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Posted by Afro Trek Safaris on Wednesday, 2 March 2016

Afro Trek Safaris in Moremi Game Reserve

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By David Young

Does the wilderness ever call your name? I often hear my name. Today I am answering the call and feeling fortunate to be looking at a packed safari vehicle with open air seats and a canvas roof. By 8:30 am. our group of seven is ready to head from Maun to Moremi Game Reserve for a three day safari. Qani, Shaka, Allan and Shylock are from Botswana, Trevor is from England, Kelly is an Australian and I am from Canada.

The first 25 kilometres are tarred roads. Before leaving the tar we stop to buy firewood. Another 50 kilometres of gravel road brings us to South Gate, one of the Reserves main entrances. While Shylock, our guide, registers the vehicle and occupants we stretch out legs, warm ourselves in the sun and have a cup of hot coffee.
We are heading to Khwai, our campsite for the next two nights. The road becomes more a worn trail and often we are holding on because of the dips and ruts. Heavy seasonal rains have caused considerable damage. The trip is now a game drive. Impala, kudu and giraffe are spotted along the way.

Camp is close to the River Khwai. The tents are erected in a semicircle, facing our vehicle, portable kitchen and chairs. From time to time our attention is drawn to the peaceful grunts of hippos enjoying themselves in the river. After a light lunch and brief rest, we are ready for the afternoon game drive.

Our camp is in a mopane forest. Elephants like to eat mopane trees for food and it is not long before we come upon two elephants feeding themselves as they make their way through the forest. Elephant spore or huge balls of dung are regular occurrences in this kind of habitat. The river is starting to overflow its banks. We explore some of the plains areas that run off the river. Soon the plains will be closed off to vehicles by the increasing annual flood. The soft late afternoon light gives us a beautiful sighting of a small herd of impala. They are relaxed and graze quite close to the vehicle. Moving further around the edges of the plains we meet 5 or 6 wildebeests – the clown of the plains. They tend to be more animated than other large animals and often entertain with their characteristic canter and toss of their head and horns.
Getting back to camp at twilight, everyone is pleasantly surprised that Shaka has setup camp chairs around a bright fire and has some refreshments on the dining table. Allan, Trevor and Kelly sit together by the fire and reminisce. They last met as a group 25 years ago in Australia. Our safari is part of celebrating their reunion.
Shaka has prepared a tasty curried chicken dish. The stories of these old friends flow around the table, like the quality South African red wine that is washing down the gourmet meal. A bottle of whiskey appears after dinner and the stories become more animated and comical. I feel quite honoured to be sharing highlights from the lives of good friends. No doubt, our trip will become part of the stories of future reunions.

We look somewhat unsteady, getting out of our tents the following morning. Over toast, coffee, jam, eggs and hot beans we discuss the cause of the unsteadiness. Kelly decides it is because the cots are low and none of us have camped out in quite a while. Pulling on some extra clothes to ward off the morning chill, Trevor observes how low the whiskey bottle appears to be. We allmutter some level of surprise, with explanations verging towards the mysterious.
Today we do two game drives. The morning drive is all about birds. Shylock knows the name and habit of all the birds, but I am also impressed with the knowledge of my fellow travelers. Shylock has been a professional guide for over twenty years. When one of us make a spotting or express an interest, he always expands our understanding. According to Shylock, “An interested guest is a guides best friend.”

The terrain we are covering is similar to yesterday, although in the opposite direction and more inland from the river. Fortunately some water remains from the rains of three months ago. We come upon a picturesque small, receding pond. Henry David Thoreau would have been happy to be with us. The collection and activity level of the birds is priceless viewing.
Qani is filling up her notebook with English names and descriptions of the birds. There is a balance, peacefulness and interaction that is miraculous to watch. Coffee and cookies are served. Grey Heron share the deeper water with Maribou Storks. Kingfishers are flying around and occasionally make way or Egyptian Geese coming in to land. Kelly’s attention is captured by the Pinkbacked Pelican. Much to our amusement he starts to hum an old ditty, “A funny old bird is the Pelican, his beak can hold more than his Belican...”

