Wilderness Safaris guiding
 

Hello everyone. We are scheduled to go to Botswana in September and are staying at mostly Wilderness properties (Little Vumbura, Mombo, Zib (which is now some other name). In reading about the guiding in various posts, am I understanding correctly that the Wilderness properties have a ranger only and no tracker? I've stayed primarily at CCA (&beyond) properties in the past and have always had a tracker and ranger. So first of all, is this correct that there is only one person doing the tracking and guiding and, if so, how does this compare with places that have two people? We've had some amazing trackers in the past and just wonder what it would be like without them. I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thank you.

Debbie

Yes, that's right. No trackers, no guns in Bots. We were so incredibly pleased with our guides in Vumbura, Duba and Kings Pool. We also went to &beyond property in S Africa, and we were quite happy with the WS guides. The WS guides were very knowledgeable and very, very nice. And how they can drive in the dark, wave a high beam flashlight and see the eyes of animals, I'll never understand. You're going to LOVE it!!!!

I have no idea what christabir is talking about in the previous response: you're not going to get a Wilderness guide at a CCAfrica/&beyond camp.

In my expeience, guide/driver only is just not as good as guide/drive + tracker, in several respects. I believe that the guide + tracker formula benefits not only the customers on the current trip, but it also the guides and the trackers themselves. Being with a fellow professional increases their individual knowledge and experience more than if they had been out only with customers.

Debwarr,

IMHO, it increases the quality of the game drive experience. Not specifically, that you see more or less with a tracker - but, certainly you learn a whole lot more with a full hearted tracking attempt without cutting corners in the task, which you can do with a guide/tracker team. I have been on extensive tracking missions of 6 hours one time when tracking a coalition of cheetah males that were on the move.........

If you are already booked at these camps, just relax and don't stress too much - sure you'll have a great time.

debwarr

We always appreciate a driver/guide-tracker team. First of all it's fantastic to really have the opportunity to "learn" from them tracking. Secondly if a tracker if set off in order to find a track/animal it's exciting.
Thirdly - as Christa pointed out the spotlight at night is wonderful for night drives but useless if one individual has to drive, look, spot and beware of not blinding gazelles also providing the predators with an easy meal when they are blinded.
Finally - one individually sitting on the right simply cannot watch the tracks all also on the left without driving over them.
We never find tracks ourselves when there is a team leading us. If only a driver guide we can quite "assist".

I appreciate when the camps provide the guides/trackers with a red filter for their spotlights which not all camps do:-( But I point it out and ask for it.

My conclusion: We alway choose a guide-tracker team oriented venue if their is a choice in a location.

SV

rizzuto - I was trying (apparently badly) to make a comparison that the guides at WS were good - I was trying not to say that the &beyond guides that we experienced with a tracker weren't very good. It was a little missated, but no need to be mean. Of course there are no WS guides at &beyond properties.

Our guides at WS were all quite capable of driving and finding wildlife and not killing (indirectly) impalas at night. They also taught us some of the tracking info. IMHO I would go to places that interest you. Your guides, with or without a tracker, will find the animals. It all depends on your personal experience and the luck of the draw with the guides. Some are great, some aren't.

I believe WS is the only major operator using private concessions in Botswana that does not use trackers and it is a big negative in my opinion. I think having a tracker is invaluable for many reasons -- the tracking experience is fascinating and increases the opportunities for finding predators in particular, the tracker is often the best spotter as well since he doesn't have to concern himself with driving and talking to guests and can devote full attention for looking for animals and sign, from a saftey and efficiency stand point it doubles the staff available to deal with breakdowns, flats, health issues, etc. The tracker also helps divide the labor for things like cleaning the vehicle, loading the cooler, working the spotlight, etc. these guys work exhausting hours and having a team as opposed to doing it all solo creates immensely better working conditions. From a responsible tourism point of view the tracker position is a great job to have for local people and since it delivers great value it a job I want to see filled.

