Cliff Joannoujoins Wilderness on safari to explore the outstanding beauty of Botswana’s Okavango delta
Photography Cliff Joannou and Ben Blair
DumaTau
WE HAVE BARELY put our feet on the ground in Botswana when we hear the distant roar of a lion rumble across the valley. Our guide, Rogers, is driving us in an open-sided, canvas-roofed Toyota Land Cruiser through DumaTau, the 125,000-hectare wildlife concession in the Okavango delta, the first stop on our safari experience with conservation travel specialists Wilderness.
Less than five hours ago, we stepped off a plane that had brought us from London to Johannesburg, before connecting to Maun in north Botswana to join one of Wilderness Air’s light aircraft that then flew us to the camp. Rogers, whose work with Wilderness is as much about logging what he sees on our adventures as it is finding us inspiring wildlife to gawp at, pulls over on the dusty road and peers out of the side of the vehicle to examine the ground below. I look out and see only random shapes imprinted in the earth, but Rogers can spot that a giraffe, elephant and a lion have all passed through here recently.
We’re told there’s never a bad time to visit the Okavango. July to October are drier months, when large groups of animals congregate by the limited water. We are here in January, after the rains that flood down from the Angola highlands have transformed the landscape: reviving rivers, filling watering holes and bringing the flora to life. From the leaves on the trees to the immense grass plains, the area is alive with a kaleidoscopic array of every shade of green, as dainty yellow Devil’s Thorn flowers are scattered across the ground and the elegant red crowns of Flame Lilies hang overhead. The familiar and comforting aroma of wild sage floats past as the vehicle trundles through the bush and white butterflies wistfully flutter by. Soaring over us is a vivid blue sky that completes a stunning canvas against which to explore the world’s largest inland delta. As we relax into the setting, a glorious serenity seeps into our bones.
It’s not long into our journey when Rogers points towards a female lion striding gracefully in our direction along the edge of the field. Our jaws fall at the sight of her majestic presence as she casually passes within 10 metres of us. My partner and travelling companion Ben and I are the proud dads of two cats back home, so we are overjoyed by her beauty — despite how close she wanders past. We’re reassured that within the vehic
