Days 7 – 9
For the final leg of my trip, I helicopter over the Delta to meet up with John Barclay and James Stenner and venture into the Moremi Game Reserve to begin our mobile safari. Over a dinner of chicken Kiev at the Barclay and Stenner camp the night before, the duo assuage any nerves I have by reassuring me that all dangerous bush animals see the mosquito netting as solid as a brick wall. In contrast to our upcoming night in the wilderness, our home for the rest of the day comes with a covered lounging area stocked with afternoon tea handmade by a Maun local, shady spots for yoga or reading, and private octagonal sleeping tents with king size beds, fans, electricity, and full ensuite bathrooms with pull showers. True luxury after driving four hours into the game reserve.
It’s all part of a move to open up reserves like this to more travelers. Most traditional safari camps only have access to certain boundaries for wildlife viewing, making them more congested and at liberty to migratory patterns. The perk of a mobile safari is that operators like Barclay and Stenner can set up camp nearer to where animals are spending their time on any given week—and leave without a trace.
That night, as I crawl into my mosquito-net tent and reach to extinguish my lantern, I feel almost one with the natural world. I drift off to sleep peacefully listening to the occasional groans, grunts, and thundering roars of hippos and the neverending screeching of insects. My last thought, not of the danger outside, but of wanting to stay in this moment forever.
For more information on how Leora Rothschild and her team can help you plan your own safari, head to rothschildsafaris.com.
