After four days of slowing down on our Wellness Safari in the Okavango Delta, Jessie and I boarded a short flight deeper into Botswana. The Delta had already shifted us from stress to ease; our bodies and minds felt quieter, our rhythm more attuned to nature, and the next part of our safari promised a different kind of experience.
Arriving in Moremi
At Moremi, we were met by our guide and driven a short distance to camp. The welcome was warm, and within minutes we found ourselves at a long table surrounded by trees for a delicious lunch. Our room looked out across a sweep of woodland dotted with antelope. We unpacked, lay down for a short nap, and slipped into that soft state you find only on safari.
Settling Into a Shared Camp
Moremi is not an exclusive-use camp. This was new for me. My own retreats are held at private lodges and remote camps where the entire experience is tailored. I thought the structure of a scheduled programme might feel restrictive. In fact, the opposite happened. It was grounding to know precisely where to be and when, you just had to show up, and the Desert & Delta team had everything organised.
The day ran like this: wake up at 5:30 am, breakfast at 6:00, game drive at 6:30, lunch at 1:00 pm, afternoon tea at 3:30 and an evening game drive at 4:30, then sundowners, dinner and bed.
Dinner was shared around a long table with guests, guides, and managers. Stories moved between the people who had come from every corner of the world for the same reason: to experience the wilderness.
Our first evening drive took us through woodlands and water channels. We collected a lovely guest who had just arrived from Switzerland, her excitement mingling beautifully with the soft Botswana dusk. Once the guest was briefed on the dos and don'ts of game drives, we carried on with our exploration.
Hippos in the shallows, birds everywhere, impala moving across the sandy earth. Followed by an incredible sighting, a pride of lions on a zebra kill. Lion sightings are often just lions asleep, but this one was different: cubs playing and eating, their mother keeping watch, and a male who wouldn't let her near the kill.
After that sighting, we drove back to camp, stopping by a river, overlooking some hippos and baboons.
Birds, Wild Dogs, and a Private Guide
The next morning, we set out early. Moremi comes alive at first light, and the guides know exactly how to read it. I was focused on birds. Jessie was determined to see wild dogs. Our guide shared information generously, although much of it we already knew from years in the bush. At lunchtime we asked for a private guide so we wouldn't hold up the other guests, and I'd recommend it to anyone booking a safari. It allows you to shape the experience around your interests without disturbing other guests. It also gives you a better chance of tracking particular animals. In our case, wild dogs.
For two days, we searched for them without luck. The weather was changing. Storms rolled in. The air felt heavy. We were ready to accept defeat when suddenly...
Just before sunset on our final evening, the sky broke open. Sheets of rain, lightning in the distance, thunder rolling across the plains. We were about to turn back when Jessie saw movement beneath a tree.
There they were.
An entire pack huddled together, soaked and shivering, looking strangely small in the storm.
Then came a pause in the rain. A moment of stillness. And suddenly the whole pack erupted into life, running in wild circles, chasing one another, shaking off water like domestic dogs after a bath. It was pure, unfiltered joy.
The storm returned with force. We sat with them for nearly an hour, drenched, watching the pack find shelter again. It felt like a privilege, the kind you only get when you happen to be in the right place at the right time.
By the time we headed back to camp, the rain had eased and a rainbow arched behind us. We stopped for a quiet gin and tonic and then returned to pack our bags for the next day.
A Final Wild Dog Farewell
On our last morning, we chose to sleep in and skip the drive. The storm had passed, and the light was soft and new. On the way to the airstrip, as if closing a perfect circle, we saw the dogs again. Dry, playful, rolling in the grass. A final gift before we left.
We watched them for twenty minutes, unhurried, then carried on to the airstrip where tea was waiting beside the small plane that would take us to Chobe.
Heading North to Chobe
Chobe would be our next chapter. A landscape defined by elephants, endless river views and long slow afternoons watching herds gather at the water’s edge. After the stillness of the Delta and the movement of Moremi, it felt like the natural continuation of the journey.
Together it was the balance I'd want for any guest: a few days of rest and Yoga, then proper wildlife. If you'd like a trip like this, we can plan it for you.
