Days 13-15: Bush camping in the Delta

When you sign up for the Okavango Delta overnight trip you have to expect to get back to basics. It pays to be organised - anything that you - or your guide forgets to bring - cannot be replaced by a quick trip to the shops - there are none.

We get up early ready for a transfer on the back of an open-air truck to the mokoro station where we meet our polers. (Mokoros are dugout canoes made from sausage trees, or nowerdays, fibreglass). The mokoros seat two people in a reclining position, which allows incredible temptation to sleep, which in turn, allows wonderful opportunities to suntan/ sunburn, depending on whether your pre-trip packing included suntan lotion.

Whilst in the delta, we spent the hot part of the day swimming in the safe spots that our guides have pointed out to us - swimming without taking this advice is too risky as there are lots of hippos and crocs in this area. The group uses this time productively, having mokoro races, battles (Mole got beaten by a girl half his size) and making human pyramids. Once the weather has cooled down a bit - its 40 degrees midday - we go for a sunset cruise, and end up sharing a lilypond peacefully side by side with an adult male hippo, who yawns his way into the evening.

Dinner (and all meals) are necessarily simple - we have pasta carbonara and salad - and as the night draws in, the polers light a fire and teach us traditional songs. Inspired by this some of the group decide to sing mostly tunefully into the early hours, conducted and led by Dan.

The next morning its an early start for a wilderness walk - the animals have left plenty of evidence of their presence overnight but only a few zebra were present. However, more than 2 weeks into our journey, its always nice to stretch our legs - wildlife or no wildife!

Once we have had breakfast its time to pack up, leaving the island looking exactly as we found it - completely uninhabited.

Nearly all the group choose to spend their afternoon in a 5 seater plane over the delta, and this time we see plenty of wildlife - including lion, elephant, buffalo and hippos. This was a fantastic opportunity to see the sheer size and scale of the delta, which is the largest inland delta in the world.

The evening is given over to punch night, regardless of the fact that the next morning is a distinctly early start to allow for the 600km journey to Kasane, home of Chobe National Park.

Delta tip: be prepared for anything to be seen as entertainment. Case in point: one person's chief enjoyment of the delta trip appeared to be digging the communal toilet!