ATTRACTIVE, BUT ALSO ESSENTIAL?
In December 2020 we received a wonderful offer from one of our local agents for a number of accommodations Botswana to visit. It was very enticing, and besides, I had never been to Botswana before. In Botswana itself we would visit two very different areas: on the one hand, the Kalahari desert with its vast salt pans, a harsh and raw environment, and on the other hand the Okavango Delta , a wetland area with wetlands and more abundant vegetation.
But we were in the middle of a lockdown and the Dutch government had seriously discouraged travel abroad by enacting new and stricter rules. Was this an essential trip? Did rapid tests already exist in Africa and would it be possible to arrange a rapid test in Botswana four hours before departure with a corresponding certificate? Wouldn’t there be premature entry and exit bans and flight changes?
Despite all the troubles surrounding the corona requirements, I continued to organize the trip. It caused extra tension, but on April 2, we went anyway.
MAKADIGHADI PANS NP
Our journey starts in the Kalahari, in the Makadighadi Pans NP A major zebra migration takes place here every year. In the wet period, the zebras and wildebeest stay in the south of the park where the salt pans are located. This landscape has a high nutritional value for the animals due to the high concentration of minerals and salts in the soil. In the dry season they migrate north to the Boteti River. From the end of April, thousands of zebras can be seen along the bank of this river and a stay in the Meno a Kwena Lodge a must.
In our travel period we saw the zebras in the south, when we slept in the very comfortable Jack’s Camp. Jack’s Camp, decorated in old English style, is very luxurious and spacious, the camp has been completely renovated and reopened in 2021. Our King Willem-Alexander and Maxima were once guests here too: our guide proudly showed us their tent. It turned out to be a lot smaller than the tent we slept in, which turned out to be 270 square meters in size and had an indoor and outdoor shower and its own plunge pool. A royal stay!
THE BUSHMEN OR ‘SAN’
The activities in the park consist of making game drives and in the dry season quad tours to the salt pans are also possible. The Bushman or the San are the original inhabitants of the Kalahari desert. A walk with them, in which they show some of their traditions, is very rewarding. For example, they dug a scorpion to show how brave they are, made fire and played a game.
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An excursion to the meerkats colony is also recommended. In the vicinity of the lodge lives a colony of nine animals, which are completely habituated, as a guide spends several hours with them every day. In the early morning they carefully crawl out of their burrows and warm themselves up on their hind legs in the sun. Once warm they go hunting together. Very fascinating to see how they, vulnerable and small as they are, cross a large plain while always a few standing guard to warn the others in case of danger.
OKAVANGO DELTA
After our visit to this beautiful area we fly in a small Cessna plane to the Okavango delta. What a difference from the Kalahari! Water everywhere, blooming water lilies, more vegetation and large trees. Since the last rainy season was very abundant, many paths are still under water. It makes game driven an adventure, so we get stuck a few times and are pulled free with the help of another recalled vehicle. We stay in three different locations in this vast area, near Sable Alley and Tuludi, both beautiful accommodations in the southeast of the Okavango delta, the Khwai Private Reserve, which is close to Moremi.
We end our safari deep in the north of the delta in the Mapula concession, a more savannah-like landscape of great beauty. The Mapula lodge is not yet accessible by vehicle. After our flight there, a true scenic flight (!), We are driven to a jetty where a speedboat is moored. Like a true James Bond, our guide sails through the narrow corridors in the reed fields made by the hippos to the Mapula lodge. From here we also take beautiful game drives and peaceful mokoro boat trips on the waters filled with thousands of water lilies. It remains fascinating to see how the guides manage to take us to a buffalo kill of two male lions on the basis of small signals and tracks, and show us many, many birds, antelopes and other animals. Impressive how much knowledge they have!
MAUN
At the end of our trip, we spend another two days in a pleasant city hotel in Maun to fulfill our corona obligations. Meanwhile, the rules have also changed again, now no more PCR and rapid test, but only a PCR test, which must be taken within 24 hours before departure. All of this is also going well. The nurse comes neatly to the hotel and brings the desired document with the negative result late at night.
HOW WAS TRAVELING IN CORONA TIME?
Preparations are more complicated, more checks are underway, but once on the spot, all corona concerns are gone. It is very quiet everywhere, with few guests. Everyone is overjoyed to have you there, the guides can’t stop driving you around, lots of attention and care everywhere. Enjoyment to the fullest!
