Boteti River Camp, Planet Baobab and Serolo Safari Camp, Botswana

Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 August

Lockdown Day 502 to 505

Tuesday: We took a slow drive from Khwai via Maun to Boteti River Camp. It's a chilled place to overnight.

Wednesday: Both cars on the manual ferry at once was a bit tight.

We enjoyed a great drive along the Boteti River in the Magadigadi NP.

We drove up to Baines' Baobabs in Nxai Pan NP for a picnic lunch.

Then we made our way to Planet Baobab for the night. I just love the funky rooms and setting amongst a grove of giant Baobab trees.

Thursday: It's a long drive down to Selibwe Phikwe for PCR tests and then another 2 hours across to Serolo Safari Camp in the Tuli Block Private Game Reserve. It's a nice little lodge and I'd highly recommend the self-catering unit.

Nothing beats sitting around your campfire at night and hearing the distant sound of lions roaring.

Friday: Of course our early morning game drive began with Ranger Jerry driving us out in search of the lion. We found the spoor and heard the roaring but lost track of it at the Limpopo River where it had crossed over onto the South African side.

We did find a beautiful leopard down by the river instead.

I'm enjoying a restful afternoon in camp. The cold front is moving in  bringing windy, cloudy weather with it but it's okay; we are heading back across the border tomorrow.

O Bona Moremi Lodge Khwai, Botswana

Saturday 7 August to Monday 9 August

Lockdown Day 499 to 501

On our arrival at O Bona the staff are waiting for us in the carpark to welcome us back with singing and dancing.

After settling into our tent and a bit of high tea we set off on our first game drive. This time our game guide and driver is B-Man. 

The wild dogs have left the nearby den but we enjoy our afternoon drive with lots of game and elephant sightings.

We stop for sunset drinks next to the Khwai River with a huge hippo in the water a few metres from us. He moans and dives and bears his teeth and flicks his dung around with his tail to show us he is not happy with us in his territory.

On the return drive we spot three different sightings of African Cat. Gigi, Silvester and Chef Agnes look after us very well in the camp.

Coffee is brought to our tent at 6am, breakfast is at 6.30 and we are out on the game drive by 7am. 

Quite late in the morning we are treated to the most amazing leopard sighting; a female out hunting. We are able to follow her for over half an hour. 

In between all the animal excitement we also see lots of birds and another awesome sunset.

I can't resist taking photos of the sunset but when I look for my phone I realise I have left it on the bonnet of the truck at the sundowner break. Miraculously it's still there bouncing around and hasn't dropped off into the bush while we have been driving!! 

Using spotlights we see spotted Genet and cerval too. 

Our sleep is disturbed with the night sounds of owls, elephant, hippo and hyena. Just before sunrise we hear lions roaring pretty close to our camp. After breakfast we head off to try and find them without any luck so we head back into Moremi NP; our original plan for the day.

After about 30 minutes enjoying all the plains game, we come upon two big male lions asleep next to the road. Lions anyway!

Our afternoon drive is also in Moremi NP. Being the only guests we get such special attention at O Bona Moremi. It is truly a privilege to be in Botswana now but we do hope tourism picks up here and in Southern Africa very soon.

Botswana again..

Wednesday 4 August to Friday 6 August

Lockdown Day 496 to 498

And we are off to Botswana again  for 10 days, this time with Thomas and Monika. Up the N1 to Modimolle and off to the Groblersbrug Border Post via Lephalale, we knock back the kilometres on this now familiar road. Klippan Lodge is situated right before the border.

On Thursday with podcasts to entertain us on the journey we drive up to Elephant Sands Lodge. As usual, it's tent number 1, a sunset GnT, rump steak dinner and eggs for breakfast. 

On Friday we get to Maun, shop at Woolies, refuel the car and we are on the deck of our favourite tent -A1 - at Audi Camp by 2pm. Thomas and Monika arrive from Kubu Island at 4pm. As usual we braai for dinner. Some routines are most pleasant.

Not being able to travel freely to new and unfamiliar destinations at the moment, I am really enjoying many happy returns to some old favourites. In years to come I am sure I will look back on 2020/21 and know how lucky I am to have experienced the African Bush more thorougherly than most humans on this planet. 

Don't hold back, don't ever hold back... I'm embracing Neil's life philosophy even if I'm the one trundling along behind picking up the pieces, filling in the details, keeping it all together. He thinks he's the driving force but I am the one that makes it all happen!

Zebula etc

Thursday 27 July to Tuesday 3 August

Lockdown Day 488 to 495

We have been able to spend more time than usual at Zebula in the last 12 months because we haven't been travelling as much as before. It's always so relaxing and I love cooking in that kitchen. Carol and Jane had to leave on Wednesday but Hanli and Andrew arrived. Andrew converted the dining table on the verandah into an open plan office and we all got work or admin done; some more than others. In the evenings we lolled about quite a bit watching the Olympics or silly old movies on TV.

We had chores to do back in Joburg and did a day trip down to the farm to collect extra warmth clothes and wine for another Botswana Trip. Somehow we didn't take many photos... Let's see what we can find...