Highlights

33 days on the road, 10,000km on the clock, 27 nights in the roof top tent, hundreds of puddles and potholes, beautiful sunsets, lots of great braais and unbelievable up close and personal animal encounters along the way!

Best Nights at Camp

• NAM - Lions roaring at Etosha
  
• BOT – Elephants walking through camp at Savute
  
• SA – Sleeping in the hide with the hippos outside at Kruger

Best Animal Encounters

• NAM – Black rhinos fighting at Etosha
  
• BOT – Wild dogs hunting at Savute and lion hunting at Ihaha
  
• SA – Hyenas snoozing at Kruger 

Best Activities

• NAM – Hiking at Soussvlei and desert tour in Swakopmund
  
• BOT – Flight over the Okavango Delta
  
• ZIM – Thinking we were drenched at Vic Falls
  
• ZAM – Realizing what drenched is at Vic Falls
  
• SA – Crossing the Limpopo River and camping in the hide at Kruger 
  

Animal Sightings

Springbok, oryx, wild horses, ostrich, bat eared fox, baboon, dassie, black backed jackal, chameleon, gecko, side winding snake, lizard, cheetah, seal, giraffe, steenbok, elephant, wildebeest, zebra, black rhino, white rhino, red hartebeest, hyena, springhare, honey badger, wild dog, buffalo, crocodile, water monitor, sitatunga, leopard, lion, waterbuck, warthog, lechwe, kudu, impala, hippo, meercat, wildcat, dwarf mongoose, cane rat…and of course lots of donkeys, cows and goats that almost became road kill!

And Now

Just enjoying our last evening in Weenen sat around the fire as winter nights here are cold.  We’ve had the camping stove in the living room making pancakes around the fire so still enjoying our camping experiences till the last minute.  We return our Landrover tomorrow and start the trek back to Bermuda and the countdown to when we can plan another amazing experience in the wilds of the African bush as we are now converted to the Land Rover 4x4 roof top tent camping world.

BOT to SA - Where's the Bridge?

We woke to a very cool morning overlooking the Limpopo River and decided to rethink our plans now in search of a little warmth. We discovered access to the game viewing roads at Tuli Game Reserve was only via staying at a private camp and doing their organized game drives so we abandoned that plan and decided to head back to South Africa and take a slow cruise back to Weenen.

Crossing the Botswana – South Africa border was an adventure as in between the two countries is the Limpopo River and no bridge.  From the Botswana side, you could see the road into the river and the road out with the section in between covered by water – depth unknown.  We parked at the river edge and couldn’t actually believe that was the road ahead.   We chatted to some other travelers who had just crossed the river from the SA border who told us about their trailer that had floated across!!  What a daunting experience driving into a river….but what a highlight as we emerged with only a damp floor mat.

We decided a great place for an overnight would be camping at Tshipise where there are hot spring pools….and arrived to a sea of caravans in the campsite who hadn’t left a blade of grass to spare for our Landy amongst the 370 camping spots!  They were filled with caravans equipped to be homes away from home including just about any gadget that opens and closes including satellite dishes.  Some even had privacy screening to enclose their area, which were filled with kids, parents and grandparents.  Tshipise offered everything from relaxing in the warm baths to horse riding, game drives, touch rugby, action cricket, mini golf, trampolining and jukskei.   There was a real sense of family everywhere you looked. 

We saw hundreds of stunning old baobab trees in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.  

After Etosha, Moremi and Chobe, we seemed to be suffering from game viewing withdrawl symptoms so decided to head to Kruger for our last couple of days and hope there was space for us amongst all the SA kiddies on school holidays.  No space at any of the campsites and fortunately there was a cancellation at the Shipandani Hide so we booked it for our first night as probably not quite so popular in winter for the non-campers.  For the non SAers, a hide is a wooden structure overlooking a waterhole where you can sit “hidden” and watch the animals drinking.  This one is open to the public by day and takes those wanting to be just that little bit closer to the elements by night.   They give you a mattress, linen, and crockery.  There are pull down bed frames and the rest is just turning the hide and braai areas into your home for the night!

We arrived at the hide with three ellies and lots of hippo to greet us.  Any noises we made seemed to set the hippos off on a “barking” frenzy and they always sounded like they were on the other side of the fence to us.  Check out time was 6.30am so we were up just as the hippos were returning to the waterhole for the day.  Luckily our paths didn’t cross!

We continued to head South through Kruger getting us closer to Weenen.  We luckily got a camping spot at Letaba so enjoyed the day exploring the back roads and saw lots of ellies, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hippos and the highlight of the day was 3 hyenas snoozing by the side of the bridge and a leopard leaping across a pool of water.  

