Watch Out for the Honey Badgers (Botswana)

Member Name: AndrewPo

Product:	Botswana
Date:	04/08/08 (169 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not many tourists

Disadvantages: Getting eaten by a lion, hippo, hyena, leopard, honey badger...

I went on a camping trip to Botswana a few years ago, on an organized tour with Explore (www.explore.co.uk) feeling that it was safer to have everything coordinated and someone at least knowing whom to contact if I was eaten by a hippopotamus or honey badger. It turned out to be a wise precaution (no I didn't get eaten by a honey badger)

We flew from London to Windhoek in Namibia via Frankfurt. Our baggage flew to Frankfurt, where it decided to stay. We stayed the night in Windhoek after quite a hurried shopping trip to Woolworths, which is an African shop selling clothes and everything else, with the £50 each, that our travel agent representative had managed to get for us (possibly from the airline) This turned out to be plenty of money and were able to kit ourselves out with enough clothes for at least a week, and the local representative provided sleeping bags etc.

The following morning we flew to Maun (rhymes with "town" as our guidebook informed us, or Mou-ooon, rhymes with tow-ooon as our local rep. jokingly informed us) in Botswana. Our baggage had now reached Windhoek. We then met up with an English honeymooning couple who were apparently with our group and the four of us, and two pilots flew in a Cessna low over the beautiful scenery and startled animals towards the Okavango Delta. This really is a wonderful way to see the plains of Africa and the amazing spectacle of the Delta itself. The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta and has no outlet to the sea, so there is seasonal flooding of the Kalahari Desert, forming shallow lakes and islands that change constantly. We landed at a tiny, dusty landing strip near where we were going to be camping and were picked up by the main guide, who took us by Land Rover, then boat to the island we would be camping on, stopping off a couple of times for a spot of game viewing on the way. Our baggage was now in Maun.

The rest of the group, six Australians, were already there, the campsite erected and the campfire burning with our "chef" already hard at work preparing dinner. An absolutely fabulous setting surrounded by water and animals, including hippos and crocodiles. The two-man tents were basic, but lion-proof (well that's what the guides said anyway) There were showers and toilet tents already in place as well. Everything needed to be temporary, both for environmental reasons and because of the constantly moving water and animals.

The next few days consisted of exploring the area, mostly in "dug-out" canoes (made of fibreglass, but quite realistic) being punted slowly through the shallow water, but also occasionally in larger motor boats in the deeper water or in the Land Rovers. The canoes were a wonderfully tranquil way to travel, gliding between the tall reeds, making almost no noise at all. We stayed in the shallow water because the hippos are visible there, whereas in the deep water they can be grazing underneath you and you really do not want to be over a hippo when it surfaces. They may be vegetarian, but they have enormous mouths, easily big enough for a medium sized tourist. One afternoon was spent fishing in a larger metal boat, in the hope of catching enough for dinner. We caught one fish between the 10 of us, but the chef was quietly sitting on the riverbank reeling them in. He buried his catch, wrapped in leaves, and then built a fire on top. Delicious.

The second leg of the journey was through the Chobe National Park, which is quite a different, very dry environment, but with far more of the big game traditionally associated with safari. Our luggage was still one day behind us, with the local travel company making every effort to get it to us. Again we were camping, but erecting our tents at each new impromptu site, as we made our way across the national park. There were of course no facilities at all, but the "chef" dug a new toilet at each venue, round which he erected a tent. He also made a wonderful shower, consisting of a bucket with a huge shower attachment on the bottom, hanging from a tree, filled with enough hot water, warmed on the fire, for two good long showers. Each day we would head out for at least two game-drives, usually early morning and evening as the sun went down. It was surprisingly cold, considering the temperature at midday, but obviously this is when the animals are most active. The rest of the day would be spent relaxing and reading under a huge canopy near the tents, unless something interesting wandered past, in which case we would jump into one of the cars and go in pursuit. A leopard wandered through the camp causing an absolute cacophony from the monkeys and birds on one occasion, but he sneaked off before we could get the tempermental Land Rover started.

The main guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, university educated in Botswana in subjects associated with ecology, zoology and tourisms. Having a good guide really does add to the experience. On the game drives we saw a huge variety of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, jackals, elephants, many different antelope and a huge variety of birds. The most memorable sight was perhaps watching the sun go down near a waterhole as the elephants drank and thousands of small birds swooped past. As seems to be the tradition on safari in Africa, sundowner drinks were served as we watched this glorious sight. Despite camping, this really was frightfully posh.

During the evening we would sit round the fire exchanging travel stories with the other tourists, and lion mauling stories with the guides while eating the delicious food prepared on the fire. Jungle etiquette dictates that the lions will not attack unless you run away and they certainly won't come into your tent (probably) One night however a lion decided to sit outside my tent purring, which was annoying as I was desperate to use the toilet. The following night my traveling companion wandered out of the tent, after everyone had gone to bed and met a hyena face-to-face. Not one of those cute cartoon hyenas that laugh all the time, but a big, long-legged one with an intimidating smile. He couldn't remember the jungle etiquette for meeting hyenas, stood for a while, and then eventually said, "shoo" and it trotted off. Hyenas are nasty things that don't really play the game. If you leave your shoes outside the tent they will steal them. They love the smell. If you put them inside the tent they will come in to get them and possibly eat you too. I was terrified for most of the time in Chobe, but I loved the experience.

After traveling across Chobe, and a brief game-viewing excursion into Zimbabwe, we arrived at Victoria Falls, for a short stay before being reunited with our luggage and our flights home. There are various things to do here, such as shopping and bungee jumping off the bridge above the falls, but it is a wonderful place just to relax and enjoy that incredible waterfall. The thundering noise was deafening, and we got completely soaked in a short time as we approached the falls. Helicopter flights from Zambia, just over the border a few miles away were significantly cheaper, so we took a flight over the falls, from the Zambian side, including some more game viewing from the air. It gives a stunning view of the falls and is certainly worth doing.

I would definitely recommend Botswana. It is a wonderful place for a safari holiday and the Okavango Delta is very special and quite unique. It is more expensive than some other, more touristy countries in Africa; even for a two-week camping trip it could cost £2,000 each, but offers a huge variety of experiences. Camping with lions and hyenas is however a frightening experience and these days I would probably opt for staying at a good lodge rather than in a tent.

Summary: Wonderful. Even better than Namibia