Mokoro Ride Down the Santantadibe River
To get a real personal feel for the Okavango Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world, you should make sure to take a mokoro ride through one of the rivers or take to the skies in a helicopter.
The Mokoro, a traditional hollowed out canoe-like boat, is a popular way for visitors to experience the waterways of the Okavango Delta. Still used to transport people and goods around the Delta, the Mokoro, which was once hand carved out of tree trunks are now constructed using environmentally sustainable fiberglass.
Each Mokoro usually carries 1 to 2 passengers while the local boat-man stands in the rear using a pole or ngashi to push the mokoro forward. The locals are very skilled and most of them have been doing this their entire lives.
Seated comfortably in the mokoro our driver “Andrew” pushed us off of the shore and we glided through the shallow waters of the Delta. The swishing sounds of the mokoro passing through the thick reeds mixed with the chirping of the resident birds created such a peaceful ride. Sitting low in the mokoro you could reach out and touch the cattails and reeds rising high above your head, or dip your fingertips in the clean waters of the delta.
The only thing to keep you from reaching maximum relaxation is the possiblity of spotting a hippo or crocodile. The serene and relaxing journey lasted about an hour before we stopped at one of the islands for a brief bush walk and lunch break. We drove from our campsite near Maun to the Santantadibe River.
Helicopter Flight with Helicopter Horizons
The Okavango Delta is even more incredible seen from above where you can really appreciate the vast expanse of dense vegetation broken up by flat plains.
The snaking delta carved into the land explodes with herds of animals that otherwise might not be seen during a safari drive.
The helicopter ride lasted for 45 minutes and by the end we wished it had been longer. Departing from the Maun airport we flew low in the 5 seater helicopter, our eyes scanned the plains in search of animals–and did we ever find them!
So many animals! A herd of wildabeast kicking up dust as they ran in unison.
A Crash of Hippos splashing around in a watering hole.
A Zeal of Zebra grazing,
A Parade of Elephants wandering by the watering hole,
And a Tower of Giraffe’s munching on the trees.
Interested in a Helicopter flight during your safari in Botswana? Contact Helicopter Horizons for this incredible experience!
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