Jump to content

Botswana blend: boat, lodges and camping.


Jochen

Recommended Posts

Atravelynn

I fell in love with that genet! I think you got photos of those 80 birds too. How exciting to see a sitatunga.

 

Your houseboat excursion has brought @@Jan out of seclusion!

Edited by Atravelynn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Part 3; Haina Kalahari Lodge

We left the boat early, to get back to Maun in time. That worked; we were in Maun at noon, but we lost a bit of time because of a miscommunication (we were at McKenzie 4x4 to pick up our 4x4 vehicle while they were waiting for us at the airport). And then we lost waaay more time trying to get the car from Budget Lease returned. Their office was closed! Another guy was waiting as well. I made some phone calls to their central "emergency" numbers and finally a guy appeared. Apparently he was at the airport waiting for some people to get off a plane. Well... next time he'll remember to hang a message on his door before closing his office.

So anyway, it was almost 3PM before we left for Haina.

Now, Haina is not that far, but the biggest part is to be done on a sandy track, so you definitely need 4x4. Unless of course you opt to go by a charter plane; Haina also has a big airstrip.
So we went by car, and the car we got was a Toyota Hilux that looked almost new. The girl from McKenzie said it was their best car at the moment, and that we would keep this car for our next part of the trip too (a self drive from Maun to Kasane). The engine was fantastic all right, but after having driven part of the sandy road we hit a little bump (*) and saw the bonnet jump up. Huh?? We checked it and saw that both hinges were broken off, so the bonnet was only attached with the lock on the front. The girl from McKenzie could have told us that! :blink:

(* this actually happens a lot. We were going 40 at first, driving on a fence line that goes almost from Maun all the way to Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CGKR), but then noticed a guy at the other side of the fence going twice as fast. So you learn to go a bit faster and just let the car slide in the sand-tracks, but of course sometimes those tracks have pits and bumps in them)


I know that non-attached bonnet sounds bad but please bear with me.
I'll summarize our experience with the car and with McKenzie later in this trip report.

 

To give you an idea of what the roads are like;

- This is a badly potholed section of the tar road;

 

- This is the sand track next to the cutline;

 

- And just for reference this is the roads in CGKR itself.

Edited by Jochen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We arrived at Haina right around sunset and settled in. A good shower, a fantastic meal, and a good night's sleep. No more activities for us that evening; we had done quite enough driving that day.

 

Let me first give you an idea of what the tents look like;

 

2_Kalahari_002.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_003.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_004.jpg

 

So, as you can see; fantastic tents. Roomy, all creature comforts, etc. These are the superior tents, they also have tents without the thatch above, at a better price.

All tents are in a loose circle around the main lodge. You can get from your tent to the lodge on foot during the day, but at night you're not allowed to do that. So self drivers can use their car, or all guests can ask for a "transfer".

 

The central area is fantastic as well. A big dining room, a living room and a bar, all under thatch. And a nice swimming pool with a huge deck around it, not to forget. Toilets are in a little separate building. But the most interesting feature at all is a small water hole in front of the lodge (well, small... they don't come much bigger than this in a semi-desert environment).

 

The water hole is almost never empty. The whole day there's Oryx, Kudu, Impala, etc... When we arrived it was a giraffe couple doing a mating dance (gently "necking" each others butts). And if you're lucky a predator pops up. You can watch all the action from the restaurant, the bar, or a 2nd small lounge area.

 

2_Kalahari_027.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_026.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_012.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_013.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At Haina we did all game drives, although there are some other activities to be had as well. For example, you can go quad biking. Or you can have a tour with the local San people (but we had all already done that in Namibia).

 

One thing that surprised us is the way the Kalahari looked. We had expected it to be more open plains. But apparently that's because we mostly get to see pics from the pans in CGKR main reserve. The biggest part of the Kalahari, at least the northern side of it where all the lodges are, is very bushy.

 

Apparently all the lodges sit in their own "private reserve" which is a fenced plot, rather very big in size. Haina's plot, for example, is 12000Ha, of which 5000Ha doesn't even have roads (but you can get around it via the fence line). So that's a huge area to play around in.

