25 October 2004
BUSHMEN'S HISTORIC COURT CASE TO RECOMMENCE IN NOVEMBER
The historic court case brought by the Gana and Gwi Bushmen against
the Botswana government is due to recommence on 3 November in
Lobatse, the seat of Botswana's high court.
In what could prove to be a test case for Bushman rights across
southern Africa, 243 Bushmen are taking the Botswana government to
court over its forced eviction of them and their families from their
ancestral land in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The Bushmen want
the government to recognise their rights to return to their land and
live there without fear of further eviction, and to hunt and gather
freely.
The case was adjourned in July after being heard for several weeks in
New Xade, one of the bleak eviction sites in which the Bushmen have
been forced to live, and in the town of Ghanzi.
One Bushman told Survival, 'The government has not done anything
which proves it owns the land. We know every tree and water hole and
corner of this land - everything has a name. We know this land as you
know your children. We say, "This is my son and these are my
grandchildren." That is how we know this place. The old people remain
behind and we send our young people to court to fight for our right
to live in the world.'
Photos and footage available. For more information contact Miriam
Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email [email protected]
--
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
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Botswana natur pur Safari mit vacationtechnician.com
Wir Sprechen Deutsch und Scweitzer Deutsch!
11 Tage im n�rdlichen Botswana
(Participation Camping Safari)
1. Tag: Victoria Falls
Ankunft in wo sich die Teilnehmer dieser Safari (startet normalerweise an einem Mittwoch Abend) bei der Ilala Lodge treffen. Nach der Teilnehmerbegr�ssung folgt eine allgemeine Diskussion der vorliegenden Safari. Die G�ste die schon am morgen in Victoria Falls eintreffen, k�nnen den Tag ausnutzen um die vielen Ausflugsm�glichkeiten die hier geboten werden, in Anspruch zu nehmen (Tour der Victoria F�lle, Flug �ber die F�lle, Wildwasserfahrten usw). Bitte beachten das Ausfl�ge wie Wildwasserfahrten einen vollen Tag in Anspruch nehmen, und zu so einem Ausflug bitte einen weiteren Tag vorweg in Victoria Falls dazu buchen. Die �bernachtung heute mit Fr�hst�ck bei der Ilala Lodge ist im Preis miteinbegriffen.
2. & 3. Tag: Chobe National Park
Heute morgen verl��t die Safarigruppe Victoria Falls und die Reise f�hrt zu dem ber�hmten, der ca 85 km von Victoria Falls entfernt gelegen ist. Das Camp wird heute an dem Ufer des Chobe Flusses inmitten des Chobe National Parks, aufgeschlagen. Dieses ist Elefantengegend, und viele grosse Herden sind hier nicht selten. Aber auch viele Wasserv�gel und Antilopenarten wie z.B. die seltene Puku Antilope, sind hier Zuhause. Die Vegetation dieses Gebietes ist sehr vielseitig und die vielen Raubtiere, wie L�wen, Leoparden und Geparden sind nat�rlich auch hier vorzufinden.
4. & 5. Tag: Savute bis zum Chobe National Park
Die Reise f�hrt heute weiter in die einmalige Savute Landschaft, wo das Camp nicht weit entfernt des nun trockenen aufgeschlagen wird. Die grossen Antilopenherden hier, versichern eine reiche Konzentration an Raubtieren wie L�wen, Geparden, Hy�nen und selbst Wildhunden. Geniessen Sie die Wildniss Afrikas aus erster Hand, die Ihnen ausgezeichnete Fotogelegenheiten bieten kann.
6. bis 8. Tag: Moremi Wildreservat
Heute morgen velassen Sie Savuti und die Fahrt f�hrt in das ber�hmte Moremi Wildreservat in dem Herzen des . Der Kontrast zwischen der grassbewachsenen Savutilandschaft, und der des langsam fliessenden Wassers des Okavangodeltas ist enorm. Hier inmitten eines der sch�nsten Wildreservaten des s�dlichen Afrikas, wird ein privates Camp unter dem freien Himmel aufgeschlagen. Die n�chsten zwei Tage sind erf�llt von Wildbeobachtungsausfl�gen in einem offenen Safariwagen. In diesem Gebiet sind L�wenscharen, T�pfelhy�nen und Wildhunde Zuhause, und Sie erforschen von dem Safariwagen die offenen Grassl�nder, �berflutungsgebiete und den Busch auf der Suche nach diesen und vielen anderen einmaligen afrikanischen Tieren.
9. & 10. Tag: Okavango Delta
Von dem Moremi Wildreservat f�hrt die Fahrt weiter nach Maun. Von hier folgt der Flug per Kleinflugzeug in das Herz des Okavango-Deltas zu einem der Wilderness Safaris Camps in dem Mokoro-Aktivit�ten geboten werden. Hier in dem Delta verbringen die Teilnehmer die n�chsten zwei N�chte der Safari. Sie erforschen die kristallklaren papyrusums�umten Kan�le, die mit Lilien bewachsenen Lagunen und die gr�nen Inseln dieses einmaligen �kosystems. Das Transportmittel hier sind die speziellen Kanus, Mokoros genannt, die von den Banyei-Bootsm�nnern durch die Wasserlandschaften gestakt werden. Hier bietet sich die einmalige Gelegenheit die vielen kleinen, und grossen Tiere des Deltas aus unmittelbarer N�he in Ruhe zu beobachten. Mit ein wenig Gl�ck sehen Sie hier vielleicht eine scheue Sitatunga Antilope (eine vom Aussterben bedrohte Sumpfantilope), B�ffel und auch Litschi-Antilopen um nur einige zu nennen. Diese reiche Wasserlandschaft ist nat�rlich auch ein Wasservogelparadies. Abends unter dem endlosen afrikanischen Sternenhimmel k�nnen Sie in dem kleinen privaten Camp die einmalige Ruhe des Deltas geniessen, die nur von den Lauten der Nachtv�gel, wie Eulen und Nachtschwalben, oder aus der Ferne rufenden L�wen und Nilpferden, unterbrochen wird.
11. Tag: Ende der Safari
Heute, nach einem kurzen Flug �ber die wundersch�ne Landschaft des Okavangodeltas ended Ihre Safari in Maun, rechtzeitig f�r Ihren weiteren Anschlussflug.
Was ist im Preis eingebegriffen
Diese Safari ist auf einer Basis der aktiven Teilnahme, und ist daher eine echte Campingsafari und schliesst den Gebrauch einer Camping Austattung, mit Aussnahme eines Schlafsacks, ein. Sie k�nnen jedoch auch durch Wilderness Safaris entweder einen Schlafsack mieten (kostet 30.00 Euro) oder je nach Wunsch auch eine komplette Ausr�stung, bestehend aus: Schlafsack, Kopfkissen und Handtuch, mieten (Kosten betragen 40.00 Euro). Alle Mahlzeiten sind eingeschlossen, bis auf die in der Ilala Lodge, in Victoria Falls, welche auf einer �bernachtung mit Fr�hst�ck basiert ist. Zwei t�gliche Wildbeobachtungsfahrten bei allen Camps, alle Ausfl�ge und Transfers in offenen Safariwagen, Mokoros and Kleinflugzeugen; die Dienste des Rangers und Camp-personals sind im Preis eingeschlossen. Die Nationalparkgeb�hren sind auch im Preis eingeschlossen, werden jedoch separat aufgef�hrt (158 Euro pro Person � Preise unter Vorbehalt). Die verpflichtendenden Zimbabwe Tourismus Geb�hren sind auch im Preis einbegriffen.
Was ist NICHT im Preis eingebegriffen
Alle Linien- und regional Fl�ge zwischen den L�ndern des s�dlichen Afrikas und deren Flughafensteuern (falls nicht anders vereinbart); alle pers�nlichen Ausgaben; Visas und deren Geb�hren; jegliche neuen Tourismussteuern die von den jeglichen Botswana und Zimbabwe Regierungen implimentiert worden sind; jegliche Trinkgelder und alle Aktivit�ten die nicht im Reiseprogramm ausgeschrieben sind. Bitte beachten Sie das die zimbabwische Regierung zur Zeit eine weitere Ausreisesteuer von US$ 30.00 berechnet, und diese mu� in Bar bei der Ausreise gezahlt werden (die exakten Geb�hren bitte bei der Hand haben, denn es wird kein Wechselgeld ausgezahlt!). Die Eintrittsgeb�hren zu den Victoria Falls sind nicht im Preis einbegriffen.
Bitte beachten Sie folgendes:
� Optionsbuchungen k�nnen nur 21 Tage lang gehalten werden. Nachdem diese Zeitspanne verstrichen ist, ist eine Kaution von 10% des Buchungspreises zahlbar falls diese Reise fest gebucht werden soll, falls nicht, verf�llt die Optionsbuchung nach 21 Tagen.
� Eine Rechung f�r eine eventuell ausstehende Differenz der Buchungskosten wird 8 Wochen vor des ersten Reisetages angefertigt, und die Gesamtkosten der Reise m�ssen 4 Wochen vor Abreise gezahlt sein. Bitte beachten Sie das kein Gast in unsere Camps reisen darf bevor die gesamten Buchungskosten nicht in voll gezahlt worden ist.
� Unsere allgemeinen Grundbedingungen zu Buchungen sind ausf�hrlich auf der letzten Seite unserer Brosch�re beschrieben und sind auf alle Reisebuchungen zutreffend. Falls Sie eine Kopie der dieser Grundbedingungen ben�tigen, k�nnen wir diese bei Nachfrage gerne zuschicken.
� Die Beschaffung jeglicher Visas ist ihre Verantwortung. Falls Sie weiter Fragen hierzu haben sollten, bitte kontaktieren Sie uns, oder Ihre Reiseagentur zwecks weiterer Information.
� Die Gep�cksbeschr�nkung auf den Interlodge Charterfl�gen ist 12 kg pro Person, in weiche Taschen verpackt sein m�ssen (dies schliesst jegliches Handgep�ck und Kameraausstattung ein). Falls Reisende diese Beschr�nkung �berschreiten, werden erhebliche Kosten zur Verfrachtung dieses extra Gep�cks auf die G�ste zukommen, denn dieses Gep�ck wird per Privatcharterflug durch das n�rdlichen Botswana geflogen werden m�ssen.
� Bei dieser Form von aktiver Safari werden die Teilnehmer ihre eigene W�sche waschen m�ssen, jedoch Waschbecken werden hierzu zur Verf�gung gestellt.
� Alle Teilnehmer m�ssen vor Begin der Safari eine umfassende Reiseversicherung zur etwaigen Stornierung oder Reisegep�cksverlust abschliessen, die w�hrend der gesamten Reise g�ltig ist.
� Die allgemeinen Stornobedingungen der Firma Wilderness Safaris sind g�ltig, und sollten Teilnehmer einen Anschlussflug oder Flug verpassen, oder Flugversp�tungen haben sind die Stornobedingungen bei Nichteintreffen eines Gastes g�ltig. Bitte versichen Sie das Sie eine angemessene Reiseversicherung diesbez�glich vor Ihrer Abreise in Anspruch genommen haben.
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
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22 June 2004
BOTSWANA PRESIDENT PERSONALLY GIVES BLANKETS TO
BUSHMEN AND TELLS THEM NOT TO GO HOME
Plan a Bushman Safari with vacationtechnician.com
In a surprising move, last week the president of
Botswana personally visited New Xade, one of the
government sites where the 'Bushmen' were taken
after being expelled from their ancestral land.
Although it was only 3 weeks before the Bushmen
take his government to court for the right to
return to their land, President Festus Mogae was
accompanied by Sidney Pilane, the lawyer acting
for the government in the case.
Pre-judging the court's ruling, the president
told the San Bushmen that they should not try to
return to their land and also distributed
handouts of food, clothing and blankets.
He told the Bushmen: 'I am your father and I have come to
check up on my children.'
Stephen Corry, director of Survival, which is
very well-known in Botswana for its support of
the Bushmen, said today, 'To pretend that this
visit is not a blatant attempt to influence the
court case, and the British MPs' trip,* is just
na�ve.
In other countries, a visit from the head
of state - and defendant - so close to the court
hearing would not be allowed.
The irony is that the president's handouts actually reinforce the
state of dependency the Bushmen have been reduced
to. These hunter-gatherers are no longer allowed
to hunt and have been turned by the government
into beggars and prostitutes.
So the president's actions are in fact entirely in keeping with his
prevailing attitude, that the Bushmen are to be
stripped of their ability to lead lives outside
of government control. To call this 'development'
is just a mockery. It's an appalling 21st century
echo of how indigenous peoples in North America
were once robbed of their lands in exchange for a
few blankets.'
A Bushman who must remain anonymous said of the visit, 'This is just bribery.'
* A group of British MPs is due to visit New Xade
at the end of June 2004. They are: Nigel Jones, Dianne
Abbott, Tony Banks, Ashok Kumar, Alan Meale,
Roger Godsiff, Jane Griffiths, Andrew Hunter,
John Horam, Paul Keetch.
UK: New motion in Parliament on Bushmen
A second Early Day Motion has been tabled in the UK�s House of Commons supporting the Bushmen�s right to return to their homeland. 24 MPs have already signed; if you live in the UK, please urge your MP to sign too. The motion (EDM no. 1168) can be read at http://edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=1168. To locate your MP you can use the following website: http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/
BOTSWANA: Bushman hunters arrested
Three Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana have been arrested and charged with �unlawful hunting�. The three were hunting near the resettlement centre of New Xade, where they have been forced to live since the government evicted them from their reserve in 2002. The arrests are the latest in a rising tide of persecution of Gana and Gwi Bushman hunters. The Bushmen were banned from hunting and gathering in the reserve after the evictions, and since then those hunting around the resettlement centres have faced harassment, arrest and heavy fines or imprisonment. �I feel angry because I am a hunter and I�m not allowed to hunt. I have children but I don�t know how to feed them,� says one man. In the resettlement centres, the Bushmen are dependent on government rations.
For more information contact Miriam Ross on (+44)
(0)20 7687 8734 or email
[email protected]
Survival International is a worldwide organisation supporting tribal
peoples. It stands for their right to decide their own future and
helps them protect their lives, lands and human rights.
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
.::. vacationtechnician.com = conserving the most enchanting wilderness chill out retreats on Earth .::.
June 22, 2004
DeBeers Diamonds: Last Straw for Botswana Bushman?
The court case that could decide the future of the Gana and Gwi
Bushmen will be held in July this year. Two hundred and forty-eight
Bushmen and Bakgalagadi are taking Botswana to court over the
government's forced eviction of them and their families from their
ancestral land, in what could be a test case for Bushman rights
across southern Africa.
Sign the Petition to support the Bushmen.
The case will begin on 4 July with an 'inspection in loco' of the
resettlement centres, and of the Bushman communities in the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve to which nearly 200 Bushmen have returned
despite government opposition. Fearing that their voices will not be
heard, as has been the case in previous government-led tours, the
Bushmen are calling for observers from the local and international
media to observe the 'inspection'.
The Bushmen want the government to recognise their rights to return
to their land and live there without fear of further eviction, and to
hunt and gather freely. The original case was dismissed on a
technicality in April 2002. The Bushmen appealed, and won the right
to have the case re-heard on its merits.
Note: Wildlife department permits are required to enter the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve. Entry to the resettlement centres outside the
reserve is unrestricted.
Permits are also required for filming. In the past, film makers have
sometimes been prevented from filming by the police, even when they
had the required permit.
For further information, please contact Kali Mercier at +44 20 7687
8731 or email [email protected]
--
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0) 20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
.::.
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
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Safari Field Reports
About The VacationTechnician Company
The VacationTechnician Company Conservation Campaign
June 1, 2004
DeBeers Diamonds: Last Straw for Botswana Bushman?
The court case that could decide the future of the Gana and Gwi
Bushmen will be held in July this year. Two hundred and forty-eight
Bushmen and Bakgalagadi are taking Botswana to court over the
government's forced eviction of them and their families from their
ancestral land, in what could be a test case for Bushman rights
across southern Africa.
Sign the Petition to support the Bushmen.
The case will begin on 4 July with an 'inspection in loco' of the
resettlement centres, and of the Bushman communities in the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve to which nearly 200 Bushmen have returned
despite government opposition. Fearing that their voices will not be
heard, as has been the case in previous government-led tours, the
Bushmen are calling for observers from the local and international
media to observe the 'inspection'.
The Bushmen want the government to recognise their rights to return
to their land and live there without fear of further eviction, and to
hunt and gather freely. The original case was dismissed on a
technicality in April 2002. The Bushmen appealed, and won the right
to have the case re-heard on its merits.
Note: Wildlife department permits are required to enter the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve. Entry to the resettlement centres outside the
reserve is unrestricted.
Permits are also required for filming. In the past, film makers have
sometimes been prevented from filming by the police, even when they
had the required permit.
For further information, please contact Kali Mercier at +44 20 7687
8731 or email [email protected]
--
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0) 20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
.::.
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense...
The Weapon of Mass Destruction?
vacationtechnician conservation
vacationtechnician Paradise Paradigm
Kwara camp
* Good viewing two days ago of a pride of 3 males, 2 females and 3 cubs\
* Evening viewing of a female leopard hunting impala near Tsum Tsum � she was unsuccessful.
* Numerous groups of bachelor herds of elephants
* Large groups of Zebras and Wildebeest.
* Nigh-time viewing of Aardwolf as well as African Wild Cat, Civet and Serval
* Cheetah viewing for a couple of days � adult female with 2 cubs
* Nomadic hyena sighted frequently, but no active dens yet.
* Sighting of a python late last week.
* Excellent water birds in front of the camp and in the marshes including Saddle-billed storks, Wattled Cranes, Egrets, as well as Spur-wing and Egyptian Geese.
* The water is right in front of the camp.
Lagoon camp
* A male leopard was followed at night � it stalked and killed a springhare.
* Lagoon pride (3 females and 4 cubs) seem feeding on an impala that they had filched from Wild dogs.
* A young male cheetah was spotted by on of the Lagoon staff as it was walking past the lounge on the guest pathway.
* Large numbers of both buffalo (one herd exceeding 1000) and elephant sighted on drive as winter game-viewing gets into full swing.
* The lagoon pride 3 lionesses and 4 cubs were watched feeding on a giraffe.
* 3 roan antelope
* African wild cat, caracal, a group of 6 bat-eared foxes foraging as well as an Aardwolf basking in the sun
* General game sightings have been excellent � zebra, wildebeest, impala and giraffe
Lebala camp
* Large numbers of elephant in herds ranging from 50 � 100 strong are coming down to the river adjacent to camp daily.
* 3 herds of buffalo up to 400 strong are being seen regularly on drive
* Regular sightings of a pride of 7 lions with cubs � they killed a giraffe between Lebala and Lagoon Camps.
* 2 sightings of cheetah including a Male chasing and killing a scrub hare.
* Male leopard seen regularly around camp as well as a fem stalking but missing an Aardvark
* 4 python sightings in 2 days as well as sightings of a cobra and a puffadder � getting in a last feed before winter.
* Wild dogs � the Selinda pack of 14 spending some time in the southern traversing as well as regular sightings of the Lebala pack of 5 with the pregnant Alpha Female.
* 2 active hyena dens, 4 adults with 9 cubs and 12 adults with 2 cubs seem nightly.
* good sightings of zebra, wildebeest and giraffe with night-time sightings of honeybadger, Serval hunting, Civet, African Wild Cat and Bushbaby.
* Ground hornbills having been seen flying over the camp several times and have been heard most mornings.
To learn more about Botswana safaris with vacationtechnician.com click these links:
Botswana Safari Reports
Botswana Safari Guides
Kwando
Okavango Delta
Luxury Okavango Delta Safari Camps
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
While the Okavango Delta in Botswana has being steadily filling up these past few weeks, the arrival of the second "spike" of new 2004 flood waters (caused by the rains that fall in Angola in Jan / Feb/ March) has not materialised as yet. This been great for vacationtechnician safari camp clients in the north of the Okavango and has given a reprieve; while the early flood waters have had a chance to spread out and disperse. The water levels at Duba Camp for instance have dropped by about 10cm these past weeks - but has just started rising fractionally again these past few days.
It appears as though the biggest effects of the first and early flood waters have been more felt in the west of the Delta and large areas around Mombo Camp are still largely dry. The main flood from that first and early pulse is now just past the "Buffalo fence" just outside of Maun and should be reaching Maun shortly. Some of the flood waters in the East of the Delta have already gone way down the Gomoti River and the floodplains are starting to fill up there - although Chitabe is still dry except for those lagoons that always carry water.
In the Linyanti, the Zibadianja Lagoon is reasonably full from the localised rainfall - but not from the flood waters from Angola. We are still waiting for the flood waters to get to the Linyanti area. The waters have pushed about 300 meters down the Savuti Channel but has stopped flowing and it has receded a bit..... till the arrival of the floods.
.:::.
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Chitabe Trails Safari Report
Dear Friends,
As the rest of Botswana's Okavango Delta experiences the inundation of an early flood and a late deluge, rising and falling with the ebb and flow of an ancient rhythm of life-giving waters, Chitabe remains but a distant goal in the timeless history of the surging waters' memory- when once the island was completely encircled by water, we await the marvels of this phenomenon again.
The climate has settled into an autumn chill- clear bright skies, with chilly evenings and mornings. The average temperatures have altered somewhat dramatically, with highs around 29 degrees and lows around 12 degrees Celsius. We huddle around the fire for early morning breakfasts, tucking into bowls of Ben's delicious hot porridge as the dawn chorus of Swamp Bou Bous, Meyer's Parrots and Starlings welcome the sunrise.
The African Marula Trees have provided a feast for our local fauna- baboons, squirrels, elephants and resident humans have been indulging in the delicious fruit, which have covered the ground below their magnificent boughs.
The bushbuck ewe that calls Chitabe Trails island home has dropped, and she and her lamb are often seen picking their delicate way through the vegetation. She has particularly beautiful markings, and her offspring is a gorgeous carbon copy of her�
At the outlying pans, Saddlebill Storks, Wattled Cranes, Spurwing, Pygmy and Egyptian geese, Pied Kingfishers and Blackwinged Stilts are delighting in the abundance of water- a birder's paradise!
A fond farewell to our migrant species of feathered friends, who have finally headed north- apart from one woodland kingfisher who seemed to have lost his compass, or enjoyed our company so much that he left a few weeks after all the rest had gone.
On our eastern boundary, the once mighty Gomoti channel has risen again from a long period of drought, risen and fallen, the water claimed by the thirsty sands of the Kalahari below. Hippo have moved into the area after a long absence, and their calls reverberate into the African night, competing with the mighty roars of the four massive Gomoti lions, as they have been named, who have also recently appeared from the Moremi area.
Our resident coalition of male lions in the Chitabe sandbelt area have developed an interesting adaptation. Previously being buffalo specialists, they would bring one down almost every week, but now since the buff have not been in the area for some time, they have begun killing giraffe on a semi-regular basis, and have even brought down the occasional juvenile elephant.
