Aug 27 – Chobe Game Lodge, Chobe National Park, Botswana

While here at the David Livingstone hotel we have watched some local drummers who welcomed new guests and saw off those guest that were leaving.  We very much enjoyed the musical treat.

We all (Tara, Paul and Mary) headed out late in the morning to catch our flight to our next country and camp.  We are off to Botswana.

Our small plane for our flight to our new camp. 

Our guide picked us up at the airport for the 35+ minute drive to the Chobe Game Lodge at the Chobe National Park.  The drive was very sandy and part of it followed along the Chobe River. 

The lodges is very different from the small camps we have been staying in.  Lovely large facility and we have a huge room and large deck…practically an apartment but without the kitchen.

We are located on the Chobe River that is a border between Botswana and Namibia.  Our afternoon safari was a boat ride on the river.  View of the lodge from the river.

And cruising the river.

We saw a lot of birds and various mammals, but the real star here is the elephant.  There were huge numbers of elephants. 

And we saw elephants swimming across the river.  Including the little ones with their trunks out of the water like snorkels.

They often move back and forth between Botswana and Namibia. 

Our guide said that estimates are that there are around 44,000 elephants in the area.  But they have no way of knowing how many are in each country because the elephants move freely. 

Sunset on the Chobe River.