Into the Wild: Safari in the Okavango Delta
/We have been home for a month, but I am still processing and reeling from the incredible experience we had on safari just after our Christmas in Cape Town. In 2025, there are still some places in the world that feel almost too wild, too untouched, too awe-inspiring to be real. Botswana’s Okavango Delta is one of them. It’s a place where nature rules, where the rhythms of the wild dictate the schedule of the day, the stars are brighter than you’ve ever imagined possible, and where every moment is filled with the kind of beauty that makes you pause, breathe deeply, and realize just how small you are in the best possible way.
We experienced all of this and more at 4 Rivers Camp: a stunning, intimate safari lodge tucked deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta in the private Kwara concession, and the company Kwando Safaris’ newest camp. An important note about any safari you can go on: you really want to be in a private concession, as you gain the ability to truly go “into the wild” as you are not beholden to the roadways of a national park. This trip was everything I dreamed a safari could be - and way, way more. From the moment we touched down on the camp’s private, packed-dirt airstrip, we were immersed in the pulse of the wilderness. The sounds of hippos grunting in the distance, the bell frogs’ incredibly nightly chorus, the sight of an African sunset reflecting off the water during a sundowner cocktail - it was nothing short of magical. As evidenced by the gallery of pictures below - there was no way to choose just one!
I have been lucky enough to go on safari before, in Kruger National Park in South Africa, which was itself an incredible experience. But Botswana felt so much wilder - there were no roads, no defined paths, only the tracks left by the animals who roamed before us. We weren’t just driving along dirt roads (though there was some of that for sure) - we were bumping through the bush in pursuit of sighting after sighting of animals that are as close as we can come to a real-life fairytale creature. To gaze across an open plain and see a herd of giraffe slowly making its way across the horizon feels, honestly, like being in the opening scene of Jurassic Park - it is awe-inspiring in the truest sense of the phrase.
We drove through deep rivers, got soaked the thunderstorms of the rainy season (NOT a reason to skip a December trip), and slept in a stilted luxury tent - with not one but two showers - allowing us to rinse off the dust of the adventure while still feeling completely connected to the wild. The hippos that lounge all day in the riverbend out front spend their nights grazing in the woods behind the tent, and it was a nightly occurrence to hear them grunting to one another directly beneath our heads - no wonder you are always accompanied while it is dark in camp!
But what truly made this experience unforgettable wasn’t just the landscape or the endless wildlife sightings. It was our guide, Mwamo. In Botswana especially, a safari guide is so much more than someone who helps you spot animals; they are storytellers, protectors, and translators of the wild. It is a highly prestigious job, and with good reason. Mwamo brought this world to life for us in a way I never expected. His deep knowledge, his ability to track a leopard through the brush with nothing but subtle signs in the sand, his patience and reverence for the animals, it was mesmerizing. Every sighting became more meaningful because of him. We didn’t just see elephants, we learned about their family structures, their emotions, and their habits. We didn’t just spot lions, we understood their relationships, their hierarchy, their skillset. Mwamo made us feel like we belonged in this world, if only for a short time.
And then there were the sightings - oh man the sightings! Lions lounging in the golden morning light of a 5 am game drive, their tails flicking lazily as they watched us from a distance. A leopard draped across the branches of a tree, gazing down at us with cool indifference. Herds of elephants wading through the floodplains, splashing playfully in the water. A pack of wild dogs, rare and elusive, moving as one in perfect, silent coordination as we raced through the bush and watched them make a kill. A visit to the hyena den an hour through the brush in the dark, where the cubs caught moths attracted by the lights of the Land Cruiser and it felt at any moment like they might hop inside. Every moment felt like something out of a dream, set against the untamed backdrop of beautiful Botswana.
A safari isn’t just a vacation, it is truly an experience that changes you, as trite as that may sound. It makes you see the world differently. It reminds you of the raw, beautiful, unpredictable forces of nature. It’s humbling and exhilarating all at once. And if you’ve ever thought about going on safari, my advice is this: Go. And go the right way.
Botswana and the Okavango Delta is one of the most spectacular safari destinations on Earth, and it deserves to be done well. If you're ready to plan the perfect itinerary for your safari, I’d love to help you create a travel experience that’s just as breathtaking, immersive, and unforgettable as mine. This trip was truly life-changing, and I can’t wait to help you craft your own adventure, and as Mwamo would say before each drive, “let’s go and see what Mother Nature provides.”