The lioness that brought her cubs into the relative safety of the camp has moved her brood off- after she introduced them to her former pride-mate and her year-old cub. We were all mesmerised by the meeting, which took place in the middle of the day right in front of the camp. Before she left, the Warrs from the UK were treated to the sight of her calling out and suckling her cubs right outside their tent!
Ebineng was out on the Gomoti when he spotted three lionesses stalking a buffalo. One completed her final charge and was able to leap onto its back. With her sisters bring up the rear, the buffalo thundered away and into the channel, sending up plumes of spray in all directions. When Ebs and his guests were again able to see clearly, the buffalo was making off on the other side of the floodplain, leaving a disappointed-looking lioness on the other side of the water!
We have had a sighting of a lactating female cheetah in the area, which would be a pretty good indicator of cubs being somewhere nearby- although we haven't seen them yet, the grasses are still very high, but just starting to turn to a tinge of autumnal dun. Later in the month they will begin to flatten and die down, affording us better viewing opportunities.
Leopard sightings have been good, and there are at least six in the area close to camp- occasionally we hear the large male who lives in the island alongside give his unmistakable rasping call, sending the baboons into a fury of shouts and roars. Relax has also spotted a lactating female in the acacia woodland, so hopefully we might spot her cub or cubs soon!
Speaking of cats, vacationtechnician clients saw a young female caracal on sunset road, which was a truly memorable experience, as they are extremely shy and hard to spot.
The Moonstone Pack of six wild dogs have been sighted several times this month- and although they are a small and raggedy pack in comparison to the larger Mogogelo pack, they are doing well, hunting impala successfully in the sweet-grass areas of mopane woodland. We are expecting a litter from them in July, when they will form a den- this should hopefully swell their numbers somewhat�
The walking season is upon us again, and we have walkers out there almost every day, soaking in the wonders of being on foot out there in our glorious wilderness. This is an experience enriched by encountering things one would not normally notice from a noisy moving vehicle- the engagement of all of the senses (including some that have no name), revelling in your body, at one with the majesties of creation that surround you. Sleeping out in the hide, serenaded by the plinking sounds of the reed frogs, listening to the whoops of hyena giggling at their own private jokes, and hippos chortling to themselves in the channels is an experience few will ever forget.
The sunsets have transformed once again into their winter splendour- the sky is like the inside of a cobalt Faberge egg as the golden orb of the sun sinks us into another star-studded African night. Listening to the chirrups of the scops owls and the warbling lament of the nightjars as we sit around the fire of an evening reminds us all what a special and wondrous place Chitabe is, and we invite you to share the joys both great and small of simply being here.
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Client Comments
Ora and Michael Singer (New York)- " Ben was and amazing, outstanding guide who was very aware of what we had and had not seen, and chose our route accordingly!"
Fred and Gill Schwab (UK)- " The friendliness, warmth and hospitality here are the very best. Staying here is like staying with friends. A big thank you to everybody."
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
TOP TEN SAFARI RECOMMENDATIONS
#1: Best all-round safari: Jacana Safari, Botswana. Excellent choice for first safari, also ideal for single travelers as there is no single supplement if you are �willing to share�. The group of no more than 8 has 100% exclusivity in all camps.
# 2: Best �Ultimate Safari� experience: Best of Southern Africa flying safari. Traveling by private dedicated aircraft between premier camps in best areas of 4 countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe). Excellent review by Travel Editor of New York Times who took this trip in May 2003.
#3: Best value for money: Zimbabwe fly-in safari. The Wilderness Safaris camps in Zimbabwe are being filled by savvy Africa travelers who know that it is during these times that one enjoys the finest wildlife encounters, at attractive prices.
# 4: Best �active� safari: Rhino Safari, Zimbabwe: game drives, foot safaris with best-qualified guides in Africa (Zimbabwe full pro guides); tracking rhino on foot, boating on Lake Kariba, canoeing on Lower Zambezi River, and more.
# 5: Best �new� trip for 2004: Gorilla treks in Rwanda are back!
#6: Best combination of two countries: Botswana and Namibia. Botswana has lots of opportunities for game-viewing, the incomparable Okavango Delta and it combines perfectly with Namibia�s desert and dune experience.
#7: Most unusual destination: Madagascar. Adorable lemurs, amazing people, strange spiny forests, always the unexpected. Just don�t expect everything to work 100%�
#8: Trip most likely to be a �life-changing� event: Mana Canoe Trail, Zimbabwe.
#9: Best honeymoon destination: North Island, Seychelles. No question.
#10: �Best kept secret� safari area: Mashatu Game Reserve, Tuli Block. Too many of our clients return from Mashatu with multiple leopard sightings or other fabulous game-viewing experiences for this area to remain �undiscovered� for long.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
NBC arrived at the beginning of the month and took over Mombo Camp Okavango Delta Botswana , turning Mombo into something resembling the NASA control centre. The generators ran 24 hours a day; wires and cables were laid all over the camp, and telephone linkups were established via satellite.
It was an eerie sensation hearing the ringing of telephones. A bonus, however, was been allowed to call family and friends from the camp. The whole aim of the nine day preparation was a 3 hour live broadcast to the USA as part of NBC's "Where in the World is Matt Lauer" morning show. The rain kept away for the full nine days of the preparation, but as Mombo, or Murphy, would have it the heavens opened during the live broadcast. This did not cause any major problems however and the show went off smoothly.
Numerous guests were present, including Mr. Louis Nchingo of Debswana and an entourage of policeman who were there to make sure the almost US$1million worth of diamonds were safe. The show ended at 5pm where upon the crew had to pack everything up in time for the arrival of the first guests at 12pm the following day.
We were all amazed at the speed at which the packing happened. The new guests would not have known anything had taken place was it not for the fact that they were informed that Matt Lauer had been and gone. It was very obvious from most USA visitors' reactions that the NBC morning show is huge in America.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
" best guides = best safaris ~ a bad guide in the best camp will ruin your safari."
Mark Tennant
Mark has been a guide in Botswana and helped to developed our guide training and wildlife experience for the first 5 years.
His passion for birds and the African wilderness developed while he worked for the Vulture Study Group in the early 1980's. In 1991 he decided to move permanently into the bush where he worked at Phinda in Northern Zululand. As part of the team he was involved in staff training and worked developing the guest experience there.
Mark is a professional photographer and his work has earned him a number of international photographic awards. Coupled with his intimate knowledge of animal behaviour, he is regularly called upon by international film crews to assist in the production of wildlife documentaries. He has been the subject of a TV series as well.
Besides wildlife, photography and birds, Mark is a knowledgeable about frogs and butterflies. These interests and background makes him a highly informative and entertaining guide.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Botswana's Best Birding with Ken Newman
" best guides = best safaris ~ a bad guide in the best camp will ruin your safari."
This 5-night safari to the Okavango Delta Botswanaat a time of the year when all the intra-African and European migrants are in residence and breeding is at its peak. We travel with Ken Newman, one of the region's foremost bird painters and authors. We travel to two Okavango camps offering contrasting habitats and birding experiences within the Okavango Delta.
Most of the region's rarities and endemics should be seen - from Pel's Fishing Owl to the diminutive Brown Firefinch. Within the waterways, savannahs and lagoons, countless herons, ducks, jacanas, eagles, vultures, ibis, storks, plovers and all the 'LBJ's should be found. Some of the rare species include Slaty Egrets, Wattled Cranes, Coppery-tailed Coucals, Black Coucals, Thick-Billed Cuckoo, Chirping Cisticola and Lesser Jacana.
Recommended time of year to travel - early to mid November.
About Ken Newman
Ken was born in England at an early age and stayed there for another 24 years. He scraped through school mainly through good marks for his early artwork and writing abilities, his main interests outside of school being: birds eggs, butterflies and similar creepy crawlies. Adolf Hitler interrupted his wildlife studies so Ken contributed to the dictator's downfall by teaching aeroplane recognition to carefree aircraft gunners, at the time not appreciating the value of this fully-paid-for bird identification training.
Post war Britain saw Ken in the art department of a London advertising agency that he enjoyed for four years, but eventually began to feel the need for more space and opportunity.
He arrived in South Africa in 1948 with a pioneering spirit and soon had one foot on the ladder to progress drawing soap bubbles for Lever Brothers in Durban. That bubble soon burst with the monotony of the situation and Ken moved to Johannesburg in 1950 where his graphic art career continued in between breakaway safaris until 1968 when birds took over his life.
Ken's introduction to bush life was an early trip to the Kruger National Park where he discovered that no one had much interest in, or knowledge of South Africa's birds. He was to learn that Ground Hornbills were Turkey Buzzards, Lilac-breasted Rollers were Blue Jays and that Grey Herons were Blue Cranes.
In 1955, having married his late wife Elisabeth (also an artist), they set off on a seven month round Africa safari, just camping and seeking wildlife. Two years later they did it again, this time taking pictures, especially of birds, for photojournalism.
Ken decided there was a real need for a beginner's guide to the birds of South Africa, and so he started on Garden Birds of South Africa. Faced with the problem of illustrations he decided to try painting. His first picture, a portrait of a Bateleur, was shown with pride to Elisabeth with the question "Do you think I could paint birds?" Her answer, short and to the point, was "No! Not a damn!" So he started.
GARDEN BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA was launched in 1967 and stayed on the bookshop shelves for another 30 years. Others followed in quick succession. Ken's paintings and books sell both locally and overseas, and he is much involved in matters ornithological.
Ken has been with Wilderness Safaris/vacationtechnician as a specialist guide, on a casual basis, since the company's early days. His prime interest is in the birds of southern Africa, an interest shared by his wife Ursula and their three children.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
The distances between camps were so great we had to cover them in what is called a 'light aircraft', but which is more like a biscuit tin with a propeller.
Those with a fear of flying should not attempt this trip.
After an hour of bumping around, a thousand feet above the Botswana scrubvelt, our lawn mower with wings was angled at 45 degrees to scare the elephants off the dirt airstrip before we circled again at a stomach-churning angle into a buffeting descent against the rising midday hot air currents. Finally, we crunched down into Kwando in the Chobe conservation area.
My son had been sick into a leaky paper bag, his friend was shaking his head saying: 'Never again, I will never go in a small plane ever again in my life.' (We only had five more booked on our itinerary.) My travelling companion, the only other adult apart from the pilot - an Aussie woman with attitude - was sitting sobbing, head between legs.
My hands were trembling and sweating, and although it had taken us nearly three days' flying to get here via Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and Kasane, I fully intended to reschedule our entire holiday and get us all out by any route possible rather than go up in one of those things again, even if it meant a 10-week trek across the desert with oxen.
We unloaded ourselves and got into an open-top Jeep to bounce off past termite mounds, vultures, and about 150 curious elephants. Antelope and giraffe darted out of the way as we careered through dust tracks at speed to avoid sinking into the sand. It was bloody hot. This was not Disney, this was real and it was difficult not to feel that we had entered a dream.
In fact, what we were seeing was so strange and so wondrous that within three minutes my son was saying, 'This is the best holiday of my life, ever', his friend was saying, 'I hope we never leave here', and my adult companion, having made an apparently instant recovery, was insisting we set off immediately on the night drive to see if we could find the hyenas which were evidently gnawing over a recent cheetah kill somewhere off to our left through a thorny thicket.
To get anywhere this good, this interesting, this mind-blowing, maybe you have to suffer a bit. If it were easy to get to, it wouldn't be the thousands of square miles of unspoilt wilderness choking with wildlife and natural history that it is.
In your average safari park they take you down well-trodden routes to the game, which might be a few scrawny lions which have already appeared in a thousand home videos and know which is their best profile.
Botswana is the last true wilderness of Africa, and apart from the Okavango Delta, it's mostly flat and dry. We divided our trip between Chobe, which is a savannah full of bushes, trees and more wildlife than a David Attenborough documentary, and the Makgadikgadi Pans (pronounced ma-caddy-caddy), a desert made of salt where the horizon is so wide you can see the Earth's curve.
Our accommodation was large, old-style khaki tents with bucket showers and hanging canvas wash baskets. By day it was ridiculously hot and at night it was Dartmoor cold. The dusty wind let up for about an hour a day.
Apart from the food, which was really good at both camps, we were away from our usual comforts and soon realized that this was going to be a trip which would register highly on the strength-of-character scale.
In Botswana, as our guide explained, you are in a wilderness and you go out in the early morning and after sundown with a high-powered torch to see what you can find.
As it happened, during our three days at Kwando we were outrageously lucky and saw just about everything that Nature could chuck at us: basking hippos, a herd of shy zebra, every kind of antelope, two cheetah dragging their full bellies to the shade, a leopard running off with a dead baboon in its mouth being chased out of the area by 50 or so live ones, hyenas, jackals, wildebeest, buffalo, wart hogs and enough species of exotic bird to make an ornithologist twitch.
There was also an untapped stream of information from our guide about the way Nature works in the bush; how the acacia tree has evolved in tandem with the giraffe; why the leadwood tree stays standing for 50 years after it has died. The school field trip will never be the same for the children.
There were two guides on the Jeep, one driving and telling us about the landscape, the other, a lookout with awesome eyesight, sat on a small seat on the bonnet. (Kwando Only)
Occasionally, Lets, our lookout (tracker), would leave his perch and come and sit in the back seats with us.
This was when we were approaching the more dangerous animals, and was presumably to avoid him looking like the angry horns of the large Toyota beast.
We quickly learned to listen very carefully to Mr Fish, our guide at Kwando, not just because his knowledge was encyclopaedic, but also in order to avoid being speared, eaten or nibbled at by Nature.
'Don't turn your back on a lion, it will see you as prey' is more than an interesting or academic titbit when you are 15ft away from a mother lion whose cubs are gambolling towards you, and she is making a noise like a giant motorcycle turning over at four times less than its maximum potential.
By the end of the first day we were hanging on his every word. The boys were captivated; here was a real life Ace Ventura.
There were dents and a tusk-sized hole in the side of the Jeep where an elephant had recently skewered it when another guide had mistakenly thought he was showing his guests an example of a 'mock charge'.
We soon realized we were completely dependent on Mr Fish in this hostile terrain.
At night, we were relieved that he escorted us to our tent with his torch, because there was a hippo sniffing around it, and the main thing with a hippo, as Mr Fish explained, is not to get between it and the water because it will try to get back there when alarmed, destroying anything which gets in its way, including you.
Having seen the size of a hippo's open jaw that morning as its skull lay glinting in the sun being picked over by vultures, we were more than happy to let Mr Fish stamp on the ground and make funny noises at our night visitor until it had pottered off into the dark.
Possibly, what makes Botswana so special is that it is a relatively late starter in the safari business. It achieved independence in the mid-Sixties under Sir Seretse Khama, who established a multiparty democracy there, and he ensured that nearly 20 per cent of the land is protected.
In terms of conservation, Botswana is a world leader, something which became apparent at our second stop, Jack's Camp, on the edge of the largest salt pan desert in Africa. Our hardiness must have been improving because we managed the second light aircraft flight with a little more dignity, and were beginning to feel almost rugged.
The Makgadikgadi Pans is a place where geology, anthropology and a string of other ologies meet. As the water disappeared from what was, millions of years ago, a giant inland lake, all that was left was this vast area of dry, salty, white mud.
We drove out on to it on light quad bikes to avoid sinking, and encouraged by Indiana Jo, our macheteed guide - an even more heroic figure to the boys walked off to see what we could find. Within a quarter of an hour we had collected maybe 20 or 30 genuine Stone Age hand tools which had been lying around there for the past 200,000 years or so.
After re-scattering them, Jo gave us a brief, child-friendly talk about the shifting of tectonic plates and the difference between early and middle Stone Age man, before serving up gin and tonic (tonic contains quinine, an anti-malarial agent, and the boys didn't miss the gin).
When we watched the sun not so much set as fall behind the curve of the Earth, there being nothing but flat salt pan in every direction. I've never seen such a horizon, even at sea. Nor have I seen a canopy of stars so vast.
Three days later, there was salty dust in every crease and pore of our skins and thorn scratches on every available area of leg, having been out walking with bushmen who showed us how they lay traps for black korhaan birds, dig for porcupines and wrestle water out of the ground.
After a morning spent sitting around the massive baobab tree dedicated to the 19th-Century explorer Chapman listening to Indiana Jo tell us the story of Livingstone and explain to us the history of the carvings on the tree, we felt we were leathery travellers, and could handle anything that the Great Outdoors could spring on us.
One of the boys said that this wasn't a holiday, it was a test of how brave you are. And by then we felt we were pretty brave.
In the visitors book at Jack's Camp we left the comment that the children, who are both under 10, had come out to Africa as boys, but were leaving it as men. When the going gets tough, the tough get on another light aircraft and fly back to Johannesburg with battered clothes, crusty, faithful boots and a faraway look in their eyes.
By the end of our trip, we'd been charged by 30 elephants, growled at by lions, shaken our shoes every morning for scorpions, and put ourselves through every precaution against malaria known to person kind (apart from Lariam, the one with the side-effects).
But nothing could compare with the test of endurance visited on us by Sabena.
On the return flight, our new-found nerves of steel began to erode during the five-hour wait on board the plane at Johannesburg prior to it being cancelled. We were dumped without a hotel room in the Jo'burg suburbs, with no one from Sabena to be seen.
This bunch of explorers had turned into a fractious mob arguing about Game Boy scores.
After 30 sleepless hours, we managed to transfer our return tickets to SAA and finally got home, minds expanded, to the laundry, the mail, the answerphone, and the leaking boiler.
We had been through the experience of a lifetime, out in a wilderness the size of France with the Kalahari dust still in our eyes, and fantastical images of leopards, cheetah, lions, giraffes, baboons and the freshly killed carcass of a zebra still vivid in our minds.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Africa's three big cats - lion, leopard and cheetah - all capture and kill their prey in much the same manner as a domestic cat kills a mouse. The body proportions, dentition and claws of all cats - from lions to lynxes - is basically the same. Body size, social habits and habitat preferences are what separates most members of the family Felidae.
Although the way in which large cats stalk or approach their prey differs, the actual method of killing is similar. The first objective is to bring the quarry to the ground, and for medium-sized prey this is achieved by grasping the hindquarters. With its feet firmly on the ground, a lion or leopard pulls an antelope to the ground by hooking its talons into its rump and tugging downward. If in pursuit of fleeing prey, cats reach out with their forepaw to trip their quarry. For very large prey such as buffalo, lions may jump onto the animal's back, using their own body weight to topple the victim. Once an animal is off its feet, the cat goes for the throat or muzzle, clamping its jaws tight to suffocate the prey. With small prey, a bite is delivered to the neck to sever the spinal chord.
Whenever a cat hunts and dispatches prey, it must minimise the chance of injuring itself - a sprained leg or broken canine tooth, could easily lead to starvation.
In many parts of Africa, lion, leopard and cheetah occur side-by-side. They are able to coexist because they have different habitat and prey preferences, which reduces competition. Different hunting strategies are employed not only by the different big cats, but also for the various prey species which they hunt.
Leopard
The leopard is the most adaptable of Africa's big cats, with the widest range of prey. Large males can tackle quarry up to the size of adult Topi although they rarely take such risks. Medium-sized and small antelope, as well as warthog, are favoured prey in most areas. The leopard relies on its stealth and patience to approach its prey. Successful hunts usually demand that the leopard surprises its victim, pouncing before it can react and pulling it to the ground. Smaller prey, such as hyraxes, hares and monkeys may be chased and cornered before being clawed and bitten on the back of the neck or throat. In some parts of their range, leopard are almost entirely nocturnal hunters, but in other areas (notably the South African lowveld) they are active throughout the day. Individual leopards may acquire a preference for certain prey animals and develop particular hunting strategies. Warthog may be captured as they leave or enter their underground burrows, entailing a lengthy wait for a patient leopard. Catfish will be plucked from shrinking pools at the end of the rainy season by a leopard which ignores other quarry.
Lion
Lion are the only truly social cats and adult females typically hunt in pairs or groups. When hunting favoured prey such as wildebeest or zebra, lions usually stalk to within 30 metres before rushing at them. In most cases the lions will wait until the quarry has turned away or has its head down. Once it detects danger, the victim bolts but it may be too late. On rare occasions, (and invariably in daylight) lion may ambush prey, with one member of the pride lying in wait as its partner forces the quarry to run in its direction. The sheer abundance of prey can also determine hunting strategies. When great herds of migratory wildebeest are milling about, lions can simply rush into them and pull down one or more of the confused animals. When the same herds gather to cross the Grumeti or Mara rivers, lions simply wait at favoured crossing points and pick off the startled wildebeest. Although male lions have the reputation (quite deserved) of pirating free meals from hardworking lionesses, they are called upon when extra large prey is tackled. Several females may corner and threaten a buffalo, but it will usually take a big male to topple such a beast. In northern Botswana, some large lion prides have taken to preying on young and even sub-adult elephant, and this entails tight teamwork to separate their targets from defensive adults. In South Africa's Kruger National Park, lions appear to have become adept at killing giraffe by attacking them on tarmac roads where the tall mammals lose their foothold on the slippery surface. Lions generally have a higher success rate when hunting after dark.
Cheetah
Built for speed, cheetah hunt by day. They are less reliant on stalking than leopard or lion, but most successful hunts involve walking slowly towards their prey, and �freezing' their posture each time the quarry looks in their direction. Once a cheetah gets to within a range of 50 metres or less, it will sprint towards the prey, instantaneously singling out one individual. With its quarry in full flight, the cheetah's strategy is to catch up with it and strike out, clipping its back legs. The faster a gazelle or antelope is running, the more readily it tumbles. Such a fall may cause a broken leg, but within seconds the cheetah takes hold of its victim's throat and clasps its jaws tightly. Cheetah only have about 300 metres in which to catch their prey, because they cannot continue at full speed beyond that. Gazelles often evade cheetah by turning sharply, while animals which stand their ground are rarely attacked. Cheetah are less adaptable than lions or leopards, but some individuals may become adept at hunting in thick bushland where sprinting is impossible. At Kwandwe, in the Eastern Cape Province, some Cheetah have broken all the 'rules' and have taken to hunting on moonlit nights.
Watching any of the big cats on the hunt is one of the most thrilling elements of a safari. With astute and sensitive guides and an intimate knowledge of predator territories vacationtechnician guided safaris provide some of the best opportunities to witness this behaviour.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
"When my mother took me to Botswana and Zimbabwe in 2001, I fully expected it to be the "trip of a lifetime," never imagining that I would become so passionate about Africa, needing to return every year. So, yes, Africa is the best vacation place I've ever been. Why?
First and foremost -seeing the wild animals in their natural habitat. I have had a lifelong love for animals and have refused to set foot in zoos for over 30 years.
I can't begin to describe the thrill when first seeing a herd of elephants on the shore of the Gache Gache River in Zimbabwe. Or, getting within five feet of the mountain gorillas in Uganda. For me, NOTHING can compare to those experiences.
I think, for me, Africa provides an experience that is so profoundly different from my day-to-day existence. I live in San Francisco and have lived here, in the heart of the city, for my entire adult life. While I've visited Paris, London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Brussels, New York, which all have their individual charm and beauty and excitement, they are, for me, just variations of all major cities.
