BOTSWANA - Back to Back Safaris -

Kasane to Maun in Luxury Tented Mobile Safari

- return Maun to Kasane in a self-drive Safari

Apart from the price, what are the differences when comparing a Luxury Tented Mobile Safari versus doing your own Self Drive Safari?

I decided to do both back to back and compare for myself.

Sunday 14th October 2018 was an unusually cold rainy day in Johannesburg as I set off to OR Tambo en route to catch my flight to Kasane and join 11 holiday makers booked on the same Luxury Tented Mobile Safari with whom I would enjoy the company of for the next 10 days. The itinerary started in Kasane, Chobe region of Botswana, ending in Maun, Moremi region, taking us via Ihaha, Savuti, Moremi Khwai and Xakanaxa Game reserves.

The plane arrived at Kasane International Airport at 13:30 where our Safari group gathered under our "sign post" and we all met each other as well as our 3 guides. We had two safari vehicles so that each person had a “window” seat and no one was placed in the middle. As I am an avid wildlife photographer this was welcomed. After the formalities were attended to, we headed off to the Chobe river for a 3 hour boat ride on the Chobe River in Kasane.

After an enjoyable boat ride, we went back to our safari vehicles en-route to Ihaha Campsite and arrived at 18:30. As this is a Luxury Tented Mobile Safari our campsites are placed at BOGA / Private Tours operators camps and not at the public campsite as those are used for self-drive Safaris. We met the staff which consisted of a chef, cooks and general staff. I was shown to my spacious tent which consisted of a bed, amenities, lighting and my en-suite bathroom with bush shower and bush toilet. After a hot bush shower, drinks were served around the fire where everyone sat around and started to get to know each other whilst awaiting for diner to be served.

We spent two nights in Ihaha and were fortunate to see beautiful Sable, Lions feasting on a dead Elephant, a massive herd of Buffalo and wildlife such as Impala, Vultures, Eagles, Carmine Bee Eaters, Pelicans and more.

Mobile Tented Luxury Camps are not permanent and when the safari group departs the campsite, the whole camp is taken down, packed in trucks ready to be put up again at the next campsite.

On a moving day, when we move from one Campsite to another, our bags had to be packed and ready outside our tent by 6:30 and while we enjoyed a whole day of Safari, as we have no campsite to return to on a moving day, behind the scene the staff pack-up the camp and drove to the new camp, got it all set up so that when we arrived that evening all is beautifully set up, hot shower waiting followed by drinks around the fire and then dinner.

After Ihaha, we spend 2 nights in Savuti,Chobe region, where we saw more amazing sightings such as lion prides, hyenas, wildogs, elephants and lovely sunsets at waterholes.

On a non-moving day, our schedule started with a wake-up call at 5:00 with hot water ready in our basin to freshen up, followed by hot beverages and freshly made toast, yogurts and fruits ready under the dinning table and by 6:30 we were off for the morning safari. We stopped for refreshments along the way and depending on what we saw, we would normally return to our camp around 11:30 which would be followed by lunch around 12:30. The afternoon is at your leisure and snacks would be served at 15:30 and then set off on our afternoon safari at 16:00 returning to camp around 18:30, shower and meet by the fire for sundowners followed by dinner.

Thursday was a moving day from Savuti to Moremi Khwai, were along the way we stopped for a relaxing picnic along the Khwai river while watching elephants bathing. After watching a leopard drinking at dusk we arrived at our new camp. We spent the next 2 nights in Moremi and saw nice leopard sightings.

Saturday was our last moving day before returning home and we headed off to Xakanaxa, situated on the banks of the Khwai River on the Xakanaxa Lagoon, where for the last two nights where we were once again spoilt with lion sightings, big buffalo herds and crocodiles that were feasting on a dead hippo. Our last afternoon on Sunday was spend enjoying a boat ride which was unfortunately cut short as we hit a severe hail and rain storm, but cleared a little while later and allowed us to continue our safari in the vehicles. However, later that evening the storm came back again with a vengeance whereby we could not even sit at the dining table for our diner due to the strong winds and had to stay in our ground tents which the staff had to secure with additional ties.

