“People come to Chobe for the elephants, but I say this is one of the best places in Botswana to see giraffes” says James of Chobe Game Lodge.  Whatever you want to call them, a tower, journey, aggregate or corps there’s no doubting we’re seeing plenty. ‘I must’ve seen at least 180 on a game drive the other day, it was incredible.  You’ll often see more of them than the elephants.”

Giraffe country!

I still vote that Chobe is the place of the Elephants.  Eleven year old Emma sitting in the vehicle next to me agrees, so we put a bet on it, splitting our game drive into two camps.  Emma and I sit on one side of the debate, scrambling to tally up elephants as her parents and James count off giraffe wherever they spot a head sticking out from behind trees.

Emma is a star at running our mini elephant census and she doesn’t miss a trick.  Breeding herd.  Eight.  At least.  (we add one or two more, just in case we’ve under-counted by a few legs).  Emma’s parents up front are pointing at a giraffe behind a tree, but as we shift our focus to the tree line beyond it becomes two; then three, then four…  This is the thing with giraffes, there’s always more.  Having all that height equals an impressive range of vision.  Giraffes can spread out in the bush and effectively keep an eye out for predators.  It seems there are always more on the horizon, slowly chewing leaves and adding themselves to the scorecard.

I won’t admit it, but I’m feeling a slight sweat coming on.  I whisper to Emma that we need a distraction as I spot more giraffes coming up on the left.  “Oh WOW!’ we exclaim, waving our arms for attention ‘what’s that on the RIGHT?!  More ELEPHANTS maybe?”  It doesn’t work.  Team giraffe are busy counting and suddenly they’re in the mid twenties.  This does not look good.  I point feebly at a bush ‘oh look, more elephants!’  I say, substituting real sightings with fake ones.  ‘No wait!’ Emma says stopping me, ‘there really ARE elephants!” and sure enough, another breeding herd.  Add twelve.  Team elephant is closing the gap.

Elephants in Chobe

The afternoon seems to have passed in five minutes.  We realise we’ve ignored the multitudes of impalas, waterbucks, buffaloes and, more importantly, the start of a sunset slowly melting across Chobe’s over-filled floodplains.  As numbers climb into the thirties on both sides, James calls a truce and suggests we make peace over G&Ts as white-faced ducks socialise next to us by the floodplains.  It’s a tense detente, but one that Emma and I finally agree is necessary to save team giraffe from embarrassment.

Later, I’m joining my aunt on her first ever game drive with Connie, one of the Chobe Angels.  A few minutes in, we start with the basics.  “This is an impala’ says Connie ‘you can tell the difference between the males and the females because the males have horns.”  It’s easy to get blasé about impalas when you’ve been on a few game drives, but my aunt is captivated and Connie really eases her into the bush experience.

The pace builds quickly when we turn a corner and find a leopard chilling out in a tree, the blue of the Chobe River spread out behind him.  I start telling my aunt how lucky we are when we drive on a little further and find a pride of nine lionesses strolling along the water’s edge.    My heart stops in my throat as a big male kudu walks right at them and the lionesses slink down in the grass.  With less than two metres between predator and prey, a lioness springs up and the kudu’s instinct to survive kicks in.  He bolts off across the floodplains, throwing up bursts of water and sending birds shooting into the air.  Lucky for the kudu, these girls are still young and haven’t fine-tuned their hunting skills yet, despite putting on an impressive show.

When I begin telling my aunt how lucky we are again, two leopards in a tree appear and I suspect she thinks I’m having her on.  One of the leopards has an impala up the tree and is busy snacking as the sky begins to grow dark.

We head back to Chobe Game Lodge in the fading light, excitedly going over the events of the afternoon when Connie delivers again, spotting five lion cubs sitting in the dust.  Their mothers are gone, probably looking for dinner, as the young cubs watch us from only a metre away.  We’ve already taken plenty of photos.  This is one of those sightings better enjoyed without a camera and committed to memory instead, as the light runs out on the day.

Where to stay in Chobe

Chobe National Park is Botswana’s busiest due to its ease of access from Victoria Falls and via Kasane Airport without requiring any onward charter flights.  Where travellers stay in Chobe will seriously alter the kind of safari experience they receive, whether it’s a town stay with park access for activities, within the park itself for a complete bush setting, or a river-based experience in the Caprivi Strip.

KASANE

Properties in Kasane are typically bigger hotels booked on packages with a set amount of activities and meals, often excluding drinks.  These are the most affordable options for exploring Chobe and activities are often out-sourced to third party operators with no guarantee you’ll have the same guide each time.   Most Kasane hotels are on the river with their own jetty for boat cruises, though neighbouring hotels share the same route, making them the busiest departure points for getting on the river.   For game drives, guests drive approximately 20 minutes to Sedudu gate and queue for entry with vehicles from other hotels.  The result is that game driving into the park from Kasane results in a busier game drive experience, shared with more vehicles but often at a much more favourable nightly rate.

