TRAVELBUCKET

TRAVELBUCKET

Tag Archive: Central Kalahari

SEEKING SOLITUDE

If you look on a map you will see that Botswana is dotted with many salt pans, but early morning on Deception pan is a magical place.  It is cold (if you visit during winter) and it is quiet.  It is time to reflect on life while you wait for the sun to show its face on the horizon, but soon you will be taking off your jersey and enjoy life under the Botswana sun. First things first.  As always when you are in the bush you first need to scan your surroundings, while standing close to the vehicle, to see what is moving or not moving ….  You never know what lurks in the grass and is watching your from their hideout! As the soft light of the rising sun turns the landscape of the pans into all sorts of beautiful colours it is time to take out the… Read more >

WILDERNESS CAMPING

Through social media I noticed that a woman was recently attacked by a beaut of a leopard in the Matopi campsite in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and there is a bit of a hype amongst campers at the moment.    As usual there are a lot of accusations flying around on the how, why, do’s and don’ts.  I want to stress that we have camped in the wilderness for the past 20 years and never ever had any incident/accident while camping in an unfenced campsite in Africa.  We encountered hyenas skimming our tent in Moremi, a shy leopard watching us from the dark behind our tent in Central Kalahari, elephants stepping over our tent ropes in Mana Pools, hippos grazing on the green grass in front of our tent in Nkasa Rupara and monkeys trying to steal our food In Hwangwe, but nothing turned out as a bad situation. If you… Read more >

CROSSING THE BORDER (PART I) – PLANNING

African border posts have a notorious reputation, but it is not as bad as everyone thinks as long as you go prepared and have no illusions.  Most border trouble comes down to inexperience or impatience – not only in Africa, but throughout the world.  The key is to prepare well beforehand and remember, every successful border crossing pans out differently in each country. Regulations change all the time and is rapidly outdated.  There are general tips that you can follow to ease your encounter at the border post, so consider some of the following tips: SO, THIS SAID, WHERE DO I START?  Right at the beginning.   Planning, planning, planning and some more planning!  Start doing your homework well in advance, because it might take some time to get your ducks in a row and quacking. The number one place to start will be at your documents.  Without a passport, the… Read more >

AT THE WATERHOLE

Plan your trip and times and choose a waterhole where you want to spend some time.  The best time to observe the activity at a waterhole is early morning or late afternoon when the animals come for a drink.   You may see different animals at different waterholes as the vegetation may differ considerably – be choosy. When approaching the waterhole drive slowly as to make the less possible noise and dust when arriving.  If you arrive in a fanfare the animals and birdlife will be gone before you even know it.  We are all there to have a once in a life time experience! Be considerate and pick a spot where you will not obscure the view of other people already present.  Wait your turn. They were there first and we all want to experience the animals.  After all that is what we all are there for. Go prepared.  Take… Read more >

CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE (CKGR)

We were camping in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) in Botswana.  It was our first visit to CKGR and I did not know what to expect at all. I expected barren, flat, open areas with sparse vegetation.   How pleasantly surprised I was!  The Kalahari was not green, but the yellow grass was waving in the wind and trees dappled the hills. After filling up at the Shell Petrol Station in Rakops (only three pumps for different types of fuel. We could luckily fill up before they ran dry a couple of days later. Thereafter, we set off on the sandy road leading to Matswere gate.  After driving about 500 meters we decided to deflate the tyres to enhance a more comfortable and easy ride on the corrugation with the fully laden bakkie. As you have to be self sufficient in all aspects, we took 40 litres of diesel and… Read more >

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