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Botswana

Botswana’s Okavango Delta & Central Kalahari – March 2025 – Part 1

24th May 2025

Botswana’s Okavango Delta & Central Kalahari – March 2025 – Part 1 

Fish Eagle Safaris’ Lyndon Duplessis recently visited several Botswana properties on an educational trip; here is his report:

“March is typically as early in the year as you can head to Botswana and still have a really good experience. The rainy season is just about over (but you’re still likely to experience a few thunderstorms and showers), the grass is green and the animals look healthy. That same grass, if the rains were particularly good, can be a bit on the tall side and that was definitely the case this year. Botswana received a copious amount of rain. Ask anyone in Botswana and they will say that is a good thing. Their currency, the Pula, literally means rain. And they say “pula,” their version of cheers, when they toast a drink. Having said that, it does present some challenges. That nice looking green grass can obscure some of the smaller mammals and make them more difficult to see. The abundance of water – everywhere – tends to disperse the animals who might otherwise have to gather around remaining sources during the dryer months. The good news? All the animals are still around, you just have to work a bit harder to see them and get a little bit lucky. During the course of a full length safari (6 to 9 nights), we like your odds and this trip backed up that sentiment.

Gomoti Plains

My first stop was Machaba Safaris’ Gomoti Plains Camp. I had heard a lot of good things about this camp and the area that it was in. The part of the Okavango Delta the camp is located in has become a hotbed for animal sightings and action in general. It did not disappoint during my all too brief 2-night stay. The camp itself is classic level with plenty of comfort and space but nothing over the top. The staff to guest ratio felt very high to me and everyone was friendly and helpful. Our guide Carl was excellent and the food was delicious.

At one point on a drive my allergies started acting up due to the grass but luckily I had some allergy medication I took which cleared them up in a timely manner. If you are headed to Botswana early in the year this is definitely something you should bring with you. As well as a buff and some eyewear to protect your face from any grass seeds the vehicle kicks up.

The wildlife viewing was a bit tough to come by but we did, thanks to our guide, get some good views of lions. Once during the day hiding under some thick bushes and then again during an after dinner night drive. In fact we saw a large pride of at least 10 lions on the move and hunting. We kept up briefly but they seemingly vanished into the tall grass. General plains game species such as giraffes, zebras and various antelopes were not hard to find.  

One interesting tidbit I overheard was that a couple of the guests were visiting this camp for the 5th time. I think that is no accident and a very good indicator of the quality of service and the amount of animals in the area. Our guide said as the year moves on the animals flock to the river and become very easy to observe.

Kwando 4 Rivers

If two nights at Gomoti were too short a stay then the one night I got to spend at Kwando 4 Rivers was really quite tragic. But it can be difficult to balance seeing new camps with a tight schedule, so in this case, I had to settle for what I could get. I really like the location of this camp with the large main area overlooking permanent water. There is no boating here but mokoro can be done year round. The rooms were impressive and very spacious.

The grass here was even taller than at Gomoti so when we heard that a lion had been spotted a little ways away – but we had to go off road most of the way to get there before sunset – we knew it was going to be an adventure. It was bumpy and the grass was flying everywhere. The occasional log or channel of water slowed us down from time to time but we got there and got to see two female lions with 6 cubs on a kill and then the cubs started suckling from the mothers. Just a fantastic sighting. The only bad news was that we had to make the whole trek back to camp before we ran out of daylight. Oh well – it was very much worth the effort.

A couple of things that Kwando does that not everyone else does; they have a guide and a spotter on their game drives and they have communal dinners. We like both and feel like they add to the safari experience.

Dinaka

It was now time for my trip with Ker and Downey Botswana to start. First up, after meeting all of my fellow travel companions at the airport, was Dinaka Camp, located just about a 25-minute flight from Maun on a large private conservancy north of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. I was anxious to get a look.

Just like the rest of northern Botswana there had been good rains earlier in the year so the landscape was not what you might expect of the Kalahari. Trees, grass, plants and flowers were everywhere looking very healthy and vibrant. There was a great abundance of butterflies and the plains animals looked to be in great shape. We got to see some action right out of the gate on our evening game drive near the airstrip. As we approached there were lions chasing a small herd of zebras in a cloud of dust. No kill but great to experience that excitement so early in our stay.

