SAFARI DE LUXE

BOTSWANA OFFERS EXCLUSIVE WILDLIFE SAFARIS W ITH PLENTIFUL GAME, FEW VISITORS, CLOSE-UP ENCOUNTERS WITH THE ICONS OF THE SAVANNA, AND THE INDIGENOUS BUSHMEN OF THE KALAHARI -ALL EXPERIENCED AT HIGH-END LODGES IN THE AFRICAN BUSH.

“The lions in the Kalahari are known for their beautiful black manes,” says Tsholo. He is our local guide, with whom we travel through the semi- dry steppelike landscape in an open jeep. As we approach a stand of acacias, some vultures wait patiently on the branches - staring down at us. Nervous- looking jackals are sneaking around. The dessert wind, which in the morning has passed 40 degrees Celsius, turns the area into a dry sauna. A herd of giraffes is strolling through the area, nibbling on the acacia leaves, avoiding the thorns with their long tongues. Curiously, with big brown eyes, they are watching us as we pass them. The animals are joined by yellow- billed oxpeckers, birds that pick ticks and other bugs from the giraffes’ thick skin. The oxpeckers live in symbiosis with big mammals: the birds with the striking red and yellow bills remove irritating insects and get an easy meal, while warning their hosts if danger appears.

We continue our slow drive through the bush. Botswana is a flat landlocked country in southwestern Africa, about the same size as France and Madagascar combined. The vast arid and semiarid Kalahari Desert constitutes around 70 percent of Botswana and blankets most of the country’s southwestern parts. In the Kalahari, lions prey on giraffes. Luckily, the area’s pride of eight lions has made a recent kill and takes turns in chewing on the bush meat. Once persecuted all over the continent, the apex predator forms a stable population in the Kalahari, where there are few people and enough space and prey for the big cats.

Safari in Africa usually means starting at dawn, so sleeping in will be for later.

Our jeep drives all the way up to the giraffe carcass, where the lions are. A young male, Short Base, strolls up to the jeep, scratches his back on the car, and lays down next to us in the shade of the open- air vehicle.

“Don’t make sudden moves, as long as we stay in the jeep, he can’t see us,” Tsholo whispers. Having the king of the savanna only a few inches away sends a combined thrill of excitement and fear up my spine.

The adrenalin rush continues when later in the afternoon we join a family of the local San people, the indigenous Kalahari Bushmen. Their traditions are well kept, and even though most of them nowadays live in villages, they still show great knowledge of the bush. We walk on a sandy trail through the arid landscape, while the original hunter- gatherers show us their hunting skills with poisonous arrows, how to trap animals with snares, and how to dig up eatable roots, which provide enough moisture when water is scarce. The San people communicate with clicking sounds, smiling and laughing throughout the walk. As we head back to the lodge, we spot the lion pride from a distance, walking across the savanna. We choose a

The traditional canoe-like vessel is used in shallow waters in the Okavango Delta.

different way back to camp – just to find out that the lions have just been visiting the lodge’s water hole, literally next to where we dine!

Watching the red sun slowly set over the Kalahari, I chew on my own piece of Botswana beef - probably the best meat I’ve ever had. Later, I watch the starlit sky, completely free from light pollution, as I sleep outside on the lodge’s open- air patio, which takes me one step closer to being one with nature.

In northern Botswana, the landscape is completely different from the central plains. The Okavango Delta comprises river systems that flood creating a huge water paradise for many mammal and bird species. We fly over the patches of wetland that the rivers have painted green and brought to life. Herds of elephants dot the swamps and savannas. The country holds the biggest elephant population on the continent - about 130,000 animals- and it is to Okavango that we have come to see the giants in their true wetland habitats. Where a safari in some African countries is equivalent

to waiting in line before your jeep will have access to a leopard in a tree, or elephants drinking at a water hole, the exclusiveness of Botswana’s policy attracts fewer high-end tourists. This not only makes traveling easier for those who can afford it but also brings a lower environmental impact. In practice, this means that a maximum of three cars will be at one wildlife spotting at any given time, which decreases the stress brought upon the animals, and increases the sense of a more intense wildlife experience.

I wake up before sunrise at the Vumbura Plains camp. The croaking sounds of the bell frogs blend beautifully with the grunting of hippos, just outside my lodge, facing the river. Safari in Africa usually means starting at dawn, so sleeping in will be for later. Coffees and muffins are served on the wooden patio before our 4WD takes off into the lush surroundings. Before long we hear yelping sounds: a pack of African wild dogs are chasing an impala. The antelope is often called the “Mcdonald’s of the bush” since many predators will hunt it, and impalas are dogs’ favorite prey. This is one of those chases I’ve watched on National Geographic Channel –happening live before my eyes. The impala tries to outrun the dogs, only to find that they are

more persistent, and the game comes to a quick end. As we approach a river, some mokoros are waiting for us. The traditional canoe-like vessel is used in the shallow waters of the Okavango Delta. “That way it’s safe against hippos and crocs,” says the oarsman, who stands at the stern and pushes the mokoro with a wooden paddle. In the past, the boats were made of dugout trunks from sturdy trees, but today more sustainable fiberglass is used. We slide through the water, almost soundless, watching frogs and birds holding on to the reeds. Suddenly the silence is broken: a herd of elephants splash through the waterway ahead of us, trumpeting. They form a line, with their tucks latched onto each other. The oarsman smiles and looks at me: “They are telling us to give way. It’s the African salute.”

As we make our way back through the natural channels, shaped by elephants and hippos, the sun sets over the African savanna. The nocturnal creatures embark on the night: bats sweep through the air close to the water’s edge, catching insects, and in the distance, we hear lions roaring. The wilderness has a calming effect on me. I don’t want to be anywhere but here. I feel content.