 

But why the fences? Well, to the north it makes sense; there's cattle farmers there. And they don't want lions killing their livestock. Pretty funny is that lion sometimes DO go further south by crawling under the fence. And then of course they sometimes get shot. So Haina makes sure that this fence is in the best condition possible. But if they really want to escape...

To the south (CGKR) as well as to east and west, the fences make much less sense, but apparently that's just how it is; government rules are government rules, and there's no way to change anything. So; even though Botswana is the best place for wildlife (in terms of legislation, protection, non-hunting, ...), it seems they still have some way to go. There's still room for a lot of improvement.

 

So how do animals move about, with all those fences. Well, of course there's a whole lot of animals that are not deterred by the fences at all; small predators, warthogs, small antelopes, ... but also lions, leopard & cheetah (who use passageways that warthogs made) and kudu (who go over). What remains are species that are basically "trapped" and or some species that were bought at some point to "stock" the reserve. Luckily, Haina provides well for them; there's a total of 7 water holes on the reserve.

 

So there's plenty of animals, but finding those animals in all that thick bush is not as easy as like on the manicured lawns of, say, the Sabi Sands. Here, guides have to work hard for their sightings. To start; a lot of tracking. Especially when it comes to lions; at this point there's a pride of seven members on the property (at least most of the time); two males, two females and three adolescent cubs, if I recall correctly. The two males are not fully maned yet, and there's also another male that comes through the reserves, at which point the pride tends to scatter. We had the bad luck of arriving just after such event happened. So we found lion tracks all around, going all kinds of directions and even crossing each other. But on the first day we couldn't find them.

 

Now, the fact that the guide has to work to get good animal sightings also means that every sighting is treasured as should. So it's far from the "speed dating" of 15 minutes or less that you get in the most popular reserves. We particularly liked that the guide stayed long enough with every sighting. After 10-15 minutes or so, an animal "forgets" you are there, and goes back to it's normal behavior. It was great fun being able to observe them as should, to have sufficient time for great photographs, and to get qualitative info on each species. By this I mean; not just the same old 5 common facts that all guides tend to repeat while "speed dating". Our guide Vincent has done nature conservation studies in university, so offered way more than just the tourism-angle. He taught us a few thing on trees and grasses as well.

 

Here's a few pics:

 

2_Kalahari_005.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_006.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_007.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_008.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_010.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_018.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_020.jpg

2_Kalahari_021.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_022.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_023.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_029.jpg

 

So; no lions on the first day, but we did get to see a porcupine on the way back to the lodge :D

 

2_Kalahari_030.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(I'll continue with Haina later this evening. Going to go for a walk. 1st day with good weather in a long time...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding the fences; forgot to mention this but apparently there are no elephants at all in CGKR. Something I didn't know.

 

To continue; our guide, Victor, said he absolutely wanted to find lions the next day. So many tracks and not being able to locate them; frustrating, I guess.

Well, he didn't even have to look. The next morning, we were having a coffee just before day break, almost ready to hop into the game drive vehicle, and guess who showed up? One of the two male lions. He was apparently looking for his brother and the rest of his pride; and stopped by to have a drink of the waterhole.

 

Instead of showing you the pics, here's something more fun: I bought an infrared camera and hung it up in a tree next to the waterhole. Here's some other creatures that stopped by that night:

 

 

 

And of course the lion:

 

 

There's lots of honey badger around as well, but I didn't get those on camera. However, one of them is pretty relaxed, and often under the wooden floors of the main lodge. When he's there, just ask the guides to take you closer.

 

I left the camera running during the day as well, and got plenty more good footage. The cam works on infrared at night, but in color during the daytime.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That last few seconds of that last clip; that horn came very close to the camera! :D

 

So we had seen our lion already, but that 2nd day we had again great game drives and fantastic encounters. And again; plenty of fresh lion tracks! But this time Victor and Adriaan were more successful. They found the older male "Kalahari lion" with the black manes! He was on the move, so taking pics between all those bushes, and keeping track of him; it wasn't easy. But I did get some great shots in the end.

