83 Maun - Vumbura

14 Mar 2010

My first attempt Sunday morning to book a stay in a lodge was unsuccessful – but the receptionist at my hotel got me on to a company, with an office just across from the airport, and I was told that they could arrange for a minimum 2 day stay at one of their lodges. So I went to their office to arrange it.

I was given a couple of options, and I opted for a place called Little Vumbura. I got the coordinates for the airfield nearby, and walked across the road to the airport and filed a flight plan for the flight. Soon I was on my way for the 30 minute flight, flying at 4500 feet, just some 1000 feet above the Delta, enjoying the view with the occasional elephants and other animals seen below.

I forgot to call 20 NM out from Naum, as I was informed about by the controller who inquired about my position. About 10 NM from the airstrip, I changed frequency to the local advisory channel, and reported my arrival to the field.

Waiting for me in a game-drive Land rover, was a staff member from the lodge, who drove me the 35 minute drive to a boat house, before a 5 minute boat ride to the lodge. I was greeted by a number of the staff, given a cool wet napkin to wipe my face and a cool drink, before I was taken to my “tent”, one out of just 6.

To call it a tent is an understatement, it was a well designed setup with all amenities, a porch and nice furniture.

On my first night there, a storm came through during the night, making it difficult to sleep – and the fact, that I did not tie the plane down on arrival made me really worried, and in the morning, I would have to go back to the airfield and check up on the plane.