Hiking along the Roaring River at Pooks HillWe woke early this morning to eat a hot breakfast and set off to the ATM cave. We arrived at the trailhead, where they were now building an welcome center and bathrooms. The first time I visited this was nothing but a small sign marking the trailhead, and soon there would be a visitors center! We hiked in for about 45 minutes, crossing the river a couple times, and then Hector prepped us at the entrance to the cave. We left our lunch and extra clothing at the entrance, put on our helmets and swam into the cave. The walk in was hardly a walk, it was a crawl, a climb, a few jumps, a little swimming, and some scrambling. Hector did such a great job directing us on exactly where to hold on or step and we always felt we were safe and in great hands. Once we climbed up into the cavern, we took off our shoes and walked through the cavern in socks. We saw various broken pots and human remains in the cave, but the most spectacular thing to me was the beauty of the cavern itself. The stalactites and stalagmites were sparkling from the crystallization. We also had quite a bit of time to just sit and enjoy the silence of the cavern. On our way out of the cave, we saw at least 5 or more groups coming in, but we had the entire tour to ourselves until we left the cavern. It is great to stay at Pooks and be so close to the cave to be able to enjoy it without any crowds. After eating lunch near the cave entrance, we hiked back out and walked back to Pooks. That afternoon, Evan and I wanted to see more of the property so we set off for a walk around. We visited the orchard where they were growing various produce trees and then spent some time along the river. Evan had me practice casting the larger salt-water rods so I would be ready for fishing later in the week. It was great to have some time to just relax and hang out at Pooks. We read, drank cocktails and just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
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
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
