Jan Cochran’s love of travel was evident from a young age. As a child, she was particularly fascinated by Africa, and at the age of 17, she embarked on her first trip to Kenya through a student exchange program. “That just reinforced how much I loved Africa, and I’d always wanted to go back,” Jan says. She and her husband, Dennis Matthews, got that chance a few years ago, when they went on safari in East Africa. Jan and Dennis continued their travels, including a Lindblad Expeditions cruise to the Galapagos Islands in 2018, but they still felt drawn to Africa. For their next trip, however, they wanted to try something different.
A Safari With a Mission: African Wild Dogs
“We had friends who visited Botswana, and they raved about it,” Dennis says. Most importantly, the country had an abundance of something the couple hadn’t seen in East Africa: African wild dogs, an animal at the top of his wildlife bucket list.
The couple discovered Natural Habitat Adventures online and booked two spots on our Botswana safari. Jan says Nat Hab’s small group sizes were what attracted them.
“We really like traveling with small groups rather than the big tour bus trips,” she explains. The couple’s Botswana travel group included just eight people, including their Expedition Leader, Richard Avilino, and a Nat Hab videographer.
Watch our video featuring Jan and Dennis: Exploring the Okavango | A Botswana Traveler Story:
As they set out, they crossed their fingers. They knew Botswana would be beautiful, but would they get a glimpse of the animals they’d traveled halfway around the world to see?
“The very first thing we really saw was the wild dogs,” Jan says in a short film produced during the trip. “All these pups, different ages, running around and playing. In my heart, I was thinking, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it! The first day out: wild dogs!”
The rest of the trip would bring many more wildlife experiences. Their first night at camp, they watched a group of lion cubs—and even some adults—wrestling on the shore. Over the next few days, they’d have up-close encounters with leopards lounging in gnarled trees and elephants and giraffes ambling across the savanna.
“We’ve never been as close to the animals as we were in Botswana,” Jan says. “And because they’ve been protected for so long, they didn’t pay any attention to us whatsoever!”
Another highlight was a ride through the reedy marshes in a mokoro—a traditional poled dugout canoe—where they were able to spot hippos rising out of the waters of the Okavango Delta.
“That was so different from anything else we’ve ever done,” Jan says.
Making Dream (Trips) Come True
Jan and Dennis would love to return to Africa, but in the meantime, they have plenty of adventures planned closer to home, from Yellowstone National Park to Costa Rica and Alaska.
But no matter where the couple ventures next, Botswana will always hold a special place in their hearts.
“I felt a connection to Botswana that I really can’t explain—there’s just something about it,” Jan says. “There’s a certain kind of happiness when you’re in a place that touches you so deeply that you cry. It’s powerful.”
“Every day was new and every day was great,” Dennis adds. “It was our dream trip.”
All photos (except feature) © Dennis Matthews
