Journey Leg 1 – Botswana - Namibia - Zimbabwe
Joburg - Maun
September 2024 - The first leg of our journey centred around visiting various NGO’s in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Thus Hari and I set off toward Maun, the entrance to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, passing close to the Kalahari desert, to meet up with Sandra Rubins who was introduced to me by a chance meeting on a previous flight to Johannesburg.
Sandra works with The Khwai Private Reserve and for Natural Selection Travel (an Eco friendly Safari company that actively supports community and conservation programs) and arranged for us to visit the Khwai Pre-School and Community Thatched Grass Harvesting projects, both of which she’s involved with and which are funded by Natural Selection. (See project pages).
We met in The Dusty Donkey, a favourite haunt from the year before and hit it off immediately. Sandra invited me to camp in her garden and then installed me in her annex and she and her family became my family that trip!
Into Khwai – First Real Off Road Test
The road to Khwai was familiar as it was our route with KT, our guide in the volunteer program the year before. Elephants, giraffes & other wildlife, true to form, wandered close by in the bush. By complete coincidence KT appeared in his Land Cruiser on his way to Maun to pick up volunteers!
On reaching the Khwai bridge, our guide who was to lead us in to the rangers camp, our base whilst visiting the thatched grass harvesters in action, had an emergency so we had to find our own way. With directions including ‘bush’ landmarks e.g. trees and forks in roads, we set off - no comms signal of course! Our first rugged off road experience & needless to say we got stuck in sand & hopelessly lost – enjoying our own safari before being rescued and escorted to camp. Here we stayed for 2 fun packed and really interesting, days (See Thatched Grass Harvesting project).
The camp was beautifully isolated and serene. The rangers were friendly and helpful and I had use of the kitchen and ablution block, until our early morning visitors blocked my way there!
We visited the grass harvesting community with Robert, the head ranger, and I tried my hand and cutting and lifting the bundles. I then met Darest who took over from Robert, escorting me back to Khwai and the pre-school (see project), via the new village cultural centre that was being built. He also found us lodgings at The Hippo Pools campsite on the river, and in Moremi at Xakanaka. Helping us set up our first camp at hippo pools, he also imparted useful tips on fire-lighting and gave me a demonstration of how to use the ‘blue bush’ as a toothbrush. It’s also used as a contraceptive by the local women - apparently they suck the juice for a period of time each month and it works!
Crossing the Khwai Bridge
Water crossing in the Okavango
In Moremi we spent a few days experiencing the true beauty and ruggedness of the Okavango Delta. We learned a lot about off roading, dealing with sand, water crossings and how to behave when encountering wild animals at close quarters and in camp - a regular occurrence! We met a host of interesting people and lasting connections were made.
Next we rescued a Toyota Hilux, stuck in the sand, before making it into Namibia for a few days relaxation, or so we thought! But we were soon to find a fellow Landy in trouble, and towed them to Nunda Lodge where they were staying. We decided to stay too as it was a beautiful setting and the owners, Landy buffs, fixed a couple of things with Hari into the bargain.
Travelling east along the Caprivi Strip we encountered some Bushmen activists – who, having had their eviction from the Kalahari Desert overturned, were still fighting to return. We sat with them and heard their story.
At Katima Mulilo, an impromptu visit to the Skikekwe cultural village led to a surprise and interesting private tour and demonstration of how life used to be in rural villages (see Other Projects section). On stopping for provisions before crossing back into Botswana, Hari’s starter motor played up for the first time - out with the hammer!
Saving Miss Daisy
Rescuing a Toyota
This time a Landy!
Maun - Guma Lagoon - Bwabwata National Park & Caprivi Strip Namibia
Back to Maun and Sandra, where I was joined by Shari Thompson a photographer and videographer who’d approached me to come along and capture content. We spent an enjoyable, and eventful, 3 weeks together and she took some amazing footage (all the best, easy to spot photo’s and videos, from Maun to Vic Falls, Painted Dog Conservation and Hwange are care of Shari https://www.facebook.com/shari.thompson.378
Together set off up the western side of the Okavango Delta Panhandle, staying at Guma Lagoon, en-route to the Mohembo border crossing into Namibia. On the way out of Guma Lagoon we encountered a stranded and dying heifer, her jaw firmly locked and unable to even drink. Having tried and failed, we finally managed to pull her into shade with a group of local lads we’d coerced into helping, got water into her - around 15-20 litres!, and found her owner, so all ended well.
