Botswana camping Archives - Under One Botswana Sky Blog

Gallivanting by Game Drive at Moremi Crossing & Gunn’s Camp

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 10:16:41 +0000

As of the end of July, game drive safaris are now offered at both Moremi Crossing and Gunn’s Camp in the Okavango Delta!

With water levels lower than usual in the Okavango Delta, there are greater expanses of unexplored land mass within our private concession that offer perfect opportunities for wildlife viewing by game drive. Game drives are a new additional activity, which will be available to guests at Moremi Crossing and Gunn’s Camp during the drier cycles when water activities may become more limited.

Game drives added to two camps

The introduction of game drives adds even more value to these well-priced delta camps popular with smaller groups, families or travellers looking for a more intimate and authentic delta experience. Enjoy a morning or late afternoon game drive exploring the remote wilderness and diverse wildlife in our private concession, with sundowners ending off the afternoon drive.

Enjoy a chilled drink while watching the sun set over the Okavango Delta before heading back to camp

From Gunn’s Camp, game drive vehicles will carry a maximum six guests per vehicle, while those from Moremi Crossing will take up to nine guests. Game drives are offered as one activity only per night’s stay and there is no private vehicle option available at these camps.

Mekoro and walking safaris remain

During high water season our guests will once again get to delight in the ever popular mekoro, boat cruise and fishing for the ultimate delta experience.

Cruise through the interconnected channels of the Okavango Delta on a mekoro when water levels are high

Walking safaris on the famous Chief’s Island in the Moremi Game Reserve, as well as within the concession, in combination with seasonal mekoro remain the highlight and a year-round activity.

Year-round adventure camping

What’s more is that this is the only area where guests can book a night or two in the wilderness for an adventurous and rustic experience in our bush camp.

Camp in the remote wilderness of the Okavango Delta no matter what time of the year

Adventure camping is now available year-round and must be pre-booked. The nights spent camping in the wilderness must be in between at least one night at Gunn’s Camp or Moremi Crossing.

Contact us for more information on these exciting safari experiences.

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A Botswana Camping Adventure by Bushbaby Travel Blog

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 09:14:36 +0000

Highlights from the Bushbaby Travel Blog‘s Botswana self-drive camping trip.

A 4am wakeup call is only okay when the reason for it is a holiday. On the 19^th of July 2017, this was how our day and our incredible Botswana trip started and we welcomed that alarm clock chime. We tackled the very long drive from Johannesburg to Nata (886kms). Our excited anticipation got us going and later the emotional support from each other over our little 2 way radios and the energy from snacks and energy drinks got us through that final stretch. We were a herd of four and two trusty 4×4’s, heading off to explore Botswana on a self-drive camping holiday.

We entered Botswana via the small Stockpoort border post, just after Lephalale. No queues, no issues and recommended as our preferred way into the county. From there it was onwards to Francistown and then to Nata. We finally arrived at our happy place, Nata Bird Sanctuary, just before 5pm and in time for sunset over the Makgadikgadi Pans. It’s an especially significant spot to Graham and me as it’s where we got engaged in 2013 (More on that story here) and is a setting we wanted to share with my folks too. Graham exclaimed that our return to it and to our beloved Botswana felt like coming home.

Toasting our first Botswana sunset at the Nata Bird Sanctuary pan. ©Kelly Robertson

Sunset at Nata Bird Sanctuary, A scene with so much water, it looked like an ocean sunset. ©Kelly Robertson

It was tranquillity personified as the setting sun painted that scene pink and pelicans and flamingos danced by before their bedtime. It was the most perfect welcome to Botswana. We were there!

Capturing the magic of this special place – Nata Bird Sanctuary. ©Kelly Robertson

On a previous visit to the Nata Bird Sanctuary we had camped near the platform on the pans, which was such a memorable experience. However, the sanctuary no longer allows this as they work to conserve that natural place and keep the human footprint to a minimum.

