Most Inspirational Moment
Impossible to pick just one. A few specific moments stand outWalking with lions on the activity day in ZambiaStanding in front of the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe sideElephants at sunset on the Chobe river cruiseSeeing a leopard on a fresh killWild camping in Moremi (with hippos in the pool behind the tents!) and in the salt pans (truly the most surreal camping location I have ever been to)
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sam is an excellent Group Leader. Nothing was too much trouble and he also took the time to take a group of us over into Zimbabwe on his day off, which I highly recommend doing at low water time as you see the falls much better than from the Zambia side. He is also an excellent cook, even complying with our requests for weird food like eggy bread.!Jame was our wildlife guide and driver and made a huge difference to the experience on this holiday with the quality and quantity of wildlife spotting. Even on the day when he'd driven all day with no break due to a problem with one of the vehicles he still insisted on taking us for a sunset drive so we didn't miss the hippo pools.Bruce and James made up the team and both worked tirelessly and cheerfully in the background to ensure that we got the full relaxing experience of "full service camping" which is after all why many people pick this trip!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Stick with the Exodus kit list and you can't go far wrong. We were there during the hot dry season but even so I was glad of a three sesaon sleeping bag on the salt pans. The zip-off style of trousers and the lightweight safari shirts are great and you have chances to rinse out clothes on most days so don't overpack! Take plenty of wet wipes and insect repellant. You do get the chance to shower most days and in some places (Audi camp for example) the facilities are excellent. I took walking boots and wished I hadn't as they weren't really necessary, trainers would have been fine. Sandals are a must. You may get the chance to swim while in the Delta so at the very least take shorts and a t-shirt that you can swim in when you pack your "smaller bag" for the Delta.You get the chance to buy souvenirs on the last day at a shop which is literally right outside the airport so no need to do it early and lug stuff around with you unless you see something really unusual. Take plenty of US Dollars for Zambia. No-one uses any other currency and if you have enough to pay for your trips in cash then you don't get the 5% credit card surcharge. ATMs out on the road in Botswana are a bit hit and miss so do take advantage of the ones in Maun before you leave! If you have a DSLR take a decent zoom lens if you can. Mine was 55-250 and I think 300 would have been better though I was quite pleased with some of the photos. Charging is no problem as the vehicle has an inverter and an adaptor box with half a dozen outlets. If you still have the two pin mains lead with the narrow plug shape that comes with most cameras these days then take it as it will fit directly into the adaptor box. Otherwise you need a round pin South African adaptor.Travelling in the vehicle in the early morning is cold - make sure you have a fleece top and long trousers. Some of the travelling from place to place was hot and dusty so buy sweets and drinks before you set out. Jelly babies don't survive several days of 40 degree heat though!