Botswana and Zambia — A journey of a lifetime continues

by Judith Anshin, Contributing Editor (Second of two parts)

Last month I recounted my wonderful experiences in South Africa and Namibia. The following weeks that I spent in Botswana and Zambia in October ’11 were equally terrific.

Beginning in Botswana

Flying into Maun, Botswana, I was struck by how large the city is and by the flatness of the terrain. Because Botswana is extremely flat, flying over the bush at 1,000 to 1,500 feet made spotting animals quite easy.

After clearing Immigration and collecting my bag, I was met by a representative of Kwando Safaris, the operator of my first three lodges and the charter flights that would be taking me around the bush.

Walking up to the Cessna on the tarmac at the airport, I was a little nervous. While normally a relaxed flier, I had not been in such a little plane — one with a maximum of five passengers plus the pilot — since the 1970s, so I had a few butterflies.

I discovered that the hardest part was getting into the plane, not flying in it! After my first flight, I discovered a trick that worked for me: stepping on the tire with one foot so my other foot could reach the little footpad that was higher up.

Joining me for the flight was a couple from Holland; it took about an hour to reach their camp and then another 50 minutes to get to mine, Tau Pan. The lodge is the first semipermanent camp inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a national park and a very ecologically sensitive area. Accordingly, off-roading and night drives are not allowed.

In the 1980s I had read a book by Mark and Delia Owens, “Cry of the Kalahari,” and, ever since, I had wanted to see the Kalahari. It did not disappoint in any way.

Tau Pan sits on a slight rise overlooking a permanent watering hole, which provided a fabulous experience on my second day.

During the first late-afternoon game drive, we saw some female lions and cubs with a young giraffe kill, but no males were in sight. My game ranger, Jacob, knew that this group usually included two males and was surprised they were not around. This was lucky for the females and cubs, because the males would have eaten their fill before allowing the females and cubs to feed, and a baby giraffe probably wouldn’t be large enough to fill up all of them.

Early the next morning, Jacob spotted the lions heading to the watering hole, so another guest and I jumped in the vehicle for a bouncy, fast ride on the bush road. At the watering hole, the two males were drinking along with three or four females and eight or ten cubs. They spent 15 or so minutes drinking their fill, then ambled off to their favorite shady area to sleep for the day.

The grasses in the Kalahari were quite high and the same color as the lions, so spotting them wasn’t the easiest, even though we knew they were headed our way. After spending quite some time watching the lions, we headed south to find other animals.

The lodge was 5-star, as are all the Kwando lodges, and it was a real treat. My room was extremely large, with a nice sitting area, a king-sized bed and a very large bathroom/dressing area. The lodge was 100% solar operated, which pleased me very much.

All the Kwando lodges operate on an all-costs-included basis, which includes alcohol, kept in a bar area that is open for self service all the time. The food service was outstanding; no guest could ever go hungry there.

The dining area was open to the outside, and during dinner I noticed a red glow quite a distance away. I learned that it was a bush fire that had started near Tau Pan and was slowly burning itself out as it moved south. Throughout Botswana I saw evidence of fairly recent bush fires, some perilously close to lodges.

On my first night, I got a long splinter in my hand that I couldn’t get out with just my fingernail. When we couldn’t find a needle, Jacob produced a thorn from a type of thorn tree that the elephants eat, and, after dousing it and my hand in antiseptic solution, the thorn did the job.

I was amazed at the sharpness of the thorn, as it was at least as sharp as any needle could be. Knowing the elephants chomp on these trees gave me new respect for their hardiness.

On to Okavango

I was able to stay only two nights at Tau Pan before moving on to Kwara Lodge in the Okavango Delta. Waiting for the little plane to pick me up was a bit surreal. My driver and I sat quietly on the side of the landing strip (an unpaved, dusty clearing in the bush) when suddenly there was a faint noise in the distance. Soon the plane appeared, landing in a cloud of dust.

I must admit that during every flight, while I didn’t quite feel like Meryl Streep holding hands with Robert Redford while soaring over Kenya, that scene from the movie was always in my head, and I had a strong urge to listen to the soundtrack from “Out of Africa,” my favorite soundtrack of all time. Soon after every landing, I would get out my iPod and listen to it.

The Kwara Lodge is located in the delta and adjacent to the Moremi Game Reserve; again, off-roading and night drives were not allowed. All the Kwara Lodges are small, each with accommodations for a maximum of 16 guests.

The lodge sits alongside a lagoon, and the views from the tents and the main lodge were quite peaceful. Elephants visited the lodge regularly, as did baboons.