A view of the Makgadikgadi Pans from the roof rack. ©Kelly Robertson

Instead we headed to the convenient, secure and wonderfully managed Nata Lodge, just up the road, for our first night’s camping and our first sleep in our rooftop tents. We were visited by the bushbabies at night as they jumped from tree branches to our tents and beyond. We also indulged in a hearty breakfast at the lodge the next morning before moving off in search of wild adventures.

Camping in our tropical campsite oasis at Nata Lodge. ©Kelly Robertson

Read the full article here.

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Safaris: Your Game, Your Rules – an Independent Tour of Botswana

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 09:02:20 +0000

You don’t have to go on an expensive, organised safari. Nicky Holford put together her own tour of Botswana, camping out in national parks, and had the trip of a lifetime for a fraction of the cost

A thin sheet of canvas separates me from the hunting ground of Botswana’s greatest predators. Lying in our roof-tent above the car, I can still see the red embers of our campfire against a starry sky. I feel at one with the universe.

At first it is easy to sleep. The long hot day has been filled with adventure: a pride of lions stalking a warthog; a fish eagle catching, then dropping, his large wriggling prey; a nervous giraffe spreading its front legs to drink at the water hole; wild dogs panting under a tree. There have been chores, too: a bit of car maintenance, and supper to cook on the fire, head torches for light and a wary eye out for thieving monkeys.

As the night thickens, I become aware of a scratching, something out there sniffing and scuffling, inquisitive rather than threatening. There’s an attack on the oil drum dustbin and I hear the unmistakable roar of a lion, far enough away not to raise my heartbeat. Then there are rubbing and digging sounds, and the padding feet of something very large. My husband, Ian, looks out of the mosquito netting at the side of the tent. “Can you see anything,” I whisper. “Yes,” he says, “elephants.” A few inches away a huge elephant is pawing the ground to get at the roots of the grass. I freeze. I can count his eyelashes.

The next morning as I clamber down the ladder, it’s as if nothing happened, except that surrounding the car are a number of tracks, including the paws of hyena and the big flat imprints from the elephants.

Planning your own safari in Botswana’s national parks is not for the faint of heart. It’s an adventure that will test your 4X4 driving skills, offer fear and exhilaration, call on your inner reserves and leave you with unforgettable memories. And while not exactly a budget holiday, doing it yourself like this costs a fraction of the price of an organised safari.

Photograph: Louise Gubb

Since Botswana is celebrating 50 years of independence in 2016, it is a great year to visit. A good option is to fly to Maun (from Gaborone or Johannesburg) and rent a vehicle there. At Maun you can buy food and supplies, then it’s only a two-hour drive to the Okavango delta (declared the 1,000th world heritage site in 2014). We drove up from Johannesburg, and our first night in the bush was at Nxai Pan national park at the northern tip of the Makgadikgadi basin. At the park entrance we checked in, showing receipts for park and camping fees. Botswanans are proud and friendly. Never start a conversation without a greeting.

With an update on animal sightings from the ranger, we head through the gates. The track ahead is deep sand and we can make progress only in the lowest gears. A few kilometres in, we get stuck. Two attempts with a hydraulic jack fail and it’s 40C. By chance a young English couple from Essex pass by: their hire car is equipped with traction tracks, so they are able to rescue us.

As the car is finally heaved out of the sand, Fritz, an old Africa hand, rolls up. He cannot believe we’ve got this far without deflating our tyres. He gets out his deflater (apparently a matchstick also works), and the sand is instantly conquered. Setting off again we make a diversion to the Baines baobabs, a group of 1,000-year-old trees by a salt pan, painted by Thomas Baines in 1862.

We reach our camp in the early evening, with the low golden sun softening the stark terrain of sculptured tree trunks. We head to a water hole where a family of elephants are frolicking in the mud, spraying each other. Nearby, various birds and a herd of impala are waiting their turn. We see ostriches, springboks, kudu and red lechwe antelope.

As the sun turns into a ball of fire it’s a race to reach the camp washhouse – surrounded by sharp spikes embedded in concrete to keep intruders out. We manage a shower, set up the tent, and light the fire before darkness falls.

