Blogs from North-East, Botswana, Africa - page 2

We crossed the border from Zambia at Kazungula, which was fairly straightforward but required a short ferry across the Zambezi. A bridge is in the process of being built but the projected finish date seemed a tad optimistic. We found a cab on the other side- 10 minutes to Kasane, where we based ourselves for visiting Chobe National Park. The town itself isn't terribly interesting, other than the warthogs roaming the streets, nibbling on ample trash. Be sure to exchange all Kwacha (Zambian money) at the border, since there is nowhere in Kasane to do it. We tried the banks and bureaus, but eventually I had to just ask around to find someone who knew a Zambian and exchanged with her at a terrible rate. We stayed at Plateau Guest House (pronounce it plat-oo or no ... read more

Near Grootfontein is were we met our first San Bushman in nothing but a leather G-string. We followed him into his village were we met the most extordinary group of semi naked people with their clicks for words. These people were traditionally nomads and travelled year round to where they could find food. They could find water in most unusual places and would have the upmost curtesy for their fellow bushmen by only drinking enough to survive and not enough to empty the scarce resources by quenching their thirst. They would also leave straws in the trees for the next bushman to drink. The bushmen would find the most amazing roots at the end of a potato looking plant to drink and wash themselves with it. They wouldn’t eat the whole root but replace it back ... read more

Livingstone - Kasane/Botswana Ein kurzer Fahrtag, zuerst durch einen NationalPark mit einem malerischen (echten) Elefanten am Straßenrand. Dann ein etwas chaotischer Grenzübergang nach Botswana. Wir mussten road tax zahlen, was ja ok ist, aber es sollte halt auch jemand da sein., dem man das zahlen kann. Die Lodge direkt am Chome River. 15.30 Bootsfahrt in den Chome Nationalpark. Elefanten, Krokodile, Affen, Giraffen, Nilpferde etc. Ein sehr gemütlicher Nachmittag, man sitzt einfach im Boot, das Viehzeug wird angefahren, Foto machen und weiter.... read more

Southern Sun Garden Court Tambo Hotel to Chobe River, Botswana--Sunday, March 30th Another early start with breakfast at 6:30 and our tour starting at 7:00. We were picked up in the same vans that brought us from the airport for the short drive to the River that is the border with Botswana. There was the usual line of trucks that wait at any border crossing. Here truckers wait longer as they can ferry across only one truck at a time. The river was so full that the ferry could not dock as it usually did so, you were to wade in the water to get to the ferry. We watched a group ahead of us do this, then someone realized that the van could drive in the water down the concrete ramp to get close enough ... read more

The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Swamp), in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea. Each year approximately 11 cubic kilometres of water irrigate the 15,000 km² area and some flood-waters drain into Lake Ngami. The Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park, spreads across the eastern side of the delta. The Okavango delta is both a permanent and seasonal home to a wide variety of wildlife which is now a popular tourist attraction. Species include African Bush Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Lechwe, Topi, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Nile crocodile, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, Greater Kudu, Sable Antelope, Black Rhinoceros, ... read more