Botswana & Victoria Falls - a 4x4 adventure in the wilderness
We are in Johannesburg, it is November 6 and at 9 am we are picked up at our hotel by Bushlore and taken to their depot. A Toyota Landcruiser with roof tent and an 8 cl engine is waiting for us. We have 19 days to drive to Botswana and we end in Kasane, near the Victoria Falls. Secretly I am a little nervous, what will this great adventure through one of the last wildernesses on earth bring us. Is there a lion lurking as we try to get our car out of the sand in the scorching heat. Or will we get mercilessly stuck in water while trying to cross a river. We go by the South African saying "moe nie worry nie, alles sal reg kom".
After formalities and the necessary explanations, we set off in the direction of the Waterberg Mountains. We stop along the way for groceries, at one of Johannesburg's modern shopping malls. Leaving the country without wine from Stellenbosch is not an option. Just to be sure, we hide a few here and there in the vehicle, occasionally border controls on alcohol, meat, fruits and vegetables can be strict. The next day we are ready and drive into Botswana without a problem, via Martensdrift Border Control. Bushlore's papers are in thick and fast and the vehicle, with wine, may enter the country without any problems.
On to Serowe and the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, where after our first rhino safari of our own, we settle down under a large tree and chat over a crackling campfire. Out early in the morning for rhino tracking on foot with local guides, fortunately successful. Later by the pool, it is once again confirmed that Botswana is the ultimate safari destination. After some rustling from the bushes and some panicked behavior from the staff, it turns out we are in the path of a rhino on its way to the pool. Oh dear, just a quiet walk backwards towards the restaurant until our new friend has quenched his thirst and we can take another splash ourselves. Are we really only at the beginning of our journey?
We drove on through large diamond mines, deserted plains and spent the night along the Boteti River and in the Makgadikgadi Pans on our way to Maun and the famous Okavango Delta. We met Bushmen along the way, climbed ancient baobab trees, saw the "too cute" vervet monkeys, several species of buck, zebras and a rare brown hyena with three cubs. What a free feeling to be in the middle of nowhere together with zebras and wildebeest.
Once we arrived in Maun we again stock up on groceries for our big adventure on dirt roads across the Delta. We drive from Maun via Khwai, Moremi Game Reserve, Savuti and Chobe National Park to Kasane. Along the way we camp at unusual and small campsites in the middle of the national parks that we find by GPS coordinates, cool! To avoid everything being full and because there is no access to the national parks without a reservation, all campsites are reserved in advance. This sounds less exciting, but believe me, in a wilderness like this, this is a really nice feeling.
Safely, in the cabin of our Land Cruiser, we watch herds of elephants saunter by, spot thirsty hyenas and, thanks to a tip from another vehicle, see a cheetah (cheetah) resting in the shade under a tree. At night we hear the lions roaring as we lie on one ear in our rooftop tent, going to the bathroom suddenly not so attractive.
Along the way we meet other campers at the various locations, there is always time for a pleasant chat. In Xakanaxa, located in the Moremi Game Reserve, we share the cost by joining a couple from South Africa on a boat trip across the Delta at sunset. Fun anecdotes always come up then, of course, so here too. When we detoured at a particular water crossing, it looked too dark and deep, they just entered the crossing in their own private vehicle. They got stuck in the water and spent 3 hours before they were free and able to continue on their way. All the seats and the contents of the vehicle were soaked, but a nice story to tell by the campfire later.
We eventually arrived in Kasane, thankfully, without any problems, to enjoy our last days at the impressive Victoria Falls. On the Zimbabwe side, we took a walk along the falls and had our picture taken with that other world traveler "David Livingstone. We ended the adventure with dignity on the Zambia side of the falls, visiting the Devil's Pool. This is a natural pool on the edge of Victoria Falls, where you can look down 100 meters while hanging over the edge.