Our plan was to head north to Moremi game reserve and the Okavango delta, and then to the river at Kwai, Savuti and Chobe. Driving time and distance would vary according to the road quality. Within the national parks it is mostly sand or track but even outside the parks sometimes there are deep corrugations. There’s a brief bit of tarmac at Kachikau leaving Savuti until you reach Chobe national park. Then there are the occasional detours to avoid river crossing or fallen trees. We bought maps in the UK but once there, most people navigated by GPS. There are maps for each park with GPS waymarks but it can be hard to negotiate the smaller designated tracks. Game drives focus on the watering holes, and the best times are early morning and sunset. But our whole journey is a game drive. There are no rules when it comes to finding game, except not to get out of the car.

Photograph: Alison Gilbert

A few days in, we’re into a routine. I’ve got used to spotting lurking hyenas on the way to the shower block, and the grunting and snorting of hippos at night. We rattle over log bridges and ford rivers, where we lose a number plate. Binoculars always to hand, we spot prides of lions, a leopard under bushes and rare roan and sable antelopes.

There are a few scary moments. All the maps have GPS co-ordinates but we don’t have GPS – or the popular Tracks4Africa online maps. After missing a water hole, we marvel at a plain filled with giraffe, but the track turns into barely passable sand and we round a bend to find a family of elephants blocking the track. As we try to reverse, there’s wild flapping of ears and a trumpeting. The herd, led by young bulls, runs towards us, gaining momentum as we bash our way backwards through the trees. In the nick of time we find a clearing just big enough to turn round in.

The Savuti channel is dry, the water holes parched, and our sunset game drive brings few results. As we debate returning to camp, a majestic lion emerges from a clump of bushes, beckoned by a stunning lioness sashaying her tail. Their frequent bouts of mating take them to the edge of a water hole in front of our car. Just as the lion roars in satisfaction a group of bull elephants charge them. They miss the car by a whisper.

Every night a herd of buffalo cross from the Namibia side while elephants bathe, squirting each other and chucking dust and mud about. A kudu and a crocodile creep up on the bank. Our least welcome guest is a nasty alpha baboon, which jumps up on our table and grabs the handle of a bag that holds all our kitchen utensils. I seize the other handle and wrestle with it, like a tug of war. Fortunately I win.

Photograph: Louise Gubb

All our campsites have been spacious, in lovely, wild settings, with nearby running water, a firepit and a concrete table. Clambering up the ladder to our rooftop-tent each night becomes second nature. We have sheets, duvets and pillows, and the nights are never too hot. And with time, scavenging hyenas, grunting hippos, and the shuffle of elephants just punctuate the night. On the day that we leave Chobe national park, we find a fresh kill. Vultures are circling as a pride of lions rip the tough skin off an elephant. The sound it nauseating.

Our last night is spent in luxury at the Chobe Bush Lodge: no dawn start, cocktails on the deck, long hot showers. It lives up to every expectation, and we even see a black mamba. But as I sink into my deep mattress, I miss sitting around the campfire listening to scops owls and frogs, the rustle of the wind and the sounds of life in the wild. Most of all, I miss the great Botswana sky, with stars so close you feel you can reach out and touch them.

Originally published on the Guardian Travel by Nicky Holford.

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How to See the Best of Botswana

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 12:42:30 +0000

Self-drive travel through Botswana is an adventure, not a leisure holiday. In  10 days we churned up dust crossing the Makgadikgadi pans, dodged donkeys on the tar road in Maun, crossed rivers in Moremi, bumped along deep mud-dried ruts next to the Savuti marsh and slipped in sand on the tracks leading to Chobe. Seeing the best of Botswana requires  a 4×4 and a sense of humour (I’ll admit,  I lost mine for a bit in the Savuti sand). Here, nature takes centre stage  and you’ll want a front-row seat.

When it comes to tourism, Botswana champions quality over quantity. Destinations are generally pricier than many in South Africa, in order to protect resources, and lodges target wealthy foreign visitors. However, this is a good thing. It means visitor numbers are less, South Africans get special (read cheaper) reserve rates – and it forces us to camp.