That evening we drove to a stargazing deck for our sundowner. From there you can see how expansive the conservancy is as you are surrounded by it. The sunset from there was also superb and of course you have a mobile bar and all the snacks you can shake a stick at. Not a bad start. A bit of a curiosity on the night drive back to camp – our vehicle spotted a Kalahari mole rat. We were told it was an extremely rare sighting. Now you know.  

We stayed around the campfire after dinner taking advantage of the lit watering hole by the main area. Over the course of the night we saw a leopard, followed by a brown hyena, finally followed by a quick moving honey badger. Well worth a late night.

Some additional highlights at Dinaka include seeing the 4 or 5 white rhino which are located on the property. Our guides did a wonderful job tracking them through the tall grass. It actually looks like a motorcycle drove through the grass where they had been. The camp also has numerous hides located across the property which offer wonderful photographic opportunities. The second night we got to experience some lions roaring right next to our vehicle. And the staff was wonderful and quite talented as far as singing goes. I think this camp really jumped off the page for me and I would highly recommend you check it out.”

If you are up for a last-minute trip to Botswana or thinking ahead for 2026 or even 2027, by all means reach out to Lyndon at lyndon@fisheaglesafaris.com. He’d be happy to respond by email or arrange a Zoom meeting for you to be introduced to a couple of the members of our team. There’s nothing we like more than talking about Africa and finding out more about exactly what kind of a trip you might have in mind. We can also be reached by phone at 713-467-5222 or 1-800-513-5222 any time of the day and weekends. Please leave a message with the answering service and one of us will get back to you promptly. 

Lodge photos courtesy Gomoti Plains and Danaka

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A Visit to Tawana Camp, Moremi

17th January 2025

A Visit to Tawana Camp, Moremi

Over a splendid alfresco dinner in late 2024 at Natural Selection’s new Moremi jewel – Tawana – the conversation ranged from painted dogs to lion on lion conflict to our trip bird list. It was unseasonably hot (in the grip of a heatwave) so we talked about that and about the lack of rain. All standard safari dinner conversation fodder. Until we started to talk about cork. 

Earlier during our stay I had noticed the extensive cork flooring which is a distinct feature of the huge Tawana rooms and massive common areas. The textured – seamless – cork floors are attractive, essentially slip-free and they feel good when walking around barefoot in your room. Which I wouldn’t ordinarily do, but with slightly spongy, soft cork underfoot, I had to try. 

It turns out that the cork flooring had a story. We were fortunate to have been joined for dinner by Tawana co-owner Hennie Rawlinson and his talented daughter Jenna. While talking about some of the design features of the lodge (which has the same architect as Natural Selection’s fascinating Shipwreck Lodge in the Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia), Hennie mentioned that  the finely textured cork was applied to the floor in slurry form, somewhat like cement. And, as it turned out, the lodge construction process had a ‘cork delay’ due to construction having to be halted for several weeks. Their South African cork sources had run dry. Additional cork had to be imported from Portugal to complete the process. 

When I make it back to Tawana – which I definitely plan to do some day soon – I’ll no doubt inadvertently wonder about the cork underfoot. South African pinotage or Portuguese port? Tawana happens to have a particularly impressive wine cellar so guests have ample opportunities to help accumulate the next batch of cork. They’re going to need it folks, so do your best.

Getting there

One of the guests in our party had Priority Pass access, which got us into the Mack Air private lounge at Kasane Airport. Thank you Carole! For once, we weren’t fussed about the possibility of a delay. Cookies, coffee, sandwiches, samosas, chips – need I say more? As it turned out Mack Air was right on time as we had come to expect from them by then. From Kasane to Khwai Private airstrip took about 50 uneventful minutes in a Cessna Caravan. We did have to cool our heels in a shady spot at the airstrip waiting for a helicopter from Helicopter Horizons to show up. It was flaming hot outside – right around 100 F – so there were some smiles when we started to hear the familiar sound of helicopter blades beating the air into submission. It took just about 40 minutes or so in the Bell Longranger helicopter to reach Tawana. There’s no such thing as a quiet helicopter but with each of us wearing a proper headset, we could listen in to some of the pilot’s communication with air traffic control. Flying relatively low over the terrain, we did spot some elephants en route and there was a herd of them close to the camp on our approach. A big plus point for me when evaluating any safari property? Big animals close to camp on arrival. Check. What gets an even higher score? Big animals on arrival at camp preventing you from getting to your room. Of course. 

