In December I spent a few days in Kasane and had the chance to join a Pangolin morning boat cruise on Chobe river. The funny thing is that although I call a semi-fancy camera my own, which I have used blindly on many game drives in the past, I never actually learnt a thing about taking good pictures. This rainy morning in December was my moment, I knew it. I was super excited to be guided by Guts who is one of the owners of Pangolin Safaris and has years of experience as a photographer.  The Pangolin boats are all equipped with state of the art digital cameras and lenses. Guts and his business partner Toby have created camera-mounts which offer the best possible flexibility for you and your camera. During this three-hour activity the photograhic guides teach the guests how to use the camera and the lens, which settings to use. They explain it in such a way that even beginners like I understood. At the end of the experience the guests get to take their SD card home. If they are keen, they can use the editing suite in the Pangolin Chobe Hotel to start working on their pictures. 

Each boat only takes a maximum of eight guests, making the cruises not only educational but also very exclusive. Using smaller boats they generally also travel further on the Chobe river. All guests staying at the new Pangolin Chobe Hotel enjoy these special experiences when booking the fully inclusive package. Generally on a two-night stay all guests would join two cruises (morning and afternoon cruise) plus a game drive.  The Chobe river can get busy, especially in the afternoons when all the Kasane Lodges take their clients on boat cruises. To avoid the crowds, Pangolin takes their guests further and also offers the alternative of quieter morning cruises.

To make the most of this experience and to really have an impact on the rest of your clients’ safari we suggest to include Pangolin Chobe  at the beginning of an itinerary. This way your clients can learn from the best and apply all they learnt during the rest of their safari. They will love Botswana even more and return home with fantastic memories. 

It has always fascinated me to see how young Batswana are proud of their heritage. It almost seems as if they all have two hearts, one that beats for the modern world and the other that embraces their culture, values and traditions.

Here is the story of Tshepang and Ndiye, two of SD’s “rising stars”, who allowed me to share this with you.

What started off as silly jokes and ‘friendship’ led to a journey of love. We knew for a while that there has been an office romance going on, but now it is official. Tshepang and Ndiye celebrated their traditional wedding last weekend. These two very special people found their love in the workplace and decided to make a lifelong commitment. Congratulations to the perfect match. 

Traditionally in Botswana, when the groom’s inner voice tells him that it is time, he tells his uncles about his intention to marry. The uncles then “take over”. They will meet and discuss with the groom’s parents. A delegation from the groom’s side is sent to the bride’s parents to ask of their traditions. This is because although there is a lot of common practices, a few differences exist from tribe to tribe. The groom’s parents then visit the girl’s parents to get their consent which will then lead to the process called “Go battle mosadi” meaning “officially ask for the daughter’s hand in marriage” and is done by uncles to uncles. When the two families reach an agreement about the marriage, negotiations for bogadi/lobola (the bride-price) start. Bogadi/Lobola is a gift to the bride’s parents for their consent and also for raising the bride. Bogadi is paid in form of cows but we are very fortunate that families nowadays also accept cash. Knowing how special Tshepang is, it would have meant a whole herd of cows.

Both groom and bride should be present at the Patlo/Bogadi celebration. During Patlo/Bogadi there is a feast with traditional food and beer. All women have to dress up traditionally, which means a skirt, blouse, a shawl, and a head covering. Men should be in long pants and jackets. Women sit apart from the men on the floor, whereas men are allowed to sit on chairs.

Ndiye and Tshepang had their traditional wedding last Saturday. It was a day filled with joy. We wish the couple lots of happiness and fun organizing their “white wedding” which they will celebrate in a couple of months. Remember, Batswana are blessed with two hearts… 

Until recently I thought that I had been to all the great places Botswana has to offer. I thought I knew it all – wow – was I wrong. It took me 15 years in Botswana to finally step into a secret gem, a place of wonders, Mashatu – one of THE best kept secrets in Southern Africa. 

