Guiding in Botswana
 

Hello everyone,

Because excellent guides can make a real difference, I am just curious to hear from others which guides they found remarkable and why.

Here are four guides I like a lot:

- Cilas (one of the best if you are keen on your photography - he takes pictures himself);
- Charles Sebaka (extensive knowledge of the area (Kwando) in which he is working);
- Pilot Manga (good sense of humour and formidable knowledge of the Khwai area in the Moremi Game Reserve - the guide to pick if you are in for a mobile safari in the Moremi Game Reserve)
- Steve Kgwatalala (the man to choose if you are looking for dogs - he'll find them if they are around).

Others I would like to work with are the following: James007, Newman and Spencer.

If choosing a guide I take into account the following items:

- superior knowledge of the area;
- their positioning of the vehicle at a sighting and their ability to predict animal movement;
- capability of handling unpredicatble dangerous situations or avoiding unnecessary risks;
- great sense of humour.

Greetings,

Johan

I would definitely include Frank at Jao Camp-we found that the luxurious camp was not necessary for us really-Frank(and the Okavango) is what made that camp special for us. The only elderly couple at the camp was there to be guided by Frank, for their third visit to Jao. He, along with Mr. T at Duma Tau, were incredibly knowledgable, but Frank was such a personality too and we enjoyed his humor and his knowledge a great deal.

I second steven from Kwando with the dogs. we had him in june 2000 and he got us 2 kills in 1 day.

Kaye from little vumbura for best understanding of game behaviour. IE predicting where to go etc when predators were on the move.

Z from Vumbura or Little Vumbura

Kaelo at San Camp

Hi Johan,

IMO

Spencer (kwando)- he is incredible with his guiding, his sense of humor and is a incredible human being!!!

I would imagine Charles and Steve K in the same league as him- i have no personal experiences.

Brooks at Mombo was incredible in a similar way!!!

Ras Mundu in the same league (for his guiding skills)-incredible!!! i understand from some recent fodorite reports that he is at Vumbura now.

These people are stand-outs....

Especially taking into account the sky rocketing prices for Botswana, i think great guiding is key........

Hari

I also thought Spencer was amazing.... he knew the area very well, and positioned me well for photo opps.

Doctor from Kwara was also a very good guide.

I would highly recommend either of them.

Jonah Aaron- I dont think he does any guiding anymore (i think he manages one of the Kwara camps-there was a nice recent trip report)....very much deserves a spot in this list.

His knowldege of photography is incredible to add to his guiding skills and personality.....

Thank you all to put up some names ... I still haven't made a decision about who I am gonna request to guide me in Vumbura.

Hari, like you I don't think Jonah is guiding anymore.

At the moment, I don't have a clue who I should request at Selinda/Zibalianja.

Greetz,

Johan

Johan:

When is your trip to Vumbura? I'm heading there in four weeks, and I'm not sure who will be our guide, but I'm hoping it's one of the names on this list! :-)

I've requested Newman at Chitabe Trails, but we'll see if that works out...

Johan,
Afrigalah should be a good resource on Selinda. I really enjoyed BB at Zib once I got to know him. He was quiet and not real strong in the sense of humor department.

His enthusiasm for the wildlife was genuine but not zealous. When we were looking for the dogs, more than once he stood on the rungs on top of the vehicle, balancing, and scanning the horizon. When I saw the wild dogs run by camp and was jumping up and down we did a spontaneous hug and he was sincerely thrilled.

Crystalsong, I am heading to Little Vumbura end of April. So you'll be in Botswana just before I am starting my first trip of the year. Vumbura plains will be something for September for me.

Lynn,

I just received from another Fodorite some good advice on Selinda. Thanks for your description on BB.

Greetings,

Johan

If you are looking for a guide at Vum Plains - Cisco is the guy.

We use him on our Digital groups.

James

I agree on Cilas (Duma Tau) -- he was my first ever safari guide and that set the bar high. He is an exceptional spotter and outstanding driver with a demonstrated knack to follow the wild dogs on a hunt and then find the kill in the mopane woodlands. He knows the behaviors of all the species and anticipates where to be. Very impressive.

