| It's a very different Africa. Not one of dust and sand | | | | migratory elephants to the area. Lumbering their |
| and great fiery sunsets, but of the wettest desert | | | | great masses into the cool water, the elephants |
| on Earth. | | | | swim gracefully weightless among the forests of lily |
| In the middle of dry land a great river spills out onto | | | | pads. This impenetrable aquatic forest of pinks and |
| to the sands of the Kalahari Desert in the northern | | | | greens also hides schools of tiny silver fish. |
| corner of Botswana to create an extraordinary | | | | But the tranquility of the green waters belies an |
| watery jungle. Like an immense oasis surrounded by | | | | exciting and dangerous side of this idyllic place. Great |
| desert, the Okavango Delta is filled with mysterious | | | | Nile crocodiles take a refreshing dip from a day spent |
| waters, lush vegetation and entrancing wildlife. | | | | basking on the riverbank and glide across the surface |
| The Okavango, "The river that never reaches the | | | | to settle unnoticed among the vegetation. Meanwhile |
| sea," flows south from the uplands of Angola winding | | | | a group of visitors enjoys a tranquil ride in mokoros |
| it's way into Botswana, and then spreads out over | | | | (traditional dugout canoes) with a guide watching |
| the parched plain irrigating 6,000 square miles to | | | | intently for signs of hippos swimming unseen, whose |
| create the largest inland delta on Earth. The area that | | | | danger lies in their unpredictable nature and lack of |
| was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake | | | | fear of humans. |
| that dried up some 10,000 years ago, has once again | | | | By day, a cruise along the maze of narrow |
| been transformed into a labyrinth of channels, | | | | papyrus-lined waterways of the Okavango Delta |
| lagoons, swamps, and wooded islands that sustain a | | | | offers the chance to enjoy a prosperity of wildlife |
| remarkable concentration of life. | | | | including lions, hyenas and buffalo, an array of |
| Seasonal flooding of the delta during May and June | | | | different antelope and other smaller animals - |
| -winter in the southern hemisphere - brings fresh | | | | warthog, mongoose, spotted genets, monkeys, |
| water and a renewal of life to this vast swamp. | | | | bushbabies and tree squirrels. |
| Islands can disappear completely during the peak | | | | But nighttime on the delta is a full sensory |
| flood, and then reappear at the end of the season. | | | | experience. An incomprehensible number of stars and |
| These countless islands give birth to several diverse | | | | constellations will make you wish you knew more |
| ecosystems, which are home to vast numbers of | | | | about astronomy, while you are serenaded by the |
| birds and animals, while the crystal clear waters are | | | | sound of Hippos and Bell Frogs that mingle with the |
| filled with a veritable zoo of life. | | | | cacophony of other bleats, burps and hoots; some |
| A consistent source of water and food, amid the arid | | | | seemingly threatening, some just unusual and |
| landscape, the delta draws large numbers of | | | | unrecognizable, and some delightfully soothing. |