Our challenge until now was how to include and combine Mashatu with Northern Botswana. Thankfully, the introduction of special flying rates from either Johannesburg or Maun have enabled us to resolve this “tiny” issue and opened up access to this phenomenal and unique place.

What was your overall impression of the camp? 

Mashatu impresses with very varied landscapes, from dry river beds to rocky cliffs, soft hills or huge open spaces. Ones eye never tires from the overwhelming beauty of nature in this remote corner of Botswana. It was interesting to see that there is very little grass which makes game viewing and wildlife photography even more rewarding. Along the rivers you can find beautiful large Nyala Berries, the locals call them Mashatu Trees.

Game Viewing in the area is excellent all year round, chances of seeing the big cats are brilliant. In our short two game drives we saw cheetah on a hunt, several leopards and a lioness with her 2 month old cubs. 

Unique experiences add to the charm of this jewel: we joined a mountain bike safari which offered us a totally different perspective of the bush. Our morning cycle was guided by Mosa, a very experienced ranger. We pedaled leisurely for about 20 km along ancient elephant paths, watching plains game in a distance and enjoying and absorbing the colors and smells of nature. Another brilliant way of getting up close to the animals is the Photo-Hide. which provides a safe place in which to view of the herds of elephants and even the occasional leopard who come and drink from the waterhole in front of the hide. Guests are also accompanied by a professional photographer who provides tips and tricks on how to use their cameras and can answer any questions they may have.

How does the camp compare to similar camps in terms of value and experience? Are there any notable special offers applicable.

There are actually no other camps offering a similar experience. Mashatu has a truly unique offering. The two camps in the reserve are very different in terms of look and design. Mashatu tented camp is an authentic safari camp, offering the safari addict a comfortable place to stay while enjoying the bush. It is ideally combined with camps like Pelo or Gunns Camp for the water experience, and in Vic Falls I would recommend Gorges or Little Gorges Lodge to complete the itinerary. The more upmarket Mashatu Main Camp is much bigger, with more rooms, a large new pool, different sitting areas and even a discovery centre. I see Mashatu main camp work wonderfully with the likes of Camp Okavango, Kanana or Splash in the Delta and in Vic Falls it could be completed with a place like Zambezi Sands or Old Drift.

Specials: Both camps offer a great 4 nights for the price of 3 special during the months of January to April.

How would you combine this camp in an itinerary and why? 

Ideally Mashatu is the first stop in an itinerary, flying in from Johannesburg Lanseria and continuing to Maun. There are daily flights from Joburg to Limpopo Airfield (Mashatu’s gorgeous little airport). This way guests arrive on a positive note, the immigration officers in Limpopo are friendly and professional. Another advantage of starting your Botswana safari with Mashatu is to avoid the long immigration queues at Maun Airport (which can sometimes take up to two hours). The flight from Mashatu to Maun is either on a scheduled flight on Wednesdays or Saturdays or on a private charter.

Alternatively guests can arrive by car from South Africa before continuing their journey in Botswana or across the border to Zimbabwe. 

What type of clients does this camp suit and why? 

This camp basically suits all different target groups. Main Camp has a family unit and can accommodate families with children. The tented camp is better suited for couples or single travelers.

Adventure seekers found their heaven, Mashatu offers mountain biking, guided walks and horseback-safaris.

How does the seasonality of the area change through the year and what effect does it have on a visitor’s experience, with specific reference to wildlife and activities?

The camps in Mashatu offer a year round experience. Excellent value for money from January to April with the 4 for 3 nights special. In Green season (rainfall is very low in this area, with more than 330 days of sunshine) the landscape miraculously changes into a colorful spectacle. Mashatu is much less seasonal than the northern parts of Botswana and offers excellent game viewing throughout the year.

Safari Destinations itineraries showcasing this property: 

9 N Best Kept Secret Safari

3N Mashatu Safari

Safari Destinations is about family. It is the people that share our daily lives, and who we have grown to love and cherish. With our SD family, we create memories, share good times and help each other through the tough ones.

