Bucket List Botswana

Boredom is often the start of many crazy ideas… It was no different for Bernie Williams, who decided that an expedition to Botswana in the rainy season would be a great adventure.

Originally the trip started out as a seven day excursion, heading out towards the Makgadikgadi Pans in the direction of Kubu Island, and then onto the Kwai concession area for a few days before making our way back home to South Africa.

Pitched as true “manne” trip, the plan was to take off after New Year’s Day and return by 7 or 8 January. The excuse would be that we since we have complied with the family thing over the Christmas break and it was now our turn to recharge our batteries so as to be ready for the start of the new year.  The Makgadikgadi Pans on its own can be very deceptive. Add to that massive amounts of rain and you would realise that it could be a recipe for disaster. But as a bunch of avid adventurers we threw caution to the wind and we were on our merry way to Kubu Island.

For the last few years we haven’t been using the campsites at Kubu Island and we’ve been staying at the adventure camp close to the veterinarian fence. The reason for this is quite simply that at the adventure camp there are hot showers and flush toilets which does make it easier for our clients, especially the ladies.  We headed off towards Kubu Island, the pans were filled with water which makes driving extremely tricky and difficult. One tends to drive on gut feel, because the tracks that are normally there, are flooded. We soon learned that it is better to stay on the old existing tracks, because due to continuous traffic over years, the terrain has become a lot more compacted.

Having said that though, we ventured off in a different direction and soon realised that we were in trouble. I asked the rest of the convoy to head back to the main track and stay on those tracks in the direction of Kubu Island to a spot that was dry at the time.  Don’t follow the leader I would then take a shortcut across the pans to join up with them and I explicitly asked  everybody to please not follow me. Needless to say, as I looked in my rear-view mirror, I had two vehicles behind me, which soon ended up with them both getting stuck.  From there, our day just got longer! While we are doing our best to free one the stricken vehicles, along come two of the vehicles that made it through safely, to come and offer assistance only – yes, you guessed it – to also get stuck. Long story short, five and a half hours later we were on our way to the campsite having missed the magic sunset on Kubu Island!

If you have never experienced Botswana in the wet or rainy season you are seriously missing out. It is the most beautiful you will ever see this African gem and, contrary to popular belief, game is plentiful. The understanding would be that the bush would be so dense that you wouldn’t be able to see any of the animals that are around, but honestly I have never seen so much game around during the past 12 years of doing this trip in December.

During planning for this trip, demand became higher, with the adventurers asking for more and voicing their dream to see the Caprivi strip during the wet season.  Ever willing to cater to the clients’ dreams, we added this stop to the itinerary.

I will never forget the very first time that we included the Caprivi strip on our adventures. We were camping in the Kwai River concession area and our original plan was to drive back to Maun and then drive around via Sehitwa to get to Sepupa Swamp Stop.  Not too far from there is the only World Heritage Site that Botswana has – Tsodillo Hills, home to more than 4 000 Bushmen drawing sites.

As you approach, you can see the male, female and child hill in the distance. It is certainly worthwhile to chat to a local Bushman that will explain the drawings to you – but I digress.  On New Year’s Eve, sitting around the campfire, we were discussing certain routes around the area and I happened to mention to our clients at the time, that there was a route that runs from close to North gate all the way around the northern edge of the Delta ending up at Shakawe. We would cross the Okavango River via the pontoon then head on to the Namibian border. I had driven this route once before with clients from Peru but that was in September before the rains.

Our clients were extremely adventurous and asked why we don’t drive this route to our next destination. After much deliberation convincing me that they are up to the task, we decided to head on through this area. Little did we know about the massive 4×4 trucks that take supplies to the lodges in the North near the Linyati.

The first problem is that your wheels do not run in the same tracks as the trucks, because they are wider. Extremely thick sand awaits you, and in between mud holes with black cotton soil which are deep, as the trucks have now made proper deep ruts in them.

Besides the thick sand you also now have to contend with serious water along the way in these mud holes. Add to that the fact that there are plenty of elephant in the area and the bush is dense right up against the track, and you will understand that this is no normal drive – and it does this for 180 km’s!

