Table of contents for Go! Botswana Guide 2022/23 in go!

We had a small campfire going with camel thorn wood. In the dusk, we watched thunderclouds gathering in the west, as our little blue and orange flames flickered defiantly. It was February: peak rainy season. A slight breeze blew through our camp at Rooiputs. A jackal called. I looked over my shoulder to see where the call had come from. After spending a couple of weeks on the South African side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, my partner Steph Perrin and I were now on the Botswanan side, where the campsites aren’t fenced. Thrilling, but also a little scary… Then the jackal appeared: a slender female. She looked at us, as if to ask: “Why aren’t you braaiing yet?” We were feeling thankful that we were now on the “wild”…

It’s March when Phil van Wyk, tour leader at Bhejane 4x4 Adventures, and I arrive at Palm Afrique Lodge south of Ghanzi. This is where we’ll meet up with the rest of our tour group before we set off on an eight day camping trip to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). It’s a hot night and I sit next to the swimming pool in a puddle of Wi-Fi, trying to finish all my admin before we head into the veld. Our host Sonia de Villiers walks over to ask whether I want to order something from the bar and we get talking. “We’re hoping for a little more rain before the dry season starts,” she says. I share Sonia’s hope, but with one qualification: I hope the rain waits…

The trip began as a dangerous dream: one of those lingering ideas that won’t let you go. How about a solo bike-packing journey from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro? I’ve always wanted to explore Africa and as an avid cyclist, a bicycle trip was the obvious choice – the petrol price was quite persuasive as well! I wanted this adventure to be meaningful beyond simply crossing countries by bike, so I decided to do it as a woman alone in the hopes of making a statement against gender-based violence. The trip would also help to raise funds for the Saartjie Baartman Centre, a safe haven for women and children in Cape Town. My journey – which I dubbed “Cape2Kili” – began on 21 May 2022 from Rook Cycles in Bree Street,…

TSHOOTSHA This small town, previously known as Kalkfontein, is just off the A2 in the Ghanzi district. 24 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. Twin-sleeper safari tent P660 (R884) per night. Single rate is the same. Meals are available. GPS: S22.13995 E20.86667 ✆ 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 Maun 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 Botswana.…

Just before sunset, a handful of stiff-legged people clambered to the top of a koppie overlooking the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers. All those people have gone now, their thirst for a scrap of cellphone signal sated. They’ve sent their WhatsApp messages – “Hi sweetheart, I made it!” “I’m safe.” “See you tomorrow xx” – and they’ll soon be speeding southwards and home. But I don’t want to go home. I want to hide here for a little bit longer, away from the digital tsunami that will soon swallow me whole again. I’ve spent the last four days doing the Tour de Tuli on my mountain bike – from Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa, through Zimbabwe and Botswana, and back again to our campsite in Mapungubwe. I…

My car drives up the ramp with a clank and a young attendant directs me to a parking spot. Minutes later, the ferry’s diesel engines roar with extra oomph and we pull away from the bank. Soon we’re taking a diagonal course across the Okavango River. It’s a wide expanse of water – no wonder the locals here in Mohembo and nearby Shakawe talk about going “overseas” when you take the ferry from the western side to the eastern side. The eastern side is very different to the western side. From Mohembo, the Okavango floodplain widens, forming the so-called Okavango Panhandle, which eventually spreads out into the vast Okavango Delta from Seronga southwards. There’s a tar road on the western side of the Panhandle (albeit a decrepit one), but the…

I first visited Maun in 1988: My husband Matthew and I hitchhiked from Joburg to the Okavango with the optimistic naivety of youth. A lift deposited us on the roadside some way beyond Francistown, where we stood, thumbs out and increasingly dejected for more than 24 hours until an overland truck took pity on us and drove us to Maun. In those days, Maun had the air of a frontier settlement. It was dusty and low-key and although we were relieved to get there, there wasn’t much to do. Donkey carts vied for space with bakkies and safari vehicles on the unpaved streets, and the limited stores were frequented by overland travellers, safari guides and hunters. The tarring of the road between Maun and Francistown in the early 1990s spurred tourism…

Popa Falls rumbled in the background as I watched a perfect sunset over the Kavango River. My partner Steph Perrin and I sipped sauvignon blanc as the sky turned orange. Hippos grunted and a fisherman in a mokoro glided through the scene. We were in a part of Namibia that used to be called the Caprivi Strip – that odd little finger of land that stretches from the Kavango River towards Zambia. Today, the official name of the eastern half of this strip is the Zambezi Region, and the western part is called Kavango East. For self-drive tourists, these regions offer incredible camping opportunities along rivers. Added to this, the entry fees into parks in Namibia are considerably lower than the rates of Botswana parks, which makes this a budget…

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: R120 per person. Four chalets: R350 per person; R200 per child under 12. The chalets sleep 10 in total; they share a communal kitchen, dining area and bathrooms. Firewood is available. GPS: S26.33888 E22.61430 ✆ 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…

