PrintBotswana is home to the famed Okavango Delta, the heart of any safari in Botswana. In recent years as Botswana has become more popular and now offers some of the most luxurious properties on the continent, this is a destination that some will say has lost it’s sense of adventure and classic African safari feel. The Footsteps in Africa collection brings back the adventure and authenticity of safari in Africa.
Wednesday, July 22 2009: Arrive Johannesburg
We arrived into JNB and spend the night at the Protea Hotels Wanderers. The property was nice, nothing special, and the reservations process was bumpy. Also, transfers were expensive (about $60 each way). For transfer clients, I’d recommend something close to the airport that offers complimentary transfers or stay someplace that’s really a “wow” such as The Peech hotel (mentioned in Mozambique trip report.)
Tonight I had the opportunity to dine at Moyo in Melrose Arch. It’s nice, the food was just ok, but the setting is fun and offers a nice, urban African vibe.
Thursday, July 23 2009: Johannesburg to Livingstone to Kasane to Okavango Delta (three countries in one day!)
This morning after breakfast we headed back to JNB for our BA flight to Livingstone. Usually guests would fly into Maun and proceed on safari, but the flights were booked so we flew into Livingstone, Zambia. The flight was about 1.5 hours and I was the lucky one chosen (the pilots said they do this all the time) to sit in the cockpit with the pilots! It was a spectacular opportunity to watch the workings of a Boeing 737 as well as hear the stories of the pilots, both South African (everything from bush piloting all over Africa, UN flights into Southern Sudan, and Red Cross flights into Afghanistan). On the decent we flew low over Victoria Falls and the Zambezi gorge.
Customs in Zambia was a zoo, and we waited in line for about 1 hour to get our visas, which were $80 even though we were only transiting through (“because you have to pay to use our country” the Visa guy told me.)
From there we had about a 1 hour drive to the boarder/river where we unloaded into a speedboat and cleared customs in Botswana, then another 20 minute drive to Kasane. Talk about a “planes, trains and automobiles” scenario! Finally, we boarded a 1.25 hour bush flight (6 seater Cessna 206) and landed in the Okavango Delta. Oddballs and Delta Camp share an airstrip, which is at Oddballs and about a 20 minute Mokoro (dug out canoe) trip to Delta Camp. We got in as the sun was going down and the warm light and silence gliding through the shallow water was spectacular… a classically African moment and typifying the reason so many of us fall in love with Africa.
Poison and Matt were our guides, and as we started talking to the guides we realized that nearly all of them have been at Delta Camp for over a decade! Never before have I been to a camp that has such dedication and longevity from the staff. Delta camp is totally WILD! The rooms are totally open (you can put the tent flaps down if you’d like and you sleep under mosquito nets) to the Delta and elephant often walk directly in front of the tents. The bathrooms are also open and there is one spectacular tree house room. There was an elephant right in camp so we had to be careful when walking too the rooms. The sun set on the delta waters was wonderful and silent. Dinner was warm and hearty and we had an early night. Lina, the manager, dined with us as well as the guide Matt.
Delta Camp, located on Palm Island, directly across from Chief’s Island, has 8 tents all looking out on permanent water and are totally open to the scene (you can close the tent flap if you prefer). The common area is cozy, comfortable and wow what a view! Delta Camp offers a fly camping product called “Mokoro Trails”, located on Chief’s Island. They had set up a fly camp behind the camp for us and it’s quite comfortable. The tents are small fly canvas tents with two comfortable bed rolls per tent, and a nice mess area, bucket shower and private loo tent. This would be a thrilling compliment to an already thrilling property.
Delta Camp was fantastic, and with a “help yourself” mentality totally comfortable, warm and welcoming. Two nights would be ideal here, with one full day walking on Chief’s Island planned in advance. You’d need three nights to do the fly camping.
Friday, July 24 2009: Delta Camp to Santawani
This morning was quite cold. A bit of a surprise, but it does warm up quickly. We boarded a quick flight to Santawani and arrived in time for lunch. This property is run by the local community, who has set up a tourism trust. Santawani is very basic, but the community’s new Sankuyo Bush Camp will be a perfect addition for travelers looking to support local communities and learn a bit about Botswana culture along the way. The ladies were constantly singing as they went about cooking and other camp chores, and the entire staff was lovely. Stay tuned for much more information about this community trust this community-based tourism story in the coming months.
