VUMBURA PLAINS CAMP
It took us three flights to get here but only two planes. The first was small and uncomfortable - no earplugs or water provided. Thank heavens we each had a bottle with us. We landed at Maun and had to go through security again despite being on a chartered aircraft. The next leg of the trip had a stop but we didn't get off the plane until we reached Vumbura Plains Camp.
This is what $5,000 a night gets you - pure unadulterated luxury. Glen was blown away. I hope the pictures I took do it justice. We have an indoor and outdoor shower, a toilet room with a view. Almost half of the room is bathroom. We have a huge closet and storage area. We'd never begin to fill it with the contents of our bags. There is a living room to die for and the beds look extremely comfortable. Norma keeps saying: I can't believe it, I can't believe it. We have our own private plunge pool and a huge outdoor area. We have a fully stocked bar and if anything is missing, we just order it. The bar has top-of-the-line brands Grey Goose, Hendricks, Johnny Walker Black to name but a few. - and is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There is only one room like ours which has its own guide room right across the way. It is nice but nothing like ours, apparently - a bit more rustic according to Glen. Ask us if we are sad that our original camp was changed and we were forced to upgrade to this one!
Our private driver/guide is G - another name like TK - only initials. He will take us on our game drives in our own vehicle and our boat trips in our own boat. This is essential for us because we are always stopping for birds in addition to the animals. We would drive other guests mad and vice versa. We are even allowed to take night drives here.
After trying out the outdoor shower and unpacking, sorting out our laundry, etc., we met Glen at 6:00 for a walk around the camp to do a bit of birding before dinner. We are staying in the south camp of Vumbura Plains and we are connected to the north camp (each with 6 cabins) by a 1.6 kilometre raised boardwalk which we must stay on and not venture off. The reason for this is because there are animals like elephants munching on the vegetation not 3 feet away from us! We added quite a few more birds to our bird list on the drive to the camp and during our before-dinner walk. We finished up at the bar for our Sundowners and to do our lists before dinner. We sat outside on the main deck with only lantern light - lots of ambiance but unfortunately, Norma was blinded by the glare and I was just blind. We figured out a way to solve Norma's problem and I found I saw better if I took my glasses off. It must be the transition lenses in my glasses.
The drive to the camp was an adventure in itself. The roads are very sandy and difficult for the heavy safari vehicles to drive through as they sink in. They are deeply rutted but it doesn't seem to make the driving any easier. Then you come to sections where the road completely disappears in deep water - sometimes as high or higher than the steps into the vehicle. It is like being in one of those amphibious cars where the vehicle becomes a boat. I have some pictures which I'll post so you can see what I mean.
Dinner was delicious - a baked Brie as a starter, followed by Hoisin duck and a lovely sabayon for dessert. We retired to our room for an Amarula before bed.
On our way back along the boardwalk, we saw a hippo by the boardwalk, elephants, a genet (a small cat-like animal) and an African Scops Owl. I should mention that on the way here from the airport we added some new mammals - the Southern Lechwe, and Topi - both are species of antelope - as well as giraffe, zebra, elephant, etc.
It took us three flights to get here but only two planes. The first was small and uncomfortable - no earplugs or water provided. Thank heavens we each had a bottle with us. We landed at Maun and had to go through security again despite being on a chartered aircraft. The next leg of the trip had a stop but we didn't get off the plane until we reached Vumbura Plains Camp.
This is what $5,000 a night gets you - pure unadulterated luxury. Glen was blown away. I hope the pictures I took do it justice. We have an indoor and outdoor shower, a toilet room with a view. Almost half of the room is bathroom. We have a huge closet and storage area. We'd never begin to fill it with the contents of our bags. There is a living room to die for and the beds look extremely comfortable. Norma keeps saying: I can't believe it, I can't believe it. We have our own private plunge pool and a huge outdoor area. We have a fully stocked bar and if anything is missing, we just order it. The bar has top-of-the-line brands Grey Goose, Hendricks, Johnny Walker Black to name but a few. - and is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There is only one room like ours which has its own guide room right across the way. It is nice but nothing like ours, apparently - a bit more rustic according to Glen. Ask us if we are sad that our original camp was changed and we were forced to upgrade to this one!
Our private driver/guide is G - another name like TK - only initials. He will take us on our game drives in our own vehicle and our boat trips in our own boat. This is essential for us because we are always stopping for birds in addition to the animals. We would drive other guests mad and vice versa. We are even allowed to take night drives here.
After trying out the outdoor shower and unpacking, sorting out our laundry, etc., we met Glen at 6:00 for a walk around the camp to do a bit of birding before dinner. We are staying in the south camp of Vumbura Plains and we are connected to the north camp (each with 6 cabins) by a 1.6 kilometre raised boardwalk which we must stay on and not venture off. The reason for this is because there are animals like elephants munching on the vegetation not 3 feet away from us! We added quite a few more birds to our bird list on the drive to the camp and during our before-dinner walk. We finished up at the bar for our Sundowners and to do our lists before dinner. We sat outside on the main deck with only lantern light - lots of ambiance but unfortunately, Norma was blinded by the glare and I was just blind. We figured out a way to solve Norma's problem and I found I saw better if I took my glasses off. It must be the transition lenses in my glasses.
The drive to the camp was an adventure in itself. The roads are very sandy and difficult for the heavy safari vehicles to drive through as they sink in. They are deeply rutted but it doesn't seem to make the driving any easier. Then you come to sections where the road completely disappears in deep water - sometimes as high or higher than the steps into the vehicle. It is like being in one of those amphibious cars where the vehicle becomes a boat. I have some pictures which I'll post so you can see what I mean.
Dinner was delicious - a baked Brie as a starter, followed by Hoisin duck and a lovely sabayon for dessert. We retired to our room for an Amarula before bed.
On our way back along the boardwalk, we saw a hippo by the boardwalk, elephants, a genet (a small cat-like animal) and an African Scops Owl. I should mention that on the way here from the airport we added some new mammals - the Southern Lechwe, and Topi - both are species of antelope - as well as giraffe, zebra, elephant, etc.
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