Lorraine and her daughters

Some of those good times are celebrating the birth of the children to staff employed at Safari Destinations. At last count, it was 17 in total with another 2 on the way! Close to 50% of all our staff are parents. This is why lift clubs, meal arrangements, play-dates, “Hello Aunty Sarah” as well as kiddies’ laughter and tears are the order of our day.

Andrea and her son

We all know that total commitment describes our women here at SD. Many years ago when Lorraine and Andrea were still breastfeeding, critical Globetrack training had to take place. So, it all happened “behind the scenes” while the (male) trainer continued his training. He had strict instructions to “Don’t turnaround!”

Tlotlo and his daughter

While 80% of our staff are women, we believe that fathers are just as important as mothers. This is why our Dads get paternity leave with the birth of each child.

Seeletso and his son

Carina and her children (photo taken in the first year of SD)

Our latest recruit is beautiful, little Paige, born to Senior Consultant, Mia Ives. Once Mia returns to work, as a first time mother, she will have the support and understanding of the Managing Directors, Carina and Lorraine as well as the many women here at SD who have walked the path of managing family and work.

Back in June, we launched our 10FOR50 Campaign celebrating our 10^th and Botswana’s 50^th anniversaries. In celebration of this, one of our major goals was to donate a total of 500 Hours to Community Service.

When Lorraine initially announced this during a staff meeting there was a silent pause (cue cricket sounds…) as our staff body absorbed the enormity of the challenge. Now, anyone who has ever visited the SD offices knows that there is no such thing as silence here…

Fortunately, volunteering to assist the community is part of the culture at SD and the silence was actually attributable to a collective intake of breath before declaring Challenge Accepted – Game On! 

The months have rolled by and looking back, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved: we’ve organised winter clothing drives, renovated the reception for a Woman’s Shelter, spent hours visiting and assisting the destitute elderly, helped out at charity events, hiked across the Makgadikgadi Pans for Charity and even participated in a Charity fashion Show. Phew!

And then came the final two big events of the year…

First up was organising a fun day at Bana Ba Letsatsi (BBL) – a day centre caring for orphaned and vulnerable kids. One thing you can say with certainly about SD staff is that we love kids. We love them more than delicious warm sticky magwinya’s (a savoury/sweet, deep fried donut-ish traditional food, which-we-know-we-shouldn’t-eat-but-Eish-they-are-delicious) we even love them more than we love planning that super awesome Delta Trip. We simply love kids. 

It therefore goes without saying that a fun day for BBL would be well supported by our team.

Through the generosity of our agents, we support BBL under the TFI levy; we sponsor their full time Physco-Social Counsellor, contribute to food and running expenses and also provide free scheduled transport through the SD/TFI Community Bus. All of these are crucial support to BBL but they’re not “fun” for kids.

We decided on a Fun Day, purely because all kids need to have joy. They need to have a day where they can simply be kids and have fun!

We started off with face painting accompanied by a snack of magwinya’s (have we mentioned these before?) followed by a round of games and fun: egg and spoon races, sack races, cup cake decorating, jumping castle and the surprise all-time favourite – tug of war! The kids then attended a graduation ceremony while the SD “Safari Chefs” cracked on with a massive braai (barbeque). Everyone enjoyed a superb lunch and we ended the day by handing out party bags to all. What a super day

Something else you probably already know about SD is that we don’t do things in half measures. Yep, half measures are for sissies, we like to go all out! So as if planning and hosting a fun day for a 100 odd kids and guests was not enough, two weeks later we were back in action – this time assisting with an Annual Christmas Lunch for 400 Elderly members of our community. 

AGLOW International Maun is another beneficiary from the TFI Bed Night Levy. They are an organisation committed to caring for the destitute elderly in Maun. We sponsor monthly food parcels as well as the volunteers who provide daily visits. Transport is also provided by the TFI/SD Community Bus.

