self drive safari in Botswana

Start here-
http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/self-drive-from-uganda-to-botswana.cfm
You're welcome.

regards - tom

Hi guys,

I've just arrived back from leading two back-to-back self drive trips through Bots. It really was incredible. You've asked some interesting questions (it would take me half a day to answer all, but I'll try some of the basics ...)

The rainy season can be pretty horrendous, and it can rain torrentially for a few days at a time. However, it's also the best time to go to certain parts (particularly the more sandy areas, like central Kalahari regions).

You can drive yourself around, but 4X4 travel in Bots can be challenging. Many folk (most) survive to tell the tale. It's not quite the same as a manual vehicle, but can a huge amount of fun.

I would NOT go in a single vehicle. That simply is looking for trouble in rainy season (and even in the dry season, there's some risk). I have been stuck too many times to remember. Even having satellite phone coverage will be of little help. Recovery operations are complicated and can be extremely time consuming and expensive (and sometimes come from a few hundered kms away).

Some places in Botswana are virtually no-go areas in the rainy season. Clay soils can be a real challenge, as well as flooded rivers. Sandy soils are a better option. Salt pans can be treacherous, although exceptional for bird and animal life. There are few people who will tell that certain roads are closed - Botswana is intended for adventurers. But some roads will be un-navigable sometimes.

Visitors can be scarce at that time of the year. You may travel for two or three days without seeing another vehicle, so don't rely on "passing help". You need to be absolutely self-sufficient. Also remember that filling stations can be few and far between (400kms apart in some places?), and often run out of fuel. So be prepared for that.

You can sometimes hire guides around the various parks, but not always easy to do on the spur of the moment. Best to do a few days in advance if you can. You might also find some offering to guide you, but who don't have the knowledge to do so (particularly in difficult 4X4 conditions). Good guides in Botswana also tend to be expensive, but you may get a good deal. Count on about US$200 per day.

You can often find wildlife by yourself, but circular routes around waterholes, etc. are not quite as well established as you may think (and are often not navigable). There's little chance of you getting eaten/mauled as long as take good repellants. Little bitey guys can be unwelcome wildlife (so take precautions). A GPS is essential. Many times roads tend to be very confusing (hundreds of little tracks everywhere). There are some new roads which are not on the maps yet.

There are some spectacular campsites in all areas. Best to get specialised info before you go. Remember too that you can not enter a national park unless you pay the fees in advance, and the only offices are at Gaberone, Maun and Kasane. However, all camp site fees must be booked and paid well in advance, and often the only offices are in Maun (new privatised system). It's a difficult system to manage. You cannot simply arrive and drive where you want anymore.

Bushlore is a good and reputable company, and I've seen many of their vehicles on the road. They are usually very well equipped as well (you'll need comprehensive recovery gear).

I hope some of this helps. It's an awesome country, with urguably the best wildlife anywhere, and well worth the challenge.

Thanks for all the info BushKid0.

A few more specific question after reading your great response:

1. the off road parts we'd be driving are in the kalahari, nxai pan, moremi-savuti-chobe river. Would there be enough passable roads in each of these destinations to make the trip worthwhile?

2. would you have a guess as to how much diesel we'll need for a 14 day trip with lots of game driving?

3. If we're only one vehicle, where would be a good place to find other self drivers/ guided tours before we go so we can hook up with them?

Thanks again for the help!

My husband and I did a self-drive through Nxai Pan, Moremi and Chobe in August 2008. I'll try to answer some of your questions.

Only one of us has off-road driving experience but we all drive manual on a regular basis (ie: we're not *totally* inept at handling a car!). Are we nuts for driving ourselves around? Do many people do this and succeed to tell the tale?

It was the dry season so, for us, driving wasn't a problem. There was lots of deep sand between North Gate and Ihaha, but we had no trouble. Neither of us had any 4x4 experience but, like you, we could drive standards. However, I can't speak to the wet season. We wondered if we were nuts to drive ourselves (both in our 50s - not spring chickens!) and wondered if we would live to tell the tale - I even made this comment in my trip report. I found it far tamer/easier than I expected. However, we rented our vehicle from Safari Drive, so we had back up if we needed it. They provided us with a satellite phone and have local contacts (in Maun, Kasane etc) who would have come to our rescue - very reassuring.

Ideally, we'd like to have a guide with us for at least part of the journey (but we can't afford to hire one to drive us around the whole time). Is it possible to find local guides around the park areas and have them drive around with us? What kind of per day cost would that be?

I suspect that you would have no trouble hiring a ranger in the parks, but you might have to arrange it ahead of time. You would pay about US$20 per day.

Is there a good place (online forum like this one?) to hook up with other self-drivers so we're not alone in the wilderness getting stuck in mud and dying of thirst? We'll only be one car and it seems like all the sensible people/sites/books/guides/voices in our heads are telling us that driving around the parks with another vehicle is the smart thing to do. We'll definitely rent a satellite phone, even if just to allay the fears of parents, grandparents, and generations of worrying ancestors but hooking up with others would be great. Also - is it easy to find guided groups that are entering the parks and just tag along? Or are the tourists scarce that time of year?

