Safari in Review - June 14 - 16, 2013

On Friday, June 14th, we set out: Nine adventurers, bound for Botswana and more on an incredible photo safari! 

All of us met at the Delta Airlines gate for our direct flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg. There was much excitement and anticipation as we talked about what sights we were looking forward most to seeing!  We knew that it would be along flight (approximately 13 hours on the way down, 16 on the way back), but we also knew that it would be worthwhile. There would be no worries about missed connections; once we were in the air, we knew that our very next stop would be in South Africa!

Our group was scattered in various parts of the airplane, so we did not see much of each other until we actually landed in Johannesburg, South Africa on (what was already) Saturday afternoon, June 15. Fortunately, US citizens traveling to South Africa do not need any special visas at all. Other than waiting in the passport control line for some time, it was not a difficult process. Our van was waiting to take us to our comfortable overnight lodging, about 15 minutes from the airport; a short distance away, but we felt like we were in a world apart in a beautiful gated neighborhood near a bird sanctuary and next to a golf course.

Dinner was a delightful two course meal; the lodge was able to cater to everyone’s dietary requests, including accommodating our vegan and vegetarians with delicious meals. Dessert was a chocolate cake so phenomenal that I still see it sometimes in my dreams. :-) That night, some people slept well while others like me, fought off jetlag throughout the night.

Several of us decided to wake up early on the morning of the 16th, our first full day in Africa, to take the short 7 minute walk from the lodge to the Korsman Bird Sanctuary. As it was winter, the morning was a bit chilly and there was a lot of fog in the area. Nevertheless, the fog lent a lovely, mystical feel. At the sanctuary, one of the first things we saw were Greater Flamingos. These beautiful birds are mostly white, with occasional pink in some of their feathers, and black tips at their wings. They were wading around and enjoying the morning. We saw a few other bird species, too.

We then returned to the B&B for a delicious and healthy breakfast before heading back to the airport to catch our quick flight to Maun, Botswana. Upon arrival in Maun, we were met by our safari guide and went to the nearby lodge to settle in for the afternoon and relax.

There is a lovely pool on site, an open air bar, an internet café, and lovely landscaped grounds that extend all the way back to the river that abuts the property. We all enjoyed an open air buffet dinner while discussing plans for the following day: The true beginning of our safari!