CHOBE
Travelling time from Vic Falls or Livingstone to Kazungula near Kasane is just over 1 hour, and from the town into the National Park to the exclusive camping sites we use takes anything from another 1 to 3 hours depending on location of the site and the game seen on the way. HATAB (Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana) sites are completely undeveloped area's in the 'bush', everything must be taken in to these sites - even water and nothing may be left behind, they must remain pristine. Only one company can book each site at one time so they offer the utmost wilderness experience. The HATAB sites are all within a few hundred metres from the Chobe River, in the dry season you can often watch the most stunning sunsets with a backdrop of elephants and buffalo a few minutes away from our tented camp. The Chobe River attracts thousands of animals searching for water during the dry seasons. The river itself is host to a stunning array of birdlife (Yellow Billed Storks, African Spoonbills, White Faced Whistling Ducks, Egyptian Geese, Vultures, Owls and Kingfishers of various types, Secretary Birds, Dikkops, Herons, Eagles - especially Fish Eagles, in addition to many other birds), and a 3 hour boat cruise is taken to take advantage of this. If lucky you will see Elephants swimming in close proximity to you, in addition to the normal pods of slumbering Hippo's, Red Lechwe, Crocodile, Impala, Kudu, LeguaansPuku, Waterbuck and numerous other animals.
SAVUTI
The drive to Savuti from Kasane is 171km, but the roads can be very sandy, and the drive takes over 4 hours to complete - some of this, time permitting, driving along the scenic route next to the Chobe River, and through the Simwanza Dams to Ngoma. In the rainy season Savuti attracts many grazers to it's short sweet grasses, and a large number of Zebra and Wildebeeste congregate on the 'Marsh', but in the dry season Savuti is a rather sandy, dry, desolate looking place. But the game viewing - especially around the 3 pumped waterholes, and some of the unusual scenery make it well worthwhile and memorable. The dry marsh at Savuti provides a completely different habitat and during the rainy season (normally November December and March/April) is home to migrating Zebra and Wildebeeste populations. Depending on availability we use either exclusive HATAB Wilderness sites or the public camp site (with it's Elephant proof ablution block!) that accommodates only up to 10 groups.
There is also a site where a few bushman (San) paintings can be seen after a small but steep climb, and a beautiful island of 13 baobab tree's that is not so well known.
NOGATSAA/TCHINGA AREAS
This area of Chobe National Park is seldom visited by tourists. There are no public campsites in operation only HATAB members can stay. There are some woderful hides in this area of the Chobe, overlooking pumped waterholes, a great place to spend several hours over lunch!
Animals such as Eland and Oribi are often seen here in addition to the 'normal' Chobe game. We can tie in this part of the park with a two night stay en route from Chobe River to Savuti during the dry season, as the black cotton soils make it impassable during the rains.
MOREMI GAME RESERVE
The drive from Savuti to Moremi Khwai is about another 100km's, and then to wherever you are camping in Moremi. The road is very sandy in places - we have to cross the Magadikwe Sand Ridge, which used to be a beach when Savuti was covered by an Inland Sea, many aeons ago - and the trip generally takes approx 5 hours to Khwai the northern entrance to Moremi, a lot of it through good game and bird country, especially along the beautiful Khwai River to add interest.
Moremi seems like a paradise after the dry encountered further north at Savuti, or compared to the Desert area's to the South. It is the only Game Reserve that occurs inside the Okavango Delta. Using HATAB sites in Moremi is our first choice, some of these sites could be the in the Garden of Eden the scenery is so lovely! There are several different habitat types in Moremi, ideally you would stay for at least 4 nights to experience them all, especially the Khwai River area and the lagoons near Xakanaxa, 4th Bridge, Bodumatau and Xini.
There is also the opportunity to take a boat from Xakanaxa and vist the heronry at Godikwe which is normally full of breeding herons and storks from May through to October. If you are especially interested in birds there is also the chance to stay on a nearby island for the night so as to catch the action at the Heronry for Sunset and Sunrise! Just the beautiful channels and lagoons encountered along the way in the boat make this worthwhile to anyone loving nature.
The journey from Moremi to Maun is approx another 150km depending on the starting point, and once again the roads are not good - imagine the excitement once you reach the tar road at Shorobe, 57km before Maun!! The trip takes around 4 hours to complete, depending on the number of stops made for game.
If we stop over in Maun, I recommend you stay at the beautiful Motsentsela Tree Lodge, where in addition to luxury accommodation and grat food, you can relax by walking in their extensive bush area where game abounds (but no predators, so safe to walk!!) as well as swim, two nights in the middle of a long safari is an ideal break.
