I expected this week to be quite relaxed with Nana too dizzy and weak to be up for doing a lot. To my pleasure, that has not been the case at all! Sure, the first night Nana needed help traversing the 2 flights of stairs between our cabin and the dining room. The next day, though, she tried her first zodiac ride. She still felt a bit shaky and stayed in the bottom of the skiff, propped against the side allowing the sea breezes to fill her lungs.
By the next day, she signed up for two zodiac rides, both perched on the tube and actively sighting wildlife. She told me how they had seen Mobula Rays jumping, dozens of sea birds, a sea lion and a humpback whale. She felt so confident on her zodiac excursions that she sent Samantha and I off to try the other adventures while she made friends with our shipmates. So… Samantha and I tried out snorkeling for her first time in the ocean. We saw sea stars, Sargent Major fish, and … Then we went on a stunning burro ride up into the desert hills. It couldn’t have been more picturesque with lone cacti and even an oasis area that had tangled palm trees surrounding a freshwater lagoon.
Yesterday Samantha took charge of the front position on our double kayak. We made a huge journey along the coast and past a solidary rock teeming with birdlife and a playful sea lion. In the afternoon, we both tried Paddle Boarding. I had tried once before, in Hawaii, and never managed to stay upright. However, here the water was glassy clear and I felt confident (barely) enough to put Samantha on the board with me to explore. She quickly tired of mom having all the fun and decided to give it a go herself.
What a week! Nana is out on the deck spotting whales and chatting with new friends while Samantha and I are busy on more strenuous adventures. Early in the week, we developed the tradition of stopping in the Lounge for some Uno to give Nana a rest halfway between the dining room and cabin. She rarely needs the rest anymore, but we still gather for a card game to exchange stories of what we have both seen on our adventures that 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.