{"id":910,"date":"2019-06-19T23:16:26","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T13:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fourwornsoles.com\/?p=910"},"modified":"2024-03-02T00:44:11","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T14:44:11","slug":"chobe-national-park-botswana-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fourwornsoles.com\/chobe-national-park-botswana-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Chobe National Park – Botswana Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We wake up in Victoria Falls and it’s New Years eve \ud83d\ude0a so I turn the speaker on and play Africa by Toto. The moment it starts to play, the rain starts to pour! Ha ha #blessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get our briefing on how to put up and down our tents, then we pack everything up and load it on the truck. Time to start our truck safari! First destination – Chobe National Park!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ATC<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We crossed the border from Zimbabwe to Botswana. At the border crossing we had to take all our shoes and dip the soles into this muddy water. Apparently the muddy water had some chemicals in it to prevent the spreading of foot and mouth disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None the less we were on the road again to our next camp site. Everyone was in good spirits as it was NYE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once we arrive at the gate, we drove out into the Chobe national park..<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This is it! This is what we came to Africa for. I was super excited to see all the animals. It was the best way to end 2018. Within two minutes of driving we saw a leopard tortoise charging towards our car ha ha ha. Then a hawk on top of a dead tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Hawk<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So many impala everywhere. You can tell the impalas by the M<\/em> shape on their butt. It’s like the fast food symbol for lions \ud83d\ude0a
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At 4 pm Botswana time, it was our Brisbane New Years! So we had our own count down in the back of the Ute. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was such an amazing view of the open plains. Hippos in the water, birds in the air, impala grazing. It was just as I pictured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chobe<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Hippos<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was super hyped to see my favourite animal.. the mighty elephant!! But as we drove around all I saw was the remains of dead elephants. I counted about 10 elephant skulls as we drove around \ud83d\ude10 We turned a corner and headed back to the plains and the moment we got to the plains BOOM. There he was. The King of Africa! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lion<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Having a nap with a full belly about five meters from us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I always pictured you couldn’t get close to any of these animals in the wild. But as long as you don’t put any limbs out of the vehicle or make loud noises, the animals just see the vehicle as one big object and it doesn’t bother them. It was amazing to be so close to them. Just behind the lion was the pride and some cubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pack<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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At our bathroom stop this huge baboon runs out of the bushes and climbs the tree right in front of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We load back into the Ute and about five minutes later we turn a corner right into a herd of ELEPHANTS!! <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Elephants<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is it! I have always wanted to see an African elephant in the wild. There was a baby elephant right in the middle of the road, it was so rad to see! There was this black elephant scratching himself on a rock and others eating in the bushes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We drive a bit further and all of a sudden we hear the loud trumpet of a mother elephant as she runs out of the bushes and charges towards our car.
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\"Elephant<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\nHoly shit this was an intense moment. I have watched a lot of YouTube videos of the elephants rolling over the vehicles so I was hoping this wouldn’t happen. She stood right in front of the car staring us down. Everyone was dead silent.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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She waited for her baby to cross the road then she slowly moved away. Always keeping an eye on us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was so rad. I got the full elephant experience I always wanted. They are so big in real life. When they charge at your car, life slows down for that brief moment. What a way to start the new year! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this quick video from the encounter \ud83d\ude42 <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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