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It is morning at Khama Rhino Sanctuary, and peace reigns in the campsite. But then I hear a racket coming from the Suzuki Jimny I’m borrowing for this trip. A yellow-billed hornbill is trying to rip the rubber off the windscreen wipers! What’s your problem, pal? Do you think it’s a tasty snack? I step back into my tent and grab the Fujifilm X-T5 camera with its 100 – 400mm lens. I need a photo of this in case the guys at Suzuki SA back in Joburg don’t believe me! Click, click. Evidence in the bag. Now: Coffee. I pull out my Cadac gas cooker from where I tucked it away under the braai stand last night and start boiling water. Above me, the hornbill is sitting in the manketti…

You step out of your tent and take your first wobbly steps of the morning. But then you stop. And stare. An elephant is marching past the ablution block, barely 50m away! It’s heading straight to the waterhole at Elephant Sands and not giving you a second thought. Botswana has the same wildlife as South Africa, but it offers a much wilder type of holiday because most of its campsites, like the one at Elephant Sands, are unfenced. This is why a camping road trip to the banks of the Chobe River should be on any keen wildlife lover’s bucket list. It can be a daunting holiday to plan, and the prices are steep, but this Classic Road Trip will put your mind at ease. We’ve provided a day-by-day itinerary…

The road, if you can call it that, consists of two tracks through bumper-deep sand along the beach next to Horseshoe Bend. To get through this section, you have to accelerate and keep your momentum, otherwise you’ll probably get stuck. All good, except that there’s an elephant in the way. We’ve been watching the elephants for an hour – herd after herd coming down to the famous curve on the Kwando River to drink, swim and socialise. It has been a dry year and the veld is parched. The Kwando is the only permanent source of water for kilometres around, and Horseshoe Bend is the best beach bar in town. It’s wonderful to watch elephants, but it’s not so wonderful when the sun has set and darkness is fast approaching.…

I have spent much of the last 15 years photographing game reserves in southern, eastern and central Africa. Parks like the Kruger and Etosha draw thousands of tourists year-round – understandably so. But increasingly I’m drawn back to places that are not as popular. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) is one of these places. It’s not an easy area to visit, and not easy to photograph. The light is often harsh and the wildlife density is low. But that’s okay with me because I can put down my camera and tune into the rhythm of this sacred land. Then, when I least expect it, the wilderness offers a moment of pure photographic ecstasy. I scramble to get my camera and take the shot. THE JOLLERS We woke up early…

CENTRAL BOTSWANA TSHOOTSHA This small town, previously known as Kalkfontein, is just off the A2 in the Ghanzi district. 26 Jungle Light Rest Camp This camp on the outskirts of Tshootsha is also known as Riana’s Campsite. It’s right next to the A2. Camping costs P150 (R201) per person. En suite safari tent P660 (R884) per night for two people. Meals are available – book in advance. 00 267 76 549 800 (Riana, WhatsApp) GHANZI This Kalahari town is the focal point of a lively farming community. Ghanzi is a good overnight stop on your way from Botswana to Namibia (or the other way around), but thanks to the excellent guest farms, you might end up staying longer. The area offers different landscapes and experiences to what you’ll find elsewhere in…

Riana Jonker Manager at Jungle Light Rest Camp, Tshootsha Riana Jonker first came to Botswana in 1990. She briefly worked as a tour guide in the delta, but her passion was always food. She settled in the Ghanzi district where she worked as a caterer for nearly 20 years before Jungle Light Rest Camp opened in 2011 in nearby Tshootsha – and she got the job as manager. Tshootsha is a dusty town that most travellers hardly notice as they jet along the Trans-Kgalagadi Highway, but a stop at Riana’s place is a revelation. A conversation with her is full of wit and quiet wisdom. “This is my retirement plan,” she says with a chuckle. “I’ll probably need someone to push me around in a wheelbarrow one day, since a…

It was a still evening and my partner Liz Bazin and I were looking out over a valley in the Daka Plains concession in the north-western corner of Hwange National Park. The landscape washed in a golden haze kicked up by the elephants, as they doused themselves during their evening dust bath. It was early June 2024 and while food and water were still available, there was concern among the locals that this would be a harsh year for the animals. The last two summers had seen below-average rainfall, and a dry summer usually results in a desperate fight for survival in late spring – especially for the herbivores. In times of plenty, Hwange’s elephant population can swell to more than 45 000. Each adult elephant can consume over 150…

We’re up early and in the bush. Our guide, Kennedy Makgoa, explained over coffee that a lion was roaring nearby shortly before dawn. I didn’t hear a thing – I slept soundly. With me on the Kalahari Tours game viewer are two German guests, Jobst and Claudia Regul. I’m on what is called a “mobile safari” – something I’ve always thought of as an excursion for tourists from Europe or elsewhere. I mean, as South Africans, we like to do our own thing – drive our 4×4s to Kasane and explore Chobe as we please. But with every passing hour, I’m beginning to see the sense in a mobile safari. One thing’s for sure, it feels like I’m on holiday. Which is the idea, right? We’re about 7 km west…