This evening we had a chance to inspect the new Sankuyo Bush Camp, which is located 7km from Santawani camp. This is a permanent tented camp with 6 tents and a large main dining, bar and lounge area. It is settled in a savannah area in NG 84, near the Moremi game reserve as well. The tents feature either double or twin beds and lovely, large outdoor bathrooms with flush toilets and bucket showers. The “honeymoon tent” faces the bush with a lovely view and is very privately located. Also run by the community, and featuring Doctor, one of Botswana’s best guides, this property will be a real WOW when it opens next month.
The Sankuyo area is fantastic for game! This evening we came across a leopard in a tree eating a wildebeest, and as bits were dropping two Spotted Hyena were grabbing bits and eating them right in front of us. This surely ranked in the top game viewing experience I’ve ever had! After sundowners we headed back to camp and ate dinner huddled around the fire to keep warm… it was freezing cold!
Saturday, July 25 2009: Santawani to Meno a Kwena, Makgadikgadi
This morning when we set out on our game drive it was still freezing cold. We huddled by the fire with our coffee then piled into the game drive vehicle and wrapped up in warm wool blankets. The bush was beautiful in the early morning light. We encountered giraffe, elephants and lots of lion. In fact as we were approaching camp after the game drive I encountered another one of my top game viewing experiences of all time! The Santawani pride of lion, 10 in total, were devouring a giraffe they had taken down in the wee hours of the morning.
After a late breakfast it was back to the airstrip for a quick flight to Maun. In Botswana’s Okavango Delta you can constantly hear the sound of the “bush taxis”, small aircraft buzzing between Maun and the safari camps picking up and dropping off travelers! The road transfer to Meno a Kwena, located just outside the Makgadikgadi Game Reserve, was just over one hour on a long, straight road.
When you first arrive at Meno a Kwena it’s a total “wow”! Done in a classic mobile safari camp style, one of my traveling companions said it reminded her of a Banana Republic back in the day when they only sold safari clothes. Perched on the edge of the Boteti River, it has unparallel views of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park across the river. Yes river! What has been a dry river bed for about 20 years, as of four days ago is once again a river! They can’t believe it! But apparently the area is entering a wet period which rotates with dry periods every 40 years or so.
The camp consists of 8 mobile tents, set up permanently, a mess tent with large lounge and attached/open kitchen and two sitting areas on either side of the plunge pool overlooking the river, complete with Lamu beds for lounging and huge Swahili throw pillows everywhere. This is an immensely personal property, with David (the owner’s) family photos and African art and artifacts scattered throughout the property. He often is around, joining guests for drinks and stories around the fire and for dinner.
At Meno a Kwena, the company runs a program called Water for Life, working with the local communities to get safe, consistent sources of water for the people, the cattle and the wildlife. Stay tuned for more on this project in the coming weeks.
Before dinner I had one of the best showers of my life… basking in the warm water as I watched elephants coming down to drink at the river. This property is certainly passes my “is this worth traveling half way across the world for” test!
Sunday, July 26 2009: Meno a Kwena
This morning we had an extremely cold start to the day. After a cup of coffee and breakfast by the fire we set out for the Kalahari and Makgadikgadi salt pans in an open vehicle (yikes!). The park entrance is about 1 hour from the camp. We drove through the park for about 2 hours through the zebra migration (which before the fences were erected mid-century was the largest migration in Africa.) We did see a lot of zebra, as well as a nice find with some meerkats. The Kalahari is dry! We drove through scrubby brush which turned into dry short grass as we neared the salt pans. Lunch was a scenic picnic with zebra on one side and meerkat on the other. The food throughout at Meno a Kwena was outstanding, even the picnic lunch. Our guide Dawid was fantastic, and a wealth of information on the geography of the Delta and the wildlife there. The vehicles were open, which made for a windy and cold drive during this winter trip.
After lunch we drove to the salt pans, and while we did more in one day than clients would typically do (driving wise) the few minutes we spent in the salt pan was worth the full day of driving. It’s a landscape like no where else on earth. Meno a Kwena often does overnight camping in the salt pans, which would be a fantastic experience. Nothing lives in the pans, so they drive a few miles into the middle of it and camp out… no bugs, no nothing. They can organize a mobile star gazing outfit as well. This would be a trip highlight for sure! As our guide said, “this is a place where you can run with your eyes closed!”
We arrived back in camp after dark and enjoyed a lively drink by the fire, then dinner and bed. Each night in camp we heard lions roaring quite close to camp. The beds were extremely comfortable with the nicest linens I’ve ever seen in a camp. Lush and soft with a modern Asian design that melded stylishly with the eclectic mix of African art and artifacts.