The next morning was still overcast and a bit chilly compared to the hot weather we experienced throughout our safari. Our bags packed, we left Xakanaxa at 7:00 and arrived in Maun International Airport just after 11:00 and everyone caught their flights to their next destination.

I stayed in Maun for 1 night and flew back home to Johannesburg the following day where my next few days were busy preparing and packing our vehicle to start our self-drive safari with my husband and 6 of our friends with whom we do annual self drive bush safaris.

We have a choice of two vehicles we use when going on Safari, a Toyota Landcruiser 70 series or a Land Rover Defender 130. For this trip we chose the Toyota. Vehicle all packed and ready to go, we left as planned on Friday 2 November and met our group early morning at the N1 Petropoort in Johannesburg, but not before we had to fix a flat tyre just 10 minutes from the Petropoort station. Once again it was an unusually cold overcast day and changing a tyre along the highway was not a pleasant experience. We had the punctured tyre fixed in Vaalwater as one does not want to start a self-drive Safari with no spare tyre. After about 450kms drive we were through the Martin Drift Border Post just past 12:00. Now in Botswana we made our way to Khama Rhino Santuary where we overnight-ed in chalets, but again not before we had our second puncture. But this time we had the help of our friends and used an air lift jack, and as we removed the punctured tyre the air jack ruptured and the vehicle was now on it’s wheel hub. Luckily no damage was done and after using the high lift jack all was back to normal and senses of humour came back and my husband, Gary, and I went to Palapye to fix the second tyre and at the same time had all the other tyres checked.

We reached Maun the following day where we stayed for 2 nights with friends. We filled up with fuel, stocked up on fresh supplies and braai wood for our Self Drive Safari. Our vehicle is equipped so that we are self sufficient in the bush, which when traveling in South Africa is the way to go. We have fridge/freezer, water tanks, storage drawers, long range fuel tanks, roof rack which allows us to carry fire wood, gas, Jerry cans for fuel and or water if required. The vehicle is also equipped with a dual battery system and an inverter which allows us to charge our camera batteries and other other equipment that may require charging. When required we also take solar panels.

Maun to Xakanaka is about 140kms, but takes anything from 3 to 4 hours travel time. Monday we arrived at Xakanaka for 3 nights, but our campsite No9 was double booked. As we were 4 vehicles and 8 adults, we had booked two campsites, No9 and No10 but we managed to settle ourselves mostly on site No10 as it is a bit awkward to share a fire and braai area with other people and try and cook at the same time. The public campsites were adequate with braai area and grid, a water tap and wildlife proof dustbin. The ablutions were fine with hot showers and flushable toilets, however on our last morning there was no water as the pump had run out of fuel. While in Xakanaka we saw Wildog, honeybadgers, elephants and hippos and various antelopes. We hired a boat ride for 2 hours and this time it was nice weather and saw elephants, various birds and Lechwes.

Our next destination was Savuti for 4 nights, which is about 170kms from Xakanaka and can take anything from 5 to 7 hours driving. We had booked two campsites which were along the dry river bed. The campsites were clean and well maintained with nice braai areas, water taps and dustbins. The ablutions were lovely and clean with very pleasant staff.

Apart from punctured tyres, we had a few other experiences as one gets on a Self Drive. Our friends car battery were giving them problems until eventually the battery died completely and the vehicle could not start or even jump start it. To buy a new car battery, one of the vehicles drove to Kasane which is a mere 160kms but took a whole day due to very deep sandy roads!. On another day in Savuti our friend got out of his LandRover Discovery and as he closed his door the car locked itself with the keys inside the car. Not having a spare key, we tried everything but unfortunately we had to revert to breaking a window in order to get in the car. But as one says “we always make a plan in Africa” and that we did and we always had good laughs and thoroughly enjoy all our trips.

