Botswana

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.