Another early morning (5:30 today!) began with a paddle and a hike out to Sacha Lodges Kapok tower which stands at 130 feet and is a rickety hike up about 20 flights of wooden stairs wrapping around a giant Ceibar tree. At the top of this beautiful tree you get the most impressive view of the canopy as well as many bird species. It was difficult containing the kids here as there were some serious birdwatchers and the boys got antsy fairly quickly. We then went on another hike although Nick slipped off a log bridge into a swampy creek (he was trying to avoid a trail of leaf-cutter ants which he was scared of after being bitten on our first day). He was fine although shaken up and wet ! After returning to the lodge, the boys went swimming with their clothes on which saved me from washing them! After lunch, we had a little extra free time as our afternoon hike did not start until 4:00 pm. When an afternoon rainshower started, we returned to the cabin for some downtime however, the peace was suddenly broken by the chatter of a group of adorable spider monkeys raiding a small banana palm just 20 feet from our back porch. The show went on for about 15 minutes before these amazing little animals retreated back into the jungle. Later in the aft we headed out for a hike which took us to an incredible 45 metre tower marking the start of a canopy-suspension bridge from which we could observe the jungle above. Stunning views !!! After dinner our guides took us by canoe onto the lake on which no artificial light is visible for a truly unbelievable experience as we floated silently below the star-lit sky and listened to a symphony of nocturnal jungle noises as lightening flashed on a distant horizon. While we never saw any caiman (crocs) that night, their glowing eyes could be seen as our guide shone his light along the shore line. As further evidence of the tranquility of the moment, both Jake & Nick fell asleep on our laps and had to be piggy-backed back to our cabin where we all retired after another amazing day!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.