tockoloshe

I’ve seen many trip reports on the luxury lodges of Botswana so I thought some readers might be interested to hear about our ‘budget’ trip to Botswana. From our own (albeit limited) experience, and from what we’ve leaned on this forum, if you really want to see a lot of animals on your ‘must see’ list, and especially if you have limited time, then staying at a lodge with good guides is a great idea – they know where to find the game and can tell you a lot about the game and the environment. If you want a bit of adventure then try a ‘do-it-yourself’ trip. Don’t expect to see everything, though you may well be lucky, but enjoy the whole experience. It’s a great to way to get to know the people of the country too. Even something like getting a tyre repaired at a local garage puts you in touch with the locals and adds to the sense of adventure!

A bit of background (for Tom!): We started our love affair with Africa with a few self-drives round South Africa, practically all the way round the coast east and west, northern borders and Limpopo. Very impressed by SanParks and how they provide access to wildlife at a reasonable cost (Kgalagadi, Mapungubwe, Augrabies, Kruger and their fantastic Wilderness Walks). Then Namibia, self drive again, usually B&Bs or national parks. Looked with envy sometimes at the private lodges but we like the freedom of being able to follow our own timetable, as often discussed here. We’ve only ever stayed in one lodge, Mashatu Tented Camp, so we can’t compare our experience with the posh lodges, but we loved it, only two of us in a vehicle and lots of game pointed out to us by very enthusiastic guides (saw 7 leopards, 2 of which were collared – but don’t want to hijack Sniktawk’s thread!) . By now we’re hooked on the African wilderness as much as the wildlife, so last year returned to Namibia and rented a 4x4 with rooftop tent to experience the more inaccessible areas (Skeleton Coast, Damaraland). After that we felt we could tackle something a bit more ambitious – Botswana.

Objectives: Wilderness experience and as much wildlife as possible, from warthogs to lions, baboons to leopards. I enjoy photography, but always look at other’s efforts with envy. Just being out in the wonderful African bush with all the sounds and smells around is our idea of a safari! We’re not so young and we like comfort, but working to a budget we would prefer to spend a month in a tent rather than a few days in a luxury lodge.
On this 28-day trip we did about 50% camping and 50% comfortable beds, bathroom facilities, and laundry services. I have included some costings, (hope it’s not considered too vulgar!) to give credibility to my title ‘Affordable Botswana’

Here’s the itinerary, I have given an idea of accommodation prices (osts are for 2 people) in US dollars, I haven’t included food, sometimes we ate from the campfire (a necessity in Chobe/Moremi) and in restaurants when in hotels/guest houses. We booked everything ourselves, no problems with email these days! Thanks to all on forum who helped with our planning, and thanks to many others who just inspired us with their safari tales.

Flight London-Windhoek economy return £600pp. Lucky enough to get a free upgrade to business on way out, paid for upgrade (£150each) on way back, so we can say total cost £750 each business class return. Very comfortable flight.

Vehicle: Toyota double-cab rental with rooftop tent and all equipment, bedding, fridge. 28 days car rental including tent & camping gear (and insurance to limit excess to $600) = U$3,600. Petrol (approx 4000km) U$730.

1 Rivendell Guest House, Windhoek ( 50)
2 Thakadu camping, near Ghanzi (15)
3 Marina's, Maun( 75)
4 Planet Boabab, Bakalanga hut, Gweta (100)
5 Planet Boabab camp Nxai Xini Pan (overnight trip 300)
6 Planet Boabab camp Makgadikgadi (overnight,Ntwetwe Pan 300)
7 Planet Boabab Bakalanga hut (100)
8 Chobe Safari Lodge, Kasane (113)
9 Chobe Safari Lodge, Kasane (113)
10 Chobe Safari Lodge, Kasane (113)
11 Ihaha campsite (park fees 25 + camp 9 = 34)
12 Ihaha campsite (park fees 25 + camp 9 = 34)
13 Savuti campsite (park fees 25 + camp 9 = 34)
14 North Gate campsite (park fees 25 + camp 9 = 34)
15 Xakanaxa campsite (park fees 25 + camp 9 = 34)
16 Xakanaxa campsite (park fees 25 + camp 9 = 34)
17 Kaziikini community campsite, outside South Gate (30)
18 Sedia Hotel, Maun (90)
19 Sedia Hotel, Maun (90)
20 Tsodilo camping, Botswana (0)
21 Tsodilo camping, Botswana (0)
22 Drotsky's camping, Botswana (25)
23 Ngepi tree house, Namibia, Okavango (90)
24 Ngepi tree house, Namibia, Okavango (90)
25 Ngepi tree house, Namibia, Okavango (90)
26 Rundu camping Kaisosi Lodge, Namibia (5)
27 Waterberg, camping Weaver’s Rock farm, Namibia (8)
28 Okonjima Main Camo & Africat, Namibia (440 incl activities and meals)
29 Rivendell Guest House, Windhoek (50)

