Archive for the ‘Botswana’ Category

The magnificent and much underrated Mapula Lodge is located in the northern area of the Okavango Delta, just beyond the Moremi Game Reserve.  The Mapula Reserve is a private area which translates into offering exclusive ability to offer a full range of activities that otherwise couldn’t be done in national parks.

Nestled against a permanent lagoon (home to a large pod of resident hippos!) situated right on the “door steps” of the main complex of Mapula Lodge, the wilderness experience is guaranteed.

What makes Mapula Lodge special

“Mapula” which translates into “goddess of rain” in Tswana, the local language and offers guests a stunning position on the edge of the seasonal floodplains and brilliant access to the diversity of wildlife and environment in the area.

Mapula Lodge accommodates a maximum of 20 guests (often times never fully occupied) at any given time in a total of 10 twin chalets which can easily be converted to doubles or even provided with an extra bed for families traveling with children.

Recruiting their staff from the local villages proves Mapula Lodge concern for sustainability and makes for a very friendly family atmosphere, adding a much appreciated comfort to your stay.  The central complex is decorated in traditional thatch, with a relaxing lounge, dining area, modest sized library, curio shop and large deck sheltered by the canopy of an African ebony.  The lower deck has a small pool and loungers.  The decks make for the perfect perch for birding as the lodge is well positioned amongst the riverine vegetation and lagoon.

Mapula lodge has its own safari guides and together work with local trackers to seek out all the much desired big cat predators as well as –red lechwe, impala, kudu, zebra, wildebeest, steenbok, waterbuck, reedbuck, porcupine, hyena, jackal, genet, caracal, wild dogs and lion! (Just to name a few)

The Mapula Reserve is excellent for wildlife viewing, even though a section of the Okavango’s main buffalo fence runs through part of the reserve.  The wildlife all but ignores this and easily passes between at will.  Game drives operate on both sides of the fence and distance covered depends entirely on flood levels.

Activities at Mapula Lodge include:

• Day drives with guide and tracker
• Night drives with guide and tracker
• Walking
• Mokoro
• Private vehicle and guide (extra cost)
• Swimming pool at the main complex
• Cultural interaction at an authentic village.

Experience the calving season of December and January and benefit greatly by choosing this season to safari Botswana.

In Botswana’s Green Season –also the Low Season – there are some INCOMPARABLE specials.

The demand for Botswana safaris is high, while the supplies and services are low, thus making a safari to Botswana one of the most expensive of all other options.  Also, because flying between camps is common, this only adds to the cost.

However…

When planning your Botswana safari the low season (December – March) can be as much as 60% less than prices in the high season.  And that is still the all inclusive deal – meals, drinks, laundry, and activities. (Read more about Botswana’s Green Season Specials)

Botswana’s Green Season provides the opportunity to witness many of the areas game populations calve newborns that also attract predators and when combined…make for spectacular photographic opportunities!

Mapula Lodge is a 30 minute flight from Maun.

Put your feet down and do a walking safari! Discover Botswana’s walking safaris

Botswana is possibly home to the largest circuit of independent safari camps, lodges and services.  This circuit of independent safari camps offers guests access to ALL the key areas of northern Botswana – Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi /Nxai Pans, and Central Kalahari –all under the banner of Footsteps in Africa who also has their own charter company – Delta Air, servicing clients to all the most popular destinations.

What is the difference between independent safari camps and other Botswana game lodges?

The independent safari camps are committed to providing rewarding, yet affordable safari experiences to their guests.  They are owner managed, thus providing intimate services, guaranteeing to meet the needs of each guest.  The camps are small, intimate, and able to ensure you with the exclusivity you deserve.

The independent safari camps social responsibility:

• Ensures sustainability, interweaving local communities with conservation
• Community-based tourism projects are established at Santawani and Sankuyo Bush Camp in association with Lodges of Botswana and the Sankuyo village trust.

