Wednesday
On the morning of 6 November 2024 a group of 10 very happy people met at a departure gate at ORT. The excitement was palpable because the destination was Sekoma River Lodge on the Zambezi River, just more than an hour west of Livingstone.
I have been looking forward to this trip for months, because of the destination. And part of the itinerary was a day trip to Botswana and the Chobe National Park – something that has been on my bucket list for a very long time.
After a short flight we arrived in Livingstone. Clearing customs was quick and we were met with the staff from Sekoma Lodge. The drive to the river took about an hour. I was surprised at how dry that part of Zambia was.
Then we were on the boat and on our way to Sekoma Lodge. The boat was driven by Gift who would be our guide for the next few days.
We arrived at the Lodge in sweltering heat. The view from the deck was stunning.
As we were settling into our tents, the heavens opened. We were worried it would derail our afternoon river cruise, but the rain did not last long and soon we were on the boat for sundowners.
It was a gorgeous afternoon, and I could not believe where I was.
There were lots of Common Swifts, Lesser Striped Swallows and Martins in the sky above. We heard Warblers calling in the reeds and found 3 species – Common Reed Warbler, Lesser Swamp Warbler and a lifer for me in the form of a Greater Swamp Warbler.
We saw Common Waxbills and Cattle Egrets, African Openbills, Hamerkop and a Purple Heron. I added these and many others to the already impressive list from our ride to the lodge – Striated Heron, African Jacana, my first lifer in the form of a Rock Pratincole, Carmine Bee-eaters, Collared Pratincoles and the unexpected sighting of a Bathawk, to name a few.
I thought the rain would prevent us from seeing a sunset, but it did not.
The afternoon was absolutely perfect.
Gift switched d off the boat’s engine and we floated in silence for a few minutes. The air was filled with birdcalls and the occasional grunt of a hippo. We headed back to the lodge for a delicious supper. It had been a long and exciting day, so it was no surprise that everyone retired fairly early. I was eager to see what wonderful surprises the next day would hold.
Thursday
More rain fell during the night, but it stopped just in time for our early morning walk. We gathered just before 06h00 for a cup of coffee before our walk around the island.
We saw and heard lots of birds, but the overcast conditions did not make for great photo opportunities.
Our list included an Ashy Flycatcher, Purple-banded Sunbirds and a pair of Levailant’s Cuckoos. We also heard the Klaas’ Cuckoo calling in the distance.
We also saw a few interesting plant species – a Kombe Tailflower was also a new species for me.
We stopped next to the river on the western side of the river where we saw Holub’s Golden Weavers and Thick-billed Weavers. One of the group spotted something in the water – it was a pair of Cape Clawless otters.
As we turned towards the lodge, we found a few of my absolute favourite creatures on the planet. There were a few huge Baobab trees, and I just could not resist hugging one. These trees are so special, and my day is made every time I see one of these magical Fairytale Trees.
We also saw a Yellow-billed Kite and a Broad-billed Roller.
The walk had given everyone an appetite and we sat down for a delicious breakfast before heading out on the boat again. Lesser-striped Swallows and White-fronted Bee-eaters perched in the sun.
Just a little further we found another new bird – a Coppery-tailed Coucal. Not the best sighting for photos, but fortunately we would see a few more during the next few days.
The slow cruise on the river continued and so did the bird sightings.
I noticed that while we were watching the birds, we were also being watched.
Then time for another lifer – a Long-toed Lapwing.
There were birds everywhere. Banded Martins, White-backed Vultures, Yellow-billed Storks, African Marsh Harriers and Yellow-billed Kites entertained in the sky above.
In the reeds we saw Wagtails, Black Crakes, White-winged Widow Birds, Purple Herons and a Red-backed Shrike. We even spotted a Long-crested Eagle.
There were many White-winged Terns and an African Swamphen. A pair of African Skimmers was a real treat for me as I had only seen these birds once before at a distance.
Then we reached one of the best birding spots of the trip. There were so many birds, it was hard to know what to look at first.
A Grey Heron and Great Egret were peeking from the reeds. There was an African Openbill, White-faced Whistling Ducks and a Lesser Moorhen.
I love African Jacanas – their long toes are fascinating and this one looked pretty in the morning light.
A real treat was the fact that there were many, many African Pygmy Geese.
A very serious threat of demanding a refund meant that Lance had to deliver, and he did. Many directions were required, but eventually everyone saw the cutest of cute birds – a Lesser Jacana, another new bird for my list.
It is an adorable little bird, and definitely one of the highlights of the day.
I was a little sad when we left that wonderful birding spot, but I really enjoyed all the wonderful birds we had seen.
More White-winged Terns came swooping past.
A Spur-winged Goose had joined the birds on the sand bank where the African Skimmers were resting.
An African Openbill made a perfect Landing.
We saw Marabou Storks flying overhead. There were also Grey-rumped Swallows, Hooded Vultures, a Diederik Cuckoo, a Black-headed Heron and a Black-chested Snake Eagle. Cattle Egrets were everywhere and we saw another Purple Heron.
As we rounded the last bend in the river before the Lodge, a wonderful day suddenly became even more perfect. Elephants. My absolute favourite animal.