 

2_Kalahari_062.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_064.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haina Kalhari Lodge also provides daytrips to CGKR, and to the pans (Makgadikgadi, Nxai). But be aware; you need to book these in advance. We opted for a trip to CGKR, and I highly advise you too book a day trip like that as wel, if you're staying at the lodge. We were able to fill in some blanks like honey badgers, ground squirrels and bat eared fox.

 

Here's a few pics of the wildlife we saw that 3rd day;

 

2_Kalahari_035.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_037.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_039.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_040.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_041.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_048.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_050.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_051.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_052.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_056.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_057.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_058.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_059.jpg

 

By the way; the rains have failed completely in CGKR this year, so they predict a very harsh period for the animals this winter. On our day trip, we only found water in one pan, which is Sunday Pan. Leopard Pan and Deception pan were already dry as a bone. I think that, if you give it another month, Sunday Pan is going to be like a waterhole in Etosha; you can just remain there and watch the drama between predator and prey unfold.

 

In conclusion; a place like Haina Kalahari Lodge is fantastic for people who are looking for additional value, and not the "animal speed dating" scenario. Plus, if you're looking to pay a visit to CGKR, the lodge is perfectly located and they can get you to the main reserve in one of their own vehicles (ic you can fly in and don't need your own 4x4).

 

By the way, that evening, I told Adriaan about our bonnet, and he promptly proposed to weld it for us. He and Victor spend almost two hours fixing that damned thing, but unfortunately the material out of which the hinges were made was some kind of tin or cast iron. So the welding didn't hold that long. But I mention it because I have never seen lodge staff do so much effort to make people's stay 100% perfect.

 

Outro pic;

 

(was going for a sunset in a very bushy area, and a kudu thought "dude that pic would not amount to much without me in it")

 

2_Kalahari_065.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Contet about Elephant presence in Deception Valley deleted.

 

 

 

 

What Adriaan said was: "no elephants apart from perhaps one every few years or so that got completely lost and drifted way off of it's regular routes." So you had a very rare occurence there! :D Anyway I just mentioned the elephants to explain why fences rarely get smashed there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

africapurohit

Great stuff @@Jochen - love the photos but I'm sure you know which ones I like the best from that last set :) . What's the journey time between Haina and CKGR, and are you viewing game on the way or is it a straight drive?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that will be camping at Sunday Pan next month!

 

Haina Kalhari Lodge also provides daytrips to CGKR, and to the pans (Makgadikgadi, Nxai). But be aware; you need to book these in advance. We opted for a trip to CGKR, and I highly advise you too book a day trip like that as wel, if you're staying at the lodge. We were able to fill in some blanks like honey badgers, ground squirrels and bat eared fox.

 

Here's a few pics of the wildlife we saw that 3rd day;

 

2_Kalahari_035.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_037.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_039.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_040.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_041.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_048.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_050.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_051.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_052.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_056.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_057.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_058.jpg

 

2_Kalahari_059.jpg

 

By the way; the rains have failed completely in CGKR this year, so they predict a very harsh period for the animals this winter. On our day trip, we only found water in one pan, which is Sunday Pan. Leopard Pan and Deception pan were already dry as a bone. I think that, if you give it another month, Sunday Pan is going to be like a waterhole in Etosha; you can just remain there and watch the drama between predator and prey unfold.

 

In conclusion; a place like Haina Kalahari Lodge is fantastic for people who are looking for additional value, and not the "animal speed dating" scenario. Plus, if you're looking to pay a visit to CGKR, the lodge is perfectly located and they can get you to the main reserve in one of their own vehicles (ic you can fly in and don't need your own 4x4).

 

By the way, that evening, I told Adriaan about our bonnet, and he promptly proposed to weld it for us. He and Victor spend almost two hours fixing that damned thing, but unfortunately the material out of which the hinges were made was some kind of tin or cast iron. So the welding didn't hold that long. But I mention it because I have never seen lodge staff do so much effort to make people's stay 100% perfect.

