Chitabe or Selinda for one "game walk"
 

Based on your experience, which of these two camps is preferable for doing a guided walk? I'll be in Botswana for 9 days, and I want to spend one of my 18 excursions doing a walk. If it makes a difference, I'll be at Selinda first (for 3 nights), then Chitabe (3 nights), then Xigera (1 night), then Mombo (2 nights).

I don't really know what to expect on the walk - I'm not expecting to see nearly as much as I would in the car - but I would like to do a little more than just walk around in the heat. ;)

Thanks in advance.

I've walked (3 days) at Selinda but not at Chitabe, so I can't give you a fair comparison. But I believe Selinda's walking trails are better known.

You can do a 'standard' walk with armed guide and tracker at Selinda, spending three days on the trail and one night each at the two trails camps, Mokoba and Tshwene. Or you can just spend one night at either camp. I can recommend it, though you're right that you won't see as much as you would in a vehicle, at least not close-up. On the other hand, I can't rule out surprises with quite exciting close encounters. I love walking in the bush.

When I was at Xigera, we had short walks...both a full morning straight out of camp, and walks on islands during mokoro voyages. There are several walking pics on my Selinda, Okavango and Zimbabwe pages.

John
www.afrigalah.com

I notice you've also asked about the Chitabe hide. Again, I can't help you...but if you check camp images at www.linyanti.com, you'll see that you can sleep in the open air (on decks under netting) at the Selinda trails camps.

John

I've walked at both. One day at each. For just a few hour walk, either would be fine. If you wanted to walk TO an overnight hide, Chitabe's smaller hide was up a platform and consisted of a comfortable mattress and mosquito netting. Very cool (but plenty warm)!The Selinda walking camps are more enclosed and camp-like. Very nice also.

So assuming I understand correctly, it seems as though I could kill two birds (and two posts) with one stone - by walking out to the Chitabe hide. And if I read correctly, I could still do a night drive that night. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

It's a pity that you won't be walking around Selinda. The area around Mokoba is one of the most spectacular open plains you maybe able to come across.....and the guide in-charge of their walking trails is one of the senior most on the concession!

I could be walking around Selinda - that's why I'm asking. What sort of things did you see in the plains around Selinda?

Big herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo at times. Some impala, maybe elephant?

More than the animals, the vistas around Mokoba is breathtaking...i don't know enough about the other area Tshwene.

We bumped into hyena, saw (and avoided) breeding herds of elephant and lone bulls, and there's plenty of birdlife. As I mentioned in another thread, we assisted walkers to see cheetah near Mokoba one day. As for Tshwene, the camp overlooks a dry channel which elephant and plains game use as a route to the spillway. I entertained myself on foot one evening photographing zebra and wildebeest in the sunset a kilometre or so from camp.

John

mistadobalina - what did you finally decide? We are having trouble getting into Chitabe, where we were going to walk. I could switch it for Selinda, but that is the same plains environment as Lebala, where we are also thinking of staying. I would think that a more wide open area would be better for a walk, since you might be able to see marginally more. Sleeping on that raised platform at Chitabe sounds pretty nice, though!
It's so hard to choose...

I chose "all of the above."

We're going to walk in Selinda. We're going to walk to the hide in Chitabe, and stay in the hide.

Hopefully it will all turn out great.

FUN! I'm sure it will turn out great. I would think that even if you don't see as much game per se, you'll see bugs, and reptiles, and tracks, and all sorts of really great stuff that you would otherwise miss in a wheeled vehicle rushing along. You'll get to hear and smell the bush. When do you go?