The group is in high spirits heading back to camp for lunch and a rest. The afternoon game drive takes us across The Bridge Over the River Khwai, an assortment of floating mopane logs. Trevor has been hoping for a lion sighting and Shylock is out to give it his best shot. After about an hour drive and only seeing one old male elephant, Shylock appears to stop for a rest. Trevor is more than a little startled and draws our attention to a male lion resting in the tall golden grass. Suddenly we are all startled. There is also another male and female lying in the grass, not twenty metres away. It may seem over done to you, but we are using binoculars. The males have been fighting over the female and we are looking at the damages of battle – the cuts and bleeding. We leave wondering if the fighting is over or whether nightfall will bring another ferocious encounter.
The following morning we do a final game drive, determined not to leave any leaf unturned. It is the quality of game viewing that makes Moremi so enjoyable. Often you do not see another vehicle during an entire game drive. You never feel rushed or harried by the outside world. Many visitors come for a once in a lifetime trip to Africa. Here is the ideal place for that trip of a lifetime or as in our case the reunion.

Moremi Game Reserve - Safari

Maun & Afro Trek Safaris on the Web

Afro Trek Safaris - connected to the World Wide Web. Use the following sites to find out more about Maun, Botswana and Afro Trek Safaris - happy surfing, just click!

1. Home Page of AfroTrek Safaris

2. News about AfroTrek and Maun, Botswana

3. Hotel & Tourism Association of Botswana

4. Home Page of Sedia Riverside Hotel

5. Maun’s weekly newspaper

6. WikiTravel Web Guide

Moremi Game Reserve Safari

Here we have two of our Afro Trek Safari Guides - Shylock in the middle and Kabelo 'KB' Kgafela on the far left with three Norwegian visitors. They did a three day safari around Moremi Game Reserve to end off the month of June. The game was plentiful, the food excellent and the company wonderful.

With the new season getting into full swing, Afro Trek is bringing two new Land Cruisers on stream. Book early to get the dates and camps that you want. Whether it's three days or six - a safaris trip of a lifetime can be organized for you.

Maun Safari - Mokoro Trails,The Transparent Reality

Over the past few years, the Okavango Delta and Maun in particular, has become perceived as an expensive destination with many Overland Companies no longer stopping in Maun due to what are considered to be high rates for activities such as Mokoro Trails. Even when Overland Companies do stopover in Maun, a growing number of passengers choose not to do key activities such as the Mokoro Trails because of the rates being quoted.

The rates at Sedia Riverside Hotel and Afro Trek Safaris are constantly reviewed taking in to consideration the declining value of the Botswana Pula against the US dollar, so that we always offer the best possible rates to our guests.

Below, we have described how the Mokoro Trails activity is arranged through the Community Trust that owns the concession area in which the trails are done and the rates the Trust charge locally based licensed safari operators , such as ourselves, for the Mokoro Trails activity. The Mokoro Trails activity forms a part of the Community Based Tourism Policy promoted by the Botswana Government in order to encourage rural communities to generate work and earn an income from the resources of the rural areas in which they live, namely the wilderness.

All drive-in Mokoro Trails from Maun are undertaken in the Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust , known as the OKMCT. The OKMCT have outsourced the Mokoro Trail activity to various Safari Operators based in Maun who market the trails and provide transport for the transfers from Maun into the Mokoro Poling stations within the OKMCT Concession Area. The most popular poling Station being at Boro, which is used by virtually all safari operators from Maun.

Afro Trek Rates for the Mokoro Trails Activity, including transfer charges are :
2 Day / 1 Night Trail US $ 110 - 00 per person

3 Day / 2 Night Trail US $ 125 - 00 per person

1 Day Mokoro Trail US $ 90 - 00 per person
( Rates valid for a minimum of four or more persons.)

The OKMCT is totally autonomous in the management of the Mokoro Trails activity and have fixed the daily rates which safari operators are charged as follows :

Licensed Guide with Mokoro US $ 25 - 00 per day
Licensed Poler with Mokoro US $ 20 - 00 per day
Entrance Fee to Concession US $ 6 - 50 per day

These rates exclude transfer charges into the concession poling station, this transfer is provided and charged for by the Maun based safari operator, the transfer charge being added to the OKMCT fixed rates for the mekoro and entrance fees , by the Maun based safari operator.

