Botswana overland

 

Ever since my last Africa, I knew I wanted to return as soon as possible. After all, Africa is huge - and I had only explored a small spot on the continent's vast map. I therefore didn't have to think long about what I would do after I had hung up my job. Pack my suitcase and off to Africa. Without a connection, in full freedom. What an exhilarating feeling! 

What fascinates me about Africa? The best way to describe it is to quote Ernest Hemingway:

 "I never knew a Morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy". 

While in Switzerland I struggle to get out of bed in the morning and switch off the alarm clock three times, in Africa I hop effortlessly out of my sleeping bag at 4:30 a.m., so ready for exploring the wild. I love listening to the sounds of nature while lying in the tent, unaware of what is sneeking around me. I love showering in the open air (or sitting on the bush toilet! :-) ) while watching the stars, which seem so much more numerous and bright than back home. I love the stories of the locals, who have a different connection to wildlife and nature than we do in the city. I love the tales of adventure, love the music and the cheerful nature of the people. I become humbled when I hear about the grievances and problems that people have to deal with here. Suddenly, many things seem absolutely unimportant and banal. Africa grounds me and inspires me at the same time. It gives me peace and incredible energy at the same time. Somehow I feel at home here, even though I am an absolute bus beginner. Africa is simply magical.

The itinerary

I started my month of travel with a tour of Botswana. The country is located in southern Africa, bordering South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe and is home to incredible wildlife, amazing nature and interesting culture and history. 

I decided to explore the country with a group and booked the trip "Botswana and Falls overland: Wildlife walks and Safari Drives" by G Adventures, an organisation with which I had already done some great trips. In 8 days the tour would take us from Johannesburg in South Africa through Botswana and ends at the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 

The tour was a good decision - although 8 days were far too short to really explore the country. Every night we stayed at a different campground, so there was little time to relax for a while. Nevertheless, I saw an incredible amount in a short time and was very happy about all the highlights I was able to experience. I would recommend the tour to people who want to see a lot in a short time, but who don't mind a packed programme and a pretty strict nomadic life.

The tour with G Adventures (image by G Adventures)

Stranded

My travel preparations began, as always, a few weeks earlier with an outlay of the things I wanted to take with me. Things in the backpack, things out again. A ritual that I have come to love and that always gets me in the mood for the trip. 

Unfortunately, things started a little differently than planned. The flight from Zurich to London was delayed. The reason was a tyre change. Well, I was glad that the tyre had been changed, but unfortunately I soon realised that it would not be enough to make the connection to Johannesburg. Fortunately, I was approached at the counter by Christoph, a Swiss guy who happened to be doing the same tour as me. What a coincidence! A problem shared is a problem halved! 

The connection didn't work out - and despite sprinting through London Heathrow Airport, we were finally rebooked on the flight the next evening. Really annoying. But at least it was a first travel anecdote. We were given a small survival pack at the counter with a toothbrush, sleeping shirt and food vouchers, then we were taken to a hotel. Funnily enough, this had its own reception for British Airways customers... A late dinner, then fell into the comfortable bed. In the wrong city and the wrong continent, but what the hell. Adventure, here I come! 

Exploring Joha...London

What do you do with a full day in London when you should actually be in South Africa? The best out of it. So we decided to take a stroll through the city. London apparently had mercy on two stranded tourists and showed itself in beautiful spring weather. 

Back at Heathrow airport we had to organise further and learned that our group apparently would not wait for us and we would have to fly directly to Botswana. So we would miss the first part of our tour. In a rush, we booked flights to Maun, Botswana. What a mess! But at least we had a plan again and could finally fly out. A small comfort was that I had a whole row of seats to myself on the plane and could sleep wonderfully.

A drink in a pub with the legendary name "The hung drawn and slaughtered"

Good morning, Botswana!

Maun, Botswana, awaited us with summer temperatures (and that in winter!). We checked into the wonderful hotel "Sedia Riverside Lodge" and celebrated our arrival after this little odyssey with a cool cider (Savannah for president!). 

We still had a few hours before our group would arrive, so we decided to explore Maun. We strolled through a local market and got a tip from a local to walk to the "big trees". We even found them on Google Maps and walked under the burning midday heat along a river and past cattle to the recommended trees. We met some locals fishing and playing football in the river, sat down in the shade and watched the scenery. On the other side of the river we saw warthogs, zebras - and suddenly even a giraffe! How close city and nature were here!

In the evening we finally met our tour group and moved from the hotel room to the campground. I was happy, for me there is hardly anything more beautiful than listening to the sounds of nature in the tent at night. 

The Okavango delta from above

The next day was one of the biggest highlights of the tour: the Okavango Delta! 

The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2014. It is the wide-ranging delta of the Okavango, the only river in the region that carries water all year round. The delta is known for its great biodiversity - in addition to 71 species of fish and 444 species of birds, there are of course also the big guys - hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, elephants,...

