My love affair with Africa and safaris began in 2012, when Sam and I took the boys to Kenya. I had a moment of clarity during the trip that I realized I was loving every.single.minute. (and we were traveling with teenagers, so that is really saying something)
How often does that happen in your life? Like, maybe never?
My recent trip to Botswana was the same. The game drives were astounding with the abundance of wildlife and the absence of people. The lodges are located on massive conservancies, often over 100,000 acres. If you are looking to get away, this is the place to truly unplug.
Every single game drive I went on was incredible, usually within a few minutes we were watching a leopard hunt, (RIP baby warthog) lion cubs wrestling, or rare Wild Dogs. I have long been on the hunt for Wild Dogs and spending time photographing 2 different packs was incredible.
The pics here were taken with my iPhone. We were that up close and personal.
Post game drive afternoons are spent in typical safari fashion over long leisurely lunches, reading and pool time. Or, if you were with my group, off checking out other camps via helicopter. Tea is served at 4:00, and then back out for an evening drive capped by a sundowner in the bush. I was drinking a G&T at a water hole one evening and we were joined by an entire herd of elephants. Then a leopard wandered in. Magic.
I was also able to spend time with the head of community impact for the Wilderness Trust, and see a few of their projects in the area, specifically a day with the CLAWS team. Look for a future blog post on their initiatives throughout Africa. Tourism dollars DO make a huge difference in wildlife conservation and the local communities.
Botswana is a low impact, high quality safari destination. The camps range from simple tented enclaves, to lodges that would fit right in to Architectural Digest. The people are warm and friendly.
The area is remote. Delta has an easy non-stop from Atlanta to Cape Town or Johannesburg. From there, a connecting flight to Maun. Once in Maun, hop on a helicopter or light aircraft. There is not much of a road system in the Delta.
When to go? NOT IN DECEMBER! When I do travel, I HAVE to go in the off months. You don't. The dry season is incredible for wildlife viewing. but the floodwaters from Angola have not arrived, and the weather is brutally hot. Peak months are June, July and August, with May and early September for High Shoulder. Forget the rest of the year, unless you want to really tough it out in the heat. The rainy season starts in January, and it is hot AND wet.