For a group of say 10 doing a two day / one night mokoro trail , the charges by the OKMCT would be just under US $ 40 per person. Afro Trek transfer charges into the Mokoro Poling station in the concession area are about US$ 40 per person ( In and Out of the concession area ) and are included in our rates given above.

Since the Boro Poling station lies under 20 kms from Maun and, we feel this rate to be fair and reasonable and covers our transfer costs , ground crew costs , public liability insurance costs, administration costs and vehicle maintenance costs.

The Afro Trek Mokoro Trails depart from the Riverside Hotel campsite for the Boro or Ditshipi Poling Stations. For the Mokoro Trails Transfers we use customised Toyota Landcruisers with rear mounted game viewing seats with a trailer for the luggage.

We feel the above transparency in our rate structuring is important, so that our passengers know where their money is going and that it will encourage more people to participate in a Mokoro Trails and in so doing meet some of the Bayei Tribe who live in the OKMCT concession area and have a real eco-tourism experience at a fair rate. All our guides and drivers are from the region, two of them being from the Kopano Trust area so passengers are given a good insight into the culture and traditions of the people.

Moremi Game Reserve - Rainy Season

Lioneses Resting With Carcass - Paradise Pools, Moremi

Elephant Enjoying Mud Bath

Early January brought some friends from Canada for a visit to Maun. One of the things we did was a mobile safari with Shylock Raborokwe, into Moremi Game Reserve. The video above shows a huge male elephant enjoying a very wet mudhole. We saw pleny of game - hippos, kudu, impala, wildabeasts, sable, dudiker, crocs, saddlebacked storks, spur winged geese, lions....

Moremi is very wet this year. Northern Botswana is having a heavy rainy season - most places already have over 300mm and some are over 400mm. With 6 to 8 weeks still to go for prime rain times, it could be well above our average rain fall of 460mm.

Shylock Captures Lion In Moremi Game Reserve

Guests from Windhoek had two very special days with Shylock Raborokgwe. On day 1 they went on a mokoro trip in the Okavango Delta and ended the day with a game flight. On day 2 Shylock took his guests on a day trip mobile safari in Moremi Game Reserve. They saw plenty of game - elephants, kudu, impala, hippo....

The highlight of the trip was a lion sighting. No only did the safari guests get some great photos, but there was enough time for Shylock to get a couple of photos of his own. Tautona is the name given the dominant male lion in a pride or area. I think that is what we are looking at in the picture. If I had been there, I would have been listening for the lion roar. For us, Shylock is the 'Tautona Safari Guide. '

Regardless, these guests had two days they will never forget. What a way to spend a weekend or two spare days in your busy schedule. Give it some thought - see the Okavango Delta by air, water and safari vehicle.

Maun Safari - Game Flight Or Game Drive

Game Flight or Game Drive?

Let’s assume you have just arrived in Maun, Botswana and you have to plan your activity for the next day. If you have to choose between either doing a game flight or going on a day game drive to Moremi Game Reserve, what should you consider?

The game flight only takes about an hour. It leaves you plenty of time during the next day to rest, shop or catch up on some writing or reading. Mainly the participants seem to remember seeing herds of elephant or cape buffalo. Flying in a small Piper Cub is fun and if you are like me, you see the ground as a real life map.

On the other hand, a game drive starts early in the morning and is a full day activity. The potential to get close to lions, leopards, elephant, giraffe, hippo, wildebeest and a bounty of bird life are reasonably high. The packed lunch and chance for a short midday rest never disappoint.

If getting close to nature in a world renowned game reserve is your idea of fun, then the game drive is for you. If you need a rest and prefer a unique aerial perspective of the Delta, then go for the game flight.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The Kalahari Desert covers most of Botswana, about 80% of the country is Kalahari savannah, grasslands and dry sandveld. There is no surface water, only a few perennial springs, poor soils and precious little rain or metsi. The Kalahari Desert is better described as an arid savanna wilderness scantily covered with sweet grasses and patches of camelthorn, blackthorn and other aciacas. However, a rich diversity of wildlife is sustained by this desert wilderness area.