It was not until I visited Africa that I realized that I am no longer intrigued or even interested in spending my vacations that way--running around a city, going to museums, hanging out in cafes, finding restaurants, shopping, etc. etc. I can do all that home.
Africa allows me to just be....I am forced to relax and just look and listen and smell...No other place on earth provides that type of serenity".
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"The answer to the question for me is absolutely, completely, whole-heartedly, YES.
I have been completely around the world over a period of 2 years, years ago.
Went from east to west (starting in the states and then Hawaii, Japan etc.). Other times I have visited and lived in several countries.
Out of all of these, Africa is my favorite. Africa is special.
Outside of Africa, the country that makes the deepest impression is India, however I will never consider it a holiday - it is an experience. Some favorite cities - Kyoto, London. Crete was a wonderful holiday location.
But for me, an animal lover, everything pales compared to Africa.
-Waking up in the bush and wondering what wonderful animals I'll see today...?
-Heading out to a new camp and wondering what interesting people I'll meet.
Typically when we travel in other places we don't meet a lot of new people, at least not long enough to have a two-hour dinner conversation.
Wonderful, adventurous people that are also traveling and kind gentle people who live in Africa. I just feel that traveling in Africa was like nothing else I had done before and yes, it meant so much to me that I wish everyone I know could experience it.
I never felt so alive as I did there".
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Kwando Wildlife Report 14-19 April 2004
Kwara
* One nice sighting of a male Leopard.
* A group of 3 Cheetah (female plus 2 youngsters) were followed hunting but were unsuccessful.
* The resident male Lions were followed but did not get up to much.
* Nocturnal sightings include Porcupine, Serval and Genet.
* Good general game with Elephant bulls in and around camp, Zebra, Tsessebe, Red Lechwe, Giraffe, Impala, Baboons and Warthog.
* A Little Bittern was seen from the boat plus plenty other birds and Hippo.
Lebala
* Elephant numbers are picking up and are being seen in sizeable herds.
* Lions have been seen on and off and have disappeared into the Mopane woodlands for the last 3 days.
* Spectacular Cheetah kill on Impala was witnessed from start to finish near camp.
* Nocturnal sightings include a good diversity of Owl species, Serval, Springhares and Genets.
* Good general game with Giraffe, Zebra, a surprising herd of 10 Eland, Impala, Kudu and a small group of Buffalo.
Lagoon
* There has been one sighting of the pack of Wild Dogs hunting but no kills were seen or found.
* Excellent sighting of the 2 Leopard cubs again who were found resting.
* Good activity at the Hyena den and it seems like 2 females are sharing the same burrow with 2 youngsters each.
* Nocturnal sightings include Porcupine, Serval and African Wild Cats.
* General game includes large numbers of Elephants, large numbers of Giraffe, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Red Lechwe, Warthogs and Steenbuck.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Part One of this article found here.
" I�ll just go and grab your pilot, I think he�s having a fag.�
So spoke my down-to-earth air charter representative upon welcoming me back to Maun while transferring me to my next aerial roller coaster ride � yet another tiny Cessna � which would wing me northwards to Kwando Kwara Camp in a private concession north of the Moremi Game Reserve, bang smack in the middle of the Okavango Delta�s seasonal flood plains.
Indeed, my pilot � Steve, a Kiwi like 30% of all charter pilots in Maun � was having a smoke while watching the dying seconds of the Rugby World Cup Final.
He greeted me some minutes later informing me with a sly grin that Australia had just been deprived of victory via the boot of England�s Johnny Wilkinson. I moaned, in true South African fashion, that the poms would be even more insufferable than usual, completely ignoring my birth and upbringing in Cambridge.
In truth, the Rugby World Cup seemed a million miles away, as did every other intrusive accoutrement of the modern era, such as cell phones, faxes, e-mails and motorcars. Where I was headed, they meant nothing.
Forty minutes later I was being driven in an open Toyota Hilux through the dense bush by Charles and his chirpy tracker Muluki towards Kwara Camp.
Kwara is one of four camps which make up the Kwando Circuit. The circuit includes Lagoon Camp and Lebala Camp in the Kwando private game reserve further north on the edge of the Linyanti swamps and close to the Caprivi Strip, Kwara Camp in the Delta itself and Songwe Village just outside Livingstone in neighbouring Zambia. Kwara is situated north of and adjacent to the Moremi Game Reserve. It�s in the centre of the 175,000-hectare Kwara concession which fronts the permanent water of the 1,6-million hectare delta and is backed by bush and open seasonal flood plains.
The camp consists of 8 tents sleeping 16 guests and is run by the affable Peter Gordon and his bubbly wife Anita Els, both of whom do an excellent job as enthusiastic hosts at the camp.
Arrival at the camp offers some much needed respite from the sun, with the overhanging trees providing excellent shade. Welcomes are made in the lounge area, with its comfortable couches and chairs overlooking the seasonal flood plains in front of the camp. To one side is a bar where guests are invited to help themselves if no one is around to look after their needs.
Indeed, this is an attitude prevalent in all of the camps � basically make yourself at home and help yourself! It makes for a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere with no one expecting silver service waitors to fuss over their every desire. In any event, if there�s something you want that you can�t find yourself, there�s always one of the helpful camp staffers to help out.
Alongside the lounge and bar area is a roomy dining room which overlooks a small plunge pool. The pool enjoys the shelter of the shade trees as well with the result that the water is always wonderfully cool and visited regularly by the paradise flycatchers which nest overhead.
The tents are set amongst the trees to the other side of the lounge area and consist of two comfortable single beds, side tables and drawers and a small wardrobe. There is a flushing toilet and twin basins in a separate bathroom to the rear of the tent and an outside shower. A small stoep with deck chairs and tables makes the perfect place to sit, binoculars in hand, while surveying the countryside beyond the trees for animal activity.
The real activity takes place out on the early morning and late afternoon game drives and Charles and Muluki were expert at finding it. Or rather racing to it.
Our forays into the bush netted some excellent sightings, including an over-ambitious night adder trying to eat an over-inflated bullfrog, wild dog, lions bringing down a female giraffe and a young male leopard who thought he�d take on first a water monitor which was bigger than he was, and second a herd of tsessebe who looked at him as if he was taking the proverbial urine.
The lion kill was a double-edged sword. A pride of lionesses had made the kill with two small cubs at heel. When we first sighted them they were feasting happily being watched from afar by two curious, and hungry males who were not part of the pride. Later that afternoon the males attacked the pride and killed the cubs, stealing the kill for themselves. We found the cubs� pitiful little bodies that evening. I couldn�t bring myself to take pictures.
Dinners were spent discussing the days� sightings while contending with sumptuous home-cooked meals and some excellent wine.
Alternatives to the game drives are just as exciting for those who love the bush. I tried out a bush walk with Charles and we ended up tracking some lions. Little did we know that they were a mere 40 metres away in the long grass watching us with as much interest as we had in their tracks.
The bush walk brought us to the mokoro station, deep in the bush on one of the myriad small channels which eventually join the Godikwe lagoon system. A mokoro ride is an absolute must for anyone visiting the Okavango. Poled gently through the small, reed-lined channels, a mokoro gives visitors a hippo-eyed view of the swamps and is perhaps the most tranquil and relaxing way to experience the Delta.
At Kwara there is also the option of a river safari on a sort of double-decker boat with an upstairs viewing platform affording endless views of the waterways and surrounding bush. The river ride takes in several islands where marabou and yellow-billed storks nest, and where at sunset, over a few bloody marys, you can marvel as birds from every corner of the Delta come home to roost for the night.
It�s a hard life; this safari business and days melt seamlessly into one another. For the first time in a long time I felt the thrill of true relaxation and actually forgot what day it was, far from the madding crowd and intrusive cell phone.
Communication in the bush is done by radio, and certain camps have bush mail � a kind of e-mail done over radio waves, but apart from that isolation rules. For some it may be a worry, but in reality it only takes an hour for a plane to be dispatched in an emergency, and the camps all have emergency medical evacuation cover for guests in the event of something untoward happening.
After two leisurely nights at Kwara, I bade farewell to my hosts and once more enjoyed the pleasures of low flying at midday on a full tummy (brunch inevitably coincided with close encounters of a Cessna kind) for the 25-minute transfer north from Kwara to Lebala Camp, virtually on the Namibian border at the Caprivi Strip. Kwando Lebala and its sister camp, Kwando Lagoon, are situated inside the original 232,000-hectare Kwando concession.
Kwando is the brainchild of near-legendary Botswanan John Mynhardt and is run by MD and president Kevin Leo-Smith. Leo-Smith was one of founders of Phinda Resource Reserve which grew into Conservation Corporation Africa. He is very much a hands-on leader and lives in Maun with his wife, former tennis star Greer Stevens.
The terrain around Lebala is completely different to Kwara, providing an awesome contrast to the latter. Dry dusty plains give way to lush vegetation and sweeping lagoons and river systems on the edge of the Linyanti swamps which lead down towards what was the Selinda spillway. The spillway is dry, for now at least, but a season or two of good rains would more than likely change that.
Lebala Camp is a 25-minute drive from the airstrip and in the heat and dust of noon it was a trip which left me determined not to wear shorts again on open vehicles as I could feel my knees frying in the harsh glare.
Guide Spencer and tracker Silver didn�t seem to notice the heat as I tried to protect my exposed flesh with my hands but pointed out to me that anything with half a brain game-wise would be under cover of whatever shade they could find. I agreed and wondered about mad dogs and Englishmen as the temperature soared past the 40 mark.
The drive was thankfully over quick enough and soon we were enjoying cooling beers in Lebala�s shady open-air bar, trying to rehydrate desiccated flesh while enjoying the company of Lebala Camp manager Gareth Flemix.
There are eight tents at Lebala. Actually, calling them tents is a bit of an understatement. Sure, they look like tents from the outside � all khaki and blending in with the surroundings. But inside they are absolutely huge with an enormous double bedroom-cum-sitting room with two larger than average divans, a large raised deck complete with chairs and tables overlooking the dusty plain, a separate dressing area which doubles as a study, with drawers, shelves and a small wardrobe, and an equally gigantic bathroom with twin basins, the usual flushing loo and a full-size pedestal bath complemented by an outside shower.
Bigger than the average hotel suite, Lebala gets full marks for accommodation and shows just what you can achieve under canvas in the middle of nowhere.
And it is remote. But stunning nonetheless.
Within half an hour of my settling in by the plunge pool I was treated to the sight of a large breeding herd of elephants filing past not 100 metres away. Indeed, some of the experiences at Lebala will go down as legends in my personal records. For example, on my first afternoon a huge dust storm built up on the plains outside my tent. I watched from my deck as twisters pulled the dust up into the atmosphere, silently building into a huge pall which an ever-strengthening blast of hot, dry air began to drive towards the camp.
As it approached I heard wild trumpeting and Gareth�s excited yells to the rear of my tent. I went to the door and was greeted by the sight of a rampaging and obviously very upset young bull elephant charging past within a couple of metres of me, blasting on his horn for all he was worth, closely followed by Gareth madly clapping his hands and making almost as much noise.
The afternoon drive that day was amazing, with us witnessing the first, faltering steps of a newborn wildebeest and having sundowners within a couple of metres of some very garrulous hippos, who treated us to a water ballet par excellence. Darkness brought with it what seemed to be Africa�s entire population of spring hares and my first wild African rock python, which Spencer put at just short of the four-metre long mark. Our return to the camp was accompanied by the local hyena clan, who promptly chased an African wild cat through the bar as we were downing a few pre-dinner drinks.
Dawn the following day brought with it a pack of wild dogs who were also chased through camp by the hyenas. They ran over to the airstrip where they quickly caught and ate on the spot five young impala.
The dogs of Lebala are becoming legends in their own lunchtimes and have become a passion for Gareth and his head guide Steve, who have been recording their activities in minute detail for the past few years.
In spite of its remote position, Lebala is for me a large slice of paradise and one which I intend returning to regularly. It�s a marvelous place to unwind and reflect on life�s real meaning.
But sadly, all good things must end, and this portion of my Five Rivers Safari had, all too quickly, or so it seemed. A 50-minute flight in the ubiquitous Cessna back to Maun put me back on Air Botswana for the flight back to Johannesburg via Gaborone. But, in the words of the Terminator, I�ll be back. And finish what I�ve started.
When I left the first instalment of the Five Rivers Safari it was at the end of November on the hot, dusty plains of Kwando Lebala in the far north of Botswana. My return, to pick up my tour of the nine camps participating in the safari, put me in the familiar surroundings of Livingstone in Zambia but with a huge difference � rain, and lots of it had transformed this often oppressively hot and dry region into a lush and verdant wonderland.
Welcome to the green season, and the long awaited, life-bringing deluges this far-flung part of the world had needed for so long.
Songwe Village was to be my first port of call on this second half of my Five Rivers Safari, which I resumed with Nationwide Flight CE 202 from Johannesburg International to Livingstone.
I must say, Nationwide is developing into a fine airline and one South Africans can be truly proud of. I am impressed most of all with their levels of service and friendliness which put the often sour faces of their major competitors to shame. At the end of the day a trip by plane, whether short haul or international, should be a pleasurable experience, not something to endure. Nationwide seem to realise this and make the 90-odd minutes to Livingstone pass with pleasant ease.
It was sunny when I landed in Livingstone and a week or so of rains earlier in January meant that the nearby Victoria Falls were almost at peak flow, filling the air with their thrilling mist which gives them their local name � Mosi o Tunya � the smoke that thunders.
I was met by Songwe manager Dorothy Shinga and guide-cum-driver Munkombwe and began the journey to Songwe Point, which is approximately 14km out of town. However, it�s a long haul at 45-minutes due to the rough, and I do mean rough, road. Once off the main tar road it�s a spot of major bundu bashing over rock and through mud to get to the village. But it�s more than worth the trek.
As we pulled into Songwe the sun was steadily being overtaken by steely grey clouds, with the huge thunderheads forming on the horizon a sign of things to come.
Like Lebala, Kwara and Lagoon camps, Songwe is part of the Kwando family.
But it�s very different to its stable-mates.
Songwe offers participants in the Five Rivers safari a chance to get down and cultural. It�s akin to getting up close and personal with rural Africa.
Accommodation in the village is in traditional huts, simply but comfortably furnished and with the added luxury of en-suite toilets and showers. The bathrooms have no windows but low walls at the sink and shower afford the aforementioned stunning views of the gorge and the stretch of the Zambezi between rapids 10 and 13, well-known to white-water rafters.
It could so easily have been kitsch, but Songwe is anything but. In typical Kwando style the marriage of tradition, comfort and convenience is seamless and works perfectly. Sinks in the bathroom are large enamel bowls with a single, cold tap. In the early morning a large iron kettle is placed outside the door of the hut for freshening up purposes. The showers are basic but have hot and cold water and all the intricacies are there, but in a low-key, traditional way. The mirror is framed in recycled fanta cans, the enamel wear is everywhere, from the mugs for your toothbrush to the rubbish bin.
The beds are made from rustic poles and the linen is a mix of pure colonial cotton sheets and locally woven textile throws with the compulsory mosquito net � an absolute must in this malaria-ridden region.
The huts are arranged in a traditional village formation around a central area where chickens and goats roam freely. On each side are two additional huts which house double showers and huge luxurious Victorian-style baths. One set of these bathroom facilities faces sunrise over the gorge, and the other � you guessed it � sunset. The baths are positioned slightly raised to afford marvelous views as you relax and soak with a glass of something everso slightly refined from the makeshift bar in the central living area.
This is housed in its own, open hut to one side of the kitchen hut at the end of the village, close to the edge of the gorge. Here you relax on plump cushions on a built-in bench around the perimeter of the hut, which has a small fire pit at its centre. Meals are taken here, eaten off your lap or, on occasion, at a makeshift but perfectly functional table.
The idea, and it works marvelously, is to get you to relax and experience what it�s like to be part of a proper, working village.
During a stay at Songwe guests get the chance to experience a proper, traditional village dinner, eaten seated on a cushion on the floor using your fingers as cutlery. Dorothy, who runs Songwe with her husband Emanuel, explained that some guests are squeamish when it comes to eating in such an al fresco manner and that forks and knives are optional. Not for me. I dived in with both hands making short shift of the delicious shuma (pap), beef and chicken stews and assorted veggies such as spinage and pumpkin.
It�s a great experience and a refreshing change to table d�hote and a jacket and tie affair.
After dinner entertainment comes in the form of some impromptu drumming and marimba playing, singing and dancing. Guests are invited to join in with their own favourite songs, but somehow my rendition of Hotel California seemed out of place in this devine and oh-so relaxed setting.
Activities at Songwe are equally relaxed, with guests learning about the cultural heritage of the local Mukuni tribe, which has lived in this area since the 13th century, having migrated from northern Cameroon.
The village of Songwe itself is part of the greater Mukuni village and is home to about 1500 people. Guests can visit the village where there are several curio stalls offering a range of arts and crafts made by the local villagers.
You are also taken across to Mukuni itself, by ox-wagon when the weather permits, but in this sticky season the road is much more suited to the village Landrovers. Mukuni is home to a further 7000 people, all overseen by senior chief or Munokalya Patrick Siloka Mukuni. Chief Siloka has been the main man since 1985 and rules over his people with a Bedyango or Chieftainess who is equal to him in stature but from a different lineage.
During my visit to Mukuni I was taken to Lumpasa palace to meet the incumbent Bedyango, Anne Siloka, who although she shares his name is actually not related to the Chief. Chief Siloka�s lineage goes back generations. His ancestors met David Livingstone under a huge acacia tree outside Lumpasa palace.
Songwe Village is heavily involved in community development with the villagers, using tourism to inject much-needed resources into the communities via the Mukuni Environmental, Cultural and Economic Development Trust with the assistance of guests who participate in cultural activities and tours and buy curios from the stalls.
After the tour of Mukuni it was off to the Livingstone Museum to learn more about the area. Livingstone is very proud of its namesake, the inimitable Dr David, and he naturally features heavily in the exhibits, with his hat, coat, gun, box of medical instruments and medical qualifications all displayed lovingly along with in depth information about his life and contribution to the community around the falls.
Also on display are exhibits illustrating the geographical, geological, anthropological and biological histories of the region and the recent political history of Zambia. It�s a small museum, and desperately in need of funding, but it�s a start and an indication of the pride the local community has in its roots.
Then it was off on a sundowner cruise on the river with Safari par Excellence, which, at $60 per person is not bad value for money, including as it does tasty snacks and all drinks during the three-hour cruise.
The morning of my departure from Songwe was when the weather decided to mess with my itinerary, preventing my transfer by air charter. Early morning thunderstorms had given birth to flash floods, one of which emerged from the solid rock wall of the cliff-face opposite my hut with a roar of earthquake proportions heralding its approach.
The inclement weather played havoc across the region causing airports to close and flights to be cancelled and is a good illustration of how traveling in this part of the world is never cast in stone. Flexibility is an absolute must. As is patience. But in a smooth and impressively professional manner alternative arrangements were made for a road transfer to Kasane, some 70km away, where I would pick up my flight to Lianshulu Lodge in the East Caprivi area of Namibia.
It�s a strange part of the world, where international borders abound. One minute you�re in Zambia, a short boat trip across the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers and you�re in Botswana, and before you can say Jack Robinson it�s Namibia. And there, on the horizon is Angola. And in the other direction is Zimbabwe. So began a curious series of immigration posts and 20-minute transits which have made my passport rather full and interesting. Four countries in one day is not unusual here.
The flight from Kasane to Lianshulu with was smooth and thankfully interesting enough to make the 50-minute journey pass quickly. Pilot Gerd Niehaus pointed out the Chobe and Zambezi flood plains and the temporary fields and grazing which in a few short weeks time would be under water.
Lianshulu Lodge is located in the Eastern Caprivi on the Namibian side of the Kwando River. It�s situated in a small, 800-hectare private concession in the Mudumu National Park, which covers around 800 square kms. Due to the general inaccessibility of the river, Lianshulu has exclusive use of the meandering waterways and lagoons, whilst other vehicles are rarely encountered on nature drives in the park, conveying a powerful sense of remoteness.
Indeed, the only other camp in the park, Bush Lodge, is part of Lianshulu.
The lodges are owner-run by Ralph Meyer-Rust and his partner, Sharon Theron. Ralph co-owns the lodge with partners Jonathan Gibson, and Peter Koep, of legendary status in the Namibian legal profession. Bush Lodge Managers, Beverley and Flavien Daguise, also lend a hand, making sure that guests� needs are well catered for.
Lianshulu is a Lozi name meaning �the place of spring hares�.
The lodge consists of 11 very private and intimate rooms nestled on the edge of a lagoon which is part of the Kwando river system. All have views of the water and the ubiquitous hippo population which provides all-day entertainment accompanied by a cacophony of grunts.
The rooms are luxuriously appointed and are in the process of being transformed into veritable palaces with lots of cool tiles, enormous bathrooms and living space for Africa.
Sumptuous meals are taken in the main complex with its huge deck overlooking the Lianshulu lagoon and, yes, more of those marvelous hippos. In the dry season elephant compete for the water, giving game buffs some exhilarating encounters with the wild. There�s also a marvelously shady pool area which was a major drawcard for me in the often humid conditions.
Activities include the nature walks, river safaris and game drives which make up an integral part of each day, and are interspersed with marvelously impromptu bush brunches served al fresco on islands in the river. Daily itineraries are tailor-made to suit guests with Ralph at pains to make the point that life at Lianshulu is geared towards slowing down and absorbing the natural beauty of the area.
At this time of year, with everything so wet and water not in short supply, the game is more dispersed but the hues and colours of green Africa more than make up for the lack of action. And the birding is out of this world. I was quickly adding new ticks to my check-list with lesser jacana, lesser moorhen and African finfoot among the endemic species I spotted.
In addition to hosting and entertaining guests with some riveting fireside stories, Ralph is also something of an expert on the area, having worked in it as a guide and expedition leader for more than 20 years. He�s a fount of knowledge on the area�s biodiversity, political history and geographical composition. My guide, Peter Damson, a Zimbabwean from Kariba, was also extremely well-informed and knowledgeable.
So what about that history aspect? Most of us know the Caprivi as the place �ons manne� went to fight the Swapo gevaar. But the Caprivi is so much more than the 14-day war. It�s origins are long and complicated. Originally conceived by Germany in the late 1800s it was used as a political football between Britain and Germany. Control over it was gained through intense political bartering which also affected the history of neighbouring areas such as Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and Northern Rhodesia which is now Zambia. It occupies a strategic but very isolated position juxtaposed between Angola in the north, Zambia to the north-east and east, Botswana in the south and Zimbabwe in the south-east.
Lianshulu is heavily involved in community development in the area, most notably with the original creation of the Kwando thatching industry and the initial inception of Lizauli village where for a small fee of R25 guests can experience the culture and traditions of the local tribespeople, including a consultation with a dancing medicine man.
