Silky tangerine ripples. Like flames their molten shapes flicker then die. As the sunset afterglow builds against a deepening, violet sky all our chatter, and the chimping, halts. We cradle cameras and our thoughts and watch the wake patterns curling away behind the boat. It’s the beautiful, bitter-sweet end to a day on the Chobe river.

Watching the water we’re still mentally downstream in the little-known place on this legendary African waterway some know as ‘Hippo City’. It’s the first time we’ve visited this special spot, accessible only from our houseboat, in an afternoon session. Some years we can’t even reach that stretch of the river because the water’s too low. Even when it’s still high, as now, there are tricky patches requiring skill and knowledge to circumnavigate the rocks and shallows. Being able to stay until sundown is an extra luxury.

What a joy photographing with sundowners, the boat beached, while all around us skimmers are flying towards the sun then dipping low to scissor the river’s satin surface. We shoot. Click, click, click. The sky seems filled with dark spots becoming flocks of soaring waterbirds lifted by the lateness of the hour. Just like us they are riding the very last light. Click, click, click.

For the most part we are silent – the occasional humorous small talk reminding us we are here together; sharing this unique place and moment. In Africa. In the wild.

There’s only one other boat. It’s from a small lodge on the Namibian side. They’re not photographers and leave just as the light sweetens like a peach. Now the many curious hippos, bobbing and barking all around, begin to stir. They’re not used to boats. Their sudden yawning  –  something our photographers are keen to capture – is not because they’re bored by our presence. but because they’re getting active – or perhaps they’re showing those teeth to remind us it’s their home and we are only guests. The yawning becomes fashionable and more join in. Just what we hoped for, especially when a couple of males begin fighting, jaws agape. The water droplets from their thrashing spill like gold doubloons from a treasure chest. Click, click, click.

The Chobe reveals its magic to those who open themselves up to it. Our jaunty crew of photographers took delight in all that nature provided and over our time on the water (and on land in the national park) each came away with shots they hoped for and others beside. Early on, while venturing out from our extremely chic and comfy exclusive-use home on the Pangolin Voyager houseboat we were treated to the first ‘big’ cat sighting from our little photo-boat.  Some curious but cautious, well-fed lion cubs were plucking up courage to sneak from the shadows and their mum’s kill to take a refreshing drink on the floodplain. Our first predator pics came when they did so.

When we returned next morning to check if they were still around it was a surprise to discover a nervous leopard had stolen their limelight. Although it was deliberately keeping a low profile because the lions were in town our patience was rewarded with a tantalising, if all too brief view. Enough, however, to snag a decent ‘grab’ of it cleanly, slinking purposefully between the trees along the bank. 

Our best lion encounters, affording some excellent photographic opportunities, were lying in wait for us later in the trip when we ventured into the Chobe National Park on morning game drives. With two vehicles to explore the park before sunrise – giving every shooter a row to themselves – we set off in the dark on our first land-based adventure – our guests praying for a glimpse of feline fur.

We hadn’t been bumping along many minutes when they were rewarded with a handsome male lion – the only pride male currently in that stretch of the park. He was striding out across the open in beautiful soft light in full view; his condensing breath and the dust he kicked up as huge paws were planted on the earth glowed gorgeously against the emerging sunshine. Our images were bathed in a palette of soft, warm pastels – a delicate haze through which his enlarged pupils and purposeful predatory gaze seemed to drill straight into our lenses.

Keeping ahead of him as he cut through the grassland with excellent anticipation and driving from our guides, provided several chances to perfect our shots. It’s not every day you get the chance to capture a lion’s steaming breath or the cast of respectful and attentive prey species in your background to add a tasty bit of story-telling to the pictures.

Normally we favour river rides to game drives on our Chobe trips for the lower angle, but now with two vehicles (and such a successful morning) our cat-keen crew were eager to try a couple more early drives. It proved an enjoyable change of pace in the trip. Each time we were rewarded with good cat sightings – including the young dudes of the ten-strong Broken-tail pride  on walkabout one morning as they kept tabs on a very large herd of buffaloes on the other side of the river, plus more playful lion cubs backlit on the floodplain on our final foray into the national park.