OKAVANGO PANHANDLE The tar road that connects all these places needs a little TLC, but you can drive it in a 4x2. The Panhandle is the best place to get a taste of the Okavango at budget rates, although there are also more luxurious options. 65 Xaro Lodge This luxury tented lodge just south of Shakawe is a birder’s dream. Rates start at US$360 (R6228) for a twin-sleeper tent, with breakfast and dinner. You’re transferred to the lodge by boat. ✆ 00267 72 807 476 🖰 xaro-lodge.com 66 Shakawe River Lodge Close to Shakawe, this popular lodge has recently been spruced up. The campsite has 10 stands. There are 10 chalets in riverine forest. 2022 rates: chalet P950 (R1273) per person B&B. Camping P200 (R268) per adult; P100 (R134) per…

Our northern Botswana tour begins at Khama Rhino Sanctuary in central Botswana, where we spend our first night. The next day, we go on an early morning game drive in the reserve. Birders are in for a treat – Khama is home to more than 230 species. Then we move on to the spectacular Kubu Island, a granite rock outcrop on the Makgadikgadi Pans, for a night under the stars. The next morning, after enjoying coffee and rusks against the backdrop of the iconic baobabs, we head north along the edge of the salt pans, testing our 4x4 driving on the sandy terrain. We have a light picnic lunch en route to our campsite. We spend two days on the banks of the Boteti River, 30 km from Maun. There…

You know that scene at the beginning of The Lion King, when the sun is rising, the music swells, and all the animals start making their way to the waterhole to hear Mufasa’s big announcement? Well, every year on my birthday, I try to re-enact that scene at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, just outside Serowe. In my case, though, the sun is usually setting, the soundtrack is less Elton John and more birdsong, and there are no lions or elephants in the gathering ensemble. My latest return – in January 2022 – was the most magical yet. There was just a little bit extra in the air! I grew up in Serowe and the rhino sanctuary was quite literally my family’s backyard. My mom Patty still boasts about the full…

FISH-EAGLE, SABINE STOLS GEAR: Canon 1DX Mark III; Canon EF 200 – 400 mm lens with a 1.4x extender SETTINGS: Shutter speed 1/40 second; aperture f18; ISO 400 SABINE’S TIP: To blur or freeze? These are the two options you have when photographing a moving animal. A fast shutter speed freezes the action and leaves every part of the subject sharp, whereas a slow shutter speed can blur certain parts to emphasize movement and create a more dramatic image. Why not do both? A panning shot executed correctly will result in a sharp subject and a blurry background. Pan your camera along with a moving subject while shooting continuously. Practise the sweeping motion beforehand so you know what to do when the opportunity arises in the wilderness. (Try it on…

It’s a Sunday night in Maun. I’ve spent the weekend with Louis Milne and we’re in his Land Cruiser, driving to his house outside town. Before we reach the bridge over the Thamalakane River, the Cruiser starts to stutter. Louis pulls over immediately because something is clearly wrong. Like most safari vehicles in these parts, the Cruiser has two fuel tanks and for some reason the second tank won’t feed fuel to the engine now that the first tank has emptied. Louis gets on his cellphone and starts making calls. He speaks to everyone from a general mechanic to the owner of the local Toyota dealership. He starts several of his calls saying something to the tune of, “Remember that time I helped you with…” Seems like quite a few…

Standing on the Zimbabwean side of Batoka Gorge, the power of the water tumbling down the cliffs is astonishing. The spray drenches us and rainbows light up the mist. No matter how many times you’ve seen it, Victoria Falls always takes your breath away. I’m part of a small media group that flew in from Cape Town and Joburg. We’re here to see how the Vic Falls community has weathered the Covid storm and pulled together despite tough times. Across the 60m chasm, on the Zambian bank, is Livingstone Island. In November 1855, the missionary-explorer David Livingstone became the first European to see this spectacle. Paddling down the Zambezi River, his party could see the columns of spray from miles away. Livingstone got out of his canoe and crept to…

KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK This park, which includes the popular Mabuasehube section, is a 4x4 destination for travellers who like their wilderness undiluted. You must be completely self-sufficient. 10 Campsites in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Like other national parks in Botswana, the campsites on the Botswana 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 4x4 trails are also run by DWNP: Sesatswe,…

KAVANGO RIVER The major Namibian towns in this area – with fuel, shops and ATMs – are Divundu and Rundu. 132 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 R250 per person. Twin-sleeper tented chalet with en suite bathroom and private deck from R4250 per night, DB&B. There’s a restaurant and a floating river bar. Enquire about SADC discounts. GPS: S17.87119 E19.45368 ✆ 00 264 81 169 2186 (reservations) 🖰 taranganamibia.com 133 Kaisosi River Lodge About 7km north-east of Rundu. The 16 camping stands are on grass and each has its own bathroom, power point and braai. Camping R165 per adult; R95 per child under 12. The lodge rooms…