Contiki Cape to Delta: The Okavango Delta
- Mike McHugh
- Jul 5, 2025
- 6 min read
We hit the road at 7:00 AM towards the Okavango Delta, something that was a must-do when I started researching the trip. Everywhere said that Kruger is the most well known, but the Okavango Delta is actually where a lot of the nature documentaries film. Before we made it to Okavango, though, we dropped our bags off at the hotel we would be staying in for the final night of our trip. Similar to what we did for Chobe National Park, we took smaller bags with us to our campsite in the Okavango Delta where we would be sleeping for the next two days before our tour wrapped up in a hotel for the final night.
At about 12:30 PM, we met our safari guide, Neil, for the next 3 days - he reminded us a lot of Crocodile Dundee in the best ways possible. Our entire group now fit in one safari vehicle since over half of our old group left after Chobe National Park, so we all squeezed in and hit the road. It was another long drive, about the first half hour was on a paved road and then we drove on a dirt road for about another two hours. Along the dirt road, we made a few pit stops and saw some animals.
The "real" Okavango Delta that everyone talks about showed itself as soon as we turned off of the dirt road and had about an hour or two of daylight left. We almost immediately saw a watering hole with a bunch of animals, primarily elephants, huddled around it and hippos in the water. It seemed like there were elephants each way you turned.
We continued to drive and had an incredible (and somewhat unnerving) experience when an elephant felt that our vehicle was too close and its defense mechanisms triggered and it trumpeted at us.
We continued on and the scenery alone was awe inspiring, we ultimately stopped to watch the sunset over a small pond with one tree on the other side which made for a great photo.
We made it to our camp shortly thereafter, which was the most remote one we stayed at, dropped our belongings off in our tents and made our way to the dinner table where we had what I think was the best meal of the entire trip. After we finished, we sat around a campfire before we walked to an area that wasn't blocked by the trees to do a bit of star gazing where Jesse helped point out some of the constellations.
As we slept in our tents, you could definitely hear some of the animals wandering around including the grunts of lions and calls of hyenas, We had heard them in Chobe National Park, but they were more prevalent this time. The following morning was another pre-dawn wake up, so we could be on the road for sunrise as the animals started their days.
It was a relatively slow morning in terms of wildlife viewing until we got intel that there was another wild dog sighting, so we went to check them out. A pack of dogs was hanging out and sunbathing on the road with no cares in the world.
After the dogs headed into the brush, it was time for us to go to meet our mokoro guides. A mokoro is a traditional Botswanan boat that is hand carved out of a tree trunk, but is now made out of fiberglass. It is propelled by someone called a "poler" at the back of the boat who has a stick he pushes against the ground to move us around. There were two people to a mokoro plus the poler. After we were all settled, we started to glide over the reeds and the shallow water to see the Okavango Delta from another perspective. It was a very unique experience.
After we wrapped up our 45 minute ride, it was time to head back to our camp for a bit of lunch and relaxation for about three hours. At around 3:00 PM, we headed back out and voted to go to where our guide thought the den was for the wild dogs, who just had a litter of pups. When we got there, it became evident that they were going on a hunt and we followed along to the best of our ability. They were in a pack and had identified an impala as their target. We followed them around for over an hour and were within 100 yards of the impala when it was surrounded by the wild dogs, but for whatever reason they let it get away.
While we didn't see a kill, we were able to dart all over the place with our safari vehicle to follow the hunt. It was quite exhilarating and made me appreciate how talented our safari guide was.
As the sun was setting, we parked in the middle of an open area to watch the sunset. Our group even figured out a way to get me on top of the safari vehicle for a group photo.
Once the sun set, we started our drive back in the pitch black. Our safari guide turned the headlights and engine off at various points and told us to be very quiet so we could take in the moment and hear elephant walking past.
That evening was our final night camping on the trip and it was a quite bittersweet. While our camping nights were quite cold, it was great to just be outside and listen to the quiet - a huge contrast from when I sleep in New York City.
We woke up the next morning, packed all of our stuff away and got in the safari vehicle for a morning game drive before heading to our accommodation in Maun. We decided that we wanted to try to see the wild dog pups on our way out and we were not disappointed. We found the den and parked outside it for about 15 minutes before the parents came and led at least 10 pups out of it. The parents were super protective and always vigilant, making sure that it was safe before they even let the pups out and then roaming around while the pups played
Mission accomplished, we started our 4 hour drive back to civilization with a few stops along the way. We made it back to the hotel, which was very nice - each room was its own stand alone hut, dropped our bags in the room & then met in the lobby for another helicopter tour over the Okavango Delta. This helicopter took a few seconds to get used to because there were no doors, it was fully open and all that was keeping you in was your seat belt. It was a bit unnerving for about a minute and then, like anything, you get used to it.
The ride was incredible. I decided to just enjoy it for the most part, snapping a few pictures here and there. The scenery was breathtaking and seeing the herds of animals from above was a completely different vantage point.
When we finished up our ride, we were driven back to our hotel where we all took a much needed shower and met back up for our final group activity - a visit to the Okavango Brewing Company. The company uses the money it makes to support efforts for locals to co-exist with animals by helping to map "elephant highways" so houses aren't built there and also help with ways to safeguard personal property. After dinner, it was time to go back to our hotel where we relaxed in the bar before going to bed.
I woke up the next morning for my voyage home, flying from Maun to Cape Town to Atlanta to New York. It was a whirlwind of a flight after a whirlwind of a trip, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
The past two weeks traveling across Southern Africa were truly a trip of a lifetime. I am fortunate enough to be able to go on multiple trips of a lifetime and that will never be lost on me. I am so thankful to have the means and opportunity to travel the world, see amazing sights, take in the breathtaking scenery, study beautiful wildlife and, most importantly, meet new people.
I am already looking forward to reuniting with some of my Contiki tripmates in India in February 2026. I know that will be another "trip of a lifetime".
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