The family I introduced to Botswana does not regularly camp but they readily embraced it as part of the thrill. Granted, living on the road and packing up camp each morning – often from 5am – can  be a hack, but it’s the means to magic memories that’ll last a lifetime. We dodged hyena on the way to the loo  and hippo popped in for a visit at Third Bridge. We stirred our coffee to lion roars in the morning, an egg-and-bacon skottel breakfast sizzling on the crusty salt pans.

On Kubu Island, we spread out blankets to watch stars splash the night sky; at Ihaha, we spotted a snuffling honey badger; at Chobe we shooed  a warthog away from our lunch. And on that evening in Savuti, when the noises of nature made us freeze, we discovered that new, enormous species of bushbaby.
Camping also means you can splurge the money you save on cool stuff – such as spotting elephant, giraffe and lechwe from a flight over the world’s largest inland delta, or on a mokoro trip and  feel your adrenaline surge as hippos approach your dug-out while piloting through the narrow river channels. Other options are motoring along the Chobe River in a private boat with a guide who knows where to find Jesus birds (African jacanas) and pied kingfisher, or sipping  a sundowner overlooking Botswana’s ‘sea’, the vast Sua Pan, dotted with flamingoes and rowdy pelicans.

It’s the kind of adventure that gets under your skin and gives you an unshakeable urge to pack up the car and do it all over again.

Best of Botswana Itinerary

Take it easy and drive along the Chobe River, as you’ve only got to get to Chobe Safari Lodge roughly 40km away. Veto the afternoon booze cruise and book a private boat trip  at the activity centre for the following morning. It works out cheaper per person and the knowledgeable guide can manoeuvre the boat for a closer  look at game and birds. Then  while away the afternoon on the decks of the lodge and  upload those snaps using the  free WiFi.

Wake up at 07:00 and dress warmly for the scenic boat  trip on the Chobe River. Return to camp and pack up to leave for Nata Lodge near the Makgadikgadi salt pans.  Stay in a safari tent so you can take it easy on the last day of your trip, sleep on a thicker mattress and get an early start in the morning. Check with reception if there’s water on the pans and book a drive to see the flamingoes at the nearby Nata Bird Sanctuary.

Originally published on Getaway Magazine.

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How to Choose Safari Accommodation

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 12:18:55 +0000

Imagine sleeping in a humble tent in the deepest African bushveld, only accompanied by the raw sounds of wilderness. For many, this is precisely how a safari should be experienced. But safari accommodation comes in a variety of other forms too. From camping on the banks of the Chobe River to staying in modern boutique rooms with stylish design, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Luxury Safari Tents

Sleeping in a safari tent gives you the opportunity to be close to nature and experience the real spirit of Africa. Hearing wildlife roaming past your tent or birds chirping their melodious mating calls near Pom Pom, Gunns Camp or Moremi Crossing in the heart of the Okavango Delta is a thrilling affair.

Safari Rooms

Staying in a contemporary setting can also be a base for your Botswana safari experience. Chobe Bush Lodge’s rooms provide a comfortable stay with bush-style design. The safari rooms are made of an intriguing mix of modern-day luxuries and traditional African décor.

Camping

Camping is a brilliant option for those who are keen to experience an authentic wilderness stay. You cannot get much closer to wild nature than setting up a tent on a campsite overlooking the Chobe floodplains or just beyond the secluded Makgadikgadi Salt Pan, surrounded by utter silence.

Thatched Chalets

The great thing about Nata Lodge’s chalets is the fact that they are built on stilts and set in a rustic African style to seamlessly combine the essence of Africa and the comfort of home. One of the chalets has also been built to accommodate the physically challenged and guests who require easier access to the shower and toilet.

Rondavel

Chobe Safari Lodge’s original accommodation type, the traditional thatched rondavel, provides an excitingly unique safari visit. These independently positioned units create an intimate wilderness base.

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Nata Lodge

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:46:19 +0000

Just a hop and a skip away from the magnificent Makgadikgadi salt pans, Nata Lodge in the Nata area of central Botswana exudes mystery and antiquity. With a bird life that will astound any traveler and the opportunity to witness one of the biggest heard of Zebra in Africa, this is a destination not to be missed.

