Shilpa and her family have traveled extensively in Africa and Botswana is their favorite country to visit. I was very fortunate to join them for the first time and it was an incredible experience. We stayed at 5 camps in different parts of Botswana (Lagoon, Lebala, Kwara, Splash, Nxai Pan).
Notes:
We stayed at 5 camps in different parts of Botswana (Lagoon, Lebala, Kwara, Splash, Nxai Pan).
Misconception 1: Africa is hot. I think most people think of Africa as being hot but that was definitely not the case. It was freezing in the morning and they gave you “Bush Baby’s” (heated water bottles) and blankets.
Very early wake up: I want to say it was 5am. They wake you up early because dawn is one of the best times to see animals. They don’t let you walk around unattended (they take you to and from your room)
Misconception 2: The lions will eat us. In reality, the lions think you are part of the jeep which is perceived as a larger but non threatening animal. This was put to the test when our jeep broke down while gunning it to see Cheetahs. We broke down near a bunch of prides (maybe 20 lions) and would have just been sitting ducks if they caught on. We waited about 20 minutes for another jeep to come a mechanic proceeded to fix the jeep with the lions around.
Notable sightings: Families of lions, hippos, 2 cheetah brothers, honey badger, porcupine, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, baboons, leopards, Aardwolf, many elephant encounters