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Baines' Camp

After flying on Air Botswana from Johannesburg to Maun, we boarded a five seater Cessna which took us to an air strip in the Okavango delta.  There we were met by a Land Rover for the 45 minute drive through the bush to the camp.  Soon after we were underway the driver/guide saw a leopard in the tall grass.  He went off-road to follow it, and the leopard went up a tree.  We drove to the base of the tree and had a close encounter.  Pat thought the big cat was going to jump in her lap, but he just stayed in the tree until we drove off.  

This was the smallest of the camps we visited having only five guest rooms.  Meals were outdoors with a view of a watering hole with lots of hippos.  A unique feature of this camp is that you can opt to sleep outdoors under the stars.  This was a highlight.

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Benson, our driver , spotted (I couldn't resist) this leopard walking in the grass.

This is about as close as you want to get to a leopard.

Here is the entrance to the camp. There were only five guests so there was plenty of individual attention.

This was our guest suite.  The elevated walkways are to separate the guests from the hyenas.

Sleeping under the stars was a kick.  The netting kept out the mosquitoes.

 

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Sunset in Botswana as seen from the camp's swimming pool.

This baboon seemed pretty relaxed.

Although tall enough to tower over Yao Ming, this giraffe was only a baby.

This is a wattled crane.  Click HERE  to see a close-up of the wattle.

Zebras are very photogenic.

 

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This elephant checked us out but soon lost interest.

Hyenas are frequently seen at the camps looking for food.  This one was in the field.

It's hard to think of hyenas as cute, but these pups almost qualify.

Cape buffaloes travel in herds.  Our driver kept his distance from this group.

The birds on the giraffe's neck are ox pickers.  They keep their hosts free of parasites.

 

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The guides stand in the back of these canoes and use long poles to propel the boats forward.  These guides have amazing balance.

Almost invisible in the reeds are small frogs.  Our guide found this colorful little fellow.

This crocodile was quite small, but nobody put their arms outside the boat.

I'm pretty sure these are vultures, but  from a distance they form part of a pretty picture.

An afternoon game drive was timed to pause for cocktails at sunset in a scenic location.