Jodi

One of the most frightening experiences you can ever imagine is waking up to the sound of elephant footsteps right outside your tent. This was my wake up call on my first Botswana safari expedition.

During the autumn month of April, me and my close friend Michelle went on our usual yearly escapade. We were like two girls seeking a little adventure, camping in the heart of the Botswana wilderness. We were staying in bush camps in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve in the Okavango Delta. A place filled with promise of adventure, but I dont think elephants creating havoc in our campsite was something either of us expected.

Big bullies
It was a breezy cool early morning. The signs that winter were approaching was becoming clear. Michelle woke me up. Alarmed we sat in our safari tent listening to the sound of something approaching. It didnt take long before we realized that it was a small group of elephants moving in on our campsite. The small group turned out to be two young bulls travelling together, looking for an easy meal.

We unzipped our window as softly and as wide open as we dared, for it is a common fact that young bulls, like these two, can show quite aggressive behaviour. We sat there for what felt like an eternity watching them sniffing around, pushing over and shoving around the camp. I can tell you that luck was on our side that morning, because they never showed any real interest in our tents. A good thing that our safari tents are also situated on raised teak platforms, which also provided some kind of sense of security. I breathed a sigh of relief when the two continued on their merry way.

The Moremi Wildlife Reserve
As soon as our two uninvited guests were gone, everybody came out of their tents, adrenalin pumping; the atmosphere was filled with excitement. During our hearty breakfast our guides informed us that the occurrence was not unusual. We were after all in their territory now. This was just the beginning of five days filled with Africas wildlife set in what is most certainly nature at its most beautiful.

The reserve is set in the north-eastern corner of the Okavango Delta and has stunning varied scenery. I cant remember in any of my previous safaris ever seeing this amount of wildlife in such a short amount of time. As usual there was the big five: elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and hippos. But we also had the privilege of seeing the unique sitatunga antelope.

Game for a little drive
We had a game drive every morning and evening on the back of an open 4x4 Land Rover. On one of our night drives we struck gold! A pride of lions were hunting and their victim was a feisty zebra. Although most people see this as horrible and cruel, the fact remains that it is still amazing to see nature in action. It took two lionesses to pin the zebra to the ground for what seemed like seconds to happen. The power lions possess is exhilarating. With panache they won a most difficult battle. I did feel sadness for the zebra, but this is the circle of life, even though its so cruel.

I dont think Ill ever grow tired of being so up-close and personal with Africas wildlife. Ive been privileged enough to have gone on a couple of safaris, but this being my first safari in Botswana I couldnt really understand why I hadnt travelled there previously.

Heading back to camp
After our game drive we headed back to camp. The guides set up a campfire and Michelle and I soon joined the rest of tourists to around the fire. Discussions involved the days sight-seeing and mainly about the lions hunting tactics. I think some of the tourists would take a long time to get over the initial shock of seeing something like that, for most of them found the experience simply horrible. The only thing everybody could agree on was how beautiful Botswana and specifically the Moremi Wildlife Reserve were.

After dinner and a relaxing nightcap, everybody set off to their tents with our armed guards, to what would be our last night of our safari. I think this trip was more than what Michelle and I could have hoped for and definitely set our expectations higher for our next wildlife adventure.

Author Bio:
Whether you seek five star accommodations or a real wildlife camping experience, Giltedge offers a variety of holiday getaways including lavish safaris to Botswana.

# posted by bennett-xmovtkre : 1:42 PM  0 comments

What is more enjoyable than gathering the whole family and spending quality time for a few days outdoors at a campsite at State Park, Missouri for instance. There is no better way to have this kind of opportunity to get connected with Mother Nature to enjoy the scenery, flowers and wildlife.

It is understandable to get excited about your camping trip. However, it is important that you prepare everything beforehand as you may never know what nature has in store for us, be it good or bad.

That is why every camper should have a camping checklist with them before leaving for the great outdoor experience.

Below is the ultimate camper's checklist that has been categorized into the following categories:

1. Personals checklist - grooming and hygiene kit such as tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoo, towels, insect repellant, soap, deodorant, sun block, lip balm, comb, sunglasses, toilet paper and a trusty sewing kit.

2. Camping essentials checklist - driver's license, ID card, money, GPS or compass, map, pocket knife, binoculars, flashlights, battery packs, bulbs, lantern, water, canteen, rope, radio, camera, lots of films, clothesline, clothespin, foldable table, lounge chair and clock.

3. Camping tent checklist - tent, ground sheet, mallet, spare pegs, spare poles, spare ground sheet, peg extractor, fabsil (tent reproofer), shock cord repair kit and tent repair kit.

4. Camp fire checklist - matches, wood, shovel, axe, kindling, newspaper, extinguisher and campfire permit.

5. Sleeping system checklist - sleeping bags, camp beds, mattress or camper mat, pillows, air bed and pump, blankets and air bed repair kit.

6. First aid kit checklist - medicines for flu, fever, headaches, stomach ulcer and allergy. Band aids, antiseptics and antibiotic cream for wound. Tweezers to take out splinters. Pocket tissues are advisable.

7. Clothing checklist - a cozy pair of shirt and sweat pants, gloves, jackets, sweater, thermals, hiking boots, sneakers, sandals, socks of varying thickness, underwear, wellies, fleece, swimsuits, pajamas, tank tops, hats and bandannas. Not to mention waterproof jackets and trousers.

8. Kitchen utensils and gas appliances checklist - food container, insulator for frozen food, pots and pans, thermos, aluminium foil, fuel, stove, matches or lighter, disposable utensils, dish towels, bottle and can opener, knife, trash bags, zip lock bags, mugs, bowls, coffee pot, spatula, dish soap, table cloth and skewers for campfire barbequing or marshmallow toasting.

9. Children and baby supplies checklist - for babies, baby food, milk, diapers and baby wipes, pacifier, bottles, bibs, spoons, blankets, high chair, play pen, stroller, stuffed toys, tub and books. For toddlers, games for rainy days and for traveling, pencils, crayons, papers bucket and shovel, kites and frisbees.

10. Before leaving home checklist - lock all doors and windows, turn off all lights and appliances such as television and computer, hold all mail, water the garden, adjust the thermostat and make pet arrangements.

By no means that the above camp checklist is complete as there are a lot more that are not listed above. Be smart about what you consider necessary to bring and what items can you leave home without.

With these filled up, your camping trip would be a blast.

Juzaily Ramli and Tommy Lehmann are camping buddies and love to camp whenever they could find the time. Find out some of the things that you can't go camping without: Camping Supplies and Camping Gear.

# posted by bennett-xmovtkre : 11:33 AM  0 comments