Specific to WS I don't understand how they charge the highest prices in the industry but then do not provide one of the most important support positions for their clients and to me it is a real indicator of the shift of emphasis toward the in-camp experience vs a real focus on the wild experience. Logically I just cannot comprehend how you can have a serious wildlife viewing focus in private concessions that allow off-road and night driving without having a tracker. Along those lines I'd love it if someone comes forth with an experience but I have never heard of a WS guide out of the vehicle walking for a length of time tracking and needing a client to drive behind him -- something that frequently happens in places like Mapula Lodge, the Kwando camps, and Deception Valley Lodge.

All that said I agree with Hari, if you are booked September is an outstanding time to be at those camps and I'm sure you will have a great experience so I wouldn't worry about it. Not sure if he still guides at Mombo but Cilas is the best guide that I have seen at multi-tasking it all by himself so you might want to ask if he's around.

<i>IMHO I would go to places that interest you</i>

Totally true. But, our WS guide, Andy (Anderson) Sekgwa, was great. He spent quite a bit of time, driving while looking out the window at the ground tracking. I was very happy. We learned a lot, and we thought the viewing was outstanding, both with our tracker/guide combo at Lebala and our guide on the Green Desert Expedition. Although, what was wonderful was when we were at Xigera, we had TWO guides - Andy, and Matt, a Xigera resident guide who was OUTSTANDING. He was very knowledgeable about the delta, and the two of them were incredible together. And, Matt can pilot a little boat! We had a great time with them both. I don't know why we had the two, it seemed like no one else did.

And, it seems that Hector and Simon are pretty well known here. They did a great job also, given the fact that it was pretty quiet, wildlife-wise.

It's interesting that WS no longer uses trackers. When I first went to Botswana in 2000, they did. When I returned in 2006, they were no longer using them... too bad! Certainly, four eyes would be better than two. I "second" the recommendation of Cilas as a guide. We had him at Kings Pool (we were moved over from Duma Tau because of flooding and Cilas was "moved" with us.) It took him a little while to warm up to us four ladies, but he turned out to be a gem!

Momliz,

Hector is one of those who was promoted from Tracker to guide a couple of years ago. Simon is amongst the best trackers you can hope to be around!

Thank you all for the great information. I'm sure there will be good rangers at the WS properties but I guess I was just a little surprised when I found out that there were no trackers, particularly with the prices they charge. Tracking animals on foot has always been a highlight for us (once we followed a pride of lions for 1 1/2 hours in Zimbabwe) and I hope we'll be able to do some of this without a tracker. Also, so often the tracker heads out to find the animal while we drive around to meet up with him. We've been especially lucky about finding leopards this way. I can't think of many times we've stayed at a property where we didn't have at least one flat tire, get caught in a river or have a general breakdown, and it was good to have two people to handle the situation. Of course we've had great trackers who were better than the rangers at spotting the animals and then we've had a few trackers that did little more than hold the spotlight at night (with a red filter of course!). One thing I've always enjoyed about having a tracker, though, is that they are usually from the local area and I've learned a great deal about the specific tribal cultures through our trackers. So much is just the luck of the draw.

I know we'll have a great experience at all the WS properties, I'm not really worried about that, I just think for what we're paying they should provide a tracker as well. Thanks, too, for the recommendation of Cilas. We'll ask for him if he's available.

Thanks, again to all of you. This is such a helpful forum!

Debbie

I don't have the extensive experience of trackers that others do, though have had them on occasion. Won't comment on the pros/cons as others have done so in far more detail than I could.

However, you mention above aquestion about being able to track animals on foot, i.e. do a walking safari. This is definitely possible at WS properties, ask your agent to make it clear that you'd like to spend some time on foot as an alternative to the drives.

Secondly, certainly on our 2001 and 2004 trips, we had extensive leopard sightings at Mombo, which is known for great leopard viewing.

however, be advised that you need to be in a private game reserve to walk, and go out after dark. We could not in the Kalahari, since it's a national park. We loved the night drives at Lebala.

Momliz
In some reserves/parks camps are allowed to execute bushwalks but only accompanied by a park ranger and on prior arranegments.
But of course it's the TA who should be aware or clarify in advance.

SV

spacevogel,
I am curious, do you get paid by the post? I never understand what you are saying-just lots of words.
Ted