Botswana & Chobe River National Park
Into Botswana at Ngoma and on to Ihaha, a special campsite on the Chobe River and my favourite place to stay. Unfortunately Hari’s starter motor issue had worsened and I found myself having to jump out and hammer it one day, with Shari keeping watch. It was in the heat of the day and thankfully devoid of any wildlife, at least, then. But that was to change, as we came across a couple of lion cubs playing happily under the watchful eye of their Mum. The engine was left running from this point on. At the only lookout point en-route to Kasane a nosey visitor checked out Hari for potential goodies!
Chobe Safari lodge brought some relaxation by the pool and a river cruise, and we finally managed to get the starter motor looked at. The brushes needed replacing - we weren’t to know then that this wasn’t going to be the end of the story!
Victoria Falls
With a, good to go, starter motor, we headed to Vic Falls. Having set up camp at the Backpackers campsite we went out for dinner in thunderous weather. When we came out of the restaurant we found Hari, totally comatose & unresponsive! The upside was a night in a chalet, out of the rain and more comfy than camping in a downpour.
Next morning we arrived back to Hari and 3 local guys had appeared like genies, taking a great interest in the issue! They managed to source us a reconditioned starter motor from Jon’s Landy workshop (not the last time we would stop in there, and ‘the place to go’ if you have a Landy with an issue in Vic Falls!). The culprit had been the solenoid, so Nathan who’d fixed the brushes in Kasane wouldn’t have known as changing those had sorted the issue, at least short term.
We took another cruise, explored the Falls, The Vic Falls Bridge (mandated by Cecil Rhodes though he never visited Vic Falls and construction didn't begin till after his death), the famed Vic Falls hotel & local highly recommended eateries, which included The Goat, The Three Monkeys, The Smokehouse Brewery and Simba’s Artisan Bakery, (all highly recommended - see Recommendations section).
Vic Falls - Painted Dog Conservation -Hwange - Vic Falls
From Vic Falls we headed south to The Painted Dog Conservation where we’d stay for a couple of days (see project) and on to Hwange National Park, which was beautiful though somewhat run down in the camping department. It was also a bit traumatic with animals fighting over water due to the ongoing draught.
From here we returned to Vic Falls where Shari left us and Hari and I continued with our journey.
Vic Falls - Mana Pools - Joburg
To get to Mana Pools it was either back into Zambia and along the top of the Kariba Dam or along the unmade road south of the Kariba Dam, a journey I’d been warned not to do alone as the road was long and, actually, not a road most of the time.
Facebook to the rescue - we found Alec and Athena, from Nairobi, who’d been on an overlanding trip and were heading home via Mana Pools. The trip was long and quite desolate, the road bad but not impassable. So whilst it was possible to do it alone, better with company for sure and Athena and Alec were great fun so it was a win. Their Toyota sprung a leaky hose, midway, which Alec deftly made good with a temporary fix using cable ties, impressive! Of course, everyone loves a Landy (well almost) and Alec was no exception - it was quite nice to take to a comfy passenger seat with Athena for a while he played in Hari.
We stopped overnight at the idyllic Rengway Conservancy Campsite at Sanyati, an out of the way spot on the Kariba Lake (the world’s largest man made lake and reservoir by volume - though the water level was really low due to the draught). A new ablution block was being built so showering was care of Alec and Athena’s portable. We enjoyed a ‘brai’ in the evening and checked out the many scorpions with Athena’s UV torch! A definite purchase to be made for my next trip!
We finally made it to Mana Pools, very tired and very dirty, where we hooked up with another couple, Rowan & Mabél, to share a campsite - and the cost. As we were into the rainy season we had it more or less to ourselves! More fun and lasting connections made.
There were some extremely naughty vervet monkeys, one of which actually climbed over my shoulder and stole my pasta - very annoying. Locals use catapults to keep them at bay - it sounds bad but really they are so naughty and anyway it’s impossible to hit them, they’re so fast, and while Alec was great with mechanics, not so when it came to frightening these guys off!
Leaving our friends both heading north, we went south to Harare and the Anti-Poaching K-9 Foundation (see project page) before passing through Bulawayo and Beitbridge into South Africa back to Tanya’s, in an even more dirty Hari, before flying home.