The camp experience

Tawana is a deluxe property, simply stunning all round with eight huge rooms, an air-conditioned gym and boutique, an air-conditioned wine cellar and there is a small locker in the main area for each room to leave some items behind, instead of lugging them to your room and back every day.  

The rooms at Tawana are huge and there’s plenty of outside decking to boot,  with a good-sized outside plunge pool, an inside shower and bath, and a proper outside shower with a view. From a distance, the exterior views of the suites are reminiscent of the local thatched Batawana huts. The suites are set in the shade of several huge ebony and sausage trees which help to create a cool, calm environment. Some of the trees are also home to a troop of chacma baboons. If there’s any kind of disturbance at night – such as leopards prowling around – the baboons can be quite noisy and disruptive. So to be sure, have some earplugs ready to shut out any unwarranted baboon noise.  

Each room at Tawana has an air cooling unit in the main bedroom portion of the room, right over the bed. The two family rooms have a unit in each bedroom. While it doesn’t cool down the entire room (it would be impractical in a tented environment), the solar operated cooling unit creates ideal sleeping conditions, particularly when the mosquito net is in place, further insulating the space above the bed. In a country like Botswana which has a long hot season – essentially from October through the end of March – having effective air cooling in the sleeping area in a tent makes it possible to take an afternoon nap on a hot summer day. And of course to sleep comfortably at night.  

The ultra-spacious communal areas in the camp include an elegant lounge and indoor and outdoor dining spaces. Our party made good use of the walk-in wine cellar and the wood-fired pizza oven, creating our own delicious pizzas one afternoon. The hospitality at Tawana was simply the best. My vegetarian food requirement was handled deftly, which is not always the case with a plant-based preference. Several members of our party took advantage of the spa and wellness treatments and supported the gift shop. Kathy and I took a walk down to the other side of the camp to check out the 52-foot lap pool and the well-equipped gym.

Game viewing in the Moremi

The game viewing in the Tawana area was excellent and with our capable guide Jonas in charge, we experienced many thrilling encounters, notably with lions and African painted dogs. Setting out on a track which meandered alongside the Gomoti river, we were soon reminded why seasoned African travellers speak so highly of the Moremi Game Reserve. Stretching across nearly 1,900 square miles, the Moremi is a magical corner of Botswana renowned for its high concentration of antelope, predators and large herbivores. 

Drought conditions at the time – subsequently broken by good rain having fallen – created ideal conditions for wildlife activity and interaction along the Gomoti river. We were not just observing mammals and birds, we were seeing them dealing with and reacting to a situation which constituted an existential threat. The many hippo families in the Gomoti river, for example, had to extend their usual ‘night-time only’ grazing habits right into the daylight hours. Simply because palatable grass sources were scarce close to the river, and they had to walk miles and miles every day just to find enough forage to stay alive. From our very first game drive and for the duration of our stay there, seeing so many hippos out of the water in daylight was a reminder of the harsh reality of surviving in nature.  

On two different occasions, we spent time with a large pride of lions (both males and females and several youngsters) and were fortunate to photograph them in good afternoon light. The following afternoon Jonas took us out in search of a coalition of four cheetahs, which had been spotted in the area the previous day. We didn’t find the cheetahs but it didn’t really matter as we came across a large pack of 27 African painted dogs with several puppies around 6 to 8 weeks old. In what was a first for all of us, three or four of the painted dogs were interacting with a young crocodile. Repeatedly darting right up to the inert crocodile, only to swerve away and retreat. Seemingly in an attempt to get the crocodile to turn tail, in which case the painted dogs may have attacked it.  

Yet another exciting encounter came the next day when a territorial fracas between two prides of lions erupted into an intruder female lion pursuing and driving off another female. What made it all worse, from our perspective, was watching the reaction of the four subadult offspring of the retreating, defeated lioness. They ran off into the distance and watched the scene unfold, clearly anxious and sensing that this did not bode well for them. 

Seeing that he’s just visited Tawana, do get in touch with Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com for up to date information about Tawana and the many other Natural Selection Safaris properties which we can book for you in Botswana. Natural Selections now have an enviable portfolio of safari properties in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia and we know just how to combine some of them in the best possible way. There are some attractive shoulder season offers as well as long-stay incentives. If you prefer, leave us a message at 1-800-513-5222 and we’ll get back to you promptly.  