The area around Lianshulu is rich in natural history as well. The Mudumu is home to a broad range of species, from the Big Four (there are, sadly, no rhino in this part of the world) in season to impressive herds of impala and zebra.
I took the option of a nature walk with Peter, checking out the smaller and sometimes infinitely more interesting details of fauna and flora that only walking brings you into contact with.
I also had the opportunity to experience the intricacies of a cross-border transfer along the river, with guests coming in from Kwando Lagoon camp�s airstrip, an hour by boat upriver, going through the formalities of leaving Botswana and entering Namibia under a makeshift riverside immigration post run by the Botswana Defence Force. It all runs smoothly, in spite of being hundreds of kilometres away from the intricacies of �civilization� and goes a long way to making the Five Rivers Safari one of the best ways to visit several different countries on one trip.
On my second afternoon at Lianshulu I was beginning to get the feeling that the weather was following me. The heavens literally opened just as I was about to depart on a sunset river safari and put paid to any birdwatching ideas I may have had. It gave me the opportunity to spend more time in the excellent company of Ralph and Sharon and was a great illustration of how well Lianshulu copes with keeping guests happy when the weather says �izzit?�.
From Lianshulu it was a quick road trip down the trans-Caprivi highway and back into the dense bush to Susuwe Island Lodge.
Along with Impalila Island Lodge � my final destination on this marathon journey � Susuwe is part of Islands.
Located on Birre Island on a peaceful stretch of the Kwando known as Carmine corner, the lodge is surrounded by the Bwabwata National Park. It�s pristine wilderness which some may remember as the base of SADF activites in the Caprivi at Fort �Doppies�. Indeed, the remains of the camp can still be seen as you leave the park.
The contrast between its neighbours is stark. Encompassing vast flood plains and Kalahari woodlands, gone is the thick loam of Lianshulu, replaced by the distinctive white sand of the Kalahari basin whose dunes form the base for some of the elevated lookout points which made the area so important for the military.
Running the show at Susuwe is Bruce Lawson. Bruce is literally a legend of the Southern African bush, having walked from the Cape to Cairo and led overland birding safaris for many years. Birds are his speciality, which is no surprise when you learn that his dad is the Lawson of Lawson�s Birding Safaris. Time spent with Bruce on the activities at Susuwe is invaluable as you tap into his incredible wealth of knowledge and experience. During my stay I spotted the rare Arnot�s chat and some beautifully colourful violet-eared waxbills. Indeed, this is the area for rare avians, with pygmy geese also putting in several appearances.
Together with head guide-in-waiting Sean Braine, a Namibian whose home is Etosha, Bruce makes sure that a stay at Susuwe is an education in all that makes the place special.
It�s a small lodge, with six beautiful suites positioned to enjoy views over the Kwando to the flood plains. Built in a blend of wood, thatch and reed, each suite is spacious offering some of the best of life�s little luxuries such as hairdryers and private plunge pools overlooking the river. There�s something special about relaxing in a plunge pool, bloody mary in hand, and gazing into the wilds of Africa. Especially when blue waxbills and brown firefinches are pecking at a feeder full of millet not a metre away from you and swamp boubous are catching dragonflies in front of your very nose!
Meals are eaten communally at the main complex with its beautiful open lounge areas leading onto the riverine forest and river beyond. Elevated viewing platforms offer a chance to get up into the canopy of overhanging trees and afford some lovely views of the river and woodland beyond.
Speaking of meals, be warned � none of the camps on the Five Rivers Safari are geared towards those watching their weight! All of the food is outstanding with some fabulous dishes being washed down with no small amount of fine wine. If anything, there�s just too much of it. But there�s always time for siesta, if you can drag yourself away from the bush.
Elephants are no strangers to the area as Susuwe annually witnesses huge migrations of breeding herds, with often as many as 1000 animals observed at Horseshoe, an oxbow on the river a short drive from the lodge.
Susuwe is involved with the local Mayuni conservancy group in a joint venture partnership. This progressive approach to interaction between lodge guests and local tribal trusts has been of huge benefit to the community and to sustaining conservation in the area.
And so to the last outpost on this marathon trip � Impalila Island Lodge.
Another 50-minute flight took me almost back to Kasane, landing at Impalila�s airstrip from where transfer is made via a short drive and longer, and very impressive boat trip through the Kasai Channel which links the Chobe and Zambezi rivers.
Impalila Island Lodge is located in an unusual position on the borders of four neighbouring countries. At the very tip of the eastern Caprivi it is situated on Namibian soil, but across the Zambezi is Zambia, and next to it Zimbabwe and Botswana which borders the Chobe.
Built on the tip of Impalila island at a place called Kamavozu � the place of baobabs � the lodge overlooks a section of the Zambezi known as the Mambova Rapids.
Fitingly, a huge baobab dominates the entrance to the lodge. It�s one of three in the area, with the other at the rear of the main complex and a massive, 2000-year-old specimen a short nature walk away.
Owner manager Simon Parker runs Impalila with the help of his partner, Renee (accent over first e please) te Roller. Simon has been at Impalila since its inception, 9 years ago. He�s something of an expert on the area and has become a local hero to the island tribespeople, often helping them in times of need. As he points out, no lodge of this kind can function without the cooperation of the local residents and there is a huge responsibility attached to a venture of this kind. He regularly ferries the island police officers, who, curiously, do not have their own boat, and has on more than one occasion used his boats as ambulances for seriously injured local villagers, some the victims of crocodile attacks.
It�s a beautiful place and quite unique in its position so close to so many major international boundaries. And it�s very private, with the nearest major human structure Island in Africa�s new venture, Ntwala Island Lodge, still to be completed on a neighbouring island.
Eight en-suite chalets are positioned along the rapids, enveloped in dense rainforest with private decks positioned to best enjoy the swirling waters which pass almost beneath them. The sound of rushing water is everywhere and lulls you to sleep each night under the safety of your mosquito net in huge, king-sized beds.
The suites are cozy and comfortable, built in wood, thatch and reed with plump wingback chairs and ottomans the perfect place to sit and listen to the river and the sounds of this water-bound wonderland.
The majority of activities at Impalila revolve around water. Game viewing is done by boat back through the Kasai Channel to the Chobe National Park. It�s a wonderful journey into Africa and offers some great views of Chobe�s famed elephants and even big cats who target the wide river banks and the antelope they attract.
Guide Albert Muyoba has very sharp eyes and spotted some excellent things for me to photograph, including two of the biggest water monitors I have ever seen and a young bull elephant enjoying the best bath ever.
Then there�s fishing, and guide Haydn Willens who is ever-willing to share his passion for the piscine. A fly-fishing enthusiast, Durban-born Haydn, who is also a top competitive bream fisherman, taught this particular blonde the ins and outs of landing tiger fish � which the Zambezi is famed for.
He must be a good teacher because I soon posed for pics with my very first tiger, a mere tiddler at 1,5 kgs but nonetheless a fighter which took no small amount of wrestling to reel in. All fish are caught and released again, so there was no remorse at my newfound skill.
Like all of its colleagues on the Five Rivers Safari, Impalila is tip top when it comes to service. Especially when it comes to matters culinary with student chef Charl Kleu, who hails from Centurion near Pretoria, literally cooking up a storm. I wanted to bring him home with me but he wouldn�t fit in my bag. Sad, but then its an incentive to go back and visit Impalila again!
My journey home from Impalila was again indicative of the curious position of the island. By boat to the other side of the island where Namibia has a small border post. Checking out of Namibia it�s off by boat to Kasane and a riverside immigration office where you check in to Botswana. From there it�s a 20-minute journey by road to Kazungula where you check out of Botswana, nip across the river by boat or ferry and check into Zambia for the 40-minute road trip to Livingstone airport, where you finally check out of Zambia and onto the Nationwide flight home. Phew! It�s an interesting, if not exhausting series of ins and outs. Blink and you�ll miss an entire country.
My overall impression on finally coming to the end of my journey is that I have found some of the most wonderful places in Africa, and all of them literally on my doorstep. Our immediate neighbours are not so far away and more than worthy of a visit. Everyone I encountered on the way was friendly, and passionately patriotic. And they all want to see more of us. The Five Rivers Safari will certainly see to that.
Part One of this article found here.
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Part 2 of this article found here
I�ve often wondered how Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner managed to beat their way through the African bush in the old Hollywood classic �Mogambo� without ever breaking out into a sweat. And (in Ava�s case, at least) in high heeled mules to boot!
I�ve just been on safari and I �perspired� considerably, but then I left the old stilettos at home (tottering can be tiresome).
Safari. It�s a wonderful word, evoking images of colonial sorts striding out into the wilds of Africa in very inappropriate clothing, sleeping in scorpion-infested tents and drinking copious amounts of gin and tonic to fend off malaria, old chap.
A lot has changed, thankfully, but the modern equivalent still offers a chance to get up close and personal with the spirit of mother Africa.
Under the cloak of the �Five Rivers Safari� you can choose between areas as diverse as the Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari, Caprivi Strip and the Upper Zambezi basin.
Safaris these days require you to pack light (sorry, Ava) with a maximum of 12kgs in a soft bag and the usual hand baggage. This is because transfers between camps are in small five or six-seater Cessnas, so bags have to be squished into tight spaces, as do passengers. Basically, if you�re not a contortionist when you leave, you sure as hell are when you return!
In my case the squishing began in Maun with vacationtechnician Air, one of several charter companies working out of the northern Botswana town. A 25-minute flight north in the blistering heat of midday with the charming Faris at the controls brought us to the first port of call - Xakanaxa Camp.
The name requires some bushman-like clicking to produce it properly, but most non-clickers like me pronounce it Kaka-naka. Run by Bob and Flo Flaxman, the camp is located on the Khwai River in an area of seasonal swamp in the Moremi Game Reserve. It�s undeniably one of the prettiest spots around, shaded by jackalberries, morulas and knob-thorns and overlooking vast expanses of reeds, which are occupied by a veritable cornucopia of birdlife.
Xakanaxa has its own resident crocodile; a small family of bushbuck and a hippo nicknamed Pavarotti which is prone to midnight strolls around camp.
The camp consists of a large reception area and small curio shop, 12 twin-bedded tents, with a communal lounge area, dining room and boma-style fireplace where guests gather after dinner to exchange stories of the day�s adventures. There is also a plunge pool set in a small pool deck with a separate lapa-cum-sala providing much-needed shade in the heat of the day.
A short walk from the main camp is Pandani�s, a satellite camp of four tents with their own lounge and dining area and separate plunge pool overlooking a small lagoon on the Khwai.
Pandani�s can be booked out in its entirety by small groups of up to eight people through vacationtechnician.com.
The tents themselves are a marvelous illustration of how camping need not mean roughing it. High twin beds swathed in percale cotton linen with log-hewn furniture offering space to unpack clothes and store essentials. Rugs on the floor lead footfalls to the en-suite bathroom. Surrounded by wooden fencing to fend off prying eyes both human and animal, the toilet, basin and shower offer the chance for guests to commune with nature.
Hot and cold running water and an inexhaustible supply of Doom, Tabard and Peaceful Sleep mean that you stay clean while bugs (and there are plenty of them) are for the most part kept at bay.
At this juncture it is probably best that I mention something which may seem obvious. Bush camps are not for those who scream at every little creepy crawly or worry about wild Africa coming too close for comfort. After dark you do not wander around � you are escorted to and from your humble abode to and from the dining room and lounge areas. There are no fences to keep small hairy things and larger, furry things out. There is only your tent canvas or lodge wall to keep you in.
Animals and goggas wander in, and out of camp with impunity. And by animals I mean everything from water monitors, snakes, monkeys and hippos to hyenas, lions, leopards and elephants.
After dark there is generally no power, meaning that light is provided by storm lamps, oil lanterns and candles. Mosquito coils keep the little biters away and the only way to keep a good flow of air through your abode is to keep flaps down or windows open. Malaria is a very real and ever-present problem and anti-malarial measures are a must, whether it be medication or spraying thoroughly each night.
Indeed, a healthy respect for and interest in bugs is probably an advantage while on safari. In the rainy season especially the lights around the dinner table at night can attract a huge range of bugs, from cicadas (press them gently and they buzz obligingly) and grasshoppers to long-horned beetles and several kinds of mantis.
At Xakanaxa the Flaxmans do everything they can to make your stay the most enjoyable it can be, and you soon settle into a nice routine. Early-morning wake-ups begin each day, with coffee, tea and biscuits and cereals at the lounge before heading off with your guide on a three-hour game drive.
The guides are all very experienced and knowledgeable about the area and its diversities. Some, like Metsi, named after the water, have had some very close encounters with the Moremi�s four-legged inhabitants.
Back at Xakanaxa generally by 10 o clock, Flo and Bob greet you and escort you to the dining room for a lavish and exceedingly filling brunch, after which the rest of the morning and early afternoon are yours to relax, catch up on some snoozing and cool off in the plunge pool. Then it�s tea-time with cakes and snacks and off on a late afternoon drive, stopping for sundowners at a suitable spot en route before returning to camp for dinner and drinks around the fire.
The meals are wonderful, with home-cooked fare lovingly prepared and presented. The wine flows and after-dinner Amarulas are the perfect way to wind down for bedtime in Utopia.
Guests have the option of taking game drives in the Moremi or boat trips into the swamps, with short forays into the reed-lined channels on the traditional mokoros. These days the mokoros are fibre-glass as opposed to hollowed out trees in an effort to protect the woodlands around the swamps.
The Moremi Game Reserve has everything but rhino. Consistent poaching has all but decimated Botswana�s rhino population and attempt to reintroduce both black and white rhino have been largely unsuccessful, except for in small pockets in the Chiefs Island area of the Mombo concession within the Moremi.
It means you don�t get to see the Big Five, but certainly the remaining four are available in abundance. In addition, sightings like red lechwe, the rare sitatunga and tsessebe more than make up for the absence of rhino.
And the birdlife is out of this world, with carmine bee-eaters, pied kingfishers, rufus-bellied herons and African fish eagles as common as mossies.
After the lush wetlands of the Delta, the 55-minute transfer from Xakanaxa via vacationtechnician air to Deception Valley Lodge in the central Kalahari area brought with it a huge contrast.
Where there had been river channels and swamp there was now an unending wilderness of parched land with its own, peculiar brand of stark beauty. Where there had been a hot, but moist climate there was now the blistering heat of an almost desert environment. The thermometer hit 42 degrees C as we landed at the Deception Valley airstrip.
Deception Valley Lodge is located on a 15,000-hectare private farm adjacent to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in central Botswana. It�s a 20-minute flight from Maun.
The lodge is owned and run by Braam and Susanne Badenhorst and is managed by Bruce and Arenell Robinson with the help of Johnny and Jackie Minaar.
This is San country and members of the local bushman tribe, the Basarawa work at Deception Valley Lodge as trackers and bush educationists, taking guests on walks into the bush and giving them a glimpse of the San way of life, using Bruce and Johnny, who act as guides, as intermediaries.
The lodge consists of five twin chalets with comfortable sitting rooms with cozy couch, coffee table and mini-bar and spacious bedrooms cooled by ceiling fans. The bathrooms have large Victorian-style baths and outdoor showers.
Connected to the main lodge building by a series of wooden walkways, the facilities are all open to the bush, again with nothing to keep the wilds of the Kalahari at bay.
At the main lodge is an open-plan dining area with a huge, sleeper wood table. Here a range of marvelous, home-cooked meals are served by Arenell and Jackie which are guaranteed to satisfy even the most grumbly tummy. There�s a cosy bar and comfortable lounge area with a selection of reference books available for guest use and outside is a braai area and fireplace where guests congregate for drinks. Upstairs is a small curio shop selling bushman artifacts and items of interest. There is also a nice pool deck with a decent-sized plunge pool, loungers and umbrellas to fend off the scorching sun.
A family of porcupines is in residence at the main lodge. Spike, Lucy and their daughter Cheeky put in nightly appearances for the guests� and guides benefit alike and the chance to get close to these strange but fascinating creatures is a highlight. But without a shadow of doubt the chance to trek into the bush with the San Bushmen is the main draw card at Deception Valley Lodge.
Two tribesmen, Xhasi and Sthibo, worked with Bruce to educate me in the ways of the Basarawa, digging up bi � a huge juicy tuber � and showing me how they scrape and gouge it, and finally crush the scrapings to drink the precious liquid it unlocks. It�s bitter to the taste but certainly life sustaining in such a harsh environment.
They also showed me the kan-nie-dood bush from which they harvest their fire sticks. These they rub together to make campfires.
The kan-nie-dood also offers up a curious poisonous grub which lives in its root system. This grub, when squashed and squeezed over arrow tips, becomes a deadly poison, helping the Bushmen to bring down steenbok and kudu.
I was also shown the San hardware shop, which comes in the form of the brandy bush. The wood of this bush becomes pliable when heated in fire and is harvested to make throwing sticks, bows, spears, digging sticks and walking sticks. Kudu sinews are used to make bowstrings. All of the above are packed into a soft skin bag and provide the San with everything they need to survive in the Kalahari.
A bit of target practice with a bushman bow soon elevated me to the ranks of honorary San as I discovered a natural ability as an archer. The few short hours spent in the bush with these incredible people was an experience I�ll never forget, and one which has shown me just how resilient the human spirit is.
Life at Deception Valley Lodge runs on the same timeframe as Xakanaxa, with early wake-up calls, morning game drives or bush walks, brunch, siesta or swim, afternoon snacks, afternoon-evening game drive and sundowners and a hearty dinner and drinks. The difference is the environment and the type of game in the area.
Aardvark, pangolin, springhares, brown hyena and huge Kalahari lions make the place truly special, as do the sightings of leopard and honey badger. Then there�s the smaller, more unusual inhabitants such as the lethal black hairy thick-tailed scorpion, huge baboon spiders and a variety of snakes and lizards.
During my stay there was a huge rainstorm, which afforded me the chance to see long-dormant bullfrogs digging their way out of hibernation and frolicking in fleeting desert puddles.
Deception Valley Lodge�s brand of home-from-home hospitality and the down-to-earth approach to life in the bush is a breath of fresh air compared to the stresses and strains of urban living, and is the perfect partner to Xakanaxa and the Okavango Delta. It�s a definite not-to-be-missed experience.
ENDNOTE:
Next article experiences lion infanticide at Kwando Kwara Camp in the northern Okavango Delta and the magic of wild dogs at Kwando Lebala Camp in the Linyanti area close to the Caprivi Strip.
About the areas:
Botswana is roughly the size of France or Texas but with population of only 1,7-million. More than 40% of the land is reserved for conservation and wilderness.
The topography of the Okavango was formed through process of erosion and deposition. Two things influence the topography � first is the flatness of the area which makes termite mounds the highest landforms. The land slopes very gradually � 1km for every 4km - to the southeast. Secondly there are very few rocks or stones.
The Okavango Delta lies within the Kalahari basin � a depression of wind-blown sands which extends from the northeastern corner of South Africa to just south of the equator in the DRC.
The underlying bedrock is volcanic sedimentary rock and the entire area is seismically active and prone to quakes.
Historically, it is thought the Okavango river extended to the sea but there are different schools of thought as to which sea it flowed into � some believed it joined the Limpopo and flowed into the Indian Ocean, others that it met the Orange River.
Flow movement was arrested due to tectonic movement which caused a series of parallel faults and a section of the earth�s crust to collapse, leading to the formation of the inland delta, as we now know it. Geographically it is known as an alluvial fan.
The Okavango River enters Botswana at Mohembo after traveling 1000km from its source. It�s channeled through what is known as the panhandle � a 15km wide swathe between two of the geological faults. There is a 6000 sq km area of permanent swamp, beyond which is a 12000 sq km area of seasonal swamp, fed by an infinite number of small channels. This becomes open grassland when floodwaters recede in the dry season.
Four rivers influence Botswana today � the Upper Zambezi, Kwando, Okavango and Limpopo.
The Central Kalahari, as its name suggests, is located roughly in the middle of the Kalahari basin. Water is scarce here, a fact learnt through hard experience by the Dorsland Trekkers in the late 1800s.
The trek party of roughly 300 boere families and their agricultural retinue reached the area hoping to find water. A mirage fooled them into thinking they had found the precious fluid and the deceit gave Deception Valley its name. Approximately half of the families perished. The descendants of the survivors still farm around the Ghanzi area.
The local inhabitants of this stretch of the Kalahari are San Bushmen of the Basarawa tribe.
Part 2 of this article found here
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
The Okavango Delta comprises approximately 18 000 square kilometres of pristine wilderness that covers both permanent water and seasonal floodplains.
Within both these ecosystems one will find various localized habitats ranging from deep -water lagoons and shallow wetlands to riverine forests and dry woodland, all linked by a myriad waterways and extensive tracts of grassland.
Visitors to the Delta often ask which of the many destinations is most representative or typical of the Okavango. Any objective answer would surely include the Jao Concession very near the top of that list.
Situated in the central regions of the Delta, Jao straddles the divide between the permanent and seasonal water habitats, allowing visitors an insight to both systems and the faunal and floral highlights that are associated with each. There is very little of the Okavango's terrain that is not in some way captivating, but there is something seductive about the mix of extensive floodplains, waterways and heavily wooded islands that make up most of this concession.
Besides the visual splendour, Jao offers fantastic birding and great game-viewing throughout the year, and is one of the Delta's prime areas for being poled about in a mokoro the traditional african dug-out canoe.
Until 1998, the Jao Concession had been in the hands of one of Botswana's most notorious hunting operations. That era came to an end when the Kayes family was awarded the concession for what is in effect a 15-year lease. Now fifth-generation Motswanan, the Kayes have a long and distinguished association with Ngamiland, which includes being proud members of the Batawana tribe. It is fitting that one of the Okavango's prime concessions should now be in responsible local hands.
Since the change-over, Jao has lost its association with notorious hunting practices and assumed the mantle of innovator. The design and layout of the concession's flagship lodge, which also goes by the name of Jao, has forsaken the concept of what the traditional Okavango camp has become over the last two decades. It has made an audacious and courageous statement about the way a segment of the tourism market in Botswana may be headed by accommodating the finer comforts, which until now have been the domain of lodges in East and South Africa. In so doing, it has brought a fresh and expansive dimension to the photographic sector and has placed itself firmly amongst the top few of what can only be termed the luxury end of the market. Its sister camp, Kwetsani, offers similar safari refinement but on a smaller scale.
On a less conspicuous level, but with potentially far more significant ramifications, is the decision by the Kayes to forgo all hunting and fishing rights for the time being on what is categorised by Botswana's wildlife authorities as a hunting concession.
In doing so they have become the first concession-holders in the Okavango Delta to take a bold stand on the issue of hunting. Besides the obvious ethical and emotional issues, the decision will challenge some of the long-held socio-economic beliefs about hunting's contribution to the tourism economy. In essence, the Kayes believe that photographic safaris can be as financially lucrative as hunting safaris but, more importantly, in the long term they believe there are far more substantial benefits to be gained that involve investment, employment, education, training and the environment.