You will not find many self-drivers on this forum. You could try: http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/
Alternatively, if you prefer to travel on your own, you could rent your vehicle from a company that provides in-country back up as Safari Drive does. My husband and I travelled on our own and were fine. However, there was great peace of mind in knowing that help was just a phone call away.

Assuming we're not with a guide for at least parts of our drives around the parks, are we likely to be able to find wildlife on our own? (And not get eaten or mauled?) From my reading, I understand that there are watering holes shown on the map with gps coordinates and circular game-roads that are easy-ish to follow. Is that just wishful thinking?

If you drive slowly and take your time, you will have no trouble finding the wildlife. As for getting eaten, the main danger is when on the campsites. As long as you stay alert and not wander too far from your vehicle, you will be fine.

I can't comment on Bushlore - we have not used them.


Here is the link to my trip report and many photos - it will give you much of the information you need - including how much diesel we used etc.

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Travel/Botswana-2008/6570901_ZUKvn/1/418318816_Pyvk6


If you search this forum, you will find several other excellent self-drive reports:

http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/affordable-botswana-part-2-the-return-trip.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/affordable-botswana---trip-report-aug-sept-08.cfm

www.wilddogsandenglishmen.wordpress.com

Happy reading! Robin

Robin has some great advice. We would also like to do a trip like this some day, & I have been reading blogs by a number of different people.

http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/botswana-self-drive-holiday-day-one.html - they used a different company in Botswana to hire their transport - this place is still in business as I emailed them & they replied promptly.

these folk used Safari Drive (as Robin did) http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jowhiting/3/1215653400/tpod.html

another for Safari Drive http://wilddogsandenglishmen.wordpress.com/trip-preparation-and-planning/

and http://kevindward.wordpress.com/ who rented from Bushlore.

They are all really interesting reading & hope they might be helpful. I read them & dream of future plans!

Wow - looks like an amazing trip. Lots of reading/thinking material!

Thanks

So, after much reading, I've finally figured out what my supposedly updated guidebook did not tell me - nearly all the DWNP campsite have been privatized and instead of costing 30 Pula pp/pn they cost up to a whopping $50 pp/pn! I am absolutely flabbergasted. That would completely blow our budget, even at $20 pp/pn. That's a far cry from $4.5!

Does anyone have information on which sites are still nationalized (and dirt cheap)?

Thanks

Hi theZelda,

There are some reasonable options and Botswana is still one of the best safari destinations in Africa, although crooked politicians, corrupt officials and greedy business people are busy changing that rapidly.

The privatisation of camps in Botswana has escalated prices by a factor of 5 or more in many cases over the past year, and there are lots of hidden costs. The privatisation was introduced pretty much without warning. There are still some reasonably priced camp sites (but nothing dirt cheap).

You will not find a ranger for $20 a day - and nor should be paying that for specialised and professional guidance and experience (unless that's what you think it is worth).

Self-driving in Botswana differs hugely from wet season to dry season (it's not too surprising that many lodges and camps simply close - it's not even worth staying open - whereas in dry season everything is overbooked).

Most companies who hire vehicles into Botswana have extensive back-ups in place (and Bushlore will be one of them). A vehicle recovery remains a very time consuming, expensive and complicated procedure, particularly in the wet season (and sat phones only enable you to call for help, not get you out by yourself). I seem to remember that over 70 vehicles were recovered last year over a one month period (one of them was mine), and that was just in one small area in the dry season. You really don't want to find your wheels spinning uselessly in the mud when you're surrounded by a pride of hungry lions. It may not be good for your health. LOL!

I do not take unnecessary chances in Botswana, and I've done several 4X4 trips there.

Bushkido: You will not find a ranger for $20 a day - and nor should be paying that for specialized and professional guidance and experience (unless that's what you think it is worth).

That is the fee for a guide/ranger in Ngorongoro Carter for a day - it is given on the NCAA website. That is where I got the estimate of US$20 from. It may not apply to the Tanzanian parks, but I thought it would give thezelda23 at least a rough idea. Robin

Hi Robin,

Sorry, I wasn't trying to antagonise, and I appreciate your honest comments and effort to assist. Those rates may apply to Ngorogoro, and probably refer to a hop-on guide that will take you to find some animals.

I'm giving you an idea of what an experienced guide may cost in Botswana. theZelda has just discovered that campsite prices are about 5 times those indicated in the "updated" guide books. There are many hidden costs. I would hate for them to have any more nasty surprises.

I'm trying to provide accurate, up-to-date information, and I'd hate for these guys to have further misconceptions. I work in Southern Africa constantly, and I have just returned from 4 weeks of 4X4 trips in Botswana.

