A friend and I recently spent two weeks in Botswana on a self-drive trip from Johannesburg.
Baines’ Baobabs – Nxai Pan National Park
Our route took us up to and across the Limpopo River at Platjan – a true pleasure of a border crossing – through the Sua and Ntwetwe salt pans and on into Nxai Pan National Park. We spent a few days in Maun, booking our Moremi and Chobe camping and made a once-in-a-lifetime helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta – an amazing experience.
From Maun we spent three days in Moremi Game Reserve at Third Bridge Campsite before a night at Savuti and a long, hot drive up the seemingly endless sandy roads of Chobe National Park to Kasane. After a brief stop in Kasane and a memorable afternoon cruise down the Chobe River it was time to head home.
It’s a classic route through Botswana. We covered over 3000 kilometres through this wide, open country, experiencing a beautiful mix of some of Botswana’s most spectacular scenery: from bleached-white salt pans and dry, golden veld, to lush, delta plains, teeming with game.
Here are some of the photos we took on our travels, or, if you’d like to know how to book your own Botswana holiday (booking parks in Botswana is a little trickier than in South Africa), then “How to book campsites at Botswana’s national parks” is what you need.
Crossing the Limpopo River at Platjan - possibly the most relaxed border crossing in Southern Africa. Photo taken a few hundred metres up stream.
Khama Rhino Sanctuary, our second morning in Botswana. I recommend camp 13 which is a bit more secluded than the rest.
Kudu at Khama Rhino Sanctuary.
Yellow-billed Hornbills invaded our camp at Khama looking for scraps.
And when the hornbills had gone, the Arrow-marked Babblers moved in.
Our first glimpse of the pans - Sua Pan, Botswana, on the way to Kubu Island.
Camping at Kubu Island. A beautiful spot, but a few too many flies for our liking.
The first rains of the summer over Ntwetwe Pan, on route to Gweta.
Baines' Baobabs - A truely beautiful place with just 3 campsites each over a kilometre apart.
The first signs of rain over the dry Kudiakam Pan, Nxai Pan National Park.
Elephant on Nxai Pan.
Sunset over Nxai Pan.
A powerful lioness looks for dinner in Moremi Game Reserve.
Vervet monkeys in Moremi Game Reserve.
There were lots and lots of baby elephants in Moremi.
Sunset over Third Bridge campsite in Moremi Game Reserve
A flight over the Okavango Delta is pricey, but well worth the money for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Fire has ravaged the outskirts of the Okavango Delta outside Maun.
Buffalo on the Okavando Delta.
Mokoro safari on the Okavango Delta.
We arrived late at Savuti after some car trouble, but managed to take in the Savuti Channel as darkness fell.
Sand, sand and more sand - The road from Savuti to Kasane is deep sand most of the way.
Elephants on the Chobe River.
Amazing views from our river cruise down the Chobe River.
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