Highlights: whole trip was a highlight and all wildlife sightings but in particular:
- many wildlife encounters outside our tent: buffalo, warthog, hyaena, hippo, elephant, baboon
- getting stuck in sand and taking 4 hours to dig ourselves out, yes it was a highlight because we actually did it!
- finding pride of 8 lions all to ourselves in Moremi, we watched them for hours
- Chobe river trip, Xakanaxa boat trip and Third Bridge mokoro ride – so peaceful on the water and you see things from a different perspective
- First time we’ve seen cheetah hunting, Moremi
- lots of elephants round Chobe and Khwai, large herds, some with young
- The meercats!
- Sleeping out under the stars on the pans
- flight over Okavango in small aircraft
- Tsodilio Hills bush camping and rock art
- And the Batswana, really lovely people

Lowlights: not that there were any, rather ‘lesser highlights’
- many wildlife encounters outside our tent at night: buffalo, hyaena, hippo, elephant ... especially when I needed to visit the ablutions!
- getting stuck in sand and taking 4 hours to dig ourselves out, getting attacked by a swarm of bees in the process (and getting stung)
- baboons at North Gate campsite, vicious and aggressive
- we didn’t see an aardvark, I’ve been trying to see one for years
- poor visibility and dull skies due to bush fires in Kalahari, Chobe and Moremi
- having to come home

If anyone’s interested I’ll post some details - a daunting prospect when following the likes of CarlaM, atravelynn, Lynnie, Treepol and many more.

Meanwhile here are some photos –I’ve stolen Treepol’s idea and divided wildlife from acco, for people with different interests. I was disappointed in the Chobe photos, as Skimmer said there was poor light and visibility caused by the bush fires.

http://www.kodakgallery.co.uk/I.jsp?...localeid=en_GB

Kavey

Welcome back! I would love to read more, as much as you're willing to share, anything and everything from practical stuff to game viewing to driving times to interactions with locals to food experiences... anything!

tockoloshe

OK Kavey, will have a go - I'm not the fastest typist so it will prob come in bits!

There should have been 2 albums of photos ... try this for acco:

http://www.kodakgallery.co.uk/I.jsp?...localeid=en_GB

canadian_robin

I am afraid I am with Kavey on this one - I want details - please!

You and I must have crossed paths in Botswana. My husband and I just returned from 6 weeks in Southern Africa and spent the last 12 days self-driving through Moremi and Chobe with a roof-top tent. We stayed at Third Bridge, North Gate (with those wretched baboons!), Savuti and Ihaha. We then did a 2-night boat cruise on the Chobe.

In return for your details, I promise to post mine. I warn you though, I am insanely long-winded - details take on a whole new meaning with me. I am on page 28 of the trip report and that doesn't include the 4 weeks in SA and Namibia.

Our stories are remarkably similar - we had visited Southern Africa twice previously, including a year-long sabbatical in CT in 2004 and 2005. We had done much self-driving through South Africa (we love Kgalagadi - also have been to Kruger, Addo, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and others) and Namibia and had decided that it was time for something new - a little more adventuresome. Hence the self-drive trip through Botswana this past August and September, at the end of another 4 weeks in SA and Namibia.

I hope to have my trip report done in the next couple of weeks. My husband is madly labelling photos.

Happy writing! Robin

tockoloshe

Robin
We certainly seem to have the same idea of a good time. Can't wait to hear your experiences, our paths could well have crossed. 6 weeks ... I thought we'd done well with 4!
Looking forward to more.