Adriaan at Deception Valley Lodge. Outstanding tracker who will get out of the vehicle to track, back track and stay on the trail of big cats. Encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and fauna and a passion for the Kalahari landscape and the way of the bushmen. He has a tremendous respect for the bushmen trackers and completely embraces their history and skills. Very invested in finding sightings for his guests -- I have found many guides have knowledge but are not really on the same mission to see things as you, Adriaan is very motivated to try his best to deliver. Also just remembers the little things like I have coke in the morning instead of tea so he'd pack it and have it ready without a reminder. This guy is the epitome of what a guide should be, full of passion and skill.

Skimmer Johan mentioned Pilot Manga - we too were lucky enough to have Pilot as our guide (and camping safari leader) in 2005 for the 9 day trip. He accompanied us from Xigera in the Delta, through Kwhai (Moremi), Savute, Linyanti and into Zambia. We cannot speak highly enough of Pilot's knowledge, tracking skills and gentle good humour.

We have since learned that Pilot left Wilderness Safari's, after 20 years with that company and would be very interested to hear which operator he is working with now. When and where did you encounter Pilot, Johan?

At Baines concession our guide Kort was also very good, a little quiet at first - but knowleadgable and attentive to our interests. He had that skill where he would stop long enough at a sighting, and guage when you were ready to move on - he never moved too soon or stayed too long. His zooilogical knowledge was extensive. He also showed us interesting things - such as scratch marks on a tree froma leopard sharpening its claws, as well as the flora.
We too would be interested to hear from Afrigalah who is the best guide at Selinda/Zib

At Zib in June 2006, we had Motsamai ("Mots") who did a good job. He doesn't have the years of experience as some other guides, but his enthusiasm and passion for guiding more than make up for it. His knowledge is very good, to the point where one night we saw an owl and he told me what it was, and then the next morning came to me and corrected himself since he had checked it again in his books when we got back to camp! Real keener. Also, Sean, who is one of the managers, is terrific. He doesn't guide as much as he used to, but you may be able to request him.

James 007 is fabulous. We had him for 5 days at Duba and we learned so much about not only the lions, but there wasn't a bird that he couldn't name at a glance. Because he has worked at Duba since it opened, and he drove for the Jouberts during the filming, he can anticipate ever move the lion prides make. The other guides don't make a move without him. And his stories are hilarious.

Going back a few years, we thoroughly enjoyed Amos at Shinde (2002 - don't know if he is still there). What a wealth of knowledge and a wonderfully pleasant man. Tracking skills were very good.

Moses at Kwara was excellent as well. His knowledge and his ability to share it are outstanding. He relished in a game with an avid birder, where the birder requested 10 "new" birds a day. Moses took on the challenge and readily complied. It was quite fun, and a true test to his spotting abilities and his knowledge.

jjmb,

Very eager to make my first visit to Selinda/Zib in a couple months time....i have put in a request for Kanawe (they will try to allot him- nothing confirmed yet)

Moses at Kwara is a good bloke!!! I had him as a guide in Kings Pool in 2004. Last year he came over to say hello when i was at Little Kwara.

Hari

Thembi,

I did a safari with Pilot Manga and Mike in June 2003 (Vic Falls - Chobe - Savuti - Moremi - Zepa (in the Pom Pom concession). It was one of the best safaris I did in Botswana.
Near Khwai we even saw roan antelope less than 100 meters from where we pitched our tents.

In December 2005, BK (former guide for Wilderness Safaris) was doing some work at Kwara and told me that Pilot Manga also left WS and was starting to work for Bush Ways Safaris around March 2006.

Pred,

One of the coming years I'll spend an entire trip in the Kalahari.

James,

Thanks for the advice - I'll request Cisco when at Vumbura Plains.

Jim,

James 007 is indeed the man to choose when at Duba Plains. I saw him at work when I was at Duba last October. At that time, I was with Jame, who works in different camps. He knew the area also very well and I witnessed some amazing interaction between lion and buffalo after the Tsaro pride killed a cow.

Greetz,

Johan

Howdy Skimmer - we emailed Bush Ways to enquire about Pilot Manga. they have replied and confirm Pilot is now on staff. He is cutrrently on Annual leave returning in April! His photo will go up on the gallery on his return. Thanks so much for the tip.
Thembi & K9

Thembi,

It's a pleasure. I am planning to do a mobile with him and some friends next year. It's still in the planning stages ... I'll hope Pilot Manga will be able to guide us.