It is a full day’s drive, anywhere between six and eight hours, due to the terrain. If you feel adventurous and brave enough to attempt it, keep in mind the time it takes when planning your itinerary. You have to stay on the road because it is a transit road. The areas to the left and right are concession areas, where camping is not allowed. If you do attempt the track, do it with someone that knows the area and is an experienced overlanding guide. You could find yourself in a spot of bother if you went in there unprepared.

Once you reach Shakawe, it is a short hop over the river on the pontoon which ads a sense of excitement. The border post closes at 6pm and from there our next stop is the well-known and much loved Ngepi Camp, which has been around for close to 30 years and has been voted as the world’s best camp site numerous times.

My personal highlight of Ngepi is the floating swimming pool in the Okavango River!  No visit to Ngepi is complete without a visit to Buffalo reserve.  You will find Buffalo reserve on the opposite banks of the Okavango River. It is a short drive to the intersection of Bigani/Divundu and in the direction of Katima Mullilo, and is well signposted to your right.

What makes Buffalo reserve unique is the fact that this used to be the home base of the very renowned and well known 32 Batallion from the days of the South African Bush War. Besides huge numbers of elephant, buffalo and lion, the remnants of the buildings often bring back memories from days long gone by. To me no visit is complete until I’ve stopped at the graves of the fallen heroes of 32 Batalion and raised a glass to my old mates.

Also close to Ngepi is Mahango Reserve, which you actually drive through once you cross into the Caprivi. This reserve is well worth a visit with herds of roan antelope as well as other game.
It offers magical views over the massive Okavango flood plains.  There are predators in this park, and you should only get out where it is indicated as being safe to do so and even then, be extra vigilant.

From Ngepi we drove in an easterly direction towards the well known town of Katima Mulilo, stopping on the way near Kongola at the Babwata National Park. This is where we would find the remnants of the old South African reconnaissance unit retraining base called Fort Doppies, as well as the very well-known Horseshoe with its abundance of game. We would normally  stop here to have a lunch break at the old base with its magic views over the river. There is plenty of game around this area and is absolutely well worth the visit.

I have always wanted to camp here for two nights but have never gotten to it, so bucket list it is!  We headed on to Kasane for the next two days. Kasane is one of my favourite towns, having made friends with the local people here over the last 20 years of visiting. My choice of camp is Thebe River Safaris.  I have seen this business grow over the years and the owners have become very good friends. They offer combo packages that include the early morning game drive into Chobe National Park as well as a boat cruise in the afternoon on the Chobe River. The cruise is always special… there is nothing that beats a sunset over the Chobe.

With our adventure drawing to an end, there were still a few surprises along the way. One of these is the well-known Hunters Road. We start with it at the most northern tip near the Zimbabwe border gate and then start driving south. Along this section we have often encountered big herds of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest as well as buffalo, not forgetting the elephants. It would be stupid to try and drive the entire Hunters Road in the rainy season. I know there are people that have done it, but when you have the safety of clients and their families to consider, discretion is the better part of valour. We drive to the last possible escape road out of the Hunters Road and in a good rainy season even that can be challenging.

Once we get to the tar, we continue on our journey south until we reach Elephant Sands. Here we spend some time enjoying a few cold ones as well as lunch in the company of the elephants as they come down to the water hole. I do remember the days of Elephant Sands when it was small and intimate with the ellies drinking water from the pool while you sat in it. Sadly, those days are over as commercialism as taken over.

For our last evening together, we headed to Nata Lodge. This has always been one of my favourite places to stay, from my early days of travel to Botswana. Sadly, it burned down a few years ago but has been rebuilt to its former glory. Although most clients opt to sleep in the chalets or luxury tents on this last evening, the camp site is one of the best with comfortable and clean ablution facilities.

The staff prepared an amazing dinner for our last night, spent reminiscing about the last 12 days… the sights, the sounds, the experiences… I again realise that I could never live anywhere else in the world, Africa is just too much a part of me and I have seen and experienced too much of Mama Africa as Kingsley Holgate calls her so passionately.

Having travelled and led many tours through our neighbouring countries, this December-January adventure to Botswana and the Caprivi Strip will stay in my mind as one of the best experiences I have had. Undoubtedly, a bucket list trip for every enthusiastic overlanding adventurer.