I'd be grateful if all those experts out there can correct my wildlife photo labels, I have some ?'s

atravelynn

Tockoloshe,

I don't what you didn't see from your must see list. It's all here and some of the must sees even had a mud bath at the spa! Some great roan shots, plus sable. I'm not sure what is nursing. I'd have to see the mother's head. Maybe a tsessebe? Whatever, that's an amazing photo.

Don't let anything except carpal tunnel limit the # of pages in your report. You never know what details are important to other people. I bet you would have liked to find the kind of report you have written before you went.

To think all of this was done on a budget trip. Way to go!

lisa

Would love as many details as you can provide -- glanced through your pics quickly and was amazed at how much you saw, including honey badger, wow. We are off to Kgalagadi in December and are thinking about another Africa trip for next August-Sept. & thinking about Namibia since we've never been there.

Leely2

That's an ambitious and adventurous itinerary. I too want more details, especially regarding the driving and the camping. What was tiring, was was unexpectedly easy, etc.? Canadian Robin, it would be great if you chose to share your experience as well.

Your photos are wonderful, especially those meerkats.

cary999

"I have included some costings, (hope it’s not considered too vulgar!)"

Not for me .

Thanks, I wish more of us would report costs more often. Cost seems to be a secret not to be revealed. Yet, it is the primary limiting factor in all my safaris. Perhaps for many others of us also. But maybe not???

And of course, thanks for your report and photos

regards - tom
ps - and thanks for the mention in your report - "A bit of background (for Tom!)"

Treepol

Hello Tockoloshe,

thanks for posting such an interesting and innovative itinerary with a good mix of camping and lodges. I enjoyed your succint (something that is rarely said of me ) report of high and lowlights and would very much like to hear more about your safari.

You have some great photos, I particularly liked the first lion shot, the muddy honey badger and the meat-eating baboon. I've read about this in several books but never seen it for myself.

Cheers,



Pol

sniktawk

This looks very interesting, and certainly lives up to your title!


I cannot view anything from the Kodak Gallery here in SA, so I will try tommorrow when I am in the UK.

Pity about the smoke it was everywhere in the North we had it in Mapula but not in Tuli, very strange!

pixelpower

Tokoloshe,

Here's one more vote for more info!

We may have crossed paths; me & Skimmer were in Chobe, Savuti, Xakanaxa etc last month, with Masson safaris.

I'm writing a trip report, and intend to compare lodge-trips and campsite-trips a bit. The aim is to dispell that myth that you just wrote down;

"From what we’ve leaned on this forum, if you really want to see a lot of animals on your ‘must see’ list, and especially if you have limited time, then staying at a lodge with good guides is a great idea – they know where to find the game and can tell you a lot about the game and the environment. If you want a bit of adventure then try a ‘do-it-yourself’ trip. Don’t expect to see everything, though you may well be lucky, but enjoy the whole experience."

From what I've learned on this last trip, and from what Skinner told me, I know now that the above statement is mostly not correct ;-)

FWIW; my thread is here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;dirtyBit=1

sniktawk

Pixelpower,

Just to say I agree that this myth needs dispelling.
Whilst it may be true that a few camps can give you a good gameviewing experience, most concentrate on food luxury and regimentation.
Self drive and most particularly mobiles with experience operators will nearly always be better, from the game viewing perspective.

Favor

tockoloshe - Thanks for including the cost. Very good to know.

tockoloshe

Thanks for the encouraging responses, I guess I’ll have to deliver now.

Sniktawk and pixelpower
About that ‘myth’ ... actually I was just trying to be diplomatic, as many trip reports here are about lodges and camps, and I didn’t want to do a ‘this is a better way of doing things’ report because we haven’t experienced those types of camps and can only go on what people report, and it always looks pretty impressive re game viewing. But we’re generally pretty satisfied with our self-drive encounters!

To quote Christopher Ondaatje (just been to a talk by him on his lifelong fascination with leopards, drawn from his book 'Encounters with leopards'):
"Leopard spotting is like sex, when it's good it's very good and when it's bad it's still pretty good"

Treepol
The meat-eating baboon was interesting also because he appeared to have stolen it from an eagle (we didn’t see the action unfortunately) and the eagle was hopping about furiously trying to get a bit back.