In fact, each room had a sliding door equipped with a chain lock on the outside, and guests were warned to always affix the chain when leaving because the baboons would visit the room, otherwise. (We were also advised to shield the lock with our bodies when engaging it if baboons were around because they are smart enough to undo it after watching a human use it!)

The game drives at Kwara were quite exciting, with many animals of all species. Our vehicles were able to drive through deep water, so virtually nothing stopped us from tracking animals.

One morning, off the road near the camp, the guide had seen a tsessebe starting to give birth. A day or so later, we got to see the baby, again near the camp, grazing with its mother.

One late-afternoon “drive” was actually a boat ride around the delta, and I saw something really exciting: a large elephant crossing the very wide river. I first saw the elephant as it walked along the edge of a grassy area, then it crossed a shallow channel. Continuing on, he took off to cross the very wide, deep river.

As the water got deeper and deeper, more and more of his body disappeared. At the deepest point, the only thing visible was the last few inches of his trunk, which allowed him to breathe as he crossed the river. It was an amazing sight and one of the highlights of my time in Africa.

Amazing encounters

My last Kwando Lodge was Lagoon, the most luxurious of my accommodations, by far. It sits on the banks of a lagoon on the Kwando River, and each very large chalet faces the water.

The lodge had been rebuilt only a few months before, and my room had to have been 1,500 square feet, with some tent walls and some more permanent walls.

The floors were hardwood, with Persian carpets, and there was a lovely sitting area one step down from the bedroom area, which had a very comfortable king-sized bed.

The dressing area was larger than the den in my home, and the even-larger bath area had a screened wall overlooking the water and a nice chair where I sometimes read in the afternoon to enjoy the breezes off the lagoon. This was, by far, the most beautiful and luxurious place I have stayed in more than 50 years of traveling!

Game viewing here was different than that at the other lodges, in that the land area was quite dry and many of the large herds of buffalo and other animals had headed south to the Okavanga Delta. But the water life and the wild dogs more than compensated for that.

One evening we came across the wild dogs, a large number of adults and nine puppies. Some of the puppies were so curious about our vehicle that they came quite near. The adults are pretty vicious, so the trackers wouldn’t even sit in their chairs on the fender, getting inside the vehicles instead. Presumably, the puppies aren’t that vicious, but we did nothing to test that theory.

The next morning we saw the same pack on the airstrip. The puppies had found a scrap of cloth and were having a great time playing tug of war with it. As a lifelong dog lover and owner, I really enjoyed watching them play.

We also tracked and found a rare sable antelope. It was quite beautiful, making the rough ride worth it.

By the end of my Africa trip, I was very happy to leave the rough rides behind. The vehicles were impressive in their ability to mow down small trees and get over the roughest of patches, but my back and stomach were getting tired of the roughness. The guides laughingly called it a bush massage!

One afternoon our guide saw a large indentation on the side of the road and commented that an elephant had given birth there within the last 24 hours. The next afternoon, while out on a water excursion, we saw the herd of elephants and the baby.

I saw so many baby elephants, zebras and hippos that I began limiting my pictures to mostly babies. This little one was the smallest I saw on the entire trip.

One of the more fascinating aspects of the whole trip was learning about tracking. The men who do this for a living are very adept at seeing tracks and animals from quite a distance, and they are able to interpret them in such detail. It was quite a learning experience, for me.

Enjoying a sundowner on the boat ride on my last evening at the lodge was so peaceful and relaxing, with beautiful views of the setting sun. It was a perfect way to end my stay at Kwando lodges.

Chobe National Park

Flying into Kasane, Botswana, the next morning included a pretty scary moment. I was busy looking at and taking pictures of the animals I could see from the plane when it suddenly dipped 45 degrees to the right and just as suddenly came back to level. Once the plane was level, the pilot turned to tell us he had avoided hitting a marabou stork!

The long drive from the airport to Muchenje Safari Lodge, at the edge of Chobe National Park, was on a paved road — a very welcome relief. Situated on a hill overlooking a watering hole and the Caprivi flood plains in Namibia, the Lodge was not as luxurious as the other lodges on my trip, but it was very comfortable.

The lodge’s managers were extremely friendly and helpful. The husband, Robert, was quite the joker, and I had a good time talking and laughing with him. He and his wife, Joy, were new as managers to this lodge, but they had over 20 years of experience in Botswana, so I really enjoyed hearing about their experiences and the history of the area.