What was once a lake the size of Switzerland, Makgadikgadi dried up thousands of years ago and now makes up a collection of many salt pans, the biggest one being 4921 km2. It is one of the biggest salt flats in the world and is now home to a spectacular array of bird life that draws tourists from all over the world. After the rainy season animals are drawn to the water and it becomes an oasis of colour and life.

Nata Lodge offers quad bike rides that take you along the edge of the water that collects in the pans during the rainy months. Watch as the biggest heard of Zebra in the wild drink from the waters. Flamingo turn the water pink as they come here to breed. It is the only breeding population of Greater Flamingos in Southern Africa. Boababs tower over migrating Wildebeest grazing in the surrounding grasslands.

Close to the Chobe area, take a drive and see the majestic Chobe elephants in their natural environment. Nata Lodge offers guided tours to the Nata Sanctuary. This forms the only breeding ground for a multitude of water birds including thousands of pelicans and flamingos.

Spend your vacation in a selection of Nata Lodge fantastic options in accommodation. Chose between luxury thatched chalets, custom designed safari tents and the camp site for those looking for a more bush safari adventure. All accommodation offers peaceful, tranquil and stylish settings with amazing friendly and professional service.

Originally published on Travel Adventures Botswana.

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Africa for Beginners

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 13:12:28 +0000

A seasoned backpacker shares his tips and suggested itineraries for a memorable few weeks in southern or east Africa

Take it from someone who has backpacked the length and breadth of Africa: it’s big, slow, exciting and infuriating in equal measure. Its charm lies in the simplicity of local life, the cheerfulness of its people and its natural wonders.

Travelling can be a struggle: bureaucracy and corruption can be problematic, and forget time-keeping altogether – but all this makes for roads less travelled than in other continents.

Contrary to what you might think Africa can be a pricey travel destination. Tourists stand out, so often you’ll be singled out for special attention and inflated prices. My recent four-week trip from Dakar in Senegal via Timbuktu to Abidjan, capital of Ivory Coast, cost over £2,500, even though I used public transport and stayed in fairly basic hostels. Budget options won’t always exist, so stay in them when you can.

Public transport can be unreliable and uncomfortable. The bush-taxi I took from Bamako in Mali to Conakry in Guinea broke down after three hours. The car, a Peugeot 504 estate, should have been on a scrap heap – every window was cracked, every visible inch of metal rusted. The taxi that towed us to the nearest town was just as bad. There were eight of us in my taxi, and nine inside the car in front, plus two small boys, a goat, three chickens and a motorcycle on the roof. But it’s all great fun.

Much as I enjoyed my foray into west Africa, there is much less to see than in the south and east. Timbuktu is a great place to send a postcard from but its fame lies more in its inaccessibility than in anything there is to do there. Some west African states are still recovering from civil war. In many countries in the north, such as Sudan and Libya, visas are hard to obtain, and there is little provision for backpackers. Visas are often tied to expensive – and restrictive – package tours.
Instead, here are some great itineraries based on my own travels, which could be joined together.

South Africa–Namibia–Botswana–Zambia, 4 weeks

A classic route, combining wildlife and thrills, starts in Cape Town. See Robben Island then take a bus to Springbok. Stay at the hostel Cat Nap Accommodation.

Cross into Namibia by taxi or hire car to Hobas and book a five-day hike through Fish River Canyon. In Windhoek, to the north, chill for a while at Cardboard Box Backpackers, before catching a bus to Swakopmund, for sandboarding, skydiving and dune-buggying, which can be arranged at Dunes Backpackers.

The best way to see Botswana’s Okavango Delta is on an organised expedition but these are expensive. Spend a day or two cruising the Chobe national park riverfront instead – Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane has good value rooms and camping, and can set up boat trips. End your journey on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. A 15-minute microlight flight over the falls will set you back $120, from any local travel agent. Entering the falls on foot costs $10 and the views are still breathtaking.

Nearby Livingstone is a good place to chill – Hippo’s, near the Fawlty Towers hostel, is the bar to hang out at.

Originally posted on The Guardian Travel on the 21st of August 2010 by Laurence Watts.

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