Flying over the Okavango.

I was ecstatic when we booked a 1 hour flight over the Okavango Delta. Can there possibly be a better way to see this extraordinary place? In my opinion, no!
Even though we were travelling through Botswana on a small budget, a flight over the Okavango Delta was on my to-do list. We chose to go on a 1 hour flight with Mack Air.
My excitement was uncontrollable! When our pilot Sizwe said: "Who wants to sit in the front with me?" I jumped to it. How often do you get a chance to be a co-pilot flying over the Okavango Delta?

Okavango meanders in curves and bends as it snakes through the Kalahari. In this flat and, otherwise, sandy desert, it creates a lush, rich world where elephants roam, red lechwee antelopes leap through the water. The hippo finds his way through a trodden track between the long reeds. Herds of giraffes graze and a crocodile negotiates the channels.The amount of animals that can be seen from a flight like this, is astounding. This is how you realize the richness of the Delta.
That first time when our pilot turned the plane sideways, seeming that the wingtip will skim the lush green water oasis below, is unforgettable.

However, an advice, DO take travel sickness medicine before taking this kind of flight, even if you have never experienced travel sickness in your life, this flight made even the strongest stomachs weak. And for the last half an hour I had to really concentrate on the horizon with only the occasional glance at the animals underneath. I didn't think it would go down very well if I was sick over the pilot next to me and the plane controls in front of me!
Nevertheless, a flight over the Okavango, tops the list of my most remarkable travel experiences. I can only describe it as magical!
The view from the flight is so completely different. The perspective changes and so does the world along with it.
Underneath the plane, another drama unfolds. Two large bull elephants lock trunks in a fight of their lives. They push and shove each other, measuring the strength of their opponent. Water splashes around them, and trumpeting, undoubtedly, can be heard on the ground, if not inside our very noisy plane. They are completely oblivious to the people eagerly watching them from above.
Bliss.