Travel Adviser : Okavango Delta – On the trail of a Sitatunga

Who to contact

Wilderness Safaris in Johannesburg on tel (011) 883-0747, fax (011) 883-0911 or e-mail info@sdn.wilderness.co.za.

When to go

Any time, and as often as possible. It is said that you will never really know the Okavango until you have seen it through all seasons and, even then, it changes dramatically from year to year. Generally, bird-watchers favour summer when migrants bring the tally of residents to more than 500 species. But summers can be very hot and thunderstorms occur on many afternoons. Winters are mild, and generally the best times for game viewing.

What to take

Binoculars, personal toiletries, cool cotton clothing (not white), a hat, sunscreen, lip ice and sunglasses. Wilderness Safaris supplies warm, waterproof ponchos for game drives and it’s a good idea to take a jacket, longs, scarf and gloves, as it does get chilly during the evenings.

Flights into the Delta are in a light aircraft and your belongings should fit into a soft bag and not exceed 12kg a person. Laundry services are provided and the camp is well stocked with bird and natural history books, so you can travel light.

Photography

Photographic opportunities are excellent and you will need at least a 200mm lens for shooting game and a 300mm for birds. The camp supplies bean bags to steady your camera on the game-drive vehicle. Always wait until the vehicle has stopped and the engine has been switched off before taking photographs. Film and batteries are not available at the camp and you will need plenty of both.

Special precautions

The anapholes female mosquito, which carries malaria, does occur here, so you should start a course of malaria prophylactic before your arrival. It’s best to speak to a doctor or pharmacist well before your visit about which medication is most suitable.

It’s best not to get bitten and you should cover up and spray your exposed areas (especially your ankles) before sunset and sunrise. Tsetse flies have painful bites and there is a possibility of getting sick from them, so it’s a good idea to keep your skin covered and sprayed during the day. Bottled water is available, but the water in the Delta is absolutely pure and most people are quite happy to drink straight from the taps or the channels.