Game Reserves in the North

We made several trips to game parks in Botswana, especially Nxai Pan, Sua Pan and Chobe. Nxai Pan was one of our favorites.

Entrance to Nxai Pan. There was no government scout camp and no facilities. You had to carry everything yourself, including water
and food. There was about one visitor per week to the park, although we once met a couple from South Africa. And Björn once
met a Bedford truck with tourists driving into Nxai Pan. The response to the question “Where are you going?” was “To London”!

One year we met zebra from to a herd of about 10,000, so it was a very, very long line crossing our path. We did not wait for the last one.

There were many animals, like giraffe.

Remains of a larger animal. There are huge open areas at Nxai Pan.

Baobab trees are found in national parks, although this one is located in a village close to Gaborone.

Sua Pan was another favorite. These soda pans are dry most of the year,
but flood during the rains, and then there are large flocks of flamingo.

The surface, when it is dry, is very hard and you can (in theory) drive a car on the surface without sinking.

Annette with colleagues from the University of Botswana, Brian and Bob.

Brian standing at a pier, that is actually useful when the pan is filled with water.

Sitting on our Land Rover watching the sunset.

Annette watching the sunset.

It seems strange to see the sun reflected on a dry surface, but it is probably a reflection within the camera lens!

This is from a visit with friends in Chobe National Park.

We slept in the Land Rover that had a board and mattress covering the back.
It felt safer to be inside the car than in a tent with all the animals around.

Leila and a friend with a fish at a camp near Maun.

We camped close to a river crossing in Chobe. There were no fences to stop wild animals from strolling through the camp.

There were always lots of wild animals, like these hippos who sometimes ventured through the camp.

There were elephants as well.

Kudu

and African buffalo, very close to the camp.

One part of the Okavango Delta was flooded and all trees had died.

and you could get very close to very large elephants. Elephants always have
the right of way regardless if they come from the left or the right. Or head on!