Kasane Hotels: Chobe Safari Lodge, Mowana Safari Lodge, Chobe Marina Lodge, Chobe Bush Lodge.  Smaller lodges in the area include Kubu Lodge, Chobe Bakwena, Chobe Chilwero and the Old House.

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

Staying inside the national park creates a much more relaxed safari experience as you can start your game drives earlier and drag them out later, all the while staying in bush (rather than town) surrounds.  Being inside the park also means being the first on the roads looking for sightings in the mornings and the chance to pick up animal tracks on the road before they’re covered over with tyre tracks from vehicles.  Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent lodge inside the park and the only place in Botswana where your boat cruise starts within the park, avoiding the boat traffic from Kasane.  A mobile safari is another alternative for staying within Chobe National Park and experiencing the bush surrounds.

Chobe National Park: Chobe Game Lodge, Chobe Under Canvas and Mobile Safaris (ie. Letaka, Bush Ways)

NGOMA GATE

Lodges on the Ngoma side of Chobe enjoy a bush setting (an hour from Kasane by road), elevated views over the Chobe floodplains and a short transit to the Ngoma gate for game drives.  Although these lodges are outside the park, there are only three on this side of Chobe, meaning you avoid the queues at Sedudu Gate on the Kasane end of the park.  Animals are often spotted directly from the lodges and short night drives are possible in the vicinity immediately around the lodges, due to their location outside the park.  Lodges in this area operate their boat cruises from Kasane Town.  Due to the distance involved, cruises are normally mid-morning (when the river is quieter) as part of a longer day trip through Chobe National Park.

Ngoma Gate: Ngoma Safari Lodge, Muchenje Safari Lodge and Chobe Elephant Camp.

CAPRIVI STRIP/CHOBE RIVER

Staying in the Caprivi is all about experiencing the Chobe River by boat.   To stay in the Caprivi, you’ll need to check-in to Namibia even though you’ll share the water with boats from Botswana.  There are three options: lodges on Impalila Island, houseboats and Chobe Savanna Lodge.  Lodges on Impalila Island are very close to Kasane, meaning that there’s no advantage location-wise for beating Kasane’s sunset cruise fleet.  Lodges here are in a prime position for fishing, being close to the rapids and also for birding with quite a few small heronries around the island.  Houseboats moor at various positions on the river opposite Chobe National Park, and benefit from less surrounding boat traffic.  The houseboats use smaller boats for cruising guests up and down on the Chobe River.  There are smaller houseboats with four to five cabins as well as the larger Zambezi Queen.  The Zambezi Queen is quite large, running on set departures, meaning guests stay with the same group for the duration of the two or three night cruises.  Chobe Savanna Lodge is situated across from Puku Flats in Chobe National Park from where buffalo, elephants, giraffes and hippos are often spotted directly from the lodge.  Savanna also enjoys the benefit of a more exclusive river experience being located further into the park.

Caprivi Strip: Pride of the Zambezi, Ichobezi, Zambezi Queen, Chobe Savanna Lodge, Impalila Island Lodge, Ichingo River Lodge.

Last year Lorraine and I started a tradition of our two families going on safari together. This year our annual family safari took us to Hwange. Travelling with kids is an adventure. Seeing nature through their eyes makes you realize how wonderful our planet really is. Did you know that a wildebeest looks a bit like a Gruffalo. For all ignorant people out there, “The Gruffalo” is one of the best-loved children’s books ever. “A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”
“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”
And so begins the story of a quick-witted mouse as he encounters a host of predators who seem to think he might make a tasty treat. As he ventures deeper into the deep dark wood, stumbling across a hungry fox, a not-so-wise owl, and a slimy snake, spinning ever-extraordinary yarns about the scary, scaly gruffalo, he quickly realises that the hungry beast he has been talking of isn’t imaginary after all.

The Gruffalo, also known as blue wildebeest

On Safari with the Gruffalo:

Three bush babies strolled through the Hwange vlei,

they saw some Lions lying in their way,

snoozing and dreaming of roasted Gruffalo on a spit,

the Bush Babies turned around and away they slid…

Our days in Hwange were filled with extraordinary gamedrives. Living in Botswana also means that our children grow up being spoilt safari-goers, but Hwange can easily compete. Especially the south-east of Hwange offered outstanding game viewing (Davisons, Bomani, Camelthorn and Little Makalolo). It never got boring, the kids loved every moment of it. Hwange in combination with Victoria Falls and Chobe is a great destination for a family safari!

Who runs the fastest – watch out the Gruffalo is right behind you!

The Gruffalo only left bones

The Safari Destinations educationals are famous! Every year we organize numerous individual trips. For many years we have successfully organized Botswana educationals for groups, this year we were proud to celebrate a premiere, we ran our first Post-Indaba Educational to ZAMBIA.