SOUTH AFRICA NORTHERN CAPE Middelputs and McCarthy’s Rest are small border posts north-west of Kuruman. If you plan to enter Botswana through the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, you have to use the Two Rivers border post at Twee Rivieren. 1 Cullinan Guest Farm Next to the R380, about 17 km from McCarthy’s Rest border post. Three campsites with electricity: R150 per person. Four chalets: R400 per adult; R200 per child under 12. The chalets sleep 10 in total; they share a communal kitchen, dining area and bathrooms. 082 491 6432 (Wilma-lé) wilmaleoost@gmail.com “Cullinan Guest Farm” on Facebook 2 Van Zylsrus Hotel In the town of Van Zylsrus, about 40 km from the Middelputs border post. They have big rooms, a good restaurant and a swimming pool. En suite rooms from R770 per…

OKAVANGO PANHANDLE The tar road that connects all these places needs a little TLC, but you can drive it in a 4×2. The panhandle is the best place to get a taste of the Okavango at budget rates, although there are also more luxurious options. 70 Xaro Lodge This luxury tented lodge just south of Shakawe is a birder’s dream. Rates start at US$410 (R7 380) for a twin-sleeper tent, with breakfast and dinner. You’re transferred to the lodge by boat. 00 267 72 807 476 xaro-lodge.com 71 Shakawe River Lodge About 10 km from Shakawe, this popular lodge has large camping stands under shade, each with its own braai and power point. There are also fishing cabins (with communal camping ablutions), en suite safari rooms, and luxury chalets. Camping…

COLUMN I was never much of a camper growing up and neither was my wife, Jess. So, it was a big deal for our family when we booked a 16-night camping trip through northern Botswana in the winter of 2024. To make the experience a little bit easier for us newbies, we hired a Hilux with a built-in canopy that pops and flips and folds, kitted with all the gear that we’d need to be selfsufficient in the bush. I stressed about the holiday for months. Would we manage? Would we tear each other’s hair out? Normally, when we travel, we stay in self-catering houses or on guest farms where everyone can escape to a quiet corner if the Monopoly Deal game gets too heated. Here, we’d be on top…

A holiday is a strange thing. Sometimes you’re so rushed you forget what’s most important: to relax. Botswana is a vast country and you often feel you have to fit as much of it as possible into a week or two. The result is that you rarely have time to catch your breath and you hurry past places that have more to offer than you think. I’ve been to Khama Rhino Sanctuary many times, but never for more than one night. Typically, you arrive here in the late afternoon because you travelled from somewhere deep in South Africa. Maybe you have time for a quick visit to Malema Pan: the closest place to the rest camp to see a rhino before sunset. The next morning, you’ll probably leave right after…

11 Campsites in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Like other national parks in Botswana, the campsites on the Botswanan side of the Kgalagadi are run by different concessions. Most are in Mabuasehube – the eastern section of the park. The Mabuasehube and Mpayathutlwa camps (both in Mabua) are managed by the Inter-Tourism Group. The rest of the campsites are “public” camps, managed by the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP): Entrance Gate, Bosobogolo, Monamodi, Lesholoago, Khiding, Matopi, Sizatswe, Thupapedi, Kaa, Swartpan, Gnus Gnus, Polentswa, Rooiputs and Two Rivers. The three campsites used only on the 4×4 trails are also run by DWNP: Sesatswe, Lang Rambuka (Polentswa Wilderness Trail – three days) and Mosomane (MabuaNossob Wilderness Trail – two days). You can enter the park from South Africa or Botswana.…

NAMIBIA KAVANGO RIVER The major Namibian towns in this area – with fuel, shops and ATMs – are Divundu and Rundu. 137 Taranga Safari Lodge On the B10, about 35 km west of Rundu. The campsites are on grass and each stand has a light, power point, tap and braai. Camping R350 per person. Tented chalet with en suite bathroom and private deck from R2400 per person sharing DB&B. There’s a restaurant and a floating river bar. Enquire about discounts for SADC residents. 00 264 81 718 1966 taranganamibia.com 138 Hakusembe River Lodge On the river, 16 km west of Rundu. Camping with private bathroom R325 per person. Chalet accommodation from R3036 per person sharing B&B. Fishing R275 per person per hour. Sunset boat cruise R440 per person. This is…

I took this photo on 22 July 2024, on the banks of the Boro River near Maun, a few hundred metres upstream from where the Boro joins the Thamalakane River. People gathered excitedly to watch the arrival of the floodwater, which had started its journey months before, 1200 km away in the Angolan highlands. The atmosphere was festive: Children and dogs splashed in the shallows as the sun set over the river. The leading edge of the water flowing down a dry riverbed is called the “leleme” (tongue) in Setswana. According to the local people, it holds significant spiritual and medicinal properties and is sometimes scooped up in bottles. The annual flood is a highlight on the social calendar for the people of Maun, marking a time of renewal and…