We had been dreaming about it for so long…

We had already travelled extensively throughout Africa, from West Africa in our youth to Southern and Eastern Africa, but never Botswana, even though we had often talked about it. In fact, it was too complicated to organise on our own!

And now, at 70 and 73 years old, we had to make a decision.

Tawana organised a trip for us just as we had dreamed. Botswana is more challenging than other countries. First of all, the period we travelled, from 15 September to 6 October, is already very hot, never below 38 degrees, but fortunately the nights are still fairly ‘cool’. Above all, the tracks are very difficult, sandy, full of holes and bumps, or corrugated, or all of the above!

But what a pleasure!

The solitude of the Central Kalahari, disturbed only by the visit of elephants at breakfast time, that of Baine’s Baobab, a magical place, the elephants at the Nxai Pan campsite that come at night to break branches right next to the tent, Mbudi camp where we shared our camping spot with hippos, buffaloes and elephants…

What can we say about the boat trip on the Chobe River surrounded by elephants, the mokoro trip on the Mbudi River where the silence is only disturbed by the mokoro gliding through the water, the flamboyant sunsets where the African sun always seems bigger than the European one!

So many magical moments! So many encounters! So many memories!

What a pleasure it was to feel alone in the world, ‘disconnected’ certainly, but ‘reconnected’ to the rich African nature.

A big thank you to Julie and Vincent who put together a trip tailored to our needs, thank you for the organisation, the accurate and up-to-date travel documents, and the warm welcome on our arrival in Maun and also on our return.

Published on: 28 October 2025