The Ultimate Flying Safari: Okavango Delta - Savute/Linyanti - Livingstone

~ 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!

We had to land in Kasane for immigration formalities, before setting off to Livingstone, Zambia.

We flew over the upper Zambezi River, then flipped around Victoria Falls which sits in between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

There's no other way to view this Falls but from the air!!!

We're talking about 1,708 meters wide of thundering water --- 'Mosi-oa-Tunya or The Smoke that Thunders' indeed!!!

Whaleshark Interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon

~ Text, Photos & Videos by Aireen Navarro ~

Whaleshark interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon.....wow, it seemed scary and impossible at first. Swim with the giants of the ocean - literally the biggest fish and a shark at that!!! But, don't be fooled by its name, whalesharks or 'butandings' as known locally, are the gentlest marine species....that is, as long as you stay out / away from its powerful fins :)

The whalesharks in Donsol first gained popularity in 1997. In fact, I've heard about it in one of my classes. We have this 'Tourism Development' course which gave us an opportunity to do field research for 1-2 weeks (field research aka enjoying out-of-town trips with classmates!!!). Unfortunately, my group didn't go to Donsol. another group did BUT they didn't see the whalesharks!!! Well, they were there for just 1 weekend....

But still, that's a loooooong bus ride from Manila to Donsol and end up not seeing one whaleshark...we're talking about 10-12 hours or more (bus since as students, we can't afford to take the plane to Legazpi to shorten the road trip to 2 hours). What does it mean? It simply means that wild animals are always unpredictable and never a guarantee that you'd see them -- it's always a 'hit or miss' scenario....

After college, I've been longing to go to Donsol but it was only in April 2005 that I finally had the chance!!! We hired a van (equally split the bill) then set out from Manila on a Friday evening, after work. That's an 'all-nighter' drive!!! The driver was a bit slow so we ended up arriving at around lunchtime the next day. Well, at least we're still in one piece!!!

We headed to the Tourism Office, registered and took note of the rules and was introduced to our BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer). Once all formalities are over, we're all set to go!!! The water's clear but a bit murky, thanks to the zooplanktons and cloudy sky. We spotted several whalesharks!!! When it's spotted, better be prepared to jump off the banca/boat at ALL times. You just have to wait for your BIO to shout 'JUMP'!!! Here are very short videos I was able to take while trying to keep up.......

Whew!!! They're huge and FAST!!! You have to move swiftly or you'll lose them!!!

There are guidelines/rules that we also need to follow while interacting/swimming with the whalesharks -- the assigned BIO ensures that these are followed. If you're a slow swimmer, better let the BIO know about it -- if he's nice, he'd do all the 'swimming' part and just pulling you along :)

First round on a Saturday afternoon was AWESOME!!!!! We loved it so much we arranged for another interaction the next morning. FYI: The best time for whaleshark interactions are during early mornings -- calm and clearer as well and it's usually at these times that a lot of whalesharks 'feed' on planktons/krill -- so why not join the party??!!!

Our Saturday evening was spent hanging out on the beach, stargazing. It was low-tide so we walked around a bit and saw weird sea creatures......what do you think those are???

Early Sunday morning, we headed back to the Tourism Office where all boats/BIOs are stationed. We then set off and indeed, we saw LOTS of whalesharks. We couldn't keep up though......but it's really wonderful......

We even had a huge BONUS!!! Out in the distance, we saw hundreds of dolphins!!! Amazing!!!

We all got soooo excited and tried to follow/go as near as we can. Of course the dolphins were too far off, but that was just wonderful and a HUGE surprise. According to the local firshermen, there are no more dolphins in the area, dolphins had become wary of fishermen who used to hunt them......

Then, the excitement ended too soon :( I didn't want it to end but hey, one needs to find a balance and both good and bad times end.....It just so happened that good times ended. Getting off our boat, we saw lots of very colorful jellyfishes. The kids were playing with them......they're not afraid of its sting!!!!

We stayed for a while, taking photos before finally leaving Donsol....

What's a trip in the Bicol Region without a photo stop at the Cagsawa Ruins where the Mayon Volcano provides a panoramic backdrop? We took lots of photos off course and went shopping for souvenirs :)

That weekend was too short......hopefully I'd be able to go back and spend 3-4 days or more....maybe combine whaleshark interaction with a trip to neighboring Ticao Island for the manta rays?........we'll see.....

Note: Sorry folks, the videos are very short and amateurish....hehehe...I used a digital camera with very limited zoom, so go figure :)

25th Birthday Week Touring the UK!!!

~ Text & Photos by Aireen Navarro ~

My 25th birthday was very special :) I was lucky enough to celebrate it in 2 continents -- left Manila on November 1, 2003 and arrived London on the same date --- COOL!!!

