When a friend of mine, Nicole, let me know that she and another friend of hers would be visiting me in a month, I was very excited. It’s been two years since I last saw Nicole, so I thought I’d better treat them.

Enter Botswana…

She told me that her friend, Claudia, had never been to Africa, so instead of just going on safari, I thought it best to invite them on the ultimate trip, which was to go on one of Botswana’s famous safaris.

When I booked our seven-day trip to the Moremi Game Reserve, I was informed that we were in luck, as February was the best time for an Okavango Delta safari.

There is a first time for everything…

When Nicole, Claudia and I arrived at the Moremi Game Reserve, Claudia’s facial expressions were extremely funny. She would describe her as a friendly and down to earth woman, but with a mischievous innocence that she shows, and definitely showed when we arrived at the reserve. It felt like seeing a child going to a theme park for the first time, enchanted by the attractions they were about to experience.

After settling in, Nicole and I caught up with ice cold drinks. We used to be roommates while we were studying, but soon after we graduated he moved to the Netherlands. Now we only see each other every few years, but we keep as much contact as possible.

The next morning we were on our first game drive. Among a host of African animals, plants and birds, Moremi is also home to a fairly large herd of buffalo, and the closer our guide got to them, the more stressed Claudia began to feel and the more we had to make sure. she don’t worry.

When the guide finally stopped the 4×4, we were about twenty meters from the buffalo. Now this may not sound like much, but it even felt too close to comfort for me. But as soon as Claudia’s panic subsided, she was what I would call “happy and fast” with her camera.

I eventually lost count of the number of photos he took of all the animals we saw during our safari, and this was just the first. I don’t blame her either, although it wasn’t my first time in the Okavango Delta, I still think it’s one of the jewels of Africa, especially when it comes to safaris.

Six days later, we still couldn’t get enough of Botswana’s wildlife and overall laid-back atmosphere. A paradise unto itself, Botswana, and specifically the Okavango Delta, is definitely a place I would recommend to anyone. Not only to go on safari, but if what you need is a vacation, Botswana would be your Eden.