We are long term sponsors of their Annual Christmas lunch for the elderly and this year a contingent of 10 SD volunteers descended into what can only be described as a food cooking marathon. Forget Masterchef, if you want to see a bunch of amateur chefs dropped in the deep end in a foreign kitchen then this is the event to watch! If chopping 2 sacks of cabbages for 4 hours sounds like fun, feel free to join us next year…

All jokes aside, Team SD did a super job, worked well together from prep to cooking and served a delicious feast to a very enthusiastic audience – not a scrap of food was left over.

And that’s how we achieved our community hours. Often chaotic, usually sweaty, sometimes smelling of cabbage but always with a sense of achievement and proud to be able to give back to our awesome community. 

Thanks to the incredible support and commitment of our staff in under 6 months we have not only achieved our goal of 500 community hours, but we have exceeded it to achieve 563 community hours!

What’s our target for next year? We’ll have to wait and see.

I’m sure we are planning on going large…

…Do I hear crickets?

Pom Pom Camp, western Okavango Delta

Last weekend Jessica flew to Pom Pom for a quick 1 night stay to check out the lodge.  Here is her feedback:

Pom Pom is only a short five minute drive from the airstrip. The large main area is really cool, which helps during the hot days. All the tents have a great view over the river and buffalos come very close. The rooms are fantastic. We loved the colors and especially the white curtains in the tents, which we have not seen before. The hot outdoor shower is really big and the water pressure is perfect. Coffee and tea is being served in the tents at wake up time, which makes it really nice to get up.

Activities/ Guiding:

Roaring Lion at Pom Pom Camp

Our guide Rex, very nice and friendly guide met us and took us on the evening  game drive. Our plan was to find lions, we saw fresh lion tracks and followed them. We drove for about 38km trying to find this male lion and while doing that we saw  lots of animals just to mention a few, impalas, red Lechwe, Kudus, wildebeest, Duiker, Giraffe, Tsessebe, buffalos, lots of birds. It was getting a bit late so we stopped for our sundowner drinks. As we set up the table we heard him roaring, so we jumped into the vehicle, left the drinks there, drove off and he was about 150 to 200 m behind us, lying there calling for his brother. What an amazing sight. Rex our guide was not willing to give up on the lion hunt which was great, so our long drive and hunt was paid off eventually. It was so wonderful to hear him roar just about 4m away from the vehicle. The brothers met and it was a phenomenal way to end the evening.

On our morning game drive it was time to find a leopard. Rex took us for a leopard hunt, we saw a lot of animals while on the hunt. We finally found the mother leopard with two cubs but we could only see the one cub, since the other one was hiding. That was just incredible, wonderful game drive. Back on time we dropped two clients at the airport and kept on going on a game drive for about 40 minutes before heading back to camp for brunch.

Last year Lorraine and I started a tradition of our two families going on safari together. This year our annual family safari took us to Hwange. Travelling with kids is an adventure. Seeing nature through their eyes makes you realize how wonderful our planet really is. Did you know that a wildebeest looks a bit like a Gruffalo. For all ignorant people out there, “The Gruffalo” is one of the best-loved children’s books ever. “A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”
“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”
And so begins the story of a quick-witted mouse as he encounters a host of predators who seem to think he might make a tasty treat. As he ventures deeper into the deep dark wood, stumbling across a hungry fox, a not-so-wise owl, and a slimy snake, spinning ever-extraordinary yarns about the scary, scaly gruffalo, he quickly realises that the hungry beast he has been talking of isn’t imaginary after all.