The aboriginal inhabitants of Botswana are the San or Bushmen, who made the Kalahari their home for more than 30,000 years ago. The San have a rich cultural heritage and now reside in different parts of the country but the majority of them still reside in the Kalahari region.

The Kalahari Desert is better described as an arid savanna wilderness scantily covered with sweet grasses and patches of camelthorn, blackthorn and other aciacas. However, a rich diversity of wildlife is sustained by this desert wilderness area.

The animals dwelling here are superbly adapted to these extremely dry conditions, amongst which are gemsbok, blue wildebeest , springbok , eland , red hartebeest , lion , leopard , hyena and wild dog. Many of these animals survive on water extracted from dew covered plants and deep rooted succulents.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, set aside as a protected area, ranks among the worlds wildest and most remote game reserve. The area is largely flat, with shallow valleys, vast pans and remote hills. Pipers Pan , Tau Pan and Deception Valley are to be found in this area.

Lioneses Attack Cape Buffalo

Life In The Wilderness

For those of you interested in seeing a video of Lionesses attacking a Cape Buffalo, visit TOPIX - Botswana. Take in a couple of minutes of what you can see when you are on mobile safari - life in the wild. These are often the stories that are discussed around the campfire, after dinner.

Safari Safely In Botswana

Botswana Safari Safety

The open safari vehicle does provide a surprising degree of protection. You will be amazed at how close you can get to a lion. Your safari guide will try to get the best setting for your photos and videos. You only leave the vehicle with your guides’ permission.

Predators like lion and hyena are always a concern. Too many accidents happen because the big animals are territorial or protecting their young. Hippos are the most dangerous. They can change from grazing to charge mode surprisingly quickly. Cape Buffalo can be very skittish and mean spirited.Listen to you guides’ guidance. Also, listen to his stories around the campfire at night. The information can save your life.

Whether you are staying at a lodge in the Okavango Delta or on mobile safari with Afro Trek Safari, safety is always concern number 1. Everyone has to realize that when you are on safari in the game reserves, you really are inside the zoo.

The pre-trip briefing, by your professional guide, is extremely important. It is your responsibility to understand and closely follow the safety guidelines. Make sure your fellow travellers understand the guidelines. Make sure your safari of a liftime is memorable for all the right reasons.Your guide wants to get you as close to the big game as possible, in a safe manner. 99.9% of safaris run smoothly. Make sure you are not that 1 in a 1000.

Campfire Safety Perspectives:

After a day on safari exploring for big game and a great dinner in the bush, it is not unusual to sit up for awhile around the campfire. Often, the guides and guests share some great stories. Often the stories are about near accidents or narrow escapes. The themes often come back to safety. Some stories may be fanciful - many are not.

1. Bending over the side of a boat to free a fishing line as a crocodile jumps from a nearby bank and passes just over the startled person…

2. Escape by jumping over a log to get away from a charging hippo…

3. When a lion attacks, keep staring the lion straight in the eyes – it will stop. Your heart may also stop, but that is another story.

4. A guest video taping his own death, walking toward a buffalo herd…5. Last but not least – hyenas. Often they are around camps at night. Their yup – yup sound is distinctive and yup, they can be very dangerous. Follow you guides advice about staying inside your zipped-up tent.

Moremi Gami Reserve - 1st Amongst Equals

Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi is often described as the most beautiful of all wildlife sanctuaries in Africa, covering almost a third of the entire Okavango Delta. It is a diverse habitat where the desert and delta meet - an area made up of floodplains, pans, lagoons, channels, woodlands and forests.

In 1963, the wife of the late Batawana Chief, Moremi the Third, developed the Moremi Game Reserve in his honour. It it was the first wildlife reserve to be set aside in southern Africa voluntarily, by an African community on their own land. In 1970, the Chief's royal hunting grounds, Chief's Island was added with a further area to the northeast in 1991.