 

Outro pic;

 

(was going for a sunset in a very bushy area, and a kudu thought "dude that pic would not amount to much without me in it")

 

2_Kalahari_065.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great stuff @@Jochen - love the photos but I'm sure you know which ones I like the best from that last set :) . What's the journey time between Haina and CKGR, and are you viewing game on the way or is it a straight drive?

Hey @@africapurohit,

 

It's about three hours of driving if you go 60-70 km/h. Game viewing; not that much. In the beginning it's all cows & donkeys (obviously), but you need to have left civilization for at least an hour before animals pop up. We saw ostrich, warthog and giraffe. But it's a rather boring drive (but perhaps better to not get distracted when you drive at that speed on a sand road).

 

Ciao,

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OOPS

 

I should learn to reread before pushing "post"

 

The guide's name at Haina is VINCENT and not Victor.

Sorry about that, Vince!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

africapurohit

Thanks @@Jochen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Part 4; Moremi island, Okavango delta (self drive)

The next day was going to be a busy day. We knew we had to leave Haina very early, to get back to Maun by 10AM. First stop was going to be McKenzie, to get our camping gear. Next stop was the supermarket, to stock up on food and drinks. And then finally; the drive to 3rd bridge, our first camp site.

So we made sure to pack and shower the evening before. We got out of bed at 6AM, hopped in the car, turned the ignition key, and… nothing.
I tried a few times but it was obvious; the battery was as dead as disco. I opened up the hood, but with little light (sun wasn't out yet) I couldn't see anything wrong; the battery we disconnected yesterday (for the welding) seemed properly attached. 200m away, our friends Erik and Marianne were at their tent, waiting for us to pick them up, but we couldn't warn them. We had no other option but to sound that "emergency horn" thing, to warn Vincent to come get us (blush). He came promptly, I heard him start the car, drive in our direction, and then he turned towards the workshop. Apparently he already heard yesterday that the battery was not 100%. So he went to get some starter cables right away. But it turned out we didn't need those. I missed it with my little headlight but there was a 2nd battery, and on of the cables had just come off.

 

A bit of a false start, but after breakfast we were on our way to Maun. And yes, we made it to McKenzie in time (10:15). We told them about our bonnet (they knew, but forgot to tell us, duh), and about the battery (they fixed it by slamming a nail in between the pin and the cable clamp -TIA!).

McKenzie stuffed al our gear in the car, gave us a quick explanation, and we were on our way before 12AM. First stop; the Spar supermarket in Maun. There we met up with André and two of his buddies, Kenny and Julian. He brought some meat (pork & chicken) from SA, so the rest of the meat (including biltong) we would get a the local butcher. But first; food and drinks. Mira & Marianne had made a list. André and his team threw some stuff in the shopping carts as well. Half an hour later, we were at the register with 4 shopping carts full of food. The bill was almost as long as I am high. And yet… only 3400 Pula total. If you would pull that stunt in Belgium you would pay at least 3 times that amount. I wish I made a picture of that bill though.

After stops at the butcher and the liquor store, and after having filled up at the petrol station, it was high time to leave civilization. We left Maun at about 3PM.

 

2_Kalahari_001.jpg

 

The drive into Moremi and towards 3rd bridge was quite uneventful. I remembered some of the places and landscape from 5 years before. Where were all the animals hiding out??

Well truth be told we kept on the main road, not doing a real game drive. There was plenty of time for that later. So we drove straight to 3rd bridge, set up camp, made a fire and had a good meal. It had been a busy day with a lot of driving, and we were all dead tired.

 

3_Moremi_001.jpg

 

3_Moremi_002.jpg

Tired as I was, I did not forget to put up our night camera. And of course, he found one of the usual suspects.

 

 

The next day we did a game drive, and tried to stay to the west, as that afternoon we would do the east part anyway (our next night was at Xakanaxa campsite). So, "west" actually means; going back from where we came the day before (but then rather opt for the smaller roads this time, and avoid the main road).

