzling water arrived for our brass bucket showers.
These showers are completely positioned overlooking the river, giving essentially the most unimaginable expertise of showering whereas an elephant wanders by 150ft away on the opposite facet of the river.
After a hearty breakfast we had been off.
Rob took us out to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the final remnant of an historic lake. We arrived on the most unimaginable setting. So far as the attention might see was infinite salt pan.
That evening, we slept out underneath the celebs, with a view of the milky manner all the way in which to the horizon.
Within the morning, on our manner again to Meno A Kwena, I used to be excited to listen to Rob say he might see some meerkats popping out of their burrow. Meerkats take a lot of time to heat up within the early sunshine. We spent fairly a while watching them slowly emerge to start out their day of foraging.
Earlier than leaving Meno A Kwena, Rob took us on a stroll with the Khoi San bushmen. The bush is their residence, they usually gave us a very fascinating perception into it.
They confirmed us how they set traps for meals, how they make fireplace, and among the fascinating methods they entertain themselves.
They’ve what I can solely describe as a fast-paced model of rock, paper, scissors.
We continued our journey to Rob’s favorite space inside Botswana, Khwai within the north-eastern Okavango Delta.
A fowl’s eye view: Amy and Craig additionally had close-up glimpses of elephants (and their passengers) within the wild
I vividly remembered Rob mentioning this space three years beforehand for being a wildlife paradise – and our drive there confirmed me he was not flawed.
What is going to all the time stick in my thoughts is the magical sight of 12 giraffe silhouettes within the street with the solar setting behind them.
We had been staying at Machaba Camp run by Chris Kruger, a veteran of the Botswana safari trade.
It seems like one thing from the model pages of a shiny journal, with all of the homely heat of a rustic manor, and set in essentially the most lovely environment on the Khwai River.
Machaba can also be extremely eco-friendly.
It recycles all the pieces, and has a virtually non-existent footprint, whereas remaining very luxurious – an ideal steadiness for me.
Machaba is located among the many timber on the fringe of Khwai River. There may be nothing extra peaceable and stress-free than having meals whereas watching elephants consuming, and nothing extra thrilling than watching a female and male leopard wandering alongside the river financial institution on the opposite facet.
Simply unimaginable!
The wildlife that Rob had raved about in Khwai didn’t disappoint. Throughout our three nights there we noticed an enormous male lion looking a big warthog, a wonderful feminine leopard waking after a day’s sleep, three honey badgers, a pack of untamed canines on the hunt, and a hyena den with 5 cute children.
Spot me in case you can: Leopards are elusive, however there’ll all the time be possibilities to see them on a break in Botswana
The subsequent cease in our journey was an actual deal with for me. Rob needed to take me again to close the place we had been filming three years in the past.
This time I used to be going to be horse driving on the fairly great African Horseback Safaris camp, Macatoo, the place they’ve 48 of the very best looked-after horses I’ve ever seen.
Rides at Macatoo are extra adventurous within the mornings than the afternoons, and we took the chance to get some velocity up within the open floodplains.
It’s fairly unimaginable to strategy buffalo, giraffe, elephants and zebra (my favourites!) on horseback.
Macatoo is ready in a wonderful space proper within the coronary heart of the Okavango Delta, and is barely accessible by gentle plane or helicopter.
Whereas I used to be driving, Rob took Craig off for game-drives, boat cruises or fishing. Each meal was taken out underneath the gorgeous African starry evening sky, and all of the workers had been so welcoming and pleasant.
We actually felt at residence right here and had been very unhappy to depart.
From Macatoo, we flew off to Kasane within the very north of Botswana after which crossed the mighty Zambezi to achieve the ultimate vacation spot in our journey, Livingstone, on the Zambian facet of Victoria Falls.
On our first morning in our very spacious room at Sussi & Chuma lodge, upstream of Victoria Falls, we woke as much as the sounds of the Zambezi River.
After a lot exercise and travelling, I used to be wanting ahead to a calming morning. I went off for a spa remedy overlooking the river and fell asleep very quickly.
I used to be prepared for this.
And this is me doing the day job: Amy gained gold within the skeleton on the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
And it was heavenly.
Rob shocked us at lunchtime with a visit into Livingstone, and earlier than we knew it we had been being whisked off in a helicopter for a scenic flight over Victoria Falls.
It is extremely simple to see from that perspective why it is likely one of the seven pure wonders of the world.
It’s breathtaking.
The date occurred to be Friday the thirteenth, and a full moon was due.
Late within the afternoon, Rob took us for a stroll across the falls and, after exploring for a while, we had been shocked to discover a small desk arrange with snacks and champagne.
We sipped and nibbled away because the moon rose within the east behind a small cloud financial institution and created the superb impact of a rainbow within the spray of Victoria Falls.
It was surreal and superb all on the identical time.
Again at Sussi & Chuma we had been waited on like royalty. The meals was spectacular in style and presentation. The workers arrange a non-public dinner for us on the fringe of the Zambezi River with a hearth and but extra champagne.
We ate to the sounds of hippos grunting within the distance, the flowing water and the crackling of the fireplace. It was great.
On our final full day, Rob took us to Livingstone Island which sits on the very prime of the falls.
Right here we had a really conventional brunch of eggs Benedict and tea, whereas being a matter of ft away from the sting of the waterfall.
Key information: Amy had an indication of native abilities – together with learn how to make fireplace – from Khoi San bushmen
Victoria Falls are a mile large and Livingstone Island sits about midway alongside the highest.
We had been guided to the sting of the falls and given essentially the most unimaginable view over the brink, wanting the 360ft down into the gorge.
There may be a lot spray that there are rainbows all over. Earlier than we left Botswana, we headed into the Mosi-Oa-Tunya Nationwide Park for a stroll to search out rhinos.
This did not take lengthy because the park could be very small and rangers comply with the rhino round 24 hours a day, to guard them from poachers.
Being so near such an enormous animal on foot, was each thrilling and terrifying abruptly.
We noticed seven completely different rhino, together with one very cute child with its mom.
It was additionally heartening to know that I used to be contributing in a small technique to the worth of the rhino as a vacationer attraction, reasonably than as a medication.
Rob and Charlotte had launched us to a special manner of taking a vacation. Our journey to Botswana was, in actual fact, not only a vacation however a journey stuffed with experiences.
We are going to return on safari to Africa once more someday, as a result of I do know I should feed the piece of my soul that Africa has claimed.
