BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS

Rays of sun peaked through the clouds as our 12-seater propeller plane takes off from the runway at Botswana’s Maun International Airport. The pilot, within arm’s reach, is tugging on the levers and flicking the switches calmly, despite the quick dips that create butterflies in my stomach. It’s finally happening, I think to myself, we’re starting our African safari. As we cruise just below the cloud layer, I see the flat landscape of the great Okavango Delta, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites known for its vast and lush grassy plains which house some of the world’s most endangered animals. We’re lucky enough to visit during the dry season, where wildlife is plentiful and easily seen, and the weather is pleasant. My mind is racing as I envision sparse plains that stretch out far into the distance, with a great variety of animals, giving the entire landscape the appearance of wrinkled elephant skin.

We land around 10 minutes later. The routine is always the same—a quick pass