Journey Leg 2 - Botswana - Zambia
Joburg - Maun - Kubu - Boteti River, Makgadikgadi National Park
This leg of the journey really didn’t start as planned.
On my arrival at Tanya’s, where Hari should have been waiting, he wasn’t! We won’t go into it, but when I did get him back he was very unwell!
We were supposed to head into Namibia via The Fish River Canyon and then into the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, but due to needing to get Hari sorted, our departure was delayed by two weeks. We finally left, mid-May, going straight to Kubu Island in the southern Makgadikgadi Pans. We made one stop en-route at Segaigai Farm near Palapye — very off-road and, whilst very nice, very much not on the way. Hari developed yet another issue - smoking me out in the cab with diesel fumes!
Kubu Island — an outcrop of rocks and baobabs in the middle of the vast, pristine white salt flats of the Makgadikgadi Pans, unspoiled and stunning, allowed me a couple of much needed days to recoup, relax, and enjoy total peace and tranquillity. I was entirely alone apart from my bird friends and the jackals, and I even managed to do some painting. Hari trod on one of my cooking pots though, the second casualty care his clumsy feet, or more likely my clumsy steering!
The morning we left, a couple arrived asking if I’d seen a pair of very expensive boots. I’d noticed at the entry gate single shoes and boots — jackals, it seems, are partial to footwear, and also pots and pans which I imagine they take home for the children to play with. My boots stayed on my feet or on Hari — in fact, and I’ve no idea why, these boots had already taken on a character of their own on my first trip!
Kubu – Boteti River, Makgadikgadi National Park
From Kubu, we headed to the Boteti River and campsite, where the annual migration of thousands of zebras from the Okavango Delta was underway. The valley was teeming with them — braying, barking, whinnying — a cacophony of sounds I had no idea zebras made. They weren’t alone, the entire river valley was alive ,swarming with colourful, playful wildlife drawn to this permanent water source.
It was at Boteti that we got horribly stuck in sand, sliding down backwards until we came to an ungainly stop. I dug us out but on pulling away it was clear all was not well with Hari as an awful grating/grinding noise emanated from his offside wheel area. I was hoping it was just grit in a brake caliper.
Boteti - Nxai Pan - Baines Baobab
As we headed out toward Nxai Pan and Baines Baobab, cross- country in rolling thick sand, the noise miraculously disappeared. I thought, as we later found out mistakenly, that all was good and we spent another three days in this vast and beautifully serence area. At South Camp I made friends with the resident Ele and we drove around the vast area spotting the odd bit of game, springbok too which I hadn’t seen so far. At Baines our camp was stunning, set between two huge Baobabs. We played on the salt pans, visited the 5 big Baobabs, and enjoyed the extraordinary colours of white, blue, gold and red with the ancient baobabs glowing in the evening light before the Milky Way presented itself clear and awe inspiring in the night sky.
Back to Maun & an Okavango Mokoro Excursion
Next, back to Maun. However, as we pulled into the local Spar to pick up supplies for Sandra and the kids, the steering went. Amazingly, on restarting, Hari pulled away - all fine! However, something was clearly, and seriously, not right. Being, it seems, connected to everyone in Maun Sandra soon found us a local bush mechanic who, within no time, sorted the immediate issues — the worst being a broken engine mounting and the manifold gasket which, had been changed twice in South Africa in as many weeks – I was losing faith in South African mechanics!
Whilst Hari was being fixed Sandra arranged for me to join a mokoro safari into the Delta, with AfroTrek, a small eco-friendly company run by a friend of hers and now mine too. Another wonderful few days: camping on the banks of the flood waters, bush walking, cruising in mokoros, and dining on delicious local bush and river cuisine prepared by their amazing chef Gothata. Again, I met interesting people from around the world. If you’re staying in Maun and looking for a reasonably priced and amazing few days in the Delta I’d highly recommend Pelo and her team ttps://www.afrotreksafaris.com/
Maun - Khwai - Savuti - Chobe - Kazungula
After a couple of weeks with Sandra, we headed north again, to Khwai, for a few days before pushing up into Zambia. Familiar by now with Khwai and it’s residents, I went fishing with Viva, in his mokoro, and he generously gave me a couple of fish for dinner - sorted!
On our exploits around the Delta this time I very nearly completely drowned poor Hari and, neither for the first nor last time, backed away from an elephant — I’ve since learned that it’s NOT the right move. Luckily on those occasions the ele’s were chilled.
We continued on to Savuti via the Mababe Depression, the most direct route north to Kasane, entirely 4x4 and heavy going. Still, it was fun and different and Savuti, well known for its lions, didn’t disappoint. It’s always nice to see these kings and queens!
We met more adventurers along the way: a Spanish group of firefighters, a group of French travellers, and a group of Australians one of them a South African leading a caravan of three Toyotas.
We and the Australians converged at the Savuti baobabs one afternoon to find a Land Cruiser safari vehicle well and truly stuck. Hari was volunteered by the South African, as the strongest vehicle, so I let him take over the recovery, not up for the scrutiny of what was a rather large audience. Another piece of information coming my way - hornbills like rubber and it wasn’t the last time they’d try and steal Hari’s!
On to IhaHa, with a stop overnight at Thobolo’s eco friendly Bush Lodge and campsite to break up the journey, my favourite spot on the Chobe River. Here I had my first properly unnerving elephant encounter. Parked rear to the bank and front to the river, one decided to take a closer look and feel out Hari’s bonnet with his trunk! Thankfully it must have been hot, so much to my relief - and Hari’s - he whipped it off quick smart. Another lesson learned! Though I’ve been told it was a good thing the motor wasn’t running.
