Hi lbj2,

Some stunning pics there. I love the Khwai area. It's just so untouched. Last time I was camping at Magotho, 2 lionesses walked past our camp within 15m, while every one was sitting around.

Loved your pics.

Five different packs of wild dogs really does make you a wild dog magnet.

Fantastic eles.

You have made flying dirt into artwork, with the help of the warthog.

Five different packs of wild dogs really does make you a wild dog magnet.

Fantastic eles.

You have made flying dirt into artwork, with the help of the warthog.

Gorgeous photos, lbj2! I mentioned elsewhere that the impressive photography in this forum can induce inferiority complexes in those of us who are less gifted; your photos are contributing to my complex, but I'm thrilled to have seen them.

Love the ele silhouette photo and 5 packs of wild dogs is amazing. I must admit, however, that my favorite is the warthog with the flying dirt!! I have to agree w/ Windowless that I share the photo inferiority complex. Thank you for sharing.

We are booked to stay on one of the Khwai Community campsites in October, so the fact that the area provided such outstanding game viewing is very good news indeed. Lovely photos! Which campsite were you assigned to? Robin

lbj2,

lovely photos again, I particularly liked the dusty warthog and the elephant wading in 'pink' water.

Khwai sounds wonderful and I hope the exemplary game viewing lasts for our August safari.

Regards,

Pol

I'm curious as to your low angle shots.

I noticed on your facebook page a shot of you lying on the ground with 2 elephants in the background. How were you able to convince your guide to allow this? I can't imagine a guide allowing you to get out of the vehicle and and lie down for some shots. I can think of a number of situations where I would have loved to do this on safari, but figured it wouldn't have been allowed.

I'm just curious as to the circumstances; or if you had other ways of getting low angle shots without leaving the vehicle.

Ah, never mind. I just read in your blog that you laid down on the floor of the vehicle and shot that way. Good technique.

BushKid & Lynn - Thanks for you comments.

Windowlessoffice & Scruffypuma - Thanks for your comments, I would not develop too much of a complex. If I posted my images from when I first went to Africa, there is a marked difference.

Canadian Robin,

I will have to check what site we were on. The section stayed in looked to be predominately mobile safari operators. Self drives seemed to be camped round the corner, closer to the river.

Treepol,

I am sure you will have some good gameviewing. Hopefully the floods will not be as large this year. Though combined with Savute and here, I do not think you can go wrong.

Lifelist,

I would ask your guide with what boundaries they are happy with. For example, in Mana Pools, guides will walk you within metres of elephants.

Generally being on foot is not possible with shared vehicles I would do think it should be done where it impacts on another vehicles sighting.

Drop me a line and I will be willing to discuss this more and how I got each image - most of them were captured on foot, or laying on the ground.

Hi lbj2 and Canadian Robin,

From lbj2's description, I'd say it was the same campsite that we usually stay at. It's called Magotho (Camel-thorn tree in local language), and covers a huge area (maybe 100 acres). The overlanders tend to stick to one side and the individual campers the other side near the river. I think it runs for about a km along the river, and the campsites are spread out well (about 50m apart on average). There are NO facilities.

As far as I know, the other community campsites aren't operating, but it is magnificent area and seems prime predator habitat, never mind all the hippos and ellies that meander around. I hope the local community does manage to expand their operations a bit.

This area is one of my favourite places in Bots.

Bushkid,

I have mentioned in my blog that we stayed at Magotho, though I think Canadian Robin was looking for the specific campsite.

Thanks Bushkid0 and lbj2!
My understanding is that there are three community campsites in the Khwai Concession - Magotho (18km from Khwai), Matswere (14km) and Sable Alley (10km). I gather Magotho is the "best" campsite (not certain of the criteria - perhaps because it is furthest from Khwai and therefore more isolated?), and I just wondered if you were able to specify or if you simply lucked out when assigned to Magotho. I wasn't aware that Magotho accommodated more than one group at a time - that is, that there are several campsites at Magotho that are spread out along the river. Thanks for the head's up - we would have been confused and wondered if we were in the wrong place.

This will be our first stay in the Khwai Concession, (we camped at North Bridge in 2008 and then passed through the concession on our way to Chobe) and we are really looking forward to it. Robin

Wow. You're the kind of photographer I want to be when I grow up!

Hi again (particlarly to Canadian Robin),

Magotho has about 50 "sites" if I remember, and it's first-come first-serve. They are not "allocated" and there's no management staff around. Someone usually comes to check at about 8p.m. that your permits and receipts are in order.

These days I think you have to pay in Maun before you go to the campsite. That's the way we do it. (Previously, much of the fees seemed to disappear into long pockets).