Our first game drive started with a fantastic sighting of a huge herd of buffalo right outside the camp gates. The herd was too spread out for decent "panorama style" pictures so I tried to get some close-ups.

 

3_Moremi_011.jpg

 

3_Moremi_012.jpg

But after that, things died down a bit. We had good sightings of sparring Impala rams and waterbuck, and spent quite a bit of time with a herd of elephants that moved through the woods, onto the plains where they drank from a pool. Still, I couldn't help but notice the difference with five years before. There was much less game around this time.

3_Moremi_025.jpg

 

3_Moremi_013.jpg

 

3_Moremi_006.jpg

 

One thing that was up to par with the sightings we had 5 years ago were the birds. We found Black Headed Heron, Saddle Billed Stork, Brown Snake Eagle, Wattled Cranes, etc.

 

3_Moremi_014.jpg

 

3_Moremi_007.jpg

 

3_Moremi_015.jpg

 

We did not see any cats, and compared to 5 years before, there was much less wildlife around. But we thought; "they are probable on the other side of Moremi, between 3rd Bridge & Xakanaxa,".

Edited by Jochen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The next day we moved camp first, to our new spot at Xakanaxa, and then went out on a game drive. We hoped to experience the same kind of sightings as the last time we were here, but from the start it was obvious that this side of Moremi was practically empty as well. It was strange for us to be on Moremi island and having to actually look for sightings, and to have to drive around quite a bit before seeing anything at all. We did had some good sightings of elephant & calf, a troop of vervet monkeys, and then - not far from Xakanaxa airstrip - on a place called Paradise Island if I remember correctly - we found a herd of lechwe in the golden hour. And then on our way back to camp our first ground hornbils on this trip. But in all the day had been a little disappointing. The last time we were here we saw plenty of lions, three leopards and a pack of wild dogs. This time we saw no cats at all.

 

Here's a few pics of our last day on Moremi;

 

3_Moremi_005.jpg

 

3_Moremi_018.jpg

 

3_Moremi_019.jpg

 

3_Moremi_022.jpg

 

3_Moremi_026.jpg

 

3_Moremi_028.jpg

 

3_Moremi_027.jpg

 

3_Moremi_031.jpg

 

3_Moremi_034.jpg

 

3_Moremi_043.jpg

 

3_Moremi_052.jpg

 

3_Moremi_047.jpg

 

 

One positive thing on that day; at Xakanaxa boat station we saw the vehicle of Ewan Masson, and sure enough; there he was! It was nice to see him again, and he's still doing great. He told us that indeed there was not that much game on Moremi because there was still plenty of water in the south, away from the delta, and that the animals were also hanging out there. So the animals were spread out (much better grazing to the south, I guess). He told us Khwai was better, and that Savuti was leopard country. His guests had seen four leopard there.

So we decided, instead of moving camps in the afternoon on the next day, to rather do it in the morning. Because our next "stop" was Mogothlo campsite on Khwai community ground.

 

So Moremi was quiet, But would we see more at Khwai and Savuti?

I'll end this part with a cliff hanger and say "come and see next week"! :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Next week!! I can't wait that long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Monday is next week too. ;)

 

But it might be wednseday as well. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No no Monday :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry it took so long but been too busy

+ my wife's grandmother passed away.

 

 

Part 5; Khwai Community Area (self drive)

So the next day our plan was to drive out of Moremi (and thus out of the park gate and over the bridge) as soon as possible. But once we got to the gate we realized; out is out. This would be our last possibility to see the western side of the Khwai River. So we decided to have a quick drive up & down. Just see what we can find. Again Moremi "underperformed", in the sense that we saw no predators, but just the regular ungulates and birds.

Oh well, to Mogotlho then! That's the name of the campsite on Khwai, if you didn't know that. And it's not like the campsites in the park. At Mogotlho there's no shared facilities like showers blocks and toilets. It's just some camping spots all 100m apart. Some are close to the river, some are further back.