The independent safari camps Environmental Impacts:

• At each of the camps, guests are encouraged to participate in a minimum of one non-motorized activity per stay.  Whether it is a WALKING safari or a peaceful mokoro boat trip.
• Oddballs’ Enclave, Oddballs’, and Delta Camp are amongst the most environmentally friendly safari camps anywhere according to EcoTourism Standards in Botswana.

The independent safari camps Sustainable Tourism Practices:

• Maximizing social, economic, and cultural benefits to local communities whilst conserving the environments the camps operate in.

Botswana’s independent safari camp circuit offers a plethora of activities and experiences, including traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe) excursions (the last of operators in Botswana to use the traditional, hand-made canoes rather than fiberglass replicas), camping safaris, day and night drives with guide and tracker, Bushman interactions, guided walking safaris, horse riding, and family and /or specialist safaris –birding, geology, etc.

Independent safari camps include:

• Kalahari Desert Camp (Central Kalahari)
• Grassland Bushman Lodge (Central Kalahari)
• Meno a Kwena Camp (Makgadikgadi/ Nxai Pans area)
• Delta Camp (Okavango Delta)
• Oddballs’ Enclave (Okavango Delta)
• Oddball’s Camp (Okavango Delta)
• Mapula Lodge (Okavango Delta)
• Santawani (Okavango Delta)
• Sankuyo Bush Camp (Okavango Delta)
• Fly Camp: Khwai (Okavango Delta)
• Fly Camp: Xakanaxa (Okavango Delta)
• Fly Camp: Savuti (Chobe National Park)
• Fly Camp: Chobe Riverfront (Chobe National Park)

When is the best time to visit Botswana?   http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-botswana/

Botswana Specials only insiders can access. Want to travel Africa on a budget? Botswana has some great green season specials that make a safari to some of the world’s last remaining wildlife sanctuaries possible.  So why fork over the big bucks for the same safari destination?

Let’s face it, Botswana isn’t cheap – especially during High Season (June – October).  On the other hand, Botswana specials, time and time again, delivers an exclusive safari experience unlike anywhere else in all of Africa.  Botswana’s private concessions glittered throughout the Okavango Delta, Kalahari, and Chobe areas contain only one or two camps, ensuring that travelers get the exclusive wildlife experience they came looking for, all to themselves.

When I say, “all to themselves,” I really mean it is completely yours.  You won’t find “bush traffic” competing for the best viewing spots, as these private concessions are hundred thousands of acres, and rarely will you ever see another vehicle while out on a game drive.  That’s what I mean by exclusive!

However, such exclusive game viewing and feelings of complete ownership of the private concession can mean high investments.  During Botswana’s High Season you can expect to be forking over the full amount.

But…

Botswana specials during the Green Season –also the Low Season – there are some INCOMPARABLE specials.

The demand for Botswana safaris is high, while the supplies and services are low, thus making a safari to Botswana one of the most expensive of all other options.  Also, because flying between camps is common, this only adds to the cost.

However…

When planning your Botswana safari the low season (December – March) can be as much as 60% less than prices in the high season.  And that is still the all inclusive deal – meals, drinks, laundry, and activities.  You may wonder what you’re sacrificing in return.

The Green Season Botswana Specials difference:

• It rains occasionally
• Rain water fills up the shallow depressions through the land, thus creating more waterholes for animals to disperse to
• The leaves are on trees and grasses grow taller, allowing wildlife to be more camouflaged into their environment
• You experience Botswana’s summertime heat

With that being said, actually the Green Season Botswana Specials is my absolute favorite time to visit.  Here is why:

• The green vegetation creates vivid backdrops contrasting against marvelous wildlife coats
• The rains cut down the dust floating through the air, thus making it easier to breathe
• The varieties of antelope are calving, thus bringing out great activity in the predator populations
• If you’re into Birding, the bird life during this time is prolific as migratory patterns come back south from the northern hemisphere regions
• It’s not the US/ European Summer, thus there is LESS PEOPLE, meaning that sometimes you have the lodge and camp exclusively for yourself.

