Five baobab trees growing on the margin of a dry white pan in Nxai Pan National Park – what is so special about that? For one, these baobabs are enormous and close together, not a common occurrence. A huge specimen has fallen down, like an overturned flower vase, but continues to grow. All of them have been growing here for at least 1,000 years. Thomas Baines painted them in 1862 and they have been “Baines Baobabs” since then.

To be the only campers at Baines was a big surprise to us. We had tried twice to secure a booking only to be rejected; with only three campsites available, that is understandable. Persistent, we went back one more time to the booking office and managed to score Campsite 1, arguably the best camp on the pan. We had the whole pan to ourselves. It was as peaceful and serene as any place on earth. Darkness turned the famous trees black and sinister-looking. They don’t notice, they just keep growing away on the edge of the pan.

Back in Maun, the congenial Okavango River Lodge is home. With a variety of camping options available we chose ORL, which happened to be the first place we pulled into. I love it when that happens,the first place is the right place. Maun is a lively little town, the harmonic convergence of safari guides, safari rental vehicles and safari-goers. With some of the most sought-after destinations on the planet and a solid economy, Bots really draws the tourists. Not that they give tourists a break, this place is absolutely not cheap. Worth it, though. If you like this kind of thing, camping with elephant and lion. And hyena. What a hoot.