Kruger offers lots of other activities for the safari enthusiast…bush walks, morning/ afternoon/ sunset/ night drives, evening nature movies…so a great place to learn about the animals and the bush...unlike Botswana where living in the wilds of the bush gives you that first hand learning experience.

Back to Botswana

From Zambia we headed back to Botswana via the river crossing on the ferry at Kazungula. What absolute chaos that border post is.  There are cars, trucks and people everywhere and as soon as we arrived we had guys running up to us to help us “through the system”.  We were unofficially adopted by one who knew better than we that we would never figure it out.  We had to sign out our passport details in a ledger.  I was using my Bermuda Passport as I had thought it may have been easier for Zim and Zam but the British Passport written at the top sets the tone for any encounter with a Government official.  We were at the Customs desk dealing with exporting the vehicle when the Immigration Officer came marching over and rather aggressively told us that we had only entered the South African passport details and not the British passport details.  Once I showed him it was a Bermuda passport, which had been recorded, his tone completely switched and he was making jokes with us and couldn’t understand why Bermuda hadn’t got ride of the British emblem and ties.  Despite long lines of hundreds of trucks at the ferry ramp (aka river bank), we drove straight to the front of the “queue” and were baffled, as we were the only vehicle onboard along with passengers laden with cabbages and firewood for the 5 minute crossing.

We enjoyed another magnificent sunset and night of camping on the Chobe River and braai’d our remaining meat as we were heading South the next day.  Meat cannot be transported from North to South or from West to East in Botswana.  However if you hide some in the very bottom of the fridge and act dumb it gets snuck through :)

The road from Kasane to Nata must be one of the WORST road conditions in the world – especially on what would seem a major route from SA to Northern Botswana and onto Zim or Zam.  The potholes are so large, so frequent and so many that you can’t avoid them.  Gravel lanes had been created in some areas but even they were full of holes.   We even parked the car inside a massive pothole for a Kodak moment.  

We saw vultures flying above and they were just snacking on a dead elephant that must have been the victim of a hit and complete vehicle destruction.  A little ways further on we saw another though all that was left of him was a skull and ribcage.  No leftovers with scavengers around!

We made our way from the Northern most corner in Kasane to the most Eastern corner in the Tuli Block to the Limpopo River Lodge in the Tuli Block…forgetting that it borders with South Africa so the winter temperatures have returned.  I slept with thermals, fleece, flannel pants, two pairs of socks and two artic sleeping bags and if I could have coordinated a flannel blanket in the night that would have also made it onto keeping me warm..brr!!  Reception was closed so they hid a key under a rock for us as we had warned them we’d be arriving late and part of the welcoming committee was an elephant at our campsite.

Vic Falls, Zambia – The Senses of the Falls

I got it all wrong when I said that it felt like someone had thrown a bucket of water on us as we walked around the Zimbabwe side of Vic Falls…it was only a watering can with a little sprinkle of water on us compared to the absolute drenching we experienced on the Zambia side and it wasn’t even raining! The best $2 we ever spent was on renting double-layered ponchos before we crossed the bridge through the spray of the Falls. 

The Zim side gives you perspective on the size of the Falls and the Zam side the feeling of them..and should be seen in that order. You really need to feel that spray on your face and hear that thunderous noise of the water falling to fully understand the magnificence of the Falls. Photos just don’t capture the impression they make on you. 

Imagine the noise of any waterfall you’ve been to and magnify that by 100. Next remember any rain you’ve been caught in and imagine being drenched to the bone. And finally envision the most spectacular sight of water falling 93 metres that sprays hundreds of metres into the air with the crisp colours of the rainbows shining through. That’s what your senses indulge in as you cross the bridge! It was like being hit by a wall of water. Anything not covered by the poncho needs wringing out after!

Vic Falls, Zimbabwe - Trillionaires

What an experience crossing the Zimbabwe border. We had to pay R200 for Carbon tax, US55 for a visa for me, US40 for Third Party Insurance and another US40 for Commerical Vehicle Insurance. You are not sure who you can really trust as it all seems very suspect who is pocketing the cash but you can't do a thing about it if you want to come in so just have to fork over the cash! We have 100 trillion and a few hundred billion useless Zim dollars so they are desperate for US cash!!

Our first stop was lunch at the old colonial Victoria Falls Hotel which is like a living museum with thousands of framed memorabilia everywhere depicting the old colonial times and prized horns proudly on display from hunting trips. You can envision what it must have been like in these colonial times - ladies with sun shades walking through the gardens or taking the steam train to the falls. The hotel overlooks the stunning gorges of the falls. You hear the rumbling of the falls and see the spray hundreds of metres in the air and are lured along the 1km walk to the falls.

