We have visited many reserves and national parks in Southern Africa and the Okavango Delta is still the top destination for us. There are no telephone and electricity poles, there are no tarred roads, no fences in sight and no need to do anything else but take in the magnificent scenery. The Delta caters to all pockets, from incredible luxury to self drive campers. There is no 'best time' to visit, however every season offers something different yet worthwhile experiencing. If you have never been before, then the winter months from May to July is where you should start as the 'flood waters' are in and the Delta becomes this amazing water wonderland. A flight over the Delta is worth every cent if you are not flying into a lodge. When planning a trip make sure you use an agent who has been there themselves so that they know what will suit you and your pocket best as there are hundreds of options to choose from. Lodges, overland safaris, and self drive each offer many levels of luxury and experiences, so choose an agent who knows the Delta. The birdlife is exquisite and we usually find ourselves concentrating on the birds and the animal sightings end up finding us while we are birding. Your guide will quickly find out what is on your 'must see' wishlist and will endeavour to make it a reality. There are no guarantees though, as the Delta is not a zoo or animal park. Try not to be too rigid with your list or you can end up stressed and miss out on many other things. We always find that just watching the sun rise and set is enough.

We had a 3 days/2 nights camping in Okavango Delta. The area itself is just breath-taking. Beautiful landscapes, many birds and animals, I couldn’t put my camera down. We didn’t see any cats close, but we could hear them. That is probably a case when we were glad not to meet them, because we were walking and not driving! We also had to keep a good distance from hippos and buffalos. It’s a place that makes you feel that you are so little without machines and equipment. And there were no mosquitos at all! It was our first camping experience, so many things were very new for us. However, with the help of our local guide Philip we quickly adapted to the conditions. Philip was fantastic, he was explaining us everything, making the biggest accent on our safety, but also doing everything possible for our comfort and entertainment. His knowledge about local wild life is phenomenal. We have learnt the official and local names of different species, many interesting facts about their lives and habits. Philip was shaping our walks and boat trips according to our wishes and interests and nothing was too much trouble for him. Unfortunately, our guide and tour organiser Pastor Maswanganyi from Swangs safaris, who was providing the 10 day tour from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, was totally different. Before the trip he was telling us how well he knows the area, but in the Delta we weren’t provided with any information from him at all. Quite the opposite, he treated the trip like a personal holiday and was communicating only with local guides in the local language, spending time with a female guide, disappearing with her for a long time. That was the only beginning of our sad experience with Pastor Maswanganyi, later he has just escaped with our money, but that is a different story in a different review… Now we understand how lucky we were with Philip! If not for him, we would feel totally abandoned and helpless, and wouldn’t be able to enjoy the Okavango Delta. So we have learnt a lesson – check the guide you are going to trust your money and life, and, when you think you have checked, do it again!

We spend a good week on a safari starting from Maun, ending in Kasane / Victoria Falls and loved the Xakanax area in Okavango Delta most. We opted for a tailor-made tented safari through a company called "Sekanka Safari", which we can recommend to anybody looking for a small safari company to take their family on the safari of a life time. When looking at safaris we wanted to do it all: Okavango Delta, Chobe, Moreni, Savuti, Victoria Falls, under the assumption that the areas would be very different from each other. In reality they are not that different allthough we found the Xakanaxa area to be the most stunning of all. We were very lucky with the game sights we had there and perhaps that helps with our preference for that area. After those, the game ride in Chobe felt very average. I know that sounds very snobbish but after such an amazing start of our safari tour I guess we were spoiled ;-).