Hey, one of the perks of being a Travel Consultant is free travel. Why do you think I took BS Tourism and worked in the Tourism industry??? I love the phrases 'ocular inspection,' 'look-see,' and 'educational trip.'

Yup, my first trip to Europe was an 'educational trip.' I was part of the Sales Team of the General Sales Agent of Globus & Cosmos Coach Tours here in Manila (under Baron Travel). All of us (Sales & Operations Members) were given the chance to travel to Europe. My turn came in 2003.

On that year, the itinerary was a week exploring the UK. Just a week? That's too short to explore a country. So, as expected - it's a compressed itinerary rushing from one tourist attraction to another destination highlight that propelled a certain area to global popularity. Coach tours are only recommended if you're on a budget and want to take advantage of 'group rate' and the type of traveller who doesn't really care about an area's culture/way of life. A traveller who just wants to tick off his/her list of 'must-visit/must-see' places of interest/tourist attraction, take a photo as proof then off to the next destination on the list. If you don't want to be rushed and adjust to your fellow travelers, this type of touring is not for you.

First off, London. Unfortunately, I got there in the evening and was too tired to explore this city. It's FREEZING as well, so I stayed put. The next day was a typical British weather - foggy/dreary/gloomy then it turns into a clear/sunny day -- experienced 4 seasons in a day. We explored England's highlights - travelled south to Stonehenge. Now this place is eerie - very mysterious as well. When you're there, you're actually humbled at how these huge edifice was put in place hundreds/thousands of years ago. Many researchers/scientists still have conflicting theories on how it got there....but I think they're getting there (monitor it through National Geographic or Discovery Channel)....

From Stonehenge, we're off to Salisbury, a quaint town where we had a lunch of 'fish & chips' before having just enough time to take photos and check out the Salisbury Anglican Church. From Salisbury, we're off to Bath -- have you heard of the 'Roman baths'? This is the place :)

We just walked around the area before heading to William Shakespeare's birthplace - Stratford-upon-Avon with a quick stop at Anne Hathaway's cottage. We just had enough time to walk around its little streets, grab some snacks before departing for Llangollen - where the international competition of musicians and poets are held. Then last leg of our journey for the day was Cardiff, Wales where we spent the night after managing to attend an early evening Roman Catholic mass. That was a loooong day!!!

Third day was another long coach travel from Cardiff, quick stop in Chester, then passing through Liverpool before having lunch at the Lake District in Lake Windermere, Grasmere. Now I like this area - very scenic and a lot of locals who love to go hiking/trekking/camping. We passed several campers in the area - tents on the banks of the lake. I couldn't resist buying a backpack - my souvenir!!! The fall colors were just awesome as well - very deep reds and yellows!!!

After the Lake District, we're off to a short stop at Gretna Green, goodbye England and welcome to Scotland!!! Are you familiar with Barbara Cartland? Come on, admit it - you've read one of her books - hehehe :) She's the lady who wrote a lot of 'romance' novels, mostly with heroines/heroes being members of the peerage. Yup, that's her. She always had her heroines/heroes elope and get married in Gretna Green!

We arrived Edinburgh early evening - with enough time to freshen up before having dinner. Geez - Scotland IS cold!!! There were a lot of people as usual - the Europe MTV Awards was scheduled in 2 days, so just imagine how crowded the city was. A stay in Edinburgh is not complete without a tour of the Edinburgh Castle.

I like walking along Princes St as well. People in Edinburgh (the Scots) are more charming/friendlier compared to those in London and other parts of England.


We had dinner that included a cultural show - ceremony of the Haggis. Wines were pouring, so everyone's happily tipsy / drunk :)

Another long day on the road followed. The usual photo stop at the border of Scotland and England - just one step away and you're in Scotland, another step back in England.....hehehe.

A visit to one of the ruins/parts of Hadrian's Wall can't be missed as well. It's just a quick photo stop though. Then we set off for York where we walked its streets/checked shops and spent the night.

Leaving York the next day, we headed to Cambridge. Walked around the campus and had lunch before finally heading back to London where I spent another night. A pity I missed out on the broadway musicals :( I wanted to watch Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables but tickets were sold out days in advance. Only Lion King was available but I wasn't too keen on wathing it -- I should have!!!

The next day - I'm off to my extended vacation this time not for free....hehehe...Hey, I was already in Europe and the countries of continental europe's waiting for me. So I shelled out for another tour (since I'm a budget traveler - I joined another Cosmos coach tour which left London for the continent via Dover-Calais route.....

Off to another adventure in other parts of Europe :)