Of course, I couldn't miss the chance to see the delta from above, so I hopped into the small plane waiting at Maun airport with some people from my group. The view from the bird's eye view was simply breathtaking: green and barren landscapes alternated, we saw animals cooling themselves in water holes or drinking from them, elephants moving around in herds - it was just incredible!

Off into the delta

Early the next day, we packed the purple bus (oh sorry, it's called lando!), loaded our small luggage into safari vehicles that took us north towards the Okavango Delta. Mokoros, the traditional dug-out canoes, were waiting at the landing stage to take us through the channels of the delta, over crystal blue water and past wonderful landscapes, to our next campground. The further we went into the delta, the more devout and relaxed I became. No Wi-Fi, no civilisation, just nature. It could have gone on forever.

Hello, beautiful family!

... was the greeting from our guide in the Delta when we arrived. And that's how we felt ! In a strange way, it felt like coming home. We set up our tents - and the bush toilet, took a bath in a small pool (not without keeping a quick crocodile check, of course) and watched the elephants on the other side of the river and the hippo swimming comfortably in front of our campground (I called him "Eddie").

Our bush toilet - never had a better view!

In the evening we set off on a short walking safari. Marching in single file behind the guide, we soon encountered giraffes and a herd of zebras grazing peacefully. What a feeling! 

Later, a big campfire was lit, and we played, laughed, danced and sang to local songs. It was a unique moment that I will remember for a long time! I wonder what was lurking in the thicket?

"Knock knock, who's there?" were the words of our guide as we set off for an early morning walk before sunset the next morning. We trudged through the wilderness once more to see who was already awake, and then it was time to say goodbye to the delta and our new family. We were all a little melancholy as we drove back through the wonderful swamp landscape and then back to civilisation in the safari vehicles. 

On the way to Gweta we encountered a lot of wildlife beside the road.

Beneath the giants

Our next stop was Gweta or the amazing "Planet Baobab" campground. There we pitched our tents under the imposing baobab trees, which are on average more than 4000 years old, enjoyed the cool pool and one or two "Baobab Sunrises". Cheers!

Amazing Chobe

The next day we continued to Kasane and the Chobe National Park, home to the largest elephant population in Africa. This time we pitched our tents at Thebe River Safaris Camping before setting off on a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. This was also an absolute highlight, as we could see all kinds of animals - elephants playing in the water, crocodiles slumbering peacefully and trying to cool down with their mouths open, hippos, different species of birds...

Exploring Chobe NP

Highlights followed highlights and we set off again before sunrise the next morning for a game drive in Chobe National Park. It was bitterly cold when we set off in the safari vehicle, but soon the cold was forgotten as we spotted the first animals. Baboons that were already active early in the morning, elephants, gazelles - and then, indeed! Our first lions! The joy was enormous!

Crossing borders - hello, Zimbabwe!

The last leg of our tour took us across the border into Zimbabwe and on to Victoria Falls. At the campground of the "Shearwater Explorers Village" we were welcomed by the Lusumpuko Women's Club, who spoiled us with local delicacies.

In the evening we enjoyed a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. From there we saw many hippos and in the distance the mist caused by the falling water of the Victoria Falls.

A reason to come back

Unfortunately, I realised too late that I had no time left to visit Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world, as we arrived late and I had to leave early the next day. But anyway: A good reason to come back soon and then start my trip in Victoria Falls! 

The next day I unfortunately had to say goodbye to the group again. Then by taxi to the airport and departure towards the next chapter of my African adventure. 

Last but not least

In the end, I only have one thing to say: Botswana was absolutely magical. Grounding and inspiring at the same time. It felt like home and yet it was such a foreign world. It still warms my heart when I think about it. Harri from my travel group wrote a wonderful text about it, which speaks from my heart and with which I would like to conclude:

 

"Where most of us live, you don’t see many stars. They’re blocked by light pollution or sometimes smog. But even if they were visible, we all have our own personal fogs. Work stress. Family obligations. An endless array of digital distractions. Diets, appointments, bills, cleaning, to-do lists. Exhaustion.

It took plane, bus, (or rather Lando) and boat to escape to a place with no outlets, wifi or cell phone service. 

There, an elephant slowly made his way through the edge of the Kalahari Desert, in no hurry. Giraffes arced their long necks down to graze in the morning dew. A male antelope tried several times to mate with a female, but she kept running away.

I saw it all because, free of my personal fog, I was forced to be there.

I saw the Milky Way floating up in an inky black sky, unstained by any light pollution.  

Maybe that’s what we all need in life: a time set aside to clear the noise and pollution of our daily routine, when we can again find our guiding star and reorient ourselves. 

(…)

And whether you’re heading home now or preparing for another journey to somewhere new,  may you all find the clarity to see the path where your stars lead.”

(Credits to the so talented and wonderful @harri_plotnick)