Suku was the lucky winner and guided a group of five enthusiastic agents. All had been to Southern Africa many times before, some had been on educational to Zambia, for some it was their first time to visit the Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa National Parks.

Walking Safari South Luangwa NP

The group travelled from Livingstone to Lusaka, they stayed at Tongabezi Lodge, Sausage Tree Camp, Chiawa Camp, Chongwe River Camp, Nkwali Camp, Chindeni Bush Camp, Chichele Presidential Lodge, Mchenja Bush Camp and Chinzombo Camp.

Suku shares the highlights of her trip with us:

Chiawa for the best guiding experience during her trip:

My best guide was Daniel from Chiawa – he had a great sense of humour, knowledgeable and caring! His guiding was top class; he knew the bush in and out and had the most interesting stories to tell about the Lower Zambezi! There was never a dull moment with Daniel – he kept us entertained the entire time…

Chindeni for the most memorable moment during her trip:

My highlight was the special sundowner that they set up for us on the banks of the Luangwa river; in full view of the stunning Chindeni Hills. Hippos graced us with their presence whilst we bade farewell (with a drink in hand) yet to another wonderful sunset in the Luangwa valley!

Sausage Tree for the best food experience – lunch served in the mighty Zambezi River!

Jason the owner of Sausage Tree and his team hosted us to the most amazing lunch; set up in the middle of the Zambezi River! The setting in the water was stunning, the food was fresh and the drinks ice cold and refreshing – and the service was top notch…….I felt like royalty! This was the highlight of my entire trip!

Canoeing on the Lower Zambezi

“Come quietly and sit down’ our guide Nick said, moving over to the dinner table laid out by Somalisa Camp’s small pool.  Kay and I negotiated the steps down to the deck carefully by the dim light of hurricane lanterns, trying not to fall on our faces or make any sudden movements.  We were sitting down to dinner with an unusual guest, a big elephant bull who had come to drink out of the pool, trying his best to drain the water dry.  He faced us head-on, something that would make you twitch in the bush, especially as he was only four metres away.  He disregarded us, plunged his trunk into the water, slurped up the liquid and threw it down his throat.  The noise was incredible.  “It sounds like a really big toilet flushing” said Johnny, our host and camp manager.  “They don’t drink out of the waterhole?” Kay asked.  “They like the clean water,’ said Nick ‘they prefer the waterhole for mud baths.”

As we chatted over starters and broke bread, the bull moved off and another came to drink, then another.  Somewhere through the main course, a breeding herd gathered around opposite us, with a very small elephant calf.  We gawked at the noise of 10 toilets flushing in succession as the little calf tried to find water with its trunk.  “It’s amazing how blasé you get’ said Kay ‘we’re just sitting here, having dinner and a chat.” She was right.  If one of the bulls didn’t like us, it wouldn’t have taken much for him to do something about it from the other side of the pool, but they were calm and Nick was used to this behaviour.  It had almost become Somalisa Camp’s guaranteed dinner-time entertainment.

Kay & I had come to Hwange during green season, a time when game viewing is far more challenging and so we were expecting game sightings to be few and far between.  Luck was on side, however and on the first morning game drive into Hwange National Park we found a pack of twelve wild dogs moving along the roadside, sniffing bushes and trying to pick up the scent of something to chase for breakfast.  We followed them for at least ten minutes as they scoured both sides of the road for a scent before disappearing into the thick brush.  Later that day, driving with Nick from Hwange Main Camp we spotted huge amounts of plains game, zebra taking dust baths in the afternoon light, big herds of buffalo spread out across the plains and a big sable bull whose elongated horns curved all the way back to his shoulders.

As the sky started turning orange and pink just before sundowners, we found two big male lions and three lionesses stretched out over termite mounds with full, round bellies and a buffalo kill hidden in the bushes.  “It’s interesting about these male lions’ Nick said ‘this one, Cecil with the big black mane is about eleven years old.  One of the lion researchers around here thinks he has the biggest skull on record.  He got kicked out of his territory by a younger male and was living on the periphery for ages.  Then he teamed up with this other male Jericho who’s now nine and they took this area off a younger lion.  It’s not often you see that.  Normally once they get kicked out, they’re out.  And now they have these three young girls here.  They can’t be older than five.  They’re all quite full with buffalo, but it looks as if one of them might be pregnant.”

