Botswana 2012

It seems ironic that the one continent that we planned to avoid on our round the world trip ten years ago, has ended up being the continent that we've kept on going back to again and again. Our Botswana trip ended up being a few years in the planning, once again using Cheesemans as the planning/booking agent. Letaka Safaris ran the ground operations and we were fortunate to have Grant Reed as our guide. Instinctively Grant seemed to know where to put the vehicle for the best wildlife sightings and the best photography, often encouraging the group to shoot into the light much to our happiness. Accommodation was camping with bucket showers and proved to be no hardship at all, as the ground crew moved things on each day and produced amazing meals over the camp fire.

Photographic opportunities were wonderful with everyone quickly getting used to early starts - being out on the road as soon as possible makes a huge difference to the success of this kind of trip.The flagship species of the trip turned out to be leopard with more than ten seen over the week including two amazingly cute cubs with their mother - a great find by Grant who seemed to sense where they must be based on the location of an elephant carcass and a feel for where a mother would hide her cubs in the terrain.

While the leopard sightings were amazing even the hebivores had stories to tell - we were fortunate to witness "Elephants Without Borders" tagging a zebra who has subsequently gone on to become a scientific star, identifying a previously unknown migration route.

 A guide who understands light is truly priceless and a session with buffalo shooting contre jour into the setting sun was a lifetime highlight.

Finally we have to mention the sunsets along the Chobe river - dramatic lighting, elephants and water.

Will we go again? Just try and stop us !