The Reserve is a haven to wide variety of wildlife and many water dependant animals. Birdlife is prolific and also varied, ranging from water birds to shy forest dwellers. Elephants are numerous, particularly in the dry season, as well as a range of other wildlife species from buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, jackal and the full range of antelope, large and small including the Red Lechwe.

Moremi Game Reserve is best visited in the dry season, game viewing is at its peak from June to October, when the pans have dried up. The winter months of May to August can be very cold at night and early mornings, but pleasantly warm during the day. From October until the rains break in late November or early December, the weather can be very hot, with temperatures regularly topping 40 Celsius (105 Far.) in the day.

Maun Safari - Safari Lion Kill

Afternoon Safari Drive Story

The following story was developed over a three week period at my Maun - Gateway to the Okavango Delta Wetlands site. Imagine a variation of it being told around the campfire as you return to camp.

"Look - over there - in the tall grass - 2 female lions! And behind them - on the malapo - a herd of sable. Let's just see what happens... if we are patient enough, perhaps a kill. Look - Quelas, by the thousands - flying in tight formation, like they are all one big body. Amazing how they can dip and dive - they have all disappeared into that tree.

This could be it, one of the lions is moving into the mopane trees - it is circling around toward the sable herd... Perhaps we should move the vehicle more out onto the malapo to see what's happening - not far enough we disturb the dozen or so sable slowly grazing toward the woods. Soon the sable will enter into the woodland themselve. My God - look!

The lion is charging out of the woods, straight into the herd of sable. The sable are in panic - turning and trying to scatter - they are coming straight at us. On of the sable clips the back corner of our vehicle as it flees past us back out onto the malapo. Confusion reigns are the lionese continues to charge. She has picked out her prey, a pregnant sable.

With lightning speed she closes down her prey and leaps onto her shoulders. The weight of the lion and the resistance given by her back legs stop the fleeing sable just 5 metres from our vehicle. The second lionese is now sprightly making her way to the scene of the evolving kill. In quick order the sable is now flipped on her side. She awaits her fate with a stoic dignity.

The first lionese continues her grip on the sables should/neck until she is dead - it seems to take forever - perhaps 5 or 6 minutes. The other lionese starts at the other end and work toward the inards. Dinner is served. Who would have guessed it would arrive so suddenly. It is time to start making our way towards camp and think about our own supper. Perhaps we should come back in the morning and have a final look around. How about passing by the river on the way home - elephants may be having an end of day swim and drink?

My, my, we are lucky today - a herd of about 30 elephants coming down, just as we arrive.Ah, one of life's little pleasures - to see an elephant, after a long dry walk, makes it's run for freaf, clean river water. The gait seems to have a spring, the head and nose start to bob up and down more than usual - you can almost see it grinning as it runs staright into the water. Only the baby elephants seem to have some difficulties - trying to figure out what to do with their long noses as they try and run towards the river.

After watching them play in the water for 20 minutes - pushing there mates under water and spraying each other with water, it is getting late and time to go. We enjoy an emence African sun set and twilight. We arrive back in camp. A glowing campfire and a round of refreshing drinks are waiting for us. Now we can really talk about the safari."

Okavango Delta Flooding

Okavango Delta - Wetlands Getting Wetter

Travellers from around the world are following, with growing interest, the strong floods pouring into the Okavango Delta. A post in the Maun, Botswana Blog about the flow rates at Mohembo is creating worldwide interest. Click on the above link to follow the developing story.

What has started as a strong annual flood with flow rates of over 400 cubic metres per second, has spike over 200 cubes in just 10 days. Kasane is experiencing wide ranging flooding as we speak and it is very possible a similiar situation is developing in the Okavango Delta. A new flow rate chart will be out after April 10th.

Safari in Savute

Savute

Savute, lying in the west of Chobe National Park about 50km north of Mababe Gate, attracts dense concentrations of game during the wet season, which normally starts in late November.

