Safari… Kinda Boujee!

The day begun with an abrupt wake up, for some of us, and a bus ride to the border of Livingston and Botswana. Where we got EXTRAAA clean to enter Botswana and got some new stamps on the passport. Once we were through immigration, we enjoyed some biscuits and muffins at the cafe and boarded part one of our safari tour on a double decker safari pontoon, lead by guide Sam and Gee, or Gee-Whiz. Boujee!

This three hour ride kept us on the edge of our boat, as we were in awe of the beauty of the jungle for the first time. This tour involved traveling along the Chobe River as we encountered various animals, including crocodiles, hippos, zebras, water buffalo and elephants. From the amazing view of the our binoculars and the informative words of our tour guide, Sam, we were able to fully engage and learn more about this new environment. The hot sun was countered with some cold bubbly drinks and lots of icy water. Boujee! Finishing this impressive boat ride we were welcomed back to the cafe, with an exquisite spread of lots of various foods and a decorative set up. 

We boarded our two safari land cruisers with Sam and Gee-Whiz and took off for the Chobe National Park. On our four hour journey through the depths of the savana, we serenaded the jungle with our rendition of Hakuna Matata, allegedly according to Sam, “more than any other tour bus has.” Our singing was quickly brought to a halt when we came face to face with some of the big five of Africa. We first came across a herd of elephants and were shocked by their intelligence, beauty and size. Along the next stretch of our trip, there were towers of giraffes, who apparently really like to bro fight, some zebras and hippos from up close, and impala’s, aka McDonalds of the jungle or easy prey. The last animal we saw was the most majestic, the lioness. We first came across two enjoying their recent hunt. There was a beautiful duality of their cuddly, comfy nature and their unmatched ability to kill in an instant. However, given all of these magnificent animals, we did not come across a leopard which was Dominic’s one request. 

Let’s all take a moment to thank Jackson, our personal photographer of the trip!

The sun began to set, so we promptly made our way to our home for the night. The sky was engulfed with vibrant shades of flaming red that contrasted with the calming and soothing shades of orange. Every time you looked up there would be a new shade to greet you. While the whole day was filled with excitement, conversation and laughter this was a moment of pure stillness and humility as we got lost in the vastness of the landscape and all it had to offer. 

We finally arrived at the campsite which reminded us all too well of our very own Kennel Campout back in Spokane. Sam and Gee went on to explain the camp setup, the rules and introduced us to the lovely square tarp which we called the number two bathroom. This informative lesson was followed by a delectable meal of chicken, potatoes, corn soup and veggies. Don’t forget the complementary bottles of wine. Boujee! After devouring our meals, we gathered around the campfire (bush television) with our bush babies (warm water pads) as we got to know each other even more than we already have. The question of the night, kindly raised by Emily, was “What was the best day of your life?” The question brought many meaningful answers and a lot of connections! 

Pilling into our tents, we prepped to sleep and giggled with our tent mates in our cozy cocoons.  With the snuggles of our Bush Babies and the “comforting” sounds of both the safari animals and Jackson, Will and Charlie’s snoring we peacefully fell asleep dreaming our malaria dreams. 

Clocking in at our earliest wake up time yet, 5:30am, we awoke to the sun shining through the various trees creating silhouettes on the horizon and the brisk morning air. There was some cereal and porridge waiting for us for breakfast before we hoped back aboard our Safari bus for our second day and said a quick prayer to see a leopard for Dominic’s sake. We embarked on our journey to the West side of the park. Sadly no leopards were seen, but we were able to catch two lions mating…let’s just say we really got to see the circle of life. Driving around we got to see more elephants, zebras, giraffes, impalas, kudus, mongooses, and many species of birds including our favorite, the Zazu (thanks Lion King). We headed back to our very own tent city for a beautifully prepared lunch of a version of Sheppard’s pie, salad, bread and some of the best orange juice we’ve had. Then we said goodbye to the campsite and drove the safari for the last time. Though on our way out, we were promptly stopped by Katie who saw a lion preying on nearby giraffes. As the lethal lion emerged from the grass, our anticipation growing, we were shocked to find out our deadly lion was actually just a mere warthog. Although, it was certainly the cutest animal while running on its tiny legs trying to carry its larger body. 

Before we knew it we were out of the jungle, waving goodbye to the park and bye to Botswana. After a couple stamps and questions, we were back in Livingstone and at our wonderful home, The Faulty Towers. We got to reflect on our two breathtaking days in the Safari and took some much needed lukewarm showers. Boujee! We are looking forward to a full day of choosing of our own adventures around Livingstone and experiencing our last day here before heading to Zambezi. 

We have a couple birthday shout outs for some of our Zam Fams extended fam, including Avery (Brynn’s sister) and Aiden (Josh’s son). Hope you had an amazing day and some delicious cake. Happy Birthday! 

And to the rest of friends and family we love you all so much and miss you more than you could even know. We hope all is well for you guys and we are loving all of your very sweet responses to the blogs! Stay boujee! 

Lots and lots of love, 

Katie and Brynn ’25