Tawana dining area and exterior suite photos courtesy Tawana

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Our Most Memorable Safari & Wildlife Experiences Volume 1

26th November 2024

Our Most Memorable Safari & Wildlife Experiences Volume 1

Over the course of just about a lifetime of wilderness and wildlife experiences, it’s near impossible to isolate the ‘best ever’ events or sightings, but a few do come to mind without having to dig too deep. In future issues of our newsletter we’ll find out about their best experiences and places from the other members of the Fish Eagle Safaris team. Here are a few of mine:

My first visit to Botswana

My very first visit to Botswana in February 1990 had a lot of firsts. First off-road game drives in an open-sided vehicle, first time seeing the Okavango Delta, first mokoro outing and several others. Even so, the single most memorable event during the trip was something completely unexpected and not likely to happen ever again.

It seems rather bizarre in retrospect but as strange as it sounds, I accompanied the then manager of the now defunct Tsaro Lodge on a rescue mission to extricate the Swedish Ambassador to Zambia from a dangerous situation. His 4-wheel drive vehicle had sunk down to its axles in the sticky black cotton soil of the Mababe Depression. Imparting a sense of urgency to everything: the diplomat had been bitten by a spider which did not know about diplomatic immunity. To make matters worse, a large pride of lions – of the elephant-killing kind – was closing in on his campsite. The honorable gentleman had been traveling with his teenage son who hiked out of this mess – rifle in hand – following random bush tracks until he stumbled into Tsaro Lodge early that afternoon. Where I happened to be the only guest.

Needless to say I accepted – with alacrity – an invitation to go along on the rescue mission which turned into an adventure like few I had ever experienced before, or since. Standing in the back of a vintage Land Rover – tightly gripping the railing on the left and right, we skidded around tight, muddy corners and splashed through pools of rain water in an utterly remote corner of northern Botswana in the gathering dusk. In what was very much a race against time. And, as it turned out, a successful one with the gentleman in question being ok – and definitely relieved – to see us and his son, appearing from the shadows.

What do I remember best about the escapade? Adding three new life birds to my list on the drive out, including African rail and painted snipe. In hindsight I probably did not quite grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Finding my first Bengal tiger in India

There’s before and there is after. Before you got married – and after. Before you had children – and after. There’s also before you see your first tiger in the wild – and after. The African big cats are amazing – individually and collectively. Yet a tiger sighting trumps them all.  

There was a time when it was really difficult to see tigers – anywhere – and visitors often returned from India with accounts of having to settle for just a glimpse. Stripes disappearing into the jungle, a tantalizing tail and that’s it. Fortunately that is no longer the case and one’s chances of coming eye to eye with a tiger are excellent if you spend at least a few days in one of the premier tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh in central India. Which is where my colleague Lyndon and I saw our first tiger, in Bandhavgarh National Park.

Seeing our very first tiger in the wild in January 2023 was a heart-stopping, jaw-dropping moment, never to be forgotten. Never had I seen an animal quite as confident as that adult tiger male, striding around Bandhavgahr as if it was his personal fiefdom. Seemingly totally without fear, not even bothering to glance in our direction, it walked from one side of a road to the other and then back again, emerging from the forest in beautiful morning light, all the better to appreciate and photograph its incredible color pattern. For obvious reasons, a Bengal tiger is often described as being ‘unmistakable’ in field guides. Its vivid reddish-orange coat with prominent black stripes, a white belly and white spots on the ears are one of a kind and impossible to be confused with any other big cat. A life-changing experience? Absolutely. Right away, I realized that this was an animal I wanted to see again, and more than once.

Painted dogs turn the tables

Some years ago – operating out of Kwando’s Lagoon Camp in northern Botswana – we had two vehicles going out one morning in search of a pack of African painted dogs. The dogs had been seen in the area the previous several days but as it was in March, they were not denning. Which happens around June or July or so, during the southern African winter. During the denning season the painted dogs have their pups holed up in an abandoned hyena den or similar spot, deemed to be safe by them. Food is then brought to the pups and regurgitated. Once the pups are old enough to travel with the pack, the dogs become semi-nomadic, traveling many miles between hunts during the southern African summer months. The landscape in much of the Kwando Concession is very lush at that time of year as it is well into the rainy season. At the time, there were dense thickets, huge expanses of stunted but well-leafed mopane trees and green bush in every direction.

