Stories: ALL | ADVICE | EXPEDITIONS | DESTINATIONS | NEWS | PROJECTS
Claire
Impenetrable Wetland Worlds and Rare Secretive Birds in the Okavango Panhandle
Pel's and Papyrus on the Okavango Panhandle
Okavango Links:
Okavango Delta: Wildlife, Wetland, and Perfect Wilderness | Pel's and Papyrus on the Okavango Panhandle | Moremi Game Reserve | Khwai Community Concession | What To Pack For a Safari To The Okavango Delta | Okavango Delta Quick Travel Tips
There are plenty of points of contrast between the Okavango Delta in the far north-west and the famed camps and areas of the north-east. The Okavango Panhandle is the 70-kilometre stretch of river before the Delta fans out into a web of islands, channels, and lagoons.
If you travel along the panhandle on the west, you will work a little harder for wildlife sightings, but the beauty of this natural wonder is constant. As we were to learn, there were many experiences to be had here that have added to the jigsaw puzzle view I have in my mind of the incredible Okavango Delta.
We’ve travelled up the west of the Delta panhandle on a few occasions. The village of Etsa 13 was the entry point of our multi-day self-poled mokoro adventure. It was also the area from which Steve, our founder, started his Okavango mokoro expedition along the length of the Delta. We’ve also camped there on our way to and from Caprivi in Namibia – following the course of the Okavango River as it become the Kavango through Mahangu Game Park.
The promise of Tsodilo Hills in this region attracts anyone looking to connect with our collective ancient heart. The San bushmen are famed Kalahari nomads, but the river bushmen hold their own roaming mystique – legendary fishermen and navigators on beautiful but often treacherous waterways. →
Upright Adventures
A mokoro trip is the quintessential way to explore the Delta. We have been lucky enough to pole our own mekoros - starting in the Okavango Panhandle. These kinds of experiential adventures are what life is all about.
After travelling a very potholed road, I watched every overlander sink into the serenity of the scenery at these camps. Whether sitting in the shade of one of the monstrous riparian trees or bobbing a line in the water in this popular fishing spot, there is tranquillity to be had here aplenty.
From our boat, we sailed upriver between walls of thick papyrus, stopping for birds with metronomic regularity. We kept half an eye on the reeds for sitatunga and watched the changing light send slow coded messages in colour on the water, on the papyrus blooms.
On our return to camp one evening, we followed the certain, straight course of the river in a place more known for its complex network of hairline channels. As if in a tunnel, we followed hundreds of swallows as they flew just above the surface of the water – dipping out of the sky like ink blots. →
Delta Impressions
If Manet's waterlilies were offered as a symbol of peace following the armistice, this is echoed in the tranquil scenes on another continent, in another age.
With papyrus cast in gold as far as the eye could see, we settled in at the bar to watch the bee-eaters with a frosty gin and tonic. We chatted with the other intrepid guests (nobody lands at these points without bursting journals of tales) until we noticed the horizon had disappeared into haze. A storm was blowing towards us in storeys-high swirls of yellow dust.
We rushed back to our lightweight tents, which were made for gentler conditions than those that were approaching. We held on to the guy ropes until the billowing canvas won the arm wrestle. There was only one thing to do: go inside. The wind howled, darkness arrived, and the fury of the storm cracked and flared and rocked our tents and everything around us. We ate dinner and had a glass of wine and waited for the tantrum to pass. We eventually retreated to the car in a quest for stillness – watching the palms bend and rattle until moonlight signalled calm. →
The sensation of gliding, fighting papyrus labyrinths, watching horizonal stems of lily pads in bronze and golden suspension beneath the water.
Pel's and Pals
From exploring on water to walking in wonder, the search for Pel's was on! In almost unbelievable silence, we scanned the branches for this amazing bird. The stars would have to align spectacularly for us to spot the notoriously shy owl, but patience is what great birdwatching is all about.
My very first introduction to the Delta had been from this area on our mokoro trip. I was a very wobbly poler and returned with legs blackened by bruises from falling, but it’s still one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The sensation of gliding, fighting papyrus labyrinths, watching horizonal stems of lily pads in bronze and golden suspension beneath the water. The vulnerability and exhilaration of hearing elephants approaching through the papyrus. The amazement of the Bayeyi navigational skills and exploring islands cut off from the rest of the world.
We met up with Galle, who had guided us on this original trip, and went exploring on our motorised boat. We edged past pods of hippos and ran the gauntlet of papyrus extending to the sky as if in praise. We passed elephants walking at shoulder height on high banks and eventually pulled up on to an island alongside a skulking heron and the carcasses of huge barbel. →
Shop Sun Protection Clothing & Accessories >
A-Mazing
To look out over the Delta from above is to appreciate the mystery of the papyrus maze that makes up its waterways and channels.
“Pel’s! There! Two of them!” Galle rattled with excitement. The difficulty of seeing these rare birds had shelved them in a dusty corner of mythical maybe-one-days in my mind. I was jolted awake, the three of us with our eyes up in the jackalberries. We followed them as they flew, watched them through our binos, and eventually lost them into the wild, watery beyond. What just happened?
We followed the call of the honeyguide and quietly moved out of the eyeline of an elephant bull as he browsed and dust bathed and eventually walked into the papyrus with a crackle. On the boat ride back, gorgeous African skimmers flew above us and alongside us, scooping water as if trying to maintain connection.
Across the channels and lagoons on the panhandle, papyrus whispers of infinity and Livingstone’s ‘country of rivers’ as the channel breaks apart into a web of canals. Whether you’re exploring on the water, celebrating serenity, or learning more about the area’s early inhabitants, Okavango waters are conjurers of words. Like flowing ink, these are the silent stories of a well-travelled river, the Bayeyi who have lived here, the wildlife that are sustained by its waters, and the people who have been drawn here to explore. →
Shop Essential Warm Layers For Safari >
Lagoon Life
For anyone who loves boating or fishing, the Panhandle is a wonderful place to take in the waterways.
Pack the best safari clothing and accessories for comfort, protection, and safari style. Dry or wet camp, sitting back on a mokoro or boat or walking or horse riding, the best way to prepare for an Okavango adventure is to start right here. Get in-depth Okavango Delta packing advice and quick tips for travellers to the Okavango Delta from our experts and your comprehensive safari packing list.
A Festival of Colour
The sunsets over the Delta celebrate the success of every day in a dramatic combination of colours.
Botswana Safari Links:
Okavango Delta: Wildlife, Wetland, and Perfect Wilderness | Pel's and Papyrus on the Okavango Panhandle | Moremi Game Reserve | Khwai Community Concession | What To Pack For a Safari To The Okavango Delta | Okavango Delta Quick Travel Tips | Mokoro Okavango | Off The Beaten Track Safaris: Okavango Delta | Expedition Tested: Okavango Delta | Rowing the Okavango: A Lockdown Virtual Expedition | Raw Botswana | Kgalagadi, the Magic of Nowhere |