So why travel to Botswana during the High Season, when you can have Botswana specials for half the investment?

What kind of lodging can you expect in Botswana?

http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-botswana/

The African walking safari is one of the most thrilling experiences anyone can do while on safari.  Imagine a brilliant combination of elegance and eccentricity in the untamed bush of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.  Eat your meals over the open fire; sit under the draping starry sky, while laying your head to rest on luxury tents without electricity to spoil the animal calls throughout the night.

Walk in the morning, accompanied by an armed ranger and a tracker that can pick up even the faintest of clues, leading you within yards of southern Africa’s best wildlife.  A walking safari gives you a perspective different from the traditional game drive in a vehicle.  When you walk, you have time to learn about flora, fauna, and birds; also the geology.

The following are my personal favorite, best game lodges for guided walks in Botswana.

Walking Safari: Best Lodges

Mapula Lodge (10 luxury chalets)

Mapula is nestled in a private game concession in the remote Northeastern area of the Okavango Delta just outside the Moremi Game Reserve.  Its location allows for night game drives and walking safaris, whereas if located anywhere outside this private game concession, these activities simply wouldn’t be allowed by the Botswana government.

Easily combine you walking safari with night game drives, morning and afternoon game drives, and mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) excursions across the year-round waters.  Game viewing is EXCELLENT in this area, where Hippos live in the lagoon just outside the lodge.  Birding is superb.

The majority of years, Mapula Lodge can offer year-round water activities, especially in the months January-May (also the season of great discounts!) when the water levels are very low.

Muchenje Safari Lodge (11 exquisite rooms)

Muchenje offers African walking safari near the Western edge of the famous Chobe National Park.  The bush walking creates opportunity to explore the intricacies of the land, delving into the knowledge behind spoor (tracks), trees, plants, and insect identification. Privately owned and managed, the lodge overlooks the Chobe River and floodplains and is equipped with electricity.

Within short distance to Chobe National Park, afternoon game viewing is exceptional, especially for the large concentration of elephant and buffalo.

Muchenje offers spectacular Botswana activities unique to the Chobe region –game drives, boat cruises, night drives, cultural visits to villages, and much more!

Muchenje Safari Lodge is a Wild Safari favorite in Chobe, and is in the medium price range

Footsteps Across the Delta (maximum 6 guests at a time)

The Footsteps Across the Delta is a popular highlight and a TRUE safari experience.  Distances traveled mock the early days of exploration and discovery, with each morning beginning with tracking fresh spoor to unlock the secrets of the night.  No special training is required, as other possible activities include game drives, mokoro trips, and fishing.

Imagine entering one of the great, untamed regions of Africa –the Okavango Delta –and experience the astonishing contrasts between water, the Okavango River, and the desert, the Kalahari.  Delve into the variety of habitats, riverine forests, palm islands, swamps, sandvelds, ALL home to a fantastic wealth of animal diversity.

The Footsteps Across the Delta maintain the original African safari, sleeping under canvas.  The idea, discover the land as the first explorers did, by foot or mokoro.

The base camp is private, accommodating guests in 3 twin bedded tents, each having its own bucket shower, bush toilet and eve daily laundry service.

The emphasis is on walking safari, taking the time to focus on learning to track wildlife, understand animal movement, patterns and behavior, in addition to delving into the finer details of environment.

Walking Safari: The Ultimate Experience

Combine your walking safari with a visit to Victoria Falls.  Get started planning your safari today!

You can expect big cats and fast prey on a Botswana wildlife safari. Game drives in Botswana are like no other found in Africa. The regions of northern Botswana support high densities of diverse game populations and with the ability of safari vehicles to drive unrestricted -off road, treading virgin paths, drives at night, with few (if any) other vehicles -make a visit to Botswana the absolute best destination for a top quality all around original Botswana wildlife safari.