So, more detail to come shortly.

tockoloshe

pixelpower,
Have just got through your stunning report, now I've come over all inadequate! Ah well, will have to return now to try and do better. Masson Safaris certainly looks to have delieverd. I think we really must have crossed paths, hope you didn't fall into the hole we left after digging ourselves out of the sand between Savuti and Ghoha Gate!

pixelpower

inadequate? Lol, I don't think so!

You know, both our trips are actually fairly different; you guys spent some time in "non-wildlife" areas (well, I mean focus a bit on culture sometimes, instead of nature). While we spent 100% in the parks. Even our trips through the parks were different; self drive vs non-participating with guide. So comparing works only to a certain extent.

Anyway, point is; I guess there's a bit to say about every mode of travel. They all have downsides and upsides. If your, mine and Skimmer's reports can make the people here understand that there ARE alternatives that, depending on what they're looking for, might be better than lodges, then I'd say... mission accomplished!

Note that I don't want to look down on people opting for expensive lodges either. Ewan made a good point about that when we sitting around the campfire discussing this one evening. He said first of all we should understand WHO is staying at those camps. There is a reason why, for example, most are from US. In US, you only get 10 days off per year. Otherwise put; money is not necessarily an issue, but length of stay certainly is. So no need to stretch the budget as days are limited anyway. So why not opt for all the comfort of a lodge, and some (almost) guaranteed sightings, albeit lower number of sightings compared to what we experienced? Plus, a lot of visitors are in their 50s, 60s or even 70s (*). So a little comfort can do no harm.

Ciao,

J.

* I understood that lodge guides often describe their clientele in a derogative way: "early wed or nearly dead"... Tssss...

cybor

Pictures and your report thus far are great. Not to harp on it but I as well, look forward to hearing more.

I'm also anxious to compare notes on Planet Baobab - saw your comment on my report.
What were the dates you were there? We were there August 8 - 11.

matnikstym

More please! After a self-drive in Kruger and Kgalagadi, I think I'm ready for something like this! Excellent pictures! Thanks!

tockoloshe

Thanks yet again for the encouragement, here goes:

My trip report will not be as detailed or well written as most on here, mainly because it takes me too long to type anything! But I’ll try to give the sort of information which I found useful myself. I’ve forgotten to mention a trip report which I found very inspiring and made me think ‘we can do that’ – and also has much more detail than I have the patience to write .’Wild Dogs and Englishmen out in the midday sun’ - it originally appeared on the forum and can now be found at. http://wilddogsandenglishmen.wordpress.com/

I’d like to start with impressions of Botswana, since I often see camp/lodge reviews but not country reviews so here goes ... Botswana is a beautiful country with lovely people, very smiley and friendly and not yet distrustful of visitors. A cheery ‘Dumela Mma/Rra followed by ‘How are you’s’’ will get you a huge smile and probably a giggle but all in good humour. The kids still wave at you without holding out their hands for money (sadly happening in Namibia now). Try to get into a town or village and local shops if possible, everyone speaks English. We never had a problem with people asking for money or hassling us in any way . Very few places in towns and villages – supermarkets etc had ‘security’ asking for money to look after the car either. We don’t usually mind giving a bit of money for this as seems to be the routine in South Africa, Namibia etc, we just always have to remind ourselves to have some small change handy. There is probably petty crime but we didn’t see it – took normal precautions of locking up the car when we stopped and locking valuables in the car when the acco didn’t have adequate security. Punishments are tough – apparently the last person to steal a cow got 14 years. (I know there is crime, don’t want to start a discussion about it, just to say we didn’t encounter it).