High octane times indeed, especially given the bump and bounce of the park’s sandy tracks. All was calmed by stiff ranger coffees when we stopped late morning to get some sun on our backs.

On the river the morning pace was a tad more serene – the coffee just as potent. We’d sail to Lilyland, or the various bird channels, or the rapids to photograph the river’s many species of kingfisher, the spider-toed African jacancas, all the herons, storks, egrets, geese and ducks. From the tiniest malachite kingfisher to the imposing goliath heron – who showed up late at the close of our trip with only minutes to spare  – we trained our lenses on avian species from little to large. Fish eagles swooped, occasionally following the flight path we had mentally mapped out for them. Skimmers dutifully skimmed, although there were fewer this season as the waters had not dropped enough to reveal the sandbanks they like to breed on. Yellowbilled storks flew in and out of their roost site with nesting material for their fattening chicks. We’ve never seen so many openbills on the river before. Many of them flying just above our heads with beaks full of trailing nesting material. One morning after full moon we had a go trying to nail them nicely in shots flying close to its silvery orb.

We also had fun playing with different photo techniques – high key shots of elephants and hippos, low-key shots of rim-lit baboons and an obliging darter drying its wings then taking off suddenly, scattering sparkles of water delightfully across the frame.

We chased the iconic Chobe sunsets for classic silhouette shots beginning quietly with guinea fowl against the setting sun, moving later to stately giraffes and then a sinuous darter shape-shifting against the late orange light looking just like the ‘snake’ bird it’s sometimes named for.

Finding the perfect elephant silhouette shots on everyone’s wish list, however, unusually proved a little harder on this trip. We kept getting close but then couldn’t tie down the loose ends for a truly successful shot. We’re not sure why given the number of elephants we saw. We had numerous group crossings – a Chobe special – but  the crossing we got on our final afternoon took some beating. A highlight was the youngster who relished a solo swim between adults with waving trunk and flailing tail. You should have seen the celebratory splashing when it reached the opposite bank. The rest of the herd, plus a few big bulls, had already made the trip over and completely ignored the little show-off. This was probably because they were busy in a spot of vigorous mud-bathing – squelching and rolling around like veteran heavyweight wrestlers.

And then, as if that were not enough to fill our cards and our hearts, the Chobe gave us a parting gift – our longed-for elephant silhouettes. We’d stopped for our very last sundowners by a group of ellies feeding in what might or might not prove to be a good prospect. It was by no means a cert. They could go left – they could go right.  We threw the dice one last time and rode our luck. Slowly but surely the elephants marched in the direction we needed them to while our guide perfectly kept pace to ensure they were between us and the setting sun. Click, click, click.

Everyone cradled their cameras and their thoughts and watched the mesmerising wave patterns curving away behind our vessel as we sailed back to the jetty. It was the best, beautiful, bitter-sweet ending to our time on the river.

Thanks to everybody who made this trip a successful one – not least the manufacturers of Amarula.

Huge thanks as ever to the wonderful Laskey who is not only the houseboat captain but our brilliant photo boat guide. Thank you for finding us so much to photograph during our time on the houseboat and for the special afternoon trip to Hippo City. Thanks also to Nakita and all the houseboat crew including Melody and Sabrina for making us feel like wealthy yacht-owners. Many thanks also to our guides from the Pangolin Hotel –our old friend Keeme and our newer friend NJ (not forgetting his hairy friend Gwendoline). Thank you so much also to everyone at the Pangolin hotel HQ including Cornelia, Ndibo, Chef Shale, Rabson and all the wonderful waving staff.

And finally we come to our ‘Aaaah-some’ camera crew. Thanks indeed for making our lives hell – whoops meant to type ‘a breeze’. We’re toasting each one of you with ranger coffee for your contribution to the team – that’s Sergeant Skimmer MH, Captain Calamity Custard JH, to the ever-faffing MP still  much in need of a dusting, to firepit pants-whisperer SH, to our resident safari style icon and good luck charm BM and finally, last but not least, to Sir Percival himself  – the very evergreen Duke, Water-wings Wayne.