Once you move away from the restrictions of the Moremi Game Reserve, night drives are offered on virtually all of the private Delta concessions. These can vary in duration and volume of wildlife, but most reserves are home to healthy numbers of nocturnal wildlife. For many, leopard is the major attraction, arguably the most beautiful and elusive of the continent’s “Big Five.” There is a unique thrill to seeing your first leopard, captured in the spotlight on a night drive, perhaps prowling for prey or surveying the scene from a tree-branch vantage point. Other nocturnal species are also highly prized and fascinating, from the constant eyeshine of bushbabies in the trees and nightjars on the road to civets and genets scrambling through the bush, scrub hares running for cover and hippos emerging from the river to graze.

You won’t see the sheer volume and diversity of wildlife as on a daytime drive, but the sight, sound and atmosphere of being out in the African bush after dark can send a shiver down the spine. Most night drives are also preceded by an afternoon drive to a beautiful sundowner spot, where a cool beer or gin and tonic can be enjoyed as the sun drops and pales through a vibrant spectrum of oranges and reds.