A note about driving: Tar roads and gravel roads are good, some with potholes (Francistown to Kasane the worst one we encountered but they were working on it). Sand roads can be difficult. Be warned that if they advise only 4x4 they mean it, don’t underestimate how difficult the roads in Chobe and Moremi can be. We got stuck in the sand and so did many others with far more experience than us. Also be prepared with good maps and to navigate with GPS – programme in your routes and learn how to use the trackback feature in case you have to leave the main tracks to get round flooded areas/obstacles – it’s easy to lose your bearings once you go round looking for alternative tracks. (Khwai area was particularly difficult, the road kept disappearing under water – even a Wilderness Safaris vehicle got stuck and we helped tow him out). Not being experienced 4x4 drivers we did a 4x4 driving course a couple of years ago before we embarked on our first 4x4 trip and it really helped this time. Long-range fuel tanks (ours was 145 litres, approx 1300 km) are good so that you don’t have to worry about carrying extra fuel and cutting short your trip through Chobe and Moremi because you’re running short of fuel. And take heed of those warnings about animals on the road, you’ll find donkeys, goats, sheep, horses and cows everywhere, not just near villages, so don’t attempt to drive at night. We heard this story from one guide about the animals on the road ... the donkeys have paid (so they won’t shift for anyone/anything), the dogs have paid but haven’t got their change (so they run after the vehicles wanting their change) and the goats haven’t paid at all (so they run willy nilly around in a panic). We added another one ... the cows can’t remember if they’d paid or not (because they’d start moving off the road then stop, then move back, then change their minds again ...). Keep to the speed limits, there are police with radar guns on the main roads and I think the penalties can be quite severe.

1: Arrival - Windhoek, Namibia

Rivendell Guest House: Lovely place, very homely, clean rooms, some ensuite. Swimming pool and quiet patio area to sit out. Perfect place to start/end a trip. No dinner provided, but guests can use the kitchen to prepare their own food or phone out for takeaways. Alternatively they will book a restaurant for you and arrange taxi transport.

When we arrived in Windhoek we picked up the car and stocked up on provisions in the large Pick’n’Pay and got the car sorted out and ready for the off the next day. Warning: don’t buy red meat, eggs or fresh milk if you’re travelling into Botswana, there are Vet gates along all the main roads and you’ll get your fresh produce confiscated (foot and mouth controls). I was a bit shocked about the waste of food so I asked if I could give our meat to one of the vendors or at least their dog at the checkpoint, the guy on duty seemed a bit stunned but agreed. You also have to walk all your shoes through disinfectant, we found it was a good idea to have all your shoes handy in a bag because we had to do it several times. If you are renting camping equipment you usually get everything you need, but we took extra torches, head torches (indispensable) and wind-up lamps, and bought Tupperware containers for food (dust gets everywhere). I bought hubby a leatherman for the trip and that was the star of the trip!

Rivendell has contacts with the local orphanage so we took a few things and bought some more bits in Pick’n’Pay for them to give to the kids. They will also take anything you don’t want to take home with you – old tshirts etc (we left wind-up lamps and camping kit we didn’t need any more)

Day 2: Early start to get to to Ghanzi and Thakadu Campsite (about 500km, easy drive). After crossing the border into Botswana (very fast and efficient passport control on both sides, staff very pleasant and chatty, wanted to know if we had a genuine English accent) the sky got very dull around Ghanzi, we were told it was the effect of the vast bush fires sweeping across the Kalahari.

Thakadu: very pleasant campsite, with water and electricity on each site. Ablutions were not so good (run down and a bit dirty), but plenty of hot water. Fine for an overnight stop. Lovely to be woken up by those pesky francolins , how we’ve missed the sounds of Africa!

Day 3: Thakadu to Maun about 250km, (3 hours without rushing) very good roads, flat bush landscape, not much wildlife apart from the usual goats, donkeys and cattle.

Marina’s, Maun: recommended by a forumite, didn’t quite live up to expectations, but was only for one night. We like to try and stay in guest houses so we can find out more about the place we’re in and meet the locals, so were looking forward to this place, but there was a depressed air about the place, the staff were uncommunicative and we were the only people staying there. Pricey for what it was, simple hut with ensuite, but certainly adequate.

Explored Maun, interesting to see the new (new buildings, ‘Nandos’, and everyone on mobile phones) and the traditional (donkeys, goats in the streets and the Herero ladies in their wonderful dresses) side by side. We felt very comfortable there, not one person hassled us for money or took much notice of us at all (unlike some places in South Africa, sorry South Africans, or indeed Victoria Falls, but that’s a different story). We investigated scenic flights (all booked, would have to do it on our way back through Maun) and went to the Parks office to confirm our bookings and try to get more dates – nothing doing but told to ask at the gates when we arrived. Ate out at the Sports Bar, excellent restaurant.

Day 4: Next day on to Planet Boabab, about 200km, good roads again. Coming soon ...