Okavango Delta, Botswana

We crept into the Okavango Delta through backwaters where locals are more familiar with cattle-ranching than tourists. Mark, a friendly Brit expat, took us under his wing and set us up with two guys and a mokoro.

James and John eased us through the network of narrow waterways in our dug-out canoes, though they turned out to be more than just polers.

They drilled us in the 444 species of birds in the delta and showed us wildlife both big and small, from wallowing elephants to tiny frogs lurking amongst the reeds.


We were regaled with stories from their experiences working at $1,000-a-night lodges in the delta. Fortunately they were still happy to keep us scruffy backpackers safe as we bush-camped alarmingly close to a lion kill. A domestic cow might be easy pickings for the biggest of cats, but we preferred to feast on the fish we'd just caught from the local hippo pool.


We loved our time in the Okavango and the many insights we gained from our two great guides.