Today we have to get up early, have a quick wash and go to breakfast at 7 a.m. This is prepared for us on time and the numerous campers in strange 4x4 buses ensure that we don't oversleep. The start of the day is made easier by the sunrise with a good breakfast of cornflakes, sausages, eggs and baked beans. Then we quickly pack the cars and before 8 a.m. we are on the road towards Maun.

The monotony of the road is broken up by regular crossings of cattle, horses or dogs and a negligible check at the veterinary fence. This prevents diseases from spreading to livestock, which is why no animal products are allowed to pass through it. The town of Maun underlines the character of the road through its structure as a street village without a significant town center.

Shortly after Maun we park the cars at the Thamalakane River Lodge, where we will stay one night after our safari. The welcome is warm and we like the facility right away, but the pleasure is only short-lived. At 12 o'clock sharp our guide "Option" picks us up from Pride of Africa with the safari vehicle, which theoretically has room for 12 people. Overall, we notice the punctuality in Botswana, because both the bushmen started their activities according to the clock and the safari. We can't take the big suitcases with us, so we quickly pack a few things in garbage bags we brought with us. We won't need much anyway.

Our journey towards Moremi National Park leads first along a worsening "main road", where we stop briefly and have lunch at a craft shop. Then we turn left and after another hour we reach the South Gate, where we complete the formalities. From here we are in one of the areas with the most wildlife in the world and still have about 4 hours of driving ahead of us.

We are lucky and we see more or less everything our hearts desire on the very winding sand path: we start with impalas and stop for the first ones. Later we see so many that we don't want to stop. Then we see zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and kudu, but also the smaller representatives guinea fowl, squirrel and banded mongoose.

The peak of this happiness so far is at the Xini Lagoon, where we meet three of the "Big Five" within a few minutes of each other: buffalo, elephant and lion. The lion family, with a pregnant female, the male leader and two large males, lets us drive up to within 5 m of them and we are totally impressed by this encounter. Being able to see the mighty predators from a short distance from the open vehicle is truly a privilege.

Unfortunately we have to move on, because due to the many animal sightings it will be dark by the time we reach the camp. Shortly before we get there we almost run over a cheetah that had laid down on the warm sand of the pad. We follow it a little further into the bush, but it quickly escapes us in the twilight.

At the camp we are warmly welcomed by the rest of the team, another 4 people and the cook, and refreshed with wet towels. Then they unload our luggage, give us the drinks we requested and show us the very spacious, luxurious tents. We are in the middle of the bush in a camp that was set up just for us, is not fenced in but still has all kinds of amenities. OK, we have to go through the safety instructions and it becomes clear to us that we'd better not be alone in the camp, because it is in the area of elephants, lions and a cheetah.

We eat the delicious meal together with our guide and enjoy the solitude in the bush before being accompanied to the tents. Here we all sleep well, but also listen to the calls of the animals. In addition to hippos, some birds and other unknown calls, we also hear the lion calling.

Weather: hot with little wind, only in the evening does it cool down a bit.