Botswana – Saasdia Travel Gid

A safari break in the Moremi Game Reserve

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 17:59:55 +0000

It feels odd to be posting about travel in a time where coronavirus means none of us can actually travel. It’s scary and crazy and just absolutely mad to see how this has impacted the world. It’s served to remind me how fragile things can be – both human and economic. We live in a truly global world and the impacts of this will be felt globally, for a very long time.

However, one of the things getting me through the days working from home with limited social contact (oh how I miss wine nights with my friends) is reminiscing and writing about my travels. I know travel isn’t important at this time, but future trips will mean even more when we all get to actually go on them! And for now I will continue to post about past trips, because reminiscing to happier times is a nice tonic. So, to Botswana we go…

Botswana is such a beautiful country, both due to its landscape which is defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, and due to its people who are friendly, welcoming and warm.

When thinking about where to go for a safari in Africa, many choose South Africa – parks like the Kruger are undoubtedly amazing. Places like Namibia and Kenya are also firmly on the safari map. Zimbabwe is also trying to increase tourism to its national parks, following the end to Mugabe’s time in power (and is a good bet if you’re happy to trade a bit of economic instability for no crowds). However, to me Botswana has the edge and is without doubt one of the great safari destinations in the world. It is well established, and the country is a stable democracy meaning it’s safe for tourists. And its wildlife is epic.

You can reach The Okavango Delta in lots of different ways. The closest airport is Maun and you can fly directly there from Johannesburg or Cape Town. It’s then a road/boat transfer to the camp you choose. We actually came from Chobe National Park to the east so took an utterly terrifying and sick inducing light aircraft flight between the two. I’m sure the plane was sealed with brown tape – but luckily we survived to tell the tale.

We stayed in the Okuti Camp in the Moremi Game Reserve. This camp is almost like glamping, with the rooms being like big tents. It sits right in the Delta with gorgeous views out to the African landscape.

Okuti Camp

View out from the Camp

From the Camp, you are then allocated a guide who can take you out to explore the Delta. It’s such a vast expanse, listed as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The incredible wildlife you can see is truly spectacular and getting up close to the animals is something really special.

An elephant saunters down the road

Impala look less than sturdy drinking from the river

A lion with his lioness (or maybe a lioness with her lion)

A giraffe in the wetlands

One of the things I love most about Africa is the sunsets, and the Okavango Delta is no different. You can go out on the water to experience the wildlife from the rivers, and also the most spectacular red and orange sunsets.

A hippo in the water

The sun sets in the Delta

Like with all safaris, it’s best to head out at sunrise and sunset to make the most of the wildlife. This means early starts and back for breakfast with time to kill before going out for the next safari drive/boat cruise. In that time, the hotel has a lovely pool which you can swim in, a communal dining table to eat and meet other people visiting the area and some nice walks around the lodge grounds.

I think it’s safe to say, this place of the world is a true slice of peace and serenity in a busy, crazy world. It’s so special to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat and I only hope that future generations still have the opportunity to see landscapes and animals as we have.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post. Hopefully we can all get back to travelling soon – and in the meantime, stay safe.

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A weekend at Chobe Game Lodge

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 19:05:24 +0000

One of Botswana’s most amazing National Parks, Chobe really is a piece of paradise. To see the huge herds of elephants in the wetlands, the zebra in the marshes, the buffalo roaming free and hippos in the water – is an experience so special. It makes you feel very small, and incredibly sad, that less and less of this habitat and these animals are in existence every day.

Chobe is made even more special if you choose to stay at the Chobe Game Lodge. This is an eco friendly hotel, right inside the park perimeter. This means you have a head start each morning on all the visiting tourists!

There’s something else special about Chobe Game Lodge – all the guides are female. Guiding is often seen as a male job, and there are so many incredible male guides, but it was so special to meet empowered, amazing women who are absolutely awesome at their jobs. Interestingly, women were initially hired because they were seen as safer drivers – and I have to say, I felt safe at all times. So thank you to the amazing women of the Lodge who made this trip so special.

Getting to Chobe National Park is fairly straightforward. It’s located only about 3 miles from Kasane airport which is a local airport. You can transfer there from many African airports including Johannesburg. We chose an alternative option – we drove from Victoria Falls which was the first stop on this holiday.

Visiting a National Park like this really only means one thing – wildlife, wildlife and more wildlife. It’s best to go out first thing in the morning (be prepared for pre 5am starts) and late at night. This is because it’s just too hot for the animals in the heat of the day.

I personally loved the giraffes, they are just too cute and an absolutely crazy creation of nature!

A cheeky giraffe

A giraffe tries to reach to the floor

Majestic!

Chobe is also famous for its lion population which live around the Linyanti marsh. We saw quite a few up close and thought they were beautiful (if a bit scary). I also liked the huge herds of buffalo, although my personal favourite was this characterful guy missing a horn with an egret on his back for company!

A buffalo and a lioness

Zebra are also really common in the Park and mainly stay in the floodable grasslands, and hippos are a common site in the river and on the banks of it. Interestingly, the guides are most afraid of hippos of all of the creatures, so if you come across one don’t be surprised if your guide tries to get you away as quickly as possible!

Hippos at the water’s edge

A zebra grazes

Chobe Game Lodge also offers a number of additional experiences, not just 4X4 guided tours. You can also take afternoon tea every day on the board walk looking out to the African plains, cook with the chefs to make your own stirfry or pizza or even venture out for a Chobe sunset river cruise. The colours in the sky literally took my breath away and it’s true that photos can never do the moment justice. It was truly special.

Chobe River sunset

Our time in Botswana was really special, and you can combine a visit here with a safari in the Okavango Delta which is close by as well. There are so many spectacular places in Africa to go on safari – Botswana’s tourist scene is well established and the country is a stable democracy and felt very safe so was the right choice for us. Zimbabwe, looking like it could return to democracy post Mugabe is still struggling economically and politically, but has vast National Parks without the same crowds. South Africa (especially the Kruger which I visited as a child) also has vast, well established parks. Africa is beautiful, and each place offers a different experience – I’m glad we chose Botswana and would make the same choice again.

Thank you for reading – I hope you’ve found this post interesting and helpful if you’re interested in visiting Africa to do a safari and see all of this magnificent wildlife up close. Stay safe and happy travelling!

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