What a breathtaking place - the grandeur, the magnitude, the thunderous noise, the stunning rainbows, the volume of water, its speed, the spray from the falls soaring hundreds of metres in the air and unbelievably its ability to completely drench you...as if someone has just thrown a bucket of water on you and you have no idea where it was thrown from other than the dry area you just walked through now had you soaked. We found a path down 73 steps into the start of the falls and got even more drenched but what a feeling to feel like you are almost inside the falls!

We ditched the tent for the night and decided to enjoy the tranquility of Victoria Falls Hotel which was like a step back in history. We only realized today that it gave us a false illusion of what Zimbabwe is really like as we were completely protected from the mass of beggars and constant harrasment. The staff were so gentle and friendly and just cannot do enough. We were so loving our Zim experience that we wanted to rethink our plans to drive back to SA via Zim..until we asked a local who just had such sadness in his eyes as he told you how run down everything was now and just not worth going to. He just kept pondering what life once was to what it was now and that as long as there was a dictator in charge things were not going to be any different in his lifetime.

On our walk out of the falls we were approached by a guy called Gift who tried to sell us souvenirs. He had them lined in a row in the path so as soon as you approached his negogiations began of trying to sell us the the 3 items and the Zim $ he had. We were willing to buy 1 of the 3 but he just kept pushing and pushing. He then started asking for money for food and if we had any spare clothes and shoes. It is so tough to experience the human suffering that the people in Zimbabwe are facing. You realize how how fortunate we are, how much we have and how little we need and then how little they have and how little they are wanting. You just don't know what the right thing to do is as you can't buy from them all. There are a few tourists in Vic Falls on the Zim side so we are the locals only possible source of income so they are so desperate to make some type of exchange with you and they just don't give up until you are driving away.

Once we left the safety of the hotel today, we were harrassed everywhere we went. They stare at you through closed car windows and you cannot escape them unless you are in a moving vehicle. You don't want to be rude but you feel so overwhelmed and frustrated by the constant harassment. As a result we crossed the border today into Zambia to escape. We were harrased even leaving the country by an official who demanded papers from the police to allow us to take the vehicle from Zim. We had no idea what he was referring to and for a moment at the border I had a thought that we were not going to be able to escape!! Luckily the border exit opened and we were able to escape sadly saying to ourselves we will never return! What a contrast to the amazing experience we had at Vic Falls and its beautiful hotel and the friendliest staff ever! We had to pay to Zambia another US35 for Carbon Tax and US50 for a visa for me for along with a glare from the Immigration officials. Anyone associated with the UK over here isn't too popular with officials it seems!

We watched the Springbok win against the Lions so have a very happy Bokke fan! We are at a campsite on the Zambezi River and feel in a place of peace and tranquility again!

We are heading to see the Zambia side of Vic Falls in the morning and then crossing back to Botswana. We may go to Eastern Botswana to the Tuli Game Reserve to relax for a few days before heading back to Weenen on Saturday.

Ihaha Day 3 – As Hungry as a Vulture?

It’s like we are at a different Chobe today with not an elephant to be spotted! There was a strong wind this morning so I’ve concluded that has impacted the migratory patterns of the day. There has been the random buffalo, warthog and of course the good ol’ faithful impala that don’t count when you’re safari snobs like us :)

We spotted hundreds of vultures circling in the sky. Where there are vultures circling, there is something waiting to be nibbled at. As the expert trackers we have become (LOL!), we headed towards the vultures and spotted another hundred plus sitting by the river. There to the left in the bush was a fresh buffalo carcass and the vultures seem to have arrived on the scene before any other scavenger. It would seem he too died of natural causes, as he was too “intact” when we arrived in order to have been the victim of a lion kill.

At any one time, there are at least 20 vultures attacking the carcass, ripping bits and pieces out and putting their head under the skin and aggressively digging for something tastier. You can see where the references to vultures, food and huger comes from when you witness their eating manners and habits. There is constant squawking as they are feeding and fighting for their spot. On the sidelines in the tree above, there are about 10 vultures waiting their turn. After such a messy feast, they head to the river, rinse off and then spread their wings to dry! What a sight! During all this we have just had a hippo walk out of the river and into the bush. Inside the car it’s 34 degrees and there’s a cool breeze so I imagine we’ll be seeing him again soon as it’s hot out there and hippos are as sensitive to the sun as me! We’ve been hanging around hoping that it would be lion bait but no luck so far.

Not sure what’s with the buffalos dying of natural causes in Chobe? A park official (aka buffalo coroner) came by and determined that he died of natural causes and scared away the vultures remaining at the “all you can eat buffet”!