The next morning the lions were still right where we left them and had begun slinking over to a nearby waterhole to drink.  In the background a black-backed jackal was chewing pieces of meat off an elephant carcass as the vultures watched.  We moved over to another waterhole and Nick was distracted by movement on the water.  “What’s going on here?’ he said ‘I’ve never seen this before.”  Sitting on the water were two Egyptian geese, determined to drown another goose by swooping on his head and forcing him underwater.  The goose would then swim under water and pop up about ten metres away as his bullies scanned the water looking for him.  As soon as he surfaced, the two geese would be on him again in a blaze of feathers and fury.  We watched the attack, holding our breath as each attempted drowning was followed by an underwater swim and a quick breath of air before the geese were back on the trail.  Suddenly it seemed a lifetime since we’d seen our half-drowned goose.  We checked the surface of the water, scanning for a sign of life.  Nothing.  More time passed and we started to believe the goose had drowned as the other two geese started honking out cackles and flapping their wings in victory.  Just as we started lamenting the goose’s demise, a little figure popped up on the side of the waterhole.  He’d swam at least thirty metres underwater in a final attempt at escape.  He was soggy, but undetected and alive.

We headed back to Somalisa Camp to pack our bags and move on to another part of Hwange.  As we wandered around the main camp gossiping about the morning’s sightings, I was distracted by movement out the corner of my eye.  Across the plain near the tree line, impala were scattering.  I pointed and yelled gibberish, trying to get everyone’s attention while trying to figure out what I was seeing.  “Um, lion…” I shouted on impulse, watching something straw-coloured fifty metres away chasing the antelope. “No, cheetah!” said Nick as we watched the chase becoming un-successful, the impala running faster as the cheetah slowed, panting with fatigue.  Nick ran for the vehicle and brought it around as the cheetah retreated to the tree line.  We were going to try and catch up with her in our last ten minutes in camp.  We drove the tracks and scanned the grass.  We knew the cheetah had been right where we were only moments ago.  We drove forward & back, looking for leaves or grasses moving.  “At this time of year, all she has to do is lie down and you’d never know she was here” said Kay.  True enough, she’d disappeared for good, probably hiding no more than twenty metres from us, but in the thick shrub, we didn’t have a chance.  This was why searching for game in green season held an exciting element of the unknown.  You just never knew what was hiding in the long grass.

Zebras in Hwange

Getting to Hwange

Hwange is surprisingly close to Victoria Falls and accessible by tar all the way up to Hwange Main Camp.  Road transfers from Victoria Falls town will get you to the lodges on their own private concessions bordering the park in approximately 2 ½ hrs.  Flights from Victoria Falls will get you to camps within the park in 45 – 55 minutes.  Due to Hwange’s close proximity to Victoria Falls, the park is a logical extension to any Botswana itinerary finishing in Victoria Falls and can be very cost-effective as compared to a delta fly-in.

Where to visit in Hwange

Like the parks in Botswana, there are no fences around Hwange National Park, meaning game can move freely between the park and the lodges on small private concessions outside the park.  The terrain in the north of the park around Sinamatella features a lot of hills, granite kopjes and deep valleys, whereas Hwange Main Camp is characterised by open grassland surrounded by acacia woodland.  The landscape further south towards the Linkwasha concession changes again, with more Molokwane Palm trees and open pans.  The diversity of the park makes it easy to combine two separate camps in two separate areas and achieve a varied safari experience.

Lodges/Camps outside Hwange: While these properties are not technically in the park, they experience good numbers of game moving through in the dry season and some have very productive waterholes and resident populations of game that can be reliably sighted.  Most of the camps offer game drives on their own private concessions with the option to game drive inside Hwange National Park as well.  We recommend pre-paying park fees to provide clients with the option of both.

Camps inside Hwange:  Staying inside the park provides a more intense bush experience and removes the necessity of checking in at park gates before and after game drives.   The camps inside Hwange National Park have small private concessions around them, enabling more relaxed sundowners without a rush back to camp before park closing times.  Some of these camps can also offer short night drives, something which is not permitted inside national parks in Botswana.

What to combine it with: Hwange is very much a dry land game viewing destination.  The park roads are easy-going and very well sign-posted making it a great introduction to a safari before continuing to Botswana.  Hwange National Park works very well combined with a houseboat experience or Chobe Savanna Lodge in the Caprivi (opposite Chobe National Park) for a dry land and water contrast before continuing to the dry land game viewing of the Khwai Community Area or Moremi Game Reserve.

Pre-Packaged Options: Check out our 8 Night Elephant Paths itineraries combining Hwange, Victoria Falls and Chobe or extend to a 10 Night Elephant Paths package with a fly-in to the Okavango Delta.  All packages can be downloaded from our Agent’s Corner.

A safari in Botswana is a true wilderness experience of exploring bumpy tracks in the bush where boundaries are marked by lines on maps and not by fences.  Our famous wildlife areas are untamed places where animals roam freely in their natural habitats.  The bush in Botswana is not a controlled environment and safari goers will get the most out of their experience if they know what to expect from the bush.