 

After a quick stop at the "Khwai supermarket" we drove south, passed the village, in the general direction of where the campsites were (rather far at the south end of Khwai area).

 

4_Khwai_001.jpg

 

4_Khwai_002.jpg

As I had booked our vehicle separately from André's vehicle we somehow ended up with two camping spots; no 3 and 5. We looked for them, but found them both to be occupied. But not by André (who drove ahead, and should have been on either 3 or 5). We found André on number 2. Apparently no one was paying attention to the numbers and just camped where a spot was empty. The guys from the campsite who came to check our paperwork didn't check for the correct numbers either. Now, our number 2 spot was fantastic, and about the same as 3 or 5. So it didn't bother us that much. But I can imagine that, if you booked a particular spot way in advance, and then find it to be occupied when you get there… Or even worse; you find all the spots near the river to be occupied so you have to look for an empty spot somewhere further back… man, I would be seriously pissed. They campsite managers should really insist on everyone camping on the right spot.

 

Our campsite;

 

4_Khwai_009.jpg

 

An elephant bull came though camp when I was on the toilet.

 

4_Khwai_010.jpg

 

4_Khwai_011.jpg

On this spot, we were going to stay two days. So we had plenty of time to explore the area. André made some fresh bread on the campfire, while we set out on our first game drive in the area. That afternoon we saw more of the usual suspects, but a lot more bird life than further north, and plenty of hippo.

 

4_Khwai_012.jpg

 

4_Khwai_007.jpg

 

4_Khwai_005.jpg

 

4_Khwai_006.jpg

 

4_Khwai_020.jpg

 

4_Khwai_021.jpg

 

4_Khwai_016.jpg

 

And after the sun had set, finally, after a long time, we saw this girl;

 

 

I was at the wrong side of the vehicle, so Mira got this few seconds of footage. We followed her for a bit. She crossed the road and sat under a bush. Through our front window we were able to get another good look. But too dark to take more pictures.

 

Not a bad day, but our cat sightings were too few and too far between those last days, so we hoped to see more the next day.

 

Our camp at sunset;

 

4_Khwai_024.jpg

 

And the usual suspects caught on our night cam;

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The next day was pure game drive. We had heard some lions that night, and apparently they came straight through campsite no 3, which was next to ours. Plenty of their spoor too, that morning, but hyena and leopard as well.

 

After a few good sightings we ran into a game drive vehicle from a lodge and asked them what they had seen. They said they found the lions and gave us some instructions to get to them by backtracking the spoor of their vehicle. Another vehicle of that lodge was still present with them. Now, as you know; in Khwai you can go off road, so this really was a lesson in tracking. We managed to backtrack their spoor, we also managed to find where they were parked, and found the spoor of the other vehicle that pulled out. And we found the lions spoor ...going straight into thick bush. Damn!

 

Still, we had quite a good day, with lots more animals than on moremi. It was like it should be; being able to drive from one sighting to the next, without - say - an hour of searching in between. Here's some images;

 

4_Khwai_003.jpg

 

4_Khwai_015.jpg

 

4_Khwai_018.jpg

 

4_Khwai_026.jpg

 

4_Khwai_022.jpg

 

4_Khwai_028.jpg

 

4_Khwai_032.jpg

 

4_Khwai_034.jpg

 

4_Khwai_037.jpg

 

4_Khwai_040.jpg

 

By the way the ladies were completely unimpressed with the size of the kudu's member. Now all guys can shout out in union; "that's because we're spoiling them!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forgot the outro for Khwai. Our last sighting of that day;

 

4_Khwai_041.jpg

 

Oh, and that night our hyena returned. This time though, he was a bit more mischievous. Here's a bit of footage where he ran away with an empty water can (from 40" onward in the video):

 

 

It woke me up, so the next bit of footage shows me, running around with my flash light, in my birthday costume, trying to find out what was missing. :D But it was only the next morning that we saw the can had moved. It was now lying behind our vehicle. And the lid was gone (but we managed to find that back too).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Intermezzo:

 

At noon on that day, I was lying in my tent about to doze off, when I heard a car stop at our camp site. They asked our South African friends where campsite nr 1 was, and where the nearest gas station was. I don't know why exactly, but I immediately knew these people were from the Flemish part of Belgium, just like me.

