After a long trip, leaving Geneva the day before and with stop overs in Frankfurt and Johannesburg we arrived in Maun, where we passed Botswana immigration. Soon after the feeling of Safari began as we where guided to the tarmac where a small aircraft was waiting for us. With just two other passengers we boarded and started our approx. 45 min flight to the airstrip of Kalahari Plains. We arrived at Kalahari Plains on 30th April early afternoon and left from there on 3rd May around lunch time.
Leaving Maun for Kalahari Plains
Soon after checking in at the Camp we started our first game drive with our guide Kabo. Not far away we saw a group of bat-eared foxes, a black-backed Jackal, Oryx and other impressive animals. A perfect start into our three week safari adventure.
bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, northern black korhaan and oryx
Our first sunset in Botswana, beautiful Kalahari Plains (Sony RX1R, 35mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/4000)
Next day we got up early for our first game drive. The sunlight just barely began revealing the environment when we drove off in direction of Deception Valley.
Springbok, Oryx, Secretarybird, Hartebeest
Soon after we saw a lioness walking on the road. It’s amazing to observe this powerful animal in its natural environment.
Lioness at Kalahari Plains (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 320mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/1000)
Lioness
Other animals like Oryx and Giraffes checked every movement of the lioness very closely. But this time she was not in the mood for hunting.
Soon after the lioness disappeared ... (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 200mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/1000)
... leaving only here tracks behind (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 300mm, ISO 180, f/5.6, 1/1000)
We continued our drive to Deception Valley …
(Sony A7R3, 24-240 at 24, ISO 100, f/8, 1/125)
Lonely Wildebeest in Deception Valley
… and could see many different animals
Even a Leopard Tortoise crossed our way
Track of the Leopard Tortoise (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 200mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/1000)
Many beautiful birds can been seen at Kalahari Plains
High grass limits the visibility (Sony RX1R, 35mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/1000)
The wind forms beautiful shapes in the high grass (Sony A7R3, 24-240 at 24, ISO 100, f/8, 1/640)
(Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 500mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/1000)
Back at the camp after this impressive visit to Deception Valley, the game was not over. On the way from the reception area to our cabin we came across more surprises.
Puff Adder (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 500mm, ISO 560, f/5.6, 1/1000)
Most of the afternoon game drive we spent observing a large group of giraffes. First we saw a few member of the group feeding from some trees.
Then we saw other members of this group in the open area
Miss cool giraffe (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 500mm, ISO 1400, f/5.6, 1/1000)
(Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 500mm, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/1000)
They stared at us with some curiosity
The conditions to photograph got more and more difficult, very low light
We stayed with this group until sunset
This giraffe is posing exactly at the right location (Nikon D500, 200-500mm at 270mm, ISO 1000, f/5.6, 1/1000)
For our second evening in Botswana we could enjoy a magnificent sunset
(Sony RX1R, 35mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/60)
Link to Day 2
Link to the website of the Kalahari Plains Camp
Overview of our trip to Botswana and Zimbabwe in 2018
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