There were four big boys, but they were very relaxed. The one big boy (who I would later discover was called James) had covered himself in white river sand and this gave him a bit of a ghostly appearance.
Few things make me as happy as elephants, and this was another great moment.
As we approached the boat mooring spot, there were a Mourning Collared Dove and another White-fronted Bee-eater.
After lunch most of the group went to their tents to relax. The tent was just too hot and I decided to sit on the deck with a cold beverage.
I went for a small walk and managed to get some photos of the Rock Pratincoles.
I also saw a Tropical Boubou and a Weaver.
I heard a strange sound and looked up to see a Black-backed Puffback. But it was not the bird that was making the noise – it had caught a cicada that was not dead yet and was struggling in the Puffback’s claw. I felt rather sorry for the bug, and after a few minutes the Puffback grabbed it in its beak and put it out of its misery with a quick shake before flying off.
I saw the empty shell of another Cicada.
But it was just too hot, and I made my way back to the shade of the deck. The title of this blog post came from a sign at the start of the walkway as you leave the lodge. We all thought these were great words to live by.
While I was relaxing on the deck, I had some of the smallest and some of the biggest animals to entertain me. There were a few Dragonflies, and the Elephants were back and feeding on the opposite bank of the river.
Then a huge crocodile climbed onto the rocks to bask in the sun. Strangely enough, it just added to the peaceful feeling of the afternoon. But it made me realise again that no matter how tranquil the river seemed, you do not want to dip a toe into the water!
Later that afternoon we were back on the boat for another Sunset Cruise. Just as we left a Hamerkop flew past.
Then there was another new bird – a Swamp Boubou posed nicely on the reeds.
There were a few adult and immature Wire-tailed Swallows perched on a tree next to the river.
Every time we were on the river we would see the local fishermen on their mokoros. This was such a peaceful scene.
We saw another Coppery-tailed Coucal and a Purple Heron along the riverbank.
There was a small flock of Collared Pratincoles on a sand bank and a Rufous-belled Heron nearby.
I had a very brief sighting of a Chirping Cisticola in the morning, and we were lucky to see a few more.
The sunset was once again spectacular.
Even when we turned away from the sun the river still looked like a mirror.
When we arrived at the boat mooring spot, a large flock of Collared Pratincoles were hunting for insects above the water. It was a beautiful sight.
It was a perfect end to a perfect day. I don’t know about the rest of the group, but I was certainly very happy when I went to bed that night.
Friday
This was the day that I was really looking forward to. And it started spectacularly.
There was what seemed to be a light drizzle as we approached the border post to Botswana. The 135 meter long border between Zambia and Botswana is the shortest land boundary in the world, and a border I was extremely excited to cross.
The customs process was quick and efficient, and very soon we were on two Open Safari Vehicles and heading into Botswana.
As we drove into Botswana there was an almighty clap of thunder and the heavens opened. We all had ponchos, and they did a great job in keeping us mostly dry, but we could do nothing more than tuck our heads deep into the hoods and hunker down on the 20 minute drive to Chobe National Park. The rain cleared up a few minutes after arriving at the gate and with the admin done, we were on our way once more.
Birding started immediately with a Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Grey-headed Bushrike, Kurichane Thrush and Spotted Flycatcher. A little further we saw some Kudus and Impalas. The bird list increased with sightings of a Yellow-throated Bushsparrow, Southern Grey-headed Shrike and a Red-billed Spurfowl, another lifer.
And then we saw the Chobe River. I felt the goosebumps on my arms. I could not believe I was doing a game drive while looking at the Chobe River! There was a large herd of Buffalos feeding on an island.
Anther Buffalo did not have a happy ending.
There were birds everywhere – Marabou Storks and various Waders. Great Egrets, Tropical Boubous, White-browed Robin-chats, Red-billed Hornbills, Drongos, Oxpeckers, Jacanas, Swifts and Swallows, Yellow-billed Storks, Herons and a Fish Eagle. The list just went on and on. An African Spoonbill and White-crowned Lapwing were feeding in a little pan near the river while a Hippo was having a relaxing soak.
A herd of Elephants crossed the road and there were a few adorable Tinyfants in the herd.
I melted into a puddle of happiness – I was in a place that had been on my bucket list for a long time, and I was seeing my favourite animal on the planet. It was a Good Day for a Good Day!!!
We also saw this Black-backed Jackal snacking on something.
We left the river and drove into the Park to our breakfast stop. On the way Mike, our guide, said we would make a short stop to see some other mammals. We found them right next to the road in the shade.
There were a few lionesses and some cubs.
One lioness got up and moved to another tree, and soon what must have been her cubs followed.
The lioness who stayed behind was the larger of the two, and she was stunning.
While watching the lions there were also some White-backed Vultures overhead.
There was also a Greater Blue-eared Starling, another lifer.
We left the lions and drove to the spot for our breakfast stop not far away. A little Pearl-spotted Owlet dove down from the tree and caught what looked like a little snake.
After our breakfast we started making our way back to the entrance of the Park. We had to stop for another lifer – a Bradfield’s Hornbill made it quite difficult to get some photos!
