Botswana/Namibia Travel Diary
By Ryota Bizen
While Africa may evoke concerns about safety and hygiene for some, as a person interested in exploring diverse cultures, lifestyles, and natural environments beyond our borders, Africa offers a perfect and intensely stimulating experience. The sun shines brilliantly over endless blue skies and vast landscapes.
The local people, wearing brightly colored garments with vivid hues, live vibrantly and energetically. Just seeing them uplifts my spirits and fills me with energy. Africa is a special place that awakens dormant cells within me, filling me with genuine excitement.
When thinking of witnessing wildlife and breathtaking scenery, most people first think of Africa, specifically Kenya or Tanzania. I, too, thought this way until I learned about the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, is a stunning natural paradise visible from space at its peak. This rare gem on Earth captivates with its unique beauty and biodiversity.
Rainfall from neighboring Angola travels for months, eventually spreading like capillaries over Botswana’s arid land, creating wetlands teeming with rich flora and fauna. I was captivated by the thought of seeing water channels flowing through lush green grasslands, massive sand dunes in the apricot-colored sands of the world’s oldest desert, and I decided to visit Botswana and Namibia.
Despite my concerns about actually reaching the Okavango Delta, I embarked on a long journey involving four transfers within Botswana and finally arrived safely.
I entered the wildlife reserve with great anticipation. On the first afternoon safari, I saw African elephants, packs of wild dogs and lions, two honey badgers, and a mother lion with her two cubs. Observing the wild dogs, honey badgers, and the lioness with her cubs was a major highlight and left me deeply satisfied.
Day two featured the trip’s highlight: exploring the Okavango Delta by land, air, and water. Observing from a helicopter and a mokoro boat fulfilled a long-held dream.
Flying over the wetlands and waterways, teeming with elephants, hippos, and giraffes, was exhilarating. The helicopter had its side windows removed, and the wind was fierce, but the sights below were breathtaking.
Riding the mokoro boat was thrilling, with the fear of it sinking constantly on my mind. The calm, serene journey was punctuated by the gentle sounds of paddles in the water and the rustling of papyrus. I saw beautiful birds, tiny frogs perched on papyrus, and elephants feeding. Although I worried about crocodiles and hippos, the peaceful moments under the setting sun were unforgettable.
During my stay, I also observed giraffes, zebras, numerous antelopes, and monkeys. The sight of a sunbathing crocodile on the final day was particularly striking. Although I encountered the carcass of an elephant, which had been dead for several days, the overpowering stench was a stark reminder of the cycle of life. My two-night stay in the Okavango Delta was brief but filled with remarkable encounters and thrilling experiences. The local guides and lodge staff were exceptionally kind, making my trip unforgettable.
One regret was not seeing a spotted hyena, which I had expected to be more common than wild dogs or honey badgers. This experience underscored the challenges of wildlife observation.
Unexpectedly, the temperature fluctuations each day were significant. While the midday weather was pleasant, temperatures plummeted rapidly after 3:30 PM, making the early morning and evening safaris particularly chilly due to my inadequate clothing preparations.
Memorable First Desert Experience in Namibia
The sun depicted on the Namibian flag was a fitting symbol of the intense early morning sunlight. Climbing Big Daddy, a 100-meter-high dune in the Namib Desert, was a dream come true.
The view from the top left me speechless, as the ever-shifting sands and vast landscape stretched before me.
Descending to the eerie, lifeless Dead Vlei, with its dry white ground and skeletal trees, further emphasized the grandeur of Big Daddy. The stunning contrast of colors—the apricot hue of the sunlit side, the dark shade of the shadowed side, and the blue sky—was nature’s masterpiece.
This trip, aimed at experiencing nature and wildlife, provided countless unforgettable moments. It also reinforced the importance of preserving these natural wonders. In the face of global warming and environmental destruction, we must reconsider our actions and attitudes.
We must acknowledge that we are part of the diverse ecosystem of this planet and strive for coexistence rather than domination.
