Traditionally made by carving out the trunk of ebony or kigelia trees, the mokoro is the most popular mode of transport for navigating Botswana’s Okavango Delta. It’s no wonder that traversing these wonderful waterways in a dugout canoe, or modern fibreglass version, is such a trip highlight, but as Fay Whitelaw discovered, hippos still have right of way in the Delta…
“We had a wonderful, relaxing ride at sunset in a mokoro in the Okavango Delta. It was an amazing experience, lazing back while our guide poled us through the reeds. We even saw an elephant taking his arvo drink from the Delta after a hot day. It was great having a new perspective – looking back at this huge mammal from the water. We enjoyed a lovely evening and had plenty of pics to prove it. An experience that could have only been improved if we had a bottle of wine!
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When Dara Leonard swapped her group leader role for group traveller she was expecting to be wowed by the creatures of Africa, but it turned out that her fondest memories were not from seeing giraffes and gorillas, but from meeting the people…
“Mzungu is one of the first words I learned in Swahili! This means ‘white person’ and everywhere in eastern Africa I went I heard the word. After leading trips in South East Asia for the past year, I decided it was time to take my own holiday and visit eastern Africa for the first time and to do it on an Overland truck with Intrepid. It took me a few days to get out of ‘leader mode’ and back into the adventurer that I am, but once I did, I had no problem playing the role of traveller once again.
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Untouched by human civilisation until the early 19th century, the Galapagos Islands remain one of our planet’s greatest wildlife viewing destinations. If you are ready for an archipelago adventure with a difference, Intrepid’s Pamela Arcos explains why Active Galapagos is her top trip…
“This island-hopping trip explores the Galapagos by panga boats and you stay in hotels, which means you have more time to meet the locals. Your adventure begins on San Cristobal island with an exhilarating downhill bike ride to admire the fantastic views from the highlands. Each day you’ll enjoy amazing wildlife experiences and my favourite encounters include watching iguanas feed on underwater seaweed, seeing Galapagos penguins scurry about the islands and silently observing giant turtles guarding their nests on the beach. Leon Dormido is one of the best spots for snorkeling and here I’ve seen sharks swimming calmly close by – how incredible it was to feel a giant animal sharing his world with me!”
The ancient Greeks believed that dolphins were closely related to Gods and Goddesses, Australian Aborigines consider the dolphin a spiritual guide and protector and dolphins hold special significance for Maori people of New Zealand. So it’s no wonder Zoe Rees felt it was a real privilege to swim with these captivating creatures…
“As I floated in the deep blue water, I looked up, admiring the piercing sapphire sky and back drop of the dramatic mountains surrounding the harbour. It was spring, but still some snow remained on the highest peaks. I glanced down, trying without luck to see the ocean floor, shivering with a mixture of cold water chills and anticipation. Suddenly someone on the boat moored nearby let out an excited “behind you! behind you!”
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Seen one herd of elephant, think you’ve seem them all? Wrong! There’s no way you can ever tire of seeing these incredible creatures in the wild and getting up close to a bull elephant is still one of Sean Elliott’s most magical moments in Kenya…
“From the very first game drive we were just blown away by it all. And that excitement didn’t let up until our last day in Kenya, when we topped it off with an amazing experience. Throughout the Intrepid trip we were lucky enough to come in close contact with giraffes, zebras, lions, warthogs (like pumba from The Lion King!), hyenas, rhino and hippos, but it’s the elephants that I’ll always remember.
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When the ‘call of the wild’ comes to you, it’s good to keep in mind how you can view wildlife in an optimum way. A way that enables you to experience wildlife behaving naturally and that doesn’t stress the animals. Intrepid’s friends at the World Society for the Protection of Animals, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Born Free Foundation have helped us compile the following tips:
- Respect the ‘personal space’ of the wildlife in their habitat. If a visitor or vehicle causes an animal to alter its behaviour, then the visitor has invaded its space and influenced its normal behaviour. Observe nature as it occurs naturally and not as to how it responds to your presence there.
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Amazing wildlife, both on land and underwater, is the drawcard of the remote Galapagos Islands. It’s not an easy part of the world to reach and you need a good sense of adventure to explore the rugged terrain, but as Intrepid Express reader Michele Delaforce discovered, the Galapagos have a unique way of making it worth your while…
“Swimming with the sea lions at San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands was one of the most exciting and memorable times of my life. We had to walk for an hour to reach a cove that was quite difficult to get to, but the rewards were worth it!
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Tanzania is one of those in-your-face experiences that remains as a strong travel memory long after the adventure is officially over, so much so that Intrepid Express reader Debra Nooyen is already planning her next trip…
“Africa has always held a special fascination for me and finally I realised a dream come true. I booked an Intrepid trip and was certainly NOT disappointed. During the weeks of my wild and wonderful trip I had some great experiences, including meeting the most fantastic group of people – we are all now connected through Facebook.
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Intrepid’s Costa Rica Express is a top trip to discover the country’s abundant wildlife, intense volcanic landscapes and superb beaches in a short space of time. But the tip for this trip is what not to pack, as Intrepid’s Jeremy Bookman explains…
“On our first trip to Costa Rica last year, my wife and I thought buying fresh fruit sounded like the perfect refresher for strolling through one of the many beautiful National Parks. Ordinarily I think it would have been, until we came upon an old bridge guarded over by a white-faced capuchin monkey. My wife reached for the camera, but before we knew it he was on the attack and reaching for our bag! Commotion ensued and I grabbed a branch to defend our food. The monkey made for the trees and so it seemed the ordeal was over.
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