Some of the statistics make interesting reading. For the 1999 and 2000 seasons combined, the Jao Concession was entitled to shoot a total of 693 animals covering 24 different species, which included three lion, eight leopard, 14 buffalo, 12 elephants, 40 zebra, 46 wildebeest, 188 lechwe, 10 kudu and 20 hyena. For the hunting operators, the big money is in the big game.
On average, a 21-day elephant hunt (which would in all likelihood include other species as well) will cost a client between US$38 000 and US$45 000. Over the two-year period with 12 elephants on license, that is a total of approximately US$498 000 gross income.
By comparison, 12 photographic tourists each spending 21 days on safari would only gross approximately US$126 000. (The fact that hunting operations are able to charge upwards of three times the daily accommodation rate that photographic lodges do has always been an intriguing anomaly between the two industries. There has to be a reason, although it has yet to be articulated logically.)
Notwithstanding these numbers, the Kayes have chosen not to hunt Jao's quota of animals and have instead turned the concession's allocated areas into photographic camps. They are banking on sound marketing over a 12-month period (the hunting season is a six-month period) to make the camps profitable.
Another way of looking at it is that they have chosen to invest a greater amount of capital in the tourism industry by building a photographic camp. A camp of this nature will also entail employing a lot more people over a longer period - all to make less money in the short term. Whatever the eventual outcome, they deserve to be applauded for having the courage to put social and environmental benevolence ahead of financial gain. Maybe they are just ahead of their time?
Although Jao and the Kayes have not been without criticism, most of which has stemmed from their detractors' inability to accept a fundamental departure away from what has been the norm, they have seen through their first season very successfully.
In embracing change, the concession has set new standards that will in all likelihood become the yardstick in years to come. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the industry responds.
The Jao Concession presently has three camps within its boundaries, with a fourth to be built in the near future. Jao, a 16-bedded lodge, and Kwetsani, an eight-bedded lodge, both cater to the luxury end of the market, while Jacana is a more rustic eight-bedded option.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
vacationtechnician.com Botswana Safari Guide Profiles: Gareth Flemix
"best guides = best safaris~a bad guide in the best camp will ruin your safari."
Gareth was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He speaks 3 languages (English, Afrikaans, and Shangaan)
Gareth has worked for some of the top Game reserves in the Eastern Transvaal in South Africa. He was guiding and involved in habitat management at Mala Mala and Singita (Voted the best game lodge in South Africa), and was the head guide at Ulusaba reserve.
Gareth lives by the philosophy �the best room is room for improvement� which he applies to the running of Kwando Safaris Lebala camp and to his life in general. His personal interests include game drives, bush walks, birding, photography, botany and studying the behaviour of leopard and wild dogs.
He is comfortable with guests from around the world having visited Germany, Austria, Italy, Holland, UK, Switzerland, France, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Angola, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Thailand.
In addition to many years of still photography he is now passionate about video photography and due to the opportunities presented by Lebala camp he is working on making some video films of what he sees around him every day. Personable, knowledgeable, and one a hell of a 4x4 driver make time with Gareth a precious commodity. vacationtechnician recommends that you book Gareth for private game drives at least 12 months in advance due to the limited availability of rooms in the luxurious Kwando Lebala Camp.
Report from Lebala:
Gareth Flemix, Kwando Safaris camp manager at Lebala Camp in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, wrote on 9 Oct. 2002:
During my time here at Lebala, I have noticed a definite symbiotic relationship between baboon and impala. I have also noticed baboons interacting with other antelope species. On two occasions I have seen a troop of baboons not far from the Camp feeding with a herd of Roan antelope. Both of these occasions were at midday (11:00 � 12.10). It was in an area of tall thatch grass, Acacia tortilis, Acacia luderitzii, and sausage trees (Kigelia africana). While the Roan were resting, I observed them rubbing and thrashing small trees, I presume for territorial status. As soon as the Roan moved away, the Baboons rushed over to feed on these trees and bushes. After feeding they rested, staying in the area. Then the Roan returned, perhaps having gone to drink, and stayed in the shade among the Baboons.
I observed some of the adult baboons getting very close to some of the Roan. It seemed to me that both species were comfortable in each others presence, quite unusual for Roan, which are shy by nature to other species.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
vacationtechnician.com Botswana Safari Guide Profiles: Richard Randall
Richard who speaks English and French, is a vacationtechnician professional guide with more than 30 years of bush experience in Southern Africa. He is a citizen of Botswana and lives in Maun. Richard is one of the best ornithologists and birdwatchers in Southern Africa, and is considered one of the top safari guides.
No wonder he was given the responsibility to share his knowledge and the beauty of the bush with thousands of people from around the world, among them Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton former President of the United States.
Richard always tries to show the bush as an amazing ecological complex of organisms, small and big, all of which he considers equaly important and fascinating. The wildlife of Africa is much bigger than the spectacular mammals that we all love and want to photograph, and in the process we miss the whole immense drama of life.
"the best guides = the best safaris~ a bad guide in the best camp will ruin your safari."
Je suis arriv� en Afrique australe en 1957 a l�age de cinq ans avec mes parents qui avaient �migr� l� de l'Europe. Tr�s t�t j'ai d�velopp� un int�r�t vif en ce qui concerne, en effet une passion pour, la faune qui abondait dans beaucoup de parcs dans notre nouveau pays la Rhod�sie, maintenant le Zimbabwe. La plupart des mes vacances ont �t� pass�es dans la nature o� je pouvais �tudier la flore et faune locale. Plus tard, pendant que j��tait '� l'�cole secondaire et ensuite � l'universit�, j'augmentais mon horizon de naturaliste pour inclure des visites aux parcs et r�serves au Kenya, au Mozambique, en Afrique du Sud et au Malawi. J'ai travaill� pendant quelques ann�es en tant qu'administrateur de gouvernement dans des endroits �loign�s et sauvages du Zimbabwe.
J'ai visit� la premi�re fois le delta de l�Okavango en 1977 et j�etais tellement impression� que j'ai d�cid� plus tard de me d�placer l�, prenant le poste de Directeur des Op�rations et Naturaliste pour une compagnie de safari bas�e au coeur du delta. Pendant mon temps dans le Delta j'ai accompagn� beaucoup de groupes et d�individus en promenades 4x4, � pied et en de bateau, et j�ai form� les guides professionnels locaux. Certains de ces groupes �taient associ�s avec des mus�es ou les �tablissements universitaires (par exemple l�universit� de Harvard, le mus�e Smithsonian et la California Academy of Science). J'ai �galement men� des groupes de langue fran�aise, ayant appris le fran�ais � partir de ma m�re qui �tait parisienne. En 1992 j'ai obtenue le poste de Directeur G�n�ral et Naturaliste dans un nouveau et grand loge de safari � Kasane, dans le nord lointain du Botswana. J'�tait responsable de 12 guides professionnels et j�ai personnellement pris en charge le guidage sp�cialis�.
Pendant mon temps l�-bas, j'ai guid� sur demande, des groupes, des familles et des personalit�s internationaux. Parmi le dernier �taient le Pr�sident du Botswana, le Pr�sident Rawlings du Ghana, le Premier Ministre de la Malaisie, Princesse Alexandra du Royaume Uni et, en 1998, j�ai �t� s�lectionn� p�r la Miason Blanche des Etas Unis pour conduire un Safari sp�cialement pour le Pr�sident Clinton des et son �pouse Hilary. Depuis juillet 2002 j'ai r�sid� dans la ville de Maun, et j�ai tenu le poste de G�rant d�une compagnie de safari, ou je travaille aussi comme guide professionnel pour des exp�ditions dans le delta de l�Okavango, les parcs de Mor�mi et de Chob�. Mes int�r�ts entournent les mammif�res, les oiseaux (je suis membre du Comit� de BirdLife Botswana), les reptiles, les amphibies, la flore et l'astronomie. Je suis un citoyen du Botswana.
Apart l�anglais et le fran�ais, je parle aussi le Setswana (du Botswana) et le Shona.(du Zimbabwe).
KWANDO SAFARIS G�RE 4 CAMPS, INTIMES, PRIV�S ET PERSONNELS.
� Kwara Camp situ� au sein des 175. 000 hectares de la concession de Kwara, dans le delta de l�Okavango
� Lebala Camp situ� dans la partie sud des 232.000 hectares de la concession de Kwando
� Lagoon Camp situ� dans la partie nord des 232.000 hectares de la concession de Kwando
� Songwe Village situ� pr�s des chutes du lac Victoria Zambia sur 125 hectares de terrain priv�.
POUR QUOI KWANDO SAFARIS & vacationtechnician.com?
Kwando Safaris a �t� fond� afin d�offrir aux amateurs l�exp�rience unique d�un vrai safari africain � Tout ce que vous attendiez.
� Kwando Safaris n�organise ses safaris que dans des zones enti�rement priv�es.
� Nos camps sont ouverts toute l�ann�e.
� Pas plus de 6 h�tes par v�hicule.
� Nous organisons des randonn�es d�observation des animaux sauvages en dehors des pistes.
� Nous organisons des randonn�es nocturnes d�observation des animaux sauvages (30% des animaux les plus fascinants sont essentiellement nocturnes).
� Nous utilisons des bateaux � deux ponts d�observation afin de garantir une visibilit� panoramique maximale.
� Nous avons recours � des guides et traqueurs afin de maximaliser les possibilit�s d�observation de toutes les esp�ces.
� Nous proposons un tarif tout compris. � Pas plus de 8 tentes (16 lits) dans chaque camp.
� 3 repas sains et nutritifs chaque jour.
� Nos tarifs comprennent toutes les boissons alcoolis�es y compris les grandes marques, les vins, les autres boissons et les boissons fra�ches.
� Nos camps du Botswana, avec Songwe Village constituent un ensemble de 5 grandes destinations de safari.
� Service de r�ception et de reconduite � l�a�roport de Maun.
� Des camps intimes dans des emplacements priv�s avec un service personnel de style africain.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
A Rhino in Botswana's Okavango Delta sizes up vacationtechnician wildlife-watchers. "Safaris might be the key to winning the conservation battle in Africa," says Colin Bell, whose company won the World Legacy Award in the Nature Travel category.
On June 8, 2004, at National Geographic's Washington, D.C., headquarters, Queen Noor of Jordan is scheduled to again present the World Legacy Awards (WLA) for sustainable tourism�a joint program of National Geographic Traveler magazine and Conservation International (www.wlaward.org).
Queen Noor presided over the first WLA ceremony last year, announcing winners in three categories: Nature Travel, Heritage Tourism, and Destination Stewardship. Each winner works to protect the natural and cultural quality of the places we visit, supports local communities, and gives us lasting travel memories.
This week, in anticipation of the 2004 ceremony, we present the winners of 2003 as described in Traveler (September 2003), starting with the Nature
Wilderness Safaris, Southern Africa
"To me, there is no more uplifting, inspirational, or educational form of travel than a safari," Colin Bell, founder of Wilderness Safaris, tells me. So I'm learning in northern Namibia at the company's Skeleton Coast Camp, a 600,000-acre (240,000-hectare) reserve, one of 44 eco-friendly Wilderness Safari camps in seven African countries. The experience is more than just touring Earth's oldest desert (55 million years) with sand dunes that vibrate and hum under the chilly Atlantic winds. It's more than tracking springbok and desert elephant; more than combing beaches flecked with garnet, agate, and diamond; more even than visiting the nomadic Himba to witness their centuries-old way of life. It's complete immersion in the large, fantastic world of the desert.
When I ask if any industrial use threatens this land, our amiable guide, Douw Steyn, says, "Yes. It's widely used in the tourist trade." He shows us a gravel plain lacerated by the truck tires of joyriding tourists, saying the tracks will take a century or more to disappear. Southern Africa-based Wilderness Safaris, by contrast, has built its reputation on minimizing tourism damage and maximizing its benefits to both people and nature.
At the Mombo Camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta, for instance, my gin and tonic came with a slide show on the Wilderness Safaris backed rhino reintroduction program here. Poachers eradicated rhinos here in the early 1980s, but now 21 white rhinos nibble about. On a walking safari at Jao Camp, also in the Okavango, local guide Frank Mashebe thrilled guests by unlocking the secrets of�of all things�termite mounds. (They have an air-conditioning system, for instance).
Wilderness Safaris won its award partly because it hires, trains, and promotes talented locals like Mashebe. At Botswana's Savuti Camp, another skilled guide, Benson Siyawareva, tracked down the rare African wild dog, or "painted wolf." Only 5,000 or so still roam, but he finds a pack of 16�the gift of conservation.
"Our conservation ethic and community-based tourism model have resulted in threatened land becoming protected," Bell tells me. "And our Children in the Wilderness project, which has given week-long safaris to a thousand underprivileged African children, should help create the next generation of African conservationists."
For more information book via safari specialists such as New York-based vacationtechnician.com.
Watch for the Heritage Tourism winner in two weeks, and the announcement of the 2004 World Legacy winners on June 8.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
13 Day / 12 Night Traditional Mobile Safari (Maun � Maun)
Highlights Nxai Pan National Park, Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta
vacationtechnician.com detailed itinerary..
Day 1 � 3: Mobile Safari in Nxai Pan National Park (Full Board)
Your safari begins in Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Your specialist birding guide will meet you on arrival at Maun airport. Your first three nights will be spent camping in an exclusive wilderness campsite in the Nxai Pan National Park, exploring the surrounding wilderness on game drives.
Once part of the great lake that spread over most of northern Botswana, Nxai Pan National Park mainly consists of a series of fossil pans covered in short, nutritious grasses and dotted with islands of Acacia trees under which animals often retreat to rest during the heat of the day. A cluster of seven baobab trees, referred to as Baines Baobabs, form a historical landmark, which was used by early explorers.
During the summer rains (Nov � March), Nxai Pan becomes transformed to a green wonderland, abounding with larges herds of animals accompanied by their offspring. The veld flowers are spectacular at this time of year. A wealth of birdlife can be seen in the region, including the commonly sighted Black Korhaan, Kgori Bustards (the worlds heaviest flying bird), Kestrels, Falcons, Goshawks and Coursers to name a few.
Day 4: Lodge Accommodation at Tree Lodge in Maun (L,D,B&B)
After breakfast and an early morning game drive, you will return to Maun. Following a leisurely lunch, you may embark on a scenic flight, enjoying a birds eye view of the Okavango Delta. Tonight you will be staying at Tree Lodge which is situated on a private game farm on the outskirts of Maun. The lodge has ideal riverine habitat that makes for great late afternoon birding. The Thamalakane river offers the opportunity to see species like Lesser Grebe and Fulvous Ducks. The lodge has a resident pair of Giant Eagle Owls and the call of the Scops and Pearl Spotted Owls are common.
Day 5 � 12: Mobile Safari in Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta (Full Board)
The Okavango is a unique ecosystem, an inland delta situated in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world � the Kalahari basin. This wetland lies like an oasis in an otherwise inhospitable landscape. Where land and delta meet, a mosaic of pans, grasslands, forests and lagoons provide an extremely rich and diverse habitat where a multitude of animals and birds flourish. Moremi Game Reserve is situated in the eastern corner of the Okavango Delta.
You will spend the first three nights camping in an exclusive wilderness campsite in the Xakanaxa region of the reserve, exploring this oasis on game drives. This area boasts magnificent scenery as well as a multitude of bird and animal life. This is one of the few accessible areas where wet and dry habitats meet. Take this opportunity to find Wattled Cranes, Slaty Egrets and a variety of waders in the shallow pools. The woodlands are home to Arnots Chat, Orioles and the constant calls of the Woodland Kingfishers.
Day 8: you will embark on an island adventure deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta, exploring the endless network of crystal clear waterways and secret lagoons by motor boat, and the surrounding palm fringed islands on foot. This swampland is home to the elusive Sitatunga antelope as well as a variety of spectacular bird life including the elusive Pels Fishing Owl and a host of migrant birds. You will spend two nights camping on a remote island with only the bear essentials � a true wilderness experience. The waterways are prime habitat for Lesser Jacana and Malachite Kingfishers. The dense riverine vegetation is home to the shy Purple Galinules and Greater Swamp Warbler.
Day 10 we return to dry land and make our way towards the Khwai region of the reserve, enjoying a game drive and picnic lunch en route. The Khwai River forms the eastern boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve. Vast herds of buffalo and elephant are common in the dry season with regular sightings of leopard, lion and cheetah. This area is one of the best in Botswana for raptors like Martial, Steppe and Booted Eagles.
The following three nights will be spent camping at a Khwai community private operators camp site on the border of the Moremi Game Reserve, exploring the area on game drives both during the day and at night. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. You will also have the opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot and enjoy an up close and personal encounter with Botswana flora and fauna. It is important to note that night drives and guided walks are not permitted within the National Parks and Reserves. These activities are conducted outside the boundaries of the Moremi Game Reserve in the Khwai community area.
Day 13: Safari Ends
Following breakfast and an early morning game drive, you will be transferred to Maun Airport for your onward journey.
Package Price
Off-Peak Season: US$2468.00 per person sharing (No single supplement subject to booking terms and conditions)
Includes
� Airport transfers
� 1 Night lodge accommodation at Tree Lodge (L,D,B&B)
� 11 Night mobile tented safari with Game Trails on a Traditional Mobile Safari basis, including the services of a professional guide, camp manageress and full staff compliment with support vehicle, tented accommodation with shared ablution facilities, transfers and game drives in customized safari vehicles (guaranteed window seat), the use of exclusive mobile operator campsites within the national parks and reserves, all entrance and camping fees, all meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer and wine).
� Two day motor boat excursion in the Okavango Delta
� 10% Vat
Excludes
� International and domestic flights
� Travel and medical insurance (manditory on all vacationtechnician.com safaris)
� Visas
� Drinks at Tree Lodge
2004 Scheduled Safari Dates
Arrive Maun Depart Maun Season Availability
20 November 2 December Off-Peak Seats Available
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
It's the beginning of a new era for private jet travel. Within the next two years, the luxury air industry will welcome a new category of entry-level, ultra-light, business jets. These planes will be constructed of light weight materials and have advanced designs, lighter engines and sophisticated avionic systems.
This is important news for you, as a vacationtechnician.com customer. Ultimately, it will mean lower costs for your point-to-point travel. As some of these aircraft qualify to become part of vacationtechnician's network, their lighter weight will require less fuel for each leg of a one way trip, therefore lowering your cost.
Currently, there are seven contenders in the super-light business jet category. They include: Adam Aircraft Industries (A500 & A700), Avocet Aircraft LLC/ Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (ProJet), Diamond Aircraft (Diamond Star DA-40 180), Eclipse Aviation Corp. (Eclipse 500) Japanese car maker Honda Motors in a joint manufacturing arrangement with General Electrics' Transportation Division (HF-118 engine and the HondaJet), Safire Aircraft (Safire Jet) and Textron Inc.'s Cessna (CitationMustang).
Most all of these planes will be ready for flight between the end of 2004 and 2009. They will cost between $1 million to $2.5 million. So, keep an eye out for opportunities to fly on these new birds. They'll offer lower costs per trip when chartering them!
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The choice of the correct camera equipment and film will determine the quality of your photographs on the trip. For good photography of birds and animals, a good SLR camera and telephoto lens is necessary. A zoom lens can be extremely useful on safari and the minimum recommended size is 200mm.
Consideration should be given before travelling with any lens bigger than 400 mm as most interesting shots are taken using hand held equipment. The new high-resolution digital cameras are outstanding and give great quality images, especially if you are using a digital camera body which takes normal camera lenses. Camera bodies like the Canon D60 and 1D are superb. The advantage of digital photography is that one can get instant feedback and adjustments can be made in the field to your techniques to ensure that your photographs are the quality that you would like. Color reversal film (slides) will give far better quality than prints.
Our guides have found that they are getting the best results using Fuji film. Fuji has brought out a good high-speed film that gives good color with very little grain (less so than any of their competitors). This is especially useful when using a big lens in low light situations. The guides' personal preference is the slower film (either 50 or 100 ASA) as this gives almost perfect quality for normal light. However, you may consider going to 200 ASA for a larger lens in low lighting conditions. The new Fuji 400, we believe is giving great results too.
The only disadvantage with the low ASA film is that you need a tripod for the early morning and evening shots.
IMPORTANT: BRING SPARE FILM (ALTHOUGH IT IS AVAILABLE IN MOST CAMPS/LODGES) AND A SPARE CAMERA BATTERY.
PASSPORTS & VISAS
International visitors require a valid passport together with onward travel documents. All passport holders should verify with vacationtechnician or relevant consulate concerning visa entry requirements. If you are extending your journey to other countries, please establish entry requirements for those countries as well. Please ensure that you have all the necessary visas prior to departure (unless available on entry).
VIDEO
Charging facilities for video cameras are very limited on the safari, so please bring enough batteries to last you at least 3 days of video filming. If you have a 12V charging pack which can be connected to the vehicle via the cigarette lighter, you may be able to charge your battery when it is travelling on the longer drives. Please bring your own attachment to connect your charger or video to the cigarette lighter.
WALKING
Walking is not allowed in the Chobe National Park nor the Moremi Game Reserve. It is allowed outside these reserves including much of the Okavango Delta. Walking can, however, lead to encounters with potentially dangerous WILD ANIMALS. Walking is, therefore, at your own risk. Never walk around unescorted.
DRIVING CONDITIONS
If visiting remote areas or national parks and reserves, the roads could be rough and bumpy and occasionally we will travel "off road", where it is possible that injuries may occur - if for example a hidden pothole is struck. Neither the vacationtechnician nor our staff members, associates nor agents can be held liable for any accidents or any damages!
RESPECTING WILDLIFE & SAFETY WHEN STAYING AT SAFARI CAMPS/LODGES
The wild animals are not like those found in theme parks They are not tame.
Most of the safari camps are unfenced and dangerous animals can (and do!) wander through the camps. Many of the animals and reptiles you will see are potentially dangerous. Attacks by wild animals are rare. However, there are no guarantees that such incidents will not occur. vacationtechnician, our staff members, associates, agents, or their suppliers can be held liable for any injuries caused during an incident involving the behaviour of wild animals.
Please listen to the camp staff and guides. The safety precautions need to be taken seriously, and strictly adhered to.
Do not go wandering off on your own without a guide -even to your tent.
After retiring to your tent at night, don't leave the tent!
Observe animals silently and with a minimum of disturbance to their natural activities. Loud talking on game drives can frighten the animals away.
Never attempt to attract an animal's attention. Don't imitate animal sounds, clap your hands, pound the vehicle or throw objects.
Please respect your driver-guide's judgment about proximity to lions, cheetahs and leopards. Don't insist that he take the vehicle closer so you can get a better photograph. A vehicle driven too close can hinder a hunt or cause animals to abandon a hard-earned meal.
Litter tossed on the ground can choke or poison animals and birds and is unsightly.
Never attempt to feed or approach any wild animal on foot. This is especially important near lodges or in campsites where animals may have become accustomed to human visitors.
Refrain from smoking on game drives. The dry African bush ignites very easily, and a flash fire can kill animals.
