Khutse GR - Thunderstorms in the desert Day 3

Rare sighting, flooded roads in the Kalahari sands. 

It was drizzling when we woke up but not nearly as hard as overnight. It started raining just as we got to bed and rained steadily the whole night. By 3am, it was bucketing down so hard that we thought that we'd be swimming around the campsite the next morning. 

Khutse GR - Thunderstorms in the desert Day 2

Just enough of a break to get packed, it was a wet and grey morning. 

It was drizzling when the alarm went off at 5am but we had planned for rain by putting our rain jackets in the tent. And shortly after we got out, the rain stopped for a brief period allowing us to get the tent packed away in the dry. 

Khutse GR - Thunderstorms in the desert Day 1

Ominous signs with rain on the cards as we left. 

We'd planned to go the previous weekend but the rain forecast had us postponing the trip. In the end it didn't rain much and with more rain forecast for this weekend and the next we decided it was now or never. So with thunderstorms predicted on both Saturday and Sunday we packed the car on Thursday, took the Friday off and headed to Khutse, hoping we wouldn't get too wet on our long weekend.

Chobe National Park - Day 11

Expect the unexpected, a dead elephant loaded on the back of a truck. 

We were a bit later than expected to start thanks to having breakfast in the campsite and last minute packing but we were still on the road just after 6.30am.

Chobe National Park - Day 10

The legendary elephants of the Chobe river. 

Since we'd were going into the park for the last day, we were up as usual before sunrise and ready to go soon after. We were dropping Sudesh off on the way to the park for him to pick up a guide and head to Maun to continue his adventure.

Chobe National Park - Day 9

Zebs on the flood plain. They seem to only hangout close to Ihaha. 

Today we leave Chabe National park so packed up and ready to go at 5.40 in the hopes of catching the resident leopard and her sub-adult cubs. She was elusive though so we changed tactics to follow up in the lions near to camp that had been roaring in the night.

Chobe National Park - Day 8

Yellow Billed Ox-pecker

Ready to go by 5.45am, we headed out of Ihaha and on to the plain. We hit paydirt quickly when we spotted 2 lionesses coming from the Chobe River channel after drinking, literally next to the camp site!

Chobe National Park - Day 7

Finding this guy around twin hills was pure magic!

We had a long drive ahead of us, out the Ghoha gate and re-enter the park through Ngoma gate but the priority was a morning game drive before leaving Savuti. So we headed straight to the elephant carcass in the hopes that the lions were feeding.

Chobe National Park - Day 6

The Lilac Breaster Roller kept us going waiting for the Leopard to arrive. 

Despite the roaring lions and kudu barking early in the morning, it was straight to the leopard sighting from the day before with the idea to just check on it before focusing on the lion cubs of the Marsh pride. The choice of chasing that 5 minutes away against a Leopard that is 45 minutes away! We went for the Leopard on the outside chance of the Marsh pride which had cubs.

Chobe National Park - Day 5

This guy had huge issues with the Northern pride on his doorstep.

We were up at 5.20 to get going by 6am and don't water valuable first light by fiddling around, just get out. As self drivers, it's critical you pick up as much intel of the night activities to work out where the predators are moving. The lions had roared the whole night and had not moved going by the roars. A Honey Badger had got in and emptied our bin! Just cannot keep these guys out no matter what.