Day 122: Mahango Game Park
Around 4AM, Igor wakes up. We didn’t set our alarm until 7AM, so he is really pissed off. “Is someone watching TV?!?!” Yes, yes they are. Some inconsiderate “guest” checked into their room in early hours of the morning, and started blasting their TV. Lindsay can usually sleep through anything in the morning, so she gave Igor her earplugs and told him to go back to sleep. However, soon she started to realize that our new neighbors were not just watching TV. They were having sex. No, let me rephrase that – they were fucking. Loud, porno-style fucking.
After listening to the woman’s moans and screams for 20min, Lindsay finally got out of bed and found a second pair of earplugs.
Our second wake-up call, at sunrise. We did NOT sleep well.
When we came downstairs for breakfast at 7AM, we noticed only one other car parked outside our block of rooms – the noisy neighbor! He was already packing his car. When we walked by again after breakfast, housekeeping was already going into his room to clean up. Now, we’re not saying that his guy brought a hooker to this nice lodge in the middle of the night…but it seems like a very short stay for the average tourist…
Drinking a strong dose of coffee at breakfast
A handsome peacock, just roaming around the lodge
We had a short drive to our next stop – the Nunda River Lodge – also along the Okavango riverbank. When we saw our accommodations, we were super psyched: it was a canvas tent with a river-view! An outdoor bathroom was set-up next to the rear of the tent (walled in for privacy, but no screens!), and the tent had canopy beds with mosquito nets for our glamping comfort.
Our river-view safari tent!
We are in hippo territory now! Our host, Cameron, tells us to be careful when walking back to our room at night, and to ask us if we want an escort!
Since we had just done a sundowner river cruise at the previous lodge, our host Cameron suggested that we do a self-drive game drive at the nearby Mahango Game Park (which we would also be driving through the next day, as we cross into Botswana). While the main road through the park is a free public road to the Mohembo Border, there are two additional game trails that cost about USD $7 to visit. We registered at the park entrance, and headed off toward the river trail, in search of hippos, which we soon found in abundance!
Heading out for a short afternoon game drive in the Mahango Game Park
HIPPOS!!!!!
The Big Baobab Tree! While it is not dead (just dormant for the winter), it’s such a funcky, unique shape that Igor falls in love!
The Okavango River
Two camera-shy animals: trying to sneak up on a warthog along the riverbank, but just as we pulled out the camera, he got starteled and took off – scaring a poor impala in the process! The hippos were no better – we had our lenses pointed at the surface of the water for ages, waiting for this guy to pop his head up.
A herd of running elephants getting chased off by a lone hippo. Gotta admit, it was satisfying finally watching someone put these big bullies in their place!
A bit of birding: a Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill and a far off silhouette of a vulture
Our first Sable Antelope! They are proving to be a bit shy. Unlike the Kudu, who feel like posing for us today!
Since the park gates close at 6:30PM, we headed over to the second game trail to visit the waterhole around 4PM. The trail was a bit challenging: 4×4 only, with a really soft, sandy one-lane road! We were keeping a sharp eye out for leopards – checking all the tree-tops, searching for the “prince of shyness.” No luck – just a bunch of antelope and a few monkeys.
Two very photogenic Kudu getting groomed by some friendly Oxpeckers while enjoying a drink at the waterhole
More residences of the Mahango Waterhole: Vervet Monkeys and Zebra
On our drive out of the park, Igor’s eagle-eyes finally spot leopard evidence! An antelope skull high up in the tree is proof that a leopard was in the area, as they often drag their kill into the trees to protect their food from scavenging lions and hyenas.
We have another three-course African dinner at Nunda Lodge (we are gaining so much weight on this part of the trip…) paired with a delicious bottle of wine from the proprietor’s wine cellar (WANT!), before drifting off to sleep in our safari tent to the melodious sound of hippos grunting.
Sunset at Nunda River Lodge
Three-course dinner at the lodge
Toasting a great day with another fine bottle of South African Shiraz