OPTOER
Travel Stories • Wildlife • Photography
by Peter Rau
Welcome to Optoer
Travel has always been about more than reaching a destination. It is about the people you meet, the wildlife you encounter, the roads less travelled and the stories that remain long after the journey has ended.
Optoer is a collection of those stories, illustrated with photographs gathered over years of exploring Southern Africa.
Where it all started...
My First Botswana Disaster (I Mean, Adventure)
In 2008, a friend casually asked if we’d like to join a tour to Botswana. “Casually” — as if he’d asked us to pop round for a braai, not venture into one of Africa’s great wildernesses. We’d done Namibia. We’d done “local.” Botswana? That was for other people. Braver people. People who owned more jerry cans. We said yes. Hesitantly. Like someone agreeing to a bungee jump while quietly hoping it gets cancelled.....
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OPTOER
Exploring Southern Africa, one story at a time.
© 2026
Peter Rau
© 2026 OPTOER • Travel Stories • Wildlife • Photography
All photographs and stories © Peter Rau