Greetz,

Johan

Hi there,

Keep Brandon Kemp in mind for real enthusiastic and knowledgeable guiding.

Brandon is one of Wilderness Safari's managers/specialist guides who works out of the Wilderness Safaris’ camps in Botswana.

Brandon has a great sense of humour and a fantastic warm personality.

Another vote for Steve K...he is unbelievable...all the other guides just seem to wait around for him to find something.

Newman at Chitabe Lidabe (aka, Chitabe Trails). Wonderful tracker, excellant personality, understands photography and need for certain lighting. I have had many fine guides/trackers but this fellow is an all around gem. Bookmark this thread.

Had fogotten about this thread ..... Kanawe from Linyanti Explorations deserves a mention in this list! He is focussing on their walking trails at the moment, although i did have his experience at Zibalianja this past June!

Rgds,
Hari

how often do the guides change lodges? For example, I am already looking forward to having Spencer guide us at Lebala. Am I being premature?

And, who would you recommend at Xigera?

Momliz,

No idea! depending on each induvidual and the company they work for!!! some guides are shifted around from one camp to other within a company.

Spencer, is available for private guiding so your travel agent can help in requesting for his services at any of the Kwando camps. You can read his profile on the Kwando website under the private guides section.... to ensure his services, you may need to book him as a private guide as otherwise he may be guiding someone else. However, even if he is busy .... there are other great guides in the Kwando concession (Between Lebala and Lagoon) so you will be in good shape.

Hari

yup, that's why I kept pestering Vanessa with wanting to stay at a Kwando camp! She was very patient with me :D

I guess the really good guides must love their jobs - what kind of education/training do they get, just out of curiosity?

Momliz,

Kwando has a very vigorous training program. I don't know the specifics ... but, i do know that they get serious training in terms of photography also, in addition to all the usual guiding related stuff .....

There's plenty of good options for your upcoming trip - Besides Spencer and Charles, there's Vundi (Lebala). At Lagoon, their top resident guides are Ruster and KB. Being in the same concession, they guide at Lebala also when the necessity arises, i think ....

Hari

Thanks to post like this we get to know who are the best guides and can try to get them for our next safaris,(you are correct Johan , excellent guides can make a real difference),but looks like is not always ease to get them.

Since we have private vehicles for our november Kwando camps and base on what i have read in this forum about guides, i asked for the next ones:

-LEBALA: Spencer or Charles.
-LKWARA: Doctor , Mothusi or Joe.

This is the anwser i got :

“Doctor, Mothusi and Joe have apparently left Kwando Safaris, but Spencer and Charles are still with them.
In order to book & guarantee either Charles or Spencer there’s an additional charge.

Charles – will cost an additional 600$ per person (2 person)for 6 nights at Lebala and Little Kwara.

Spencer - will cost an additional 400$ per person for 6 nights at Lebala and Little Kwara”.

We are already paying 240$ per day for the private vehicles ,which i think is reasonable. If i want Charles ,is going to cost and additional 200 per day,¿¿¿i don´t understand this???

Finally my TA told me that , what she could do is send a request through to the camps and let them know that i would please like either Charles , Spencer or Steve as our guides. It’s not guaranteed, but at least they’ll know about it.

I also know from various poster in this Forum that Kwando guiding is usually very good so i am not very worry , but I told her to do that and lets see what happens.

Paco.

I have posted a related question specific to particular camps. I have read through all this thread too. How does one request a specific guide? . Do we make the request through our TA or through Wilderness directly or wait until we arrive? We are not booking a private safari so can we still request a specific guide?

Paco,

As i mentioned above, Charles and Spencer are private guides ....... hence a bit more expensive than just a private vehicle fees.

Kwando's private vehicle rates are still reasonable compared to other companies and given today's craze for the safari market, you would be wise to have your own vehicle. Remember Dana's recent trip report/awful recent experiences RE vehicle mates in Namibia?

Hari

Zinfanatic,

You can request thru TA. If not private safari, i'm sure you can still ask your TA to ask for you to be assigned to a specific guide, if available .... that's what i would do, if i was you!

Cheers,
Hari

Hari

I think Kwando's private vehicle rates are very good ,actually rates are 50% lees than Selinda for a private vehicle, but asking almost the same for an specific guide than for the private vehicle maybe is a little to much.