SATELLITE & IRIDIUM TELEPHONES
Telecommunications in the urban areas are easily accessible but please note that the campsites you may be visiting could be located in very remote parts of Southern Africa and do not have telephones.
An increasing number of guests have been bringing satellite phones along with them on safari. As most people come on safari to get away from it all, we feel that we must set some limitations on the use of these phones when on safari. We suggest the following guidelines on the use of satellite phones:
1. Please ensure the ring tone is kept at a low volume to avoid disturbing other guests.
2. Please use your phone in the privacy of your tent and not any of the common areas: dining area, bar/lounge area, or on any of the vehicles or on game drives.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Our mokoro trips are one of the most enjoyed activities. We presently have 2 mokoro stations - each offers different vistas around the area, either a breaking dawn to remember or a memorable sunset. vacationtechnician guests are constantly commenting on this height of indulgence - toasting a breathtaking sunset from the mokoro with a G&T in one hand, and their bird book in the other. We offer a half or full day combination drive/mokoro safaris with picnics if requested.
A boating activity from Kwetsani is top of the list of highlights. There is no better way to appreciate the waterways of the Okavango Delta than from a boat moving through channels of papyrus, with abundant flora and water lilies where African Jacana hide along with Slaty and Little Egrets, Goliath Herons and a myriad of other water birds. Sightings of the hippo and crocodiles are also a big thrill for guests. We have a vehicle stationed at Hunda Island permanently and offer both half and full day drive/ boat safaris. vacationtechnician guests appreciate being able to see plains game on the drier savanna areas of Hunda with giraffe, zebra, kudu, buffalo, and elephant being regularly sighted. Some of the lucky ones were able to spend time with the Wild Dogs too.
Game drives around Kwetsani Island have been fantastic. The water has confined our drives to a smaller area, and involve exciting driving through water over half a metre deep in some places. The Kwetsani Pride has been very active and most guests visiting us have been able to see the 2 regal males with their pride - offering night time thrills with their territorial roaring.
A female leopard has been seen regularly on the island - playing out in the open, and frequently resting up in a shady tree - almost all our guests enjoyed a leopard encounter of some description this month. A very rare sighting of a cheetah had us all very excited. It is very unusual to have these cats in this part of the concession at this time of year with all the water around and was a lovely surprise.
The flood plains in front of the lodge are always alive with lechwe - with the water coming right up to the swimming pool, these unusual water antelope sometimes venture only 20m away from the swimming pool deck. Around Kwetsani Island serval, genet, porcupine and African wild cat have been spotted on late night game drives. Our honey badger population is as
cheeky and arrogant as ever, but great to have around the camp. Hyaena are also often seen both early in the morning and in the evening from the deck of the lodge.
The birdlife has been spectacular with many storks, egrets and Wattled Cranes wading across the floodplains just in front of camp. We had a small flock of Lesser Flamingo's in the channel behind Kwetsani for a week or two, and 4 African Skimmers were seen near MacFarlanes Bridge earlier in the month.
Each vacationtechnician guest has experienced either a Baobab dinner, bush cocktails or both. Compliments on the standard of food have been flowing as frequently as ever with our chefs often called to the table from the kitchen for applause. While the month started with deluge after deluge of rain, it seems the rainy season is slowly abating. We recorded 70mm of rain this month. The weather has been pleasantly warm to hot during the day, with windy evenings and the odd spectacular African thunderstorm on the horizons in the afternoons. Our March 2004 average low temperature was 21 and the high 32.
Kwetsani Camp Botswana is a five roomed luxury tented camp located in a private reserve 25km to the west of Mombo and to the west of the Moremi Game Reserve. The large elongated island on which Kwetsani is built is heavily wooded, cool and shady with Palm, Mangosteen and Fig trees and is one of the most remote camps in the entire Okavango Delta.
Kwetsani Camp is raised on stilts beneath the shady canopy, overlooking the expansive plains. The five wonderful, spacious tree-house chalets are built under a thatch roof, with wood, glass and a little canvas. All have en-suite facilities including a shower, flush toilet, twin basins and an additional outdoor shower for those who like showering in the open air. The camp overlooks an enormous floodplain that is dotted with lechwe and wildebeest. One can lie in one's room, or in the pool and watch the animals in front of the camp. All the Okavango's large predators are found here.
Activities include mekoroing, walking on palm-fringed islands and game drives during the day and night. The night drives are currently restricted , due to high flood water levels, to an hour drive around the camp island. In the height of the Okavango's annual floods, boats are used to get around the area and also to transfer to the islands where the game viewing vehicles are located. Lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, buffalo and elephant are all found in this area, as well as good concentrations of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and all the plains game. Access into this area is only by aircraft (dependant on the Okavango's flood levels, either Jao or Hunda airstrip is used for access to this camp).
Hippo, Sitatunga antelope and Crocodile reside in the deeper permanent lily~filled lagoons of the area. Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog, Cheetah, Tsessebe and Lechwe are among the major game attractions at Kwetsani. Nocturnal animals such as Porcupine, Aardwolf, Serval, Genet and Bushbaby can be observed on the night drives (water levels permitting).
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
News from the Kwando Concession in Northern Botswana
Quick Links to Kwando Botswana Information from vacationtechnician.com
Cheetah Hunt Lebala
Predator Safaris Kwando
Save the Botswana Bushmen Petition Drive
Kwara camp
* Excellent Leopard sightings of a female that was seen every day for 3 days
around the camp, walking around and marking its territory
* Good Cheetah sightings including the resident male that was found lying
up. A Cheetah kill on an Impala was seen from start to finish in an open
flood plain area. This was a female Cheetah with 2 cubs.
* Good Lion sightings of a mating pair that have busy for a few days. There
are 2 large males in the group but only one has established his dominance
and is mating with the female.
* There a 5 resident Elephant bulls that are hanging around camp and general
game viewing is good.
* Good birds in general with lots of activity before the migrants depart.
Lagoon camp
* Excellent Lion sightings and the 3 large territorial males have been
followed for 5 days in a row � no kills though! The pride of 5 females have
increased with the addition of 5 new cubs!
* Good general game of Tsessebe, Blue Wildebeest, Zebra, Impala, Kudu and
small groups of Elephants.
* Nocturnal sightings include African Wildcat, Springhares, Bush Babies and
Genets. There has also been some good sightings of Owls.
* Boat trips on the Kwando River are proving popular and the Kwando River
has risen 20 � 30 cm this past week. The Hippos are moving to the shallow
areas.
* An interesting sighting with birds included the successful rearing of
Striped Cuckoo nestling � one raised by a Cape Turtle Dove, and the other
raised by a Grey Loerie.
Lebala camp
* Pack of 5 Wild Dogs was seen 3 times for brief periods but they are
hunting mainly in the Mopane woodlands making it difficult to follow.
* Lion sightings include 2 large male together, a pride of 4 females and
numerous sightings of nomadic males.
* Excellent Leopard sightings of a female with 2 young cubs. These cubs are
relaxed and habituated to the vehicles. They have been seen virtually every
day.
* Excellent sightings of 2 Sitatunga that are being seen regularly from the
Lookout point in camp! One is a young male and the other is a young female.
* Good Cheetah sightings of a male on his own and then also of a female with
a sub adult male.
* Nocturnal sightings include African Wildcat, Serval and Caracal.
* Very good general game sightings, especially Giraffe. A grouping
comprising of 59 individuals was sighted! Other species include Blue
Wildebeest, Zebra, Red Lechwe, small groups of Elephants and also small
groups of Buffalo (18 � 100)
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
This month has been one of quite incredible transformation. 2004 could just
enter the record books as one of the most remarkable years in the Okavango
Delta in living memory... after two years of below-average floods we are
finally seeing the full power and beauty of the Delta, in a way not
witnessed for 20 years... this year's flood is going to be awesome!
Water which fell months ago as rain in the highlands of Angola has slowly
been making its way towards Mombo, across Namibia's Caprivi Strip and down
the Okavango Panhandle, filtered by great stands of papyrus and sand banks,
until it began arriving in the Mombo area at the very beginning of the month
- a good two months early.
Combined with this we have had much of our year's rainfall arriving late in
the rainy season, with the result that huge amounts of water have caused
some radical changes in our area in the last few weeks... It is hard to
believe that an area as flawless and beautiful as Mombo could be improved
upon, but the arrival of the floodwaters have lifted the area to a new
level...
Those of us who have had the privilege of calling Mombo home for some time
are particularly taken aback by the earliness and intensity of the water
flows into the Mombo area. Comparing this year's flood with last year's,
there is already much more water here than there was at the height of last
year's much less impressive inundation.
You can see the water pushing in day by day as it creeps nearer and nearer
to the steps of Mombo. The view across the floodplains from the main area is
simply breathtaking - infinite expanses of green grass and reeds, and
occasional stretches of open water which reflect the glittering sun. The
floodplain is dotted with the black, half-submerged shapes of buffaloes,
each with a brilliant white cattle egret perched on its back.
The arrival of the floodwater at Mombo has brought many animals and birds in
closer to Mombo - we have seen slaty egrets and pygmy geese searching
flooded grassy areas for food, and we have had some remarkable moonlit
sightings of groups of hippos grazing. The buffaloes and red lechwes
especially have been enjoying the lush vegetation in the newly flooded
plains.
The late rains have added to this spectacular transformation - we have had
another good month for rainfall, with most of the rain occurring during
afternoon thunder storms, carefully timed so as not to interfere with game
drives!
As we head into winter, temperatures have been a little cooler - the sun has
lost a little of its intense summer heat and daytime temperatures are very
pleasant.
In March we have had a total of 121.5mm of rain, giving us a total of 400mm
since November. This however is only just above the average likely to be
experienced in this area around Maun during the summer season. While
temperatures have been generally getting cooler, with some cloudy and windy
days being experienced, the sun has been particularly intense following
rainstorms. This is probably due to there being less dust in the atmosphere
after each rain shower. Minimum recorded temperatures have ranged from 18�C to 23�C, with an average daily minimum of 20.16�C. Maximum temperatures have ranged from 21�C to 30�C, with an average daily maximum of 28.00�C.
This "sunshine and showers" weather has meant that we have regularly enjoyed
seeing rainbows arch over the Mombo floodplains... anyone looking for the
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow need go no further than Mombo!
As well as a month of water, March has been a month of leopards. After an
absence of almost a year, the Maun Road female leopard made a welcome
re-appearance in some of her old haunts, now accompanied by a ten month old
cub. This means that we currently have three female leopards in the area
with cubs born at various times during the last year. We believe that there
are about 30 leopards in total in and around the Mombo game drive area.
The huge Burned Ebony male leopard used the cover of some of the new plant
growth to kill an impala, and then concealed his kill close enough for us to
have some very personal encounters with this incredible but elusive
predator, the ultimate in deadly stealth.
March has also been a month of frogs - the nightly chorus fills the Mombo
opera house to the rafters, with hippos, hyaenas, and lions, all performing
too to create a perfect nocturnal African symphony - sounds that we know
none of our guests will ever forget...
As we reach the end of March, the moon is waxing again towards its monthly
zenith, casting a silvery light over the buffaloes and hippos as they graze,
and casting shadows over the water as the giant eagle owls drift silently
among the raintrees.
In the Camp itself, we are continuing to refine the many little details that
make a stay at Mombo or Little Mombo so special... couples on honeymoon are
enjoying intimate and romantic private dinners and our chefs have been busy
making special cakes for birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Freshly boiled
water delivered to each tent with the morning wake-up call gives our guests
the chance to have an "emergency" cup of coffee at first light - although of
course they soon realise that the bush experience delivers a far greater
boost to the body and soul than caffeine ever could!!
As this area undergoes its annual change into a much more watery kingdom, we
are taking advantage of living in a huge natural classroom to extend our
meet and greet talks to explain to guests some of the wonder of the flood
and the rivers that turn their backs on the sea. Many guests have commented
that this additional information has really helped them get even more out of
their Mombo experience as it has further opened their eyes to the wonder
that is the Okavango Delta...
While some of our roads have flooded and are now impassable, this has not
compromised the quality of the game viewing experience at Mombo in any way.
Rather, game viewing is in many ways more intense as with the floodplains
now inundated, many animals have been pushed into smaller areas in the
centre of islands. The beauty of Mombo, and the reason that it boasts such
exceptional numbers and variety of game, is that it encompasses a variety of
different and contrasting habitats, thus providing the perfect habitat for a
great many species of animal and bird all year round.
Recent unusual sightings include a caracal (a large lynx-like cat) and a
large grey mongoose, the largest southern African mongoose but a very
secretive animal and hard to spot despite its size. Also a male leopard
mating with two females at the same time, and somehow dividing his time (and
energy!) between the two of them. Also some rare daytime sightings of honey
badgers and porcupines.
Perhaps the most spectacular sighting was one which set a new Mombo record:
seven of the reintroduced white rhinos grazing together on a large open area
known as Suzi's Duckpond. One quarter of all Botswana's wild rhinos together
in one place at the same moment. It was late afternoon, and the sky was
brilliantly lit up by the setting sun, bathing the whole scene in that
special soft light so beloved of photographers... and what a scene to
photograph! In the background were hundreds of zebra, and a quick glance
around the area would also reveal giraffe, warthog, wildebeest, jackal and
tsessebe... Meanwhile the abrupt alarm calls of impala hung on the still air
as they spotted the female leopard we had watched playing with her cub only
a few minutes earlier... and that was not so very long after we had seen one
of the four black rhinos near the airstrip... the kind of hour that only
ever seems to happen at Mombo - a place so magical that it can have
twenty-four hours like that in just one day!
And of course we have still to see this year's flood reach its peak, so no
doubt many more spectacular moments and special sightings await us... 2004
is simply flying by, proof (if any were needed) of how much fun we are
having...
So the Okavango flood continues to push into the Mombo area, carrying us
forward to who knows what new adventures... We can only be certain of one
thing, that 2004 is going to be a memorable year for Mombo in a great many
ways... so you are all invited to help make these memories even more
special!
As ever, we will leave the final word on Mombo to some vacationtechnician guests who stayed with us in this special place in March:
� Everything was fantastic - a true five star plus experience - thanks
for everything
� Everything was simply perfect
� Francis (our guide) was top rate in all areas. A very dignified
gentleman and a prize for your Camp
� Thank you for the most wonderful three days
� The Little Mombo staff truly contributed to making this visit to
paradise a once in a lifetime (hopefully not!) experience
� It could not have been more enjoyable. We had the best time and will
come again
� Roger & Ella's hospitality made my group feel welcome & at home...
thanks for a wonderful visit.
� This trip was our first and we felt very spoiled and fully intend to
return. Thank you for making our African experience so great and unique
� We do not want to leave Little Mombo! Leigh & Sharon are the best
host and hostess...
� Mombo is a very special place! We now appreciate Africa even more!
Looking forward to our return!
� Everything exceeded our expectations - we can't wait to share it
with our friends
� Nothing was too much trouble for the staff - they were wonderful
� My stay at Mombo has been the highlight of ALL my trips - Mombo is a
MUST!
Mombo Camp is situated on Mombo Island, adjoining the northern tip of Chief's Island, and is within the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. The camp offers abundant big game viewing, arguably the best in Botswana.
The highlight here are the concentrations of plains game and all the predators - including the big cats! Lion sightings are particularly good. Mombo is built on an island that is surrounded by open floodplains. The camp is largely built in and around the shade of some large mangosteen, ebony and fig trees and overlooks a wonderful floodplain that teems with game.
The camp has 9 comfortably furnished, luxurious tents, raised off the ground. The guest's rooms and the walkways that connect the rooms to the living area are up to 2m off the ground, allowing game to wander freely through the camp - but at the same time allowing for guest safety. One often finds that animals take refuge under the rooms. The canvas rooms are spacious and well appointed and have en-suite facilities under canvas and an additional outdoor shower for those who enjoy a shower under the stars.
The dining room, pub and living area overlook the open plain in front of the camp and there is a plunge pool for relaxing in the heat of the day. Activities at Mombo include morning and afternoon game drives in open 4x4 Land Rovers.
The game viewing in the area is excellent and guests could see lion, leopard, large herds of buffalo, cheetah, wild dog, elephant, white and black rhino, hyena, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra. Access into this area is only by aircraft.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Dominant Vumbura Male Lion attacks Hyaena
It was a happy hyaena, that is at least what it looked like. A few hyaenas were chewing away on the leftovers from a lion kill made earlier this morning. An unknown lion pride had caught an unsuspecting wildebeest in what is known as "Big Red Territory", the name referring to the mane of the dominant male lion in the north west of the Kwedi concession. They had just moved off, seemingly in a rush, as we arrived at the scene of the kill. But why so hasty? There were clearly not enough hyaenas to seriously threaten them.
20 minutes later, hyaenas still in feeding frenzy, we heard some zebra alarm calls in the distance. Shortly followed by a stampede of zebra on the horizon. Whatever had frightened the zebras, was coming our way. Another 10-15 minutes later we could make out the huge reddish mane of "Big Red", steering a clear course to the place of action. The hyaenas kept staring in his direction and all of us agreed that they must have seen Big Red approaching them in the high grass. He was still far away, leaving plenty of time for the hyaenas to keep on chewing. Big Red seemed on a mission, he moved fast and in a straight line until he was about 100 meters away, continuously being checked on by the hyaenas. He then lay down in the grass, observing the kill. The hyaenas clearly did not take this guy seriously enough as they did not realise when Big Red slowly emerged from his resting place and started to stalk them.
I was thrilled to get some lion-hyaena action as it had been a while since a had witnessed my last clash of these eternal enemies. None of us expected anything but a little chase by a lazy and way to slow male lion, however, things turned out differently. Big Red slowly crept forward, inching closer and closer by the minute. He was getting decent cover from the hyaenas in the grass, we had him continuously in sight. The game drive vehicle clearly had a better viewpoint than the hyaenas, however, we all agreed again that they must have been aware of his approach as they continuously scanned around.
Big Red was closing in, he took his time, inch by inch, meter by meter. He must have been about 25-30 meters away when he bursted into attack mode and came full speed towards the hyaenas. I was hoping for this as the vehicle was in a great position to photograph him running straight towards the camera. I was still convinced he would never be fast enough to get anywhere close to the hyaenas, as a result I had my 70-200mm telephoto lens mounted. I was wrong. The hyaenas were completely surprised by the attack and only realised the bad news when he was within 8-10 meters. Too late for one of them! I was still shooting with my 70-200mm lens when I realised he was going to catch one of them right in front of our eyes. I definitely had the wrong lens for this close action.
Before I could change my lens, Big Red grabbed one of the hyaenas by its neck/shoulder region. The hyaena screamed like hell, she had all the reason to. Big Red held it in a very strong grip. As they kept rolling in the grass, I kept shooting. It did not look good for the hyaena. I was certain Big Red was going to finish her off, not for a meal, but purely for territorial reasons. Lions will kill any potential competitor.
Surprisingly, Big Red suddenly let the hyaena go. Perhaps he just wanted to give it a warning or maybe he thought mortal wounds had already been inflicted. The hyaena shook itself off and simply trotted away. It had serious wounds on its neck and was bleeding heavily. As the hyaena walked away, we were certain it would not survive the next few days.
Big Red was still in a rage, searching for the invading lions. We followed Big Red for another hour and a half as he covered about 12km before he lost the other lion's scent. We then lost his tracks in the dense vegetation. What an exciting morning !! Vumbura and Little Vumbura did it again, delivering yet another thrilling and intense wildlife experience!
Vumbura Camp Botswana
(pronounced Vuumbera) is an 8-roomed tented camp situated to the north of Mombo, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta.
Vumbura offers both water and land activities. Mekoros (dug-out canoes) traverse the flood plains under the guidance of polers from the BaYei tribe, who have been using mekoros as their traditional form of transport for hundreds of years. Boats take guests onto the larger and deeper areas of water (water levels permitting).
Open 4x4 Land Rovers allow close proximity to animals in the savannah areas. This is possibly the only area in the Okavango where one can see Red Lechwe from a mokoro in the morning, then a Sable antelope from a game vehicle in the afternoon.
Add in Lion, Leopard, Elephant and Buffalo along with all the plains game, and one has an excellent all round game experience in a remote corner of the Okavango. Walks on the islands give guests the opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective.
Each one of the 8 tented rooms has en-suite facilities with hot and cold running water, a shower, and flush toilet as well as an outdoor shower under the stars. The main dining, lounge and pub area is tucked beneath a canopy of indigenous trees with a view across the floodplain.
The camp has a plunge pool. Access into this area is only by aircraft and then by vehicle to camp. If the waters are high in winter, we may have to access the camp from the airstrip by mekoros or boat.
Little Vumbura Camp Botswana
is a beautiful six roomed tented camp situated to the north of Mombo in a private reserve bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta. Little Vumbura offers both water and land activities, as well as walks for those who are keen. Mekoros (dug-out canoes) traverse the flood plains under the guidance of our experienced polers.
Open 4x4 Land Rovers allow guests to get close to animals in the savannah areas. However for much of 2004, this activity will be limited due to the high annual flood waters in the Okavango. For much of the March to October period, we will be boating to dry land and only board our game viewing vehicles there. Guests usually have the opportunity to see Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Sable and Buffalo, along with all the plains game, providing an excellent all round game experience in this remote corner of the Okavango.
Walks (on request basis only) around the islands give guests the opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective. The tented rooms are large and comfortably appointed, with an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold running water, a shower, and flush toilet - and an outside shower under the stars.
The camp has a plunge pool too. Access into this area is only by aircraft and if the water levels are high in winter, a mokoro trip and / or a boat will transfer guests to camp.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
The Bukakhwe San, a Bushman clan who have inhabited southern Africa for more than 30,000 years, have over time been slowly abandoning their nomadic existence. Gudigwa, is a remote village in north-west Botswana and due north of the Okavango. One of the oldest and most vulnerable of peoples, they are now involved in an eco-tourism project which they hope will help preserve their culture - and provide a livelihood for the villagers.
Several Bushmen were waiting at the entrance of the Gudigwa Camp to welcome the tourists who had flown from Botswana's premiere wildlife destination, the Okavango Swamps, specially to experience San culture.
"Toyaate Tsekaraga," one of the hosts said. ("We hope your journey went well.")
A woman offered the visitors a pleasant berry drink, while a Bushman who could speak English prompted them to try the local delicacies: Mopani worms, biltong and dried fruits.
I was one of the guests invited to enjoy Bushman hospitality. Now we nibbled politely at these unusual snacks, anxious not to appear rude. We had first to eat, then we would be shown to our overnight accommodation.
And what accommodation. The grass huts were fashioned along the lines of traditional Bushman dwellings - with certain major concessions. A door was added to appease Western demands for privacy and the hut furnished with conventional beds. A wash-basin, bucket shower and septic tank toilet had been enclosed with reeds round each hut.
The Bukakhwe are new to tourism. The Bushmen in this part of Botswana have always been nomadic, moving with the seasons from one part of the country to another. They survived for centuries on wild fruits and vegetables such as tsamma melons and wild potatoes, berries and edible insects. These have traditionally been harvested by women, while it was the men's job to bring home the meat: hares and guinea fowl, impala and kudu hunted with bows and arrows.
