Botswana

Only a 2-hour-drive from Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park is just on the other side of the border in Botswana. Even though I had already done the whole safari thing I was happy to do it again, especially since it was a first for my friends. On top of that we got a super amazing deal in a luxury lodge right in the NP through my friends' aunty - I've never been to such a fancy place anywhere in Europe, I swear! Not only was it beautiful but the staff was so attentive and well-trained that they remembered every single guest's name AND the preferred type of wine they chose for dinner so that they can come to your table and fill up your glass without even asking!! This has definitely left an impression. The outdoor shower in the garden of our cabin gave an extra 10 points.

We spent the weekend in Chobe NP and did both a boat ride to spot wildlife on the riverfront as well as a normal game drive inside the park. We pretty much saw everything except for the lions but that was ok because I already saw them in Kenya. Also, this time I paid much more attention to the smaller animals like the birds and the insects (crazy dung beetles that could fly and were the sizes of sparrows!) which was totally fascinating. It's always strange how after a couple of hours in the NP you get this kind of safari fatigue when you go "Oh, another elephant..." and you hardly look anymore.

I had one cool experience in Victoria Falls though when suddenly a bunch of elephants were coming out of the bush and crossing the street a few hundred metres in front of me while I was taking a walk. It's completely different when you're not in a safari vehicle and you see the animals so close to town and it makes you remember that those are wild animals that can actually kill you. As the stupid tourist I am I was so fascinated that I just kept approaching until some locals called me back and warned me to not get too close and then pointed out a safer route to me. I hadn't even considered that the elephants could have simply trampled me without even blinking.... but apparently it happens fairly regularly.