Day Trip Safari at Chobe National Park in Botswana

My friends came to visit me while in Zambia, so of course we had to visit Victoria Falls.  Since this was their first time in Africa, I knew we had to find time to go on safari. One of the more popular safaris while in Livingstone is the Chobe National Park Day Trip Safari in Botswana. We only had a day to spare so it was the perfect option. Why Botswana? It's very easy to get to Botswana from Livingstone. Zambia shares borders with eight other countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, and Namibia. During the day trip safari, half of your day is spent on land and the second half is spent doing a river safari, which I think is really unique.

Boat to Botswana

The adventure company, Bushtracks, picked us up from our hotel and off we went. We drove for about an hour and a half to Zambia's border post, where our guide had our passports stamped to exit Zambia.  We then took a boat across the river and voila! We were in Botswana.  

We had to go through Botswana's border control to have our passports stamped for entry. After which, they made us stand in a container that had some solution to prevent the transmission of Foot and Mouth Disease. It was very strange, but we went along with it. As soon as we started driving, we ran into elephants along the side of the road! It was a sign of good things to come.

We continued on to Chobe, but first, we stopped along the road for tea and crumpets.  Now, we were ready for our adventure into the park. We saw several elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudus, antelope, buffaloes, and hippos.  It was all very exciting (minus the continuous fly swatting).  

After about an hour and a half in the park, we went to Chobe Safari Lodge for their buffet lunch. They had stir fry and salad stations in addition to your choice of meat, which included fish and impala. I couldn't eat the impala because I just saw them frolicking in the park!  Poor impalas. The lunch was nothing to write home about but it was decent enough to sustain us for the rest of the day.  After lunch, we headed down to the dock behind the lodge to commence with the river portion of our safari.

Immediately we found crocodiles, lots of hippos, more elephants, and buffaloes.  It was awesome watching animals in their natural habitats. Seriously, watching an elephant clean mud off its grass could entertain me for minutes on end.  We stayed on the river for about two hours and headed back to the lodge.  

While we didn't see any lions, rhinos or leopards (that area isn't known for rhinos or leopards, but I thought we may catch a lion!), overall it was a great day.  I highly recommend the Chobe Day Trip if you're looking for a variety of scenery and only have a day to make your safari dreams come true. Check out more safari pictures below! And if you're going on your first safari, read my safari-certified tips here. 

Photo Credit: East of the Mississippi

5 Things to Know Before Your Trip to Durban

I decided to visit Durban because I've spent plenty of time in Cape Town and Johannesburg and thought it was time for me to see another part of my favorite country. South Africa's third largest city, Durban is a seaside oasis that has a feeling all its own.   

About an hour flight from Johannesburg, I flew into Durban on a Friday and left on Monday. In my opinion, you only need about 3 days in the city.  I did a city tour, which went to Victoria Market, Moses Mahbida soccer stadium, Botanic Gardens, City Hall and a few other historical sites.  So, here's what I know and now sharing with you:

1. Outside of India, Durban is home to the largest Indian population.

People throw this fact around and I'm not exactly sure if it's true, but I would believe it if it is. South Africa is one of the most diverse places you'll go, but there was noticeably more Indians in Durban than in other parts of South Africa. That means there's traditional Indian cuisine everywhere! 

2. Its major mall, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, is the largest mall in the Southern Hemisphere.

This mall was huge! There's a variety of stores that we as Americans are used to and then there are lot of South African stores. There's no doubt you'll find what you're looking for when you come here. There are also several restaurants and bars to choose from.

3. You want to go out? Give Florida Road a try.

Florida Road is to Durban as Long Street is to Cape Town as Bourbon Street is to New Orleans. All of these places remind me of each other.  There are bars and restaurants to choose from to either chill or turn up. The choice is always yours.

4. It's close to the Kingdom of Lesotho. 

While in Durban, I took a day trip to neighboring country, Lesotho.  Lesotho is actually within South Africa (same as Swaziland) so it was easy to get to.  If you have the time, take a tour to Lesotho and cross another African country off your list. 

5. Sorry to say, it's not as flashy as Johannesburg or Cape Town.

While I enjoyed my weekend in Durban, if based on time and money, I had to choose it over Johannesburg or Cape Town, I wouldn't. You know we keep it real here at Will Drink For Travel, so I don't want any angry emails from Durbanites in my inbox.  It's a great city but I think South Africa's other flagship cities have a leg up on Durban.