With the nomadic life over as proclaimed by Botswana/DeBeers Diamond Cartel mandate and hunting forbidden, they faced an uncertain future. The Botswana government insisted they adapt to "modern life," send their children to school and find jobs. The 800-strong community were "resettled" in a village but, as is the case in 85% of Botswana, the soil was mainly sand and unsuitable for agriculture.
How would these ancient people survive in a world that demanded money in exchange for food, where they were expected to wear conventional clothes instead of skins and the children had to learn to read and write?
Wilderness Safaris, in partnership with the Bukakhwe Cultural Conservation Trust (a board elected by the clan) came to the rescue and a venture known as Gudigwa Camp was initiated. The project is fully owned by the Bukakhwe - one of five San clans in Botswana - with all proceeds funnelled into community development projects.
Our Bushman host, Dicks Tsima, 26, was "rueful." about the passing of the old ways.
"We are the people of the dry bush lands," he said. "We were resettled here in the early 90s and got special licences to hunt. But the government realized poachers were taking advantage of the Bushmen and now we must stay here ....."
Their camp, staffed by Bushmen under the sole guidance of Liza Humphries, opened in April this year. Wilderness Safaris, who manage some of the best camps in the Okavango Swamps, is overseeing the project.
A visit to Gudigwa Camp is a special - if somewhat artificial - experience. The village where the Bushmen live is tucked away among the bushes. Seen from the vantage point of an aeroplane seat, it comprises a collection of small grass huts, with just one conventional building - probably government-owned - near the entrance.
The tourists' camp, on the other hand, has been built among ancient trees and provided with all mod cons. However, despite the luxurious home comforts, the atmosphere at Gudigwa Camp is genuine enough. It is one place foreign visitors can go to gain some understanding of the ancient Bushman culture, now seriously in danger of extinction.
They are a people who have been persecuted for generations. As far back as the early 1800s, the explorer William Burchell noted in his diary that the Bushmen were "feared by the Hottentots for their lethal poisoned arrows, were hunted like wild animals by the Boers to avenge their cattle depredations and were slaughtered by the Bantus who invaded their hunting grounds."
Author Bartle Bull writes in his book "Safari. A Chronicle of Adventure" (Penguin 1992) that 200 years ago Burchell recorded his impressions of a visit to the home of Kaali, a Bushman who had accompanied his party from South Africa's Orange River. He provided what is probably the first ever descriptions of Bushman life in southern Africa. He wrote:
"They brought us to the summit of the ridge where, situated between hillocks and heaps of large stones and unsheltered by either tree of bush, we found half a dozen wretched weather-worn huts, only one-third of the circumference enclosed and utterly incapable of protecting the inhabitants from wind or rain. Within these huts there was no property of any kind, except in one or two a dirty furless skin or the shell of an ostrich egg. Never before had I beheld so complete a picture of poverty."
More recently, Sandy Gall in his work "The Bushmen of Southern Africa" - sub titled "Slaughter of the Innocent" (published in 2002) - provides an even more depressing picture.
He describes the ongoing persecution of the Bushmen, the beatings and brutality, the torture, the imprisonment, the disease and suffering inflicted on what has been described as "a harmless people".
He asks: "After centuries of genocide, dispossession and exploitation, what is the future of the 100,000 or so Bushmen who have survived into the 21st century" Is there real hope that they, the aboriginal inhabitants of the continent, who have been on the earth for so many millennia, may find the next millennium less terrible than the last"
There are, indeed, some hopeful signs. Perhaps the most hopeful is what happened in South Africa in March 1999. Thabo Mbeki (then deputy president and now President of South Africa) flew to a dusty squatter village on the edge of the Kalahari Gemsbok Park and ceremonially handed over to two Bushmen leaders the rights to their ancestral lands from which they had been evicted half a century before.
Gall is less optimistic, however, about Botswana's stance on the Bushman question, quoting disturbing accounts of torture allegations, beatings and arrests in that country. The problem is ongoing.
At Gudigwa, however, the Bushmen have faced the inevitability of their new life and are learning new skills to keep their culture alive. They are warm and welcoming hosts who have prepared a fascinating programme to keep their visitors entertained.
On our visit to the camp, the pots are bubbling on an open fire by 4pm, a cluster of San women in attendance. The dancers who were to entertain the guests arrived in their "skins" soon after. So did the drummers and musicians, the fire makers and the craftsmen who brought with them the bows and arrows they crafted to sell to the tourists.
"�sk me what you want to know about my people," Tsima urged. "We want to share our culture with you."
He talked about the time his father taught him, at the age of five or six, to hunt with a bow and arrow ("we never had guns"), about the role of men and women in Bushmen society, about the education of children, about life in a nomadic society, about sex, marriage and religion.
"Our clan has never had a chief," he said. "Decisions have always been taken by the elders. Now, however, we have elected a young man as our spokesman. He represents us because he can read and write and speak English."
Boys, he explained, could get married at the age of ten if they were able to provide a woman with food. A wife who complained that her husband was lazy, could be taken from him and given to another man. It was not unusual for a man to be given a girl child or baby - but the onus was on him to provide her with food and meat.
A girl was initiated after puberty and would then stay inside for four months before her "coming out". She would then be free to select the man she wanted as her husband. Tsima talked freely and openly about every aspect of his culture.
How did his people feel about being called Bushmen?
Tsima insisted that "we are men and we come from the bush, so we are Bushmen. We have no problem with that."
Night was falling when a Bushman, his face creased, arrived at the gathering carrying a "thumb" piano.
"His name is Zimbabwe and he will sing for you," Tsima said.
The sun had set by the time Zimbabwe started his melancholy tune. Tsima translated, explaining that the song was about a man whose in-laws had ill-treated him. There was total silence as the group listened to the achingly sad words.
Then his mood changed and Zimbabwe sang a welcome song, prompting dancers to leap to their feet and join the celebrations. The party was on. The local beer, "khadi", a mixture of millet, honey and brandy bush seed, flowed.
Tsima, his shirt tossed aside, joined his colleagues round the fire, the smoke adding a mysterious haziness to the proceedings.
Two hours later, the dancers stopped, their bodies glistening in the light of the fire. It was time for dinner: an ostrich curry, tomato bredie and chicken pieces cooked on the coals - a feast for the visitors who tucked-in along with their hosts.
The next morning the guests were roused before sun-up. It was time to gather berries and bulbs in the bush and learn about the uses of plants, medicinal and otherwise. Another day had begun.
The Bushmen of Gudigwa can host up to 16 guests at a time. They are waiting for you to arrive.
Gudigwa Camp offers guests on safari the opportunity to experience the cultural richness of Botswana. Gudigwa village is a settlement of 800 "Bukakhwe" San Bushman or "people of the dry country".
The Bukakhwe people are indigenous to the Okavango Delta, and though their physical attributes vary from the Bushman tribes of the Kalahari, their traditional ways of living off the land are very much the same. The Gudigwa experience highlights the intimate connection between the Bukakhwe people's cultural heritage and the natural environment.
By sharing this linkage with their guests, they are reviving a dying culture and passing on intricate knowledge to the future generations within the village. Activities focus around various aspects of both traditional and modern life in Botswana.
Walks will reveal the secrets of the bush and guests will learn about the medicinal uses of plants, discover where to find underground water, and will be given basic tips of how to survive off of nature's abundant resources. Villagers will perform traditional dances and songs, tell animated stories in their mother tongue - a language of "clicks" and guttural tones - and will cook local dishes for guests to sample.
Guests stay in large, cosy grass huts made from local materials and modelled after traditional bushman shelters. Each of the 8 units has comfortable beds and linen, solar lighting and its own open air toilet and hot shower. This camp and its activities take place 5 km away from the Gudigwa community so as not to disturb the daily life of the people.
Guests are welcome to take a quick tour of the village. As the largest remaining Bushman village in Botswana, the Gudigwa people are proud to be reviving their culture that is rapidly changing due to modernization, and to be promoting cross-cultural exchange with the rest of the world.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
NXAI PAN NATIONAL PARK Botswana
Sitting at the one and only waterhole in the entire Park at 6 am, I was finally alone and at one with myself, waiting for the crimson ball of sun to cast it's light on the stage in front of me. I had the front row seats here, awaiting the arrival of the various actors that would play out various acts to me, in various stages.
The lions were already here, lying over on the other side of the water. Three energetic four- month old cubs were harassing two huge males. Three muscular lionesses, one with 2 tiny cubs, lay close to them and eyed the terrain.
In the distant shimmer of a mirage, duplicate figures of springbok make their way towards the pan, perhaps unaware of the danger that awaits them. In this seemingly inhospitable environment, known to me as "the Great Nothingness", creatures of all shapes and sizes have adapted themselves over time.
Squadrons of Burchells' sandgrouse fly in low over the scrub and settle by the waters edge, followed by droves of Cape turtle-doves. All of a sudden there's a flurry of feathers and pandemonium breaks out. A Red-necked falcon has taken advantage of the gathering birds, and dive-bombs them at the water. It misses surprisingly and perches atop an acacia, waiting for round two.
The springbok and some ostrich have moved closer to the pan, warily scanning the surrounding area for the obvious danger.
One lioness lying 50 metres in front of my vehicle gets up and walks straight towards me, giving me super photographic opportunities. The side lighting of the sun casts an aura over her muscular torso, shoulder pistons pumping up and down as she slowly walks. She stops some four metres away and eyes out the springbok at the pan, she shifts her gaze from them up to the vehicle window and our eyes meet. I shiver with a mixture of excitement and fear? and realize just how big and powerful these cats are. Weighing in at around 140 kilograms she walked past and lay down to the right of me, and waited.
I got the camera ready, checked my shutter-speed and aperture and made myself comfortable. As the springbok were bending down to drink the first sip of the day, she edged closer and stopped, crouched in typical feline posture. Cover is in short supply here bar the hundreds of elephant-dung piles that scatter the water perimeter. The lioness actually looked like she was blending into these piles, as funny as it looked, and she inched herself closer and closer.
Then she was off, an explosion of blurred yellow, slowly at first, her speed building up as she targeted one particular springbok. She was too slow and the animal bounded off in a cloud of dust.
As an exercise, I was working out with the different springbok herds, which individual would be the target. Predators including lion target the weak, old or injured animals in a herd and concentrate entirely on that particular individual. Another herd was coming down to drink only moments after the first attempt by the lioness. It seems that the animals are driven entirely by their thirst, and this would eventually be their downfall. The lion had cottoned on to this and spend the whole day in close proximity to the water for obvious reasons.
I lifted my binoculars and scanned the herds, noting that a young springbok ram in one herd had bit of a limp and I concluded that he would be the 'chosen one'. Would I be right I wondered?
The herd closed in and drank their fill. The lioness, already re-positioned, did a repeat of the first attempt and homed in on the same ram I had 'selected'.
A flurry of doves, dust, dung and antelope exploded as the lioness neared, her muscles bulging, and eager to get breakfast. Another miss ?. The springbok trotting off and turning around at the hunter, as if to say.."Is that your best shot".
This went on until 11h30 and I had counted ten unsuccessful attempts. A single lioness has a 10% success rate, as compared to hunting co-operatively in a group that have roughly a 15% success rate. At the rate she was going she would either have to 'team' up with the other lion or try a different strategy.
She and the others got up and moved to the shade of an acacia, as the sun was truly merciless now. The antelope and ostrich took advantage and drank their fill, while the lions contemplated whether they should try once more or sleep the heat off?..they opted for the later.
I was hot myself and I poured water on my kikoi, wringing out the excess water and placing the cool dampness over my head and neck. A strong breeze now blew swirling 'dust-devils' across the cooked and brittle plain.
The hot blizzard hit me with bits of desiccated leaves and stinging sand. Shadows flew over me like dark angels and on looking up, I noticed five Lappet-faced vultures on a thermal. Perhaps they, with their keen eyesight, had noticed the activity at the waterhole, or they were also in need of quenching their parched thirsts.
I was thinking about the lion again, while I waited for Act 2 to commence. later on, once it had cooled down for sure, they would try once more.
A predator with a high energy expenditure was far more successful than one without. A cheetah with its' awesome, blinding speed and radical energy output, had a higher success rate than these lion. In turn, lion had a much higher rate than leopard. Also what puzzled me was why don't the lionesses team up forming an ambush for larger prey like the kudu that have just come down? But who am I, a human, to anthropomorphically decide what is best for them? How dare I think that.
All this incredible energy consumption seemed a waste of time and effort for a paltry reward of a single springbok, who would probably be poached off the lioness by the huge males. I became frustrated for the lioness.
It was eerily quiet now, the mirages shimmering like some phantom sea off in the distance. The heat-waves distorted far-off images of ostrich and wildebeest, as if they were dancing some weird dance.
Most animals were in the scant, scattered shade, but the wildebeest who look really dumb at the best of times, were standing nonchalant in the sun like lone sentinels waiting for the rain. Two ostriches, their sharp eyes watching the now sleeping lions, stood ankle deep in the cool water, scooping long beakfulls of water.
At 15h30, more springbok started arriving in loose herds, and gathered on the outskirts of the pan. The five Lappet-faced vultures descended on huge wings, landing with a bounce, like a squadron of antique bi-planes.
A soft, shuffling sound from behind the vehicle to my right made me turn around. A single, huge and old bull elephant was on his way to water. He sauntered past the sleeping lions, who raised their heads in slumber at his passing. I was amazed that such a beast can survive out here, especially this time of year when browse was in short supply. He looked so much in charge, full of confidence and wisdom as he approached the pan. He slaked his thirst and mixed up a slurry of grey-white calcrete mud, and sprayed his entire body with the mixture. Under his belly and arms, behind his legs, over his head and on his back?..then he just stood there as if in some hypnotized state of trance. Mud dripped off him like melted white chocolate and his eyes were closed. Amazing. This behemoth had probably walked 30 kilometres to the water, the soles of his aged and cracked feet must have been so hot and sore, and all that moved was his tail, swinging like some pendulum in time with the cicadas.
More shuffling off to my right, more elephant. In fact 11 huge bulls of various ages and sizes approached now, desperate to cool off their feet and quench their huge thirsts.
The 'melted-chocolate' bull couldn't have seen them arrive, but as if by some unheard command, perhaps infrasound, he moved off as the others were approaching. He sauntered off, shimmering in his newly acquired coat of wetness.
He did not even greet the others physically but perhaps said "Hello" with a deep grumble, unheard through my ears. The others did likewise and preceded with the ritual of drinking, mud bathing and wallowing, followed by a dust-bath.
They too wandered off into the great nothingness, and I wondered if they would return again tomorrow.
The lion had now woken after some hours and the time was 17h15. I had been sitting here for 11 and a quarter hours, my buttocks somewhat cramped from not being able to get out the vehicle. The next hour saw the same lioness attempt another seven times at drinking springbok, but to no avail?.see and the others would just have to get their act together. I have never seen such hard working felids in action!
The sun was setting and the bulls were standing gossiping to one side, so I decided to start up the Cruiser. The sound broke the peace and I felt somewhat guilty for having caused this disturbance, but I had to get into camp before 18h30. I stopped with the elephants silhouetted against the orange wisps of cirrus cloud, and got out the vehicle. It felt so good to stretch away the long sitting, and I then photographed the huge bulls with a slow shutter speed, with me lying on my belly in the cooling brittleness of sand.
I arrived back in camp elated at my day spent at what I thought was the Great Nothingness?..but I was amazed at what an abundance of life this incredible, inhospitable place contains. Tomorrow is another day.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
INTIMACY. It is what most people search for in life, but few people find. I have lived and worked in and around the Okavango Delta in Botswana for over 5 years, but it was only just the other day, that we finally became intimate.
How?
I went on a three-day mokoro trail in the heart of the Okavango Delta.....
It is 2pm on an April afternoon and I'm sitting in a mokoro in Botswana's Okavango Delta. The sun is hitting us directly, as well as reflecting off the water. It is hot. Ahead of us, we can see hundred's of pelican's and Marabou storks lined up on a sandbank at the end of Xigera Lagoon. There are also red lechwe grazing peacefully on the bank to our north. Aside from the heat, it is a very peaceful scene. The serenity is accentuated by the fact that we are moving silently. With a BaYei paddler in the back of the mokoro, there is almost no sound as we move through the open water.
As we move closer to the pelicans, we understand why they are here in such numbers on today of all days. The annual flood of the Okavango Delta has just hit Xigera Lagoon, where we are camping for the next couple of days. Perfect timing. Xigera Lagoon is a huge expanse of fairly shallow water, and before the new floodwaters arrived, there were numerous sandbanks that had emerged. As these sandbanks had been covered with shallow water, the pelicans and marabou storks were lined up along them and were picking off fish as they arrived with the water. They were essentially making their own fish trap.
When we continue our approach, the pelicans begin to take off. There must have been over 400 White and Pink-Backed Pelicans that took to the air. Added to this were several hundred Marabou Storks that had come to feast on the incoming fish, and hundreds of African Skimmers that were flying in long circles above our heads. The skimmers had been nesting on the exposed sandbanks until the water arrived, but were now also making the most of the glut of food. Also in smaller numbers were Yellow-billed Storks, Saddle-billed Storks, Wattled Cranes, Fish Eagles, Greenshanks, Grey Herons, Goliath Herons, Squacco Herons, Rufous-bellied Herons, Slaty Egrets, Little Egrets, Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, Long-toed Plovers and a host more. It was an absolute festival of birds topped off by a sighting of a pair of Caspian Terns. We knew that this was a special sight when our BaYei guides, Ishmael and William, who had been born and raised in the area, admitted that they had never seen them before. Yet their shear size rendered them unmistakable.
As we checked our bird books to confirm the sighting of the Caspian Terns, we nearly fell out of our mekoro (the plural of mokoro) by a noise that sounded like a huge clap of thunder moving across water. We looked back to see the herd of red lechwe, that had previously been grazing peacefully, charging across the open expanse of water. Clearly unimpressed with us, but in doubt as to whether to carry on crossing the lagoon, the lechwe stopped midway. They seemed to be evaluating the relative risks. Us behind them or the unknown in front of them. They decided to take a chance on the latter and carried on their explosive mission across the lagoon.
With the spectacle of the birds and the lechwe behind us, my travelling companion (an American travel writer named Jeff) and I were keen to try some fishing. Ishmael found us a quiet spot on the main channel of the Boro River and proved that he had chosen the spot well by pulling in a huge tiger fish with his first cast. However, the next half-hour was spent casting unsuccessfully and the decision was made - collectively - to move to a new spot.
The new spot was perfect in every way - except for the fishing. But that didn't actually matter. We sat with fishing rod in one hand, cold beer in the other, casting into the rushing water. As we fished we watched another herd of lechwe grazing on a flood plain in front of us. A couple of bull elephants sauntered past us. All the while the sun was starting to sink slowly and the light was changing to a colour that fairly closely matched our beers.
I was getting intimate.
Jeff however was itching to move. He was in the process of telling Ishmael as much when his fishing line took off. He had latched himself a tiger. It took him a full ten minutes to bring it in, and whilst we didn't have a scale with us, it must have weighed in at about 4 kilograms. We decided to fish on. A couple of bream later and a fairly quiet fishing afternoon had turned into fresh fish for dinner.
We returned to our mekoro and headed for our fly camp. The sun had just set and a full moon was rising in front of us. The only distraction was a 747 that was still catching the sun that had so recently left us. It was flying so high that we couldn't even hear it. I wondered if they knew that at that moment they were flying over one of the most pristine areas left in Africa. I wondered where they were going but didn't worry about it for long. Wherever they were going I knew where I would rather be.
This mokoro trail was something of a renaissance. Twenty years ago, a few days camping in the heart of the Okavango, and travelling purely by mokoro was standard fare for most tourists who weren't into hunting safaris. Many of Botswana's top professional guides cut their teeth doing these sorts of trips. However, visitors to the Okavango these days spend almost all their time in up-market lodges and camps, where they hardly even feel the earth beneath their feet, let alone get their toes wet. These lodges offer an amazing experience, however for the most part, intimacy is no longer on the menu.
Hennie and Angie Rawlinson are the owners of Xigera camp. Located on the southwestern edge of Moremi Game Reserve, and right in the heart of the permanent water of the Okavango, it is perfectly situated for an amazing water experience in the Delta. Hennie was one of the Okavango's top guides in the early '80's, and was best known for his camping trips in the Delta. When he and Angie won the lease for the Xigera concession in the late 90's, they soon decided that aside from a beautiful, up-market camp, they were going to run mokoro trails as well. Hennie and Angie met at Xigera, and having spent much time being intimate in the Delta, they now wish to revive intimacy with the Delta for their guests
Ishmael Setlabosha is one of the more amazing people that resides in the Delta. He was born and raised on an island just north of Xigera lagoon and an incredible knowledge of the Okavango and its many inhabitants - both plant and animal - is now thoroughly ingrained. His knowledge is not from textbooks but from life. It is an intimate knowledge and those who have walked with him on the islands of the Okavango will not soon forget the experience.
I was fortunate enough to have this experience the next morning. We had a short mokoro ride to a large island where we began our walk. We set in behind Ishmael who was armed only with a rather fearsome looking, home-made spear, a pencil flare and a lifetime's experience in the Okavango.
He missed nothing. Any tracks and signs were analysed and a new route was taken accordingly. For example, Ishmael found fresh tracks of an old bull buffalo heading into a dense thicket. Whilst we were relieved when Ishmael started walking in the opposite direction, such was our trust in him that we would have been right there with him had he headed straight in after the tracks. We were able to stalk to within 20 metres of a herd of grazing impala, and tracked and found a small herd of kudu browsing on the edge of the island. He chatted willingly about many of the plants that we walked past. He gave us an indication of the full medical cabinet that exists in the bush, as well plants that poisoned fish, plants that you could eat, and plants whose roots would leave your baby smelling fresher than Johnson and Johnson baby powder.
We had walked for three hours, but hadn't raised a sweat. It was a botanical experience, an anthropological experience, and a cultural experience, but most of all it was an intimate experience.
On the way home, Ishmael spotted a female sitatunga - a rare and highly aquatic antelope, and one of the most prized sightings of the Okavango Delta. Once again, through the skill of Ishmael and William we were able to get close to the "tunga" before it leapt away into a thicket of papyrus.
We returned to camp around midday, had a substantial brunch and snoozed until early afternoon. We had planned an afternoon of swimming and fishing.
Swimming is the ultimate way to get intimate with the Okavango. Clearly safety is an issue, and swimming at random is not recommended as large crocodiles and hippos abound. Ishmael however, took us to his swimming pool.
It was a tiny channel between two small islands of sand that would soon be entirely covered by water. The new floodwater was charging through this little channel and staying in the one spot was difficult but not impossible. The water was deep enough for us to dive without danger, but shallow enough on its extremities, for us not to have to worry about the presence of unwanted reptilian visitors. Even at the deepest point of this small channel the water was clear enough for me to count all the hairs on my big toes. Yep, all three were still in place! The temperature was wonderful. It was cool enough for us to feel immediately refreshed, yet warm enough for us to rather stay in then get out.