As i said i think it will be ok at Kwando,at least from what i read in your posts.

I have special interest in photography so i think a private vehicle is very important,not only for me but for other travellers that don't want to be stack with a photographer waiting for the right light or the best momentum.

I remember 2 years ago in Etosha whith a Wilderness Safari vehicle and other (really nice)travellers . Everybody waiting for me while i was waiting for the ground squirrels to come out.After a few minutes i felt bad and we moved although i really didn´t want to leave.
But i understand that not everybody is excited about ground squirrels in great lighting when 200 meters ahead there is a big elephant herd.

Zinfanatic

We made our request for the guides through our TA.

Paco.

Paco,

Don't stress too much! I'm sure you will have a great trip with some fantastic photographs at the end of it!!! I look forward to hearing about all of your sightings on return. Hopefully, it will be a dry summer!

Rgds,
Hari

Doctor is now guiding for Mapula camp which is next door to Vumbura. Steve Kgwatalala is free lancing from Kasane now and Mothusi is also free lancing from Maun. I am not sure where Ruster and Joe have gone too. Russ has been at Vumbura for several years now. Kwando used to spend special effort on the guide and tracker training with Mark Tennant in the early days and Kevin Leo-Smith, Norman Galli and Simon Blackburn over the years.

Most of the guides I have been with at Kwando (I can never afford private vehicles and guides) have become friends and we keep in touch with them between visits. Kwando no longer provide proper training anymore which is why many of the guides have left. They have been made offers they cannot refuse as the other companies struggle to achieve the same standards through their systems.

Mark Tennant was the person who developed the interest in photography among the guides and encouraged them to both compete in the Nhabe Museum competition as well as helped them sell their pictures.

At the end of the day a safari is about the guide in my opinion. Really all you need is a good bed, edible food, good area and the best guide and you will have the greatest safari - I know I have had 7 safaris and still counting - by following the guides and not the companies.

This thread is really a great thing as it is wonderful to see the names of the best local guides coming up ahead of the foreign guides - great for Botswana. Makes we want to plan my next trip!!

One guide who deserves mentioning on this list is Mompati Aaron.

I first met Mompati when he was the waiter/trainee guide at Zib camp in 1998.

Although softly spoken and shy to begin with he is now a guide with a dry wit, stunning tacking abilities, exceptional eyesight and an uncanny sixth sense. - He never failed finding the wilddogs for me and I have witnessed many many kills due to his skills.

He left L.E. (Selinda) in 2003 and now works for CCAfrica on the mobiles (I think).

Geoff.

I would not find it worth while to follow guides from concession to concession ..... To the best of my knowledge, guides (regardless of country or company or reserve etc etc.,) at times find the necessity to move on ......

Let's use the clear example of Doctor (whose name has been mentioned a hell of a lot in recent times ......) he started guiding at the WS camps of Duba Plains and Vumbura and had spent more or atleast the same amount of time there as he did at Kwara. Now, all of these camps are amongst the most popular in the delta aren't they? my point being ...... life goes on!!!

I can't wait to return on safari .... and next year, i go twice!!!

Hari

Momliz - Just saw your question about guiding at Xigera. We had Sam and Ishmael - those two really know the waterways around the area. And they were very easy to talk to. When will you be there? Can I send about a half dozen hello messages through you to the people there?

we will be there late December 2008, so who knows if they will still be there then. But, I would be very happy to take any messages - thrilled, actually, since it would be a good ice breaker for us.

Two votes for best guides I've had in Botswana:

Jame 007 at Duba Plains. Everybody know who he is, and he is fantastic.

Ronald at Duma Tau. I haven't heard much about him on this board, but the few postings I've read seem to agree with my thoughts. He is fantastic. Young guy, new to Duma Tau, not well known. Unbelievable energy. See my trip report on Duma Tau.

I asked our travel agent how we could request a specific guide. I hadn't thought about it before, but reading this thread makes me realize that it seems to make a difference. So...

1. How do I request a particular guide?
2. What do I do if the travel agent (Eyes on Africa) says that guides can't be requested or that it doesn't make a difference?

We will be at Chitabe Lebida, Little Vumbara, Savuti or Kings Pool (any opinions which to choose?), and Little Mombo. We'll be there in mid-October of this year.

Thanks!