Lions on Khwai airstrip

There are no Fences

An encounter with an animal on safari is an encounter with the wild.  There are no barriers between you and the wildlife, which not only gets the pulse racing, but also results in a level of risk.  When in the bush, remember that your guide understands animal behaviour and the bush around you.  If you listen to your guide you can be assured of the best possible safari experience, as well as your safety.  When in camp, guests should never walk unattended at night, or go for a walk outside main camp during the day.  Animals roam freely in the bush and can often be spotted strolling along the paths in camp at night, or drinking out of the swimming pool, which is often what makes a safari more exciting.

Leave Only Footprints

The bush in Botswana is not tamed by humans.  Camp staff and guides do not intervene in the lives or deaths of animals.  While roads may be maintained for game driving, the bush is otherwise left in its natural state.  Visitors to Botswana need to be careful not to leave rubbish such as cigarette butts or toilet paper in the bush and also not to pick up anything they find on the way, especially animal remains such as teeth, bones or skins.  The exportation of animal remains is highly illegal and a well-intended bush souvenir could end up becoming a ticket to trouble.  It is ok to pick up and look at things in the bush when instructed by your guide, but anything from the bush should be left where it is found and never packed for home.

Driving in the Bush

Due to Botswana’s high-yield and low-impact eco-tourism policy, we’re lucky to be able to offer a more exclusive bush experience than many of our neighbours.  To keep the experience exclusive, most camps have a policy of no more than three vehicles at any sighting.  This helps to reduce impact on the animal being observed, as well as allowing for guests on the sighting to have a more relaxed time with the animal and better photographic opportunities.  In order to encourage a better experience for all, guides will move on from sightings after 10 minutes or so when there are vehicles waiting.  Self-drivers visiting Botswana should keep this etiquette in mind when visiting the parks and try not to crowd animal sightings, but wait for excess vehicles to move off.  When transiting through the parks always wait for elephants in the road and allow plenty of space for safety when passing.   Self-drivers should respect the rules of no off-road driving or driving after dark, should stay in their vehicle except at marked rest stops and should carry a satellite phone or GPS in the event of any emergency.  If an incident occurs while en route to a lodge, guests should keep in contact with their next accommodation and request assistance if necessary.

Exposure to the Elements

While on safari it is easy to become dehydrated and exhausted by the elements, especially in the later months of the year when temperatures peak.  Bottled water in Botswana does not contain the same minerals as water at home and needs to be supplemented with juices and soft drinks for proper hydration.  Days on the safari vehicle can be long and the weather changeable.  Dressing in layers with lighter clothing underneath is the key to remaining comfortable and avoiding over-heating and freezing.  Guides pack refreshments for game drives and will be more than happy to stop and hand out beverages as requested.  Bright colours are best avoided in the bush as they prevent you blending with your surroundings during activities, especially during game walks.

If visitors to Botswana have any doubts about what to do while on safari, asking a guide for advice and assistance is the safest way forward to a hassle-free safari.  For a copy of our safari information for guests, please contact info@safaridestinations.net

In November Muriel and I had the opportunity to explore the camps in the Jao Concession, we visited Tubu, Little Tubu, Jao, Jacana and the new Pelo Camp. I am happy to share our experience with you:

Baby Zebra at Kwetsani

Kwetsani: Spectacular setting over the lagoon, very ‘high and elevated camp’ everything is about views, large public deck, many different, intimate corners and tasteful spaces for the clients to withdraw and enjoy the scenery.

Units: due to their height they almost appear as ‘tree houses’, they will be enlarged and refurbished in the coming weeks, then the camp will be certainly my favorite of the classic collection in Jao.

Management: very passionate, open minded, outgoing, and certainly top service orientated camp manager, Charmaine.

Pelo Camp (pronounce PILU for all Setswana ignorants amongst us, as otherwise it sounds like kidney and not like heart, which is the shape of the island it is on).

New camp only open in high (=dry) season, very romantic, hidden in the thick bush on the island, pure water bases, the only activity is mokoro, so it will make a perfect last to relax in some horizontal safari (the birds’ concert is outstandingly entertaining) and concentrate on the small stuff.

The fire place with the bar is the central meeting point, elevated above the lagoon it offers views combined with a warm camp atmosphere.

The public area is a small tent with a terrace, true to the modest style, no big furniture but cushions to lounge.

The dining area is in another small tent, just enough to make clients feels safe without taking the camping feel away.

Units: from the outside it could be just a notch above mobile safari, they almost hide their luxurious interior (top comfy beds, perfect illumination, desk), which gives the camp the charisma of cozy, tented, intimate. Only outside bucket shower (in the cold winter months of June/July people should be informed/warned).

Food: great brunch, a variety a light and tasteful salads, beef sausages, cold pasta, cooked breakfast, fruit and cheeses. Dinner consisted of a veggie soup, excellent Impala stew, veggies and again salad, very pleasant.

