Botswana - Wild Africa
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I have been scuba diving in more than 30 countries and have traveled to another 30. A two week trip at the end of 2008 to Botswana was one
of the best trips I have taken. I have mused for some time about what made it so memorable:
nothing and everything stands out. Trying to fit in
luggage and camera gear in small planes was a hassle. At the same this mode of transport provided marvelous views of the country.
and quick access to very remote camps.
Sleeping in basic tents with early summer heat on well used cots wasn't luxury but having animals in the camp every night and listening to the melodious evening song of frogs and insects was real luxury. Traditional Botswana as well as European influenced camp food always hit the spot and when supplemented with great South African wine made for memorable evening diners. Having a skilled chef and able crew made camp life very pleasant. Even the hanging bucket shower was fun and the water was always hot. Botswana became independence of the British in 1966. It is one of the most stable economies in Africa. Diamond mining is a significant part of the economy. Tourism is growing due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana is in Southern Africa bordering Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Botswana is 231,803 square miles in size, making it slightly smaller than Texas. The population estimate in 2008 was 1.8 million people. Similar to Texas, it is mostly flat with rolling hills covered in scrub trees and brush.
The seasonal exception to this description is the Okavango river and delta. The 9,000 square mile delta floods annually and then recedes in the dry season. The delta offers safari opportunities by boat rather than by van.
As a traveler, once you leave a city you can travel for miles on good paved roads without meeting another car or seeing people. Near some towns you will see herding and farming activities. There are occasional villages as well. A wave or hello was always returned with a smile. For the photographer and tourist the real magic of Botswana is in the wildlife and the savannas and bush that support wildlife. Botswana has far fewer tourists than some of the more well known African countries. At the same time it has set aside nearly 40,000 square miles of the country as national parks. In addition there are lots of "Private Game Reserves".
When I think about the term "Private Game Reserve" I imagine high fences, high admission costs and lots of rules. While this may be true in some cases there are also huge private reserves managed by local villages which have fewer rules and you pay them to rent a camp site. One of these preserves provided the most exciting and photographically rich experiences I have ever had. On a sunrise game drive we encountered a large pride of lions on the dirt road. We pulled over; they went their way with us tagging along.
They decided to rest in a grassy area. Within the hour a pack of wild dogs came out of the brush. Scenting the lions they stopped and began to back away. We decided to follow. Suddenly, the alpha female lion decided to chase the dogs away. She succeeded. We followed the dogs, losing them in the brush and then finding them again. Twice we located them by the running gazelles.
After an hour we located them with their gazelle breakfast. While watching them eat, a hyena pack arrived and decided to chance stealing food from the dogs. They were partly successful, although at the cost of one hyena tail getting bitten off. When the dogs were finished eating, the hyenas came in to clean up the leftovers while contending with the vultures who wanted their share.
We also saw a mother cheetah with baby kittens (The Guides said they had never seem kittens this young.) feeding in the evening. They were stalked by a leopard which the mother actually ran up a tree. Leopards frequently kill Cheetahs.
I photographed a Rock Python feeding on a Francolin. As we drove by hundreds of birds were sounding their alarm about a snake in the area. We stopped and within a minute found the python. Our arrival seemed to satisfy the birds as they resumed feeding.
Although we didn't see many other reptiles other wildlife was abundant.
We had several opportunities to see zebra herds forming as they began their migration in search of water. There were also large groups of wildebeest gathering for their trek.
Hippos were plentiful in most of the water holes. We also saw hippos in the Kalahari where the holes are only wet for short periods of time. Apparently both the hippos and crocodiles in that area have been surviving for decades in semi drought conditions.
The birds were varied and beautiful. Some, a Pied Kingfisher and two African Jacanas posed for us each day as we drove by, while others sat patiently in trees while we fiddled with cameras and binoculars.
Larger mammals were abundant and we had elephants taking their afternoon rest under trees in our tent camp several days.
Although we saw the cheetah family and one leopard they were the only sighting. Lions, on the other hand, seemed to be sleeping in many grassy areas with shade. It starts to seem that all those threatening lion poses with bared teeth, which appear in magazines and on movie screens, are really lions yawning. I plan on a trip back to Botswana in 2010. Please think about joining me. Check out the trip overview & detailed itinerary now available.
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