Sample Safari Itineraries >> Botswana Journaling Safari

Botswana Journaling Safari

Introduction
Itinerary
Overnight in Johannesburg
Into The Botswana Wilderness
Santawani Lodge, Okavango Delta – 3 Nights
Grassland Bushman Lodge, Kalahari Desert, Botswana – 3 Nights
Mapula Lodge, Okavango Delta, Botswana – 3 Nights

Introduction

Explore Botswana’s spectacular wilderness and bush culture, and capture it all in writing on this unique travel journaling safari! You’ll visit the Okavango Delta and Kalahari regions, staying at three camps with spectacular wildlife viewing. Flying from camp to camp, and driving to one, all in private concession areas, you’ll experience wildlife in its natural environment, sharing it only with other members of our small luxury camps. This sampling of camps will provide diverse activities, habitats, and animals – an indulgence of the best safari experiences Botswana has to offer.

This one-of-a-kind safari features two specialized leaders. Bill Given is a Colorado-based wildlife biologist conducting research on lions and other predators in Botswana. He has guided small groups on safaris throughout Africa and owns The Wild Source, a custom safari planning business.

Dave Fox is an award-winning travel author and veteran European tour guide for Public Television host Rick Steves. Dave’s latest book is Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (and still have time to enjoy your trip!) As we travel, Dave will share his journaling and essay-writing techniques in classes specially tailored for this safari. You’ll learn how to write about your travels in exciting new ways, and get more intimately in touch with your surroundings as you put this unique experience into words. Writers of all skill levels are welcome.

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Itinerary

January 2009 Botswana Journaling Safari Itinerary:

• 01/19 Depart USA – flight will be an overnighter
• 01/20 Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa. Overnight at Peermont Metcourt Hotel, Emperor’s Casino Complex.
• 01/21 Fly on morning flight to Maun, Botswana and onto Santawani Lodge
• 01/22 Santawani Lodge
• 01/23 Santawani Lodge
• 01/24 After morning game drive fly to Maun, road transfer to Grassland Bushman Lodge
• 01/25 Grassland Bushman Lodge
• 01/26 Grassland Bushman Lodge
• 01/27 Road transfer to Maun, then fly to Mapula Lodge
• 01/28 Mapula Lodge
• 01/29 Mapula Lodge
• 01/30 After morning activity, fly to Maun to Joburg to home on overnight flight
• 01/31 Arrive home early morning

Cost: $4,295 per person, NO Single Supplement Costs! *

*This includes all internal flights/road transfers between camps, accommodation, meals, drinks, laundry, and activities.

Group Size: Trip will run with a minimum of just two people and a maximum of twelve. With two only Bill Given will lead; with four or more Dave Fox will co-lead. We will use open-sided vehicles with no more than six safari participants plus a driver and an expert leader in each vehicle. Each passenger has a "window seat."

Not Included Out of Pocket Costs to Consider

• International flights to Johannesburg and Maun, Botswana. Round trip Johannesburg-Maun-Johannesburg is running between $400 and $450 currently.
• Tips – There is no need to tip Bill or Dave but we ask that you support our local partners. We recommend $20 per day per person – $10 to your local guide, $5 to the tracker, and $5 to the staff.
• Travel Insurance – The camps require that you have travel medical / evacuation coverage. We sell Travel Guard and can provide you with a quote, or you are welcome to secure insurance from another company.
• Health Precautions – We recommend a visit to a travel clinic. You will need anti-malarial medications and possibly some shots depending on your medical history.

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Overnight at Peermont Metcourt Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa

Following your long international flight, you will collect your luggage and take a free 10-minute shuttle ride to the Peermont Metcourt Hotel at Emperor’s Palace. The Emperor’s Palace Casino Complex is a comfortable and secure, three-star hotel, conveniently located for our next morning’s flight to Botswana. The complex was originally built by Caesar’s Palace, bringing a surreal Vegasy experience to Africa. In addition to the casino, the complex has a pool and spa at the D’Oreale Grande Hotel that Metcourt guests can use. There are also a number of restaurants in the casino complex, including Tribes African Grill for some local flavor. An excellent full breakfast is included before we head back to the airport on a free shuttle.

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Into the Botswana Wilderness

A typical day involves an early wake-up (around 5:30 a.m.), meeting at the lounge around 6 for coffee, juice, fruit, cereal, etc. By around 6:30, we’re off on an activity – usually game drives, but you will also have opportunities for walks, mokoro (dugout canoes poled like gondolas), horseback rides and visits with bushmen. During our activities, we stop for refreshments. Typically, we return to camp around 10:30 a.m. for a big brunch, followed by a few hours of down time while, during the heat of the day, most animals are resting.