We have gone in search of swimming ellies and instead found a lioness under a tree and a herd of impala at the river. Ringside seats round #2!! The impala crossed into her path but warthogs came closer and she got so close to warthog for lunch but he did a quick right and she took a wide left and he escaped!! She then went for an afternoon siesta and we watched her again hunt for lechwe. She camaflouged herself in the long grass and was amazingly so close to the lechwe that she should have been able to put her paw out and stomp on him but again he got away!! Amazing that in one visit we witnessed four lion hunts!!

We arrived back in camp to herds of buffalo grazing and another spectacular sunset. The buffalos were around our campsite all night and this morning we had lions roaring at camp! Think they'd just had a great buffalo feast as all that remained of the buffalo carcass this morning was a rib cage and a leg down the road!!

We are in Kasane now, heading on a river sunset cruise along the Chobe River this afternoon. Spotted the red land rover and our Aussie friends driving by so hope to catch up with them later.

We are going to Vic Falls on the Zim side tomorrow and may venture onto the Zambian side the next day. The rest of the trip still to be determined. This is high speed internet so I hope to be back again before we head to Zim or after to upload some of our amazing photos to complete the stories.

Ihaha Day 2 – Buffalo & Elephants Galore

We were on the road by 6.45am and headed to see the state of the buffalo carcass (which they say died of natural causes) at the Old Serondela Campsite now referred to by us as the Serondela Zoo!! We got first sighting on three lion cubs out to play and then the gawkers arrived one by one so we moved on.

 We have driven about 20km alongside the edge of the Chobe River and had an absolutely amazing drive. It’s the only water source in the dry season so everything must come there to drink. Everywhere you look there is activity of birds or animals. Buffalo by the hundreds - for once something outnumbers the impala!

Our morning highlight is that we had private roadside seats at a lioness relaxing under a tree and then tracked her for about 20 minutes as she hunted a herd of impala. We eventually lost sight of the impala but imagining she treated herself to a tasty lunch. Amidst all that a herd of ellies came charging out of the bush to the river. Thousands of birds were sitting by the river and as soon as they we drove by, it was like a game of bird dominoes, hundreds by hundreds they took to flight and created mayhem in the sky.

NEWS FLASH…we have just been chased by an angry bull elephant. The elephant was drinking at the river and then came to scratch himself on a fallen tree in front of us. We videoed for a bit and then decided to hit the road. He did a 180 and came chasing us. Each time we speeded up so did he!!! Deon then decided to slow down and let him catch up again and so the game continued for about 2 minutes and then we left him in the dust..phew!. A little adrenalin rush for the morning!

And just around the corner, we are now watching a lioness hiding in the grass, watching every move of 4 warthog and a lechwe in front of her and another 4 warthog to her side. None of which have a clue she’s just up ahead. She has just crawled closer to the lechwe. A kill may be imminent. They still haven’t spotted her!!....Update….we watched her for over an hour and amazingly she kept crawling closer and closer to the lechwe and he never spotted her. His what seemed fatal mistakes were lying down for a bit, a good ol scratching session and then turning his back on her. She went in for the kill but the lechwe outran her. She didn’t give us the chase and tried again. It was like a stand off lechwe versus lioness with impala hissing on the sideline. What an amazing experience to witness.

We decided to treat ourselves to lunch in Kasane at Old House Restaurant that comes highly recommended by Lonely Planet, a friend in Bermuda who lived in Botswana for 10 years and it was on the GPS under “Food”. The place is nowhere to be found and we even went to the Botswana Tourism Office and they have never heard of it. Not even like it just closed down..but never heard of it’s existence ever. She points us to Kasane’s most upmarket restaurant, which is a version of KFC and with only one choice we had to try it. Just like KFC, better left a memory!

We are parked in the shade on the side of the Chobe waiting for a massive herd of hundreds of buffalo to cross the river and head back into the bush for the night. They look like they are in a huge traffic jam waiting for the leader to say go and start the walk home. We can see at least a hundred elephants starting their slow journey home – walking in family groups of about 20 and it seems a pattern of a mother followed by two calves in a long line.

On the way back into Chobe earlier, we saw ellies swimming across the river and drove through hundreds of elephants that had already crossed the river and were just coming out of the bush everywhere we looked – makes for some very cautious driving tactics as you don’t want to come between mother and baby. We saw little calves collapsed in the sand - must be tough to keep up with the big ones on this daily trek. Buffalos surrounded the entire campsite when we got to our place under the tree we call “home”. They grazed in front of us all evening and were there when we got up today.