At one stage I saw a tiny White Fronted Plover about twenty metres down stream from me. Using the fast current I drifted towards it with only my nose and eyes out of the water. I was able to float to within a metre it finally flew off.
The whole experience was absolutely unbelievable. Whilst sitting in the water with it rushing over my back and shoulders I knew that I was no longer just a visitor. At that time and in that place, I was a part of the Okavango. There was genuine intimacy.
It was with reluctance that we left our swimming pool and carried on our way. We were in the mokoro's for a while, but I couldn't say how long exactly. The rest of the world may have been in turmoil, but I was in a state of total peace.
I had a few interesting things happen to me on that afternoon mokoro ride. Firstly, as we brushed a reed, a tiny green frog jumped onto my lap. He was a Long Reed Frog. A very inappropriate name as he is only about 13mm long. He stayed in my lap until much later when I relocated him onto a water lily pad.
Secondly I saw a pair of bright orange dragonflies mating. Nothing unusual about that except that they were flying in the same direction as I was, they were moving at roughly the same pace, and were about a metre from my head. They spent so long travelling right next to me, that I was able to pull out my field guide and identify them - Urothemis assignata. Despite their long and complicated name I was touched by their intimacy and I could not think of any other mode of transport that would let me spend so long with a pair of amorous insects.
Before sunset we stopped so that Jeff could fish again. There is definitely a certain Zen that you get when fishing. However I didn't need to fish - I was there already. I instead stayed seated in my mokoro and watched as a Western-Banded Snake Eagle flew overhead and perched in a nearby tree. If I hadn't been in such a state of "Okavango Zen" I probably would have fallen out of my mokoro at this wonderfully rare sight. I listened to fish eagles and swamp boubous calling. On a neighbouring island a troop of vervet monkeys started chattering. From the same place came the alarm calls of a red billed francolin. I wondered what predator they saw, but marvelled at the fact that the feeling that I was still part of the Delta had not left.
That night during dinner we had a large male hippo come and join us on the small island on which we were camping. We saw him coming from a long way off as the moon shone brightly off his wet back. He wandered to within 20 yards of our small camp, before sensing that something was not quite right and moving back into the shallow water. He stayed close by for most of the night, and his slow footsteps and constantly munching jaws, were strangely comforting. The only other animal that disturbed my sleep that night, was a Pel's Fishing Owl, which issued its haunting call from somewhere close by on the island. We would look for him tomorrow.
Any sighting of a Pel's Fishing Owl is special. They are unbelievably attractive birds, not common anywhere, and are highly secretive - particularly in daylight hours when they spend most of the day hiding from the unwanted attentions of their main competitor, the African Fish Eagle. Xigera however, is one of the best places to find the "Pel's". The habitat is perfect, with many good hunting sites, and many safe places to roost and nest. Consequently, it should have been no surprise that we had three separate sightings of Pel's the next morning. We had to work for the first two - mokoroing to small islands, hopping out and closely inspecting the dense woodland. The tough task was made easier by the skill of Ishmael and William, who had an amazing sense for which islands and which trees to look in. We managed to accidentally flush the final Pel's whilst in our mokoro. As he burst out from within a Mangosteen tree, he was harried and harassed by a flock of grey louries. We were as sorry to have disturbed him as we were happy to see him.
Our safari finished later that morning when a boat from Xigera Camp came to pick us up. As the boat approached it struck me that for the last two nights and three days we had been without any artificial noise. There had been no engines. No boats, no vehicles, no generators, and best of all no radios blurting out depressing reports of wars in far off places. Whilst I was not happy that I had to return to the "real" world that afternoon, I felt a strong sense of relief that with the rebirth of the mokoro trail, should I ever feel the need, I would once again be able to get intimate with the Okavango.
Xigera
(pronounced Keejera) is a luxury tented camp in the Moremi Game Reserve and is situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta.
Xigera has something for everyone in an area where there are no other Moremi camps. Permanent water all year round allows one to enjoy an unparalleled variety of activities including foot safaris, mokoro trips, game drives and powerboat outings in total privacy. Enjoy a true Delta experience while you sit back in a mokoro (dugout canoe) and silently glide through the wonders of the tranquil Okavango waterways observed by a myriad of delta creatures. Watch the sunset and the birds gliding home to roost from a motorboat on the Xigera Lagoon. Observe the wildlife and unique delta scenery from the comfort of a landrover or, for the adventurous, track animals on foot. Or simply take in the beautiful sunrise from your comfortable bed while sipping your morning tea or coffee.
Nestled in a magnificent riverine forest, Xigera consists of eight luxuriously furnished tented rooms with en-suite facilities and an outdoor shower. Each room is raised off the ground on a wooden deck offering a superb view of the seasonal floodplain and waterhole. Meals and evening drinks are enjoyed under the thatch of the raised lounge, pub and dining area overlooking a permanently flowing channel. A traditional African boma offers alternative dining under the African stars. Wooden walkways wind through the forest connecting the rooms to the main living area. For those hot days there is a small plunge pool to cool off in. A feature unique to Xigera is the wooden footbridge connecting Xigera Island to the next. Guests are often treated to close up views of lions, hyenas or leopard padding across the bridge as they move between islands. The camp "newspaper" (a sand pit built into the bridge) is "read" each morning and provides information on unseen nightly visitors to camp.
Paradise for avid birdwatchers, Xigera is home to Pels Fishing Owl, African Skimmers, Slaty Egrets, Wattled Crane, Lesser Jacana and a host of eagles, vultures, raptors and kingfishers. It also boasts the highest density of the rare and elusive Sitatunga antelope found anywhere in the Okavango Delta. When water levels permit, game drives are an attraction. Some years we can drive throughout the year. If there has been a very high flood, we can only usually drive from late September to April.
Access to Xigera is by light aircraft only.
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Mombo Rhino Project :: Botswana Rhino Relocation Project
Mombo Camp Okavanga Delta Botswana
Populations of rhinos have declined throughout Africa due to demand and over-hunting for their valuable horns. Due to inadequate protection, rhinos have become extinct in several former range states, including Botswana, where both black and white rhinos have become extinct at different times in the 20th century.
Since the mid 1990's conservation of white rhinos in fenced sanctuaries has proved successful through collaboration between the private sector and the Government of Botswana, and will provide the foundation for continued growth of existing rhino populations, and the establishment of new ones in the future. One such project is the proposal to re-introduce white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) to the Mombo Medium Density Tourism Zone (Mombo) and to establish a healthy and sustainable free-ranging population of rhino upon the Chief's Island region of the Moremi Game Reserve.
Wilderness Safaris (vacationtechnician.com partner) primary objective, as the promoter of this reintroduction project, is to re-establish this locally extinct and important species in the Okavango Delta, the only species known to have been exterminated from the area. The result of this project would contribute towards the maintenance of the bio-diversity of the Mombo region, through the management and conservation of endangered species.
The success of the project will determine whether this region becomes an important release site for further re-introduction programmes within the country in the future. This programme will be carried out by means of full liaison with and approval by the appropriate Botswana Government authorities (including the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and the Tawana Land Board).
The successful re-introduction of rhino to Chief's Island will be a unique example of co-operation between the private sector and Government and local authorities in an important conservation venture. Standards will be set for the region and it will cement Botswana's position as one of Africa's leaders in conservation and tourism.
This proposal contains the history of rhinos in Botswana, and covers every aspect of the project, including the reintroduction programme and its constraints, as well as the general management of the programme.
THE HISTORY OF RHINO IN BOTSWANA
The White Rhino and the Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) occurred in northern Botswana until relatively recently. The Black Rhino seems to have been rare and confined to the Kwando-Chobe areas, but the White Rhino population was widespread and common throughout northern Botswana in the middle of the last century.
As a result of indiscriminate shooting of rhino, mainly by sport hunters, both species were reduced to very low numbers by the 1960s. A re-introduction programme began in 1967 when four White Rhino were introduced from Natal. Between 1974 and 1981, the Botswana Government, with support from Natal Parks Board, re-introduced a total of 71 White Rhino into Chobe National Park and 19 into Moremi Game Reserve. The animals were released directly from the transfer crates; many wandered considerable distances in search of suitable habitat, and some died.
When given the normal rate of increase of this species, the rhino population should have increased to about 200 in 1992 and about 400 today. However, by 1992, it was evident that the majority of the White Rhino population had either died or been killed by illegal hunters. It should be remembered that the 1980s saw a wave of illegal off-take of elephants and rhinos sweeping down from eastern Africa to Zambia, Mozambique and Angola. Botswana, Zimbabwe and, to a lesser extent, South Africa were affected by incursions from these areas and became conduits for the illegal traffic in ivory and rhino horn. As a result, the rhino populations of northern Botswana were greatly reduced.
A survey carried out by the Natal Parks Board in 1992 found only 19 White Rhino. Black Rhino appear to have become extinct by this time. At this stage, the Botswana Government developed a three-stage policy for the conservation of White Rhino:
* To capture as many surviving White Rhino as possible and translocate them to protected sanctuaries such as the Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe and the Mokolodi Private Game Reserve near Gabarone;
* To allow the populations in these sanctuaries to increase, while effective protection was implemented in the national parks and game reserves, through effective law enforcement and the provision of conservation incentives to local communities and other strata of society; and,
* When it is safe to do so, to re-introduce populations of White Rhino from the protected sanctuaries back into the wild in the national parks and game reserves.
Implementation of the first stage of this policy was initiated in 1993, with the capture and translocation of the remaining White Rhino, of which there were four, from the Chobe National Park to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. A sub-adult male subsequently died as a result of gun shot wounds inflicted by illegal hunters prior to capture. Between 1994 and 1996, three more rhino were relocated to the Khama Sanctuary from Moremi Game Reserve, while three remained uncaptured in the area.
In June 1995, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary received five more White Rhino from North West Parks Board of South Africa. There are currently 29 White Rhino held in protected sanctuaries in Botswana, of which 28 are under private management and 1 under Government management. These rhino are located in the following areas:
* Khama Rhino Sanctuary 16
* Mokolodi Private Game Reserve 9
* Gaborone Game Reserve 1
* Gantzi (private game farm) 3
The policy of re-introducing White Rhino to the wild was formalized in an internal strategy paper prepared by the Botswana Department of Wildlife.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
"I can't be told by anyone how to live. If I went to the minister and said, 'Move from your place', he would think I was mad." 'Bushman' elder, Botswana
Diamonds for Iman; are they worth it?
Region: Southern Africa
Population: 100,000
Who are they?
The 'Bushmen' are the oldest inhabitants of southern Africa, where they have lived for at least 20,000 years. Their home is in the vast expanse of the Kalahari desert. There are many different Bushman peoples � they have no collective name for themselves, and the terms 'Bushman', 'San', 'Basarwa' (in Botswana) and so on are used variously. Most of those which are widely understood are imposed by outsiders and have some pejorative sense; many now use and accept the term 'Bushmen'. They speak a variety of languages, all of which incorporate 'click' sounds represented in writing by symbols such as ! or /.
How do they live?
The Bushmen are hunter-gatherers, who for thousands of years supported themselves in the desert through these skills. They hunt � mainly various kinds of antelope � but their daily diet has always consisted more of the fruits, nuts and roots which they seek out in the desert. They make their own temporary homes from wood that they gather. Many Bushmen who have been forced off their lands now live in settlements in areas that are unsuitable for hunting and gathering � they support themselves by growing some food, or by working on ranches.
What problems do they face?
The Bushmen had their homelands invaded by cattle herding Bantu tribes from around 1,500 years ago, and by white colonists over the last few hundred years. From that time they faced discrimination, eviction from their ancestral lands, murder and oppression amounting to a massive though unspoken genocide, which reduced them in numbers from several million to 100,000. Today, although all suffer from a perception that their lifestyle is 'primitive' and that they need to be made to live like the majority cattle-herding tribes, specific problems vary according to where they live. In South Africa, for example, the !Khomani now have most of their land rights recognised, but many other Bushman tribes have no land rights at all.
The Gana (G//ana) and Gwi (G/wi) tribes in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve are among the most persecuted. Far from recognising their ownership rights over the land they have lived on for thousands of years, the Botswana government has in fact forced almost all of them off it. The harassment began in 1986, and the first forced removals were in 1997. Those that remained faced torture, drastic restrictions in their hunting rights, and routine harassment. In early 2002, this harassment intensified, accompanied by the destruction of the Bushmen's water pump, the draining of their existing water supplies into the desert, and the banning of hunting and gathering. Almost all were forced out by these tactics, but a large number have since returned, with many more desperate to do so.
How does Survival help?
Survival is lobbying for respect for the human and land rights of all Bushman peoples across southern Africa. In particular, Survival is campaigning with the Gana and Gwi Bushmen in Botswana, calling for them to be allowed home, for recognition of their land rights in accordance with international law, and for their right to live as they choose. You can join our campaign by writing a letter, joining our vigil, signing our petition or by donating to the campaign.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Life at Jao has been very exciting these last few weeks. Once the flood arrived at Jacana, Frank moved the mekoro (dug-out canoes) from the mekoro station back to Jao.
That night at dinner his jovial bunch of Italian guests said that they wanted to mekoro the next morning, and Frank promised them a mekoro experience right from the front of camp. His guests thought he was crazy as the river was completely dry apart from one muddy patch in front of the lodge. Frank did not have an easy night as he worried about his hasty promise, but the next morning (25 February) the guests thought Frank was truly amazing as they arose to this huge river spanning over 400m across and spilling over across the road on the opposite side of the bank. During those few hours the water had filled the channel and risen over 700mm to be level with the lowest section of the Jao bridge and 30mm lower than the highest peak ever recorded in our 6 years of intense Jao knowledge (previous peak was July 2001).
The guests had an awesome mekoro experience and were totally absorbed with the miracle of the flood arrival. Within 2 days of the water arriving, the flood moved past the previous peak and the resistance of the water flow against the bridge caused the river to push past the sides of the bridge threatening the access road from Jao. This area had to be sandbagged and the road topped up with sand to repair the damage. The water is now 190mm higher than we have ever experienced and still rising. There is 50mm to go before the water flows over the low part of the bridge. From the air it is immediately apparent how little dry land is left on Jao, there is a dry patch from the main area to the kitchen, the tree line along the front of camp is dry, a little in the staff village and a little in the workshop - most of the island is flooded.
Our resident band of banded mongoose have relocated from the bridge area to just behind room 4 with all their little ones and are now a great source of interest from the walkway. The Kwetsani lions are now the Jao lions and are relaxing into their new home on Pupup Island which is the largest dry land we have on the floodplain side of the concession and a very sensible choice. Although we have not yet seen the cubs, we have seen their tracks a couple of times, and we have mating lions this week. We have completed the floodplain sleep out platform / hide although the lions stopped work for one day when they became a little too curious. We can now offer hide sleep outs from Jao, Jacana and Kwetsani (weather permitting).
We managed to extend the Jao airstrip by 100m on the higher eastern side before the flood arrived, and we have built a bund on the western side which is holding the water off the strip nicely. Should part of the strip flood we should still have at least 900m of usable runway.
Jao truly is at its best when it is surrounded by water, and this year it looks simply stunning with the camp perched right alongside this flood which is filling the Okavango to levels that we have not seen for 20 years although they were once the norm!
Jao Camp, Botswana is situated in a private reserve on a remote large island, to the west of the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of the Okavango Delta. Across the waterway in front of camp, guests have access to open flood plains and savannah for a wonderful Okavango experience.
Guests are accommodated in 9 large and spacious rooms. Each of the unique and beautiful twin-bedded canvas and thatched rooms has been individually handcrafted under the direction of renowned architects Sylvio Rech and Leslie Carstens. The rooms are built under a canopy of shady trees, with en-suite bathroom, hot and cold running water, a large bath and double vanities. There is an additional outside shower under the stars for those more adventurous guests who want to shower closer to nature. There is an outdoor "sala" for guests to enjoy midday siestas with a view and a breeze. The rooms are raised off the ground and offer wonderful views of the surrounding flood plains.
A raised walkway connects the rooms to the dining room and lounge area. There is a plunge pool and an outdoor 'boma' for dining under the stars, as well as an excellent wine cellar. Jao also offers a Salon with a fulltime therapist offering a wide range of massage therapies. The activities at Jao include mekoros (dug out canoe) excursions, boats, fishing, day and night game drives and guided walks. If the area has a large flood, we will usually have to boat to a large island called Hunda Island where vehicles are waiting and the game drives start.
The area is extremely seasonal and the annual flood transforms the habitat from dry green open plains in summer to shallow flood plains in the winter. Access to this area is only by aircraft.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Good news for the area, as everyone knows the Okavango Delta is having a huge flood but we are also getting a lot of extra early water . The water level in front of camp has risen about 1.5 ft and is still rising. The lagoon we call Kubu lagoon is full (half way to Zib lagoon ) and the water is flowing into Zib lagoon at a fast walking pace, so at this stage it looks as though we will get Zib lagoon back to its full capacity. According to Water Affairs officials there is a lot of water on it's way from the Kwando area !
The grass in the Savuti channel is starting to turn slightly brown which is surprising because we are still receiving a lot of rain but the animals are grazing it and it is slowly getting shorter and shorter - at last visibility will return and game viewing will once again be made easier. As far as game viewing goes we have had some great cheetah and lion interaction with the females from the Savuti pride chasing the three male cheetah off more than one of their kills.
The zebra and wildebeest numbers are quite good especially in the Savuti area and further east but they will slowly be drawn further west up the channel as it gets dryer in the coming months . All the pans in the mopane are still 110% full and covered with a topping of bright green algae which makes for great contrast on photos when photographing hippos or water birds etc .
On the bird front all of the migratories are still around and some large flocks of kestrels and cattle egrets are to be seen in the channel area and flood planes south of camp .The camp itself is still looking very green and jungle-like with the almost hourly storms we have been receiving over the past few weeks the trees are dripping and the camp is practically steaming when the sun comes out . The water is now visable in front of camp in the short grass and is rising closer to the camp on a daily basis and creating lots of shallow flooded areas making birding in front of camp interesting .
I hope at the end of next month when I do the next report I can still say that the water is rising and that Zib lagoon is almost full!
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DumaTau is a 10 roomed luxury tented camp, in the private 125 000 hectare Linyanti Wildlife Reserve which borders the western boundary of Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. The camp is built on raised boardwalks under a shady grove of mangosteen trees, overlooking a large hippo-filled lagoon on the Linyanti waterways. The source of the Savuti Channel is close to the camp and game drives along the Savuti are one of the highlights of the camp.
The rooms are spacious, raised off the ground and under thatch with canvas walls, allowing guests to enjoy the night sounds of Africa from the comfort of their rooms. The bathroom facilities are en-suite, with hot and cold running water. Each room has an additional outside shower. There is a dining room, pub, lounge, plunge pool and a special guest toilet with a fantastic view. The region has all the habitat diversity to make it a haven for wildlife.
Activities are diverse and allow guests time on the water, on land and occasionally on foot. Day and night game drives are conducted in open 4x4 vehicles along the Savuti Channel and the banks of Linyanti River. There are many hides in the area where guests can enjoy wildlife viewing close up and away from a vehicle. One of the best hides is right at the source of the Savuti and many species of game and birdlife can usually be seen from this hide.
The area is famous for its Elephant concentrations in our winter months and for the great game viewing all year. Huge herds of elephant congregate in winter along the waterways and lagoons - and at the waterholes that are located along the Savuti Channel. During these dry months Sable and Roan traverse the flood plains. All the predators..... lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog feast on the prey species in the area impala, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, lechwe, tsessebe and all the other plains game.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Okavango Delta Botswana Flood - Apr 01 2004
The flood of 2004, as of 30th March, 2004 is middle stage. The first wave of water, has now entered the system and the flood levels are dropping at Mohembo. Traditionally the Okavango Delta system has two peaks if plotted on a line graph. The reason for this is that the Cubango river has it's input, up to 6 weeks before the Cuito. Thus, the water entering the Okavango panhandle had a peak inflow of 778 cubic meters per second in late February. This has dropped to 555 cusecs as of yesterday. However, this will definitely rise sometime in the next two weeks and probably top out in the region of 800/810 cusecs.
The Okavango Delta is an extremely dynamic system, driven by tectonic, gradient, sediments, vegetation growth, and mammal movement. No less important is the dynamic and hugely varying climate and weather conditions, and the effect of this on the Okavango.
It is well known that the Okavango Delta has an external catchment, in the central highlands of Angola. From these highlands rise the two rivers that feed the Okavango. From a catchment more west in Angola rises the Cubango and further east the Cuito. The average rainfall in the catchment is in the region of 1000 mm per annum, falling during the months of October, November, December, January and February. There have in the past been considerable rains as late as Mrch and April. These are the very same months that rain falls over the Okavango alluvial fan(or delta) itself.
The timing of the rains, both in Angola and over the fan has a huge effect on the total amount of water that enters the Okavango region in any given season.
What I meant earlier about the dynamics of the weather enters this domain. For example, in the last two decades we have had extremely dry rainfall months over the Okavango itself. Combined with evapotranspiration this has meant that the Kgalgadi sands which underpin the Okavango have been extremely dehydrated WHEN THE FLOOD ARRIVES in January at the top of the panhandle. The amount of floodwaters have to, therefor, firstly fill the sand and then spread out over the delta proper.
If there were good rains as in 2000/2001, they arrived out of sinc with what turned out to be a smallish flood. Thus the area that was flooded in the following season, was relatively small.
This season 2003/04 we have has a wonderful set of dynamic timing.
The rains started to fall very early in October in the Cubango section of the catchment. In other words they started to fall in October in the highlands. When these waters started to arrive in the delta they coincided with the arrival of the local rains. These local rains have themselves been better than those of more than 9 years. Of some importance, is the fact that they have been spread out in such a way that, as the flood spread out over the fan, the rains had saturated the ground ahead. This has resulted in the water being able to move relatively quickly and more widely that for more than two decades.
The total input of rain has been estimated to be between 2 and 30% of the total flood that enters the Okavango. Early estimates, based on rainfall figures from Shakawe and Maun, as well as from our camps in the delta, would indicate that this year, the rain will contribute about 14% of the total. This is not measured at any discharge meter, but can be seen on the ground, with gleaming waters spreading throughout the delta.
On the Jao, Xigera, Pom Pom system, there has also been a net gain of water at the expense of the Boro system. The Jao camps, Xigera and Pom Pom are surrounded by good deep water and are a must see for wetland lovers. The Kwedi concession camps of Duba, Vumbura, Little Vumbura and Vundumtiki have returned to the wonderland that that area can be. Boating to and from the camps and to the dryland for game drives. Mombo is in effect and island, with wildlife being extremely concentrated. Fantastic viewing of many, many species in a relatively small area is the order of the day in the delta. I can hardly believe the bird life this year so far.
Anyone, who is awe inspired by natural places, and understands the importance of wetland bio-diversity, absolutely must visit Botswana's Okavango this year.
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