The shallow Savute Channel, connecting the river to the north with the Mababe Depression, which was once a great lake, seems devoid of life. So to, Savute Marsh, situated at the junction of the Savute Channel and the Mababe Depression, dry for most of the year and best described as a treeless flatland.

Until, however, the rains break, then the game arrives, in their thousands, taking advantage of the new rich grasses. Wildebeast, giraffe, tsesebe, and huge herds of zebra, together with elephants and buffalo making up the variety of animals to be seen.

This massive influx of game also attracts predators, in the form of lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and hyenas. Savute is world famous for the carnivores, especially the lion prides that are resident here. Savute is also well known for the bull elephants that roam through this area.

Afro Trek Safaris To Chobe

Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park is divided into four main focal points. The Chobe Riverfront with floodplains and teak forests; Savute Marsh in the South West; the Linyanti Swamps in the North West and the hot, dry hinterland in between.

The Chobe National Park covers 10,000 sq. km., which is about 4,000 sq. metres and one of the major features is the elephant population. The Chobe elephant comprise part of what is probably the largest surviving continuous elephant population, which covers most of northern Botswana plus northwestern Zimbabwe and is estimated to be well over 100,000 strong. The Chobe elephants are migratory making seasonal movements of up to 200 km. from the Chobe and Linyanti river systems, where they concentrate in the dry seasons.

Game viewing is at its best during the dry months of May through to September, when the majority of natural pans have dried up and the game concentrates around the permanent water sources. Most wildlife activity occurs along the banks of the Chobe River. Hippos bathe, crocodiles sun themselves and wildebeest, zebra and buffalo gambol freely.

The buffalo herds are invariably accompanied by attendant lions, which can result in, the much sought after viewing of a lion kill. Sadly, such a sight in Chobe these days may have to be shared with many other tourists in game viewing vehicles (most of these vehicles now fitted with radios for communication with each other), gridlock could be experienced. However, maybe the awe of the spectacle outweighs any distraction from other game viewing vehicles in the immediate vicinity, some may not agree.

Many baboons and the elusive Chobe bushbuck can be spotted along the riverbank. Not to be missed by party animals is the afternoon boat9or booze) cruises available from most of the riverside lodges in Kasane. The Chobe riverfront offers beautiful scenery and stunning, dramatic sunsets.

Afro Trek Safety Briefing #2

Safari Briefing – Safety 2

The open safari vehicle does provide a surprising degree of protection. You will be amazed at how close you can get to a lion. Your safari guide will try to get the best setting for your photos and videos. You only leave the vehicle with your guides’ permission.

Predators like lion and hyena are always a concern. Too many accidents happen because the big animals are territorial or protecting their young. Hippos are the most dangerous. They can change from grazing to charge mode surprisingly quickly. Cape Buffalo can be very skittish and mean spirited.

Listen to you guides’ guidance. Also, listen to his stories around the campfire at night. The information can save your life.

Afro Trek Safari Goes International

BlogBurst has just accepted Afro Trek Safari into their syndication. Wonderful news to start the New Year. More people from around the world will share the wonders of the Okavango Delta and destination areas like Moremi Game Reserve and the Tsodilo Hills. BlogBurst is described below, in their own words:

"BlogBurst is a syndication service that places your blog content on top-tier online destinations. You get visibility, audience reach and increased traffic, while publishers get a wide range of new coverage to broaden their reach and increase page views."

BlogBurst clients to date include the following international clients: Reuters, USA Today, Gannet, SF Gate, The Washington Post and Discovery.

Afro Trek Safari - Safety

Safari Briefing – Safety 1

Whether you are staying at a lodge in the Okavango Delta or on mobile safari with Afro Trek Safari, safety is always concern number 1. Everyone has to realize that when you are on safari in the game reserves, you really are inside the zoo.

The pre-trip briefing, by your professional guide, is extremely important. It is your responsibility to understand and closely follow the safety guidelines. Make sure your fellow travellers understand the guidelines. Make sure your safari of a liftime is memorable for all the right reasons.

Your guide wants to get you as close to the big game as possible, in a safe manner. 99.9% of safaris run smoothly. Make sure you are not that 1 in a 1000.