The wildlife is exactly what you would expect to see on the savannah plains throughout southern Africa, however, what makes this country unique is the sheer number and frequency that you come across sightings this extraordinary. On a Botswana wildlife safari pride of lions patrol the land, the same land leopard lounge in trees patiently waiting for easy prey, hyenas scavenge with might, elephants maraud in large numbers (the largest herds on earth!) next to suspicious grazing antelope, whom have all congregated around the life pulse of the Okavango Delta.

What animals can be seen on a Botswana Wildlife Safari?

Because of the Okavango and Chobe Rivers, nearly all southern African species can be found in northern Botswana. Even the rare puku, red lechwe, mountain reedbuck and sitatunga antelopes thrive in Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park. Other wildlife rarities include the African wild dog (thriving in good numbers), pangolins, and aardvarks.

A Botswana wildlife safari is virtually like stepping into the old and wild Africa

An Africa where an incredible collection of animals dwell in natural environments. This is the chief reason why Botswana is cherished by animal lovers. The chance to see, within yards, the Big Five -lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino and buffalo, amongst giraffe, zebras, wildebeest, and hippo. Botswana has wildlife in abundance!

Combine your game drive safari and add some real excitement with a WALKING safari! Get started planning your safari today!

In such a large country and traveling on limited time, a Namibia fly in safari makes it possible for you to experience all the highlighted points of interest without making any sacrifices along the way.

I mean let’s be honest.  The average traveler to Africa has less than two weeks.  And between traveling there and home, your trip quickly gets narrowed down to a 10-12 day safari.  How is it possible then, to experience Sossusvlei’s monumental sand dunes in the south and Etosha National Park or the Himba Peoples in the north? Or even jump borders into the Okavango Delta in Botswana or Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe?

It’s impossible…if you were driving.

So why a Namibia fly in Safari?

A couple weeks ago a traveler said to me,

“We do not want to join a large group and do not want to drive ourselves. Air or train travel, as available, is acceptable.  We seek accommodations that are upper mid-range or above.”

Train?  Great.  There are options for train travel, just not to the places of interest this client wanted.

Escorted tours are fantastic for some, but wasn’t for this group.

So the only other option was a Namibia fly in safari.

• Do it all and see it all in a short space of time
• Arguably the most romantic of all tours and safaris
• Ideal for guests not wanting to self drive or join a group
• The only way to see some of Namibia’s more remote areas
• Spectacular views from the air show the geology of Namibia

Namibia fly in safari easily combine’s luxury, escorting you to exlusive properties throughout the country (Onguma, Mowani, Kulala, to name a few) with flexibility and exclusivity of a private plane.

In as little as six days you can discover Namibia from the Kunene (far north) to the Fish River Canyon in the far south.  In between you can schedule stop-overs in Etosha, Twyfelfontein, Damaraland, Skeleton Coast, Swakopmund, as well as the dunes of Sossusvlei.

So if you only have a small amount of time for safari, but desire a BIG experience, choose a Namibia fly in safari and be charted around on your own private plane.

To flying high,

Jeremy

There was nothing more enjoyable than to sit back and listen to the San Bushmen speak in clicks and clacks.  Their physical features are undeniably different than most southern African clans of the Bantu descent, making them something of an anomaly.

Recently I read an article in the Denver Post stating a recent study of African genetics by an International team from the University of Pennsylvania.  The team claimed the San of southern Africa are the most genetically diverse peoples on earth.

They went a step further and boldly stated the San homeland, the Kalahari Desert, could have very well been the exact spot where modern humanity began.

The San Bushmen are the last remaining indigenous people of southern Africa.  They are nomadic, and sustain life entirely by what the land provides: Hunting and gathering.

Their wisdom of survival has been well known and shared with British and South African military special opts teams for centuries.  Their tracking skills are better than any other clan in all of Africa, and perhaps the world.  Their perseverance is legendary.

If it is true that the Kalahari Desert is the place where modern humans were born, is it then possible it may be the place where humans survive an apocalyptic collapse?

