Nkasa Rupara Camp site and NP ( Also known as Mamili NP)
Our itinerary is pretty filled out and decided on though if need be, we can and will make changes. Nambwa was a change and we possibly will make a change in the coming days as another recommendation from fellow travellers was to see if we can get on a river cruise with Dan Stephens, at Movunje camp, on the eastern banks of the Kwando river. We decide to stop on our way to Nkasa Rupara NP (rest camp) and make a booking for Friday, two days from now. An afternoon cruise bringing us back to horseshoe bay most likely but now from the water side.
Till then we will visit Nkasa Rupara NP, a swampy wetland that is not much travelled and is a place where wildlife is returning after decades of poaching and poor conservation efforts. It sits basically on the Northern side of the Botswana border and Savuti/Moremi NP. Nothing in between except some swampy water. It si well off the beaten track and everything shows that! Roads are bad, rarely travelled, campsites very basic, limited spaces and so……. absolutely gorgeous. Now let’s hope we can chill again here for a few days and see some wildlife coming towards us!
Our camp sits right across a hippo filled waterways, with a clear drinking spot for elephants right across, on the other bank of the river. Within an hour of arriving, a herd of 6 or so elephants come down and have a quick drink and roll in the mud!!! The girls miss it but Remke and I enjoy the sight! Absolutely awesome and as said many times before, it simply does not get boring to see these big grey giants in real time and in their natural environment.
Plenty of birds around and the warthogs are living an extremely good life here as they are everywhere! Other than that, there is nothing and the “silence" of the bush hits us. Camp is set up in the shade of the massive trees around our site. We will stay put and hope for more ally’s to come and drink. Life turns into a bit of a to do list and we all, pick up diaries and pens to do some necessary writing about the last few days, weeks and for some of us, months! It is hot and getting hotter though there is a good breeze to make is bearable. Campfire is early as we will make a stoofpotje with beef, potatoes and pumpkin on the fire and it needs to simmer for a few hours. As we are in the bush and lions have been reported crossing camp at time, we want to be somewhat ready before sunset, which is around 6pm and then 20 minutes later it is dark. We are late and end up having to alk to our ablutions block in the dark, and the walk is surrounded with high African grass and it makes us slightly uncomfortable. We walk together, our eyes wide open and ears on alerts, not very keen on surprises from the bush. We have heard them all before and so know, our “friends” are somewhere out there so ……. let’s keep our shit together”.
Day two is a relaxing day, sleeping in (6.30am - as we are down around 8.30pm!), enjoying sunrise over the pond in front of us. Nature is waking up, which is by far the best moment. All is quiet and one by one the various birds start singing, hippo’s getting quiet, wind is picking up. We chill today, do some chores and one big chore, changing a tyre! Left back has been slowing losing pressure and is down to.8 bar in the morning. Our air compressor has broken down again so we better swap the tyre. Here comes the cool - school! the girls almost fight over the right find the jack, put in in position under the suspension and crank it up. They manage to loosen the bolts without help and swap the spare with the flat one. They learn about the led to balance the tires, how to fasten the bolts so that pressure is okay and we do not loose the tire, not can not unto it the next time. First time for everything and this is another thing they have in their luggage.
Afternoon game drive is cool and is named, Warthog drive. The swampy wetlands are a heaven for warthogs as we see them everywhere. Hippo’s in the ponds and one lonely elephant on the tracks in front of us. We have kudu’s (female) right next to the car and they are stunningly beautiful. We see impala’s ability to jump and are all surprised how high and far, and let’s not forget gracefully that looks! The landscape is different and turns from dried up mud to sandy trails into a green wetlands area where herds are grazing. Beautiful surroundings and as said, right across from Botswana, which we see across the waterways in the South.
All in all, a lovely spot to hang out, super quiet and real, not a tourist trap for sure. We did not see any predators although we did see one hiding in the bushes though we could not identify it. When they do not want to be seen, they will not be seen. Respect!
Next stop, Kasane, Botswana. A place for a bed and preparations for a 10 day stretch through Botswana’s game drive mecca!
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