BEHIND THE SCENES

Willem van der Berg is a regular contributor. For this special issue, he explored the Boteti River, Nxai Pan, Moremi and Chobe.

The wildest place you visited? Definitely the area around Magotho Camp on the Khwai River in Moremi Game Reserve. Also, the landscape I got lost in when I tried to drive a circular route in Chobe National Park along tracks I really shouldn’t have driven on my own. (See page 68.)

Were you nervous? Yes, at the first water crossing near Mababe and at every one of the 15 crossings that followed. I held my breath every time the nose of my Isuzu disappeared into the dark water.

In Nxai Pan National Park, roaring lions made my tent feel paper thin (page 55), but I think I was most nervous in the hair salon behind the Shell in Letlhakane (pictured here). Nigel the hairdresser took an hour and a half to tame my hair!

Were you ever afraid? I was certainly more aware of everything that could go wrong because I was travelling alone. I was most afraid on my last night at Linyanti. I was afraid I’d never see the sunset I’d just witnessed again.

If you could go back, which tree would you pitch your tent under? I’d go straight back to the camel thorn trees at Magotho in Moremi.

Follow Willem’s travels on Instagram: @ wilcoberg