Their ancient wisdom is thought to have been around for 30,000 or more years.  Not a single generation has been denied this wise knowledge of the land, and perhaps is the only reason why the San Bushman continues to live in their traditional customs.

It is so good; there is no reason to change… unless the “taker” culture (you and me) coerce them into change.

In 2002 many San groups were forcibly removed from their ancestral land in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (Botswana) to clear way for government endorsed diamond mining.

This directly threatened to forever extinguish their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

However…

The Bushman won a historic ruling in 2006 against the government of Botswana, permitting them to return to their ancestral land.

With access to water minimal, along with the lure of modern life, many did not return.  They freely chose to stay in the areas surrounding settlements, and once these people are gone, so is the ancient wisdom that will be lost forever.

The uncertain future the Kalahari Bushmen face is as bleak as our own.  But without sharing our wisdom to younger generations, they have to start from scratch.

To sharing wisdom,

Jeremy

P.S. The two best countries to visit and interact with the most genetically diverse peoples on earth are in Namibia and Botswana.

P.P.S.  I guarantee you’ll come home a much wiser person.

Last week I was teaching a High School Geography class.  The topic: Africa.

I asked the students what were the first things that came to mind when you think of Africa?

“Poverty” one student shouts out.  “Blood diamonds” another says. Starvation, child soldiers, and disease were also mentioned as our discussion jig sawed around the room and it was no surprise to me.  We hear nothing but the tragedies and atrocities in Africa, and nothing about the good.

Is this perception really good for Africa?

Well I was happy to read an article titled “Africa’s Rising Stars” in the New York Times Upfront Magazine about The New Face of Africa.

Ghana (West Africa) and Botswana (southern Africa) stand out considerably from other African nations for two reasons 1) Political progress 2) Economic Progress.

Sure it’s natural for the media to want to talk about corrupt dictators like Liberia’s (West Africa) former President Charles Taylor, or ethnic conflicts in the Sudan or Rwanda (North & Central Africa), and even countries who are reluctant to seriously address the issue of HIV/AIDS, because it creates a “movie-like” story.

Tragedy melts our hearts and opens our eyes.

But what about the progress African nations have made?  Why do we so rarely hear about that?

Botswana and Ghana have successfully and more importantly consistently changed power peacefully, created a strong and flourishing free market, and developed an education system on a strong foundation for its citizens.

Possibly this is the reason Botswana makes for such a great Safari destination?

Shortly after Botswana achieved independence in 1967 from Britain, a HUGE diamond mine was discovered.  Unlike other countries that used their wealth in natural resources to fund civil wars, Botswana’s new government set aside the money for public projects (i.e. roads, clean drinking water, education, etc.).

Botswana’s philosophy was simple.  The people’s natural rights and future success were linked to the wealth of the country.

Botswana went from one of the poorest nations in all of Africa, to one of the richest.  Today, it is Africa’s longest continuous multi-party democracy, with an outstanding human rights record.

Safaris in Botswana are top-notch.  The government is the sole reason why.  The private concessions (vast wilderness areas set aside by the government) make for an experience unlike anywhere else in Africa, leaving you with zero noise pollution and nothing but the chirps, barks, and songs of nature.

Wild Safari Africa loves Botswana because of this.  The government encourages a healthy tourist industry and does an incredible job maintaining its ecosystems, which in turn makes us want to bring groups and families to their country to experience an incredible Safari.

Governments who strive to work in the best interest of their people and their lands and resources is what should really melt our heart and open our eyes, not tragedy.

Positivity spreads with a good aura.

Let’s get that train a rollin’ beginning in Botswana!

Jeremy

P.S.  2010 Calendars are NOW available!  Each month’s photo takes you straight to that southern African waterhole you have been dreaming about.  Cozy up your office for the next twelve months.

P.S.S. Learn more about all the exciting destinations & adventure activities to be had on Safari in Botswana with Wild Safari Africa.