Canadian Robin ... to the best of my knowledge, Matswere and Sable Alley are not operating, despite being on the map theoretically. The situation may have changed, and you can contact Khwai Community to find out directly (+267-680-1211). Rather do this personally, second hand and outdated info is not good in that area. I'm going in May and July/August(I'll try up date you before your trip).

Hopefully the Khwai River will have dropped by your trip in October. Rumour has it the water levels in Rundu are 1m higher than this time last year. It sounds like a heavier flood than ever on the way, and it's worth watching that carefully.

The Khwai at North Bridge is partcularly challenging, although they might have fixed the roads again. Check up a few weeks before you go.

Thanks Femi, your comments are much appreciated.

BuskKid & Canadian Robin,

IMO, the flood will at least at 2009, simply because the water table is ready heavily saturated and less water will be lost.

I was in Khwai at the start of October and a number of areas were still under water and inaccesible. It will probably be another tough few months during the peak flood.

As you can see through these graphs, the flow rate at Mohembo is already higher than this time last year. There may be other factors affecting this, and the second large peak may not occur. It is all specualation until we see the flows..............

http://www.orc.ub.bw/datacat/mohembo.php?id=1&datatype=

I have booked all my trips for November this year for when the floods have receded.

Thanks for that lbj2,

That's an extremely useful link. It's quite amazing to be able to select the years to compare with.

I also suspect that we heading into peak floods again, and I'll have to choose my routings carefully. My next trip is May.

No worries, Bushkid.

The most interesting to years to compared in recent history are 1993 and 2010. If gives me a rough idea of what to expect having seen most floods since 2005.

It is actually a link and part of the the Okavango Research Institute.

http://www.orc.ub.bw/

They also cover the weather too, which can help give a rough indication of rainfall for the wider Okavango. Though this is in the Maun area I believe.

A couple of guides have told me there has been two large local downpours in the last few weeks, which could be the reason for the flucuations, not the flood per se. As it seems the rains have not been as heavy this year, so far.

Rainfall:

http://www.orc.ub.bw/datacat/metstat.php?period=30d

Thanks for the information Russell... and the pictures , the one of the warthog and dust is amazing !!

Very interesting link to follow the Okavango flooding and also the local rains.

I will follow closely , maybe this year i go back to the Delta again ...i see you intend to go in November. My only possibility is September but don´t mind to have some water , actually that´s what i am looking for since my previous 2 visits where very dry . I will have to choose wet camps, usually in September the waters have already receded ,haven´t they ??

How do you think concessions like Jao , Duba or Vúmbura could be next September , maybe we have to wait the pick of the flood to guess??


Paco.

Paco, the waters had not "receded" in December or January this year! They may not recede for a long time to come. I'm guessing you're right to ask about specific concessionsfor next year.

For what it's worth, Khwai was difficult and a bit risky around New Year. Even in what appeared to be "safe" areas of Moremi, it was apparent that any reasonably heavy rain caused extensive areas to become quite waterlogged and the water at the various bridges rose significantly. The weather was pretty good while we were there but we saw an awful lot of water, even while avoiding known risky areas. I am pretty sure that with 2-3 consecutive days of rain those Moremi bridges would be well under water. I have no idea if this is of interest or relevant but it suggested that the assertion that the water table is very high is absolutely correct. I was also told the rains had started early and big in Angola and they were expecting an early flood (or at least a pre-flood - not really sure how that works in detail, or whether early necessarily means big).

Thanks Bushkid0 and lbj2 - great info! I wasn't aware that only Magotho was in use. We have been warned by Safari Drive, who have looked after our bookings, that we may have to change our plans at the last minute because areas around Khwai may not be accessible. We are in Khwai early in October, so flooding may be an issue.

Bushkid0 - I'll look forward to reading about your May and July/August trips. Regarding fees for the campsite - we have been told that we will pay in Khwai Village. We are to look for a white, thatched building with a satellite dish near the Khwai village shop. If there is no one there, we are to continue on to the campsite because, as you indicted, someone will come and collect our fees later that evening.
Robin

Would the best advice not be to wait until northern Botswana is been hit by a dry spill again?

The photos are nice but nothing out of the extraordinary with except of the photo of the warthog.

Superb photography and a brilliant website~ truly inspirational and informative~~~~~

No worries, Paco.

In terms of the concessions you mention, I could not answer that specifically. Based on my time at Kwara last year, I imagine they will still be heavily effected come September.

Kimburu's is interesting regarding by how much the water rose from the just the localised rainfall.

Thanks for your comments, Chicago Bears.

Awesome website, Russell - I look forward to my first visit to the Savute area.

Russell,

Maybe you should start a topic to announce you have also a commercial interest in the safari industry as you tend to lead photographic safaris in late 2011.

Just as a matter of courtesy towards people reading your posts here as there is a fine line between giving valuable info and promoting yourself here.