KHWAI COMMUNITY AREA, NEXT TO MOREMI GAME RESERVE
This area is being run by the Khwai Community and all fee's paid here go into the Community. It is on the way from Savuti to Moremi, and is completely undeveloped at this stage. There are two exclsuive operator sites, Sable Valley and Matswere both beautifully situated under lasge Leadwood tree's. The third site is Magotho, near the Khwai River, where a further 3 sites have been made all well spaced from each other under the shade of large Acacia Tree's. The game viewing is superb - as good as in Moremi - and in addition to the normal game drives we are allowed out of the vehcile (responsibally of course) and can do limited walking and night drives as well.
KHUMAGA - MAKGADIKGADI PANS NATIONAL PARK
The Boteti River last flowed in 1992, everyone is hoping it will flow again one day! During the dry season, the Boteti River inside the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park thrives with activity as literally thousands of Zebra and Wildebeeste vie for water - as several places along the river are pumped by National Parks. There is a small public Campsite at Khumaga, and from here we can witness the huge herds and sometimes their predators (mainly lions, but occassionally Cheetah, Wild Dogs and Leopard). Their is also a small group of Hippopatamus that live in the briny permanent pools, and some crocodiles that have dug caves into the banks of the mostly dry riverbed. Elephants also habituate the area, often causing havoc by digging up the water pipe lines in their quest for the freshest water around. Two nights recommended for this area, and it often ties in nicely with a safari to the CKGR and Nxai Pans.
NXAI PAN / BAINES BAOBABS
The turn off to these worthwhile sites is 138km from Maun on the Nata Rd. Baines Baobabs were painted by Thomas Baines in 1862 and have changed little since then. Nxai Pan is at its best for normal game viewing between December and April when many antelope have their young. This area attracts large numbers of Springbok and Gemsbok drawn to the short sweet grasses that grow on the pan. During the dry season there is often the opporuntity to witness a kill as the lions often set up at one of the two pumped waterholes in this small National Park.
Nxai Pan has recently become famous due to the award winning IMAX film by Tim Liversedge, called Roar, mostly filmed at the pumped waterhole during the dry season, where the resident lions set up to kill the Springbok and other animals drawn to the only source of water for miles around.
Brown Hyena and Cheetah are sometimes seen here.
A minimum stay of two nights is recommended for this area
CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE
One of the remotest and most unspoilt parts of Africa, the Northern part of this park is one of the prime game viewing area"s in Botswana. This is the largest Game Reserve in Botswana covering 52,800 sq. km. Best time to visit is during or soon after the rains - though any time can be a rewarding experience. There are many different sites for camping in this park - all undeveloped except for ablution facilities (waterless!). During the dry season water is non existent in the park, all water used by us must be bought in, as the only water is available is at the entrance gates at Matswere and Xade.
It is amazing to see the number of animals that can survive for months with no surface water to drink, getting moisture from vegetation, tsama melons, tubers that are dug up and dew. Travelling time between camp sites is long due to the vast distances covered and the condition of the roads. Some of my favourite area's to camp are at Tau Pan, Pipers Pans (where the unusual baobab like Wild Sesame Tree's grow) and of course Deception Valley - made famous by Mark and Delia Owens book, 'Cry of the Kalahari'. The Kalahari is one of the few places I know of that is not on the flight path of Airlines, it is very unusual to even hear an aeroplane here!! Which adds to the complete sense of isolation felt here.
A minimum of 4 to 6 nights is recommended but if you have the time a safari of two weeks can cover the Kalahari, a Bushmen (San) Community at D'Kar near Ghanzi, and still have time for a few nights in Moremi Game Reserve.
DROTSKY'S CAVES
In another remote area of Botswana, by road over 320km from Maun off the Shakawe road, these caves are a sensational experience. The caves are about 500m long and between 1.3m and 13m high. Bushmen communities living close by can be visited, friendly people with a great knowledge of the bush. Two nights minimum is recommended here.
TSODILO HILLS
Situated in the North western corner of Botswana, about 53km from Shakawe - and made famous by Sir Lawrence van der Post's book. This area is famous for it"s Bushmen paintings - painted between 800 and 1300AD, over 3,500 individual paintings have so far been found, some of them the best preserved rock paintings in Africa. I now recommend that a fly in day trip is done from Maun, which gives enough time to see most of the paintings. You fly to Tsodilo early morning to be met there by a guide, and have a picnic lunch in between exploring the Paintings.
The flight back to Maun is over the Panhandle and is stunning, with the setting sun behind you.
Jane Bettenay, P.O Box 156, Maun, Botswana.
E Mail : ulinda@dynabyte.bw
Telephone: + 267 6800244
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