The twice-daily game drives in the park were outstanding. Because of the Chobe River running through the park, the animals from the much drier areas of the country had migrated there to feed and drink. We saw lions, endless elephants, hippos, wildebeests, zebras, several species of antelope, monkeys, baboons, guinea fowl and other birds and even a huge crocodile.

In this area, there were large numbers of hippos out of the water along with their babies, which was a real treat. Elsewhere, the hippos were always in the water and we could only see their noses, eyes and ears.

The food at Muchenje was extremely good, and the meals were served at one long table, so there were plenty of opportunities to get to know the other guests. Joy and Robert really made it feel like dining with family.

Zambia

After three nights I headed to Zambia, crossing the river in a very small motorboat much like a fishing boat. There were very long lines of trucks on both sides of the border and lots of confusion, but the guide greeting me on the Zambia side did a good job of getting me through everything and on my way to the Islands of Siankaba river lodge.

I had read about this lodge in ITN, so I was filled with anticipation for a nice, 3-night stay. Guests check in at reception on the mainland, then travel by catamaran for 10 minutes or so to the lodge, itself. The two private islands are in the Zambezi River, making for spectacular views, even from one’s bed!

One island has the bar, dining room, swimming pool, spa, fire pit and a lovely sitting area. Connected by two suspension bridges is the island where the cottages are located.

The front of my cottage had a zippered net wall overlooking the porch and the river. Sitting in bed and looking out — and, especially, waking up to that view in the morning — was really awesome.

The river height changes according to the seasons, so the walkways and cabins are up on stilts. Guests walk through the tree canopy when going from place to place. All in all, I really felt one with nature at this lodge.

One night we had our sundowners in the middle of the river, but other nights we would jump out onto a small sandbank, where hippos often congregated, and the guide would set up chairs and a table and serve us drinks and delicious snacks. It really felt decadent sitting there in the middle of the river, watching the birds and hippos and enjoying the sunset.

On my second day there, I spent the morning at Victoria Falls. A lodge employee/guide took me for a very nice walk around the Zambian side of the falls. I particularly wanted to visit the falls when the water was lower, because in the high-water season the spray off the falls is so thick that you can barely see the falls. I also took a helicopter ride over the falls and the canyon, and that was quite nice.

Sharing the wealth

While I reveled in the luxury and pampering at Siankaba, learning about the good it does made it an even more wonderful experience. Just outside the entrance on the mainland is the village of Siankaba. The resort was built in conjunction with the village, and most of the workers at the resort come from and live in the village. Victor, one of the resort employees, took me for a walk around Siankaba and to its school.

The school is a place I will never forget. Arriving about the same time as I was Jay Tailor, the majority owner of the resort, who lives in England. He had come directly from the airport so as not to miss seeing the children, since school ends at noon. His charity, The U Foundation, raises money to support projects throughout Zambia, and what he has done at Siankaba is impressive.

There are two classrooms, one for children three to five years of age and the other for five- to eight-year-olds. Malindi Lubinda was the teacher for the older children, and his enthusiasm for his work was obvious.

The classroom had postings along the wall of an impressive curriculum for the term, along with the “Ten Golden Rules,” such as “Be Helpful and Kind,” “Don’t Hurt Anyone” and “Always Keep Your Body Clean.” The children sang a song for me to thank me for the pens I had brought them, and they were just delightful. Jay has also set up a library at the school, with all materials and furniture shipped out from England.

One way the foundation raises money is with a London-to-Paris cycling challenge. My guide for Victoria Falls rode in one of the challenges a couple of years before, and his enthusiasm for the foundation was contagious. He clearly looks upon Sarah Elton, also with the foundation, and Jay as mentors.

The foundation has a 501(c)3 designation, making contributions from the US tax deductible. You may donate through Africa Hope Fund (c/o Carol Van Bruggen, 2255 Watt Ave., Ste. 300, Sacramento, CA 95825); state that your donation is specifically for The U Foundation.

Leaving the islands on my last day, I certainly left a part of my heart behind. Besides the great food and luxury, the good that it does for the village really touched me. My six weeks in Africa seemed to pass in a flash, and as I made my way back to Jo’burg and my flight home, I admitted to myself that, despite its length and depth, this one trip wasn’t enough. I have to go back.

For more information, please e-mail me c/o ITN.

Editor’s note: Judith Anshin was partially hosted by all the lodges in Botswana and Zambia as well as by Africa 2000 Tours (Knysna, South Africa; phone +27 44 382 5845). The cost for a similar itinerary, including the lodgings featured, would be around $11,000 per person, based on two people traveling in the high season, though Africa 2000 works to offer discounts to their travelers whenever possible.