🙂 Sunsets. Sunrises. 360 Elephant views…DIVINE. Baines Baobabs…awe inspiring – still look the same as they did 160 years ago when the were painted by Baines!
🙁 HOT! Sandy roads.
Wednesday 28 December 2022 to Thursday 29 December 2022 – Planet Baobab to Nxai Pan: 110Km / 3 hours 40C!
Nxai Pan, South Camp Layout:
We had No. 9 which was lovely and spacious and close to the Ablutions. We had a huge bull drinking fresh water in close proximity to the Ablutions at all times!
We were sad to leave Planet Baobab but excited for our next adventure. After a swim and lunch we headed to nearby Gweta which is tiny and no real options to stock up on anything. Spotted many herds of ellies on our way to Nxai Pan. We entered at South Camp without any trouble at all where we lowered our tyre pressures using Paul’s fancy new gadgets.
Quite a drive through fairly deep sand – the 4x4s were coming into their own! Cait’s driving was very good. We decided to stop off and see the famous Baines Baobabs which were as impressive as described in all literature. Amazing. It was quite a spiritual experience to think that these trees have been here for several thousand years… one wonders what has come and gone beneath their branches…
The Latin name for Southern Africa’s baobabs is Adansonia digitata, which refers to the fingerlike foliage that unfurls from the tips of its scraggly branches in summer. Each frond bears five leaves. Digitata is also how Baines’ Baobabs got its name, for it was the fingers and artistry of one Thomas Baines that fixed them to history’s pages. Little has changed in the century and a half since Baines’ laid brush to canvas. The ‘upside-down trees’ still reach for the stars in the same twisting contours, and one can easily imagine the relief those early explorers felt on reaching their seductive shade. Perched on the edge of Kudiakam Pan, Baines’ Baobabs remains a tranquil oasis. The group of trees is also known as the ‘Sleeping Sisters’. Perhaps because one of the seven baobabs lies on its side, but continues to survive, sending out shoots and fruits. Indeed, it has done so for over a century, according to Baines’ composition.
We could hear yellow hornbill chicks in one of the huge succulents trunks… the trunks looked like gnarled old hands…
What a place! We enjoyed a drive over the pan… before heading back to the waterhole for sunset…
On the way we passed a few sassy elephants lurking in the bushes as we drove past … Nick amused us by hitting his hooter in error at most of the elephant sightings! LOL!
We had been told that the waterhole was incredible but we did not know what a treat we were in for – SPECTACULAR.
Only one other car there… just WOW… Photos cannot capture the magnificence…. since being here we have met several photographers who say the only way to capture the magic is to get out of your vehicle and photograph from the ground … next time… more photos to follow once we have downloaded from our cameras! Our tranquility was only disturbed once by Nick hitting his hooter again! 🙂
We headed back to camp feeling elated by this beautiful experience. We were allocated with NX9 which was vey comfortable and spacious and close to the ablution block. Spaghetti Bolognaise was on the menu which was delicious! We were all in our tents by 22h00 listening to the lions roaring across the pan… we were excited as the SA couple at Planet Baobab had told us about the pride of lions with cubs that they had seen at Nxai Pan…
We were all up at 04h45 but it took a while to get us all going … an ellie walked straight past Nick through our camp and over to the adjacent ablution block to have a drink! We could hear the lions roaring so were excited to see if we could go and spot them at the waterhole!
This ellie greeted us for our early morning ablutions as he was just by the entrance gate…
The sunrise was equally stunning to the sunset from the previous evening …and again, elephants in all directions! More pics to follow…
Again, surrounded on all sides by beautiful elephants rumbling their morning greetings – divine.
Chatted to another driver who said they had been searching for the lions too – they had seen them the previous day, also lioness and cubs … we drove around but to no avail…we did however spot this cheeky chap! We interrupted his bath – just missed him sitting down! Headed back for a hearty breakfast and then to the camp gate to increase tyre pressure and check out – we were accompanied by a bull taking advantage of the water available there.
An amazing stay … elephantcentrically beautiful!!
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