An Africa odyssey

[JohnM]

How many of those elephants were on the Namibian side of the river. When we went it was zero. We stayed in a Chobe. Lodge so as well as a river cruise we did a land drive up the river and ran into a Botswanan anti poaching unit. Whilst we were with them a fellow in a canoe came from the Namibian side. One of the unit went out in the open and aimed his rifle.. The fellow hastily turned around and went back.
I said do you ever shoot someone and he replied if there are more than one then only one goes back alive to tell all the others.

Elephants were on both sides. I couldn't say what proportion was on either side and we never saw any rangers, but we were on the water all the time.

When I was there in 2014, elephants were crossing the river; in that instance going from the Namibia side to the Botswana side, but one presumes the flow was both ways.

 

[JohnM]

Early game ride next morning.



Helmeted guinea fowl and pied kingfisher.



Juvenile black-crowned night heron and white-backed night heron.

 

[JohnM]

Grey heron, African jacana, African fish eagle, magpie shrike, Nile monitor, saddle-billed stork, cough sapiens.

 

[JohnM]

Goliath heron. The world’s largest heron.



The larger houseboat. I think the small ones would offer a better experience.



And anther sunset and full moon rise to end the second day on the Chobe River.

 

[JohnM]

Road transfer to the Zambezi River upstream of Victoria Falls, then a boat transfer further upriver to Old Drift Lodge.



The Big Tree outside Victoria Falls.



I guess this will do.



Mongoose on the boardwalk to our room.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Road transfer to the Zambezi River upstream of Victoria Falls, then a boat transfer further upriver to Old Drift Lodge.

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The Big Tree outside Victoria Falls.

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I guess this will do.

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Mongoose on the boardwalk to our room.

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Looks nice

 

[JohnM]

Game ‘drive’ on the Zambezi River in the afternoon.



Our tent.

 

[JohnM]

White-fronted bee-eater.



Obligatory Zambezi sundowner, then return to the lodge for dinner under a full moon.

 

[JohnM]

Sunrise from bed the next day.

An early start for a transfer to Zambia to go to Devil’s Pool. Breakfast would follow that.

Google Maps misplaces Devil’s Pool. It is on the lip of Victoria Falls and is opened once Zambezi River flow subsides sufficiently. Usually, the season is mid-August to late December. The drop of Victoria Falls is about 105m at Devil’s Pool.

In 2026, it opened on 22 August, a little later than usual because of high water levels. We were there on 29 August – which of course meant the water flow was still high compared with what it would become as the dry season advanced.



The briefing area for Devil’s Pool excursions and the jetty where the boat ride to Livingstone Island, near where Devil’s Pool is located, departs.

 

[JohnM]

We were the second group of the day. The first group was returning as we made our way out to the edge of Livingstone Island.



The pool is out there.

At this point, we surrendered phones to one of the crew who took them in a dry bag to near the edge and photographed and videoed the people going in, singly and in couples. Unfortunately, because PJM must wear glasses all the time, she felt it prudent to opt out of the plunge.

Then the slippery walk out to Devil’s Pool.




This is it.



From PJM’s vantage point on Livingstone Island.

 

[JohnM]

Survived!