meanderstravels

Category: Botswana

  • Saturday 2nd February

    Chobe River sunset boat trip booked for 3.30 this afternoon. Chilled all morning around the pool. No game apart from some Zebra in the distance. Identified a few birds around and a lizard. Left for Kasane at 13.00 for our trip on the Chobe. A good and well informed trip. Lots of birds, elephants, hippo and birds. 3 hours in total. Very mixed companions. Half our age. Just made the gate through the Transit Road which closes at 7pm for registration. Totally crap non sensical system. Arrived back at camp at 20.00, not an easy drive in the dark as game all along the roads. Steak and salad again for dinner. Steak and chicken is generally the only option. No hippo in the camp waterhole this evening. Vic Falls tomorrow.

  • Thursday 29th February

    Up at 06.00 and watched the Wilderbeest, Zebra etc in a long line walking towards the water. Left Thobolo Lodge at about 8.30 as we wanted to get the solar rooftop panel cable fixed. We snapped it at Nata getting to close to a tree. The solar panel backs up the engine to charge the two batteries that runs the fridge and the camper lighting. Bushlore’s depot in Kazungula which we eventually found. Took them 45 mins and we were on our way. Did some shopping in Kasane then back the way we came to our next camp, Mwandi View. Very nice grassed site. Waterhole and nice little pool. Again we are the only ones here. Low season has some advantages. It’s 8.45 pm and on the deck overlooking the waterhole watching a family of hippo having a dunk and drink. We aren’t even in the National Park yet. Game just everywhere. Site owner booked us a sunset river cruise for Saturday. Chobe Waterfront tomorrow in the park itself.

  • Wednesday 28th February

    Up at 6.00 with the Dawn. Brewed a cuppa. First visitors were about 20 vultures , then Wilderbeest, zebra impala etc. They come , they go then come back again. Had a dunk in the pool (MeandEr that is) Partly cloudy and hot. A few giraffe visited. We sat around and watched it all going on. Magical place. No elephants. Ate in lodge. Soup, roasted chicken and milk pudding plus Rhino Run Pinotage. 

  • Tuesday 27th February

    Awake and  up at 6.00 with T. Watched the game migrate towards the waterholes. Wilderbeest, Impala, Zebra, Kudu , Warthogs , baboons, jackels, hyena. By 11.00 am they were all gone for the day. Stormy skies, lightning and thunder all day, some rain. Spent hour around the pool. Two further campers arrived pm. No game in the evening unfortunately. Braai meat and rice salad. Used rest of firewood. 

  • Monday 26th February

    Up at dawn and left at 7.30  for longish drive to Thobolo lodge in Chobe,  about 450 K’s. Better road from Nata northwards, a bit wider and not so many  potholes. Made good  progress. Arrived Kasane at 11.30. Did some shopping in Spa and filled with diesel.  Last 20 Km’s to Thobolo on sand and gravel. 4×4 only. Arrived at 2ish. Hot 38 degs. Lovely wild spot. Waterholes in front of raised deck of lodge. No fence around campsite. Again we are the only ones here. Lovely. Spent couple of hours on viewing deck overlooking waterhole. Impala, giraffe, warthogs , jackals,  maibeau storks and many other birds. Took photos. Nice sunset. Cold chicken and salad for dinner. Got some wood for campfires to last 2 evenings, 100 Pula which is quite expensive but so what, it’s the staff perks as they do the cutting up and delivery. I can hear animals around waterhole but it’s 10.15 so bedtime. Another exciting day tomorrow. ?

  • Sunday 25th February

    Last day at Nata Lodge. Chilled all day around pool. Light lunch and a beer. Braai pack BBQ for dinner.

  • Saturday 24th February

    Leisurely breakfast, checked tyre pressure for puncture which was ok and did some washing. Went to reception and gave them laundry to do. This is a real treat for us campers. The luxury of being able to camp at a lodge. Also the lovely pool of course. Bought a bird and mammals book and sort of tablecloth. Chilled around the pool and then went off to the Nata Bird Sanctuary  and the Pan. No water so very few birds. Saw some flamingos with binocs in the far distance. A few other birds and quite a few Wilderbeest. Back to the lodge and pool which is surprisingly cool. Great. Plus a cold beer of course. Decided to go back to the Bird Sanctuary and the pan for the sunset at about 6.30.  Tried out my new lightweight tripod. Left to get back to the gate for 19.00. Made it. Lots of Wilderbeest about on the way back. Mince and mixture of rice and veg for dinner quickly knocked up by Er. Bottle of red out the fridge. Camp fire. 

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  • Thursday 22nd February

    Getting used to early rises, 6.30 today. Leisurely brekkie, not far to travel today ,just outside Francistown to Woodlands Stopover Lodge. Stopped at Khama reception to make use of  wifi  and finally catch up on blog. iPad now charged. Charging is a real pain. 2 iPhones, iPad,  backup battery pack, camera batteries and really important electric toothbrushes. Three and a half hour  trip to Francistown along the A1. Main road for trucks to Zambia/Zimbabwe. Filled up with diesel at 90p a litre. Done about a 1000 K’s so far. Arrived Woodlands at 1.45. Really nice shady site with good swimming pool and ablutions. Birds and monkeys around. We are 10 k’s off main road and soon in the bush. Hottest day yet at 38 degs. Beanpot and rice for dinner plus Pinotage. Site electric so can finally give everything a good charge. We have weak WiFi so hopefully will download today’s blog. 

  • Wednesday 21st February

    6.45 rise because it’s light and bedtime earlier than usual 

    Lots of birds about the camp in the trees making a real din. After breakfast went out to the reserve and saw a few rhino together with zebra, wilderbeast, giraffes, vultures and more. . Back to reception to make phone call to our domain name provider, missed subscription deadline, couldn’t do online because in different country. Sorted. A couple minor problems with camper so phoned Bushlore. Sorted. iPad out of charge and didn’t have pad to usb cable. Went shopping to Spa in  Serowe for wine glasses,matches,fruit and other bits and pieces. Found shop for cable. Great. Sorted. Back for another trip around reserve and a beer. More rhino around the pan than this morning. Pasta and Kanankop Pinotage for dinner. 37 degs , sunny. 

  • Tuesday 20th February

    Up at 6.30. Breakfast and cold shower. Wash up and tidied. Set off at 8.45 for Botswana border. Huge numbers of trucks. They take about 2 days in queue to cross the border. Cars are quicker but had to try and negotiate our way around them. No official to help. SA side no  problem. Botswana side totally rude officials. Took an hour to get through. Arrived Khama Rhino Sanctuary at 3.30. Hot 37 degs. Chilled ,showered and went off to site “restaurant “ to have dinner. Us and two others eating. Took forever but supped a bottle of red whilst trying to catch up with mails etc. No time for blog. WiFi worse than Coleford. No complaints. This is Africa!