We’re at a tented camp at Luangwa National Park, but wifi only works for two hours a day, and only if the electricity is on (it’s quite unreliable here in Zambia). So it’ll likely be another day or two for some photos. But we’ve been enjoying our wildlife experiences here, with more to come tonight.
I’m not sure you can travel thru rural Africa and not return home a changed person. -S 🇿🇲
Our African adventure continued this morning when our truck attempted to drive out of the campsite. We drove about 30 feet and promptly got stuck in the mud. Had to spend time helping get it out so we could be on our way. -J 🇿🇲
A few favorite shots from the last few days. -S 🇧🇼🇿🇼
We knew East Africa would be more challenging, and it quickly lived up to its billing. Just 90 mins into our journey, the brakes on the truck failed, stranding us on the side of the highway for 7 hours, huddling under trees for shade. Luckily, we could continue in a replacement vehicle. -S 🇿🇲
Entering East Africa
Victoria Falls serves as a turning point for our tour. We exit Southern Africa and cross into East Africa, which we expect to be the most challenging portion of our 100-day adventure.
We said goodbye to some members of our tour yesterday at Vic Falls, who had signed up for only the eight day Jo-burg to Vic Falls stretch.
Among them were Erik and Beathe from Norway, friends we happened to make at our hotel bar a number of days before this tour started. We became fast friends, trading emails after an hour or so and committing to visiting them on our to-be-rescheduled Norway trip.
Funny enough, we found ourselves sharing a city tour of Johannesburg a couple days later, and then again found them on this Nomad tour. Great people! We’re looking forward to seeing them again.
A new “family”
While we lost some folks at Vic Falls, we also gained a number of new ones. Most here are en route to Nairobi, Kenya, though we skip out a few days earlier at Dar-Es Salaam in Tanzania.
-S 🇿🇼🇿🇲
I bought an MGD—my dad’s old favorite—on the first day of our safari, with the intention of paying homage to him on Christmas here at Victoria Falls. So after carting this can around the African bush for a week, Jen & I found an appropriate spot to enjoy it, and pour some out.
🍻 To Norm! 🍻🇿🇼
Merry Christmas from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe! We enjoyed an afternoon looking at the falls (despite a quick afternoon downpour). -J 🇿🇼
When your hotel room comes with nightly in-room mosquito spraying and mosquito net turndown service, as well as an airhorn to scare off any unwanted wildlife…you know you’re in Africa! -S 🇿🇼
A few shots from tonight‘s river cruise on the Chobe River along the Botswana/Namibia border. -S 🇧🇼
Christmas Eve dinner, cooked out of the truck. -S 🇧🇼
🎥 Updates from our tented camp
We spent two nights in a tented camp in Khwai Conservation Area, with our first “full day” of safari game drives—one in the early morning and another in the late afternoon and past sunset.
Here’s an update on our first morning game safari, which was very fun.
And another update after our sunset game safari, which also includes a bit more on our accommmodations here.
We recorded this second video from our subsequent tented camp near Chobe National Park, which overlooked an elephant watering hole.
Because elephants frequent the area, you also can only move between your tent and the facilities under escort after dark.
We’ll post some more photos of the tented camp facilities in the coming days.
🎥 Roadside elephants in Botswana
Our accommodation tonight… -S 🇧🇼
Just a quick taste of our leopard sighting today. -S 🇧🇼
Some lion photos from this morning’s safari. -S 🇧🇼
We have a bit of unexpected wifi, so here are some hippo pics from the day. -S 🇧🇼
We did a Mokoro canoe today in the Okavango Delta. During the canoe, we came across a bloat of hippos and I was able to capture them making noise. -J 🇧🇼
And some more photos from the Mokoro canoe:
Rainstorm in the Kalahari Desert
We’re off grid the next three nights, staying in a bush camp without electricity, near the Okavango Delta in Botswana. It might be awhile until the next update.
Here are some photos from yesterday, which was mostly a long drive thru the Kalahari Desert during a series of big rainstorms. During a lull, we randomly pulled off to cook lunch out of the truck.
We gave the leftovers to a local family who was very interested in our big vehicle and what the heck we were doing.
I also busted out some local lager, improbably named St Louis, which was among the lowest rated beer on untappd I’ve ever had, and shared with our adventure family. We’re having fun, but dang I miss happy hour at Wren Südhalle!
We ended the day at our hotel, which donates space for a local women-run program that recycles booze bottles from the hotel, melts down the glass, and makes jewelry. We got a little demonstration of the process.
Speaking of the hotel, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the accommodations so far.
And we’re off on our 24-day safari thru South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania!
Here’s our vehicle for the journey! -S 🇿🇦🇧🇼🇿🇼🇿🇲🇲🇼🇹🇿