For the better part of three to four hours we seemed to be driving in circles, with the guides talking to each other in Setswana all the time, pointing at the clearly visible dog tracks, all while driving in and out of tight spots, being careful to avoid broken, splintered mopane stumps which puncture tires all the time. Every now and then the two vehicles would intersect and the guides would have an animated conversation, with a lot of pointing and gesturing and surely a few choice Setswana expletives in the mix. And off we’d go again, relocating the painted dog tracks and restarting the pursuit. This went on for more than three hours, as I said and it was getting to be rather frustrating for all involved.

At around 1030 am the decision was made to stop for morning tea and coffee at a convenient water hole. I’m sure the guides were just as keen as the guests were to take a break from the relentless pursuit. We stopped under some trees within sight of the water hole, everone piled out of the two vehicles and the guides were just starting to set up a few small tables when the unexpected happened. First one and then three, and then a whole bunch of African painted dogs emerged from the treeline and headed straight down to the water hole on the opposite side. Right in front of our disbelieving eyes. They were ready to slake their thirst and cool off as well, and the presence of a few humans was not enough to deter them. The dogs had found us! While I initially ribbed the guides for not being able to find the dogs, I later realized it was their tracking expertise which had gotten us that close to the pack. It was indeed the skill and experience of the guides which led us to being positioned in just the right spot for something like that to have happened.

The area where this happened – in the massive Kwando Concession in far northern Botswana – is still one of the best places in Africa to find painted dogs. Other contenders include the Sabi Sand Reserve and Madikwe Private Game Reserve in South Africa, Hwange and Mana Pools National Parks in Zimbabwe, Chitabe Camp and the Kwara area in N. Botswana and the Lower Zambezi region of Zambia.

Dueling Sable antelopes

Wilderness’ Davison’s camp is located in the southern part of Hwange, close to Ngamo Pan. Hidden within the treeline, this classic African safari camp, with eight light and airy tents and one family unit, overlooks an open plain and a waterhole which is heavily frequented by elephants and buffalo in the dry season.

The main area consists of a spacious lounge and dining area, leading onto a large deck with an open campfire area, perfect for evening get-togethers. The small pool and its loungers are beautifully positioned for relaxation, while the deck is an ideal location from which to watch wildlife at the waterhole.

Nearby Ngamo Pans is a jewel of a place year round and this camp – or Wilderness’ Little Makalolo or Linkwasha Camp – is a great choice for the area. On a recent visit we enjoyed several game viewing highlights with our professional guide including some fantastic views of a herd of sable antelope seen in good light inside a beautiful rosewood forest.

Sable antelopes are as distinctive and majestic as any animal anywhere in the world. With their massive swept back horns, black coats and glaringly obvious white bellies, the male Sables are unmistakable. The females are more brown than black and their horns are not quite as long and decurved, but they are no slouches in the beauty stakes either. We took dozens of photographs and stayed with the sable herd as long as we could.

The following day – which also happened to be our last day in the Hwange area – we were already packed and in the vehicle en route to the Linkwasha airstrip when we came upon two male Sables fighting, or dueling. During the mating season, male sable antelope are known to engage in fierce battles with other males to compete for females and establish dominance. As we were to see firsthand, these fights can be intense and may result in injuries, or worse. The two bulls seemed to be practically oblivious to our presence and continued to swing their curved, sharp-ended horns at each other, the loud ‘thwacks’ incongruously drowning out bird calls and some nervous impala snorting. Reluctantly, and regrettably, we had to depart from the spellbinding scene before it had reached its end, as we literally had a plane to catch. We may never see something like that again, but it is certainly imprinted in our collective memory.

Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is by far the best place in Southern Africa to find and observe Sable antelopes, but they’re also found in northern Botswana where we’ve seen them at Wilderness’ Vumbura camps, at Great Plains’ Okavango Explorer and also at Natural Selection’s Duke’s camp in the northern part of the Delta.

Experiencing the zebra and wildebeest migration for the first time

On my very first trip to Tanzania many years ago, a buddy and I drove all the way from Kenya into Tanzania via the Namanga border post, initially to a camp on the northern side of Kilimanjaro. From there, a couple of days later, we pushed on via Arusha and then – on an atrociously bad road – up onto the escarpment, spending a couple of days at a lodge on the edge of Ngorongoro Crater.