This time we found a new campsite close to the Kazungula border - The Bush Lovers Lodge. We were welcomed with a local dance by the wonderful camp crew, pictured here with Hari, right to left Stanza, Hakeem, Caroline & Zen, and upgraded to a super comfy tent. I sat by the welcoming campfire hearing interesting stories until bedtime. We stayed again on the way back and got the same treatment — well worth it for the ambience, people and value for money.
Kazungula - Zambia, Livingstone
In Kazungula, before crossing to Zambia (having been assured I wouldn’t have any immigration problems), a quick check on the internet suggested Hari needed a South African police clearance. A bit stressed I shot off to the police station and Interpol, where the Chief assured me I didn’t need one. All good, at least for that trip!
After a short drive to Livingstone, well about an hour – that’s short in Africa - we booked into The Waterfront, a lodge and campsite on the Zambezi with views of the mist rising from Victoria Falls. It was here, for the first time, that I met Oscar and heard about his dream for the Ipee Hope Community School he was setting up (see project section).
I took an amazing microlight flight over the Falls and bought a painting off Eugene and his cousin Adrian in the Artisan market in the town - a must if visiting Livingstone!
Livingstone - Itezhi-tezhi Dam
From Livingstone, we travelled more or less due north - the shortest, but definitely NOT the quickest route - to Itezhi-tezhi Dam, where we’d stop ‘somewhere’ for the night.
This was rural Zambia in the raw, the stunning landscape vast and undulating with rich red earth punctuated by a myriad of colourful people going about their daily lives, seemingly coming from and going to nowhere that was obvious. The roads… well, much of the time ‘road’ would be an exaggeration!
In fact there are only really between 4 and 6 tarred roads. We stopped at one campsite but it was closed so carried on and found the Chabili Camp, run by Brad and Ruth. A beautiful spot overlooking lake Itezhi-tezhi, peaceful and serene. Brad and Ruth both were very welcoming and helpful and provided some very useful tips for our onward journey.
Looking out northwest, sundowner in hand, and in convivial company, I watched the sun set over the lake.
Itezhi-tezhi - McBrides - Roys Camp - Mumbwa
Our next stop would be McBrides Camp in the Kafue National Park. Zambia delivered more of it’s off road experiences - all very challenging and inside Kafue especially so: deep, dried elephant foot holes, not just prints - in sections of burning bush. We were truly stuck between a rock and a hard place - burn Harry’s feet or seriously rattle his cage over the holes - not a great choice so I just went as fast as was possible, which wasn’t very!
The camp is remote and the grass was tall after a late rainy season, limiting the chance of seeing much wildlife. Of course we arrived just after cheetah’s were seen on a kill right by the entrance to the camp - guaranteed! Lions were there as I discovered just as I thought, and unthought, to climb down in the night. A ‘shewee’ was put on the ‘to buy’ list!
After McBrides we set off for Roy’s Camp in Chunga, on the banks of the Kafue River, planning to drive south along the river back into the Itezhi-tezhi gap and on to Livingstone. But, arriving at Roy’s a warning light came on and with no facilities on a long drive south, I decided to double back east to Mumbwa — a very grassroots African town, and late in the day! I’m not entirely sure what I expected to achieve there in a couple of hours and the place was chaotic. I withdrew money that didn’t arrive (left my bank of course). That was followed by a typical Sally ‘where’s my?’ moment with the keys (I’d gained that nickname from a friend whilst volunteering in Botswana and it was to stick!). Thankfully the people were honest and the local police station told me I’d left them in the MTN shop! I didn’t get the warning light sorted but thankfully found the ‘Excellent Lodge’ and stayed the night. We had a kettle and a fridge and aircon - just no electricity!
Mumbwa - Namwala Dam - Livingstone
Having given up on the Kafue River route, now with little time to get home, the following day we started back to Livingstone via the Namwala Pontoon, as advised by Brad and Ruth to avoid, as much as posisble, offroad corrugated tracks!
We enjoyed that – the pontoon water crossing was fun and the scenery down to the T1 tarred road, special!
All said Zambia was tough driving, but the landscape was rolling, rich and beautiful, and the people colourful, busy and full of life.
Livingstone - Maun - Joburg
As we crossed back into Botswana, I noticed, not for the first time, how the landscape is so, instantly, different. In Zambia the landscape rich red and green with colourful people everywhere. In Botswana white sandy desert contrasting with bright blue skies, less with animals and wildlife in place of people! We stayed again at Bush Lovers and returned to Maun for a few days. There we took a trip with friends to witness the first floodwaters arriving from the Angola highlands at The Bell Frog In on the banks of the Boro River, in the Okavango Delta - a yearly event that is monitored closely by all for each inch of the water’s progression.
Back to South Africa and I needed Hari to be reliably checked over for water damage and serviced before my next trip. His ladder was broken and he needed a rear wheel bracket to release the spare tire from the door frame, to stop me getting my hand trapped in the handle every time I opened the door! I asked the man who built the tent — TripTents — if he could fix ladder which he said he could, and so drove me to the airport, keeping Hari to do the necessary before returning him to Tanya. On the drive, hearing of the issues I’d had, he insisted on fixing everything properly - he wouldn’t hear of me driving into the bush alone in a vehicle that wasn’t safe – he said! He said a lot - including that he’d need Hari for a month to complete the work, then return him to Tanya.