Activities: mokoro, the nicest cruise I have ever done for over 2 hrs, safe, hippo free, and in a very lovely surrounding, apart from birder’s paradise, with hundreds of lechwe and elephant herds at our sights, we even spotted some shy Sitatunga.

Apart from mokoro, the manager takes clients to his very special Delta Pool for a refreshing swim and pick nick on the sand banks. Also catch+release fishing is possible.

Pelo Camp in the Okavango Delta

Camp Jao: Just stunning, the jewel of the concession for the pampered, the Balinese palace in the Delta. All emphasis on luxury, spa, food, wine tasting, a perfect end or relaxing start to a safari, I could certainly stay for 5 days in this camp. The whole camp is highly elevated in beautiful old trees, as if the camp was a colony of tree houses connected by swaying boardwalks.

Apart from the spa, there is a proper gym, yoga mats and pilates balls, and a wine tasting parlour, as the unusual features.

Units: the best feature (vs its sisters in luxury Kings Pool/Vumbura Plains) is the shape of the rooms, as they are not deep but long, so from any point of the unit the views over the lagoon can be enjoyed, they are airy and full of light, which takes the weight off the massive wooden furniture and gives it a noble and highly elegant feel.

The public areas are impressive, two pools, one family one adults only plunge pool bordering with the Delta, large shady sitting areas on a 10 m tall deck. The impressive fireplace with unique Balinese drums builds the center of the camp with incredible views over the lagoon and its wildlife, e.g. Lechwe hunting Lions.

Jao Camp in the Okavango Delta

Every year we organise numerous educationals for our agents. This year was a record year, Lorraine, Clare and I counted and counted and we think we had over 80 agents travelling around Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe on educational visits. Most trips were individually tailor-made trips, based on the needs of the agents. Around Indaba we had 20 agents on safari, one group in Botswana and one in Zimbabwe.

agents educational in Khwai with Letaka Safaris

Agents enjoying a helicopter flight over the Delta.

This year one highlight followed the next. Recently Botswana Tourism organized the first “Botswana Tourism and Travel Expo” in Kasane. We were honoured to be part of it. It was hugely successful as it hosted 81 Tour Operators from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France and Belgium. These 81 agents were split into various pre- and post-Expo educationals of 4 – 5 nights each. Safari Destinations partnered with Bush Ways Safaris and with Great Plains Conservation and put together three trips.

On site inspection at Chobe Game Lodge

Dinner during the BTTE in Kasane – we had lots of fun.

We always try to show our agents the beauty of the different regions as well as the different products on offer. Last week’s agents’ safaris included nights at Selinda Camp, Ghoha Hills Camp, camping with Bush Ways Safaris in Savuti, camping with Letaka Safaris in Khwai, both Sango Safari Camp and Machaba Camp in Khwai and a visits to Meno a Kwena Tented Camp on the Boteti River & Jacks Camp on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The agents enjoyed site inspections of three lodges in Chobe (Chobe Elephant Camp, Ngoma Safari Lodge and Chobe Game Lodge) and brunch at Zarafa Camp and Savuti Safari Lodge. They experienced game drives, night drives and a walk with San Bushmen at Meno a Kwena.

Flying to Selinda in a Caravan of Mack Air.

Our Selfdrive Trip from Maun to Khwai and Savuti!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get off the tarmac and explore the sandy tracks of Botswana’s National Parks in a 4×4?  We did.  With our mission set, four of us Safari Destinations girls, calling ourselves the SD Angels departed Maun early on a Sunday morning for a five day self-drive safari through Moremi, Khwai and Savute.

SD Angels on a self drive adventure in Khwai and Savuti

Leaving Maun, the small village of Shorobe marks the end of the tarmac.  From here to the buffalo fence is a big wide stretch of calcrete road where we had our first encounter with someone driving far too fast and almost wiping us out.  We quickly discovered slow is the answer, as people generally tend to drive too fast and run into trouble.

From the buffalo fence there are two ways of getting to Khwai.  You can either go via Mababe Village, staying on the calcrete road or head through Moremi Game Reserve via South Gate.  We decided to go through Moremi as we were in no rush, since the route is more scenic with much better opportunities for spotting wildlife.  The road between the buffalo fence and South Gate is quite narrow, passing through mopane forests and very sandy, so the driving is quite a bit slower and we let our tyres down to about 1.6 bar to deal with the terrain.

Once we reached North Gate and exited Moremi Game Reserve, we crossed over a proper bush bridge made from Gum Poles and into Khwai Village.  To get here took us approx four hours from Maun, stopping for game sightings on the way.  In Khwai, we stayed at both Khwai River Lodge and Khwai Tented Camp, however other options in the area include Sango Safari Camp and Machaba Camp.

For self-drivers, the road network around Khwai is quite disorienting.  As a result, it’s best to arrange your game viewing activities with your lodge as the professional guides know the area, where the game is and what signs to look for in tracking animals, resulting in a more enjoyable safari.