For some of our down time, Dave will teach travel journaling and essay writing classes. You will also have free time to write. Two of the camps have pools so you can cool off. All of the camps have some type of water feature nearby where wildlife passes through. The sounds of hippos are an exciting reminder that you are deep in the wilderness. Tea time is around 4 p.m. and you’ll enjoy a hearty snack in preparation for your next activity. By 4:30 we’ll head out to the bush again enjoying the wildlife. Near the end of daylight, we will stop in a beautiful location for one of the most magnificent traditions on earth – The Sundowner. Enjoy your favorite drink amid a glorious sunset.

After dark, the game drive becomes a night drive. We turn the spotlight on as we drive back to camp in the dark. With luck, we’ll spot some of the secretive nocturnal creatures. On return, freshen up or head straight to the bar. Dinner will be in about half an hour. Dining is usually a communal event. The guides and camp managers join us for lively conversation about life in Africa. Following a leisurely meal, you might enjoy hanging around for more stories, or retire to your tent before another early morning. Whenever it’s dark, your guide will escort you to and from your tent. Fortunately these camps are not fenced and it is common for elephants, hippos, sometimes even lions, to wander through at night. If you are lucky you will hear some of them from the safety of your tent. Keep in mind this is the typical schedule but nature is unpredictable. We love these camps for their dedication to wildlife viewing, and we’ll adjust for great sighting opportunities. Here the wild rhythm sets the schedule!

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Santawani Lodge, Okavango Delta – 3 Nights

Santawani Lodge is a basic camp owned by a local community. There are plans to build a new luxury camp here that will be the first model of its kind in Botswana; the local community will receive daily profits instead of a simple lease fee. In the meantime, to raise funds, they are operating their older, simple bungalow camp in an exceptional area.

The camp is located in a prime area for predator viewing; in fact, this private concession has long served as home base for much of Botswana’s predator research, including Dr. Tico McNutt’s African wild dog research. Dr. McNutt’s efforts have now expanded to become the Botswana Predator Conservation Program, with studies on lions (three prides in the area), spotted hyena, leopard, and cheetah. The book, The Lion Children, is based on lion research conducted in this concession. As the geographic center for Botswana’s major predator studies, this camp has a number of animals fitted with GPS collars, an issue for photography; however, only a small portion of predators is collared. Santawani lies on the southern border of the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve, widely considered to be among the richest wildlife areas in all of Africa.

Typically in Botswana, local people own concession rights. They earn an income by leasing their concessions to safari operators who build and operate safari camps. In this case, the Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust has instead entered a partnership with Lodges of Botswana to develop and manage this area as a 50/50 venture. The community earns 50 percent of the actual operating profits.

The Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust had a competitive proposal process before selecting this model. This new model is believed to be more beneficial for the community than the traditional leasing set up. A guiding principle for The Wild Source is to support community-based projects. We are ecstatic to see the development of this new model, and hope that as additional concession leases come up for renewal, other local people will be able to increase their economic benefits.

Activities at Santawani focus on game drives and night drives in open vehicles with a guide and tracker to pursue sightings of the many predators and other species. This is a very rich area.

The accommodations at Santawani have just undergone a refurbishment to spruce them up. (These photos are old. Updated photos will be available soon.) The public areas have been rebuilt, but this is still a fairly basic camp of simple brick chalets with ensuite bathrooms. It is a wonderfully small camp with a maximum of just 12 guests at a time. Considering the prime wildlife in Santawani and the relatively low price, this camp offers fantastic value for a private concession. The people in this community are very welcoming. A stay here contributes directly to advancing their future and creating a better local business model.

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Grassland Bushman Lodge, Kalahari Desert, Botswana – 3 Nights

Grassland Bushman Lodge provides a unique look into Kalahari life – both the people and the wildlife. The de Graff family, who own and operate the lodge, will teach you firsthand about the life of a Botswana family that settled the land 120 years ago. Throughout that time, the de Graffs have worked side by side with the San bushmen and know them like no one else. DNA studies confirm the bushmen are the original human culture on earth that we all descend from.

Camp manager Neeltjie de Graff-Bower grew up together with bushman children. She speaks fluent Naro, the “click language” of these first people, making Grassland Bushman Lodge possibly the only lodge where direct translation takes place between tourists and Naro bushmen.

While typical tourist interactions with bushmen consist solely of going on a walk with adult male bushmen, at Grassland Bushman Lodge, you will meet women and children as well, gaining a more true and complete impression of the Naro culture.

While the bushman cultural focus is a highlight of a visit to the Grassland Bushman Lodge, other unique activities are offered as well. The lodge features a predator rescue project. At the request of the government, lodge staff have captured predators that were going to be shot by cattle farmers in retribution for preying on livestock. Some predators have been relocated back into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Others have returned to the farms and now live in large (27 square acre) enclosures. Bill Given of The Wild Source is conducting research in partnership with the lodge in an effort to mitigate the predator / livestock conflict in the future.