Despite all the water in the river, the Park was depressingly dry, and there was evidence of this fact in some places.
There were lots more birds to add to the list as we drove to the gate – Paradise Flycatcher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, Long-billed Crombec, Bateleur, Green Wood Hoopoes, Red-crested Korhaan and a Brown Snake Eagle.
We were at the gate way too soon for my liking. Even though it was a really short visit, and despite the extremely dry conditions, the morning was everything I had hoped for, and more.
It was almost time for lunch, but before that we had to make a stop in Kasane to look for another special bird. Within moments of arriving at the spot, we saw what we were looking for – there were quite a few Collared Palm Thrushes around.
We went for a short walk. A Blue Waxbill was collecting building material.
At the camp site we saw Yellow-bellied Greenbulls and Yellow White-eyes feeding on the fruit of a tree.
There were quite a few White-browed Robin-chats at the Lodge, but I could only manage photos of them in Kasane.
We saw a Brown-throated Weaver before we got back to the vehicles and a Carmine Bee-eater on the way to lunch.
Before lunch we stopped for more birding – Black-winged Stilts, Red-billed Teals, more Marabou Storks, Sacred Ibises and Common Sandpipers were all present at the water hole.
Lunch was a great surprise.
The company that provided the guiding for the day set up a tent on the banks of the Chobe river where there was a beautifully set table and delicious food.
It was just a pity that we had very little time to really enjoy their hospitality.
Before we left the lunch spot we added a White-fronted Plover and a Kittlitz’s Plover to the trip list.
And then it was time for the other moment I had been waiting for – a boat trip on the Chobe River! When the boat reversed onto the river, I experienced a few intense emotions. It was a dream come true. 
We had Botswana on our left and Namibia on our right. I was incredibly happy.
There were more birds – Barn Swallows, African Openbill, Swifts, Bee-eaters, Thick-knees, White-crowned Lapwings and Long-toed Lapwings.
We saw Waterbuck a Red Letchwe and Buffalos.
And then the moment got even better – there were Elephants on the Chobe River!
As we turned, we saw more elephants. I was completely undone.
Again I thought – It was a Good Day for a Good day! And this day was GOOD!
While we were trying to ID a wader (I will never look at a Ruff again and not think of this day!), an African Jacana came really close.
Time was not waiting for anyone and we turned to go back. It started raining.
We headed back to the border in the dry comfort of a closed minibus. It had been an exceptional day. Every second was as good as I had expected it to be. I was truly glad I had come on this trip.
As we neared the lodge, a sharp-eyed member of the group spotted a bird in a tree. It was almost dark, and we could make out very little detail, but we could see enough to confirm it was a Western-banded Snake Eagle! It was a bird that was high on my wish list. We all hoped that we would see it again in the morning in better light.
Saturday
And just like that it was the morning of our last full day. And it was a beautiful morning – again.
We went on another early morning walk. We had been hearing the screech of a juvenile Pel’s Fishing Owl and we were still hoping to see it, but no luck. But we did add a Rattling Cisticola to the list.
We finally saw the Schalow’s Turaco. Not the best sighting, but it was a wonderful lifer.
The river looked absolutely stunning.
We also saw a few gorgeous orchids from the Genus Eulophia.
A Purple-banded Sunbird looked pretty in the morning light.
Just before the end of the walk we saw this adorable Millipede trying to look like a terrifying cobra.
After breakfast we went on the boat to the village for a walk. We saw the Western Banded Snake Eagle, but he was far away. It was still a better sighting than the day before.
A Common Tiger Tail Dragonfly posed on a reed.
When we arrived in the village, we saw quite a few Velvet Mites.
It was very hot. Birds included Lesser Kestrels, Trumpeter Hornbills, Grey-backed Camaroptera, another sighting of a Eurasian Golden Oriole, a Whalberg’s Eagle and Amethyst and Sunbirds.
We took the long way back to the lodge. We saw many Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.
We celebrated two birthdays during the trip, and the boat ride seemed as good a time as any to toast both ladies.
Just before the Lodge we saw the Western Banded Snake Eagle again.
Back at the lodge everyone relaxed before and after lunch. A Skink basked in the sun for a bit.
And then it was time for our last sunset boat cruise. We had another wonderful sighting of a Coppery-tailed Coucal and Chirping Cisticolas.
There was one last lifer to see – a Hartlaub’s Babbler. The photos were not great, but the sighting was wonderful.
Last sightings included Cattle Egrets and a Malachite Kingfisher.
Sunday
We went for a last morning walk before breakfast. I enjoyed seeing the Fairytale trees again.
Beautiful flowers were growing in the shade of larger plants. We saw a Collared Sunbird, Lesser Honeyguide, African Green Pigeons and an African Fish Eagle. While we were walking back, we stopped at a spot next to the river and saw the Half-collared Kingfisher in the distance.
And just before the end of the walk a raptor flew into a tree. It was a beautiful African Goshawk.
A colourful moth from the Owlet Moth Family enjoyed the morning sun.
We had another delicious breakfast, and then we headed to the boat and to the airport. And just like that the trip had come to an end.
I had some serious expectations of this trip, and every single one was exceeded.