Leaving Khwai for Savuti, there are two possible routes.  Different people gave us different arguments and opinions on whether we should take the Marsh Road or the Sandridge Road.  In the end, we took the Marsh road which is longer but a lot more scenic, traversing the Mababe Depression and the Savute Marsh.  There is a lot more wild life on this section of road especially around the Savute Marsh and we saw leopard, cheetah, elephant, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, the list goes on.  This road can become flooded in some areas, and very slippery in the rainy season.  In October, it took us approximately four hours to drive the Sandridge route.

Selfdriving through Savuti

In Savute, we stayed at both Savute Elephant Camp and Ghoha Hills, however other options include Savuti Safari Lodge, as well as SKL’s Camp Savuti next to the public campsite.

Returning from Savute, we drove back towards Khwai on the Sandridge road, which was a lot quicker with better road conditions.  Although quicker, the driving is through a lot of Mopane and we only saw elephant and steenbok driving this way.  In the winter months before the rains, this sandy road can get very churned up and a lot of people get stuck.  Taking this route back to Maun and skipping Moremi Game Reserve on the return took us approx 5 ½ hours.

To self-drive successfully through the parks, we recommend a good 4 x 4 such as a Land Rover, Toyota Hilux or Landcruiser.  It’s essential the car has 4×4 and has good clearance.  This driving cannot be done in either a 2WD or a 4WD without the height to manage deep sand and water crossings.  For good vehicles carrying the essential equipment as standard and good back-up service in case of emergencies, we recommend Travel Adventures Botswana.  Essential items to pack are a high-lift or air jack, two spare tyres, spade, axe, tow-rope, jumper-lead cables, tyre pressure gauge and air compressor.  If you don’t have a long-range tank, you will need extra fuel as driving in sand uses a lot more fuel than travelling on tarmac.  You should always have plenty of drinking water, basic food supplies, a GPS, satellite phone and a well-stocked first aid kit on hand in case of getting lost, stuck or experiencing break-downs.  Of course, you will also need your park entry permits for your vehicle and for yourself, together with any confirmation from lodges you’ll be staying at which confirm they’ve pre-paid park fees on your behalf.

Bush Ways and Mayonnaise

“Who wants mayonnaise? ‘ Masters asks.  There’s a moment of silence where all five of us fail to jump on his offer.  ‘It’s good for the eyes!!!’ he says, putting another spoonful on his dinner and passing the jar down the table.  ‘If you don’t see any animals tomorrow, you know who to blame.”

We’ve just arrived in Savute.  It’s the end of October, it’s HOT and we’ve just met Masters who will guide us through this area and later on to Khwai.  We’ve also just learnt Masters’ best-kept secret for spotting game, except that he isn’t too concerned with keeping his trick in the bag.

We had returned from an incredible sunset over a waterhole which we shared with a cross-legged elephant and a few roan antelope.  As Masters had pulled out the G&T the roan scattered and herds of impala sprinted out of the background.  “See’ said Masters ‘we were so lucky to see that Roan.  If we’d turned up a little later, we wouldn’t have seen anything at all.”

in Savuti with Bush Ways

We were quickly learning that this was the advantage of being on a mobile safari, spending two nights in each area, driving around the same corners but seeing different things on the horizon each time.  Just when we’d begun to recognise the roads and game patterns in one area, we’d travel to the next campsite and look for it all again on a different backdrop, but with the same guide who understood what we’d already seen and where we’d already been.  If we hadn’t seen something yet, Masters usually had a quick solution.   When we put hyenas on our wish-list he pointed to his shirt and grinned, “It’s the Bushways logo!  You’ve already seen one.”

In the wide-open space of the Savute marsh we spent our time chasing wildebeest, watching elephants sleeping standing up against trees, a big male lion bending a branch under his chin for a pillow and wild dog collapsed in a mess of legs and ears under the closest shade they could find.  The animals regarded us vaguely but didn’t bother stirring as our cameras clicked away.   Despite the intense heat which kept most animals in the shade, we came across plenty of elephants butting their heads against trees, hippos yawning out twisted laughter and a herd of buffalo big enough to be counted at a thousand, give or take a few.  “That’s my favourite animal’ said Masters ‘because with that one…eish…the buffalo doesn’t mock charge, so if he comes for you, it’s already too late!”  The rest of our group had already heard these tales in Chobe, spending their first night on safari wide awake as buffalo entered the campsite and Masters’ tales repeated in their minds.

Sunset in Savuti

On the road between Savuti and Khwai we watched green open spaces turn to long yellow grasses and closed-in mopane forest before stopping for tea in open grasslands of the Mababe Depression.  The landscape was yellow and the sky a blazing blue that formed mirages on the horizon.  “As soon as the rain starts, this place is green, green, green and full of thousands of zebra and wildebeest.”  It was hard to imagine that we were only a few weeks away from a complete landscape change that would come with the first rains.