All this was great and well, but what we really came for was the zebra and wildebeest migration. And then, on April 1 that year, we got lucky and found ourselves surrounded by thousands of wildebeest and zebras in every direction, as far as we could see, on the short-grass plains of the Serengeti in the Ndutu area. This is how I described it back then, upon my return to Texas:

“Yes, Virginia there is a wildebeest migration and it is showing right now, somewhere in the theater of the vast Serengeti Plains. And what a picture it is. My first thought upon gazing out over thousands of wildebeest was that in the face of a spectacle like that, all technology fails. There is no camera or other device which can do justice to such a scene, all sound and fury in a 360 degree arc, non-stop movement and action as the wildebeest succumb to instinct and follow the rain across the Serengeti’s sea of grass. Parting ahead of us like water around the prow of a boat, the wildebeest in their hundreds practically engulfed our vehicle, splashing across the muddy, wet shortgrass plains in the Ndutu area. Sounding like a bunch of bullfrogs on steroids, grunting and carrying on something fierce, they bulldozed ahead, seemingly mindless of the rogue hyenas and lions lurking all around. In the space of a couple of hours or so, we must have seen between 200,000 and 300,000 wildebeest. Unbelievable, and simply amazing.”

Every safari is an opportunity for uforgettable moments. Call us at 1-800-513-5222 or email Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com to learn more and to start planning your safari.

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Wilderness Mokete Camp Exceeds Expectations

12th October 2024

Wilderness Mokete Camp Exceeds Expectations

So did Mokete Camp in Northern Botswana’s Mababe area live up to advance billing? You bet it did! Our very first game drive with guide Jonah – on the afternoon we arrived in early August this year –  delivered our best aardvark sighting ever. I finally have some decent photos of one of these elusive beasts. And what a weird weird animal it is with its odd, thick tail, pig-like claws and elongated snout. 

We thought it was going to be tough sledding for Jonah to match a brilliant aardvark sighting but in less than an hour the following morning, he proved us wrong. Not long after first light, we experienced the jaw-droppingly awesome sight of six lions taking down an old, truly beaten up female buffalo right in front of our eyes. From beginning to end, chase to first contact to the embrace of death with two female lions literally suffocating the life out of the hapless buffalo. It almost appeared as if the old buffalo knew that its days were numbered not very long into the event. One or two feeble bellows early on and then a silent surrender to the inevitable end. 

As kills go – and we’ve witnessed a few over the years – this one was nearly bloodless as the lions were not at all hungry. We surmised that the group of young lions were just being their opportunistic selves and taking advantage of the abundance of buffaloes. This was at least the 4th buffalo they had taken down in less than 24 hours. 

Our four different drives turned up a wealth of other species as well including elephants, buffalo, more (different) lions, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, zebra, tsessebe, roan antelope, waterbuck, lechwe, sable antelope, warthogs and several good birds including ostrich, kori bustard, Bradfields hornbills, giant eagle owl and black korhaan. 

A session spent in an underground hide on the edge of the marsh produced a bonanza of elephant photos with group after group after group of elephants coming down to the water’s edge in the late afternoon. At one stage we had a triple layer of pachyderms in view: elephants in front of elephants in front of elephants. 

On an early evening night drive, following the elephant hide session, Jonah somehow spotted a pack of African painted dogs in the darkness and we observed the five young pups playing with an impala head as well as later on feeding on some impala ribs. 

On our final morning drive, departing camp at 6 am, we had two main objectives: number one to find the two ‘golden boys’ – a pair of particularly handsome lions – and, if possible, the rest of the pride which included five cubs. The second objective was to return to the area where we had seen a pack of African painted dogs – with five youngsters – early the previous evening. We cleaned up on both, going two for two with a home run of a drive. Our capable guide Jonah heard one of the males calling, and within 10 minutes or so, we had one of the two males in front of the vehicle in good morning light. Another 10 or 15 minutes later and we were looking at the other golden boy who had joined up with the rest of the pride; three females and the five youngsters. 

