15 Extraordinary Experiences to add to your Bucket List

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Travel Spirit

There are some destinations and experiences in life that are etched into your memory and looking back at the photographs tends to rekindle the wanderlust that’s burning in your soul! It may have been the exotic aromas wafting through the air, the peaceful and serene feelings evoked, the indescribable beauty of the landscape, or the delightful people; most likely a fusion of these events served to secure their designation as extraordinary for you. These are a few of my amazing experiences.

Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa

Ears tuned to the varied wildlife within the Okavango Delta, leaning against a pillow in a traditional dugout mokoro canoe, transported through the shallow waters with the lulling sound of poles dipping in and out of the water, I was living in the moment.

Petra, Jordan

Emerging from the mile long narrow “Siq” trail with rocks towering over 250 feet on each side, the stunning “Treasury”, carved into the sandstone cliff face dating back to the 5^th century, leaves you breathless!

Sossusvlei Dunes, Namibia, Africa

Ready for some adventure? Try walking the spine of Dune 45 in the Namid Desert at sunrise. It’s only 557 feet tall and you’ll be tromping through sand that is 5 million years old. The views are otherworldly!

Deadvlei Salt Pan, Namibia, Africa

Believed to be about 900 years old, the dead skeleton trees are set off by the contrasting colors of burnt orange sand, biscuit cracked earth, and cobalt blue sky!

Gudvangen Fjord, Norway Continue reading →

Okavango Delta – Beautiful Africa

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Travel Spirit

On day 16 of my 35 day G Adventures African Overland Truck adventure my group went for a three-hour walk in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. We were surprised to see so much wildlife! We saw Giraffe, wildebeest, warthog, elephant, antelope, zebra, and hippo. Here is a buffalo skull on the trail…

We didn’t eat breakfast before the hike, so we had brunch upon our return. Usually, our breakfasts consisted of instant coffee, cold cereals, bananas, sometimes yogurt, and granola or oatmeal were offered. If we had a long driving day in the overland truck, we would pack a sandwich and eat on the truck. Sometimes, when we were able to stop, we would have a pasta salad or something more substantial.

Here are a couple of photos of the women. I loved this girl’s shoes…

After a short nap and swim, I read some in my book, “The Last Rhinos”. We went for a mokoro boat ride to find wildlife and saw hippos. As the sun set, I knew it was a magical time…

Once we were gathered around the blazing campfire that evening, our Mokoro drivers (or polers…I’m not sure what they’re called), who also camped with us, sang native songs! One of the songs was “Beautiful Africa” and with each stanza, it changed to “Beautiful Hippos”, or “Beautiful Giraffe”, etc. They clapped their hands loudly to the beat! We decided to sing songs from our countries to them. There were three Americans and we sang…”Take me out to the Ballgame”!

The Okavango Delta is an area that is still pure and peaceful!

Journey by Mokoro to an Island in the Okavango Delta

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Travel Spirit

After picking up a bushman in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana, that you can read about here, my G Adventures Overland Truck group left and drove 7 hours to the Island Safari Lodge in Maun. It was basically a stop-over before we loaded our supplies and camping gear for a two-day trip to camp in the bush on an island in the Okavango Delta. First, we loaded speedboats and traveled 45 minutes to an area with the Mokoros (dug-out canoes). The supplies were then loaded onto the Mokoros and off we went.

It was like an African version of being on a Gondola in Venice!

An hour later we arrived to our camping spot, unloaded and set up our tents. Bush camping is very basic – this was our toilet…

After working up a sweat, we went for a swim in the Delta. The water is very clean and cold…the locals scoop it up and drink straight from the Delta! The water lilies were gorgeous!

I took a short nap and then we went for an hour walk with the group and saw some hippos in the water! The Okavango Delta was one of the highlights for most of our group!