 

So I got up, and spoke to them in Dutch, which kinda surprised them. Their story was mind boggling. Apparently they went to a travel fair in Antwerp, and booked a self drive with a "rather well known company" that organizes a lot of safaris for Belgian people. Typically, such firm just adds to the bill, as of course locally the trip was organized by yet another "well known company". This one apparently specialized in self drives in Namibia (or rather; with start and ending point in Namibia).

 

Their trip started in Maun, went around the west side of the Delta (where they had a few days in a water based camp), through the Caprivi Strip, and then back into Botswana (the Linyanti, area, then Savuti, Khwai, Moremi and back to Maun).

 

Right... I hope you are all sitting down. If not please do so before reading on. Here's a few "fun" details of their trip:

 

- They had never been on African soil, nor had they ever done a self drive.

- They drove a Toyota Hilux which had even less ground clearance than ours.

- The instructions he got regarding best pressure for the tyres, to drive on sand, were wrong.

- Their papers stated that "most 4x4's were equipped with two tanks". But theirs was not! Although up until the moment he met us he thought so. Actually, he thought the gauge would hit zero because the first tank was empty, and thought he could then go on with the 2nd tank. So we had to give him the bad news that he had just enough fuel to make it to Maun by going via Mababe. So he was going to lose the whole day he normally could have spent on Khwai soil. Still, he was quite lucky to have run into us and to have brought up the tank-issue. Because otherwise he might have got stuck without gas on some back road.

- Their papers stated that Mogothlo camp sites had all facilities like a shower block and plenty of fresh water. Of course, this is not true at all. His vehicle was not equipped with water tanks, so this meant; no showers for them for two days. But no toilet not water for cooking either. Unless (again) they went to Maun instead of driving on. Well they had to anyway, as they were almost out of gas.

- With this vehicle, and without any water tank, they had done the road between Linyanti and Savuti. Obviously they got stuck a couple of times, and one time they could not get out. Luckily, after two hours in the blistering heat, some more vehicles passed by, and were able to get them out.

 

That evening, we saw that they were parked at campsite no. 1, which was next to hours. It was already taken (as were ours), but they just ended up sharing it with those other people who were already there. We left the next morning, so we don't know what happened to them after that.

 

---

 

Seriously, folks...

 

To anyone reading this, please, PLEASE, take this advice.

 

- Don't do self drives on your own, without experience. On your first self drive(s), make sure someone with more experience is part of the group. Preferably, go with more than one vehicle.

- Particularly for Belgian people; stop booking safaris through local travel agencies. It's about time you all realize that shopping on the internet, certainly when it comes to safaris, is not less safe than shopping locally. Certainly not since local travel agents have little or no knowledge of what they're selling. They just add to your total cost, that is all. You are better off looking for good info on websites such as this one and then choosing a local (African) travel agent with a good reputation.

 

----

 

Since I'm kinda in the business myself, I'm not going to mention the firm names involved. Hopefully this Belgian couple will find this thread (I gave them the name of this board).

 

But in any case, if I ever end up on that travel fair, and happen to run into that firm, I'm going to make sure to have plenty of listeners around me before asking them questions on their business ethics, and pointing out what they did wrong on this trip!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow great info and great advice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should have put my previous post in blue a now it may be overlooked.

 

Maybe I gave this incident too much attention but my humor-meter drops to it's lowest point when I see that TA's are playing with customer's lives.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Safaritalk uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using Safaritalk you agree to our use of cookies. If you wish to refuse the setting of cookies you can change settings on your browser to clear and block cookies. However, by doing so, Safaritalk may not work properly and you may not be able to access all areas. If you are happy to accept cookies and haven't adjusted browser settings to refuse cookies, Safaritalk will issue cookies when you log on to our site. Please also take a moment to read the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy: Terms of Use l Privacy Policy