Eventually we made our way to the location where we had left the painted dogs the previous night. While they were not in exactly the same spot, they were nearby, and this time in broad daylight. For the next 15 minutes or so we watched as the young dogs gamboled and played and eventually flopped down to rest about 30 meters or so away from the anxious parents 

Overall the abundance and variety of wildlife at Mokete bordered on phenomenal, reminding both Kathy and me of some of our best experiences in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara, with as many as six or seven mammals to be seen at the same time or within a matter of minutes of each other. 

Getting there and some camp details

Our last-minute trip to Botswana – to check out Mokete and a couple of Great Plains Conservation Explorer camps – did not start well. For starters, our Airlink flight into Maun arrived a solid hour late, due to an air traffic control issue at JNB Airport. 

We thought that being second in the immigration line – once we got into Maun – would help to put us back on track. We were wrong. The one person ahead of us in the line ended up having a serious immigration issue. There went another half an hour. We did eventually make it through immigration and customs (a bit more about that below) and just minutes later we were getting strapped into a Robinson 33 helicopter. Ably piloted by a young New Zealander flying for Helicopter Horizons, the 40 minute chopper flight directly to Mokete ended up being a pretty good flight-seeing experience, particularly towards the latter part of the flight as we got closer to camp.

Kathy and I liked everything about our room at Mokete (we were in #9). It was spacious with lots of natural light, a huge king size plus bed with a sky light, super nice pillows and a cooling system over the headboard. While we did not need it (it was cool enough at night) it would be nice for an afternoon nap and for any time during the day in the warmer months. The lighting was great, there was enough storage space, a good shower, separate toilet and a nice sitting area with a bench and table. 

We asked for the skylight to be opened on both our nights there and it was awesome to be gazing up at a million stars from bed. Nights on safari are pretty special anyway and the skylight made them even more so. 

In line with Wilderness’ general style, the camp has lots of privacy with plenty of open space between rooms. Which makes for a healthy hike if you’re in the last room on the left side – room #9. The rooms have a generously sized plunge pool which we did not get to use during our trip but which we are sure future guests will enjoy during the warmer months. Kathy enjoyed a massage on the pool deck while I caught up with some writing. 

Dinner on our first night at Mokete was fine but nothing special; clearly we had been spoiled with the quality of the cooking on our recent trips to Mozambique and Madagascar. The buffet offerings at Mokete were tasty but the presentation was not the greatest and some of the dishes, like a spinach side dish,  did not look appetizing at all. Of course one can’t expect too much in a safari camp which has to prepare a multi-course meal for as many as 18 people all sitting down at the same time. Also, the buffet style presentation does not make it any easier to present food in its most appetizing form. 

Even so, our early lunch the following day was excellent with no room for criticism. It was another ample offering with a delicious quiche, perfectly grilled chicken wings, a beetroot salad, a cheese platter with cheddar and a blue cheese, all accompanied by freshly baked bread as always. 

Our second dinner at Mokete (a duck stew, salmon with a lemon butter sauce, a risotto, steamed vegetable and a green salad) was perfectly palatable but not overly exciting or accomplished. We think guests to this camp can look forward to well prepared, tasty meals with ample options and generous portions. Just don’t be expecting gourmet fare. Not the place for it. A final lunch on the day of departure did not disappoint. Beef stroganoff with noodles, a potato side dish, mixed green salad and a cheese platter as well as fresh fruit. 

The bottom line: Wilderness’ new Mokete camp in the Mababe area is by far the best game-viewing property we’ve visited in the last year or so. It was simply superb all-round, although the hospitality part of things was still a bit creaky with the coffee, sugar and milk not always arriving at the same time. They will figure that out. Having experienced amazing lion/buffalo interaction and walking with an aardvark trumps everything else and being served a cup of lukewarm decaf was small potatoes. At the price point – almost 50% lower than the 2025 rate for several of Wilderness’ other classic category Botswana camps – Mokete is a steal. So for serious photographers and ‘big game action’ aficionados considering a 2025 Botswana trip, my advice would be to plan everything else around at least 4 nights at Mokete. Wilderness Mokete’s ebullient camp manager Yompy Kennetseng and his team are waiting for you. 

Mokete is filling up fast for next summer (June through August & September) but email me at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com or call our Houston office any time at 713-467-5222 or 800-513-5222 if you are interested combining the camp with another Botswana camp – such as Chitabe – or to possibly add it as an extension to a South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia or Namibia safari. 

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