The Gruffalo, also known as blue wildebeest

On Safari with the Gruffalo:

Three bush babies strolled through the Hwange vlei,

they saw some Lions lying in their way,

snoozing and dreaming of roasted Gruffalo on a spit,

the Bush Babies turned around and away they slid…

Our days in Hwange were filled with extraordinary gamedrives. Living in Botswana also means that our children grow up being spoilt safari-goers, but Hwange can easily compete. Especially the south-east of Hwange offered outstanding game viewing (Davisons, Bomani, Camelthorn and Little Makalolo). It never got boring, the kids loved every moment of it. Hwange in combination with Victoria Falls and Chobe is a great destination for a family safari!

Who runs the fastest – watch out the Gruffalo is right behind you!

The Gruffalo only left bones

The Safari Destinations educationals are famous! Every year we organize numerous individual trips. For many years we have successfully organized Botswana educationals for groups, this year we were proud to celebrate a premiere, we ran our first Post-Indaba Educational to ZAMBIA.

Suku was the lucky winner and guided a group of five enthusiastic agents. All had been to Southern Africa many times before, some had been on educational to Zambia, for some it was their first time to visit the Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa National Parks.

Walking Safari South Luangwa NP

The group travelled from Livingstone to Lusaka, they stayed at Tongabezi Lodge, Sausage Tree Camp, Chiawa Camp, Chongwe River Camp, Nkwali Camp, Chindeni Bush Camp, Chichele Presidential Lodge, Mchenja Bush Camp and Chinzombo Camp.

Suku shares the highlights of her trip with us:

Chiawa for the best guiding experience during her trip:

My best guide was Daniel from Chiawa – he had a great sense of humour, knowledgeable and caring! His guiding was top class; he knew the bush in and out and had the most interesting stories to tell about the Lower Zambezi! There was never a dull moment with Daniel – he kept us entertained the entire time…

Chindeni for the most memorable moment during her trip:

My highlight was the special sundowner that they set up for us on the banks of the Luangwa river; in full view of the stunning Chindeni Hills. Hippos graced us with their presence whilst we bade farewell (with a drink in hand) yet to another wonderful sunset in the Luangwa valley!

Sausage Tree for the best food experience – lunch served in the mighty Zambezi River!

Jason the owner of Sausage Tree and his team hosted us to the most amazing lunch; set up in the middle of the Zambezi River! The setting in the water was stunning, the food was fresh and the drinks ice cold and refreshing – and the service was top notch…….I felt like royalty! This was the highlight of my entire trip!

Canoeing on the Lower Zambezi

Every year we organise numerous educationals for our agents. This year was a record year, Lorraine, Clare and I counted and counted and we think we had over 80 agents travelling around Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe on educational visits. Most trips were individually tailor-made trips, based on the needs of the agents. Around Indaba we had 20 agents on safari, one group in Botswana and one in Zimbabwe.

agents educational in Khwai with Letaka Safaris

Agents enjoying a helicopter flight over the Delta.

This year one highlight followed the next. Recently Botswana Tourism organized the first “Botswana Tourism and Travel Expo” in Kasane. We were honoured to be part of it. It was hugely successful as it hosted 81 Tour Operators from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France and Belgium. These 81 agents were split into various pre- and post-Expo educationals of 4 – 5 nights each. Safari Destinations partnered with Bush Ways Safaris and with Great Plains Conservation and put together three trips.

On site inspection at Chobe Game Lodge

Dinner during the BTTE in Kasane – we had lots of fun.

We always try to show our agents the beauty of the different regions as well as the different products on offer. Last week’s agents’ safaris included nights at Selinda Camp, Ghoha Hills Camp, camping with Bush Ways Safaris in Savuti, camping with Letaka Safaris in Khwai, both Sango Safari Camp and Machaba Camp in Khwai and a visits to Meno a Kwena Tented Camp on the Boteti River & Jacks Camp on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The agents enjoyed site inspections of three lodges in Chobe (Chobe Elephant Camp, Ngoma Safari Lodge and Chobe Game Lodge) and brunch at Zarafa Camp and Savuti Safari Lodge. They experienced game drives, night drives and a walk with San Bushmen at Meno a Kwena.

Flying to Selinda in a Caravan of Mack Air.