Sleeping Lion in Khwai

Arriving in Khwai, Masters found us seven lions under a tree, across the road from two signs pointing in opposite directions.  “Welcome to Chobe” on the left and “Moremi Game Reserve – 20kms” on the right with no fences in between to impede the animals’ movements.

The lions were almost impossible to see, even as we stared straight at them camouflaged in the yellow grass.  “It’s because I eat mayonnaise” Masters reminded us.  As we jumped out of the vehicle on the Khwai River for sundowners, there was a burst of activity on the radio and Masters bundled us back in the car “There’s a leopard over that way…let’s go!” As the sun dipped towards the horizon, we bumped along off-road and came upon a female leopard making contact calls.  We watched her as she jumped up on branches, circumnavigated termite mounds and prowled around the vehicle.  Heading over to our campsite in the now pitch-black night, Masters told us to look for shining eyes as he moved his flashlight across the bush.   Impala, impala…more impala, then suddenly several pairs of eyes caught the light and we found ourselves amidst ten or so spotted hyena fighting over the carcass of a baby elephant.  We sat and watched as their curved ears caught the torchlight and they pulled meat from the carcass, rocking it back and forth in a little tug of war.  “See?’ says Masters “Bushways watching Bushways!”

Just as we’d thought we were done for the night, a civet ran across the road in a spotted blur and we arrived back at our campsite to find our tents made up, our showers ready and food almost on the table.

Bush Breakfast – delicious

Our ensuite tents on the mobile safari

Over dinner we discussed food, “I don’t understand how you foreigners each so much’ Masters said piling the mayonnaise on his dinner ‘if we do that, we get fat.” We tried to protest that people don’t normally eat us much as they do on safari, but he cut us off, ‘did you eat your mayonnaise?  If we don’t see anything tomorrow, you know who to blame!”  By now, Masters has made his point and everyone around the table takes a spoonful.

The next day we see the hyenas again, sleeping under bushes as vultures move in on the baby elephant.  In the daylight we can see the tiny protrusions of the elephant’s milk tusks from the skull.  We see waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, red lechwe, hippos, warthog, Egyptian geese, bateleur eagles and saddle-billed storks.  We stop for a mokoro excursion in the afternoon and everyone comes back with water lily necklaces and hats.   That night we see the spotted hyena again, munching on baby elephant for the second night in a row.

On our last night we’re a little sad to think it’s back to the real world where we don’t find ourselves in the middle of herds of antelope, elephant, wildebeest and buffalo every day.  We hear hyena calling in the night and lions roaring close by in the morning.  We’re all excited over breakfast, hoping to catch the lions before we leave.

For a long time we find nothing.  We visit the spot where we found the lions last.  Nothing.  We drive several tracks looking for spoor.  Nothing.  We turn the next corner and meet a vehicle hurtling down the track, the guide behind the wheel motioning for us to follow.  We pick up the pace and arrive at a clearing in the bush where two lionesses are running across the clearing, herding their cubs off.  “This is interesting’ says Masters ‘they’re nervous about something.”  He moves the vehicle and we see three big male lions in the bushes.  “I think they’re trying to kill the cubs so they can mate with the females” he says.  We watch as the lioness lead their cubs quickly off, stopping, looking over their shoulders and moving further into the brush.  Masters moves the vehicle to where he thinks they may emerge from the shrub and sure enough, a few minutes later they walk right past us.  Masters giggles and gets on the radio ‘they’re walking towards our campsite’ he says, ‘I need to radio the camp staff to get in the car.”

“I think they might go to the river for a drink’ says Masters, putting the car in gear.  It’s a guess that pays off.  As Masters parks by the river we wait a little while and sure enough, the lions emerge.  “The girls might just take their cubs across the river for safety.  Those big male lions will try to track them.  This isn’t something you see often, cats don’t like getting wet and crocodiles are a threat to them too.”

Lion crossing – Khwai river

The lioness round up their cubs and take them to the narrowest part of the river, belly-flopping into the water and beginning to paddle.  Very soon, all nine are treading over to the other side.  We’re feeling a bit inspired and all cheer ‘mayonnaise!’ as the lions emerge looking soggy and worried before disappearing into the Moremi Game Reserve on the other side of the Khwai River.  A moment later we’re also on the road out of Khwai, heading back to the real world on the calcrete road to Maun.

Bushways Fully Serviced Mobile Safari

6 Nights in Khwai, Savuti & Chobe

Combine with: Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta on our 10N Authentic Lodge & Mobile with optional extension to Meno a Kwena on the Boteti River/Makgadikgadi NP.

Access: from Maun or Kasane/Vic Falls or Livingstone with Northbound and Southbound departures throughout the year.