Meno a Kwena would be well positioned in the middle to end of a safari itinerary, because it’s the place where clients can pack in a full day in the Kalahari and salt pans or just lounge around the camp, in the pool, and watch the game that comes down to the river all day or enjoy the hide. This relaxation often is welcome after day after day of early morning wake up calls and late nights on safari. Clients may resist this when planning and want to “pack a lot in” but savvy tour operators will understand the importance of pacing and well planned “breaks” in the itinerary. Meno a Kwena is ideal in that respect.
Monday, July 27 2009: Kalahari back to Moremi Game Reserve, Xakanaxa Fly Camp
This morning was still cold, but a little warmer than yesterday so I got myself to take another scenic shower before breakfast. We drove back to Maun (about 1.5 hours) and connected to yet another bush flight to the Xakanaxa area. This was a very busy airstrip, with planes, cars and elephants! There are three lodges quite near the airstrip, as well as quite a few public camp sites. Our camp site, across First Bridge, was about 1.5 hours driving from the airstrip, at a fast pace through the Mopane woodlands. There was some confusion at the airstrip and the other clients coming to camp mistakenly went to another camp. That, combined with getting stuck in the mud, got us into camp late. After dinner we all had an early night.
These tents are mid-sized mobile safari tents with an en suite bathroom area. The décor is Spartan, with a small cot only in the rooms. Toiletries are not provided. This style of camping is perfect for the avid campers and adventurous travelers on a tighter budget. The guides are very good, and quite experienced since in Botswana guides must be “lodge guides” before they can become licensed to be mobile safari guides. If clients would like their own vehicle this must be specified in advance (otherwise they will fill all 7 seats, which gets a bit full when you have luggage in the vehicle as well).
Tuesday, July 2, 2009: Mapula Lodge
This morning we had a great surprise as we came out of camp on the morning game drive. No more than 500 feet from camp was a beautiful cheetah sitting on a termite mound, in perfect morning light no less! She quickly got up to follow some antelope as we watched from a distance, but they smelled her and scampered off before she could complete the hunt. Apparently the cheetah population is suffering from disease in this area and the numbers are decreasing so this was a luck sighting.
Arriving at the Mapula Lodge airstrip the comforting and fresh smell of wild sage greeted us again, but here the terrain is slightly different. We still had quite a bit of water, but the bushes are less dense in this area. After about a 20 minute flight from Xanaxaka we arrived, then about a 40 minute transfer to the lodge. Jane, the manager, greeted us with towels, juice and a good briefing before we headed to a much needed shower and siesta. And what a shower! The huge outdoor showers offer a fantastic view of the lagoon, or you can opt for a lovely bath.
This evening we did a game drive in the area, stopping by the wild dog den, where sadly we learned that the 6 puppies and Alpha female died a few days ago. They are not sure what happened to the female, but think perhaps she was but by a snake, and the puppies, only three weeks old, died of starvation. Sadly we’ll have to wait another year for a den of Wild Dog puppies at Mapula. There are still 10 Wild Dog in the pack in the immediate area of Mapula lodge.
After a lovely sundowner we found ourselves at a cozy bush dinner on the edge of the lagoon, surrounded with lanterns. The meal was a traditional, local meal, consisting of rice, pap (local starch), butternut, lamb and fish. As usual, we were exhausted and headed for bed immediately after dinner. Greeted with warm water bottles in the bed under the drawn mosquito nets, I was asleep in no time.
Wednesday, July 29 2009: Mapula Lodge
This morning we were up at 6am, ate breakfast and then off on a game drive. We came across lovely birds, many elephants, zebra and giraffe. Alas, no wild dog this time! We’re unusually unlucky though as the dog are indeed regularly spotted in the area.
Mapula lodge has a warmth, comfort and welcoming atmosphere I’ve rarely seen at safari camps. The staff and managers are all local people (the villages are about 1 hour away) so families are able to stay together and see each other quite often, which may contribute to the happy vibe. The camp is cozy, comfortable and the scenery is spectacular. Overall this is a great place to wind up a safari in Botswana.
Mapula has 8 chalets that are open to a massive permanent lagoon on the front side (netting is the “window) and has it’s own airstrip which is about a 40 minute drive from the camp. The vehicles are really nice, open classic southern African vehicles with a spotter chair in front. The really get around, often half way submerged in water on game drives.
I skipped the mokorro ride this evening and took a rare moment to sit down, enjoy the view and reflect on the journey. No matter how many times I travel to Africa, she always holds an adventure for me and no two adventures are ever the same. Travelers who discover this emotion will surely be back time and time again!
Thursday, July 30 2009: International travel home
