Aireen's World of Travels and Adventures: The Ultimate Flying Safari: Okavango Delta - Savute/Linyanti

~ Text & Photos by Aireen Navarro ~

African Safaris are the epitome of adventure!!! Safaris evoke images of vast open plains, pristine wilderness, a place where animals roam freely and have their own migratory patterns unhindered by any human interventions.

Exploring Africa, specifically the southern parts, are best done flying from one game area to another area, giving you spectacular aerial views of untouched savannas, deltas, open plains, dambos, miombos, deserts, sand dunes, lakes, water holes where hundres of elephants and hippos usually congregate, herds of wild animals roaming vast open permanent and seasonal floodplains, waterways, marshlands, grasslands, mopane woodlands, riverine areas.....the list goes on and on...... If you can, go for one flying safari at least once in your life --- it's simply awesome!!!!

I can confidently vouch for this! Instead of going on long drives (self-drives), go for flying safaris. Enjoy southern Africa from the air, then when you get to your safari camp - focus on gameviewing activities and learn more about wild animal movements/behaviors. I had the chance to do this last year (May 2008), thanks to my job :)

In a span of a few days, I was able to explore Botswana's Okavango Delta before moving up to the nothern parts of the country where the Linyanti and Savute Channel are, and finally ending it in Livingstone, Zambia.

We took off from Maun onboard a Cessna Caravan (13 seater aircraft). We're cruising low and sometimes got glimpses of big game roaming around.....like an elephant bull browsing....a herd of buffalos moving towards water/food source.....even a giraffe taking refuge under a tree when the sun's at its hottest during the day....hehehe....

We first flew into the southern Okavango Delta and landed at the Chitabe Concession which borders the Moremi Game Reserve. The two safari camps in this concession which comprises 28,000 hectares is owned by the Hamman couple (Dave & Helene) who co-produced the book 'Running Wild - Dispelling the Myths of the African Wild Dog.' It's right in between two river systems in the Okavango - Gomoti on its eastern side and Santantadibe on its west.

After a few hours on the ground, we flew to the north-western part of the Okavango Delta where the Jao Concession is located. Located directly the Delta's pandhandle, gameviewing is fantastic - just imagine having 60,000 hectares of private land with very few people on it (just safari camp guests and camp staff).

Then off to the Vumbura Concession where we stayed for three days. The most unique as it's located at the northernmost of the Okavango Delta, making it the remotest safari area comprising over 6o,000 hectares with just 3 safari camps. I LOVE this concession!!!

Then too soon, our stay ended and we moved on to the heart of the Okavango Delta, flying over Chief's Island (Moremi Game Reserve) where the gameviewing is legendary and the favorite destination of wildlife photographers. Many wildlife documentaries have been filmed here. Mombo and Little Mombo Camps proudly 'lorded' over the area when we landed/took off from its airstrip.

We finally left Okavango and flew all the way up north, flying over the Linyanti Concession (Linyanti Wildlife Reserve) where the Savute Channel snakes around & through it. It comprises 125,000 hectares and is bordered by the Linyanti River (east to west) and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia. It only has 3 safari camps -- very exclusive indeed!