We had good sightings in Savuti and saw both the Marsh and North lion pride, Wildog, Hyenas, Jackals, Leopard and various birds and antelopes. By the one waterhole there was a dead elephant that the lions and jackals found and were feasting on.

Monday 12th November we made our way to Ihaha, 130kms, and we thought we would top up with fuel at the New Puma Fuel station just after Mabele town in Muchjunge town which is about 7kms from Ngoma gate, but unfortunately the fuel station did not have diesel for the last few days and were not too sure when it would arrive - lucky we have long range tanks! We arrived at our campsite Nos 9 and 10 (same as Xakanaxa) only to find someone was already on No9 which was a nice shady campsite as opposed to No10 was in full sun. With permission we moved to another two shady campsites. The ablutions were not at their best, but we made our own plans, and I believe that the ablutions have been renovated since.

We did not see much in Ihaha apart from a massive buffalo herd along our campsit, lions, Giraffe, Zebras and Impalas. Kasane is only 17kms from Serondela in Ihaha which took us about a 25 minute drive where we filled up and has a nice lunch at the Coffee Buzz and caught up on the world news!.

Friday 16th November we started making our way back to Johannesburg and made it from Ihaha to the Big Fig Inn in South Africa and arrived home the following day but once again not without experiencing our 3rd and last puncture of the trip. Two vehicles stayed an extra two days in Kasane in order to see Victoria Falls which they most enjoyed.

So, all in all, what did I prefer? The Luxury Tented Mobile Safari or the Self-Drive Safari? Obviously, there is a cost issue which I have detailed below. But overall both are amazing.

Been an avid wildlife photographer for me to find the wildlife is crucial and when one is on a self-drive safari you are on your own to find the game, as opposed to the game rangers/ guides who have radios and assist each other.

On a Luxury Tented Mobile Safari apart from packing your bags and enjoying all that the safari offers, there is nothing to do, whereas self drives you need to attend to everything that comes with a self drive such as firstly organizing the bookings long in advance and then when on Safari one does their own setting up of the camp, organize food and drinks, driving, vehicle problems, etc.

But when on a self drive one can either enjoy their own company in peace and quiet or enjoy it with friends and go and do about at ones own free will without any time schedule. When at a sighting you can stay there as long as you wish, have rest stops where and when you want and just enjoy the peace and quiet of the African bush whereas when on an organized Tour Safari, the vehicle can be noisy at times and you cannot stay and enjoy a sighting for long periods and you need to follow the itinerary.

Costs October / November 2018

Luxury Tented Mobile Safari

Flights Jhb – Kasane, Maun – Jhb = R4 000.00

Costs of Safari single person (USD2650.00) = R37 100.00

Recommended Gratuities (USD150) = R2 100.00

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Total cost of Luxury Tented Mobile Safari = R43 200.00 for one person

Self Drive Safari (based on 2 adults and 1 vehicle)

Fuel for our Toyota (Pula 4799.00, rate of 1,3) = R6 238.70

Border Fees (Pula 152.00) = R197.60

Accommodation Khama Rhino Sanctuary – 1 night = R890.00

Accommodation Big Fig Inn – 1 night = R850,00

Camping per campsite = R4715.00

Wood for entire trip (P200) = R260.00

Park Entry & Vehicle Fees (P3190 for 12 nights) = R4 147.00

Xakanaxa Boat ride (P200 per person) = R520.00

Estimated Food and Drinks Jhb = R2 000.00

Food and drinks Maun & Kasane (P761,50) = R989.95

Restaurants (P387) = R516.10

Vehicle/unforeseen expenses (P380 +R254) = R748.00

Traffic Fine (72km in 60km zone) (P340) = R442.00

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TOTAL FOR OUR TOYOTA + 2 ADULTS = R22 514.35