24-day self-drive safari with a fully-equipped Land Cruiser

A trip previously planned for early January, but postponed due to Covid-19, to March 17, 2022, until April 14. This allowed us to travel through and discover the parks of Botswana and Namibia-Caprivi during an interesting season.

The rains make the vegetation denser and replenish the water sources. As a result, the wildlife is more scattered and harder to spot. The Caprivi, Bwabwata, and Mahengo areas were a bit disappointing, especially in terms of antelopes. Khwai was also a very quiet and relaxing day :-).

On the other hand, the animals are in better shape than during the dry season and less emaciated. It was a real pleasure to watch the courtship displays, the leaps of the impalas and springboks, and the birds in their breeding plumage! We also saw many wintering birds from Europe (red-backed shrike – Lanius collurio, ruff – Calidrix pugnax, and even Siberia (magnificent sightings of Amur falcon – Falco amurensis).

Discovering the Kalahari, on the other hand, was magnificent! Chobe, meanwhile, is as rich as ever, whatever the season: lots of elephants, giraffes, herds of impalas…

A big thank you to Julie and Vincent who made this trip possible and who were always available and very friendly :-) Thank you also to them for their kind gestures (champagne, mokoro, etc.).

The welcome at the sites was always warm, especially at Drotsky’s Cabins and the Waterfront. A special mention goes to Victor from Cherry Cruises, who accompanied us on the cruise on the Chobe River from Kasane, for his knowledge and kindness.

A word about the tracks: lots of water this year, lots of potholes and bumps, sand… But with a good vehicle and a little caution, everything went well… And we knew we could always rely on the satellite phone with Vincent at the other end of the line, which gave us confidence! :-)

Published on: 27 April 2022