Grassland Bushman Lodge drives visitors into an enclosure to observe a magnificent pride of captive lions. You can also walk with a guide to a captive pack of African wild dogs. Entering the enclosures is not the same as seeing predators in the wild, but it’s a guaranteed close-up view of these tremendous animals who still have the spirit of the wild, and who serve as wonderful ambassadors to help us address conflict issues for future wild generations.

A stay at the Grassland Bushman Lodge gives you access to typical Kalahari wildlife. Large populations of eland, kudu, wildebeest, red hartebeest, oryx (gemsbok), and springbok are all present, as well as a wide array of birds. The best wildlife viewing takes place at the floodlit waterhole right in front of the lodge, where every night, a parade of species comes to drink. Predators are rarely sighted here, with the exception of the brown hyena. These elusive hyenas often visit the waterhole in the evening. Another unique encounter is with the sandgrouse, who come from miles away, one pair at a time. They join a flock that grows into thousands of birds, swooping over the waterhole to drink. A carefully placed chair gives you a front-row seat at this amazing spectacle.

Horseback riding offers a refreshing change from being in a vehicle. Often, grazing animals feel more relaxed about approaching horses than they feel around motor vehicles. Grassland Bushman Lodge is a rare safari location that can properly provide an experience for both novice riders and experts. If you book in advance, they can arrange overnight horseback camping trips for up to three nights with the bushmen.

Lodging here consists of eight comfortable, concrete chalets with thatched roofs. These are very practical for the Kalahari desert where it tends to be hot in the day but cold at night. Lounge time centers around a fire pit with a view of an extremely active, flood-lit waterhole where desert game comes to show itself. There is a large swimming pool to refresh during the mid-day heat. Hosts Neeltjie and her husband Tiaan make guests feel like part of the family.

A stay at Grassland Bushman Lodge is a one-of-a-kind safari experience with numerous activities different from traditional safari locations. You’ll experience a true introduction to the spell-binding Kalahari desert. Adding this diversity to any Botswana itinerary is highly recommended – a must for those with a serious interest in Bushman culture.

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Mapula Lodge, Okavango Delta, Botswana – 3 Nights

Set in a magical location in the far north of the Okavango Delta, Mapula Lodge is one of Botswana’s most remote camps. This is Bill’s personal favorite place. The tremendous staff provides a welcoming atmosphere in a scenic location. The outstanding accommodation is very comfortable but not over the top. Finding wildlife is a primary focus. All of the Mapula Lodge guides are outstanding and work with trackers to actively pursue predators. The area is vast and diverse, as is the wildlife. With a high season cost far below other top camps, and as part of the sensational Kalahari Summer Special in the green season, Bill believes Mapula Lodge offers the best deal in Botswana at any time of year.

Following the first rains in November, various antelope species begin their calving season making December and January an ideal time to see baby impala, tssessebe, lechwe, and possibly wildebeest. Lions and African wild dogs are commonly seen from Mapula Lodge, and the presence of newborn calves makes this an exciting time for predator viewing. Smaller cats, serval and caracal, are less common but seem to be spotted with a fair frequency at Mapula. The area is well known for the elegant sable antelope, which is rarely seen elsewhere, as well as the highly endangered African wild dog, which has a history of denning near Mapula. With the rains, elephants and buffalo spread out so they will not likely be seen in huge congregations, but you will likely encounter small family herds. Bull elephant viewing is excellent here.

Mapula offers a variety of activities including game drives, night drives, walks, and trips through the delta in the traditional mode of transportation – the mokoro, a dugout canoe that is poled along by a local guide.

Putting your feet on the ground on a walking safari at Mapula Lodge delivers a new, unfiltered experience, connecting you to the African past deeply buried within each of us. You’ll feel a bond with the ancient homeland where the human species originated.

The chalets at Mapula Lodge are unique. They combine the feel of a chalet structure with that of a tent. The entire back of the chalet is screened mesh, letting in the sounds of the wild, and offering private views out to the hippos, elephants, fish eagles, and multitude of other species commonly seen in the lagoon.

The Mapula Lodge camp has a magical setting on the edge of a magnificent lagoon. The spacious and comfortable common area includes a bar with a location that can’t be beat.

While Mapula’s wildlife is exceptional (Bill saw 34 mammal species in a four-night stay), the wonderful people will leave a lasting impression as well! Mapula Lodge staff are like a village who welcome you with caring and kindness. Most of the staff consists of couples, which is rare in safari camps. It makes a noticeable difference and feels as if you are visiting their home instead of their place of employment.

Mapula Lodge’s guiding staff of Doctor, Dicks, and Josiah, with Simon and Mike tracking, is outstanding, both in skill and in the enthusiasm they bring to seeking out wildlife. They enjoy game drives and want to go early, stay out late, track, and do whatever it takes to bring their clients the best experience. The people in this area are river bushmen, closely related to the San bushmen of the Kalahari. They have maintained their incredible tracking skills and taught them to the other local people, the Bayei. Many excellent guides and trackers at other camps, such as some at the renowned Kwando, hail from the region surrounding Mapula Lodge.

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