Furthermore, you're dealing in remote regions where help can be 100's of miles and many hours drive away, in some extremely challenging conditions. Would you place yourself in a position where your very survival may depend on the advice of a guide/ranger that's costing you $20.00 per day? I wouldn't.

Travellers are welcome to make their own choices. On a recent trip, we discovered a couple that had been stranded in sand for 24 hours in the middle of nowhere. Their spade had broken and they were digging with pots and pans. Daytime temperatures were above 110 deg. We were the first folk to use that road in 4 days. What would have happened if we had chosen a different route?

On our last trip, we saw a man that had run out of fuel on a remote road 200kms from the next filling station. We were travelling in the opposite direction, and had neither the time nor resources to help him; it would have jeopardised our entire trip. We would have missed the gate of the national park and been denied entrance, as well as losing our very expensive pre-paid campsite (and compromising our own fuel security). I would have faced liability claims from clients. What would you have done? We had to leave him on the side of the road to fend for himself, because we cannot jeopardise six people's safety for one mans stupidity.

When folk want to tackle Botswana's remote areas in the wet season with a single vehicle, that's their choice. I wish them well and will help where possible. But they do need to be armed with the best advice and information they can get. If that advice is only worth $20.00 a day, then so be it.

The help I give on forums is usually free, but I don't divulge all the intimate details - because my experience has cost me dearly. If it's only worth $20.00 a day to someone whose entire safari experience may depend on it, I'd rather keep it to myself.

My impression was that the zelda23 was looking for a guide to help them find the wildlife within the parks. Re-reading again, perhaps she does mean guiding her through the country. Clearly, if the latter, she is not going to find a guide for US$20.

I would hope that Z23 or anyone else wouldn't undertake a self-drive in any African country without being thoroughly prepared, but I know many do. If you've read my trip report, you'll know that we rescued a German couple in Moremi, who had broken down and were astonishingly poorly prepared. Quite honestly, I find poorly prepared self-drivers annoying, because they give those of us who spend months researching our trips and are well prepared a poor name. I can understand why the lodges and guides in Moremi and Chobe are a frustrated lot - they are tired of rescuing self-drivers. The German couple received little sympathy for their plight.

Despite having conduced several self-drives in SA, Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya, I am not certain that I would tackle a self-drive in Botswana in the wet season, and I certainly wouldn't travel where "help is hundreds of miles and many hours drive away." Since we don't travel with a guide, we take the responsibility of self-driving very seriously, preparing for months in advance and having in-country back-up in case we get into difficulty. I would never wish/expect someone to jeopardize their safety for us. Robin

LOL Robin. I agree with your perspectives.

Zelda's questions are very valid, and reflect some good preparation for what could be a challenging trip. I wish them well.

Lots of people drive offroad in Botswana for the 1st time. That includes 1st timer 4x4 experience too. However, they generally stick to the very popular routes.

You will not find many automatic transmissions on 4x4s in Southern Africa. I recommend diesel land rovers and land cruisers for this type of tour over nearly anything thing else. High clearance and enough low end torque to handle most situations. Crossing water hazards is a different set of skills. A good rental company will have current knowledge of routes and how to handle potential issues. This is where you hear of so many problems. Sat phone and current Botswana Tracks4Africa gps maps are a good idea. Although recently, new roads have opened near Khwai River area and a bridge this year. I am a bit curious how this years Okavango flooding (Savute Channel, Boleti, Khwai rivers) will carry over into the rainy season, maybe no worries. Again, that’s where a good rental company can help with preparations. With the amount of fuel needed, if you need extra jerry cans, etc.
Yep, I know that Maun Self Drive has a licensed experienced guide that is relatively inexpensive. But that is in comparison to most mobile safaris. And he normally does the Moremi – Savute – Chobe parks. And you will find all kinds of information for a self drive in Botswana on the website including up-to-date info on the privatised campsites and their operators. http://maunselfdrive4x4.webs.com/dwnpreservations.htm

For a 1st timer, with no safari experience, a guide might be a good idea. But if you have been on safaris and weren’t sleeping the whole time, you can find game on your own.

Bushlore is an excellent company. I recommend Maun Self Drive 4x4 because I know the owners among other reasons. They both have excellent reputations, have good preventative maintenance programs for the vehicles, and rarely have I heard any kind of complaints, vehicles or customer relations, justified or not.

Btw, Maun Self Drive (Mechto) took over the vehicle recoveries for Rileys Garage last year, and they run out to Khwai often – to recover vehicles for those other 4x4 hire companies and lots of people with no common sense when crossing water hazards, even in their own 4x4s.

Hi Luangwablondes, I consider that a low blow about having no common sense quite insulting. Get real, I only drowned one vehicle! LOL!

Ooops! I'm sure you just felt excluded from that club and decided to join on a whim.

At least the water levels are dropping now, and quickly. Who would have guessed the past couple months would be like this.