For our trip, Xplorearth partnered with Wilderness, an award-winning, luxury eco-tourism and hospitality company with a focus on conservation, to design the perfect 2-night itinerary at Wilderness Toka Leya in Zambia followed by the perfect 3-night itinerary at Wilderness Qorokwe in Botswana. Harsh’s expert planning maintained the perfect cadence of adventure and leisure.

Weeks before we left, he walked us through what to expect each day – things like tipping guidelines, what to pack and border crossing documents. We never would have known we needed the kids’ birth certificates and a signed letter from their dads who were not traveling with us without Harsh directing us every step of the way. He provided detailed documents and pored over every single question we had – and we had many!

Once on the ground, Wilderness made sure every move we made was easy, flawless, seamless and extremely safe. Every transfer was as scheduled and perfectly communicated, and every single person we came in contact with was a friendly wealth of information – answering every question and making the transfers feel like just another educational and fun part of our vacation.

Thanks to Harsh and Wilderness, they provided the perfect amount of white glove hand-holding leading up to and during the trip to keep even the most anxious traveler (my sister-in-law) as relaxed as could be.

Once we touched down at the airstrip for Wilderness Qorokwe, our home for the next 3 nights, Tshabo, our guide greeted us in an open-air, luxury 4×4 safari vehicle. Tshabo, like most of the staff there, was born and raised in a mud hut in a small village within the Delta, so he knows a thing or two about co-existing with wildlife.

Most of the Qorokwe team, he explained, have grown up with lions and elephants wandering around. Through the entirety of our stay, he had the calmest demeanor about him with total respect and reverence for every animal we encountered, and while he did not carry a firearm, his know-how of navigating the landscape gave us peace of mind.

Anyone who has been on safari knows the importance of a quality guide and the lasting impression that person leaves long after you return home.

We arrived at Wilderness Qorokwe and were blown away by its beauty. Like Wilderness Toka Leya in Zambia where we had stayed the previous two nights, the camp is built on elevated wooden platforms to give wildlife the space they deserve. “Qorokwe” translates to “the place where the buffalo broke through the bush into the water,” reflecting the high density of wildlife in and around the camp. Two of the friendliest people we encountered, Joel and Keesa, who manage the camp, were outside waving and greeted us with cold towels and a refreshing drink.

This property had a wild and adventurous feel to it – maybe because lions, leopards and cheetahs lurked around freely. Maybe it was the earthy decor, the bar carved out of a tree or the fire pit out back within proximity of the hippos. Maybe it was the fact that we were more than a 10-hour drive from civilization. But whatever it was, we soaked in every minute of it.

Our tent (one of 9 total) at Wilderness Qorokwe (pronounced Ker-Ock-way) was arguably even more stunning, luxurious and spacious than the one we stayed in at Wilderness Toka Leya, and the family suite that my sister-in-law and nieces stayed in was absolutely perfect for a larger group with its own plunge pool and two separate bedrooms and full bathrooms.

Each magical day at Qorokwe had the same typical schedule with built-in flexibility. Every moment at this incredible camp is custom-built around a group’s individual needs, which is especially helpful when traveling with kids. We generally woke up around 5 am or 5:30 am – once to the sound of lapping water, which we quickly discovered was an elephant bathing itself in the watering hole just outside our room with pink and purple sunrise skies as a backdrop. Tshabo always so kindly and patiently accommodated our slower-moving younger travelers.

Shortly after, Tshabo knocked on our door and escorted us to the dining tent, though our family preferred our coffees in to-go cups and our muffins and hard-boiled eggs in paper bags for our morning game drives. When we asked if it was ok to sit down for a proper breakfast upon our return 2.5 to 3 hours later, the request was always honored.

Over poached eggs and bacon while watching hippos and elephants in the distance we excitedly recapped the magical animal encounters out in the bush. These were some of our favorite parts of the trip.

In between the day’s game drives, some of us napped or read our books by the pool or back in the room, enjoyed an in-room massage or cooled off at the lodge’s pool with views of elephants cooling off at their “pool” in the distance. A gourmet lunch in the dining room at a time of our choosing followed, and the kids’ favorite lunch by far was the DIY pizza bar where they took a turn as the chef, adding sauce, cheese and every meat and veggie topping imaginable to their dough before sending their creations to the built-in wood-fire pizza oven.

We always looked forward to daily 4pm high tea for snacks and beverages before heading out for the evening game drive. Sundowners around 6 or 7pm were a highlight in the lodge, especially sitting by the double-sided glass fireplace playing Scrabble with the kids. Our second evening drive there, as the sun set, we pulled up to a small watering hole to find staff from the lodge waiting for us behind the most elegant sundowner setup: white tablecloths, a full bar, biltong, a cheese platter and plenty of snacks. As darkness blanketed the landscape, Tshabo kept watch with a spotlight for animals, and we truly thought nothing could top this surprise ending to our day. But then we returned back to the lodge where the kids took turns with the spotlight spotting hippos, followed by an elegant dinner under the clearest starry sky I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world.

But white glove service and luxe accommodations aside, the standout moments happened away from the lodge – during our morning and evening game drives. Our first morning there, our guide mysteriously slowed down and stopped, staring out into the distance. Then he grabbed his binoculars and drove toward something: A male lion sitting on a termite mound approximately 15 or so feet away. The King of the Jungle looked right at us and let out a bellowing roar that echoed throughout the Delta – and our chests – a feeling we will always remember. The kids were speechless, unafraid and in absolute awe.

We thought for sure nothing could top that first major wildlife sighting, but we were so wrong. Each time we ventured into the Delta, we found something even more special than what we had already been so lucky to see: a male cheetah luxuriating in the shade (which was my son’s number 1 animal on his wish list), a pride of 15 – yes 15! – lions where the females were nuzzling their sleeping cubs, a pack of very rare wild painted dogs socializing with one another.

And then there were the elephants, who provided so much entertainment every single time we stumbled upon one and who drew the most curiosity from the kids. Our favorite elephant moment happened the last morning of our trip when just my son and I set out with Tshabo under a perfectly pink dawn sky. Within seconds of pulling away from Qorokwe, we witnessed a bull, a female and a baby exiting a wooded area. But then they stopped, like they were waiting for someone, and Tshabo respectfully stopped too. That’s when we spotted the lone straggler hiding in the trees to the right of our vehicle less than 10 feet away. Initially hesitant about us, the elephant trumpeted and then sped up in the direction of the rest of the group in the road, cracking tree branches as it went. Once it emerged, the elephant walked toward us, lifted its trunk – almost like it was waving – and another baby scampered out of the trees toward the others. It was the perfect sentimental sendoff.

With any incredible destination around the world, there will always be more to see and do, especially for someone with busy careers and young children, but as they say, that’s just a reason to return. Given how logistically easy Xplorearth and Wilderness made the trip and how Africa took such intense hold on our hearts, we certainly will be back – and hopefully soon.

For more info, visit https://www.xplorearth.us