Victoria Falls, Chobe NP, Moremi GR, Jao and Khwai Concessions

[Marks]

Simply awesome aerials.

[graceland]

Made my day looking at those aerials

 

Need to go again...just for that. Looking forward to more adventures.

[marg]

Thanks! We have never seen it like this....it is SO green!

[FlyTraveler]

Thank you @@Marks, @@graceland and @@marg! These are photos from the Maun - Xigera airstrip leg of the flight, there are two more legs to go: Xigera - Tubu Tree and Tubu Tree - Jao. The delta is absolutely amazing, both from the air and down on the water / land.

[Peter Connan]

The delta does have the ability to steal one's heart hey?

 

Lovely photos Fly!

[FlyTraveler]

Wilderness Air Maun - Xigera - Tubu Tree - Jao airstrips flight. May 30, 2014

 

 

After a short stop for picking up passengers at Xigera airstrip we took of for Tubu Tree. It seemed to me that the nicest aerial views that I have seen of the delta were between those two airstrips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chui71]

Very nice pics, I can't wait to see the rest......you have to work harder Till soon and thank you very much for sharing....

[FlyTraveler]

Wilderness Air Maun - Xigera - Tubu Tree - Jao airstrips flight. May 30, 2014

 

 

Thanks @@chui71! I guess I will have to work harder, just need to find the time

 

 

We started a descent towards Tubu Tree airstrip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landing at Tubu Tree airstrip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guides carrying luggage to the plane:

 

 

 

Lucky guests embarking the vehicle:

[TonyQ]

@@FlyTraveler

This really is a stunning landscape from the air

Great pictures!

[graceland]

Hey Fly, really looking forward to Tuba Tree! Got to love that Delta flyover!

[FlyTraveler]

Thanks @@TonyQ, the landscape is gorgeous, indeed. This is why I keep posting somewhat similar images, they are all nice

Hi @@graceland, we just stopped at Tubu Tree airstrip, did not stay at this camp, got off the plane on the next stop - Jao concession and from there had a motorboat transfer to the camp where we stayed - Pelo Camp, operated by Wilderness Safaris (it is a new one, opened last year).

[graceland]

Thanks @@TonyQ, the landscape is gorgeous, indeed. This is why I keep posting somewhat similar images, they are all nice

 

Hi @@graceland, we just stopped at Tubu Tree airstrip, did not stay at this camp, got off the plane on the next stop - Jao concession and from there had a motorboat transfer to the camp where we stayed - Pelo Camp, operated by Wilderness Safaris (it is a new one, opened last year).

Oh good Fly, a new camp to hear about! My list just gets longer and longer. Of all the places I'd want to return as of NOW....the beauty of Botswana. I found it captivating. And I did love the beginning of Green Season that made it so.

Looking forward!

[FlyTraveler]

Wilderness Air Maun - Xigera - Tubu Tree - Jao airstrips flight. May 30, 2014

 

 

The last leg of the flight (for us), between the airstrips of Tubu Tree and Jao camps offered more spectacular aerial views of the delta:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landing at the airstrip of Jao Camp:

 

 

 

Wilderness Air Cessna Grand Caravan at the airstrip of Jao Camp:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyTraveler]

Motorboat transfer from Jao airstrip to Pelo Camp (operated by Wilderness Safaris). May 30, 2014

 

 

We were met at the Jao airstrip by our guide John and after a short ride to the boat station we embarked a motorboat for the transfer to Pelo Camp. John turned out to be a great guide, very knowledgeable about wildlife and excellent in operating a motorboat in the shallows of the delta, which is more difficult task than it seems at a first glance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John told us that due to the high water level in the beginning of June it wasn't very likely that we would see any mammals other than hippos and perhaps elephants (if we were lucky). I was quite disappointed to hear this, but this was the period that we have chosen ourselves. We were about to stay at a "dry" camp after this one and I hoped that we could make up there for the lack of mammals here. Perhaps I should have selected just three days at a "mixed" camp (Kwara) instead of two days at "wet" and three days at a "dry" camp. In any case the beauty of the delta and the experience at the camp itself plus the lower price tag, compared to the other camps around justified the choice of Pelo Camp.

[FlyTraveler]

Pelo Camp (operated by Wilderness Safaris). May 30, 2014

 

 

 

Pelo means heart in the local language and the camp is located on a small heart-shaped island, indeed. There are only 5 tents, far away from each other, so there isn't any noise from the neighbors. While we were there (for 2 nights) there was only one more couple except us. We took the two dinners at two different places, the second one at the bar area with a spectacular sunset view of the delta.

 

 

Arriving at Pelo Camp, tents are difficult to spot amongst vegetation:

 

 

 

Tent interior (I will post more photos of common areas when I get to them). Toilet and sink inside the tent, bucket shower outside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

@@FlyTraveler - is Pelo in the same concession as Jao/Tubu Tree etc etc.,?

[FlyTraveler]

@@FlyTraveler - is Pelo in the same concession as Jao/Tubu Tree etc etc.,?

 

Yes, Pelo is in the same concession as Jao Camp, we flew to the Jao airstrip and then had a boat transfer to Pelo (about 35 minutes). On the way back we went earlier to the airstrip and had a two and a half hours game drive around.

[FlyTraveler]

Afternoon motorboat safari out of Pelo Camp (Jao Concession). May 30, 2014

 

 

 

After a short rest in the camp (we were asked if we wanted lunch, but we were not hungry, got some snacks only) we embarked the motorboat again for an afternoon trip in the delta. We shared the boat with the only other guests at the camp - a lovely couple from Australia. As I mentioned before, the guide John was absolutely fabulous and the Australian camp-mate was very knowledgeable about birds, so we had a ball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

African fish eagle sequence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Oh! those are perfect FE in flight shots!

[Marks]

It sounds like the beauty of the area and the intimacy of Pelo Camp made up for the potential lack of large mammals. Great job with the fish eagle!

[FlyTraveler]

It sounds like the beauty of the area and the intimacy of Pelo Camp made up for the potential lack of large mammals. Great job with the fish eagle!

 

 

 

This seems to be the convenient way for me to think about it :)

Edited August 11, 2014 by FlyTraveler

[FlyTraveler]

Afternoon motorboat safari out of Pelo Camp (Jao Concession). May 30, 2014

 

 

I will need some help with the ID of this bird, as well. It looks to me like Black-headed heron... Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

African white-backed duck:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More landscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnR]

Your bird has a white streak on the head suggesting a male African darter to me.

[FlyTraveler]

Your bird has a white streak on the head suggesting a male African darter to me.

 

 

Thanks @@JohnR, that must be it. My wife told me that she remembered the guide saying something about a snakebird and this is how the African darter is also called (just read this on Wikipedia).

[FlyTraveler]

Afternoon motorboat safari out of Pelo Camp (Jao Concession). May 30, 2014

 

 

The only large mammal we saw for two days was this hippo (we would hear hippos grazing at night around the tent, but did not see them):

 

 

 

On the other hand there was no shortage of African fish eagles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset in the delta: